The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse: The Equestrian Adventure

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Harvest Festival
Chapter 2: Setting Out
Chapter 3: The Old Mine
Chapter 4: Down the Shaft
Chapter 5: The Master Metal
Chapter 6: Showdown Underground
Chapter 7: Snake in the Grass
Chapter 9: The Belly of the Beast
Chapter 10: Curtain Call in the Manor Serpente
Chapter 11: Harrowing Heights
Chapter 12: Welcome to Santillama
Chapter 13: Night Raid on Rancho del Corazón
Chapter 14: Come Around
Chapter 15: High Noon
Chapter 16: There's a Party in Trottingham
Chapter 17: The Larcenous Hordes
Chapter 18: Round One!
Chapter 19: A New Development
Chapter 20: All Against One
Chapter 21: The Kingdom of Champions
Chapter 22: Nopony from Nowhere
Chapter 23: Thief
Chapter 25: The Turn of the Tide
Chapter 26: Friends Against Friends
Chapter 27: Obsolete Dream
Chapter 28: Dream's End
Chapter 29: The Looming Nightmare
Chapter 30: The Village of Storms
Chapter 32: Horror Unleashed
Chapter 33: Open Heart
Chapter 34: The Fear Factory
Chapter 35: Heart of Tin
Chapter 36: Made to Be Broken
Chapter 37: Wild Ride to the Middle of Nowhere
Chapter 38: Look for Trouble, And It Shall Find You
Chapter 39: Who Shot the Cannon?
Chapter 40: Scrapyard Scrape
Chapter 41: A Plan is Needed
Chapter 42: A Bug's Peril
Chapter 44: To the Rescue
Chapter 45: Wild Ride to Oblivion
Chapter 46: All Aboard the Double Down
Chapter 47: Grim Discovery
Chapter 48: Trapped
Chapter 49: Down Below
Chapter 50: Gone Goofy
Chapter 51: Rose la Belle Rose
Chapter 52: Cards With Cray
Chapter 53: Once Together, Now Apart
Chapter 54: Lose My Way
Chapter 55: Far North
Chapter 56: Found Out
Chapter 57: Illusion
Chapter 59: A New Way
Chapter 60: The Spider's Parlour
Chapter 61: Hope Lost
Chapter 62: Lost Then Found
Chapter 63: Onward and Forward
Chapter 64: Crash Landed
Chapter 65: In the Balance
Chapter 66: Unwanted Help
Chapter 67: Deep Dark
Chapter 68: Deeper Dark
Prologue: Through the Looking Glass
Chapter 8: The Mansion of Madness
Chapter 24: Chasing Inspiration
Chapter 31: Tin Toy
Chapter 43: Wings of Fancy
Chapter 58: The Fox and the Rabbit

Chapter 1: The Harvest Festival

Chapter 1

The Harvest Festival

In the town of Ponyville, the annual Harvest Festival was underway. The town square had been transformed from its homey, familiar look, to a rustic, rural setting.

Long tables had been set up, draped with corn, pumpkins, carrots, peas and apples provided by Sweet Apple Acres. Stables had been set up, where the animals stayed before they were judged by a panel. Stalls lined the streets, where ponies participated in the games that they waited to play all year. Foals played on the hay bales that were strewn about. And all around, every shop's door was wide open to welcome customers to the discounts inside.

Resident princess Twilight Sparkle walked through the busy square, taking note of the celebration she had helped to set up. So far, everything was going to plan, and everypony was having fun.

"I think this may be the most successful festival yet, Spike." Twilight said to her number one assistant, who was riding on her back, "Do you see Fluttershy anywhere? She's supposed to be helping us inspect the cattle corral."

"You know how she is. She's probably hiding under a table somewhere," the baby dragon said, as he climbed down to the ground, with a parchment and quill in his claws. "And, before you ask, Rainbow Dash is running the mini-derby, Rarity's in her shop, Applejack's over at the stables, and Pinkie's working the counter at Sugarcube Corner, but her break should be starting just about now."

"Twilight!"

"Right on cue."

A bouncing pink mare appeared before Twilight and Spike, somehow seeming more bouncy and perky than usual, as though she had eaten half of everything she sold in the bakery.

"Twilight, we need to get ready! There are more guests coming! More guests!" Pinkie shouted.

"I don't see how. Spike and I have been walking around for a while now, and it looks like the whole town population is here,” Twilight said.

"They are. I checked off everypony on the list you made," Spike said, indicating another list he held.

"I know that! My Pinkie Sense is telling me that there are more guests coming from out of town! Somewhere far away! So far that even my phenomenal, cosmic Pinkie Sense isn't able to tell me how they like to have fun! You have to help me, Twilight! This is the first time that I felt so powerless at a party! I almost feel like my cutie mark's going to fade!" Pinkie shouted.

"If that's how you feel, why don't you ask the guests yourself?" Twilight said.

Pinkie and Spike looked to where she pointed, and sure enough there were the strangers Pinkie had foreseen coming into town. And how strange they were!

At the stables that had been set up, Applejack inspected her pigs once last time before they were ready for their turn in the livestock contest.

"Get yerselves ready little piggies. Yer number's comin' up," the farmpony said. "Mudina an’ Hamlette: you gals get to the wash pan, an' pretty up fer the showin'."

The two pigs rushed happily over to the wash pan, where they splashed in with a cannonball each.

"An' you Oinkerella, I think ya got the chops to win the weigh in this year. So, eat a quick buffet before ya get called," Applejack said, as she pulled an entire table loaded with food to the stable.

With the sunniest smile a sow ever had, the pony-sized pig jumped on the table and stuffed her face.

"Got this competition in the bag," Applejack said.

Outside the pig stable, somepony arrived.

"That you, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, knowing her friend would love to see the pigs before the show.

Whoever was outside began huffing and puffing loudly, as if they had just run a marathon.

"Hey, you okay out there?" Applejack asked, walking to the stable door.

No sooner did Applejack finish talking, did a great wind blow. A wind strong enough to blow the door in.

Applejack ducked under the flying door, and clung to Oinkerella.

The two pigs in the wash pan rolled past them both, bounced into the wall opposite the door, and were buried under the hay that was blown about.

The wind stopped, and standing in the doorway was a frightful sight.

It looked like a timber wolf, but it was covered in dark fur, except for its white face. Curiously, or perhaps horrifying, it stood on two legs, instead of four. And, it was clothed in a tattered pair of red trousers, held up by green suspenders. On its hands, it wore a pair of white gloves, and its head was adorned with a ratty old top hat.

"Gah-hahaha! It's a smorgasbord in here! A regular hog heaven," the wolf said, in a deep, growling voice.

"Run away, lickety-split! I won't roast on no wolf's spit!" Mudina and Hamlette said together.

"Don't run, pig! It'll only make ya tough 'n stringy!" the wolf said, as he stepped forward.

Before he could even get close to the pigs, Applejack and Oinkerella dashed between him and the others.

"Ya'll better get, critter! Or yer in more trouble than a long tailed cat at a rockin' chair shop!" Applejack threatened.

"Gah-hahaha! Was that supposed to be a country-ism?" the wolf guffawed.

"Applejack's word is stable law! That, bub, is certain! If you have your ham, it'll be through a straw. Or, you'll get your final curtain," Oinkerella said.

"I guess pigs is dumb no matter where ya find 'em. Ponies too, it looks like. But, are ya tasty?" the wolf said, with an evil, gluttonous glint in his eye.

"Try a hoof an' see," Applejack said, giving one of her strongest bucks to the wolf.

The wolf flew out of the stable, and landed in the refuse bin just outside of it.

"Tough gal, eh?" the wolf said, as he adjusted his hat. "Let's just see how ya like this little puppy!"

The wolf reached into his pocket, and produced the very item that was used to destroy the crystal tree he and his larger companion visited earlier.

With a toss, the cluster of stardust darted all about the stable like an errant fly.

Applejack's head darted around too, keeping track of the item's erratic movements.

"What're ya doin'? Get that thing outta here!" she demanded.

The wolf only laughed at her, mocking her, berating her.

Applejack nearly charged to buck again, only for the light to become brighter, and she suddenly felt her limbs grow heavy.

"Gah-hahahahahaha!! Yer weaker than a cuppa coffee in a rainstorm! Now that's a country-ism!" the wolf laughed.

The wolf huffed, and puffed, and blew Applejack backwards into a sack of feed, cinched it shut, and hung on it on a hook.

He turned to the pigs in the stable, and licked his chops.

"Let's start makin' bacon!" the wolf growled, brandishing a meat cleaver to the screaming pigs.

Rarity had been mingling among the customers of her boutique, helping them pick what they wanted to buy, and taking their custom orders, when all of a sudden the door burst open and an incredible banging sound was heard.

Everypony ducked in cover, as displays and furniture were torn apart by an unseen force.

When it ended, nopony was hurt, but many still didn't dare to peek from behind their cover. Rarity, however, took it upon herself to see to the safety of her customers. But when she looked from behind her counter, she wished she hadn't.

Standing in the doorway was a mob of unfamiliar creatures. There were at least six or seven of them, armed with knives, clubs, brass knuckles, shaving razors, baseball bats, and the like. They looked like a group of giant, two-legged weasels, all dressed in pants and sweaters, some wearing hats.

But the worst one of all was the one in the middle. This one was like a cat, taller than any of the weasels, and incredibly fat. He wore a red turtleneck, brown jacket and black pants. On his feet was one single shoe, as his other leg was replaced with a wooden peg. In his mouth was a cigar, billowing with black smoke. In his hands, he held a black tommy gun with a smoking barrel.

"Alright, boys. Start casin' de joint!" the cat ordered the weasels.

Upon the order, the weasels spread out through the shop and began tearing into anything they could get their hands on.

Rarity had laid out her most elegant jewels and fabrics for the festival, and was mortified to see what wasn't damaged getting stolen, let alone handled so roughly.

In an instant, the unicorn enveloped it all in her magic.

"Hey!" the cat shouted, as a jeweled gown was yanked from his hands.

Rarity took everything of value in the room, and used her magic to turn a panel on the wall, revealing a safe. The safe was opened, and all the merchandise was crammed into it. The fashionista hated herself for handling her goods so roughly, but all was necessary to keep it away from such ruffians.

"So, ya wanna do dis the hard way, eh?" the cat said.

He stepped over to the safe, and raised his fist.

"You can't open it! It only reacts to my magic!" Rarity said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes! Now leave, before the royal guards are summoned!"

"Fat chance o' dat, doll," the cat said, as he wound up his arm.

The cat plunged his fist into the wall, deeply indenting the safe. When he retracted his arm, he yanked out the entire safe, taking a huge chunk of the wall with it.

"Dis is it, boys. Now, let's get what we really came for," the cat said.

A whole round of cheers came from the weasels as they exited the shop, until the cat was stopped by Rarity trying to magically retrieve the safe.

The fashionista strained as she tried to relinquish the safe from the heavy's herculean grip, but the cat remained steadfast.

"No! I won't have you ruin my business," Rarity said.

The cat reached into his pocket, and produced a long, leathery brown strip, which he took a bite out of.

"As long as yer puttin' up a fight, yer ruinin' my business," he growled.

With a mighty spit, a stream of brown goop flew across the room and hit Rarity squarely in her horn. The force of the hit took Rarity off her hooves, and left her covered in the sticky, brown liquid.

The fashionista put her hooves from her mane to her chin, and screamed when she saw she was drenched in the stuff.

"Wahahaha! Have a nice day, doll," the cat bade her, before he left out the door.

Once outside, the cat stopped.

"Oh yeah. I almost fergot."

The heavy reached into his jacket, and produced a keg of dynamite. The fuse was applied to his cigar, and began to sizzle.

The dynamite was thrown into the shop, and the ponies inside all ran into cover.

There was a deafening explosion. Nopony was hurt, but the inside of the boutique was completely destroyed. Worse still, when Rarity found her reflection in shards of a shattered mirror, she saw that her carefully styled mane had been further ruined by the explosion, now blown into all directions.

"Things couldn't be goin' better, eh, boss?" one of the weasels said.

"Yup. De big boss is gonna be real happy wit' what we done here," the cat answered.

The weasels spread out, and he clomped through the town square, taking whatever he wanted from the panicking ponies, who all ran from the flying light.

"Dat's a pretty nice wallet ya got," the cat said, swiping the possession from its owner.

"Yer teeth're nicer den mine. Give 'em!" the cat said, yanking an old mare's dentures from her mouth, and placing them in his own.

"Caramel apple? I ain't had one o' dose in years," the cat said, shaking off the foal who held it.

Among the pandemonium, the wolf stuffed the two smaller pigs into a pot that was being used for a soup cook off, singing a little song to himself.

"Ist das nicht ein sausage meat?"

"Nein, das ist kein sausage meat!" The pigs refrained.

"Ist das nicht ein pigs-en feet?"

"Nein, das ist kein pigs-en feet!"

"Ist das gut feur schwein stew?"

"Ist nicht gut feur schein stew!"

"Ist das nicht ein curly cue?"

"Nein, es ist kein curly cue!"

The wolf began chopping vegetables to put into the stew he was making, while Oinkerella was bound and gagged with an apple stuffed in her mouth. Next to the pig, Applejack struggled to escape from her sack.

The cat took a huge bite of his caramel apple, and laughed heartily at the panic that abounded. Truly, there was nothing that could stop them.

At the edge of the town square, another glimmer of light arrived, followed by more strangers: a mouse, a duck, and a dog, all stunned by the bedlam before them.

"What the heck's going on here!?" Mickey shouted.

"Gawrsh! It's pandy-monium!" Goofy said.

Nearby, two weasels ganged up on a winged, yellow pony they found cowering under a table. The pony was subsequently tied up in the nearby tablecloth, along with a whole slew of pastries.

"Hey! You two cut that out! Pick on someone your own size!" Donald shouted, as he charged the two weasels.

Both weasels were completely unprepared for the fury that befell them.

The first blow happened when a rolling pin was smashed on a weasel's head, and then was pummeled with pies.

The second weasel swung his bat at Donald's head.

Donald ducked, allowing the bat to knock his first opponent out cold.

The second weasel was slammed into a massive cake, so that his head, arms and legs stuck out the top, sides and bottom, then was rolled down the street.

"If there's one thing I hate, it's a stinkin' bully," Donald grumbled, as he untied the tablecloth. "Hello? You okay in there?"

"Yes...Th-Thank you... I--"

The yellow pony's jaw dropped at the sight of a talking duck as tall as herself.

"Thank you..."

"Don't mention it, toots. Come on. Let's get outta here," Donald said, as he led the pony from the danger zone.

The town square erupted with screams at the new arrivals.

Rarity tried to run, but was stopped by a twinkling light in front of her. She shrieked, when it gleamed suddenly, but found herself no worse for wear when it dimmed.

What had happened just now? And what was the light exactly?

The fashionista saw a pony accosted by a weasel, and tried to magically throw a piece of fruit at the aggressor, only to find that nothing happened. Not even a spark of magic.

Rarity looked back to the direction she saw the light, and saw it glowing whenever it approached a pony. And it was going straight for Twilight next.

Somewhere on the border of the bedlam, Spike hid underneath Twilight, and watched what unfolded.

"Twilight? You can banish them, can't you?" he asked, covering his head with his clipboard.

"I think so. I'll just send them to Canterlot Palace. The princesses will know what to do with them," Twilight said.

The young alicorn aimed her glowing horn at the cat, who was terrorizing the populace.

"Twilight! Look out!" Rarity yelled from somewhere.

All of a sudden, Twilight was overwhelmed by a blindingly brilliant light.

Startled, but unhurt, Twilight tried to magically douse the light that blinded her.

"What are you doing, Twilight? Get rid of that cat!" Spike said.

Twilight remained silent, dumbfounded by what horror had befallen her. Whatever was happening, she would be powerless to defend the ponies she cared about against it. Without her, nopony could.

Mickey and Goofy had split up, and set to work finding the source of the panic.

Mickey saw a massive backside stooping under a table, reaching for the ponies underneath.

Wasting no time, the mouse grabbed a fallen banner, tied the loose end around a table leg, loaded a pumpkin, pulled back, and shot it straight and true.

With a loud shout, the target slid forward and slammed face first into a hay bale.

"What's de big idea, ya--"

The cat stood up, and recognized the diminutive assailant.

"Well, well. If it ain't good ol' Mickey Mouse. After I got dat mirror, I thought I'd never see yer do-gooder mug again," he said.

"I could say the same about you, Pete! Yer supposed to still be in jail fer rippin' off all those charities an' orphanages!" Mickey retorted.

"Wahahahaha! Not when ya got friends like mine, what can getcha outta any jam!" Pete guffawed.

"You don't have any friends! Yer an ugly, miserable waste o' space nobody can stand bein' around!"

"T’anks fer de compliment, runt. I'm glad ya noticed,” Pete said, as he raised his tommy gun, "But my friend here don't take too kind to bein' called ugly!"

Mickey ran full tilt in the opposite direction, as bullets rained around him.

He dove for cover behind some hay bales.

Pete's bullets tore the bales apart, and even cut them into the exact shape of a ballerina, whose head was shot off in a burst of straw.

Mickey's head peeked out from behind where the dancer's head was, and he noticed his new girlish figure made from hay.

"Gosh! This'd be embarrassing if it weren't so scary," Mickey thought.

More bullets shot toward him, and Mickey ducked lower and lower, as the shots slowly ate away at the figure from the top down.

Mickey crawled away to a safer place behind a booth, and contemplated a new plan.

"Come on! Come on! Get the lead out!" Donald yelled at his equine companion.

"I can't! I still need to help the animals!" the yellow pony protested.

"Don't worry about them! They can handle themselves!"

"But-- But all the poor cows and pigs and chickens at the stables! They're going to be so frightened with all this commotion! Please. Help me reach them."

Donald heard the earnest plea of the winged pony, conflicting his better nature with his will to survive.

"Okay! Fine! Then let's get you out of here!" he said.

"Thank you!"

The pony led Donald through the square to where she knew the stables were, but stopped at a horrific sight.

"Oh no! The pigs!" she shouted.

Over by the soup cook off, the pigs were in danger.

"Stand aside. I'll handle the big palooka," Donald said, as he marched forward and rolled up his sleeves.

The duck arrived at the aggressor's back, and put up his fists.

"Alright, ya hairy mug! Turn around and put up yer dukes!" he said.

The black haired glutton turned around to reveal his lupine features.

"It ain't a good idea comin' between a wolf an' his meal," he growled.

"What the--!? Zeke Midas Wolf!?" Donald exclaimed.

"That's the Big Bad Wolf to you, duck! But, since yer here, why don't ya grab some oranges, and we can have us some duck l'orange?"

Though Donald feared being eaten by the glutton, he remained steadfast.

"Forget it, fuzzy! You got those pigs tied up, and I'm takin' 'em back from you!"

"Oh yeah?" Big Bad said, baring his fangs.

"Yeah!"

"Oh yeah?" Big Bad said, unsheathing his claws.

"Yeah!"

"Oh yeah?" Big Bad said, brandishing two meat cleavers from his pockets.

Sweating, Donald tugged his collar.

"...Oh no..."

"Gah-hahaha! Yer a dead duck, Duck!"

"WA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AAAAK!!!"

Donald ran away from Big Bad, and was chased around the town square, even on the sides of the buildings that bordered the area.

"HELP ME! SAVE ME! HELP ME! SAVE ME!" Donald shouted.

In Donald's path, his foot caught on the upper handle of a double door, opening it as he ran by.

When Big Bad followed, he slammed into it face first, and was stopped in his tracks.

Donald looked back, and screeched to a halt when he saw his carnivorous pursuer counting stars and birds.

"Ha ha. And that's that," the duck said, adjusting his sailor's hat.

Donald rejoined his pony friend at the table Big Bad was preparing to cook the pigs at. Currently, the pony was struggling to undo a tightly cinched sack of feed.

"Let me get that for ya. I'm a sailor. I know a thing or two about knots," Donald offered.

He had successfully opened the bag, when he got a pair of orange hooves bucked in his bill.

"HEY!! What's the big idea!? I just saved you from becoming pony flambe!" Donald shouted.

Applejack stared dumbstruck at the bouncing duck before her.

"Fluttershy: why's there a talkin' duck here?" she asked.

"I don't know. But...But, he's no friend of that wolf. So, I think that means he's our friend," Fluttershy answered.

"That's right," Donald said, puffing his chest at the chance to be admired. "Donald Fauntleroy Duck, and I'm here to help."

He had quite forgotten his hesitation to help earlier, only from the aspect of adulation.

"Thanks, pardner. Glad to have ya," Applejack said. "Considerin' I ain't up to snuff. Normally, I coulda bucked ya 'cross town. But, that wolf over there did somethin' with a light, an' now I'm... lower than a broke wagon in a gulch."

Now that was a good country-ism.

"That same light got me too. Only, I can't fly anymore," Fluttershy said, revealing her limp wings.

Donald couldn't take it anymore. First bullies were running amok, and now something really strange was happening to the ponies of this town.

"That does it! All these guys are goin' down! Let's get 'em! You and me!" he said to Applejack.

"Don't know what good I'll do in my condition. But, I'm with ya," Applejack affirmed.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie slowly backed away from the armed weasels, who were slowly surrounding and closing in on them. After the light had shone on them, any power that they had to give them an advantage over their aggressors was taken away.

The mares' minds raced frantically for an escape.

"Wait just a darn minute!" a new voice yelled from behind the weasels.

They all turned, and saw Goofy standing there with his fists held up.

"Why don't ya come over here fer a bitta this!" Goofy said, as he wildly swung his fists.

The weasels all looked at each other, then at their weapons.

"Come on! Put 'em up! Put 'em up!" Goofy said.

Every one of the weasels raised their hands high in the air.

"We surrender!" they all said at once.

"Ya do?" Goofy lowered his fists. "Gawrsh. That wuz easy."

"Noooooo!" Rainbow Dash groaned, dragging her hoof down her face.

"No! Ya big dip!" one weasel said.

The weasels all pounced on Goofy.

It was a whole mess of flailing limbs and swinging weapons, everybody hurting everybody in the mishmash melee.

Goofy burst out from the top of the pile, and landed on a stack of metal pails that were set up for one of the festival games. His hands and feet ended up stuck in a bucket each, and a fifth one landed on his head.

"Come on, Dashie! Help him!" Pinkie said, using her back to prop Goofy up.

The goof stood up and frantically tried to remove the bucket off his head, but the buckets on his hands impeded his dexterity. The buckets on his feet didn't help his balance either.

Dash stood on a table, and tried to pull the bucket off Goofy's head. Putting her back into the push, Dash leaned forward, and pushed Goofy toward the weasels.

"That's not helping, Dashie!" Pinkie admonished.

Unknown to Goofy, the weasels all continued their attacks, only to miss every time that the goof twisted, bent, struggled and swung his body in his vain effort to free himself.

Goofy bent over, and backpedaled, bumping into a weasel behind him, who tumbled head over heels into a bobbing tub.

He lost balance, and spun with his arms outstretched, smacking three more weasels.

"Looks like he's doing fine to me," Dash said, her eyes going wide at the sight of the goof effortlessly handling a pack of armed thugs.

The weasel with the shaving razor swung at Goofy's head, only for it to bounce harmlessly off the metal pail.

Goofy lurched forward, and headbutted the razor-wielding weasel, knocking him out in the process.

A weasel approached from behind with a sack of potatoes and clubbed Goofy with it.

Goofy keeled over, and recovered with a cartwheel that bopped one weasel's nose five times.

The weasel stopped his nose from twanging, and raised his fists to attack, only for a bucket on Goofy's hand to fly off and stick itself on his nose, and knock him out.

Now free of one bucket, Goofy started to more easily free himself.

He fell onto his back, and tried to take off the buckets on his feet. When he fell, he kicked one weasel in the jaw.

Dash and Pinkie grabbed Goofy by his shoulders, and pulled him backwards, before he was clubbed by a weasel's baseball bat.

The two buckets on Goofy's feet were grabbed by a weasel each, and they started to pull him away from the mares.

Goofy swung his feet inward, and knocked the two weasels' heads together.

Both weasels passed out, pulling the buckets off Goofy's feet when they fell.

Dash and Pinkie pushed Goofy upright, and shrieked when a weasel with a blackjack came running toward them all.

Goofy hopped up and down on one foot, as he used his free hand and one foot to try and push the bucket off his other hand. His effort to free himself also helped him use the bucket on his hand to inadvertently block the weasel's blackjack.

Goofy jumped, and spun around, knocking his metal-clad hand into the weasel's snout, getting a loud cheer from Pinkie and Dash.

The bucket was coming loose, and the goof started swinging his arm wildly, parrying the weasel's blows and bopping him over the head, until the bucket finally flew off and knocked the weasel into a dunk tank.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

One final weasel charged toward Goofy with a battle ax raised over his head.

Goofy leaned forward, and charged headfirst into the weasel's stomach, pushing him backwards onto a strength tester.

The force of the hit sent the metal ingot high up the backboard into the bell above with a loud ding.

The ingot came falling back down, and landed on the weasel's head, knocking him out.

Goofy fell onto the ground, and started to pry the bucket off his head.

"Hold still. We'll get that for you," Pinkie said.

She and Dash helped the goof take the bucket off his head. Finally, Goofy was free.

"Thanks, li'l ladies," Goofy said, before he noticed all the weasels he had defeated. "Gawrsh. How long was I in that bucket?"

"You mean you don't know what you just did? That was one of the best things I ever saw!" Pinkie said.

"You're like Daring Do! But, if she was a total klutz!" Dash added.

"Aw, thanks. Who's Darin' Do?"

"Boy, have we got stuff to talk about."

A noise in the distance drew their attention.

"That came from the hayride!" Dash said.

And the three hastened to the location.

Over by the hay wagon, Mickey was thrown into the booth that was set up next to it: an old-fashioned smithy.

Pete took another bite of his leathery strip, and knocked Mickey off his feet with another spit.

Mickey fell backwards toward a wood burning stove.

An idea occurred to Mickey. He grabbed the stove's cast iron door, and a pair of tongs on top of it.

The mouse rushed forward with the door held up, shielding himself from Pete's gunfire.

After so long, the heavy's tommy started to click, and Pete began readying another round of ammunition.

Mickey was upon him, and bashed him with the shield, knocking Pete backwards against a building and getting a cheer from the crowd that watched him.

"So, dat's how it's gonna be?" Pete grumbled.

Taking his gun in his hands, Pete squeezed, twisted, and flattened it into the shape of a long, black blade, at least three times the size of the blacksmith tongs Mickey carried.

Reaching to his side, Pete ripped the door off the building next to him, and held it before himself.

"Have at ya, runt!" Pete shouted.

"En garde, knave!" Mickey retorted, and ran forward.

Pete puffed his cigar, making a chugging noise as he did so. The chugging noise sped up as Pete ran forward, his mismatched feet picking up steam. Soon, he charged with the force of a runaway freight train, as his cigar billowed like a smokestack.

"Somepony, help that little guy!" one pony in the crowd shouted.

"He's going to be destroyed!" Rarity gasped.

Mickey held his makeshift shield in front of himself, ready to thrust and parry whatever blows Pete would rain down on him.

Not so, as Mickey's shield bent under the force of Pete's charge, and sent the mouse flying back to the smithy. However, Pete's shield had been splintered.

Pete glowered at his shredded, useless shield, and tossed it aside. He reached into his jacket, and produced another stick of dynamite.

Mickey had just recovered from the blow, and looked up to see sizzling dynamite thrown before him.

Thinking quickly, Mickey grabbed an iron kettle from the smithy, and contained the explosion

Mickey jumped when the force of the dynamite shook the ground beneath him.

An idea occurred to Pete, who took a fistful of dynamite out of his jacket, tied the wicks together, applied them to his cigar, and threw them all toward Mickey.

The explosives clattered all around Mickey, who scurried to cover all of them at once, only to find the kettle wasn't big enough to cover them all.

"Wahahahahaha!" Pete laughed, as Mickey was sure to meet his end now.

The sticks of dynamite clattered to Pete's feet.

"Huh!?"

A series of explosions shook the town square, and Pete, Mickey, and a load of hay bales were blown upward.

The hay bales all landed in an arrangement of a square border, and Mickey and Pete landed in opposite corners.

Spike jumped onto one of the hay bales next to Mickey, and started fanning him with a sheet.

"Come on! Get up! The fight's still on!" Spike said.

"Uuuuuuhhhh..." Mickey asked, slightly dazed.

"You need to get up! You're the only one here physically able to!" Rarity said, giving Mickey a cold drink.

"Get up, Mick! That fat sucker's already 'gainst th' ropes!" Goofy said next, as he and Donald helped Mickey up.

"You can do it, Mickey! He's all bark and no bite!" Donald finished.

In the opposite corner, it took Big Bad and five weasels to lift Pete.

"Why ya gotta be so fat!?" Big Bad growled.

"Why ain't you, ya glutton!?" Pete retorted.

Finally, the heavy was on his feet, but his friends weren't done with him.

"Here ya go, boss. A little bitta knuckle power," one weasel said, offering his brass knuckles.

"Tanks, fella," Pete said.

The heavy took one last bite of his leathery strip, and spat it to the side, where the weasel with the bucket on his nose took it right in his face.

"Oh boy. That ain't good," Mickey said, noticing Pete's advantage.

"Don' worry. I got yuh covered," Goofy said, offering two metal buckets for Mickey.

"Are you serious?" Twilight asked. "Spike, go to Bulk Biceps' gym, and get some gloves for--Mickey?"

"Yeah, that's right," Mickey affirmed. "But, I don't need 'em. I got all I need right here."

Mickey indicated the buckets on his hands, and ran into the ring.

"Ohhhh! He's going to get clobbered!" Twilight groaned, biting her lip.

"I can't watch!" Fluttershy said, covering her eyes.

"Don't you girls worry about Mickey. He's scrappier than he looks," Donald assured the mares.

The fight was on.

Mickey and Pete rushed to the center of the ring, and circled one another.

Pete swung with a left and a right, both parried by Mickey's buckets.

Quick as a wink, Mickey placed a bucket on the ground, stood on top of it, jumped, and punched Pete in the jaw.

The heavy stumbled backwards, and Mickey kicked the bucket on the ground forward.

Pete fell down, and landed sitting on the bucket.

Mickey ran forward, and punched Pete again, sending him rolling back to his corner.

A thunder of cheers erupted, and Pete was helped up again.

"You see what that mouse just did? You haven't got a chance!" one pony said.

Big Bad snarled at the pony, cleavers drawn.

"RAH!!"

The pony screamed, and ran away from the glutton.

Pete was done playing fair. He knew that he was always at his most powerful when he fought dirty, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

Mickey retrieved his bucket and ran to Pete, fists up.

Pete retaliated by sucking in his gut then thrusting it forward, knocking Mickey down.

With the mouse on the ground, Pete jumped high into the air and came crashing down, cracking the ground under his feet when Mickey rolled out of the way.

Pete inhaled deeply, turning his cigar to ash, and bellowed out a cloud of black smoke right at Mickey.

Mickey coughed, and swung blindly in the haze, hoping he'd hit Pete.

Pete thrust his fist into the smoke cloud, sending Mickey flying out and into his corner.

"That's alright, Mick! Ya still got some fight in yuh!" Goofy said.

"I wish I could get it outta me..." Mickey groaned.

The mouse stood up, and readied to fight again.

"Hold on there!" a voice said.

Mickey turned, and Applejack took the buckets off his hands.

She and Rainbow Dash both threw a stack of horseshoes into each of the buckets, then put them back on Mickey's hands.

Mickey's arms fell to his sides under the weight.

"That oughta even the odds," Applejack said.

"Go get him, squeaky," Dash said, and pushed Mickey back into the ring.

Pete kicked with his peg-leg.

Mickey blocked with his buckets, staggering both himself and Pete.

The mouse could feel the extra power of the weight in his punches, though he was slowed down somewhat.

Pete jumped again, and Mickey planted both buckets on the ground, keeping the horseshoes hung around his wrists.

When the heavy landed, his feet ended up stuck in the buckets.

"Ya sneaky little runt!" Pete yelled.

Mickey backpedaled to the edge of the ring, cocked back his elbows, and let fly a series of rapid fire punches, sending his horseshoes flying forward like a machine gun.

Pete was pummeled all over by the projectiles, until Mickey ran out of ammo.

"Hey, fatso! Catch!" Big Bad yelled, throwing Pete one of his cleavers.

Pete caught the blade, shook the buckets off his feet, and raised the knife over his head.

Until the glowing light came to Mickey, and shone next to him.

"What's goin' on? Cut that out!" Mickey said.

Though he couldn’t see it, Pete could tell that there was nothing being drawn from Mickey. With nothing left to gather from the town, it was time to end their fight.

"Hmph. I guess dat's all de magic we're gonna get outta dis place." Pete said. "Yer off de hook fer now, runt. Me an' my pals got business elsewheres."

Beneath the twinkling light, Pete began to glow, and he disappeared into the tiny light.

Big Bad went next, followed by the entourage of weasels.

"Hey! You can't just quit! Get back here and finish gettin' pummeled!" Donald yelled.

The light floated away into the distance.

Nobody there could say where it was going. Only that wherever it went, more malice would be spread. And no one there would be able to stop it.

Author's Note

There it is, the reference to the first level that was featured in The Magical Quest 3. The first level in that game was a harvest festival. But, in that game the boss was a gigantic pig, instead of Peg-Leg Pete and The Big Bad Wolf.

But, speaking of pigs, did you notice how Applejack's pigs in this chapter spoke in rhyme? That's because they are a reference to the Three Little Pigs: Fifer, Fiddler and Practical, who all spoke in rhyme ever since their debut in the Walt Disney Silly Symphonies. The Big Bad Wolf (or Zeke Midas Wolf), on the other hand, has never done such a thing, as far as I know.

But, the song that Big Bad sings while he his cooking the pigs is something that he sang in the Silly Symphony titled 'The Three Little Wolves,' where he is educating his litter of pups about eating pigs.

Anyone reading this who has read my other work may have noticed that this time, Twilight is depicted as an alicorn. I didn't do it this time for any particular reason, other than just trying something different. Personally, I've always liked her better as a unicorn.

Also, for anyone who was shocked by Pete's depiction in this story, you should know that this is very much in line with how he was depicted in the early cartoon and comics. On another personal note, I really like the version of Pete where he's depicted as Goofy's best friend a la 'A Goofy Movie,' but I figured using his original depiction would make him seem more threatening.

So far in the story, things are turning out mighty strange. Just what are Pete and Big Bad up to stealing magic? And who hired them to do it? That will be revealed at another time, in another chapter.

Until then, rock on \m/

Chapter 2: Setting Out

Chapter 2

Setting Out

From the quaint setting of Ponyville, the twinkling magic soared over the land to the distant silhouette of Canterlot Palace high on the mountain.

High above the ground, it shone its light on all that it passed by, signalling its malevolence to all below it.

It arrived at the castle, and passed right through the gilded gates, through the marbled halls, and into the throne room.

Whenever a visitor arrived, the throne room there always carried an air of gentleness, serenity, nobility and reassurance in the light that shone throughout. A feeling that permeated all the ponies who walked through the doors, and basked in the presence of their beloved rulers.

No such thing was to be felt this time.

When the twinkling magic arrived, it entered a room that was as black as night, and dotted with more swirling twinkles of starlit magic.

The magic that had come through the door shone brightly, and deposited both Pete and Big Bad from within itself.

In the swirling lights of the twinkling magic, the glutton's clenched fangs glinted

"Well, here's a fine mess ya got us into," Big Bad growled.

"Me? What'd I do?" Pete fumed.

"Ya brought that little rat an' his friends here! If it wasn't fer you, we'd be livin' it up on easy street right now!"

"I ain't done nuttin' to bring dat little runt here!"

"Ya must o' done somethin'! He always shows up wherever yer fat backside goes!" Big Bad said.

Pete stuffed his tommy gun in the glutton's nose.

"Don't ya go puttin' dis on me, Zeke. I ain't never invited de runt to come here! If I--"

"I assume since you two are intruding in my throne room, you have something to report," came a new voice from deeper within the room.

Deep within the dark shadows at the end of the room, an imposing, silhouetted figure sat on the royal throne, overlooking his two underlings. Despite how the swirling starlight in the room shone in all their brilliance, they only darkened whenever they came near the master of the castle, as though they were swallowed by the very darkness he emanated from his very being. After passing, they regained their lustrous splendor.

Under the gaze of their employer, Pete and Big Bad began to sweat. All that they had to report to him would only result in some sort of horrific punishment, and neither one was willing to tell.

"Uh... Well, ya see, boss... It's dat... De wolf's got somethin' to tell ya," Pete said.

"Me!? Yer the one Mickey's always followin'!"

Big Bad gasped, and covered his mouth, having let slip the infuriating news.

"Mickey. As in Mickey Mouse?" the shadowy figure asked, as he slowly stood up from his throne.

"Ya see, it's like dis: I got dat mirror like ya said, an' used it to come here an' suck up all de magic I could find! Butbutbut-- Who coulda thought dat Mickey was gonna buy de other one!?" Pete quickly said.

"You left the other mirror?" the shadowy figure asked.

"...Uh...Yeah..."

"You did not take the magic from its glass before you left?"

"Heh heh. Yer trouble now, lardo," Big Bad chuckled.

"And what did you do about the issue? Did the so-called Big Bad Wolf return to the store and destroy the other magic mirror, or did he simply contemplate the many ways he would cook the creatures of Equestria?" the figure asked.

Big Bad did not answer right away, but managed to stammer an answer.

"I-I-If it makes ya feel better, I... I can let ya borrow the... uh... the cookbook I wrote for 'em all," he said.

The shadowy figure said nothing. His silence was all the more unnerving, as Pete and Big Bad knew he was looking straight at them from the shadows that surrounded him. He was appraising them, deciding how to deal with them for their calamitous blunder.

"BUT-- We did suck all de juice outta de Tree o' Harmony like ya said! Dat's good enough, ain't it?" Pete blurted out.

"An' we got the other princess too!" Big Bad added.

The twinkling light that had delivered Pete and Big Bad to the throne room drifted around the dark figure, swallowed by his shadows.

"It seems that you have. And what of the mouse?" he asked.

"De thing about dat is--'' Pete began, "We tried usin' yer magic stealin' stuff on him. But--"

"It just didn't work. He probably doesn't have any magic in him," Big Bad finished.

"Quite the contrary," the shadowy figure said, "The mouse and his friends all have a special kind of magic that comes from within. Something that can never be stolen by one even as powerful as myself."

"Den whadda we do about it!? How can we stop somethin' dat even you can't stop!?" Pete said.

"We don't," came the frank reply.

"That's a load o' hog manure!" Big Bad fumed, before covering his own mouth again.

"Your lack of faith disturbs me, wolf," the figure said. "Despite the magic they have, you two are more than capable to take them on with the very same magic you possess."

Pete and Big Bad exchanged glances, and smiled malevolently. It was true. The very magic that Mickey and his pals possessed was the very same that they had. Something that could turn the tide of their struggle if they put it to good use.

"In the meantime," the figure continued. "We will tip the scales in our favor by taking what is most precious to our adversaries..."

With a wave of his hands, the shadowy figure sent off more twinkling lights, which soon burst into tiny bits of stardust, having gone far away to another land, where they would take what Mickey, Donald and Goofy valued the most.

In the town square of Ponyville, the ponies picked up the pieces after the calamity that had befallen their home. Few ponies did this, however, as most of the town's population was gathered around the strange new heroes who had appeared from nowhere.

The ponies marveled at the bizarre countenance of each of the strangers. Nopony had seen anything quite like them. The dog maybe looked a bit like a diamond dog, only more...goofy.

At the moment, Donald was being examined by a whole herd, who examined the strange duck from every angle. Some examined his webbed feet.

"What the--! What are you doing?" Donald protested.

Others examined his feathery tail.

"Hey! Knock that off!"

Others still took a closer look at this ever-flapping bill.

"Alright! Alright! That's enough!" Donald finally said, pushing the crowd away from himself. "I got some questions: what's goin' on here? Where the heck are we? What's up with all the pastel livestock?"

"Dunno. But, they sure are cute," Goofy said, as he ruffled Pinkie's mane with one hand, and held an armful of smiling foals with the other.

"Actually, I have a few questions for you too," Twilight said. Normally, she would have magically summoned a quill and parchment to take notes, but not after hers and the entire town population's magic had been stolen. "First: I'd like to know who you are, and where you came from."

"I guess we do owe an explanation," Mickey said, as he was given an ice pack and a shoulder rub by Spike and Rarity. "First off: the name's Mickey. Mickey Mouse."

"I'm Donald Duck," Donald followed.

"An' I'm Goofy," Goofy finished.

"Well, yeah. But, what about your name?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Huh?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Twilight Sparkle. And this is the town of Ponyville."

"Pleasure makin' your acquaintance, Miss Sparkle. Anyway," Mickey continued, "The short version of where we came from is that me an' my pals came here from my house in Mouseton. See, we were out lookin' for an anniversary gift for my girlfriend, and of all the luck we got this magic mirror that's apparently a door to this place. Next thing we know, we're walkin' right through the glass, an' we come into this cave where there's this big tree made o' crystals an'--"

The entire town's population gasped, and fell into hushed murmurs.

"What's everyone gettin' all hot and bothered about?" Donald wondered.

"Don't y'all realize where ya were? Ya saw the Tree o' Harmony!" Applejack said.

"Oh. I see. Whut's the Tree o' Harmony?" Goofy asked.

"The Tree of Harmony is only the most important magical occurrence in all of Equestrian history," Twilight said. "It's where the source of our most powerful magical artifacts, and a fountain of magic itself."

"Oh! Oh no!" Mickey said.

"'Oh no,' what?"

"Twilight, I don't know what to tell ya...But, the Tree of Harmony's out o’ commission."

"The Tree of Harmony doesn't work anymore!?" Pinkie suddenly shouted. "But, what about all the magic? What about all the harmony?"

"I don't think it's there anymore. The only thing there when we found it was this," Mickey said, opening his palm to reveal the sparkling magic that guided him and his friends to the town of ponies.

At the sight of it, many of the ponies backed away. Twilight, however, cautiously approached it, and reached her hoof out to touch it.

"What is that?" the young alicorn asked.

"It's what brought us here," Donald explained. "We followed it out of the cave, through the woods, and into town, just before we trashed all those guys."

"A-yup. Jus' like we were told: it took us right where we needed to go," Goofy added.

"Aw, come on, Goofy. It wasn't because we were needed here. It's just some freak coincidence. I'm sure of it," Donald said.

"Pardon me, dear goof, but could you elaborate on that point?" Rarity asked.

"Uh, sure. Jus' gimme a secon' to figger out whut 'ee-laborate' means," the goof said, scratching his head and rubbing his chin.

Mickey sighed, and took over explaining.

"See, when I was buying that mirror for my girlfriend, the old man selling it told me that it had some kind of magic in it. That it was supposed to show you where you need to be in a time of need. When we got it to my house, we saw the Tree o’ Harmony in the glass, and it gave us that little bit o' magic that brought us here."

"Then...you were supposed to come here. You were brought here to save us... Like a real hero..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Yeah! You guys are like something out of a fantasy book," Rainbow Dash added. "A bunch of strangers in a strange land that's been taken over, who trek around punching evil right in its face!"

"Brave knights from a foreign land, doling out justice in the name of the downtrodden ponies and fair maidens," Rarity added.

"A posse o' desperados brandin' the hide o' outlaws like stray cattle," Applejack said.

"A travelling troupe of troublemakers, trampling tyrants and terrors!" Pinkie said. Normally, her speech would have been accompanied by streamers and party horns, but she was barely able to muster a hoofful of confetti.

Twilight felt as if her friends were exaggerating just a little bit, but it certainly rang true. In their greatest time of need, it was not the Elements of Harmony that appeared, but three strangers who arrived to help them.

"Well, if that's the case, then I don't think we should keep you," Twilight said. "If there really is such a grave problem, you all should be out of here as fast as possible."

"That's right. As long as Pete's out there, there's nothin' but trouble waitin' for all of us!" Mickey declared. He turned to face the floating sparkle of magic. "Come on, little feller. Show me an' my pals where to go next."

The sparkle of magic did nothing at first, but soon glowed brighter with a warm, benevolent glow that enveloped the onlookers. Once the light faded, the crowd was awed by the sight of not one cluster of starlit magic, but four.

Three of the lights slowly drifted into different directions. The fourth remained stationary. Spike reached out to touch it, and recoiled when it glowed brighter.

The three moving lights passed by the visitors in the land.

"WAK! Watch it!" Donald shouted, as one of the lights passed over him, and almost carried his hat away.

Goofy laughed uncontrollably when one light drifted through his sleeve and tickled him unmerciful. The goof tumbled and jumped up and down, until he rolled onto his back, and the light came out his pant leg.

Mickey backed away as the light came toward him, until it entered one of his ears, passed behind his eyes (rolling his pupils out of the way), and exited his other ear.

One look at the diverged magic, and Mickey knew exactly what it meant.

"Looks like we're gonna have to split up," he said.

"Split up? But, we always do our best when we're tuh-gether," Goofy said.

"Yeah! We always succeed together. Or destroy a clock tower. Or blow up a tugboat. Or get trapped in a haunted house..." Donald said, before trailing off.

"Okay. So, if you three have to split up, I think somepony who knows the land has to go with you. And as the local princess, I think it's my job to draw first honors," Twilight said.

"And me," Rarity chimed in. "It's always easier with more companions along."

"Count me in," Dash said, stepping next to Goofy. "This goof's gonna need all the help he can get."

"Says you," Pinkie said, also stepping next to Goofy.

"An' I'm truckin' with the duck," Applejack declared.

"And how," Donald said, emphatically shaking the farmpony's hoof.

"Um... excuse me," Fluttershy said, "But, I think I should go too."

"What!? No way, toots. What just happened here is probably a cakewalk compared to what's next," Donald said.

"I know..." Fluttershy said, trembling. "But, it's my duty as the Bearer of Kindness... Please. I want to go with you. I have to."

Donald looked Fluttershy right into her pleading eyes and felt his resolve weakening. Turning away from the pony, he clenched his fists, and crossed his arms.

"Waaaak! It's like saying no to a puppy!" the duck grumbled.

Fluttershy hid behind her mane when she heard Donald grumbling, but was partly delighted to hear that he would allow her to go along.

"So, let's get goin'!" Mickey said.

"Wait a second: there are four lights," Spike said. "Somepony should follow that last one."

Twilight looked at the final light, and noticed that unlike the others, it had not moved at all.

"I don't know. I don't think this one's going anywhere. You should stay here and monitor it, in case anything changes," Twilight said.

"But, what if it starts moving? Can I follow it then?" Spike hopefully asked.

"No, Spike. If it moves, there's no telling where it will end up."

"But, Twilight, it might be important. I can handle it. I even still have my magic."

"What? How can you?"

"Because I was hiding under you when that light took away your magic. It didn't get me. See?" Spike said, welling up a small, green fireball.

As soon as she saw the green flames, Twilight's face lit up.

"Wow! That's a spicy meatball!" Mickey said.

"This is fantastic!" Twilight said. "Spike, you can send a letter to the princesses! They'll be able to help us! Send them a letter telling them what happened here! And tell them how to find us!"

"But--"

"Spike! It's really important that you do this. Please. Do it for me."

"Fine..."

The three other groups all dispersed, following the respective lights that guided them. Spike stayed behind, and looked one last time at the light that had remained in the town square, which blinked mischievously. After a brief slump, Spike returned to his home to write the letter, detailing the incident to the princesses.

Spike had sent his letter some time ago. This was very unlike the princesses. Normally, they would send a response immediately, but this time, they seemed to be procrastinating in the task.

Finally, after what seemed forever, a burst of green embers appeared from Spike's mouth, and took the shape of another scroll. However, there was something off about this one. This time, there was a response written on the outside of it.

Curious, Spike unrolled the paper, and found written on the inside the very same message he had sent, only it was scribbled out with red ink, as though it had been completely disregarded.

Turning the scroll over, Spike found the response quite unsettling:

To whomever it may concern:

The princess Celestia, and the princess Luna are no longer in charge of Equestria. The land now belongs to me, and I shall see to it that it remains so. Do not attempt to contact either former princess. And do not disturb me again.

Nothing was natural about what Spike had just read. Nopony in Canterlot Palace spoke to anypony like that. The young dragon held the paper in his claws, and shuddered quietly as he read the answer once more.

Looking for a signature, all Spike found was a stamp of the same twinkling star that had ravaged the town, and stolen everypony's magic.

Something was definitely wrong. And somepony had to find out what.

"Twilight wants me to stay here," Spike grumbled, "Forget it. Somepony has to help. And I'll be banished if it isn't me!"

With a newfound resolve, the young dragon gathered some supplies from around the library, packed them in a backpack, and set out in the direction of the fourth twinkle of light, ready to face whatever was ahead of him.

When Spike arrived in the town square, a crowd of ponies was still gathered around the final light, marveling at the bizarre anomaly.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Coming through," Spike said, as he pushed his way through the crowd. He approached the final light, and looked straight at it. "Okay you. I'm on to your game. You were just waiting for the others to leave before you showed me where to go, right?"

The light bobbed up and down, as though to nod.

"So, you knew Twilight wouldn't let me follow you?"

The light bobbed again.

"But, I am supposed to help somehow?"

The light bobbed again.

"I'm not going to be alone, am I?"

The light shook side to side.

"I'm going to meet someone else?"

The light bobbed up and down.

"Can you take me to where I can meet the guys that are going to help me?"

The light drifted away from the fountain square, and stopped to allow Spike to follow.

Spike looked at the light, and took a small step forward. Feeling his resolve to have his hand in saving Equestria solidify, he strode after the light, and slowly began to run after it, until the two were zooming through the town past the various citizens who watched the young dragon trail after the light.

With a storm in his heart and a fire in his soul, Spike knew that he was ready to begin his own magical quest. Until he saw where the light was leading him.

Spike slowed to a halt when he realized the light was leading him to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Could this really be where he was supposed to meet the ones who would help him on his quest?

The light drifted ahead of him and twinkled brightly, urging Spike to follow.

"Okay. This is it. I'm going to trust you on this," Spike said to the light.

After one more deep exhale, he ran forward, into the darkness toward the next step of his quest.

Back in Mickey and Minnie's home, the front door opened, and in walked Minnie Mouse, fresh from her shopping trip for hers and Mickey's anniversary.

"Mickey! Oh, Mickey Mouse!" Minnie sweetly called through the house. "Mickey, where are you?"

"Arf-Arf!"

Pluto came running through the house, and frantically greeted Minnie.

"Hello, Pluto. Can you keep a secret?" Minnie looked around for any listeners, and whispered to Pluto, "I just found the perfect anniversary gift for Mickey. And, I'm going to need your help to keep him from peeking until tomorrow. So, can you make sure that he stays in bed tonight?"

Any other time Pluto would have happily obliged. But, this was no time to bother with anniversary pleasantries. There was an emergency!

"Arf!"

"Good boy," Minnie said. "First thing's first: we need to keep a constant eye on him. So, show me where he is."

Pluto's legs scurried on the carpet, until he took off like a shot down the hall.

"For goodness sake, Pluto! Slow down!"

Slow down!? How could Pluto slow down!? Mickey was missing, and he had no clear way of telling Minnie.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

The hound's frantic barking worried Minnie. Pluto only ever barked like that when something was wrong. What if something had happened at the house while she was gone? What if Mickey was hurt because of it!?

Minnie ran through the house, matching Pluto's manic pace, and followed him into the bedroom, where Pluto was barking at the mirror.

"Oh my!" Minnie gasped, when she saw the mirror. "Pluto, is this what you wanted to show me?"

"Yeayeayeayea!" Pluto panted.

"Mickey! Wherever you are, it's gorgeous!"

Minnie fully expected her boyfriend to come out of hiding somewhere, and surprise her, only to be left waiting for him.

Pluto dragged his paw down his face. He would have to make his message more clear.

"Arf-Arf!" Pluto answered.

Minnie looked to Pluto, who jumped into the air, scurried his paws, and when he landed, pointed with his nose directly at the mirror.

"Mickey's there?"

"Yeayeayea!"

"But, that's silly. How would that happen, unless he stepped right through the...glass..."

Minnie was left wordless, when she saw the image of herself and Pluto in her bedroom slowly begin to ripple.

On the mirror's surface, they watched as a twinkling light appeared on the mirror. Soon, a tiny, purple dragon appeared to be walking in place, following the light.

Afterward, Minnie, Pluto, and the bedroom disappeared, and the image on the mirror showed the dragon walking through a forest somewhere.

"Why, Pluto: isn't that the dragon from Epcot?" Minnie asked.

They both watched in silence as the dragon looked around himself, as though bewildered by his strange surroundings.

"Whoever he is, it looks like he's lost."

Pluto didn't know why the mirror was showing him this, but something quite similar had happened to Mickey before he disappeared. Perhaps if he followed suit, he would be able to find his missing pal.

Putting one paw forward, the mirror rippled under the hound's touch.

"Oh!" Minnie gasped. "What was that!?"

Minnie touched a finger to the mirror, and found it rippling under her touch as well.

Minnie retracted her finger, and looked at the small dragon in the mirror, lost and afraid. Her instincts took over, and she found herself wanting to guide the young creature to somewhere safer than where he was.

Her resolve strengthened, Minnie placed her entire palm on the mirror, and pushed forward, seeing her hand disappear into the glass.

Pluto did as she did, and stepped one paw past the magic mirror.

A few more steps, and the two disappeared to the unknown place. Once they had gone, the image in the mirror reverted to the reflection of the room.

There was a twinkling in the room, and one of the lights that had set out from Canterlot Palace appeared from within. It searched up, down and all around the room.

It let out an annoyed little hum, then looked left and right, but found no trace of what was most precious to Mickey Mouse.

Author's Note

Just in case anyone is not clear what Minnie meant when she asked if Spike was the dragon from Epcot: it's because if you compare the two, Spike bears a vaguely similar appearance to Figment.

The reason that Minnie and Pluto are teaming up with Spike is just for the simple reason that I couldn't stand to simply mention them offhandedly and leave them be. Minnie who was only mentioned in the prologue, and Spike who was there when the town was attacked. But, I always intended for Pluto to end up in Equestria for his own quest.

I envision that each chapter is going to alternate between each one of the groups of adventurers on their own individual legs of the quest.

As for the unknown figure who is now presiding over Equestria, I won't be revealing his identity yet. He will be revealed in a later chapter. But, I promise you all: it's going to be a good reveal. I guarantee it. Same with that mysterious magic that he references Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pete and Big Bad sharing. That's going to be an important plot point.

By the way, if anyone is confused by Pluto panting 'yeayeayea,' it's something that he does in one cartoon that I remember called The Pointer. Check out that link if you want. He does it somewhere at the beginning.

One last thing: that description of Spike's determination to set out on his own was a reference to a song by Ensiferum. It's a really cool song, if you feel like listening to it.

That's all. I'm out. Rock on \m/

Chapter 3: The Old Mine

Chapter 3

The Old Mine

In a forest somewhere, far from the reaches of Ponyville, noises sounded through the trees. Noises not anyhow made by the animals, the plants, or the rivers that ran through.

It was the noises of shouting voices, clanging tools, squeaking wheels, and chugging machinery that were heard there. An industry set up beyond the reaches of civilization where ponies toiled endlessly to produce materials from the earth.

The mine workers all swung their tools, and operated their machines, cracking rocks, sluicing ore and pushing carts. This would normally be what they lived for. But today, things were different. Deep underground, misery was abound.

In the depths of the mine, a unicorn stallion swung his pickax over and over, slowing down with each swing. Normally, he was able to go all day without stopping. But that was when he had magic. Ever since his magic was stolen from him, he had to do everything by hoof, and was beginning to grow weary from the constant labor. At that point, he and the others were barely able to so much as chip the tough outer rocks of the wall, and needed assistance.

"Somepony get Short Fuse down here! We got some rocks to blow up!" the unicorn called.

"What're ya wastin' dynamite for? Just use that pick, and yer good ol' fashioned hooves," a gopher told the pony, whistling with every pronunciation of the letter 's'.

"But, I'm a unicorn! I can't keep this up without magic!"

"Yer gonna have to bulk up, then. Now, get back to work!" the gopher said

The sounds of heavy boots approached the two. In the dim lights of the lanterns that lit the mine, a shadow loomed over the pony and the gopher.

"Is there a problem here?" the shadow's owner growled.

"You know somethin', boss: there is," the gopher answered.

The pony cowered in the presence of the mine's new boss. Only days before, he and the others were under the employ of their previous boss. Until this strange creature and his underlings suddenly imposed themselves onto the work site.

These new creatures that had taken over the mine were nothing that anypony in Equestria had seen. The gophers that came so suddenly took over the operation, and drove the ponies into backbreaking labor. But, the worst one of all was their leader.

He was incredibly tall and muscular, with a fierce mouth full of sharp teeth, and two glaring eyes that could shatter stone that stood out greatly from his black and white striped face. On his belt, where most ponies carried a canteen or a flask, he carried a huge, brown jug. Scariest of all were his hands, which ended in fingers with impossibly long claws.

The boss crouched down, so that he was eye to eye with the unicorn malcontent.

"What's goin' on here, son?" the boss asked.

The unicorn felt like his mind may shatter under the boss's glare, not knowing how to answer without making him mad.

"You better start talkin' real fast, boy. 'Fore I gets impatient."

In the mine, all the other ponies stopped working, and watched in fear of what may soon become of their coworker.

Silence filled the mine, making the unicorn suddenly aware of the many eyes that were upon him. When he saw the boss's eyes, the pony's mind snapped, and he blurted out his answer.

"The rock... I've been working all day, and this stone's too tough for a unicorn like me to break. I-If you'll just let me move to a different station--"

"No one moves until I gives the signal. This is my mine, an' I runs it how I sees fit. Understand, son?" the boss said.

The unicorn nodded.

The boss offered the jug that he carried on his belt.

"Here. Take a swig o' this. Put some hair on yer chest, sissy boy."

The fumes that seeped from the mouth of the bottle reached the unicorn's nose, making him gag loudly.

"Step back, son. I'll shows ya how it's done," the boss said, as he stood up, rolled his muscular arms, flexed his fingers, and rubbed his claws together.

The unicorn ducked under the boss's first swing, and watched his claws tear effortlessly through the stone wall.

The boss swung his claws over and over, breaking the wall apart with only the sheer power of his own body. Soon, the tough outer wall was broken, and the less dense inner wall was exposed.

"Now, I don't wanna hear ya whinin' about not bein' able to work anymores. Even when yer done pullin' triple overtime,” the boss said.

It may have been from the rocks still being cracked by the boss's claws, but when he glared at the unicorn again, the rocks did crumble slightly.

"Understood, boss!" the unicorn said.

"Glad we could clears up this little indiscretion," the boss picked up his jug, and drank heavily from it, before putting it back on his belt, and yelling at the other workers. "What're you all starin' at? Get back to work! Or else I'm sendin' you all down the shaft!"

Nopony wanted to get the shaft, so they all hastily went back to their work.

"Would ya take a look at that!" Mickey said, as he and the others arrived at the edge of a hillside.

Mickey, Twilight and Rarity had been following the twinkling magic on the trails beyond Ponyville, and into the reaches of the wilderness, until they reached this place.

"It's a mining facility. Wow. I've never seen one before," Twilight said.

"I have. And I can tell you that working in one is not a task for a lady," Rarity said.

"Whatcha talkin' about? Everybody can benefit from a little bit o' hard work," Mickey reasoned.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story. But, suffice it to say, it's understandable that Rarity can't stand mine work," Twilight said.

"Most certainly, darling. I don't plan on ever going near one again if I can help it."

The twinkling light that guided them drifted down the hillside into the quarry, where it shone brightly for the others to follow.

"Looks like ya can't this time," Mickey said. "Come on, ladies. Let's go check that out."

"Wait. Mickey, we have to go around!" Twilight said.

She tried to stop the mouse from recklessly moving forward, but was too late. Mickey had already jumped down the steep hillside.

Mickey's feet slid through the loose soil on the ground, allowing him to effortlessly sail down the bank. Dirt and leaves kicked up around him as he surfed down the hill. With all the grace of an ice skater, he weaved between each of the rocks, even going so far as to turn around and wave at the mares as his body zipped out of the way of danger.

"Mickey! Look out!" Rarity gasped.

Something in Mickey's mind told him to jump, so that's exactly what he did.

The mouse's feet ended up on a fallen tree, which angled up and sent him flying the rest of the way to the ground below. He landed on a stack of rebars, caught one of them as the others bounced away, tapped it to the ground, twirled it, and leaned on it like a cane.

"Ha ha. Nothin' to it," Mickey chuckled.

Nothing to it? It looked like Mickey had only narrowly escaped serious injury. But, if they were careful, Twilight figured that maybe she and Rarity could make it down just as safely, only with less excitement.

"Well...Nothing ventured, right, Rarity?" Twilight said.

"You aren't serious, are you? Nopony could possibly do that on their first try--Twilight! Twilight!!"

Rarity was too late to stop her friend from sliding down the hill. She tried looking over the edge to watch Twilight, only to overbalance and go tumbling afterward.

Both fumbled to keep their hooves beneath themselves, instead of being beneath their hooves.

Down in the facility, all the ponies working on the ground level stopped to watch the unusual newcomers and their entertaining antics. Until the gopher who was supervising intervened.

"What're you beasts o' burden starin' at? Get back to work!" the gopher noticed that Mickey was down in the facility with the others. "Hey! You're not supposed to be down here!"

As she slid down the hill, Twilight ended up on her flank, and rolled into a pile of wood covered by a tarp.

The pins that held the tarp to the ground were pulled out, allowing Twilight to plow through the wood pile and get wrapped up in the protective canvas, as the flying lumber knocked out the gopher that had accosted Mickey.

Rarity found herself heading for the same tree that launched Mickey into the air, and tried to use her magic to slow herself. But reality struck her when she remembered she was no longer capable of such.

The fashionista screamed as she went soaring, regretting that she hadn't taken the time to go around the hill to look for a safer way down.

"Rarity!" Twilight and Mickey shouted.

The mouse and the alicorn both looked at the tarp that cocooned Twilight, and came to the same conclusion.

Mickey grabbed one end, and unraveled Twilight.

Without even time to become lucid, Twilight grabbed an end of the tarp while Mickey pulled the other end taut. They both scrambled back and forth, trying to find the exact spot their friend would land.

Success! Rarity was caught, and she didn’t stop screaming until she ran out of air.

Slowly, the fashionista opened her eyes, and found herself no worse for wear.

"'Nothing to it,' he says," Rarity said, as she slowly got to her hooves.

"Don't sweat it, Rarity. It's not somethin' most folks get on their first try,'' Mickey explained.

"And just how many times have you done this!?" Rarity asked.

"Well, it wasn't exactly like this. But, I've done a lot of stuff that was pretty close."

Twilight and Rarity exchanged a shocked expression. How could this mouse stay so upbeat and cheerful after what had happened. Even Pinkie would have been slightly shaken.

"Are you some kind of daredevil or stuntmouse back home?" Twilight asked.

"Nope. Me and my pals usually just do any job that comes our way: janitors, delivery, construction. But, what I really like are the jobs where I can perform on a stage. Even if I'm just the emcee."

Their guiding light shone before them, and drifted to the mouth of the cave, where it dissipated into nothingness.

Now knowing where to go, the three travelers started toward the opening of the mine.

"You haven't done any mine work before, have you?" Twilight asked.

"I don't think so. But, hey, there's gotta be a first time for anything, right?" Mickey answered.

"I wish I could share your enthusiasm," Rarity moaned.

"It's alright, Rarity. If we have to do any work, I'll just do enough for the two of us."

After seeing the strange new creature arrive, many of the ponies had hidden, especially when they saw him travelling with a light very much like the one that had rendered them all bereft of magic. However, after seeing how amicable the strange mouse was, he didn't seem quite so bad. Especially the way that he seemed so friendly with an alicorn.

Many of the ponies murmured amongst each other, debating if the mouse could be trusted, but the gopher who was conked by lumber began to rouse from unconsciousness.

"The boss...I gotta tell the boss..." the gopher mumbled, as he staggered forward. "Outta my way, ya obnoxious little bird," the gopher said, swatting the stars and birds out of his vision.

He grabbed every one of them, stuffed them in a nearby birdcage, and addressed the pony nearest to himself, "Send those little chirpers into the mine...For buggin' me so much..."

The pony didn't know what the gopher was talking about, as there was nothing in the cage at all, but obliged the request anyway.

The gopher stumbled his way through the area, until he tripped over the stairs to the boss's office. He dragged his body to the door, and let himself in.

"What're ya doin' here? Slackin' off, boy?" the boss asked.

"He's here, boss... The mouse... He's in the mine..."

The boss had been warned that a mouse may come calling sometime in the future. He just never thought it would ever happen. Even though he had never met a mouse since he arrived in Equestria (or even before that) he was told that the rodent's arrival may spell trouble for him. That in mind, he put down his lunch and stomped toward the door.

Down in the mine, Mickey, Twilight and Rarity took in their subterranean surroundings, watching the workers as they went about their business.

"How odd. this place seems somehow cheerier than the mines I knew," Rarity said.

Instead of the barren, dull caverns she was forced to toil in, this place was equipped with rails, scaffolding, ropes, pulleys, lumbers and all manner of other workers, instead of just one dainty lady.

"Cheerier? Get a closer look at some of these workers," Twilight said.

Rarity and Mickey did so, and noticed something was quite off: every single one of the workers looked exhausted, and not in a good way. Normally, when one did hard labor such as this, it was from the love of doing it. Not one of these ponies seemed to be enjoying themselves. Worse still, many of the workers were unicorns and pegasi, both generally unsuited for physical work.

"Gosh. Even when I was in jail, nobody looked this down," Mickey observed.

"You were in prison!?" Rarity gasped.

"Uh, yeah. That's also a long story," Mickey said, somewhat uncomfortably. "Let's ask one o' these guys about what's goin' on."

"Good idea," Twilight said. As confident as ever, Twilight strode over to a unicorn who was pulling a heavy cart full of dirt and rocks to the surface. "Excuse me."

"No time to stop, lady. I gotta take this haul to the surface and--" The unicorn looked up, and saw the unusual sight before himself. "--An alicorn!?"

In his fatigued state, as well as his shock of excitement, the pony lost his footing and went sliding back down the slope under the weight of his cart.

Once again, Twilight and Rarity tried to use their magic on a reflex, only for nothing to happen, while Mickey ran as fast as he could after the stallion.

Grabbing a piece of lumber and a rope, Mickey tied the rope to the wood and threw it behind the pony's cart, halting the wheels for him.

The wheels of the cart squeaked loudly, and though the cart slowed, it did not stop.

"What's all that racket up there!? Someone stop that squeakin', before I give ya all a good bop!" the gopher foreman shouted, only to scream loudly as the cart came toward him.

With a solid hit, the gopher was knocked off his feet, and into a wall where his helmeted head cracked the stones for the ponies working there.

"Gee, one heck of a ride, huh?" Mickey said.

"You said it. Boy, I don't know how much more of this I can take," the unicorn said, before he noticed how Mickey was looking at him. "Is there something on my face?"

"No. You just remind me of someone I know," Mickey answered, noting the pony's skinny, black body, white hooves, and white face, along with his domed hat.

Twilight and Rarity came running down the slope to the others.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked.

The unicorn's face lit up at the sight of Twilight.

"You better believe I am! I'm talking to an alicorn! An alicorn! My days of hyper-demanding bosses, and unreasonable work hours are over, now that you're here to help, your highness!"

Twilight looked at the unicorn's hopeful expression, not knowing how to let him down about the situation they were in, but knew that she had a responsibility as a princess to answer him, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. At least, not the way you're hoping. All my magic was taken from me. But me and my friends are still going to try and put things right."

"They got you too, huh? I was afraid of that," the unicorn sighed. "Just when I thought things could go back to normal."

"Perhaps if you told us, we might know how to return the state of things," Rarity said.

"You want to know. Alright. Give me a hoof with this, and I'll tell you."

Mickey got behind the cart, and started pushing, while Twilight and Rarity grabbed either side. Rarity, somewhat hesitantly.

"First of all, for formality's sake, I think I should introduce myself. Name's Copper. And I've been working this mine with my dad since I was a teenager. My dad was an earth pony, and he always told me that this kind of work wasn't for unicorns. But, I wanted to be like him since as far back as I can remember. And I wanted to take over this mine and make all these new, modern changes to the workplace. See, my dad used to be the boss here, and was one heck of a guy. Even though he was a tough boss and worked us hard, everypony loved him. The guy was never overbearing, or hyper-demanding. Nothing like the new boss here."

"What happened to him? Why would your father turn over control of the mine to these thugs?" Twilight asked.

"He...got sent down the shaft."

"The shaft?"

"Yeah. Down there."

They looked to where Copper pointed, and saw in the deepest, darkest part of the mine an elevator that went even deeper underground. Unlike the other rocky walls of the mine, the walls around the elevator were all etched smooth, and untouched by the worker's tools. Stranger still were the thin traces of veins of unnaturally colored metals in the walls.

"Dad was the first one to be sent down there. The boss says there's something in the deep parts of the mine that he wants, but he won't tell us what it is. And anypony he sends down there never comes back up,” Copper finished.

"That's terrible!" Mickey shouted from behind. "If it was me, I'd give this new boss what for!"

"You'd have your head handed to you, if you did. Believe me, this guy's not somepony you want to mess with. And as far as I can tell, me and the others are going to be working for that totalitarian for the rest of our lives, until we run off to some remote area in the surrounding wilderness, until something eats us."

"Come on, fella. That's quitter talk! What about all that inspiration to do something with your old man's mine, huh?" Mickey said.

"That's all behind me, now. All I got is a future in this horrible place."

Outside the mine, a shrill whistle sounded off.

"Oh boy! You know what that means: break time!" Mickey said cheerfully. Anything to lighten the mood in the dismal mine.

"That used to mean break time. Now, it means you just switch your station," Copper explained.

No sooner did he finish speaking, did he get bumped out of the way by another stallion, who stepped right into his harness to pull the cart.

Copper himself was bumped into where a pickax was stuck into the rocky wall.

The stallion before him clambered up a wall, where he took over manning a sluice.

A mare on a wooden board supported by a rope and pulley was lowered to the ground, before she went off to manage one of the carts. The stallion who lowered her took her place on the board, and was promptly pulled up the wall by a much more muscular stallion.

"What kind of system is this? It looks completely ludicrous," Rarity observed.

"It is. The boss says that it's made to be more efficient and keep workers from fatigue, but we all know that's a bunch of horse apples. It's just a way of keeping us even more tired and exhausted, so we don't try to do anything about these slave drivers," Copper said.

"That does it! I don't care how tough you think yer boss is. I'm gonna go and crack rocks with his face!" Mickey declared.

"WHERE'S THAT MOUSE!!!!?"

The entire mine rumbled from the sudden, forceful shout.

Mickey, Rarity, Twilight and Copper were all shaken off their feet from the sheer shock of the volume.

"Quick! Hide!" Copper said, suddenly pushing Mickey behind a pile of fallen rocks.

Looking up toward the entrance of the mine, Mickey could make out the enormous shape of the boss, silhouetted against the blinding light of the surface.

"Pete!?" Mickey wondered, noticing how large the boss was. Then, he realized that it couldn't possibly be. Pete was hugely fat, and this guy was all muscle. Also, despite being a cat, Pete had no claws.

The boss's eyes scanned the depth of the mine, looking for the ermine intruder. Then, he caught sight of a pair of round ears peeking up from behind a pile of rocks.

From where he hid, Mickey could hear the sounds of heavy boots rushing toward himself. On an instinct, Mickey ran away from the pile of rocks that were hiding him, just before they burst apart.

Mickey dove, avoiding the rocks that sailed over his head. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw in the dim light of the boss's head lamp the snarling face of an enormous badger.

"So, yer the mouse Pete's been talkin' about," the badger said.

"So, Pete is involved!" Mickey thought.

"Word has it yer bad news, son. So, I think it's in my best interest to takes ya outta the picture.”

The badger raised his claws, and rushed toward Mickey.

Mickey grabbed a two by four from a stack of wood to defend himself.

With a rapid swing of his claws and the sound of a buzzsaw, the badger reduced the lumber to sawdust, leaving Mickey with a stump in his hands.

"Heh heh. Well, whaddaya know..." Mickey chuckled nervously.

The badger snarled loudly, and Mickey threw the stub of wood into his mouth before he could attack again, and ran away.

"Not so fast, sonny boy!" the badger shouted, and plunged his fist into the rocky wall.

Where Mickey was, a hunk of rock jutted out and jabbed him in the face, the exact same size as the one the badger punched.

Using only one arm, the badger lifted an entire mine cart loaded with dirt over his head to throw at Mickey.

Mickey punched the rock that jabbed him, and sent it back into the wall.

The badger was hit by the jabbing rock in the wall, and dropped the cart on himself.

The onlookers all watched in awe of what was happening before them. Even Twilight and Rarity, who had seen Micky do such things before, were surprised by the ingenuity of the mouse.

"Well, let's not just stand here! Let's do something!" Twilight said.

Rarity was one step ahead of her friend, and started pushing a mine card down the tracks that Mickey and the badger were on.

"Wait!" Copper said.

Using what strength he had left, Copper heaved a large rock into the cart, its weight sure to add momentum and inertia to the movement.

"Okay! Now push!" he said.

Taking the miner's cue, Twilight and Rarity both started pushing the cart, slowly building up speed, until they were roaring down the track to the badger's backside.

Past his opponent's enormous form, Mickey saw a cart rapidly approaching from behind.

The badger swung his claws, just as Mickey dove off the tracks.

There was a loud crash, as Rarity and Twilight knew they had struck hard and true. Quite hard, in fact, as the entire cart was crumpled like a tin can. However, nothing was done to the badger at all.

The badger had gone completely rigid, as though he suddenly had turned to stone. His eyes remained popped wide open, as he slowly turned to face the mares.

"Yer gonna get it now," one of the nearby gophers said.

Mickey tried throwing a rock at the boss, only for the badger to catch it without even looking, and crush it in his grip.

Rarity and Twilight watched the badger's eyes gradually turn bloodshot, and slowly backed away from him. The badger took a single step toward them, and the mares screamed loudly and ran away from him.

No matter how Twilight and Rarity tried to run, it didn't seem like they were going anywhere. Looking down, they saw that the tracks were being pulled backwards underneath them.

The wooden planks of the tracks broke against the badger's chest, as he pulled the metal rails toward himself.

This was bad. Mickey needed to find a way to help his new friends, and looked frantically for a solution.

A drop of water landed on his nose, and he looked up to see a series of pipes drilled into the ceiling that led outside. The irrigation system for the sluice, most likely. Grabbing a pickax, the mouse climbed a scaffolding and set to work.

Once the mares were close enough, the badger took the two pieces of rail, and used them to tie up the mares like he was using a length of rope.

After he had bound the mares, he stooped down for a closer look at Twilight.

"Well, I'll be dipped..." The boss murmured. Twilight wrinkled her nose at the boss's breath. "Either my vision's off, or yer one o' thems alicorns."

"That's right..." Twilight coughed, "And, as Equestrian royalty, I'm going to see to it that you get what's coming to you!"

"Banish him, Twilight! Send him to the depths of his own wretched mine!" Rarity said.

"Ya two got a lotta spunk, don't ya? That's exactly the kinda spirit I want in my mine workers,” the badger said.

"No! No! I won't stay another minute in this horrible place!" Rarity shrieked.

"Ain't no army what can take ya outta here, darlin'."

"She doesn't need one when she's got me!" Mickey’s voice called out.

The badger had forgotten about Mickey, who had been busily chipping away at the supports for the pipes in the ceiling.

Without anything to hold them, the pipes began to sag, and the weight of the water they carried started taking its toll.

"We're gonna need some caps down here!" a gopher shouted up toward the surface, just before pipes burst open, sending a torrent of water into the mine.

The badger took the full brunt of it, getting knocked off his feet by the rush of liquid, while Twilight and Rarity were both showered heavily.

Panic ensued through the mine, as tools, equipment, gear, ponies and gophers were thrown about in the wash.

The water level rose, and Twilight and Rarity both lifted their chins to keep above the water.

"You mares need a hoof?" Copper asked, as he floated by in a wooden tub.

With the combined strength of the three ponies, Copper was able to free Twilight and Rarity, and help them into the tub with himself.

"Where's Mickey? We need to find him!" Twilight said.

"Hey! I'm up here!" Mickey called, waving from the top of the scaffolding.

No sooner did he announce his position did the scaffolding start shaking. With a sudden burst, the badger crawled up to the top and faced off with Mickey.

"Yer ruinin' my whole business, boy!" the badger said, as he swung his claws at Mickey. "Normally, I'd give troublemakers like you the shaft, but I'm just gonna make a fine powder outta you!"

The badger kept attacking, destroying large parts of the scaffolding as he did.

Mickey grabbed onto a stalactite, just as it was broken off by the badger.

The mouse swung it like a club, only for it to break apart on the boss's head.

"That the best you got, son? Try this on fer size."

The badger took a lantern off its hook, took a swig from the bottle off his belt, and spat into the light's flame, creating a fireball that blew Mickey backwards.

Mickey backpedaled, and fell off the scaffolding, only barely clinging to the ledge.

"Mickey! Down here!"

Looking down, Mickey saw his friends floating in a wash tub. Copper was holding fast to the scaffolding, to allow Mickey to jump into their makeshift vessel.

The current was pulling them down the mine, and pulling on the supports of the structure.

Mickey looked up, and saw the badger holding his lantern and taking another gulp from his jug.

Taking the chance, Micky let go of the scaffold, just as another fireball was spewed.

He landed in the washtub, the sudden jolt of his landing pulling it so that Copper pulled the leg of the scaffolding out.

Now, with no support beneath him, the badger fell down and splashed into the water.

The splash sent the washtub careening down the mine, back to the deepest, darkest part.

"Oh no!" Copper said.

"What is it?!" Rarity asked.

"We're going right toward the shaft!"

Looking down the way, they could all see the water draining into the deep hole. Frantically, they all started paddling against the current, hoping in vain to escape the pull.

The badger burst snarling out of the water next to Twilight, and swiped at her.

His claws only hit the side of the tub, and sent it spinning away, into the swirling vortex where the shaft drained the water.

The badger too was pulled in, and they all went spiraling about in the opening of the shaft, slowly going down, down, down, until they disappeared into the darkness with the last of the water.

The workers had capped the broken pipes, and began picking up the pieces. One thing was certain: when the boss got out of there, he wasn't going to be happy.

Author's Note

Take a look at that sunburst at the beginning. Boy, I hope Disney doesn't sue me for using it here. But, they'd have no case, as I am not making any money off of its use. Nice touch though. I think I'm going to begin every chapter with a sunburst, to show who is starring in which one.

Looks like Mickey and his pals are in some deep trouble now. Getting out of the shaft won't be easy. That is, not without the help of some special equipment. That's right. I didn't forget that special costumes were used in The Magical Quest and its sequels. I'm pretty sure that you can all guess what Mickey will be finding here.

I bet that some of you were expecting Pete to be the boss of the mine. Don't despair, Pete will be involved, but not yet. The reason I used an original character was because I wanted Mickey to face an opponent who was larger than himself, and be some kind of burrowing or cave-dwelling animal. My first idea was a bear, but I thought that was too easy. As cool as it would be to have some massive, hulking, slobbering beast, like in 'The Fox and the Hound,' I figured a badger's notoriously foul temper would do for a proper villain. Like in that one episode of 'The Simpsons,' where Homer gets beat up by a badger.

Also, this is off topic, but does anyone else hear Lance Henrikson's voice when the badger talks?

That part where Mickey and the others slide down the hill was somewhat inspired by the old cartoon 'On Ice,' from back in the day. Other references were to the short titled 'The Chain Gang,' referred to when Mickey says he was in jail once. And the biggest reference of all here is of course the pony-fied version of Horace Horsecollar, known here as Copper.

Of course, earlier episodes of Friendship is Magic were referenced too. Particularly, 'The Dog and Pony Show.'

As far as references go, other Disney media was snuck in too. The first gopher we meet has a speech pattern similar to Gopher, from 'Winnie-the-Pooh,' a la whistling when he pronounces a letter 's'. Also, the last sentence in this story was a reference to the exchange Pain and Panic have at the end of 'Hercules.'

Well, I'm sure you people are all tired of me going on like this, so just rock on for now \m/

Chapter 4: Down the Shaft

Chapter 4

Down the Shaft

Water gushed through the cavernous depths of the mine as it drained in from above. It swirled, splashed, and rampaged through the chamber, creating a torrent that flowed rapidly through the tunnels and corridors.

Soon, all manner of mining tools were washed in with the water. After them, a wooden washtub with four soaked passengers came flowing in, shouting as they rode the current through the subterranean passages.

The water current took them from side to side, bumping them against the walls as they rushed downstream.

At one point the water flowed so strongly that it coursed up a wall, flowed across the ceiling, and coursed down the other wall to solid ground.

Rarity shrieked particularly loudly when they hit the loop, and louder still as a low hanging stalactite was coming right for her.

Twilight put her hoof on Rarity's head and ducked down, saving them both from the hit.

Mickey and Copper pushed off against the stalactite, and spun themselves away from it, spinning them around.

In the water behind them, they could see something else. A light from a head lamp atop a black and white striped face.

The badger was swimming after them through the rampaging current. His eyes fixated on Mickey at first, but then shot to Copper before he started doubling his efforts to catch up to them.

Twilight's jaw dropped when she saw how the badger easily tore through the rock formations with only the power of his body, and no magical assistance.

The badger was coming closer, and the passengers knew that they had to deter him.

Reaching into the water, Twilight and the others all started grabbing the tools that were floating by and throwing them at their pursuer. Nothing worked, as anything they threw was swatted away. And anything that wasn't deflected simply bounced off the badger’s helmet.

In a stroke of luck, a bundle of shovels drifted by, which Copper quickly picked up. Mickey picked up one of the shovels, and stood with one foot on the edge of the washtub like a whaler.

Taking careful aim, Mickey threw the shovel with perfect accuracy, right into the badger's head.

Only, the badger caught the shovel's head in his teeth and spat it into the water.

Copper, Twilight and Rarity took the opportunity to bombard him with more shovels, but Mickey saw little point in doing so. Whoever this badger was, he was as strong as Pete and a hundred times tougher. What they needed was an escape.

Mickey took the last two shovels just before Twilight and Copper could take them, bumping their horned heads together when they missed grabbing their intended projectiles.

Firmly grasping the handles in his hands, and placing the shovel heads in the water, Mickey started frantically paddling with his pair of makeshift oars, speeding even quicker down the cavernous corridor.

The badger quickly lost sight of them as they sped further away from him. And he lost them completely when the corridor started curving. Not about to keep them lost, he swam toward a wall and cut his claws through it.

"I think we lost him," Mickey said, as he paddled through the caverns.

"Watch out ahead!" Copper shouted.

Some ways down the path, the wall was cracking and water was spraying through. Soon, the wall broke and the badger was forced out into the river, right into the path of the washtub. He began swimming against the current, slowly moving forward as the washtub flowed toward him.

The corridor was too narrow to swerve out of his way.

Looking up, Mickey saw a formation of rock that stretched across the corridor walls. An idea came to him, but the shovels he had were too long for what he wanted to do.

The other passengers shouted as Mickey spun the tub, looking frantically through the water around himself for another tool to use. Nothing he pulled up was of any use: a lantern, a four by four, a gopher who bopped Mickey on the head with his headlamp.

"What the ding-dang are ya doin' floodin' the mine, ya stupid house pest!? You're gonna-- *glub*"

Mickey dropped the gopher back in the water and reached for the next item, before getting splashed by the sloshing water. When the water subsided, Mickey found himself dressed in a miner's outfit that had been carried away by the flood.

The mouse looked at himself in the outfit, surprised by the sudden change. In his outstretched hand, he felt a pickax land in his open palm. One that was just the perfect length for the maneuver he had in mind.

They were growing closer to the badger, who snarled loudly as he raised his claws for an attack.

Mickey raised the pickax over his head, hooking it on the overhanging rock bridge, swinging the washtub around it once, unhooking, and sailing over the badger's striped head.

Having lost the chance to attack his quarry, the badger continued to swim after them down the corridor.

Ahead, the tunnel split into many directions, and the water drained into every opening.

Everyone in the washtub tried to paddle into a different current. It didn't matter where they ended up, as long as they were away from the badger, who was once again closing in on them.

Mickey used his pickaxe as a paddle to go more strongly in one direction.

The badger was upon them, and swung his claws.

No one was hit, but the wooden tub was cut deep. So deep that it started leaking.

Mickey and Copper set to work, using their helmets as scoops to bail out the water that was quickly pooling up in the tub.

Twilight looked ahead, and saw the badger once again swimming against the current as they drifted toward him.

She took one of the remaining shovels, and swung it at her opponent, only for it to indent the exact contours of his head on impact.

No matter how the badger tried to swim toward them to allow the current to let them drift into his reach, he too was now carried by the flow of the water, pulled away from them just as quickly as they were coming toward him.

They were all drifting into the same direction of the current. The opportunity to lose the badger was growing slimmer and slimmer.

Mickey gave his helmet to Rarity, and looked for another way out.

There was another rock next to the badger. One that stood between two of the diverging currents.

Rarity gasped as the tub was quickly filling with water.

Raising his pickaxe, Mickey swung it into the top of the rock and used his arm strength to pull the entire tub up, effectively hopping over the rock and into a separate current that carried himself and his friends into a different part of the caves. The badger, meanwhile, was pulled into another dark path, far from the others.

When Mickey and the others landed on the other current, they nearly sighed with relief. However, there was more danger on the path ahead of them.

The rock that they had hopped over apparently had friends. Many more rocks were jutting out of the water before them. So many, that it would seem impassable for a vessel as small as a meager washtub.

There was a symphony of screams as Mickey used the pickax once more to hop over the rocks. Then again, when he was headed straight for a slightly taller rock. Then again, and again, and again, until there was no rock jutting from the water, but another stalactite from the ceiling.

Mickey hooked around it with the pickaxe and spun them all wildly around in a circle, until he unhooked it and went flying away to a curved shelf of the wall where the tub spun like a wheel along its surface.

The shelf merged into a corkscrew-shaped rock formation, where the washtub spun along its entire course, coming apart plank by plank as it bumped along.

They came to the end of the corkscrew, and were all sent flying into the water.

When Twilight landed, the two metal bands that held the washtub together landed around her neck and her horn. To her sides, Rarity, Mickey and Copper were all sprawling through the current.

Using the metal bands around herself, Twilight took one in each hoof and reached out to her friends. Rarity and Copper grabbed onto one of them, while Mickey grabbed onto the other.

Seeing they were headed for another rock, Twilight pulled Mickey out of the way, and allowed him to grab onto the other metal band, putting them all in a circular formation.

Another rock came, and Copper pulled Rarity and himself into the middle of the two bands.

Another rock came. One that could be avoided if Mickey pulled Twilight out of the way.

The alicorn was lifted out of the water, over Mickey's head and placed into the middle of the same band as Rarity and Copper.

Another rock came.

Mickey steered them away by paddling his feet. Even though he was able to maneuver his stuck friends away, he still took some of the brunt of the impact.

There was a narrow fjord ahead. One that wouldn't allow passage as they were now.

"Everybody! Suck in!" Mickey ordered.

Everyone stuck in the metal band did as they were told, allowing Mickey to jump out of the water and land in the middle of his slightly separated friends.

Now, there was no escaping from the ring. This was especially bad for Mickey, who dove in head first so that his head was underwater.

The group of captives squeezed through the narrow passage, and tumbled through the water, Mickey and the others alternating between who was on the surface. Each time they flipped, they got a glimpse of the waterfall they were approaching.

There was no escaping this obstacle. They all went barreling over the edge of the waterfall, and splashing into the pool below.

They all plunged deep into the water, and came bouncing back out high over the surface.

They flew onto dry land, rolled across the cavern floor, bumped over a carpet of small rocks which shook them loose one by one until Mickey was left, who rolled up a curved wall and hooked himself in the ring around his waist from a jutting rock.

"Heh heh. Well, that was some ride, huh?" Mickey chuckled, before he took his pickaxe and broke the rock that held him up. The mouse dropped to the ground, and landed on his seat.

Copper spat out a mouthful of water. "You're something else, you know?" he sputtered. "Everypony else I know would have cracked under this kind of pressure. But you bounce back with a smile on your face."

"It's nothin'. I guess I'm just a half-full kinda guy. Some of my friends even said I'm characterized by my optimism."

The mouse stood up, and even though he was smiling it was clear that the ordeal had taken a toll on him as well, evident in the way he was leaning on his pickaxe and panting heavily. And it only got worse when the pickax slipped out from beneath him so that he landed on his face, and the pick landed on his helmeted head.

"Thank goodness for these things, eh?" Mickey said, indicating his headlamp.

Even though they were both lying on the ground, Twilight and Rarity couldn't help but smile. Something about the mouse's personality seemed able to lift their spirits in the worst of situations. Mustering her strength, Twilight helped Rarity up, and even did her the courtesy of fixing her mane.

"Mickey, there's something I want to ask you," Twilight said. "Some of the things you did back there. Well, they didn't look like they'd be possible without magic."

"Heh heh. Well, I know that this place is pretty different from my home, but we don't need magic as much as you fellers here do," Mickey answered.

"Of course, darling. But, using mere mining tools to paddle and steer us from danger. How can that be done?" Rarity asked.

Mickey had never thought about such a thing before. He had always just done it without even trying. If he had to think about it, there was only one way that he could explain it. "I just used a little imagination is all."

"Imagination?" Copper said. "If that wasn't magic, then I'm a two-legged horse with a cow for a marefriend."

"Could be almost," Mickey thought, before speaking aloud, "There is kind of a certain magical quality to imagination. Take this pickax for example: it's not just a tool for cracking rocks. It's also a handy digging tool."

"Come on, buddy. I know you said there's some magic in imagination, but that's just silly," Copper scoffed.

No sooner did he finish speaking did Mickey start swinging his pickax over and over at one of the stone walls, and tunneled right through it.

"Well, that shut me up," Copper said.

They all approached the opening of the new tunnel, standing to the sides as rocks and dirt came flying out. Until suddenly--

*CLANG*

"Ouch!!" Mickey yelped.

"Is everything alright in there?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Except, I think I hit a bus," came Mickey's voice.

"Bus?"

A sudden green light shone through the tunnel, with a shadow the exact shape of Mickey cast in it.

Mickey's shadow scratched its head.

"Nope. Definitely not a bus," Mickey said.

Twilight, Rarity and Copper all entered the opening, and were greeted by the sight of a huge vein of glowing, green metal.

In a deeper part of the cave, where the rocks touched from the ceiling to the floor in a pattern so dense that nothing larger than an insect could pass through, a rumbling noise sounded.

Through the clustered formations, rocks were being knocked aside by powerful blows. Soon, the badger had broken his way through the entire barricade, breathing heavily with his claws bared.

"Durn rodent!" he growled, after drinking heavily from his brown jug. "Sendin' me down the shaft like this! He's gonna gets himself a serious wallopin' when I finds him!"

All around him, lines of glowing green lights appeared on the walls, as though something within were reacting to his presence.

"Hrm... This might not turns out as bad as I thought it would."

He had spoken too soon, when all of a sudden with a shrill screech, dozens of bats came flapping down from above. Not normal bats, which would have simply flown past and gone away. These flew straight toward the badger.

In the dim, green light, it was seen that they were further abnormal not only in behavior, but in appearance. These were large, with glaring eyes and large fangs that grew past their mouths.

The badger swung his claws at them, making the ones he struck disappear in a burst of green light.

More bats swooped from above.

A series of loud bangs echoed through the cave, and the remaining bats were all eliminated in a series of green light bursts.

Looking to the source of the noise, the badger narrowed his eyes at the sight of the newcomer. "Lookit you. 'Bout time yer fat backside cames down here to help," he said.

The newcomer approached the badger, his mismatched feet echoing quietly off the walls with a step followed by a clomp.

"Believe me, I almost didn't come down here," Pete answered, before blowing the smoke off of his gun barrel. "But, since dat little runt's runnin' amok in de mine, de boss didn't give me any choice."

"That old man thinks I needs help gettin' some barnyard vermin outta my hair? I ain't the one been chasin' him for just shy of a hundred years."

Pete grumbled when he heard that, and tightened his grip on his firearm. "It ain't like I try losin' to him! It's dese darn writers I gotta deal wit ruinin' my good name!"

"Good name or nothin', we gotta gets outta here quick. No tellin' how long we'll last with all this magic 'round us," the badger said.

"Magic, eh? Guess I missed some," Pete said, reaching into his pocket.

"Hold it!"

The badger swiped his claws at Pete's hand, who retracted it from his pocket.

"What's de big idea, huh!?" Pete shouted.

"We ain't takin' the magic here. The boss wants it for himself."

Pete looked at all the unnatural lights that were glowing through the wall. As the heavy looked, he somehow got the feeling that something was trying to escape through and reach him. The mere thought of some unknown presence trying to attack him nearly turned even his low-grade blood to ice, and prompted him to take the first steps forward.

"Whatever he wants, we best get de job done quick. Don't wanna keep de boss waitin','' Pete said.

Before the badger followed Pete, he drove his fist into the wall next to himself and pulled out a chunk of metal.

"Now, what de Sam Hill did ya do dat for?" Pete asked.

"No reason. Just never hurts to be prepared fer what might happen next," the badger answered.

Twilight, Rarity and Copper all trailed through the tunnel behind Mickey, who was whistling all the while as he used his pickaxe to dig through the rock and soil. Beside them, they were guided by the vein of glowing metal, like some sort of stand in for the twinkling magic that brought them to the mine in the first place.

"This thing just goes on and on," Copper said, keeping his eyes on the vein at all times.

"It is peculiar. Have you ever encountered such a thing in your work as a miner?" Rarity asked.

"Never. I've been digging for as long as I can remember, and I've never found anything that looks like this stuff," Copper explained, running his hoof along the vein of metal.

"It could be uranium," Twilight suggested. "Then again, raw uranium doesn't glow like this. Oh, I wish there was some way to test it."

At the front, Mickey broke through a wall and more green light shone through.

"Looks like we found our next stop fellers," Mickey called to the others.

Stepping through the opening, they found themselves in another chamber, this one with lights spiraling and swirling through the walls, though the metal itself was unseen, covered by the rocky walls. Spiders darted about the walls, hunting for smaller insect prey. Up a high wall, there was the exit to the next cavern.

"I say we get outta this room quick. This place is givin' me the willies,'' Mickey said.

The mouse raised his pickaxe, and swung at the wall, digging in deep and pulling himself up, only for the wall to suddenly crumble, revealing the glowing metal within.

An insect scurried away from its arachnid pursuer, right onto the vein of revealed metal.

The spider that was chasing the bug stopped just before the metal, and raised its front legs to grasp its prey.

Without any warning, the insect went through a terrifying transformation. No longer was it small and helpless, but it was the size of a dog, with bulging white eyes, and a mouth full of fangs. Not mandibles, but yellow fangs like some kind of terrible predator.

The spider screamed at the sight, before it was swallowed by the bug's jaws. Then, the bug turned its attention to the larger prey.

Opening its shell and spreading its wings, the insect buzzed off the wall toward Twilight, who once more tried to use her magic out of pure habit.

Realizing the futility of her action, Twilight ducked, and allowed the bug to fly over herself.

The bug swerved around and flew back toward Mickey, who swung his pickaxe wildly at the darting menace, before it flew away from him.

Copper was the next target, who jumped, rolled and dove to avoid getting bitten.

Finally, the bug spotted Rarity quivering on the ground, and dove for her.

Rarity scrambled backward into the pool of water, further ruining her mane.

The bug was nearly upon her, when Mickey dashed in front of her, wound up his arm, and threw his pickax into the oncoming attacker.

The pickax hit home on its target, sending it flying backwards and pinning it to a large stalactite, before it burst into green light.

The spelunkers all stared in awe at what they had seen. It was like something out of a horror book that suddenly jumped from the pages and into their own lives. None of them were sure what had happened, but desperately wanted to know why.

"Twilight?" Rarity asked.

She did not have to finish for Twilight to understand.

"I don't know," Twilight answered, "I wish I could explain it, but I'm afraid to get any closer to it."

"Why is that?"

"Didn't any of you see when the insect changed? It only happened when it stood on the exposed metal!"

"But, I touched it earlier and nothing happened," Copper said.

"I don't want to jump to any conclusions here, but I think it's because of your increased mass. Like, somepony our size touching this metal for only a second is like taking a tiny dose of medicine. It won't have any noticeable effect at first, but over time it could start to cause us some problems. Since the bug was so small, it was able to change more quickly under the influence of...whatever this stuff is," Twilight explained.

"That makes at least one thing real clear: no touchin' the glowin' metal," Mickey said.

"I'm afraid that's easier said than done, darling," Rarity said. "I've worked with jewelry for many years, and I can tell you that when metal spreads out like this it often can be found in large hunks and clusters."

"She's right. I've found the same thing digging with my dad," Copper said.

It was then that they realized the danger ahead was greater than they realized. Not only from the creatures that had likely been changed by the horrific substance, but also from the metal itself. A nigh omnipresent obstacle that would dog their every step through the mine, and impede their escape. Speaking of escape.

"Well, 'fore we worry about that, I think we oughta find a way outta here," Mickey said.

"Alright. Just give me a second to think of something," Twilight answered.

The young alicorn immediately set to work, mulling over the angle of trajectory they would get from somepony launching the other up to the opening above, then calculating who was the strongest in order to be the base of a pony ladder to help the last one climb up.

Rarity saw that whatever Twilight was doing was going to take quite a while, and had no intentions of staying in that horrible place any longer than she should have to. To find another way out, she sidled up to Mickey.

"Mickey," she said, "Could you perhaps put that imagination of yours to work and get us out of here?"

"I think I can give it a shot," the mouse answered.An idea had already entered his head when he looked up at the pickaxe that was still stuck in the hanging stalactite. "One of ya gimme a boost."

Both Rarity and Copper put their front hooves under either one of Mickey's feet, lifted him off the ground, heaved him once, heaved him twice, and flung him into the air, all behind Twilight's back as she used her hooves to measure perspective.

Mickey grabbed hold of the stalactite with his legs, but knocked the pickax loose.

The mouse fumbled to grab the tool and flung it into the air, where it landed on his helmeted head again, and into his open hand. He smiled at finally being able to grab hold of the pickaxe and carry out his objective.

Twilight almost thought that she was halfway to coming up with a solution, when she became aware of a cracking sound above herself.

"Hey, uh, Your Highness: you might want to move away from there," Copper suggested

Twilight didn't even have time to ask, when all of a sudden Mickey came crashing down on the stalactite, not ten hooves from where she was standing.

When the stalactite had fallen, it had greatly decreased the distance between the ground and the chamber opening, leaving only a gap somepony could jump up to.

"Come on, fellers! Time's a-wastin'!" Mickey called.

Using his pickaxe, the mouse flipped himself onto the top of the fallen formation and lowered the tool for the others to grab onto.

Twilight was first. With a gentlemanly bow, Copper allowed Rarity to go next, who delicately step on the edges of the tool to allow herself to be pulled up. Finally, Copper ran, jumped, caught the pickaxe, and climbed all the way up before Mickey could help him.

They all went to the opening above. The mares were helped up by Mickey, who stuck his pickaxe in the wall and twisted the handle in the shape of steps to create a makeshift stepstool. After Copper, Mickey straightened his pickaxe out, and used it to climb up to the ledge.

In the back of their minds, they all knew that what was ahead was more dangerous than what they had so far encountered, but things were seeming slightly brighter in the presence of one another, and the mysterious workings of the new kind of magic the mouse possessed.

Author's Note

What the badger says about Mickey and Pete being enemies for almost one hundred years is completely true. In the year 2028, Mickey Mouse will be one hundred years old. And, as it turns out, Pete is even older than that. He'll be a hundred in 2025. What an anniversary that'll be.

As for the story, the first part with the wild ride on the river was inspired by Splash Mountain at Disneyland. Originally, I didn't think of it as some kind of ride, but I realized that I was working with Mickey Mouse. Of course, on Splash Mountain, there is no danger of being mauled by a badger.

Here, we have seen the workings of some strange new magic at work. The mysterious green metal that changes those who are exposed to it, and this bizarre new thing called 'imagination.' Hm. Could that be the magic Mickey and his pals possess that can't be taken away?

Aside from that, Pete has gotten himself involved, and he too will learn of the magical properties of the metal around him.

That's all for now. Check out the next chapter for more excitement and perils in the mine. So, rock on people \m/

Chapter 5: The Master Metal

Chapter 5

The Master Metal

Far below the surface, a lizard that dwelt in the darkness of the hollow parts of the earth scurried about, living its life as it always had, blind in the darkness, taking every sound as a threat, and every movement as a signal for prey or danger.

At the moment, it had gone perfectly still and quiet, hearing the sounds of creatures far larger than itself breaking through the walls somewhere in the caverns. Somewhere far from where it was now, but growing steadily closer.

There was still time to hide from the approaching giants. With all haste, it scurried across the wall to escape to safety, its claws clattering against the metallic surface. The noise would give it away. It was going to be found if it didn't find a new place to run to. Then, it began to feel something within itself.

It began like a dull ache, which soon spread through its entire body. It was as if something had struck it all over, and begun to change something from the inside out. Though intense, it passed so quickly that it hardly noticed anything had happened at all.

The aching pain it had before was replaced with something else. A new feeling that it hadn't ever felt before. Something different. Something powerful.

Even though the lizard was born blind, it knew that something about itself had changed. As it was now, it would fear nothing. It had become the top predator in the caves, and it would assert that on everything that crossed its path. The many legged things that would try to swarm it, the larger creatures like itself, and especially the cold, wriggling things that lurked in the water.

The lizard then realized that its extra mass had added extra weight, and it had a rather loose grip on the wall. Scrambling its legs, it tried to stay anchored to the wall, only to fall off and splash into the water below.

This wasn't a problem for the lizard. Now was its chance to show those wriggling things in the water who was king of the caverns. And the opportunity presented itself when it felt one of them brush against its foot.

With a snap of its body, the lizard clutched the fish in its teeth, then swallowed it whole. It was the most satisfying meal it had eaten in a long time. Not only because of how big it was, but how it was able to finally show those fish who was the boss.

The lizard heard those larger creatures from before. The sound of breaking rock and soil stopped, and they were walking closer to where it was in the water. Slightly submerging itself, the lizard began drifting about, awaiting the next meal.

Until a great set of jaws completely surrounded and closed around it.

The larger fish splashed back into the water, swallowed the lizard whole and swam away from the glowing metal that illuminated it from beneath, into the darker parts of the pool where hiding places of stone and darkness were plentiful.

At the other end of the cavern, the intruders had arrived.

"Something's in here!" Rarity gasped. "There's something down there in the water! I know it!"

"Whoah, whoah. Take it easy," Copper said. "Things just tend to fall from the ceiling in old caves like this. Some rocks probably just fell down into the water."

"I don't suppose rocks that can eat us! You've seen the things down here! And look at this room! The entire floor is a web of this devilish mineral!"

Rarity was right. Below the four was a vast pool of water, illuminated by the green metal that was embedded in the ground below the surface. Worse still, it appeared the only way across was to swim.

"This is dreadful! If something doesn't eat us, we're going to become monsters and eat one another! Oh, isn't there some other way around?" Rarity said.

"Actually, Rarity, there is," Twilight pointed out.

Along the nearby wall, there was a path that circumnavigated the perimeter of the pool of water complete with a vein of metal along its inside wall, as though to guide any travelers on its path.

"Hot dog! Finally, a break from any diggin'," Mickey exhaled, as he wiped his forehead.

Whistling a merry tune that echoed off the walls and rocks around them, Mickey led the group onto the safety of the path.

In a far off corner of the cavern, where the light of the metal did not shine, Mickey's song attracted the attention of something beneath the water. Though the tune was muffled by the water above it, the beast was able to seek out the direction of the musical mouse.

The four friends traversed along the path, which had conveniently saved them the trouble of facing whatever dangers would have possibly awaited them. In fact, as they walked, Twilight started to think the path was a little too convenient. This was not just a shelf, or an outcropping. This was like an entire notch was carved out that was just the right size for a pony to comfortably walk through.

Looking down, Twilight saw that the ground beneath her hooves was chipped and broken, as were the walls and ceiling. No, not chipped. Pulverized. Something large and very strong had been through this way. Something that knew better than to face the metal below. Or did it?

Twilight's gaze went to the shore of the bank where they had entered from, and only a few hooves to the side from where they had been standing, a chunk of the rocks had been broken away. Broken the very same way as the path they were currently traversing, as if something had forcefully broken a way out of the pool of water.

"I don't want to worry anypony, but I don't think we're alone down here," Twilight said.

"That goes without sayin'. What with that badger on the loose," Mickey said.

The thing in the water drifted around a rock, sighting the intruders.

"Besides that. I mean that something else has been this way."

"Well! WELL! What is it!?" the thing in the water heard Rarity say, her voice muffled by the water.

"I can't say exactly," Twilight continued, "But, get a look at the entire path here. It's been carved out by something that wanted to get out of here. And fast."

Slowly, the thing in the water drifted toward the intruders, where the metal would shine beneath it.

"I knew it! That badger's been through here, and I bet he's waitin' for us at the end of this path!" Mickey said, brandishing his pickaxe, ready to take on the danger to protect his new friends.

The thing in the water drifted closer.

"I don't think so," Copper said. "The boss always uses his claws to dig. There's no sign that any of these rocks were cut or broken by a sharp object."

"But, it couldn't have been done with any tools the miners have. I don't see any marks like the ones that Mickey's been making with his pick," Twilight said.

The thing in the water passed over the glowing metal, its light from below turning it into a silhouette that glided beneath the surface.

Copper examined the wall, running his hoof along its surface, careful to avoid touching the green metal. There was something familiar about the marks that scarred the surface of the rock, something he could exactly put his hoof on.

"You're right, Princess. This wasn't done with tools. It was done by hoof," he said.

"By hoof!?" Rarity gasped.

The thing in the water was nearly upon them.

"That's right," Copper affirmed, hovering his own hoof over a massive hoofprint that had dented both rock and metal.

"Holy Toledo!" Mickey shouted. "Must've been some kind of giant that came through here! Or..."

The mouse's thoughts immediately went to the insect that had undergone a monstrous transformation earlier. Then to the ponies who Copper had said had been sent down the shaft to this subterranean nightmare world.

"It was them," Mickey concluded. "The ponies that were sent down here! One o' them must've done this!"

The thing in the water had only to jump, and began to surface.

"Oh, Celestia! What's to become of us next!?" Rarity said.

The fashionista's ears pricked up at the sound of moving water behind them. Turning to the source, she saw a gigantic shadow, the top of which had broken the surface of the water, right where Mickey was standing.

"MICKEY!!!!" Rarity shouted, grasping the mouse's collar with her teeth, and pulled him backwards, just before the spot where he was standing was clasped in a gigantic pair of jaws.

Rarity fell backwards onto her flank, cradling Mickey in her hooves.

They all watched in horror as before them the owner of the jaws let go of the rocky path they were on, and slid back into the water, before slowly swimming away and disappearing in the shadows.

"Sweet mama! That's one serious catfish!" Mickey shouted.

"Look!" Twilight said, pointing ahead.

The path before them had been bitten off by the mouth of the catfish, prohibiting any further passage.

"Now what? We can't go back! And there's no way I'm swimming across!" Copper said.

There had to be a way out. Hopefully, one that would allow them to avoid that catfish. Of course, no such luck was to be had. Then again, if a path could be made...

Mickey stood up and started swinging his pickax at the wall, only to hit the metal embedded within and shake violently from the recoil.

The fish came swimming back, faster now that its prey was aware of it.

"Huh?" Mickey said when he stopped shaking, and saw the fish jumping out of the water toward him.

Once again, Rarity pulled Mickey from the jaws of death, and another chunk of the wall was taken out.

What little progress Mickey had made was undone by the fish. If anything was going to happen, they were going to have to take a path across the water. Remembering how he had gotten out of the previous chamber where they had the run in with the bug, Mickey thought he may have an idea how.

"Everyone: get back to the tunnel! I'll take care of this palooka!" the mouse declared.

"But, Mickey--" Rarity said, before Mickey put his hand in her face.

"No 'buts!' That thing's comin' back this way!"

The fish was coming back toward Mickey, ready to take another lunge.

Twilight and Copper had obeyed, uncertainly confident in the mouse's ability to pull through tough times. Rarity, however hesitantly lingered, unsure that she wanted to completely abandon Mickey.

The mouse stared intently at the fish. His eyes darted quickly to the ceiling, then back to the fish.

The fish started surfacing again.

Mickey gripped his pickaxe.

Rarity saw the brief moment when Mickey glanced upward, and caught onto his plan. There was only one possible way up to reach the cavern ceiling, and it was swimming right toward Mickey. Even if the mouse was able to dodge danger before, there was no way that Rarity was going to allow him to risk being eaten.

Before the fish was close enough Rarity ran over to pull Mickey from danger.

"Mickey! Don't!"

"Rarity!? What the heck are ya doin'?" Mickey said.

Water rushed as the fish surfaced, and jumped through the air to its prey.

It was too late for Mickey to do anything else. He grabbed Rarity by her hoof, and jumped just as the catfish's jaws were about to close on them.

Boots and hooves landed on the top of the fish's head, and Mickey jumped with Rarity up to a very large hanging stalactite.

"Aw jeez, Rarity! I told ya to get back to the tunnel!" Mickey said, after the fish splashed back into the water.

"I'm sorry! But, it's not in my nature to leave my friends to be eaten!" Rarity rebutted.

The fish circled below them.

"I guess I can appreciate that. Right now, we gotta take care of that stomach with flippers," Mickey said.

"How? We can't do anything up here."

"That's why we gotta get down there."

Mickey raised his pickaxe and started chipping away.

"He wouldn't!" Twilight said.

"He's gonna!" Copper answered.

"You aren't!" Rarity said.

"Just did!" Mickey answered.

The stalactite began to crack, and Mickey took hold of Rarity's hoof again.

"Get ready!"

Rarity and Mickey both screamed as the stalactite came crashing down into the water below, making the fish dart away from the area, and back to the shadows.

With one quick maneuver, the mouse was able to use his pickaxe to flip both himself and Rarity up to the top of the structure.

"Now what do we do?" Rarity said.

"Somethin'. Before that fish comes back," Mickey answered.

"What are you doing out there? You need to come back," Copper called from near the tunnel entrance.

"No can do, Copper," Mickey called back, "There's no way we can jump back across without becomin' fish bait."

"So, how do we get you out of there?" Twilight said next.

"Just keep an eye out for that fish. I got this covered," Mickey answered.

From what could be seen, there was nothing that could be done. There were no more stalactites large enough to break for them, and the only other things out there were rocks and the magic metal.

Mickey planted the handle of the pickaxe on the ground before him.

"Grab on," he told Rarity.

"Grab it? What for?" Rarity asked.

The fish's shadow reappeared over the glowing metal.

"No time to explain! Just grab it!"

Rarity hurriedly grabbed the metal head of the pickaxe, and flushed red when she felt Mickey suddenly place his hands over her hooves.

"What are you doing!? This is completely improper!"

"Get ready to fly!"

Mickey bent the handle so that the head nearly touched the ground, and let go, sending Rarity back toward the tunnel entrance, where she landed on top of Twilight.

Once Rarity had scrambled to her hooves, she ran back to the edge of the water, and watched as the fish's silhouette started swimming back toward Mickey.

"What could you be thinking, sending me back here!? Now you've nopony who can help you!" she shouted to the mouse.

"Just stay on the shore! I can handle po'boy-gumbo here!" Mickey answered.

Rarity watched as the fish started to surface again as it swam closer to the mouse.

Mickey grabbed his pickaxe, and dove off of the stalactite, just as the fish jumped over and tried to swallow him again.

The mouse swung his tool into the side of a large rock. He was about to start chipping away the base, when the fish came swimming back toward him with its mouth open.

Mickey yelped and scrambled around the side of the rock, narrowly dodging the jaws of the fish.

The mouse hooked his pickaxe around the rock, and started swinging himself around to the other side.

The fish followed him closely behind, growing ever more close to its prey.

Rarity bit her lip as she watched Mickey. One look, and she recalled what she had said about not leaving her friend to be eaten, and contemplated her next move.

"What's he doing!? He'll be killed!" Twilight said.

This was a time when she would normally use her magic to solve the problem at hoof. But without that, she was left only with her wits and her nerve. Something that she wasn't used to relying on, but had pulled her through countless perils before. Only, it was her magic that did most of the work in executing the solution to those problems. But, it was the only shot she had.

"Ohhhhh, this is stupid!" Twilight said through her clenched teeth, as she psyched herself up to jump in.

"Princess? What are you thinking?" Copper said.

Twilight didn't have time to answer, as Rarity suddenly ran past her and splashed into the water.

"Rarity!" Twilight shouted.

The water was shallow enough that when Rarity dove in, her hooves barely touched the bottom. Not wanting to stay closer to the magic metal than she had to, she pushed off the rocky floor and floated to the surface. After gasping for air, she started paddling to her friend.

The fish had heard her enter, and started swimming toward her.

Rarity rounded the fallen stalactite and saw the shadow of the fish come swimming toward herself.

Now that she was in the fray, Rarity began to think that it may have been a bad idea to enter it so foolhardy.

Mickey had managed to make some progress on the rock now that the fish wasn't hassling him, but he quickly stopped what he was doing when he saw why.

"Rarity!" he shouted.

Taking his pickaxe in his teeth, he started swimming toward her.

Rarity dove beneath the fish's open jaws, barely avoiding getting swallowed up, but getting pushed down to the metallic floor of the cave.

She quickly surfaced herself and looked around for the fish again.

There it was, circling around and coming back toward her.

Rarity would have screamed, if not for Mickey hooking his pickax around her waist and pulling her from danger.

"Doggone it, Rarity! I told ya to stay on shore!" Mickey scolded her.

"I know! But, I already said that it's not in my nature to leave my friends to be eaten!"

"Aw, jeez! What good's that gonna do ya if ya get eaten too?"

The fish was circling back.

Rarity and Mickey both gasped at the sight.

"Hang on," Mickey said, putting Rarity's hooves around his shoulders and twisting his tail around the handle of the pickaxe.

The mouse pulled on his own nose, making a sputtering sound as his tail spun slightly. Another pull, and his tail spun harder. One last pull, and his tail was spinning wildly, turning the pickax like a makeshift propeller.

The fish surfaced to swallow them, only to be sprayed in the face by the wake of the mouse's pickaxe, before rocketing away.

Mickey and Rarity coursed through the water, swimming circles around the fish, which became dizzy from the sudden swirl.

The fish was left spinning in a small whirlpool, while Mickey steered himself back to the base of the large rock he was chipping away.

Once they arrived, Mickey gracefully put himself and Rarity on what little surface of the rock was above the water, took the pick from his tail, and started chipping all over again.

As she watched, Rarity saw that the way Mickey was chipping the rock away would cause it to fall in a specific direction. One that would out a part of another rock that would further facilitate their trek across the water.

The fish had stopped spinning, and was in a daze. Once its vision cleared, and smaller versions of itself stopped swimming around its head, it saw Mickey and Rarity back at the rock where it had first cornered them.

The last part of the rock had been chipped away, and it began to slowly tilt forward.

The fish was upon them again, and this time there was no chance of jumping away to safety.

The rock fell into the water, shaking the cave and creating a swell that blew them all into the air. The fish landed first, on a high shelf where two rocks mounted it on the wall like a trophy. Mickey landed next, on top of the rock that he had just toppled. Looking up, he saw Rarity falling next, and sprinted forward with his arms extended to catch her.

He was nearly at the edge of the rock, and had to lean far out to catch the mare. When he did, he nearly fell off himself, but managed to regain his balance back to solid ground.

"Oh! My hero!" Rarity swooned.

"Heh-heh...It was...nothin'..." Mickey said, straining under the weight of the mare. Even though he was only slightly shorter than any of the ponies, he hadn't accounted for their extra body mass.

When the cave was done shaking, two large rocks fell from the ceiling near the entrance of the tunnel. Large enough to allow Twilight and Copper to hop across to their friends.

The fish let out a gurgling scream when it realized how it was mounted on a wall, and wriggled itself free, before splashing into the water below.

Copper had just hopped onto the fallen stalactite when he saw the fish back in the water, and quickened his pace so that he passed by Twilight.

After Twilight stopped spinning, she saw the fish swimming toward herself, and quickened her pace in turn.

It was a thing of beauty. A new step had been forged in their path to safety. One rock had broken another, creating a ramp that rested on a bed of stalagmites, and would allow them to climb up further to another rock that was unbroken. However, one look at the unbroken rock, and Rarity thought she could picture a shape it could be broken that would allow them to escape up to the path where another tunnel led out.

"Come on! Let's get movin' before ol' fish sticks gets too close," Mickey said.

"But, where can we go next? There's that rock blocking our path!" Twilight said.

"No. There's a way past it," Rarity said. "Mickey, can you make a set of steps from that?"

"Sure thing," Mickey answered.

"What? Okay, this is getting seriously crazy!" Copper said.

The mouse leapt forward, and started chipping away at the sides of the rock before them in a very precise pattern.

The fish started circling around beneath Mickey, ready to jump for the mouse again.

Rarity saw the danger Mickey was in, and her mind raced for a solution.

Looking down, she saw the tops of the bed of stalagmites their foothold rested on. Maybe, if she could break one off, it could create a barrier that would stop the fish from swimming too close. But, this was a rock she was thinking of breaking. With her bare hoof no less. Still, Mickey had done similar things, and this stalagmite was awfully slender. Maybe, something could be done.

Closing her eyes, and trying not to think of the damage she would do to her hooves, she gently kicked the tip of the smallest stalagmite, breaking off a tiny piece, only inches long and thinner than a pencil.

The small rock fell down into the water, when it landed on one of the fish's eyes.

The fish thrashed about in the water, trying to get the tiny irritant out. After spinning and spurring about, it finally was able to remove the small stone, and glared upward.

Even though it was only a shadow from the surface, Rarity knew it was looking at her, and that it was going to come for her next. Terror gripped her mind, as she hoped Mickey would finish soon.

There was only a little more work to do. Mickey had already worked every other side, and was finishing up on the back.

The mouse pressed his back against the wall behind him and his feet on the wall before him, suspending himself in the air as he swung his pickax at the rock. One more chip, and done.

Mickey hooked his pickaxe onto the edge of the path just above himself, and began pushing his feet against the rock.

The fish began surfacing as it approached Rarity.

The ponies all started backing away from the edge of the rock they were standing on, just before the fish jumped out at them.

A huge rock fell right on top of the fish's head, sending it back into the water, while the rock itself caught onto the bed of stalagmites.

The fruits of Mickey's labor stood before them. The mouse had cut a set of stairs out of the rock that was blocking their path, and he himself was hanging from the edge of the walkway they had started out on.

"So, who wants to break in the new steps?" Mickey said.

The ponies couldn't help but smile. The danger had gone, the path was clear, and Mickey hadn't batted an eye.

Rarity took the first honors and climbed the steps toward the mouse, who allowed himself to be used as the final step to the proper path.

After Twilight and Copper had passed by, Mickey swung himself up and dusted off his jacket.

"Tough crowd down there. Kinda feller that makes ya put off fish an' chips for life," the mouse chuckled.

"Mickey! What the hay was that you were doing!?" Copper said. "That's not just some kind of creativity or imagination! That's pure magic!"

"Well, sure. I already told ya that imagination's got a certain kind of magic to it. Best part is that anyone can do it," Mickey explained.

"Anypony can do it..." Rarity thought to herself. She thought back to when she broke off a piece of the rock earlier, and wondered if it may have been a simple touch of imagination that allowed her to do so. Admittedly, it was nowhere near as impressive as the feats Mickey accomplished, but she did feel a certain spark in her mind.

Twilight smirked at the idea. If magic was as simple as just a bit of inspiration, somepony would surely have discovered that a long time ago. Then again, maybe magic worked differently where Mickey was from.

"You're going to have to tell me more about how to use that kind of magic. But for now, let's just follow this tunnel, and hope it leads out of here," the young alicorn said.

None of them argued with that. With Twilight leading the way, they all started toward what they hoped would be an escape.

Behind the others, Rarity stepped up to Mickey's side.

"Um...Mickey?" the fashionista asked.

"Yeah?"

"About what you did back there...When you saved me from going back into the water...Well...Thank you. I'm not sure if there was anypony else who could have done such a thing for me."

"Aw, it was nothin'. I mean, it's not like I was just about to let ya go back into the danger zone."

Rarity smiled at the sentiment, and was about to say more, when she noticed that the others had all stopped.

"Whatever is happening?" she wondered.

No answer was needed, as the entire floor of the path before them was nothing but the magic metal.

"That? That's no problem. Just gimme a sec'," Mickey said.

He took his pickaxe in hand, and started swinging at the ceiling, before stepping back and allowing a chunk of rock in the perfect shape of a gondola drop down.

"All aboard," Mickey said.

The ponies all did as instructed, and climbed into the gondola.

"Get ready. 'Cause we're gonna sail across this metal in style," Mickey said.

"But, how are we going to move?" Twilight asked.

Mickey didn't answer. Instead, he took his pickaxe in his hands, stuck it over the side of the gondola, and used it to push them across the ground.

"I should have guessed," Twilight said with a smirk.

The sailing was not as smooth as they would have liked, since as soon as the stony bottom of the gondola touched the metal, the friction created an incredible screeching noise that made everyone cover their ears.

"Sorry. Hang on, I can fix that," Mickey said.

The mouse cleared his throat and began to sing. To everyone's surprise, the mouse with the falsetto voice had an incredible baritone when he sang.

Before anypony could wonder why Mickey was singing, he began to push forward, and the gondola sailed smoothly over the metal, no noise to be heard coming from beneath. It was as if the horrible sound had been completely muted by the mouse's song.

"Must be more of that 'imagination' magic," Copper muttered.

The ride was completely serene after that, even though the dangerous metal was directly beneath them. Rarity was almost tempted to put her hoof over the side, as though she were trailing it in the gentle wake of a river, but knew that such a thing would be disastrous. Still, with the soothing ride, the dim lighting and the beautiful song, it was almost like one of her romantic fantasies.

Mickey soon stopped singing, but continued to row.

"That was wonderful, Mickey. You have quite a surprising vocal range," Rarity said. "And that song. Why, it was exquisite! What was it?"

"It's this old piece called 'O Solo Mio.' Somethin' I learned when me an' Minnie took a trip to Italy," Mickey answered.

"Minnie?"

"My girlfriend. You remember. The one I was supposed to spend my anniversary with before I came here."

"Oh, yes... I'd forgotten about her," Rarity thought to herself.

"It just occurred to me: what happened to that ungodly scraping noise," Copper asked, once he noticed Mickey had stopped singing.

Mickey hadn't realized that either, and looked about for an answer.

"Uh... ya better brace yerselves fer this: I think we've gone over a ledge,” he said.

"A ledge!?" Twilight said.

She and the others looked over the sides, and saw themselves suspended in the air over a steep slope. Nobody could get a word edgewise over the sound of one another's screaming as they plummeted below.

The stony gondola landed in the slope, and slid down with a deafening screech.

Green sparks flew up around them, ignited by the friction beneath. So great was the resistance that it began to crumble away the bottom of their gondola.

A green light shone through the floor just under Twilight's hoof.

She backed away from the light to the stern of the ship with Copper.

The center of the gondola grew thinner and began to chip away, breaking the entire construct in two.

Mickey swung his pickax into one half of the gondola, while Rarity held his feet in the other. He had effectively become a living coupling between the two parts.

Even though they were kept together, nothing could stop the two parts of the gondola from disintegrating under the force of the slide.

Each side got smaller, forcing them all to find a new place to stand in the ever shrinking transport.

Rarity walked her hooves up the bow of the ship while she held Mickey's feet, and Copper and Twilight both stood precariously on the stern.

The slope leveled out, and the gondola was on its last leg.

There were only pebbles beneath them now, but the momentum had slowed to a point that they all only rolled to a stop in the new cavern.

"Filthy mines. Stagnant water. And now I'm rolling on the filthy floor. I'm going to need such a spa day after all this," Rarity moaned. The fashionista gasped when she saw that she and the others were all lying on a wide vein of metal. "Everypony move!"

Nothing more was said, as they all scrambled away from the metal, only to find a thinner vein next to them. And another beyond that. They had all found a safe place to stand when they realized that the entire floor around them was covered with veins of the magic metal.

Mickey took the initiative to start hopping across the metal veins, like a dangerous game of hopscotch.

"Mickey, slow down! We still don't know what else we'll find," Twilight called, as she hopped after the mouse.

"Well, if we stay here, we already know what's gonna happen," Mickey answered.

They all hopped, skipped and jumped past the dangerous metal, realizing that the path they had taken and were currently on were both carved out by hoof just as before.

There was another tunnel that led to the next room, but instead of being illuminated by the green metal it was completely dark. Instead of feeling reassured that they would no longer be harried by the devilish mineral, they were instead worried by it. Why, they could not say. But, a strong sense of foreboding came from within that next room.

When they entered, it was completely dark. Not even their own noses could be seen in front of their faces.

"Gosh. It's like I been dunked in ink," Mickey said.

"Oof! What the hay did I just run into?" Copper wondered.

"Me."

"Oh. Sorry, Your Highness."

"You can just call me Twilight. Everypony does."

There was a brief silence.

"Ugh! I hate this! I can't even conjure a simple light!" Twilight groaned.

"Perhaps Mickey could," Rarity suggested.

"Maybe. Anyone got a match?" Mickey said.

The room began to illuminate with a dull, green glow.

"Yeah, that's the stuff," Mickey said with a smile, which faded completely when he turned around to see the source of the light.

There before them was an entire wall of metal. Not like the metal from before. This was slowly changing its shape, bulging and churning like the ocean. Spikes and bumps grew and receded on its surface. Formations slowly built up and deconstructed on it. And all around the base of it was a group of perfectly still ponies.

"It's them! Mickey, you were right! It's all the ponies who've been sent down here!" Copper said.

His voice rang through the chamber, stirring one of the ponies.

"Copper...?" the pony weakly asked, as he raised his head.

Copper couldn't believe his eyes. There before him was the one pony he never thought he would see again.

“Dad!” Copper rushed to his father’s side, putting the withered stallion’s hoof around his shoulder. “Come on, dad. Let’s get you away from that thing!”

“Copper...” his dad wheezed. “That metal...it’s alive...”

"Alive?"

"It uses its magic to empower whoever touches it...Then it saps it all away after you keep using it...That's what happened to all of us..."

Copper, Rarity, Twilight and Mickey all looked around at the ponies who were strewn about. If what he said was true, then they had all tapped into the metal's power and paid the price.

"Every time it does it grows stronger...and affects the next creature that touches it even more...It's a dangerous thing that should have stayed forgotten down here..."

"But, somethin' that dangerous: that can't be what that badger's lookin' for, is it!?" Mickey said.

"It is...It's exactly what he wants..." Copper's dad said.

Things were quickly taking a turn for the worse, and continued to go downhill when the wall behind them started to rumble.

Soon, a gigantic pair of claws broke through the wall, and exploded outward revealing the badger's snarling face. Behind him stood another large shadow.

"What's goin' on in dis barrel o' tomatas?" the other shadow laughed heartily.

"Oh no!" Rarity shuddered, recognizing the voice of the cat who had blown up her shop and ruined her mane.

Pete pushed his way past the badger, and looked up at the master metal.

"Say! Now, dat'd make some sweet kinda tommy gun!" Pete said.

"You're not gettin' a sweet kinda anything from that, Pete!" Mickey said, standing protectively between his enemies and their goal.

"Why doncha go gnaw on some woodwork, mouse. I gots me an order to fill, an' I ain't gonna let no rodent stands between me an' what the boss wants," the badger said.

"Yup. Ol' Yen Sid'll be awful mad if we don't deliver de materials,'' Pete added.

Mickey's jaw dropped and his mind snapped at the mention of the name.

"Y-Yen...Sid?" Mickey asked.

"Ohhhh. Dat's right. Ya didn't know dat we was workin' fer yer ol' pal," Pete said with a sadistically gleeful smile.

"No. No, ya aren't! Yer bluffin'! Ya gotta be! You ain't got an honest bone in yer flabby body!"

"Hate to breaks it ya, son, but the cat ain't lyin'. Yen Sid wants that metal, 'cause it's gonna be the new standard fer his soldier's equipment," the badger explained.

Twilight dashed next to Mickey.

"You can't do that!" Twilight said. "Look at what it's done to the ponies who used it! If any soldier used it, they'd end up just like this!"

"Ain't no problem dere, doll," Pete said. "It ain't like dere's a shortage o' folks what can be drafted."

This was insidious, even for Pete. And to think that Yen Sid was the mastermind behind the whole plot was unthinkable.

"Den, witout further ado," Pete said, aiming his tommy gun at Mickey.

Author's Note

Okay, people! Clear the area! A bomb has just been dropped! Yen Sid is the bad guy in this story! Repeat! Yen Sid is the main villain!

Thaaaaat's right! How's that for a twist. Originally, I wasn't going to reveal the villain's identity until the end of the story, but I realized that I'm already doing that in the other project I'm working on. New chapter on that project is inbound.

The first part of this chapter was my homage to 'The Sword in the Stone,' and the scene in the moat with the pike that nearly eats Wart and Merlin. However, my favorite scene in that movie is where they're in the forest, and the squirrels that just won't leave the guys alone.

Another tribute was Mickey shouting 'holy Toledo.' Pokey's catchphrase from those old 'Gumby' shorts. This story was almost a 'Gumby' crossover, by the way. I figured that since Pokey was a pony, he could arrive in Equestria after someone opens a certain book, (like how in the cartoons Gumby and Pokey go to different worlds by going through the spine of a book).

Since I'm on the subject, another choice for this story was a crossover with Dormammu from Marvel Comics. Something where he learns the value of friendship from the ponies of Equestria.

Other choices that I had for this story were to make a sequel to either Garfield: Friendship is a Big, Fat, Hairy Deal or Witchcraft is Magic. The reason I didn't was because I wasn't sure if I wanted to do anything more with either of those two stories.

What's more in this story is that it seems this imagination magic may be able to be used by others. How will this be utilized? And do we see sparks between Mickey and Rarity? I'll just say it now: no. At least not as far as my knowledge goes. It was only in there as a part of Rarity's melodramatic, romantic personality, but if I think of something it could sneak it's way in there.

Next chapter will be a showdown against Pete and the badger. Who will come out on top there? Read the next chapter to find out, and rock on in the meantime \m/

Chapter 6: Showdown Underground

Chapter 6

Showdown Underground

Faced with the barrel of Pete's firearm, Mickey's first plan of action was to run away and look from some kind of cover in the master metal's chamber. Seeing only the thin columns of stone in the room, he quickly sprinted behind one of them, across from Copper and his dad.

The heavy applied his finger to the trigger, and readied to unleash a rampaging onslaught of bullets.

The badger swiped his claws downward, cutting off the tip of Pete's gun barrel.

"What kinda stupid are ya, chunky?! This here's one big ricochet chamber! Ya fires that off, an' we're all pushin' up daisies!" the badger admonished.

Pete glared at the badger for what he had done to his weapon, but silently agreed with him.

"Fine. Let's jus' get dat hunk o' monster metal to de boss," Pete said, reaching into his pocket.

The ponies gasped quietly at the sight, recognizing the cluster of sparkling starlight magic the heavy produced from his pocket.

Mickey too felt a clutch on his mind when he recognized the magic as the very kind that Yen Sid had used. How could he not have seen it before? It was staring him straight in the face the whole time, and he never knew it! How could he stand up to the power of the very man who had taught him how to use his own magic? Even so, he would have to try. For the sake of his new friends, he couldn't stand idly as Pete cast the magical gleam toward the master metal.

The master metal's light shone through the cave, casting its evil glow through the room as its body morphed and undulated. Its light, however, was pushed back by the sudden shine of Pete's starlit magic.

Little by little, threads of the master metal seeped toward the cluster of stardust, until the light that had guided Mickey and his friends to that point appeared above the mouse's head, flew toward the other light and immobilized it with its own bright shine.

"Hey! What's de big idea!?" Pete shouted.

"If you want that hunk of evil, you're gonna have to get past us!" Mickey declared.

"Us!?" Rarity gasped, hoping not to get involved in a physical altercation.

Pete had had enough of Mickey and his meddling. He pressed his tommy gun between his palms, compressing it to the size of a wallet and put it in his back pocket, before producing a fistful of dynamite.

Before the heavy could light the fuses on his explosives, he saw a green light shining next to him, and yelped when he backed away from it.

The pocket on the badger's jacket flared brightly with a green light, exuding the same malicious glare that was ever present in his eyes.

"Ya beens a pain in my neck fer too long, ya little rat," the badger said, eerily calm for the rage his face conveyed. "It's high time someone whipped ya so bad ya ain't nevers comin' back."

The badger cracked his knuckles, and reached into his pocket, producing his own malevolent light.

The tiny chunk of metal that he had taken from a wall earlier was glowing furiously, shining brightly through the spaces between his tightly clenched fist.

The master metal glowed too, though its light was considerably subdued compared to the smaller chunk of metal.

"This is bad..." Copper's dad said. "The metals are talking to one another..."

"Talking? What do you mean?" Copper asked.

Slowly, the badger began morphing before them.

"It's what they do when they've found a host for their power...They connect to the master metal...and they grant their own magic to a victim to slowly sap their own magic away..."

From behind their own column, Twilight and Rarity shuddered at the thought of what was happening. The ponies in the room had already been completely drained of their magical power, and the evil metal in the room was draining them even further. One look to the ponies on the ground, and they were certain that none of them would last much longer under the metal's influence. Worse still, there was a badger in the room who was rapidly changing from the metal's spell.

The badger grew larger still, taller than even Pete. His already gigantic muscles burst through his jacket. His eyes bulged and shot blood red. His claws and fangs grew and curved sharply.

He had stopped transforming, and dropped to all fours. The belt on his pants strained under the pressure of its wearer's new size, until it snapped off completely, taking the brown jug with it.

The badger reached out, and hooked the jug's handle with his claw, before tucking it into the waistline of his shredded pants.

"Game over, rat!" the badger growled, as he lumbered over to Mickey's hiding place.

Mickey jumped and landed on a clawed hand that clasped the column below him, then ducked under another hand that clasped the column above him.

Through nothing more than sheer physical strength, the badger lifted the column and the ground beneath it, and slammed it all back into the ground, creating tremor after tremor that shook everyone from their hiding spots.

Pete stumbled about on his peg-leg, falling over before the thunderous pounding was done.

The roof above started to rumble, prompting the badger to stop so as not to cave the roof in.

"What in de name o' Pete was dat!?" Pete said, clambering to his feet.

Pete stumbled again, when the badger slammed his fists where Mickey had just been standing.

"Quit yer whinin' an' get thems merchandise outta heres! I'll handle the rodent!" the badger barked.

Pete watched as Mickey scrambled across the ground, scurrying side to side away from the badger's ground-crushing blows. This was fortuitous for the heavy, for as long as Mickey was busy all he had to do was take care of the light that was inhibiting his own borrowed magic.

He produced the leathery strip from his jacket and took a bite.

"Help Copper get his dad out of here!" Twilight told Rarity, before rushing forward.

The alicorn couldn't hear Rarity's protests over the noise of her own hooves clopping loudly on the stone floor.

She was rapidly closing in on Pete, who turned to look at the alicorn, just before she knocked the spit out of him with a forceful tackle.

Rarity hid behind her cove and watched the trail of brown goop fly past, instead of into her mane again.

"Hey, yer dat princess from dat little hick town," Pete said.

"That's right! A-And as the Princess of Friendship, it's my job to stop you!" Twilight said, trying to sound authoritative, but her lingering doubts made her voice shake.

"Dere ain't no stoppin' me, doll. Witout yer magic, you ain't got nuttin'!"

Twilight rushed forward, only to be stopped by Pete's palm on her face.

"I can work with less! I don't need my magic, because I have something you don't!" Twilight said, her hooves flailing.

"An extra pair o' legs?"

"No!" Twilight said, her hooves flailing faster, "An encyclopedic mind and a quick wit! Which I just realized was two things! So, that's even better!"

Pete clasped his fingers around Twilight's snout and lifted her up by her muzzle.

"Maybe. But, it don't take neither to do dis," the heavy answered.

Twilight felt herself dribbled up and down between the ground and Pete's open palm, slamming both her front and her back in rapid succession. Finally, she was punted away by the heavy's peg-leg and sent rolling back to Rarity.

"Twilight! Darling, are you hurt!?" Rarity asked hysterically.

Twilight sat up and shook her head.

"How the hay did Mickey stand up to that guy?" Twilight wondered.

Pete dug his first three fingers into a column on his side, and ripped out a round chunk of rock, which he bowled along the ground toward the mares.

With a loud clatter, Twilight and Rarity were thrown apart when the rock impacted between them.

Pete guffawed loudly at the mares and charged toward them.

"I'll show ya what happens when ya mess wit Peg-Leg Pete!" he bellowed.

Before Pete could show them, Mickey stumbled past him and scurried between his mismatched legs.

"Run, if ya know what's best!" the mouse shouted.

Pete was thrown back by the badger barreling past him after Mickey.

Mickey jumped to a stone column and rapidly climbed up its surface.

Down at the bottom, the badger grabbed the base of the column and drove it into the ground, pulling Mickey along with it.

The pillar was collapsing faster than Mickey could climb it. In a matter of seconds he would be back in the badger's reach.

Mickey took his pickaxe and used it to climb faster, until he reached the top of the column where it had broken from the ceiling.

Thinking quickly, the mouse used his pickaxe to break away the column beneath him, jumping just as a chunk of it fell off.

The badger winced as a sudden heavy object landed on his head, hitting harder than anything else the mouse had thrown at him so far, but didn't stop him from pulling down the stone structure.

Mickey continued to break apart the column, sending chunk after chunk on top of his opponent's head, all the while putting himself closer to the badger's claws.

Finally, Mickey swung his pickax down at the badger, and fell backwards to the ground when it recoiled off of the badger's snout.

The badger growled at the mouse, before crushing the remainder of the column in his claws.

No words came to Mickey at the sight of his opponent's might, leaving him only chuckling nervously.

The badger raised his claws to attack, and stopped when the ground trembled.

At the back of the room, the master metal was slowly glowing brighter, and its surface began to twist and wave. As though it had truly come alive, it started casting itself as veins through the rocky surface of the cavern and began molding the room as if it were made of clay.

Everyone in the room stumbled and scrambled to keep their balance. Copper clasped his dad's hoof when he nearly fell off of a newly formed ledge. The room stopped moving, and the unicorn pulled his ailing father up to the ledge with him.

"What just happened, dad?" Copper asked.

"I don't know...This has never happened before," Copper's dad answered. "But, if this is the power that the metal has...then somepony has to put a stop to it..." The old stallion shakily rose to his hooves, "And I guess I'm just the stallion to do it..."

He fell right onto his face when he finished speaking, nearly going back over the ledge until his son pulled him back.

"Not happening, dad. You're not in any condition to do anything," Copper said.

"Don't tell me about my condition... I've worked myself almost to exhaustion every day for thirty-five years...There's no way having no magic is gonna stop me..."

Copper pulled his dad back from the ledge again.

"We'll put a stop to it. Only thing is: first we have to get down from here,” he said.

Down below, Mickey clung to a column that was growing out of the ground. The mouse spun around the sides of it, one step ahead of the vein of metal that spiraled after him.

He jumped off and hooked his pickaxe around the edge when the badger came climbing up and took a swing at him.

The mouse landed on the badger's snout, jumped off and grabbed onto a ledge that was sprouting from a wall.

Twilight was thrown backward by the force of Pete's punch, rolled up a rock that started to curl and flew back to the heavy's waiting fist.

Rarity clung to a rock that was growing out of the ground, wishing she had the skill or the courage to run over and face her opponent. She cursed herself for sitting by helplessly, until the rock she was on began to slope itself steeper to a sheer wall.

The fashionista went sliding headfirst down the slope over the veins of green metal, until she crashed headfirst into Pete's peg-leg, tripping him up.

The heavy fell onto his rump, while Rarity ramped up a sloped rock and landed on its top.

"You again? I guess I didn't make enough of a point when I blew up yer shop!" Pete said, cracking his knuckles so that they bulged to a larger size.

Rarity was left speechless at the sight of the gigantic cat coming toward her, but her scream released when the rock she was on started growing upward. Things became worse when her rear hoof was caught in a crag at the top of the rock, which closed tight and carried her upward.

"Takin' de coward's way out? At least de mouse puts up a fight!" Pete shouted.

"Your fight's with me, tough guy!" Twilight said, staggering to her hooves.

Despite her brave words, she realized that she was still unprepared for a real fight without her magic when she saw the heavy charging toward her.

Looking to her side, Twilight saw a piece of rock that was growing in front of herself out of a wall. Thinking of nothing else she could do, she grabbed the length of rock and pulled it further out, creating a long bar of stone that crashed into chest first, knocking him off his feet.

Twilight looked at Pete's fallen form. It was the first time that she had managed to land a hit on him. Without magic, even. Or was it?

Admittedly the wall was already growing without her assistance, but she still felt as if she may have used just a little bit of the magic that Mickey had talked about and used so effectively.

Her reflection was cut short when Pete began to stir again. Unknown to herself, veins of the green metal were slowly creeping up behind her.

High above, Rarity had stopped moving and was dangling helplessly from the ceiling. Worse than that, she had stopped in a spot where all the fungus and moss was growing, and the dank smell was quickly becoming unbearable.

From where she was, she had a clear view of the danger her friend was in. She struggled against her wedged hoof, and felt it slowly coming loose, but stopped herself. Looking down she realized that if she dropped to the ground, what would save them from the evil metal?

Rarity cursed herself for not being able to do anything, then caught a glimpse of something else.

A bridge was slowly growing across the face of the master metal, where Mickey was backpedaling across as he dodged and deflected the attacks of the badger.

The green metal was threading itself through the bridge, creeping closer to Mickey.

The mouse saw the danger he was in, and plucked two stalagmites off the ground to his side, clasped one in each hand and climbed up them nearly to the top so that he was eye to eye with the badger.

With his new stilts in hand, Mickey swerved and swiveled out of the badger's attacks. Any attack that the mouse returned was met with a simple wince or a shrug from his opponent.

Rarity watched as the mouse and badger battled, marveling at how Mickey so deftly used what was around him to his advantage, and even more when she saw the makeshift stilts grow longer and shorter to accommodate the bridge's shape as it twisted and turned the more it grew.

There had to be some way that she could help Twilight, but if only she could use such magic for herself. Then it occurred to her.

The light that had guided Mickey into her life was not a product of his own magic, nor was it even from his own home. It was born in Equestria. The very land she had known since her birth. Perhaps she had some of the very same magic within herself. Something that could be used to save the lives of the friends who had saved her own more than once.

Looking about herself for anything that could help, she began to gag when she caught another whiff of the moss and fungus.

It was all she had to work with. Something had to be able to be done with it. But what? She was only a seamstress. How could that be applied to magic?

Clarity struck like a needle in her brain when she realized exactly how. She had worked with just as little before, and all it had ever taken for her to create a glamorous masterpiece of fantastification before was a glimmer of inspiration. Taking the moss and mushrooms in her hooves, she held her breath as she fashioned together something that could protect herself from the magic of the metal.

Back on the ground, Twilight ducked under a series of roundhouse kicks Pete unleashed by spinning on his peg-leg. She was hit when Pete stopped spinning and sucker punched her.

The alicorn rolled backwards onto the ground covered in the creeping veins of metal, and scrambled for a safe place to stand. Unfortunately, the only safe spot was where Pete stood.

As much as Twilight wanted to run to safety, Pete kept pushing her back.

To her horror, Twilight saw the metal beneath herself was starting to glow, and she felt a dull ache slowly spreading through her body.

Rarity dropped from the ceiling above and quickly scooped Twilight up onto her back.

The ground had been covered by the evil metal and Pete was hopping on his peg-leg to avoid having to touch it.

The heavy was upon Rarity, ready to clobber her.

The fashionista spun like a dancer, kicking Pete with Twilight's flailing hooves.

Pete was knocked away into the wall, where he picked up a rock and threw it at Rarity.

Rarity threw a smaller rock of her own at Pete's, making the larger rock break apart on impact.

Unknown to either, the rock Pete had thrown was a multilayered geode, which broke apart into a display of dazzling fragments, all of which found their way into the mossy boa that Rarity wore around her neck.

With a sunny smile, Rarity marveled at how fantastic she must have looked for such a quick throw together. And she could marvel all she wanted now that her hooves were protected from contact with the metal by the mushroom pumps she had made.

Pete reached for another rock.

Rarity took her boa in her teeth and whipped it at the heavy, sending a volley of rocks flying into this face.

Twilight's eyes popped at the sight of what was happening. Had Rarity mastered this new magic so easily? How could that have been done? Magic wasn't even how she earned her cutie mark. What was it about her friend that made using a new magic so natural?

The ground behind the ponies started rapidly sloping downwards.

Rarity was unsure of what to do next.

"Rarity! Up here!"

Rarity looked up to see Copper waving to her from a higher ledge that was slowly descending down the wall.

Not daring to jump, Rarity threw the boa around her neck to the miner, who gagged when he realized he was holding moss in his teeth.

Planting the moss in a crack by her hooves, Rarity kicked off the surprisingly fashionable fungus pumps and trotted across the newly formed tightrope. She only reached the other side just before the moss snapped apart.

"What the hay was that ya just did...?" Copper's dad asked.

Rarity wasn't sure how to answer. She couldn't be certain if she had actually used the magic that Mickey possessed, but answered as best as she could. "Only a spark of inspiration, I suppose."

Copper chuckled at the answer, but his dad was as confused as ever.

The ledge Pete was on had turned into a steep slope, sending him rolling down to the floor.

"Dat prissy little diva!" Pete growled to himself, as he drew his tommy gun. "I'll teach her to mess wit me!"

Before Pete could even think about pulling the trigger, the ground at his foot began to glow.

Looking down, the heavy saw a mass of morphing metal inching away from him.

The regular metal was abnormal enough, but the sight of the master metal slowly slithering up the wall was almost completely terrifying.

The glow of the master metal illuminated the silhouettes of Mickey battling the badger on the many bridges that were arching across the floor and disappearing shortly after forming.

Putting aside his need for vengeance, Pete pocketed his firearm again and caught onto a stalagmite that was elevating up a wall.

Higher and higher Pete went, until a path morphed out of the rock wall before him, allowing him to go on his way to assist in the battle with Mickey.

Mickey jumped from the bridge he was on, hooked his pickaxe on the edge and swung around the bottom to the top where he kicked the badger off.

The badger landed on the bridge one level lower and jumped back up to destroy the higher platform where Mickey was standing.

The mouse flew backwards and grabbed onto the edge of a bridge that was forming, which took him back toward the badger.

"Ya ain't gonna win this, varmint! Ya ain’t gots nothin’ but a prayer on yer side!" the badger growled, swiping his claws at Mickey.

Mickey pulled his body upward, barely avoiding the attack.

The badger jumped on top of the forming bridge and charged the mouse.

"Ya ain't gots nothin' but a prayer on yer side!" the badger said.

The badger dove forward, going over the front of the forming bridge, snagging Mickey's jacket with his claws.

Mickey used his pickaxe to break the badger's claws.

They landed on another bridge that was rising upward.

"But us: we gots us the magic man himself!"

The badger picked up his broken claws and reattached them to their stubs.

"This is the guy who built yer own kingdom from nothin'!"

The badger swung his claws again.

Mickey jumped to a lower bridge.

The badger jumped after him.

"An' he can just as easily makes this place his own!"

Mickey jammed his pickaxe into the underside of a passing bridge.

"Now I know yer lying!" Mickey said. "Yen Sid would never do something like that! He's got no reason for it!"

Pete dropped in from above, cracking the bridge Mickey was on.

The mouse clasped the mossy rocks and scurried along the underside of the bridge.

Pete chased after, cracking through from the top with his fists.

"Show's what you know, runt! He's been doin' it fer years! He's already claimed at least t’ree other kingdoms! An' he's got his sights set on more! Ha ha ha!"

Mickey nearly stopped moving completely. The thought of the man who taught him how to use his own magic, the man who practically raised him, was a villain who had conquered other magical kingdoms nearly defeated him on the spot.

There came a noise like a jackhammer above, and Mickey stretched his midsection downward when Pete's peg-leg broke through the bridge.

Pete's hand came through the hole in the bridge, grasping Mickey around his neck and breaking him through the top of the bridge, pulling a trail of moss behind him.

After the sudden blow to the head, Mickey's vision cleared and he saw himself faced by both Pete and the badger's maliciously smiling faces.

Not about to go down without a fight, the mouse started swinging his fists.

"Wah ha ha ha ha! Lookit dis guy. Still trying to win," Pete guffawed. He grabbed Mickey's nose between two of his fingers and stretched it out.

Mickey's head recoiled when his nose snapped back into his face.

"Looks like fun. Hows 'bout I gives it a shot?" the badger said.

Mickey's nose was clasped in two of the badger's claws, pulled back even further and snapped into his face again.

Pete and the badger both laughed at the sight of Mickey, whose nose had been stretched so much that it drooped almost to his waist.

"Aw dang it! Look what I did," the badger said.

"De fun ain't over yet," Pete answered, taking Mickey's tail, and pulling it hard so that his nose shrunk to it's proper length.

The others arrived at the bridge network.

"Those wretched bullies!" Rarity fumed, before charging forward.

"Rarity! Stop!" Twilight said.

"What for? Our friend is in danger!"

"I know! But, we need to figure something out! We need a way to get him away from those two, and we can't do it just yet!"

Had Twilight always been so slow-witted, Rarity wondered. Did she become so reliant on her magic that she didn't know how to solve a problem without it? The cracked bridge the two opponents were standing on surely made the answer obvious.

"All it takes is just a little creativity," Rarity said, stomping her hoof daintily to the stone bridge.

Nothing happened.

Rarity stomped again, harder.

Nothing happened.

Rarity stomped again and again and again.

One last stomp, and Rarity yelped in pain.

This time a single part of the bridge fell off, followed by another and another still.

Rarity smiled at the progress she had made, but then realized that if the bridge was collapsing: what was going to happen to Mickey, who was still held in Pete's titanic grip?

Mickey looked past his two attackers and smiled.

"Ha! Yer in trouble now!" Mickey said.

"From what? Yer glittery little friends with the big, sparkly eyes?" Pete asked, his own eyes mimicking the appearance of the ponies'.

He and the badger both laughed, but a crumbling sound caught their attention.

It was too late for them to turn around and see the ground falling, and they all went plummeting below.

Mickey used the moss that was still wrapped around his hand to stop his fall, dangling from the broken bridge, while his opponents dropped to a newly forming bridge.

Rarity looked over the broken edge, breathlessly staring at the dangling mouse.

"Ya see? Nothin' to it," Mickey called to her.

Rarity dared to smirk at the quip, recalling what he said to her before they entered the mine. However, her smile left her when she saw the glow of the master metal envelope herself and the others.

The churning mass of evil metal had crawled it's way to the top of the room and spread itself across the ceiling.

Down below, the ground started opening up, the veins of the master metal creating a bottomless chasm that could swallow even the brightest light. And it was growing closer to the exhausted ponies on the ground.

Mickey saw the danger and quickly climbed to the top of the bridge, where he threw his strand of moss like a lasso.

Rarity didn't know if what she was doing would help, but threw a mossy rope of her own.

The edge of the chasm was growing closer to the ponies. Time was running out.

The two improvised ropes arrived just in time.

Rarity's stayed perfectly still, but Mickey's wove itself this way, that, and the other around itself until it tied itself around Rarity's, creating a safety net that scooped up all the ponies inside of it. Save for one, which the strand of Mickey's rope reached out, caught the pony and put him safely back in the net.

"Hot dog, Rarity! You're really gettin' a handle on this!" Mickey congratulated his friend, as the broken bridge grew back together.

"I should. I am an artist after all," Rarity answered.

Mickey began hauling the ponies up to the solid ground.

"Well, that puts you in a better spot for learning."

"Does it truly?"

Mickey finished pulling the ponies up to safety.

"Yep. And with a little practice, you can go completely nuts with your creativity. Write books. Direct plays. Edit scripts,” Mickey replied.

"Craft new dresses! Cut new jewels! Dazzle new and budding customers!" Rarity said, beaming brightly.

"That's the stuff!"

"Get a look at those two," Copper's dad said, "Couple of chronic dreamers."

Copper chuckled at his dad's quip, but soon felt something growing in the back of his mind. The memory of the feeling he had of the day when he would become the boss and run the mining operation just like his dad sent a sudden warmth through his skull. The feelings of excitement and inspiration he had that pushed him to work towards the position of being in charge made him wish that he could hold onto it forever. That is, until he finally became the boss.

Down below, the badger's claws were stuck deep in a bridge, while Pete dangled from his ankles.

"Ya got dis big guy! Uh, just don't let go!" Pete said.

The badger didn't answer. He had had quite enough of all of this business, which was quickly turning out to be far more trouble than it was worth. The mouse was going to die, and the master metal would be delivered to Yen Sid. Worse still, he could feel the effects of the magic metal slowly wearing off. Now was the time to pull out all the stops and end this nonsense once and for all.

The badger started swinging his legs.

"Hey! What're a doin!? Yer gonna get us killed!" Pete said.

With one last powerful swing, Pete was sent flying into the air up to where Mickey stood.

The badger climbed up to the top of the rapidly shrinking bridge he was on, and threw his brown jug into his mouth, chewing the whole thing before swallowing. He ran to a wall, spun his body like a drill and dug through it toward the top of the room.

Higher up, Pete raised his fists to Mickey.

"Time we finish dis, runt!" he shouted.

"Couldn't o' said it better myself!" Mickey answered.

The mouse rushed in.

Pete swung his fists.

Mickey weaved out of the way, and countered with two punches.

Pete brushed off the blows and thrust his fat gut in Mickey's face.

The heavy laughed as the mouse rolled between all of his friends and into a wall.

Twilight helped him up, then saw the wall behind Mickey start to sprout new rocks.

Recalling what she had done earlier, the alicorn grabbed two of the rocks and stretched them out of the wall.

"Here!" Twilight said, knowing Mickey could put them to better use than herself.

"Thanks," Mickey said.

Pete charged again.

Mickey threw both rocks forward at once, sending them both into Pete's stomach.

The heavier impact stopped Pete in his tracks.

Mickey balled up both fists and the two extended rocks took the shape of boxing gloves.

From where he stood, Mickey swung his fist like a boxing pro, and the two rocks followed his movements exactly.

Pete was battered over and over by the stone fists, so much that many of his personal effects started flying out of his pockets: guns, knives, grenades, piano wire, gasoline, cigars, ropes, lock picks, stethoscopes, stolen money, cans of beans, kegs of dynamite, blasting caps, and even a plunger box.

Copper looked at the dynamite and plunger box that had clattered to his hooves, then to the pit below and the master metal above. One look at his dad, and he knew they had the same idea. They could win this.

Pete was knocked dizzy by the incredible barrage, but it wasn't over yet.

While the heavy stood dazed, Mickey wound up his fist, the rocky glove followed suit, and unleashed a haymaker that sent Pete flying across the room and through a wall.

The rocky gloves victoriously raised their fists in the air and high-fived Mickey. Then, the rocks grabbed Mickey around his neck and started throttling him.

The wall where the rocks sprouted started to crack, and the rocky gloves both fell off into the darkness below.

Copper reached out and scooped up all the explosive equipment, just as the badger broke through the wall.

His eyes shot right toward the mouse, who was trying to catch his breath on the stone bridge.

Mickey jumped when the badger charged forward, shredding the bridge as though he were tunneling through it.

The master metal glowed again, the room rumbled and the bridges and the ledges on the wall all started to shrink away.

"What's goin' on!?" Mickey wondered.

The hole below gaped wider, like the maw of a great beast.

The master metal brightened rapidly and its surface rippled, as though to laugh at the unfortunate prey in its midst.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say it was trying to eat us," Copper's dad said, as he rose to his hooves.

"Dad--" Copper tried to begin.

"No time for your sass, son. We got a job to do." He turned to Mickey. "You. Mouse."

"Mickey, sir,” the mouse replied.

"Right. You do whatever it is you been doing and get up there next to that chunk of green nasty. I'll follow you with those nitro sticks you knocked out of that cat."

"Got it--"

Mickey almost finished his affirmation, but another rumble and a gradually approaching ledge stopped him.

The badger had been carried away by the shrinking bridge, and reached the other wall, before tunneling into it.

Mickey raised his pickaxe and quickly dug out a large burrow for all the ponies to settle into. Even going so far as to create a lounge area where the net full of ponies could be opened for them all to comfortably spread out.

"Next stop, victory!" Mickey proclaimed, raising his pickaxe and digging through the wall.

"I'm going with him!" Copper said.

"Like heck you are! This is my mine! These are my workers! I'm gonna go--" his dad proclaimed.

The older stallion stumbled forward after the first two steps and was caught by his son.

"Dad, trust me! I know how you feel about your responsibility as the boss, but you can hardly move right now! You need to trust me. I can do this just as well as you, and you know it."

Copper's dad sighed quietly.

"Okay. You're in charge for now." The stallion grabbed a saddlebag off of another worker and packed it with the supplies his son would need. "Take these blasting caps and wire with you. That dynamite won't blow up itself."

"Don't worry dad! I won't let you down!"

Copper took off quickly after Mickey.

"Copper!" his dad called.

Copper came running back and picked up the explosives he left behind.

"Uh, right. The dynamite. Nothing else is any good without it."

He ran back after Mickey through the tunnel.

The others were left alone on their ledge.

"I guess now it's up to us to make sure nothing else happens to these other ponies," Twilight said to Rarity.

No sooner did the alicorn finish speaking did the wall start to rumble quietly.

Twilight's mind snapped when she saw the walls start melding back together, and bulging slowly outward.

"Oh no! Nonononononono!" Twilight panicked, as the walls slowly closed in. "Rarity! Help me push them back!"

The fashionista was one step ahead of her. Placing her hooves on the wall, she attempted in vain to apply the magic she had slowly been learning. No matter how she tried, she still found her hooves sliding across the floor as the wall returned to its original shape.

If nothing was done soon, they would all be swallowed by the pit below.

Mickey tunneled his way through the rocks, determined to put the new plan into motion.

"Mickey!"

Mickey looked behind himself, and saw Copper come scrambling through the tunnel after him.

"Copper? What happened to your dad?" he asked.

"Dad can't move, and you need somepony who knows how to lay dynamite."

"Good enough for me. Let's go!"

Mickey tunneled further through the cave, until he nearly fell out of an opening that was bathed in a sudden green light. He had arrived.

The master metal extended a stalk of itself to the mouse, as though to observe him.

"Okay, Copper. Do yer stuff," Mickey said.

Copper poked his body through the narrow opening and stuffed the dynamite into a crag in the wall.

He had just finished setting it up for detonation when the badger came bursting through the wall above him.

Copper pulled his head back just in time before he lost it to the badger's claws.

Mickey crawled out of the opening, jumped onto the badger's head, sprang off and started tunneling at a higher level.

Copper followed suit, springing off the badger's head and scrambling into the hole Mickey had made. Afterward, he set more dynamite by the edge of the master metal.

The badger pulled back into his burrow and tunneled after the mouse.

Mickey frantically dug his way through the tunnel, knowing that danger wasn't far behind him, and a badger was out to find him.

Completely on instinct, Mickey jumped when the badger's fist came through the ground beneath him.

Copper hopped next when the other fist aimed for him.

Mickey needed to tunnel faster, and had just the way.

The mouse spun his pickax like a propeller, and the head grew longer to dig a bigger tunnel.

Mickey thrust his tool forward and charged into the rock, which cut like butter under the force of his new tactic.

Progress had been sped up, but the badger hadn't slowed down.

His fists kept breaking through the ground beneath his opponents, reaching and grasping for whatever they could.

Mickey's leg was caught, just as he broke through another wall.

Copper craned his neck out and caught Mickey with his teeth.

He jumped and propped his hooves against the tunnel walls when the other fist reached for him.

Mickey swung Copper upward so he could plant more explosives, and caught the miner before he fell into the pit.

The badger started crawling out of the ground behind them.

Mickey quickly started tunneling along the wall to reach the next destination.

Back on the lower levels, Rarity and Twilight were both struggling to keep the walls at bay. Twilight even tried to use the magic she was born with to push them back, but to no avail.

Rarity heaved and shoved as best she could, but it was no use against something so big that not even her largest measuring tape could properly read it.

Measuring tape?

Big?

Something big that could be measured?

There was a plan here. She knew it. But what?

A gown, perhaps? Or the impression of one?

Rarity began by using her hooves to measure the space on the floor. It was much too small. The wall would have to go back just a smidge, or several.

Several smidges it was, as the fashionista unknowingly pushed the wall back some three hooves.

Twilight lurched forward from the hoofhold getting pushed away from herself. She turned to watch Rarity hard at work, as though she were lost in thought in her boutique creating some fashionable new evening wear.

Rarity continued to frantically murmur to herself, her mind fluttering as she realized exactly what she was doing. This truly was no different than measuring a new dress. All it needed now was some stitching.

Flicking off the very top of a stalagmite, it was threaded with a piece of moss taken from the net, and the walls that threatened them were halted by being stitched together at every fold and crease, effectively stopping them from moving.

Rarity continued her mad dance, until she stopped with a sudden twirl and shouted, "Finished! My masterpiece is done!"

Copper's dad looked around to see it, unaware that the shelf they were on was now shaped like an elegant gown.

"Rarity! Do you realize what you just did!?" Twilight said.

"Of course I do, darling. I just saved us from being pushed into the pit, and made it look good too," Rarity said.

"You stitched through solid rocks!"

"I have?"

Rarity looked around herself and saw the work she had been so engrossed in. This was inspiration come alive. This was magic.

"WAH HA HA!! I've done it! I've done it! I've used magic again!! WAH HA! HA HA HA!"

Despite her friend's excitement, Twilight felt a small blow to herself. She had surely used something similar, but Rarity was mastering it so quickly. Was being an artist really that much of a difference?

She tried not to dwell on the thought, and looked up to see the progress that Mickey and Copper were making.

They guys had nearly finished their work. Only one more keg of dynamite needed to be set for maximum effect.

Copper just finished wiring the explosive.

"That's it! We're done!" the miner said.

The badger's hand crashed through the wall, crushing the dynamite.

His other hand reached out and grabbed both Mickey and Copper around their necks.

The wall started to crack, and the badger burst his entire body through the wall.

"This is it fer you boys!" the badger panted. "Time to face the final curtain!"

Both of his opponents were tied up in the length of wire Copper had, completely immobilizing them. The badger then rubbed his claws together through his hair. When he held two of his claws close together, a small arc of electricity appeared between them.

"Just think of it, fellas. While you boys are flyin' to the pearly gates, this magic I gots in me's gonna save me any wear an' tear. Betcha wish ya let it gets to ya now, huh?" the badger said.

He laughed as he applied the static charge to the blasting cap on the dynamite.

Mickey and Copper thrashed against the wires that bound them.

Suddenly, the badger lurched forward and his body began to change. Slowly, his body shrunk back to its normal proportions, and he started to breathe heavily.

"No! Not yet! I needs that power back!"

The badger lifted his hand with the dynamite in it up to the ceiling, touching the master metal.

"Gimma all ya got!" he bellowed.

The badger began to glow green, but so did the dynamite in his hand. Dynamite that was still wired to blow, and now enhanced by the master metal.

An idea struck Copper once more.

"BLOW IT, DAD!! BLOW IT!!!" he shouted.

"What!?" Copper's dad asked, unsure of what he heard.

"BLOW IT UP! NOW!"

The stallion wasn't sure if he should do so, but trusted his son's judgement.

Rarity and Twilight gasped as Copper's dad put his hooves on the detonator's plunger.

One of the ponies who had fallen victim to the metal's power lifted his head and looked around himself.

"Boss...?" the pony weakly asked. "What's going on...?"

"We're about to send that badger to kingdom come. That's what,” Copper’s dad answered. “FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!"

The plunger was pressed, and the electric charge coursed through the wires, into the blasting caps and destroyed the rocky area around the master metal, blowing chunk after chunk off of where it hung above.

"Jump!" Copper said to Mickey.

Both of them went over the edge, still tied up.

Finally, the current reached the last keg of dynamite, which still glowed with the master metal’s power and detonated with a force greater than any other.

With one last bellow, the badger was sent screaming into the pit below, followed by the rocks from the ceiling.

The master metal itself began to creak wildly, and started slipping from the ceiling. With a horrible screech, it started falling from its lofty perch.

Mickey and Copper both started spinning, reeling themselves in toward the plunger box that the wires were attached to. A straight trip, since the dynamite destroyed all of the walls where the wire was threaded through.

The two ended up safely on the elegant ledge, just as the master metal screeched past them, falling far into the depths of the pit below, until its light was swallowed up by the unfathomable darkness.

After several seconds, it seemed it would never impact the ground below, when a sudden rumbling shook the whole mountain, and the cave above cracked open.

A sudden wind blew from the depths of the pit, along with it a horrible green light shone brightly.

The wind picked up anything that was living in its gusts and pulled Mickey, Twilight, Rarity, Copper, his dad, and all the workers upward toward the gaping maw up top.

Sunlight shone, as the blue sky above was seen for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Every one of them went flying out the top, riding the wind, and splashed down into the water below.

The rumbling continued as the mountain started to close itself up, the home of the master metal expelling the intruders, never to be disturbed again.

Mickey shook the water out of his ears.

"We're alive! Hot dog! We're alive!" he cheered.

"Mickey!"

The mouse barely had a chance to turn, when he saw Rarity's hooves reach out and tightly clasp around him.

"You should have seen me! I used magic! Your magic! I saved everypony by using your magic! WAH HA HA HAHAHA!!!!" she laughed.

"Copper, boy, ya did it!!" Copper's dad said, clasping his son's shoulders. "You blew that badger straight to Tartarus like I knew ya would!!"

All around, the unconscious ponies had woken up from the shock of what had just happened. Some of them gasped for air, but all of them were thoroughly confused.

"What just happened...?"

"Where are we...?"

"Don't tell me this is heaven...I'm too young to die...!"

Twilight looked at what was before herself. Sure, she hadn't mastered the magic she had hoped to, but she had done her job as the Princess of Friendship. Mickey with Rarity and Copper with his dad were proof of that. And all the workers, though weakened, were still helping one another to float to shore. Things really couldn't have ended better.

A loud splash sounded nearby as Pete quickly swam to the surface and gasped for air.

"Sweet son o' Sam Hill! I'm still alive!" the heavy gasped as he paddled to shore away from everyone else, next to some metal pipes.

Pete shook his leg, sending a wave of water out. He removed his peg-leg, pouring out a mass of mud and algae, and a particularly angry river crab.

"Ooh. Dat coulda been uncomfortable. YEOWCH!!"

Pete turned around, and saw an even larger, even angrier river crab tightly pinching his fat backside.

"Get offa dere, ya walkin' seafood!" Pete said, knocking it off with his peg-leg.

The crab skittered away.

"If I had me some lemon an' cookin' oil, I'd give ya what for!"

"You're the only one gettin' what for, Pete! You lost!" Mickey shouted from the

other side of the shore.

Pete clenched his fists, as his own glittering light appeared before him, which brought a smile to his face.

"I ain't lost yet, runt. Not by a longshot. We got sometin' o' yours! Sometin' ya care about more than anything else! An' just wait 'til ya see what we does wit' it! Wa ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

The glittering magic enveloped Pete, making him disappear and fly away as he had done before.

Mickey clenched his pickaxe. Pete was always up to no good, and he was obviously planning something big. Him and Yen Sid. Whatever it was, he was going to have to be ready for it.

"Don't let him get to you, mousey," Copper's dad said. "Bullies like him always get what's coming. Just like that badger you and my boy blew up." The stallion had to lean on his son to stay standing. "Speaking of which: Copper. I'm going to be out of commission for a bit, it looks like. So, I'm putting you in charge of the mine."

"You--Be serious!" Copper said.

"You ever known me to have a sense of humor?"

"NO WAY!! Dad, you're the best!"

Copper hugged his dad, who gagged under the force.

"Okay! I just made you the temp boss. I didn't make you an alicorn," his dad said, though he couldn't help but smile. "Come on. This is the spring where we're getting our water for the sluice. If we follow those pipes, we can get back to the mine. Then, we got us some gophers to ferret out. You boys up for it?"

"You bet we are!" Mickey said, twirling his pickaxe. "Let's get your mine back."

Everyone helped the workers walk along the path toward the mine to resume their lives as they once were. A new feeling of hope brewing in them all, but Mickey couldn't help but wonder what it was that Pete took from him.

Deep in the Everfree Forest, a mouse and a hound dog cautiously stepped through the foliage.

"Oh...Pluto, maybe this wasn't such a good idea!" Minnie said.

The two of them had been traveling for some time, hoping to find any trace of the little dragon they had seen in the mirror. The only encounters they had were the noises made by the creatures off the side of the trail. Creatures they knew were not anything from their own home. Creatures they knew were watching them.

Pluto kept his body low to the ground, looking up at all of the pairs of eyes he could see peering back at him from the shadowy treetops. Sooner or later, one of them would pick their moment and make themselves shown and likely attack.

There was a rustling on the path before them. The creatures had made their move.

Minnie backed away.

Pluto put on his best ferocious face and growled, though he would likely run away from whatever was coming.

The thing ahead was growing closer until it burst out of the foliage.

There was a glimmer of light, and the sound of a scream.

Author's Note

'D-D-D-Danger! Watch behind you! There's a stranger out to find you!' Who caught that reference in this chapter? If not, go back and read it all again.

I'm almost certain that the title of this chapter is the title of an old episode of 'Scooby-Doo.' I'd look it up, but I don't feel curious enough at the moment.

Just clear things up: for anyone who is confused about ponies using a plunger box, which detonates explosives with electricity, just remember that there is a dam near Ponyville, meaning that there is likely some kind of hydroelectric power in this fantasy world.

So, that was a heck of a chapter. Bad guys were beat, magic was learned and a dream or two came true.

It might just be me, but I feel like the action in this chapter may have been a bit off. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I felt like something wasn't quite right about it. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but if anything was wrong, I'm sure somebody could help me out and pinpoint it.

Yen Sid's conquest of other kingdoms was somewhat inspired by the real life Walt Disney company acquiring other companies and licenses along with them, such as Studio Ghibli, Jim Henson Studios, Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm. And yes, I do believe that in this story, Yen Sid had conquered the worlds of Ghibli, Muppets, Marvel and Star Wars. Indiana Jones, too.

Next up, we're going to see what Minnie and Pluto are up to, and what magical quest they get involved in. Don't be a stranger, and rock on \m/

Chapter 7: Snake in the Grass

Chapter 7

Snake in the Grass

The screaming stopped.

Pluto turned tail and ran, leaving Minnie spinning on the ground.

"Pluto! Pluto, wait for me!" Minnie called after the hound.

It was too late.

From the darkness of the bushes across from her, Minnie could see a pair of great green eyes with pupils in reptilian slits.

The thing in the bushes moved toward her, revealing itself in all its horror.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

Minnie's eyes widened when she saw the very same dragon as the one in the mirror standing before her.

"It's you," Minnie said.

Spike didn't say anything at first, only staring at the mouse in the polka dot dress. This was surely the one he was supposed to find.

"You. You're just like the others!" Spike said.

"What others?" Minnie asked.

"The others like you. They came here just a couple of hours ago. There was a dog. And a duck. And--"

"Was there a mouse with them?"

"Yeah! He said his name was Mickey!"

"Mickey was here? I knew it!"

Minnie picked up Spike and hugged him, gagging the young dragon in her grip.

Two more eyes opened from the darkness of the foliage, and Pluto emerged with leaves around his eyes.

The hound dog happily jumped up and down at the news of his best friend having been by that way.

"Hold on! Put me down!" Spike said.

"I'm sorry," Minnie said, obliging the dragon's request. "Which way did Mickey go? What's he even doing in a place like this?"

"I don't really know. He didn't know either. He just said something about a mirror that showed him where he needed to be when something bad happens, and then he was guided somewhere by a light like this one."

The same twinkling light that Minnie had seen came floating out of Spike's backpack, and hovered in front of Pluto's nose.

Pluto crossed his eyes to look at it.

The light sprinkled some of its stardust onto the hound's nose.

Pluto sniffed, and snuffed, and sneezed a mighty sneeze that blew the glittering magic off his nose.

The magic light hovered back to Spike's side, then floated before Minnie.

"How strange. I wonder what it is," Minnie said.

Minnie reached out a finger to touch the light, which arced over and smooched the top of her hand.

"Oh! My, my."

"It's supposed to be my guide to show me where to go next. Just like what happened with Mickey. Since I met you, I guess that means that I need you with me while I go on my own quest like the others."

Minnie was torn between her desire to find her boyfriend and help the young dragon. However, her sensible side allowed her to come to a decision.

"Well, I suppose that if you're going to follow a strange light, you'll need someone to look after you. And if Mickey's doing the same thing, we're sure to run into him eventually," she said

"You mean you'll come with me?"

"Somebody has to. If what you said is true, that mirror brought me here for exactly that reason."

Pluto looked up in surprise at Minnie. What was she thinking postponing the search for Mickey? Still, Mickey had made it abundantly clear that in his absence Minnie was the boss. So, he had no choice but to go along with her decision.

"I'm Spike, by the way," the dragon introduced himself.

"I'm Minnie. And this is Pluto."

The hound dog sat on his haunches, proudly puffed his chest and saluted.

"Wow. That's some dog you've got," Spike said.

"He's Mickey's dog. I've always preferred pet birds. But, he does do good," Minnie said, patting Pluto on the head.

Pluto panted happily, but then caught a whiff of something that was quickly approaching them all. Putting his skills as a pointer/hound mix to use, Pluto hopped into the air, and pointed with his nose toward the direction of the scent.

"What's that he's doing?" Spike wondered.

Thinking quickly, Minnie scooped up Spike and pulled him off the path, just as a deer jumped through the bushes and sprinted away.

"Good boy, Pluto. You're proving to be quite a useful scent hound," Minnie said.

"Yeayeayea!" Pluto panted.

The hound dog barely had any time to perceive the next wave of scents that were coming toward them all.

There was a sudden burst as it seemed almost every animal in the forest was running past them.

Minnie grabbed Spike and Pluto, and pushed them both against the side of a bank from the direction of the noise.

Squirrels, rabbits, ravens, raccoons, deer, moose, hedgehogs, quails, mice and everything in between came cascading down from the bank above. In their mad rush, some of them stumbled over one another. From the look of it, they were all running away as fast as they could from some unknown threat.

The stampede passed, and the three on the bank cautiously stood up.

"Goodness! What could have scared them so much?" Minnie wondered.

"I don't know. This is the Everfree Forest, so it could have been a lot of things. Bears, timber wolves, cragadiles, manticores," Spike answered.

Pluto began to shiver from the list Spike rattled off.

Minnie herself didn't quite believe what she was hearing. She wasn't too sure what a 'cragadile' was, but the idea of a manticore sounded a little far fetched. Then again, she was talking to a dragon.

"Worst case, we could run into a hydra!" Spike finished.

There came a sound through the foliage, like a storm tearing through the trees.

"What's that?" Minnie asked.

The sound of the storm through the forest was accompanied by a loud hiss.

"Hydra! Definitely a hydra!" Spike said. "Everypony run!!"

Spike took Minnie by the hand and quickly led her away.

Pluto rushed ahead of the group and sniffed out the safest path. Maybe he would find a patch of strong-smelling flowers or a river that could hide their scent from whatever was chasing them. He didn't know what a hydra was, but it smelled vaguely similar to some things back home: scales, instead of fur; and the strong smell of dust from crawling on the ground.

Looking behind, Minnie could see the shape of something through the thick clusters of bushes and trees. Something with a long body that undulated up and down and side to side into her line of vision.

Another hiss was heard, and the quarry all picked up their pace to keep ahead.

Pluto led the others through a wall of leaves, and they found themselves running on the curled trunk of a tree that was growing out of a cliff face.

Pluto jumped and slid down the spiraling branches, followed by Minnie and Spike.

The three of them all coursed off onto separate branches, and looped and swirled and crossed paths with one another.

Spike reached down and took hold of Pluto's collar, allowing himself to land on the hound dog's back.

Minnie rolled up a vertical loop and fell onto a downward spiral, which deposited her onto a ramping tree trunk that sent her sliding across the ground.

Above, Spike and Pluto encountered a similar ramp in the branches, and were launched into another treetop some ways away.

Another hiss was heard, now closer than ever before.

Minnie turned around and saw their pursuer was now coursing through the curling branches toward herself.

The mouse scrambled backwards across the ground, until her back was against a boulder.

Leaves in the tree started falling down the trunk.

There was only a matter of time now until whatever was chasing them found her.

Not knowing what else to do, Minnie ducked in cover and hoped the creature would overlook her.

The sound culminated with a loud rustle when the creature burst forth from the tree. Then, all fell silent.

Minnie knew it was looking her over. Her ploy had failed, and she was to face her final curtain.

"Oh! Goodnesss me! Dear lady, are you well?"

Minnie opened her eyes and looked up from the ground, and found herself staring at what seemed to be the end of a scaly tail that was hovering right in front of herself.

Lifting her head, Minnie gasped when she saw the tail's owner was a gigantic snake. One that was far larger than any she had seen back home. He was at least fifty feet long from what Minnie could see, but most of him was hidden in the treetop and the bushes beyond. He could have easily been a hundred feet for all she knew!

The scales on his back were a lustrous, sparkling blue color with dots of silver and black stripes. And his belly scales complimented them nicely with their pale yellow color that shined like polished gold.

"Yess, I undersstand I musst sseem quite imposssing. But, I assure you: I am here to help," the snake said, hovering his tail closer to Minnie.

"Oh! Thank you," Minnie said, realizing she had been staring at this so-far-perfect-gentleman and gently grasped his tail.

"The pleasure is all mine, Missss. A gentleman never would leave one as yoursself in ssuch a ssituation," the snake said, helping Minnie to her feet. "Oh dear! Your dresss! It'ss possitively ssoiled!"

Minnie looked down at herself, and saw that the entire front of her dress was covered with dirt.

"That's alright. These things happen when you go running through the wilderness," Minnie said.

"Undoubtedly. As one who crawlss on hiss belly, I am no sstranger to the conssequencess of wildernesss travel. Often I wonder if I should fashion an infinitely long rug, or ssimply make a pair of bootss from my excesss length."

From where they were in the neighboring treetop, Spike and Pluto watched how Minnie and the snake both shared a laugh at the snake's joke. Thus far, it seemed like they were in luck to have run into him, rather than all the other vicious creatures and monsters they could have encountered.

Minnie looked in their direction, silently signalling for them to come out.

Feeling a strong sense of relief, they both started climbing out of the leaves they were in, creating a loud rustle.

"What wass that!!?" the snake snapped, whipping his head to the direction of the noise.

"Nothing! It was--" Minnie tried to explain.

"Wass it an animal? I desspisse animalss! I wass only here in the firsst place to flush out any that have sstayed in my domain!"

The snake's tongue flicked wildly from his mouth, taking in the scent of the area around him.

"There'ss ssomething elsse here. SSomething...undessireable."

"Maybe it's not a wild animal! Maybe it's just a dog," Minnie suggested.

Pluto gulped, hoping for a good answer.

"I should hope not. I find them to be the mossst unclean, sslovenly, sslobbering, sslobs there are! I would jusst as ssoon eat domesstic caviar! With red wine! Rather that, than have a dog around! I would prefer anything elsse to a dog on my property!"

"I see,” Minnie said, “Um...How do you feel about dragons?"

Spike gulped next, not anticipating a good answer.

"Hm...I musst take back what I ssaid. Dragonss are by and large the mosst undessirable creatures out there! SSpewing ssmoke everywhere! SStinking up my fresh air! Hoarding moundss of treasure, which should rightfully belong to me! Oh, they're dissgussting! And I believe there hass been one through here recently," the snake said.

Spike shrank into his hiding spot with Pluto.

The snake's tongue flickered again.

"They've been thiss way..." he muttered, following their scent up the tree he was just in.

His body slowly coiled through the path the others had taken, slithering through the branches after his quarry.

"Come out, little friendss. Come and ssee what awaitss thosse who tresspasss on my land."

Minnie watched as the snake grew closer to her friend's hiding spot, and quickly intervened.

"Now, wait just a minute!" Minnie said, grabbing the snake by his tail and pulling. Her pull only yanked his excess length from the bushes beyond.

The snake lowered his head from the tree branches.

"Iss ssomething the matter, Misss?" he asked, somewhat agitated.

"Yes, there is! You spend your time chasing away animals for doing nothing more than living in the forest that you so boldly claimed for yourself! Because of you, I was nearly run over by a stampede, my friends and I have been separated, and my dress has been ruined! How do you call yourself a gentleman after all of that?"

The snake lowered his upper body from the tree so that he faced Minnie.

Now face to face, Minnie realized how enormous he actually was, and she began to regret the things she had just said to him.

"You...are abssolutely correct. Pleasse, I musst make up to you my transssgressionsss. Follow me, and I shall take you to where you may properly clean yoursself off. And then, I shall ssend you on your way," the snake offered.

Minnie didn't know how to answer. Accepting would leave Spike and Pluto behind. Declining may rouse the snake's temper. Neither one was a desirable option. But, she had a responsibility to keep.

"That's nice of you to offer. But, I really need to find my friends," the mouse answered.

"Ah! Then I shall ssearch for them mysself. In the meantime, I musst inssisst that you sstay in my home until I find them for you," the snake replied.

'No' would not be taken for an answer. The snake slithered past Minnie, offering his side to her to hold onto as they walked.

"Oh dear. I've just realized that I've not yet assked whosse company I'm enjoying," the snake said.

"I'm Minnie."

"'Minnie? As in an abbreviation for 'Minerva?' I musst ssay it'ss quite befitting one of divine beauty ssuch as yoursself."

"Why, thank you. And who may I ask is my gracious host?" Minnie politely inquired.

"You may call me The Massster. As in 'The Massster of the Manor.'"

"The Master?" Minnie asked, not quite believing this was his chosen moniker.

"No no. The Massster. Accentuate the 'sss.'"

The Massster slithered away with Minnie at his side, his incredible length unwinding itself from the branches and weaving through the bushes for what seemed like miles.

Spike and Pluto carefully watched The Massster slither away for almost a minute, until his tail finally disappeared from view.

"Nevermind. Worst case: we run into that guy," Spike corrected himself.

Pluto nodded in agreement.

"Well, I guess we should do our best to rescue her now. Right?"

Pluto hesitantly nodded.

"Okay. Um...great. I have some experience with rescue missions. So, this should be no problem for me."

"Hrm..." Pluto said, squinting pensively.

"Oh, be quiet. We can do this easily...I hope."

The two of them went walking after Minnie and The Massster, formulating a rescue plan.

"Hey, you don't think this guy eats dragons, do you?" Spike asked.

Pluto nodded again.

"That makes me feel so much better..."

Minnie's walk with The Massster was completely silent. Not only because they were not speaking to one another, but the complete lack of ambiance. No birds singing in the trees. No squirrels rustling through the leaves. Not even insects buzzed about.

Worst of all, she thought she could catch glimpses of the snake's eyes darting in every direction, ever watching for some sign of one of the creatures he hated so. It was especially bad when he looked in her direction, which made her flinch inwardly every time their eyes met.

Without the snake's notice, Minnie had been cautiously looking around herself for any means of escape. An excuse she could make to leave. Even if there was a steep hill that she could fall down. No such thing was to be found during the trek.

"We've near arrived, Lady Minnie," The Massster said.

A path began to appear on the ground, made of grubby cobblestone.

A trellis made of rotting, splintered wood parted the foliage before them.

"Ladiess firsst," the snake offered.

Polite as ever, Minnie stepped through as requested and was dismayed by the sight of her destination.

A withered lawn the size of a city park was the first thing that Minnie saw, along with the dried up three-story fountain in the center. Across from that dismal sight was a red stone mansion, overgrown with thorns, ivy and horrible, wilted flower beds at its foundation. Dead trees surrounded it on all sides, with branches that grew as if they were reaching out to overtake and tear down the horrible structure.

"Here we are. Welcome to my humble abode," The Massster said, indicating the sight with an undulation of his body. "I know you're already in awe of it, but pleasse, ssave your wonderment for when you are insside, dear Lady."

"Heh heh...I'll try," Minnie chuckled.

The snake led the mouse forward, and after his impossibly long tail had passed through the trellis, Spike and Pluto arrived to see The Massster creak open the front door and guide Minnie inside. Soon after, his body began disappearing into the house next.

"This looks like the place, Pluto. Now we need to find a way in," Spike said.

Pluto's knees began to shake, but he quickly steadied them. Now, his tail was quivering in place of his knees.

"Come on! This isn't the time to chicken out! We're just...*gulp*going into the lair of a dog-hating, dragon-eating monster..."

The hound dog knew that he couldn't turn back. If anything happened to Minnie on his watch, Mickey would never forgive him. Sticking to his responsibility as a loyal companion, he was the first one to pass through the trellis and creep toward the imposing mansion, shortly followed by Spike.

"Here we are. Welcome to the Manor SSSerpente," The Massster proclaimed to his guest.

Minnie's eyes popped when she saw the inside of the mansion. Here was an entirely different world than what was on the outside.

The marbled floor was perfectly polished to the point Minnie could see her reflection in it. The walls all glistened as if they were freshly painted, and were decorated with paintings and suits of armor on pedestals.

Gold moldings were affixed up on the ceiling, creating a majestic touch to the grand portrait of a snake that was painted above.

The staff hurried about their work, which Minnie saw were ponies of all conceivable colors. Some of them even had horns on their heads or wings on their backs.

"SSo, what do we think?" The Massster asked.

"It's...It's wonderful," Minnie said, taking in the atmosphere

"Just as I ssaid. You're overflowing with wonderment at the ssight of my home." A segment of The Massster’s body undulated upward and clapped the ground twice. "Loving Care."

A mare with a pink coat and a dark blue mane rushed over to greet The Massster."

"Yes, Massster?" she said.

"I'd be much obliged if you were to take Lady Minnie to one of the guesst roomss. She will be sstaying with uss for an indeterminate amount of time, until we locate her losst friendss," The Massster said.

"Of course, Massster. I'll see to her personally," the mare said with a smile so big Minnie was positive it was fake.

"Exquissite. And you know that I'm asssigning thiss tassk to you, because you truly are the besst at caring for guesstss. It'ss why I hired you, after all."

"Oh yes, Massster. It's my sworn duty to care for any and all that you bring to the Manor Serpente."

"SSee that you do, and you may get a raissse."

The Massster started slithering away toward the stairs, his body passing between Minnie and Loving Care.

"Help!" Loving Care whispered through her smile.

"What?" Minnie asked.

"Get me out of here!"

The Massster had reached the second level of the T-shaped staircase, when he suddenly stopped and extended his neck toward the mare.

"Oh. I nearly forgot: what word iss there of the beasst that has been sskulking around my property?" he asked.

Loving Care's smile flared to a larger size.

"No word of it yet, Massster, she said. “But, the groundskeepers believe that they're hot on the trail of finding it. They think that it's living somewhere on the mansion grounds and--"

"DON'T--even ssuggesst ssuch thingss!" The Massster snapped.

Minnie and Loving Care both cowered under the snake's sudden intense glare.

"The mere thought of one of them living under my nosse iss enough to make me wretch!" The Massster’s glare softened to a warm smile. "I'm ssorry. I've been behaving possitively uncouth. Loving Care: take Lady Minnie upsstairss and provide her with a clean dresss."

His head shifted over to look at Minnie.

"And you, dear Lady Minnie: if your friendss are found before dark, I musst inssisst that you all sstay for tonight's play. I'm sure the production of my theater sstaff with delight you all."

Minnie glanced out a nearby window, and saw that the sun was setting. Now was she going to have to stay the night? She was about to decline, until she glanced over at Loving Care, who answered with a subtle shake of her head.

"That sounds lovely," Minnie answered.

"It'ss not half as lovely as you ssimply accepting," The Massster answered. "I'll attend to my bussinesss in my chamberss. Then, I shall be off to locate your friendss in the foresst. Good day to you all."

The snake's body disappeared up the stairs, leaving Minnie alone with Loving Care.

"We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's get you cleaned up," Loving Care said.

"What's going on here?" Minnie asked.

"Sh! We'll talk later," Loving Care hissed. The lady in waiting sidled up next to Minnie to guide her up the stairs. "Come along. The Massster will be upset if I dawdle!"

Loving Care took Minnie up the stairs, in the opposite direction that The Massster took, much to the mouse's relief. She looked at all the sights as she passed by them: there in the hall were small tables made from polished wood, decorated with sparkling silver dishes and gleaming, painted vases which were filled with the withered flowers from the gardens outside.

A glance upward, and she saw the portrait of the snake on the ceiling continued on through the hall. This time, the snake's body was what was seen undulating through the halls. Looking back, Minnie saw The Massster's body still slithering up the stairs and through the hall.

"This way. Around the corner," Loving Care said.

They rounded the corner and passed by a pony in a maid's uniform, who was carrying a basket of laundry on her back.

"Hello, Loving Care. And who might this be?" the maid asked.

"This is Minnie. The Massster has invited her to stay for the night," Loving Care answered.

"He has? Oh, you lucky...creature, you," the maid chuckled, before her smile disappeared. "Escape while you can! Before it's too late!"

"Before what's too late?" Minnie asked.

"Quiet! You never know if he's listening!" The maid's smile returned. "I'll leave you to your guest. I'm sorry I can't stay, but I have loads of laundry to do. Every room in the house! Have a nice day."

"Be sure to come back for mine later," Minnie requested.

"Of course. Of course. Bye."

The maid trotted off.

Minnie was led into a room down the hall, and Loving Care quickly slammed the door shut.

"Alright. Now that we're away from The Massster, I think you owe me an explanation. What's going on here? And why is everyone here acting so jittery?" Minnie asked.

"I'll explain everything. Just go about your business and get changed," Loving Care said, pulling a privacy screen open for Minnie.

Taking the cue to stay discreet, Minnie began humming a tune and stepped behind the screen.

Outside on the lawn, Pluto crept low to the ground, providing cover for Spike to hide behind.

The dragon dashed ahead into a patch of dead flowers, which all turned to dust.

Then, he hid behind some dead, brown bushes, only for all the leaves to fall right off and reveal him hiding.

He dashed up a small, dead tree, which tilted over like standing timber as soon as he reached the top.

Pluto snickered at the sight of Spike's hiding place toppling so easily.

Spike popped up from the brown foliage, with a mustache of leaves on his lip.

"Oh, like a dog could climb trees any better," Spike said, before shaking the leaves off. "Come on. We still need to find a way in there and get Minnie out."

Pluto began sniffing the air for Minnie's scent. There was only a faint trace of it, as most of the yard was overpowering with dead vegetation. Then came a new scent.

It wasn't the scent of the snake from earlier, but it wasn't any that he recognized at all. Unknowing if the owner was friendly or not, he dove into the leaves with Spike.

The dragon recognized the sound of approaching hooves.

"Oh, great. Look at this. Now we have more stuff to clean up," said one voice.

"We can't worry about that now. We still need to find that dog for The Massster," said the second voice.

"Why should we? It's just a dog. Who cares if it's sniffing around here for a bone or two?"

Pluto shivered quietly, knowing that they were talking about him.

"It's what The Massster wants. And you know what happens when he doesn't get what he wants. Didn't you notice that we're the only groundskeepers left since yesterday?"

"Y-You're right. We still haven't checked anywhere past the treeline. Why don't we look around there for a while. A long while. In fact, let's look long enough to find a way out of the forest."

The second pony covered the first's mouth and listened for a sound. All was clear, and he turned to his friend.

"Don't say things like that out loud. Who knows how far away The Massster could be?"

The first pony only nodded, before the two continued on their way.

After they had gone, Spike and Pluto both crawled out from deep within the leaves of the fallen tree. Somehow, the snake had learned that they were on the property. How he had known, they couldn't tell. But, the danger had increased for them at least tenfold now that their presence had been discovered.

The closer they came to the mansion, the more they could hear the humming of a familiar voice from somewhere above. Looking up, they saw Minnie's round ears poking up just above the windowsill.

Now that they knew where she was, all they needed was a way in.

The dragon and the hound dog both started creeping toward the house, unaware that they were being followed.

Author's Note

So far, so good. We just met the featured villain of this chapter, and he his one doozy of a dinger.

For anyone who is curious: The Massster is an original villain with no prior existence in either Hasbro or Disney media. He was inspired by a garter snake that my niece and nephew found on the front porch of their house. As such, his coloring was somewhat inspired by such a snake.

Another influence was the snake boss in the first 'Resident Evil' game. Anyone remember that guy?

As for his voice: I imagine that he is voiced by Tim Curry. Why? Because Tim Curry is the man! And he so should have been the voice of Dormammu in the Doctor Strange movie.

Sorry for the lack of a sunburst during Minnie's first story arc. But, for the life of me, I just couldn't find one! It's like those guys at Disney didn't even bother! What a bunch of hosers!

Now, that thing that Minnie says about how she prefers to keep pet birds is something that's never stated in the cartoons. But, if you watch them, especially a lot of the early ones, you can see that she always has pet birds in her house. I know that canonically, she has owned Fifi and Figaro, but parrots, canaries, finches, parakeets and the like can all be seen in Minnie's ownership.

Recently, I was given an assignment in my art class to design a character. So, I took about a half hour to draw up a character model for my homework. And now, I want to share it with you. It's not exactly professional grade, but hey, I don't think any of you will mind (not much, anyway). And with that, I present to you: The Massster of the Manor!

My question to you all is this: can you imagine that guy with Tim Curry's voice?

Things are turning out mighty strange in this new setting. What will be uncovered there? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out. Rock on, guys and gals \m/

Chapter 9: The Belly of the Beast

Chapter 9

The Belly of the Beast

All was still and quiet deep in the underbelly of the Manor Serpente. For what seemed like centuries, the pipes, vents, boilers and all the other inner workings of the house were as neglected as the yard outside. Creaking metal yearned for the touch of oil, wishing to one day come alive and carry out the purpose they were built for.

"Oh man! That was some fall," Spike said, lifting his head from a pile of broken machinery.

Pluto stood up next to him, shaking the flakes of rust and dust from his fur. Never before did the hound dog find himself in such a situation. Not even looking after a litter of five puppies was this harrowing.

Spike looked around at their surroundings, finding it nearly too dark to see where they were exactly. However, from the tiny bit of light that shone in from the open window above, he guessed that they were in some kind of boiler room, where a massive tank stood to his side.

"I wonder if there's a light in this place," Spike thought aloud.

The dragon tried to walk forward in the darkness, only to step on a pipe that had broken loose, fumble, and fall forward. His head hit something that was cropping out from one of the other pipes, sending it flying into the light.

Pluto examined what had fallen off, and found it to be a gauge of some kind. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been so important if it fell off so easily.

The old dog that led them into the room in the first place crawled out from the pile of metal, past Spike, who raised his head to watch the dog walk towards the shadows in the room and start pawing around at the wall before them.

Seeing that the dog wanted to get out of the room, Spike picked himself up from the floor, careful to avoid bumping into the furnace again. When he reached the wall, he groped about for a latch or a knob to exit the room. Soon enough his claws found one, allowing him and the dogs to leave.

The old dog left first, but Pluto stayed behind to look out into the dark room beyond.

"Do you think you can find your way through the dark?" Spike asked.

Pluto's eyes would be of no use to him in the darkness, but his nose never failed him in such situations. Putting his nose to the floor, he waited for Spike to take hold of his side and guide him through the darkness.

Minnie continued to creep her way through the halls of the mansion, ever listening for the sound of The Massster's slithering body, or his distinctive hiss. Neither had been heard in some time as she followed after the light that had guided Spike to her.

In her time alone, she had been wondering what had become of her friends. It had been a while since she saw Spike and Pluto. She didn't know about Spike, but she knew that Pluto was more than capable of handling things on his own. But, what worried her the most was what had become of Loving Care.

Ever since her new friend was captured by the snake, she tried not to imagine what terrible things were happening to her. Hopefully, wherever the magical stardust was leading her, it could help Loving Care to escape.

Minnie froze when she heard the sound of slithering over the carpet. The Massster was nearby, and he was steadily coming closer.

A look behind herself yielded no sight of the fiend.

A look ahead, and still nothing.

Somewhere the snake was coming toward her, and she had no way of knowing whether or not the guiding light was leading her right to him. But, standing still was the surest way of getting caught. Taking her chances with the hall behind herself, Minnie retreated backwards to the room she had come from. At least, she would have, had she not seen the tip of a flickering tongue peer around the corner.

Quickly and quietly as she could, Minnie ran away from the snake, down the hall and around a corner, where she was met with a dead end hall. Thinking quickly, she hid herself behind one of the decorative suits of armor. Standing tall and straight, she folded her hands atop her fan, taking the exact pose of the armor beside her.

Sweat dripped down her brow when she heard the sounds of slithering coming closer.

Minnie gently pressed her back against the wall, allowing herself to peer through space between it and the armor next to her. Peering back at her was a reptilian eye, its slit pupil gazing directly through her tiny window. A scream nearly escaped Minnie's throat, until the eye quickly passed by.

The sounds of slithering continued down the hall, making Minnie slowly lean forward to peer out into the open. The Massster had indeed not seen her, but the experience had left her wary. If she was going to rescue any of her friends, she would have to keep a constant watch for her enemy.

"Come out, little beasst," The Massster called, sickeningly sweetly. "I've a friend of yourss, who'ss ever sso eager to reacquaint hersself with you."

As The Massster's body slid past, there came a certain coil, wherein Loving Care was still tightly bound. The mare's eyes locked with Minnie's. Her mouth opened ever so slightly, only a faint breath escaping her lips. Though the call was unheard, Minnie could feel exactly what was said: 'help.'

Somehow, she was going to help her friend. Someway, she was going to release Loving Care from the snake's grasp and take her away from that horrid mansion. And the first option presented itself right before her eyes.

There in the hallway, right along the walls, where several suits of armor, alternating between quadrupedal and bipedal fashions. More importantly, each one was holding a weapon. Minnie gently ran her finger along the blade of the sword next to herself. It wasn't sharp. In fact, it was quite blunt. However, the sheer weight of the weapons may have been exactly what she needed.

Stepping into the middle of the hall, Minnie unfolded her fan and took careful aim. She waited for the exact moment that Loving Care would be between the blades.

Loving Care looked at Minnie, then to where the mouse's gaze led. Were her breath not constrained by The Massster's coils, she would have gasped. She had no choice but to watch in horror as Minnie flicked her wrist.

The lady in waiting felt a gust of air pass by herself, the sudden chill making The Massster's body recoil slightly. Down the hall, she watched as one after another the metal arms of the hollow soldiers began to sway.

It started from the far end of the hall. A cacophony of metallic creaks as the swords, axes, maces and morning stars rained down onto the length of the snake's body.

Somewhere up ahead, The Massster was yelling in pain as he thrashed his body about. His waving body slammed against the walls, breaking apart any of the armors that lined the walls. Even some of the ones that hadn't yet moved dropped their armaments onto his body.

The ploy was working. Loving Care could feel herself slipping from The Massster's grip as he swung his body about. She was close to escaping. The worst part, she knew, was going to be after her shoulders slid out, leaving her neck to the fury of The Massster's powerful coils. Mustering what strength she could, she allowed herself to quickly drop.

The snake's body thrashed about, his coils cinching shut.

Loving Care kept her eyes closed, until she felt her hooves land on the carpeted floor.

She was knocked aside by one of The Massster's undulations.

Scrambling to her hooves, Loving Care rushed down the hall toward Minnie, dodging and jumping over every thrash of the snake's body.

Minnie rushed forward to meet her friend halfway, and received her with a tight embrace.

"Are you hurt?" Minnie asked.

"No. I'm just..." Loving Care's answer trailed off as she clung tighter to Minnie.

Down the hall there was a loud hiss, alerting them both the approach of the snake.

"This way!" Loving Care said, briefly pulling Minnie by her hand to guide her in the right direction.

Minnie had no intentions of facing the wrath of the enraged serpent, and quickly followed. She found that where they were going was right down the dead end hall and was about to say something, until she saw that just past another suit of armor there was a door.

Rushing inside, there was another large room beyond the door. At the other end of the room was another door, which Minnie and Loving Care quickly rushed toward, until they heard slithering on the other end. Diving behind a large sofa, they heard the door burst open as The Massster charged in.

"Where are you, you impudent little gutterssnipe!!?" the snake growled as his body jolted across the floor. "You're going to pay for sscarring my sscaless! And jusst after I've shed!!"

The mare and mouse both scurried around to the other side of the sofa, just as the snake peered around to where they would have been.

"I knew I should have chasssed you into the foresst with all the other worthlesss sstaff! You and that filthy animal you brought with you!" The Massster said.

Minnie looked up when a shadow passed over their heads, and saw a length of The Massster's body come over the side of the sofa. Grabbing Loving Care by her hoof, she pulled them both out of danger just as the massive coil slammed down and squeezed against the furniture.

They were encircled by The Massster's body, trapped to a single area.

"And you, Minerva!"

Minnie swallowed when she heard the snake address her without having even seen her.

"I don't know how you plan to keep avoiding me! There iss nothing in the manor that I don't know or cannot track! I will find you! And you will regret ever coming to my domain!!"

Minnie held tighter to Loving Care's hoof. She had never been so frightened in her life. However, it was a slight relief when she heard The Massster burst through the door at the other end of the room and saw his body slithering after.

Slowly, the two rose to their feet, ever careful to not touch the snake's shifting body.

The snake still had them encircled, and his excessively long body showed no signs of ending any time soon.

Minnie looked about the room for a way to escape, only to find nothing that could assist them to walk around their opponent. The only thing to do was to jump.

Loving Care watched as Minnie climbed onto the couch cushions and crouched slightly, before leaping over the snake's slithering body.

Minnie's landing was just short of touching The Massster. The mouse leaned far over, her nose nearly touching The Massster's side as her arms circled about in an attempt to find her balance. Slowly, she started to lean back and her center was balanced.

Looking back to Loving Care, Minnie saw that she was already on the couch and opened her arms to receive her friend.

Loving Care looked down at the snake's body, and hesitated to jump. Mustering her strength, she prepared to take the leap.

Minnie saw that Loving Care wasn't the most physical pony there was and decided to give her a boost. Just as the lady in waiting's hooves left the cushions, Minnie unfolded her fan and swept upward.

A gust of air carried Loving Care slightly higher than she would normally have jumped. And for a moment, she swore that the breeze took the shape of a pair of hands that lifted her up.

Minnie raised her arms to catch her friend, and was knocked backwards into the wall by the heavy impact.

"Sorry," Loving Care apologized.

"It's alright. You have nothing to be sorry about," Minnie answered.

Briefly, she realized that she had been knocked so hard that she dented the wall behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that underneath the pleasant exterior it was just as decayed and rotten as the outside. A perfect reflection of The Massster of the Manor. Glancing over her other shoulder, she saw that her elbow was resting on The Massster's slithering side.

With a gasp, Minnie retracted her elbow quicker than she could blink, before she and Loving Care were knocked aside by the snake's body thrusting into them. They looked up, and rolled to the side as their opponent's body came slamming down on top of them.

They both ran for the door on either side of The Massster's body. With every undulation of The Massster's coils, Minnie and Loving Care had to compensate for their path to avoid him.

Minnie stumbled to the side and bumped into a hat rack, which fell over and leaned on The Massster's side. Taking the opportunity, she quickly ran up the impromptu ramp, stood on The Massster's back, reached for Loving Care's hoof, and the two of them jumped over the remainder of the snake's slithering body through the open door. Minnie assisted their distance with another gentle fluttering of her fan.

They had passed the danger for now, and were back in the mansion's foyer. Running out the front door would be so easy, if not for The Massster slithering down the hall toward them.

He said nothing as he approached his terrified opponents. Only hissing loudly as he opened his mouth, revealing his needle-sharp teeth and bottomless gullet.

Minnie swung her fan, the gust blowing a suit of armor into The Massster's mouth, jamming it open. It stopped him from swallowing them, but it didn't stop him from swinging his massive body in front of the door..

The front door was already not an option, so the only hope was to lose sight of The Massster and escape him that way. Loving Care began the chase by running up the stairs, but stopped when she saw that Minnie was still dodging the snake's wild swings.

A glittering light to her side guided her eyes to Minnie's magical light. Currently, it was rapidly buzzing around a marble bust.

Rather than waste time wondering about the mystery light, Loving Care took the bust in her hooves and heaved it as hard as she could at her target. However, not being the strongest pony, she came up several hooves short.

Minnie saw the flying projectile and swung her fan, catching the bust in the breeze and sending it on a beeline right for The Massster's head.

The snake recoiled from the blow, knocking the armor out of his mouth and diverting his head from smashing Minnie.

Taking the chance to run, Minnie bolted up the stairs with Loving Care.

The magical light twinkled brightly, signalling for the others to follow it.

Minnie took the signal, but Loving Care had a bit of trouble understanding, prompting her to take her friend by the hoof again and guide her in the right direction.

Neither dared to look behind, as they knew that The Massster was sure to be in hot pursuit. They knew that trying to outrun him was going to be short of impossible, but they felt they were better off not knowing how close they were to a slow demise.

After rounding a few corners, they both began to realize that there were no signs that The Massster was chasing them. No sounds of slithering. No vicious hissing. Not even a taunt. Then they realized why.

Somehow, through seemingly impossible means, The Massster rounded the corner at the far end of the hall in front of them and began slithering toward his targets.

The magical light screeched to a halt and looked for a way to lead the others out of danger. However, it had already brought them to where it was leading. It passed right through a solid door to its left, prompting Minnie and Loving Care to follow after. Just behind them, The Massster's jaws snapped shut.

In the room, Minnie and Loving Care wasted no time stacking as many things as they could find against the door to barricade them from their pursuer. Some of the heavier items were fanned toward the door by Minnie and her phenomenally, cosmically powerful mastery of wind. Dressers and chests full of fine linens, golden statues, chairs and tables. Minnie and Loving Care both grabbed what they hoped wasn't a taxidermy of an actual dragon and lastly put it against the door. Feeling appropriately protected, they both took a quick breather.

"You're amazing," Loving Care exhaled.

"Thanks. You too," Minnie responded.

The two had been looking after one another, but they weren't prepared for when their entire barricade lurched forward from a sudden tremor beyond the door.

"Don't think you're going to be protected in there!" The Massster yelled. "Nobody enters my perssonal chamberss uninvited!"

Loving Care gasped quietly as she looked around herself, realizing that they had indeed entered The Massster's private quarters. For as long as she had been working for him, she had seen that he had ways of appearing from nowhere at any time he wished. Surely, he was able to do the same in his own room.

One last tremor on the door, and it suddenly stopped altogether.

"Very well," The Massster said, eerily calm. "If I can't enter by force, then I will have to take an alternative entrance."

That last sentence carried a chilling sense of ambiguity. Minnie and Loving Care's eyes darted about the room, looking for any way the snake could get in. Through the walls? Somewhere in the floor? Or would he come right through the ceiling?

Outside, The Massster began to slither away, until a noise stopped him in his tracks. From somewhere deep in the underbelly of the mansion, there came a low, deep groaning noise. One that made a smile spread across his scaly face.

"Well, it sseemss that a reprieve hass found it'ss way to you. I'll jusst go and take care of the matter thussly. And, Loving Care: if you ever loved your preciouss dog, I ssuggesst that you begin looking for him now. And when you do, take him to the forest with you, and sstarve together in the wildernesss."

Loving Care shuddered at the thought. However, she froze completely when she heard The Masster's voice, louder now, right on the other side of the door.

"I know exactly where he iss now. If you want to ssave him you had better be fasst. For if I ssee either one of you, I'm going to devour you on the sspot."

The sounds of slithering happened on the other side of the door, leaving Minnie and Loving Care alone. Though they would not be completely alone, until the sounds of slithering stopped altogether.

The twinkling magic appeared before them, and darted over to a panel on the wall, revealing it to be a vent. There was the means of escape.

"I'll go with it. You get out of here," Minnie said.

"What?" Loving Care wondered.

"You need to get out of the mansion. Go into the forest and wait for me to come there with your dog."

"No. I can't let you do that. I have a responsibility as his owner. He--"

Minnie cut off Loving Care by gently pressing her folded fan against her friend's mouth.

"It won't do any good if either one of you is caught and eaten by that monster! Trust me: if you aren't here, that gives you a better chance to reunite with your friend."

Loving Care fought to argue with Minnie, but saw the logic in her words. With a defeated sigh, she conceded to Minnie's will. Minnie offered her comforts with one last embrace.

"I promise you I'll find your dog," Minnie said.

Loving Care didn't say anything. Slowly, she released Minnie, allowing her to follow after the light, crawling into the vent and disappearing into the darkness beyond.

Back in the mansion's underbelly, Spike was tumbling in the air, having just been standing on Pluto's back to open a furnace door and blow flames into the cold contraption. When the furnace ignited, there came a sudden loud rumbling as the machinery came to life, which frightened the hound dog and sent him running out from under Spike, making him fall to the ground. When the dragon sat up, he found that the furnace had brought some light into the dark basement, however miniscule.

"I hope nopony upstairs heard that noise. But, at least now it's not so dark in here," Spike said, before standing up. "Pluto?"

Spike looked around the room for Pluto, and saw a nearby pile of garbage shivering. He walked over and lifted the entire pile as if it was a sheet, revealing the cowering hound dog underneath.

"It's alright now. The noise is gone," Spike assured him.

Pluto perked up his ears, and heard no more of the scary noise. Putting a confident smile on his face, he stepped out of the garbage, shaking an empty can off his tail before marching off like a soldier.

Spike scoffed at the sight, seeing right through Pluto's brave facade. He was about to follow after, but something in the pile of garbage caught his eye. There in the refuse was a pair of grubby, brown boots. He looked them over, thinking that if they were touched up a little bit, they would look pretty nice with some of the clothes he had back home. Keeping that in mind, he stuffed them into his backpack before following after Pluto.

Some time ago they realized that escaping from the labyrinthine halls of the basement was going to be difficult with all the darkness and dust, considering Pluto's sensitive nose. Now, if there were any more lights, they would have an easier time getting out of their self-imposed confinement.

"Hey, where'd the old dog go?" Spike wondered.

The extra light revealed that the old dog had disappeared without a trace, somewhere into the darkness beyond. Then, from somewhere in the dark before them, they heard the sounds of something large slithering.

"Do you...do you think the snake got him?" Spike asked.

Pluto didn't need to think of an answer. He was completely certain that was what had happened.

There was movement beyond the light of the furnace. Something very large and impossibly long was coming out of the walls. A glint of its orange eyes, and Spike knew it was looking right at him.

"Dragon..." Spike heard the snake's voice growl, "If not one pesst, it'ss another!"

The Massster began slithering toward them, the light rapidly lending harsh shadows to his already fearsome appearance.

Pluto grabbed Spike in his jaws and flung the young dragon onto his back, before charging into the darkness.

Behind them, The Massster didn't follow as quickly as he normally would. There were many pieces of jagged metal down here, and his larger size would run him a constant risk of badly cutting himself. Here, he would have to fight not harder, but smarter. That in mind, he slithered into one of the open vents to the side of himself.

In another part of the basement, the glittering magic exited through the grate of one of the vents. Soon after it, Minnie pushed her way through, easily pushing the rusty screws out of the brittle stone.

"How horrible," Minnie muttered. "So cramped and sluggish. Not to mention noisy. I don't see how the people in movies can stand it."

However, it was that noisiness that would benefit herself when she heard the sound of slithering coming from nearby and then moving rapidly past her.

The magical light shivered slightly, then hid underneath Minnie's hat.

"Now, don't get scared. I'll need you to use your light to let me see," Minnie said.

The light ever so slightly peeked out from its hiding spot, and shone its light in front of Minnie.

"Alright. I'm counting on you to help find Loving Care's dog. You just do the best you can."

Now with something to guide her, she ran through the dark halls in search of her friend's beloved pet.

The pattering of paws on the floor rapidly grew silent, as Pluto halted to a stop to listen to the noises around himself. Nothing but the creaking of old, rusted pipes, chutes, vents and everything else metal in the basement was heard.

"Do you think we lost him?" Spike asked.

In the pitch dark, Spike couldn't see Pluto shake his head, but he knew for certain that their trail hadn't been lost by the snake. And so far, it looked as if nothing could be done to do so. What they needed was an advantage against him. Some way that they could get the better of him in his own domain.

Pluto backed away, and Spike's head hit something that was jutting out of the wall.

"Ow! What the hay was that?" Spike wondered. He reached a claw out to feel what he had just bumped into, and was delighted by the find. "Another furnace!"

This was going to be the advantage for them. Their enemy knew the terrain better than they. He would have no problem navigating in the darkness and finding them. But, if they could see him, that would put them on the higher ground.

"It looks like somepony's already lit this furnace before," Spike thought, noticing the two orange embers inside. This was a good thing in his mind. It meant that the contraption was still functional. He welled up a flame to spew into the open grate, until he noticed something.

Those orange embers were, in fact, not inside the furnace, but above where the door would be. A closer look, and he saw they were embedded in a darker shadow, which rose to tower over him and Pluto.

"Leaving sso ssoon? I've ssuch ssightss to show you," The Massster chuckled, baring his fangs.

It was a snap decision. Spike spewed forth the flame he had welled up into the furnace. The contraption boiled to life, its light illuminating the area enough to reveal The Massster protruding from a broken pipe near the ceiling.

Spike shot his flame harder, firing forth a stream that made the snake recoil from the heat, giving him and Pluto enough time to run away.

The Massster quickly recovered and was after his quarry, which had just disappeared into the darkness.

Pluto fumbled through the halls, his paws stumbling over anything that was lying around. He stepped on something that made his whole body spin, allowing him and Spike to see the snake gradually slithering toward him.

"Keep going, Pluto!" Spike spurred the hound dog.

Pluto quickly turned around and ran away from the snake, who had surely lost sight of them in the darkness.

All around them, Spike and Pluto could hear the sounds of something large moving through the metal workings of the basement. Suddenly, it seemed like The Massster was literally everywhere at once. Worse still, there was no telling where he would come from next.

Pluto's dash was stopped when he ran into something large and scaly that blocked his path.

Not knowing what else to do, Spike spewed a flame, its light revealing The Massster's body raised into the air to crush them. The rest of him was wrapped around another furnace to their side.

Pluto quickly backpedaled, and he and Spike watched the snake's body continue slithering across the hall in front of them. In the hall ahead of them, they saw a twinkling light approaching.

"Spike? Pluto? Is that you?"

"Minnie?" Spike answered. The dragon blew his fire into the furnace to see better.

"Oh!" Minnie yelped, when she saw the snake's body blocking the path.

"Can you help us get past?"

"Yes. Just give me a second."

Minnie thought of ways for her to help her friends reach safety. She looked to the fan in her hand, then to The Massster's body wrapped around the furnace, and an idea sparked to life.

"I know what to do. Stand back, boys," Minnie instructed.

Pluto did as he was told, and backed away with Spike.

Minnie waved her fan at the furnace, sending a wave of air that made the flames within roar as they grew larger, then quickly diminished.

Minnie waved her fan again, making the flames grow higher and brighter than before.

With every motion, the fire grew larger, making more heat and more light. With the light came the revelation of The Massster at the far end of the hall behind Minnie. Upon sighting the mouse, the snake began slithering as fast as he could towards her.

"Minnie, whatever you're doing: do it faster!" Spike said.

Minnie already knew the danger she was in. She had heard him coming when she first started fanning. All she needed was a few more seconds.

The flames in the furnace were starting to climb up the chute, and Minnie waved her fan in a way that created a little whirlwind inside the contraption. The swirling wind fanned the flames more and more, until the entire furnace began to bulge.

The Massster was upon Minnie, his mouth open to attack.

Pluto covered his eyes, while Spike welled up another flame to assist Minnie. His fire flew forth as Minnie waved her fan into the furnace again. The mixture of air and fire mingled together inside the furnace like a pair of ballroom dancers, before it grew so immense that the rivets that held the furnace together blew apart, and the flames within all started pouring out, right onto The Massster's body.

"YOU!!! YOU TREACHEROUSS LITTLE RODENT!!!" The Massster bellowed, as his body thrashed about to escape the flames.

For The Massster, escaping would not be an easy task, as the wild flames from the one furnace traveled through the many chutes and pipes they were connected to, igniting the other furnaces and burning whatever part of his body was nearest. Deeper in the basement, the flames were slowly waking the boiler from its slumber.

The boiler powered to life, steam blowing from its pipes as its inner working rumbled and groaned, devouring the power fed to it by the many furnaces at once. However, the power may have been too great for it to handle.

On the ground, laid the gauge that Spike had knocked off earlier. Etched onto its side a label that read 'PRESSURE REGULATOR: DO NOT REMOVE'

Back in the halls, Minnie ran underneath The Massster's body as he thrashed around to regroup with the others.

The snake's head arched over his body, jaws snapping wildly to catch his opponents.

Minnie rushed the others down the hall away from the mad serpent.

The flames from each furnace had lit the halls barely enough for them all to see where they were going, but that was enough.

To their left, The Massster's body quickly slithered across the hall through a vent and into a pipe, revealing it as the path to avoid.

Behind them, The Massster saw as they avoided his flailing body, while he twisted about to get away from any of the flames that afflicted him. Fighting them in those cramped, volcanic quarters was going to be difficult for someone as large as he, so he would have to either get them quickly or move them someplace where it would be easier to eliminate them. He came closer to his prey, deciding to do whichever came first.

Spike looked over his shoulder and saw the snake rearing to attack. His attention was drawn forward by a loud rattling, when a pipe suddenly burst open and The Massster's body hung low to ensnare whoever passed.

"This way!" Minnie said, guiding the others to the side.

The new path led down a long hall, where pipes were bursting from the excessive pressure, shooting their rivets every which way.

Rather than turn around to face The Massster, Minnie swung her fan as she ran, blowing away any of the red-hot projectiles, while the snake followed closely behind.

There was an open door at the end of the hall, which Minnie, Spike and Pluto all charged through, slamming it shut behind them.

Outside the door, The Massster stopped short of ramming into it. There was only one place that room led to, and he knew precisely how to get there. He quickly slithered into a vent to his side to head off the others.

"What's he doing out there?" Spike wondered, knowing that he should have tried to knock down the door at once.

"I don't know. But, we should leave before we have a chance to find out!" Minnie said, taking Spike by his claw and leading him through the room.

This room was something of an oddity. Here, there were painted backdrops, musical instruments and trunks full of costumes. The problem was that there was no other door to lead elsewhere. Instead, there was a single lever in the middle of the room, just in front of a backdrop of a forested kingdom with birds and squirrels in the trees, and a grand castle in the background. Not knowing what else to do, Minnie pulled the lever, and jolted slightly when the ground beneath them began to raise, along with the backdrop.

"Is that a new dress?" Spike asked.

"Why, yes it is," Minnie answered.

"You look nice."

"Well, aren't you just a sweetheart."

Looking at the dress, Spike wondered how Rarity may look in something similar, but he was brought back to reality when the rising platform arrived at its destination.

The first thing Pluto did when they arrived was start sniffing for any unwelcome scents, and the first thing he caught were bones.

Bones of any kind would be welcome about now, but what would bones be doing in a place like this? From what he could see, this was a stage like the ones he and Mickey would sometimes perform on. But, there were never any bones in those places.

Following his nose, Pluto looked where the scent was the strongest and saw that in some of the seats in the audience sat the bones of an equine creature, around each of their hooves was a single shackle. A literally captive audience that was never released.

Legs flailing, the hound dog quickly hid behind Minnie and Spike, who both looked in shock and disgust at the sight.

"How awful!" Minnie said.

There was a sudden noise of motion that heralded the arrival of The Massster. All around, they watched as the length of his body blocked the path behind them, drape over the backdrop, weave through the ropes and pulleys above, until finally the snake himself lowered his head into view, dropping in like de Bergerac.

"Well, well. SSo, you made it to the show after all," The Massster said.

"And I plan on leaving. Just as soon as I deal with you, you horrible, loathsome, dust-sucking, thug!!" Minnie spat.

"Quite the causstic tongue on you, Minerva. However, I musst ssay that I feel the ssame about you. You, who have done nothing but reprobate me ssince you arrived. And after I've shown you ssuch kindnesss."

"What would you know about kindness? You chase animals away from your house! You leave your staff to die in the woods! You tried to kill my friends after you promised you'd find them for me!"

"Find them, I ssaid. Not return them alive. I wass never under any obligation to fulfill your requesst as you ssaid. However--" The Massster opened his mouth again, this time revealing a cluster of twinkling magic that drifted from his maw. "--It hass been requessted by my employer that I deliver you to him."

The Massster laughed as the light from the stardust grew brighter, sending a wave of fear through Minnie and her friends.

From under Minnie's hat, Spike's magical light flew forth and intercepted the snake's magic, stopping it in its tracks.

"Eh? What the devil!?" The Massster said, examining the magic he had been given. He tried forcing it to move with his head. "Move, you worthlesss twinkle!!"

"It looks like nothing's been going your way lately," Minnie said.

"True..." The Massster muttered. "But, you should know that I wass never insstructed to deliver you alive."

Once again, the fear Minnie felt when she first met him was welling up when she saw him rear up to his full height. But, she knew that she couldn't let that fear take hold of her. Pluto and Spike needed someone who could look after them, and she still hadn't fulfilled her promise to Loving Care.

Taking her fan in hand, Minnie unfolded her weapon, ready to take on The Massster of the Manor once and for all.

Author's Note

Props to The Massster for quoting 'Hellraiser.' And, check out Minnie. She's become a serious air bender in such a short time.

Things have taken a pretty serious turn for our leading lady. Whatever will become of her when she doesn't have Mickey around to help pull her out of a jam? That answer should be easy enough, if you've watched the older black and white shorts. You'll see what I mean.

This here was a pretty fun chapter to write. I had a lot of fun thinking of ways that the others could stay one step ahead of The Massster without facing him, as well as ways that Minnie could use her fan effectively.

Next chapter, we're going to wrap up the story arc with Minnie and move onto another character. Who? I think I already mentioned it before, but go ahead and psych yourselves up for it anyway. Rock on \m/

Chapter 10: Curtain Call in the Manor Serpente

Chapter 10

Curtain Call in the Manor Serpente

It began with The Massster swaying his head back and forth, as though he were a cobra entranced by a charmer's flute.

Minnie, Spike and Pluto all cautiously watched as the snake's entire body started to shift and slither throughout the backstage area.

Unseen by them, the snake's body turned cranks, switched levers and pulled ropes, making the background of the castle on a sunny hill grow more and more detailed with every passing second. Plywood clouds on wires descended from above, green hills shifted into the foreground, lights dimmed while others brightened to create the illusion of a sunny day. Lastly, a green carpet was rolled out to simulate grass.

"There we are. A much more accommodating ssetting," The Massster said.

"What's this supposed to accommodate?" Spike asked.

"A question only assked by an uncultured boor," The Massster answered. "Look around you, little dragon. Can't you ssee it? The sstage iss sset for the king of the land to march onto the field of battle and duel with the peassantss that wish to ussurp him from power. Befitting, issn't it?"

"You're the only uncultured boor around here! Living in a mansion and forcing loyalty doesn't make anyone a king! And these 'peasants' that you hate so much are nothing more than the good people trying to get rid of the evil that's been in charge for too long!" Minnie said, threateningly pointing her fan at The Massster.

"Quite the sspeech, dear lady. However, you are not the heroine of this tale."

As soon as he finished speaking, The Massster lashed forward to bite Minnie.

Minnie parried by sending a gust of air into one of the hanging clouds to intercept the snake's bite.

With all the fluidity of water, The Massster wove around the attack, positioning himself above his opponents to attack again.

"Though the peassantss fight valiantly, they are no match for the sskill and cunning of the king. For, how elsse would he have arisen to ssuch presstige?" The Massster chuckled.

The snake shook his body violently, making sandbags drop from the rigging of the upper levels.

Minnie dodged one, parried another, and was struck by a third.

Spike and Pluto watched as Minnie was pummeled by a sandbag, and narrowly dodged the next bite from The Massster. On and on, the snake struck from above, his fangs like lightning from the plywood clouds.

"We've got to do something, Pluto," Spike said.

Pluto readily agreed, nodding his head.

Of course, neither one of them knew exactly what to do about the snake attacking Minnie so ferociously. The obvious answer was to get him to stop attacking somehow, but the execution of such a plan was not so apparent. First thing, though: they had to get up to the catwalk.

The sandbags that had assaulted Minnie started retracting back up into the rigging.

Pluto rushed forth and clasped one of the ropes in his teeth, sending him rising upward. Spike quickly followed by grabbing onto the bag itself.

The two ascended higher and higher, until they reached the catwalk above. There, they jumped off the sandbag, and onto the catwalk, where The Massster's body coiled around every working part of the backstage. There was a weakness to exploit there. They only had to find it.

Down below, Minnie continued her battle, backpedaling up the slope of one of the plywood hills as she dodged The Massster's rapid bites.

"Taking to the hillss--the brave peassant girl--hopess to gain an advantage--Unknown to hersself--it iss she who alsso fightss an uphill battle!!" The Massster narrated between attacks.

A sound above Minnie alerted her to a falling sandbag. Opening her fan, she swung hard, throwing the falling weight into the snake's face.

Quick as lightning, Minnie jumped from the plywood hill, just before The Massster bit into it.

Minnie landed on one of the hanging clouds, while down below The Massster circled his excess length around any area she could have landed.

The Massster's head rose up so that he was at eye level with Minnie.

"High above the land, the duelisstss battle among the cloudss, the passionate fire of their quesstss blazing more brightly than the ssun. As it wass with poor Icaruss, should they fly too high, they would surely plummet. Should they fly too low, sso too would they die. How much higher will the sstakess of their battle take them? And who will be the firsst to touch the ssun?"

The snake snapped his fangs at Minnie.

Minnie swung her fan, making a gust that blew the cloud she was on away from her attacker's mouth.

The cloud swung back on its wires.

Minnie swung her fan in the opposite direction, propelling the cloud forward to ram full speed into her opponent's face.

The Massster recoiled from the blow, but quickly retaliated by lashing his head forward and catching the metal wire that suspended the cloud in his fangs.

There was a sudden turbulence as Minnie tried to hold onto her mount. If she did nothing, soon she would be at the mercy of The Massster's coils.

Up above, Spike saw the danger Minnie was in and breathed his flames onto one of the ropes a sandbag hung from. The sandbag fell, and Spike hoped that it would hit true on the snake's head.

It didn't.

Instead, it landed on the plywood cloud, opposite the end Minnie was on, sending her flying over to the next cloud.

Minnie swung her fan again, pushing the cloud she was on out of The Massster's range.

The Massster struck again, and Minnie fanned herself further away. And more and more as her opponent kept lashing out at her. Soon, Minnie was swinging herself up into the catwalk, where she circled completely around the fixture that held the cloud aloft. On her descent, she looped the metal wires around The Massster's body, which was also hanging across the fixture.

Spike watched as Minnie looped around the snake, and an idea immediately occurred to him.

"Pluto: we need something we can tie him up with," Spike said.

The hound dog was immediately on the job, his paws clattering against the metal catwalk as he searched for an appropriate tool.

Spike hung tightly to Pluto's collar as he jumped over one length of The Massster's body, and slid underneath the next. For all their searching it seemed to be a fruitless endeavor. When they reached the far corner of the catwalk, Pluto climbed up a pile of sandbags that were stacked there, and took something in his teeth. Something long and velvety in a deep red color.

"What is this? A curtain?" Spike wondered.

"Yeayeayeah," Pluto panted.

It wasn't as practical, but a spare curtain was certainly long and durable enough to get the job done.

"Okay," Spike said, taking one end of the curtain in his claws, and spurring Pluto with his heels, "Yah, steed!"

Pluto bucked up onto his hind legs and mimicked a whinny as best he could, before taking off like a wild stallion.

Minnie jumped off the cloud she was on, just before it was bitten by The Massster. The mouse fluttered her fan to land gently on the ground. As soon as she landed, she was slammed from the front by one of the snake's coils. Minnie landed on her back, and rolled to the side when she saw one of the plywood hills sliding rapidly toward her.

"The land itsself hass turned againsst the peassant girl," The Massster narrated.

Minnie was hit from behind by another hill.

"SSoon, she will have losst the will to fight. And in turn, the battle with the undissputed king of the land."

Minnie was hit from the side by a swinging cloud.

Up in the catwalk, Pluto had to work double time as the snake's body started shifting through the working mechanisms of the backstage.

Spike too had to focus harder as wrangling a moving opponent proved harder than a still one.

Pluto jumped over a railing as one of The Massster's coils swung toward him.

Spike held fast to the curtain, as they cleared over a length of the snake's body. The curtain he held trailed behind, catching on the snake as they descended and swung around his coils.

Spike grabbed a moving rope and clutched Pluto with his heels, sending them both rising higher and higher. With them went the part of The Massster that they had just tied up. However, both their heads ended up hitting something that was hanging from the ceiling. Something heavy and made from solid iron.

Minnie readied to block The Massster’s next attack, only to see the snake suddenly yanked backwards by some unseen force.

"What!? What the devil'ss going on back there!!?" the snake wondered.

Now that he was distracted, Minnie took the opportunity to retaliate by swinging her fan and sending one of the hills plowing into the snake's face, creating a Massster shaped impression on the surface.

The Massster broke his head through the plywood, hissing furiously. However threatening he sounded, he looked ridiculous, as the broken plywood inside his mouth briefly looked like a set of buck teeth, before he spat them out.

Spike had let go of the rope he was holding onto, making Pluto land on The Massster's back. Pluto ran along the snake's length, jumping from one segment of his body to the next, while Spike continued to trail the curtain behind them, entangling their opponent as he went.

The curtain's length was running out, but they had subdued the snake for the moment. A simple curtain would not hold him forever. They needed something that would put The Massster out of commission. And the pile of sandbags at the oncoming corner would do just the thing.

"Stop here!" Spike said, pulling back on Pluto's ears like a couple of reins.

Pluto screeched to a halt, and Spike jumped off, trying his best to pull the curtain forward. He strained to move, feeling that the curtain had gone taut.

Seeing the problem, Pluto quickly hopped onto the pile of sandbags and started digging, his paws pushing each of the weights over to Spike.

Now that they were within his reach, Spike took the corner of the curtain, and stuck the tip of his tail through it like a needle. Having spent many fond hours watching Rarity as she worked, Spike was able to quickly thread the curtain through the sandbags like a certain fashionista would stitch together a gown. Soon, he had sewn together a massive weight of sandbags. The only problem was how to move it.

Both dragon and dog started pushing as hard as they could, only able to move it inches toward the edge of the catwalk.

An idea came to Pluto. He turned Spike toward the nearest part of The Massster’s coils and pulled the little dragon’s tail with his teeth.

The sudden shock made Spike spew forth a stream of flames, which burned The Massster's side, making the snake jerk violently and knock the weight of sandbags off the high perch.

The heavy weight dropped down to the stage, breaking through the floor and pulling the curtain that wrapped around the snake’s many coils.

Every part of him that wrapped around anything was pulled away from their perches, bound against structures, tied into knots, and some of him jammed into pulleys.

Onstage, The Massster's eyes popped wide as his head jerked backwards from Minnie, and all of the props that attacked her ceased to move. Every part of him backstage was in a complete bind, preventing him from defending himself as Minnie waved her fan to one side and the other, pummeling the snake between every one of the plywood hills and clouds.

Though he was immobile, The Massster would not be stopped so easily. He began thrashing his body about, grabbing a hill in his teeth and using it to knock Minnie aside. Backstage, his body twisted, turned and contorted all about. Spike and Pluto ran, as the catwalk they were on was rapidly bent and broken by the snake's rampaging coils.

In a desperate move, Pluto jumped over the catwalk to the stage below. Spike looked desperately for a way to slow their fall, but found nothing.

Minnie was laying in a crumpled heap against one of the plywood hills, and saw her friends falling. With a wave of her fan, she was able to stop them from falling so fast and let them fall onto the stage with a thud.

Spike held tight as Pluto spun around on the stage, until he and the hound dog both fell right into the prompter's box at the front.

Minnie winced slightly when she heard the crashing beneath the stage, and hoped her friends were alright. Her attention was drawn back to the snake, as he broke free from his restraints. Minnie dodged The Massster’s next attack by swinging her fan and making herself slide backwards across the floor, just before The Massster disappeared above the stage.

There was no time to wonder what he would do next, as the backdrop on the stage rolled up and the props all slid offstage.

A new backdrop was unfurled. One that was a blue sky with a bright shine in the middle. The lights changed again, this time to simulate a sun on a cloudless day. Wooden seabirds dropped in from above, as did a plywood sun. A length of The Massster's body slid across the stage, his back decorated by wooden waves. Another length sprawled in the opposite direction, also laden with simulated waves, which moved back and forth rhythmically with one another, creating the illusion of ocean water.

Minnie yelped loudly as a massive cutout of a grand galleon came sliding toward her. She jumped high and grabbed onto one of the ship's cannons. A sizzling noise from somewhere within made her quickly climb upward to the ship's railing, just before a blaze loudly flared from the cannon's muzzle. No projectile was fired from it, but the blast would surely have blown a hole right through her midsection.

Minnie climbed aboard the ship's deck, and watched as The Massster came slithering out of the cabin at the back of the far end.

"Were the hillss not to your liking? Then, perhapss you would prefer to ssettle thiss on the high sseass? Where the dashing, rapsscallion of an admiral comess to face once and for all his mosst bitter nemessiss, and greatesst love of hiss life. The lady captain of the pirate vesssel, Ocean Heart," the snake said.

"You've never had any love in your life! I can tell just by looking at you!" Minnie said.

"True, I have not been romantically encountered by a lady of my own ssocial sstanding. However, I have known a great love of the wealth that comess with the life of a king. Of owning the very land l sslither on, and having dominion over thosse who tread upon it. I assure you, Minerva, there's nothing quite like it."

The more she got to know him, the more she hated him. But now, The Massster was offending every last one of Minnie's sensibilities.

"Ohhh! You're nothing but a shallow, self-righteous, uncaring tyrant! You're not a king! You're not even a gentleman!"

The Massster glared indignantly.

Minnie opened her fan and swung it hard at some barrels that decorated the deck.

"And the name is Minnie!!!!" she shouted.

Both barrels went careening toward the snake, on a straight course for his head.

The Massster weaved his head around both attacks, and undulated his body inside the cabin. Though the machinations of his movement were unseen, the ship began to rock about like it truly was at sea. Sails unfurled from the masts. A flag climbed up the mainsail and unfurled at the top, revealing an emblem of two snake fangs crossed like swords against a blue and gold backdrop with a black 'X' mark.

Minnie closed her fan and held it ready like a fencing sword.

"En garde, rogue," The Massster humored her.

Down below the stage, Spike and Pluto stood up from the fall they had just taken. If they were counting, that had to have been the third or fourth one that day.

Once they got their bearings, they found themselves in the trap room, where the theater crew would prompt the actors onstage, operate special effects and produce certain props. Much like the backstage area, The Massster's coils were strewn about in the underbelly of the stage.

Spike had to step back as part of the snake's body undulated toward him.

"Sweet Celestia! This guy's everywhere!" Spike said.

He and Pluto looked around the room for something that they could use against their opponent. Pluto turned up his nose when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. A very distinctive, pungent scent that he could almost put his paw on. Almost, if The Massster's body didn't undulate toward him and slam him into a wall.

The hound dog fell to the floor, flat as a sheet of paper, until Spike picked him up and snapped him like a dusty sheet, popping him back into his original shape.

"There's no time to lay around, Pluto! We need to figure out how to stop this snake!" the dragon said.

He and Pluto were both smashed into the wall by The Massster's body.

"Off to a great start, huh?"

Pluto shook his head.

Both dog and dragon stepped off the wall and re-inflated themselves.

"Let's see what we've got to work with down here!"

Back atop the stage, the snake began his attack by lashing forward, stopping just short of Minnie before she could counter him.

Minnie swung her fan left and right, blowing whatever was loose into her opponent.

The Massster weaved his way through the thrown projectiles and slammed into Minnie with his head.

Minnie was thrown backwards to the ship's bow, where a cannon was pointed out to sea. Until she slid into it, making it pivot upwards on its axle and land on top of her head.

The mouse was knocked dizzy by the heavy impact, and slowly staggered to her feet. She was only just lucid enough to perceive The Massster pick up a barrel in his fangs and throw it back at her.

Minnie jumped over the barrel, which crashed into a pile of cannonballs, sending them rolling about under the mouse's feet. She stumbled and wobbled to stay balanced, only to crash onto her face.

The Massster slithered toward Minnie, intent on making the killing blow.

Minnie shook her head into lucidity, realizing now that she was surrounded by cannonballs, and a cannon was sitting behind herself.

Springing to her feet, the mouse twirled her fan about, creating a whirlwind that collected every one of the loose cannonballs that were strewn about. The projectiles within the wind pummeled The Massster once he was close enough. Minnie then swung her fan and blew them all into the cannon behind herself, making it bulge to an immense size when she stuffed it past capacity.

With another flick of her wrist, Minnie blew the ripcord attached to the cannon into her waiting hand. One strong pull, and the cannon fired its entire payload at the snake.

The Massster was blown backwards into the backdrop of the scenery, where all the plywood seagulls circled around his head.

"Ha! Turning the captain's ship against him, the roguish pirate turns the tables and blows her enemy out to sea for the sharks!" Minnie said, fanning herself.

The Massster shook his head, tangling himself up in the seagulls' wires, before ripping them out from the rafters above and returning to the ship's deck.

"Bloody rodent. Only I may narrate!" The Massster declared.

Minnie continued her assault by blowing more cannonballs at the snake.

The Massster retracted his head inside the captain's cabin and the ship rumbled again.

Minnie stumbled forward and landed on her face. The remaining three cannonballs behind her rolled up her back and conked her on the head one after the other. When the last cannonball passed her, she looked around anxiously, wondering where the snake may appear next.

The Massster burst out from the stage below like a sea monster breaking the waves.

Minnie was caught completely off guard as the snake rammed her all the way to the other end of the ship.

In the trap room below, Spike and Pluto had to duck and crawl under The Massster's hanging body, trying their best to avoid having to climb over his massive sides.

"There has to be something in here! Anything!" Spike said, having so far come up fruitless.

Pluto too was having a hard time coming up with a good idea for combating the snake. And that familiar, yet overpowering stench made it all the more difficult for the hound dog to concentrate.

"Wait! That's it right there!" Spike said.

Pluto looked, and saw the dragon pointing to a lever that said 'TRAP DOOR.' Next to the switch was a platform that rested upon a scissor lift. The hound dog tilted his head to the side, confused about what Spike was planning.

"Give me a boost over there!"

Spike jumped onto Pluto's hindquarters and braced for a flight.

Catching onto the plan, Pluto compressed his body like a spring and launched Spike through the gauntlet of coils.

Spike caught the lever in his claws, and pulled down hard.

The scissor lift lowered the trap door down into the underbelly of the stage, revealing The Massster's body draped over the opening. The edges of the platform lowered to the floor, squashing the snake's body in the trap room as it went.

Up on deck, The Massster's assault on Minnie was halted again when he suddenly choked loudly.

Minnie used the opportunity to gain the upper hand by waving her fan at one of the masts, making it bend over and bop the snake on his head, before it snapped back into place.

Below the stage, The Massster broke his body free of the trap door, slipping out and snapping his side against Spike and Pluto, who were pushed into another side of the snake. Both dog and dragon were slapped about like a pair of pinballs through the trap room. They had been a thorn in The Massster's side before and now he was making sure that they would pay for their infractions.

Pluto was thrown into a cabinet at the far end of the stage, its contents pouring out onto him when he slumped to the ground. The hound dog sneezed when the offensive scent of the boxes that fell out reached his nose. Quickly, he shook his snout and looked at the label on the boxes

'CAUTION: CONTAINS BLACK POWDER!! HANDLE WITH CARE!!'

Black powder? That was what he had been smelling! The same thing that he always smelled whenever Mickey fired his rifle during their hunting trips.

With a shout, Spike landed in the pile of boxes next and stood up hacking and coughing.

"Ugh! It smells like a dragon ate rotten eggs!" Spike wheezed.

Pluto elucidated the matter by holding one of the boxes in his teeth to show Spike the label.

"Black powder?" Spike read aloud.

That was it! An idea came to Spike when he remembered the work he had done at the theater back home with Twilight. He quickly rummaged through the pile, and produced a whole string of empty flash pots.

"We've got him now!" Spike declared, while Pluto barked and jumped up and down. "Come on! Get as much powder as you can in here!"

Back up top, Minnie had been chased into the ship's rigging, fighting off The Massster as best she could.

"Their battle hass come to the top of the ship!"

The Massster bent the yardarm Minnie was standing on, launching her into the air.

"Here in the air, the lady pirate iss out of her element!"

Minnie was slapped into the mainsail by The Massster's body. She tried to maintain her balance and dug her fan into the fabric to slow her fall enough to grab onto a hanging rope. Taking hold of the rope, she ran along the surface of the large sail to dodge The Massster's successive bites.

"Though she triess to gain the upper hand, the admiral hass her where he wantss her!"

Minnie swung around the other side of the sail, right toward the snake's open mouth. She let go of the rope, allowing herself to quickly drop to the deck and resume dodging his next attacks.

"Hurry! Minnie needs our help!" Spike said.

He and Pluto had stuffed each one of the many flash pots far past their normal capacity, ensuring a devastating pyrotechnic effect. Now, they were on their way to the trap door from before.

They developed a system to quickly transport the flash pots by one of them reaching the other side of the snake's body and the other passing them along. Sometimes they were tossed over, sometimes they were slid under. Now, Spike had reached the trap door from before and Pluto was sliding them down a length of the snake's coils like an assembly line. The hound dog followed next, bumping into Spike when he arrived.

Upon impact, Pluto was flipped over Spike's head and his collar caught onto the trap door switch. The trap door began lowering itself once again, only this time it was caught by an undulation of The Massster's body, and slowly started pushing it back to the top.

Spike quickly jumped up onto the switch Pluto hung from, pursed his lips and clicked his claws next to his mouth. A spark emanated from his claws, which in turn made a stream of flame spew from his lips like a cutting torch. It was this flame that Spike used to cut through Pluto's collar, dropping the hound dog to the floor. Pluto quickly collected his collar, and he and Spike took the flash pots and scrambled up to the top of the slowly rising trap door.

Unknown to them both, the floor in the trap room was slowly beginning to fill with smoke, as the flames in the basement climbed upward.

On the trap door, Pluto took his collar and affixed it around his neck as if there were no damage to begin with. Spike took a quick look at what Pluto had done and wondered how exactly the hound dog was able to do that. But, that couldn't be dwelt on. They had a job to do.

Above them, The Massster's body undulated to the side, allowing them enough space to jump and crawl out of the trap room.

Onstage, they saw that Minnie was having troubles of her own, for now she had been chased to the ship's bow, and was running out of room to move.

No time was wasted setting to work laying down the various lines of flash pots. They both took whatever they carried and laid them down, aimed at The Massster's undulating sides. When they finished, Spike looked at the work they had done and realized that each line only had about five pots each. In the time that it would take him to run to the next line and light the wick, the snake could have easily knocked it out of the way. Still, he had no other idea than what he had now.

Taking a breath in, the dragon spewed his flames at the nearest wick, which sizzled brightly as it quickly traveled to the first flash pot. However, he had ignited something else as well.

Pluto sniffed the air when he smelled something new. The strongest scents were the black powder mixture and the burning fuse, but something else was mingled with it. Something like singed hair. A look to his back, and he saw that the very tip of his tail had a tiny flame on it.

"BOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!"

With a loud yelp, Pluto went running across the stage, trying to put the flame on his tail out. Unknown to himself, he was igniting the other wicks as he dashed past them.

The hound dog's yelp had alerted The Massster, who had just pushed Minnie over the edge of the ship's bow.

"You two again!?" the snake growled. "Why musst it be sso hard to drive home the point to you animalss!? DIE ALREADY!!!"

The snake was prepared to charge them with his mouth open as wide as it could go, until once more something stopped him.

There was a loud popping sound, followed by an incredible whistle as the flash pots detonated, all of which was barely audible over The Massster's shouts of pain. One after another, the simple special effects blasted their flames at the snake's body, making him thrash about. One part of his body crashed into the side of the ship, giving Minnie enough momentum to swing herself on board.

Once her feet were back on the ship's deck, Minnie looked over the side and saw Spike and Pluto frantically dodging The Massster's attacks as he raged about to escape the flames. It was time to pull out the stops, and attack her opponent with something huge. One look at the ship's sails, and she had just the idea.

Rushing to the back of the ship, Minnie started waving her fan at the sails, creating a gust that caught within the fabrics, but didn't do much else.

She needed to try harder. Twirling her whole arm around at the shoulder, Minnie started creating a gigantic whirlwind that blew throughout the stage, fueling the flames that were already slowly spreading.

The Massster had been trying to escape from the fire that burned him, only once again for his excessive length to keep catching itself in the blaze. He had been coiling himself up in the orchestra pit, but froze momentarily when he felt the sudden wind that was blowing.

Minnie held onto her hat with her free hand, and glanced up at the small tornado she had conjured. Now was the time to unleash it.

With only a flick of her wrist, Minnie sent the entire maelstrom into the ship's sails. She quickly took hold of the ship's helm and steered it toward the front of the stage. The winds blew as if there was a great storm at sea, but Minnie held fast as the prop ship sailed forward.

Slowly at first, the ship quickly picked up speed and plowed through the waves that adorned The Massster's back.

Pluto grabbed Spike by the scales on the back of his neck and ran away from the danger.

The Massster had only comprehended what was happening when the ship was already halfway across the stage. Before he could dodge, no less shout, the ship was already tilting over the edge of the stage.

Minnie jumped overboard and was caught by Spike and Pluto, who extended a curtain for her to land on.

There was a loud crash as the ship landed right on top of the snake, crushing him underneath it.

Had it ended? Was the battle over? Minnie dared to hope so, but that was quickly dashed as smoke started seeping through the ground beneath them.

From beneath the pile of rubble that was once a ship, The Massster released a bellowing hiss, before coils of his body burst out the sides of the wreckage in a shower of broken wood.

As if on cue, the flames that had been crawling up from the basement started to manifest themselves onstage, overtaking everything in sight.

The Massster spread his body throughout the entire audience, though his head was unseen. The bones of the perished ponies were all knocked aside, and clattered to the floor as the snake made his way through, over and between the seats.

The curtains on the stage burst into flames, framing the entire area with a border of blaze.

The Massster rose up in front of the stage, his imposing size and fiendish orange eyes now exacerbated by the wreaths of flames and smoke that were present.

"You cannot win, moussse!" The Massster said. "Thiss iss my domain! Here, I am invincible, and you are nothing more than a common houssse pesst! You and your filthy friendss!"

"Even if I can't win, that won't stop me from trying!" Minnie retorted. "I'll fight you to the end of my days if I have to! Even if it means the death of me, I won't stop until one of us is defeated!"

Spike and Pluto both had to admire the tenacity of the mouse, but the sudden glint in The Massster's eyes made them all uneasy.

"Iss that sso?" the snake said. "In that casse, I'll have to make the ssituation a little more expeditiouss."

Some hidden part of The Massster shifted itself, and something started to lower from the top of the stage. Something heavy and made from solid iron, with two dents in the bottom from where Spike and Pluto's heads had impacted it earlier. When it finished lowering, the contraption proved to be a large cage. Trapped within was Loving Care, who held fast to her frightened dog in her trembling hooves.

Minnie, Spike and Pluto all stepped backwards, as The Massster slithered his body onto the stage and circled around the suspended cage.

"SSo you ssee, Minerva, I hold the ace in thiss hand," the snake chuckled. "Now, you have a choice: you can abandon thiss charade of nobility and comply with my employer'ss will. SSimply sstep forward and allow yoursself to be transsported to hiss quarterss to be ussed as he sseess fit. Your friendss will be allowed to walk free and die in the wildernesss in any way they ssee fit. Or, you can keep fighting. You can sstruggle and sstrive all you want in the hopess of ssaving everyone. Little by little, that hope will dash, and you will face the moment of your impending demissse. Either way, you go to my employer, and your friendss die. But, you have a choice in the matter: live...or die with your friendss. Which do you choosse?"

The sheer fatalism and gravity of the snake's words put Minnie at a complete loss for words. She had never faced such a situation before and had no way of knowing how to answer. She looked to Spike and Pluto, who were both trying their hardest to put on a brave face, but the terror of what was to come was perfectly apparent in their eyes. A look to Loving Care, and she too had the same fear as she hugged her precious pet.

For Minnie it was that fear that made her decision.

"I say...suck caviar, you pompous jerk!!" Minnie shouted, before waving her fan and blowing the metal cage into the side of The Massster's head.

Loving Care held tightly to her dog, while recoiling from the impact against the snake's head. Between the bars of the cage, she watched him shake his head, before his eyes reflected the flames that were growing around them.

"Then, you have made your choice…” The Massster growled. “SSo be it!!!”

The Massster dove forward, knocking Minnie, Spike and Pluto backwards with his head.

All three of them landed in the audience, but not on the floor. Instead, they had all landed upon the snake's back. Minnie looked up and saw Spike and Pluto had landed some twenty feet away from herself. Before she could try to reach them, she was heaved upward by The Massster's body.

With a snap of his coils, The Massster sent Minnie into the air, and tightly gripped her in a loop of his own body.

Minnie landed hard on the ground, and was sent careening down the length of the snake's body as if she was caught in a slipknot. Unlike Loving Care, who was brought to face the snake when she was caught like this, Minnie's head was knocked against every seat on the length of the aisle. The ride ended with her face smashed into a wall, knocking her dizzy.

A short distance away, Pluto was being bounced into the air by one coil and slammed back down by another.

Away from Pluto, Spike was being pummeled in all different directions. All that was missing from the dragon's beating were all the lights and bells of a pinball machine at the rate he was going.

For Spike, enough was enough. Before he was paddled away by the next coil, he began spewing flames from his mouth. The stream of fire hit home on The Massster's side, and made the segment of the snake's body recoil in pain.

Momentarily free from harm, Spike climbed over a row of seats, and ran along their backs to elude The Massster's attacks. The Massster, however, would not let him escape so easily.

Behind Spike, the rows of seats were crushed and mangled by the snake's pursuing coils. Spike ended up having to jump to another row of seats to avoid being knocked over, but the danger hadn't passed.

At the end of the row, The Massster's open mouth appeared and lunged forward.

It was too late for Spike to dodge. The Massster's mouth closed around him, and the snake's throat bulged as he swallowed his spicy morsel. Perhaps too spicy.

With a sudden wretch, The Massster's body contorted wildly and he belched smoke and green embers. One last wretch, and he regurgitated Spike back into the audience, where he was promptly thrown against a wall, and smashed repeatedly until his entire body indented it.

Minnie and Pluto both saw their friend under attack, and tried to reach him.

Pluto was snapped across the room by The Massster’s coils, where he landed next to Spike, and was subsequently crushed as the dragon was. After him, Minnie was thrown against the wall in the same way.

Barely conscious, Minnie raised her head and saw The Massster slithering toward them. The fire had spread into the audience, and Minnie saw the snake was careful not to get too close to any of the flames. This detail was only just noticed when The Massster stopped directly in front of her and lowered his gaze only inches from her nose.

"You should know that I truly did resspect you as a guesst in my domain," The Massster began. "I didn't want to asssault you sso, but it was your choice in the matter. You rebuked my offer for a peaceful ssolution, and brought thiss pain upon yoursself. Now, Minerva, I'm going to give you one lasst chance to call off your ssparkling friend and deliver yoursself to your desstination. Will you take the only chance you have left for you and your friendss to live?"

Minnie remained silent, making the snake wonder if he had knocked her out cold, until she looked up to face him.

"You don't get it, do you...?" Minnie said. "I can't surrender to you...because I'm not like you. I owe my entire life to the people I care about...Not some pushy boss who only wants power over spineless lackeys like you...If you ever considered yourself a gentleman...you would help us escape...and take us to safety. But, that's not who you are...You're only a pawn who can't take control of his own life!"

The Massster prided himself on his gentlemanly nature, and took grave offense every time he was challenged for it. Except for this time. Maybe it was the force of Minnie's weakened voice, but her words made him slowly back away from her. Was he truly everything he thought he was? Or was he something fabricated for someone else's own ends? Whatever the case, he was given a duty and would fulfill it, no matter how menial.

"Minerva--"

Before The Massster could continue his sentence, he looked down to Minnie's hands. Unknown to himself, the mouse had been wringing her fan for as long as they both had been talking, and it had grown to at least four feet long.

Minnie opened her fan and wound up her arms.

"I told you: my name...is MINNIE!!!!!!" she shouted.

A mighty swing, and Minnie sent a powerful gale-force wind that knocked The Massster over and fanned the flames in the audience to grow larger.

"Go get Loving Care!" Minnie said to her friends.

Though battered and beaten, Pluto was already on his paws and ready to do as Minnie commanded. Taking Spike's claw in his teeth, the hound dog pulled him out of the wall and placed the dragon on his back. Spike slowly roused and gripped Pluto's collar.

Pluto charged headlong into The Massster's coils, sliding along the twisted lengths like an errant roller coaster. As he and Spike slid on the serpent's back, they heard a loud crash as a chunk of the ceiling came crashing down on their opponent's body.

Minnie swung her gigantic fan again, sending a force of wind that broke off another chunk of the flame-worn walls and ceiling, crushing more parts of The Massster's excessive length, and burning him as she fanned the ever-growing fire. Another swing, and The Massster's head was blown backwards into a wall.

The impact of the hit put a crack in the wall, which crawled upward and across the ceiling, where it dropped more chunks into the blazing audience seats. One such chunk landed directly in front of Pluto, launching him and his passenger onto the stage, which had become a sea of flames.

Extending his tongue, Spike caught onto the edge of the cage and reeled them both up to the bars.

"Hangg aw! He'pth aw uh wayy!!" Spike lisped as he pulled himself up.

Pluto reached his paws up and clung securely from the bars.

Spike climbed up to the tip of the hound dog's snout and set to work using his flames like a cutting torch.

Minnie continued to assault The Massster with her oversized fan, blowing her opponent every which way and that. The Massster, however, didn't seem to be putting up much resistance. Not even when Minnie blew his head into the top of the stage and broke the fixtures up there.

The fire had weakened the structures atop the stage. Spike had just finished cutting one of the bars off, before the constructs holding it all broke off and plummeted toward the stage.

The heavy iron cage broke right through the charred floor. Spike, Pluto, Loving Care and her dog all went screaming into the fiery hole that had opened up. The Massster too was caught in the fall, his head having tangled in the broken fixtures.

Minnie practically flew down the aisle toward the stage, jumped onto The Massster's back, and slid down his scaly hide into the lower levels of the mansion. So great was the fire damage that the cage had even broken through the trap room and into the basement.

The underbelly of the house had become nothing more than a maze of flames, the pipes, vents and furnaces all spewing fire.

When Minnie landed, all of her friends were huddled together, trying to stay as far from both The Massster and the fire as best they could. The only drawback was that both were practically surrounding them.

Minnie opened her fan and tried to push back the flames as best she could, but the power from all the machinery belched back the blaze with twice the power. And things only became worse when The Massster raised his head.

The snake turned his gaze to Minnie and all her friends, doing nothing, only staring. For a moment, Minnie wasn't sure that he was going to attack them, until with one swift motion he wrapped them all in his coils.

It was sure to be the end of them. Crushed to death in the fiery bowels of a madman's domain.

In one swift motion, they all went sailing up The Massster's body. Up toward the stage and out of the flaming halls.

With a swing of his massive body, The Massster hurled everyone out of the fiery hole they were in, up to the stage area. Minnie did her best to fan the flames back, as one crept ever closer to Loving Care's dog.

Looking down into the pit, Minnie saw The Massster extend his massive body upward, climbing the flaming woodwork toward the others. She reached her hand down to help the snake up, but just as the tip of his snout was within reach of her, the fixtures above the stage collapsed completely.

Minnie had the wind knocked out of her when the snake's body knocked her away from the danger. The collapsing wood and metal landed on The Massster's body, pinning him just at the edge of the pit. The rest of the rubble dropped into the hole in the stage, right on top of his head.

Shocked by the sight, Minnie had to be pulled away by Pluto. Loving Care then guided Minnie and the others through the burning mansion to the front door.

Back in the mansion's underbelly, The Massster laid buried under the pile of rubble, having all but given up on escape. For betraying Yen Sid, there would be no continuing under his employ. For betraying Minnie, there would be no remaining with her. For all the ponies and animals he abused, there would be no help to come for him. For all the wretched things he had done, he had sealed his fate.

The pipes around him rattled, and the walls throughout the mansion rumbled, as the snake came to a moment of self-realization.

"I...am no gentleman..."

For only a moment, he felt a certain kind of glimmer in his mind. By only speaking the truth of himself, he realized that he was hardly fit for this romanticized idea of the societal elite. He was more the hideous underbelly of the world that he despised. However horrible the truth was, it was a quiet comfort for him to finally realize it about himself. But, only for a moment.

The flames reached the main boiler, which reacted with a mighty explosion, causing a chain reaction throughout the inner workings of the house that all but destroyed the foundation of the mansion, and everything and everyone within it.

Minnie, Pluto, Spike, Loving Care and Rusty all ran out the mansion's front door just as the floor gave way under their feet. None of them dared to look back as the sounds of falling wood, cracking stone and creaking metal thundered behind them.

The sudden tremor made them all fall forward and collapse in a heap. Dust and smoke were thrown forward, and the ground shook beneath them when the mansion finished collapsing.

Minnie slowly lifted her head from the ground, one arm protectively around Spike, who was held by Pluto; the other arm around Loving Care, who cradled her dog. "It's alright. It's over now," Minnie said, gently rousing the others.

The others cautiously looked up, and saw the destruction behind them. The trees were burned, the grass was scorched, and the mansion had been reduced to a heap of rubble.

"He could still be alive down there. Couldn't he?" Minnie said. "We could dig him out and--"

"Minnie," Loving Care interjected, "He's gone."

In his last moments, The Massster had shown himself to be what he truly desired. More than anything, Minnie wanted to believe that he was able to live his life as a redeemed soul. But, it was not to be.

"Minnie," Loving Care said.

Minnie turned to face her friend, who was still shaking from the ordeal they had conquered. After a moment to collect herself, Loving Care finished her thought.

"You shouldn't wear a nice dress like that in the wilderness. Here."

From the pack on her side, Loving Care produced the very same polka dot dress that Minnie was wearing when she first arrived at the Manor Serpente.

"This was--How did you find this?" Minnie asked, as she accepted her dress.

"I went back to get it before I tried to leave the mansion. It was only a second after I got it from the laundry room that The Massster caught me."

Minnie was taken slightly aback at the idea that anyone would stay in the mansion longer than they needed to, but was touched by the thought that she would go back and brave the danger to look after her in any small possible way.

"Oh, Loving Care," Minnie said, before embracing her friend.

Spike was too frazzled to even wretch at the display of feminine affection, instead slumping against Pluto's side. The nightmare was over, and he could finally take a breather.

Minnie felt something nudge between herself and Loving Care, and found it to be her dog, who quickly nuzzled up to his owner and quietly huffed.

"Rusty, don't you be jealous of me hugging my other friends. You'll always be my number one," Loving Care playfully admonished her pet as she rubbed his head.

Minnie watched as the two friends reunited, grateful that she could have helped bring them back together. With luck, she would be able to do such a thing for herself when Mickey was found. And when she did find him, she was never going to let him go. First thing first: she had to get changed.

Right before everyone's eyes, Minnie reached to her side, and magically pulled a red curtain from nowhere that covered her up completely. Over the top, they saw Minnie take off her cloche hat and put on her bow. The curtain was pulled open, and disappeared into nothingness, revealing Minnie back in her dress and bow.

"You're going to have to teach me that," Loving Care said, her eyes popped wide.

"That's nothing. It's just a trick I picked up when me and my boyfriend went to the circus once," Minnie answered.

"As part of the act?" Spike said.

Everyone chuckled lightly at the dragon's quip, before they decided to leave the depressing foundation.

Turning away from the pile of rubble, they all hoped that wherever they went next, they would be safer than where they just were.

The glittering light that had guided Spike to Minnie and Pluto wriggled its way out of the rubble heap and quickly floated its way to Spike's backpack. It stopped briefly when the backpack started to glimmer on its own, before it stopped.

It didn't know what, but the dragon had picked up something of great importance during his tribulations in the mansion. Whatever it was, it was sure to be something wonderful. Until it revealed itself, it would only have to ride along inside the pack and live out the rest of the magical quest.

Author's Note

That's a pretty heavy ending to Minnie's adventure in the Manor Serpente. Why don't we hop over to a more pleasant setting with Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack? Not just yet though. I still want to talk about some of the details in this chapter.

The idea for a battle set on a burning stage was inspired by a boss fight from the first 'Magical Quest' video game. Anyone who played that game probably remembers the Fire Grotto level, as well as the boss fight at the end. The one with the statue face that spews flames. That was pretty much the gist of this battle. Only, The Massster has no fiery powers.

The entire idea for the battle taking place on a changing battlefield was also inspired by 'The Magical Quest.' In this case, it was in the third game, where during the boss fight against Pete, he could change his costume just the same as Mickey and Donald could.

How Minnie uses the cannon during the pirate ship phase of this battle was inspired by the Mickey Mouse cartoon 'Shanghaied.' Mickey uses a similar contraption against Pete's crew of thugs in that short, so I figured that Minnie could use something similar.

Spike using his tongue as an extra limb is something that has been seen in a few episodes. The only one that comes readily to mind is 'The Secret of my Excess,' when Spike nearly drops one of his cupcakes.

Another thing, which is just a reference, was the mention of a depressing foundation. Anyone who has seen the movie 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' may remember the part where Robin's castle is repossessed by H&R Blockhead and he bids his friends that they leave that depressing foundation. It's such a funny movie that I think everyone should watch.

Finally, what is the deal with that magical light in Spike's backpack? What could be in there that's so special? I'm not telling just yet, so keep reading as the chapters roll out. In the next story arch, we will be following the adventures of a certain quacking rogue and his rowdy and gentle new friends. Do rock on, my gentle sirs and madams \m/

Chapter 11: Harrowing Heights

Chapter 11

Harrowing Heights

In a faraway countryside, further than anypony from Ponyville had traveled before, there sat a town on the mountain frontier. A town that hadn't seen many visitors for its secluded situation and small populace. Still, it had everything a small town needed: a grocer, a doctor, a general store, a bank, a tailor, and everything else essential and wholesome. That is, until the strangers moved in.

Ever since those strange creatures from a faraway land came to town, there had been nothing but trouble. Crime skyrocketed, fights broke out, the townsfolk became miserable with their situation. Why, they even built a jail right in the middle of the town, despite that they never needed such a thing before.

That night, a loud clanging noise was coming from inside that little jailhouse.

Donald Duck was whaling on the bars of his jail cell with the butt of a popgun. After so long, he huffed loudly and slumped against the bars.

"This is exasperating!" Donald grumbled to himself.

"Aw, hayseeds! Ya said that four times already!" Applejack said from her cell to the left. "Ain't ya got any plans?"

"I told you: I've got nothing!"

"What about that popgun o' yers? Ain't ya got any use fer that? Besides usin' it like a gorilla uses a tree branch?"

"This stupid thing was given to me as a joke! It's as useless as an apple bucker who can't even buck straight!" Donald fumed.

Applejack glared furiously.

"Why don't I come over there an' use it to cork yer big bill, ya squawkin' feather pillow?" she threatened.

"Come and pry it from my cold, dead hands, butterhooves!!" Donald said, pointing the popgun at Applejack.

"Wait! Stop!" Fluttershy called from the cell on Donald's right. "We shouldn't be fighting like this. We should be trying to find out how to help everypony when they let us out tomorrow." She abruptly covered her face with her mane. "Sorry I had to yell."

The words of the yellow pegasus had culled the flaring tempers of her two friends. Slowly, the two hotheads faced one another.

"She's right. Sorry fer flyin' off the handle like that, pardner,'' Applejack apologized.

"Me too. I don't normally snap at my pals like that, but this is becoming too much for one duck to handle," Donald answered.

"Let's just try not to spit in each other's applesauce like that again, y'hear."

"I don't know if you two will be able to do that," Fluttershy said, knowing the tempers of her friends. "But, if you do, could you please not direct it at each other?"

"Will do, sugarcube," Applejack answered.

"Sure. After all, my uncle used to tell me that your temper is the most valuable thing you have, so try not to lose it," Donald said.

"Did ya ever take that seriously," Applejack chuckled.

"Nah. And neither did he. He flew off the handle just as much as I did when I was living with him."

"You lived with your uncle? Applejack did too when she was a filly," Fluttershy said, trying to get their minds off their predicament.

"That's right. It was a fun couple o' weeks I got to spend with 'em, 'til I realized that my place is at my apple orchard. I been a better mare ever since. What about you, Don? Same?" Applejack asked.

Donald slumped slightly on the bench in his cell.

"Actually: I didn't get to go home," the duck answered.

"But, your parents. Weren't they waiting for you to come back?" Fluttershy asked.

"It's not like that, toots. My parents passed away when I was a duckling. Then I got sent to live with my uncle in his mansion."

"Oh..." Fluttershy said. "That must have been hard for you."

"And it wasn't much better since my uncle was a heartless, business-minded tightwad. We hardly saw each other when we lived together," Donald explained.

"What kinda cud-sucker ignores his own nephew? It's downright inhumane! It's un-family-like!" Applejack said. "I'd o' had a thing or two to say to this guy if it was me livin' with him. That's fer darn sure!"

"Aw, he wasn't all bad," Donald said. "He taught me a lot of lessons that I still use to this day: work honestly, help others who can't help themselves, your partners are like your friends and vice versa. And it wasn't until I grew up and became an uncle myself that we started getting closer. Eventually, it was like we became a real family."

Fluttershy and Applejack remained silent for a moment, the words of their quacking friend resonating to them. Both of them grew up quite close to their families, so they had no way of relating to the duck who grew up with an estranged uncle.

After she felt an appropriate amount of time passed, Applejack put her hoof through the bars on her cell and placed it on Donald's shoulder.

"Fer what it's worth, I'm glad ya patched things up with yer uncle," she said.

"Aw, thanks Applejack," Donald answered.

"Um, excuse me," Fluttershy said, "I don't mean to interrupt: but, what was your uncle's name?"

"Scrooge. He was my uncle Scrooge McDuck," Donald answered.

"That Scrooge McDuck?" Fluttershy asked.

Donald looked to where Fluttershy pointed, and saw a bulletin board with documents, reports and wanted posters posted on it. Among the wanted posters were pictures of himself, Mickey and Goofy. But a fourth one showed a much older duck with thick glasses resting on his bill, feathery mutton chops, a grand top hat and an intense stare.

Quick as a wink, Donald ran to the front of his cell and read the poster aloud.

"'Scrooge McDuck: Wanted dead or alive. Preferably dead!!!?' Wa-a-a-ak!!"

The duck felt every one of his nerves snap at the sight of the poster. Somewhere in Equestria, his uncle was lost. And knowing him, he was most likely in danger. All the more incentive to get out of jail as quick as possible.

"Uncle Scrooge, what have you got yourself into this time?" Donald said.

Before the night in the jail, Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack had been trudging through the desert after their magical light. For a day and a night they had been following after it, across the varying terrain, until they ended up at the foot of a mountain range. The magical light that guided them drifted up the rocky foothills and stopped to await the others.

"Alright! I been hankerin' to get some exercise," Applejack said, after walking for miles.

"We're not really goin' up there, are we?" Donald said.

"'Course we are. That little twinklin' pal o' yers says so," the farmpony answered, as she hiked intrepidly up the hills.

"But, where's the path?" Fluttershy said.

"I'm walkin' on it,” Applejack replied.

Both Donald and Fluttershy watched as their friend fearlessly jumped from rock to rock, each of which seemed precariously perched on the side of the mountain.

"Welp, we won't get anything done sittin' around here. Come on, Fluttershy. Let's gung-ho," the duck said, lifting his gut, dropping it, and striding confidently forward.

"Um...about that..." Fluttershy stammered.

"Now, ya can't tell me you're afraid to climb the mountain."

"No...Um...Yes...But...I'm just...I'm afraid of heights..."

"Say what?" Donald deadpanned.

"I know it's silly for a pegasus...but I just don't think I can climb that on my own..."

"So, what do you want me to do? Carry you the whole way?"

Fluttershy didn't answer, but the way she looked at him in such a pitiful way that Donald didn’t need an answer.

"Aw, nerts..." The duck sighed. He was all ready to decline her, but reneged his decision when he saw her pitiful puppy-dog face. "Climb aboard, already--Wak!!"

Donald was completely unprepared for when Fluttershy zipped forward and clutched tightly to his back. Even though they were the same height, the duck hadn't anticipated the extra mass from his pony friend's quadrupedal form. With a staggering step forward, he was ready to take on the rocky mountain trail.

It was a long and treacherous journey. Applejack led the group, finding the safest path up the mountain, while the others tailed behind.

"Be careful, Donald," Fluttershy quietly panicked. "Look out for that falling pebble! Did that grass move on its own!! Eep! Was that plant you touched poisonous!!?"

"This is exasperating..." Donald huffed.

"Don't you two worry none. We're almost to the trail up there," Applejack called to the others.

"The...trail..." Fluttershy shuddered. She looked up to see how much further they had to go, and looked down and saw just how incredibly high up they were.

With another frightened "Eep!" Fluttershy clung tighter to Donald than before.

"Wak! Fluttershy...!! Your hooves...!!" Donald strained.

Fluttershy only shivered in response.

"The duck can't breathe...!! Let go...!!!"

Fluttershy did nothing of the sort.

"Focus on something...!! Look at the pretty flowers and all the cute animals...!!!"

Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw what Donald was talking about. All around her, peering through the rocks were flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes. Some that particularly caught her eye were clusters of red flowers that grew in concentric rings, and hanging vines that blossomed with enormous white flowers.

As for the animals, there were all manner of species she had never seen before. Frogs, larger than any she had seen before, hopped into a stream of water, where small crabs and insects scurried about. The largest birds she had ever seen flew over her head. So large, she wasn't sure how they were able to stay aloft. Adorable chinchillas hopped through the flowers, picking up seeds in their tiny paws and stuffing them in their cheeks for later.

The sight of it all succeeded in taking Fluttershy's mind off the harrowing heights and allowed her to let out a relaxed sigh, as she loosened her grip on her friend's neck.

"*Pheeewwww*" Donald exhaled, deflating slightly from the pent up air he released. "That's better. Now, while I'm climbing, you just look at all the scenery and enjoy the music."

"Music?" Applejack wondered.

"Music?" Donald realized.

"Music?" Fluttershy repeated.

Indeed, there was music coming from somewhere. Nearby, somepony was playing some sort of flute, or something similar.

Grabbing hold of one of the hanging vine plants, Donald quickly ascended the rocky wall to where Applejack was waiting for them.

"What in tarnation is somepony doin' out here playin' music?" Applejack wondered aloud.

"Must be a traveling musician that went way out of their way to find an audience," Donald guessed.

"They don't try to...*gulp*...make ponies perform with them, do they," Fluttershy asked, hiding behind Donald's shoulder.

"Naw. Probably just some guy trying to make a buck where he can," Donald answered. "Let's find the busker and see if he knows where any towns are."

The three of them followed along the rocky trail to a part where the mountain curved, and heard the music growing steadily louder. Soon, the rhythm of it was heard, and it almost made the ones who were walking start to dance as they navigated forward. Eventually, Donald gave in, and skipped his webbed feet along the trail, quacking intermittently with the tune of the music.

A proper trail was found next, and they quickly found the source of the music.

There on the trail was a musician, huddled under his poncho from the chill mountain air and his face hidden by his large hat. In his hooves, he held a large pan flute, which produced the music they had been hearing. They waited for him to finish his song before speaking to him.

"Excuse me, but do you know the way to any nearby towns?" Donald asked.

"Thattaway, señor ," the musician answered, pointing to the direction of the continued trail.

"Thanks, pardner," Applejack said. She reached into her mane and produced a single coin that she tossed to the musician. "Fer the performance."

"Ah. Many thanks, amiga," the musician said.

They all went on their way, hoping that soon their trek would be at an end.

Fluttershy looked back, and saw the musician's eyes glint underneath his hat. She didn't know what it was about it, but something about the look in his eyes made her uneasy. And not in the way that most other things made her uneasy. This was something terrifyingly familiar that made her quickly look ahead.

Once the others were far enough along, the musician's hooves dropped to the ground, revealing a false hoof at the end of a stick. Standing up, the musician revealed clawed paws beneath his poncho. Throwing off his disguise, the musician revealed his true identity, the glutton himself: Zeke "Big Bad" Wolf.

"Folks is dumb as ever, fallin' for a disguise like that," he said to himself, before kicking away his musician clothes. All but his pan flute, which he picked up in his hands. "Time fer a change o' tune."

He held up his instrument, and he huffed and he puffed and he blew as hard as he could to belt out a single, shrill, incredibly loud note that rumbled the entire mountain range.

Further ahead, Big Bad could see the rocks and snow higher up the mountain start to loosen and shake. Then they all came down, right toward his three targets.

"Gah-hahahaha! That'll take care o' them do-gooders!" the glutton laughed. He laughed and he laughed until he became aware that the same rumbling noise in the distance was sounding much closer to himself. "Huh?"

An entire wall of snow was sliding down the mountainside toward him, and with a shout, he started running along the mountain trail to keep ahead of the avalanche.

"What the hay was that noise?" Applejack wondered.

"Who knows? Maybe the musician sat on a scorpion," Donald said.

Fluttershy wasn't feeling so flippant. As she looked up, she was the first to see the danger coming toward them, and responded with another, "Eep!".

"'Eep' what, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, before noticing the wall of snow and stone that was rapidly sliding down the mountain. "Land sakes! Not again!"

Donald wasted no time running ahead with a frightened, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!!!!!"

Chunks of falling ice were hopped over without missing a beat, despite the extra weight on his back.

The duck jumped on top of one of the fallen ice chunks, then across the tops of the others as they got increasingly taller. Finally, he jumped off and went sailing over the path.

Reaching either hand to his back, Donald took Fluttershy's wings and spread them wide, before flapping as hard as he could.

Applejack was below them, keeping a steady pace ahead of the avalanche, and Donald was keeping pace with her as he glided on his friend's wings.

Whether it was by steady aim, or just dumb luck, Fluttershy and Donald landed smack dab on Applejack's back, and made her recoil under the extra wait.

"What the--" Applejack shouted, when her friends landed.

"Keep running!!" Donald and Fluttershy yelled together.

The farmpony ran her hooves for all they were worth, keeping just barely ahead of the falling snow.

A bend was coming up in the path.

Applejack tried to adjust her hoofing to compensate for the extra weight on her back.

Donald could feel what she was doing beneath him, and saw that the path ahead was too narrow for her to maneuver. But, that didn't mean they weren't going to make it.

A tree on the edge of the path was just what they were going to need to get past the obstacle.

Reaching his hands out, Donald grabbed the tree, swinging all of them around as he held Applejack with his heels. Once they completed the turn they needed, Donald let go, but accidentally broke off two branches with tree bark stuck to them.

The snow was behind them now, and was quickly catching up. Fluttershy looked back and saw the wall of white licking at Applejack's tail. It was only a matter of time until they were all consumed by it.

Donald too noticed the danger, and did the first thing that came to his mind: he took the tree branches in his hands and planted the tree bark into the snow just as it overtook them.

The plan had worked. Like a pair of ridiculous ski-stilts, the simple bark and branches had lifted them all over the snow and allowed them to slide along as though they hadn't a care in the world. Until the avalanche stopped and flung them all forward.

This was no problem for the ponies. Fluttershy flapped her wings as best she could, while Applejack oriented her hooves to the ground and landed a masterful somersault.

"Is it over yet...?" Fluttershy whimpered, her eyes clenched shut.

"Don't worry, toots. We're back on good ol' terra firma," Donald said, trying to sound calm and cool and collected, but the sweat pouring down his forehead betrayed him.

"That was some mighty quick thinkin' with them branches, pardner. Where'd ya get an idea like that?" Applejack said to the duck.

"It just came to me was all," Donald answered. "And just look where that avalanche took us!"

There before them was the town, just as the musician from before said. And they were probably less than a hundred steps from the first building. The glittering light from before drifted forward and glowed brightly before the town, before dispersing into nothing.

"Yee-haw! Finally, some good luck fer us!" Applejack cheered.

"It's about time," Donald grumbled, remembering how his friends always joked about who got stuck with all the bad luck.

They all approached the town on Applejack's back, unknowing of what was to await them.

Back at the avalanche a mound of snow rose up, until the Big Bad Wolf popped out like a daisy.

"Aw, dangit! I just blowed 'em right into town!" Big Bag growled, before crawling out of the snow and shaking it all from his fur. He lifted up his top hat, dumping out everything that had collected in it. "Don't matter no how. They won't last a day in there."

The three strangers rode into town. Rather, two rode in on their friend's back. One look, and it was clear that they were far from Ponyville.

It was not ponies who roamed the streets of the town, but llamas. Llamas, whose woolly coats were in all colors of the visible spectrum, with varying patterns, from spots to mottled to solid to striped. Some even wore clothes. Usually a knitted cap, or a manta, or a poncho.

"Land sakes! Look at this place," Applejack awed.

"I don't see any ponies at all. Do you think they like ponies here?" Fluttershy said.

"Aw, don't sweat stuff like that. I bet a small, isolated town like this is glad to have any visitors," Donald said.

One llama from the crowd approached them.

"Ah! El circo! Mi hijo estará encantado de saber que estás en la ciudad!" the llama said as soon as he saw them.

"See? Friendly folks around here. And with a bit of a sense of humor," Donald assured Fluttershy.

Fluttershy, however, wasn't so sure, having not understood a word the llama said.

"Well, guess we might as well take in the local color," the ever gregarious Applejack said. "Howdy!" she greeted the llama.

"Que?" the llama responded.

"We're lookin' fer any weird stuff what's been goin' on. Seen any weird animals like my duck pal runnin' 'round these parts?"

"I'm not weird! Everyone looks like me back home!" Donald rebutted.

"Que?" the llama repeated.

"Come on, pardner. Don't ya know any other words?"

"Puedo preguntarte dónde compraste tu sombrero? Ciertamente protegería mis ojos del sol mejor que el mío."

The farmpony stared blankly at the llama, not processing a single word he had said. She was about to give up until Donald stepped in.

"Hola," the duck began. "Mis amigos y yo nos preguntamos si había algún problema por aquí."

"Problemas?" the llama answered. "Si! Muchas cosas terribles han sucedido desde que el nuevo alguacil llegó a la ciudad!"

"Puedes llevarnos al alguacil?”

The llama gasped sharply at what Donald had just said, making Applejack and Fluttershy share a confused glance.

"¡No!" The llama answered. "El alguacil sólo sale cuando hay problemas! Y créeme, no quieres ser el que causa problemas en esta ciudad!"

The llama quickly trotted on his way to join with the others, leaving Donald, Applejack and Fluttershy behind.

"Now that's somethin'," Applejack said, "Where'd ya learn to talk like that?"

"My friend Panchito speaks spanish. I guess some of it just rubbed off onto me," Donald answered.

"Really? So, what'd ya say?"

"I asked him if there was any trouble around here. He said 'yes,' and it's the new sheriff causing all of it. So, I asked him if he could take us to him, and he said 'no.'"

"Um, excuse me," Fluttershy began, "But, when he said 'no,' did it mean the same thing as in our language?"

"You bet it did, toots. Whoever this sheriff is, he's got these llamas scared."

"Then, I guess it's up to us to put a stop to him," Applejack asserted.

"Darn tootin' we are. We'll be the biggest law-busters this side of the Mississippi! Yah, steed!" Donald said, spurring Applejack's sides.

In response, Applejack bucked Donald off her back, while Fluttershy jumped off and landed safely before the duck landed.

"Ain't gonna be no more o' that. Yer walkin' from now on, ya stuffed duck!" Applejack said.

"Who's a stuffed duck!?" Donald fumed.

"You are. I don't see how waterfowl can be so dang heavy!

"Waa-a-a-a-ak!!!"

For the three of them, discovering the trouble within the small llama town would be difficult. But, more so it would seem to be getting along.

Author's Note

This just in: Scrooge McDuck (better known as Uncle Scrooge) is out and about in Equestria, likely capitalizing off of the various business endeavors of the pony folk. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown. But, it is certain that he is apt to encounter some kind of troubles of his own.

For those of you who are wondering: yes, in some of the Disney canon, Donald was raised by Uncle Scrooge.

I think it's pretty clear that I don't speak spanish. I had to ask a spanish-speaking friend to translate for me, and I'm still not sure if it's accurate.

So, it would seem that Donald, Applejack and Fluttershy have begun the first leg of their journey. Here, we find them in a bit of a neo-western story in an Andean mountain setting, complete with llamas. Why? Because llamas are adorable.

Originally, there was going to be a village inhabited by chinchillas, until my brother pointed something out: it seems like the animals that talk and possess other human characteristics all have hooves. Seriously, we both did a bit of a mental backlog on every creature we see talking on the show, and they all have hooves. And someone in the comments let me know about something in the comics about a kingdom of deer, which also have hooves! I guess it's something of a rule for the world it's set in.

In the next chapter, we're going to see a bit more of what's going on in this town, and tie up a few of the loose ends left by the prologue that set up this story arch.

For anyone who is wondering: no, Uncle Scrooge will not have his own separate story arch. His story will tie into Donald's. Except, we won't see the old tightwad for a while. Say, until Donald's next arch.

That's it for me. Rock on, y'all \m/ Oh, and Happy Birthday to me. \mm/

Chapter 12: Welcome to Santillama

Chapter 12

Welcome to Santillama

Far from Ponyville, high in the mountains in the city of llamas, Applejack, Fluttershy and Donald all had been trying to gather information about the troubles they had been facing. The ones that Donald spoke to didn't seem to want to cooperate, and the ones that Applejack and Fluttershy spoke to didn't understand what they were saying without Donald around.

"Um...Excuse me," Fluttershy greeted a pink llama who was walking by.

The pink llama paused briefly, shrieked loudly and ran off as fast as her hooves would carry her.

"Now, what in the name o' apple seeds was her problem?" Applejack wondered.

"M-Maybe some of them are afraid of ponies..." Fluttershy meekly said, hiding behind Applejack.

"Don't talk crazy, sugarcube. Ya remember what Donald said: folks'd probably be happy to have visitors in this isolated place."

"I know...But, look at all these llamas. Most of them don't even look at us when we talk to them," Fluttershy said.

Applejack nodded an agreement, as she exhaled quietly.

"Looks like Don's havin' some luck with them," she said.

Down the road, Donald was talking to two llamas who quickly trotted away after a brief exchange. The only thing they mentioned was the same as everyone else: the sheriff was a monster, and it was best to avoid him.

"Hmph. This is exasperating," Donald grumbled. "WAK!!!"

The duck was taken completely by surprise when a green blur ran right past him. After he stopped spinning, he found that he was now holding a package in each hand, each one wrapped in a colorful cloth. On his head was balanced a piece of clay pottery that was painted with many vibrant colors.

The green llama turned around and came to a screeching halt in front of Donald.

<"Hey! What's the big deal, stealing my packages like that?">* the green llama said, after she took her packages back.

[*Translated from llama]

Donald, taking the packages she was delivering? That was completely off base, and the duck had to defend his honor.

<"I didn't steal nothin', ya crazy speed demon!! You knocked me over and covered me with dust!"> Donald rebutted.

<"Whoops! Sorry about that,"> the delivery llama apologized.

She picked Donald up by his shoulders and stood him up.

<"Don't move.">

Don't move, she said. What did that mean?

The delivery llama bucked the packages off her back, and into the air. She then fell onto her own back, still holding Donald, and used her rear hooves to spin him quickly. And with a quick buck of her hooves, Donald was in the air next.

The duck found himself back on his flippers, and watched as the llama rolled to her hooves and caught all of her packages on her back.

<"What's the big idea, ya big palooka!! Why, I oughta--"> Donald's tantrum was cut off by the llama's hoof on his chest.

<"Quit making a fuss, stupid! You're clean now,"> she told him.

Donald looked at himself to see that he was indeed cleaned off. Not a speck of dust was left on him.

<"Oh. Uh...Thanks, toots,"> Donald answered.

<"No problem, duck. Sorry I can't stay, but I've gotta get back to work. These packages won't deliver themselves.">

And with that, the green delivery llama was off like a shot to complete her deliveries, past Applejack and Fluttershy, who both coughed loudly from the dust she kicked up.

"Sunday galloper!" Applejack wheezed, as she used her hat to fan away the dust.

"Do you think maybe the llamas just don't want to talk to us?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Then, we're just gonna have to try a greetin' nopony can turn down,'' Applejack said. She put on her friendliest face, and approached another llama who was walking down the street. She stretched out a hoof to shake, and greeted with an enthusiastic, “Howdy.”

The llama simply looked at her, then walked past.

"What the hay is wrong with all these llamas?"

"Try greeting them with 'hola,'" Donald informed his friend.

Out of the corner of her eye, Applejack caught sight of a red llama wearing a colorful manta and a simple necklace of wool and leather. The farmpony felt she may have some luck with this one, as the llama was engaged in an activity that she herself was often occupied with: setting up a fruit stand for business.

Now that she had some common ground with one of them, Applejack knew that this was her chance to make an impression and learn about the town. She confidently strode over to the llama at the fruit cart, followed by her friends.

"Hola," Applejack said, extending her hoof again.

Quicker than she knew, the llama clasped her hoof in her two hooves and vigorously pumped it up and down.

"Ho-LA, amiga! Una placer hacer su conocimienta!" the llama heartily greeted Applejack. "Mi llamo Hitapaya. Pero, puedes llamarme Paya"

Applejack retracted her hoof to keep from being shaken even more, though she thoroughly enjoyed the hearty greeting. "Well, thank ya kindly, ma'am. Name's Applejack. This here's Fluttershy an' Donald," she answered.

"Oh. Um..." The llama stopped briefly, contemplating what to say next. When she finally spoke, she said rather shakily "...Welcome to Santillama...My...name is Hitapaya."

"But, we can call you 'Paya?" Donald finished for her.

"Si!" Paya answered. "Hablas llama?"

"Si, si, toots," Donald answered. "Wa-aa-aa-aa-k!!!"

Suddenly, the duck found his own hand clasped in Paya's hooves, getting shaken up and down.

"Todos estamos felices de tenerte en nuestra ciudad! Incluso si tenemos nuestro propio conjunto de problemas," Paya said.

"There's that word again: 'problemas.' You llamas been sayin' that a lot, an' I'm startin' to think it ain't good," Applejack said.

Paya let go of Donald's hand, leaving the duck shaking momentarily until he stopped.

"It's not good," Donald answered. "'Problemas' means trouble, or problems in their language."

"Si," Paya said, “Much trouble. For everypony."

"Desde el alguacil, correcto?" Donald asked.

"Correcto," Paya nodded. "Acaba de regresar del banco--"

"Excuse me..." Fluttershy interjected, making Paya pause and look directly at her. After the initial flinch, Fluttershy spoke up again. "I'm sorry, but we don't understand what you're saying."

"Don't worry. I'll translate," Donald said. He turned to Paya, and urged her to continue speaking.

Paya continued where she left off and Donald translated her every word, pausing intermittently to allow her to speak.

"She just came back from the bank before she ran into us--She needed a loan to pay off the property taxes on her farm--Ever since the sheriff came, mortgages, property taxes and rent have all quadrupled--shops have been closing, families have had to move away--she hoped some extra bits from the bank would help keep her home and her business--But, the sheriff's reach is long. He even has the bankers, who everypony's trusted for years, withholding loans--Her friends have already had to leave town. She's afraid that it won't be long before she and her family have to leave too."

They knew that wherever they were going, there would be trouble, but they couldn't have guessed how terrible it could be. Applejack was the first to step forward and offer her comforts.

"I know how tough it is when yer business is in trouble. It's happened to me too. But things always turn out alright," she said.

When she thought about what she said, Applejack realized that her home was never at stake the way Paya's was. And that she always had her friends to help her. Paya's friends had all moved away, leaving her alone in her battle to keep her home. Having reflected on her words, she thought it may have been the wrong thing to say. But, Paya's smile made her feel otherwise.

"Puedo ver que eres un buen poni. Ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que tuvimos visitantes decentes. ¿Quieres venir a mi casa más tarde? No recuerdo la última vez que mi familia y yo pudimos acomodar invitados como solíamos hacerlo. También puedes unirte a mí para un poco de eslingan más tarde," Paya answered.

"Thanks," Applejack said, before turning to Donald. "Uh, what'd she say?"

"She said you're a good pony. And she invited us to stay at her place for the night. And something about joining her for 'eslingan.'" Donald said.

"Si. Eslinga," Paya said.

She illustrated her offer by taking off her necklace and holding the two braided pieces of wool in her teeth. She picked up a stone from the ground and placed it in the leather between the wool.

"Coges una piedra. La pones aquí. Y--" She finished her explanation by swinging the stone around at a blinding speed, then let it fly loose.

The stone flew down the street, spun all of the hanging merchandise at a jeweler's outdoor shop, flew through the open spaces of the scarf a llama was knitting, skipped across the tops of an artist's paint pots, bounced off the side of a clay pottery and back into Paya's hoof.

<"I also do bolas,"> Paya proudly proclaimed, as she fastened her necklace back around her neck. <"I'm probably the best boladera on the mountain.">

"I bet you are," Donald said, awestruck by the incredible display of slinging.

"I...hope I'll see you home," Paya said in her shaky pony language.

"Will do, sugarcube," Applejack answered.

Before leaving, Paya craned her neck back to her cart and tossed each of her new friends a piece of the pink fruit she was hauling.

"Toma estos. No te preocupes por el pago," Paya said, tossing them all one piece of the fruit she was hauling.

"Alright. She said it's free," Donald translated.

"Thanks," Applejack said, examining the fruit, not sure what to make of it. "What is it?"

"Payahita," Paya answered.

"No, not yer name--Wait: didn't ya just say yer name was Hitapaya?" Applejack said.

"No, no. Payahita. Dragon fruit," Paya said, pointing at the fruit in Applejack's hooves.

"Oh. Thanks," Applejack said.

"De nada. Mire alrededor de la ciudad, si lo desea. Pero ten cuidado con los policías del alguicil. Y no se sorprenda si Fiesta de la Piñata viene con una celebración para usted."

"If who comes with what?" Donald asked.

"What did she say?" Fluttershy said, finally speaking up.

"She said that Piñata Party would come with a--"

"FIIIIESTAAAAAAA!!!!"

A shrill call pierced the air, and soon the street was flooded with colorful banners, and music was playing seemingly from nowhere. The pink llama that Fluttershy had tried speaking to earlier sprang in front of her and her friends. She was now wearing many layers of many different colored skirts. In her mouth, she held two small bags.

<"Welcome to your 'Welcome to Santillama Welcome Party!'"> The pink llama enthusiastically greeted the newcomers. Quick as anything, she gave the bags to the apparent party guests, beginning with Fluttershy.

<"Here's a gift for you!">

She moved to Applejack, and handed her a bag.

<"And for you!">

She moved to Donald.

<"And for--">

Something was wrong. She was all out of gift bags.

"Aw, wouldn't ya know it, ya run out of gifts as soon as ya get to me," Donald grumbled.

"But, Donald, you shouldn't be upset with her. She is throwing this party for us," Fluttershy reasoned, and whose gift was a flower made from many colorful fabrics to wear in her mane. Next to her, Applejack put the decorative pins she received into her hat.

"Yeah, but there's this joke my friends always talk about: 'Who gets stuck with all the bad luck? No one, but Donald D--"

<"Here it is!"> Piñata declared, pulling another bag out of one of her skirts, and offering it to Donald.

"Hey. You're pretty swell after all," Donald said.

He opened his party favor, and a great, big cork on a string shot out and bopped him in the bill, knocking him off his feet. Having thrown his dragon fruit into the air, it landed right on his head.

"What the--'' Donald said, pulling the string out of the bag, and finding a wooden popgun attached to it.

<"A big, tough gift for a big, tough sailor! Be careful with that! You might sink somepony's ship!,"> Piñata said with a beaming smile.

"Big and tough, my webbed foot," Donald grumbled, tucking the popgun away in the back of his shirt.

As suddenly as the pink llama's smile appeared, it faded completely.

"What are you lookin' at?" Donald said.

<"Wait just a piñata-punching second! You're the sheriff!">

"I'm not the sheriff! I just got here!"

Donald's words did nothing to change Piñata's mind. She was convinced that she was looking at the feared authority figure.

<"IT'S THE SHERIFF!!! EVERYPONY, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!"> she called to the town.

<"Stop that, right now!"> Paya called from her fruit stand.

Piñata stopped making her racket, just as Paya told her, and froze when the farmllama came stomping toward her.

<"You're gonna cause panic over nothing! This duck looks nothing like the sheriff! And he's been nothing but pleasant since I met him,"> Paya said.

"Yeah! Don't throw the town into panic! I'm a nice guy!" Donald agreed with Paya.

<"I'm sorry..."> Piñata meekly apologized. As though an idea occurred to her, her face changed to a beaming smile again. <"I know! You can have the first dance with me after I set up! Wait here!">

Fiesta de la Piñata took off down the street, her many skirts billowing like a colorful trail behind her.

<"Don't mind her. She's kind of an institution around here for throwing parties all the time. Surprisingly, she's not in an institution,"> Paya explained.

<"I can see how she'd get on your nerves,"> Donald grumbled.

<"It's kind of sad. Everypony loves her parties, but she's so hyperactive and obnoxious that she has very few friends,"> Paya said.

<"Really?>

<"Really. Still, you have to appreciate how hard she works to set up these parties. She's had to work even harder since her magic was stolen from her.>

Donald's mind clicked suddenly.

"Applejack. Fluttershy. Come here," he bade his friends. He turned to Paya, <"Alright, Paya: tell me what happened, and I'll translate again.">

Naturally, Paya was a little confused about the strangers' interest in the town's troubles, but elaborated anyway, while the duck translated for his friends.

"She says that like everypony, they used to have magic that helped them with their daily lives--Small things, like producing more impressive art, crafting more numerous clothes, and growing larger, more plentiful fruits--Until he came--He was like some kind of monster, who stole everypony's magic with his evil light."

"Land sakes! That's what happened to us!" Applejack exclaimed. "Who was the guy that took your magic?"

Donald translated for Paya.

The farmllama tried to think of a way to best describe the beast who stole her magic, but her eyes widened when the answer came to her.

"Him!"

Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack looked down the road to where Paya was pointing.

There, coming toward them through the festive roads was the Big Bad Wolf, carrying a book he had marked with his thumb, and wearing glasses on his snout. He stopped not five feet from them, and held up the book in front of himself.

"*Ahem*" Big Bad began, before reading from his book, "Olluco con carne. A colorful and satisfyin' dish to prepare for company, or just when ya need a delightfully spicy treat for yer palate. The zing the spices add to the vegetables is complimented nicely by the ingredient that makes this dish truly unique: fresh llama meat." He finished the last three words with a sinister smile that bared his fangs.

The sight of the glutton that tried to eat her made Applejack step back slightly.

Paya stepped back from the one who stole her magic.

Fluttershy too lowered herself to the ground and tried to back away out of sight.

Soon, Donald found himself alone facing Big Bad.

"Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?" the duck asked, trying to sound brave.

"Naw. I'm just sayin' there's more than one way to skin a llama. Heh-heh-heh." Big Bad answered, taking off his glasses, and putting both them and his book in his pockets. "More to the point, you do-gooders got no business bein' here. If ya had any sense, ya woulda let that avalanche roll ya off the mountain."

"What d'ya know about that, fuzzy!? Your ugly face showin' up exactly means we got business here! So, what's your deal, huh? What're you tryin' to do by pushin' these llamas outta their homes!?" Donald said.

"I don't know what yer talkin' about, Duck. I don't give two shakes of a lamb chop what happens to their homes. That there's the sheriff's business."

"Then, you ain't the sheriff?" Applejack said.

"Heck no. I wouldn't be anywhere near that guy, even when he's in a good mood. I just take care o' the folk he don't like," Big Bad explained, licking his chops.

"¡Aléjate, matón peludo! Tu haber asustado a los demás, pero no abandonaré mi granja tan fácilmente!" Paya rebuked the glutton.

"Ain't no use talkin' to me. I'm gettin' ya off yer farm one way or another," Big Bad said.

The Big Bad Wolf was not the sheriff, but it was clear that he was involved with the troubles the llamas were facing.

To Applejack, it seemed like something more was going on. With the sheriff going to such lengths as hiring an enforcer like Big Bad to get the llamas off their property, there had to be. And, as long as she was around, that wasn't going to happen.

"Ain't no use gettin' her off her farm nohow! I seen plenty o' crooks in my time, but I ain't never seen one a low-down and greasy as you! As long as me an' my pals're here, Paya's stayin' right where she is! An' if you got somethin' to say about it, I'm buckin' ya where it hurts!" Applejack said.

"Now, don't go makin' a scene, lunchmeat. There's a party here. Don't wanna spoil everyone's good time," Big Bad said provocatively, as he unsheathed the first half inch of one of his cleavers from his pocket.

Donald and Applejack looked tensely at Big Bad's weapon, and then into the eyes of the glutton. He was waiting for one of them to make a move. Slowly, they both took a step backwards.

It was what Big Bad wanted. He advanced forward, slowly drawing his weapon.

Since the beginning, they had been falling prey to his scare tactics. Them retreating from him was evidence of that. Applejack knew that if they completely succumbed, it would be the end of them. Something had to be done to fight back.

She quickly tossed the dragon fruit she still held into the air, and bucked it toward Big Bad. The fruit flew straight and true...over her target's head, not even brushing the top of his hat.

"Can't make a country-ism. Can't make a shot. Yer goin' down like a fly in a leaky washtub!"

He would have guffawed, if not for a sudden impact on his nose.

Donald had taken his popgun out of his shirt and fired the cork at his opponent. Not that it did much good, but it did allow an opening for another attack.

Paya took hold of the front of her cart in her teeth, and rolled it into Big Bad, knocking the wind out of him, and blowing her fruit across the ground.

Fiesta de la Piñata had shown up for the dance with Donald, only to stumble and trip over the rolling fruit.

Fluttershy had chosen to hide behind Paya's fruit stand, but now that her cover had been moved she was forced to crawl out into the open.

Big Bad noticed the pegasus trying to escape, and quickly snatched her up before the others could attack again.

"Now, don't go tryin' nothin' funny! Or the pigeon-horse gets it!" he said, backing into the crowd, as he held Fluttershy by her mane.

"Help me..." Fluttershy quietly called to the others.

Big Bad was slowly disappearing with Fluttershy, and in the crowded streets it didn't look like anyone was paying much mind to them.

Donald's mind raced furiously for a solution, and found one with the dragon fruit at his feet.

"Don't just stand there! Fluttershy needs our help--What the hay!?" Applejack said, as Donald took the decorative pins from her hat.

"Ah!" Paya exclaimed, when Donald took her necklace, tied the pins to each end, then stuck the pins into the dragon fruits on the ground.

"Bolas!" Donald quickly explained.

"Bolas?!" Paya asked. It didn't take long for her to catch onto the duck's plan. She took the weighted necklace in her teeth, swung it around, and let it fly down the road.

Big Bad continued to carry Fluttershy through the crowd.

"If ya keep real quiet, I'll make ya somethin' real good. Maybe a pony burger. Or a pony stew," he said to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was too terrified to pay any attention to him. What scared her more was that even though they were at a crowded outdoor party, nopony was helping her. Were they too engrossed in their festivities, or were they turning a blind eye to her trouble. Whatever the case, her panic spiked when Big Bad suddenly tumbled forward with her still in his grip. They came to a hard stop against a decorative artwork of feathers, cloths and cacao leaves.

Once they stopped moving, the yellow pegasus could see that something had wrapped around Big Bad's neck and made him lose balance. It had also loosened his grip on her, allowing her means to escape.

Big Bad looked up from the mess he made, his face now stuck with feathers and leaves to make him look like an Incan emperor, which he quickly shook off. Surveying the crowd, he thought he had lost Fluttershy, until his keen eyes noticed something.

A figure wearing many colorful skirts and a wide hat would not seem suspicious at that festival. But, were Fluttershy's distinctively equine tail not peeking out from the back, it may have escaped notice.

The glutton mentally traced the path she was likely taking based on her direction, and lowered himself to all fours, slinking stealthily through the crowd.

Fluttershy wove her way through a crowd of costumed performers, who were all wearing clothes that reminded her of different animals. Normally, she would have been delighted by the display. But not when a predator was after her.

She hurried as quickly and quietly through the festivities as she could, desperately searching for her friends. Until she bumped into something wearing a woolly poncho.

Looking up, she shuddered when she saw the fierce, fanged face, but quickly realized that it was only a mask, decorated with turquoise and round, coin-like metals that dangled from strips of wool. Still, the face was eerily life-like, and made her quickly start trotting away. Only, Fluttershy became more distressed when she found more of the life-sized figures surrounding her, along with more ponchos and more masks hanging on display.

"Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy looked to the direction her name was called, and saw her friends rushing toward her.

"Applejack! Donald! Paya!" Fluttershy called back, and quickly ran into Applejack's hooves. "I don't want to stay here anymore! Let's leave, before that wolf finds us!"

"You come to my home. Now," Paya declared.

"Your home?" Fluttershy asked.

"Si. Safe there," the llama nodded.

"Don't go gettin' ahead o' yerself!" Big Bad's voice came from somewhere unseen.

"Wak!! He's got us surrounded!" Donald yelled, clubbing the cloaked, masked figures around him with his popgun.

He was joined by Applejack and Paya, who both bucked wildly to weed out their attacker. Soon, all of the figures were knocked down, but Big Bad was nowhere in sight.

"Aw, now lookit that: ya just ruined some feller's hard work. Ya coulda saved a lotta trouble, if ya bothered lookin' where danger wasn't starin' ya in the face! Gah-ha-ha-ha!!!" Big Bad’s voice taunted.

Quicker than any of them could perceive, a black poncho whirled itself around the rope it was draped over, revealing it was actually the Big Bad Wolf, fangs bared, and swinging two cleavers.

Donald and Applejack dove to get the other out of danger. The tassel on Donald's hat was only barely clipped by Big Bad's swinging cutlery.

"Yer all gonna make a tasty dish, once I'm done with ya," the glutton said, scraping his blades together.

Paya grasped a round mask in her teeth and hurled it at Big Bad's head, making him rattle momentarily.

"Eat that, muchacho!!" the llama shouted.

Donald quickly started stacking up more of the round, decorative masks and used both hands to fling the mask on the bottom toward his opponent.

Big Bad tried to deflect the projectiles, only to get bombarded by most of Donald's payload. Soon, he was backed out into the street, where he was engulfed by the dancers dressed like animals. Among them, Fiesta de la Piñata peeked out from under her duck costume to engage the wolf

"Oh, no estés tan triste en una fiesta! Aquí! Ten algunos de los collares que hice para todos!" she gleefully said, as she heaped necklace after necklace of strings with tiny, colorful stones on top of the glutton.

Big Bad reached out from under the pile and grabbed Piñata by her neck, before tossing her aside. As annoyed as he was by her, she had given him the means to fight back at his opponents. It started with him putting each necklace into his gaping maw, and breathing deeply through his nose.

Down the road, the others were escaping. But, not before Paya had a chance to make one last stop.

<"Which way are we goin'?"> Donald asked.

<"Up the mountain trail. My home is further up the slope,"> Paya answered.

<"Then, why are we goin' the other way!?">

<"I need to get something back!">

They came to a stop where Fluttershy had initially escaped from Big Bad, and Paya looked through the mess of leaves, feathers and fruit, until she found what she needed.

<"Got it!"> she declared.

<"We came back for your necklace? Why couldn't ya just make a new one when ya got home?"> Donald angrily questioned.

<"This isn't any old necklace!>" Paya defended, <"It's an irreplaceable memento from--">

Before she could finish, the wall of tapestries behind them started shredding itself.

Everyone ran for cover, as the Big Bad Wolf came charging down the street, spewing decorative stones from his mouth like a machine gun.

The festivities turned to panic, and llamas started running through the streets.

Donald and his friends all took cover inside of a clothing shop, along with many other llamas.

Fluttershy was having trouble putting up with the situation, already well past her limits of anxiety.

"Don't worry, toots! I'll fix 'em!" Donald declared.

He shooed the others behind the counter at the shop, took cover by the door frame, grabbed a hat with two tassels on the sides that was hanging in the shop, and loaded anything he could find into it. The first was a decorative clay pot, which he hurled out the door toward his aggressor.

Big Bad saw the projectile, and spewed a stream of stones at it, shattering the large pot into four tiny teacups, complete with saucers.

Donald took a handful of colorful stones and loaded them into his hat. He swung them out the door at Big Bad, who ducked under the attack, and shot forth a cluster of his own stones. The cluster happened to be in the exact shape of Donald.

"WAK!!"

The duck was hit by every stone, having stood in the exact position the stones were arranged.

He rolled to the back of the room and hit a wall, where a poncho on display slid off its hook and over his head.

<"Ay ay yah,"> said a silver llama with sparkling silver spots behind the counter <"You know, with the right accessories, you could pull off that poncho marvelously!">

Donald ducked his head down, as another burst of stones was blown at him.

<"Not the time for fashion advice, toots!"> The duck answered.

Donald needed something heavy, and fast. He found the head of a mannequin, which had fallen off its body rolling around. That would do. He loaded that into his hat, and hurled it at Big Bad, who had the wind knocked out of him again, and spewed forth every remaining stone in his mouth.

"Yes! Got him!" Donald said triumphantly.

Big Bad burst through the door, past the crowd of llamas toward Donald.

Donald saw the trouble he was in, and quickly took cover behind the counter with the others, hoping they could sneak away before the wolf reached them.

A sudden bang cut through the room, making everyone present stop cold.

That bang came from the unmistakable noise of a certain weapon. The weapon carried only by the new sheriff.

Sure enough, there stood the sheriff in the doorway, holding a smoking rifle in his hands. The weapon rocked forward on a lever the sheriff held, chambering the next round, and rocked back with two loud clicks. He then slung his weapon over his shoulder and clomped through the wooden floor of the shop. Behind him, another llama with a turquoise coat, with blue mottling was keeping back, as if he was trying to keep his distance from the new authority figure in town.

"Hrm..." the sheriff grumbled.

Fluttershy started whimpering behind their cover, prompting Applejack and Donald to cover her mouth.

Paya glowered at the sound of his voice, wishing she could get out there and attack him. But, not when he was more well armed than herself.

"So," the sheriff began, his llama companion translating into the llama's language. "This is what you bring me down here for? You llamas start a fight, interrupt my time at the honky-tonk, and make me come all the way here from the other end of town so I can break it up?"

Everyone in the room gave the sheriff a wide berth, keeping as far from him as they could. Even The Big Bad Wolf was keeping at least two llamas between himself and the sheriff.

"Listen up: I'm gubba-gubba-gonna make this real clear," the sheriff said.

His translator repeated, even adding the gubba-gubbas.

"He's a turkey!?" Donald whispered aloud.

Applejack put a hoof over Donald's bill to keep him quiet.

Donald peeked up from behind the top of the counter, and saw a turkey wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a wool jacket, aviator sunglasses, a handlebar mustache and a silver star. Slung over his shoulder was a gigantic, lever-action rifle.

"This--" the sheriff said, his free arm swinging wide. "--is my town!"

Donald crouched back behind cover when the turkey faced him. He motioned to his friends that they should move out from behind the counter toward the door.

"I like my town filled with peace and quiet,” the sheriff continued. “Because a quiet town is a gubba-gubba-good town. And I aim to keep it that way."

Applejack had reached the end of the counter, and made a beeline for the door, escaping without alerting anyone.

"If any of you-- and I mean any of you-- tries to mess that up: I'm gubba-gonna to make sure you never cause trouble in this town again. You understand?" the sheriff finished, threateningly holding his rifle.

Paya was next, and reached the door safely.

"¿Entiendan todos?" the sheriff’s translator finished.

Fluttershy went next, keeping so low that she was almost flat against the floor, before she went out the door.

Some llamas answered. Others remained silent, only nodding. The Big Bad Wolf slowly backed out of the room and disappeared out a back entrance.

"Perfect," the sheriff concluded. "I hope you all remember this talk we had. I'd hate to have to remind any of you."

Donald was the last to go, having kept an eye on the sheriff for his friends. Now that the turkey had his back turned, he was able to leave. But if only he had been watching his escape and not the sheriff, he would have seen the poncho he was about to tangle himself in.

Though he did his best to keep his bill shut, Donald's struggle against the poncho made enough noise to alert the sheriff, who whipped around and fired his rifle in the duck's direction.

Donald pulled his body down low, while the bullet broke through the wall, right between where Fluttershy and Applejack were waiting for their friend.

Inside the shop, Donald slowly poked his head through his own poncho to face the sheriff's smoking gun barrel.

"Don't you sneak out while I'm layin' down the law, punk. If you missed anything, you might end up a stuffed trophy on my mantle. You hear me?" the turkey asked, his translator repeating in the llama language.

"Y-Y-Yes, s-sir," Donald stammered.

To the duck's relief, the sheriff slung his gun back over his shoulder. However, he was still pinned to the ground by the sheriff's stare.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" the sheriff asked, his translator still repeating in the llama language.

Donald swallowed hard and sweated profusely.

"N-No, sir," the duck stammered. "I'm just a tourist backpacking across these mountains..."

He hoped the sheriff would buy his lie, and make things easier for himself and his friends. But he became more nervous when the turkey knelt down to level his gaze, and peered out from behind his sunglasses.

"You know, it's real dangerous to backpack across these mountains alone. And even more when you don't even got a backpack," the sheriff said, using the barrel of his rifle to pull the back of Donald's collar, nearly lifting the duck up. "You oughta get yourself some new supplies and get outta town quick as you can. And watch every step you take while you do."

Donald was dropped back to the floor, and the sheriff stepped out of the shop, his translator following.

Outside, Fluttershy hid behind Applejack as the turkey passed them by.

The sheriff stopped momentarily to glance at the ponies to his side, then continued to walk along.

He passed by Paya, who was glaring intensely at him. The sheriff did not even stop to acknowledge her, only glancing in her direction. And for a split moment, Paya was sure he smiled slightly.

"Mama pajama," Donald shuddered, as he exited the shop, still wearing his knit hat and poncho, "I don't know who's scarier: that fuzzy glutton, or that fat bird."

"I don't think we should think about it..." Fluttershy answered.

"It's alright, sugarcube. We'll all keep ya safe," Applejack assured her friend. After helping Fluttershy to her shaking hooves, they approached Paya. "Hey, Paya. Let's get outta here, 'fore somethin' else happens."

"Si," Paya nodded. "Sígueme."

Nopony needed Donald to translate that. Paya's intentions were clear. She was going to lead them to her home to stay in safety. However, the work of the visitors was not done. As long as the town was under the rule of the new sheriff, there would be nowhere safe to stay.

Author's Note

Just to begin with: who hears Danny Trejo's voice for the sheriff? I don't know if I'm the only one who hears that voice, but I think it's a good one for the character.

The name of the town (Santillama) is a parody of the capitol of Chile (Santiago). The reason for the name is that the 'llama' suffix is pronounced with the Spanish pronunciation. So, phonetically the town is called Santi-yama.

As for the llamas themselves, are we seeing some parallels here? Like, with some certain ponies we know and love? And it seems like Applejack has made a friend in a fellow farmer.

For anyone who is confused about how Paya speaks some sentences in English and most others in Spanish, it's because she knows a little bit. Basically, she speaks English the way that I speak Spanish (without my friend to translate for me).

Also, the reason that some of the llamas' dialogue is translated and others' are not is because of character perspective. Applejack and Fluttershy don't understand what the llamas are saying, while Donald does, hence the reason when Donald talks to them, his dialogue is translated. I hope it wasn't too confusing for anyone to read, because it was actually a bit confusing to write.

That's about all there is for now. Hope you had fun reading this chapter, and rock on to the next one \m/

Chapter 13: Night Raid on Rancho del Corazón

Chapter 13

Night Raid on Rancho del Corazón

In the back alleys of Santillama, the Big Bad Wolf skulked through the shadows, trying to keep his head low after the previous fiasco.

His failure to stop the others was sure to be noticed by the sheriff. And if the fat bird ever realized that two of them were Bearers of Harmony, he was going to be in big trouble for letting them escape.

Even though the Bearers were now powerless, Big Bad had heard stories about them, and knew that they could cause him all kinds of problems. On top of that, they were aided by a duck who had the same powerful magic as himself. Between the three of them, taking care of them on his own was going to be no easy task.

Big Bad was stopped by his snout suddenly bumping into something. Crossing his eyes, he found it to be the barrel of a large rifle. Slowly swiveling his eyes forward, he saw the weapon's owner: the sheriff himself.

"Where you gubba-gubba-goin', puppy dog?" the sheriff asked. Behind him, his translator repeated in the llama language.

"Me? Uh...I was--" Big Bad said.

"Sneakin' out on me? After I just gave that big lecture to those trouble-makin' llamas?"

"I wasn't sneakin', boss! I was just on the trail o' some fugitives!"

"Oh yeah? Describe 'em to me, and I'll keep an eye out for 'em."

The llama behind the sheriff translated.

"Shut up, stupid," the sheriff said to his translator.

"Cállate...estúpido," the turquoise llama repeated, before getting the hint to stop.

"Hrm..." the sheriff said, before turning back to face Big Bad. "So: how about those fugitives?"

Big Bad was backed into a corner. He was going to have to exactly describe the Bearers to the sheriff and put himself in trouble. This would take some tact.

"Well...uh...they're from outta town. Ponies. Should be real easy to spot," the glutton said, moving energetically as he explained, the sheriff's gun always planted on his nose.

The sheriff squinted behind his glasses. He had been warned about strangers who may come to town, and was given particular caution of the Bearers of Harmony, along with some other strangers from his own home.

"Let me guess: some orange freckle-face with a cowboy hat, and a jittery, yellow shut-in?" the turkey answered.

"Yeah! That's them--oh..."

The sheriff rocked the lever on his rifle.

"You let Bearers of Harmony into my town, Fido! You realize what a pain it's gonna be explainin' this to Yen Sid?"

"Now--Now hold on! Yen Sid don't gotta know 'bout this! I was just gonna round up a posse an' run 'em outta town, then get that farmer off her property like ya wanted!" Big Bad said.

"You're roundin' up no posse! Whatever can be done about it's gonna be done quietly, and with as little hassle as possible! You know where I stand on people raisin' a stink in this town," the sheriff growled.

"Then, what do ya want me to do about it? I already tried huffin' an' puffin' 'em off their property, an' I got rammed right down the side o' the mountain!" Big Bad said.

"You're supposed to be cunning and devious, ain't ya?" the sheriff said, "Try puttin' that whole 'big, bad' thing to good use."

It was true. People didn't call Zeke Midas Wolf 'Big Bad' for nothing. For him to live up to his name, he would have to come up with something truly devious. Something that would have to both get the llamas off their farm, and take care of the Bearers of Harmony. It took only seconds for him to come up with anything.

"I think I got somethin', boss," Big Bad said. "But, we're gonna have to cause a little trouble.”

"That ain't what I wanna hear," the sheriff answered.

"Now-Now-Now hang on! I know ya don't like troublemakers, but there's a way that we can use it to get those Bearers out o' our hair for good!"

The sheriff was intrigued by the idea of getting rid of the Bearers, even if it would raise a fuss. For the sake of carrying out his mission to Yen Sid, he decided to give it a chance.

"I'm listening," he said, lowering his rifle.

Behind him, his translator's ears folded downward. Whatever the two villain's were conspiring, it could only be trouble for the good llamas of the town.

As Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack followed Paya to her farm, the town of Santillama was at least a mile below them on the mountain. Up there, the hustle and bustle of the town ceased to exist. The narrow path and treacherous turns made Applejack wonder how their llama guide was able to navigate her heavy cart full of fruit so easily when she brought it to town and back.

Fluttershy kept herself busy trying to keep her eyes on the trail, not once daring to look off to the side. Sure, there were only slight slopes on the sides of this path, but the idea of falling still clung to the pegasus, making her stop in her tracks. Until she was bumped from behind and knocked over.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Donald fumed.

"I-I'm sorry! I saw the slopes and--!" Fluttershy said, as she cringed on the ground.

"And what? Ya saw somethin'? A pebble fell, and ya thought it was another avalanche?"

Fluttershy was becoming too anxious to answer Donald, but feared that her silence may rouse the duck's temper.

"Why don't ya leave her alone!" Applejack said, as she stepped to Fluttershy's side. "Can't ya see yer scarin' her?"

"She shouldn't be scared of anything now that we're up here! She's gotta toughen up!"

"She ain't gotta toughen up at all! She's fine how she is!" Applejack rebutted.

"Not if she wants to survive out here, she isn't! Remember what just happened with Big Bad just now? He would have made sausage outta her if we didn't stop him so quick! What's gonna happen if we're not there next time she's caught?" Donald said.

"There ain't gonna be a next time she's caught! 'Cause the next time I see that wolf, I'm buckin' him over the horizon!" Applejack rebutted.

"You could barely buck his hat off his head! You probably couldn't even hit the broadside of his backside!"

"It was a fluke! I've always had my off days, an' this was just one of 'em!"

"Well, ya can't have any more of those, or else we're dead meat at a big bad buffet!"

Applejack stomped her hooves and whinnied angrily.

Donald quacked and held one arm out straight, while the other swung round and round.

"Amigos!" Paya called from up ahead, stopping a fight that was sure to have almost happened. "Estamos aqui!"

"She said we're here. And it's about time, too," Donald said, walking ahead of the others.

Applejack stayed behind to help Fluttershy up from the ground.

"Don't let him get to ya, sugarcube. You'll be fine fer this whole trip, ya hear," Applejack assured her friend.

Fluttershy didn't say anything intelligible, but mumbled and nodded. As she walked with Applejack, she started to think to herself: what would have happened if her friends weren't there to help her when the Big Bad Wolf took her hostage? Would she really have allowed herself to become his next meal out of nothing more than her gentle nature? Maybe Donald was right about her needing to get tougher. But, how was somepony like her supposed to do that?

The final stretch took them over a ridge, and greeted them with a new sight. A path that went right through the middle of an enormous orchard. The orchard itself was lined with what looked like tiny palm trees, each one of them dotted with the pink fruits that Paya had been selling earlier. As they walked through the path, the palm trees turned out to be cacti. Maybe it was simply the familiar shape of the plants, but something about them brought to mind a place where one could escape from reality for a while. A welcome idea, given what had just transpired. The doorway to this escape was a grand trellis with a sign that read Rancho del Corazón. At the very base of it, Fluttershy noticed a flowerbed, and the word 'Nōchtli' painted on the fence above it.

Past the many plants, the shape of a large house made of whitewashed adobe, and a roof of red tile was seen in the light of the lowering sun. The outside of the house was a grand sight, with a two-tiered fountain in the middle of a large plaza that was built right into the front yard, complete with tables and chairs for outdoor dining.

"These llamas must be pretty well off," Donald thought. "Probably through nothing but all the hard work they do in these fields. Just like Unca' Scrooge." Donald briefly thought of his family back home, and wondered how any of them were doing without him, before the front door of Paya's home was opened.

"Go inside," Paya said with a smile as she held the door open.

It was Applejack who took the first step indoors, followed by Donald, and hesitantly followed by Fluttershy. Inside, they found a familiar, yet awe-inspiring sight.

Many more llamas abounded inside. Younger llamas played about the rooms, while the older llamas all deftly navigated among them as they went about their business with plates of food and drink. It was like watching rush hour traffic, only for an indoor mealtime.

Paya stepped to the front of the group, curled her lip and let out a shrill whistle. All eyes were on her as she made her announcement: "Todos: tenemos invitados esta noche!"

Smiles flooded the room as the llamas happily gasped.

"Invitados? Ha pasado tanto tiempo desde que vimos a alguien venir aquí!" one of them said. "Pancho: consigue las frutas más frescas que tenemos. Esta noche, comemos como reyes!"

A throng of cheers erupted, and the guests were all pulled into the room. Applejack seemed to be the only one having a good time, as Donald was loudly protesting and Fluttershy was practically shrinking into herself.

They were all placed at the table, where Paya sat down next to Applejack.

"What's goin' on here!? What are you all doing dragging us around like that!?" Donald squabbled. His temper was quickly dampened when a gigantic plate piled with rice, potatoes, olives, fruit and beans was placed before him.

<"A special platter for a special guest,"> said the young llama who gave Donald his plate.

<"Wowee! You folks sure know how to treat a traveler around here,"> Donald said, as he stuffed his face. <"How's about gettin' your guest a drink?">

<"You got it! Boy, it's been a long time since I heard anypony say that.">

Fluttershy was looking anxiously around herself, trying to figure out exactly what they had done to receive such treatment. Somepony sat down next to her, and she flinched when she saw a much older llama look directly at her.

"I'm sorry if this is all so overwhelming. It's been a very long time since we've had any guests. It's always been kind of a tradition for our family to see to the travelers who are passing through the area," the old llama said.

"Oh...you speak pony," Fluttershy said.

"Yes. I used to sell dragon fruit to a caravan of pony farmers with my husband. That is, until we got too old to make the trip," the llama chuckled. "Ah, I have not yet introduced myself. My name is Flor del Dragón, and I am Hitapaya's mother."

"I'm Fluttershy. That's Donald sitting next to me. And next to him is Applejack. I guess we're your daughter's new friends."

"There is no guessing here. Everypony in this family has always had a knack for making new friends," Flor said.

Fluttershy looked around at the table at all the llamas present. There were so many of them, she wondered how they all stayed under the same roof.

"Everypony here is Paya's family?" she asked.

"Yes. Everypony here is family." Flor del Dragón answered. "There is me. My husband, Manzano. Our children: Hitapaya, Pancho, Espino, Rosarita, Margarita, Cormano, Lanosa, and Espinosa. My sisters: Flor de Pájaros and Flor de la Belleza. My malingering brother, Holgazán. My nieces and nephews: Calabaza, Frijole, Zanahoria, Cebolla, Apio, Tomatilla, Tomate, Cereza, Arándano and Granada. My parents: Flor de la Vida and Fruto de los Dragones. (I am named after them both). And..." Flor del Dragón looked around the table, quickly examining each llama present. "Hm...There seems to be somepony missing."

As if on cue, the sounds of tiny hooves clattering across the floor sounded behind Fluttershy. When she turned to look, a much younger llama, one that looked like he had just learned how to walk, ran over to Paya.

Paya smiled brightly and tightly hugged the baby boy. Fluttershy couldn't understand what Paya was saying to him, but the way that she was lovingly hugging him and cleaning off his dirty face, she did not need Donald to translate to know her relation to him.

"Paya, you're a mother?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sí. Una mamá orgullosa," Paya answered, kissing her son's forehead.

Applejack watched the two family members, and felt a sudden contrast between herself and Paya.

"Dang! She ain't much older than me, an' she's already startin' her own family. How's she do it while she's runnin' a business?" she thought to herself.

The young llama decided to investigate the orange pony who was sitting next to his mother.

"Hey there, little critter. Name's Applejack," Applejack greeted him.

Something must have happened suddenly. As soon as Applejack spoke her name, there came a sudden chain reaction.

"Apples!!" one of the younger relatives shouted.

"Apples!!" one of Paya's brothers said. They were both followed by many, many more of Paya's family suddenly surrounding them.

"Apples!!"

The sudden crowd was overwhelming for the guests. Especially Fluttershy, who hid behind Donald to get away from them all.

Paya stepped in to clear up the misunderstanding.

"No. no, no. No hay manzanas aquí. La llamo de esta yegua es Applejack," the farmllama explained.

A wave of disappointed moans filled the room. Donald could hear some of the llamas saying that they were hoping for some apples.

"I guess they really like apples here," Donald thought to himself, before resuming his meal.

Applejack allowed some time before she decided to speak with Paya's son again. "So, what's yer name?"

"He is Frutito. It means...Small fruit, in pony," Paya said, after briefly thinking about the translation.

"Now, how's that gonna sound when he grows up an' he's big as my brother?" Applejack said. She had placed her hat by her side when she sat down, and pulled it away when Frutito tried to take it. "Hold on, pardner. That ain't fer playin' with."

She looked at the young llama's disappointed expression, and wanted to do something to put a smile back on his face. Quickly, she grabbed her own napkin, and pulled Donald's out of his shirt, just as the duck bit into a particularly juicy pear that spewed all over his front.

"Wanna see how me an' my family get food from across the table?" Applejack asked, as she fashioned a tiny lasso from the two napkins.

After giving it a twirl above her head, she let it fly and loop around a bowl of baked olluco with avocado. With a pull, she yanked it across the table and let it land in front of herself.

"An' that's how we do it at the Apple house," Applejack proudly proclaimed.

"You couldn't ask like everyone else?" Donald said, snatching back his napkin and wiping off his filthy poncho.

Frutito giggled, and jumped up and down at the display, as his mother fixed him a small plate from the bowl Applejack retrieved.

Paya was not about to let her son start looking up to a mare he had just met. A mischievous smile crawled onto her face, when she thought of a way to really impress Frutito.

"Eso no fue nada. Vea cómo tu mamá le pasa comida a tu tío," Paya said to her son, as she took off her necklace. She loaded a single pear into it, twirled it around and let it fly into a bowl of chopped vegetables.

The vegetable bowl slid down the table, and bounced off a food platter. The food platter spun across the table right in front of her brother, who happily took the food that was sliding by himself.

The vegetable bowl continued to skip over a row of plates and slid to a stop in front of Frutito.

"Ensalada?" Paya offered to her son.

The other family members cheered for Paya's exceptional skill, even as the pear was still bouncing like an errant pinball.

"Mighty fine, that," Donald said, just before the pear lodged itself into his open bill. Once the duck removed it, he began quacking angrily at it, before taking a huge bite out of it. "And let that be a lesson to you!"

Fluttershy had been scared by Donald's fiery temper before, but with the rest of the crowd in such good spirits, she couldn't help but giggle at his angry antics. Then, something occurred to her: Paya's mother had told her that Frutito was the one family member missing, but she suddenly realized that there was one very important relative who was not present.

"Um...excuse me," the pegasus said to Paya's mother. "I don't want to pry, but...um...where is Paya's husband? Shouldn't he be here with his family?"

Flor del Dragón slowly stopped eating her rice and looked around the table, warily checking to see if anypony else was listening. "We shouldn't talk here. Come to the kitchen with me, and I'll explain."

Fluttershy wasn't sure why they couldn't talk about it there, but followed behind the old llama to the adjoining room.

"Wash a few dishes with me. I don't want Paya to think that I'm talking with you on a private matter," Flor said.

Fluttershy was becoming both confused and anxious about the situation. All she had done was ask an innocent question, and now she found that she had stepped into some sensitive issue. As naturally as she could, Fluttershy walked over to the sink and started washing dishes.

"I'm telling you this now, so that you don't bring it up to my daughter. And tell your friends not to bring it up either. Do you understand?" Flor asked.

"Yes..." Fluttershy answered, anxious, but eager to know what was happening.

"For you to truly understand the gravity of the situation, I feel I must explain a few things to you," Flor said. She paused for a moment, as if she were preparing herself for what she was going to say. "Paya's husband, Nōchtli, meant the world to her. They have known one another since they were crias, and were barely apart for a day in their lives."

"I'm sorry: what does 'crias' mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"It's what we llamas call our young. Similar to your ponies' foals. Anyway, Hitapaya has always credited Nōchtli as a major influence on who she is today. He was the one who taught her how to sling and throw bolas. It was he who taught her how to stand up for herself when others were trying to put her down."

"He sounds wonderful. I know that I could probably use some lessons to stand up for myself sometimes," Fluttershy answered, as she dried a plate.

"Yes...The two of them hardly saw it coming when they fell in love. Or, maybe they saw it coming from the other side of the mountain, which was why they chose to marry. I'll never forget when my husband and I saw our daughter come rushing home through the orchard, shouting that Nōchtli proposed to her. She already had everything figured out: when and where the wedding was to be held, who to invite, what to wear..."

Flor slowly stopped washing the dish in her hooves, and stared out into space.

"Are you alright?" Fluttershy wondered.

"Yes--yes, I'm fine," Flor said, before she resumed her story. "A year after, my first grandson was born. Everything was wonderful, until the sheriff, and his enforcer came to town. Everypony's magic was stolen, and llamas started losing their homes. But, not us. Thanks to both Paya and Nōchtli, the sheriff's hairy thug was sent off the property. He's been very persistent, but no matter what that wolf tried, he was always kept at bay."

Flor del Dragón's face changed to a despaired frown.

"Then, it happened. After the two of them knocked the wolf off the side of the mountain, Nōchtli had become fed up with the constant attacks on his property and family. He...He went to face the sheriff alone."

Fluttershy gasped quietly at the news, knowing from her short time around the sheriff that it was not a wise thing to do.

"Yes. He went to town to confront the sheriff. To tell him that we would not give up our land to him, and..." Flor paused for what felt like hours to Fluttershy, who desperately wanted to know what happened next, but didn't want to seem like she was pushing the old llama. Finally, she spoke. "The sheriff took Nōchtli from her."

"You mean, he put him in jail?! How awful! How long can the sheriff keep anypony before..." Fluttershy stopped herself from talking. Flor's sad, but somehow stern face made her think she said something that she shouldn't have. The sudden sound of the sheriff's weapon echoed in Fluttershy's mind, snapping every nerve in her brain. Sweat poured down her forehead, and her face flushed red as she frantically tried to apologize. "Oh, Flor! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize--!"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Flor calmly said. "It's plain to see that you have never lost a family member. And you should consider yourself lucky. Nothing can ever compare to losing somepony you love." The old llama moved to the doorway, where she watched her daughter and grandson talking with the others. "Especially when everyday you see how it's affected the rest of the family. Paya, who lost her husband. Little Frutito, who will never know what it is to grow up with his father. And everypony else, who had taken so kindly to Nōchtli, as if he was their own brother. Now, all Paya has left of him is the sling he taught her to use when they were crias."

Fluttershy's eyes went to the necklace Paya was wearing. She felt inclined to ask about it, but didn't feel it appropriate to do such a thing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dampen your spirits during such a happy occasion. You should go back to the banquet. And please, do not bring this up in front of my daughter. Wait to tell your friends."

"I will," was all Fluttershy answered as she slowly walked back into the dining room.

She passed by Paya, who was happily talking to Applejack (though they had a hard time understanding each other), while her son played with his plate of food. As she walked by, she noticed Paya's hooves gently, possibly unconsciously, holding Frutito a little closer to herself.

Fluttershy took her place back beside Donald, and the duck turned to greet her.

"Where ya been, toots? They just started handing out piononos," Donald said.

"What's a pionono?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like great stuff," Donald said, as he showed her the rolled up, cream-filled pastry. He lifted it up to take a bite out of it, only for all the cream to spill out the other end and land on his plate. "Hmph! This is exasperating."

The food was eaten. The festivities were done. After the meal, they had all participated in an impromptu dance out on the patio, which went on until the sun went down. Once it was dark, Paya gave Frutito to her dad to have him put to bed, and guided her guests to where they would be staying.

Some hundred or so feet from the house, there was another building. One of the same whitewashed adobe and red tile roof, but much smaller than the main house. Inside, there was one single room. Four beds were laid out in any corner of the room with a small table between two of them.

<"This will be your room for the night. I hope it's to your liking,"> Paya said.

<"You bet it is. I was afraid we'd be spending the night sleeping on rocks, before we met you,"> Donald answered.

<"Don't worry. You won't be sleeping on any rocks around here.">

Applejack was all ready to hit the hay, and bellyflopped onto her bed. "Thanks a bunch, Paya. Y'all really know how to make a pony feel welcome so far from home."

"Duerme bien. Y trabaja en ese lazo tuyo. No impresionarás a muchas llamas con esos trucos baratos," Paya said, to Applejack, as she twirled her sling around.

"Sounds like a challenge to me. Get me some real rope, an' I'll show ya what a real farmpony's made of."

Paya chuckled at Applejack's words, before bidding her farewell. "Buenas noches, todos."

"Buenos noches," Donald said.

"Buenos noches," Fluttershy said, not sure what she was saying, but guessing it was something polite.

"'Night, y'all," Applejack said.

Paya left, leaving the others in their moonlit dwelling.

"Since when do you understand what she's saying?" Donald asked Applejack.

"Didn't understand a word she was sayin' all night. I just guessed is all. Maybe some of it's rubbin' off on me," the farmpony answered.

"That does tend to happen," Donald said, suddenly remembering his friends back home. Thinking of his friends, he started to wonder what Goofy and Mickey were up to without him. But, wondering would do no good. He decided simply to sleep on it. "Well, goodnight ladies."

Fluttershy thought that now was the time to tell the others about what Flor del Dragon had told her, but decided against it. Even though nopony was saying anything, she thought she could feel an air of companionship with a sense of longing, uncertainty and a trace of despair. Unsure what to make of the feelings she was picking up on from her friends, she decided to lay her head down and go to sleep, to spare them the anguish she had experienced only prior. Soon, the three of them were off to sleep.

"FUEGO!!"

A voice shouted out from outside the guest house, waking the inhabitants inside.

"Hum...Whuh...What the heck time is it...?" Donald asked, looking at the clock on his table. "Wak! 3:00 AM!!? What the heck's somebody doin' up at this hour!?"

"It's a farm, Don. Folks tend to get up mighty early on 'em," Applejack explained, noticeably more alert than Donald.

"But, if it's only 3:00, why is it so light out there?" Fluttershy wondered.

Suddenly, they all smelled a familiar scent. An acrid aroma that made their respective hair and feathers stand on end. Donald realized what the voice outside had yelled, and nearly lost all color.

The sound of hooves rapidly approached from outside, and the door of the guest house was thrown open by a turquoise llama.

"You need to get out of here!" the llama said.

"What!? Wait: aren't you the sheriff's translator?" Donald asked.

"Yes! You need to get out of here now!!! There's a fire in the orchard, and it's spreading this way!! Go!!"

That was all they needed to hear. The three of them followed the llama out into the open, where they saw Paya's family bravely fighting back the flames. One of Paya's cousins ran to a nearby pump and attached a hose. Her uncle and two of her sisters reached for a massive lever and pulled it down as hard as they could, while two other relatives aimed the hose at the orchard, unleashing a torrent of water to abate the flames.

Suddenly, a great wind blew that fanned the flames forward, undoing almost all the work the llamas had done to save their crops.

Further away, Applejack saw something on a hill. Another flame lit. A much smaller flame that seemed to float in the air. By the light of the small flame, she thought she could make out two shapes. One tall and skinny, the other squat and stout.

"I like this idea you had, puppy dog! I like it a lot!" the sheriff said, as he tossed a lit torch into the orchard.

"Ya see? Just by causin' a little bit o' trouble, we're gonna get these llamas outta here! Gah-ha-ha-ha!!!" Big Bad said, before he huffed, and puffed, and blew the flames across the orchard.

"When we're done here, I'm makin' you my deputy!" the sheriff said

"Do I get to wear a star?" Big Bad asked.

"You bet, fuzzy!"

"Gah-ha! An' mom said I'd never make anything of myself!"

Applejack could take it no more. Somepony had to do something about those two arsonists on the hill. And she was just the pony to do it. Bucking up her hooves, the farmpony ran headlong into the blaze toward the hill.

"Applejack! Stop!" Fluttershy called.

"You're gonna be cremated!!" Donald said.

Nothing they said could stop her. She was too far away to hear them. And even if she could, she would not have turned back anyway.

"Fluttershy: stay here and help the others. I'm gonna go get action mare," Donald said. He quickly ran before Fluttershy could protest, and stopped just before the orchard. "Aw nerts...I'm gonna be extra crispy by the time this is done..."

And with those last words, he charged into the inferno after his friend.

Author's Note

First of all: has anyone reading this ever given an apple to a llama? I have, and I am telling you that these woolly cuties go mental for apples. As soon as they see one, they will practically gallop to you, eat it out of your palm, and treat you more affectionately than before. Seriously, find a llama and give it an apple. You will not regret the experience.

Some of you may also have noticed that the ponies, llamas and duck eat dishes made with avocado. In real life, not one of those animals should eat avocado, as it is toxic to them. Turns out that humans are the only species that are able to eat avocado and not get sick from it. Isn't that interesting? No. But, hey: you learn something new every day.

It seems like there are some tensions growing within this group. Fluttershy questioning her own worth to her friends, which I know has been done on the show a few times. Only, this time her survival is on the line. Then there's Donald and Applejack who are at each other's throats from time to time. How are things to turn out for our poor heroes? Especially now that they are to face off against the bad guys again. And it's not even the end of Donald's arc.

Paya's family is somewhat based on the families that I grew up around when I was a kid. I grew up in a Mexican-American neighborhood, and everybody there loved having friends over for parties, meals, or just get-togethers.

The idea that Applejack has become friends with someone who she can't understand is also something from my own experiences. Back in eighth grade, I made friends with a Dutch homeschool student who didn't speak a word of English. She ended up becoming my first girlfriend. But, you guys aren't interested in that. Let's go back to other bits of useless trivia.

The name of Paya's husband, Nōchtli, is the Aztec word for the prickly pear. I know that the setting is Andean, where the Incas lived, but this is a fantasy world, so it doesn't have to be one-hundred percent accurate.

Stay psyched for the next chapter. Rock on \m/

Chapter 14: Come Around

Chapter 14

Come Around

The fire blazed all around Applejack. The heat alone practically made her hat singe as she ran through the flaming orchard toward the villains on the hill.

Another wind blew from their direction, making the flames all flare toward her.

The farmpony dropped to the ground, covered her head, then stood up when the wind from the hill stopped.

The Big Bad Wolf had just finished blowing more of the flames across the orchard, when he noticed something in the light of the fire.

"Hey, boss: looks like we got us a hero down there," Big Bad said, pointing to the rapidly approaching Applejack.

"Tryin' to keep us from doing our job, huh? You should gubba-gubba-get down there and take care of her. I'll keep this bonfire burning," the sheriff said.

"Me!? I ain't goin' in there! Ya could cook a hundred pigs in a blaze like that!"

The sheriff deliberately placed one hand on the butt of his rifle, which was leaning on the wagon full of unlit torches behind him.

"You say that like I'm givin' you a choice, fuzzy," he said.

Catching the turkey's drift, Big Bad lowered himself to all fours and ran headlong into the fiery orchard.

Before the sheriff could return to burning the orchard, something else caught his eye. Some way away from Applejack, the duck from earlier, who he had told to go on his way, was now rushing through the orchard toward him. That was just another troublemaker for him to take care of. And he was going to quickly rectify it.

"Applejack!!" Donald shouted over the roar of the flames. "Applejack!!!"

There was no answer.

"What am I doing in here!? She's probably already roasted alive!" Donald said.

There was a distant banging sound, and the burning cactus next to Donald burst into embers.

"WAK!!! What's goin' on here!!?"

Another bang, and another cactus burst.

"I'M UNDER FIRE!!! HELP!!" Donald shouted.

Another shot was fired at him, and the duck dropped right to the ground. Reaching under the back of his poncho, he produced the popgun he had, and held it tightly in his hands as he bellycrawled across the ground.

"This is takin' me right back to my days in the service,'' Donald thought to himself. "Too bad none of my pals are here to cover me!"

The duck rolled to the side, underneath a row of burnt cacti.

More shots were fired, and the cacti that Donald hid under were blown away in a complete row, making a clean slant from the bullet's trajectory. The fruits that had been growing on the cacti were all dropped around Donald.

Donald peered from under his cover and saw the turkey on the hill. Now that he knew his enemy's position, he had only to fire back. He aimed his weapon and realized a fundamental flaw with his tactic.

"What the heck am I using this stupid thing for?" Donald wondered to himself, and put his popgun back in his poncho.

Remembering what had worked so well against the Big Bad Wolf earlier, Donald took off his hat and loaded it with one of the charred fruits.

The duck rolled out from under his cover and swung his hat around, before letting the fruit fly.

The sheriff was aiming his next shot, when he saw a projectile coming toward him. Snapping his aim at the new threat, he shot it right out of the air and was splattered by a hail of fruity flesh.

"Hrm..." the sheriff grumbled, as he wiped his face off. He didn't even have a chance to retaliate, when another fruit came flying toward him. It was quickly shot out of the air, and was followed by another, closer than the last.

The sheriff ended up having a hard time keeping up with the volley of fruit that was thrown at him. Finally, a piece of fruit was practically in front of his beak, before he dodged it. He thought it had missed him completely, until it landed in the wagon full of torches.

The embers on the fruit ignited a cluster, which soon spread to the entire stock.

The sheriff gobbled loudly and hopped backwards.

A volley of well-aimed fruits all flew past the sheriff, and battered the wheels and frame of the wagon. The burning wagon rocked backward, and started to roll forward.

The sheriff gobbled louder, as he stumbled away from the wagon, and fell down the first three feet of the hill. Stumbling to his feet, he saw the wagon rolling toward him, and ran away from it down the hill.

He tried veering to the side to allow the wagon to roll past him, but it was not that easy. The wagon swerved onto two wheels, and rolled after the turkey, not allowing him to escape.

The sheriff ran down the hill as fast as his chubby body would allow, until he was hit from behind by the wagon and went careening down the hillside on the front of the fiery ride.

He impacted hard at the bottom of the hill, and rolled to a stop. The sheriff was the first to land, followed by the torches clattered around him. The wagon came falling lastly, was promptly shot by the sheriff, and burst into flaming lumber. The parts of the wagon stacked themselves up neatly around the sheriff, along with the axles and wheels landing and leaning against the stacked wood.

"So, that's how he's gubba-gubba-gonna play it, eh?" the sheriff growled, rocking the lever on his rifle. "It's time for a duck hunt."

Applejack had seen the sheriff run down the hill from the flaming wagon, and marveled at how it followed his every move. Now, the turkey was in the orchard with her. All the better, now that she didn't have to climb a hill to get him.

She was just on her way to where she saw the sheriff enter, when something else approached her.

The Big Bad Wolf was charging her on all fours like a savage predator.

Applejack knew that her usual strength wasn't up to snuff without her magic. But that didn't stop her from winding up a world-class buck for the wolf.

Before he was anywhere near her reach, Big Bad stopped and blew toward the flaming cacti around Applejack.

Applejack couldn't believe her eyes. Somehow, the flames next to her formed into a pair of hands that tried to grab for her.

"What the buck!!?" Applejack said, as she backed away from the flames.

The flames behind her tried to attack the same way.

"What in tarnation's goin' on!?"

Big Bad blew at the flames again, making small fireballs fly off and land on the ground. The fireballs all suddenly grew stubby arms and legs, and started running toward the farmpony.

Applejack backed away from the tiny platoon that had formed before her, and stomped her hoof on one that got too close.

"OW!" she shouted, finding that stomping a flame would indeed burn. However, she had snuffed it out.

She backed away, and found a shovel. Likely, one of the tools that the workers were using before the field caught fire. Taking the shovel in her teeth, she slammed it down on another fireball, and another and another after that, snuffing them out.

One of the fireballs had wised up, and jumped on the handle of the shovel.

Applejack let go of the tool, just before the fire reached her face, and watched the wooden handle burn to ashes. Not about to be deterred, she took the metal head of the shovel in her teeth, and used to swat more of the living fireballs.

Big Bad continued to blow into the blaze, sending more of his diminutive minions to his opponent.

Applejack was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the assault. She needed to stop it at its source. She started by driving a wedge into the army of fireballs by swinging the shovel head side to side. Next, she placed the tool on the ground and charged forward like she was plowing a field.

The fireballs were thrown aside, and the wolf was coming closer.

Big Bad huffed, but didn't have a chance to puff when Applejack was upon him.

The farmpony slid her shovel head beneath the glutton's feet, and flipped him like a flapjack. While he was still in the air, Applejack tried to buck him away, only to merely graze him, lose her balance and fall on her face. This was followed shortly by Big Bad landing on her.

While they were both on the ground, they watched the fireballs from before start jumping on one another, merging together. One by one, they all combined, until they were a single fireball as tall as Applejack. The large fireball reached down and picked up the shovelhead that Applejack had dropped, and patted it threateningly in its palm.

That was their cue to leave. Big Bad was the first to run away, pushing Applejack into the dirt when he ran.

Applejack looked up and moved her head, just before the shovel came down on her. She scrambled to her hooves and ran through the orchard away from the fireball, which kept trying to attack her.

She caught up with the Big Bad Wolf, and quickly sped past him.

"Hey!" Big Bad shouted. He yelped, when he felt the swinging shovel just barely miss him, and grabbed Applejack by her tail and pulled her behind himself.

Applejack jumped over the next swing, caught the seat of Big Bad's pants with her teeth and pulled him behind herself.

Each one continued to push the other back as they ran away from the attacking fire, until they both jumped into a wheelbarrow that was in the orchard, and rolled down the flaming path.

The fireball jumped into a cactus that hadn't started to burn yet, and tossed the shovel to another burning cactus. The flames caught the shovel head, and tossed it to another flame. And that to another.

Applejack continued her fight with Big Bad in the rolling wheelbarrow, both she and her opponent trying to get the upper hoof. Most importantly, she was careful to stay clear of his teeth. She knew that whatever the glutton bit, he intended to swallow.

She almost thought she had him when he ducked low, but became aware of something behind herself. Turning to look, she ducked just in time, as a shovel head came swinging toward her.

Her hat remained in the air, allowing the weapon to pass between her and it, while Big Bad took a chance to come up. He had to duck clear, and his hat remained stationary, just as Applejack popped her head back up into her own hat.

She was about to duck again, but the wolf's hand on her chin stopped her, forcing her to take the full brunt of the shovel to her face.

Applejack reeled from the blow, and sent the wheelbarrow swerving uncontrollably, until it fell over.

She rolled to the ground, while Big Bad was unfortunate to have rolled into a patch of fire, which burned his tail, making him howl in pain.

Applejack knew the flame with the shovel was coming again, and had enough of its presence.

A fiery arm raised the shovel head to attack Applejack again.

Applejack lifted the wheelbarrow over her head, and slammed it over the top of the burning cactus that held the shovel head, snuffing out the fire and making it drop its weapon. That was one danger down. Now, she had to take care of the wolf.

Big Bad swung his cleavers downward.

Applejack rolled over the top of the wheelbarrow, which took the full hit

Big Bad jumped over the wheelbarrow and swung his cleavers again.

The farmpony dodged and tried to counter with a buck, but missed completely and struck a burning cactus.

"YEEEOOWCH!!!!" Applejack shouted, as she bounded and somersaulted on her hot hooves.

Big Bad backed away from her, as she was swinging her hooves right toward him. He crossed his cleavers in front of himself to block, only to be thumped by Applejack anyway.

The glutton flew backwards onto the front patio of the house, right onto one of the tables, and saw pigs flying around his head. Applejack came jumping out of the orchard next, her hooves and the tip of her tail smoking from the flames.

Big Bad shook the flying pigs out of his vision and saw the llamas turn their hose to Applejack. A devious idea crossed his mind.

"Más presión de agua! Necesitamos extinguir ese yegua!" Paya's father shouted.

Paya and Fluttershy both ran to the pump to start heaving it up and down. The water from the hose sprayed further to reach the farmpony, and was just able to extinguish what few flames were on her, before the stream of water suddenly dropped in pressure.

A fountain of water sprayed upward in the middle of the hose where Big Bad had chopped into it. He pulled his meat cleaver out of it, and looked at the llamas that surrounded him.

"Ya wanna get me fer this, don't ya?" he gloated. "Well, come on! One at a time! All at once! Either way, I eat good! Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"

Both Paya and Applejack approached the wolf, ready to take him on.

The glutton's eyes glinted as he licked his chops.

Donald ran left.

*BANG*

"WAK!!"

Donald ran right.

*BANG*

"WAK!!"

Fire was to his front and back, leaving the duck with nowhere to escape to. Slinging fruit would do no good. Not when he couldn't see his opponent.

He tried running left again, and bumped into a plow. That was what he needed.

Donald grabbed hold of its handles, dug its blade into the ground and charged forward, creating a trench in the ground that he sank into, just as another bullet whizzed over his head.

The duck tunneled through the ground, and circled around through the flaming orchard. Soon, he had a network of trenches he could navigate on his search for Applejack. Unfortunately, it was not Applejack he found.

The sheriff stood with one foot on either side of a trench, his rifle aimed right at Donald.

Donald lifted the plow, and let the bullet bounce off the blade, before veering to the side to burrow more.

The sheriff jumped into the trench and chased after the duck.

Donald knew he had to lose the turkey. He steered himself into the path of a row of flaming cacti and allowed them all to fall into the trench behind him. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do, since the burning plants quickly caught up behind him and burned his tail.

"WA-A-A-A-A-AAAAAAKKKK!!!!!!" Donald shouted, as he burst out of the trench, fanning his tail in midair.

Another shot was fired at him, and a cactus to his side burst into embers. Through the burning rows, Donald could see the sheriff coming toward him, batting the flaming cacti out of his way, before rocking the lever on his rifle.

Donald ran with his head low, until he found one of his trenches. The duck ran through its length, until he felt he was a safe distance away. He crawled out and plucked a fruit from a burning cactus. After tossing the fruit like a hot potato, he took off his hat and allowed it to land inside of it, before slinging it over the rows of cacti.

The turkey was taken completely off guard when the flaming fruit came lobbing over the cacti right on his face. He took the hit directly, and recoiled backwards into the flames.

"GUBBA-GUBBA-GUBBA-GUBBA-GUBBA-GUBBA!!!!!!!" the sheriff gobbled loudly, as he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. By the time he had put his flaming tail feathers out by forcefully sitting on the ground, he saw many more fruits come flying toward him from his side.

These fruits were shot out of the air, but he was assaulted from his other side by more of the fiery fruit.

The sheriff was pelted over and over, until he was knocked over. In the distance, he could see Donald's webbed feet running through the rows, until the duck disappeared into one of the trenches.

Donald ran through his trench system, hoping to find a place to reappear that wouldn't take him into the path of a cactus he had dug up. His path ahead was clear, until he heard the sheriff's rifle fire off. Ahead of him, a row of cacti fell into the trench, nearly stopping the duck in his tracks. But, it would not easily stop the fleet-of-foot-fowl.

Donald planted his feet on either side of the trench and ran along the walls, until he was over the burning cacti.

Another shot was fired, and Donald had to duck low as he ran to avoid having any of the fallen cacti land on him.

He finally ran straight up a trench wall, out to the surface, where he was shot at again.

A row of fruit was clipped off by the shot, sending it all raining down on Donald, who caught every fiery fruit, and juggled it all.

The duck could see the turkey walking through the rows toward him again. He quickly removed his hat and caught one flaming fruit in it, and slung it at his opponent. He juggled the rest of the fruit, and caught them one by one in his hat to sling at the sheriff.

Each of the fruits were shot out of the air, as the sheriff came closer and closer.

"Take that! And that! And that! And that! And that! And that! And that! And that! And that--" Donald shouted, as he slung each of his fruits at the sheriff, until the fat bird was completely upon him. The duck started sweating bullets under the larger size and fierce expression of the turkey, which was only exacerbated by the fire around them.

The sheriff raised the butt of his rifle, and slapped Donald square in the face with it.

Donald spun around and around from the force of the blow and fell over backwards into one of his trenches. As the bells rang in Donald's head, he heard Fluttershy scream in the distance. It came from the direction of the house, and the duck was quickly on his feet to run to his friend's aid. Until, his bill struck the barrel of the sheriff's rifle.

The sheriff stood at the edge of the trench, his finger ready on the trigger.

Another scream in the distance, and Donald swung his hat on the back of the sheriff's head and swung himself over the fat bird, just as a shot was fired. At the same time, the sheriff was knocked into the trench, while Donald ran away as fast as he could across the tops of the flaming cacti.

Fluttershy shrieked again, as she watched Applejack dodge another swing of Big Bad's cleavers.

Their fight moved to the outdoor patio. For a time now, Applejack and Paya had both been trying to gain the upper hoof against the wolf, only to be kept at bay by a swing of his blades or a snap of his jaws.

Paya came close to successfully charging the wolf, but hesitated at the last moment when one of his cleavers came down on her. She dodged to the side, only losing some of the wool on her neck.

Applejack came next, bucking wildly just beyond the reach of Big Bad's weapons. For the longest time, something didn't feel right whenever she bucked. And she knew precisely what it was. Ever since her magic was stolen, she hadn't been able to do the things that she had done naturally her whole life.

Ducking under a bite, Applejack's eyes met with Big Bad's. Now was her time to buck him into submission and reclaim what was taken from her.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!!!!!"

Applejack fell flat on her face from the sudden jolt the sound gave her. Her bucking hooves only knocked down a nearby table.

Everypony looked to the source of the distinctive squawking, and saw Donald running straight toward them across the tops of the flaming rows of cacti, until he jumped off into their midst. The duck ran wildly back and forth, his feet smoking and the tips of his poncho flaming.

"PUT ME OUT!!! PUT ME OUT!!!" Donald shouted over and over, as he rammed into the wooden patio furniture, hopped through the adobe flower planters and knocked over the potted plants. All the while, he set them all ablaze.

The sight of the nearby fire gave Big Bad another devious idea.

Fluttershy ran from Donald, as the flaming duck charged around. Finally, the pegasus dove forward for cover, as Donald jumped high over her, landing right on the broken part of the hose.

"Aaaahhh. What a relief," Donald sighed contentedly, as his feet and poncho sizzled loudly.

Fluttershy almost looked up from the ground, only to duck in cover again as another wind blew.

Big Bad had turned to face the house, and blew the flaming items on the patio inside. The flames in the house did not spread quickly, but rapidly filled it with smoke.

"Gah-ha ha ha!!! I think this's the first time I took down a house stronger than sticks! Ol' mom'd be so proud o' me," the glutton guffawed.

<"Paya!!"> Flor called to her daughter. <"Cormano and Cereza are still inside with Frutito!!">

Time stopped for Paya. The three youngest members of the family were trapped inside of a house that was rapidly filling with smoke. Over the roar of the nearby flames, she could hear the screams of the frightened crias, mixed with the cries of her infant son. All hesitations thrown aside, the farmllama ran past Big Bad into the house.

Big Bad inhaled for another blow to fan the flames in the house, only to cough loudly and blow himself backwards after Donald slung a flowerpot into his gut.

"Somebody get inside and help Paya!! I'll take care of this firebug!" Donald declared.

Donald Duck was many things. A raging hothead. A borderline coward. A malingering loafer. A magnet for bad luck. And for all his flaws, he was also a family man who paid back those he owed. Messing with the family of the llamas who offered him such kind hospitality was a grave offense that he would not take lightly.

Fluttershy had heard the screams of the crias, and watched Paya as she went into the house. She heard Paya calling the names of her family that were still inside, followed by a loud coughing fit. Fluttershy herself had conducted several fire drills at her own home with all the animals before, and knew that such expertise would come in handy now. Only, she was too scared to get much closer to the burning house.

"Cereza!? Cormano!? Dónde estás!?" Paya called from inside.

The desperate call of the farmllama was what pushed Fluttershy to go inside the house. She covered her face with her wings, crouched low and crawled beneath the smoke.

The first steps into the house were hazardous, at best. The flaming furniture and plants blown in by Big Bad were the first obstacle Fluttershy faced, along with the fire that started to spread from them. With her head kept low, the pegasus slowly shuffled around the fire to the direction she heard Paya's voice.

The smoke was nearly blinding despite how thin it was. Tears leaked from Fluttershy's eyes as they were stung by the fumes and battered by the heat. She squinted hard to see anything, and caught sight of four red hooves from her vantage.

"Paya!" Fluttershy managed to call.

Paya turned her head, and ran to the pegasus.

"Fluttershy!? Qué estás haciendo aquí? Sal afuera!" Paya said.

"Paya, get down!" Fluttershy choked out, as she gently lowered the llama's body to the floor.

Paya slightly resisted at first, but found it slightly easier to breath on the lower ground, and complied the rest of the way. Once she was on the ground, she and Fluttershy both crawled through the house, calling the names of the crias who were still inside.

The answer came when they heard the call of the crias from the back of the house. From what the adults could gather, they had run to the furthest point away from the fire and smoke when they found the three young llamas at the back room.

Cormano held tightly to Cereza, who was holding the crying Frutito in her hooves.

"Paya!" Cormano said, when he saw his sister coming through the smoke.

Paya and Fluttershy both quickly checked if the crias were alright.

<"Paya! Frutito is--"> Cereza began.

<"Is he alright?"> Paya interjected.

<"Yes! But, he needs to get out of here!">

Paya readily agreed with her little cousin. She tied her manta differently around her shoulders, so that it would cradle her son against her chest when she placed him inside of it.

"Stay low, everypony! And follow me!" Fluttershy said, lowering the crias to the ground.

Fluttershy crawled her way through the house, having mentally tracked her trail through the house since she came in. Following closely behind her were the llamas in her care.

In seconds, she was able to lead them to the front of the house, only to find that the flames had spread further, blocking their exit.

They needed to get out of there quickly. Especially Frutito, who wouldn't be able to stand much more of the smoke. Paya gave her son over to her brother, took a breath in and slowly stood up.

"No! You have to stay down!" Fluttershy said.

Paya didn't listen. She walked to the nearby table and picked up a chair that was set at it in her hooves. With a mighty heave, she threw it right through one of the nearby windows. Next, she yanked the tablecloth off the table and draped it over the broken window to protect the others from the glass.

Quickly, Fluttershy and Paya helped the crias out the window, before they followed after.

Outside, they could all breath easily, and were soon swarmed by the other members of the family to get them as far away from the danger as possible.

However, such a thing would not be quite so feasible.

Donald spun along the edge of a wooden shelf with his hat in one hand, snagging flowerpots off with it and hurling them all at Big Bad.

The wolf wasn't quite as coordinated as the turkey was, getting hit by almost every projectile slung at him. But, that didn't stop him from blowing some of them back with quick bursts of his own breath.

Applejack bucked one of the patio tables toward the glutton, only for him to knock it aside.

The table was knocked into the front door of the house by Big Bad’s cleaver, where it quickly went up in flames, spreading the fire within.

"Aw, horse apples!" Applejack said.

"The pump! Buck it, Applejack!" Donald shouted, after he jumped over Big Bad's swinging blades.

The nearby pump was all but useless. Without the hose attached to it, it would do no good. Until she caught onto what the duck was trying to tell her.

One good buck would be what it took to break the pump at its base and send a spray of water into the house. If they weren't able to save the llama's field, they would surely be able to save their home.

Applejack quickly ran over the pump, and started bucking it with all her might. Each hit vibrated the contraption, shaking her along with it. Even without her magic, she knew that she was going to succeed here where she had failed every other time. She had to for her friends.

With one last grunt, Applejack shot her hooves out and felt something give. It was then that she knew she had succeeded. Then, she looked at what she had done.

She had indeed broken the pump, but only broken off one of the caps on the side of it, which sent a powerful torrent of water not to the field, not to the house, but across the patio.

Paya and her family were sprayed, and quickly dispersed.

Donald and Big Bad both stopped their fight to see what all the screaming was about, just before the cap Applejack broke flew in and hit both of them in the head. Big Bad was the first to go down, followed by Donald.

"Aw, Applejack...!" Donald moaned, before losing consciousness.

It was the worst thing that could have happened. Applejack quickly tried to help the others to their hooves, starting with Fluttershy.

Paya looked around frantically for her son, calling his name, until her eyes met with the front of the sheriff's rifle. Looking up, she saw the fat turkey with his weapon in one hand, and holding her crying son in his other.

"This what you're lookin' for, chica?" the sheriff said.

Paya was beyond anger as she watched the sheriff holding her son. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward and stomp the turkey into nothingness, but knew that one false move would mean the end of her.

"Any of you who speak pony, tell this little girl my proposition," the sheriff said.

Paya's mother stepped forward hesitantly, ready to translate for her daughter.

"Hrm..." the sheriff began. Now, things were all in place, and he began to speak. "You don't gubba-gubba gotta worry about this little cria. I got every intention o' handin' him back to you. But first, you gotta do something for me: you take your family, and you get off this property. Or else you, your friends back there, and even this little guy are all going to have some bad accidents," the turkey threatened, hovering Frutito closer to the fire.

Paya clenched her teeth, and tears seeped into her eyes when she heard her mother's translation. She opened her mouth and shouted a long string of curses at the sheriff, just inches from the front of his rifle. Finally, she broke down sobbing and fell to her knees.

"Sí...Sí! Te daré cualquier cosa! Solo déjame tener mi hijo espalda!" she begged the turkey.

Fear clutched everypony watching, as the sheriff backed away from Paya, and allowed Frutito onto the ground.

The baby ran across the ground into his mother's hooves.

Paya held tightly to her son, stroking his coat and quieting his crying. Slowly, she looked up and saw the sheriff motion with his rifle toward the exit of the property. Without ever taking her eyes off the turkey, Paya backed away to her family, just as Donald's incessant squawking reached their ears.

"PUT ME DOWN!!! PUT ME DOWN, YA HAIRY PALOOKA!!!!" Donald jabbered.

Big Bad walked up behind the group, and threw Donald face first to the ground. When Fluttershy and Applejack tried to help their friend up, they both froze when they felt the wolf's claws grasp their shoulders.

"Heh-heh. Looks like we caught 'em, boss," Big Bad chuckled. "The guys what started this little barbecue here, eh."

The sheriff smiled malevolently, while the llamas watched in horror.

"What're you all still doin' here? Move it!" the sheriff barked at the llamas.

Not one of the llamas wanted to oblige, but they were all forced to for the safety of one another. Soon, each of the llamas was trudging down the mountain, away from their home. Behind them, Applejack, Fluttershy and Donald were all led from behind by Big Bad and the sheriff.

"What a fine mess this turned into," Donald grumbled, with his hands held over his head. "Rrgh! This is exasperating!"

"Stop sayin' that already!" Applejack angrily muttered.

Author's Note

Donald put it best. What a fine mess this turned into. What's going to become of those llamas? What will happen to their home? What's to become of our heroes? How will they get out of their current predicament? And just why does the sheriff want all this property so badly?

I know that a fight in the middle of a fire is something that I've done before. But, I went back and reread Minnie's fight with The Massster, and I sort of got the feeling that the fire was more of a setpiece, rather than some kind of presence or hazard. I figured that for this chapter, something more like 'Mickey's Fire Brigade' should be done, where the fire is a constant nuisance. I don't know how well I did that, but I gave it a shot.

I've been busy lately, so I've been writing this chapter mostly close to my bedtime. I'm not sure if that's affected the quality of the work any, but something seems a bit off about the action in this chapter to me. Maybe it's that I don't feel like the sheriff did all that much, as opposed to the badger and The Massster? Aw, well. It's probably all in my head.

I think by now that we have established that Donald's costume for this arc is modeled after Andean boladeros, but in the next chapter we will see him get some other more creative uses out of it. Uses that we have seen him do before in a certain video game *wink* *nudge*.

It also looks like a few roles have been reversed. Fluttershy may well have found her role within this group, while Applejack is now doubting her own. But, will the mares realize it?

In the upcoming chapter, we will have a high noon showdown with these corrupt lawmen. But, if they have already failed to save the llamas, what more can our friends do? I hope the next chapter answers any questions that you all have. Rock on \m/

Chapter 15: High Noon

Chapter 15

High Noon

Things seemed pretty bleak for the prisoners. They failed to save their llama friends' home. They failed to defeat the villains who were taking over the town. And now, Donald learned that his closest family member was lost somewhere in that dangerous new world. Upon seeing the wanted poster of the elderly duck on the cork board, Donald began frantically pacing back and forth in his cell.

"Now, calm down, Don. I'm sure if we get outta here quick, we can find somepony who knows if yer uncle's safe or not," Applejack said.

"I'm not worried about his safety. I know Uncle Scrooge, and he's more than a match for most anything that comes his way. What I'm wondering is how the heck he got here, and why he's wanted from the law," Donald answered.

"We could ask somepony who works here..." Fluttershy suggested, before realizing exactly who was on the law enforcement in Santillama. "Oh...N-Nevermind...But, maybe when they let us out?"

"Sugarcube, I don't think they plan on lettin' us outta here," Applejack said.

Slowly, Fluttershy's ears drooped when the terrible truth seeped into her mind.

"Aw, this is becomin' too much! First, we get our friends kicked off their property, then the duck who raised me ends up in this twisted fairy tale world! What other crazy surprises are waitin' for us?" Donald said.

As it always is on such a cue, there came a loud rumbling noise outside. A noise that shook the entire jailhouse, and the occupants within. Fluttershy quickly took cover underneath her cot, while Donald and Applejack held tightly to the bars of their adjoining cells.

"What the hay was that?" Applejack wondered. "Take a look out there, an' see what's what."

Donald's cell was the only one with a window, so he was the one who had to peer outside. What the duck saw shocked him.

There was heavy equipment outside in the streets of the town. There was a crew of workers out there. Donald couldn't see what they were exactly, but they sure weren't ponies or llamas. Each of them was operating some huge, heavy piece of equipment, like what was seen at a construction site. Backhoes, bulldozers, and a crane with a wrecking ball attached to it. It was then that Donald realized that it was not a construction crew, but just the opposite.

"They got demolition gear out there!" Donald said.

Fluttershy 'eeped' loudly, and shivered violently.

"What did you say?!" Applejack said.

"There's all this equipment out there for knocking down buildings!" Donald said, before looking back out the window. "WAK!!?!!?"

A building was knocked down with a thunderous bang. Dust and debris flew about, blowing down the street and right into Donald's face.

"What's happening out there?" Fluttershy squeaked out from under her cot.

The duck wiped his face clean and said to the others, "They just knocked down a building! And the crane's winding up for another swing! They're gonna try and level this whole town!" His eyes popped wide when he noticed a disturbing detail when the crane turned to the side. There, painted on the side of the cab was an emblem of a stylized '$'. The very same emblem of McDuck Industries.

Donald was completely incredulous of the sight. The only time Uncle Scrooge ever put his emblem on anything was property he owned, or projects he funded. This was beyond belief. There was no way that Uncle Scrooge could possibly be involved in something so insidious as this. But, there it was, staring him in the face. Donald clutched the bars of his window, his fingers indenting them deeply.

"Uncle Scrooge, you got some explaining to do...!" Donald said through clenched teeth.

He quickly ducked down, as the building outside was knocked over, and another cloud of dust blew in.

Donald was suddenly aware of a noise at his cell door, and turned around to see the sheriff's turquoise translator standing there.

"WAA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AAAAAAAAK!!!!!!!!!" Donald shouted as he ran to the front of his cell.

The llama screamed as Donald's arms reached out and pulled him against the bars of his cell.

"WHAT'S YOUR BUSINESS WITH MY UNCLE!!!!?" the duck demanded.

"Huh?!" the llama meekly answered.

Donald pressed his forehead against the llama's.

"MY UNCLE!! WHY'S HE WORKIN' WITH YOU HOSERS!!!?"

"Somepony help!! I don't understand what he's saying!!"

The llama was suddenly shaken violently.

"WAA-A-A-A-A-AK!!!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!"

"Donald, stop! Maybe he can tell us what's happening," Fluttershy said.

"That's what I'm tryin' to get from him! But, he won't tell me why my uncle's workin' with them!" Donald replied.

"Your uncle?" the llama asked.

"That's right!" Donald said, planting his palm on the llama's head, and twisting it around to look at the wanted poster. "My uncle! Right there! Scrooge McDuck!"

Donald twisted the llama's head back to face him.

"That guy's your uncle?" the llama said.

"An' they're mighty close too. So, you better start talkin' if ya like yer neck where it is," Applejack said, hoping to get information from the llama as well.

"Waitwaitwait! It's not what you think! That guy's the guy who helped the sheriff foreclose all that property and evict everypony!" the llama said.

"That's a buncha bunk! My uncle wouldn't do anything that cruel!" Donald asserted.

"B-But, he did! Scrooge McDuck was the guy who got everything signed over to the sheriff, and he did it for seventy percent of all the profits!"

Donald's eyes shot red when he heard that. He didn't believe his uncle could ever do something so low, but it sounded like something he would do for the right profit margin. He wound up his fist, all ready to punch out the llama's lights, until Fluttershy spoke up.

"But, if he's been helping the sheriff, how come he's wanted? Wouldn't the sheriff be keeping his business partners close to him?" the pegasus wondered.

"No. Because Scrooge found out what the sheriff was up to!" the llama answered.

There was another thunderous shaking, as another building was demolished.

Now intrigued, Donald put his fist down and continued to grill the llama.

"What? What was the sheriff up to?" Donald asked, deliberately.

"H-He's buying the whole town to have it knocked down. He's supposed to be building something here for his boss! After Scrooge found out it was a scam to evict everypony, he went ballistic. He started threatening the sheriff, and tried to revoke his business with him. But the sheriff said their business was already done. Then he starts shooting at Scrooge and drives him away! And then he puts a bounty out on him! Now don't hurt me! Please!"

Donald slightly loosened his grip on the llama, knowing that was exactly what Uncle Scrooge would do. He had once done a similar dishonest act and had a whole village burned down to gain control of the valuable land it was on, and it nearly cost him his life. Knowing him, he would likely be trying to undo the damage he had done. Now that he knew what was happening, he knew what he had to do.

"Where's my uncle now?" Donald asked.

"The sheriff said he'd be at the groundbreaking ceremony, up at Rancho del Corazón,” the llama said.

Donald's eyes popped. They had his uncle.

"Paya's house!" Fluttershy exclaimed, as she crawled out from underneath the cot in her cell. "We need to get out of here to help her! Applejack, could you buck these doors off?"

"Don't even get me started on that," Applejack grumbled.

"We're gonna need the keys. You," Donald said to the llama, "You know where the keys are in this joint?"

"Yes," the llama answered, just as a loud *ka-thunk* sounded on Donald's cell door.

Donald looked down, and saw the llama had already placed the key in his cell door and had just turned it open.

"Well, whaddaya know about that?" he said.

The ground started shaking again.

Donald looked over his shoulder, and saw a bulldozer coming directly at them through the window on his cell.

"Wak!! Hurry up! Get movin'!! We gotta skedaddle!!!" the duck panicked.

"What's happening now?" Fluttershy said, just as Donald opened her cell and yanked her out.

Applejack was next, and she only just caught a glimpse of the tractor plowing toward them through the window as she was guided by her hoof out the door.

All four of them dove forward, as the building was bulldozed behind them. Once the tractor had passed, the sheriff's translator helped the others up, and guided them away from the rubble.

"Follow me! I'll get you guys out of town," he said.

"Oh no! We're not going anywhere! Not until I get my uncle back!" Donald declared, before rushing toward the direction of Rancho del Corazón with Applejack and Fluttershy in tow.

"Wait! Wait!" the llama called after them.

The sun was high in the sky. High noon. The perfect time for a showdown.

In the time it took for them all to reach Rancho del Corazón, construction had already been underway. They stood on the ridge of the hill, and saw the fields of dragon fruit had been bulldozed away, a foundation had been laid, and girders had been put up. All that needed to happen now for construction to continue was for the house to be demolished.

Before the house were more bulldozers and backhoes, and a gigantic crane. Inside the cab of the crane, Big Bad sat ready at the controls. Standing around the crane were all manner of avian workers. Parrots, pelicans, albatrosses, hawks, buzzards and eagles could all be seen among the ranks of the rough-looking crew. And they were all standing before the crane, where the sheriff stood on one of the treads.

Wasting no more time, they all hurried down the path through the trellis at the front. Even Fluttershy did not hesitate to follow, knowing that they were going to need as much help as they could get for what was about to happen.

"Get a look at this everyone," the sheriff called to the crowd. "Today, we're gubba-gubba-gonna help make history! The boss said he needed a place to put his new castle, and we gave it to him!"

All the workers cheered loudly.

"Just think: because of us, one day he'll get outta that castle he's locked up in, and rule from here as a whole man!"

More cheers came from the crowd.

"'Course, none o' this would've been possible without our generous benefactor. Let's have a big hand for the man himself! The richest duck in the world: Scrooge McDuck!"

A throng of applause thundered as Big Bad operated the mechanisms inside the cab of the crane.

The crane lowered a wrecking ball from the top of its height. Slowly, the wrecking ball turned to reveal an elderly duck in a red coat tied to the front of it.

"Ye can take yer applause an' stuff it, ye bloated poultry!! Get me down from here an' see what's comin' to ye!!!" Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he fought against his ropes.

"What we got comin's a whole lotta pressed duck! Gah-ha-ha-ha!" Big Bad laughed, as he threateningly throttled a lever inside the cab, making the wrecking ball shake violently.

"Ye'll be a fur coat before I give ye the pleasure! And get that hat off yer head!" Uncle Scrooge retaliated.

"An' go back to my ratty ol' hat? Never," Big Bad said, as he threw away his old hat and adjusted Uncle Scrooge's atop his head. He then twirled Uncle Scrooge's cane around in his hand. "Besides, I think this new hat suits my classy new position as deputy--OUCH!!" The glutton said, as he bopped his own nose with the cane.

"Alright. That's enough celebratin'. Let's get that spiffy little casa outta here. Deputy: help Mr. McDuck to break some ground," the sheriff called.

Big Bad rubbed his nose and went to work, first by raising the wrecking ball to an operable height.

As the wrecking ball ascended, the sheriff noticed something pushing through the crowd.

"Hrm..." he grumbled, as he reached for his rifle.

"Step aside! Move it! Move it!" Donald shouted, until he reached the front of the crowd with his friends.

The first thing he noticed was the crane swiveling to the side. The second thing he noticed was the loud string of Scottish-accented curses coming from nearby. Looking up, he saw his uncle tied to the front of the wrecking ball that was aimed at Paya's house.

"Uncle Scrooge!!!!!!"

The familiar squawking voice caught the elderly duck's attention, and his eyes lit up at the sight of his nephew in the crowd.

"Donald!!! Get me down from here!!" Uncle Scrooge called.

Over the clamoring of the working parts of the crane, Donald could hear the familiar clicking noise of the sheriff rocking the lever on his rifle.

Quick as he could, Donald grabbed the others, and pulled them all out of the way just as the shot from the sheriff's rifle missed him, and shot the hat off of one of the workers, making the poor albatross pass out cold from fright.

The sheriff aimed his shots carefully, waiting for the best window when his targets were between his workers. Shot after shot was fired. But his targets were wily, and managed to avoid being hit.

"Don't worry, boss. I'll get 'em!" Big Bad said, as he worked the machinations of the crane.

As the cab turned, there was less space for the sheriff to stand on the treads. With a loud gobble, the sheriff fell off the treads, and into the dirt. Looking up, he saw as the wrecking ball on the crane was swung at the intruders, with Scrooge McDuck shouting all the while.

The three running charged through the crowd of workers, who all started running out of the way when they saw the wrecking ball swinging.

Fluttershy heard the noise from the crane, and looked over her shoulder to see the machine turning its cab. She knew it could only mean one thing, and quickly ran away to the side.

Applejack saw Fluttershy pass by herself. Before she could ask her friend why she was running away, she became aware of the noise of the crane, and looked to see it turning as well. With a shout, she too ran to the side, following Fluttershy.

Donald looked to his left and his right, seeing no sign of his friends. When he looked behind himself, he was horrified to see the wrecking ball with Uncle Scrooge tied to it swinging right toward him.

"WAK!!!" Donald shouted, as he ran faster.

The speed of the duck and the speed of the ball evened out when they were not but three feet from one another.

"Stop runnin' away an' get me offa this thing!!!" Uncle Scrooge shouted.

"How!?" Donald answered.

"Ain't ye never worked a crane before, lad!? Use the release switch in the crane, or climb on the cable an' do it manually!!!"

Donald looked forward, and saw the sheriff aiming his rifle at him. With a squawk, the duck tripped and slid forward, plowing through the ground, and allowing the shot and the wrecking ball to sail over his head.

"An' be quick about it!! I'm gonna be sick if this keeps up!!" Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he swung away over the sheriff.

The sheriff fell backwards as the heavy ball came toward him, dropping his rifle. The oncoming rush of the workers kicked his weapon away from him, forcing him to chase after it.

Donald knew that getting into the crane's cab was going to be a problem, what with that hairy glutton at the controls. That, and the crowd of armed workers in his way. Somehow, he would have to release the wrecking ball manually. Easier said than done.

Somehow, he had to get up high to get on the cable. Climbing Paya's house was out of the question, and Fluttershy was likely too scared to get near the crane to help him fly. But, the nearby construction site may well have proven useful to him.

"Come on! Get the lead out!" Donald called to his friends, as he ran to the construction site.

"Where are we going?" Fluttershy asked, as she ran next to Donald.

"We're gettin' my uncle off that wrecking ball! First, we need to get some height!" Donald said.

Both mares could guess exactly what he was thinking. Fluttershy was hesitant, as always, but Applejack bravely charged ahead.

"I'm-a way ahead o' you, pardner!" the farmpony said.

The workers at the construction site were busy at work. Two of them, a hawk with an armload of I-beams, and a pelican looking over the building plans caught sight of an orange blur, just before they were plowed down by her charge.

The hawk stood up, grabbed one of his I-beams and swung at Applejack.

Applejack ducked, as did the pelican, who was within range of the swing.

The pelican raised his arms to block Applejack's buck, and shoved her forward.

Applejack ended up tumbling onto her back, and bucked her hooves up to block the hawk's I-beam.

The hawk and the pelican both raised their weapons to smash Applejack.

A hammer flew in and hit the pelican, bounced off and hit the hawk.

"And let that be a lesson to ya!" Donald said, slinging his hat around, while Fluttershy shivered behind him. "Come on, toots! We gotta go up now!"

"Up...?" Fluttershy said, looking at the tall building frame.

"I know you're scared, but you're the only one who can help me save my uncle!" Donald said, guiding Fluttershy by her hoof.

Fluttershy didn't know what to do. Heights were always one of her foremost fears. But she had to go with Donald to save his family.

As it was, Donald ended up practically dragging her to the lift at the front of the building structure, where Applejack promptly joined them.

Both Donald and Applejack started pulling the ropes on the sides, raising the platform they were on upwards, while Fluttershy laid flat and tried not to think about how high they were.

Suddenly, the platform started shaking, and Fluttershy clung to Donald's back for security.

Looking up, they saw that one of the workers was sawing through the rope with the beak of a smaller worker he held in his hands.

The rope frayed and started to snap.

In a desperate move, they all leapt from the platform, just as it went crashing down. Donald, with Fluttershy still on his back, took off his hat and slung it around one of the support beams.

Applejack tried to find a hoofhold, but instead went sliding down the beam like a fireman down a pole.

"Applejack!!" Fluttershy called, before she buried her face in Donald's back after seeing how high up they were.

"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine on her own," Donald said, as he shifted his hat up, walked a few steps, and shifted his hat up again.

Down below, Applejack landed hard on her flank back at the foundation.

"AW! Hayseeds! Oooowww! That's a pain that's gonna linger...!" she said to herself. She was already not exactly in top bucking condition, but an achy flank would only exacerbate that. Unfortunately, she was in exactly a situation where bucking was called for.

A number of other workers had gathered at the construction site, and were all armed and ready to beat the intruders to a pulp.

A vulture stepped forward, patting the large pipe in his hands, before winding up for a swing.

Applejack backed away from the reach of the pipe, and bumped into the fat gut of a paunchy parrot, who picked her up and threw her into the nearby stack of rebars.

The rebars clattered around the farmpony, who looked up and saw the cadre of workers advancing to attack.

Applejack quickly threw one long rebar that knocked down the first three workers.

A fourth jumped over his allies as they fell, and swung his fists at Applejack.

Applejack wove around his blows, and was suckerpunched from the side by an albatross, who knocked her hat off her head.

She recoiled from the hit, and retaliated with a buck, only for her legs to stiffen from her aching flank and fall flat.

That was it. No more bucking, until she got her magic back.

She could feel that her back hooves were hooked on another rebar.

Her opponents approached her from behind.

Quick as she could, she pulled her rear hooves forward, tripping the workers with the rebar and springing upright. However, it was a literal pain in her flank to do so.

The pain continued when she clasped the rebar in her hooves and spun around the trip the next wave of attackers. Using her front hoof, she flipped the rebar into her mouth and swung it downward at a vulture's head. Her blow only bounced harmlessly off his hardhat.

"Guhuhuhuh! Ya won't do no good 'gainst my protected noggin. No, no, uh-nope," the vulture said.

Applejack reached up, took off the vulture's hardhat, and knocked him in the head again. This time, the bald bird's eyes lit up and he started tilting over backwards.

"Guhuhuhuhuh! Uh, nice hit...A-yupyupyup...." And the vulture passed out.

It wasn't bucking, but it had worked. An idea occurred to Applejack: even if she wasn't much of a bucker anymore, what about her other skills? The oncoming group of workers would be just the way to test it.

Taking the rebar in her hooves, she planted one end in the ground and bent it into the shape of a giant horseshoe. Taking it by the middle in her teeth, she aimed carefully, and threw with all her might.

The entire group of workers stopped shouting and stopped dead in their tracks, just as the oversized horseshoe dropped on the ground right around them. A perfect ringer, no less.

The workers all resumed shouting, and rushed Applejack again.

She couldn't buck. She couldn't toss horseshoes. Applejack was starting to wonder what she could do against the oncoming onslaught.

There was little that she could do against such a large number of opponents. She was surrounded, and had the apple brown Betty beaten out of her, before she was tossed away from the construction site into the open.

It looked like Applejack would have the advantage in open quarters, until the wrecking ball from Big Bad's crane dropped not three hooves away from her. Facing her was Uncle Scrooge, sick as a dog from being swung about.

"Aw, hog snouts! I missed!" Big Bad said from the crane. He started raising the wrecking ball again.

"Yer a friend o' my nephew's, ain'cha?" Uncle Scrooge asked Applejack. The wrecking ball started pulling away for another swing. "Be a good lass an' BEAT HIM STUPID FER NOT GETTIN' ME DOWN IN A TIMELY MANNER!!!"

Applejack quickly had to duck, as did the workers who were sneaking up on her when the wrecking ball came sailing over them all. Their screams were only just heard above the screams of Uncle Scrooge, as he went careening by.

Quickly, Applejack got to her hooves and started attacking her prone opponents. She knew she had to be quick, before that wrecking ball came back.

High in the distance, back at the construction site, another struggle was taking place.

Donald's progress up the building was slow, especially with Fluttershy's extra weight on his back.

Higher up, some of the workers happened to look in their direction.

"Well, lookee at that. Prob'ly summa those do-gooders what's been helpin' those llamas," one of them said.

"Youse think we oughta get 'em," said another.

"Not us. We don't got th' 'quipment." The first worker thought for a moment, then called over to the steeplejack who was working nearby. "Hey, Rosie! We got another job for ya!"

Fluttershy shivered violently on Donald's back, making the duck shake as well and lose his firm hold on the I-beam he was climbing.

Donald took the two tassels on his hat in one hand and clasped the other over Fluttershy's shaking hooves.

The trembling mare had one last tremor that rippled through her body from her mane to the tip of her tail, before she stopped shaking.

"Stop shakin' so much! You're gonna make us fall!" Donald said.

"I-I-I'm sorry...! B-But, we're j-j-j-j-just so...*ulp*...high up..." Fluttershy said.

"There's nothin' up here that can get us. Quit panicking."

Nearby, a rope lowered and started to wave. Next, a hen who was even fatter than the sheriff slid down with her one bare hand. In her other hand, she held a rivet gun, which was pointed right at Donald and Fluttershy.

"Start panicking!" Donald said.

Both climbers screamed as Donald swung them both around to the lee side of a support beam, just as a hail of rivets was fired at them.

Up above, Rosie's two cohorts pushed the pulley her ropes were attached to along a rail to put her in a more tactical position.

"Y'all ain't hidin' from ol' Rosie!" the hen shouted, as she appeared around the side of the support beam.

Donald screamed and swung around the beam, while Rosie swung after him. After leading her to wind her rope around the beam a few times, Donald used his momentum to swing to the next beam.

"Youse okay down there, Rosie?" one of the workers above called.

Rosie unwound her rope from around the beam and called back, "Right as rain! Now, let's git that quackerjack!!"

The other workers readily agreed, and pushed Rosie's pulley system along its rails.

Donald continued to swing from beam to beam, all the while dodging the rivets that were fired at him by the mad steeplejack. Eventually, he came to the end of the line when he ran out of beams to swing from, and ended up facing a hundred foot drop below.

The duck futilely flailed his arms about, before grabbing Fluttershy's wings again and spreading them wide, allowing them to glide back to the construction site. In seconds, Donald's webbed feet landed back on the girders.

"Thanks, toots," Donald said.

Fluttershy didn't respond much beyond a quiet whimper, which became a full on scream at the sight of Rosie swinging toward them

Donald ran as fast as he could across the girders, but he couldn't outrun Rosie's rivets.

The fat hen took careful aim, and fired a hail of rivets at Donald's posterior, making the duck jump high in the air.

Donald came to a vertical beam and ran straight up the surface, propelled by the attack on his backside.

Rosie herself had her rope hit a horizontal beam, and went swinging around it three times before she ran out of rope and hit her head, denting the beam.

High up, Donald quickly took off his hat, holding the tassels in each hand, and allowed it to catch the air as they fell. The hat bulged wide and allowed them to drift down slowly from their height.

Fluttershy looked up and saw what was happening. She had seen many strange things in her life, but not one of them quite like this.

"Is that...your magic, Donald?" Fluttershy asked.

"I guess so. Turns out this doesn't happen to a lot o' other folks,'' Donald answered. "But, since we're up here: how's about you fly us over to the top of that crane?"

"The crane..." Fluttershy shuddered. The crane was the last place that she wanted to go to, being the territory of the Big Bad Wolf, who was now swinging his wrecking ball at Applejack. "B-B-B-B-But, my wings don't work..."

"They worked just fine for me. Twice. Once during the avalanche, and again just now before we fell off the girders."

"They...They did?" Fluttershy asked, now looking over Donald's shoulder to face him.

"A-yup. I think ya got a bit more magic in ya than ya think ya do."

Fluttershy hadn't thought about it that way. Maybe Donald was right about that. Before she could ask him more about it, they were assaulted by a hail of rivets from below.

Rosie had unwound herself, and was now shooting at her targets once more.

Donald and Fluttershy both screamed as Donald lost control of his hat and dropped out of the air like a dead duck.

Unfortunately, their fall took them right past Rosie, who stopped firing and allowed her opponents to fall until they were eye level with herself. Once they were, Rosie started firing her rivets at them again, blowing them both backwards through thin air.

Donald reached his hat up, and tossed it over a rope. He grabbed the other tassel in his free hand and ziplined across the length of the rope, just ahead of Rosie's assault.

Once he ran out of rope, Donald smacked beak-first into a beam, and slid down to one of the horizontal girders. After shaking the dizziness from his head, he and Fluttershy both saw that they had impacted one of the less secured parts of the construction site.

The beam they hit started to tilt over, and pulled many of the other beams loose as well. Rivets popped out, and Rosie tried frantically to fire some back into their empty slots. But she couldn't keep up. Nuts and bolts came flying loose, and welded seams started to crack.

Up top, the two workers who were helping with Rosie's pulleys started to shake, and they both fell from where they stood, just as the rails holding the pulley broke off. All three workers went falling back to the foundation, while Donald tried his best to stay steady atop the shaking girders.

Fluttershy saw one slot up ahead, where if it had something wedged inside, it may lessen the wobbling of the steel beams. But, what would she use to stop it? The answer was looking her right in the face.

"WAK!!" Donald shouted, when he felt Fluttershy's hoof reach down the back of his shirt. "What's the big idea!? This ain't the time for gettin' fresh!!?"

He stopped talking when he saw Fluttershy aim the popgun that was given to him earlier over his shoulder.

Fluttershy bit off the string that was holding the cork, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

The tiny cork flew through the air, past the flying rivets and through the openings that were left by the jumbles of falling girders. The beam it was aimed for was wobbling back and forth, keeping its intended target moving. The cork flew true, and lodged itself into a tiny gap where a nut and bolt held the beams together.

Now, there was something holding some of the beams together. As if by magic, the beams slowly stopped wobbling so violently, and came to a standstill.

"Nice shootin', toots," Donald said, as he put his hat back on, and put the popgun back into his poncho.

Fluttershy smiled slightly, and even managed a small laugh. But, it didn't last.

Donald started running forward, making the beams beneath him wobble under his weight. Fluttershy clung tighter to Donald when she saw that he was running right toward the edge of the construction site.

"Ya better start workin' that magic of yours!" Donald said, just before they jumped into the air.

Fluttershy felt her wings grabbed and soon they were soaring over the ground, right toward the crane.

Donald had trouble steering, but did his best to remain on target of the crane's cables. He veered to the side, hoping to catch the cable as the wrecking ball swung toward him.

The wrecking ball swung toward Applejack, and the cable went flying toward Donald.

The duck let go of the pegasus's wings, and held his hands out to grab firmly onto the cable.

The momentum of the crane's swing made the two passengers go swinging around and around the cable as they slid down, until Donald landed hard on top of the wrecking ball.

"Well, it's about blasted time ye showed up!!" Uncle Scrooge said from the front of the wrecking ball. "Hurry up, an' get that coupling undone! Before that hairy psychopath swings again!!"

"I'm tryin', Uncle Scrooge!!" Donald said, as he busily tried to unhook the ball from the tether.

For all the movement that was happening, the duck was having the hardest time getting anything done. Soon, the ball was swinging full speed in the other direction.

Donald held tight to the cable. Fluttershy held tight to Donald. Uncle Scrooge tried desperately to loosen himself from the ropes.

"Applejack!!! Duck!!!" Fluttershy shouted.

Applejack did as she was told, and ducked low when the wrecking ball went careening over her head again.

"I gotta lower that ball some," Big Bad said, as he worked the controls some more.

Everyone on the ball felt it lower some feet. They knew the next swing was meant to crush Applejack, no matter how she tried to move.

There had to be something done fast, and Fluttershy could only think of one thing. It had worked before, so why not now?

"Would this help?" the pegasus asked, offering Donald his popgun.

"What kinda help would that be now!?" Donald asked incredulously.

The slowing momentum of the wrecking ball meant that it was ready for another swing. They had to act now to save Applejack, so Donald took the popgun, and started using its barrel to pry the coupling loose.

He strained and struggled as the wrecking ball started to lazily swing back the other way, and rapidly gain momentum.

The coupling was opening. It was working. With one last mighty heave, the couple greatly opened, and the barrel of the popgun broke. But, its sacrifice was not in vain.

The wrecking ball fell loose from its cable, and rolled along the ground. Uncle Scrooge was spun about like a propeller, and was fortunately not squashed under the weight of the ball. Up top, Donald ran as fast as he could across the spinning surface of the iron ball.

Nearby, Applejack continued her fight with the workers, but everything stopped when they all became aware of the rolling ball and scattered. All but one albatross with a bullet hole through his hat who Applejack had just been trampling. The worker looked up and screamed as he saw the ball rolling toward himself.

Slowly, the wrecking ball lost momentum, and stopped just short of the screaming worker's beak.

The albatross kept screaming loudly, until his lungs ran out of air, and he passed out again from sheer terror.

Donald had kept his speed going, and fell off the wrecking ball when it stopped rolling. Now, he and Fluttershy were in the dirt, but were quickly helped up by Applejack.

"Ya alright, sugarcube?" she asked Fluttershy.

"Y-Yes...We're alright..." Fluttershy exhaled.

"Uncle Scrooge!" Donald exclaimed.

"Uuuuughoooghuhhhh...." Uncle Scrooge moaned.

The ride had been nauseating for him, and it wasn't much better that he had ended up upside-down. Through his distorted vision, he saw his nephew and his new friends come running toward him.

"Hang on, Uncle Scrooge! I'll get ya down from there!" Donald said, as he untied the ropes that bound his uncle.

"Donald..." Uncle Scrooge said.

"You don't need to worry about a thing! I'm a sailor! Knots are my specialty!"

"Donald..."

"I'll have ya back on your feet in no time!"

"Donald, I'm--"

Uncle Scrooge didn't get to finish, as Donald loosened the ropes enough to let him fall and land on his head.

"Uncle Scrooge! You're alright!" Donald greeted his uncle.

"Aye...As 'alright' as I can be with an impulsive hothead like ye fer my help..." Uncle Scrooge answered, as he used the wrecking ball to climb to his feet. "Now, since ye're here, be a good lad an' help yer uncle stop this crackpot land developer. Ye remember yer wages, don't ye?"

Donald wanted to say more to his uncle. Namely, ask him how he ended up in this strange world. But, he knew better than to make small talk with his uncle when he had his mind set on something.

"Bu--Yeah. Thirty cents an hour,” he answered.

"Excellent! Now, ye an' the horse feathers get to work stoppin' that demolition! An' ye," he said, pointing to Applejack, "Ye look like stern stuff. Yer comin' with me to try an' hold off this crowd! An' don't worry about yer salary. Ye'll be gettin' paid the same wages as my nephew here. Now, let's be off!"

Uncle Scrooge ran off to stave off the approaching workers, leaving the others behind.

"Don't that beat all!? After rescuin' him from that wreckin' ball, he don't even stop to say 'thank you!'" Applejack said.

"That is how he says 'thank you,'" Donald informed.

"But, what about puttin' us to work for him, without even a 'hello?'"

"That is how he says 'hello.'"

"Maybe he's just under a lot of pressure?" Fluttershy suggested, pointing to Uncle Scrooge, who was now in a headlock from a particularly large pelican.

"Get movin' already! I'm not payin' ye to lollygag around!" Uncle Scrooge shouted, before stomping the pelican's foot and then elbowing his stomach. Once he was released from the thug's grip, he swung both fists hard into his opponent's oversized jaw.

"You heard the man! Get over there and get buckin'!" Donald said.

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes, before running off to Uncle Scrooge's aid.

"I wonder what he meant by 'stop the demolition,'" Donald said, knowing that the wrecking ball had already been disabled.

The roar of a nearby motor got their attention. It wasn't coming from the crane. Big Bad was seen exiting the cab to do battle with Applejack and Uncle Scrooge.

From behind the crane, a bulldozer commandeered by the sheriff was rolling toward the white adobe house. That, along with other dozers operated by other workers.

Fluttershy trembled at the sight, unsure of how she was going to help stop this advance. But, it seemed that Donald had an idea already. She watched as the duck ran forward and jumped into the cab of a steam shovel.

The steam shovel revved, chugged, and sputtered to life. The jaws of the machine's scoop snapped like a hungry beast, and the exhaust of the machine roared loudly as it spewed a cloud of black smoke into the air.

"What're ya waitin' for? Get in here!" Donald called to Fluttershy.

The point where it had been too much for Fluttershy to handle had been passed a long time ago. Right about when they arrived at the ruined orchard, to be precise. The memory of the orchard made the pegasus think of the friend she had made during her stay in Santillama. And now, that friend's home was in danger. She had already lost a husband, and Fluttershy wasn't about to let her lose anymore.

Rushing as fast as she could, Fluttershy practically leapt into the steam shovel with Donald, just before it zoomed off to battle.

In his bulldozer, the sheriff smiled maliciously. He was close to finishing his mission.

Suddenly, a steam shovel rocketed in from the side and stood stalwart between the house and the approaching workers.

Donald pulled the cord in the cab, making the steam shovel's horn wail loudly.

In response, the other vehicles all revved loudly, and the sheriff took the time to briefly exit his cab to stand on the treads of his bulldozer, aim his rifle, and shoot at Donald.

"WAK!!!" Donald shouted, as he ducked down beneath the control console where Fluttershy was already hiding.

The sheriff thought it looked like this was easier than he thought, even with the duck in his way. With a short whistle, and a wave of his arm, the turkey signaled for the other workers to proceed.

Donald and Fluttershy could hear the approaching vehicles, and knew doing nothing would mean certain failure.

"What do we do...?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Start workin' this puppy, and hope we don't get shot!" Donald answered, as he reached his hands up from under the console and grasped the controls of the steam shovel.

The duck blindly worked the throttles and levers of the machine, and swung the scoop wildly about, knocking back three oncoming vehicles.

Feeling slightly more confident after hearing the clattering metal, Donald peaked up over the edge of the console to peer out the window. From there, he was shot at again by the sheriff, but was already much too low to be hit.

A tractor with a claw grapple rolled up to attack. It swung its arm at Donald's steam shovel.

Donald worked the controls, and parried with the arm of his own machine.

The two tractors dueled like pugilists, jabbing and hooking, advancing and retreating, until Donald's steam shovel threw a haymaker that toppled the claw grapple.

From the side, there came a backhoe that tried to swipe and topple the steamshovel.

The attack was parried, and the two mechanical arms became engaged in an impromptu arm-wrestling match.

Donald struggled with the levers of his machine.

The parrot in the other machine struggled with his.

The outsides of the two machines started to perspire from exertion.

Fluttershy could feel the stress that their machine was under, and knew she had to do something to help. Slowly, she reached a hoof up, and started feeling for something on the control panel. Anything, really. She accidentally bumped another throttle, and she quickly retracted her hoof.

The throttle she had bumped made the cab of the steam shovel spin, and Donald was able to throw over the opposing machine.

"D...Did we win...?" Fluttershy timidly asked, as she just barely peered up over the console.

The resounding horn of an approaching bulldozer told her that nothing could be further from the truth.

The sheriff plowed toward them, ready to knock them and the house down in one go. In one hand, he held the forward throttle. With the other hand, he aimed his rifle at Donald.

Completely on an impulse, Fluttershy slammed her hooves down on the console and thrusted her head at the throttles, hoping that something she did would help.

The result became that the steam shovel's jaws pressed firmly against the cab of the bulldozer, staving it off momentarily.

Donald worked the controls to turn both machines away from the house, knowing that at any second the sheriff could take another shot at him. And that moment came when the sheriff leaned out of his cab and took aim again.

Both Donald and Fluttershy pulled every throttle at once, resulting in the steam shovel using its arm to vault over the bulldozer, and letting it plow into the other machines.

"Wak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! We sure showed those guys!" Donald laughed.

Fluttershy didn't do much beyond a nervous giggle. Her mind was on what she and Donald spoke about earlier. Was this some more of her own magic that she was working? She didn't have much time to think on it, as the sheriff was getting ready to attack again with his bulldozer.

"Hang on! This ain't over yet!" Donald said, revving up his engine and rocketing forward to intercept the fat turkey once more.

The sheriff made a beeline for Donald and Fluttershy's steam shovel. He knew that he was far enough away from them to get enough speed for what he needed to do.

The passengers of the steam shovel lurched as they were rammed by the bulldozer.

Donald struggled with the controls, while Fluttershy tapped each instrument with her hoof, hoping something would happen.

They couldn't vault again. That would rocket the sheriff right toward the house. The house, which Donald saw he was slowly being pushed toward when he looked over his shoulder.

The duck pushed hard against the forward throttle, struggling to resist the push of the bulldozer.

Fluttershy looked out the cab, and saw that they were crushing the bricks of the patio. They were growing closer to failure. Quickly, she leapt up and helped push the throttle, pushing it even further than the groove in the console would allow.

The treads of the steam shovel ground into the patio, sending up dirt and tiles as they spun. Finally, they felt a push.

It was slow, but they were able to push back against the sheriff and get him away from their friend's home.

Once again, they saw the turkey aim his rifle at them.

Fluttershy hit another throttle when she ducked under the console.

The two machines spun around like ballroom dancers tied at the waist. Everyone was screaming loudly as they spun away from the house. Finally, Donald was able to stop them from spinning, and felt once again the push of the sheriff's bulldozer.

The sheriff had dropped his rifle during the spinning, and it landed on the treads of the bulldozer. No matter. As long as he kept pushing forward, he would be able to reach it.

Donald saw the sheriff's ploy, and quickly tried to think of a solution. He acted by throwing his machine into reverse, and ended up jerking the bulldozer forward.

The sheriff's fingertips were just about to grasp his rifle, until it rocketed past him and was crushed under the treads of his own machine.

In the mirror of his steam shovel, Donald saw a view of the construction site behind himself.

"You alright down there, toots?" Donald asked.

"Mm-hm..." Fluttershy nodded.

"I'm askin' because we might have to bail soon!"

To start, Donald made sure the sheriff wouldn't get away so easily by clasping the jaws of his steam shovel onto the sheriff's bulldozer.

Fluttershy didn't know what Donald was up to, but she trusted the duck enough to let him do as he planned. She curled up tightly underneath the console, and prayed for the best.

In the meantime, Applejack and Uncle Scrooge were busy handling the other workers to keep them from assisting with any more construction or demolition.

They were surrounded on all sides by armed opponents. Particularly the Big Bad Wolf, who was trying to bludgeon Uncle Scrooge with his own cane when he wasn't swinging with one of his cleavers.

Applejack had her hooves full trying to come up with other ways to handle her attackers without bucking.

One worker who tried to grab her by her shoulders had his feet stomped, before he threw Applejack to the ground.

Another worker got her in a choke hold, and had his gut elbowed before one of his friends picked up Applejack by her rear legs, and a third worker came in and went to town on the farmpony's middle.

Over and over Applejack was punched, until an uppercut was thrown that knocked her out of the other workers' grip, and flying through the air until she landed on the ground.

"What the hay's wrong with me!?" Applejack wondered.

Her pondering was cut off by a pipe slamming down toward her.

Applejack rolled to the side, and saw the ground deeply indented by the pipe, which was wielded by a muscular eagle.

The eagle took another swing at Applejack, who dodged and allowed at least three other workers to be knocked aside. Another swing and a dodge, and more of the other workers were knocked away.

The workers soon got the idea to avoid their larger associate, while Applejack had already taken the message to heart and hopped up a stack of I-beams.

The eagle pulled each beam out of the stack one by one, leaving Applejack running up a rapidly diminishing pile. Soon, she was pulled backwards toward her opponent, and did the one thing she instinctively knew to do.

Applejack bucked hard, and hit home for the first time in a long while, directly into the eagle's chest. However, she had not gotten the desired result.

Her hooves thudded dully against her opponent's chest, and the eagle glared harshly at her.

"Grrrrr..." the eagle quietly growled, before lifting up Applejack, I-beam and all, and threw her like a javelin across the work area.

Uncle Scrooge also had his hands full with a group of opponents, but was doing noticeably better.

Big Bad took a swing at the elderly tycoon, and missed as his opponent jumped backwards.

When he dodged, Uncle Scrooge bumped into another worker, who grabbed him from behind.

Uncle Scrooge easily flipped the worker over his shoulder, and swung at another who was trying to sneak up on him. Next, the tycoon took the hardhats off his defeated opponents' heads and wore them on his hands as he punched the ever-loving tar out of the other workers.

He quickly put the hat on his head when Big Bad took a swing with his cane, then used the same hat to parry a swing of a cleaver.

Big Bad swung over and over, trying to cut Scrooge down a size, but was constantly thwarted by his opponent's makeshift boxing gloves.

Finally, Uncle Scrooge slammed both hats on either side of Big Bad's head, making the glutton rattle wildly. Quick as a cobra, the tycoon snatched back his cane. He tried reaching for his hat, but before he could even try an I-beam with Applejack clinging to it landed between them both. The beam tilted over and knocked Big Bad square on the head.

"Ha! Now that's earnin' yer pay! Keep this up, and ye might get a raise!" Uncle Scrooge praised.

"Don't rightfully know if I can keep this up," Applejack said, uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

"What kinda talk is that? Quitter talk! That's what! I didn't quit when I was surrounded by a group of prospectin' toughs, and I'm not quittin' against these daisy-sniffin' silk stockings!" Uncle Scrooge answered, as he swung, twirled, thrusted, and parried with his cane against the workers.

Applejack lowered her head, and allowed Uncle Scrooge to vault over herself. The elderly duck kicked one approaching worker, and was punched back over Applejack by a hawk.

"It ain't that I can't handle these guys! I just...don't think I can!" Applejack answered, after thinking for a moment.

From his prone position, Uncle Scrooge reached his cane under Applejack and hooked the hawk's ankles, pulling him off his feet and yanking him under Applejack.

"'Can't handle it,' she says! Listen, lass: ye got every reason to handle these hooligans! Just as I got to undo the very damage I've done here!"

Uncle Scrooge proceeded to step all over the hawk, as he resumed a fight with Big Bad.

Applejack knew that she had a reason to be there. To help Donald rescue his family, and to protect the home of her llama friends, and to give that no good sheriff and that gluttonous wolf what-for. But, how could something that simple help her out? Then she realized it could.

When she was a filly, only the sight of a rainbow leading back to her home was what led to her becoming a professional apple bucker. That was all it took. Surely, something equally small like the desire to help would help her here.

Uncle Scrooge ducked under a scissor cut from Big Bad' s cleavers, and was then faced with the glutton's mouthful of fangs.

Before either of them knew, Applejack vaulted over the crouching tycoon, grasped his hat in her teeth, and bucked Big Bad for all she was worth. All in mid-air.

Big Bad wasn't hit so hard he would fall, but was spun for a loop. When he turned back, Applejack muzzled him with Uncle Scrooge's top hat and proceeded to punch him like a speed bag.

Unfortunately, her final buck knocked the wind out of him, which blew the hat off his face, and sent her, Uncle Scrooge and a dozen other workers tumbling backwards toward the crane.

Big Bad put his new hat back on, looked at the nearby wrecking ball, and saw an opportunity. He wasn't just known for blowing. No sir. He was also known as a world class sucker. With an inhale that would put most industrial vacuums to shame, the wrecking ball slowly started wobbling toward his opponents.

The worker nearest the thunderball noticed it first, and was quickly out of the way. The next worker saw the ball, and followed suit.

Applejack was next, and only noticed the ball as it was upon her. Taking it on instinct, she bucked her hooves against the surface of the ball. She didn't stop it in the slightest, but did manage to push herself slightly further away. When the ball was closer again, she bucked one hoof against it, then bucked the other. Each little buck sent her walking just the teensiest bit backwards, keeping her from harm.

Down the line, Uncle Scrooge saw Applejack bucking toward himself. Leaning forward, he hooked her neck with his cane and pulled her from danger.

Big Bad saw the danger he was putting himself in as he stopped sucking the wrecking ball toward himself, and started huffing and puffing and blowing it back.

"I'll go left! Ye'll go right!" Uncle Scrooge said succinctly to Applejack.

The farmpony didn't even have to ask. She did as the duck instructed and followed behind the ball to keep out of Big Bad's sight, until they knew they were close enough.

Big Bad sighed in relief when the ball stopped just short of himself, but didn't even have time to catch his breath when he was attacked from both sides.

Applejack bucked him forward.

Uncle Scrooge punched him back.

Over and over they went like a violent game of ping pong, until they both unleashed an uppercut that sent the glutton flying.

Big Bad landed on the cables of the crane, just as Uncle Scrooge knocked one of the workers into the crane's cab. The worker threw one of the throttles and the cables started lifting the half-conscious glutton into the air.

Uncle Scrooge wasn't about to let his hat get away, and started beating the snot out of as many workers as he could, piling them up under the crane's cables. Soon, there was a pile high enough for him to quickly run up and grab his hat off of Big Bad's head. Now, he was complete. Well, almost. He was still miles away from his money bin. Still, the Big Bad Wolf and the remaining workers had been defeated, and that was what mattered at the moment.

"Serves ye right, ye fuzzy bumpkin!" Uncle Scrooge said.

"Hey!" Applejack said, having been raised a bumpkin herself.

"Ah, take no offense, lass. I was born an' raised in one of the poorest parts of Scotland. We had to go boggin' fer our own peat, just to survive the winter."

The roar of a nearby engine caught their attention, and they turned to see Donald dragging the sheriff toward the construction site.

Donald fought the controls as the sheriff tried to resist the duck's pull.

The sheriff throttled his lever as hard as he could. So hard that it bent the lever he held, and started to slowly pull them both away from the construction site.

Donald strained hard against his own lever. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist the pull of the sheriff.

Fluttershy reached up from below, and tried pulling the lever with Donald. Just as it was before, the lever was pulled far past as much as its groove would allow.

The steam shovel roared loudly, and its treads spun wildly as it rocketed backwards.

Quick as he could, Donald grabbed Fluttershy and jumped free of the steam shovel, just as it crashed into the construction site.

There was a terrible metallic groaning as the beams broke and warped, followed by a loud clattering as they fell apart. Donald and Fluttershy ran as fast as they could to escape the carnage, nearly getting squashed at least twice by the falling metal. Soon, nearly the entire site had fallen apart by the time they had regrouped with Applejack and Uncle Scrooge. Once they had, Fluttershy jumped right into Applejack's hooves like a frightened filly.

"Fluttershy! Yer chokin' me!" Applejack said.

"Donald, ye've done it, lad! Ye've helped your old uncle put things right," Uncle Scrooge congratulated his nephew.

"Not just yet. We still have to take care of the workers in town," Donald said.

"Ah yes. How could I forget, since I only paid for them. Come on, all. We've still got work to do."

They all made their way to the town, while back at the construction site, the sheriff rose from the pile of broken metal. In one hand, he held his flattened rifle and took aim at his opponents.

High above, the cork that Fluttershy had used to pin together the I-beams popped loose and sent an avalanche of metal down on top of the sheriff. The Big Bad Wolf may not have gotten the pressed duck he wanted, but he may have easily been able to settle for rotisserie turkey.

By the time they reached the town it was too late. Every building had been knocked down, and the rubble had been mostly cleared away. What few workers there were that stayed behind were quickly dealt with, and their equipment disabled.

They looked over the destruction, feeling now like they had failed more greatly than they had before. Even though they had saved their friend's home, everpony else's home was nothing but a pile of debris.

"This...This is awful..." Fluttershy said "All those homes. Everypony's businesses..."

Applejack put her hooves around her friends' shoulder when tears started welling up in Fluttershy's eyes.

"Never ye fear lass. Things aren't quite as bad as they seem," Uncle Scrooge said.

"Not as bad as they seem? This is the worst thing that could possibly happen! The only way this could get worse is if we were still in one of those buildings when they were being knocked down!" Donald said.

Donald's eyes crossed when Uncle Scrooge's cane thrusted right in front of his bill

"In all our years together, nephew, haven't ye learned not to doubt me? Scrooge McDuck always pays back what he owes. And he always makes right the messes he makes. Now, if ye'll follow me, I'll show ye what I mean," Uncle Scrooge said, before leading the others away from town.

The tycoon led the others to the path down the mountain. After walking for what felt like a mile, they rounded a bend in the mountain and saw a fantastic sight.

Down the mountain, there was a settlement of llamas. Tents had been set up, along with utilities for water and food. Businesses seemed to be growing from some of the tents. And in the far back, some buildings were being built.

"How the hay did all that get goin' so quick?" Applejack wondered.

"Just a project I started funding after I learned that fat turkey was nothin' but an underhanded crook," Uncle Scrooge answered.

They had already learned that from the sheriff's translator, but they didn't think that he would have done something so completely generous. With a newfound lightheartedness, they quickly ran down the trail to the settlement.

Down in the settlement, Paya was pumping water into a bucket, when she became aware of a presence to her side. When she turned to look, there was her son looking up at her.

The cria had a look of curiosity on his face, as if he wanted to ask what his mother was doing. Paya smiled at her son, picked him up and allowed him to pump the water as best he could.

Frutito pushed against the lever as best as his baby hooves could, only getting tiny spurts of water. With one final hard push, he created a larger spurt that got both him and his mother wet.

Paya had a laugh at the mishap and shook her wool dry, then went about drying off her son's wool.

"Paya!" she heard a voice call.

When she looked to the source, there was Applejack running toward her.

"Applejack!" Paya said, and received the farmpony with a tight hug, followed by Fluttershy. "Cómo has llegado hasta aquí? Pensé que el alguacil te había llevado."

<"We got him, Paya! The sheriff won't be bothering you llamas anymore,"> Donald said.

<"You mean...the sheriff is gone for good?">

<"Yup. That bird's plucked, basted and baked.">

<"This is wonderful! You can't imagine what a service you've done for all of us!">

Paya reached out and grabbed Donald for her group hug, while Frutito tried to nudge his way in.

Nearby, Paya's mother watched the group of friends. She always knew her daughter to be an excellent judge of character, but never imagined that she would choose friends who would end up saving them all. Next to her, the sheriff's translator watched as well.

"You've done well for helping them," Flor said to the turquoise llama.

"Well, I couldn't just sit back and let that turkey win. I owe it to my brother after all," he answered.

"Yes. Nōchtli would be proud of you."

As warm and caring as the group hug was, Uncle Scrooge broke it up by tapping Donald's shoulder with his cane.

"Now, since I'm here: I think we should discuss the budget for the building plans around here," he said.

Donald translated for Paya.

"Sí. Sígueme. Podemos discutirlo con algunos de los otros," Paya answered.

They followed Paya to where she was leading them, but Donald had one more question to ask his uncle. "Uncle Scrooge, I've been wanting to ask: how the heck did you end up here in the first place?"

"Good question, nephew. One moment, I'm gettin' ready for a swim in my money bin, and the next I'm blinded by this twinkling light that drops me off here somehow."

There had been many ups and downs in Santillama as of late. And now it looked like things were only going to go up. It would be difficult, but soon things would be back to normal from the generosity of a few new friends.

Author's Note

Alriiiiiiight! Uncle Scrooge has joined the magical quest. This was something that I desperately wanted as soon as I started writing the prologue chapter. I was mortified that I would get to a point that there would be no feasible way to put Uncle Scrooge in the story, and be forced to leave him out altogether. But, then I read a comment from a reader who said that they really wanted him to appear. That's when I decided that I was going to put Uncle Scrooge in this story, no matter how flimsy it seemed.

Next to Goofy and Pluto, Uncle Scrooge is my favorite character from the Mickey Mouse cartoon universe. That said, it practically broke my heart to paint him up as a villain at the beginning of the chapter, with him being partly responsible for the troubles the llamas face. That's why I cleared him up pretty quickly afterward, with him trying to undo the harm he had done.

I know I make a lot of references to other media in the stories I write, but there was on in here about a real-life woman. Rose Will Monroe was one of the first women to work in the field of engineering. She was a riveter, and the hen that Donald and Fluttershy tangle with is named after her.

As for fictional media, just in case anyone missed the (quite blatant) reference: that vulture that Applejack knocks out is based on Beaky Buzzard.

Also, if anyone who read this chapter knows how pressed duck is made, you may realize that the joke Big Bad makes about making it out of Uncle Scrooge is a lot more morbid at a second glance. See if you want to try eating that at a restaurant after you learn how. Yeeuck!

Speaking of morbid, I'm sure some of you can guess what happened to the sheriff when you learn about rotisserie.

Now that the Donald arch is finished, we'll go on to Goofy. I won't say much about what the goof is up to, other than that he'll make something of a legend out of himself in the coming chapters. Hold tight and rock on \m/

Chapter 16: There's a Party in Trottingham

Chapter 16

There's a Party in Trottingham

Everything was well. The perils that plagued the world had passed many decades ago, and happiness abounded.

On a fine, noon day, under a large tree with a grand tree house in its branches, foals played in their yard. Their imaginations ran wild with fantasy and carefree play, creating a colorful cast of characters for them to become.

"Look at me! I'm Gusty the Great!" proclaimed a unicorn filly, who plastered fallen leaves from the tree over her cutie mark.

She magically picked up a stick and swung it like a sword, as she dodged and parried an imagined opponent's attack. She backpedaled up the steps toward the tree house, then jumped onto the railing, still fighting her imaginary opponent.

"Take that, Grogar! And some of this!"

Her battle took her up into the branches of the trees, where the footing was more treacherous.

"Whoop! Whoah!!"

She finally lost her balance and fell backwards into a pile of leaves.

With a sudden whoosh of wind, the leaves all blew away, revealing the prostrate filly. Her friend, a pegasus filly, landed on the ground in front of her.

"That's nothing! I'm Crash! The only Wonderbolt who ever pulled off a sonic rainboom!" said the pegasus filly, who showed off the many colored ribbons tied into her mane.

"That's impossible. Nopony could pull off a sonic rainboom!" the unicorn said.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

The young pegasus revved up her wings, and flew off as fast as she could. Round and round the tree she went, but she didn't get anywhere near enough speed to create a sonic rainboom. Behind her, the ribbons in her mane blew out, creating the illusion of a rainbow trail. She thought she was near a breakthrough, until her wing caught a branch, sending her tumbling through the air and plopping onto the ground in front of her friend.

"Horse apples! I was this close!" the pegasus filly said.

"Yeah. You really had some good speed going there, 'Crash,'" the unicorn filly said. "I told you it was impossible to do a sonic rainboom."

"Sure. Like a unicorn walking to Cloudsdale could really happen," the pegasus rebutted.

"That's what all the stories about Gusty the Great say. She was the greatest pony ever, and nopony could beat her!"

"Crash was the greatest pony ever! Some stories even say she was the Bearer of Loyalty!"

"A-hyuck! You're both wrong!" said a new voice.

The two fillies looked over, and saw the third member of their group. An earth pony colt, who was wearing a toy bucket on top of his head, and a feather duster tied to his waist with some string.

"Who are you supposed to be?" The unicorn filly asked.

"I'm The Goof Knight! And I was the greatest pony ever!" said the earth pony colt, as he took the feather duster off his belt and started fighting an imaginary opponent with it.

"I've never heard of The Goof Knight," the unicorn said.

"Me neither," the pegasus filly added. "Besides, how great could a knight that fought with a feather duster be?"

"The greatest! He fought every battle using nothing but his wits and whatever he had around him! This one time, he was surrounded by bad guys, and he beat them all with a feather duster just like this one! And he even saved the whole world using nothing but make-believe and imagination!" the earth pony colt said, growing more excited and energetic with every word he spoke. He attempted a backflip, but only landed on his face, just as his two other friends had.

"That sounds made up," the unicorn filly said.

"It's all true! My grandma told me it was!"

"Oh yeah? Well, let's ask her," the pegasus filly said.

On the front porch of the nearby house, an elderly mare watched her grandson and his two friends play. She had seen how they were falling and tumbling, and fondly recalled her younger days when she took such punishment day in and day out. She was somewhat surprised when she saw the three foals come trotting toward her.

"Grandma."

"Now, what are you doing over here with an old mare like me? Don't you think it would be more fun playing with your friends?" the old mare asked.

"Grandma, do you remember that book I showed you? The one about The Goof Knight? Remember? You told me that The Goof Knight was a real pony, and he really did everything the book said. Didn't he?"

The old mare looked at her grandson's face, and smiled at the earnestness in his eyes. She remembered how enthralled he became when he read the anthology of tales about a pony who was completely average in every way and conquered tasks far greater than himself. However, that book also got a number of things wrong.

"Well, he certainly did exist," the old mare answered.

"You see? I told you," the earth pony said to his friends.

"But, I know what really happened. And, those stories aren't anything like the real thing."

"I knew it!" the pegasus filly said.

"Then, what really happened?" the earth pony colt asked.

"You see, he didn't fight off a group of enemies with a feather duster. He fought one opponent," his grandmother answered.

"He doesn't sound so great anymore, does he? Not compared to Gusty the Great," the unicorn filly boasted, showing the leaves still plastered over her cutie mark.

"Hold on there, filly. He did fight many opponents at once. But not with a feather duster. The one that he did, he was as strong as ten ponies. And twice as tall as me. And he was scarier than a manticore with a thorn in its paw."

The foals were all silent for a moment, imagining the battle that must have taken place that day. The fear the knight felt when faced with such an opponent, and what he could have done to defeat him.

"And the Goof Knight defeated him?" the unicorn filly asked.

"With relative ease," the old mare answered.

"See? I told you he was the greatest pony ever," the earth pony colt touted.

"Well, that's another thing the stories got wrong," his grandmother said.

"Huh?"

"The Goof Knight wasn't a pony at all. And his war cry wasn't 'a-hyuck.' It was...hm...let me see. It's difficult to imitate, but I think it went--" The old mare took a deep breath in, and unleashed a shrill: "AAAAAHHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOOOOOYYYYY!!!"

When the mare stopped, the foals all uncovered their ears. The earth pony colt noticed something new on his grandmother's face. A warm, rosy glow that made her seem almost as young as himself and his friends.

"If you foals don't mind listening to an old mare, would you like to hear the real story of The Goof Knight?"

The foals all nodded, and sat down to hear the tale.

"Oh, the world owes me a livin'

Deedle dardle doodle deedle dum

Oh the world owes me a living

Deedle dardle doodle deedle dum"

"If I worked hard all day I might

Sleep badder when in bed at night

I sleep all day so that's alright

Deedle dardle doodle deedle dum"

Far, far from where any of the others were, Goofy was entertaining Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie with his own rendering of his favorite song. It had not been difficult fighting boredom as they walked after their twinkling light, since the goof was in no short supply of road games, songs, dances and general oafishness. Sometimes, two at once.

"There once was an ol' grasshopper

who could only-- WHOOP!!! WO-OW!!!"

Goofy tripped over a rock in the middle of the road, and tumbled down the path, which sloped down the hill. The goof rolled all the way to the bottom, until he crashed into the road sign at the crossroads. The signs that pointed in all different directions flew into the air, and landed on Goofy's arms, legs and head.

Dash and Pinkie ran down the hill after their fallen friend.

"Whoah! Goofy, are you okay?" Dash said.

"Do you feel queasy? How many hooves do you see?" Pinkie asked, holding up her one hoof for Goofy.

"Uh..." Goofy paused briefly to count his friends' total hooves, "...Eight."

Dash would have been worried by the miscount, but having traveled with the goof for so long, she brushed it off. She noticed a wallet on the ground, and just looked inside to see who it belonged to when Pinkie zipped between her friends.

"Eight hooves!? This goof's cracked like an egg! We'll need to diagnose further!" Pinkie said, as she looked around and around and around for something. Until she came to the realization. "What's going on!? Why can't I get my doctor's bag!? What travesty is this!?"

"Your magic's gone, Pinkie. It's been gone since the harvest festival back home. And it's going to stay gone until we get it back from wherever we're going," Dash explained, before hoofing the wallet to Goofy. "Here. This must have fallen out of your pocket when you took that awesome tumble."

"Gawrsh. Thanks fer gettin' that for me. Don' know whut I'd do if I lost it," Goofy said.

"No problem, Goof. So, who's that kid in the pictures with you?"

"Him?" Goofy said, opening his wallet to show a picture of himself and another dog who was much younger than himself. In the picture, they were in a boat on a fishing trip. The young dog was pulling a small fish out of the water, while Goofy himself was screaming at the sight of a monster salmon that had jumped out of the water and came down on the goof with its mouth wide open. "That's muh son, Max. This here photee-graph wuz taken on our first fishin' trip. Took almost th' rest o' th' day tuh get me outta that fish's gut. But, Maxie, he's a smart one. He used a bait made o' peanut butter n' jelly tuh get that sucker jumpin with his mouth wide open fer me tuh crawl out."

"Whoah! Back up! You have a son?" Dash asked.

"A-yup. He's muh special pride n' joy. Always suh-prizin' me with sum'n new he learns, an' sum'n he duz tuh help his ol' man out..." Goofy sighed quietly as he looked at the picture in his wallet. "He's grown up so fast. I hardly even noticed how big he's gettin', 'til just now. Just part o' bein' a dad, I guess. But, no matter how big he gets, he's always gonna be muh li'l boy."

Rainbow Dash didn't know how to respond to that, but it seemed like Pinkie knew what words to pick.

"He's not going to be so little when he gets to high school. And when he starts driving. And when he's old enough to vote and go off to college, he's gonna be huge! Like gargan--"

Before Pinkie could continue with her inappropriate ramblings, Dash stuffed her hoof in her friend's mouth.

"I think what Pinkie means is that you and your wife must be proud of your boy," Dash said. However, it seemed that she said something wrong, when Goofy looked suddenly forlorn. "What's up, Goof?"

"Nothin'. Just...Max ain't got a mom no more..." was all Goofy answered.

"But, what--oh..." Dash's ears drooped slightly when she realized exactly what Goofy meant.

Again, she wanted to say something to her new friend, but Pinkie had no trouble picking words. Before Pinkie could even inhale, Dash covered her pink friend's mouth and whispered in her ear.

"There's a time and a place for silliness, Pinkie. This is neither!"

After giving Goofy an appropriate amount of time, the goof stood back up and put his wallet back in his pocket.

"Well, no point stickin' 'round here any longer. I gotta get home in time fer when Maxie gets back from vistin' his granddad." Goofy said. He stood up straight with his arms outstretched, presenting the many road signs that had plastered themselves onto his body. "Now, which way tuh where we're goin'?"

Goofy proceeded to try and read each one of the signs on his body, only to twist himself into a horrible knot, before the twinkling light that guided them appeared in front of Goofy.

"Huh?" the goof wondered, before the light drifted off toward one of the paths on the crossroads.

"Looks like that's our next stop. Let's head that way, before you end up in a square knot," Dash said, as she pulled Goofy's leg, making him flop around until he was set right.

"I just hope wherever we're going, they're in the mood for a party! I've been in the mood for a good party miles ago," Pinkie said, as she hopped by.

Goofy stood up, taking off the signs that had taken such a shine to him. He hopped up and down as he took them off his legs, and nearly toppled himself again when he tried to take one off of his back. Finally, he was free of the signs, and ran after his friends.

"Uh, hey! Wait fer me!" Goofy called after the mares.

They rounded a bend, and came across a wondrous sight. There, not half a mile away was a town with a grand castle in the background. Tents and booths had been set up. Game arenas were present. The chattering of the ponies could be faintly heard even from where they were standing.

"Trottingham!" Dash said.

"Trottingham!" Pinkie repeated.

And it wasn't only a model.

"Gawrsh. I wunder whut's goin' on down there," Goofy said.

Goofy was clueless (as usual), but this had been exactly what Pinkie was hoping for.

"It's a party!!" Pinkie shouted, though with none of the usual fanfare of party horns and confetti that normally accompanied her outbursts. "This is it! This is why that twinkling little star brought us here! So we could show these ponies how to have a good time, even without magic!"

"Yeah! I bet that's exactly it! I could show these guys how to crush it in a competition without using magic. I mean, who says you even need wings to be a stunt flier anyway?" Dash added.

"I still ain't too sure why me an' my pals were brought here," Goofy said.

Then, there came a sound behind them all. It didn't take a Pinkie Sense to recognize the sounds of approaching hooves and squeaking wheels rapidly approaching behind them.

"Move!!" Dash and Pinkie both shouted at once and ran to either side of the road.

Goofy, however, was still standing in the middle of the road.

"Huh? You gals say sum'n--WO-OOO-OOOW!!!!"

The goof was bowled over from behind, taken off his feet and tumbled over the top of an enormous, metal carriage.

The carriage passed quickly, leaving Goofy on his back in the dirt. Pinkie and Dash both quickly rushed to his side.

"Yeah, keep moving, Sunday galloper! You better hope I don't get my hooves on you!" Dash shouted at the driver of the carriage.

Despite her brave words, she didn't think that she could take on the driver, who she saw was by and large the biggest equine she had ever seen. He was at least six times the size of Big Macintosh, and had eight times the muscle. But, she couldn't worry about him. She had to tend to her injured friend.

"Uuuuhhhhhhhhh..." Goofy moaned, as he sat up. "Sumbody get th' license plate on that land-train..."

"Jeez, Goof! How are you still conscious after a hit like that!?" Dash wondered.

"Aw, it ain't nuthin'. I get hit on th' head all th' time."

"This requires further diagnosis!" Pinkie said, as she grabbed Goofy by his head, but was once again surprised by her lack of props.

"No magic, Pinkie. Remember?" Dash reminded her friend.

"I didn't. Thanks for reminding me," Pinkie answered, dropping Goofy to the ground.

"I'd hate t'think whut ya'd do if ya had them doctorin' tools," Goofy said.

"Don't worry about it, Goofy. This party will do you all kinds of good," Pinkie assured her friend, as she helped him up and guided the way to the town in the distance.

Upon arrival, there were almost too many sights for them to behold. It was even grander than their own festival back home. There was a covered area, where many booths had been set up to sell their wares like a miniature marketplace. Cards flipped, dancers twirled and balls flew in an entire area that had been cordoned off to performers. Dash was particularly taken by an exhibition by two dueling stallions. Nearby was the massive food court, where cuisine from around the world was put onto display by the chefs who anticipated the visit to the festival all year. Pinkie ran between the various sample platters that were placed about, but found herself unable to stuff her mouth beyond the normal pony capacity. Instead, she ended up having to eat her food in small bites, which nearly made her mane deflate.

There was a high dive exhibition, where ponies would perform aerial feats into a deep pool of water. Dash paid her bits and jumped off the diving board with an impressive combination of aerial twists, flips and turns. Her dive was impressive, but her entry left much to be desired, as she created an incredible splash that soaked many of the surrounding ponies.

The audience applauded anyway, thrilled to see such a performance. Dash surfaced, and waved to the crowd, just as the pool shook with an awful thud.

Dash looked over the side, and saw that Pinkie had run face first into the side of the pool. Pinkie had hoped that she would surface underneath Dash and hold her aloft for the crowd. But without her magic, it hadn't worked out the way she had hoped.

However, not everything was all fun and games. During their exploration, they saw two ponies carrying a stretcher that had a broken and bandaged pony laid out on it. They had no idea of how that pony could have ended up that way, but he kept hysterically repeating something about 'the games.'

That aside, they were enjoying the sights. But, they still hadn't learned why the magic light had brought them to this place. The light itself had disappeared shortly after they arrived, leaving them to their own devices. At the moment, Goofy was looking at his various reflections in several panels of stained glass artwork.

"A-hyuck. I didn't think I'd looked so good," Goofy said, as he admired his reflected image that was superimposed over a stained glass artwork of a pony that looked suspiciously like himself, but was dressed like a king, complete with a cape and a crown. Goofy reached his hands up, and his reflection lifted the image of the crown enough for the goof to fix his hair, and put the regal headgear back on.

The mare who was selling the glass that she had painted looked in shock at what the goof had done, and fell over backwards from the sight of it.

"Whoah! Goof, you gotta teach me how to do that!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, uh, it's real easy. Yuh just gotta stand here, an' yer wearin' that king's fancy pajammers," Goofy answered.

"But, how'd you get that crown to move? That was some crazy magic! Like, Discord meets the Royal Sisters!"

"Hm...If'n I had tuh think about it: yuh just gotta think like yer really wearin' that crown. Yuh know. Imaginate it."

"Imagin--Come on, Goof. That's only good for writing books and drawing pictures. I want to know how your magic works."

"Well, it ain't just good fer that. After all: yer a stunt flier, aintcha? I always thought performers got their ideas from daydreamin' an' lollygaggin' all day."

Dash wanted to rebut, but Goofy was right. All of the stunts she had come up with were dreamed up when she was malingering on her job as a weathermare. Every stunt was the product of practice, and hours of daydreaming and lollygagging, just like the goof said.

"Alright," Dash said, turning herself toward the stained glass, so that her own reflection appeared to be wearing the king's clothes. "Let's give this a shot. I'm a king, and I'm wearing a crown..."

Goofy almost laughed at how hard Dash was concentrating on her reflection, when he noticed Pinkie sulking nearby.

"Uh, sumthin' wrong, Pinkie?" Goofy wondered.

"No..." Pinkie answered. One look at Goofy's puzzled, oafish face, and she simply couldn't stand lying to him. "Yes! I'm at a party, and I'm miserable! This doesn't happen to me ever! All I want is to make everypony have a good time, and I'm powerless! And it's not the first time it's happened! Back home, I didn't know how the new party guests liked to have fun! I didn't even know that you were coming! And if my Pinkie Sense was working like it should have, I could have saved everypony from those weasels and their boss!!"

Pinkie staggered to the side, and laid her head down on a nearby booth's counter.

"Hey, now what's wrong with weasels?" asked the booth's attendant, who happened to be a weasel. "I don't know what those guys did to ya that was so bad, but I'm just a humble peddler, sellin' my wares."

The weasel placed a bucket and a stack of sponges on the counter next to Pinkie's head, making the pink mare jump backwards.

"Here ya go. Some household deterginatin' products, guaranteed to expunge the greasiest stain. An' I guarantee, it'll put a smile on yer face an' a spring in yer step, or my name ain't Cheet Ripov," the weasel said.

"Gawrsh. That must be some mighty fine spongin'," Goofy said, as he examined one of the steel wool pads.

Behind him and Pinkie, Ripov watched as several other weasels approached Rainbow Dash with a burlap sack, ropes, bits, bridles, chloroform, and a blackjack.

"It sounds promising, but it just can't wipe out the stain on my cutie mark!" Pinkie said, before she noticed something. "Heeeey! Wait a minute! This isn't a real booth! You just set up some tarps and wood in front of a janitor's closet!" she said, pointing to the door at the back of the booth that said in big, bold, black letters: 'JANITOR.'

"Eh-heh. I can see you're a mare who really knows her cleanin' supplies," Ripov said, putting one arm around Pinkie's shoulders.

"Forget it, 'Ripoff!' This is one mare who won't be taken for a fool!" Pinkie declared, removing the weasel's hand from her person.

Behind her, Dash was jumped by the gang of weasels. She tried to call for help, but the bit and bridle were slapped onto her mouth.

"Aw, c'mon Pinkie. Let's go try an' enjoy the party some more, 'fore we get tuh doin' whut we need tuh do," Goofy said.

"But, I can't enjoy the party, Goofy! I can't enjoy anything, now that I don't have what makes me special! Without my magic, this thing on my flank's just a decoration," Pinkie said, indicating her cutie mark.

"But, I don't got no mark on my keister. An' I always had a certain sumthin' whut made me stand out from th' crowd," Goofy said, leaning his hand on the counter, and placing it on a bar of soap, which made him fall forward, his chin landing on the counter top. "I was just talkin' tuh Rainbow Dash 'bout this."

Goofy indicated with his thumb to where Dash was the last time he saw her. Currently, Dash was fighting against the weasels who were tying her legs up.

"I told her it don't take a spell or a magic wand tuh make a spectacle o' yerself. Yuh just gotta know whut yer doin'," Goofy said, as he tried to get up, and slipped on the soap again.

Behind them all, Dash had just been stuffed into the burlap sack, and was still struggling against the group of weasels.

"Easy as pie...Hey, that's yer name, ain't it?" Goofy asked from the ground.

"Is that really all it takes?" Pinkie wondered.

Even from inside the sack, Dash continued to buck and bop the weasels. Until one of them uncorked his bottle of chloroform and poured out the contents onto Dash's sack.

Slowly, Dash stopped fighting and went limp.

The weasels dragged the sack away, while the one with the chloroform gave a thumbs up to Ripov.

Ripov responded with a wink.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I think you, er...got it in the bag. Heh-heh!" he said.

"You're right! I never needed magic before to know how to have fun at a party! I just have to remember how!" Pinkie said. "Come on, Goofy! You're going to be my new party pal, and help me make my life a party again! Let's get Dashie, and--"

Pinkie cut herself off when she saw that her friend had disappeared.

"Dashie? Dashie?" Pinkie called.

"Hm...Mebbe she looked at her ruh-flection a bit too hard?" Goofy said, poking the stained glass Dash had been looking at, remembering how he ended up in Equestria in the first place.

There was a ground-shaking thud that made the stained glass fall off its display and shatter on the ground.

"Rainbow Dash! Speak to me!" Goofy said to the broken shards.

"Don't worry, Dashie! We'll have you back in shape in no time!" Pinkie said next.

They tried to rearrange the shattered glass back into its original shape, only for another thud to shake them into disarray again. Then another thud, and another and another.

"It's an earthquake!" Goofy yelled, as he collected a dustpan and broom from Ripov's booth, swept up the shards of glass, and took cover with Pinkie.

In a moment, the tremoring stopped, and the two of them came out of hiding. Once they had, Pinkie noticed something that was quite odd.

"What's going on here? How come nopony else ducked from that monster quake?"

"Mebbe they just didn't notice?" Goofy suggested, as he cradled the dustpan full of broken glass.

"Heh heh heh. That there was the joustin' champ. Theronicus Rex. He's the guy what added all the new er...sportin' events to the festival," Ripov explained from his booth. "He's probably just taken out the next unlucky sucker over at the tiltyard."

"A jousting match! I bet that's where Dashie's gone. She can't ever get enough of watching ponies beat each other up for fun! Come on, Goofy! We've got to find our Dashie!" Pinkie declared, as she boldly hopped off to find their missing friend.

Goofy was dragged off by his hand, while Ripov watched them the whole time.

"There goes the next batch o' suckers. Heh-heh-heh-heh..." the weasel chuckled.

Pinkie and Goofy wandered through the festival grounds, asking for directions to where the tiltyard was. They followed the directions they were given, and found themselves facing the outside of a gigantic coliseum. Inside, there was the sound of clattering metal and falling bodies.

"Well, if we're going to find Dashie, this would be the place," Pinkie said.

She and Goofy both walked up to the box office, which was manned by another weasel.

"A-hyuck. Hiya feller. Uh, how much fer admission?" Goofy asked.

The weasel put down the magazine he was reading ('Thug Weekly') and looked at the customers before him.

"Well, lookit this. Some late arrivals comin' to the show," the weasel said.

"Late? I didn't know we were s'posed to be here on time," Goofy said.

"No, stupid. The matches have already started."

"Hey! Nopony calls my party pal stupid! Who do you think you are, anyway!" Pinkie said, pressing herself against the front of the box office. She had hoped that she would have popped up inside of it, but failed to do so.

"Me? I'm the guy who decides whether I should let shnooks like you in. Which I will, 'cause I never pass up a chance to make a buck,” the weasel replied.

"Grrrreat! I guess Ripoff was right when he said not all weasels are bad."

"Yeah, yeah. Ten-thousand bits to get in."

"Ten-whut!?" Goofy exclaimed. "That can't be right! That's..." he started counting on his fingers. "Gawrsh! I ain't even got enuff fingers tuh count all that!"

"There's a late charge for folks tryin' to get in durin' the middle of a show. Ya either pay up, or ya keep walkin'."

"This is extortion!" Pinkie shouted.

"Yup," the weasel affirmed.

"You're a robber!"

"And how."

"You're a big, fat, meanie-head with sour candy in your heart!"

"That's why my girl loves me," the weasel said, showing a picture that was hanging on the back of his station of him and a lady weasel picking each other's pockets as they embraced.

"D'ooooohhh!! If I had my magic, you'd be in big trouble mister! I'd have the biggest party ever, and you wouldn't be invited!" Pinkie snapped.

"Not a problem, sister. I'd just crash it," the weasel answered, before he noticed something. "Saaaay, what's that dipwad got in his dustpan?"

Goofy looked at the shattered stained glass in the dustpan he held. "That. It's just--"

The weasel reached through the box office window and grabbed the dustpan from Goofy, carefully examining the colorful crystals within it. "Where's a goof like you get rocks like this?"

"Rocks? But, that's--"

"Tell ya what: you let me have these appraised for ya, and you and yer girlfriend can pick any seat ya want in there."

"Uh, okay. Thanks."

Goofy and Pinkie left, while the weasel packed up the glass to have it appraised.

"Folks are easier to con here than back home," the weasel chuckled.

Once they were inside the coliseum, they found the scenery to be rather typical of the sporting event. Vendors selling peanuts and popcorn. Competitors set up in their lanes for a joust, with their lances affixed to their sides. And most of all, the fans. Rows upon rows of cheering, hollering fans.

Goofy and Pinkie both walked right up to the front row of the seats and watched the two jousters get ready.

A bell rang, and the crowd roared loudly as the contestants charged one another, their lances set to meet in the middle.

One pony had the upper hoof, and knocked his opponent down. Despite his victory, he looked nothing but nervous.

Another weasel, this one dressed in old-fashioned Renaissance clothes, stood on a platform that was set up near the jousting lanes.

"And Rootin' Tootin' is the winner!" the emcee declared into his mic. "Alright, all you bug-eyed mini-horses! This is what you've been waiting for! A one-on-one duel with the champ of champs! Theronicus Rex!"

Two more weasels opened up a gigantic set of double doors, allowing in the enormous horse that had run Goofy down earlier. Now, he was wearing armor on his back, hooves, neck and head. The faceplate the creature wore was adorned with a horn like a rhinoceros, and the rest of his armor was studded with spikes and bolts.

On the equine's back, there was an equally enormous rider. The rider was some sort of bipedal creature, but it was impossible to determine what exactly they were, given they were covered head to toe in heavy armor. On the rider's back was a sword with enough metal to make a big rig truck out of it. On the rider's arm was a shield that could have dammed a river. On the rider's side, there was a lance the size of a telephone pole.

"Sweet cuppin'-cakes! That's the biggest pony I ever saw!" Pinkie said.

"That ain't no pony. That there's a draft horse. An' a big one, too," Goofy corrected.

The enormous horse tromped into his lane, the brick wall that divided the lanes practically rattling loose with every step he took.

The challenger trembled like a leaf in the wind, his armor nearly rattling off his body at the sight of his opponent.

The bell rang, signalling the start of the match.

The champ rode forward, the hoofsteps of his mount shaking the ground so much that Pinkie and Goofy jumped with every step he took.

The challenger hesitated, merely shaking in his greaves.

"Get movin' already, wimp!" a weasel shouted, poking the challenger's flank with the toothpick he was chewing.

The challenger yelped loudly and bolted forward. He knew this was going to be the end of him.

The end it was, as his shield was struck by the champ's enormous lance. But, that wasn't all. Instead of being knocked down, he was carried backwards by his own shield. When his opponent stopped running, he was thrown off and flew backwards screaming, right through a wall, which left a pony-shaped hole in it.

"And whaddaya know? Theronicus Rex remains the undisputed champ! The master who's your disaster! The equine that squashes you fine!" the emcee announced.

The horse reared up onto two legs, and waved to the crowd. The rider on his back went limp, revealing it to be just a mannequin.

"Who here thinks they're man enough to take on the champ, huh? I'll take you on all at once, if that's what you want!" Rex boasted to the crowd.

"And all at once it'll be! Be here for today's battle royale, where it'll be the best fighters in the kingdom against the champ! An all-for-all-brawl for the ages!" the emcee announced.

There were some cheers. But, they were considerably more restrained. It seemed that even though everypony enjoyed a good jousting match, not everypony was keen to see that kind of slaughter.

"Gawrsh. A brawl against that buh-heemoth. I sure hope Dash didn't sign up fer that," Goofy said.

He looked around the arena, as the champ beckoned cheers, and what he found shocked him.

"Rainbow Dash?" Goofy wondered aloud.

There, at an open doorway was Rainbow Dash, decked out in armor and being pulled away from the door by a rope, which was held by a weasel.

"You found Dashie? Where is she? Is she getting ready to fight these guys? Is she already prepping to be the champ? Or is she working her way up from the bottom and selling peanuts!?" Pinkie said.

"This ain't thuh time fer that! I think she's in trubble!" Goofy said.

"Trouble!?" Pinkie said, before saluting like a soldier. "Never fear! Staff sergeant Pinkie is here!" She declared, before groaning when she realized that she didn't have any of her props that would help the joke along.

She followed Goofy to where he saw Dash being pulled away, and found what looked like some kind of loading room, where all the fighter's supplies were kept. Armor and weapons were laid out to be used, but there was no sign of Dash.

They went to the next room, and saw a horrible sight. The metal carriage from earlier was parked outside a large door, and ponies were being led off of it by the weasels who were in the room. They only saw the carriage from the side, but it seemed like it was full to capacity, from the sheer number of ponies that were pulled off.

"What de heck? Where'd you find dis wimpy lotta joiks?" one weasel asked.

"We didn't pick 'em. The boss did. He said he wants to make real warriors outta them, 'fore they get too soft," said a weasel, who walked into the room from outside.

"Ah, pooh! I say jus' get'em while dey're already fightahs. Dat blue chicken-horse we nabbed oy-lier tudday was de bes' pick we got in forevah."

The last pony was led off, and one of the weasels walked into the carriage to get any lingerers.

"Not him. Dat kid's special. De boss wants him sent somewhere else," said the weasel, who was apparently the boss, as he shut the carriage doors and locked them.

"They got Dashie!" Pinkie whispered.

"Ah-yup. That we do," said a voice behind them.

Goofy and Pinkie turned around to see a group of armed weasels.

"Nice o' ya to drop by," said the weasel who was leading the group, as he brandished a switchblade.

Author's Note

Oboy. Looks like all of our friends are in a tight spot now. However will they get out of this one. I'm sure you know that there's always a way, but I'm not telling you how.

Sorry hopefuls, but Discord won't be appearing in this story. He's only mentioned offhandedly. Believe me, I did consider adding him in as one of the characters who cannot have their magic stolen, but it occurred to me that it would kind of defeat the purpose of Mickey and his pals being in Equestria. Granted, it could have just been a story with Discord as the main character, but I really wanted to do a Mickey Mouse crossover.

We've briefly met the villain for this arch. As it always is, I have a voice pictured for him. I know that a lot of you will disagree with this one, since this guy has never been in a villainous role (as far as I know), but I really feel like he has a voice that could really be villainous if he wanted it to be. I'm talking about Leslie Nielsen.

The setting here was something that I wanted to do since the story started. I tried doing it in chapter one at the harvest festival, but I couldn't actually set up a kind of crooked tournament. The closest I got was the impromptu boxing match between Mickey and Pete. Now, in this medieval/renaissance-style setting, we have a jousting tournament. What fun that's going to be.

Anyone catch the reference to 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' in this chapter? I promise that will be the only one. Although references the things like 'Blackadder,' 'Ripping Yarns,' and 'Father Ted' may sneak in.

That's about it for me. Show me the way to go home, folks. I'm tired and I wanna go to bed. Rock on \m/

Chapter 17: The Larcenous Hordes

Chapter 17

The Larcenous Hordes

The foals all sat on the front porch, intently listening to the old mare's story. They were all leaning forward, eagerly awaiting the next part of the tale, until the earth pony colt spoke up.

"I know this story! It's The Goof Knight in the Kingdom of Champions!" the colt said.

"That's right," his grandmother affirmed. "You might also notice some elements from another story. Namely The Larcenous Hordes."

"You mean, those two stories came from the same real adventure? But, the book said the Larcenous Hordes were ponies who robbed jewels and bits."

"Nope. They were weasels who foalnapped ponies from their homes."

"That's terrible! That's worse than stealing money!" the unicorn filly said.

"Well, the real thing is often scarier than what any story says," the old mare answered.

The colt realized that there was something else revealed by his grandmother's words.

"You've been reading my book, haven't you?" he asked.

"Guilty," the old mare chuckled, "I've always had a sort of knack for adventure stories. Especially now that I'm too old to have any of my own."

"Did you have any adventures when you were younger?" asked the pegasus filly.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I met the Goof Knight himself?"

"You did?" the mare's grandson said, excitedly. "What was he like? When did you meet him? Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Easy. Easy, grandson. That can all be answered if you listen to more of the story. After all, don't you want to know what happened to Rainbow Dash after those weasels foalnapped her? Or how Pinkie Pie was able to hold her own against them, even though she had no magic?" the old mare asked.

"Yeah. I want to know if they got their magic back," the unicorn filly said.

"Not just yet, filly. That's not for a while. Right now, let's hear how the Goof Knight and Pinkie Pie survived the Larcenous Hordes.

The foals all nodded, and the mare continued her story.

The weasel in front walked forward and brandished his switchblade to Pinkie's nose, making the mare's eyes cross.

"Whadda you boys think? Either one o' these schmoes look like fightin' material?" the weasel asked.

"Fightin' material? That mare looks like nothin' but glue ingredients to me," one of his cohorts answered.

"Now, hang on a second. She ain't--" Goofy said, but got a finger pressed in his nose, before he could finish.

"You say somethin', Mack?" the weasel asked. "Do you have a problem with us threatenin' your friend here?"

"Well, since yuh mention it--" Goofy began.

He was cut off again, when the weasel pinched his nose with two fingers.

"Aw, stuff it. You ain't much for fightin' either. I'm surprised you ain't been put down with all the other sick dogs out there," the weasel with the switchblade said.

"That wuz uncalled for," Goofy said, rather nasally.

"Pfft! Whatever. Boys: get this jerk outta here."

"Goofy!" Pinkie called, before a group of weasels set to slapping a set of armor on her.

"Hwup!!" was all Goofy got to say, before the rest of the weasels picked him up over their heads, carried him to the door and threw him out.

"An' don't come back!" one weasel said.

And the door was slammed shut with a bang.

Goofy picked himself up from the dirt, and shook his dusty face clean.

"I buhleev I had a hat!" the goof said, noting that his hat had fallen off his head when he was picked up. He gasped loudly when he realized something else. "I had a Pinkie too!"

Dash had already disappeared, and he wasn't about to let the same thing happen to his other friend. With a deep breath, Goofy puffed up his chest, stepped backwards for a running start, and charged the door with all his might. "Hold on, Pinkie! Yer pal's a-comin' for yuh!!"

Inside, Pinkie just had a helmet slammed onto her head.

"Hang on a sec'," the lead weasel said. He took the helmet back off of Pinkie's head. "There ya go. You can be a training dummy for all the real fighters around here."

The weasels all laughed loudly. Pinkie wanted nothing more than to pummel them all. She had taken on hordes of enemies before. She had plowed through changelings and diamond dogs like a platter of cupcakes. But, that was when she had her magic. Before, she would have simply swapped places with one of the weasels and blew them away with her party cannon. Now, she was without her one advantage, and nothing could help her.

There was a thunderous slam against the door that shook the whole building. But, the door didn't even open.

"What wuzzat?" asked a weasel.

"Go check an' see," said another.

The weasel who asked went to the door, and swung it wide open. "Who is it--Eh?"

Plastered to the door was the very goof they had just thrown out.

"Ohhhhh..." Goofy moaned.

"You sellin' somethin' or what? You got nothin' we care about, so hit the road!" the weasel said.

The weasel shut the door, but was stopped short when Goofy's arm reached around and grabbed him by the nose. The weasel shouted loudly, and sharply backed away from the door.

Goofy's arm stretched far beyond its normal reach, and began wobbling like an inner tube that was pulled too thin. The front of the goof was slowly peeling off the door, and soon snapped across the room like a stretched inner tube that was let go at one end.

"AH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOOYYY!!!!!!!"

The goof flew through the room, and crashed into the group of weasels around Pinkie.

Pinkie got caught by Goofy's outstretched arm, and the armor she wore was knocked clean off as she was carried by the goof, before they both crashed into a wall.

"Farrier Muler, you're my hero..." Pinkie said rather woozily, as she was cradled in Goofy's arms.

Her eyes stopped spinning, and she saw the group of weasels standing up.

"One o' you schmucks get those goofs!" the weasel with the switchblade said.

Quick as she could, Pinkie nudged her back behind Goofy and helped him stand up.

"Get 'em, Goofy!" Pinkie ordered, expecting him to protect her as he did back at the Harvest Festival.

"Caulk th' wagon an' ford th' river! We're goin' tuh Tennuh-see, boys!!!" Goofy boldly declared.

One weasel took charge and rushed forward with a lance that he had taken off a wall.

Pinkie ran to the side, leaving Goofy in the path of the weasel's charge. She quickly reached back, and pulled the goof aside by his wrist.

The weasel drove his lance into the wall, and bobbed up and down as his weapon bounced.

Goofy was swung aside, his limp arm lashing out and jabbing another weasel in the face.

Pinkie's head zipped between the reeling weasel and the half-conscious Goofy, and an idea occurred to her with a resounding, "Heeeeeeyyy."

Two weasels ran in from either side.

Pinkie grabbed Goofy's head and pulled it backwards, forcing the goof to lean.

With one foot still on the ground, Goofy's other leg shot out and kicked one weasel in the chin.

Pinkie pushed him forward, and that same leg struck the second weasel in the stomach.

She swung Goofy by his outstretched legs so that he spun in a circle and kicked the next weasel in the face.

The results didn't lie. Pinkie looked at the fallen weasels, and knew she had something going for her right now. All she needed to do was work out the kinks to perfect it.

One weasel grabbed a shield off the wall and used it to stop Goofy's momentum. When the goof was stopped, he swung his shield at Goofy's other leg to trip him.

Pinkie pulled the targeted leg out of the way, and planted the other one on the ground, repeating the process to walk the goof away from the attacking weasel.

The weasel stopped swinging for a moment, and spun his shield like pizza dough. Like pizza dough, the shield spread wider as it was spun in the air, until it was roughly five feet across.

Pinkie knew there was no easy way to dodge the larger weapon. She placed her hooves under Goofy's heels and threw him into the air. Before she could move, the shield struck across her face, making her rattle back and forth like sheet metal before she fell over backwards.

Before the weasel could even snicker, Goofy landed right on top of his head, taking him out of the fight.

The other weasels took weapons off of the walls.

Pinkie sweated profusely at the sight of the armed opponents. She looked up and saw that Goofy was still only half-conscious. In a desperate move, she pulled him down to her eye level and started shaking his head.

"For cupcake's sake, Goofy! Wake up! They're going to kill us!!!" Pinkie shouted.

"Who me? Oh no. I have a bellyache..." Goofy muttered.

The pink mare's ears drooped when she heard that answer.

A weasel raised a halberd and swung it downward.

Pinkie stood both herself and Goofy up, turning their bodies parallel to the swing with their limbs outstretched. Pinkie prompted them both to crouch and stretch parallel to a sword swing from another weasel. Then a third with a morningstar, and a fourth with an ax.

In her mind, Pinkie could hear an accordion playing as she and Goofy danced their hopak between the four swinging weapons. She was doing it. She knew how she and Goofy were going to defeat those meanies.

After the morningstar swung, Pinkie kept Goofy crouching while she jumped onto his back. She danced her hooves about, making the goof spin on his palms with his legs outstretched to trip the surrounding weasels.

A smile spread onto Pinkie's face as the music in her head grew more frantic. She was on her way to defeating them. But, not yet.

The weasels were down, but they sure weren't out.

Pinkie continued her momentum by prodding Goofy forward with a series of dance steps. She and Goofy plowed through three more weasels, knocking them aside like bowling pins, until a weasel with a scythe took a swing at the goof.

Pinkie pulled Goofy back by his shoulders, and pushed him upright to a squatting position. From there, she turned around and bucked one hoof into one side of her friend's flank, then the other hoof into the other side. With every buck, Goofy kicked one leg upward and retracted it, kicking the weasel repeatedly.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" Goofy said, as he gradually regained consciousness with every kick.

With one last two-legged buck, Goofy planted his palm on the floor and kicked both legs into the weasel's chest.

The weasel was knocked backwards into a suit of armor. The armor fell apart, and the chestpiece fell over the weasel, trapping him inside.

"Pinkie? Did I save yuh yet?" Goofy asked, unaware of what had been happening.

A crossbow bolt between them answered that question for him.

"Stand up and hopak with me!" Pinkie shouted.

"Don't ya need padding fer that?" Goofy asked, before he was thrown to his feet. "Hwup!!"

Goofy felt himself pushed so that one leg strode forward and the toe of his rear foot touched his leading heel. Pinkie mimicked the step exactly with her four hooves and the two successfully dodged another bolt from another archer. The same step was repeated in a different direction to dodge another shot from a third archer.

From their perches atop the boxes, the archers could hardly feel frustrated by their misses. They were having too much fun watching the dance they were instigating.

More bolts rained down on them. Pinkie and Goofy both continued their mad dance, until they were surrounded by the fired ammunition.

Pinkie looked up and saw one of the archers reloading his weapon. Seeing an opportunity, she grabbed Goofy and spun him toward the stack of crates the weasel was on.

Goofy twirled through the air and landed in a kneeling position, his knee bumping and toppling the crates, making the weasel fall.

"WOO-OOW!!!" Goofy shouted, when a bolt was fired behind him, prompting him to run forward on his knees.

The goof was chased around in a circle, while his knees continued to topple the footholds each weasel had. Soon, the archers were taken care of, and he was reunited with Pinkie.

A gang of weasels rushed them.

Pinkie knew that a simple folk dance would not do against them. A new rhythm was called for. She positioned herself behind Goofy, and placed her hooves on his hips, then pushed him forward.

They became a two creature conga line of carnage. Whenever a weasel came close to them, Pinkie leaned Goofy to the appropriate side so that they both kicked their legs out.

Goofy didn't know what Pinkie was doing, but it seemed to be working. In spite of the danger around them, he managed a smile and a short, "A-hyuck."

"That's it! That's it! It's just like a conga line! It's practically a party!" Pinkie thought. She began to sing to herself, "Feel de burn o' tropical heat/ Step in line for conga line beat!"

A calypso tune on steel drums began in her head, as she spun the conga line around, kicking weasels left and right. This was what Goofy had been talking about. This was only the kind of thing she would do at a party. Admittedly, she wasn't able to pull a piñata out of her mane, but this was surely some trace of the magic she had lost.

The tune in Pinkie’s head changed again to a wild ragtime jazz as she guided Goofy's limbs into a mad jitterbug.

"Whoop!--Whoah!--Whup!--Wo-ow!" Goofy shouted as he was sent into the mad dance. Through his movements, he ended up picking up weapons and shields to do battle against the weasels around him.

A sword and shield somehow ended up in his grasp, and Pinkie used them to block a strike from a weasel with a quarterstaff.

Pinkie guided Goofy to twirl his arms in circles to block the weasel's repeated attacks, until the goof made a low swing and cut the weasel at the waist.

The weasel was unharmed, but his belt was slashed in two, which made his pants fall down around his ankles.

The weasel who had the chestpiece of a suit of armor wedged over his upper body rushed in and rammed the goof from behind, sending Goofy flipping into the air. However, he also crashed the open end of the armor into the pantless weasel, wedging him inside as well. Now they were both trapped and out of the fight.

Goofy landed with a painful split, but quickly bounced to his feet, before Pinkie took his hands and started jitterbugging with him. Now, Goofy could hear the music in his head. The Charleston was playing loudly as Pinkie relinquished control of the goof's movements and started dancing all on his own.

The two dancers moved around the storage room, dodging and striking their opponents in perfect tandem.

Goofy flipped a fallen spear into the air, then spun himself so he was back to back with Pinkie. He took her other hoof in his free hand and flipped the mare over his back.

As she flipped, Pinkie kicked two weasels in their faces. In midair, she bucked the blunt end of the spear and sent it flying to pin three weasels to a wall by their collars.

Once they were facing each other again, Pinkie slid Goofy underneath her body, so that he kicked another weasel behind her.

The weasel Goofy kicked toppled backwards into a stack of oil drums labeled 'ARMOR GREASE.' The drum on top wobbled and dropped to the floor, its lid popping off and spilling its contents all over the floor.

It was pandemonium. Nobody could keep their footing, and were sent into a mess of flailing limbs and splashing grease.

Goofy spun his arms in circles as his feet slipped and wobbled about. He reached down and caught Pinkie before she fell into the grease, and tried using her as a handhold.

Pinkie, however, had another idea.

She used Goofy to steady herself, took his hands in her hooves and pushed them both through the grease.

Their respective feet and hooves slid through the grease like a pair of figure skaters, and flourished with a spin from the two. Goofy touched his toes to Pinkie's hooves and the two leaned back, making them both spin around, knocking down any of the weasels that tried to stand up.

One weasel that had been pinned to the wall by the spear in his shirt collar managed to reach a loaded crossbow from a crate, and took aim at the dancers.

Goofy saw the weasel taking aim. He lifted Pinkie up and tossed her into the air toward the danger.

Pinkie spun with a glorious triple axle, then landed with an angel pose that knocked the weasel’s crossbow out of his hands. She wasn't done, as she bent the end of the spear and let go.

The spear twanged up and down, shaking the weasels stuck on it and knocking their heads together until they were unconscious.

The pink mare giggled gleefully as she slid back to her dance partner and placed her hooves in his hands again. This time, Pinkie lifted the goof over her head.

Goofy thrusted his legs out straight and spread his arms like wings, allowing Pinkie to spin him around and knock down many weasels and other crates.

One crate was labeled 'PADDING' and what spilled out when it broke was nothing but a bunch of sawdust that spilled over the floor. The sawdust absorbed the grease and put friction back on the floor, effectively stopping Pinkie and Goofy's dance.

"It's over already? We were just getting to the big finish," Pinkie moaned.

"Sure wuz sum party, though," Goofy answered as he placed his feet back on the ground.

Pinkie's eyes lit up when Goofy affirmed what she had been thinking earlier. It really was just like a party. Only with weapons and meanies.

"Awwww, Goofy!" Pinkie said, as she jumped up and hugged the goof like he was a giant-sized cupcake.

"Don't mention it..." Goofy strained under the pressure of Pinkie's hooves.

"Aw! Willya lookit dis! You jerks can't even handle a couple o' goofs like them!?" asked a new voice.

Cheet Ripov had walked into the room, and he was not pleased with what he saw.

"Who knocked down all these boxes!? You think that grease is cheap!? One o' you's gonna pay for it, an' all the sawdust ya wasted cleanin' it up!! An' what happened to that guy's pants!?"

"It wasn't exactly a thought out plan, boss," the pantsless weasel's voice echoed from inside the armor his head was stuck in.

"Eh, zip it, beef brain!" Ripov said. A new idea occurred to him, and he walked up to greet Pinkie and Goofy. "Hiya, sweetheart. Long time no see."

"Skip th' small talk an' tell us why yer here," Goofy said.

"Cuttin' right to the point, eh? Alright, I'll be honest with ya: I sent ya here plannin' on ya bein' picked up by our, er...recruitin' team. Figured you two would be good meat for the battle royale later today."

"You were going to have us foalnapped for some game where we get creamed by that monster horse? You've reached a new low, Ripoff," Pinkie espoused.

"You think this's just some game?" Ripov said. "You must not be familiar with the Trottingham Hastlitude. It's kinda complicated, so I'll give ya the short version. See, every year they have this party in this one-horse dump. But, if the king dies an' there's no heir, they have the Hastlitude to pick a new leader.

"But, the king of Trottingham isn't dead," Pinkie said.

"Ya'd think so," Ripov chuckled.

Not much lit the dim bulb that was Goofy's brain, but he glowered at Ripov’s implication.

"Anyhoo: the boss came in shortly after the king had his untimely end, saying that since he was the strongest guy, an’ him bein’ the only one with magic, he was the only one fit to rule. Problem is, the ponies 'round here are kinda big on tradition. They said that they would never accept him as their king, since the crown could only go to the winner of the Hastlitude. Now, you chumps saw Rex, so I'm sure you know he could easily have flattened any schmoe in his way. Problem was that the crown's always kept hid after a king dies. This was a bit of a problem, so Rex decides that he's gonna enter the Hastlitude to get that crown, whether they want it or not."

Both Pinkie's and Goofy's ears had begun to droop around the middle of Ripov’s explanation. Now, both their ears were as low as they could get.

"Goofy, we can't let that monster horse become the king!" Pinkie said.

"Durn tootin'. It's only gunna be trubble if any o' these bad guys wins," Goofy answered.

Ripov smiled deviously.

"Tell ya what: you chumps sign up, an' I'll see to it you got a shot at the crown," he said.

"Yeah? Whut's th' catch?" Goofy asked.

"No catch. All ya need is some gear an' your good to go."

"Can you get us some gear?" Pinkie asked.

"Sure. For a price, o’ course," the weasel answered.

"What would we pay you for? What about all of this stuff in here?" Pinkie wondered, indicating all of the weapons and armor in the room.

"Uh..." the weasel thought for a moment, "That stuff's all for ponies. We're gonna need to send out for some weapons an' armor for your buck-toothed pal there. An' that's gonna cost a small retainer fee."

"Aw, come on. I know muh teeth ain't in th' best shape, but whut's a ruhtainer s'posed tuh do tuh get me in this Hassley-tood?" Goofy asked.

Ripov dragged his hand down his face, making his long weasel nose bounce up and down.

"I'm askin' ya for some compensation to get ya inta this tournament, stupid. We need some gear in the 'mill-yoo' of a tall, gangly doofus with a size thirteen schnoz. Now: pay up or you don't fight," he snapped.

"Don't do it, Goofy. He's trying to scam us again," Pinkie warned. "There has to be another way to get into this tournament, besides this guy. Some super-duper secret way, like a kindhearted judge, or a royal decree. Or some secret, underground, black market deal to get the kind of armor you don't find in stores!"

"Is this alright?" Goofy asked, as he offered his wallet.

"Goofy!!!"

"Dunno. Let's give it a shake-see," Ripov said, as he turned the wallet upside-down and shook it. All that fell out was a single nickel, which Ripov caught. "You clowns tryin' to take me for a ride?"

"You're the only clown here, mister! And nopony's getting in your itty-bitty car for a ride!" Pinkie accused, as she snatched the nickel and wallet back.

"So, that's it, eh? How 'bout I put it this way: if ya wanna see your friend again, you're taking that ride, sister," Ripov said, as he snatched the nickel back. "She's already been signed up as a fighter. An' if ya want into the tournament with her, you're gonna have to pony up the rest of the payment."

What the weasel said struck a chord to Pinkie. If she wanted Rainbow Dash back, she was going to have to play along with him. With a defeated groan, Pinkie reached into her mane and produced something for Ripov.

"There. That's all I'm giving up for you," Pinkie said, placing her payment in the weasel's hand.

Ripov looked in his hand, and what he thought was a bill turned out to be an empty candy wrapper. Normally, he would have grilled Pinkie for the full amount he demanded, but another devious thought occurred to him.

"Alright. This should cover it. A nickel an' a candy wrapper's worth of armor an' weapons, comin' up," the weasel said, before running off in a brown blur.

Pinkie took the candy that the wrapper came from out of her mane, and popped it into her mouth.

"Meanie-pants," she said, after Ripov left.

"Well, he did say he was gonna help us out. An' I suppose he's only as good as his word," Goofy said.

Unfortunately, Ripov didn't have such a good word.

"Here ya are!" the weasel said, as he returned in another blur with an armload of supplies. "Armor fit for a champ. Try it on, stud. Impress the crowds. Make the champ reel. Ya might even woo a mare or two."

Goofy picked up a piece of the armor and examined it carefully.

"Hm...Sum'n wrong here. Ain't this a washboard?" he asked.

"Naw, naw naw. That there's er...a chest plate. Ya know: for protectin' all your squishy parts from outside hazards,'' Ripov answered.

"That's funny. 'Cuz all this armor looks like yuh jus' got it from that phony booth yuh set up."

"Look pal, I can promise ya, on her grave--" Ripov said, pointing to Pinkie, "--that stuff is the best protection you're gonna get this side of a Sherman tank. Lemme show ya."

In the blink of an eye, Ripov whirred himself all around Goofy as he fitted him with the scrapyard armor. When he was done, Goofy was clad head to toe in household supplies.

His chest was covered by a washboard, and his back was covered by a metal washtub. Tin soap dishes adorned his shoulders. Scouring pads and sponges were taped around his elbows and knees. His hands were covered by a pair of leather work gloves. As for his legs, only his shins were covered by what looked like umbrella stands with the bottoms popped off. Finally, a metal bucket was plopped over his head, but not completely, as his nose was allowed to stick out.

Then came the weapons. Goofy was given all manner of tools for combat: a mop was placed in his hand. A box of powdered detergent was stuck into his pocket. A broom was stuck down the back of his shirt. Finally, a plunger and a feather duster were stuck into his belt.

"Voila! There's our future champ," Ripov said.

"Where? I don't see him," Goofy said, as he groped about with his hands.

"How's he supposed to see with that thing on his head?" Pinkie said.

"Hm..." Ripov pondered.

The weasel took a pencil out of his pocket and set to work drawing a pair of misshapen eyes on Goofy's bucket. Not an elegant solution, but it was no skin off his back.

"Alright. That's that. You goofs follow me to the lounge with all the other chumps--er, challengers," Ripov said, before snickering suspiciously.

Pinkie walked after the weasel, while Goofy used his mop like a blind man's walking stick. It did no good as he ended up walking into a wall anyway when he missed tapping the corner with his mop. Pinkie doubled back and guided Goofy by his hand.

The two of them were led down the halls toward a door with a heavy padlock.

"Hum...Bit of a roadblock here. Hang on," Ripov muttered, as he took a bent paperclip out of his pocket and started picking the lock. There was a quiet click and the lock came undone. The weasel opened the door and motioned for the others to go in. "Head on in. An' be careful around some o' these new recruits. They're kinda sensitive and prone to crying."

As he walked in, Goofy hit his head on the low doorway.

"D'oh!!" he yelped.

The door was closed behind them, and Pinkie found them both in a room that hardly looked like any lounge she was in when she visited Applejack or Rainbow Dash before their competitions. The floor and the walls were made of gray concrete. There were weapon racks on the walls, along with mounts for armor to be placed, and many benches. Sitting on those benches were a number of other ponies. Pinkie recognized some of them as ones she saw departing from the metal carriage earlier.

Some of the ponies were scraped and bruised, like the kind of injuries one expected to see from a jousting match. Others were completely battered, broken and bedridden. They were likely the ones who had challenged Rex. However, most of them were completely unharmed, but looked extremely frightened.

At the end of the room, Pinkie heard a sound like pounding hooves. Looking to the source, she saw a familiar blue pegasus with a rainbow mane beating against a locked door.

"You can't keep us in here! As soon as this door opens, you jerks are going down!" Dash shouted.

"Dashie!!" Pinkie shouted and ran across the room.

Dash turned around, and smiled for the first time since she was put in that room.

"Pinkie!" Dash greeted, as she received her friend with a tight hug.

"Rainbow Dash!" Goofy called when he heard his friend's voice. He tried to walk forward, but as he was still blinded bumped into the edge of a bench and fell over forward. He ended up landing upside-down, with the bucket on his head planted firmly on the ground. But, that didn't stop him from reaching out and hugging his lost friend. "Dash, we found yuh!"

"Uh...my name's Bullseye," said the stallion Goofy was embracing.

"Oops," was all Goofy said, as he released the pony, "Could yuh point me to a blue birdie-horse with a snazzy mane?"

"Over here, Goof," Dash said, as she gently rotated Goofy to face her and greeted him with a hug. After the reunion, Dash and Pinkie tipped the goof over so that he was sitting on the ground. "Another bucket? How do you get into these things?"

Dash and Pinkie went about trying to pull the bucket off of Goofy's head, while the crowd of ponies looked on at the strange dog-like creature in the room with them.

"What is that? A diamond dog?" one pony asked.

"No. He looks too goofy to be a diamond dog," another pony answered.

"He looks just like the other one," one of the ponies said.

The bucket had just started to slip from Goofy's head when the room began to shake.

"He's coming!!" one of the bedridden ponies shouted, before taking cover under his cot.

There was a loud rumbling noise and the wall began to crack.

Author's Note

The story continues with a sudden step into the Kingdom of Champions. The title of this chapter is a reference to those old adventure comics from back in the day, like The Adventures of Tintin, Corto Maltese, Asterix or Spirou and Fantasio. As well as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comics. They all had really cool titles that had to do with some small event or object that thrust the hero into adventure, or some huge overarching event that constantly loomed above. I just thought that sounded good.

I didn't know which title I should use for this chapter, between The Larcenous Hordes and The Kingdom of Champions, but a coin toss decided for me. But, there's no way I'm letting that other title go. That's going to be the title for the 'boss fight' chapter.

Basically, the idea in this chapter is the same as most of the preceding: one of our favorite mares learns how to manage without magic. This time, it's Pinkie's turn. Dash will have her turn in due time, of course. Who knows, she may end up finding she has more in common with Goofy and Pinkie than she thought *wink, nudge*.

The idea of them doing different kinds of dances was something that was inspired by the movie 'Shanghai Knights,' where Jackie Chan fights off a group of thugs while fighting in a style reminiscent to a famous dance scene in 'Singin' in the Rain.' I love both of those movies, by the way, and I highly recommend you give them at least one watch.

Of course, the dances that they ended up doing I thought would have to seem like something that would fit the characters, hence the conga, jitterbug and hopak. Fun fact: cossacks in Ukraine turned the hopak into a style of combat. I guess that just makes it all the more natural that they use the folk dance during a fight.

Also in this chapter, Goofy got his first costume for his leg of the magical quest. This was something that profoundly disappointed me when I played the games. Goofy was never a playable character, and I desperately wanted to see what kinds of costumes and abilities the goof would get. Now, I got complete freedom over what he gets.

This costume was inspired of course by medieval knights of England and France, and partly inspired by the first costume Mickey and Donald get in the third Magical Quest game. I always wanted to see Goofy wearing armor like his pals, and now he is. Lucky me.

You know, something just occurred to me: the villain for this arch is the first one with an actual name. Theronicus Rex is the first name given to a villain, besides Pete, Big Bad and Yen Sid. You could say The Massster had a name, but that was more like a moniker than an actual name.

As long as I'm thinking about it, let's just say that so far: Mickey, Rarity and Twilight fought against Bert Graveljaw; Minnie, Spike and Pluto fought against Serpico Viperone; and Donald, Applejack, Fluttershy and Uncle Scrooge fought Tomás Copús. Those are just my names for them. It's not official, so you can make up your own names for the villains if you want.

Anybody catch Pinkie's reference to Ferris Bueller's Day Off? I just thought the pun was really funny, since Ferris's name fit so well into an equine spin. Just in case you don't know, a farrier is someone who puts the horseshoes on a horse.

Of course, the other major reference to other media is when Goofy says 'D'oh!' A nod to Homer Simpson's trademark expression of annoyance.

That's about all there is in this chapter. Get ready for the next one, where the games begin. Rock on, people \m/

Chapter 18: Round One!

Chapter 18

Round One!

On the porch, the old mare looked at the faces of her young audience. Each one of the foals had their eyes popped wide open and their tiny hooves were slightly trembling.

"That shaking. It's not Rex, is it?" the unicorn filly asked.

The old mare didn't answer immediately. It was true that even though Theronicus Rex was not prominent in the story as of yet, he was still a frightening villain for the foals. He had already murdered a king, threatened to take the crown, foalnapped ponies to force them into the fight, destroyed the bodies and spirits of anypony who challenged him, and was on his way to becoming the king.

"Maybe we should take a break from the story," the old mare said.

"What?" her grandson asked. "But, they just found Rainbow Dash! And then they get ready to fight in a 'hassle-tude' to save the kingdom! You can't stop now!"

"Yeah! It's like the story just got started, and now you want to stop!" the pegasus filly added.

"Come on, grandma! What about where the Goof Knight defeats Rex with a feather duster and becomes the king of Trottingham? You haven't even gotten close to that part yet!" the earth pony colt said.

The old mare sighed when she heard her grandson speak. He loved the stories he read about the Goof Knight so much, and didn't know if she had the heart to tell him the reality of the ending. But, the eagerness of the foals convinced her to finish the story. And if she was going to finish the story, her grandson was going to learn the truth sooner or later. It may as well have been now that he knew how the Goof Knight in the Kingdom of Champions ended.

"That's another major detail that the stories got wrong about the Goof Knight. You see..." The old mare paused, seeing the eager look in her grandson's face, and knowing he would be crushed by what he was about to hear. "The Goof Knight never became the king of Trottingham."

"What!?" the foals all said at once.

"You mean, Rex won!?" the pegasus filly said.

"But, he's the bad guy! He's not supposed to win!" the unicorn filly said next.

"He couldn't have beat the Goof Knight! The Goof Knight fought enemies a hundred times stronger than him! There's just no way!" the earth pony colt finished.

"He did. To put it bluntly, the Goof Knight had his clock cleaned by Theronicus Rex," his grandmother confirmed.

"No! He couldn't have lost! You said that he beat Rex!"

"Now, stop that sniffling, colt!" his grandmother admonished when she saw tears welling up in the colt's eyes. "I said that he fought Rex with a feather duster, and he was defeated with relative ease. The Goof Knight was defeated, but that didn't mean that he lost. Rex got exactly what he had coming to him. And if you quit that blubbering, I'll tell you how."

The foals all sat perfectly still before the old mare. They had never known her to be stern or forceful before since they had known her. They desperately wanted to know how the story ended. Steeling their nerves, the foals steadied themselves and sat quietly for what was next.

The old mare smiled at the sight of such stalwart young foals. She cleared her throat, and continued the story.

The wall rumbled loudly, and the ponies in the lounge all took cover. Most of them hid under a cot or a bench. Some even tried to duck into a corner and hoped they wouldn't be seen.

Goofy still had his head stuck in a bucket, and was pulled by Dash and Pinkie underneath a bench with them.

"Come on, Goof! Fit!" Dash said, as it turned out that Goofy's legs were too long to fit beneath the bench.

Her mouth was covered by a neighboring hoof. Glancing over, Dash saw the hoof belonged to an earth pony mare with a cinnamon-colored coat and a red mane.

"Quiet! He might hear you!" the mare fearfully whispered.

The wall cracked open, shaking debris loose from the ceiling. Once it was open enough, two enormous hooves reached through and clasped onto the inside. Once they gripped the walls, the entire wall itself was pushed to either side, revealing Theronicus Rex standing there. Briefly, the draft horse huffed and shook any debris from his mane before he scanned the room. Everywhere, he saw ponies trying to hide themselves in the most obvious places. His eyes lingered on the ponies who tried to hide in the corners, making them all push into the wall as if they were trying to pass through it.

"That's just pathetic," Rex muttered. "Should've picked a hardier crop. I'm starting to wish I tried conquering the Dragonlands."

He walked into the room on two legs, rearing himself to nearly nine feet tall. He analyzed the new meat for the Hastlitude. Then, he caught sight of something quite unusual. A pair of long, gangly, non-equine legs was sticking you from underneath a bench, their knees shaking with fear.

"Hm...One of these things is not like the others," Rex said, before tromping toward Goofy.

He stopped right in front of the goof’s legs, towering over him.

"D'yuh think he saw us?" Goofy whispered to his friends. "WHOA-OW!!"

Goofy shouted as he was pulled out from under the bench by his ankles. Slowly, he lifted the loosened bucket from his head, and was greeted by the sight of Rex glaring intensely at him. A shiver went down his spine as he slowly pulled the bucket back over his eyes.

Much as the goof hoped Rex would leave him alone after that, he was instead lifted off the ground by the bucket on his head. His head slid out of the bucket, and his chin caught on the handle, suspending him in midair as he was forced to lock eyes with the champ.

"Look at this. The dogs have come home for a beating," Rex scoffed. He looked at the clothes Goofy was wearing, and scowled. "What are you supposed to be? Some kind of half-flanked knight's stand-in?"

"Uh..." Was all Goofy had time to say, before Rex shook him.

"I'm telling you, they're not making knights like they used to," Rex said, as he shook Goofy. "I remember a time when a knight was something people feared and respected. The kind of a guy that made mares glad they were mares and made stallions wish they were mares instead. But you: you look more like something that congealed in the dirt where I beat the ever-loving blood and sweat out of one of these boned fish."

Goofy looked to where Rex was indicating, and saw the battered pony hiding under his cot.

"Uh, that ain't a fish. It's a pony," the goof answered.

"I KNOW IT'S A PONY, YOU UNCUT BEEF SHANK!!" Rex yelled, before he dropped Goofy to the floor.

The bucket on Goofy's head fell back over his eyes, and he struggled to pop it off again. With one forceful push, Goofy fell over backwards and hit his head on the bench, right above where Dash and Pinkie still hid.

"I don't know why the boss ever thought you'd be any trouble. Here I was thinking I was given the highest honor of fighting his prize student. Instead, I get the class clown," Rex said.

"That's what you think, meathead!" Dash said, as she crawled out to confront the champ. "You haven't seen the kinds of crazy things he can do with a bucket on his head! I saw him take out a whole gang of weasels and not even know it!"

"Yeah! And we did it together just before we came in here!" Pinkie added. "Me and Goofy partied our way through at least a dozen of them, and still had energy to spare!"

"Party?" Dash wondered aloud.

"Well, it felt like a party," Pinkie answered.

"Nice!"

Dash high-hoofed Pinkie. It seemed like her friend was learning how to party without magic. Now, Dash herself had to learn to perform without magic. That in mind, she turned back to face Rex.

"You hear that? She pounded your goons just by having a party! Face it: the three of us are way too much for you to handle," Dash said.

Goofy reached up and clasped both his hands around Dash's mouth. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was to provoke Rex. But, it seemed he was too late.

Rex lowered himself to all fours, removed Goofy's hands from Dash's mouth, and stared Dash, Goofy and Pinkie squarely in their eyes.

Dash was always up for a challenge, but without her magic she felt that she may have been in over her head against a behemoth like Rex.

Pinkie too felt a pang of fear. Granny Pie told her to giggle at the ghostly, but Rex was no ghost or other imagined spook.

Goofy slowly shrank to the floor and shuffled back under the bench, only to be stopped by Rex's hoof on his back.

"So, you think you three goofs are too much for me to handle, eh? I think I'd like to see how," the champ said, in a low voice.

"Okay. You asked for it," Dash said, spreading her wings, but not sure what she would do, now that she was unable to use them. Instead, she just stood there sweating with her wings outstretched.

Rex responded with an amused huff and swatted Dash's wings back to her sides. "Not in here, hot shot," he said, "I want the pleasure of squashing you in front of a thousand ponies, and cleaning up the stain that's left of you with that mop on your friend's back."

Goofy sweated nervously at the mere thought. To his relief, Rex reared back to walking on two legs and headed for the wall he had ripped open.

Rex stopped in the opening to say his farewells.

"I hope you have a long, refreshing rest. Because it's going to be a quick, painful end for you."

He grabbed the walls and pulled them together, closing them up once more to one solid piece. All that remained was the crack where he broke it in two.

Slowly, the ponies in the room all came out of hiding. The danger had gone.

"Gawrsh. I don't think he liked us," Goofy said.

"Don't worry about him, Goof. I know we can take him, if you show us how to use your magic," Dash said.

"It won't work," said the cinnamon-brown mare, as she came out of her cover. "You don't know what that tyrant can do. I was one of the first ponies he foalnapped for his fight. I watched helplessly from the carriage as he went from town to town to find more of us! It didn't matter who stood up to him! He fought them all off like he was swishing flies with his tail!"

Dash was left speechless by the mare's recount of what happened. Still, she managed a bold face.

"Well, he just hasn't met anypony like us. I demolished a barn with my bare hooves once," she said. There was a spark of confidence in her mind, but it faded slightly when the other mare shook her head.

"I don't suppose you've tied a cannon in a knot and ate it like a pretzel? Or defeated three ponies at once just by flexing? How about lift an entire building by its foundation and break it over your head, then plow through the rubble like it was water to pull out anypony who was inside?" the other mare said.

"That..." Dash paused to think of a word to use. She tried to think of some word she learned in a book to convey what she felt, but only came up with one very accurate word. "That's unbelievable!"

"Yeah! Cannons are for throwing parties. Not munchies," Pinkie said.

"Believe it. Rex has done all of those things, and worse. All to find some random, unfortunate pony for his fight! I don't even know what he'd want with me! I'm a novelist, not a fighter!" the mare said, showing her cutie mark to be a quill in an ink pot, next to a blank page.

"A novelist? Wow! Dashie likes adventure novels. Do you think he brought you here to aggrandize his slaughter to--" Pinkie began, before she felt her hoof surreptitiously kicked by Dash.

Pinkie didn't know why she was stopped. She was only trying to help this pony through her hard time with her usual antics. What was so bad about that?

Goofy heard the mare's story, and felt nothing but sympathy for all of the ponies in the room. Like them, he too was far from his home in a dangerous place. Only, they were brought there to fulfill some tyrant's ambition. It was then that Goofy thought that maybe he was brought to Equestria for this reason: to help the ponies of this place defeat their cruel oppressor.

"Now, don't yuh worry 'bout ol' Rex. Dash here's right about us cleanin' his clock. I don't right know how, but I'm bettin' th' three of us could put together sumthin' that'll show him whut for. All we need is some inspuh-ration," Goofy said.

The ponies in the room focused on what the strange, dog-creature said. If inspiration was all it took, if it was that simple, then why were they still held captive.

The cinnamon-brown novelist looked at Goofy disbelievingly.

"I make a living off of make-believe. And as an expert on the subject, I can tell you that it won't do us any good in a situation like this. But, I guess you of all creatures have more reason to think so than anypony here," she said.

"Whut d'ya mean?" Goofy wondered.

"Aren't you related to the other one?"

In the halls just beyond the tiltyard, the emcee chuckled over the bits he had won from taking bets with his cohorts. He placed all the coins in his hat, and was about to walk away, when with no warning at all, the wall behind him exploded as an enormous hoof broke through and grabbed him by the neck. He was pulled right through the wall and brought face to face with the champ.

"How's it going, Sneek? Enjoying your fringe benefits?" Rex asked.

"Wh-What? This?" the weasel asked, showing the hat full of bits to the champ. "I was gonna give you a cut! I swear!"

"I don't give a dead weasel's bloated pelt about your chump change. I'm here on business. And business means me winning the crown. Understand?" Rex said, as he rattled the weasel like a maraca.

"Yes, sir!" the weasel said.

"Good!"

Rex dropped the emcee to the ground.

"Now, listen up. There're some new fighters in the ranks, and I want you and your buddies to make sure they go down fast and hard. Like a rat in a salad bar. You hear me? Do everything you can to make sure they get permanently 'disqualified.'"

"I think me an' the boys can put somethin' together," the emcee said. "Which ones do you want outta the picture?"

"You'll know them when you see them. And, if you want, feel free to make some extra scratch from their matches,” Rex said.

"Can do, boss."

"Perfect. Now, get back in that weasel hole of yours, and get ready for the next match!" Rex said, as he threw the emcee back into the room he was taken from, and placed the concrete wall back to its original place, as though it hadn't been broken at all.

The emcee left the room, and set to work rounding up his gang to prepare the arena for the oncoming suckers.

In the fighter's lounge, Goofy stared confused at what the novelist had told him.

"I don't unnerstand. Related tuh whut?" Goofy wondered.

It seemed that this dog-creature was clueless to what was happening that moment. The novelist decided to elucidate the matter.

"You mean, you don't know? There was another dog on the carriage with the rest of us that looked like you. Only, he was much younger. I thought you might have known him," she said.

Dash's eyes lit up at the description. There was only one creature that she knew who could fit that description, and she reached into Goofy's pocket to confirm her suspicion.

"Hey!" Goofy yelped.

Dash fished out the goof's wallet and opened it to reveal the picture of Goofy and Max on their fishing trip.

"Does he look like this?" Dash said.

The novelist looked at the photograph, and answered. "That's him! That's the other creature that was with us in the carriage!"

All the other ponies looked at the picture and affirmed the same. Goofy, however, was not so easily convinced.

"Naw. Couldn't be Maxie. He's visitin' his granddad back home," Goofy said. Things quickly fell into place in the goof's mind. From the weasel from before saying to leave the kid on the carriage, to what he was told in just that moment, he nearly snapped completely.

"Are you alright?" the novelist asked.

"They got my son..."

It was every parent's worst nightmare. Somehow, someway his son was abducted, taken to this unknown land, and was in the clutches of the monstrous Rex.

Quicker than anypony could comprehend, Goofy ran to the door and started frantically trying to open it. When turning the knob failed, he resorted to banging his fists on its surface.

"Lemme outta here! Lemme out! Gimme back my son!!" Goofy shouted. "OUCH!!!!"

The door was promptly thrown open and a weasel walked in.

"Alright, ya barnyard mutants! Change o' plans! That guy in traction over there is officially disqualified! The new guy's gonna take his place!" He looked behind the door, finding Goofy smashed flat against the wall. "This's gonna be easier than we thought. Then he spoke aloud. "Okay, you're the schmuck what's going to fight. Normally, you'd just go out there, but a guy like you's gonna need a mount. So, start pickin' from this bag o' candy-flanks. Then, you're gonna need a squire. And I think your mount's gonna need one too. Got it? Good."

The weasel left the room, and Dash helped Goofy off the wall. One look at him, and she could see not the pain of being smashed, but something more anguished.

"Are you okay? Say something," Dash said.

"Maxie's just a little boy...What'd they want with him...?" Goofy’s mind snapped completely when a horrible thought occurred to him. "What if they want him for their hassly-tude!? He'd be creamed by a guy like Rex!!!"

"Goofy!!" Dash said, stopping her friend from continuing. In any other situation. Under any other circumstances, she would have run out gung-ho and knocked out every weasel there without a second thought. That was before her friend's son was held hostage by the enemy. Even though it went against every fiber of her being, she had to think of a plan before taking any action. "Okay...right now, there isn't anything we can do. We're trapped in a room with no way out. What we need to do is get ready for your next match. I'll be your mount for that."

"And I'll be your squire, Dashie," Pinkie volunteered.

"See? We're both behind you on this. And when we get out there, the first thing we're going to do is find your son and get the hay outta here," Dash finished.

Of course, Dash didn't know how she and the others would pull off such a plan. One look, and she knew that neither of them knew how either. But, at least something she said seemed to get through to Goofy.

The goof stood back up from the ground and put his hand on Dash's shoulder. "Alright, Dash. I'm'-a gonna trust yuh on this, seein' how yer my pal an' all. But, sumthin's still missin'."

"What's that?" Dash wondered.

"I still need me a squire."

"Me!!" the novelist immediately volunteered. "There's no way in Tartarus I'm fighting in this charade! Just leave all of your needs to me!"

"Then, I guess we're set, "Goofy said.

He, Dash and Pinkie put their respective hand and hooves in the center between them all.

Pinkie began a cheer for the group.

"Leeeeet's--"

"--Get ready for some carnage!!!" the emcee said to the crowd from his podium.

The preparations had been set, and everything was ready for the unwanted guests. All the accommodations were made to see to it that the next contenders didn't live to see another match.

"Place your bets here! Place your bets here! Odds-on favorite to win: the stranger from far, far away! 50-1, his favor! Who wants a piece o' that?" shouted a weasel who was taking bets with his cohorts. As it always was with their lot, they were rigging the whole thing. In truth, they planned for him to lose, and cash in big on the ponies' losses.

"Alright! Sit down, an' shaddap, ya grab bag o' marshmallow rejects!" the emcee said to the crowd. "Here we go! The next match is underway! Comin' in from the white door, we got Theef Lolyfe!"

From the white doorway, there came a weasel, who was wearing a full suit of armor. His helmet, however, had an extra slot for the toothpick he was chewing.

The crowd booed emphatically at the weasel.

"Aw, put a salt lick in it!" Theef yelled at the crowd.

After him, there came two more weasels, who took their spot next to some equipment by the jousting lanes.

"And his steed, comin' here from the Happy Hooves Bakery and Confections in Yokeshire: Cream Filling!" the emcee continued.

The stallion Theef was simply a cream-colored stallion with a green mane, and a pastry as his cutie mark, who looked nervously around the tiltyard.

"And from the black door," the emcee continued, "We have us the goof on the loose! The strange creature never before seen by pony-kind! He's name is unknown, but here in the Hastlitude he's known as The Goof Knight! And his steed, comin' from right off the streets of Trottingham: Rainbow Dash!!"

From the black door on the other side of the jousting lanes, Rainbow Dash trotted in with Goofy on her back. Looking at them, nopony thought they looked anything like a viable challenge. Not with their scrappy equipment and unrefined appearance.

Behind them, Pinkie Pie and their new novelist friend took their positions by another set of equipment on their side of the lanes. However, instead of weapons, they were given a set of cleaning supplies, like the ones that Goofy currently had equipped.

"This is madness. We're all going to get pummeled! I know it!" the novelist said.

"Don't be such a worrywart, Miss Worry Worryson," Pinkie said.

"My name is Quick Quill! And I have every reason to worry!" Quill said, holding up a bar of soap for Pinkie to see. "The deck's been stacked against us! And I can promise you: that weasel isn't going to play fairly."

Dash and Goofy went to their spot in their lane and waited for the signal to begin.

"Don't just sit there, Goof. Work the crowd. Wave, or something," Dash said to her friend.

"Uh, alright," Goofy answered. He started by waving at a group of ponies in the front row, "Hiya, folks!"

"Ugh..." Dash said, dragging her hoof down her face. "Like this."

Dash was something of an expert with crowds. However, without her wings, she knew she would have to get creative. She started by jumping, only to forget that she hadn't compensated for Goofy's extra weight on her back, and fell flat onto her face.

Goofy too felt the force of the landing, and fell forward, pressing Dash's face into the dirt.

The crowd winced loudly at the blunder.

Dash picked herself up and grumbled.

"Don't worry, Dash. Yuh get used tuh fallin' eventually," Goofy assured her.

"I don't want to get used to falling. This is a joust. If we fall, we lose!" Dash answered.

Goofy knew that was no option. If they lost, the ponies of the land would be at the mercy of Rex.

"Jousters, take your mark!" the emcee said.

Dash lowered herself for a charge.

Theef was tossed a lance by his squire team.

"Before you start, there's one last minute change to the rules you should know about: this match is going to go until knockout," the emcee said.

"Knockout!?" Dash, Goofy, Pinkie, Quill and Cream Filling all said at once.

"That's right!" the emcee affirmed. "Each of you's gonna keep on chargin' until one member on a team's takin' a dirt nap. So, if you're ready--"

"This is it, Goof! Start working 'em with your war cry!" Dash said.

"My whut?"

"GO!!" the emcee shouted, as a bell rang.

Theef and Cream Filling charged forward.

Dash whinnied fiercely and ran as quick as her hooves could carry her.

Goofy was completely unprepared, and took off with not a war cry, but, "AAAAHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOOY!!!!!!"

The match was underway. Dash's mind was completely focused on her opponent, and the positions she would take to give Goofy the optimal attacking edge.

"This is it! Get that lance of yours ready!" Dash said.

"I ain't got a lance!" Goofy answered.

"What!?!"

"I ain't got a shield, neither!"

Dash suddenly realized what a disadvantage they were at.

In seconds, they were facing Theef's lance.

Dash saw that the weasel was aiming right for Goofy's chest. She bucked Goofy upward, making him jump right over the attack. The sudden momentum of her movement forced her to run ahead on her front hooves, while Goofy's feet landed on her flank. The two continued on for some distance, until Dash was able to drop her rear hooves to the ground, and Goofy fell back onto her back.

The crowd cheered at the spectacle, and the combatants reached the ends of their respective lanes and turned around.

"Focus, will ya!" Theef said to Cream Filling, who cringed slightly from the weasel's reprimanding.

At the other end, Dash consulted Goofy.

"What do you have to topple that weasel?" Dash asked.

"Uh...Closest I got's this," Goofy answered, taking his mop and washtub off his back, holding them like a lance and a shield.

"Good enough for now," Dash said.

They took their marks again, and charged valiantly.

Theef signalled to Sneek, and ran off on his steed.

The emcee took the signal, covered his mic, and stomped his foot on his podium.

"Cheepskate! Creep! You guys are up!" he said.

Down below, two more weasels worked in the area underneath the tiltyard to make things difficult for Dash and Goofy. They started by cranking a lever that would set up a nasty surprise for the two goofs.

Dash ran down the lane, keeping her eyes on Theef and Cream Filling. Once they were close, she picked up her speed.

Too fast for Goofy, as he lost his balance and ended up leaning far backwards. Far enough to watch Theef's lance go right over his nose. However, his weapon arm reached over the side of the divider and his mop caught Theef right in the face.

The weasel was knocked off his mount, but his foot remained caught in the stirrup, forcing him to be dragged at high speed back to his starting point.

Goofy and Dash were almost about to savor their victory, when a section of the divider sprang up on its own support over the rest, and started spinning like a propeller. Just low enough to hit Dash in the face and suck her in like a tornado. After her, Goofy fell in and was battered with her. After so much abuse, they were spat back out right to the start of their lane.

"Are you alright?!" Quill asked, as she checked them for injuries.

"No problem. Piece of cake," Dash said, slowly getting to her hooves.

"Gawrsh...cake sounds good..." Goofy said, dreamily.

Normally, Pinkie would have loved to accommodate, but without her magic it was impossible. She thought she could substitute with another cake.

"Here you go!" Pinkie said, as she piled a mound of soap cakes into goofy's arms. "I know they aren't good for eating, but at least you'll smell fresh!"

"It's supposed to be a squire's job to help!" Quill said. "But, as long as we have that, let's get those scrapes cleaned."

Quill and Pinkie had just set to work quickly cleaning the scrapes that the fighters had taken from the spinning section of rail. Looking at them, and at the box of detergent in his pocket, Goofy got an idea.

"I know how we're gunna get 'em!" Goofy declared. "Rainbow Dash, we're gunna need tuh do a little choree-ography."

Back at the other end, Theef was getting equipped by his squire team with a set of javelins.

The emcee covered his mic and shouted to a group of other weasels on the sidelines.

"Hey! You boys get down below and help the others! We gotta make this show interestin', don't we?"

The weasels nodded, and set to work.

Now they were ready, and the fighters took off down the lanes again.

Dash did her part, and ran slightly slower to allow her opponent closer.

Goofy readied the box of powdered detergent in his hand, and took aim at the spinning rail when Theef was starting to get close.

Up ahead, a pair of holes was dug out, and a weasel's hand popped up with a length of rope. It tossed the rope to another waiting weasel hand, and the two hands pulled the rope taut for the oncoming Dash.

Theef armed a pair of javelins to throw at his opponents, and hurled them with all his might.

Dash veered to one side, and then the other out of their path.

Theef readied more javelins.

Goofy stood up Dash's back, opened the box with his teeth like he was pulling the pin from a grenade and reared his arm back for the throw. With a mighty toss, he threw the box right into the spinning rail, creating a cloud of murky, white mist that obscured everything.

Unfortunately, it obscured the tripwire the weasels had set up as well. There was no way that Dash could possibly notice, before her hooves were suddenly entangled in it, making her fall head over hooves forward.

"HWUP!!"

"WO-OW!!"

Goofy was thrown up into the air, right over the spinning rail, while Dash rolled right under it.

Theef was not so lucky. With his and Cream Filling's vision obscured, neither noticed where the spinning rail was. Fortunately for Cream Filling, he tripped and slid under the danger, while his rider was caught right in its reach.

Theef went spinning round and round, until his javelins caught into the ground and jammed the spinning mechanism.

The weasel went flying, while down below, Creep and Cheepskate went spinning around the handles that they used to operate the spinner, until they broke off, rendering their trap useless. Near them, two more weasels got ready for the next trap, carrying a large, heavy jackhammer, which they quickly stretched out like taffy, and set against the ceiling.

Goofy had landed on top of the rolling Rainbow Dash, his feet scrambling to remain on top of her. They were nearing the end of their lane, and crashed into the wall there.

"I'm starting to see a pattern here," Dash muttered.

All around, she could hear the applause of the crowd. The same applause as the first time she and Goofy performed a blunder.

"They like the show..." Dash thought to herself. It wasn't the same as stunt flying, but she thought maybe she could start a new kind of performance with her friends. "WHOAH!!"

A javelin flew past her, brushing through her mane.

"AH-HOY!!" Goofy shouted, as a dagger flew between his head and his bucket when he ducked.

Theef's squire team had taken the initiative to attack them both with whatever equipment they had.

"That's not allowed! Ref!! Do something!" Quill demanded.

"Ref rules: no foul," the emcee chuckled.

"So, that's how it is, huh?" Pinkie said, as Theef and Cream Filling came sliding up to greet them.

Pinkie started by picking up a squeegee and hooking the weasel around his neck to pull him closer.

"What are you doing!?" Quill asked.

"Playing the game by their rules!" Pinkie said, as she thoroughly scrubbed Theef's giant nose with steel wool.

At the other end of the lanes, Dash and Goofy fought back against the weasels squires. Dash knew that the audience wanted a show. And they were going to get a show.

She began by bucking Goofy over her back as he held his mop, and sent the screaming goof out of the path of a swinging sword.

Now that she was in front, Dash grabbed Goofy's mop while he was in midair, planting the bundle of yarns on the ground, while Goofy, still holding the handle, went spinning around. With each spin, the goof kicked the two weasels square in their faces.

When Goofy started losing momentum, Dash swung the mop so that Goofy landed between the two weasels.

Goofy tried to swing Dash around, but they were both taken by a surprise hit.

Both weasels started attacking, pummeling Dash and Goofy until they were pressed back to back.

Before the beating became too much, Dash and Goofy both kicked their legs out, getting their respective attackers in their chin.

The weasels backed off, and allowed Dash to buck Goofy over her back again. This time, she took the broom off his back and used it to fight off her attacker. Goofy landed behind her, and went to town on the other weasel with his mop.

At the other end of the lanes, Theef had escaped from Pinkie's grip by throwing her over his shoulder. When she landed, Theef thrusted his sword downward to stick Pinkie to the ground.

Pinkie walked her hooves along the ground from her prone position to avoid his attack.

Theef pulled his sword from the ground and swung at Pinkie again.

Pinkie pulled back and looked around herself. There was a party all around her, but she had none of the usual supplies. But, that hadn't stopped her before. All she had to do was make do with what she had, like before.

Theef swung his sword again, now aimed to cut Pinkie in two.

Quill shrieked and closed her eyes, only to hear a loud clang. When she looked, she saw Pinkie holding a large washtub like a shield.

"Shell game!" Pinkie said, as she hid under the washtub, between two others. Her hooves shot out, and in a messy blur she shuffled them all.

Before she even finished, Theef swung his sword at all three, overturning them and finding them empty. He never knew what was coming when a bucket was stuck over his head.

"Blind pony's bluff!" Pinkie said.

Theef spun wildly with his sword outstretched, hoping he would catch his pink opponent.

Pinkie put one end of an extension rod into Quill's teeth, held the other end in her own, and the two mares crouched.

"Try that crazy new dance! Limbooooo!" Pinkie called, as she and Quill tripped Theef.

The weasel fell over backwards, and went flying into the air with a loud, "YAH-HAAAAA!" When he landed, it was seen that a brush with metal bristles was stuck to the seat of his pants.

"And a round of pin-the-tail-on-the-pony to grow on!" Pinkie said.

Quill stared dumbfounded at Pinkie.

"This isn't a party. This is the product of some obsessed imagination! This is--It's--" she struggled to find the words.

"Make believe?" Pinkie suggested.

Quill stopped talking when she heard that. She made a living on the subject, and didn't even realize when it was staring her in the face.

Pinkie victoriously twirled her extension rod, nearly hitting Cream Filling, who was cowering nearby.

"Not me! I'm just a baker!" Cream Filling begged.

"Really?" Pinkie said. "Me too! Tell me, what do you think about cupcakes?"

"Cupcakes?" Cream Filling said, with a sudden loss of apprehension. "I love them. They're not the most difficult thing to make, but I love them for the sheer versatility and room for creativity they allow."

"And parties?" Pinkie asked hopefully.

"My absolute favorite thing. Every time one happens, I'm at my baking best."

"We should talk after the match," Pinkie giggled.

While a new friend was made at one end, at the other there was nothing but enmity.

The weasel squires were gaining the upper hand. They punched and kicked with everything they had, sometimes attacking each other's opponent.

Goofy blocked an attack with his mop, and swung his washtub around his back to cover Dash from attack.

Dash pushed the shield forward, knocking a weasel back.

Goofy spun around and knocked the weasel facing him in the nose.

The weasel retaliated by hooking two punches into Goofy's sides.

Goofy wound up his arms and thrusted his mop backwards, attacking Dash's opponent, then thrusted forward to attack his own.

Dash spun the broom she got from Goofy around from side to side, striking at the weasel with the straws and the handle.

The weasel was knocked back, and picked up a spear from the weapon rack beside him. He jumped forward and thrusted his spear at Dash.

Dash ducked underneath it, opening a path to Goofy.

Goofy jumped over it, opening a path to the other weasel.

The other weasel leaned as far back as he could go, the tip of the spear going right over the tip of his nose.

The spear was retracted. The weasel snapped upright, and knocked Goofy out of the air, into Dash, who rammed the weasel with the spear.

The crowd cheered at the sight.

Dash was filled with more ideas to win from the cheers of the crowd. She began by winding up to the side, hitting the weasel behind herself, then swinging to hit the weasel before her.

The weasel before Dash blocked her attack, but was hit by Goofy raising his mop over his head.

After winding up, Goofy slammed his mop down on his opponent's head.

The goof stood on his toes and allowed Dash's broom to pass between his legs to hit his opponent.

Dash ducked low to avoid Goofy's mop thrusting over her head to hit her opponent.

Both weasels were stunned by the blows, allowing Dash and Goofy to finish them off. They placed the handles of their weapons on the ground, clasped hand in hoof, and jumped past one another to kick each other's opponent in the face. They grabbed each other's weapons and knocked their respective opponents over their heads.

The two weasels spun around once, and dropped to the ground.

The crowd roared at the sight, thrilled by how the weasels were taken out in a spectacular fashion.

Dash could feel a familiar feeling growing within herself. The energy from the crowd reached her, and filled her with new ideas to thrill them.

Goofy, however, felt none of it. He was scanning the crowd, looking for any traces of his son. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen.

At the other end, Theef took the bucket off his head, pulled the brush off of his pants and grabbed Cream Filling by his tail to get back in their lane.

"Stow the goo-goo eyes, loverboy! We got us a match to win!" he reprimanded.

With a spur of his heels, Theef forced Cream Filling down the lane.

"Wait! We haven't discussed hot sauce yet! Cream Filling! Cream Filliiiiiiing!!" Pinkie yelled longingly, with her hoof reaching out to her new friend.

Dash took her place in her own lane, followed by Goofy jumping on her back. After recoiling from the goof's weight, she took off like a zipping parasprite.

Goofy took hold of a bar of soap that he received from Pinkie earlier, and took aim for a toss at Cream Filling's hooves.

There was a terrible shaking beneath Dash's hooves, as the tip of a jackhammer came rocketing out of the ground beneath her. She managed to dodge it, and keep her hooves on the ground, but another jackhammer broke through.

As it was, it was actually one single jackhammer held by two weasels below the lanes. They quickly zipped down the line with their tool, punching holes into the lanes in the hopes of taking out Rainbow Dash and Goofy.

They thrusted the jackhammer up again.

Dash leapt over the tool that had popped up in front of her.

Goofy jostled hard, and lost his aim with the soap he was holding.

Theef was growing closer with his lance drawn.

Dash could hear the ground breaking beneath herself. She readied to jump again, but it was too late.

The jackhammer had already been thrusted into her stomach by the time she was in the air, making her flip forward, tossing Goofy off her back.

Goofy shouted loudly as the bar of soap flew from his hand and landed on the divider between the lanes. As it was with such goof-ish luck, he landed right on top of the soap and slid careening down the divider's length.

"AAAAH-HOO-HOO-HOOOOY!!!!"

Theef was almost upon him, and didn't even have a chance to thrust his lance, when the yarns of the goof's mop were wrapped around his head.

The weasel was pulled off his mount, and was dragged once again through the dirt.

At the end of the divider, Goofy spun through the air, taking Theef with him. Finally, he landed on his feet, while his opponent was slammed headfirst into the ground.

With one last groan, Theef fell limp on the ground with Goofy-looking birds flying around his head, saying in high-pitched voices, "A-hyuck-A-hyuck-A-hyuck"

"And...Well, whaddaya know? The Goof Knight's the winner...Fancy that..." The emcee said.

"That's it!! All bets are off! No refunds!" shouted one of the weasels who had been taking bets in the crowds.

It did no good. All of the ponies who had placed bets rose up like a tsunami to take every bit they won. And then some. When the wave of ponies receded, both weasels who were taking bets were left with nothing but their underwear and hats.

Nobody was happy with the results of what happened. Especially not Goofy, who threw himself onto the podium, and was scrambling to climb it.

"I won yer match! Now, gimme back my son!!" Goofy shouted.

"Get lost, goof!" Sneek said, pushing Goofy off with his foot.

Down below, Goofy was caught on Pinkie's back, and she and Quill were led back to the lounge area, while Dash was carried on a stretcher.

"Wait! I still need tuh get my son! Maxie!!" Goofy shouted.

Back on the podium, Sneek sighed loudly and wiped his head.

"I don't know how much more o' this garbage I can take,” he muttered.

It turned out that he would have to take much, much more, as Rex appeared in the doorway across from him, and motioned for Sneek to approach him. Something that was noticed only by Quick Quill.

Author's Note

Well, here's a surprise. It looks like Max is now involved in the magical quest. Will he become as big a part of it as Uncle Scrooge? That waits to be seen. In case you're wondering why these characters are here, you may remember that earlier in the story, the villain said that he would take what is most precious to our heroes.

We've met the new friend for this arch. In the form of Quick Quill, the cynical novelist. Originally, I didn't plan for the characters to make a friend in every arch, but knowing that the major theme of My Little Pony is friendship, I figured that I would continue it after Twilight and her group met Copper.

In the upcoming chapters, we're going to get right into the match against Rex. But, not the final match. That comes later.

So far, I kind of feel like Rex is one of those villains who even though he's not around he's still a threat. I got that feeling after I read the previous chapter to my niece and nephew, and they were scared by him, even though he didn't even appear in it at all. Hence the foals' nervous reaction as the old mare is telling the story.

For anyone who is confused about Rex changing from quadrupedal to bipedal movement: the idea was inspired by another famous cartoon horse. Mickey's old pal Horace Horsecollar would often switch between both stances in a lot of the older cartoons. He would even change his front hooves into hands when he walked upright. The same logic applies to Rex.

Also, I think that Rex has set another first for these villains. Standing at eight feet tall on his hind legs, I think he's the tallest villain we've seen so far.

Again, you could argue a point about The Massster, and say he was the tallest. No, no. He was actually the longest. I never actually thought about it, but if I had to guess, The Massster is probably just shy of nine-hundred feet long. Maybe eleven-hundred, if I'm being generous with my estimation.

I'm sure you readers have noticed a pattern in the weasels' names, wherein they are all named after pejorative terms that have double 'e's in their names. This was a detail I came up with at the very last second, working off of the naming of our first named weasel, 'Cheet Ripov.'

In case you're wondering: no, the weasels are not related to one another. With a few exceptions. I imagine the boys working beneath the tiltyard are brothers.

And that's that. Dash and Pinkie have rocked on. Join them, won't you \m/

Chapter 19: A New Development

Chapter 19

A New Development

Before the old mare could continue her story, the sky slowly darkened as clouds covered the sky. Leaves rustled past the four ponies on the porch as a chill wind blew past them all.

"Strange. It's supposed to be sunny skies today," the old mare said.

"What's going on?" the earth pony colt asked.

"Oh, probably just some problem with the weather regulation machinery. Come on. Let's go inside."

The foals all trotted into the house, followed by the old mare.

"Darn weather monitors. When I was a young mare, it was pegasi taking care of everything with their own hooves. Things rarely went wrong that way. Nowadays, the weather report calls for clear skies and we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of monsoon season," the old mare prattled on.

The foals all settled themselves on the couch, while the old mare set about building a fire in the fireplace to stave off the coming cold.

"What happened next, grandma?" the earth pony colt asked.

"Well, after somepony decided the weather needed better regulation, they tried having unicorns help out the pegasi with their magic--" The old mare said, as she placed logs in the fireplace.

"No. What happened next in the story?" the unicorn filly asked.

"That? You foals want to hop back into the story without even getting a blanket or some hot chocolate for that incoming chill?"

"Because the story just gets better. The Goof Knight's son was foalnapped. Him and Rainbow Dash won their first match," the unicorn filly said.

"And those weasels are getting beat up for it," the pegasus filly finished.

"But, you already know the ending, don't you? So, why not take a break to bundle up for the next part?" the old mare said.

"Yeah, but..."

The foals on the couch all remained silent for a moment. They already knew that the Goof Knight lost and didn't become the king of Trottingham, which dampened their spirits slightly. But, something about the whole situation made them wonder something.

"Grandma?" the earth pony colt began, "The Goof Knight lost, but there are still all those other stories about him. How did that happen?"

"Well, that seems pretty obvious to me," she answered, as she placed kindling among the logs.

The foals on the couch thought a moment, until the unicorn filly spoke up.

"Because, he kept going after he lost to Rex?" she asked.

"Bingo," the old mare took a match in her teeth and struck it against the hearth.

"It's because he had something to fight for, wasn't it?" her grandson asked.

"Mm-hm," the old mare said, as she ignited the kindling.

"It's because he knew that even if he lost, he still had to do what he needed to do for the sake of others? Right?" the pegasus filly asked.

The fire was lit, and the room steadily grew warmer.

"That's right," said the old mare, with a small smile.

She looked on the couch at the hopeful faces of all the foals. Even though they knew the ending was bleak, they still sat stalwart, ready to hear the story to the end. With a quiet groan, she reached back and pulled a small armchair closer to the fire to face the foals.

"Now, without further ado," the old mare said.

The cheers of the crowd could still be heard from inside the halls as Goofy, Dash, Pinkie and Quill traveled back to the fighter's lounge.

For Quill, the sight of Rex signalling for Sneek to follow him was something that stuck out in her mind. In her career as a writer, she had written four novels, twenty novellas, three short story anthologies, and countless two-page stories for magazines. And in each and every one of them, there were only two reasons for such a signal: either somepony was committing a suspicious act of skulduggery, or somepony was to be met for a secret rendezvous. Though her preferred genre was romance, she highly doubted the possibility of a romantic getaway.

There was a hall that led away from the lounge coming up.

Quill’s mind was cluttered with a terrible dilemma. Stay safely on the path ahead and let whatever was transpiring proceed, or step into danger and discover what diabolical plot was unfolding.

Quill sighed deeply and clenched her eyes shut. As though not by her own will, her hooves darted around the corner to the adjacent hallway.

"What am I doing!?" she thought to herself.

Any curiosity left her in that moment, and she turned to rejoin the others.

"Well, ain't this just dandy?" said a voice from the hall she had just come from. "We go to all that trouble to rig the bets, and for what? We lose everything! I didn't even put my pants on the line, an' those stupid hay-munchers took 'em anyway!"

"Could be worse. This is the second time I've dropped trou' today. That goof cut off my belt and stuffed me in some armor earlier," said a second voice.

"Yeesh. At this rate, we'll be all runnin' around in our undies for good. Let's just get back to our room, an' hope the others haven't hid our clothes."

More of the weasels were coming down the other hall hall. Not wanting to get caught, Quill continued down the hall she had wandered onto.

There was no telling what she was putting herself in for. The last thing she wanted was to be nearer to Rex than she had to be. But if she was caught by the weasels, they may have taken her to Rex anyway.

Knowing that if she continued she had a chance to avoid a direct encounter with anypony, she walked down the hall, ever careful for any creature that might see her.

In the fighter's lounge, the door burst open and the winners marched in. So to speak.

Pinkie bounced in, while Goofy's limbs flailed about as he rode on her back. Behind them, Dash was carried in on a stretcher that was carried by two ponies.

"Everypony! We won!" Pinkie declared to the others in the lounge.

The other fighters in the lounge all crowded around her, congratulating them all on their win. Even from where they were, they had heard about the spectacular defeat of the notorious Theef Lolyfe. Now, among them were a group of heroes. The strangers from far away, who had kindled a light of hope within them.

Dash was set down on one of the cots while she grieved over her bruised stomach.

"Uuuuggghh..." Dash moaned.

Pinkie jumped in to greet her friend.

"Dashie! Don't you want to say something to the crowd? We won!" Pinkie declared, as she reared back with her hooves in the air.

Goofy fell off her back when she stood up.

"Pinkie..." Dash weakly moaned.

"Break out the cupcakes and queue up a conga! We are the champions!"

"Pinkie...I think I'm gonna hurl..."

Pinkie rubbed Dash's stomach.

"Not even a jackhammer to the tummy could stop us from--"

"Pinkie!" Dash snapped, "For pony's sake...you're killing me faster than those weasels!"

"Oh. Sorry," Pinkie said, with a sheepish smile.

"No worries...In a few minutes, I'll be back on my hooves and ready to kick some more flank."

"That's right, Dashie. And in no time, we'll be facing against that giant, foalnapping, throne-stealing meanie in a super-suuuuuuper...super."

Pinkie gradually became aware of the sudden despair around her. Dash, who was grieving over her stomach. The other fighters, who all went silent at the prospect of facing the champ. And Goofy, who was sitting on the floor with his head hung.

"Hey? Why isn't anypony happy? We just won our first fight," Pinkie said.

This would have been where Pinkie would have thrown a victory party and raised everypony's spirits for the next round. With the added comfort of cupcakes and cookies, it would have been a breeze. However, with no magic, the dreary atmosphere was starting to get to her. She tried to think of a way to put on an impromptu cheer-up party, but nothing available made her think it was possible.

Any of her party-throwing inspiration from before had waned. If putting on a party wasn't possible, then what was?

Quick Quill scurried through the eerily quiet halls. The quiet was all the more unnerving to her, for what could anypony possibly be doing elsewhere?

She came to an open door, where she heard voices coming from inside.

"Thattaway! Move thattaway!"

"Okayokayokayokay! Igotitgotitgotitgotit--Whoooah!!!"

*THUD*

Flattening her side against the wall, Quill peered through the doorway, and saw a room loaded with crates. Among the boxes were two weasels, who were huffing and puffing from the tremendous effort they were exerting to move the box in front of them.

"Tell me 'at's the last of 'em, mate," said one weasel.

"Nah. Still a matty big lowd 'head of us," said the second weasel.

"Right pain bein' the only two blokes 'aulin' these up them apples. Don' we get a break?"

"Ah'm shure we'll get relief soon enoof. Joost stroot ya best fut forwud an' goong-ho."

The second weasel used a crowbar to crack the lid off the crate, and inspected what was inside.

"Brilliant. It's all loverly in here. Let's get that next box," he said.

The two weasels left through a door at the other end of the room.

Quill assumed that was where the boxes were coming from. And if that was where the boxes were coming from, there was a chance that it led to the outside. If it did lead outside, she had an easy escape right in her sights. She could leave that awful place and not have to worry about getting killed in the Hastlitude. It was the quickest way to run home and resume her life as it once was.

It was possible that there were more weasels there, but if there was the chance it led to the outside, she would have to take it.

Quill walked through the room, glancing at the box that had been opened. Inside of it, and others that were inspected were huge, heavy metal plates unlike any she had seen before, along with custom-made armor for an enormous wearer. Most frightening of all, one of the crates appeared to have a cannon inside of it. Not about to worry about it, Quill walked through the door at the other end.

What luck! It led to a loading room that was full of crates, and a team of weasels moving them around.

She was on a catwalk, where intermittently placed flights of stairs led down to the ground floor. Not taking the chance to be seen, Quill quickly, silently descended the stairs and took cover behind a stack of crates.

From her hiding spot, Quill peered through the spaces between crates and her eyes followed a weasel toting a trolley over to a large carriage.

Two weasels at the carriage lifted crate after crate, their knees shaking from the sheer weight as they stacked them on the trolley.

It was perfect. The carriage was placed in front of a large bay door that was wide open. From there, all Quill had to do was remain unseen and rush out the door. Then, she'd be home free.

But, what about the others?

The others in the fighter's lounge all had families to go back to. Lives that may as well have ended when Rex had abducted them. She could have gone back to tell them about the escape route, at the risk of being caught and not making it back. Worse, she could be made an example in front of everypony.

This was the only chance she had. All she had to do was run.

Could she live with herself if she abandoned the others?

There was a loud crash at the end of the room, as Rex came bursting through the door. In one hand, he held Sneek by the back of his shirt.

"Surprise progress check, boys!!" Rex loudly declared.

The champ tossed the weasel in the air, wound one leg backward and unleashed a mighty kick, as Sneek came back down.

The weasel went flying into the room, his head crashing through the side of a crate

"Oh, will you look what I did? Oh well. If that's as tough as it's supposed to be, his head's in worse shape than the equipment," Rex said.

Two other weasels helped Sneek pull his head out of the crate, then turned their attention to their boss.

"How's things here? Everything unloaded?" Rex asked.

The affirmations all sounded off.

"Uh, yup."

"Yup."

"Uh-huh."

"Sound as a pound."

Rex smirked at the news. "Good. That's what I like: efficient workers who know that staying efficient keeps them out of traction. Right, boys?"

Another round of affirmations sounded off.

"Now, listen up, you load of walking pelts: your next job's an important one. You're going to be working delivery. And, here's your package," Rex said.

He held up his other arm, and Quill saw him raise up the very same young dog from when she was first abducted. Max, the goof had said his name was.

Max swung his fists in the air as he spun around by his collar.

"You don't scare me, you big bully! Put me down!" he yelled.

Rex obliged by simply letting go of Max's shirt, letting him drop to the floor where Sneek and another weasel grabbed him.

"Alright. So, whadda we do with him?" Sneek asked. "OOOOUUUUCH!!!"

Max stomped his foot as hard as he could on Sneek's toes, then sucker punched the other weasel in his gut.

Both weasels recovered, and drew their weapons to retaliate.

Before either could attack, they were both driven into the ground by Rex's gigantic hooves like a pair of nails into sand.

Max looked at the hooves that so easily dispatched two opponents at once, then up at the owner. Rex had crouched low so that he was almost at eye level with Max, and the young dog felt a shiver down his spine looking at the champ.

"You're scrappier than you look, kid. What if I gave you a hundred bucks to wallop the rest of the guys here?" Rex offered.

"No! My dad says not to take anything from strangers!" Max rebuked.

The answer made Rex smile slightly. "Your dad's a smart guy. In his own way, I guess. I'm surprised he's even lived long enough to have kids."

"What do you know about my dad?" Max said.

"Would you believe me if I told you he's here right now?"

Max's eyes widened at the news.

Quill's too. What was Rex going to gain from tormenting the boy, she wondered.

"Dad's here?" Max wondered.

"That's right," Rex nodded. "He's worried sick about you. Wants to take you home, away from here. Back to where he knows you'll be safe and sound, like any good father would."

With a sudden burst, Max tried running past Rex, only to be stopped by one of his hooves.

"Let me go! I want to see my dad!" Max protested.

With no effort at all, he was pushed back to the floor in front of the champ.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that. Me and him have business together. And you have business with some of my other friends," Rex said.

Max was both scared and surprised by being pushed so easily, but his belief in his dad made him able to speak.

"Y-You don't know what you're getting into! My dad's the greatest person who ever lived! You'll be mincemeat when he's done with you!" he said.

Rex lowered himself so that he was directly at eye level with Max, and spoke in a low, steady voice.

Kid: I don't believe in sugarcoating things. I believe that children have to face the tragedies in their lives, so that they can become more mature, more rounded adults. So, I'm just going to shoot it straight, and tell you that I'm going to make an orphan out of you," Rex said.

"J..." The gravity of Rex's tone stifled Max's speech. But, nothing would shake his faith. "J-J-J-Just you wait. M-My dad's going to mop the floor with you!"

"Funny you should say that, because he's bringing the mop to me," Rex chuckled, before throwing Max into the carriage. With a stomp of his foot, the ground shook, and the carriage bucked into the air, closing its own doors and locking tight. Next, Rex reached down and pulled Sneek and the other weasel out of the ground as easily as a couple of flowers. "And you, Sneek. You're the only one of these jerks that I trust to get a job done. And believe me, that's not saying much. You keep an eye on that kid while he's getting chauffeured around by you guys. And no roughing him up. If I hear about this kid getting hurt on the way, I'll know it was you. That goes for all of you. Got it? Good."

Rex threw Sneek onto the carriage with the others, but held the other weasel in his hand as the carriage sped away.

"You! Are you any good with public speaking?" he asked the weasel.

"I'm good at fast talkin' the crowd, if that's what ya mean," the weasel choked under the strain of Rex's grip.

"Good. Then that makes you the new emcee for the Hastlitude. Now, get moving."

The weasel was allowed to wriggle out of the champ's grip, and quickly ran out of the room, past the stack of crates where Quill was hiding, and up the stairs.

Quill peered through the space between the crates, and saw Rex standing before the open bay door. All she had to do was wait for him to leave, and her way would be clear.

It was her luck that Rex turned to leave the room the way he had come in. As favorable as the circumstances were, the idea of a father missing his son stopped her.

Biting her lip as her conscience ate away at her mind, she quickly ran back up the steps, ever mindful to stay quiet. She reached the top of the steps, and just made it through the door, when she was met with a terrifying surprise.

Quick Quill yelped and dove forward when all of a sudden there came a sound of a loud, heavy crash just behind herself. When she landed and looked behind herself, she saw that one of the crates from the room below had been thrown behind her.

"Darn flies buzzing around! You're going to get swatted one of these days! You hear me?" Rex shouted from the other room.

Rather than wonder if he was actually talking about a fly, Quill scrambled to her hooves and ran to tell Goofy what had happened to his son.

Rex stood smirking in the other room. Now, he would have a complete advantage against the outsider in Equestria. With the odds in his favor, he left the room to prepare for his next match.

In the fighter's lounge, the air of gloom hung heavy. Pinkie tried to think of ways that she could add some cheer to the atmosphere, but still came up short.

"Come on, everypony. We're close to winning. Join the fun," Pinkie said, as she twirled a towel around over her head, and folded it into decorative shapes.

She looked up from her improvised origami, but saw that nopony was paying much attention to her. The other fighters only looked at her with bored stares, Goofy was still sulking, and Dash was still grieving over her bruised stomach.

"Pinkie...give it a rest..." Dash groaned, before her head sank into her pillow.

Pinkie didn't know what to do. Everything she tried ended up in a failure. Now, things were really starting to look hopeless. Maybe it was simply that she didn't have her magic, and didn't intuitively know what would make everypony happy at a party. But, if she asked, perhaps...

She decided to start with the sulking goof, "Goofy? Don't you want to celebrate your first win?"

"I didn't get a chance tuh find my son," Goofy answered. "I thought we'd get somewheres by winnin'. But, nuthin'. We didn't even get tuh ask sumbuddy 'bout it. Sorry, Pinkie. But, without Maxie, any party's gonna be a mighty gray occasion."

Pinkie's mane deflated slightly. Of all the things Goofy could have wanted from a party, Max was the one thing that she couldn't give to him. But, there may have been something else. Before, Goofy had said that all they needed was a little inspiration. If she could offer at least that, then she wouldn't have completely failed.

"Goofy...I don't have any foals. But, I do look after two little babies for my friends." Pinkie realized that her experiences with the Cake twins didn't even come close to what it was to raise an offspring. However, working off of that was all that she had, so she decided to give it a go. "I know that it's not the same thing. But, I feel like if anything ever happened to little Pound and Pumpkin, I'd be just as worried and crazy as you. I'd be--"

Pinkie stopped herself from talking when she saw the way that Dash was looking at her. She had planned on lightening the mood with a series of hyperbole, like when she tried telling Fluttershy that singing on stage was nothing to be afraid of. Now that she thought about it, that method never worked when she tried it, so she continued with her current train of thought.

"What I mean is that if it was me, I'd be doing the same thing as you. I'd want them back as badly as you'd want to see your son again. So, that's why I'm going to stay by you. I Pinkie promise that I won't leave your side, until your son is safe and sound in your home."

At first, Pinkie didn't think that she had succeeded. Her mane slowly started to deflate, now that she was powerless to bring smiles to others, no matter what she tried. Until Goofy looked up.

"Cross yer heart?" Goofy asked.

Pinkie's mane slowly plumped up, and a smile crawled onto her face when she answered, "Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."

A small smile edged onto the corner or Goofy's mouth. Between Pinkie, the upbeat optimist, and Dash, the hot-headed loudmouth, he felt like he was right at home with his friends. It was then that he knew he could fully trust them on their every word.

The door to the lounge opened up, and in walked another weasel.

"Okay, where's the team of goofs?" The weasel asked.

With no warning, he was jumped by Pinkie and pinned to the ground.

"I think the better question is where's my friend's son?" Pinkie demanded to know.

"Yeah. Whudda yuh gotta say about that?" Goofy added, standing over the fallen weasel.

"I don't know. I didn't even know you had a son! Now, get offa me!" the weasel said.

"Horse apples and sour candy! You're not getting up until you spill the jellybeans, mister!" Pinkie said, as she jumped up and down on top of the weasel.

The weasel took his club out of his jacket, and held it up for Pinkie's stomach to land on. Once the pink mare had the wind knocked out of her, the weasel stood up.

"Tellin' me I can't get up. The nerve," the weasel said confidently, only to have Goofy's toilet plunger stuck over his nose.

Goofy pushed the weasel against the wall and lifted him up by the plunger stuck on his snout.

"She's right about one thing: you ain't leavin' here, 'til I get my son back. Now, where is he?" Goofy demanded.

"I'm tellin' ya, I don't know anything about it! Now, put me down!"

"Not 'til yuh at least tell me who would know!"

"Aw jeez! Why don't ya talk to the champ? He's the guy callin' all the shots around here!"

With a loud pop, Goofy pulled the plunger off the weasel's nose, letting him drop to the ground.

"Alright. I will talk tuh th' champ. An' yer gonna take me to him," Goofy said, pushing the plunger onto the weasel's chest.

The weasel strained as he pulled the plunger off his chest.

"That's exactly what I'm comin' here for. You an' the other three goofs on your team are up to fight him now," he said.

"We're what!!?" Goofy, Pinkie and Dash said together.

"But, we haven't even gotten enough time to rest from our last fight!" Dash said. She was feeling significantly less nauseous, but her stomach was still bruised and aching.

"Well, you wanted a meetin' with the champ, and that's just what you're gonna get. A great, big meetin' with the business end o' his dragon sticker," the weasel chuckled. His chuckling ended when Goofy's mop was stuffed in his mouth.

"Then, I'll just have to send in the ol' negotiator here. An' buhlieve me, this sucker's got a few tuh say tuh Mister Rex!" Goofy rebutted. He spun the weasel around when he yanked the mop out of his mouth, then kicked him down the hall. "We already know th' way tuh th' joustin' lanes. You just tell yer boss we're ready tuh give him his long overdue wallopin'. With interest!" He turned to face the mares. "C'mon, gals. We got us a match tuh win."

He walked forward, pushing the weasel down and walking over him like a doormat.

"Yeah! That's the stuff! We--Oooohhhh," Dash groaned, as she groaned after the first few steps over the weasel.

The weasel tried to get up, only to have Pinkie hop all over him.

"I think you should sit this one out, Dashie," Pinkie said.

"No way, Pinkie! I started this joust and I'm--Ouuuch!" Dash groaned.

"I think you should squire this one, and I'll be the mount."

"Ugh. Squiring. Lame..."

"Don't worry. You won't be alone. You'll have Quick Quill with you,” Pinkie said.

"Who?" Dash wondered.

"Our new friend with the gloomy outlook."

"Oh. Her. Like she'll be pleasant company."

"Come to think of it: where is she?"

The three fighters all walked down the hall and out the door to take their stations at the lanes.

Back in the halls, Quick Quill rushed to the door of the fighter's lounge and desperately tried to open the locked door.

"Come on! Open up!" she said, futilely rattling the doorknob.

"Alright, alright! Let's hear some noise!! This is what you've been waiting for! A match with The Goof Knight against the champ!! Who get's creamed? And who gets crowned?" came an announcement from outside.

"Goofy!!" Quill said to herself, before charging down the hall, over the top of the weasel who had been trampled.

The weasel on the ground chuckled quietly. Even though he was pummeled, he knew that the team of goofs was in for much, much worse.

The crowd was in an uproar about the sudden, and completely unfair change of circumstances.

"What the hay's going on!!?"

"You can't just scratch all the other matches before the crown bout!!!"

"Bloody wanks!!!"

Not a single pony in the crowd was happy with the way things had turned out. Most of them were petrified by the idea that Rex would become their king.

"Keep it down!! So what if we change the rules a bit? A match is a match after all!" the new emcee said. "Alright! You know the guys in the black door. It's the Goof Knight, and his mount, Rain--Mmm. Well, I don't know who that hoppin' pink weirdo is. Frankly, I don't care. Let's move on to the real attraction of this show. Say hello to the champ: Theronicus Rex!"

Through the doorway at the other end of the lanes came Rex, wearing his full body of armor, and carrying his full array of weapons. His appearance was complete with the mannequin set on his back to hold his enormous lance.

The champ tromped to his position in the lane, ready to flatten the challenger's before him.

"Th-This is it, Goofy. Don't get scared now," Pinkie said, through chattering teeth.

"Alright! Jousters ready?" the new emcee asked.

Pinkie and Goofy both swallowed and nodded unsurely.

Rex rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight, and decided to show how it was done. He yelled loudly as he thrusted his fist into the divider between the lanes.

The divider arched up, and the arch ran down its length, until it bopped both Goofy and Pinkie in the chin. Then, it ran the length back, and Rex straightened it out with his bare hoof.

Dash stared wide-eyed at the spectacle. She had often fantasized about wowing crowds with a similar stunt, but never had the strength to do it. Was this the power of the magic creatures like Goofy possessed? And would she be able to do such a thing herself?

From the black doorway, Quick Quill emerged, huffing and puffing loudly.

"Goofy!" she called out.

It was too late. The bell rang, and Pinkie ran down the lane with Goofy on her back.

Rex dug his hoof into the ground, and started his way down the lane next.

The jousters met in the middle, ready to destroy one another. One for the crown. The other for his son.

Author's Note

There we are. The fight against Rex is begun. But, this will not be the final fight. That will come later.

So, we got to see Max make his appearance in this story, but he's not going to stay here in Trottingham. Wherever could the boy be going to? And what will happen when Quick Quill tells Goofy the news that his son is no longer where he thinks he is?

Also, you should remember those crates that Quick Quill found when she was looking for an escape. The contents of those crates will come into play at a later point.

The two weasels with accents is a reference to another project I had done. In the story Witchcraft is Magic, there is a werewolf who speaks with a Cockney accent, and another who speaks with a Mancunian accent. It's not a reference a lot of people will get, but figured it would work in here, since I figure Trottingham is basically Equestria's equivalent of the UK.

In case someone isn't familiar with that reference to Pinkie trying to tell Fluttershy that singing on stage is no big deal: it's a reference to the episode 'Filly Vanili.' One of Pinkie's more obnoxious moments. I mean really. She's the Bearer of Laughter, and she's traumatizing her friend. Real nice.

This is off topic, but what Rex says about children having to face tragedy and negative emotion is something I also believe in. I don't mean that children should be brought up in a harsh, traumatizing environment, but rather that when something sad or frightening happens in a child's life, they should be taught not to deny such feelings, but rather accept them and learn how to deal with them.

I implore any of you reading that if you are planning on going into children's entertainment, do please not make anything that is saccharine or didactic. Children are more intelligent than people give them credit for, as shown by things like My Little Pony.

That's all for me here. Rock on, please \m/

Chapter 20: All Against One

Chapter 20

All Against One

The weather outside had taken a turn for the worse. The sky had darkened considerably, and the wind was howling loudly through the trees. The only thing between the wild, chilling weather and the four ponies was nothing but the warmth of a small fire in the fireplace.

Presently, the earth pony colt's grandmother was returning from a trip to the hallway closet to fetch a blanket for the foals.

"Here. Bundle up under that, foals," the elderly mare said.

All three foals happily snuggled up under the blanket, now abated from the cold.

"Thanks, grandma," the earth pony colt said. Now that she was back from her trip to the hall, he continued with the important subject at hoof. "So, what happened next?"

"I haven't been back five seconds, and you want to hear more? Where do you get that impatience from?" the old mare wondered.

"We want to know what happened to The Goof Knight's son. How did he get him back?" the unicorn filly asked.

"What makes you think he got his son back?" the old mare asked, as she took her seat by the fire.

The foals all sat in a stupefied silence, unsure how to handle what they just heard.

"But, he has to get his son back," the earth pony colt said.

In the storybook, there was never a mention of The Goof Knight having a son. Those stories had been aggrandized by the author to uplift the spirits of the oppressed ponies during those dark days. In those stories, he was written as being completely average, yet having no weaknesses. They didn't even mention that he had a son, so it would seem like there would be no leverage over him.

The truth of the matter was that The Goof Knight was as vulnerable as anypony, and roughly twice as dumb. And as far as she knew, the villains of the story had every advantage over him. Including holding his only son hostage.

"To be completely frank: no," the old mare answered.

The foals only stared at first, too stunned to say anything.

"But, that's impossible. He had to get his son back," the pegasus filly said.

"That's how it happens in the storybooks, filly. This is what really happened."

"That's horse apples!" the earth pony colt blurted out.

"Watch your mouth, grandson!" the old mare said, pointing a hoof at the colt.

"He's right! Every time something good is supposed to happen, it's the opposite! How come nothing works for anypony who's supposed to be the hero?" the pegasus filly said.

"Because that's how it really happened. Because it was real life. In a storybook, it's all make-believe, and you can shape it any way that you want to. But, no matter how hard you want it, you can't change what actually happened to them," the old mare said. "Now, if you foals really want to hear the story to the end, sit back and listen. Understand?"

The foals were silent for a moment, letting the old mare know that they were indeed ready to hear the rest of what really happened with The Goof Knight. But, there was one last question to ask.

"Grandma," the earth pony colt uneasily began, "It's the fight against Rex now. Does that mean that...this is where he loses?"

His grandmother sighed quietly. For many seconds, she said nothing. She knew the answer, and could see simply by looking at her grandson and his friends that they too knew the answer.

"Are you sure you want to hear the rest of the story?" was all the old mare said.

Slowly, the foals all nodded.

Seeing they were ready, the old mare continued.

This was it. The moment of truth. Goofy rode on Pinkie's back down the lane to topple Rex. He bounced up and down on the back of his pink mount, holding his mop firmly in hand.

The goof held his mop up, the yarns of it bouncing about as he rode boldly to face his opponent.

Rex almost smiled at the sight as he ran down his lane. In all of his years of combat, this was the first time he had been faced with such a silly weapon. And he was not about to lose to anyone dumb enough to try wielding it against him. He shifted his shoulder to aim his lance, and increased his speed.

The mannequin on Rex's back bounced up and down, simulating the effect of a real rider as it leaned forward. As though it had a life of its own, the mannequin lifted its enormous shield, and aimed its massive lance when Rex shifted his back and shoulders.

The two fighters met in the middle. Pinkie and Goofy were faced by Rex's lance, before Goofy's mop could even get close to him.

"WOW!!!" Goofy shouted, as he weaved his body out of the way of the lance. Unfortunately, he could not avoid a direct hit from Rex's shield.

Both Pinkie and Goofy were smashed into the front of the shield, and carried backwards down their lane. At the end, the mannequin thrusted its arm forward and threw them both into their team's weapon rack.

"Goofy! Pinkie!" Dash called to her friends. She painfully climbed over the rail that separated the squires from the jousting lanes, and hobbled over to them.

"Wait!" Quick Quill said. Since could see that there was no stopping Dash, she simply allowed Dash to lean on her as they walked to the others.

Pinkie and Goofy were both stuck between the wooden dowels on the rack in a crumpled heap.

"Come on, guys! Get up! The match isn't over yet!" Dash said.

Neither of her friends said anything.

"Goofy! Wake up! There's something I need to tell you!" Quill said.

Before she could say anything, they were overtaken by Rex's enormous shadow.

"This was a really disappointing match," Rex muttered, "But, the sooner I swat you buzzing flies, the sooner I get the crown."

He sharply shrugged on shoulder, which made the mannequin on his back reach up to grab the hilt of the sword on his back.

Before the sword was drawn, Rex choked when he got a mouthful of mop.

The champ reared back, and unwittingly pulled on the mop with his teeth, at the same time pulling his opponents out of the weapon rack to a standing position.

Pinkie was standing on wobbling knees. Goofy wobbled about on Pinkie's back.

"You can't get us that easy, Rex..." Goofy swooned, as he valiantly pointed his mop, "Ya can knock us down, but ya can't put us out..."

"I think we're out, but not down..." Pinkie said, as her eyes rolled around in her head.

"Hmf," Rex huffed at his opponents, "So, you still got a little fight in you? I guess I should be congratulating you, since you goofs are the first ones to get up after I knocked you down. I guess I'll have to try harder this time."

"Just you wait, Rex! You'll be eating dirt, no matter how much you beat us!" Dash retorted, only realizing how what she said sounded after it was finished.

All four of them looked fearfully at the mannequin on Rex's back, which still had its hand on the hilt of his oversized sword. To their relief, Rex bucked his shoulder, taking the mannequin's hand off the hilt

"That's just too easy to comeback. So, I'll just tell you that you won't even touch my shield again by the time this is over," Rex said, before he galloped back to his position at the other end of the lane.

As he returned, Dash watched as the mannequin on his back returned to a rider's stance with eerily uncanny lifelike movements. It was then that she saw that all of Rex's weapons were held not on Rex's person, but the lifeless rider on his back.

Quick Quill also had something important to convey, but didn't have the time when Dash spoke first.

"You guys have to do something about that dummy!" Dash said.

"But, what? He's tuff as a dump truck, an' almost as big!" Goofy answered.

"And twice as ugly," Pinkie added.

"Not that dummy! The one on his back!" Dash clarified. "That thing's holding all of his weapons. If you take it out, you might have a chance to knock him out!"

"Goofy," Quill began.

"Now, that's using your noodle, Dashie!" Pinkie said, "Come on, Goofy! Let's topple that monster horse!"

Pinkie hopped back to her lane with Goofy on her back.

"Wait! Goofy, there's something you should know!" Quick Quill said. She was too late to tell Goofy what she had learned of his son, before the goof was ready for another attempt to attack Rex.

Even though he was all the way across the lane, Quill swore Rex was smirking at her. Almost like he was waiting for something.

Rex lowered his head and scraped the bladed rhinoceros horn on his faceplate against the divider, sharpening it for when he needed it.

With a bellowing whinny, Rex took off down the lane to strike again.

"What do we do now, Goofy?" Pinkie asked.

"Yer askin' me? I thought you'd have a plan," Goofy answered.

"You don't even have an attack plan!?"

"Well, neither do you!"

"But, you're the jouster! It's your job to have a plan to topple your opponent!"

"But, yer my mount! It's yer job tuh put me in th' right position tuh topple my opponent!"

They could have carried on as they were, but it quickly ended when they saw Rex's lance was practically upon them.

Both screamed as Pinkie ducked, and slid across the ground, under Rex's blow.

She and Goofy both spun out, and slowly came to a stop at the end.

"Okey-dokey-lokey...Let's kick this pig in a blanket..." Pinkie said, dizzily. She tried to stand up, but found she couldn't move her legs.

"Looks more like a pony in a mop," Goofy said.

Somehow, through machinations that only she and Goofy could manage, Pinkie found her hooves were tied up in the yarns of Goofy's mop.

"Hang on! I'll cut ya loose!" Goofy said.

Rex had already reached the end of his lane, and turned around for another attack. But, not before showboating for the crowd.

From his quadrupedal stance, the champ flexed every muscle in his body, increasing his bulk so much that it made his armor bulge and warp slightly. The dummy on his back followed the command from his body and flexed too, nearly tearing at the seams.

Now that he was done displaying his power to the crowds, he rushed back down the lanes.

Pinkie saw Rex coming back and hopped to her hooves, even though they were still tangled.

"Wait! I still need tuh untangle yuh!" Goofy said.

"No time! He's coming!" Pinkie panicked.

Looking down the lane, they saw Rex powering toward them. So powerfully that when he shifted slightly to the side, his shield tore through the divider, and destroyed its length as he ran forward.

Pinkie quickly bucked Goofy onto her back, and started hopping as fast as she could down the lanes. For her, hopping was almost as (if not more than) natural as walking.

Goofy picked a new weapon from his repertoire, and chose the plunger to wield in tandem with his washtub.

As Rex came closer, they tried to quickly formulate a plan to disarm Rex. The simple answer was to topple his rider. The difficult answer was how to do it.

There was no time to think, as they were met by Rex's lance again.

Pinkie focused her mind, and hopped high. She only gained enough height to propel herself slightly higher than Rex's lance. In fact, she landed directly on top of the lance.

There was no time to think as Rex shook them off of his lance and launched his opponents away.

However, as they flew through the air, Goofy thrusted his plunger at any solid target he could see, and caught it on Rex's shield

"Looks like you lose, Rex!" Goofy said.

"Eh!?" Rex wondered, as he stopped shaking to better talk to his opponents.

"You told Dashie we wouldn't even touch your shield. But, lookie-lookie," Pinkie said, as she rubbed her hoof against the metal surface of Rex's enormous shield.

Apparently, that was exactly the thing to push Rex's rage button. The champ started violently thrashing around, trying to throw off his opponents.

Goofy held tightly to Pinkie with his heels as they were swung around like ragdolls.

The more they were swung, the more they spun around the handle of the plunger.

As they spun, Pinkie's hooves kicked both Rex and his rider in their heads.

Goofy tightened his grip on the plunger's wooden handle, and something new happened. Though he and Pinkie were too dizzy to feel it, the shield was spinning in the dummy's grip, and slowly unscrewing from the threading that held it.

Round and round the two spun on Rex's shield. With one last kick to both Rex and his rider's face, the shield unscrewed and sent them both flying back to their starting position. At the same time, Pinkie had kicked off the mannequin's head and sent it flying.

Dash and Quill both watched as their friends flew through the air. Dash winced and Quill covered her eyes on the resulting thud. When they looked, they saw that right next to them, Pinkie was sprawled out like a beach chair with Goofy sitting on top of her, lounging under the shade of an umbrella made from a plunger and shield.

"Yes! You did it! You took off his shield!" Dash cheered, as she helped her friends up.

Quill busied herself by pulling Goofy's plunger off of Rex's shield, and returned it to him.

"Goofy, there's something I have to tell you!" Quill tried to say.

"Here! Take some more of this stuff! It seemed to work good against that weasel!" Dash said, as she handed Goofy more bars of soap.

"Goofy! This is urgent!" Quill said, more sternly as she untied Pinkie's hooves and gave Goofy back his mop.

"She's right! You can't sit around here like it's a day at the beach! You got a champ to trash!" Dash said.

"Beach...? Trash...?" Goofy swooned.

"The shores are so polluted these days..." Pinkie added.

"That's the spirit! Something to get mad about! Use it against Rex!" Dash encouraged her friends.

Pinkie ran away once more to face Rex.

Quill tried to stop them, but to no avail.

"Goofy, wait! It's about your son!" she called after him.

"Maxie...?" Goofy said.

The thought of his son coming back to him and being rescued from danger cleared the goof's mind slightly. Knowing his son was safe from danger even put a little more focus in his rattled mind. But, not enough for him to dodge Rex's lance.

"WOW!!!" the goof shouted, as he only barely managed to raise his washtub to block the attack.

The goof was toppled backwards, landed inside of his own washtub and grabbed Pinkie's tail.

Pinkie dragged the goof behind her, both of them bouncing and hopping over the separator that Rex had demolished. When she reached the end of the lane, she turned sharply, nearly tripping, and throwing Goofy out of his tub.

Rex turned and tilted his rider over, so that it could swing its arm and pick up its head. The stub of a wrist was stuffed into the hollow part of the neck where it fit onto the shoulders, and was carried down the lane.

Pinkie and Goofy saw Rex riding toward them, his mouth almost foaming with anticipation as the mannequin on his back raised the arm it held its own head in.

With a jerk of one entire side of his body, Rex manipulated the mannequin to throw its own head right into Pinkie's face.

Pinkie screamed as she was hit by the mannequin's severed head, and veered to the side. Once more into the path of Rex's lance.

Not wanting to get hit again, Goofy pushed Pinkie's head low, and stood up on her back.

The lance passed between his legs, and came up directly underneath him so that he slid along its length as he stood on his friend's back.

In seconds, the goof ended up sliding past the lance and onto the dummy's arm.

The extra weight on the dummy's arm made it lower considerably, and drove its lance deep into the ground.

The more Rex ran, the deeper his lance was driven to the ground, until it went too deep for him to run. Unable to stop his momentum, the champ went flying into the air like a pole vaulter, taking Goofy with him.

Up in the air, Rex tried to grab at Goofy, who was just within his reach. Until the lance he was vaulting on bent under his weight, and brought him to the ground.

Rex landed on his hooves, and quickly discarded his now useless lance, then quickly had his dummy draw his sword. He had just taken the sword in his teeth, when he felt another weight drop on his back.

Completely by chance, when Goofy fell after Rex, he landed directly on the champ's back. Well, not directly. He was caught in the arms of the mannequin on his back.

"Gawrsh. Thanks fer th' help, mister," Goofy said.

The goof's gratitude completely faded when he saw what had caught him. Somehow, the mannequin's shoulders turned with Goofy's shifting weight, making it seem like the headless body was somehow staring at him.

"Ulp..." was all Goofy said.

Pinkie had gotten up from the ground, and turned to face Rex again. Only, she found she was completely unprepared for the encounter. She was unarmed, and Rex was looming over her with a gigantic sword clenched in his teeth.

Pinkie screamed and rolled to the side, just as Rex's sword smashed down, creating a deep divot where he cleaved into the ground.

The force of the hit shook the ground, making Pinkie rattle around.

The pink mare ducked under Rex's next attack, and ducked again under the next.

With every swing, even though they missed her, Pinkie could feel the power of each hit. So much that she was almost blown away by the blade's wake of air that followed each hit.

Rex jumped high in the air, and came down swinging his sword.

Pinkie jumped backwards, just beyond the reach of the tip of the blade, which only tickled her nose as it came down.

The blade slammed hard, and made the entire stadium shake slightly off of its foundation.

Goofy was shaken from the dummy's arms, and thrown onto Rex's back to face the lifeless rider.

Even though it was just a dummy, there didn't seem to be anything dumb about it. Every time Rex bucked about in his attempts to butcher Pinkie, the dummy on his back swung its arms, punching Goofy with a left, and a right, and a left again.

"Alright! That's how yuh want it? Put 'em up!" the goof said, as he sheathed his mop.

Goofy was hit by a flurry of punches, as Rex rapidly swung his sword.

Pinkie barely had time to move as the champ dove forward and cut his way through the base of the bleachers in the stadium.

Now that she was behind him, Rex bucked Pinkie and sent her flying across the tiltyard, until she crashed into the other wall.

"Ref! Stop the match! She's out of bounds now! She's disqualified!" Dash said to the emcee.

"Sorry, sister. Ref rules: no foul, heh heh heh," the weasel chuckled.

"You can't let this go on!!"

"Listen, lady: the rules say the match goes until a knockout. An' from here, that walkin' cotton candy looks pretty lucid," the weasel answered, pointing to Pinkie, who had tiny Rexes galloping around her head.

"You just made up that load of horse apples!!!!!" Dash accused.

"Such language," Quill thought to herself. But, if she was thinking about her priorities, she was going to need a new plan. One that would gain leverage over Rex and take him out completely. But, that would take more ponypower than was currently available. They would need help. "I've got an idea! Look after the others!"

"Wait! You can't abandon your post! You're a squire!" Dash called.

"I'm making up my own rules!" Quill called back.

"Yeah! The same horse apples these guys keep making up!"

Dash's attention was drawn to the emcee's chuckling.

"Hee hee hee heeee. Couldn't stand watchin' her pals get beat to a bloody brine, eh? Can't say I blame her," he said.

Before he could keep gloating, the yarns of a mop wrapped around his head, and he was pulled off of his platform.

Dash had used one of the spares on a weapon rack, and now that he was on her level, she wrapped her hooves around his neck and started throttling him.

By coincidence, the exact same thing was being done to Goofy by Rex's lifeless rider.

Pinkie shook her head lucid, and saw the danger her friend was in. The greatest danger for her would be trying to save Goofy, as Rex was thrashing like a rodeo bronco, still holding his sword in his teeth.

She would have to do it. If Rex was going to be defeated, it would take the two of them together.

"Just think Pinkie thoughts," Pinkie thought to herself, "Parties. Cupcakes. Balloons. Cookies. Cupcakes again."

Without her own knowledge, she was running back toward the jousting lanes, and would have continued on like such, until--

"Pinkie! Catch!"

That voice. That mellifluous voice with the Yokeshire accent rang to her mind and snapped Pinkie to reality. When she looked up, she saw two, tiny, frosted objects flying toward her like angels out of the blue.

"Cupcakes!!" Pinkie said. Rather than wonder where they came from, she jumped up and ate them both in one bite, just the way she used to do. When she landed, she saw the source of the cupcakes.

There, up in the audience stood Cream Filling, with a pan of cupcakes he made before he was abducted by Rex.

"These are the only cupcakes I have! Don't let them go to waste!" he called to her, as he threw two more of his pastries.

Pinkie ate the cupcakes the same as before, and felt reinvigorated by them. It was just like the days before, when she had her magic.

"Cupcakes! Parties! Make-believe!" Pinkie thought to herself.

Pinkie could feel herself welling up inside. Was this magic? Whatever it was, she knew it would help her against Rex.

While Pinkie felt she was growing stronger, Goofy felt just the opposite.

Still saddled on Rex's back with his mannequin rider, the goof tried his best to fight back. Only, how was one supposed to fight against an inanimate object?

"Had enough yet?" Goofy swooned, before he was hit by an uppercut, which hit him so hard that it knocked the bars of soap Dash had given him off of his belt.

Rex bucked, and the dummy wound up its arm for a world-class haymaker. Until a rock was thrown that spun the dummy's arm the wrong direction.

"Come on! Come on! The rest of you keep tossing!" Quick Quill said to the ponies from the white doorway's lounge.

The fighters Rex had abducted had turned against him. Rallied by Quick Quill, they were now throwing anything they could get their hooves on at the champ.

The emcee had managed to knock Dash away and started crawling to view the match.

"Hey! What's going on here!? That's outside interference!! Foul! Foul!" the weasel called into his mic.

Dash grabbed the emcee by his shoulders, and stuffed his own mic into his mouth before going to town on his face.

Quill looked to the side of herself, and saw the guards she had stolen the keys to the fighter's lounge from coming after her. Not about to get caught by them, she put her hoof in her mouth and whistled loudly to the fighters she released.

"Cannon fodder!" she shouted, pointing to the weasels.

Taking the cue, the ponies all picked up the weasel guards.

"Hey! What're ya doin'!!? Put us down, ya magic marshmallows!!!" one of the weasels protested.

No good, as they were both thrown into the jousting lanes. One at the side of Rex's head. The other into the dummy on his back.

The dummy spun around at its waist, until it stopped. Now, it was facing backwards, and unable to attack Goofy.

Her work could continue unimpeded, and Quick Quill ran to release the other fighters.

"What are you all doing sitting there!!? The Goof Knight needs help!" Quill said to the crowd.

Taking the novelist's cue, the first two rows in the crowd leapt into action. Nopony wanted Rex to win the Hastlitude, and they would do whatever it took to keep him from becoming king.

Anything they could get their hooves on was thrown. Concessions, pieces of the bleachers they broke, even the weasels that tried to stop them.

Pinkie ran through the pandemonium and slipped on one of Goofy's bars of soap.

As Rex was cutting the objects that were thrown at him with his sword, the bar of soap Pinkie slipped on flew toward his head.

Rex turned and cut it in two, only for the split soap to hit each one of his eyes.

The champ shouted and swung blindly about, his weasel henchmen ducking and dodging his wild attacks.

Goofy had seen what was done, and got an idea. Rex was built like a tank and had a personality to match. But, he was still a flesh and blood creature. One with all the same soft, sensitive parts as all the others.

Having burned his own eyes while he was washing his infant son's hair often enough, Goofy knew full well the terror he was about to impart on Rex. He took two bars of soap, and leaned over the champ's head.

Pinkie was now upon Rex, and started throwing everything that had dropped to the ground at him.

Before the champ could counter, Goofy covered his eyes with two bars of soap and started lathering.

Rex bellowed loudly through his clenched teeth, and started bucking and rolling on the ground to get Goofy off of his back.

The goof was smashed repeatedly by the rolling champ, but still held tightly, scrubbing his soap into his opponent's eyes.

Rex bucked his head up, trying to get Goofy with the bladed horn on his faceplate.

One of the spectators returned from a trip to the janitor's closet, and threw a broom to Pinkie.

Pinkie caught the broom, and took aim like she was throwing a javelin. She let it fly loose, and with aim that was true hit Rex in his jaw. But, it was not enough to make him release his weapon.

Cream Filling watched the fight from his vantage, and saw that supporting Pinkie with cupcakes was not enough. As a baker, he didn't have much to offer, but he did have one thing. Something special that he made himself that he managed to hold onto. He reached into his mane, and produced it.

"Heads up, Pinkie!" he called, as he threw his next item.

Pinkie raised her hoof, and caught it. When she examined it, her eyes brightened.

"Hot sauce!" she said. She looked up and smiled at Cream Filling. It seemed like even though they had just met, they knew everything about each other. Now, with the gift she had been given, she wasn't about to let it go to waste.

Rex reared up, and reached over his shoulders to grab Goofy. With his opponent firmly in his grasp, Rex threw him away.

Goofy landed hard next to Pinkie, making a Goofy-shaped crater in the ground.

"I'm afraid tuh look, Pinkie. Tell me if anything's broken," Goofy groaned.

Rex had just wiped the suds from his eyes, and turned to face his opponents.

Pinkie had no time to answer Goofy. She had to do something quickly. Her thoughts snapped to the hot sauce she held, and then to when she fought with Theef.

"It's a party! Just like in Ponyville!" Pinkie thought to herself. She put the bottle of hot sauce to her lips, and imagined she was blowing up a balloon. "That's right! It's a party! I'm setting it up to make ponies happy!" went the thoughts in the pink mare's head.

The crowd gasped at what they were seeing.

Quick Quill watched in amazement at what she could only have relegated to fiction.

Dash had tied the wire from the emcee's mic around his snout, and was pulling hard for a submission hold, but slowly stopped when she saw what Pinkie was doing.

"That's it, Pinkie! Keep blowin'!" Goofy said.

Pinkie pinched the mouth of the bottle shut, and saw that she had inflated it like a balloon. Not about to take the time to marvel at her accomplishment, she aimed it at Rex, and let the contents within fly out into the champ's face.

Rex didn't even have a chance to start moving, when he was overtaken by a wave of hot sauce. Somehow, it burned worse than the soap, blinding him, stinging his eyes, and worst of all burning the inside of his mouth.

He was swinging his head every which way, and shouted loudly. Finally, Rex was disarmed.

His massive sword flew through the air, right over the heads of Goofy, Pinkie, Dash and the emcee, and embedded itself deep in the frame of the black doorway.

Though shaken from the near miss, Dash was more excited for what she had seen. Pushing the emcee into the ground, she stood up and hobbled over to her friends' side.

"Pinkie!" she called.

"Dashie!" Pinkie greeted her.

The two friends hugged tightly on the jousting lanes, and the crowd cheered loudly for the display.

"You used magic, Pinkie! Party magic!" Dash congratulated her.

"Pinkie magic!" Pinkie corrected.

"You hear that, Rex? We've got magic, and you got no weapons left! You're as good as beat!" Dash gloated.

"Dash...Yuh really don't wanna provoke that monster horse," Goofy said.

Rex had reared up to run on two legs, and whinnied loudly. More like a growl, actually, as he tore forward. The dummy on his back fell off from the sheer speed.

Goofy sprang to his feet, and valiantly raised his mop to defend his friends. But, it did no good.

Rex pumped both arms like a shotgun, and thrust them forward, hitting all three of his opponents with all the force of an artillery cannon.

Quill winced when she saw her teammates hit, and quickly rushed to their aid. She looked for a way down, and saw the wire from the emcee's mic trailing down the side of the platform.

"No," she thought to herself. It was just a wire. Then again, in a world of make-believe, it had other uses. "It's surely strong enough to hold my weight," she thought, though she didn't believe it.

She started climbing down the wire, finding it to be small and slippery. In seconds, she was sliding down the wire, and landed on her flank.

"Ohhh!" Quill groaned, before getting to her hooves to attend to the others. "Ice pack!" She called to the crowd.

A pony quickly slurped down his soda, and raised the cup of ice in his hoof.

"Comin' down!" he called as he threw it.

Quill caught the paper cup full of ice, and applied it to Goofy's head.

"You three can't face Rex like this! He's too powerful!" Quill said.

"We can't stop now. If he wins, he's king," Goofy reasoned.

Quill moved to Dash, and saw the bruise on her stomach needed tending.

"More ice!" she called to the crowd.

"Here!"

Quill caught the ice-filled cup and applied it to Dash's stomach.

"I'm serious! We need to reconsider what we're doing!" the novelist said.

"Reconsider? Things are going pretty good so far," Dash said.

Quill groaned and rolled her eyes, before moving to Pinkie.

"Need more ice," she said to herself.

"No. Cupcakes," Pinkie said.

"Cupcakes!?"

Pinkie raised a hoof, and caught a cupcake that was thrown by Cream Filling, before eating it heartily.

"Listen, all of you: Rex is stronger, and far more skilled than the three of you put together. Probably more than the whole stadium. What you need is a way to fight on his level. You need a way to match his power," Quill said.

It was too easy to figure out. Dash and Pinkie turned their heads to the left.

"Huh? Whut's everbuddy lookin' at?" Goofy wondered. He turned his head to the left. "Oh!"

There in the wall was Rex's enormous sword. That would surely match the champ's power.

Rex saw his opponents, and knew exactly what they were planning.

Quill saw him glancing over at his own sword, almost like he was daring them to take it. Whatever his intention, Rex turned around, lowered to all four and galloped back to his starting position.

Goofy, Pinkie and Dash all gathered at the sword's hilt. Goofy spit onto his hands, and rubbed them together, before they all started pushing at once. Slowly, the blade pushed out of the wall, and landed on the ground with a loud clang.

"This is it! A dog and pony show for the ages!" Dash said, as she lifted the tip of the blade, and placed the flat of it on her back.

"A three pony party for the happiness of thousands!" Pinkie said, nudging her way under the middle of the blade, resting the flat on her back.

"A choo-choo train o' pals plowin' through one really big horse!" Goofy declared lastly, taking hold of the hilt.

Quill didn't know what to make of what they were saying, but if make-believe allowed them to cope, she wouldn't stop it. But, there was one last thing she wanted to divulge.

"Goofy, wait. It's about your son," she said.

"Maxie? Yuh know where he is?" Goofy asked hopefully.

"No. But..."

Quill could have told him everything she knew. How his son was probably a hundred miles away from him, but decided against it. Instead, she told him something that she knew would raise his spirits.

"He believes in you. He has complete faith in you defeating Rex, and saving the kingdom," Quill answered.

Goofy's face slowly started to glow. It was what every father wanted to hear. And exactly what he needed to hear at the moment. He turned and faced down the lane, where Rex was eyeing him.

"Hang on, Maxie. Yer ol' pop's comin' for yuh," the goof thought to himself.

Now was the time. The moment of truth. All at once, the three of them bounced into the air, scurried their respective feet and hooves, and took off like a shot.

Rex took no weapons from his rack of spares. In fact, he removed his entire set of armor before he started running.

From where they were, to the three with the sword, it looked like Rex had become more mobile and speedy without armor.

They met well before they reached the middle of the lane. Rex had definitely increased his speed without armor. But, that would not deter them. That only gave them a chance to strike sooner.

"It's a show! I'm performing!" Dash thought to herself, as she jumped into the air. Even though her wings were useless, she felt as if she were truly flying again.

"It's a party! I'm making ponies happy!" Pinkie thought to herself, as she bounced upward.

"I'm gonna see my son again! An' I'm gonna keep him safe forever!" Goofy thought to himself, as he swung the sword.

Unfortunately, Rex was an expert at shattering hopes and dreams.

The sword reached the zenith of its swing, and Rex jumped forward. He thrusted his rear hooves forward, hitting Goofy with a solid double-legged dropkick that sent the goof flying.

Goofy landed in the ground, and dug through it as he landed.

The mares holding the blade were spinning in the air, until Pinkie was snatched by Rex and placed on the ground.

Rex threw two punches into Pinkie's face, then threw an uppercut that knocked her into the sky. Then, he jumped backwards.

Dash was next. She had just gotten up when she saw Rex coming down with an elbow drop.

He landed hard enough to indent Dash deep into the ground, then punched her in the face, indenting her head deeper than the rest of herself.

Pinkie landed on the ground, making a small crater when she did.

Rex huffed loudly. These goofs had given him more trouble than he ever thought possible. He had gone easy, expecting to handle them with his weapons, but for all they managed to do, he never thought they would make him resort to fighting with his greatest weapon: his own body. Now, it seemed his opponents were truly down. And just in time as the emcee slowly climbed back up to his platform.

"CALL IT, REF!!!!!!" Rex shouted so hard that the wind from his voice nearly blew the emcee away.

"Ah--Uh--An' the winner is: Theronicus Rex!!" the emcee announced.

There was no response from the crowd. For all their efforts, for all their raised hopes, Rex was now on the threshold to become their king.

Rex gathered up his three unconscious opponents, and held them up to the crowd.

"You see this!!? This is what happens when you challenge Theronicus Rex!!! I was chosen to conquer your kingdoms for a reason!! Because, I'm unstoppable!!! I am the force of nature that sends you all running for cover!!! I am the governing law of might!!! And I'm going to solidify that during the battle royale, when I take on every single one of the fighters in this kingdom!!! All at the same time!!!"

The ponies in the audience all murmured uncertainly. Their future was looking bleaker by the moment.

Rex motioned for some weasels to approach.

"Get these goofs back to their lounge. And round up all the others. I want them all in their best condition before the royale. Understand?" Rex ordered.

"Y-Y-You got it, boss!" the weasels said, before carrying the losers off on a stretcher.

Quill somberly joined their side as they were led away. Though it was very quiet, she thought she could hear Goofy calling his son's name, still determined to win him back.

Author's Note

Sometimes ups outnumber the downs. But, not in Trottingham.

Things are looking pretty bleak all over. Twilight's jealously of Rarity learning magic. The Massster sacrificing his life to save his enemies. Paya and all those other llamas losing their homes. And now, after transporting Max away from his dad, Rex is the king of Trottingham. It seems like even when they win, they lose, doesn't it?

But, enough of that gloomy stuff. Let's talk about the inspiration for this chapter. Of course, the setting was another jousting match, but with a different angle. That being Pinkie is the fighting partner for this one.

Another thing I really wanted was for the whole audience to rally against Rex for the battle. Originally, I wanted that to do that for the final fight against him, but it seemed like it would make more of an impact if everyone had their hopes risen so high, then dashed so thoroughly in one fell swoop.

Another inspiration for this chapter, (along with one of my not-so-subtle references that I like to make) was 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,' with Rex and his lifeless rider referencing the Headless Horseman.

As it is, the fight between Goofy, Pinkie and Rex was inspired by the chase scene at the end of Disney's version of Sleepy Hollow. I just thought that the silly way that Ichabod and his horse evade the attacks of the Horseman was the perfect match for Pinkie and Goofy.

Now, just in case you are wondering how a Yokeshire accent sounds: it's sounds identical to a Yorkshire accent. If you don't know how a Yorkshire accent sounds you absolutely must watch the movies 'Chicken Run' or 'Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.' I urge you to watch them anyway, since those movies are both great.

That's it here. In the next chapter, it will be the moment we've been waiting for. The final battle against Rex in a bid for the crown. Who will come out on top? Rock on to the next chapter to find out \m/

Chapter 21: The Kingdom of Champions

Chapter 21

The Kingdom of Champions

The old mare quietly rocked back and forth in her chair. By the glow of the fire, she could see the despondent, let down faces of the foals who were huddled under the blanket on the couch. Each of the little foals was trying to fight back tears, and she knew it was because of her reprimanding them earlier when they got upset. But, it didn't stop the pegasus filly from sniffling.

"Grandma...this is a really stupid story," the earth pony colt said.

"I don't want to hear the rest," the unicorn filly whispered.

"Why's that? It wasn't even an hour ago that you couldn't wait to hear more," the old mare said.

"But, that was before Rex won," her grandson answered.

It was truly disheartening for the old mare to see her young audience so downtrodden. For their young lives, they had only known hope and peace. And it was always reinforced by the stories they read about brave heroes who triumphed over every adversity imaginable. Heroes like Daring Do and the Bearers of Harmony, who no matter what was thrown at them always wound up on top in the end. This story, however, was a completely different light for the foals.

"Now, foals, you knew completely well that the Goof Knight was going to lose. What does it matter now that we've reached that part of the story?" the old mare asked.

"Yeah. But...I didn’t want him to lose," the pegasus filly sniffled.

"Oh, honey. I know it sounds sad, but it all happened for the better."

"Better how? Nothing good can happen anymore," the earth pony colt said.

The old mare sighed again at the foals before her. She understood it was difficult for anypony so young to grasp such an abstract concept, but decided that if the foals didn't learn about it now, they might never in their lives. To begin her lesson, she stood up and walked to the couch where the foals sat.

"Grandma?" the earth pony colt asked, unsure of what his grandmother was doing.

"Scoot over. I have something I want to tell you," the old mare said.

The three foals all scooted apart, just as the old mare instructed. The old, gray mare took her seat between her grandson and the unicorn filly, before reaching to grab the edges of the blanket and huddled them all underneath it.

"Now, I know it might seem like a strange thing to think about. But, even by losing, the Goof Knight still won in the end," the old mare said.

"How?" the unicorn filly wondered.

"You see, even if he did lose to Rex, his legend still spread far and wide, and became embellished by authors the world over. You foals probably don't know this, but there's even a movie being made about his adventures too. And through his stories, he spread hope and inspiration to where there was none," the old mare explained. "Now, think about somepony like Rex. Even though he won, and became the king, he was completely forgotten. And by those he is remembered, we only think of him as a horrible, evil, contemptuous monster that nopony could ever love. The only ponies who even remember him are ponies like me, and the Trottingham royal family. In this sense, who do you think is the winner?"

The foals were silent again. They were busy trying to process what was told to them, and slowly came to agree with what the old mare was saying.

"How did he do it?" the earth pony colt wondered.

"Do what?" His grandmother asked.

"How was it that the Goof Knight is remembered so well, but Rex isn't?" The pegasus filly asked.

Clearly, the foals were on the same page.

In her many years, the old mare had a lot of time to think about such things. And it was many years ago that she completely understood why.

"Because, no matter what he was put up against, the Goof Knight always kept trying. For the sake of his son, and for all those who were downtrodden. Even after he was defeated, he never stopped trying to win. He was nothing like the heroes you read about in the stories, who are clever, witty, strong and brave. He was likely the complete opposite of all of them. But, it was his spirit, and his will to do good for others that kept him going. And through it all, he had his friends who saw him through the most difficult of times. Friends like me."

The foals all went silent. An aura of awe practically shone about them. They already knew the old mare met the Goof Knight, but never imagined she was friends with him.

"Y...You mean..." the earth pony colt stammered.

He didn't need to finish. His grandmother nodded, before answering. "That's right. I was there. I fought alongside The Goof Knight, against Theronicus Rex."

"Then, do you know how the story really ended?" The unicorn filly asked.

"I do, honey. I do."

The air hung gloomy in the lounge where Pinkie, Dash and Goofy were all preparing to fight in the next match. In spite of their best efforts, they failed to save the kingdom of Trottingham. Now, because of their failure, Trottingham was under the rule of Theronicus Rex.

Normally, Rainbow Dash would have been warming up for the next round against Rex, but after her defeat she wasn't up to much. She simply laid in her cot, holding an ice pack to her bruised stomach.

Pinkie wasn't faring much better either. As the time passed, her mane slowly deflated, until it was nearly completely limp. Periodically, it would inflate slightly, but it was only a passing happenstance.

Goofy too was feeling the heavy stress of the loss. He had hoped that defeating Rex would win him his son back, but that endeavor was long gone.

Quick Quill felt the heavy gloom around herself. Ever since Rex had abducted her, her whole life had changed for the worse. However, she knew things were worse for Goofy, who she knew was grieving over his son. Her mind went back to earlier when she hesitated to tell Goofy what had become of Max, and felt a pang of guilt for the worried father.

Slowly, she walked up behind him, knowing that this was the last thing he needed to hear, but didn't want to keep the truth from him.

"Goofy," she said to him.

"This is it, Quill," Goofy said. "It's my last chance to get my son back."

"Yes. I...I understand that," Quill sighed. "Tell me: do you have any other family back in your home?"

"Just muh dad. After my wife passed away, him an' muh boy are all I got. Whut about you? Ain't you got sumbuddy back home waitin' for yuh tuh win?" Goofy asked.

"Uh..." Quill quietly choked on her opening words, but answered as best she could. "T...To be completely frank: no."

Nearby Dash and Pinkie's ears perked up. Pinkie's first instinct was to try and elicit a smile from anypony in the room. But, remembering what Dash had told her earlier about a time and a place, she kept quiet and listened.

"I don't actually have any family back home. No mother and father. No siblings. No aunts, or uncles, or grandparents. Not even a husband and foals. And, I'm not sure my friends, however few, even know I'm gone," Quill answered. "I've given my life to my authoring career, and now look: I'm about to go off to get pulverized into oblivion. And who would miss me? Nopony."

"I might," Goofy said.

"No, no. You don't need to be polite. I don't have anything to lose or gain from this charade. Essentially, I'm just ballast on your expedition."

"Aw, come on. I known plenny o' ballast dancers whut made somethin' of themselves. An' I bet sum of 'em didn't have families either."

"No, Goofy. I mean--" Quill began.

"He means that you mean more to us than you think, Quill," Dash interjected.

"Now, how can that be? It was only hours ago that I was hoping to escape this horrible place."

"But, you're also the one that showed us how important winning this competition is," Pinkie said. "You told us how you saw firsthoof all the horrible things Rex did. Like, I've known meanies before, but he's in a whole different ballpark."

"And you helped us by rallying the whole stadium against Rex and his thugs. I mean, you got everypony watching to start attacking at the drop of a hoof. I've been watching jousting matches since I was a foal, and I never saw a squire do something like that," Dash added.

"An' yuh found muh son fer me. So, when this match is over, whether we win or we lose, I'm countin' on yuh to take me to him an' get him outta here," Goofy added.

Quill felt another pain in her chest. She debated whether she should tell Goofy about what happened or not, but was interrupted by a weasel opening the door.

"Eh-heh-heh-heh. So, who's ready for a--*GUH-HULP!!*" was all the weasel managed to say, before Goofy, Dash and Pinkie all burst out the door and trampled the weasel again.

Quick Quill followed timidly after, not nearly as boldly and confidently as her friends.

"Friends?" Quill thought to herself. In the end, if this was where she met her demise, she would go down with those who cared, and she cared about in turn. She almost started walking, but noticed a bit of dust on her hoof, which she promptly wiped off on the weasel's back, like he was a doormat.

"I gotta get a different gig..." the weasel groaned, before the rest of the fighters all filed out and trampled him.

"This is it. The final push," Rex said, as he placed his rhino-horned faceplate on. "Once this is over, nobody will dare challenge the might of Yen Sid's champion."

The weasels in the room all set about their chores: loading artillery, tightening nuts and bolts, checking for torn treads and the like.

"Polish your hooves before the show, your highness?" one weasel with an oily cloth asked.

"If you must," Rex said.

"Yeah. The king's gotta look good for his subjects," the weasel said, before he spit on Rex's hoof and started shining it with his rag. "An' ya know, we all got yer back here. If ya ever need somethin' done discreetly, you know who to call."

The weasels in the room all started chuckling deviously, until Rex bucked the one polishing his hooves into a crate full of explosive shells. The weasels fumbled to keep the volatile explosives from going off, and breathed a collective sigh of relief when they succeeded.

"None of you are going to help me," Rex said, calm and collected as ever. "If I'm going to show them what force they're dealing with, I'll have to do this myself."

Goofy, Dash and Pinkie all stepped out into the brightly lit fighting area. The day had passed well past sunset, and the tiltyard had been refurbished into a grand arena. Weapon racks were set up, and for reasons not apparent it looked like barricades for cover were placed too.

All the fighters from the black door approached the center of the ring, where the crowd all cheered as best they could for them. They were joined by all of the fighters from the white door, just before the emcee took his place on the platform on the sidelines.

"Alright! Shut yer hay lickers!" he shouted into his mic. "As you all know, this ain't exactly on the regular program. It's more like a formality. An exhibition to show you why Theronicus Rex is your king."

A throng of boos sounded loudly from the crowd, and the weasel was bombed with litter.

"Aw, go suck a daisy!" the emcee said. "I wanna haul my heiney home, so I'll just cut to the quick. Comin' in to show you his real might is the indomitable, incredible, the indestructible Theronicus Rex!!"

The emcee pointed to an enormous bay door, which slowly opened. A dark shadow could be seen within, and walked out to reveal itself.

Rex walked out on all fours, his head held high as his armor shone in the lights. On his back, his headless mannequin held fast to his reins. But, that was not all Rex had brought with him.

What looked like a lance in the dummy's arm turned out to be a cannon. Attached to the cannon was the rest of the artillery. Dragged out by heavy treads, Rex revealed himself to be hitched up to a heavily armored chariot. On the side of the chariot, there was stenciled in white paint the name in enormous letters, 'T. REX.'

Quill noted that it was made of the same materials she had seen in those boxes when she was looking for an escape route earlier. This was what Rex was planning for.

Rex dug his hoof deep into the ground, and whinnied loudly enough that he shattered the lights around him.

Seeing their opponent shrouded in darkness, not one of the fighters was ready when all of a sudden Rex came bursting forth. This was where he intended to end it all, and run them down in one swift go.

"Hit the dirt!!!" somepony called from within the crowd of fighters.

There was barely any time to move as Rex plowed through the entire group.

Dash tried pushing her friends out of the way, but was too late.

Quick Quill was the only one of her friends who managed to escape, and watched helplessly as Dash, Pinkie and Goofy were run down.

Deep indentations were impressed into the ground. Quill rushed over, and felt her stomach turn when she saw a crushed washtub was all that remained of her friends.

Suddenly, the washtub popped up out of the hole, and revealed Goofy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all huddled underneath it.

Quill was beyond words for the mix of shock and relief she felt. Even as the four of them looked at the warped washtub that had saved all of their lives.

"Gawrsh..." Goofy exhaled, realizing he almost traded in his mop for a harp and a halo.

Rex was pleased with the results so far. He knew he had run down the goofs that had given him so much trouble before, and turned in a wide arch to face his remaining opponents.

"What the--!!?" Rex said, when he saw the goofs no worse for wear. That was no matter. He wanted a chance to test his new weapon anyway. Shrugging his shoulder, he moved the dummy on his back to aim the cannon it held. With another shrug, a lever on the cannon was pulled.

Back in the middle of the arena, everypony heard a loud whistling noise.

"Fireworks?" Pinkie wondered.

She and her three other friends turned to see an explosive shell come flying toward them, and screamed loudly before running as fast as they could away.

An incredible explosion sent them all flying. Each of them landed rolling on the ground. It was a stroke of luck that Quill crashed into a rack of weapons that two other ponies were hiding behind.

Axes, swords and spears stuck into the ground before her. She would never know how to use them, but she knew her friends could put them to good use. Quickly, she gathered the weapons and piled them up.

"We can't win like this!" Quill said.

"You're right!" said one of the ponies who was hiding before. "I was the champion jouster before Rex came! I've got to defend my title! For Trottingham's sake!"

Feeling emboldened, the pony took a sword in his teeth, and charged bravely toward Rex.

Rex was now running laterally to his opponents, and the side of his chariot opened up to reveal a battery of cannons. The cannons fired rapidly, creating tiny explosions when their artillery landed on the ground in front of their target.

The charging pony screamed, and returned to the others, where Goofy and Pinkie had already set up a barricade with the weapon racks and wooden covers that Rex had set up.

More ponies had joined them in their shelter. Some of them were huddled up next to Goofy, who used his washtub like an umbrella against any potential explosives raining down on them.

"Gawrsh! It sounds like the beaches o' Normandy out there!" Goofy said.

"We've got to get away from here! We can't fight Rex head on, even with weapons!" Dash said.

"But, what can we do? There isn't any way to get out of this place!" Pinkie said, as she covered her ears to protect them from the sound of the explosions.

"Make believe. Inspiration is the key," Quill thought to herself. As somepony who made a living off of make believe, she was now applying it to her real life, just as Pinkie taught her. "Thrown to a dungeon by a jealous lover, the heroine is trapped with a cragadile. The deep water slows her movements. The beast thrashes about, its every move meant to destroy her. Escape seems hopeless."

Her eyes went to the bay doors, which had shut since Rex arrived.

"There is a culvert that is blocked by an iron grate. The heroine is not strong enough to break it."

A shot from Rex's cannon exploded nearby.

"But, the cragadile is!!" Quill finished aloud.

"Cragadile! Where!?" asked one of the ponies.

"Don't tell me that monster's got pets!" said another.

"Everypony!" Quill said, "We need to get Rex to aim his cannon at that door!"

"Easier said than done! I could do that no problem if I could fly! But, I got nothing right now!" Dash said.

The sound of Rex charging toward them forced them all to scramble. Every one of the ponies in cover ran as fast as their hooves would carry them, just as Rex plowed through their cover.

The champ's cannon fired repeatedly over the crowd, creating panic among the fighters.

Goofy frantically traipsed over the tops of the wooden barricades that were lain out. The whole time, he shielded himself under his washtub.

One of Rex's shots blew up directly under Goofy, making him fly high into the air.

"AAAHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOOY!!!"

Goofy let go of his washtub in midair, which landed on the ground before he started plummeting.

The washtub landed on its side, while the goof landed directly on top of it.

Goofy's feet frantically traipsed as he tried to stay atop his improvised log roll. It was only seconds later that he crossed paths with Rex, who he and his headless dummy both turned to glare at the goof, before every weapon on the chariot was aimed at him.

"GAAA--AAAWRRRSH!!!!" Goofy shouted, as he quickly veered to the side, and hopped over the multitude of ponies and wooden barricades.

Behind him, Rex plowed through every obstacle, firing his cannon to demolish the goof.

Quick Quill took advantage of the situation, and stood in front of the bay doors. She put her hooves in her mouth and whistled loudly.

"Goofy! Over here!!" she shouted.

Goofy obeyed the command, seeing that Quill was attempting to execute her plan. Pedaling his feet faster, the goof sped toward the novelist atop his rolling washtub.

This was going to be it. After the next shot, she would move out of the way, and the ponies would be on their way to freedom.

Rex picked up his pace, and slowly caught up behind Goofy. He motioned his body so his dummy activated a lever behind it.

Heavy spears thrusted forward from the chariot, surrounding Rex on every one of his contours.

The tips of the spears came closer, which made Goofy yelp as one touched his rump.

For as fast as Rex was, he was still slowed down by his heavy chariot. He aimed his cannon at Goofy, and opened fire.

Goofy hitched up his pants, which hitched up his entire body with it and allowed the explosive shell to pass between his stretched out legs.

Quill had no time at all to marvel at the magic she had seen, and quickly dove out of the way of the oncoming shell.

The explosion worked. A hole had been blown into the bay doors, which was now a door to freedom.

Again, Quill had no time to marvel. She quickly jumped back when Goofy came screaming past her on his washtub. After him, she had to press her back against the wall to avoid getting gouged by Rex's spears. For a brief moment, she saw the champ's eyes looking directly at her, before his chariot swung toward herself.

Quill had to suck in her gut to avoid getting smashed by the chariot, and exhaled deeply after it passed. She watched as Rex continued to fire at Goofy, while he plowed through the obstacles that were laid out. Rex was not simply charging blindly, or errantly firing his cannon. He had his sights set squarely on Goofy and the others.

"Alright, ponies! That's your ticket out of here! Let's get moving!" Dash said, as she hustled the ponies toward the exit.

There was an explosion nearby, after Rex missed hitting Goofy.

"You're going to be roadkill when I'm done with you!! You and those other goofs!!" Dash heard Rex bellow.

"Run, Rainbow Dash!!!!" Goofy shouted, as he pedaled atop his washtub past her.

Dash looked, and saw Rex charging straight for her. She grabbed the last pony out of cover, and dove to the side, just as Rex came plowing past her. Dash had to keep both her's and the other pony's heads low when a blade came slicing out of the side of the chariot.

"Pinkie, get these ponies out of here! I'll help handle Rex," Dash said.

"Right-o, Dashie!" Pinkie said, before rushing off to safely see the ponies to the exit.

Rex turned wide and circled to face Goofy again. Now, he was charging to t-bone the goof and take him off his washtub.

Goofy screamed loudly as the champ came closer and aimed his cannon.

A shot was fired and a blue blur shoved Goofy out of the way.

The explosive shell exploded into the ground in front of Rex, momentarily blinding the champ from all the flying dirt and debris. He turned, and saw what had stolen his quarry.

Rainbow Dash was running behind Goofy, pushing the washtub faster than the goof could keep his feet on it.

"Wo-ow!!" Goofy shouted, as he fell over backwards onto Dash's back.

Dash bucked the washtub back to Goofy's arm.

"Stick with me, Goof! I'm faster than he is, even with you on my back!" Dash said.

"Thanks! I been doin' cally-sthenics!" Goofy said.

"Get your mop ready! We need to fight that guy!"

"An' how!"

Taking advantage of Rex's slower turns, Dash made a sharp turn, while Goofy readied his mop for attack.

Rex turned wide, and circled his opponents as they turned, and opened the side of his chariot to fire his array of explosives.

"Don't this guy ever run outta ammo!!?" Goofy said, as he bounced around on Dash's back, as she wove through the explosions around her.

"Moment of truth, Goof! Chaarrge!!" Dash shouted, as she veered sharply and rushed directly toward Rex.

In a flash, Rex activated the frontal defenses, and his array of spears sprang forth.

Dash focused her mind and looked for an opening. The only spot where Rex's spears did not extend was directly in his front. She would need to run directly toward him, and find a way to avoid getting flattened. The space beneath his chariot looked wide enough to go under. If she were really, really skinny. But, if Goofy believing he was a king could make his reflection move a picture of a crown, she could do something similar.

She was performing a stunt for a crowd. She was going to pass through a smaller gap than any pegasus has ever tried. At top speed! And, for added drama, she would do it with her eyes closed!

"Dash! What're yuh doin'!? Open yer eyes!!" Goofy panicked.

Rex was upon them sooner than he knew.

The plan worked when Goofy and Dash approached the champ, avoiding every one of his spears, but nothing could prepare the goof for when his mop was caught on the bladed rhinoceros horn of Rex's faceplate. Worse still, he seemed to remain still as the bladed horn sliced right through the mop, and Dash slid out beneath him.

Dash imagined herself performing her trick for the crowd, and unknown to her she morphed herself skinnier than she ever was in her life, slid under Rex's chariot, and returned to her normal bulk on the other side.

"Wow...!" Dash said.

"WOO-OOOW!!!" Goofy said, as he clung tightly to Rex's face.

The champ finally managed to shake Goofy off.

The goof went flying through the air, and landed next to Dash on the ground. Next to him landed his mop, broken and useless. Between him and Dash, Rex's faceplate crashed blade down in the dirt.

Dash and Goofy both sat up, and watched Rex stop after he turned to face them.

The champ shouted loudly as he flexed his muscles.

As if to follow his command, the chariot behind him brandished every weapon it had at its disposal. Missile batteries popped out of the top. Saw blades wheeled out of the sides. Explosive arrays aimed out the sides. Flamethrowers mounted themselves onto Rex's yoke. Spears thrusted forward all around Rex's front. Finally, the cannon held in the headless dummy's arm aimed downward, directly at his opponents.

"Horse apples..." Goofy said.

"Gawrsh..." Dash answered.

There came a loud *ka-thunk* noise, as another explosive shell was loaded.

Dash scrambled to her hooves as Goofy desperately climbed onto her back. He only managed to get his front half on, while his legs dragged in the dirt behind him.

Rex chased after them. He knew he was slowed down considerably when he was dragging his heavy chariot around, but he had this weapon designed to fix such a flaw.

The dummy on his back moved to crank a lever on the side of Rex's hitch, and the back of the chariot opened up to reveal a jet engine. Fire flared from the engine's thrusters, and soon Rex was closing in on his opponents.

Goofy heard a sound behind him, and turned his head to see Rex's bloodshot visage growing ever closer.

"GIDDAP, STEED!!!!!!" Goofy shouted, as he used his feather duster as a riding crop.

The mouth of Rex's cannon was growing closer. Close enough to snag Goofy by his collar and start lifting him from Dash's back.

Goofy quickly pulled himself out of his shirt, and rode shirtless on Dash's back, just as a shot was fired. Quickly, he put himself back into his shirt, and unhooked it from the cannon.

Rex was growing even closer. Dash would need to get alongside him to avoid his spears and cannon. She veered to the side and allowed Rex to pass.

As they rode alongside one another, Rex swung his head to throw Goofy off of Dash's back.

Goofy took the full brunt of the force, but instead of falling off, he simply went spinning around her sides.

"OW!" the goof said, as his head hit the ground, before he spun up Dash's other side, and was spun around by Rex's head again, "OW!"

Rex was going too fast to stay beside them for long. The flamethrower on his yoke shot a blaze toward both mount and rider.

Goofy took the bucket off his head, and caught the entire stream of fire inside the metal pail.

"HOT!! HOT!! HOT!! HOT!!" Goofy shouted, as he fumbled with his bucket. He threw his bucket into the air, where the fire within blew wildly about, like the air was just let out of a balloon, until the smoking bucket landed back on top of Goofy's head. "HOOOOOOOT!!!!"

That was the least of their worries, as a buzzing sound alerted Dash to jump. Rex had run further past them, and the buzzsaws on his chariot threatened to take off Dash's legs.

She jumped, and spread her wings, imagining she was stunt-flying once more. Her hooves danced their way up many more blades that popped out at increasingly elevated levels on the chariot.

Dash avoided them all as if she were performing stunts for a crowd, even thrown in a loop as she walked across the flat surfaces of the many popping blades. It was almost as natural as performing for a crowd. Except, the only spectator was a goof screaming for dear life as the blades threatened him too.

Dash landed back on the ground, and the danger of the blades had passed. Now, they were faced with the explosive arrays that Rex had opened up.

Goofy screamed loudly as he took the broom off his back, and started sweeping the fired explosives away like dust.

Rex was starting to turn. However, he had not anticipated the extra momentum his firing engine granted him. Slowly, the treads on his chariot started lifting from the ground, forcing the champ to compensate for the overbalance. An incident not unnoticed by Rainbow Dash and Goofy.

Up on top, the missile batteries took aim, and Dash could see they were aimed straight toward Pinkie as she was leading the others to safety.

Rex was passing by them, and Dash veered to the side to avoid being burned by the engine on the back of the chariot.

"Goofy!" Dash said, "Pinkie needs help!!"

Goofy looked ahead, seeing Pinkie's distinctively colored coat standing out greatly from the other ponies.

He stood up on Dash's back, took his washtub, and threw it like a discus across the arena just as Rex fired his missile battery.

"Come on, ponies!! Hustle! Scram! Vamoose! There's a mad king out to get us with a mean streak like a manticore with a thorn in its paw!!" Pinkie said, as she hustled the ponies along.

In the corner of her vision, Pinkie saw a trail of smoke coming toward her. She screamed loudly, until she was hit squarely by Goofy's washtub, which shielded her just before the miniature missiles hit her.

Pinkie was spun around by the first hit, and fell on her flank.

Through her dizzy double vision, she saw more missiles coming toward her.

"ACK!!!!" Pinkie shouted, before she stood up and shielded herself with the washtub.

Pinkie spun when she was hit again, and with each spin saw the next missile coming in to blow up the ponies she was protecting.

Bravely, she scuttled forward like a duck in a shooting gallery and took the hit on her makeshift shield.

A direct hit, and she spun around and scuttled to where the next missile would impact.

The ponies she was guiding stopped to watch the spectacle, getting the feeling they were a part of some gruesome carnival game.

"Don't just stand there! The exit's that way!!" Pinkie said, pointing to the open door, before she was blown into the wall.

The washtub managed to spare her from the missile, but she was still groggy from being embedded into the wall. And had no time to react when more missiles came flying toward her.

Quicker than she knew, she was pulled out of the wall by somepony's hoof, who helped her dive to safety, just as the wall was impacted.

"Are you alright?" asked the familiar Yokeshire accent.

Pinkie's head cleared slightly. Just enough to realize she was being held in Cream Filling's hooves.

"Oh...my hero..." Pinkie dreamily swooned.

"Ah...right," Cream Filling answered, with a smile.

Any other time, this would have been a pleasant rendezvous. Now, the moment was ruined as a missile flew over them and blew up against the wall.

Pinkie quickly rolled over and covered them both under the washtub, protecting them from the debris. She popped up and placed the washtub to her side.

"Run! Before you get gooified and turned into real cream filling!" Pinkie said.

"But--" Cream Filling tried to protest.

"I'll be fine! Me and my friends can handle that monster horse!"

Cream Filling looked into Pinkie's eyes a moment, before conceding to her will. He reached into his mane and gave her the last of his personal effects.

"Right," he said, as he hoofed Pinkie the last of his cupcakes, and a half bottle of hot sauce, "That's all I got left. Put them to good use, won't you."

With one last smile, Pinkie turned and ran back to the fray with the washtub on her back.

"Wait for me, my knight in pastry armor!" she called back to Cream Filling.

Cream Filling watched briefly, as Pinkie hopped inside of the washtub, and started rolling along the edges to block more of the oncoming missiles. Wishing her the best of luck, he turned and ran out the open door.

Quick Quill waited by the door, monitoring each of the ponies as they departed. Once the last pony left through the door, she looked out to the battlefield where her friends valiantly fought against the mad king and his death machine. She knew she had done her part, but at the same time felt like it was not enough. However she felt, she knew she stood no chance against Rex as she was and exited through the door.

Pinkie spun around inside the washtub, and was spun and bounced around by the explosions that bombarded her.

The approaching sound of massive hooves made her blood run cold, as she felt the washtub impacted by something large and blunt. She flew into the air, flipping like a coin, and saw Rex's weaponized chariot below herself.

She landed hard on the ground, and the washtub fell onto her back so that her head, legs and tail stuck out like a turtle.

Rex turned wider than normal with his jet-powered chariot, and fired a ballistic array at Pinkie.

Pinkie scuttled across the battlefield like a terrapin track star, speeding along and bouncing every time her back was hit by an explosive.

Rex turned to bombard Pinkie with more missiles, and aimed his cannon at her. Until he was intercepted by a broom across his face.

Dash and Goofy rode up alongside Pinkie, as she returned to wheeling around inside the washtub.

"You holding up alright in there?" Dash called.

"How do you think I'm feeling!?! I'm running like socks in a dryer!!" Pinkie said.

"Then wouldn't ya go missin' when ya stop?!" Goofy said.

An explosion made them all diverge. They quickly re-converged after the danger passed.

"We need to take out that chariot he's pulling!" Dash said.

"How! He's unstoppable! He's like a bad egg that ruins a batch of cupcakes!!" Pinkie said.

"Me and Goof came up with something! But, we need you to keep him busy!"

"What!!?"

"Trust us, Pinkie! I got just the thing tuh throw a wrench in his works!" Goofy said.

Placing her trust in her friends, Pinkie decided to go along with the plan, just as another explosion blew them away from each other.

Through her spinning vision, Pinkie saw Rex making a wide turn to attack the others. And she was right in his path.

Pinkie screamed, and quickly rushed out of the way. However, she was still clipped by the edge of the tank treads on the side of the chariot.

Around and around Pinkie spun. It was only sheer luck that the washtub was between her and the sawblades that swung out to cut her.

Rex was continuing his major turn, the roar of his engine mingling with the beating of his powerful hooves and the terrified shouts of the crowd. The thunderous cacophony was joined by Rex aiming his cannon, and firing at Dash and Goofy.

With a quick turn, they were both easily able to avoid getting blown up.

Rex growled from having missed the two goofs. No matter. He would get them on his next turn. He started turning widely, and opened the side of his chariot. Perhaps he turned too sharply, as the chariot started tilting to the side.

Firmly planting his hooves in the ground, Rex and his carriage remained upright. His sights were reset to Pinkie, who was still spinning madly inside the washtub.

"I'm gonna huuuurl!!!" Pinkie shouted, as she spun by.

Rex clenched his teeth, and started chasing after the pink mare.

Pinkie wove from side to side as explosions rained around her. Whatever her friends were planning, she hoped they would execute it very soon.

"Turn, Pinkie!!" Goofy shouted, as he and Dash rode by.

Pinkie did as instructed, and started turning as sharply as she could. Unfortunately, she was still hit by one last fired shell.

"Pinkie!!" Dash and Goofy both shouted.

The washtub landed face down, and they both felt their chests clutch when they didn't see it move.

From underneath, Pinkie's head, tail and legs all popped out, and she resumed running like a turtle. Albeit a dizzy turtle.

After the sigh of relief, they returned their attention to Rex, who was turning sharply again to face his opponents.

"Get ready, Goof!" Dash called to her rider.

Goofy stood up on Dash's back, and raised his broom like a javelin. His eyes carefully set upon the treads on the side of the chariot closest to him, just as the treads on the far side started to rise.

It was his only shot. Goofy spun around as he threw his broom as hard as he could.

The broom handle flew through the air, and lodged itself into the spinning wheels that turned the treads. The wheels jammed, sending a jolt through the chariot that shook its living locomotion.

The shock of it all was too much for Rex, who shouted loudly as he started rolling across the ground. When he finally came to a stop with his face in the dirt, his headless dummy limply pulled the lever on the cannon one more time, firing one last shell.

Goofy, Pinkie and Dash all converged to one spot. The exact spot where the shell landed.

The three of them were blown backwards into the nearest wall, not one hundred feet from where Rex had fallen. Each of them was seeing a mass of blinking lights, and their ears were all ringing. Slowly, their senses returned just in time to see Rex forcefully tear himself from the yoke and hitch that had him attached to the chariot.

Explosive ammunition littered the ground around the champ's hooves, but it would all be useless to him as it was now. He was going to finish this the old-fashioned way. Just as it was before, Rex removed his armor. He started by crushing his gauntlets and spaulders like aluminum cans. Then, he grabbed his breastplate by the collar and tore it down the middle like a piece of paper. Finally, he took the headless mannequin off his back, and threw it to the overturned chariot.

His eyes crossed the field to the three goofs. Three goofs who were repeatedly humiliating and besmirching his status as Yen Sid's champion. Three goofs who were going to pay with their lives for simply not dying as early as he would have liked.

Rearing up to two legs, he tromped over to them.

Goofy shook his head, and saw the gargantuan horse walking toward them all. Bravely, he picked up his washtub, drew his toilet plunger, and stood between Rex and his friends.

"G-G-G-G-Get back!!! I ain't afraid tuh use these!!" the goof stammered.

Rex didn't even stop moving when he brushed Goofy away like a dust bunny. He then drove his hoof into the ground and picked up a chunk of it, which he threw at Goofy.

The goof blocked with his washtub, only to be knocked over. Placing the soles of his feet next to his ears, Goofy quickly flipped to his feet.

"Have at ye, knave!" he said, before staggering forward.

Rex easily parried the attack with his bare hoof, took the plunger, and stuck it on Goofy's face.

Goofy retaliated by thrusting his neck back and forth, gouging Rex like a woodpecker with the plunger's handle.

Rex grabbed the handle, slammed Goofy to the ground, and removed the plunger from his nose, before crushing it into sawdust.

Goofy groggily got to his feet, and brandished his feather duster.

"Yuh had enough yet..." he asked.

Rex growled as he rolled his eyes, grabbed Goofy by his neck, swatted the feather duster out of his hands and into the crowd, and threw him back to Dash and Pinkie.

"Why don't you goofs get the picture already? You lost!!" Rex said. "You've got nothing left here! The kingdom is mine! And if you were smart, you would have packed up your friends and left with all the others! But, you just had to tempt fate! Now, you're going to be made an example for all these ponies watching! And you," he said, pointing to Goofy, "You're going to have a special place, with your head mounted above my throne, and what's left of you buried in the royal septic tank!!!!"

"Y...Yer right," Goofy began. "I ain't no genius. I been nuthin' but a goof my whole life. An' it's got me into a lotta trubble. But, goof or not: I can't just walk away from here! My son needs me! An' I ain't leavin' here 'til I get him back!" He brandished his washtub to the champ, "Now, hand him over! Or yer gonna see just what a worried dad's willin' tuh do tuh bullies like you!"

Rex smirked. The goof was more out of the loop than he thought.

"Your friend didn't tell you, did she? Your son's not even here!" he gloated.

"Huh?" Goofy said.

"What did he say!?" Pinkie said.

"You don't know it, but your friend tried sneaking off earlier. By sheer coincidence, she caught me sending your son away," Rex said, with a sadistically gleeful smile. "So, that's it. You've got nothing to fight for here, and that suits me just fine. Now, sit back and I'll dish out that quick, painful end I promised you!"

Goofy balked back to his friends with his washtub held up. Even if this was the end of him, he would meet it defending the ponies he cared about.

"Goofy!!" called a voice from the crowd.

Goofy looked around and saw Quick Quill in the crowd, holding his feather duster in her hooves.

"Catch!!" the novelist called.

Goofy reached up and caught the cleaning utensil. Though it was meager, Quill was still doing what she could as his squire.

"Come on, girls! Let's whip this horse!" Goofy said

"All for one--"

"--And cupcakes for all!!"

Dash and Pinkie said one after the other.

Three cupcakes flew from Pinkie's hooves, which were promptly eaten at once by three massive swallows.

"CHAAAAAARRRRGE!!!" they all shouted at once.

The very moment they were near Rex, the champ flexed, making his massive muscles bulge so suddenly they blew his opponents backwards.

The crowd winced at the sight. Quill winced especially hard, having seen such a feat once before.

"Oh dear! What now!? What do we do!?" Quill frantically asked herself.

"Do what you want! But, I'm backing up my mare!" Cream Filling said, as he wheeled in a concessions cart he stole from a weasel.

"Ya ain't doing dip, ya four-legged thief!!" said a weasel who tried yanking the cart away.

Cream Filling whistled to a group of jousting hooligans and pointed to the weasel next to him. "Wank alert!!" he shouted.

The hooligans all jumped on the weasel at once, and pulled in the others that all tried to break up the row.

"That's it! I say we grab what we can, an' get outta here before something really bad happens!" said one weasel.

"Let's get the others! They can help us carry more stuff," said the other weasel, before they ran off.

Quill watched the fight in the arena.

Goofy had run back, and was valiantly swinging his feather duster. However lightly he was striking the champ, he simply did not let up. Not even when Rex punched him backwards.

Dash jumped over the rolling goof and bucked Rex, while Pinkie hopped on top of Goofy and went rolling back to crash into Rex.

"Three against one. The beast is unstoppable," Quill narrated to herself. "No arrow can pierce its hide. No blade that can draw its essence from its flesh. But, for it's magnanimous power, it is still mortal, and has all the weaknesses of a mortal being."

"What are you yammering about?" asked Cream Filling, as he prepared an armful of pretzels, and threw them to Pinkie and the others.

"Quiet!! I'm on a roll here!!" Quill snapped. She looked back to the arena, and watched the three fighters leapfrog over one another to take turns attacking. That is, until they lost their rhythm and were punched away. "Though powerful as individuals, the warriors' true might comes as a single unit!!! Yes! I'm getting good at this adventure genre! Goofy!!"

Goofy lifted the bucket on his head to look at Quill.

"You need to attack him at once! All three of you!! Get him all at once!!" Quill shouted.

"All at once?" Goofy thought to himself. He wasn't sure how or what good it would do if they did. Still, it was worth a shot. "Alright, girls! Let's all get him in one go!"

They all charged him at the same time, and were picked up and thrown away at the same time.

"Some plan, Goof..." Dash groaned.

Goofy's head lay on the ground, where he had a clear view of Rex's overturned chariot. From there, he saw the tank treads that moved it. Something that powerful could plow down anything in its path, he thought.

"That's it!" Goofy said. He placed Pinkie's rear hooves in Dash's front hooves, placed his own ankles into Pinkie's front hooves, then arched over backwards to take hold of Dash's rear hooves in his hands. "Up an' at 'em!!" Goofy called.

With the sound of a revving motor, the three of them started spinning like a wheel, before they took the more defined shape of one of the tank treads on Rex's chariot.

With a loud screech, they peeled out, wheeled forward, and crashed into Rex with the force of a runaway freight train.

The champ was taken off his hooves, and was struck over and over by his spinning opponents. Finally, he was run down and driven into the dirt.

"Did you see that!" Quill said, as she grabbed Cream Filling by his head and thrusted his face toward the arena.

The three fighters all wheeled away from the champ and dispersed onto the ground.

"I got out of that washtub to stop spinning, Goofy!" Pinkie said, as she wobbled to her hooves.

"A-hyuck! Sorry, Pinkie. But, look whut we just did," Goofy said, pointing to Rex.

Pinkie looked, and saw the result of their effort. Rex had been pressed into the ground, as if he were just hit by his own chariot.

"Dashie! Do you see that?" Pinkie said.

Dash said nothing, but smiled deviously. New ideas were popping into her mind, and warping around at a mile a minute.

"Let's dog and pony this sucker!" Dash declared.

Before her friends knew what she was doing, Dash bucked Pinkie into standing on her back, then bucked Goofy onto Pinkie's back.

Rex rose from the ground and paused when he saw his opponents. As ridiculous as he thought they looked, he wasn't going to stay to laugh. They had to go down.

"Here he comes! Get ready!" Dash said.

She bucked her back like a bronco, sending her friends into the air.

Even though they hadn't planned or even choreographed their attack, what they were doing felt as natural as breathing.

Goofy grabbed Pinkie by her waist, spun forward in the air and hurled her at Rex.

Pinkie impacted Rex with a force that felt like a meteor, and bounced off his head to safety.

Dash jumped into the air, grabbed Goofy by his head, performed an aerial loop and threw the goof forward.

After he hit Rex and bounced away, Dash forcefully flapped her useless wings once, rocketed toward Rex to attack him lastly, and bounced her way between her friends. She landed on her hooves, but quickly fell to her flank for the sheer marvel at what she had done.

"Dashie! Your wings!" Pinkie said.

Dash was in awe. She had no magic whatsoever, and she had still managed to perform a loop and a dive. What she had done was nothing more than a moment of inspiration, and she knew it. This was what Goofy was talking about when his reflection moved a picture. She dreamt it, and she accomplished it.

"E...Easy as lickity-split," Dash said, hyperventilating through a beaming smile.

There was no time to celebrate. Rex was already back on his feet and charging toward them.

For their effort to dodge him, one of Rex's massive arms grabbed ahold of Pinkie's waist and started squeezing the life from her.

Goofy nearly charged with his feather duster, but knew he would need something stronger to save his friend. He picked up Rainbow Dash by her back hooves and whipped her like a sheet so that her wings fluffed up and pointed forward.

"En garde!!" Goofy shouted, as he swung his living feather duster at Rex.

Rex was taken off guard when he was struck by something soft, yet incredibly forceful. His head was knocked back and forth, yet his grip on Pinkie remained.

Just when Pinkie felt she could take no more, she felt something crack.

Her friends both gasped loudly and stopped fighting. Their hearts stopped when they saw something red and thick trickling down her body.

"My hot sauce!!" Pinkie shouted.

Now that her body was lubricated, Pinkie was able to slip from Rex's grasp. Now on the ground, she stood next to Goofy, who placed Dash on the ground. Dash shook her feathers back into place, before both mares bucked Goofy into the air.

Dash took the front, Pinkie took the rear, and Goofy landed face down on both of their backs. Goofy recognized this. He, Mickey and Donald did this once to break down a door when they took a job as firemen once. The old 'allie-oop,' they called it. And it was aimed right for Rex.

This time, Rex was prepared for the assault. He stood firm, and caught Goofy's head just as it impacted his chest.

The champ was pushed back, his hooves digging deep into the soil beneath him. And he was pushed until his back slammed into his overturned chariot. His hoof accidentally stepped on the lever that fired his cannon and sent a shell sailing past them all.

The crowd screamed loudly as they took cover from the oncoming explosive. The shell impacted against the wall in front of Quick Quill and Cream Filling, destroying the concrete wall and sending them both tumbling into the arena.

"Aw, horse apples! Try writing us out of this jam!" Cream Filling said.

Quill rolled her eyes at her companion's sarcasm. However, sometimes the plot just wrote itself. There was Rex's cannon. There were the explosive shells lying about. And there was Rex, battling with her three friends.

"You can start by helping me with this shell!" Quill said, as she used her head to carefully roll the ammunition.

Cream Filling hesitated at first, not wanting to risk being blown up. His eyes darted over to Pinkie, who was fighting her hardest against Rex. The champ had already knocked Dash and Goofy's heads together with enough force to dent Goofy's helmet, then picked up the ground Pinkie was on to lift over his head.

Goofy and Dash both charged, hand-in-hoof, and took Rex's legs out from under him. Rex dropped the chunk of ground with Pinkie on it directly on top of his head, and Pinkie hopped to safety no worse for wear.

Seeing Pinkie fight so bravely made Cream Filling go with Quill's plan, and start to roll the shell forward with her.

Rex bellowed loudly and grabbed Goofy. He picked the goof up and started using him like a hammer against the mares.

Pinkie and Dash were both driven deep into the ground, popped out of another unoccupied spot, and punched down again with Goofy's head. Like a mad game of whack-a-mole, the three of them were quickly becoming overwhelmed by the ordeal.

By chance, Dash popped up underneath Rex, followed by Pinkie popping up beneath her. Dash hit her head against Rex's rock-hard abs, and knocked herself dizzy.

After that, Rex took Goofy like a golf club, and whacked both mares for a long drive. Right into the nearest wall. After them, Goofy was thrown headfirst like a caber, right into the ground by the mares.

Quick Quill and Cream Filling both reached the cannon, and tried to turn the chariot upright. The thing was as heavy as a house and just as difficult to move. Unknown to them, Cream Filling's hoof nudged the headless dummy's arm, and made it press one of the many levers on the machine.

A jack sprang out of either side, and jolted the chariot upright. Now that it was taken care of, Quill climbed onto one of the treads, took the shell that was passed to her by Cream Filling, and loaded it into the cannon's battery. Then the cannon was dismounted from the chariot, and the two slowly carried it to the field.

Back by the wall, Goofy was planted headfirst to the ground, his feet straight into the air. His feet fell limply to the ground, and he rolled to a sitting position.

"It ain't over yet..." Goofy said. As long as his son was still missing, the fight against Rex couldn't end. He tried to stand up, but couldn't keep his balance. Instead, he fell forward with his head on the ground. "Push me, girls!"

Dash obliged, and took the initiative to buck Goofy forward.

The goof rolled like a ball, and Pinkie bounced off of her rolling friend's back to attack Rex.

"Okie--" Pinkie said, kicking Rex in the face.

"--Dokie--" Dash said, jumping off of Goofy's back and attacking next.

"--Lokie!!!" Goofy finished, springing from the ground like a piston, and launching Rex into the air.

Rex landed hard on the ground, his four legs sprawled out to his sides. All around him, he could hear the crowd cheering loudly. That would have to be fixed. He knew that the only reason for them to be cheering was if they had any hope of him losing. But, there would be no way he would lose to three goofs. It was time to pull out all the stops. Time to stop them from unifying for attack before they could start. Time to start anticipating their next action before they had a chance to move.

A loud, familiar *ka-thunk* noise drew his attention. Rex looked, and saw his own cannon aimed squarely at him, and the goofs' friends ready at the lever.

Quill was using her back as a stand for the cannon's barrel, and covered her ears.

Cream Filling pulled the lever with vigor.

He had no armor, and his arms and legs were useless to block, but Theronicus Rex was not the king of Trottingham for nothing.

Staring down the cannon, he bared his teeth and focused his mind.

There was an incredible explosion as the cannon fired.

The explosive shell flew through the air, directly toward Rex's head.

Rex opened his mouth and loosed a fierce shout, which soon muffled as the shell passed through his teeth. He chomped down hard, but even Rex’s great strength was not enough to spare his explosive fate.

In the halls just beyond the arena, the weasels were all frantically packing everything they could carry. From their ill-gotten money, to Rex's spare artillery, to even the chairs at the table and the calendars on the wall; nothing was spared.

"We gotta get outta here! Now!" one weasel said.

"If it ain't nailed down, take it with ya!!" another weasel said.

But, for all their hurrying, nothing would prepare them for what happened next.

The wall before them burst open, and in flew the champ. And he was headed straight for the crates they had loaded with the stolen artillery.

One of the weasels had only a fraction of a second to see what Rex was holding in his teeth.

"SWEET JUMPIN' JELLYBEAN!!!!!!!"

Outside in the arena, the fighters all dove to the side when an explosion blew out a bigger hole in the wall than the one Rex first made in the bay doors.

The rubble fell. The dust settled, and a metal washtub rolled around on its side. It soon fell, wobbled on its lip and rattled to a stop.

Absolute silence followed. Not a pony in the audience breathed, or even blinked.

Slowly, three pairs of eyes peered out from underneath the washtub.

"D'yuh think it's safe tuh come out?" Goofy whispered.

A thunderous cheer rang through the stadium. Dash, Goofy and Pinkie all slid out from underneath the washtub, and saw the crowd of ponies throwing streamers and confetti about. One group of ponies held up a card each. Together, they formed a picture of the three fighters. The cards turned and spelled the words 'OUR HEROES.'

"That's...This is..." Quill said. For a mare who made her living off of words, she was at a complete loss. Nothing could have been so wonderful in that moment. Not a thing.

Cream Filling quickly jumped down from the tank, stepping over the headless dummy to rush over to Pinkie.

"Pinkie!!" he called to her.

"Creamy!!" Pinkie responded.

They met partway, and knocked their heads against one another's. After they shook the pain from their craniums, they returned to their greetings.

"Pinkie, you were amazing! You took on that monster horse and won! Why, you...any stallion would be lucky to say they're yours!" Cream Fillling said.

"But, what about you? You finished him off! You took him out in a blast of fireworks fit for a king!!" Pinkie said. She suddenly stopped hopping up and down, when a realization occurred to her. "Sweet Celestia and Luna...You're the new king of Trottingham!"

"I'm what!!?"

"Rules say the winner o' the hassly-tude is king. So, yuh better find out where they keep them snazzy royal duds," Goofy said.

"I know this isn't like me, but I'm so jealous right now," Dash said.

"Are you going to sulk because you weren't the winner?" Quill asked.

"No. I'm jealous because Pinkie's new coltfriend is the king!"

Goofy looked, and saw Pinkie with her forehead pressed against Cream Filling's. For all the happiness around him, he still felt the pang of sadness for not finding his son.

A pony jumped down from the stands, and rushed over with his camera to take a picture of the group of heroes. This was a moment to be remembered by all. However, it may have been a moment too soon.

Movement was heard from inside the room that had been blown open, and a terrified gasp rang through the audience. From down in the arena, ragged breathing was heard, and a massive shadow appeared within the smoke inside.

"No way! Nopony could have survived that!" Dash said.

"G-G-G-Get behind me!" Goofy said, pushing the mares behind him, and raising his feather duster and washtub.

They all stood shaking as an enormous hoof stepped into the arena grounds.

Quick Quill saw the danger, and clamored for a solution. Her eyes shot to the last shell, and to Rex's cannon. Next to the cannon was one last able stallion.

"Cream Filling!!!" Quill shouted, as she rolled the last shell over to the baker.

Cream Filling caught the shell, loaded it as quickly as he could into the cannon and took aim. But, he knew that would not be good enough. Rex had barely survived the explosive payload of at least thirty other shells, and would surely survive one more. He was going to make sure that Rex would never get up again after the next shot.

Once the cannon was loaded, he started pushing it forward.

Rex's head came onto view. Before, his presence alone brought terror to the hearts of brave ponies. Now, he had a face to match. Many of his teeth were missing, his face was bruised and burned, one of his ears had been blown off, and one of his eyes was swollen shut. But, for any who could see his one good eye, there was nothing but wrath and ferocity burning hot in it. Even if it was the last thing he ever did, he was going to destroy every survivor in the arena.

The champ started by limping into the open. And that was all he had time to do.

Cream Filling thrusted the cannon forward like a battering ram, shouting loudly as Rex had before.

Rex shouted back as he thrusted his head forward, ready to knock the cannon away.

In his weakened state, he could only stop the cannon from moving by stuffing his head inside the mouth of the barrel.

It was the perfect setup. Now, there was no way he could miss. Wasting not a moment, Cream Filling fired the cannon.

There was another incredible explosion. One that was contained within the inside of the cannon, and enveloped completely on Rex's head. For a moment, the champ stood still. In the next, he fell over to the side.

Nopony in the audience dared to cheer. Rex seemed as unstoppable as he boasted, and they were not about to get their hopes up. From where they were, they could see no signs that Rex was defeated.

Quick Quill was the only one in any position to see Rex's condition. Her face turned sickly green, and her stomach filled her mouth when she saw that Rex now matched the look of his dummy. She quickly staggered back to the other, unable to look any longer.

"What is it? Is he..." Pinkie asked, though she didn't dare finish.

Quill said nothing, but nodded emphatically.

"Yuh mean..." Goofy said, with a hopeful smile.

Quill nodded again.

It was like the dawn came after a terrible night. For all the suffering they endured, Theronicus Rex was finally down, never to rise again.

"We did it!!!" Dash cheered, as she, Pinkie and Goofy jumped for joy.

Their excitement spread to the crowd. There was no mistaking their elation. This was the freedom they were seeking from their would-be tyrant.

Seemingly from nowhere, the magical light that had guided them to Trottingham reappeared next to Goofy.

"Oh. Hey there, little feller," the goof said.

The light started drifting forward, and stopped for the others to follow.

"Uh, yer highness," Goofy greeted Cream Filling. "I don't mean tuh take advantage o' yer new status or nuthin'. But, uh, could yuh get us a ride tuh where we're goin' next?"

It was to be a disappointing leave. Before the coronation ceremonies even started, Cream Filling had arranged for a farmer delivering hay to another trading post to give the newest heroes of the kingdom a ride.

"Alright. This should get you blokes off to a good start," Cream Filling said. "Hopefully, I can say the same about my reign as king. This is a big step for just a baker, after all."

"Don't sell it short. You're not just a baker. You're the pony who took out the worst tyrant this kingdom ever saw! Twice!" Dash said, as she climbed into the wagon.

"Yes. And I promise, the history books will have a very special place for our friend Rex. We'll see to it that the next time troublemakers like him pop up, the royal guard can punt them back into place," Cream Filling said, indicating the group of jousting hooligans, who were now wearing royal armor.

Goofy struggled to climb into the haywagon. His feet kept slipping, until Quick Quill used her head to overturn him into the back.

"A-hyuck. Thanks," Goofy said.

"Not a problem. Here's hoping that's the worst challenge you have to face," Quill said. "Goofy," she began, "Thank you. I don't think without you I could have learned so much of myself. It seems that even a perfectly ordinary novelist can do something extraordinary, given the chance."

"I told yuh it just takes a bit o' inspuh-ration," Goofy said.

"Yes! And I'm going to inspire others! I'm going to start writing tales of the adventures of a perfectly average hero who saved the kingdom! And why stop there? I'll write about the chronicles of Gusty the Great! And commission to write the next Derring Do novel!" Quill said, laughing heartily at the possibilities her future had laid out for her.

Pinkie almost climbed onto the haywagon with her friends, but stopped to take one last look at Cream Filling.

"Pinkie," he said. He quickly produced a bottle of hot sauce for her to hold, "Something I just whipped up for the road. Now, you take care out there. Because, I expect to see you back here as soon as your quest is over."

"Thanks," Pinkie said, hugging the bottle of hot sauce a little tighter as she climbed aboard.

"Alright. Clear off," Cream Filling said to the driver.

The driver of the carriage pulled away with his passengers in tow. Pinkie's eyes never left Cream Filling's as she rode off, and she would remain looking wistfully until the last moment he ceased to be a dot on the horizon.

She cradled the bottle of hot sauce he had given her. To her, it was more than a simple parting gift. It was a promise that they would one day meet again. One that she planned to fulfill the second her magical quest was over. They would see each other again, she knew.

Pinkie's shoulders slumped as she sighed deeply.

"Hee hee hee..."

"A-hyuh-huh-huh-huck..."

"What's so funny?" Pinkie asked.

Instead of a clear answer, Dash and Goofy continued to giggle. Until Dash got a hold of herself.

"I see somepony sitting in a tree," Dash said.

"K-I-S-S--Uh...Shoot, I used tuh know this," Goofy said.

"You guys!" Pinkie said, before throwing a hooffull of hay at her friends.

Dash and Goofy retaliated by throwing hay back.

The glittering light briefly looked over the friends as they carried on their hay fight. It would be a brief reprieve from the turmoil that they had encountered, and was yet to come. For the time being, they could forget their troubles and enjoy the ride.

"The end," the old mare said.

The foals all watched in awe. The story they had just heard was greater than any they had read in a book, and left them wanting more.

"Is that the only story?" asked the earth pony colt.

"Can you tell us another?" the unicorn filly said.

"Of course that's not the only story there is. There are dozens of stories about the Goof Knight and his friends. But, my old brain's starting to feel addled from remembering so much at once. Maybe some other time," the old mare said.

The foals smiled, knowing that one day they would hear another story. But, there was one nagging question the earth pony colt had to ask.

"Grandma," the earth pony colt began, "You said The Goof Knight had a lot of friends. But, you only told us Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash's names. Who were the others?"

"Well..." the old mare said, with a mischievous smile. She reached up to the mantle above the fireplace. "I know it's up here somewhere..." she said.

Outside, the clouds parted, and the sun started to shine through the window, illuminating the mantle for her to see.

"Ah. Here it is."

She had retrieved a picture. One that was placed to the back of all the pictures of her family, but just as clean and cared for as all the others.

"Take a look at this. See if you can find out," she said to the foals.

The foals all looked at the picture and stared in awe of the Goof Knight. The stories were right about one thing: he did not look strong, and his face did not carry a trace of intelligence. But for what he accomplished, the foals felt the old mare was right. He was one of the greatest creatures they had ever known. Even if they didn't know just what creature he was.

Next to him, they saw a pink mare with a pink mane, and three balloons as her cutie mark. Most definitely, that was Pinkie Pie.

The pegasus filly excitedly pointed a hoof at one of the other mares.

"That's Crash!" she said. Even though she had never seen Crash without her Wonderbolts costume, the sky-blue face and the rainbow mane were all the tells she needed.

"Crash was friends with the Goof Knight?" the unicorn filly said.

"You see? I knew Crash was greater than Gusty the Great," the pegasus filly said.

"What makes you think that?" the unicorn filly asked, slightly irritated.

"She didn't even know the Goof Knight," the pegasus filly giggled.

"I'm not so sure about that," the old mare said. "You see, even after The Kingdom of Champions, he had many adventures. And they were all carefully followed, documented and, well, dramatized by a certain friend of his."

"Which friend?" the earth pony colt said, before turning back to look at the picture. Not even a second passed, before he gasped loudly.

The sun shone brightly on the picture he was holding. There in the picture was a cinnamon-brown mare with a red mane who the colt knew, oh very well indeed.

His head slowly turned to face his grandmother. Sure, her coat had faded and her mane had turned white. But the cutie mark of a quill in an ink pot next to a blank page stood out just as clearly and brightly as the day it was shown in the photograph.

"G...Grandma..."

The old mare only smiled and winked.

There came a knock on the door.

"Yoo-hoo! Miss Worry Worryson! Let's get going!" called a voice from the door.

Of all the luck, it seemed that now was the time for her and her friends' once a month visit to their other friend's home. What perfect timing.

"Is that...?" asked the unicorn filly.

"Yes. Just because she has a royal husband, she thinks she can order others around like that," the old mare joked, before guiding the foals to the door. "So, who here's ready for a trip?"

The foals practically dashed out the door, greeting the pink and blue mares that were present. The old mare walked to the door, and introduced her grandson and his friends, who were all more than thrilled to be meeting the heroes of legend.

Author's Note

Whoo-ee! How was that for an ending. Goofy, Dash and Pinkie were helped into legend with the help of a friend, and their legend lived on and on and on.

And how about that ending for Rex? Yikes! That must be the most gruesome demise a villain has yet faced in this story! I did that on purpose, by the way. I figured you readers would want a particularly special end for a guy as mean as Rex. And also his weasel henchies. However, we will be meeting more weasels along the way, just so's you know.

As for Pinkie meeting a potential coltfriend: well, I only threw that in there because I figure a serious relationship will be just the thing to even her out and help her mature as a person. (Or mature as a pony, if you're going to be semantic). Also, it's just plain adorable.

And that thing at the beginning about teaching children about abstract concepts, like how a loss can lead to a victory: please do teach your children things like that. Because, it's very true that if they don't start learning those things when they are young, they may never grasp them as adults. I don't mean to tell you how to raise your children, but I do think it would be a good idea.

Well, in the next story arch, we're going to loop back around and see what Twilight, Rarity and Mickey are up to. I won't give any specifics, but they are going to a place of opulence and nobility. There, they will make friends with a certain nopony. Quite literally.

Intrigued? Sure you are. That's why I love you readers. But, before I wish you to rock on, I want to conduct an informal poll:

We visited each of the characters on their story separate story arcs. Which one was your favorite?
The characters have been through a lot on their journeys. Who do you think has grown the most?
New friends have been made on each branch of the magical quest. Who was your favorite?
Not only friends were met, but villains as well. Who was your favorite villain?
Do you wish for Twilight to learn Mickey's magic in the next story arc, and catch up to Rarity?
How do you feel about Rarity or Twilight meeting a stallion of their own?

That is all. You may rock on now \m/

Chapter 22: Nopony from Nowhere

Chapter 22

Nopony from Nowhere

Somewhere, there was a city where the streets sparkled like diamonds and the roofs of each building gleamed with silver and gold. There, the creatures were happy, living their lives as though they were in a dream that was dreamt just for them.

In a city plaza, where a fountain spewed the clearest water ever seen, many artisans prepared their works to put on display for the masses to enjoy.

Among them, a single, solitary earth pony walked to the front of the fountain. Though he was not tall, handsome or wise, he was by and large one of the most impressively talented ponies the city had ever seen. And he was going to show why.

He flipped the coffee can he was carrying off of his back, letting it wobble around on its base until it stopped with a metallic clink.

Reaching into his jacket, the stallion produced three juggling balls Then, he began his performance.

Every toss of a ball was in sync with his dance steps. His dance steps ranged from slow and hypnotic to erratic and acrobatic. No matter what he did, his juggling balls followed his steps with all the finesse and grace of a truly living partner.

For all of his impressive display, not one creature stopped to watch him. Nopony even dropped a coin in his coffee can as they walked by. That was alright. Some days were slower than others.

Finally, he had a taker.

The spectator looked like a black and white sphinx. One that was hugely fat, and wore a red turtleneck sweater beneath a brown jacket.

“Dat’s some kinda show ya got dere,” Pete said, after watching the performer execute a masterful backflip and catch all of his juggling balls.

“Thanks. You wouldn’t want to pay for what you saw, would you?” the performer inquired, before clipping his hoof on the edge of his coffee can, making it flip toward Pete and land upright in front of him.

Pete eyed the coffee can, debating whether or not to pay for the performance. A quick glance inside the tin revealed there was no money for him to simply take. In that case, there would be no harm in letting the performer have a little something for him to take later.

“Hm...And ot’er day: no. But, since I’m feelin’ all charitable-like, I t’ink ol’ Pete can help ya out,” the heavy said, as he reached into his pocket.

“Great. Who’s Pete?” the performer wondered.

“De guy what’s takin’ time outta his busy day to give ya a pittance. Dat’s who,” Pete impatiently answered.

The performer looked around, as though he were looking for somepony.

“I only see you here. Is Pete somewhere else? Or just really, really small?” the performer asked.

“Bah! Ain’t no point wastin’ my time explainin’ stuff to a nobody like you,” Pete said.

“Actually, it’s Nopony,” the performer corrected.

“Don’t go givin’ me dat grammar-tical runaround! I don’t care how ya say it in dis wacko, mixed-up world! I says how I likes!” the heavy said, as he produced a nickel from his pocket, which he dropped into the performer’s tin.

“Dere. Let it never be said dat Peg-Leg Pete ain’t a generous soul,” Pete said.

“Who’s Peg-Leg Pete?” the performer wondered.

“Rrrgh! It’s me! De guy wit’ de peg-leg!” Pete snapped.

“You have a peg-leg?” the performer innocently asked. He glanced down at Pete’s feet. His head passed between the two appendages, once, twice, and finally thrice. “Oh! I see. I just thought you had a funny-shaped foot. Are you related to the other Pete you mentioned?”

Pete grumbled and walked on his way.

The performer looked into his tin, and was delighted by the sight. Never before had anypony placed a piece of silver in his tin. With something that valuable, he could finally buy the gift he needed. But, what to get?

There came a sudden commotion a short way away.

“Why ya gotta put a storm grate in de middle o’ de plaza!?” Pete blustered, as he tried to wrench his peg-leg free from its entrapment.

The performer saw the predicament and quickly offered his help, along with several others who were passing by.

“Watch de leg, willya!? I only got one o’ dose!” Pete shouted, as his peg-leg was slowly freed.

The performer backed up for a running start and jolted forward. With a graceful sprint, he ran straight up Pete’s side and kicked off hard to vault high into the air.

Pete was pushed free and the performer fell on top of him, landing in the crumpled heap of himself, Pete, and all the other creatures who tried to help. It was there that the performer saw exactly what he needed.

There on the ground laid a jewel box that had popped open, revealing a green jewel that shined like a verdant sun.

It was unbelievable. He had only seen a jewel like it before when he was a foal, and knew somepony who would greatly appreciate it as their birthday gift. And, as luck would have it, he had exactly the means to pay for it.

Pete tumbled his way off of the pile of other creatures on top of and beneath himself.

“Alright! Alright! Move aside, all o’ ya! I got me some business what can’t be held up!” Pete said, as he pushed every creature who helped him away. He picked up the closed jewelry box, and clomped away.

The juggler watched Pete go, hoping he would be happy with the payment, and returned to his spot in front of the fountain.

For many miles now, everything was well. And it was a most welcome break after the fiasco in the mines.

As Rarity, Mickey and Twilight followed the magical light, the three of them merrily practiced their magic, letting their imaginations run wild with the unlimited possibilities that the world offered them. Well, at least two of them did.

Mickey jumped to the side of the path and started tap dancing across the surface of a series of rocks. With every step, his feet created a musical rhythm. At the end, he jumped into a ring of stones, and tapped his toes and slammed his soles against the sides of each rock to create more rhythms. He ended by picking up a pair of sticks and drumming the tops of the rocks, before hamboning his own body with the sticks and leaning on one like a cane.

Rarity followed up by grabbing one of the nearby bushes, and took one of its branches as though it were a handsome stallion's hoof. As if by magic, the bush started to move on its own accord and took a gentlemanly bow to Rarity, before the two of them began an elegant ballroom dance. Back and forth they went, leading and following, until Rarity took the lead and spun the bush around. Perhaps too hard, as all of the leaves on the poor plant flew off in all directions, revealing a pair of polka dot boxers on the bush's bare trunk. The branches of the bush covered its underwear, and the entire plant sank into the ground.

Mickey laughed heartily, then started playing the stick he held like a flute, and all the little flowers nearby lined up in a neat row to form a conga line. Shuffling along their roots, they all followed after Mickey like rats after the pied piper.

Twilight watched the performance and tried to think of a way to add to it. Maybe some streamers and confetti? That always worked for Pinkie. But, she had neither at her disposal. Instead, she grabbed a hoofful of the leaves from the bare bush and threw them into the air.

Instead of adding to the show, the leaves all caught on the wind and blew back into Twilight's face.

Rarity watched the performances of her two friends.

"Amateurs," she thought.

Taking the stick from Mickey's hands, she leapt as gracefully as a deer, the top of her mane brushing the flowering low branches of the trees. When she landed on a rock, her mane was decorated with flowers, and a necklace of buds was around her neck. She tapped the stick to the rock and started waving it like a conductor's baton.

Twilight wasn't sure what Rarity was going for, but all of a sudden the entire world around her came alive. The wind carried the leaves that were thrown by Twilight over to Rarity, and swirled about her as they whistled a merry tune. Birds in the trees started to chirp in tune with the wind, while crickets played their music like a string symphony.

The wind passed through a hollow log, emulating the sound of deep brass. A family of squirrels was blown out of the log, which all started to knock the nuts they had stored in the log like a percussion segment.

Finally, with a grand crescendo, Rarity's impromptu symphony was finished, and she took a bow.

"Hot dog! That was somethin' else, Rarity!" Mickey said, as he emphatically applauded.

"Yeah. That was really something," Twilight said, half happy for her friend, and half wishing she had done it.

Rarity giggled as she stepped down from her pedestal, and the birds nearby gently plucked the flowers from her mane and neck.

"These things can only come naturally, when you strive for elegance and perfection in all things," Rarity said, as she rejoined her friends.

"You know, I knew someone who thought like that too. He was a real stickler for makin' sure everything was top notch,'' Mickey said.

Twilight thought maybe that was what she was missing. Maybe it was that she didn't have enough drive and motivation to make her attempt at magic perfect.

"Who was it that wanted that kind of perfection?" Twilight asked.

"My..." Mickey stopped briefly, realizing who it was that had taught him how to use magic in the first place. It was something he didn't want to talk about, but he knew his new friends had a right to know. "It was my teacher. Yen Sid."

"You can't mean the same Yen Sid who wanted Pete and that badger to steal that magic metal?" Twilight said.

"The same," Mickey answered. "When he was teachin' me magic, he taught me that everything you do has to be a product of passion and love. And by doin' that, you can have that passion and love returned to you. But, unless you put everything you have into your dreams an' actions, you won't get anything back. He said that's where real magic came from. An' that's how I know for a fact that Pete's lyin' about Yen Sid bein' the one muckin' up this land. He'd never do anything if he knew folks would hate him for it!"

Twilight then had another thought. What was she passionate about? Was it that her passion for learning magic simply didn't apply to the magic that Mickey used? Was that why she was learning so slow, while Rarity was learning it so fast?

The light they were following drifted ahead of them, and stopped at a bend in the path before them.

Taking the cue to follow it, they somehow knew that it was telling them they were near where they were going. They walked up to the light, and were awed by the sight.

"Wah-ha-ha-haaaa!" Rarity said.

There, mere miles away was the grandest city they had ever seen. It was even grander than Canterlot. The entire city stood out like a jewel in the dark, sparkling in the sun as if to welcome all who were approaching from miles around. Spires stood tall and whitewashed stone could be seen, as flags of many nations and families flapped in the wind. Gold and silver were seen dotting the roofs of buildings, while glossy paints added patterns and murals to the already opulent architecture.

"That's where we're goin'?" Mickey excitedly said.

"Oh, yes! Yes! We must go! We must!" Rarity said, as she took Mickey by his arm and led him toward their destination.

"Wait!" Twilight called.

For her friends' excitement, she was somewhat wary of this new locale. She had read many books, but never read about any place like this in the world. Wherever it was, whatever it was, she was going to find out one way or another.

Pete stomped his way through the city streets, until he reached his destination.

A stage and a catwalk for a fashion show had been set up, but Pete walked to the tent that was set up behind it.

The second Pete walked in, he found the place was crowded with creatures taking off clothes and putting on new ones. Makeup was applied and touched up to others. In one area, a stallion shouted at his hippogriff assistant, before continuing work on the dress he was stitching together.

The heavy pushed his way through the crowd of creatures, caring not a hangnail for who or what he bumped into.

A kelpie who was walking by was pushed off her hooves by Pete, making the poor creature spill the water she was carrying all over herself.

“An’ spit in yer drink too, ya great, fat lummox! Ya got no roit be treatin’ ot’er folk t’is way!” the kelpie said, as she pushed her seaweed-like mane from her eyes, and shook the water from her moss-like fur.

“Ya shoulda stayed outta my way, doll. I got me an important appointment to keep,” Pete guffawed.

“T’e nerve o’ ya! Souris be ‘earin’ aboyt this!” the kelpie said.

“Ain’t dat a co-inky-dink? I’m goin’ to see Souris too. An’ I got somet’in real important for her. Do ya wanna be de one dat slowed down me gettin’ her de finishin’ touch to her show?” Pete provocatively said.

“N-No, sir. ‘Ead on down t’e way, t’en,” the kelpie nervously said, before she hurried away from Pete.

Pete spat on the floor, and he continued walking.

He came to an area at the back of the tent. There, it was cordoned off by a makeshift wall of rods and curtains, and a single door made from a curtain that slid to the side.

Pete slid the door open, and walked inside, closing the door behind himself.

This new ‘room’ was loaded with papers, plans, sketches, easels, pencils, pens, dummies, finished clothes and more scrapped pieces of paper than Pete could count (however low that may have been).

Pete knew she was there. Whenever he was near her, he always felt a lingering sense of unease and fear. And right now, that feeling was prominent as if she was standing right next to him. After a brief scan of the room, in the middle of this mess, Pete found who he was looking for.

Souris had her back turned to the heavy, as she worked on a sketch. On the paper she was drawing on, there were sketches of six models arranged in a circle, with a seventh placed in their center.

“You’re back. Do you have it?” the lady said, as she looked over her sketch.

“Yup. I got yer moy-chandise right here, witch woman!” Pete said, as he produced the jewel box from his jacket, but didn’t dare to walk it over to her. “So, when do we start wit’ our little wakeup call for dis dream town?”

Pete yelped as the jewel box was suddenly enveloped by crackling bolts of starlit magic.

The tiny box floated across the room, into the waiting, clawed hand of the lady in the room.

“Not just yet, Peter. We still need to find one more vessel. But, that’s the easy part,” Souris said, as she stroked the box. “In the meantime, we can go about our work, knowing that we’re only one step away from the Afflatus Blessing.”

With a wave of her hand, the lady magically opened the box.

“It seems I spoke too soon,” Souris muttered.

“Somet’in’ wrong?” Pete wondered when he saw his partner’s dismayed face.

“You tell me,” the lady said, turning the box to face Pete.

“WHA--!!?” Pete shouted.

There, instead of a jewel that gleamed like verdant sun was a single shiny nickel. A pathetic parody of a payment, and a slap in the face to the heavy who had spent so much time finding exactly the right jewel.

“I suppose I should have expected this much from a cat who’s been bested by a mouse for nearly a century,” Souris sneered, as her hand crackled with magic.

“Wait-Wait a second! I got it here somewhere!” Pete said.

Souris didn’t even bother to wait for Pete to find the jewel. Though Pete had served her well up to that point, she knew she would have to take initiative eventually.

With an aggravated sigh, the lady walked to a table, where she opened the drawer and produced a single white candle. With a click of her claws on the wick, the candle was lit.

Her hands crackled with magical stardust, and six jewels rose from a nearby pedestal. Each of the jewels carried a distinct color: gold, violet, orange, white, black and yellow all swirled in a circle around the candle’s flame.

Souris’ mind was focused completely, with the image of the missing green jewel clearly pictured in her mind. Her thoughts sternly beckoned for what was lost to be found.

Find her. Find your lost sister and be united once more. Become whole. And once more orchestrate your divine inspiration. Find her!

Though it was only for a brief moment, a face could be seen on the surface of each jewel. There was a flash of fear. And in an instant, they were gone.

Each jewel clattered to the table, and the candle’s flame snuffed out. The smoke that billowed from the wick began to take a more defined shape, until it was the distinct form of an earth pony who was dancing and juggling many balls in the air.

Though unsettled by Souris’ magic, Pete immediately recognized the image.

“Dat’s him! I ran into dat guy, before I came here!” Pete said.

“And he’s the urchin we’ll have to find to get that jewel back,” Souris said.

“I getcha! I’ll get right on it!” Pete said, before turning to leave. He froze completely when he felt a cold, clawed hand on his shoulder.

“We will look for it. I can’t risk letting you go out there alone and botch things up further,” the lady said. She walked past Pete, her steps almost seeming to make her glide across the ground.

“*Whew*” Pete exhaled. In spite of her calm tone, he knew how irritated and enraged Souris was. And when she was mad, bad things happened.

“Peter, this needs to happen today,” the lady called.

With a sudden surge of haste, Pete stumbled on his first step forward, then followed after.

Their luck couldn't have been better. Twilight, Mickey, and especially Rarity were thrilled to find that the new town was the exact polar opposite of the mine they were previously in.

There, the cobblestone streets and marble sidewalks were clean and unlittered. The pedestrians all seemed to be smiling as they went about their days, entering and exiting buildings, waiting for a bus, or just simply enjoying a cup of coffee on a restaurant patio. Even the traffic that was traversing the streets was flowing with all the ease of a river. No jams, no wrecks, not even a rude gesture from another driver.

As for the civilians themselves, they were more varied than anywhere they had ever seen. Not only did ponies walk those streets, but griffins, minotaurs, donkeys, harpies, sphinxes, camels, llamas, zebras, changelings, dragons, buffalo and at least a dozen others were seen walking about.

They followed their glittering guide through the city streets, and found that it led them to a place that was even more wondrous.

They ended up in a plaza where there were sparkling lights that could be seen even in the daytime. A fountain with glittering water fed a river that ran through the terracotta-tiled ground. What appeared to be clear crystal covered the aqueducts that the water ran through, allowing all to appear as if they were walking on the glittering liquid. Lamp posts were dotted about. And all around, artisans of all crafts and skill levels were present.

Mickey finished watching a chef, who masterfully flipped the kabobs on his hibachi. The chef himself looked like a bipedal mixture of a turtle and a frog. Something Mickey had read about in a book of fairy tales from the east. A ‘kappa’ they were called, if Mickey recalled correctly.

The kabobs the chef was cooking looked as beautiful as they did delicious. Each ingredient was arranged in a pattern of black, yellow, turquoise, red, white, green and blue.

“Gosh, that looks good,” Mickey said.

The chef used a pair of tongs to remove one kabob, and briefly fanned it before he offered it to Mickey.

“無料のサンプルを持ってください,” the chef said.

Though Mickey did not understand a word the chef had said, it was easy for him to guess.

“Thanks, pal,” Mickey said, before taking the kabob.

“ご愛顧いただきありがとうございます,” the chef said, with a small bow of his head.

Mickey walked away, and looked around the area as he ate his kabob. Between the rampant creativity, the varied creatures, and the abundance of happy smiles, Mickey almost felt like he was back home in his own magic kingdom.

The mouse was spinning now to see everything around him. This was exactly what led to him bumping into someone’s knees.

"Oh! Oh my goodness! Are you alright, my friend?" asked the camel Mickey bumped into.

Mickey had stuffed the entire kabob down his throat when he fell over. After an initial choke, he reached down his own throat, and removed the now-empty kabob.

"Nothin' to sweat. But, thanks fer askin'." Mickey strained.

“I’m happy to see you’re not hurt,” the camel said. He then noticed exactly what he was talking to. “Oh my. Never before have I met an oversized rodent with a face like a spooky clown. From what land do you hail, my friend?"

"Mouseton. An' I came a long way to be here. An' darned if I'm not happy I came."

"Then, I must bid you all a warm welcome to Avalon. The happiest place in the world."

"That's fer me, pal."

The camel went on his way, but not before bidding Mickey and his friends a polite, "With peace to you," as he bowed his head, and continued on his way.

Rarity's eyes were locked squarely on the clothes the creatures were wearing. One that particularly caught her eye was the pink fabric of a dress that a particularly tall, slender creature who walked by was wearing. The dress was unlike any she had seen before. Every frill, every lace, every seam was strategically placed in a way that almost gave the dress a personality of its own.

Twilight too was enraptured by the place she was in. The way these creatures behaved so harmoniously, it was almost as if it were natural for them.

"Creatures are so friendly around here. I almost feel like I could take lessons from a place like this," Twilight said. She suddenly felt a pang of despondence. Had she not done everything that she could as the Princess of Friendship?

"And such marvelous merchandise," Rarity said, as she plastered her face on the display case of a jeweler’s stall. Her eyes were set upon the merchandise the llama jeweler was making.

She had never dreamed such beautiful things could be made from something like black onyx, wood and tagua nuts. To her, it was nearly a transcendental experience to see crafts as gorgeous as the ones she made, but from material she would have otherwise deemed inelegant.

Twilight continued to look around herself at all of the creatures who got along as if friendship, or simply treating others with dignity and respect, were second nature to them all. She sighed internally, knowing that her skills and services as the Princess of Friendship were not needed in a place like that. A look to her cutie mark, and she knew the skills it represented were also moot, now that her magic was taken away.

The glittering light that guided them to that place hovered in front of Twilight.

“I know you brought us here for a reason. But, I don’t think I’ll be much use this time,” Twilight said partly to herself.

Her eyes followed the cluster of starlit magic, until it burst into stardust and dissipated into nothingness.

It was then that Twilight’s gaze caught something that greatly stood out among the exquisitely dressed creatures and their beautifully crafted wares.

Around one side of the fountain, there was a single, solitary street performer. An earth pony stallion who was juggling for the crowd that simply walked right past him. All but two foals who weren't even watching his show. From where she stood, Twilight couldn't quite hear what they were discussing, but heard one of them mention they needed only a little more money to buy a birthday present.

It was then that the juggler stopped performing, and looked at the foals before him. After a moment of watching them talk, he tilted over the coffee can to his side and four bits rolled out one after the other. The coins rolled between the foals, and clattered to a stop. With a bright smile, they both picked up the coins without even looking in the direction they had come from, before running off to buy that needed present.

Twilight found herself staring at the performer, who had given up his own money to help the foals without so much as a thought. Slowly, she felt her hooves walking toward him, as though she were drawn to him.

The performer was still juggling for nopony when she arrived. She stopped and since she had a closer look at him, she could take a good look at his face. And from what she could see, he looked perfectly ordinary in almost every way.

He was not tall. He was not handsome. Rarity may have thought he didn't have much sense in style. His coat was white and unbrushed. His black mane was completely uncombed. His sunglasses were worn crooked on his ears. The rest of him was clothed with a black jacket, white t-shirt and black pants, all of which were at least one size too large for him to be wearing.

Still, for just one moment, Twilight thought that he was looking at her. Unknown to herself, she was smiling when he did.

"Oh boy! A busker! I used to do this to pay the bills!" Mickey said, as he and Rarity arrived.

Twilight glimpsed at her friends, feeling as if a private moment had been intruded. And it was all the worse when she saw Rarity smiling at the stallion.

Now, with an audience before him, the performer knew it was time to pull out all the stops.

He began by waving his front hooves back and forth, and shuffled his hips in tandem. Then, he jumped into the air and spun twice as he bounced two juggling balls off the ground that seemed to magically fly from his sleeves.

A third ball appeared in his hooves, which he passed between his front hooves, catching the third ball in one hoof and using his free hoof to keep the other two balls in the air. All the while, his back hooves danced about in a merry jig.

With a spin, he was now standing on his front hooves, and juggling the two balls in the air with his rear hooves. Meanwhile, he alternated standing on each of his front hooves to keep the third ball bouncing just in front of himself.

Twilight, Rarity and Mickey watched the performer's kinetic, energetic act, awed by his impressive dexterity and coordination. Mickey himself had danced, juggled and performed magic, but this performer must have been on a completely different level to do all three at once. If anything, he wanted to stay around and take lessons from this performer.

The performer somersaulted backwards and caught all three balls: one in his rear hooves, one in his front hooves and one in his teeth.

He whipped his head back, and bounced the ball in his teeth down his back. Then, he swept his hooves forward, throwing the other two balls up and catching one with his teeth and the second in his front hooves. The one he threw to his back was caught in his rear hooves, and he performed the process again. Now, the balls were spinning along the length of his body, and he continued to flip about. It almost looked like he was a hamster caught in some acrobatic wheel.

Twilight was completely enamored by the show. The way the performer's mane whipped about when he performed his acrobatic stunts was completely captivating to her. And how his mane set itself in a roguishly messy fashion when he landed made it all the more fascinating for her to watch.

To her side, Twilight realized that Rarity was watching with the same undivided attention as herself, and hoped that she was more enthralled by the show than the stallion.

The performer sideflipped out of his wheel and continued to juggle the wheel of balls from the side. With a one-hoofed cartwheel, he passed through the center of the wheel and juggled from the other side.

Rarity and Twilight both emphatically clopped their hooves, while Mickey clapped and whistled. Twilight herself clopped louder to be heard over the other two.

With a jump, the performer grabbed all of his juggling balls and threw them to the ground, where he spun around in the center of the balls, as they bounced in a circle around him.

Finally, the performer took his coffee can and laid it on the ground in the path of the bouncing balls. From there, he mimicked a motion of magically guiding the balls into the can with his hoof, until they were all inside. Once they were in, he flipped the coffee can into the air, caught it on his hoof and thrusted it toward Twilight.

Twilight was having so much fun watching the show, but the sudden gesture took her aback for a moment. She looked at the can, then past it to the smiling face of the juggler. She realized that he was putting his full attention onto her. And she stared back at the juggler, feeling like she could look at him all day.

"Twilight, darling. Don't leave the good stallion waiting," Rarity gently admonished.

"Uh-huh?" Twilight said, snapping back to reality. She then realized what the stallion was waiting for. "Oh!" She reached into her mane and produced a single coin to drop into the stallion's coffee can. "Here."

She dropped it inside with a surprisingly empty-sounding clink.

"Thank you, little lady," the stallion said, briefly taking Twilight's hoof to twirl her like a ballroom dancer.

Twilight giggled and flushed red. It was the first time her hoof was held by a stallion in years. She was about to ask him where he learned to dance like he did, when Rarity threw her payment into the can.

“Now, Twilight. That’s hardly appropriate for such a dazzling performance,” Rarity said, as she dropped not one, but ten bits into the juggler’s coffee can.

Twilight's jaw dropped a half-inch when she saw what Rarity had done. Now, the stallion's attention was squarely on her. And for the amount paid, he may well have picked her up and danced off into the sunset.

Instead, the juggler simply peered into his can, then looked back up at Rarity.

"Ten bits? Wow. That’s the second best payment I’ve got all day," he said.

"Believe me, the show was worth every coin," Rarity answered.

"You think so? Thanks."

Mickey wanted to say something to the stallion. Instead, Twilight spoke before he could.

"What's your name?" Twilight asked.

"Nopony," the performer answered.

"Darling, don't be so modest. You must be somepony," Rarity eagerly said.

Twilight felt a pang in the back of her mind. She tried to think of something she could say to learn more about the stallion. But, the performer answered Rarity's question first.

"No, I mean that's my name. I'm Nopony,” he said.

“I see. Charmed to meet you. I’m Rarity,” Rarity said, offering her hoof to the performer.

Instead of the expected kiss on the hoof, Rarity was slightly surprised when Nopony tossed a ball with such precision that it landed on her hoof without wobbling. The performer touched his hoof against Rarity’s, and sent the ball rolling up her leg, across her chest, across her other leg when Nopony raised it, and back to the performer’s hoof.

Twilight felt another pang in her mind when she saw Rarity giggling like a filly at the trick, and asking that it be done again. She would have to take the initiative to learn more about the stallion.

"What about your real name? What do others call you?" Twilight said.

"They call me Nopony too. Whenever I hear a foal asking their parents who I am, they always say I'm nopony. Sometimes, a tourist will ask the guys in the shop on my corner who I am, and they say I'm nopony. Just some juggler. One time, some mare stopped to watch me, but her sister led her away. She said she wanted to know who I was, but her sister said I was nopony special. That one hurt a little bit," the performer answered.

“What about your family and friends?” Twilight asked.

“Um...I don't think my dad's called me by name in years. And all my friends--” The performer stopped briefly, as if something had occurred to him. "Huh. It's kind of weird. Now that I think about it: I don't have any friends."

Mickey was flabbergasted that a performer like himself was without any friends. But as surprised as he was, Twilight and Rarity both gasped like they had just found a bomb in their closet.

"No friends!?" Twilight said. "That's impossible! Somepony like you should be up to your ears with friends! You're the most talented stallion I ever met!"

"Not to mention handsome and generous! It was so altruistic what you did for those foals. Anypony would be lucky to have you in their lives," Rarity added.

Mickey rolled his eyes when he caught on to what was happening just then between the performer and the mares.

Twilight caught it too. Somehow, Rarity had noticed what he had done and latched onto him for it. It was starting to make sense, since this stallion certainly was nothing like the primping, preening, pompous prettyboys she typically zeroed in on. In fact, Rarity called him handsome, when he was rather plain. If she was going to attach to him based on his less tangible qualities, Twilight knew she was in for a tough fight.

"I think any mare would count themselves lucky to be your friend," Twilight said. "Horse apples! I shouldn't have said 'friend!'" she thought.

However, anything the mares were implicating went right over the head of the performer.

"Thanks," was all Nopony said. "Does this mean you're my friends now?"

Maybe it was the earnest tone of the performer’s question, but Twilight could barely contain her laughter when she heard the juggler's remark. Slowly, she got a hold of herself and answered him.

"Of--Of course it does," she answered. "It's my job as the Princess of Friendship."

"You're a princess? I'm sorry. Should I be kneeling?" Nopony asked.

Twilight and Rarity both burst into laughter, but Mickey didn't get what was so funny.

"You--You're something else,” Twilight panted, as her laughter died down.

Nopony raised a curious eyebrow and briefly examined himself.

"No, I'm a pony. See? I have hooves and a long face," he said

Rarity almost started laughing again, but wasn't sure whether the performer was joking or not.

Twilight stopped laughing and continued talking, "But, to answer your question: no. You don't need to bow to me, even if I am an alicorn. And please, call me Twilight."

"You're an alicorn too?" Nopony said. He craned his neck up and lowered his sunglasses to examine Twilight's forehead, then craned to the side to examine her sides. "Oh. That explains why you have wings and a horn. I just thought you were sick, or something."

Rarity had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter.

"Now--of course being an alicorn makes her a princess. Even if she lacks certain qualities," Rarity said, flaunting her styled mane and batting her groomed eyelashes.

Twilight pursed her lips and growled quietly.

"Actually, that's what threw me off. When I saw you all, I thought you might be a princess," Nopony said to Rarity.

Twilight's eyes popped wide, and her jaw dropped almost to her chest.

Rarity's did too, as she loosed an excited, "WAH-HA-HA-HAAA!!!" She grabbed the performer by his hooves, and practically dragged him down the street. "Follow me, darling. If I'm to be your princess, then I'm going to make a prince out of you!"

Twilight watched the two trot off. She had failed with magic. She had failed with friendship. And as a cherry on top, she was now failing with stallions.

"Heh...You know, I don't think he was really your type anyway," Mickey said.

Rarity pulled Nopony around the plaza, taking him to the various stalls and booths that were set up.

“Here. Won’t this just look dazzling on you?” Rarity said, using her teeth to place a hoof-made hat on Nopony’s head.

“Uh--” Nopony said.

“Or how about this one?” Rarity said, replacing the hat on Nopony’s head with another.

“Uh--”

“I know: this one,” Rarity said, placing another hat on Nopony’s head. “What am I thinking? They all suit you.”

“That’s nice of you to say. But, I don’t know if I can afford any of this,” Nopony said.

“Fret not, darling. It’s all on me today,” Rarity answered.

“Actually, I think it’s on me,” Nopony said, glancing up at the hat on his head.

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle at the performer’s earnest reply.

As peaceable as Rarity was feeling in that moment, she became aware of a familiar noise among the chatter and footsteps of the creatures around them. A step of a heavy shoe, followed by a clomp of a wooden peg.

Turning around, Rarity saw the heavyset form of Peg-Leg Pete stomping toward her.

Author's Note

Looks like there's something screwy in Avalon. A place that not even Twilight knew previously existed. What a strange place this is, isn't it?

Welcome to the rewrite of Chapter 22. This was done because I wrote this and the next two chapters after my normal bedtime, and in my sleep-deprived mind, I wrote something that wasn't in line with my usual standard for this story. What I wrote didn't feel like a Gottfredson adventure story to me, nor did it really feel like a classic Disney short. I think I did a better job this time around. At least, I hope I did.

Now, I hope somebody who speaks Japanese can help me out here. My brother has been learning Japanese for about six months now, and he was nice enough to help me with the kappa's speech.

The kappa is supposed to say 'please, have a free sample,' then he says, 'thank you for your patronage.' However, my brother is not confident that it is one hundred percent accurate. If anyone wants to correct it, please do, because I wouldn't feel right about it otherwise.

It was my brother's idea that the kappa's dialogue be written in Japanese, by the way.

Another change added was the general feel of the city of Avalon. I wanted it to seem like it was a fantastical version of the Renaissance, but didn't get that feel from the first draft. Once more, I hope I did better.

And how about that new friend of theirs? Twilight, Mickey and Rarity go to a new town that's full of artisans, and they make friends with the village idiot. And what's more, Twilight and Rarity both have a crush on that very same stallion. This couldn't possibly be a strain on their friendship, what with Twilight already envying Rarity's quick mastery of a new magic.

More to the point, I want to talk about the inspiration for this. Nopony was a character who I almost gave his own series of stories to. He was going to be a traveling street performer, who wherever he ended up there was some weird, unnatural happenstance. The townsfolk would say things like 'nopony can help us,' or 'nopony can solve this mystery,' and there'd be the juggler who says, "Uh, I'm Nopony."

His personality is pretty much exactly the same as those concepts, even if his role his now quite different.

And, I'm going to nip this theory before it starts: no. Even though we can see Twilight's behavior changing as a result of her jealousy of Rarity's success with magic and stallions, we will not see her evil side. That means none of this Nightmare Moon/Daybreaker B.S. that so many people I know think should happen to her. Those pigs don't fly here.

The camel who says 'With peace to you,' is using a traditional Arabic phrase. It's a polite way of parting ways with someone. I don't know the translation from English to Arabic, and I'm going to say it now that none of our heroes will be going to the kingdom of camels. There is no way that I am going to learn a completely different language and alphabet for the sake of authenticity.

Then again, if I was really being authentic: the llamas the others met would have spoken Quechua instead of Spanish.

Now, we've met who appears to be the villain in this arch, even if she hasn't done anything villainous yet. Let's have a big hand for Souris, our first female villain.

As always you guys can picture whatever voice you feel is appropriate for these characters, but I think that Bebe Neuwirth is a good pick for this one.

As for references, the dance that Mickey does at the beginning is a reference to a dance number that Fred Astaire did in a movie.

That's all for now. Let's rock on until the next chapter \m/

Chapter 23: Thief

Chapter 23

Thief

Rarity had gone off with Nopony, leaving Mickey and Twilight by the fountain.

Twilight was watching them long after they left, until she was snapped out of it by Mickey’s squeaky voice.

“Doesn’t look like we’ll be gettin’ much help from Rarity. Come on, Twilight. Let’s go lookin’ for what we need to fix here,” the mouse said.

It was true. Twilight knew the only reason the glittering light would have led them to Avalon was to solve some problem that was present. Except here, no problems were immediately noticeable. Still, she complied. Anything to take her mind off of her missed chance.

As she walked away with Mickey to a booth, she continued to look over her shoulder in the direction that Rarity and Nopony left.

She and Mickey arrived at a nearby booth, where a pair of kelpies were working on a stone carving.

"Twilight? Why're ya so jealous of Rarity?" Mickey asked.

"I...I'm not jealous of anypony," Twilight stammered.

"Aw, if you were any greener, I'd call ya cabbage. But, just ‘cause Rarity sprang on him first doesn’t mean ya have to get all down about it. I don’t even think he’s anywhere near your league anyway," Mickey said.

Twilight didn’t know how to answer. She never had a coltfriend before, but thought she saw something she could connect to with the lonely performer. Something she thought was on a deeper level than simply being impressed by his tricks. If only she got to know him better, before Rarity swooped in and snatched him away, then she felt she could have understood those feelings.

While Twilight mulled over her romantic woes, Mickey perused the merchandise at the booth.

Among the wares the kelpies were making, the mouse saw a carving of seven painted embossments. Each embossment was surrounded by a groove that was colored differently. Black, which was surrounded with gold. Yellow, which was surrounded with violet. Turquoise, which was surrounded with orange. Red, which was surrounded with white. White, which was surrounded with black. And green, which was surrounded with yellow. In the center of them all was a brilliant blue embossment that stood out greatly from the others. Surrounding the blue was a gorgeous green groove that shone brightly, and was carved in the shape of a sun.

“Welcome, boyo. See somet’in’ ya fancy?” the kelpie greeted Mickey.

“Nope. Just browsin’,” Mickey said. “Say, ya haven’t seen a floatin’ light around here, have ya? Or, maybe a big, fat cat runnin’ around?”

“Can’t say Oi ‘ave,” the kelpie shrugged, before he noticed Twilight, and sidled on over to her. “‘Ow ‘boyt ya, lass? Anyt’in’ catch yer eye?”

There was no trouble in that place, so Mickey and Twilight continued on.

The kelpie watched them both leave, his eye firmly on Twilight.

“Novo’s fins! T’at be a one o’ t’em royal folk been ‘ere,” the second kelpie at the booth said.

“Mighty grand she be. Ya t’ink she be goin’ for a ‘umble stone carver’s ‘pprentice?”

“Nah. She’s probably into t’em fancy toips,” the second kelpie said, before returning to his work.

“Roit! T’en Oi be stroivin’ become a master stone carver by t’e morrow!” the first kelpie declared, before he returned to his work with twice the vigor as before.

Of all the places, of all the times, why did Peg-Leg Pete have to show up just as Rarity was beginning a date with a stallion?

Rather than wonder, Rarity started to leave as the heavy rapidly walked closer.

“We have to go! Now!” Rarity said to Nopony.

“Without paying for my hat?” Nopony said, indicating the pork pie hat Rarity had placed on his head.

Rarity took Nopony by his hoof and started to lead him away, only to be stopped by a peg-leg blocking their path.

“Goin’ somewhere?” Pete said.

“I’ll have no quarrel with you! You’ve done enough to me already,” Rarity said, trying to sound brave in the face of the heavy.

“Sorry to disappoint ya, doll. But, I ain’t here for ya dis time. It’s him what I got business wit’,” Pete said, pointing a massive finger in Nopony’s snout.

“If you want another performance, you could just ask,” Nopony said, his eyes crossed to look at Pete’s pointing finger.

“I’d tell ya not to play stupid, if I didn’t already know better. Ya got somet’in’ o’ mine, an’ I want it back!” Pete accused.

“I wish I knew what you were talking about. You’re really scary when you’re mad,” Nopony said.

“Ya know durn well what I mean! A little green jewel, ‘bout yea big!” Pete said, holding his finger and thumb about three inches apart.

“You mean this?” Nopony asked, as he took the jewel in question out of his pocket.

Rarity’s eyes nearly popped at the sight. Under other circumstances, she would have marveled at a jewel so exquisitely cut. But, not when she was confronted by a dangerous criminal.

“Dat’s de one. Now, give it here!” Pete said, quickly grabbing for the jewel.

Nopony’s hoof was quicker, as he placed the jewel back in his pocket.

“Hey!” Pete bellowed.

“I didn’t steal that. I paid for it. And I’m not giving it back,” Nopony said.

“Ya didn’t pay for it, ya little guttersnipe! Ya switched it wit’ de nickel I put in yer bummin’ cup! Now, gimme dat jewel!” Pete said, as he drew a billy club from his jacket.

The camel who was running the hat stand quickly packed up her wares, and closed every opening on her shop. The front opened just enough for her head to poke out and take the payment for the hat from Nopony’s tin with her teeth, then quickly retracted to safety.

“Nopony, give him what he wants!” Rarity said.

“No. I need that jewel,” Nopony answered.

“An’ I need it more!” Pete said, as he wound up for a swing of his club.

Rarity dove to push Nopony out of the way of the swing, saving the performer as Pete’s club missed completely and cracked the ground where it struck.

When the two ponies impacted the ground, the jewel fell from Nopony’s pocket and slid across the ground.

Pete quickly ran to retrieve it.

Nopony took a juggling ball from his sleeve, and rolled it across the ground to Pete.

Pete was nearly upon the jewel, when the juggling ball rolled underneath his peg-leg, sending him swiveling about until he fell.

Rarity tried to stop Nopony from going after the jewel, only for the performer to agily slip through her hooves.

From his prone position, Pete grabbed Nopony’s ankle as the performer ran by.

Nopony fell forward, knocking over the hat rack that was on display, and sent hats sprawling everywhere.

Pete stood up and rushed to the jewel.

In one graceful cartwheel, Nopony collected his juggling ball, threw a hat over the jewel, and collected two more identical hats.

Just as Pete was reaching for the hat, Nopony jumped in and placed the other two hats he held on the ground and started shuffling them.

Making his first pick at the shell game, Pete flipped the middle hat, and found that it was empty.

Nopony started shuffling the hats again, backpedaling at the same time to escape Pete.

Rarity knew there was no stopping Pete on her own, and ran to where she last saw her friends.

Mickey and Twilight found their way to a row of painters, each one hard at work on their easels.

One of the artists was a silver creature that looked like a tall, slender-legged, cloven-hoofed equine, with a horn that branched like a tree, and a long, tufted tail.

“Hiya, pal. Seen any weird lights or fat, one-legged cats around?” Mickey asked.

“I have seen plenty of cats around ‘ere. Some of zem fat, but always with two legs,” the artist answered.

Mickey and Twilight were about to move on, when the mouse noticed what was on the artist’s easel.

There was a glen of six trees: black trunk with gold leaves, yellow trunk with violet leaves, and all the same colors as the pattern he had seen before. In their center stood a creature like the artist, though colored blue. Around her neck, she wore a necklace with a green jewel in it.

“There’s that design again,” Mickey thought.

“You know, I am always looking for a model for my work. Would you care to stand for me sometime?” the artist asked Twilight.

Before Twilight could answer, there came a call for help.

“Mickey!” Rarity called, when she found her friends.

Mickey and Twilight turned around, and were shocked to see their friend rushing toward them.

“Rarity? Is everything alright?” Twilight asked.

“It’s Pete! He’s here! He’s attacking Nopony!” Rarity said.

“That’s all I need to know,” Mickey said, picking up his gut and dropping it, before following after Rarity.

Twilight felt slightly miffed that the others simply ran off without her, but let it quickly pass. As long as there was trouble, it was her responsibility as an Equestrian princess to stop it.

The shell game continued with Pete chasing after the backpedaling Nopony, flipping the performer’s shuffling hats at the same time.

The heavy had enough. He reached out, grabbed the performer by his neck, stretched him like a rubber band, and released his legs to send him flying across the plaza.

With a stomp of his foot, Pete flipped all three hats into the air, and found the green jewel beneath the center hat.

“Gotcha!” Pete shouted, as he snatched up the jewel.

Nopony had landed on his face with his hooves sticking straight up into the air. His body fell to the ground with a thud, and he lifted his head to see Pete holding the jewel between his thumb and first finger.

The performer took another juggling ball from his jacket and wound up for a throw.

“Nopony!” Rarity called.

“Eh? Rarity?” Nopony said, before throwing his juggling ball down the street just as Rarity, Mickey and Twilight arrived.

The juggling ball bounced from a booth, to a sculpture, to the ground beneath a pedestrian, then finally toward Pete.

Pete was just about to put the jewel in his pocket, when Nopony’s juggling ball hit it out of his fingers and set itself in the jewel’s place.

“What!?” Pete shouted.

The heavy turned his head, and saw the gleaming green jewel fly through the air, until it landed in a jeweler’s booth.

Nopony jumped and collected his juggling ball from Pete’s grip, then rushed toward the jewel.

“Why, ya nimble little sneak!!” Pete bellowed, as he ran after the performer, followed by Mickey, Rarity, and Twilight.

Pete was running neck and neck with Nopony to the jeweler.

The jeweler screamed and ducked under her booth as the cadre ran toward her.

Nopony and Pete screeched to a halt in front of the booth at almost the exact same time. Pete’s stop left a long divot where his feet skidded.

It was too late. Pete reached for the jewel first.

Thinking quickly, Nopony placed another jewel in Pete’s hand before he could snatch the verdant prize.

“Huh!? Rrgh!” Pete said, before he stuffed the jewel in Mickey’s hands, who was ready to sock the heavy.

Mickey simply tossed the jewel over his shoulder, which was caught by Rarity and gently placed back on the booth’s display. Before Mickey could wind up another punch, another jewel was stuffed in his hand, tossed over his shoulder, then caught by Rarity.

Pete was repeatedly handed jewels before he could claim his prize, and subsequently gave them to Mickey before the mouse could throw a punch.

Every time Nopony tried to retrieve his prize, he was offset by how quickly Pete was reaching for it. Whenever he thought he was close to taking the green jewel, he had to react quicker by placing something else in Pete’s hand.

Twilight watched the chain of passing hands and hooves, trying to figure out how to make it end. She noticed that Pete was repeatedly reaching for the green jewel on the booth’s display, as though it were his single-minded objective. Not knowing why he wanted it so badly, she knew that she had to keep it from him.

Out of habit, Twilight tried to use her magic to retrieve the jewel, only to find that once more nothing happened.

With a frustrated groan, she ran forward. As scared as she was to face Pete without her magic, her most useful asset, she knew she still had to do what she could.

Rarity was just handed a pearl necklace by Mickey, before Pete took action.

The heavy had wised up, and thrusted his hips backwards to knock away Mickey and Rarity behind him.

Just as Twilight was reaching for the jewel, Pete thrusted his gut forward and knocked away her and Nopony.

Taking the jewel in his massive hand, Pete wasted no time making his escape.

From where she and Mickey lay tangled in the length of pearls, Rarity saw Pete getting away. Something had to be done to stop him. But, what?

In that moment, Rarity recalled how she had seen Applejack rein in unruly livestock with a lasso, and her eyes shot to the pearl necklace that entangled herself and Mickey. A feeling of sudden clarity and fantastic whimsy pierced her mind like a needle through a fine gown, and she took the length of pearls in her teeth. She was going to rein in an unruly cat. And she was going to do it with her own particular style.

Mickey was untangling himself, when Rarity suddenly yanked the entire pearl necklace.

“Whoah!!” Mickey yelped, before he flipped twice in the air as the pearls were unwound.

Rarity had done it. The pearl necklace had magically extended itself, allowing it to be twirled over her head like a lasso. With a graceful swing of her head, she released the nacreous necklace toward the heavy.

“Dat ol’ witch-woman’s gonna be real happy when she sees dis,” Pete said to himself, just before he was entangled by a string of pearls. “Hey, what!!?”

With a step of a ballroom dancer, Rarity pulled on the necklace, retracting it from around Pete, and sending the heavy spinning like a top. The necklace wrapped itself around Rarity’s neck, and glimmered brightly as the fashionista posed momentarily to show off her glamorous appearance.

Both Nopony and Twilight took a half second to look at Rarity. Nopony was awed and impressed by the ability and appearance of the mare far out of his league that he was on a date with.

Twilight too was impressed, but it was offset by the notion that she herself could have thought of something just like that.

After the half second of silent adulation, Nopony scrambled to his hooves and ran after Pete.

Pete crawled across the ground and pounced upon the jewel, rolling to his feet with his prize in his hand.

Nopony jumped onto Pete’s back and reached his neck forward to grab the jewel in his teeth.

Mickey jumped next and crawled around to Pete’s front to attack.

Rarity lassoed Pete with her pearl necklace again.

The heavy stumbled around. Strong as he was, he was having trouble keeping his balance with two extra weights on his body. He spun around on his peg-leg, and toppled over, before rolling across the pavement.

“NonononoNO!!” Rarity shouted, as her necklace was rapidly wound around the rolling Pete, before it went taut and pulled her into the jumbled heap.

Pete rolled along with his three hitchhikers, before crashing into an outdoor boutique beneath a span of wooden trellis.

The sphinx and her husband who were running the outdoor establishment shrieked in horror as their model dummies, rolls of fabric and clothes on display were knocked all about.

Much as it was back in the pawn shop where he first bought the magic mirror, Mickey found that he was now wearing a completely new outfit. He was now wearing a white, button-down, long-sleeve shirt; a cherry-red mantle, sleek black trousers with matching black shoes, and a black hat with a red band around it.

“Gosh, don’t I look slick?” Mickey said, when he happened to catch his reflection in a mirror.

“Wah-ha-ha-ha! I look fantastic!” Rarity said, stepping in next to Mickey.

Rarity too had found a new ensemble. Now, she was wearing a royal purple, double breasted coat; a black skirt, and a purple hat with a pearly white flower that matched marvelously with her necklace.

“I gotta say, I never looked better,” Nopony said, looking in the mirror next. He was still wearing his same clothes as before, only they now fit him, had no wrinkles or folds, and his sunglasses were no longer crooked. He still wore the hat from the hat shop.

“Yeah. Don’t we all look Jim-crackin’ dandy?” Pete deadpanned, stepping into view behind everyone, and wearing a lady’s corset around his fat gut.

With a grunt and a groan, Pete burst free of the constrictive garment. His fat gut shot out and knocked away all of his opponents. All but Twilight, who had just arrived on the scene.

The young alicorn watched the pandemonium ensue. She knew she had to do something. She knew just the spell that would finish Pete off and recover the jewel he was coveting so. But, without her magic it was useless.

She watched as Mickey artfully spun and swung his mantle at Pete, hiding every punch and kick he threw with ease.

Rarity too was faring well for herself. Her string of pearls seemed to have a life of its own as it extended beyond its normal reach to whip and entangle Pete.

Even Nopony was handling himself against Pete. His juggling balls and dance steps all synced in perfect rhythm to assault the heavy. He had never even experienced Mickey’s magic, and yet Twilight swore the young performer was still more skilled than herself at using it.

But, although the three were faring so well, Pete was still no pushover. Mickey’s blows were countered with hits that made the mouse spin. Nimble as Nopony was, the performer was not spared from Pete’s wild swings. One good hit, and Nopony was knocked off his feet, and his clothes reverted to their normal unkempt appearance. Pete had even wised up to Rarity’s pearls, and grabbed the necklace, before cracking it like a whip, flipping the fashionista into the air and slamming her to the ground.

Twilight knew she had to help in what little way she could. It was a little brutish, but she was able to push a table laden with fabrics hard into Pete.

“Hey!!” Pete shouted, as he was pushed slightly back by the impact.

Twilight was horrified to see she had only briefly winded him, as Pete lifted the entire table up in his bare hands, and smashed it hard on Twilight’s head.

“BRUTE!!!” Rarity shouted, as she threw three lengths of her necklace around Pete’s neck and throttled the heavy.

With a spin that wrapped her necklace back around her neck, Rarity sent Pete spinning into a wooden support beam, which cracked under the force of his head.

Dizzy and disoriented, Pete was barely able to defend himself from Nopony’s hooves reaching into his many pockets. Finally, the performer recovered the coveted green jewel from Pete.

Nopony jumped off of Pete and started to run away with his prize.

Pete had regained lucidity, and saw the performer escaping.

“Not so fast!!” Pete shouted, before he swung his fist through the support he had damaged.

Pete caught the trellis above that came crashing down on him, and heaved it toward the escaping Nopony.

Nopony was thrown off his hooves when he was struck from behind. When he landed on the ground, his hooves were caught in the woodwork of the broken trellis.

Looking over his shoulder, the performer saw Pete charging toward him.

Pete jumped into the air, ready to crush Nopony under his feet, before he was caught around the neck by Rarity’s pearls.

The heavy dropped downward, and landed on the edge of the broken trellis, making Nopony flip into the air like a coin.

Pete yanked the pearls, making Rarity fly toward him. Still on his back, Pete kicked his mismatched feet upward into Rarity’s stomach, launching her into the air. Rolling to his feet, Pete reached into his jacket and produced a throwing knife that he aimed at the airborne fashionista.

Mickey threw his mantle over Pete’s weapon hand, and when he withdrew it, the heavy was surprised to see not a knife but a single yellow daffodil.

Throwing the useless flower away, Pete simply leapt for Nopony again, as the performer tried to escape.

Mickey slid on his knees to catch Rarity in his mantle. Only, she was still larger than him, and promptly squashed the mouse.

“Mickey! Are you alright?” Rarity asked.

“*Aces*,” Mickey groaned, giving a thumbs up.

After helping Mickey up, Rarity and the mouse resumed their chase after Pete.

Nopony had led Pete into a lively outdoor performance by a group of costumed dragons. Each of the dragons wore a traditionally styled qipao or hanfu. Their long, slender bodies undulated about, while the female dancers twirled their long, silken sleeves in an artful display.

Pete and Nopony ended up in the middle of this performance, where the performer dodged the punches of the heavy.

The steps of the dragon dancers all created a rhythmic percussion that affected the movements of the two fighters, making them strike and dodge in time with the performance.

Rarity arrived with Mickey. After a brief hundredth of a second of admiring the clothes of the dancers, Rarity rushed into the fray with her ermine friend.

With a swing of her neck in time with the dancers’ steps, Rarity swung her pearls around her own neck, forcing the others around her to all jump.

With each landing, a new beat was created. Mickey made a soft tap. Nopony’s four hooves landed one after another. And when Pete landed, a booming thud sounded.

Seeing she was making things difficult for her friends, Rarity changed tactics. She swung her necklace overhead, making it come down on Pete.

Pete jumped over it like he was skipping rope, followed by Rarity jumping over her own necklace, her hooves making two dainty, musical taps when they landed, which perfectly complemented the clacking of the pearls on the ground.

Over and over Pete and Rarity skipped over her swinging necklace, as the dancing dragons began to rumble like distant thunder when their dance grew more energetic. Above the dancers, a cloud was starting to form, and a faded rainbow appeared in its midst.

Nopony did a graceful somersault in step with the dancers, as Mickey ran beneath him to attack Pete.

Pete once more was befuddled by the hidden strikes of the mouse, and no matter what weapon he drew it was magically replaced by Mickey.

Pete drew a blackjack, Mickey swung his mantle to turn it into a sock. Pete drew a hand grenade, Mickey swung his mantle to turn it into a party popper. Pete drew a flamethrower, Mickey swung his mantle to turn it into a lit candle. All in time with the dancers.

Pete glared at the candle, inhaled deeply, and belched loudly. The gaseous fumes from his rancid breath ignited, blowing forth a stream of flames that blew Mickey, Rarity and Nopony backwards.

At the same time, the dancing dragons all blew their flames forth, and the cloud above them burst into a gorgeous rainfall that spewed colors of the rainbow in all directions.

It was dazzling, enrapturing and most of all disorienting to all of those caught in its midst.

The crowd of onlookers that had gathered applauded intensely, thoroughly satisfied with the show they had seen.

For Mickey, he crawled out from the dancers’ circle and looked around for any of the others. Wherever he looked, Rarity, Nopony, and especially Pete were not to be seen.

“Rarity!” he called out.

There was no answer.

The mouse looked around, and saw that there was still no sight of them all.

“Gosh! They all just disappeared! Aw, this is bad!” the mouse thought.

His wandering eye caught sight of Twilight, who he had forgotten he and the others left back at the boutique. Currently, Twilight was talking with the two sphinxes who owned the shop as he ran over to regroup with her.

“I’m telling you, I can’t do anything about your shop!” Twilight reasoned with the husband and wife owners.

“But, you’re an alicorn! You’re one of the most magically powerful creatures in any land! How are you not able to do something as simple as repair the shop you and your friends destroyed!?” the male sphinx said.

“I--It’s--I can’t…” Twilight stammered. For the first time, now that she was forced to say so aloud, she realized that she was truly unable to use magic. Her own, or the foreign magic that Rarity had mastered so easily. The talent she had earned her cutie mark for was now nothing more than a worthless decoration for her, and a bitter reminder of what she once had. “I just can’t help you…” Twilight quietly answered.

“Typical! A vandal just plows on through and doesn’t even want to own up! What’s wrong with you? You’re supposed to be a princess in your own land, aren’t you? What good is an alicorn who can’t help out with something so simple!?” the female sphinx berated Twilight.

Those words stung Twilight hard. What good was she if she couldn’t help with something so simple?

“Hey! You guys leave her alone!” Mickey said, as he walked over. “We just came in bustin’ a known hoodlum, an’ you go pickin’ on one o’ the good folks tryin’ to stop him!” Mickey reached into his pocket, and produced a handful of change, which he placed in the male sphinx’s hand. “I don’t know what good that’s gonna do here, but it’s a start to get yer shop fixed up. Come on, Twilight. Let’s go.”

Mickey and Twilight walked away, leaving the indignant sphinxes behind.

“The nerve of that rodent! I have half a mind to bat him between my paws and eat him right in public!!” the male sphinx said.

“Darling, look,” his wife said, indicating the money.

The male sphinx looked at his paw, and saw that he was given several silver coins, as well as some copper ones. Far more valuable than the money they normally exchanged. With a suddenly elevated mood, they went about going to get the services to repair their shop.

As she walked away, Twilight mulled over her rapidly mounting failures. It was a terrible burden for her to bear, especially when all the others back home were expecting her to succeed as she had done so many times before. What would Princess Celestia say if she ever saw how Twilight was faring now? The mere thought nearly made Twilight buckle.

Mickey led Twilight back to the group of dancing dragons to look for the others. Nearby, the female dancers threw their silk sleeves into the crowd, one of them landing on Twilight’s head and draping itself over her horn.

Twilight shook the silk from her horn, letting it fall to the ground. She looked at such a simple garment that was used to such artful effect by the dancers. And how similar articles of clothing were used to even greater effect by Mickey and Rarity.

Looking next to the sleeve, Twilight saw a flower growing through the pavement. A flower that was clearly carefully avoided from being stepped on by all others passing by.

It was like an epiphany for Twilight. After so much tenacity, after much strife and trying, that little flower was able to push its way through the pavement and blossom for all to see and appreciate.

Taking the silk sleeve in her teeth, Twilight stared at the flower. Deep in her heart, she wished and hoped to help the flower. She imagined the flower blooming huge and strong, and with several others growing around it.

Closing her eyes, Twilight draped the silk sleeve over the flower. She imagined the image of the beautiful bunch of flowers in her mind and whipped the silk sleeve away.

She dared to open her eyes, and was dismayed by the sight. Had the flower remained unchanged, she wouldn’t have been so disappointed. However, her jerking movement had made the silk catch on the flower’s bud and pull off all of the petals and break the stem.

“Ohhh…” Twilight groaned.

She jumped slightly when she felt Mickey’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t feel so down about it, Twilight. Fightin’ a guy like Pete’s not somethin’ ya get on yer first try,” Mickey said.

“Kind of like your magic?” Twilight bitterly asked.

Mickey saw the broken flower, and got a hint of what Twilight was truly dismayed about. His own magic was easy enough to use, but one had to know how to use it. Unfortunately, such a thing was easier learned than taught.

With their gazes cast down to the broken flower, they were able to see when a foot stepped on it.

“Excuse me,” the foot’s owner said.

Mickey and Twilight looked up, and gasped at what they saw. Standing before them was a creature unlike any they had yet encountered in Avalon.

There was a terrifying, yet beautiful aesthetic to her face. Like, something that was at once devilish, cunning and repulsive. Yet, at the same time her face was glorious, thoughtful and welcoming. Her gigantic ears, which were set atop her head, were laden with jeweled earrings of every color of the rainbow. Her pointed muzzle had grooves of color running along the bridge, and up around her eyes. Her eyes, which were narrow and stern, yet the soft red color lent to a feeling of a warm fire burning in a hearth. Her gown was long, elegant, and made from material neither Mickey or Twilight recognized, and added volume to her thin appearance.

“Since we ran into one another, maybe you can help me. I’m looking for a thief who’s stolen something very valuable from me,” the lady said.

“A thief? Gosh, uh, what was stolen,” Mickey inquired. For whatever reason, he was feeling a sudden surge of anxiety before the lady. A lady who he realized only then was a bat. A tall, slender, bipedal bat.

“It was a jewel. A priceless, irreplaceable jewel. Have you seen it, or the guttersnipe who’s stolen it?” the lady-bat asked.

“Could ya describe it a bit?” Mickey asked.

“It was a green jewel, cut to look like a verdant sun. And it was stolen by a shabby-looking earth pony about your age,” the lady-bat said, pointing to Twilight.

Both Mickey and Twilight’s minds clicked at the description.

“I-uh...I...I think they went thattaway,” Mickey said, pointing in one random direction he chose.

“I see. Thank you,” the lady-bat said. She began to leave, when she took a second look at Twilight. “On second thought, I think I’ll let my assistant take care of that thief. You: you’re an alicorn, aren’t you?

“Um--yes. I mean, I wasn’t always, but--” Twilight didn’t finish her sentence. Somehow in her mind, her feelings of failure were amplified and mixed with feelings of fear and disappointment.

“It’s alright. I’m not asking how you became an alicorn. I just want to take a look at you. Forgive me if I’m being presumptuous.”

Twilight’s body locked up when the lady-bat knelt down to eye level with her. Simply by looking her in the eye, Twilight felt as if she were pierced by a shard of ice. And the chill worsened when the lady-bat placed her claws on Twilight’s chin.

Twilight’s head was gently rotated side to side, and was analyzed sternly by the lady-bat’s icy gaze.

“Mmm...You’re certainly beautiful…”

For the nagging anxiety she was feeling, Twilight managed the smallest of smiles. Even as the lady-bat’s claws gently scratched through her mane, then down her neck to the wings at her sides. Twilight felt her whole body shiver when she felt those claws gently grasp her wings and extend them outward.

“And your color would complement what I have in mind...Yes. I think you’ll do wonderfully.”

“Do for what?” Twilight asked.

“As it just so happens, I need one more model for a show I’m putting on today. And you are the perfect vision of my inspiration,” the lady bat said.

Inspiration. That was a feeling Twilight almost felt like she had completely lost. Even though she was bogged down by her mounting feelings of failure and disappointment, she felt a tiny spark within herself when she heard the lady-bat’s words. However, she had a duty to keep to.

“I’m sorry. I have to look for somepony too. But, thanks for offering,” Twilight said.

“I understand. You’re of better use elsewhere, than what I can see within you. Carry on,” the lady-bat said.

“Better use--” Twilight thought.

Those words cut through her mind like a razor-sharp blade. As she was now, where she was now, she would do no good to any of her friends. With this creature, she felt she had a chance to discover what it was that she was lacking.

“Wait!” Twilight said to the departing creature, “I’ll do it. I’ll be in your show.”

“What about the others?” Mickey reminded her.

“You can find them without me. I think I can really get somewhere if I go with her. Please. I feel like this is my last chance,” Twilight said.

Mickey glanced down to the broken flower, and understood completely where the young alicorn was coming from.

“Alright. I’ll go look for the others. But, how do we find you afterward?” Mickey said.

“Just look for the sign that says ‘Amaranthine.’ And when you get there, ask for Souris Chauve. That’s me, by the way,” the lady-bat answered.

“Thanks. You take care now. I’m gonna go see if I can find Rarity an’ her new boyfriend,” Mickey said, before leaving.

Twilight felt another blow. Why did Mickey have to remind her that Nopony had chosen Rarity over herself?

“I can tell you’re feeling a little lost right now,” Souris said, snapping Twilight back to reality. “I’m no mind reader, but it seems to me that you don’t feel like anything is going your way lately.”

Twilight didn’t answer in any discernible way, only sighing deeply and hanging her head. Her head was lifted by the Souris’ claws gently placed on her chin.

“Don’t worry, my little nonpareil. I can make it so you can have everything you ever wanted for yourself,” Souris said, at once devilishly and sweetly.

Twilight didn’t care to ask how. So long as she could become what she wanted to be. She could regain her mastery over magic. She would become an integral facet to the restoration of Equestria, and to end whatever trouble was plaguing this city. And perhaps she would win the heart of a certain stallion.

Author's Note

Alright. So, this is the second chapter in this story arch that I have rewritten. I have to say that it feels to me like things are flowing a little more smoothly, and it feels a little more like a Gottfredson adventure still.

One of the changes here is that now it is Twilight who is under Souris's influence as opposed to Rarity. When I conceived the character, Souris was meant to be a kind of mephistophelean (yes, that's a word) character who tempted others with promises of everything they wanted. It seemed more natural that it would be the increasingly-doubt-filled Twilight to be Heinrich Faust to Souris's Mephistopheles. By the way, if you've never read Faust, I emphatically urge you to do so. It's awesome.

I'm just going to remind you all again that even though Twilight is feeling jealous and bitter, she won't be experiencing that Nightmare Moon/Daybreaker B.S. in this story. I say this, because my friends are saying that would be cool if that was what Souris was trying to do to Twilight. I repeat: that pig doesn't fly here.

Another change is that now Pete is in pursuit of Nopony, who is now in possession of the coveted green jewel. This was done to better tie in the characters to the conflict and action that is happening here.

Another major change here is the costume that Mickey gets. Originally, it was an artist's costume with a paintbrush. This was done in reference to the video game Epic Mickey (if you have a wii or a wii u, play this one. You will not be disappointed). After a review, I realized that the abilities Mickey gained from this costume were more like what happened int he game World of Illusion. As such, Mickey was changed into more of a performer/magician costume, and given a mantle that works like the one in that game. With a few modifications of course, since this is a story and not a game.

Also, who else is excited to see Rarity with a costume of her own? I don't know if any of the other ponies will get their own costumes, but I just knew that Rarity had to get one for herself. Sort of a way to show how far she's come, and create more of a rough divide between herself and Twilight. Poor Twilight.

Come to think of it, Rarity started finding parts of her costume before Mickey did. Fancy that.

As for the dancing dragons, they were all modeled after eastern dragons. Something I noticed is lacking in the show. The clothes they wear are traditional Chinese festival garments. Traditionally styled, not modern. And their power to conjure rain clouds and rainbows is also a reference to the powers that eastern dragons have in folklore. I just thought that would be cool.

One last thing that I'm adding a bit late. Since I drew that picture of The Massster, I've had a bit of a groove going. I got inspired to start drawing pictures of some other villains. You see where this is going, don't you? Of course you do. Now, I present to you: Souris Chauve.

Just another thing that took about a half hour or forty-five minutes. Her appearance is based on a mix of a flying fox and a vampire bat. And if you look closely, you can see that she's wearing a certain green jewel around her neck. Maybe in a bit, we'll see another version of Souris.

That's about all I have to say here. Alright. Great. Super. Take care now. Bye-bye then. And rock on \m/

Chapter 25: The Turn of the Tide

Chapter 25

The Turn of the Tide

Time passed, and Souris had worked her magic on Twilight. From the moment that she arrived in the dark room, Twilight felt herself rapidly changing.

Souris’ cold, clawed hands worked wonders with the fabric she used. Every cut was surgically precise. Every weave was masterfully intricate. And through it all, Souris commanded her magic to make her artistry move as though it were dancing with her.

With flashes of crackling starlight, Twilight watched in awe as the fabric twirled and pirouetted, sending off sparks of the starlit magic every time it was worked on. It was almost tempting for the young alicorn to reach out and touch this magic. But every time her hoof grew close, it fizzled out and dissipated into nothingness.

While slightly disheartening that she would not yet be able to feel such magic for herself, Twilight saw now that it was well within her reach. How long it would take for her to grasp it had yet to be seen.

Souris magically levitated a long ribbon into her hands and magically guided it to the dancing gown. The ribbon slid through her fingers and spooled around the gown as it spun. From there, the lady-bat motioned with her hands to guide the ribbon into spiraling around the gown from the shoulder to the hemline. Once the ribbon was in place, needles and thread marched across the nearby table to complete their duty of stitching the gown.

For every second that passed, Twilight’s eagerness grew. Even though she had only been watching for a few minutes, she was growing impatient waiting to learn more about that wondrous magic.

Finally, the masterpiece was done. The fabrics folded themselves away. The shears, needles and thread all marched back into their box, and the gown Souris was working on did a dainty curtsy, before it fell limp into the lady-bat’s arms.

“I’d say this is one of my best works yet,” Souris complemented herself, as she examined the gown.

Twilight looked at the finished gown, and mentally compared it to other fancy gowns she had seen. After silently appraising it, she spoke her mind.

“It’s beautiful. But, don’t you think it’s a little underdesigned?” Twilight asked.

“Hmf,” Souris said, smirking devilishly at Twilight.

Twilight knew that she had offended Souris. Her mind twisted and jumbled at the thought of Souris rebuking her and losing her one chance to learn any new magic.

“Everyone has their own tastes and sensibilities when it comes to forms of art. However, those without an imaginative bone in their body often have their opinions formed by only one particular way they are familiar with,” Souris answered. “You’ve seen gowns like this before, yes? Made by one of your friends for a modeling show?”

“Yes…” Twilight said, hoping the direction of Souris’ question wasn’t as sinister as it sounded.

“Can I assume it was something with many frills and ruffles? Perhaps a collar that tapered higher in the back? Glitters, sequins and jewels?” Souris asked.

“That’s...not quite exactly it,” Twilight said, remembering some of the designs she had worn for Rarity.

“And you’ve hardly ever experienced the styles of another artist besides your friend,” Souris said, matter of factly.

Twilight nodded, knowing Souris had seen through her once more.

“That’s part of where you lack in creativity. You’ve never seen what more there is in the world. But, I can show you what more there is out there,” Souris said.

Her hands crackled with her magic, animating the gown she held to stand up. With the slightest motion of her arms, the gown simulated walking over to Twilight, facing the Princess of Friendship.

For the strangest reason, Twilight felt as if she were looking at a reflection of herself. A phantom double that foretold all she was to become.

In her mind, Twilight saw herself wearing that dress. She was on the runway out front Amaranthine. Her every step captivated the audience. Her every glance captured the heart of a stallion. In one glorious shimmer, Rarity was the one getting ideas from her, and changed her whole style because of it.

A shadow began to creep through the stage in her mind’s eye. From the stallion whose heart she stole, and from her friend whose imagination she captured, darkness began to pour forth. The umbral entity seeped up her leg and rested on her shoulder, leaving the feeling of ice settling onto her body.

Before herself, Twilight could see a shadowy, demonic face appear. A familiar, horrifying, yet welcoming sight. A face which left her with no fear of what was to come, in spite of her inner feelings telling her to run away.

“What do you think?”

Twilight gasped quietly as she snapped back to reality.

There she was, looking into her own reflection in a mirror with Souris by her side. The lady-bat’s hand was planted gently on her shoulder, exuding the same cold sensation as always. Most surprisingly, through no physical or magical motions, or from any memory she could recall, Twilight was now wearing the gown that Souris had made for her. And what a sight she had become.

As underdesigned as she first thought it was, Twilight found the lack of extravagances added more to her appearance. Her face and body were both highlighted by the sleek, streamlined design, creating the illusion of a shapely, statuesque figure. Her colors were beautifully complemented by every shade of blue that was present on the gown. Even as she moved, everything appeared to glow around herself, almost appearing as if it were enveloped in her own magical aura.

“Souris...this is...I’m…” Twilight said, not sure how to express herself.

“I know. I’ve always been a great believer in ‘less is more.’ The only reason that I would ever add anything to a design is if it helped to convey a particular aspect of the wearer. In your case: the ribbon around your body,” Souris answered.

“The ribbon?” Twilight wondered, as she looked over herself. “Why is the ribbon so special?”

“Just take a look at its motions down your body. It’s the very same as the groove on that horn of yours,” Souris said, as she ran the tip of her claw around the groove of Twilight’s useless horn. “A bearer of great magic, clothed in the very power that others could only wish to possess. And the light that shines from it, the power to enrapture others.”

Twilight looked at herself in the mirror again, and thought she could see what Souris was talking about. But still, she did not quite understand.

“How do you do it, Souris? How do you see things like that so easily?” Twilight wondered.

Souris smirked, making Twilight wonder if that were something she expected her to ask. Or perhaps, something Souris wanted her to ask.

“It’s not so difficult as you may think. You simply need to see the world not as it is, but through your own eyes,” Souris answered.

“But--” Twilight began.

“--You do see the world through your own eyes. Just the same as you can see me in front of you,” Souris finished for Twilight.

Again, Twilight was left speechless at Souris’ ability to see through her so easily. Instead of answering, she simply allowed the lady-bat to continue.

“It’s all a very abstract concept. Easier learned than taught to others,” Souris said. When she saw Twilight’s eager face, she knew she had the alicorn hooked. With a devilish smirk, she knew it was time to continue her lesson. “Although, if you want, I could easily show you, rather than wait for you to grasp it.”

“You can do that?” Twilight said, barely able to contain her excitement.

“For someone like me, it’s easy. All you need is a little imagination,” Souris said.

Upon hearing the word ‘imagination,’ Twilight felt as if she should just give up the whole endeavor in that moment. Stop trying to chase after something unattainable, and simply watch as her friends saved the world from terror.

“No, no, no. Don’t give me that disappointed look. See the world through my eyes. Then, you will be closer to understanding what is within you,” Souris said.

Twilight felt Souris’ cold fingers gently clasp her chin and turn her head to look her directly in the eyes.

“Breathe deeply and see the world as I do. See all that there is through different eyes,” Souris beckoned with a wisp of a whisper.

With a deep, gentle inhale, Twilight became lost in Souris’ warm, red eyes, as though she were looking into the gentle flicker of a candle. Unknown to herself, her own eyes had changed from their normal purple color to the same shade of red as Souris’.

Suddenly, the world around Twilight changed itself. Everything was beautiful. Everything was pristine. Everything sparkled with a heavenly, starlit glow. Despite all the light, Twilight could see clear as crystal.

The tools Souris had used to create the dress Twilight wore were no longer mere thread, needles and shears. They had become something grand and magical.

The shears stood on their own, and slowly danced about with all the beauty, grace and technique of a ballerina.

A sheet of fabric cascaded like a waterfall, which the shears danced around, snipping and cutting the fabric with every graceful movement.

The needles rose from the pincushion as though they were waking up from a comfortable sleep in bed. When they stood, the thread looped itself through their eyes as though it were alive.

Once the needles were threaded, they all jumped from the desk with the grace and choreography of synchronized swimmers. They landed in the cascade of fabric, and started ‘swimming’ their way through. As they dove through the fabric, their threads created intricate patterns, which disappeared as the stitching tightened.

Twilight watched the show in awe. She had never seen anything so captivating in her entire life. But, there was more to see now.

She stepped over to one of the easels, which showed the dress just the way that Souris had drawn it. Only now, it was completely finished, and worn by a model as beautiful as any she had seen.

It was the same with all of Souris’ sketches. But, the most breathtaking of all was the one of her own gown. There, Twilight saw herself, but somehow different. She was vibrant. She was beautiful. She was everything Twilight never thought herself to be.

A glimmer of light caught Twilight’s eye. When she turned to see it, she saw six stones all arranged in a circle. Gold, violet, orange, white, black and yellow they were. Each one was a definition of beauty unto themselves.

This was the world that was not Twilight’s, but the vision of one who saw all as a canvas set to be painted upon. With strokes immaculate and colors true and fair, Souris had created a mirrored universe through no more than her mind’s eye.

The world around Twilight stopped glowing, and Twilight saw the jewels before herself as brilliantly as they were before. Along with it all, her eyes returned to their normal purple.

“Souris...that was…” Twilight said, trying to think of the words.

“It was, wasn’t it?” Souris said. “Imagine only how you could have seen yourself, had you been wearing your intended jewel.”

“My jewel?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. The one that was stolen from me. Which reminds me, I must check on my associate to see if he’s any closer to retrieving it. And then I have to go check on the rest of the models for the show. Will you be alright without me for a few minutes? Perhaps you could spend the time deliberating on what you saw,” Souris said.

“Yes! I think I know exactly what I have to do now! Thank you, Souris! Thank you!” Twilight said, as she hugged the lady-bat. She didn’t even mind that it felt like she was hugging an ice cube.

“That’s all well and good, dear. But, I really must go. So, if you don’t mind,” Souris said, gently removing Twilight’s hooves from around herself.

“Oh. Sorry,” Twilight said.

Souris said nothing more, but the smile on her face made Twilight know that she appreciated the gesture. Silently, she left the room, leaving the young alicorn to excitedly mull over the experience she just had.

Beyond the curtain, far from the sight of anyone else, Souris opened her palm and produced a cluster of starlit magic. In a flash, she disappeared within it, now magically searching for her cohort with the same magic.

A loud, rapid, pattering noise was heard within an abandoned warehouse in Avalon. While in no way audible over the regular noises of the city, if one were one to investigate they would have found Peg-Leg Pete rapidly punching a speed bag that was hanging from a hook.

“An’ have summa dis!” Pete said, switching hands.

Behind him, Souris reappeared in a flash of starlight. The chill down the heavy’s spine let him know who had arrived without even looking. He didn’t even stop whaling on his bag.

“Dere ya are, witch-woman. How’s dat search goin’ for ya?” Pete asked.

“I’ve decided to leave it to you, when I found the last vessel," Souris answered.

"Ya mean de last girl for yer show? Alright. Sounds like things is movin' along smoothly," Pete said, as he unleashed a series of hooks on the speed bag.

"Yes. Which is more than I can say for you, since you’ve decided to goof off instead of work,” Souris said.

With one last powerful strike, Pete stopped punching his speed bag, and turned around to face Souris.

“I know dis don’t look like searchin’. But, trust me: I got it all under control. I’ll have yer jewel back to ya before ya can say ‘smoked hamhock,” Pete touted.

“Ohhhh…” the speed bag groaned.

That was no natural thing for any punching bag to do, even with magic such as theirs. Her curiosity piqued, Souris peered over Pete’s shoulder, and saw the speed bag was not what it seemed. It was a red mantle tied up by its four corners, and she saw someone very small was cinched up inside of it.

“Who is that?” Souris asked.

“Dis is de guy what’s gonna help us get dat bauble for ya’s. An’ believe me, he already ain’t got no choice but to cooperate,” Pete deviously said.

“How can you be sure, after you’ve just punched him into paste?” Souris said.

“‘Cause I got somethin’ he ain’t. An’ he’ll do anyt’ing to get her back,” the heavy said.

“I see,” Souris knowingly said. “Very well. I’ll leave you both to it.”

For as confident as he was feeling in that moment, Pete slowly began to cower as Souris seemed to suddenly grow taller than himself. Standing in her shadow, he could see she had changed completely from what he knew before.

“And if you don’t have that jewel to me before the day is out, I’ll have your flayed skin turned into a rug,” Souris said.

“U-Understood,” was all Pete said.

With a flash of starlight, Souris disappeared to go about the rest of her business.

“Batty ol’ devil,” Pete shuddered, before he untied one corner of the mantle.

As soon as he did, Mickey came tumbling out from the inside. Unfortunately for him, his mantle was still tied up.

“Alright, let me at ‘em! I’ll take ya on all at once, if I have to!” Mickey said, as he dizzily spun around, swinging his fists at the double images his frazzled mind concocted.

“Shut up, runt,” Pete said, before picking Mickey up by the back of his shirt. “You an’ me’re gonna do somet’in we ain’t never done before.”

Mickey yelped when he was plopped hard on top of a tiny, three-legged stool, and got a rump full of splinters.

Pete pulled up a much larger crate and sat on top of it.

“We’re gonna have us a sit down, an’ talk business,” Pete said.

Of all the things Pete had ever done in his life, this was not something Mickey ever expected him to do.

“I don’t wanna get involved in any business o’ yours, Pete. Just hand over Minnie, and I’ll sock ya one just like always!” Mickey said as he boldly stood atop his stool, fists raised for a battle.

With a cacophony of clicks, clacks, clangs and clatters, Pete drew two tommy guns from his jacket, and pointed them directly at Mickey. But, that wasn’t all. Every weapon Pete had in his arsenal was drawn from his jacket. Brass knuckles, billy clubs, rifles, shotguns, lead pipes, blackjacks, six shooters, gatling guns, dynamite, hand grenades, molotov cocktails, swords, knives, boxing gloves, boomerangs, spears, morning stars, maces, mace, tasers, cannons, and even ninja stars were all aimed squarely at the mouse.

“Go ahead, runt. Just gimme a reason,” Pete growled.

Mickey tugged on his collar and swallowed nervously, before he sat back on his splintered stool.

“Heh, alright. I’ll humor ya just this once,” Mickey said.

As simply as it was to close curtains, every one of Pete’s weapons receded back to wherever they had come from.

“Dat’s better,” Pete said, as he calmly lit a new cigar. “I brought ya here, ‘cause I wanted to ask for yer help. See, I needs me a certain jewel what’s been floatin’ around dese parts.”

Pete extinguished his match and blew a ring of smoke at Mickey.

The mouse coughed loudly and tried to fan the smoke away.

“Forget it. Far as I know, you robbed that bozo to get it in the first place!” Mickey accused.

“Ain’t ya got any faith in ol’ Petey? What I told ya I bought it fair an’ square for a little lady?” Pete said.

As Mickey fanned all of the smoke away, he recalled the lady-bat who had approached him earlier. Even though her mere presence was enough to scare the tail off of him, she seemed to him like the type who would never associate herself with one like Pete.

“I’d say ya were a known pathological liar with a rap sheet long as the Grand Canyon. Both those things don’t give me any reason to believe ya!” Mickey said.

Pete blew another cloud of smoke at Mickey, making the mouse cough loudly.

“Will ya stop that!?” Mickey shouted.

The smoke then literally choked Mickey, when it took the form of a miniature, wispy Pete, and started throttling his neck.

“Look, Mouse, I wouldn’t reach out to ya unless I was in desperate trouble. Ya can believe dat, can’t ya?” Pete said.

That was true enough. After Mickey fanned the smoke away, he turned his attention back to Pete, curious to hear what the heavy had to say.

“So, ya already know how Yen Sid’s been sendin’ folks like me ‘round dese parts to collect magic, yeah?” Pete said.

“It’s not Yen Sid, ya fat--” Mickey was about to rebut, before Pete grabbed Mickey’s nose, tied it around his head with a sheepshank, and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Quiet when I’m talkin’, runt,” Pete said. “Anyhoo, it seems dat dis whole city’s loaded wit’ just de kinda magic he wants. Dere’s just one problem: dere ain’t no way to steal it from anyone.”

Mickey briefly stopped struggling to untie his own nose. That was the reason the cervequin he met earlier could use his magic. Given the sheer abundance of artistry and imagination he had seen running rampant, he felt he shouldn’t have been so surprised as he was.

“Whuffa zjool gawdda doo whiffis?” Mickey snorted.

“De jewel? Dat ain’t anything what concerns my business. But, de thing is I kinda crossed someone when I got here,” Pete explained. “When I was roamin’ ‘round lookin’ for some magic to steal, I tossed one o’ my cigar butts to de side somewheres. Turned out, it landed in a box o’ fabrics for some fashion show, an’ nearly burned down a stage. De lady runnin’ it, she weren’t too happy with me after de fact. Next t’ing I know, she’s makin’ me her errand boy.”

With one last powerful strain, Mickey undid his tied up nose. The mouse gasped loudly, taking in a deep breath of air, before he spoke.

“So, why don’t ya welch on her like ya’d normally do? I don’t picture ya the type to pay back what ya owe?” Mickey said.

“Don’t I wish I could. If I’d a stole de magic outta dis place, I’d be runnin’ scot free. Problem is, dis woman I messed wit’s some kinda tough customer. She’s got dis crazy magic what makes it so I can’t leave until she breaks the spell. I don’t wanna stay here longer dan I hafta. You heard her just now. Dat woman’s scarier dan Yen Sid on a bad day,” Pete said.

The heavy couldn’t help but smirk when he saw Mickey glaring at him. The denial this mouse was in was so sweet that Pete could almost taste it.

“Brass tacks is I ain’t goin’ nowhere, ‘til I get dat jewel for dat witch-woman. Dat’s why I need yer help,” Pete finished.

Mickey knew precisely what would happen if he helped Pete. Once Pete was released from his service of this woman, he would continue his conquest to steal the magic from the lands.

Every one of the mouse’s sensibilities told him that he should leave and let Pete bumble his way into eternal servitude for this woman. But, there was one thing that changed his mind. Minnie.

Mickey glanced at the pink, polka-dotted bow that Pete held clenched in his fist. For Minnie, he would do anything. To rescue her, he would put his own life in danger. Or worse, he would stoop to cooperating with Pete.

“Alright. I’ll help ya out. But, ya gotta let Minnie go soon as I give ya yer jewel back,” Mickey said.

“Ya got my word on it, runt. But, ya better be quick. My ol’ pal, Zeke, ain’t gonna satisfy his appetite long eatin’ just ponies,” Pete guffawed.

The idea of Minnie served on a platter with an apple in her mouth boiled Mickey’s blood and electrified his nerves. Unable to take anymore, he jolted from his seat and rushed to attack Pete.

Pete was perfectly ready for Mickey to strike. In one swift movement, he blocked Mickey from advancing, took the tied up mantle from it’s hook, and stuffed the mouse back inside of it.

“Lemme outta here, ya fat weasel! I’m gonna douse ya in honey an’ throw ya to the bears when I get my hands on you!” Mickey shouted, as he thrashed around inside the mantle.

“Much as I love yer righteous anger, I t’ink ya should put it to better work. Like findin’ my jewel fer me. Lemme give ya a head start on it,” Pete said.

The heavy tossed Mickey into the air and reared back his peg-leg. With a powerful kick, Pete solidly connected with Mickey, sending the mouse flying through the roof of the warehouse, and into the plaza beyond.

“Sayonara, sucker!!” Mickey heard Pete shout as he flew through the air.

The mouse had no way of knowing how far he flew, but he was in the air for several seconds before he landed with a mighty splash.

Mickey quickly struggled free of his entrapment as the water seeped in. The second he was free, he found he was up higher than he should have been.

When he tried to investigate the matter, he tumbled over forward, landed on a lower tier, and finally splashed into the base of the three-tiered fountain.

Looking around himself, Mickey realized he was back in the plaza, where he first met the larcenous juggler

“Great. Right back where I started from,” Mickey sputtered, as he climbed from the fountain and shook himself dry.

Mickey collected his mantle when it flowed down from the top of the fountain, and wrung it out. Once it was sufficiently dried, he set to work to find Nopony, recover his jewel, return it to Pete, and ultimately rescue Minnie from his clutches.

In the very forefront of his mind, Mickey knew he could never fully trust Pete. Always knowing such, Mickey began formulating plans to counter the true intentions of his oldest enemy, whatever they may have been.

Author's Note

Things certainly aren't looking good. Rarity has her head in the clouds, Twilight's fallen under a spell, and Mickey's working with the bad guys. Dear, oh dear. Whatever will become of them all?

This chapter was inspired by a few lessons that I learned about art over the years, as well as a few songs that I like.

Souris's lesson to Twilight about seeing the world through different eyes was inspired by the songs 'Scatman's World' and 'When Canvas Starts to Burn.' Both have lyrics about seeing the world differently than it is. Something the logic-minded Twilight might not have a lot of experience with.

One of the lessons that I've learned and applied to this story is that all artists do things differently, and there's no one way to make art correctly. However, there are those who are able to make art better than others. Whether Twilight will learn things her own way, or become better at what she's already doing anyway remains to be seen.

This reminds me of another lesson that I learned. It's that if you're going to go to art school, you'd better go in with your own ideas and style already learned. Otherwise, you'll just end up copying the style of your instructor. How will that go for Twilight in the next chapter?

As for the design of Twilight's dress: it's based on the Walt Disney/Ub Iwerks design philosophy. Basically that a character is given minimal design, and only has things added if they contribute to their character or personality.

This is a bit of a tangent, but while I love Kingdom Hearts, I feel like the extravagant designs of characters like Goofy and Donald are not really in line with their original conceptions. Then again, they were designed by a different artist, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time griping about it.

Anyway, things with Twilight seem to be getting worse, as she seems to be growing attached to her new tutor. But, it seems Souris has other plans for our favorite princess.

Now that Mickey's involved with the villains, we may just see him set against his friends. How will they manage against someone who has mastered magic such as his for nearly a hundred years? Rock on to that jam in the next chapter \m/

Chapter 26: Friends Against Friends

Chapter 26

Friends Against Friends

To a tourist, or anypony else who was from out of town, Avalon was a place that was quite easy to get lost in. The crowds could grow thicker and just as quickly thin out, and one would find themselves in a completely different place. Just as disorientingly, the city would almost seem to rearrange itself street by street and building by building.

Luckily for a certain fashionista, she was in the company of a savvy, street-smart local. A street performer who knew every corner, every curb, every park, every public community gathering spot. With him by her side, the wayward mare could continue her mission.

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…” Nopony said, as he turned several circles around and around.

Rarity was becoming dizzy just watching the performer spin. For nearly a minute now he was turning around, trying to find a familiar landmark that would lead him to his destination.

To Nopony, every second counted. Every moment from now on was going to be spent trying to deliver his father’s birthday gift to him. But, as long as he was lost, he was wasting time. Fortunately, the performer knew a trick to find the right direction.

“Uhhhh-uhh-uhhhh…Oh boy!” Nopony swooned, as his head felt like it was spinning atop his shoulders.

Finally, he tumbled forward, his hooves stretched out straight.

“Nopony? Are you alright?” Rarity asked, as she looked over the prone performer.

The fashionista had a bit of a jump when Nopony suddenly sat up, nearly bumping her face with his own.

“Thattaway,” Nopony resolutely declared, pointing in the direction of his rear hooves.

“You--Are you sure that’s the direction to find your father?” Rarity chuckled.

“No. But, I haven’t been led wrong like this before,” the performer answered, as he tumbled to his hooves, taking Rarity’s hoof in his own in the process.

“My, oh my. A juggler. A dancer. A silk acrobat. And now a tumbler. Is there anything you don’t do?” Rarity said, as she and Nopony walked in the direction he chose.

“Uh, yeah. I tried doing cardistry once. But, that doesn’t work so good if you have just hooves. And I can’t sing either.”

“What a shame. You already have such an interesting speaking voice.”

“Well, if you really want, I can yodel something fierce.”

“I think I’ll handle the singing for the both of us,” Rarity politely declined.

“Don’t you need two mouths to do that?”

Nopony didn’t understand what was so funny when Rarity started cracking up at his answer. However, when he watched Rarity’s amused reaction to his simple statement, he was surprised to find he felt no discomfort or awkwardness at the situation. In fact, he felt just the opposite.

Upon learning that Rarity could sing, Nopony’s brain turned into a storm of ideas. He had often fancied the idea of a performing partner, but nopony would accept his offer, so much as pay attention to him when he was talking.

“Rarity,” Nopony began, a hopeful smile crossing his face. A smile that Rarity noticed was different from his usual. “I think I have an idea for a new act.”

Nearby the happy pair of ponies, Mickey was frantically searching for them.

Every second counted. The longer Mickey took, the longer Minnie was spent in the clutches of Peg-Leg Pete and The Big Bad Wolf. And Mickey was quickly getting nowhere.

It began to occur to Mickey that perhaps Nopony had hidden somewhere to escape from Pete. But, as long as he was in the open, the mouse was going to check for him in plain view.

Mickey looked around for a vantage point, and saw a small area cordoned off for a troupe of performers. The performers had all manner of props set up, including a highwire that towered over the plaza.

That would be just the ticket to get a bird’s eye view of the plaza. But, how to get up there?

Two acrobats on a trampoline gave Mickey just the idea.

With a running start, Mickey began by stepping up to the nearest counter on a booth. Then, he leapt to the back of a llama, stepped onto the llama’s head, vaulted up to the massive block of granite the llama was sculpting, and jumped to the trampoline.

The two kelpies who were performing on the trampoline had no idea what hit them, when Mickey came plummeting from nowhere like a stone thrown into a pond.

The mouse deeply indented the trampoline, then shot upward to the highwire, making the two kelpies bounce across the mat like a pair of jumping beans.

Up high, a diamond dog wowed the spectators below with her incredible display of balance and technique. It all came to a disastrous end when Mickey grabbed the wire, his inertia and momentum shaking it as he pulled himself up.

The diamond dog heaved and wobbled, until she finally fell with a loud, “AAAHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOY!!!”

The canine performer landed on the trampoline below, making the two kelpies bounce into one another and land on top of the dog.

“Must be a universally canine shout,” Mickey thought, before he set to scoping out the crowd.

The mouse searched the crowd for any familiar faces. He saw llamas, camels, zebras, griffins, cervequins, and hundreds upon hundreds of ponies. But, he didn’t see the ponies he was looking for.

A tumbling mass of black and white caught Mickey’s eye. There, in the crowd below, he finally found Nopony. As luck would have it, Rarity was with him as well.

From his high vantage, Mickey saw Nopony jumping and tumbling and juggling as Rarity happily watched on. One look, and the mouse knew precisely what was going on. Nopony was showing off to impress Rarity. Just the same as Mickey himself had done for Minnie on countless occasions. Feeling terrible for needing to interrupt the two, but knowing he had no other choice, Mickey threw his mantle over one of the nearby support cables and ziplined to the ground below.

Down on the ground, Nopony took off his hat and caught his flying juggling balls on the brim of it. From there, he motioned with his hoof, mimicking the illusion of magically moving the balls as they rolled around his hat.

“--And as I’m ‘mixing the magic potion,’ you can do that thing where creatures sing really high and really fast,” Nopony said.

“Coloratura,” Rarity defined for Nopony.

“Right. And that’s right before the big buildup--” Nopony said, as he started juggling, and gradually added more balls.

“--Ascendo.”

“Gesundheit. Then, there’s the big crash right before the best part--” Nopony continued.

“--Crescendo.”

“Sorry. We can stop if you need a tissue,” the performer offered.

“I’m fine. Do please continue,” Rarity requested.

Rarity was starting to find herself more and more enthralled by this stallion. When she first met him, she knew that he was the type she wanted to know better. An altruistic artist who would in turn inspire herself. And what a job he had done inspiring her.

As Nopony rattled off his ideas for the collaborative performance, Rarity felt her mind brimming new ideas for costumes and scenery. Perhaps even a new line of clothing based on dramatic costumes. More and more she could picture spending more time with Nopony. In fact, somepony such as him would be good company on a magical quest.

Before Rarity could speak, a familiar squeaky voice called out.

“Hey! Wait up!”

“What was that? Sounds like a dog chewed a squeak toy,” Nopony said.

Between her friend finding her and Nopony’s remark, Rarity had to smile. She turned in the direction she heard Mickey’s voice, and found that he was already screeching to a halt before her.

“Good gosh, I’m glad I found you guys!” Mickey said.

“And I’m happy to see you’re unharmed as well. But, where is Twilight?” Rarity said.

“She went off somewhere. Ya still got that jewel?” Mickey said.

“Sure. Right here,” Nopony said, presenting the jewel from his pocket.

“Nopony, ya gotta give me that jewel,” Mickey said.

The mouse tried grabbing for Nopony, only for the performer to nimbly weave around Mickey’s hand.

“Sorry, but I need this for my dad,” Nopony answered. He dodged another grab by Mickey.

“I need it for my girlfriend!” Mickey said

Mickey tried grabbing the jewel again, only for it to be tossed to Nopony’s other hoof.

“Then get her another one,” Nopony answered.

“Ya don’t understand! She’s in trouble! I need that to save her!”

Mickey grabbed over and over at the jewel, only to miss every time that Nopony tossed it.

“Well, I need to save my dad! And I won’t let you take it!” Nopony said.

Mickey grabbed Nopony’s hoof as the jewel was tossed into the air, preventing the performer from catching it.

With his hand outstretched, Mickey was ready to take the green jewel for himself. Suddenly, his arm was pulled by a string of pearls that wrapped around his wrist, leaving Nopony to catch the jewel on top of his head.

“Mickey, stop this! You’re behaving like a thug!” Rarity said, as she tried to pull the mouse away from Nopony.

“Whatever it takes to save Minnie!” Mickey said, as he threw his mantle over the pearls around his wrist.

After the mantle passed, Rarity saw her pearls had come undone from the mouse, leaving him free to accost Nopony again.

Mickey grabbed for the green jewel several times.

Each attempt was thwarted by Nopony shifting his head, making the jewel roll away from the mouse.

Mickey’s hands shot out and grasped at air each time.

With one full body motion, Nopony sent the jewel rolling over his entire body, over, under, side-to-side.

Mickey expedited the retrieval of the jewel by swinging his mantle over Nopony, then running off.

The performer found himself unharmed, but made a shocking discovery. What was once a green jewel rolling around his body was now simply one of his juggling balls.

“I’ve been robbed!” Nopony said.

As it was before with Pete, Rarity swung her pearls like an elegant lasso, with the technique of a ballroom dancer.

Mickey fell over forward as the pearls cinched around his ankles. The mouse grabbed his mantle to swing.

Rarity snapped her pearls, making another loop rise up and tangle Mickey’s mantle.

Nopony took the opportunity to dash forward and claim his jewel.

When the performer was upon him, Mickey rolled away from his grasp. When he safely retained the jewel, Mickey rolled into Nopony, tangling up himself and the performer.

There was nothing but a jumble of clattering pearls, until Nopony was tangled up beyond mobility. Standing atop him, Mickey victoriously held the jewel.

“You two got nothin’ on me! I been usin’ this magic since before you were born!” the mouse gloated.

Nearly a century hadn’t helped Mickey’s common sense, though.

With a strong pull, Rarity yanked her string of pearls, unraveling Nopony like a spool of thread, and sending Mickey spinning in the air.

Both landed with solid thuds. Rarity rushed over to tend to her friends.

“Are you alright?” Rarity asked, as she helped up Nopony, and dusted him off.

“Yeah. Thanks for askin’!” Mickey grumbled. He clenched both his palms, and was startled by the discovery: the jewel was gone.

Mickey gasped.

Nopony gasped.

“My jewel!!” they both shouted in unison.

All three, Mickey, Rarity and Nopony wrestled over one another, then set to finding the missing bauble.

Rarity set to work looking for the jewel. Knowing her magic would be useless to help her find it, she knew she would have to look sharply for any sign of the green prize.

Taking one end of her pearl necklace, Rarity cast it like a fishing line, probing into every nook and cranny nearby.

With a pull, she reeled in her opaline line and examined her catch: a gold bangle, a turquoise necklace, a diamond brooch, black onyx earrings and...somepony’s wig?

“You’ll be so kind as to get your own!” said a rather portly harpy, as she collected everything Rarity had on her string of pearls.

Nopony frantically searched through the nearby booths. Currently, he was rummaging through a potter’s various ceramics.

The performer heaved and tossed various bowls, pots, urns and figurines into the air, checking each one to see if his jewel had fallen inside.

The unicorn running the booth scrambled to protect his wares from damage. Using his magic, the potter caught his flying wares. However, whenever he placed one safely, two more flew into the air.

Finally, the performer went on his way when everything was searched.

Mickey frantically searched through a crowd, crawling along and getting his way under every hoof, foot, paw or claw that came his way.

Every creature in the mouse’s path practically overturned beneath him, until he caught sight of a glimmer of green.

With a lunge, the mouse was upon the sparkling green, only to find it was a toe ring worn by a sphinx. The lady wearing the jewel was plenty upset at the mouse who had leapt below the hem of her skirt. But, her rage was nothing compared to her hulking, muscular husband.

Nopony was searching by a poet’s corner when he heard two solid smacks. In an instant, Mickey came flying in and landed on a pile of manuscripts, sending the papers flying through the air, to the horror of the zebra tending to them.

There it came. Another gleam of green, brighter than before. A short jog away, there laid the jewel like a verdant sun, set atop a harpy’s hat as she walked about.

Both Mickey and Nopony shot to their feet to start running toward it.

Mickey swung his mantle over Nopony, and kept running.

Nopony had been turned around a complete about-face, and bumped heads with Rarity.

“Rarity!?” Nopony said, not sure what had happened. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Mickey running, closer to the jewel now than he was before. “That sneaky rat!!”

The performer ran off to catch up to the mouse.

“Ohhh! Where’s Twilight when you need her!?” Rarity said to herself, before running after the others. If anypony could settle things between those two, it would have been Twilight.

The harpy casually went about her business, examining the wares and arts that were on display. Unaware was she of the battle that was going on to retrieve what had landed in her hat.

Mickey was nearly upon the harpy when he heard something thump.

A juggling ball had bounced between his legs, toward a booth, then back to hit him squarely between the eyes, knocking him down.

Nopony leapt over Mickey to catch his juggling ball and keep running.

Mickey quickly rolled over. In the same motion, he tossed his mantle over the flying ball before Nopony could catch it in his teeth.

The juggling ball changed into an anvil, which Nopony crashed face first into. Both fell to the ground with a loud clang, as Mickey continued to run.

Nopony wasn’t to be defeated. He placed his hooves on the anvil, ready to put other jugglers to shame. Sure, he was no bodybuilder, but any juggler worth their salt wouldn’t be stopped from tossing something beyond their skill level.

“Nopony! Stop!” Rarity shouted.

With a mighty spin, Nopony threw the anvil toward Mickey.

“Huh? What’d you say?” the performer asked.

Wasting no time, Rarity threw her string of pearls at the falling anvil.

As he ran, Mickey became aware of a shadow over himself. Looking up, the mouse screamed at the sight of the two-ton ballast dropping upon him.

Rarity’s pearls wrapped around the base of the anvil and pulled it just behind Mickey as it fell.

Mickey was spared the impact, but the ground behind him cracked and bulged upward, launching the mouse backwards.

Nopony slid beneath Mickey as he flew backwards, and continued racing to his jewel.

Mickey quickly shifted his mantle into a drag chute, which oriented his fall so that he landed on his feet.

Before he could run, Rarity caught Mickey with her pearls and yanked the mouse beside herself.

“Mickey! What has gotten into you!?” Rarity scolded her friend.

Mickey wished he could explain to Rarity the circumstances that forced him against his friends. Why he was trying to get that jewel, and how crucial it was to saving Minnie from Pete. But, how could he possibly tell his friend that he was working with his oldest and most hated enemy?

With only brief hesitation, Mickey swung his mantle over Rarity.

After the mantle passed, Mickey was free of Rarity’s pearls, and the fashionista was wearing her necklace like it was a bit, bridle and reins. That was humiliating enough, but the cherry on top was that her pearls were hitched around the leg of a nearby booth.

Mickey ran off, leaving Rarity behind to recover the green jewel.

“RRRRRGH!!” Rarity growled, as she snapped her pearls.

When the wave in the line reached the booth, the entire booth jumped, allowing her to release herself from her restraint. Another snap, and the pearls were draped back around her neck. Now free, Rarity ran after the others.

The mouse took a route less crowded by pedestrians by running across the tops of booths. Now, even with Nopony ahead of him, he was already close to overtaking the performer.

Nopony saw Mickey in the corner of his eye. Thinking quickly, he took off his hat and threw it at the harpy ahead of him.

The harpy had no idea that her own ornately decorated hat was suddenly knocked off her head, and replaced with a black pork pie.

It was a complication for Mickey. The hat with the jewel in it landed nowhere near the path he was taking. But, it was no obstacle.

As Nopony collected his hat by somersaulting over the surprised harpy’s head, Mickey threw his own hat, which knocked away the harpy’s hat from the performer.

Nopony vaulted over a table that the harpy’s hat slid under, and crouched low to receive it.

The hat stopped midway under the table, forcing Nopony to roll under and retrieve his jewel.

Mickey rolled beneath and used his hat to pull the harpy’s hat toward himself.

The sudden impact of a juggling ball stung the mouse’s hand, making him retract it.

Nopony’s ball bounced back to his hoof, before he threw another one.

Mickey rolled backwards to dodge the bouncing ball, simultaneously throwing his mantle toward the jewel.

Nopony intercepted the mantle with a bouncing ball, and rolled toward his prize, catching his thrown juggling balls at the same time.

Both mouse and performer reached for the jewel, only for it to be stolen from them by a string of pearls.

“Stop this! Both of you!” Rarity shouted.

Mickey and Nopony both burst from under the table, reaching for the jewel.

“Gimme that!” Mickey shouted, as he reached for his mantle.

Another snap of her pearls, and Rarity whipped Mickey’s hand.

“Not until you explain yourself! Why have you turned on us so suddenly?” Rarity demanded.

Now, Mickey was forced to explain the truth. Not wanting to admit to betraying his loyalties, but caring too much for Minnie, he brought to light his intentions.

“It’s like I told ya: I’m doin’ it to save my girlfriend,” Mickey said, slowly circling around Rarity.

“But, why this jewel specifically? Why steal from your own friends?” Rarity demanded, circling Mickey.

Mickey’s gut wrenched at the thought of explaining he was working with Pete. After everything the heavy had done to her, she would never forgive him for that.

“I wish I could tell ya! I wish there was a different way, but I need that jewel now!” Mickey said.

“I need it more! My whole world can be fixed by that jewel!” Nopony said, circling after Mickey.

“Minnie is my whole world! An’ I’d do anything to save her! The same as you’d do for a girl you loved!” Mickey snapped.

The mouse had had enough of the delay.

Mickey swung his mantle.

Nopony threw a juggling ball.

Rarity snapped her pearls.

The mouse’s mantle overtook the others’ attacks, creating a horrible chaos in the process.

The string on Rarity’s necklace came undone, scattering her pearls across the ground.

All three slipped and fell.

Try as Nopony did to land on his hooves, the performer was caught in an infinite loop of tumbling. He was forced to helplessly watch as Mickey crawled toward the green jewel.

Rarity knew that while Mickey was her friend, him collecting the jewel could only lead to trouble. Remembering the games of her foalhood, Rarity shot one pearl across the ground as if she were shooting a marble.

The green jewel was knocked beyond the grasp of Mickey, straight into Nopony’s waiting teeth.

The performer quickly scrambled away from the mess of pearls, and nimbly climbed his way to the top of a booth. After, he jumped and climbed to a nearby rooftop, disappearing from sight.

“Darn it all!!” Mickey shouted, before following after.

“Mickey! Wait!” Rarity said.

The fashionista was powerless to stop the mouse, as Mickey climbed his way up after the performer and disappeared.

Rarity was left alone now. Angrily getting to her hooves, she collected the loose piece of string from the ground and violently tossed the gossamer thread to the pearls.

The string looped its way through all of the loose pearls, before closing itself around Rarity’s neck.

She was without friends. She was without a clue what to do next or where to go. Things seemed to be going downhill fast for her.

“Hiya, Rarity.”

Rarity jumped at the greeting. Looking in its direction, she saw Nopony standing next to herself.

“You--How--” Rarity panted.

“I doubled back while your squeaky friend ran forward,” Nopony explained.

“Of course. Yes,” Rarity said. “Come along. We should get that jewel to your father, before anything else happens.”

“Yeah. Who knows who else wants this thing,” Nopony agreed.

The two ponies hurried to their destination, ready to fulfill the dream of a nopony. However, they were unaware that the worst of their troubles was yet to come.

Author's Note

Boy, Pete's done some low-down, devious, underhanded things in his life of crime. But, setting Mickey against his friends sure takes the taco.

So, Mickey's a villain now it seems. How long he will remain so has yet to be seen.

During this chapter, we can see just how far Rarity has come with learning her new magic, being able to go toe to hoof with Mickey. We also got to see just how much she needs Twilight. If only our purple alicorn could know that.

Speaking of Twilight, we're going to see her in the next chapter. How far she'll come with learning the new magic may or may not be seen. Or if she'll even grasp it.

On to a happier note, it seems like Rarity wants to spend more time getting to know Nopony, and recognizes his assets. Perhaps we'll have another recruit on the magical quest, a la Uncle Scrooge? That remains to be seen.

That's all I really have to say here. Rock on, all \m/

Chapter 27: Obsolete Dream

Chapter 27

Obsolete Dream

Twilight paced around the dark room, going over in her head what she had experienced with Souris. Through the eyes of the lady-bat, Twilight had seen the world as one only could imagine it. And through that lesson, she learned what she had to do.

As her eyes wandered, Twilight saw the scissors laid flat on the table. The same shears she had seen dance about like a ballerina as they created a dress.

Wondering how such a thing could have been done, she gently prodded the tool with her hoof. She didn’t know what she was expecting from doing such a thing, but the scissors merely nudged across the table.

With a sigh, Twilight stood the scissors up on their tip, and opened the shears to mimic the movements of the dancer’s pose she saw them take. Looking at them, Twilight couldn’t understand how Souris could have made them dance like a ballerina. To her, they seemed simple, ordinary open shears. Or like a number seven.

And the needles next to the scissors could have been a number eleven. Seven plus eleven was eighteen. Subtracted from seven, it became negative four. Seven multiplied to a power of eleven, it became one billion, nine-hundred-seventy-seven-million, three-hundred-twenty-six-thousand, seven-hundred-forty-three. But, what good would mathematics ever do her with learning magic.

The young alicorn sighed over the knick knacks on the table. Though she had a slight idea of what she was going for, she had no idea how to make it her own.

A sound behind Twilight caught her attention. Turning to the source of it, Twilight saw Souris walking through the curtain that separated them from the rest of the tent like a phantom through a wall.

“I see we’ve been productive with our free time,” Souris said in a way that Twilight couldn’t tell was sincere or sardonic.

Looking to the table, Twilight saw that she had unconsciously started forming long, complicated mathematical equations out of the needles, thread, scissors, pincushions and loose fabrics.

Twilight recalled her days as a filly, being scolded by Princess Celestia for dawdling with her schoolwork. Now that she thought about it, Souris was in many ways like Princess Celestia. Just more unnerving and intimidating.

“Sorry. I was just trying to see if I could do what you did. I didn’t mean to mess up your work,” Twilight apologized.

“It’s perfectly alright, dear,” Souris said, as she magically moved aside the clutter on the desk. “Every great artist started with doodling. Even many of your favorites.”

Twilight said nothing, but nodded slowly. Given the many times that Souris had seen through her, Twilight was sure that the lady-bat knew that she didn’t know all that much about art or artists.

“So, are you ready for your next step?” Souris asked, as she circled around Twilight.

“I don’t know. What is the next step?” Twilight asked.

“Just a simple makeover is all. Nothing drastic. You already know my stance on minimalism,” Souris answered, as she knelt down to Twilight’s level.

The warmth of Souris’ eyes was contrasted once more by her icy gaze and chilling touch. Through it all, Twilight realized one crucial factor.

“Don’t you need makeup to give me a makeover?” Twilight wondered.

“Oh, no. Not when you can do things the way I can. All I need is an idea of what I’m going for. Then, I can bring it alive,” Souris answered.

“Is that what you were just doing?” Twilight said, ignoring the shiver down her spine.

“That’s exactly what I was doing. I was looking to the other hair and makeup stations to see how or what ways I wanted to make you up. I caused quite a buzz as well. You’d be surprised by the stir you can create when you announce that you’re working with an alicorn,” Souris said.

Twilight suddenly became aware of outside light pouring into the room. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that she was being watched by at least a dozen other creatures of all species. The second they were seen, they all scattered away like hens in a coop.

“Wow. I didn’t think I’d be such a big deal around here,” Twilight said.

“Why wouldn’t you be? You're only Equestrian royalty,” Souris said.

Twilight gasped quietly when the tips of Souris’ claws crackled with starlit magic.

“It’s alright. I know this looks scary, but it won’t hurt at all,” Souris said, as she slowly moved her claws toward Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight stood perfectly still, and closed her eyes as she felt Souris’ arctic claws gently stroke her face. Had she a mirror, Twilight would have seen a color like makeup foundation appear on herself.

“So...um...did anypony ask about me?” Twilight wondered.

“Of course they did. You’re quite possibly the biggest celebrity who ever graced my show. They asked if you were beautiful. I told them yes. They asked if you were smart. I told them yes, “Souris answered, as she gently stroked her claws over Twilight’s eyelids, leaving marks like eyeshadow.

Twilight smiled. She had always known she was one of those two, and it was nice to hear somepony affirm them both aloud to her.

“They asked if you were talented--” Souris continued, as she finished the eyeshadow.

Twilight opened her eyes and held her breath, anticipating the answer.

“--I told them you had potential.”

“Oh,” Twilight said.

“Don’t you ever worry about a thing,” Souris said, as she stroked her claws around Twilight’s eyes, magically applying eyeliner. “I told you that I would be with you every step of the way. And so will the more experienced models. We’re all going to help you.”

Twilight smiled again. In such a short time, she was making many new friends without even realizing it. And a tiny spark appeared in her mind for it. Without so much as a drop of magic in her, she was forging friendships.

Friendships. The friends Twilight left behind when she had begun the magical quest were now in the forefront of her mind. She knew full well how Rarity was faring before she disappeared into a crowd. But, what about the others?

“Something on your mind?” Souris asked, as she gently curled Twilight’s eyelashes with her claws.

“Huh?” Twilight asked.

“You seem preoccupied. What are you thinking?” Souris asked.

Twilight was unable to answer right away as Souris ran her claws over her lips, turning them the same shade of pink as the stripe in her mane.

“I was just wondering about my friends. I wonder if they’d even recognize me now as I am,” Twilight said, partly meaning her role as a model, and partly at her complete loss for magical talent.

For as friendly and personable as Souris was, Twilight became unsettled by the lady-bat’s smile again. Somehow, it looked even more devious than before, bordering demonic. As if this time, Souris hadn’t expected Twilight to answer as she did, but was delighted to hear it.

“Would you like to see how your friends are doing without you?” Souris asked.

“I would. But, they’re all so far away,” Twilight said.

“That doesn’t matter. With my magic, I can show you where they are,” Souris said, as she put the last touch on Twilight’s lips.

“Can you really?” Twilight wondered, curious and excited to see.

“Of course I can. You’ve already seen I’m not so limited as yourself,” Souris said.

In spite of how she felt she knew how to advance in her magical practices, Twilight felt her will falter. Not only to continue learning from Souris, but to see her friends. What if they were all progressed further than herself? What if they all had discovered what she herself had been trying to learn since her magic had been stolen?

For as much as Twilight had learned about friendship, she would have felt so ashamed of herself to know if her friends had surpassed her in her own special skill. There would be no facing them if she was no longer the mare they knew.

“No. They aren’t like that. They like me for me,” Twilight thought to herself.

“Who likes you for you?” Souris asked.

Twilight jumped slightly at the question. She had sworn she was not speaking aloud. Then again, she was not exactly aware of herself, she was so lost in thought.

“Uh...nopony,” Twilight stammered. She felt her anxiety spike when she saw Souris smirk deviously at her.

She recalled when she first met Souris that the lady-bat said she was no mind reader. But, for how every time that Souris had seen through her, Twilight thought that perhaps maybe she could peer into her mind and learn all of her darkest secrets. With that idea jumbling with her mounting anxieties, Twilight decided there was one logical way to ease her mind.

“Souris...yes. I want to see my friends,” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her pattering heart.

Once again, Twilight thought Souris hoped she would answer in such a way. The lady-bat’s smile was both warm and devious, making Twilight want to back away as Souris reached for her. However, it was her curiosity and her desire for catharsis that planted her hooves on the spot.

“You’ve made a wise decision, Princess. May I borrow your wing for a moment?” Souris asked.

“Okay,” was all Twilight said, as she presented her left wing.

Twilight hardly had the will to ask why Souris wanted to handle her wing. And that will faded to a chilly, tickling sensation that sent tingles up her spine, as Souris ran her claws through Twilight’s feathers.

With the gentle touch of Fluttershy preening her wings, Souris plucked a single feather from the young alicorn.

“It’s a good thing we haven’t styled your mane yet,” Souris said. Before Twilight could ask why, Souris plucked a single hair from Twilight’s head. “Come. Follow me.”

Twilight did as instructed, and followed Souris to the desk where the candles were lit.

The lady-bat reached over to a single sconce with a single white candle in it.

Twilight watched as Souris placed her palm on the table, then magically produced a handful of powerful-smelling herbs. Souris sprinkled them around the base of the candle sconce and took what was leftover into her fingertips.

Twilight was taken slightly aback as Souris sprinkled the remaining pinch of herbs over her head. Once that was done, the lady-bat placed both Twilight’s plucked hair and feather into the candle’s flame.

Both singed and curled from the flame, and created a foul smoke that made Twilight cover her nose.

Souris’ clawed hands danced through the smoke as she sprinkled the ashes of Twilight’s hair and feathers around the candle.

“Now, picture your friends in your mind. See them clearly in your mind’s eye. See their faces. Hear their words,” Souris beckoned, as she curled the smoke around her fingers.

In her mind, Twilight could picture clearly the colors, forms and voices of her friends.

“Message from the princesses.”

“Howdy, y’all!”

“Awesome!”

“If that’s alright…”

“PAAARTYYY!!”

“Fantabulous!”

It was so clear, Twilight almost thought for sure she was casting magic on her own. She knew there was no way for it to happen, but she half expected her friends to appear suddenly before herself.

“Okay. I have them,” Twilight said.

“Good,” Souris said with a smirk, as she removed her hands from the smoke. “Now, blow out the candle.”

Twilight blew out the tiny flame before herself.

The smoke billowed and curled through the air, creating amorphous shapes. The more she watched, the more Twilight saw the smoke was taking familiar forms. Forms that she recognized as all of her friends.

A smile crossed Twilight’s face at the sight of them all. Though she had barely noticed before, she realized only then how much she missed seeing them all. There was Applejack, plodding her way along. Pinkie Pie was happily bouncing up and down as always. Even Spike was doing well for himself, it seemed. Then, there was Rainbow Dash, showing off to the others with her, doing cartwheels and flying loops.

Flying loops?

Twilight couldn’t believe what she saw. She gasped slightly as she watched the smokey image of Dash jump into the air, flap its wings, then do a complete aerial loop, before landing on the ground.

But, that was not all.

Twilight looked back, and saw that Applejack was bucking like a pro. Pinkie had blown up a bottle of hot sauce like a balloon, and sprayed its contents all over. Fluttershy was holding fast to the duck she had accompanied earlier, and was using her wings to help him fly. Spike was using not only his fiery breath, but also his tail, tongue and spines to creative effect.

Twilight looked at them all and felt her heart clench. They had all discovered what she had struggled to even barely conceive. Even though she had used this magic to protect herself from Pete and the master metal, she didn’t even know how she had done such a thing. What were they all doing that was different?

As she looked over the images, trying to study each of them for a clue to their success, Twilight’s eyes found the most gut-wrenching image of all.

There, showing more clearly than any of the others, was Rarity standing directly beside Nopony.

The performer had stopped walking, as though he were hesitating to continue forward.

Rarity placed her hoof atop Nopony’s, and even though Twilight could not hear what she was saying, the fashionista’s face conveyed nothing but sentiment and companionship. The very same that Princess Cadence could stir in two ponies who had met one another.

Twilight’s heart raced at the sight, and her nerves bristled violently. It was too much for her to bear any longer.

Each of the images dispersed into billowy smoke as she abruptly turned away.

“Whatever is the matter, dear? Don’t you want to see your friends?” Souris asked.

“I do...But…” Twilight answered, before trailing off.

Souris had seen how Twilight was watching the image of Rarity and Nopony, and a thought occurred to her. With another devilish smile, Souris danced her hands through the formless smoke, and formed two still images of Nopony and Rarity.

“This stallion? Is he precious to you?” Souris asked.

Looking at the image of Nopony, Twilight remembered how she felt when she first saw him. She had seen plenty of ponies in need of friendship, but the lonely street performer who had so much passion for his show needed it more than most.

Simply by offering her companionship to Nopony, Twilight knew she could have brought him to light of the true magic of friendship. And in the process, hoped she could have encountered her first coltfriend.

“No...Yes...I mean...I hoped he would be,” Twilight answered.

“A lost chance?” Souris said, raising one eyebrow. “And can I assume that your friend, this lovely young mare, took it upon herself to seize what you could not?”

Twilight bit her lip, afraid to answer aloud, knowing that simply hearing it would destroy herself.

“You shouldn’t be surprised,” Souris said, clenching her fists around the two images, making them disperse. “As you are now, you could never captivate any hearts or minds. You still have much to learn in the ways of magic like mine.”

It was the worst thing Twilight could hear. She wanted sorely to be able to use such magic and have all that she desired. It was so close now that she could taste it. But, how would she learn to see the world as Souris did?

In that moment, Twilight’s mind sparked brilliantly.

“I think I’ve already got it,” Twilight said.

“Oh? Have you?” Souris asked.

“Earlier, before I put on this gown, I saw something. I saw myself in front of everypony, and they were all fawning over me. I did captivate their hearts and minds, just like you said! And then--” Twilight trailed off when she recalled what happened next.

“And then what, dear?” Souris asked, motioning for Twilight to continue.

“And then something happened,” Twilight continued. “I saw this shadow. Like a ghost, or something. It came from the audience, and it looked at me. I don’t know what it was, but it was like it was trying to tell me to keep going, even if I didn’t want to. What was that?”

Souris smirked at Twilight’s recollection.

“I’ve had plenty of experience with shadows like that. Oftentimes, those are just our doubts clouding our minds to what dreams we can achieve,” Souris answered. “But, more often than not, these shadows are what is shrouding the unknown.”

“What unknown?” Twilight asked.

“The uncertainty of what is to come, or how things will turn out. Like a phantom, they blot out our visions of the future, clouding the path to our dreams. Everyone sees those shadows. Even people like myself,” Souris said.

“But, how do we get past them?” Twilight wondered.

Once again, Souris’ smile made Twilight think the lady-bat had either hoped or expected her to ask such a question. With bated breath, the young alicorn awaited Souris’ answer.

“We simply keep forging ahead,” Souris said.

“That’s it?”

“Yes. If we never face those shadows in our minds, we will never overcome them. We’ll never see what lies past them on the path to achieving our dreams. So, tell me: will you face this shadow of doubt?” Souris asked.

Twilight immediately thought of her vision. Her dream to once more become proficient in magic, and to become once more deserving of her role as the Princess of Friendship.

“Yes. I’ll do it. I’m going to keep going and capture everypony’s hearts and minds!” Twilight resolutely declared.

“And that is how the greats are made,” Souris said, playfully touching the tip of her finger to Twilight’s nose. Once more, Souris brandished her fiendish smile, as she conjured the smokey image of Rarity to Twilight. “Why don’t you show your friend how far you’ve come?”

“Now?” Twilight said.

“Of course. When the image is as clear as this, it means that your friend is practically across the room from yourself. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was right outside our door right now,” Souris said.

“But, right now?” Twilight repeated.

“Of course. Unless you don’t want to show her how close you are to surpassing her…” Souris suggestively said.

“I’ll do it! I’ll go looking for her now!” Twilight blurted out.

“There’s a good filly. And remember: I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Souris reminded her.

Once again, Twilight could not refrain from hugging Souris. This time, Souris returned the gesture by placing her icy palms on Twilight’s back.

Even with Princess Celestia nowhere near herself, Twilight felt as if she had somepony else she could look up to. A new friend who could show her the way. Guide her on her new path to magical omnipotence.

“You should go now, or you might miss your friend,” Souris said.

“You’re right. And, Souris: thank you. For everything,” Twilight said, placing her hooves back on the ground.

“Think nothing of it. Now go.”

With a light in her heart and a sparkle in her mind, Twilight left the dark room to present her new self to Rarity.

The candles in the room all slowly dimmed, leaving only the slightest trace of light. In the darkness, Souris’ eyes lit up with a malevolent red, and the rest of her morphed into demonic proportions.

With her long, dagger claws, Souris shaped the smoke in the room into the shape of Twilight trotting off to her destination.

“Poor filly,” Souris said, smiling deviously. “Poor, naive filly.”

Mickey was frantically searching the streets for Nopony and Rarity from his rooftop vantage.

For several minutes now, the mouse had been searching for the slippery performer who was withholding the ticket to Minnie’s freedom. He was growing desperate and panicked. The more time he spent looking, the more clearly he could see in his mind the image of Minnie roasting on a spit, while the Big Bad Wolf whetted his teeth against a stone.

With the speed and agility of a mouse on a mission, Mickey jumped from rooftop to rooftop. To the onlookers who only caught a glimpse of the mouse, he seemed a swift and unrelenting shadow.

Mickey climbed atop a sign with two points at the top. From there, he scoped the crowd below, waiting, searching, hoping for a sign of his quarry.

At the very bottom of his peripheral vision, Mickey saw a mass of white, black and purple. Looking down, he saw not what he had hoped for. Instead of two ponies, a glamorous fashionista and a bland performer, it was a single white dragon with purple feathers and black clothes.

“Nuts!” Mickey quietly shouted to himself.

“Oh boy. Did it have to be this place?” said a familiar voice.

Mickey quickly jumped behind the sign, pressed himself against the side, and covered himself with his mantle. Even though the red of his mantle was not the same as the purple-red of the sign, he still blended in from a distance.

The mouse peered out from beneath his hat, which blended in with the black logo. A logo which was shaped like three triangles to silhouette a bat’s head.

Below on the ground, Nopony looked up at the sign above the stage he was standing before. Now at his destination, he felt his will to continue forward falter.

“Nopony? Are you alright? This is where you needed to go, isn’t it?” Rarity asked.

Indeed it was where Nopony needed to go. The only information his father had told him about where he was working was that it was a new place in the fashion district of the Circle of Dreams Plaza. And the only new place was one with a very familiar name.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just...The name of this place: Amaranthine. Well...My mom’s name was Dream Amaranthine,” Nopony answered.

“I see. But, why should that stop you from going on?” Rarity asked.

“I’m just afraid this is some kind of sign. Like, I shouldn’t go in there to see my dad. What if all this trouble to get this jewel was a complete bust?” the performer said.

Rarity saw the doubt and fear in Nopony’s eyes. The very same kind that stopped herself from trying new, experimental projects, or from attempting to use an unconventional design. Whether or not things went well after she attempted such things anyway, she always felt a weight off her mind whenever she did.

“Nopony,” Rarity said, placing her hoof atop the performer’s, “I can’t begin to wonder what you must be feeling. But, I do know that you must find your father.”

“But, what if it doesn’t work? What happens if my dad doesn’t accept his gift?” Nopony said.

Rarity balked at the answer she received. She had no idea how to answer the question, so she decided to answer honestly.

“I don’t know what. But, you must find out. If you never try, you’ll always wonder,” Rarity said.

Nopony said nothing, but Rarity could see that he had made his decision.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Rarity said.

Nopony exhaled and nodded slowly. Taking a moment to psych himself up, the performer walked forward with Rarity at his side.

Atop the sign, Mickey saw his chance to take the jewel for himself. But, he would have to pick his moment. Only after it was presented to Nopony’s father. After the performer had given it, he would stealthily recover the bauble for Pete.

Using his mantle as a parachute, the mouse landed softly on the ground. From there, he quietly ran behind the stage, completely ignoring the ‘No Admittance’ sign that was present. The same as Rarity and Nopony had done before him to get backstage.

Behind the stage, Mickey quickly caught sight of Rarity and Nopony, and quickly hid inside of a rack of clothes before they saw him. Peering out from inside of a large coat, the mouse saw them walking through the backstage area, none of the staff paying much mind to them.

Before Mickey could wheel forward, a zebra tried to take the very coat that Mickey was hiding in to give to a model. She was taken completely aback when the coat’s arm lashed out and pushed her away.

“Hey! Watch it, fresh!” Mickey said.

Gasping sharply, the zebra ran away.

Now free of any grabbing hands, Mickey dropped a shoe from the rack on either side of the rack's base. Taking a pair of trousers, the mouse dropped a leg into the two shoes. Now, with rudimentary legs and feet, the jury-rigged contraption walked forward like a living creature.

Mickey stopped walking after several steps, only after drawing several awed stares from the staff. When one staff member, a unicorn, went to investigate, she was curious to find that there was nothing within the rack that would make it move. Chalking it up to some immature member of the staff using their magic to pull a joke, she magically moved it back to its original spot.

It was a close call for the mouse, who had jumped free of the rack before it was moved back. Trucking on, Mickey continued walking through the crowd of the staff workers. Knowing he would never stand out in a place such as Avalon, Mickey was able to casually walk through, keeping his distance from Rarity and Nopony.

Ahead, Nopony knew he was growing closer. He spotted what was clearly a tailor’s station, where his father was sure to be found.

There was one area where a wide berth was given around one station. A place where it seemed even the other tailors would not go.

This was it. Nopony knew this was where he needed to go. Slowly, he walked around a curtain that cordoned off the rest of the workspaces. It was there that he saw the pony he was looking for.

Rarity peered around the cordoned area next, and saw an older stallion with his back turned to them. His clothes were an old fashioned tweed waistcoat and khaki pants. But, the gown he was fashioning was anything but old fashioned.

The fashionista recognized it as similar to many of the designs she had seen a few of the creatures around Avalon wearing. Very few, as if his designs were not desired.

“Uh...Hi, dad,” Nopony greeted his father.

There was no answer from the stallion, whose ears did not even twitch at the sound of his son’s voice.

"You need any help with that gown?" the performer asked.

"Where have you been?" his father answered, without even turning to face his son.

"Been? Well, I was downtown for a little bit, looking for your birthday present. Then--" Nopony started to answer

"Then you started wasting your time with that juggling thing you do. It's the same story every time," the stallion finished for his son.

“It wasn’t a total waste. I earned some money this time,” Nopony said.

“As opposed to all the other times you didn’t earn a single coin. Pathetic. Why don’t you quit that nowhere hobby of yours and do something useful? Then you might amount to something more than a nopony,” the stallion said.

Rarity was appalled. Never before had she heard a father talk to their son in such a way. And she could plainly see how much it hurt Nopony to hear such things from his own father, in spite of his smile. Wanting now more than ever to see this to the end, Rarity nudged Nopony forward.

“Uh...dad. I got something for you. I know it’s a few days early. But...” Nopony said. After taking a moment to clasp Rarity’s hoof in his own, Nopony slowly walked forward to his father’s side.

With a slightly shaking hoof, the performer produced the green jewel from his pocket and placed it on the desk beside his father.

“Here. It’s your birthday present,” Nopony said.

For the first time since Rarity and Nopony walked into the room, Nopony’s father turned his head from his work. With only the slightest movement of his neck, he glanced over to the jewel on the desk next to himself.

“Where did you get that?” the old stallion asked, his voice as flat and disinterested as ever.

“I bought it from--” Nopony began.

“How did you get it?” his father interjected.

“Somepony gave me a silver coin for my performance today. I used it to get you that,” Nopony answered.

Nopony’s father sighed and turned back to his work.

Nopony knew that sigh. It was the same noise that he made every time he let his father down. Hearing it, he knew that he had failed.

“Somepony gives you a silver coin, and you spend it on some worthless trinket. Go figure,” the old stallion said.

“But...Dad, don’t you remember this jewel?” Nopony asked.

“Yes,” came the grim reply.

“Don’t you remember how happy mom was when you gave it to her?”

“Yes. What does that matter?”

“You said that it was a sign you’d love each other forever. That’s why mom loved it so much. And...well...I think it’s why it’s the only thing mom took with her when she left home,” Nopony said.

Once again, Nopony’s father sighed.

Seeing the performer’s face, Rarity thought Nopony was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. Quickly stepping to his side, Rarity tightened her hold on Nopony’s hoof and leaned her side gently against his.

Both younger ponies held their breath as they awaited the answer from the performer’s father.

“Forever isn’t as long as you think. It’s too short to even last the lifetime of a single pony. Everything ends. Everything stops working. Every feeling you ever had fades. It’s the same as that mare that left you a month back,” the older stallion said.

Rarity saw how Nopony was biting his lip. Whatever memory of whatever mare had been returned to him, Rarity could see that it was causing him much anguish. Perhaps the same that his father felt when his mother left. Perhaps he had been repressing the hurt and anguish he felt ever since, for fear of becoming like his father. All this and more made Rarity wish to remove Nopony from his abusive parent.

With a gentle tug, Rarity tried to lead Nopony from the room, but the performer remained steadfast.

“But, dad...Maybe, in some small way, mom can be around forever. Like, if you tried to remember the good times, and--”

Nopony was cut off by another dismayed sigh.

“Get out,” the old stallion said.

“Dad…?”

“Go away. And take this with you,” Nopony’s father said. Without looking, he pushed the green jewel off the desk to the ground before his son’s hooves.

Without a word, a tiny, sorrowful smile appeared on Nopony’s face, just before he turned his back to leave.

“Wait,” Rarity quietly called as she followed after.

The jewel laid on the ground, somehow less lustrous than it ever seemed before.

Nearby, a roll of red fabric slowly unrolled, revealing it to be Mickey, who had been rolled up in his own mantle.

His mission was now finished. The mouse collected the jewel, and glared contemptuously at the old stallion at the workstation. After presenting the rudest gesture he could perform with one hand to the stallion, he stealthily made his way out of the backstage area.

Twilight had been looking for Rarity ever since she left Souris’ room. As she timed it, she had been looking for one minute and thirty-one seconds. To her great surprise, the backstage area was far larger than what she was first led to believe.

She couldn’t wait to show her friend how she had changed. Without even finding her, she knew Rarity would be blown away by everything that she had become. Her heart fluttered at the idea of Nopony’s attention drawn to her. How she would then regale the stallion with all of her knowledge of the world of magic, and the wonders of friendship.

As Twilight moved through the backstage area, the workers at their stations all stopped what they were doing to watch the alicorn among them.

Twilight smiled. Though her face showed the tiniest of smiles, inside she was beaming brightly. This was what she was hoping for. Now, she was sure to succeed.

Across the way, she saw somepony she hoped she would see. Nopony was walking by himself to a less crowded corner of the backstage that was cordoned off by another curtain.

Just before he disappeared into the other room, Twilight noticed something about him. Instead of his normal upbeat smile, he seemed now let down and thoroughly disappointed.

Wanting nothing more than to rush to his side and console him with all of her knowledge about life, friendships and other relations, Twilight started to trot forward. Unfortunately, it seemed she would be beaten to it.

Rarity quickly followed after Nopony, making Twilight pick up her pace to follow.

When Twilight passed through the curtain that separated the area, she found that she was in some storage space where many unused fabrics, racks of clothing and model dummies of all shapes were to be found.

“Nopony?” Twilight heard Rarity’s voice call.

For reasons even Twilight could not conceive, instead of offering her assistance she hid behind a rack of clothes, which was further hidden behind a stack of fabrics.

Peering out, she watched as Rarity faced the performer in the lonely room.

“Nopony, are you alright?” Rarity asked, placing her hooves on the performer’s face.

Nopony sighed and averted his gaze.

“Nopony, look at me,” Rarity gently said, as she turned Nopony’s head to face her, removed his sunglasses, and placed them on the collar of his shirt. “You’ve done nothing wrong. All you tried to do was make your father happy.”

A family issue. It was something that Twilight had much experience with solving. Helping Nopony would be a snap.

“I know. But, I really thought this was my chance. This was supposed to be what made my dad the way he used to be,” Nopony said with a shaky smile, which quickly faded. “I guess there’s no fixing my family.”

Hearing his own words, Nopony realized the reality he once knew was nothing more than lost cause. A dream that had shattered in his face and cut him deeply.

“Rarity, I want my dad back!” Nopony said, burying his face into Rarity's shoulder as he embraced her.

Rarity gently cradled the performer in her hooves, softly hushing him as she ran her hooves through his mane.

Twilight had to hold her breath to steady her rapidly beating heart. She could see now that the chance of coming between them was growing thinner.

“Oh, Nopony. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’ll ever have your father back to the way he was,” Rarity said.

Twilight knew that wasn’t true. If only she could meet Nopony’s father, she could surely patch things up between them.

“I...I know. I’ve known that for a long time,” Nopony said. “If I was anypony else, I’d leave. If I was somepony, I’d have gone far away from Avalon. But, I can’t give up on my own dad.”

“Even when he has clearly given up on you?” Rarity gently lifted Nopony’s head, so that they faced one another. “I never met your mother, but I think I know why she left him. Because, he is a dream-crushing nopony. Your mother left to pursue her own dreams without being held back by a horrible stallion like him. But, you’re nothing like your father. You’re somepony. Somepony special, who is overflowing with dreams and inspiration that are begging to come true. But, that can never be if you remain with your father,” Rarity said.

“No. She can’t tell him that. It’s not what friendship is about. There’s always hope to reconcile with family,” Twilight thought to herself. In spite of her hopeful thoughts, she felt she was simply denying some unknown truth.

“But, what will I do? If I leave my dad, what can I do next?” Nopony wondered.

Twilight’s heart stopped mid-beat when she saw Rarity smile slightly, and brush her hoof against Nopony’s bangs.

“Come with me,” Rarity said.

“Where?”

“I don’t care where. But, I want you with me. Wherever I go, I want you to be there. Please, Nopony. Stay with me,” Rarity beckoned.

“You want me to be…” Nopony began.

“Yes,” Rarity finished.

“...With...you…?”

Twilight watched in silence as Rarity and Nopony tenderly nuzzled one another’s faces. Watching them, she could feel Nopony’s muzzle on her face. Feel his warm breath against her skin.

“Come. Let’s find Twilight. We’ll see if she can bring Mickey to his senses. And then we’ll all continue our quest. Together,” Rarity said.

“Together. With you,” Nopony said, as a smile bloomed across his face.

“Yes. Always together.”

Twilight watched the two ponies happily leave the room to search for her. Once they were gone, she remained.

A dry, choking sob escaped Twilight’s throat. She knew that no matter how she changed herself, no matter what she learned of this new magic, there was no coming between the two of them.

She wanted to cry, but her tears refused to escape.

All around, Twilight did not realize how the world darkened and turned to black. With every dry sob, a light appeared. Blurry at first, but it soon took the shape of a lit candle.

Unaware was Twilight of the presence behind her.

Souris walked to Twilight’s side from behind, the fabric of her skirt silently rustling with every step she took. In spite of the light around her, Souris was draped in shadows, hiding her form from plain view.

“I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to be hurt," Souris said.

Twilight knew then that she was nowhere near ready to do anything with the magic Souris was teaching her. In order to master it, she had to dedicate herself to its practice. At any cost.

“Souris...I want to stay with you,” Twilight shuddered.

“But, what about all of your friends? Don’t you think they’d want you to stay with them?” Souris asked. Unseen by Twilight was the lady-bat’s demonic smile.

“They can manage without me. They’ve been doing that. I want to be like you. I want to be able to reach my dreams, and take what I want from them,” Twilight said.

Without looking, Twilight sensed that Souris had knelt beside her. She felt Souris’ hand on her shoulder, and turned around to embrace the lady-bat again. For the first time, she felt warmth from Souris’ touch instead of an arctic chill.

The feel of the lady-bat's claws stroking her mane quieted Twilight's dry sobbing and settled her shaking nerves. It was like being a filly, held in the embrace of somepony she knew she could trust. As things were now, Twilight felt as if Souris truly were the only creature she could trust at all.

“There, there, Twilight. I’ll make you everything you want to be,” Souris cooed.

Twilight deepened her embrace on Souris, resting her head on the lady-bat's shoulder, silently accepting her new mentor’s promise. Then, she realized something that made her heart freeze.

“Um...Souris? I don’t remember telling you my name,” Twilight said.

Looking up to face Souris, Twilight gasped at what the lady-bat had become.

No longer was her face attractive or beautiful. Everything about Souris Chauve had turned monstrous and demonic. Even her warm, red eyes shone with a devilish light that bathed Twilight in their glow.

“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. This is only another one of those shadows,” Souris said, as she stroked her claws through Twilight’s mane. “You must keep going. Follow through with your convictions, and defeat what holds you back.”

For as afraid as Twilight was, she knew Souris was right. Even if she was afraid, she had to continue.

“Remember: I’ll always be there for you,” Souris said, more tightly embracing Twilight.

Twilight sighed and sank into the lady-bat’s arms.

From the open back of her dress, a pair of wings magically sprouted from Souris’ back. With a quick flap, they enveloped Twilight, and all of the candles were extinguished, leaving only darkness.

In the still sunny plaza, Mickey looked around for anywhere Pete could have been. For a fat, peg-legged cat, he was surprisingly hard to spot, considering the amount of other cats roaming the plaza.

“Pete! Where are ya!?” Mickey shouted.

No sign of the heavy was to be seen. Now that he had his sought objective, he was fast becoming frustrated with being unable to find Pete.

When he tried running forward, he found that he was suddenly caught.

Looking down, the mouse saw a pair of massive hands reaching up from a manhole cover. Before he could even yelp, he was pulled into the dank sewers below the plaza.

With a splash, the mouse landed in the putrid waters below. After standing up, he faced the one who accosted him and wrung out his mantle.

“Ain’t no call to go pullin’ a guy into the sewers!” Mickey grumbled.

“I just thought it’d be a fittin’ place to meet wit’ a pest,” Pete chuckled. “So, given how ya been hollerin’ all over de plaza, I trust ya found my jewel.”

“Yeah. Here,” Mickey said, presenting the green jewel to Pete. “Now, let Minnie go!”

“Hold yer horses, runt. I got every intention o’ takin’ ya to her. Just gimme dat jewel first, an’ I’ll trade her off,” Pete said, holding out a hand to accept his prize.

Mickey twisted up his wet mantle and used it to whip Pete’s hand.

“OUCH!!” Pete shouted.

“Minnie first. Then, jewel,” Mickey said.

Pete growled quietly at the terms of the exchange. But, this little complication was no obstacle. Even though Pete was never too bright, when it came to being sneaky, underhanded, lowdown, no good, under-the-table, corrupt, shifty, shady, dishonest, disloyal, devious, greedy, and just plain mean, he was the expert in every field.

“Alright. I’ll take ya to yer honey,” Pete said.

The heavy reached into his pocket and produced a cluster of glittering starlight.

Mickey watched as the starlight drifted to the end of the tunnel they were in, and expanded into a complete doorway.

“Follow me. She’s just through here,” Pete said.

Mickey watched as Pete stomped ahead. Always knowing he could never trust Pete, he cautiously followed after through the starlit doorway.

Author's Note

Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear. It seems like some dreams simply weren't meant to come true. Mickey will never find Minnie. Nopony lost both of his parents. And Twilight will never be whatever she wants to be.

In spite of it all, we all have ways of dealing with such. Like Nopony, simply carry on. Like Mickey, we still explore what is unknown. Or in the worst case, like Twilight, we keep chasing after what we can never attain.

It's quite a grim picture we have here now. Rarity is on her own, Mickey's going somewhere unknown with Pete, and Twilight has decided to give up on her magical quest and stay with Souris. Things are truly unraveling quickly around this neck of the woods.

Some of you may recognize the magic that Souris uses as similar to the way character communicate in another story I wrote. This was intentional, given the previous reference in this story arch to that particular story. No, characters from that story still won't appear in this one, outside of their brief cameo, but it's nice to pay tribute to them.

Speaking of magic: Twilight felt like she had a breakthrough in this chapter, given her vision. But, tell me: do any of you notice a distinct difference between Twilight's vision of herself, and Souris's vision of the world? It is crucial.

And just what is going on with Souris? Is she actually some kind of hellish demon? I'll explain that later.

The name of Nopony's mother, Dream Amaranthine, comes from the name of a song. In case you don't know, 'amaranthine' is the name of an herb. It's also defined as something that stays beautiful forever.

So, are we appropriately excited for the next chapter? I hope so, because it's going to be a good one. Rock on \m/

Chapter 28: Dream's End

Chapter 28

Dream's End

Everything was coming together. Souris worked the final touches of her magic all over Twilight, transforming the alicorn princess.

Twilight sat patiently as the lady-bat’s crackling hands gently stroked her mane, sides and back. With every pass of Souris’ hands, something changed. Her mane was styled. Her dress was smoothed. Her wings were preened. And when her hooves were rubbed, they were suddenly polished.

After everything she hoped for blew up in her face, Twilight stood silently as she was worked on. It was all she felt she could do.

“Don’t despair, dear. You’ve made a wise decision by remaining with me,” Souris said, as she gently stroked Twilight’s hoof.

Twilight sighed and shook her head.

“I still don’t know how this is supposed to help me,” Twilight said.

“This is all about getting you prepared for the next great step. First, you must bare yourself before the world as you know it,” Souris answered.

“What does that mean?” Twilight said, removing her hoof from Souris’ dagger-clawed hand.

“It’s how you begin to see the world as one such as myself does,” Souris answered with her devious smile.

The lady-bat turned her back to Twilight, and dramatically raised her arms. From the darkness before her, as if a projector had been shone on a screen, the world before them turned to the sparkling, magical vision Twilight had seen before.

“It all begins with a single step. One towards the end of the path blocked by your shadows of doubt that obscure the vision of your mind’s eye. And it is followed by many others, until we reach the glorious destination.”

Twilight watched as Souris raised her arms higher.

The scene before them changed to a stage with many cheering spectators. Upon the stage, Twilight could see a blurry, blotted, lavender shape, which was clothed in blue.

“By putting yourself on full display before the masses, you are able to see past the world of the natural and the mundane! And in doing so, discover what it is you see beyond it all to the magic within your own heart and soul!” Souris bombastically continued.

Twilight could see the figure on the stage growing brighter and more defined. Before she could actually see who it was in the vision, it all faded back into darkness.

Souris turned back around to face Twilight.

“But, first,” the lady-bat said, “We have to get you ready to present your heart and soul to all others. Only then can you know what is within you.”

Everything Twilight had seen was so wonderful. After the heartbreak she had experienced just prior, she felt her spirits lifted now that she was closer than ever to achieving mastery over this magic.

“I’m ready!” Twilight said, after the excitement sank in. “Souris, I’m ready to show everypony who I really am!”

“Not just yet, dear. You still aren’t fully dressed,” Souris said.

“Yes, I-- Oh. My jewel,” Twilight remembered.

“Precisely,” Souris said, tapping the tip of her claw to Twilight’s nose. “I know that it seems like a terrible nitpick. But, it is essential to completing your entire look. I’m going to go and see how my assistant is doing once again. And, remember: stay here, until I get back.”

“Okay,” Twilight said, smiling once more.

Souris’ entire body began crackling with her starlit magic, and before Twilight she disappeared.

Twilight looked on in awe, knowing she would be able to use such magic for herself in the very near future.

“You double-crossin’, gin-stinkin’, land whale!!! Get me down from here!!!” Mickey shouted.

On the rooftop of Amaranthine, Mickey Mouse hung upside-down. The mouse was tangled up in his own mantle, and bound by thick ropes that hung him from the backside of the Amaranthine billboard.

“Nuttin’ doin’, runt. Ya see, I got me a job to do,” Pete said, as he struck a match on Mickey’s face to light a new cigar.

“Why you--You never planned on givin’ Minnie back to me!” Mickey shouted.

“I wouldn’t be much of a no-gooder if I did, wouldn’t I? Hyeh-heh-heh-heh-heh!!!” Pete guffawed.

Mickey should have known. If there was anything that was certain in the world, it was death, taxes, and Pete was as dishonest as they came. Something which brought new light to the mouse.

“If you got Minnie, where is she?” Mickey said.

“If yer t’inkin’ ya wanna go lookin’ for her, ya best go spelunkerin’ in de bottom of ol’ Zeke Wolf’s big, bad gut! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”

Mickey struggled even more violently against his restraints.

“You aint’ got her!! The Big Bad Wolf would never eat a mouse!! Minnie’s too small for his appetite!!” Mickey shouted.

Pete did not answer Mickey. Instead, he kept laughing as Mickey tried to free himself. Leaving the mouse in suspense of the fate of Minnie was pure viewing satisfaction for the heavy. But, the fun ended when Pete felt a familiar chill down his spine.

In a burst of swirling starlight, Souris appeared behind Pete.

“Heh. Just de witch-woman I been lookin’ for,” Pete said. He turned to face Souris. “Yer gonna be real happy wit’--Sweet son o’ Pete!! What happened to yer face!?!?”

Souris smirked at Pete’s reaction to her demonic visage.

“You know me. I just can’t hide myself when I’m faced with such a perfect specimen as the one I’ve found. Why do you ask? Don’t you think I’m beautiful?” Souris asked, as she posed like a model, crossing her legs, raising her elbows and tracing her fingertips behind her neck.

“Hey-Hey! Don’t you go playin’ mind games wit’ me! Yer witchy, but ya ain’t no sucker-bus!” Pete said.

“Hmf,” was all Souris said, as she stepped toward her associate. “So, what is it you think I’d be so happy with?”

“I got yer moy-chandise,” Pete said, presenting the green jewel to Souris.

The lady-bat magically took it from Pete’s palm, and examined the jewel in her claws. There it was. The last piece of the puzzle. The final ingredient to her spell. The one missing link that would set off a chain of events that would end Avalon.

“This is it. The last sister. Brung to incur the end of what she and the others have all worked to build,” Souris said.

The lady-bat raised the jewel over her head, and her whole body crackled with magic.

“Get an eyeful o’ dis, runt. Dis is gonna be good,” Pete said, to Mickey, as he clasped the mouse with his arm.

From every jewel that adorned Souris’ body, the same kind of magic that coursed over her rose. To many, it would seem an awe-inspiring wonder of magic. To people like Mickey or Pete, it was completely the opposite.

Mickey watched, and could see that the magic coming from Souris’ many earrings and necklace were not her own. It was the magic of another, who the mouse swore he could see in the transferring magic. When the magic finished transferring, Mickey saw the familiar face of a blue cervequin with a lavender horn screaming on the surface of the jewel, before she disappeared entirely.

“Begun by a dream. And by a dream undone. So will be the fate of every citizen in Avalon,” Souris said to herself, as she pensively examined the green jewel.

Mickey couldn’t believe what he saw. He didn’t know what the heavy and the lady-bat were planning. Whatever it was, he knew that it meant every creature living in the city was in grave danger.

With a fury burning him from the inside out, Mickey struggled even harder against his restraints, only to be stopped by Souris’ hand on top of his head.

“You,” Souris said. “You’re a friend of Twilight’s, aren’t you?”

“What have ya done with her, ya demon-witch!!?” Mickey said.

“Now, now. That’s not how you talk to a lady,” Souris said, before spinning Mickey on his rope. “Twilight is just fine. In fact, she’s going to be even better than ever by the time I’m finished with her.”

Souris turned to leave, before stopping to speak with Pete one final time.

“Take care of this mouse, will you? I can’t have him interfering with my show,” Souris said.

“I was hopin’ ya’d say dat,” Pete said.

Souris disappeared with her jewel in hand, leaving Pete and Mickey alone on the rooftop.

Pete smiled deviously at Mickey, and produced a keg of dynamite from his jacket.

“I been lookin’ forward to dis a long time,” the heavy chuckled, as he slipped the explosive into the ropes that bound Mickey.

Twilight waited patiently for Souris to return. In a few short moments, she would return ready to show her the way to the next big step.

In her mind, the young alicorn played over how she would present herself to the crowd of onlookers. What she would discover of herself was like a treasure that waited to be found. With every passing second, it was like taking a step that brought her closer to her long-sought achievement.

The curtain in the room silently opened, and Twilight’s heart fluttered. Now, Souris was going to guide her to magical transcendence. Only, it was not Souris who entered.

“Twilight!” Rarity greeted her friend.

“Rarity?” Twilight answered, her heart suddenly jumping.

“Twilight, I’m so happy you’re here!” Rarity said, trotting over to hug Twilight.

“How did you find me here?” Twilight said.

“Oh, simple, darling. All I had to do was work a few of my feminine wiles,” Rarity joked. “Of course, it was simpler to ask if anypony has seen a purple alicorn around.”

“Right. Of course,” Twilight agreed.

As happy as she was to see Rarity at the moment, Twilight was even more relieved to see that Nopony was not with her. Wherever he was, he was surely not far from his precious Rarity.

“Um...Rarity, you should go. This is a private room,” Twilight explained.

“But, Twilight, I need you. More than I’ve ever needed you. I’ve a friendship problem only you can solve,” Rarity begged her friend.

Of all the things Rarity could have come forward with, why did it have to be a friendship problem? As she was now, Twilight knew she was in no fit state to solve so much as a crossword puzzle. If she were somepony else, who had never had their magic stolen from them, she was sure she could have helped. But until Souris returned, Twilight knew she could handle nothing she used to.

“Friendship? But, that’s--I need my magic to help you,” Twilight stammered.

“No, you don’t. I’ve done plenty without my own. And I can tell you that you can do the same,” Rarity assured her friend. “Please. This is my most desperate hour of need. Our quest cannot continue, until you help.”

Twilight felt her entire being sink in that moment. One look into Rarity's eyes, and she could see how greatly Rarity wished for her help. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Twilight divulged the terrible truth.

“I’m not going with you…” Twilight quietly said.

“What did you say?” Rarity asked.

“I’m not going with you on the rest of this quest,” Twilight answered more audibly.

Rarity couldn’t believe her ears. It was the last thing that she ever expected to hear Twilight say. Twilight who was everything that the Elements of Harmony embodied, who was always there who needed her, who never backed away from the chance to patch things between others. Now, Rarity thought she was looking at a hollow shell of the mare she knew so well.

“But--Twilight, you must! We can’t do this without you! I can’t!” Rarity said.

“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to. I can’t do anything to help you now. Look at me,” Twilight said. She lowered her horn, and concentrated her mind onto it. At the same time, she flapped her wings. Neither did anything of any use. “You see? I can’t do anything I used to. Not without my magic.”

Rarity was beginning to understand the plight of her friend. Twilight’s special skill had always been magic, and there she was without her main asset.

“Oh, darling,” Rarity began, placing a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, “You never needed such a thing. Look at that wonderful dress you’re wearing. It wasn’t made by anything like this,” Rarity said, indicating the horn on her friend’s head. “It was made from inside. By the same magic that ever let me fashion such things. You don’t need your horn. Just let it flow from within, and I know you can help us.”

Let it flow from within? How? Twilight was told that she would learn such a thing when she was presented onstage. That was the path she needed to take. Just like Souris had told her to.

The longer Twilight looked at Rarity, the more she could see Rarity’s face darken in the shadows. Soon, she became as black and as terrible as the doubts she had seen darken her presence in the first vision she had.

With a sharp gasp, Twilight backed away from Rarity, who suddenly reverted back to normal.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked.

“You need to leave. Now,” Twilight said.

“What? But, Twilight--”

Rarity tried approaching her friend, but Twilight stepped back.

“Just go. Finish what I started,” Twilight said.

Rarity had seen that look on Twilight’s face before. The same look that she always had when she had her mind completely made up. Whatever Twilight had been doing that whole time, it had left a profound impression on her. An impact that was deep enough to make Twilight abandon her friends and her responsibilities

With one last forlorn look, Rarity left with a heavy heart.

Twilight watched her friend go, still unnerved by the encounter with the shadows she had seen. Though she hated herself for sending off her friend, she knew she was doing the right thing. Under Souris’ guidance, she was going to become valuable to everypony once more.

Outside the room, Rarity walked with her head hung low. In such a short time, everything had fallen apart. Mickey was lost. Twilight was lost. For all she knew, Pete, The Big Bad Wolf, Yen Sid, and even that horrible badger had already won.

“Rarity!” Nopony’s voice called.

Rarity was not even phased when the performer somersaulted over a moving rack of clothes.

“Can you help me out here? Everypony keeps saying that there’s an alicorn behind one of these curtains. But, there are so many curtains here,” Nopony said.

“No need. We’re leaving,” Rarity said.

“But, what about your friend? Isn’t she here somewhere?”

Rarity didn’t answer. The Twilight she knew was gone. Nowhere to be found in that endless city of dreams.

Nopony didn’t know what was wrong with Rarity. But where she went, so too would he. Even if she were to continue her quest, or if she gave up and went home, he would be there with her.

Twilight sighed in the darkness of the room. Now that Rarity was gone, everything seemed so pointless. She had no magic, no friends, and no idea what she was doing. The way things were going, it didn’t seem like even learning magic the way Souris used it would do her any good.

In the shadows, Twilight looked up and saw a tiny glimmer of starlight. When she reached to touch it, it slowly drifted away from her.

The glimmer was joined by several more, which all consolidated to a single point. With a burst of light, the mass of stardust became the lady-bat herself, Souris Chauve.

For a moment, Souris said nothing. She only stared at Twilight, as if to silently appraise her.

Twilight did not even flinch at the sight of the demonic lady looking over her. To her, it seemed somehow natural. Like Souris was the only creature she could place her trust in at the moment.

From the light of Souris’ devilish red eyes, something in her hands was made to glimmer. Looking closer, Twilight saw that it was a jewel. A green jewel whose cut she couldn’t make out.

“Is that it? My jewel?” Twilight wondered.

“Yes,” Souris said, barely able to contain her smile.

“And now, I can go onstage?”

“Oh, yes,” Souris answered, beaming devilishly as her eyes glowed brighter. “Come closer to me. I’ll prepare you for the last step.”

As the lady-bat magically summoned a strip of pink fabric, Twilight slowly walked closer to her. The speed of Twilight’s pace was not slowed by caution, fear, or wonder of what Souris had become. Rather, she was going over in her head with what was to happen next. With just the application of a new accessory, she was going to cross the rubicon to something greater.

“Um…” Twilight began.

“Yes?” Souris asked, as she magically stitched the green jewel into the fabric.

“Do you really think I can really improve? Can I really be something better than I am now?” Twilight asked.

“Of course, dear. I wouldn’t have taken you on if I weren’t sure of your potential. Why do you ask?” Souris answered.

“No reason. But, could you keep telling me? From time to time?”

“Of course,” Souris said, as her eyes glowed even brighter.

Watching Souris smile as she worked in the light of her devilish eyes, Twilight felt as though she were watching a mirror of the needle-sharp concentration and fiery passion that let itself forth. Just the very same as she hoped to experience when she went onstage.

With that in mind, Twilight felt her anxieties fade. She had been right. In the presence of Souris, all the shadows went away.

Souris finished the necklace she was fashioning, and revealed the finished product to Twilight. While beautiful, it was the jewel that gave Twilight pause.

After being stolen by Nopony, pursued by Pete, and returned to Souris by her unknown assistant, Twilight could see in full what a wonder of jewelry it was. It had all the glory and splendor of the sunrise, and the beauty and majesty of the early rising moon. And it was all hers.

Twilight closed her eyes as Souris fastened the necklace around her neck. In the solitude of her own mind, Twilight could see herself once more. She was onstage, cavorting and gallivanting about for all the world to see her. Every time she stepped, it was like dancing. With every turn, Twilight was faced with more awe from all who were watching.

Around her, the world began to sparkle, and the necklace she wore gleamed brightly. All who looked at her were captivated. And the world itself seemed to bow to her every whim.

A familiar feeling clutched her mind. The same that she felt before, as a shadow began seeping from the necklace she wore.

“No! Not now! I need to get past this!” Twilight thought to herself.

It was too late. The shadow overtook her and enveloped her entire being. Only this time, something was different. There was another presence within the shadow. One that Twilight had the distinct feeling was telling her to run away. To save herself and all others. That whatever she did, she should avoid Souris at all costs.

“No! I won’t let anything stop me!!” Twilight declared aloud.

“Very good, dear,” Souris’ voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

When Twilight looked around, all she could see were the lady-bat’s red eyes peering from the shadows.

“Now, come and meet the others,” Souris’ voice said.

Even though she couldn’t see the lady-bat, Twilight could tell that she was motioning for her to come forward.

From out of the darkness, six more colors shone. Gold at first. Then violet, orange, white, black and yellow all followed.

With a feeling of ease creeping into her mind, Twilight walked forward. Soon, the shadows around her all disappeared, and she was surrounded by six other creatures. Though Twilight had never seen them, the distinctly colored necklaces they were wearing were sure signs they were the other models.

Each model varied greatly by species. There was a griffin who wore a black jacket and skirt, with the golden necklace around her neck. A cervequin in a yellow gown and gloves, with the violet necklace. A fanged creature with wild hair who wore an equally wild turquoise dress, with the orange necklace. A faceless creature of pure luminosity in a red minidress, who wore the white necklace. A llama in a white bolero who wore the black jewel. And finally, a creature that was like a bipedal fish with long, flowing hair, who wore a green cocktail dress, with the yellow necklace.

All eyes were on Twilight. Even though they spoke quietly, the young alicorn could hear what the models were saying.

“It’s really her.”

“Have you ever seen anything like her?”

“She really is an alicorn! I never would have believed it before now!”

“My goodness, she’s beautiful.”

Twilight’s mind went back to the first days of her alicorn-hood. When all of her friends and acquaintances in Ponyville suddenly started talking like she was a wonder of nature. In truth, she was always the same mare she always was. All she needed to do to show that was to simply break the ice.

“Uh...nice to meet you all. I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight greeted the models.

Twilight was suddenly overtaken by the greetings that were offered to her. Every one of the other models exchanged their names, where they were from, and how excited they were to be working with Twilight.

“Ahem,” said a familiar voice from nearby.

Twilight and all the other models looked, and saw Souris now standing among them. No longer was she devilish and demonic, but her face had reverted back to the same attractive features Twilight had first seen. The shadows of doubt had passed, and Twilight knew now she was truly ready.

“We’re ready to begin the show,” Souris said, motioning to the stage just beyond.

Twilight looked out to the light of the stage outside. That was what laid past the shadows of doubt. And it was where she was going to take herself.

Souris knelt down beside Twilight to offer one last friendly reminder.

“Just remember, dear: I’ll be with you for every step of the way,” the lady-bat said.

Twilight smiled, and looked out to the stage after Souris stepped aside. With one step, and then another, Twilight was on her way.

The other models filed after her, ready to put themselves on display.

For a brief moment, Souris’ visage turned demonic as she watched the models onstage, before she reverted back. Now that the first part was done, she was ready to finally put her plan into full effect.

Outside the show, Rarity sat dismally before an ameteur work station at a tailor’s booth. Not even the prospect of working on a simple coat made her spark come alive as it normally had.

“Come on, Rarity. What’s wrong? You haven’t talked to me since we left that work room,” Nopony said, as he tumbled in, twirling a pair of fabrics around himself like an exotic dancer.

Rarity sighed deeply and pushed away the fabrics she was working with.

“Rarity, you can talk to me. A lot of ponies say that nopony listens to them, or that nopony cares about their problems. You’re just lucky that I happen to be Nopony,” the performer said.

Rarity managed the smallest giggle. For as enthused as the performer was, she was hardly in any mood to discuss the details of a friendship so profound that had ended so abruptly.

All around her, Rarity could see friendships that abounded in that place. Whether they were creatures who had known one another for years or even hours, the fashionista knew that they all hinged on the completion of the magical quest.

As if on cue, the magical cluster of starlight appeared before Rarity.

“Hey, that’s neat. Did you do that?” Nopony asked.

Looking at the light, Rarity knew then what had to be done. She had been guided to where she was needed, and she was going to see it through to the end. Her mind was now made up. With or without Mickey or Twilight, the quest had to go on.

“Come, Nopony. We must go where we’re needed now,” Rarity said.

“Sure. You think they like buskers there?” Nopony asked.

“I’m sure at least somepony will,” Rarity answered.

The two ponies followed the light down the street, right up to a crowd that had formed in front of Amaranthine.

Rarity and Nopony pushed their way through the crowd, following after the glittering light, knowing that it was to take them somewhere of great importance.

The light led the ponies to the front of the stage. Rarity did not even need to wonder why she was led there.

Standing directly at the front of the stage, there was Twilight Sparkle as Rarity had never seen her before. No longer was Twilight the modest, plain mare she knew from back home. Twilight was cavorting herself across the stage, showing every aspect of her being. And the longer Rarity watched, the more she saw that Twilight was enjoying herself.

With every pass, Twilight was becoming more immersed with the display to the point she began interacting with the other six models onstage with herself. For every moment she spent onstage, Twilight could feel as though she were truly experiencing what Souris told her about. Even though the world to her was not sparkling, it seemed to her as if it were so. When the show was finished, she was going to return to Souris, more determined than ever to apply what she had learned.

High above the stage, behind the Amaranthine billboard, a mouse was struggling to free himself.

“MMF!! RRMF-FRRM-RRRMFUF-ARUMF!!!” Mickey shouted through the dynamite that gagged him.

In the time since Souris left them alone, Pete had placed dynamite into almost every inch of the ropes that bound Mickey. Not only that, but he had tied Mickey up in lengths of detonating cord, mounted dynamite around where Mickey hung, and even placed a small powder keg beneath Mickey.

“Dat oughta do it,” Pete said, as he stuffed two sticks of dynamite inside Mickey’s ears.

The heavy took a step back to admire his handiwork. There was his oldest and most hated enemy, wrapped in explosives, and only moments from his demise.

Pete was fully ready to finish the mouse off, but took a moment to revel in the joys of watching Mickey struggle in vain to break free.

“GRM-HUMFFUH-GARMF--” Mickey shouted, before Pete sent Mickey spinning with a right hook.

“Put a cork in it, runt! I ain’t gonna blow ya up yet. Dat’s just a constichee-ency,” Pete said.

Mickey slowly stopped struggling when he saw Pete reach into his jacket, and produce his tommy gun.

Below the stage, a room with an altar silently echoed as its single occupant worked her devilish magic.

In the crystalline reflections of the walls, Souris ran her clawed hands over the surface of the altar. The reliefs of seven creatures were carved on the surface of the stone of seven colors. With every pass of her hands, Souris filled the grooves with their respective complementary color.

Souris’ smile grew and grew as the final image of a blue cervequin appeared on the green stone of the altar.

“Now, you are all together,” Souris said, as her face and body changed once more to demonic proportions.

The preparations were all complete. Now was the time to execute her plan. With a wave of her hands over the stone, the images on the altar seemed to suddenly come alive when they started to glow.

“You who are in my power. You seven who dreamed the impossible, built the impossible, undo now what you have done! I command you! Give your power now to me, that I may please my master! Destroy all you have created, and the sons and daughters you have dreamt! Confer unto me your beautiful dream!”

Light shone brighter from the stone, and began to seep upward through the ceiling. Slowly at first, until the light grew so intense, it nearly seemed it would break through the ceiling to the stage above.

As the light grew greater, so too did Souris’ transformation until she was barely recognizable from her former state. With her true nature revealed, so too would she unleash her true intentions upon all of Avalon.

A light rose from the Amaranthine stage, making the models and audience all cover their eyes.

A strange sensation overtook the models, and each one of them froze in place. Slowly, they all stood straight upright, and another light shone from them all, which spread across the audience, and flooded all across the city, from the deepest sewer to the highest building.

Up above, Pete had just placed his finger on the trigger, before he fell over backwards from the sight before him.

“What de Sam Hill is dat!!??” Pete shouted.

Down on the ground, Nopony had to cover his eyes, even with his sunglasses on.

Rarity clasped her hooves around the performer’s front leg, partly not to lose him in the light, partly to hold onto somepony dear to her.

“What the hay is happening!?” Nopony shouted over the crowd.

Rarity didn’t know. Whatever it was, she knew it was nothing good. Not when such a magic as the light that guided her was consolidated into one beam. And it became even more drastic when the light disappeared.

Each of the models collapsed. Twilight lifted her head, her breath shaking over her racing heart. Something terrible happened. But, not anything she could deduce.

The stage began to rumble and fall apart.

The billboard above the stage started to creak and fall, leaving Mickey hanging over the stage.

From the floor of the stage, rising like a bat out of Hell was the one who brought about that great cataclysm. Twilight watched in horrified awe at the one who took her on as her student. No longer the creature Twilight knew, Souris had truly become a monster from the infernal depths.

What were once arms had now become leathery wings with claws at the end of each impossibly long finger. Paired with the wings that were once Souris’ arms were wings that sprouted from the open back of her dress. Her legs had become crooked and bent backwards. Her feet, previously hidden within her shoes, had grown in size, and morphed into grasping hooks.

Worst of all were her eyes. What were once warm, red orbs had turned into solid red pools of malice that shone with a malevolent light.

The lady-bat smiled widely, revealing crooked fangs that grew past her lips. Avalon was at its end, and she was going to usher it toward oblivion.

Author's Note

Ooh-whee! It’s really hit the fan now. Now that Souris has put her fiendish plan into action, it seems that she has shown her true colors.

To explain the nature of Souris’s transformation, no she is not affected by the incredible amount of magic a la Equestria Girls. And no, she is not a demon at all. That’s her true form. What she really looks like. The inspiration for her design (and for her character in general) was the expression ‘bat out of Hell.’ I know that I’ve also said she was inspired by Mephistopheles from Faust, but the real genesis of her character was that expression.

Originally, Souris was going to have even more demonic features, like horns and a tail. But, I thought that would just be too much. I too like to follow the Walt Disney/Ub Iwerks philosophy of character design, in that characters only wear clothes and look in ways that convey their character. I thought we would get enough of a feeling that Souris is some kind of devil by the two sets of wings, like the demons in The Divine Comedy. On a final not about her design, it was inspired in part by the villain, Kiroptus, from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ‘The Pirates of Dark Water.’ If you never saw it, try to find it. It’s awesome.

Some of you might be worried about the use of the word ‘Hell’ in an E-rated story. No, no. In the biblical sense of the word, it is no swear. Even old-timey Walt Disney cartoons used the word in its biblical sense and got away with it. I can even recall times that Rocky and Bullwinkle got away with it in that context. And I think it was used a few times in ‘Gargoyles’ in such a way by characters like Xanatos and Goliath. Point is, don’t be so shocked to see the word ‘Hell’ with a capital ‘H’ in this chapter.

I think the next big question is about Twilight. What will become of her, now that she knows she’s been duped? How will she handle the betrayal of the creature she trusted to be her tutor? And will she finally grasp this magic, now that Souris taught her how to use it?

And what about Nopony? Souris’s invocation ushered the destruction of the city and all of its sons and daughters. What’s going to become of him when the spell takes full effect over the city?

These are all questions that will be answered in the next chapter. That won’t be for a while, because if you know me the showdown chapters are almost always in the range of ten-thousand to fifteen-thousand words long.

Once again, I have something to add to these author's notes. After adding the picture of Souris, I thought that you all might like to see what she looks like after she's transformed. Have a look. See how you like:

On a lighter note, today’s my birthday. You wishes of happiness are appreciated. I'm off work now, so I have to rock on out of here and have me some fun. You guys do the same \m/

Chapter 29: The Looming Nightmare

Chapter 29

The Looming Nightmare

Across Avalon, a chill in the air was felt. After the mysterious light passed over the city, it felt as though something otherworldly had happened. As though they had left one dream and stepped into another.

No creature knew what to expect. Some simply waited. Some tried to leave, only to find they were unable to walk past the borders of town. There was no wall, and no magic was felt there. As far as they could tell, they had all simply lost the will to flee their home.

There was no escape. All they could do was wait for what was happening to happen.

The nightmare had been unleashed.

It was pandemonium as the audience ran away. Creatures of all species tumbled over one another in their mad rush to escape the horrible scene.

With a flap of her many wings, Souris flew off the stage and into the crowd.

Rarity and Nopony took cover behind the counter at another nearby booth. Both peered over, and saw the full view of the scene unfolding before them.

From where he hung suspended over the stage, Mickey tried valiantly to free himself from the ropes and explosives that bound him. If he could only get free, he knew he could take on the demonic lady-bat.

Onstage, the models were all rooted to the spot, awed and frightened by the sight of the lady-bat. Most of all, Twilight was horrified by what Souris had become. After the lady-bat had taken her under her wing, and for the first time in weeks made her feel confident and useful, she was now a monster.

As she flew, Souris dropped her altitude to fly among the crowd. In spite of the many creatures, she was not slowed down in the slightest by any of them. When Souris flew among them, a strange phenomenon occurred. Bright flashes of light were seen in the crowd, and the sounds of screaming voices dwindled.

Rarity and Nopony ducked as Souris looped around and flew over them.

Mickey had just barely begun to wriggle loose when the lady-bat landed back on the stage.

As if a signal had been sent, six of the seven models started to run.

With a flap of her wings, Souris caught the wild-haired creature with the fangs first.

The model was caught in Souris’ hooking feet. Before she had a chance to struggle, Souris’ jewels glimmered brightly. In a flash, the model disappeared in a burst of starlight. The light that was once a living creature was then absorbed into Souris’ very being.

Twilight watched in horror as each of the other models met the same fate as the first. In her mind, the horror was increased a thousand fold, as she could only wish to save any of them.

Souris landed on the stage, the claws of her feet clicking loudly against the laminated wood. Turning her head, she saw Twilight huddled on the stage like a frightened filly.

The young alicorn choked when she saw Souris walk toward her. Every one of her nerves flared when Souris reached one of her wings toward her. With a sharp gasp, she pulled away beyond the lady-bat’s reach.

“You don’t need to be afraid, Twilight. You were not born of Avalon, so this spell won’t have any affect on you. See?” Souris said, as she reached out a claw.

Twilight flinched violently when the claw touched her forehead. To her everlasting relief and surprise, she remained perfectly unharmed by the touch.

The young alicorn froze completely when Souris curled the rest of her impossibly long fingers across her back. The feel of Souris’ wings on her body was like being wrapped in a warm, leathery blanket. In spite of the warmth, Twilight’s whole body shivered as she was gently goaded closer to Souris.

“S-Souris...What have you done? Why...? Y...You...killed them...” Twilight shakily said.

“No, no, no, sweetheart. I made them all a part of my finest creative performance,” Souris cooed, as she stroked her comparatively diminutive thumbs on Twilight’s forehead. “By sacrificing their magical power unto me, they are now able to be collectively gathered to one place. One being. My master, Yen Sid.”

Twilight, Rarity, and especially Mickey all froze when they heard that. As for Nopony, he was now both frightened and confused.

“But...I trusted you...” Twilight said.

“And you still can,” Souris replied. “I never lied when I said you had great potential within you. And you can still learn, if you choose to stay beside me.”

It was all too tempting for Twilight to accept. Looking into the lady-bat’s solid red eyes, she could see a reflection of herself as she wished to be. Magical. Useful.

“I...I…” Twilight said. She didn’t know what to answer. Her voice froze in her throat as she tried to articulate her response. Her whole mind went blank when she saw Souris smile fiendishly at her once more.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to make your decision just now,” Souris said, as she stood up to an imposing height. “But, I know a smart mare like you will make the right choice. And when you do, you can be as great and as powerful as your imagination takes you. Remember that.”

Twilight and her friends all watched as the wings on Souris’ back spread wide, as if to envelope all that was around her. With a flap, she was airborne, and the lady-bat flew off.

Rarity and Nopony both took cover as Souris flew over them.

The very tip of Souris’ wing touched the booth they two ponies were using to hide. As soon as it had, the entire booth started to waste away. The tarp that covered it started to lose its sheen, and holes tore themselves into its surface. The wood that it was made of started to splinter, and turned to dry rot.

The fashionista and the performer both jumped free of the booth just before it collapsed on top of them. Rarity’s first action was to rush onto the stage and regroup with Twilight.

“Twilight!” Rarity called, as she rushed to her friend’s side.

After what she had done, Twilight was surprised to see she had any friends left. She was quickly helped to her hooves by Rarity.

“Twilight! Darling, what’s happened!? Did she hurt you!?” Rarity frantically asked.

“I’m alright. But...the others…” Twilight shakily said.

Twilight had brought up an important point. As long as Souris was loose in the city, every pony, every griffin, every kappa, cervequin or kelpie was in danger.

“MGMFF-FUMF-HRMF-FRM!!!” Mickey shouted, still gagged and suspended over the stage.

Rarity and Twilight both heard the noise and went to investigate. When they checked behind the fallen ‘Amaranthine’ billboard, they found their ermine friend bound and gagged with explosives.

“Mickey!!” Rarity said.

Twilight did not even attempt to help, as Rarity began to toss her pearls.

Rarity’s pearls were suddenly stopped by Nopony.

“What are you doing? What if he attacks us again?” Nopony said.

“Regardless of if he does, I must get him down. He’s still my friend,” Rarity said, as she wound up to throw her pearls again.

“Does he know that?” Nopony wondered.

Rarity threw her pearls, which wrapped around Mickey. With a strong pull, the mouse started spinning, and the ropes that bound him started coming loose. After a little more than a second, Mickey, and what looked like a hundred sticks of dynamite came falling to the ground.

“Mickey, are you alright!?” Rarity asked.

“I’m fine. I’m--” Mickey cut himself off when he looked out from the stage, and saw the state of ruin the city was slowly falling into. Whatever Souris had so much as touched crumbled to dust, and he knew who was responsible. “--Oh, gosh! This is all my fault!!”

“No. You’ve done none of this. It’s all that horrible bat’s doing,” Rarity said.

“But, you don’t understand! Pete duped me into givin’ that jewel to him! He said he was gonna kill my girlfriend if I didn’t help, and--And I feel so stupid for believin’ him!” Mickey said.

“I’m partly to blame as well then. I should have asked you about the nature of your wanting that jewel,” Rarity said.

“It’s all my fault! I should have kept the jewel with me, instead of leaving it with my dad! And now the whole city’s in danger, because of it!” Nopony said.

Twilight took off the necklace she was wearing and looked at the green jewel. After a brief moment, the face of a blue cervequin appeared on the surface. Though the cervequin said nothing, Twilight could see her face convey the deepest regret, fear and sorrow. And it was all directed at the young alicorn. One look, and Twilight knew exactly who was to blame.

In the distance, screaming was heard. With the crowd of screams, a building started to tilt over as its lustrous sheen disappeared.

“Fer gosh sakes, we can’t just stick around here feelin’ sorry for ourselves! We gotta stop that devil-witch!” Mickey said.

“Yes! And we’ll do it together!” Rarity said.

“And how! From now on, nothin’s gettin’ between pals like us!” Mickey said.

Twilight silently watched as Mickey, Rarity and Nopony all rushed to face Souris. Without so much as a suggestion from herself, whatever friendship problem they had was solved. Had she become so superfluous? Whatever magic Mickey had in his own home, it surely seemed to render the magic of Equestria worthless.

“Twilight! What are you doing!? We need all the help we can get!” Rarity called back to Twilight, before she continued to run after Mickey.

Twilight knew she was completely powerless to stop Souris. But, as her duty as an Equestrian princess, she knew what she had to do. After removing her dress, she ran after the others.

Atop the ruined roof of Amaranthine, Pete watched the others run off.

He had been but a pull of the trigger away from ending Mickey Mouse once and for all, and it slipped through his fingers. But, that didn't matter. They had no way of escaping Avalon. And between him and Souris, they could eliminate Mickey and his friends.

Pete reached for the tommy gun he had dropped, and was about to chase after Mickey, when he noticed something. His firearm glimmered momentarily with magic when he picked it up, and stopped suddenly.

“Hm…” Pete said, as he hefted his weapon into the air.

The tommy gun simply levitated in place, held up by the glittering starlit magic.

“Interestin’,” Pete said, smiling deviously.

All across the Circle of Dreams Plaza, horror ensued. Creatures panicked as Souris flew above them all.

As she soared above the buildings, Souris could feel the very air itself was thick with magic. And it would be hers to command how she wished. Her first chance came when she saw a gaggle of griffins trying to fly away to safety.

The lady-bat began to spin in mid-air. Specks of starlit magic started to swirl around her. The faster she spun, the more magic enveloped her. Soon, Souris had become a glittering cyclone, which sucked in all that was around her.

The griffins, and any other creature that tried to fly were all drawn into Souris’ cyclone. On the ground below, creatures were heaved and tossed by the violent gusts of wind. Within seconds, any creature caught in the cyclone were dissolved into glittering magic, and absorbed by Souris.

Mickey, Rarity, Nopony and lastly Twilight all arrived on the scene as the cyclone grew in size. Soon, it was going touch down to the ground where it would absorb the creatures on the streets below.

“Well, don’t just stand there! We gotta stop that tornado!” Mickey said.

“Stop a tornado!? Do you realize what you’re saying!?” Rarity asked.

“‘Course I do! Now, let’s get movin’!”

And that was all Mickey said, before he rushed into the fray.

“Wait!” Twilight called after him.

Rarity knew that Mickey was a powerful user of his own magic. And that she herself was well on her way to becoming such. With that in mind, she knew there was the chance of anything being possible. Even stopping an unnatural disaster.

“I just hope he knows what he’s doing!” Rarity said, before she started to run.

After taking a moment to psyche himself up, Nopony too ran after. Before he took two steps, he was stopped by Rarity.

“I need you to stay here!” the fashionista said.

“But--” Nopony began.

“No,” Rarity interjected. “You heard what that devil said. The spell only targets those born of Avalon. I can’t have you putting yourself in danger for anypony’s sake. Please, stay here where it’s safe. For me.”

Once again, Twilight felt her heart sink when she saw Nopony silently agree with a slow nod. They had not known one another a day, and the bond between the two ponies had grown so greatly. It made her feel even more worthless, and made the notion of accepting Souris’ offer even more intriguing.

Twilight stayed back without Rarity noticing as the fashionista ran off to assist Mickey. Glancing over, Twilight saw Nopony tensely juggling with one hoof as he watched Rarity. He was awaiting the moment his mare returned safely to him, and Twilight knew she had truly lost against her own friend.

The magical cyclone Souris had conjured was nearly touching down. Whatever was loose in the streets started blowing around, threatening the creatures on the ground.

Mickey and Rarity both had to hold their hats to keep them from blowing away. Looking up, they could see Souris spinning at the very core of the magical maelstrom.

“We gotta reach her up there!” Mickey shouted over the wind.

“How!?” Rarity said.

Mickey took barely a moment to think. A look to his mantle, then to Rarity’s pearls, and he knew what to do.

“Ya ever flown a kite before?” Mickey said.

“Only as a filly. But--Oh!” Rarity said, catching onto the mouse’s plan.

With seemingly rehearsed choreography, Mickey jumped into the air, and was caught by Rarity’s swinging pearls. Pulling his mantle over his head, Mickey started to float as Rarity ran forward.

The closer they came to the cyclone, the wind grew stronger. Rarity’s hat was blown away as she lowered her head against the wind. Mickey’s own hat was cradled within his billowed mantle.

The faster Rarity ran, the higher Mickey flew. Soon, the mouse was a level height with Souris.

Rarity’s steps were greatly slowed down by the blowing wind, but it was enough for Mickey to do what he needed.

The mouse pulled himself free of Rarity’s pearls, and was sucked into the magical cyclone.

Inside the vortex, Souris smiled as she spun. In only a few moments, she would be unstoppable.

Mickey burst through the spinning magic, and landed on flying debris. He jumped forth, and kicked Souris so hard that she spun in the other direction.

When Souris stopped spinning, the cyclone was still raging, but it had stopped growing.

“Who--!!?” Souris began. The lady-bat saw Mickey land on another chunk of debris. “You!? Pete was supposed to dispose of you!!”

“He ain’t done it for almost a hundred years! And it’ll be a hundred more before he even comes close!” Mickey said.

“Then, it should have been me who faced you a hundred years ago! It would have ended then!” Souris rebutted, as she spread her four wings.

Mickey’s eyes widened as he watched Souris’ entire body crackle with magical power. Apart from Yen Sid, the mouse had never seen anyone with so much magic within them. Still, he wasn’t about to back down. Souris had to be stopped, and he was just the mouse to do it.

Souris flapped her wings, and the debris around her started blowing about like leaves on a breeze. Another flap, and the debris flowed toward Mickey like a river.

The mouse hopped up, and started running across the top of the debris. He slid down the side of a broken building, fanning his mantle at the smaller debris that flowed toward him.

Souris raised her arms, and debris started sprouting like trees along the river of rubble. With them, broken bricks started jumping like fish to get Mickey.

A swing of his mantle, and Mickey turned the bricks into harmless sardines.

“Child’s play,” Souris scoffed, as the harmless fish flopped about.

With a swing of her arms, the leathery webbing that made up her wings enveloped the sardines. When they passed, there was no longer the tasty sandwich topping, but a huge, massive, demonic pike.

One set of the massive fish’s jaws opened, revealing a larger, nastier, sharper set beneath. And they were aimed at Mickey.

“Criminey!” Mickey shouted as the fish shot toward him.

He was only barely able to swing his mantle over the fish’s face. The action corked every one of the jagged fangs, making the fish only ram him into a debris tree. On impact, the fish dispersed into stardust.

Souris swung her wings again and again over the pieces of debris. The debris soon constructed itself into one singular tree with a multitude of arm-like branches. What looked like a failure of modern art turned into a nightmare when the branches reached out for Mickey.

Mickey had to defend himself from a multitude of punches, slashes and grabs all at once when Souris made her next attack. Soon, he was overwhelmed, and the devilish tree started pushing him back out of the cyclone.

Souris knew she was about to win. A fiendish smile crossed her face, until a piece of debris was forcefully swung into her.

Looking for the source of the attack, Souris saw a string of pearls slithering through the maelstrom.

Another piece of debris swung at Souris. This time she was ready for it.

The lady-bat dodged the debris and caught the pearls that swung it. With a wave of her hand, the pearls started reeling in the wearer like a fish on a hook.

Rarity was taken off her hooves as the pearls around her neck pulled her upwards. She was only just able to get her front hooves between the pearls and her neck, before they choked her. However, it did not save her from being pulled toward Souris.

Twilight and Nopony both gasped when they saw Rarity being drawn upward.

Whether he faced oblivion or not, Nopony knew that he had to do something. Without so much as a thought or a breath, he ran forward into the fray.

“Wait!” Twilight called.

She knew full well it was her own fault any of this had happened. Had she listened to her instincts and not trusted Souris, the creatures of Avalon would not be in danger. Now, she was facing yet another imminent casualty. If only she could contribute to stopping the catastrophe.

The sight of a faulty billboard over a fallen theater gave her an idea. If Souris were to be just beneath it, all it would take is a strong push. Gravity would do the rest.

It was a longshot, but it would be an easy way to end the fight with Souris. And, hopefully it would force her to return the magic she stole.

With a moment to contemplate what she was doing, Twilight ran ahead to join the battle.

Nopony nimbly climbed to the top of a building, using the windowsills and fallen rubble to quickly reach the highest point.

With a jump, the performer leapt to a fallen sign, and used it to springboard himself into action.

Rarity had been drawn up into the cyclone, and was caught in Souris’ icy grip.

The fashionista gasped when she saw Souris ready her dagger-length claws to gouge the life out of her.

Mickey kicked a chunk of debris Souris’ way to stop her.

With Rarity in her grip, Souris spun and flapped her wings over the debris, turning it to stardust.

Mickey continued his assault, only to be stopped by Souris placing a piece of a wall herself and the mouse.

Souris pressed Rarity against the wall, and readied her claws again.

Rarity knew this was it for her.

Two weighted rubber balls bounced off the wall next to Rarity’s head and hit Souris directly in both her eyes.

The lady-bat shrieked in pain and let go of Rarity, as the balls bounced back to Nopony’s hooves.

Rarity threw her pearls to Mickey before she fell, and was helped up to the rubble he stood on.

“What happened!?” Mickey shouted over the wind.

“It’s Nopony!” Rarity said.

“Nopony! What’s that bozo thinkin’!?”

On the other side of the wall, Nopony’s skills as a tumbler were pushed to their limit as he avoided the touch of Souris. Using his skills as a juggler, he was able to roll makeshift shields across his body and bounce his juggling balls to hit his opponent.

With a wave of her wings, Souris caught each of Nopony’s juggling balls, and sent them back to him, ten times the size.

Nopony fell to his back and launched the oversized balls away with his hooves. One of the balls clipped a wing on Souris’ back, making her lurch in mid-air.

Souris was not about to be bested by a nopony. Her body crackled with starlight, and the oversized juggling balls all turned on Nopony.

The performer was beaten and battered by his own equipment. Soon, he was knocked into the wall that separated him from Mickey and Rarity.

The wall leveled out from the force of him hitting it, allowing the others to watch as Souris pounced on him.

Rarity’s nerves snapped at the sight of the demonic lady-bat lunging for her beloved Nopony. But, before she or Mickey could react, it was too late.

Time stopped as Souris’ claws drove into Nopony’s side, making the performer yelp in horror. The last thing Rarity saw of him was his horrified face as he burst into stardust.

“You evil--” Rarity could think of no curse word foul enough to describe Souris. Instead, she unleashed her fury against the lady-bat.

Souris readied to resume her attack against Rarity and Mickey. But, she was unprepared to face what wrath Rarity was about to reign down upon her.

The lady-bat swung her two right wings over a piece of debris, intending to turn it into a viciously spiked ball of steel. Before she could even attempt to throw it, Rarity’s pearls wrapped around her two wings, cinching them together.

Souris loosed another ear-shattering shriek, as her wings felt they were being shredded.

With a swing of her head, Rarity threw Souris against a piece of debris.

After briefly seeing the direction the cyclone was spinning, a new idea came to Rarity.

Twirling her pearls like a gymnast’s ribbon, Rarity unleashed all Tartarus on the lady-bat.

Souris was just able to knock away the smaller pieces of rubble, and even managed to slash Mickey with the claws on her free side.

One entire side of Mickey had been cut by the many claws. The mouse barely had time to grieve when he realized that the cyclone was slowing down.

Rarity too realized what was happening. She had found the solution to ending the raging storm in the city, and was not going to let up. To save the remaining creatures of Avalon, and to avenge Nopony, she couldn’t.

With a burst of strength, Souris pulled her wings free of the pearls just as the storm subsided.

With the debris they were standing on falling through the air, Mickey and Rarity leapt to safety.

Rarity made a daring leap and swung her pearls around the nearest fixture. A fixture that happened to be the theater billboard Twilight was climbing toward.

Twilight flinched as the pearls wrapped around a rebar next to her. Her heart stopped as Rarity came swinging in from above. As much as she wished to save her friend, her instinct to use magic did not even activate when she saw Rarity falling through the sky.

Any tension or panic she felt for Rarity left when the fashionista landed on the ground with a graceful somersault, not unlike the heroines of a silent era film.

Twilight felt she should have known. With the way Rarity was learning magic, she thought it was likely her cutie mark would change to a copy of her own. For all she knew, Rarity may as well have grown a pair of wings. And they would probably be more glorious than Twilight’s own. And Rarity would probably even master flying sooner than herself.

These thoughts and more made Twilight almost stop climbing the rubble to the top of the theater. But, she still had a mission. If she could stop Souris, she would find her place next to her friends.

Once she reached the top, Twilight faced the back of the billboard. The alicorn looked to the street below, and saw Mickey land on the ground using his mantle as a parachute.

With a whoosh, Souris flew up past Twilight and circled around to attack the others.

Twilight watched the lady-bat’s flight pattern, calculating the exact spot she should be to be properly squashed. She gently pushed the sign with her hooves, and felt how firmly it was embedded in the broken concrete it was. It would take considerable strength, but Twilight knew it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Now, all she had to do was pick her moment.

Rarity swung her pearls at Souris with the intention of grounding the lady-bat.

Souris deftly dodged the fashionista’s attacks, and countered with her own.

Rarity and Mickey both had to dodge and tumble as the very world around them came alive. Wagons threatened to roll over them. Fire hydrants blasted water at them. The image of a minotaur on the mosaic tiles they walked on rose up and swung its mighty fists at them.

Each was defeated by Mickey swinging his mantle over them. Finally, the mouse was bested by the clothes of a nearby display dummy coming alive and punching him away.

Rarity yelped when she saw what she considered the greatest art form viciously attacking her friend. Before she could help him, Souris swooped in for another attack.

Mickey got up from the ground, and turned to resume his attack, until the ground before him exploded with a series of loud bangs.

The mouse took cover behind a fallen sign, just as three loud bangs blew the letters R.I.P. above him.

“No runnin’ dis time, runt! Yer scrape’s wit’ me!” Pete called to Mickey.

Mickey burst from cover and Pete opened fire with his tommy gun.

It was only too late that the heavy saw he only shot up a gaucho hat and a mantle that had no wearer.

Mickey rushed forth to attack head on. But, Pete was ready for him.

Utilizing the magic all around him, Pete let his tommy gun float in the air, while he magically levitated two six-shooters from his jacket.

Mickey had to slide on his knees to avoid having his head blown off.

Pete fired his revolvers one after the other, while his tommy gun levitated over his head, firing a rapid stream of lead at the mouse.

Mickey rolled behind a potted palm tree and uppercutted it into the air toward Pete.

Pete fired all three of his guns, shattering the ceramic pot. However, he could not stop the potting soil from falling on him.

Pete was blinded by the soil on his face. To add insult to injury, the tree in the pot set atop his head.

Mickey rushed to collect his hat and mantle. By simply turning the mantle inside-out, he repaired the damage Pete did to it. After swinging his mantle over his hat, it was restored as well.

Pete pulled the tree off of his head, and the soil along with it. He heaved it at Mickey like a javelin with all the technique of an Olympian.

Mickey swung his mantle, turning the tree into a seedling. He retaliated by swinging his mantle over a broken wagon axle, making it roll toward the heavy.

Pete sucked in his gut and slid beneath the rolling axle, firing his six-shooters at Mickey.

Mickey leapt forward, and grabbed Pete’s floating tommy gun.

The firearm bucked like a bronco, errantly firing bullets at anything it was facing. This included Pete, Rarity and Souris.

Pete danced about like a square dancer. Rarity hid behind a pile of rubble. Souris had to wrap one pair of her wings around herself, and created a magical shield.

Above, Twilight saw that Souris was in the exact spot to be crushed by her falling billboard. Her friends were clear of the landing zone, and her hooves were at the ready. With a mighty heave, the young alicorn started to push.

The concrete of the rooftop started to crumble, and the bolts holding the sign broke loose.

Twilight huffed and puffed as she pushed on. She knew she wasn’t as strong as Applejack or Rainbow Dash, but she could feel the sign giving way. A tiny spark glimmered in her mind. Was she using the foreign magic to push the sign along? Was she now truly on her way to mastery, the same as Rarity?

The thought of surpassing Rarity excited Twilight, and she heaved harder than before. Perhaps too hard, as she started tumbling over the edge of the building, along with the small billboard.

Souris looked up when she heard screaming, and saw a purple alicorn falling beneath a large sign.

With a sudden flap of her wings, Souris shot upward and grabbed Twilight, enveloping her in her arms. At the same time, she swerved clear of the falling sign, which crashed to the mosaic-tiled ground below.

Twilight held tightly to Souris, for fear she would be dropped to her death. The next thing she felt was a slight tremor as Souris landed on a solid surface.

As gently as ever, Souris placed Twilight on the ground. When Twilight looked around herself, she saw she was now atop a nearby spire.

Soon, the ground beneath Souris’ feet began to crack and crumble, and the starlit magic that permeated the city seeped up through them into Souris’ being.

“Dirty fool, dear Twilight. Trying to crush me? You’re quite close to making me mad at you,” Souris said.

“I was trying to save my friends!” Twilight said.

“Your friends don’t need you. You remember what you saw back in my private room, don’t you? Doesn’t it seem that even without you around, they’re all discovering what it takes to use magic like mine?” Souris suggested.

“...Yes…” Twilight choked out.

Each of Souris’ words was like a dagger in Twilight’s heart.

“And yet you, Twilight Sparkle, whose special talent has been magic, have made very little progress learning any that is different from your own. That is why--” Souris lowered herself to Twilight’s eye level, “--You need me.”

Twilight thought back to the visions she had encountered with Souris. How she saw the world as the lady-bat did, and how she fought past the shadows of doubt.

“I’m offering you this chance to join my master’s side. Stay with me as my student, and you will have what you want,” Souris said.

Looking into Souris’ eyes, Twilight could see once more how she wished herself to be. She sharply gasped and backed away when she saw her reflection flash Souris’ fanged smile.

Souris smirked when she saw Twilight was hesitating with her answer.

“Think of it this way, Twilight: you Equestrian royalty were never worth anything,” Souris said. “When your mare in the moon tried to create eternal night, where were they? When your god of chaos turned the roads to soap and the clouds to cotton candy, where were they? When one of your royalty was impersonated so that your kingdom’s emotions could be feasted upon, where were they? Whenever there’s trouble, you alicorns are always helpless to stop it!”

Twilight glowered at Souris. She would have been angrier, if only Souris were not telling the truth. Just the same as she always did.

“I…” Twilight began, “...I was a princess when the magic of my kingdom was stolen before! A-And I handled it without using magic like yours!”

Souris smirked at the account Twilight conveyed.

“I do recall hearing how once upon a time, the magic of your kingdom was stolen by a centaur. And how he was defeated by six little ponies. But, ah yes: they were still using their own magic. Your magic. This friendship that you value so much,” Souris said.

“Friendship is how we’ve always protected Equestria! Monsters like you who don’t value friendship will never understand what kind of power that is!” Twilight rebutted.

Instead of smirking, Twilight was surprised to see Souris’ face morph to a thoughtful frown.

“You think I don’t value friendship?” Souris said. “What do you think it was, budding between us when I took you under my wing? Hm? Did you think that I was only going to pretty you up, then toss you aside when some other prospect came along? No. I wanted to draw out your potential. I wanted a bond between us as strong as any student and her instructor. If you would only open up and trust me, we can truly make a master of magic out of you.”

Once again, Twilight’s perceptions of the world shattered. A face of evil who valued friendship was nothing she had seen in Equestria before. What was more perturbing still was that more and more, Souris was sounding like Princess Celestia. In her mind, Twilight imagined studying under Souris, and growing as close to her as she was to her beloved mentor.

“I...I’ll make you see the error of your ways. I promise that after you atone for what you’ve done, I’ll be your student…” Twilight said, in spite of her racing heart.

Souris sighed and shook her head.

“There isn’t any error of my ways, dear Twilight. The only way for you to understand is to experience them for yourself,” she answered.

With a flap of her wings, Souris hopped onto the stone guard rail of the spire, before giving her last words to Twilight.

“Believe me when I say this: you, nor any of your friends have faced a threat like my friends and I. Your one chance to survive against us is to join my master. And I extend this offer only to you. Stay here, while I finish off your friends. When I return for you, I expect you to have an answer for me,” Souris said.

And with that, the lady-bat flew off.

Twilight watched Souris go, not sure whether she wanted to curse Souris, or hope she saw the error of her ways. Either way, one thing was certain. Twilight had to get down from where she was.

Pete reached into his jacket and threw out a volley of glittering dynamite, which embedded into the ground.

Mickey precariously walked through the minefield that the heavy had created, knowing that one wrong step would be the end of him.

The mouse jumped his way through the explosions that erupted around him. He stepped right next to where a stick of dynamite detonated, and just barely had time to catch it in his mantle.

Turning his back to Pete, the mouse released his mantle, sending the explosion in Pete’s direction.

Pete was blown off his mismatched feet before he could toss more dynamite.

From her hiding spot behind the rubble, Rarity’s mind raced to find a way to defeat the two villains. The magic that she was now practicing, and mastered by Mickey, Pete and Souris, was one of pure whimsy and wonder. Whatever they wanted came alive, like when she stitched clothes together. Or when an artist painted. Or when an author wrote.

Rarity gasped when she realized a new inspiration. She had often listened when Twilight talked about the books she read, and the style of the writer. Some of them, she said the world the author made was mediocre. Others, Twilight had said the characters almost seemed real. Perhaps...What if…?

The first thing that came to Rarity’s mind was a set of clothes. Black trousers. White shirt. Black jacket. Dark sunglasses. And a pork pie hat. Juggling balls. And that face. That earnest, puzzled, wonderful face.

Around Rarity, she could see the air glimmering with starlit magic. This was it. She was going to make things right again. With the image of the clothes, and the pony they belonged to firmly in her mind, she began to set to work.

Grasping the magic and working with it as though it were shears, needles, thread and fabric, it was all coming together.

With one sudden swirl of stardust, Rarity backed away, and saw everything take shape. The clothes all formed and colored themselves the way she imagined. Then, they arranged themselves as if they were worn by a pony. However, the pony wearing them was not to be seen, as though he had turned invisible.

The sunglasses and hat shook, as if the invisible pony shook their head.

Rarity cautiously stepped closer to the disembodied clothes.

The glasses and hat turned to face the fashionista.

“Rarity?” asked a familiar voice from an unseen mouth.

That was all Rarity needed to hear.

“Nopony!” she shouted, as she rushed forward and embraced the performer.

Her hooves clasped around the disembodied jacket, and she nuzzled Nopony’s non-existent face unmercifully. While the grip on the clothes felt like there was a solid wearer beneath, Rarity’s muzzled nuzzled only stardust. However, she still felt as if it were his actual face.

“Rarity, what just happened? The last thing I remember is being gutted by that creepy bat-thing!” Nopony said.

“And I brought you back! Like an author scribing a novel, I brought you back to me!”

“Really? Neat,” Nopony said.

Rarity giggled at the response. It was just the way she had expected him to react. And it was wonderful to hear him.

“Is this your first time scribing a pony?” Nopony asked, when he noticed his invisible hooves.

“Ah...Yes. I still need to flesh you out a tad,” Rarity said.

This was it. From pure, raw creativity, Rarity had made the impossible come true. The state of Nopony was pure testament to how far off she was to truly mastering this magic. But, the mere fact that he was there before her was enough to show herself that she could handle the likes of Pete and Souris. And she would do it for the sake of all creatures in Avalon.

A sudden crash ended the happy reunion.

Mickey was thrown over Rarity’s cover, and rolled to a stop.

“Mickey!” Rarity said.

Mickey stood up and shook his head to lucidity.

“I’m gonna need some help with this one! Let’s you, me an’ Nopony get him--N-N-N-Nopony!!?” Mickey said, realizing what he was looking at.

“Hi,” Nopony greeted, waving an empty sleeve.

“What in the name o’ limberger happened!?”

“Just a little magic touch,” Rarity explained, waving her hoof so that it sparkled with starlit magic.

Mickey was beyond shocked. He knew that the thick, underlying fog of magic in the air had much to do with Rarity’s incredible feat. But, the simple fact that she used it to create someone from nothingness showed she had a gift few possessed. If Rarity were able to give form, flesh and feeling to the performer, she would have discovered something truly special within herself.

“You’re some kinda natural, Rarity! You’re almost as good as I am!” Mickey said.

Before Rarity could ask how many other creatures Mickey had created, they were interrupted by Pete jumping over their cover with a bowie knife in each hand.

The heavy drove his blades deep into the ground when they all dodged. Pulling his glittering blades from the stone, Pete swung them again.

The two knives extended beyond their natural reach, just barely cutting his opponents. All but Nopony, who lifted his jacket and shirt, and allowed the blade to pass through his immaterial body.

Pete was stunned by the sight. As was Nopony to see Pete.

“You again!?” the performer and heavy both said at once.

This was it. Pete was going to end all three nuisances in one blow. He magically levitated his three drawn firearms, and produced a sledgehammer from his jacket.

With a swing of his hammer, all three of Pete’s opponents were knocked away.

After she rolled to a stop, Rarity was first to counter. Her attempt was stopped when she faced the barrel of one of Pete’s six-shooters.

Quicker than she could blink, Rarity stuffed her pearl necklace inside the muzzle of the firearm. Nearly the full length of her necklace went inside, when the gun started to bulge.

There was a tiny explosion within the gun. Smoke poured out of every crack of its construction, and the entire thing went limp and fell to the ground.

Nopony didn’t know whether his immaterial body would survive a shot from Pete’s other revolver, or not.

The performer danced around each of the bullets fired at him.

The revolver shook as though it were highly frustrated, and fired a whole volley of bullets.

Nopony’s hat placed itself on the ground, and the rest of him compressed itself inside of it.

“This is a new development,” Nopony thought.

The click of a hammer made him quickly spin his hat out of the way.

With a burst, Nopony’s disembodied clothes shot out of his hat, and flew into the gun’s muzzle.

The revolver dropped to the ground and flopped like a fish, before it fell apart piece by piece.

Nopony’s disembodied clothing all rearranged themselves to the shape of the performer again. As he was, the potential for new acts was endless. Perhaps he didn’t want to be fleshed out.

Mickey was going toe-to-toe with Pete. It was only the lightning-quick swings of his mantle that stopped him from being perforated by Pete’s tommy gun.

The gun itself let up when Pete stepped in to swing his sledgehammer.

Mickey swung his mantle, but missed when Pete dodged.

The mouse was knocked back by a blow from the handle of the sledgehammer, and wrapped himself up in his mantle as he rolled away from Pete’s gunfire.

Mickey rolled in front of another broken wagon, and swung his mantle at it.

Pete smirked, having defeated the same trick before. He levitated his tommy gun over to Mickey, and readied his sledgehammer to knock away the oncoming wagon.

When Mickey finished swinging his mantle, Pete was unprepared for when it came rocketing toward him on a jet engine.

Both the heavy and his floating tommy gun were blown backwards and smashed into a wall. The wagon shattered, revealing Pete impressed into the side of the building.

Mickey, Rarity and what was left of Nopony all rushed to attack, intending to finish off Pete.

This was not how it was going to end. After facing Mickey for so long, Pete knew that he was going to be the victor.

Pete broke free of the wall just as the three were upon him. With a swing of his hammer, they all were knocked to the ground.

Nopony pushed Rarity aside, before she rolled into a broken piece of rubble that was full of rebars. In the end, the clothes that made up his body squeezed themselves to land between the jagged metal.

Before any of them could get up, Souris arrived on the scene.

With a wave of her wings, the lady-bat commanded a pile of rubble to stack up on Mickey and Rarity, rendering them immobile.

“‘Bout time ya got here! I coulda used some help!” Pete said.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to meet with someone. Although, I’m surprised that you could have had so much trouble from these two,” Souris answered.

“Let’s just finish ‘em. Do what ya want wit’ Princess Prissy-Pants dere, but de mouse is mine!” Pete said.

“As you wish,” was all Souris answered.

Mickey tried to free himself once more. The sight of Pete walking toward him with his sledgehammer raised was enough to make him panic.

Rarity tried in vain to struggle free. She gasped when she saw Souris magically levitate a piece of concrete over her head.

Nopony saw the danger his friends were in, and quickly wracked his brain for a solution. He didn’t know if touching Souris would have the same effect as before, but he knew that attacking Pete would pose no danger.

Thinking quickly, the performer shot to his nonexistent hooves and rushed toward Pete.

The heavy raised his sledgehammer over his head, intent on crushing Mickey, before he was suddenly accosted by disembodied clothes.

“Hey! What’s goin’ on!!?” Pete shouted, as he wildly swung his arms.

Pete lost his grip on his hammer and threw it at the block of concrete Souris magically lifted. The block was knocked away and broken.

Souris angrily turned to her companion, ready to make the ground swallow him up. However, she was given pause when she saw a set of clothes magically dress themselves over Pete.

“What are you doing!? Finish that mouse, before I--”

Souris was cut off by Pete punching her in the face, sending her flying across the pathway.

“Traitor!!” Souris shouted.

The hat and sunglasses Pete wore floated off of his head.

“He didn’t hit you! I did!” Nopony said.

“You!!!??” Souris said.

“Me,” Nopony affirmed.

Souris flapped her two sets of wings, shaking the dust and debris from them.

“I don’t know how you came back! But, I’m going to make sure you stay gone this time!!” Souris said, brandishing the claws on her fingertips.

Pete panicked as Souris lunged for him. Without any command from his own body, Pete cartwheeled out of the way of the attack that would have gouged him. And he proceeded to dodge every successive attack using acrobatic maneuvers he never would use otherwise.

Nopony made Pete take off his hat, causing three juggling balls to fall out. Pete caught all three, which started sparkling with magic. With a heave and a toss, all three balls rocketed toward Souris.

The lady-bat shielded herself with her wings, only for the sparkling balls to swerve around her in mid-air and attack her from behind. She dashed forward to attack again, only to miss and be assaulted once more.

Rarity and Mickey watched for a moment, marveling at the ease with which Nopony was manipulating Pete. When this was all done with, Rarity knew that Mickey was going to agree to taking the performer along with them on their magical quest.

Souris swung her four sets of claws at Pete.

Nopony made him suck in his gut to dodge Souris’ claws. When they passed, Nopony made Pete thrust his gut forward, knocking the lady-bat backwards.

With Souris temporarily incapacitated, Nopony made Pete somersault over to Mickey and Rarity. With a mighty heave, he started forcing the heavy to lift the piles of rubble that restrained them.

“Oh, no ya don’t! Dat witch-woman’s mad enough at me!” Pete protested, as he resisted the influence of the performer.

With another heave, Nopony forced Pete to lift both piles of rubble over his head, freeing Mickey and Rarity.

It didn’t take a drop of inspiration for Mickey to get an idea from seeing Pete hold the rubble over his head. Just a little bit of mischief was needed, as Mickey touched a finger to Pete’s ribs.

“Hey! No--NO!! STOP DAT--!!!” Pete shouted, trying not to laugh as Mickey tickled him.

Seeing his work was done, Nopony released Pete from his influence, and arranged himself next to Rarity.

Rarity looked over the disembodied set of clothes, and thought she could almost see nopony’s face grinning under the brim of his hat.

Mickey continued to tickle Pete, and expedited the process of getting him to drop his load of rubble by picking up a handful of dust.

“NO!--*mpf*--YA AIN’T DAT CRUEL!!” Pete sputtered.

Mickey blew the dust into Pete’s face and ran away.

Pete sputtered and snuffed, fighting the urge to do what he knew he must. Finally, in one powerful burst, the heavy sneezed.

Everything Pete held flew up into the air, and landed on top of him, burying him beneath it all.

“That won’t stop him for long! Let’s take care of that bat, before he digs out!” Mickey said.

No sooner had he finished speaking did Souris swoop from the sky and snatch at Mickey with her clawed feet like a bat skimming water for fish.

Mickey barely dodged, allowing Souris to only snatch his hat away.

Souris swerved back and swooped low to the streets. She positioned her wings so that her claws would catch her opponents.

Mickey swung his mantle at the pile of rubble, turning it into a column that toppled toward Souris.

Souris’ body crackled with magic, and she crashed right into the falling tower.

Each piece of rubble danced around her body as she flew around Mickey and the others, knocking them about with her rocky barrier.

With a burst of her wings, Souris sent the rubble flying outward, before flying into the sky to begin her next attack.

“However can we defeat her!? She’s practically invincible!” Rarity said.

Mickey’s mind raced for a solution. If only they had more help. But, Twilight had been taken away by Souris, and Goofy and Donald were off on their own quests. Not only that, but the citizens of Avalon were powerless to stop Souris, so no help would come from them.

“Wait…!” Mickey thought.

If the citizens of Avalon couldn’t help, perhaps someone else could! The mouse recalled the spell he had seen Souris working, and then the brief history lesson the cervequin who was weaving tapestries gave him earlier. He remembered everything he had heard about the city being born of a dream, and the seven who dreamt it into reality after one glorious moment of inspiration.

“That’s it!!” Mickey said.

“What’s it?” Rarity wondered.

“You two, get back to the stage! I got a feeling there’s gonna be someone there that can help us! I’ll deal with that witch!” Mickey replied.

“What do we do when we get there!?” Nopony asked.

Souris swooped back, threatening to take off all three of their heads at once, had her targets not ducked.

“Go! Figure somethin’ out!” Mickey said, as he fought off Souris.

Neither pony could figure out what Mickey meant. But, they had no other ideas of their own, and set off as they were instructed.

Souris swooped again, ready to snatch Mickey’s head off his body. When she missed, Souris landed on the ground with her wings spread.

Mickey watched the lady-bat spin rapidly, creating a miniature version of her earlier cyclone as she spun toward him. Every piece of debris the lady-bat absorbed was shot back out, no longer a piece of broken building, but as an explosive.

The mouse started heaving each bomb he could grab, and threw it back to his opponent.

Souris stopped spinning, and batted away each thrown bomb with her wings.

Explosions showered around her, and she raised her arm to the smokey air. The fire and smoke of the bombs all spread across the sky like an infernal borealis.

Souris cackled madly as the fire and the flames rained down upon Mickey.

The mouse dove beneath overturned rubble, using it as a makeshift bomb shelter.

With each tremoring explosion, Mickey’s cover was blown away piece by piece. He didn’t know how much longer he was going to hold out under such pressure, but he needed to think of a way to counter Souris’ attack, lest he be blown to pieces with his cover.

The city looked more like a warzone as Rarity and Nopony ran back to the stage at Amaranthine.

The ground shook as they ran. They had no idea what was happening, and didn’t know if where they were going was going to have anything of use. It made it almost too tempting to try and go back to assist Mickey.

When they arrived at the stage, the first thing they noticed was the big hole that was blown out of the stage floor when Souris first arrived on the scene.

Looking in, they saw something that was not typically found beneath a stage. It was no trap room, and it was not any kind of storage area. It didn’t take Twilight telling them for either pony to know this was the logical place to look first.

After throwing a length of her pearls down the hole, Rarity hooked them onto a light at the front of the stage.

Nopony went first, sliding down the pearls with the ease and technique of an action hero. Rarity went next, sliding like a princess escaping her cruel overseer’s tower.

At the bottom, Nopony caught Rarity in his disembodied sleeves.

“M’lady,” Nopony said.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Rarity answered.

For a brief moment, Rarity thought she could see Nopony’s smiling face appear. Before she could think any more about it, a glimmer of light shone through the room. The ponies realized how unusual the room they were in was.

The walls were crystalline, as were the columns that supported the roof. The air there was even denser than before with magic. It did not take them long to see what was important in that room.

“Look,” Nopony said, pointing to the glowing altar in the middle of the room.

Rarity and Nopony both cautiously walked over to the altar, and saw a peculiar sight. There, on the surface were the forms of seven distinctly colored creatures.

Each of the creatures moved on the surface. Not in any way as if they were alive, but as if they were waves of water trapped beneath glass. As inanimate as they seemed, both ponies got the distinct impression there was something living within that altar, begging to be freed.

“What is this?” Rarity wondered.

“It’s the founders of Avalon. They’re the ones who created all of this,” Nopony explained.

Nopony ran his hoof along the surface, making it sparkle brightly with starlit magic.

In her mind, Rarity started piecing together the events. Souris had risen from this room after the magic she conjured had broken through the stage and enveloped the models. She had no idea what exactly Souris had done, but something was for sure: the founders of Avalon had been used for some diabolical spell, and the altar was the conduit.

Nopony started pushing his hooves against the altar, as though he were trying to topple it over.

“Come on, give me a hoof with this!” Nopony said, as he strained his nonexistent hooves against the stone surface.

“Wait!” Rarity said.

“Wait for what? Those creatures are trapped in there!” Nopony grunted as he shoved the altar.

“Don’t you see? That witch’s entire spell was conjured from here, using this altar!”

“So, if we destroy this, the whole spell ends?”

“You don’t understand! If this conduit is broken, the result could be catastrophic! Who knows what would happen? That witch may be stopped, but that’s not all that could be! The city could erupt in flames! The magic in the air could swallow every creature in this city whole! You--I might lose you again,” Rarity said.

Nopony looked at his hooves on the surface of the altar, and saw how magic started to collect around it. An idea came to him then. Something that he knew he had to do, for the sake of Rarity.

“Rarity,” Nopony began, as the sleeves of his jacket embraced the fashionista. “Whatever we do next; whatever happens; I want you to know that the time I spent with you was the greatest in my entire life. I only met you today, and you’ve made me realize how worthwhile my life can be. For the first time, I feel special for just being a nopony.

As Rarity listened, she smiled from his heartfelt words. But, she was feeling wary from his tone, as if he were saying goodbye to her.

Slowly, Nopony’s face came into being, and Rarity could see him looking at her. On her back, she felt his hooves now for the first time since she brought him back into existence. She felt nopony nuzzle her face once more, and a shiver of worry shook through her being.

“Nopony? What are you saying?” Rarity cautiously asked.

“Only that I want you to know what you’ve shared with me. Even without dressing somepony up with diamonds and fabrics, you can make them glamorous and special. Never forget that,” Nopony said.

Rarity’s heart stopped in her chest when she felt Nopony’s lips plant a small kiss on her cheek. She gasped when Nopony placed her hooves on the altar next to his own.

“And never forget me,” Nopony said.

The world stopped for Rarity. She had known romance before. She had read it in her books. She had idealized the perfect stallion in her mind countless times. But, she never imagined any of it could feel so terrible in a way that both hurt and comforted her.

Every dream had to end, she knew. Now, for the sake of everypony, Avalon’s time had come.

Rarity stepped closer so that her side was against Nopony’s. Her nerves calmed when she felt her breath synchronize with his, feeling her side rise and fall against the performer’s.

The time had come.

Placing their shaking hooves on the altar, the two ponies started to gather glittering stardust around them. Soon, the entire altar was enveloped in magic.

With a silent crumbling noise, which grew in volume as the altar cracked, the entire stone started to break.

There was a tremor in the air. Something had happened that affected the spell, and it made Rarity and Nopony lurch.

“I can’t do this!” Rarity said.

“We have to! We have to stop that bat-thing!” Nopony answered.

“No! I won’t lose you again!”

Nopony answered Rarity by increasing his magical hold on the altar, and cracking it more.

Another tremor blew through the air, making the performer buckle under the pressure of the unstable magic.

A ways away, Souris gasped and lost her magical hold on the explosive aurora, just before she blew Mickey into oblivion.

She could feel it. Something was leaving her, and it was all converging to one spot, trying to draw her in.

All across the city, the creatures who tried to flee all felt it as well. They all grew faint at once, feeling as if they were awakening from a lucid dream. As though they were to step from one reality into another.

In the room under the stage, Rarity lifted her head, and saw Nopony crumpled beside the altar.

“Nopony!” Rarity said, running to the performer’s side and cradling his head in her hooves. “Nopony, speak to me!”

Nopony cracked one eye open, and saw Rarity on the verge of tears. It was her who he wanted to save, and it would be the last thing he ever did.

The performer kicked a hoof toward the crumbling altar, shattering it completely.

Light filled the room. Rarity had to cover her eyes in order to barely make out the forms of seven creatures.

Each of the creatures drifted through the ceiling at the speed of light, until they all rose high above the city. Like a beacon, they shone brightly, signalling all to come toward them.

The creatures of Avalon all stopped as if they fell into a deep sleep, and drifted up toward the light.

Rarity tried her best to hold onto her beloved Nopony. The performer simply drifted through her as though he were as immaterial as before.

As he floated up, Rarity quickly climbed her string of pearls and tried to chase after him, until he was far beyond anypony’s reach.

In her mind, Rarity begged for him to stay. He was no dream of Avalon now. He was her dream that she brought into being. But, there was no fighting the truth. It was the magic of Avalon she used to bring him back from where Souris sent him, and she was forced to watch him drift toward the beacon above.

In another part of the city, Souris felt her body grow heavy, and start pulling her upward.

“What is this!!? What’s going on!!?” the lady-bat protested.

When she looked up, she saw the source of the anomaly. Her fiendish eyes widened at the sight of the seven spirits she had manipulated into doing her will.

“No! I won’t go!” Souris shouted.

Her body had become permeated with the power of the seven creatures. Now, they were taking it all back from her. They were going to end their dream in full.

Everything was taken away. Even the debris that littered the city was pulled up.

Pete was uncovered by the debris floating away, and saw the anomalies around himself.

“Shame you aren’t goin’ up there!” Mickey said, when he noticed Pete.

“Same, to you, runt! I don’t know about you, but I’m hoofin’ it outta here!” Pete said, before running to safety.

Mickey knew he would see Pete again. He always did. He watched as Souris resisted the pull of the magical beacon. The only pity he had for her was that she was not leaving fast enough. That would soon be rectified.

The mouse took off his mantle and twirled it around as he held the corners. With one solid whip, he hit Souris directly in the face.

Souris felt the intense sting, and lost her balance. She was sent into the air, hurtling toward the beacon above.

From her perch on the spire, Twilight watched as the creatures of Avalon floated past her. Whenever she reached out to save one, they passed right through her.

Among them, Twilight spotted Souris. She had been contemplating simply jumping from the spire to a nearby balcony, but thought it borderline suicidal. Now, as Souris was hurtling toward her, Twilight’s mind was made up.

With an incredible leap, Twilight managed to grab the railing of the balcony, and quickly pulled herself up.

Souris grabbed onto the nearby architecture, and held on for dear life.

“Twilight! Help me!” Souris begged, as she was pulled into the vortex above.

Twilight did not hesitate to do so. Even if Souris had caused that horrible cataclysm, Twilight knew there was hope for all creatures to change.

The young alicorn reached out and firmly took hold of Souris, intending to never let go until the storm passed.

As she held onto Souris’ wings, she felt the familiar chilling sensation of the lady-bat’s touch. Looking at Souris' face, Twilight saw her smiling. Somehow, the smile was both grateful and devious.

When she looked into Souris' eyes, Twilight saw the reflection of herself flashing the lady-bat’s fanged smile once more.

With a shout, Twilight had a horrible vision of her future self if she studied under Souris. So great was her shock that she could not maintain her grip on the lady-bat.

“Twilight! Don’t let go of me! You need me!” Souris said, as her wings slipped from Twilight’s hooves.

Try as Twilight did to hold on, it was all in vain.

Souris slipped from Twilight’s hooves like water, and went screaming toward the vortex. Her screams were only just heard over Twilight calling her name one last time, before all of Avalon was absorbed.

Were any creature born of Avalon alive to return to their home, they would not have recognized it. What were once magnificent marble sidewalks were now dull, chopped stone. What were grand works of artistry were now tattered remains. What were once towering buildings were now crumbled heaps of rubble.

Above, the sun had been blotted out by dark clouds, lending no trace of warmth or welcoming. All the city had been cast into a gloomy shadow, never to see the light of day again.

One pile of rubble stirred, and Mickey Mouse crawled from beneath.

The mouse shook the dust and debris from his head, then knocked what remained from inside his ears. No longer was he wearing his magician’s costume. Like all else of Avalon, it had gone, leaving him back in his red shorts and yellow shoes.

"Gosh! It's like wakin' up from a bad dream into a war zone!" Mickey said to himself.

The mouse surveyed his surroundings, and saw what had become of Avalon, now that the dream had ended. Most unsettling of it all, there was not a living soul in sight.

"Rarity!? Twilight!?" Mickey called out.

The mouse heard something stirring nearby, as though someone were breathing heavily.

Mickey rushed to the source of the noise, and found Twilight sitting beneath an overturned sign.

“Twilight!” Mickey said, before he rushed to her side. “Twilight, are ya okay? Are ya hurt?”

Twilight pulled herself together as best she could to answer. No words came to her. All she could do was barely shake her head, as she mustered the will to speak.

“I...I...I’m okay...I just need to…”

Twilight didn't know how to finish that sentence. Deep inside herself, she wanted to be a useful asset to her friends. More than anything, she wanted to have provided help to the others when they needed her the most, and save Avalon from destruction. But, she knew it could never be. Without her own magic, she was incapable of doing anything that she wished.

"Take yer time an' wait here. I'm gonna go look for Rarity. Don’t go anywhere until I get back," Mickey said, before leaving to look for Rarity.

Waiting. That was almost the only thing Twilight could do. With or without her help, Mickey would have found Rarity. If anything, they could have gone on the remainder of the quest without her, and still return triumphant.

In that moment, Twilight hated herself. She hated not being able to defend her home from Pete, the Big Bad Wolf and their weasel minions. She hated not being able to rescue those workers from the mines. She hated only being able to watch, as Rarity helped defeat the monster from the grotto. She hated not being able to see Souris for what she really was and allowing herself to be manipulated. She hated not being able to concoct a plan in time to save Avalon. She hated her inability to solve the problems between Nopony and his father. Most of all, she hated not doing anything of significance, and forcing Avalon to end its beautiful dream, thus destroying the city and everypony along with it.

Twilight remembered the visions that Souris shared with her. They had been blurry, and Twilight often thought she could see herself in them. But now, she knew it was not her in those visions. That mare was helpful, useful, beautiful. As she was, Twilight knew she could be none of those things. Who needed a mare like her to accompany them?

"Rarity!?" Mickey called.

Though it was only a little over two minutes that he left Twilight alone, it felt as if it were hours. Mickey had been calling repeatedly for Rarity, searching for any sign of her white coat against the drab grey.

"Rarity!?"

A quiet sobbing sound caught the mouse's ears.

Following them to their source, Mickey found Rarity sitting before a fountain. She too had lost the clothes she gained in Avalon. A rudimentary look around, and it was seen to be the same spot where Rarity first met Nopony.

Mickey slowly approached Rarity, making sure that he wasn't moving in a way that wouldn't announce his presence too jarringly.

Rarity glanced over, and saw Mickey approaching her, before she turned her gaze back to the ground.

"Rarity?" Mickey quietly asked. He gently lifted Rarity's chin to face him.

One look, and Rarity knew what Mickey wanted to say. The profound sympathy and regret he felt. Without a word, Rarity leaned her head onto Mickey's shoulder, and sobbed quietly under the mouse's embrace.

For several minutes, Rarity wished the outcome could have been different. She wished more than anything that there could have been another way to save everypony and stop Souris. If it wasn't for her, Nopony could still be alive.

In her heart of hearts, she knew she could have loved him. Without even realizing it, he had taught her much about herself, and the way she viewed romance.

Rarity's sobbing quieted when she felt a gentle waft of wind blow through her mane. Though only wind, she felt as if somepony had taken their hoof and brushed it through her mane, making her lift her head and see who was there.

Nopony was there, aside from herself and Mickey. Of course, it was too much to get her hopes up that Nopony had survived the dream of Avalon ending.

With the wind still caressing her mane, Rarity looked up to see the clouds part mere inches, revealing a beam of sunlight that shone upon her.

Tears flooded Rarity's eyes as she basked in its warmth. A parting gift from a lost love.

"Oh, Nopony..." Rarity said.

“Rarity, I think I should apologize to ya,” Mickey said.

“For what?”

“For Nopony. See, when I first met the guy, I thought he was just some doofus, and that you were way out of his league. It kinda made me think lower of you to think that you were goin’ out with him. Then, I started seein’ what you did. And I started understandin’ why you would want to be with a pony like him. I just...I didn’t realize how right you two were for each other. And, I feel like I shoulda tried harder to think of some way to save everyone here. I’m so sorry, Rarity.”

Rarity sighed, and rested her head beneath Mickey’s chin.

“You’ve done no wrong, Mickey. But, I’m going to miss Nopony dearly. And I’m going to do what I can for him. I’m going to finish this quest that he helped progress for us. For the terrible price he had to pay, I’m going to work doubly hard for him,” Rarity answered.

“That’s the stuff,” Mickey gently chuckled. “Let’s go. Twilight’s waitin’ for us back this way.”

Rarity nodded, and followed Mickey to where he last left Twilight.

In only minutes, he returned to the area where he last saw his alicorn friend.

"Hey, Twilight. I found Rarity!" Mickey called.

No answer came.

“Twilight?”

No answer.

"Aw, come on, Twilight. Don't give us that silent treatment. We still got a lot o' work to do," Mickey said.

Still no answer.

"Twilight, please! This isn't funny! Say something!" Rarity called.

There was still no answer. It was as if Twilight had disappeared without a trace.

In the back of her mind, Rarity recalled Nopony's mother, and what she had done to those she loved before. Now, she feared Twilight had done the same. And it seemed Mickey was approaching the same conclusion.

"Oh, gosh this is bad! Where could she have gone?" Mickey wondered aloud.

The glittering light flashed rapidly to get the others' attention, and started drifting away.

"Mickey, that's it! That's how we can find Twilight," Rarity said.

"I hope yer right. Otherwise, we got a serious problem on our hands," Mickey answered.

Placing their trust in their glittering guide. Mickey and Rarity started to follow the tiny starlight, knowing it would take them to their lost friend.

In actuality, it was taking them in the opposite direction.

Far beyond Avalon, Twilight was hiking back up the mountain path that led them to the city of dreams. With one last look behind her, Twilight saw from her high perch what had become of the city. What was once a gleaming spectacle had become a terrible ruin. Much like herself.

Twilight sat down and lamented being unable to be what she wished she could. More than anything, she regretted abandoning the others. But, she knew they would be better off without her.

There came a noise from the hillside beyond the path she was on. A noise like many legs climbing up the slope. From the sound of it, at least two creatures were climbing toward her. One was muttering something unintelligible. And it was growing closer.

“Oh...Lost, lost, lost…” it seemed the voice was saying.

Twilight gasped quietly, when a great, black hand reached up and grabbed the side of the path. And was followed by another. Then another, and another, and too many hands.

“Oh, whatever shall I do?” Twilight heard a female voice mutter, before the owner pulled herself up from the hillside.

Twilight wanted to scream at what she saw. There before her was a massive creature, twice the size of herself with multiple compound eyes, black, unkempt hair; two fangs that protruded from her mouth, and far too many legs with hands at the end of each of them.

"Oh! Hello," the creature greeted. "Are you lost too?"

"I'm...I'm not lost," Twilight said, her fear of the creature choking her answer.

"Then, perhaps you could please tell me where I may go to be un-lost?" the creature said. "I was given a most important task by my employer. And, unfortunately, I can't seem to find where it is. Please, if you may: help me."

The plea of the creature was earnest. As much as Twilight wished she could help her, she felt as if there was nothing she could do.

"I'm sorry. I don't think there's any way I can help you," Twilight said, before taking a single step forward on the path.

"Please! I must finish my job! It would be a great service to me, even if you are only there as company. What use are you back home that is so great you can't help someone like me," the creature pleaded.

Twilight froze. She looked at the path that stretched far along the mountains, back to her home in Ponyville. There, over the horizon, she would be back home, where she mattered. Or rather, where she once mattered. With one last look to the path home, she started walking back to the creature.

"Alright. I guess I can keep you company," Twilight sighed.

"Oh, thank you dearly, my friend," the creature gratefully said, as she guided Twilight further off the path, and into the mountain wilderness. "I do so hate to be alone. At least now if I'm lost, I can be lost with you."

"I'm not lost," Twilight repeated.

Author's Note

"I'm not lost," she says. We all know better by now, don't we?

Well, that showdown was quite a downer, wasn't it? It's starting to seem like Twilight will never grasp the magic that Rarity and Mickey have so deftly used as their own. Heck, even Nopony got the hang of it after a few tries.

One has to wonder: what actually would have happened if Twilight accepted Souris's offer? Would she have become a master of magic once more? Or would she still be fumbling around with it. And, would Souris have reformed? Personally, I don't think so.

This action scene was a lot of fun to write, as well as a bit of a challenge. The one rule that I had for this one was that in spite of her powerful magic, Souris would fire no energy blasts. I don't always follow my rules very strictly, since that limits a lot of potential for plot and story, but I stuck pretty closely to this one. The reason was the Souris does not seem the type to do something so simple. She is more of an artistic type

Whenever I do experimental stuff like that for action scenes, I always feel like it comes off as choppy and weird. Let me know how I did, and I'll see if I can't go back and make it look better.

One aspect of the action that was cut was a reference to Castlevania. Rarity was going to be whipping Souris in the head like they were Simon Belmont and Dracula. However, that didn't quite convey the hatred Rarity had for Souris, so I had her unleash some rather brutal attacks on the lady-bat.

So, it almost seemed like we had another new recruit for the magical quest. But, it was not to be. I almost did write the ending where Nopony stays, since he was dreamt up by Rarity, but that really took away from the emotional impact of the ending. It sucks, I know.

The question remains now: what are they going to do without Twilight, and who is it that Twilight has met? Are they an agent of Yen Sid, or are they simply a lost traveler? And where is the light taking Mickey and Rarity that is not in Twilight's direction?

This will all be answered much later down the line, as we are next going to go check on how Minnie, Spike and Pluto are doing. Their arch probably won't be as much of a downer. (Probably...)

Rock on, guys and girls \m/

Chapter 30: The Village of Storms

Chapter 30

The Village of Storms

The trials and perils of the Manor Serpente had passed. With the destruction of the vile house, and the passing of its master, Minnie, Spike, Pluto, Loving Care and her dog Rusty, all set forth.

Along the way, Loving Care and her dog were shown the way to the nearest town by a zebra who lived in the forest. From there, they boarded the next train to take them as far from the dreadful mansion as possible. But, theirs is another story.

The mouse, the dragon and the hound dog had been all led far, far from the evil forest, far beyond the next towns, and on a ferry far across the sea.

When the boat docked, and the passengers all departed, the magical light appeared before the three travelers to guide them to their next destination.

Somewhere far away, lightning flashed in the sky. Under the dark and ominous clouds, something terrifying had befallen a village. And it was about to claim its latest victim.

Under the sound of thunder, a door burst open, and the occupant who lived behind it burst into the streets.

The world as she knew it had turned on her. Moments before, she had seen from her window how the creatures she once called her friends were approaching her home with a fierce determination. She was the next to disappear, just as they had before herself.

After escaping through her back door, she was running as fast as her hooves could carry her. In her teeth, she held tightly to her parcel. Wrapped only in a simple cloth, the object within batted against her jaw and her chest with every hasty step.

She didn’t dare to look back. She knew they would never give up their pursuit, until she was caught. And she knew that she couldn’t run forever.

Deep into the hilly countryside, where the green grass shown sickly under the gray sky, the creature ran. She panted loudly when she stopped, and listened for the sounds of hooves coming for her.

There was no sound. But, that didn’t mean she was safe. It would only be a matter of time until she was caught.

She didn’t know whether or not her pursuers knew the importance of her parcel, but she knew that they could never get possession of it.

Quickly thinking, she dug a hole beside a rock and dropped her parcel within. Making doubly sure to tightly pack it safely from the soil, she buried it. One last touch, and she rolled the rock partway over the loose soil.

Her ears twitched at the sounds of hooves. They were coming for her.

The creature quickly ran away over the next hill. When she was gone, there was a flash of lightning and a sound of thunder.

As Minnie, Spike and Pluto were walking, they heard the distant rumbling, and paused in their tracks.

“Oh, my! It sounds like rough weather ahead,” Minnie said to her companions.

“I just hope we get wherever we’re going, before we get caught in it,” Spike panted.

Pluto started sniffing the air. To him, it didn’t smell like storm weather. Usually before a storm, there was a strange, metallic scent in the air, accompanied by the usual smell of rain. There was none of that to the hound dog.

The three continued their hike through the hilly countryside, led by their glittering guide.

“How much farther is it?” Spike panted, as he hiked across the terrain.

“I don’t know. We’ll probably see once we get around this hill,” Minnie answered, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“I don’t know if I’m going to make it that far,” Spike said, before falling to his haunches.

Pluto trudged by, heaving and panting, and dragging his paws with every step.

Spike reached out and grabbed Pluto’s drooping tail. All he had to do then was try to enjoy being dragged across the grass beneath him.

Up ahead, Minnie rounded the hill and saw their glittering guide glimmer brightly.

“Are we...almost there…?” Minnie panted.

The magical light bobbed up and down, mimicking an affirmative nod.

“Thank goodness! These heels must have become flats by now!” Minnie said.

With a renewed vigor, Minnie trekked on as best she could. When she rounded the hill, she found something in the grass. There, bared in the grass were two parallel trails through the vivid green. A sure sign that a wagon, or some other vehicle was regularly pulled through that way.

The glittering light drifted along the path in the grass. Hopefully, it meant their trip would be over at long last.

“Spike! Pluto! Look at this!” Minnie called.

Pluto trudged around the hill, huffing and puffing from the uphill marathon they walked. Behind him, Spike held firmly to the hound dog’s tail, pulled face down across the grass.

“Please tell me it’s a town,” Spike moaned.

“No. But, it doesn’t look much further to one,” Minnie answered.

“Can we stop for a while? My feet are going to die if I keep walking.”

Pluto nodded, just before his legs started jiggling. In a second, the hound dog flopped onto the ground, his four legs splayed in all directions.

There was no arguing with her companions. Minnie too felt the effects of the long journey, and decided to sit down on a nearby rock. Once she took her seat, she removed her shoes and started rubbing her sore feet.

The glittering light buzzed before them all, trying to prompt them all onward.

“In a moment. We all need to rest,” Minnie said.

The light let out a little, annoyed hum. It knew what laid ahead, and did not want to delay the arrival to their destination any more than they had to.

In the distance, a great light flashed in the sky. Nearly a second after, a booming sound broke the silence.

Minnie, Pluto and Spike all looked to the sky where the disturbance came from. There was only the grey, overcast sky above, but not a sign of any rain or storm.

“Let’s go in ten minutes,” Minnie said.

Another flash and a boom sounded, and Pluto quickly burrowed to safety underground, followed shortly by Spike.

“Children,” Minnie dismissively said, as she rubbed her feet.

In a dark room far away, electricity crackled. Through the air, it danced and chattered about, before it coursed through a creature that was strapped into a diabolical machine.

The creature made no noises, but jumped and struggled against her restraints. Within the creature, something was changing. Something terrible was coming to be, and she was powerless to stop it.

In the light of the flashing electricity, the operator of the machine paced impatiently. The figure had been searching long and hard for what she needed, but was constantly coming up short. If this creature had nothing she was looking for, she felt she was going to go berserk.

Screens nearby lit up, and the figure shifted toward them.

“This is it! This time, I know we’re in business!” she said, as she hastily looked at each monitor.

One by one, the screens came alive, showing the expected images. An outline of the specimen, their vitals, the nature of the magic within them. But most importantly, the nature of what they who and what they were inside.

The specimen’s brain appeared on a monitor.

“Yes…” the figure said.

All the important areas lit up.

“Yes…” the figure said, her smile half-showing in the shadows.

A light shone in the specimen’s chest.

“Yes! This is the one!” the figure said, jumping into the air and pumping her fist.

The light started to dim.

“No! No! You stupid--Keep working, you!!” the figure said, as she slapped her monitors.

The entire machine responded by sending out an electric surge that blew the figure backwards.

The figure stood up from the ground, and twisted her head straight.

“One of these days, I’m going to get those new parts! When that day comes, then I’ll really fix your little, red wagon!” the figure threatened the console.

The machine reacted by threateningly sparking with more electricity.

“Awww, shaddup!” the figure said, as she stretched her arm across the room and shut the whole machine off.

The creature strapped into the machine stopped thrashing as the electric current was cut off.

The room went dark, with only the glow from the lights on the machine console illuminating the area.

The shadowy figure stretched one leg across the room to the side of the creature. When the rest of her followed after, she started undoing the restraints.

“Well, you were no help! Everybody here said you were the best there is at what you do, and you go and let me down! There’s an oversale!” the figure said, before she picked the creature up.

The creature hung limply in her grip.

“Don’t look at me that way. You’ve been a lovely applicant. But, I’m afraid that you don’t quite have what I’m looking for. Soooo--” the figure pitched the creature down a nearby chute. “--Take a hike, Jack!”

The figure sighed. Yen Sid had put her in charge of studying the magic of these creatures in that new land, and she had very little progress to show for her efforts.

“A heart, a heart. My kingdom for a heart!” the shadowy figure said, as she paced back and forth. “Doesn’t any creature have any magic with any heart to it in this saccharine cheer-bubble of a world!?”

Little did she know that such a thing was closer than she thought.

Minnie looked around and listened closely.

The sounds of the storm had passed, and she and her companions were still resting. Until another loud crash in the distance got their attention. One in the opposite direction of the sound of the storm.

“What was that?” Spike wondered from his underground hiding spot.

Minnie collected her shoes and placed them on her feet, ready to run in case of danger.

Pluto poked his head out of the hole and looked around for the source of the sounds. His canine ears picked up traces of noise the others couldn’t. The sounds of squeaking wood against well-kept metal. That, mixed with the sound of wood rolling on dirt gave the hound dog the impression that a wagon was being pulled toward them. By a creature with hooves, it sounded like.

His hunting dog instincts took over. Jumping out of the hole with his legs flailing, Pluto landed on the ground and pointed his nose in the direction of the noise.

Minnie knew this was a sure sign he was indicating something, and looked to where the hound dog pointed.

“Hey! Watch it!” Spike said. Having been underground with Pluto before, he knew how cramped things could be. And it wasn’t much better with the hound dog jumping around like that.

Above him, the loose soil caved in on top of his head.

“Thanks a lot!” Spike said to nopony in particular.

Within the soil on top of him, the dragon felt something new. Something that was hard like a rock, but wasn’t a rock.

Once he crawled out of the burrow, Spike investigated the find. What it turned out to be was a piece of cloth with something tied up inside of it.

This was a curious find indeed. Wondering what was inside, Spike undid the knot in the cloth and was puzzled by the find.

There in his claw was a metal cylinder of some sort. The ends were made of brass and the whole thing had bumps across its surface, like something one found in a music box. Whatever it was, Spike didn’t know its importance if somepony had just thrown it away and buried it. But, a strange feeling overcame him. One that made him tie up the cylinder in its cloth and place it in his backpack.

The dragon was brought back to reality by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Spike,” Minnie said, “Look.”

Spike looked to the direction Minnie was pointing. There, he saw Pluto pointing his nose toward the trail.

There on the trail was the shape of a wagon in the distance. And the creature pulling it was walking in their direction.

“Alright! Maybe they’ll give us a ride to where we need to go!” Spike said, as he started jumping and waving in the middle of the path. “Hey! Over here!”

Minnie pulled him back to the side.

“Not in the middle of the road, Spike. That’s how people get hurt,” Minnie chided him.

Spike rolled his eyes. There was no way the driver of the wagon would run him down at the speed they were moving. But, there was no reason to contradict or disobey Minnie, so he obliged the mouse.

All three of them started waving down the approaching wagon from the side of the path.

At first, the sound of hooves made them think it was a pony that was coming. But, as the creature came closer and closer, it became clear that this was no pony. Its muzzle and its legs were too narrow. Its body was too low-slung to the ground. And its tail was too bushy. Closer still, and it was even stranger.

To Spike, it looked like a timber wolf with fur. To Minnie, it was just a gray wolf pulling the wagon. But, that wasn’t the strangest thing. The strangest part of this creature was that at the end of its legs, instead of paws it had cloven hooves.

As soon as it reached them, the creature stopped and looked at them all.

Minnie, Pluto and Spike all grew wary looking at the creature as it stared at them with its narrow, predatory eyes.

“Wel? Beth ydych chi eisiau?” the creature asked in a gruff, gravelly voice.

“Um...Hello,” Minnie said, unsure if the creature would understand her. “Could you give my friends and I a ride?”

The creature looked at them and huffed loudly.

“Peidiwch â trafferthu siarad â mi’n. Dw i’n ddim allaf ddeall gair a ddywedwch,” it answered.

“We want to go that way,” Spike said, pointing to the direction ahead.

The creature looked at Spike, making the baby dragon flinch under its gaze. It looked back to the other two, then motioned with its head to the back of the cart.

“Iawn. Cael yn i'r wagen. Ond, dw i’n ddim ond yn mynd i'r dref nesaf. Os ydychi’n am fynd ymhellach, gofynnwch i rywun arall,” the creature said.

Even though they couldn’t understand what the creature was saying, they knew that it was obliging them to ride in its wagon.

They all filed to the back of the wagon, ready to relax for the last leg of their journey. Before she boarded, Minnie took one last look at the creature, wondering precisely what it was, or if it had other intentions.

The creature stared back with its narrow, predatory eyes.

“Thank you for the ride,” Minnie softly said.

“Symudwch hi’n, eisoes!!” the creature barked slightly baring his fangs.

That was all the mouse needed to hear to make her hastily jump into the back.

As soon as she was in the back, Minnie took her seat, finding that the wagon was full of stones, unrefined metals and uncut gems.

Next to her, Pluto was trying to find a place to take a seat. He repeatedly stood up, and laid down in ways that his body set inside the grooves of the payload. No matter what he did, he couldn’t find a comfortable way to sit.

“Mmf! I’d have been more comfortable walking the rest of the way,” Minnie grunted, as she settled onto a pile of metal.

“I don’t think it’s so bad,” Spike said, as he munched on an uncut ruby.

“Spike, don’t eat that!” Minnie said, taking the gem from Spike’s hand.

“Why not? He’s got loads of them back here,” Spike answered.

“And he probably needs every last one of them for his job. That wolf up front was nice enough to let strangers like us ride his wagon. We don’t want him to think we’re freeloaders now, do we?” Minnie chided the dragon.

“Yes, mother,” Spike sarcastically answered, as he slumped into a bed of rocks.

“YIPE!!!”

Minnie and Spike jumped when Pluto jumped up into the air, after sitting on a piece of sharp metal.

With a heavy landing, the hound dog was beginning to miss walking, as the creature hauling the cart went on his way to who knew where.

In the dark room, the figure was busy at work fixing her machine.

“Hold still, while I tighten this up,” the figure said, as she applied a screwdriver to the interior.

Once the part was tightened, another part fell loose.

“Get back in there, you little--” she grumbled.

The part was tightened, and another fell loose.

“You’re only making this difficult on yourself!”

There was a tiny explosion inside the machine, and the figure pulled her head out.

“So, you want to play rough, do you?”

The machine billowed out a puff of smoke.

The figure had had enough. She was going to make sure that machine was fixed from scratch. She stretched her arm across the room and retrieved a sledgehammer from her toolkit.

“Bite your lip, fella. This might hurt a bit,” she said, as she wound up to swing.

The metal casing on the machine’s side fell off and squashed the figure flat.

Slowly, the figure squirmed out from under the heavy metal.

“Looks like we’re at a bit of an impasse here…” she grumbled.

The lights on the machine dimmed slowly.

“Oh, don’t give me that sad treatment,” the figure said, as she struggled to squeeze her body out from under the casing. “I know things are tough right now. But, it’s going to be a while before I get that part. And I just know that if I had a heart strong enough, then we’d really get you into gear.”

With several grunts and groans, she was able to free her arms. With those two limbs free, she started trying to lift the metal up to slide out from beneath it.

*DING-DING*

The figure knew that noise. It was a sure sign of something new in the domain she had occupied.

Not that it mattered if there were any newcomers. After so many failures, she knew that even this one would have nothing of use to herself. Still, she had a duty to keep to.

The dark figure slowly lifted the heavy metal, and slid her body from beneath. Once free, she stretched her leg across the room. When her foot touched down, the rest of her followed.

On a small table, two coils crackled with electricity. Between them, starlit magic started to condense until an image appeared. There, she saw the image of a wolf-creature with cloven hooves hauling a wagon.

“This whole place is falling apart! That’s nothing new! That’s that grouchy delivery boy! Remember how much he bit us when we brought him here?” the figure said.

She was about to turn off her machine, and set to scheduling it for repairs after the maintenance on the other machine was done. Until she noticed something.

In the back of the wagon, she could see what looked like a bow sticking up above the wooden sides of the vehicle.

“Hmmm...Either that theow’s diversifying his deliveries, or there’s a new taker for me to nick their ticker,” the figure said.

Concentrating her mind to the surveillance, she was able to rotate it as the theow walked by with its wagon. From there, she made an astonishing discovery.

There, sitting in the back of the wagon was a mouse. A mouse not like any creature of this foreign land of magic, but one like her own.

“Oh, joy! Oh, hallelujah! I never thought this day would come!” the dark figure celebrated, as she danced over to her diabolical machine.

Once she arrived, she put her arms around the console, as though she were hugging an old friend.

“I’ve done it! I’ve found the heart I need! And even if you don’t have all the right working parts, I know this one will be strong enough for you to power through it!”

She looked over to the table where she had restrained all of her previous specimens. Rubbing her chin, she looked over the gurney. Its shape was wrong, and the placement of the restraints were designed for a four-legged specimen.

The dark figure ran her hands over the surface of the table, and idly clicked the restraints open and shut.

“I think a redesign is needed. To accommodate our new guest.”

Rather than bare a smile, a smile seemed to simply form on the surface of her face. In time, she would introduce herself to the mouse. And her machine would take the mouse’s heart.

Two clicks sounded on the table. Looking down, the dark figure saw that she had absentmindedly placed her hands in the restraints, which locked themselves around her wrists.

“Oh, for crying out loud!” the figure said.

She stepped backwards, stretching her arms to incredible lengths. But, it was not enough to pull herself free.

“If this is a joke--*mmng*--I don’t know who’s laughing!!” she grunted.

On the surface of the starlit magic, the theow pulling the wagon just walked into town. His path was followed for as far as the surveillance could see, until he was out of sight. However, his mousey passenger in the back was still visible by the time the wagon stopped.

In the town, the theow pulling the wagon looked over his shoulder to address his passengers.

“Diwedd y llinell. Nawr cael allan. Dw i’n rhaid imi gael y llwyth hwn i yr burfa,” the wagon driver said.

Even if they didn’t understand their driver, this was as far as Minnie, Spike and Pluto needed to go. The three of them all disembarked, and the wagon was pulled away.

The first thing they noticed was the look of the town. The buildings were made of gray or brown bricks, and the roofs were thatched with heavy branches and thick leaves. Most of the shops were outdoors, from the cart selling fruit, to the forge where their driver unloaded his payload. A butcher had many meats hanging outside his shop. Pluto’s eyes sparkled at the sight, but Minnie and Spike both winced when they watched the butcher chop the head off a chicken.

There were no roads on the ground. Just more trails that had been bared by countless wagon wheels taking the same path countless times. In spite of the lack of roads, every wagon that was pulled through moved with the fluidity of a city street. Even without traffic signals and road signs, everything moved smoothly.

The glittering light drifted before the three travelers, and with one last glimmer it dispersed into nothingness.

“I guess what we should do now is have a look around?” Minnie suggested.

“Yeahyeahyeahyeah!!” Pluto panted, before he rushed over to the butcher shop.

“Oh! Pluto, wait!” Minnie called after the hound dog.

At the butcher shop, the theow behind the counter stopped plucking the chicken it held to reprimand the dog who was nipping at his wares.

“Nac ydw! Na! Mae'r rhain ar gyfer cwsmeriaidau! Cymerwch rai sgrapiau yn lle hynny,” the butcher said, before giving Pluto a tray of meat scraps.

For the first time in a while, Pluto’s cup had run over. With a sunny smile, the hound dog dug into his food.

“Sorry about Pluto,” Spike apologized.

“Oh, you speak pony? Me too,” the butcher said.

“Thank Celestia. I never thought we’d understand anypony here,” Spike replied.

“‘Celestia?’ From Equestria, are you? Well, welcome to Blaiddru,” the butcher said, as he placed his chicken on the counter. “I saw you come into town on Pike’s wagon. Sorry for him. He’s not the friendliest bloke, but he always helps when you ask, so we tolerate him.”

Using only his teeth, the butcher plucked the rest of the feathers from the bird. He spat the mouthful of feather to the ground, which blew into Pluto’s face.

The hound dog sniffed and snuffed. In the end, he ended up with a beard and a pair of bushy eyebrows made from the plucked feathers. And with a sneeze, the feathers blew all over the place.

After the feathers cleared, Pluto was greeted with a shocking sight: his food was gone.

“What about you, lady? Where are you from?” the butcher asked Minnie.

“Mouseton,” Minnie answered.

Pluto looked up, and saw that his meat scraps had been blown up to the ceiling.

“Mouseton, eh? Never heard of it. Then again, I’m not the most learned theow,” the butcher said.

Pluto jumped up and down to reach his food. Each time, he came up short.

Spike glanced over at Pluto, and saw the hound dog’s plight. But, there was nothing he could have done to help him.

“Uh, hey. This might sound weird, since we just came into town. But, have you noticed anything strange around here?” the dragon asked.

“Hm. Something strange…” the butcher thought, after cleaving the chicken. “Well, one thing I’ve noticed is a lot of folks around here seem to leave town for a bit, then come walking back from the middle of town. Thing is, whenever you ask them about it, they never want to talk about it.”

The meat that was stuck on the ceiling started to peel off. Now, all Pluto had to do was let the suspended weight of the meat pull the rest of it off, and gravity would do the rest.

Minnie and Spike looked to where the butcher pointed.

There was nothing notable about it, other than the town well and the clock tower.

“Has that happened recently?” Minnie asked.

“Actually, yeah. Taffy, lovely girl she is, went running out of her home a half hour before you got here. Did you perhaps see her on the road?” the butcher said.

“No. We only saw Pike,” Spike said.

“Shame. Taffy’d be better company than that grouch. Still, if you feel like playing investigator, you can start with the town square. Me? I got birds to butcher,” the butcher said, as he placed another dead chicken on his counter.

Rather than watch him continue his job, Minnie and Spike hastily left.

“It was nice speaking with you,” Minnie said.

“Same to you,” the butcher said.

Pluto had been sitting patiently for the meat to fall. Finally, his waiting was about to pay off. But, as he looked up, he saw something else on the ceiling.

There, hiding in the corner was what looked like some kind of organic blob. Something that looked like a glob of jelly with other globs floating inside of it.

For a moment, Pluto thought the thing blinked at him. But, he couldn’t consternate over it, as his piece of meat fell from the ceiling.

“Hey, Pluto! Come on!” Spike called.

Pluto looked to his food, then to Spike, then back up to the ceiling, and saw the blob was gone. Whatever it was, he couldn’t mull over it. Instead, he picked up his last scrap of meat and left to join his friends.

From a hidden cranny between the woodwork of the butcher shop, the blob continued to watch the new arrivals. In particular, it focused on Minnie. She was the one heart that was needed.

One more time, the sky flashed above the town, and thunder followed after.

Author's Note

Show of hands: how many people thought we were going to visit the home of the Storm King? Sorry if you guys are disappointed, but as far as the 'Alternate Universe' tag on this story's concerned, the events of the movie didn't happen in this story.

But, let's have a word about this new place. The entire kingdom that Minnie, Spike and Pluto are in now is based on places like Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The green hills were just something that I thought would be a nice aesthetic touch to put here. Its name, 'Blaiddru' (pronounced blythe-ree) is a mix of two Welsh words. The first is 'blaidd,' which means 'wolf.' The second is 'Cymru,' which means 'Wales.'

The creatures who inhabit the kingdom are called theow, which are a heraldic beast from medieval England. Their description is that they are basically wolves, but with cloven hooves instead of paws. And that they are loyal protectors who never attack their human masters. The reason that I chose theows to be the creatures of this kingdom is that I wanted something that would fit in with the north-western European aesthetic of the kingdom. So, I chose something from their local mythologies.

Originally, the language that the theows were going to speak was Saxon-English. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any source that would help me learn such a language. No books. No websites. No people that I knew. So, I decided to use a language that I'm actually familiar with, and speak somewhat well: Welsh.

As for the story that's unfolding, we have learned that Minnie may well be in danger. She has something that the villain of this arch wants. And who knows how far they'll go to get it.

The villain herself is something of a mystery still. We don't know who or what she is, or what she intends to do when she gets what she wants from Minnie. But, we have a bit of an established personality and a motive. About the villain's personality, she was inspired as being a mixture of a generic mad scientist and Foghorn Leghorn. I thought maybe you all could use a laugh after the last villain we met.

Speaking of which, something odd happened when I posted the last chapter. The day after I did, the story itself got about three or four more dislikes. Now, I don't mean any offense, but I had a bit of a laugh when I saw that.

The reason I reacted the way that I did was that I was astonished that it would have such an emotional impact on people that they would hate this story all of a sudden. But, haven't our pony friends experienced hardships before? As I recall, Twilight once got into serious trouble with Princess Celestia after she caused a bunch of trouble when she failed to write a friendship report. Did the same people who disliked this story go on the internet and say how much they hated the show?

Anyway, it made me do some thinking about this story. I looked back on the previous chapters, and I think the theme of this story is 'sh*t happens.' I'm not just being glib or dismissive. I actually think that's the running theme here. Those llamas losing their home. Minnie couldn't save The Massster. Twilight's perception of herself, the world around her, and her whole way of thinking is shattered. Rarity loses her potential love. Goofy's son is missing. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I think that it all goes to show that things quite often don't work out the way we planned for them. But if we just keep going on, the way the characters do in this story, we often end up meeting our goal.

This brings to mind something a little ominous: what terrible surprises will await our friends in this story arch. And how will they fare afterward? You'll have to read the next chapter to know that. So, rock on, and keep rocking on, no matter what is thrown your way \m/

Chapter 32: Horror Unleashed

Chapter 32

Horror Unleashed

In a hidden canal, something moved. Hidden beneath the hooves of the theows, something terrible shifted through the aqueducts that brought water to the village. It moved with utmost swiftness, with a determination to reach its destination.

It slithered its gelatinous, amorphous form through the underground passages. It knew where it was going. And it had to reach there without being seen.

With only the dimmest light to show it the way, it glided across the surface of the waters. It’s wake echoed off of the rough stone walls as it hurried to its destination.

Soon, it arrived at a pipe that dipped into the waters. There, it climbed its way up the shaft, through the metallic darkness.

It found its way into an underground reservoir with many more passages to take. But, it had been through each one countless times. It knew every path by heart, and knew just the one to take to get where it wanted.

It skimmed along the circumference of the reservoir, and was pulled into another direction. Somebody somewhere was using a lot of water, and it was diverting the thing’s course.

The blob struggled against the strengthening current, and reached out to grab onto the sides of the reservoir walls. With all its might, it pulled itself away from the current. Had it a mouth, it would have cursed a blue streak at the stream of water. But, now that it was free, it continued on its way.

It flowed through the passage it needed at top speed. At each turn, it shifted its weight to navigate the series of pipes. Finally, it was at the main where it needed to be. It flowed up the pipe, and seeped out a faucet in the living area upstairs.

Once it landed in the sink, the blob scrambled to keep from going back down the drain. Its effort was in vain, as the porcelain surface was too sleek to hold onto.

In a desperate move, it grabbed a fork that was still in the sink, and used it to stop itself from falling, just as it fell down the drain.

The blob held onto the fork and climbed back into the sink. With a jump, it landed on the top of the counter, rolled over the side, and dropped to the floor.

The translucent blob splattered flat for a moment, then regrouped itself. It shook its form as if to regain lucidity, then seeped through the cracks in the floor.

On the ceiling of the room below, the blob peered about. The specimen had not shown up yet. But, the door to the shop soon opened.

The shadowy figure watched her starlit surface, and observed the images of a theow with greenish fur enter the toy shop. Behind her, a mouse in a polka dot dress walked in.

She needed to find a way to stall for time to keep Minnie there, while the others made their way to the shop.

A smile crossed Taffy’s face as she turned to her guest.

“How about I make you something to drink? You look like you’ve been about for a while now,” Taffy said.

“What? But, what about what you wanted to tell me?” Minnie said.

“No, no. Far be it from me to be a bad hostess. You sit still and get comfortable. I’ll make cocoa, or whatever I have lying around,” Taffy said, before she hastily left to the adjacent room, and ran up the stairs there.

Minnie was in a bit of a fluster over Taffy’s odd behavior. First, the tinker disappeared, reappeared, offered to tell her about what happened, then delayed to make drinks. But as confused as Minnie was, she was quickly taken by the sights of all the toys around her.

There were things that were far grander than any toy she had growing up on her parents’ chicken farm. As she searched, Minnie found a tin box with a crank on it. She knew precisely what it was. A jack-in-the-box, just like she had when she was a young mouselet.

The mouse smiled at the memory of the first time she played with a toy like that. And how she nearly jumped through her ceiling when she saw the garishly painted clown face pop out on its spring.

Curious to see what awaited within that box, Minnie turned the crank.

A simple, repetitive melody played as the mouse operated the toy. When the song ended, she was surprised that the top simply popped open, and a clown face was not what came out.

A mechanical flower sprouted up, and its tin petals opened to reveal two dancing ladybugs.

Minnie giggled at the sight, and glanced around at the many marvelous toys on display.

The shadowy figure watched the mouse play with the contraptions on display.

“Oh, isn’t that just the cutest thing? Too bad I scrapped all of the best stuff to build you,” the figure said to her machine.

The machine fizzled with electricity, and there was a tiny explosion inside it.

“Sorry, but you can only find so much in a shop like that. It’s not like all the right parts are going to be found in a single place. And unless you want me hoofing it a hundred miles to the next town, this is as good as it’s going to get,” the figure said.

The machine popped, and a cog flew out with the force of a fastball. Right toward the figure’s head.

The figure screamed loudly, and ducked.

The cog stuck into the wall just behind her, embedding deep into the stone.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!? Do you have any idea how hard it is to repair something like this!?” the figure said, as she pointed to her own head.

The machine sputtered and spewed a puff of smoke.

The figure growled loudly, and sat back down to keep an eye on the mouse.

Minnie became aware of a noise like something bouncing. When she looked to the source, she saw what seemed like a spring with two rubber ends bounding end over end toward her. And it was followed by another.

The mouse caught the two toys, before Pluto came running out of the room they had come from.

“Arf-arf!” the hound dog said, as he chased after the toys. .

Upstairs, Taffy slowly prepared the drinks for her guest downstairs. She finished preparing water in a kettle, plugged her sink, and set the kettle in her fireplace.

From her faucet, more of the globules began to flow. In a moment, they flowed as a solid stream into the sink.

Taffy winced. Something within her made her head throb, and her mind hazy. Something that wasn’t supposed to be there was forcing its way in, changing her in a terrible way.

Downstairs, Pluto paused when he saw Minnie.

“Oh. So, this is where you’ve run off to. Where’s Spike?” Minnie asked.

“Arf-arf!” Pluto said, before trotting off to the workshop.

Minnie followed after, and found Spike in the back, surrounded by clockwork toys. Among them was a life-sized, mechanical theow pup.

“Well, well. I see you’ve been busy,” Minnie giggled.

“Minnie! We were just investigating, like you said,” Spike said.

Minnie couldn’t help but smile. For as much as Spike wished for independence and to be treated as mature, it was clear to see that he was still just a child. And from the look on Spike’s face, Minnie thought he knew it as well.

“I see you’ve made some friends,” the mouse said, as she wound up a row of marching, miniature soldiers.

Caru turned her head to face Minnie.

“Diwrnod da, llygoden. Fy enw i yw Caru,” the doll said.

“And who’s your cute, little friend here?” Minnie giggled when she heard the doll’s child-like voice.

“That’s Caru. Caru, that’s Minnie. Um...Mae ef Minnie,” Spike answered.

Minnie couldn’t help but giggle again. The idea of a boy who put up such a tough facade naming a doll was beyond cute to her. And now, he was talking to it.

“Nac ydw. Mae hi Minnie,” Caru said.

“Mae hi Minnie,” Spike repeated.

“Ydw. Da iawn, Spike,” the doll replied.

Minnie was in a mild state of shock. She had just heard the doll say hers and Spike’s names, as if it were engaged in actual conversation.

Taffy tried to shout, but her voice was choked by something from within.

The substance had filled the sink, and was starting to pool onto the floor.

Minnie, not wanting to be impolite, decided to answer Caru’s greeting.

“Uh, It’s nice to meet you, Garry,” Minnie said, patting the doll’s head.

“No. It’s ‘Gah-ree.’ She’s pretty particular about that,” Spike said.

Pluto nodded in agreement.

Taffy writhed and wriggled on the floor upstairs. She wanted to shout. She wanted to knock something over. Anything to warn the others downstairs of the danger they were in.

There was a power over her. Ever since she left that dark room, she had fought it. For those who were precious to her, she had to not let it win.

Downstairs, Spike and Minnie carried on their conversation, unaware of what was happening upstairs.

“How did she get here? How does a toy like her even exist?” Minnie wondered, as she looked Caru over.

The doll shyly lowered herself from Minnie’s gaze.

“I don’t know. But, she said that Taffy’s her mom. Maybe she built her,” Spike answered.

“Ble mae fy mamma?” Caru asked.

“Oh!” Minnie gasped. “I almost forgot. Spike, I’ve found Taffy.”

“Mamma?” Caru asked.

“You have? Where is she?” Spike wondered.

“She just went upstairs, before I found you two. And I think something is very wrong with her,” the mouse answered.

“What do you mean?”

“Ble mae fy mamma?”

Taffy struggled against the power over her, as the substance crept over her form. She fought to keep it from overtaking her, but it slowly shifted toward her head.

Soon, it would overtake her. And it would reinforce the power that threatened to change her.

The tinker dragged her body across the floor, trying to pull herself free.

The shadowy figure abruptly stood up and slammed her palms on the table.

“Oh, give up already! That delivery boy didn’t nearly put up this much of a fight!” she said.

She focused her mind. Something within her translucent cranium began to glow, and its edges rippled.

Taffy opened her mouth to shout, but she only managed a choked yelp.

The substance in the room was joined by others, and slowly enveloped her.

Taffy’s teeth clenched around the handle of the kettle she held. With a swing of her head, she tossed it across the room, toward the stairs.

Everyone downstairs looked to the direction of the noise.

“Taffy!” Minnie said.

“Mamma!” Caru added.

When they left the workshop, the first thing they saw was the tea kettle at the bottom of the stairs at the far end of the adjacent room.

Pluto’s senses picked up things the other couldn’t. Now that he was closer to the stairs, that strange scent was stronger than ever. He knew the source of it was going to be found up those steps, and he readied himself to face it.

Quick as his canine legs could carry him, Pluto ran ahead of the others to confront the source of the scent.

He entered the upstairs living area. What he found up there made his blood run cold.

“BOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!”

Pluto yowled, as he ran back in the opposite direction.

The hound dog shivered in the corner before the stairs, just as the others came up.

“OH!” Minnie said, when she saw what had happened.

There was Taffy, sprawled on the floor. She was frantically pawing at her head, as if she were trying to dig something out of it. All around her, the floor was wet with an unknown substance, which was slowly enveloping her. Within the strange, translucent substance, more globules were seen, which drifted about beneath the surface. Some consolidated toward Taffy, while others drifted toward the edges of the substance.

“Mamma!” Caru shouted.

“Caru…! Rhedeg i ffwrdd!” Taffy struggled to say.

Instead of listening to her mother, the doll stepped forward to rescue her. The moment her tin hoof stepped in the unknown substance, it began wrapping around her leg.

Caru yelped and retracted her leg from the seemingly living mass of translucence.

Spike and Minnie pulled Caru away from the substance, which started flowing across the floor toward them.

In a sudden surge, Taffy was enveloped by the substance. As if to reach out, the substance projected its edges toward the others and began pulling itself forward.

It was time to run.

Pluto was the first down the stairs. Minnie took Spike by his claw and guided him downstairs.

“Mamma!” Caru shouted one last time, before Spike put his hand on her back and pulled her away from the terrible scene.

Taffy was unable to make any noise. She was unable to move. The globules inside the substance drifted toward her and entered through her ears and her mouth. Now, they had complete control over her.

With each step on the stairs, a translucent tendril reached up for them. Minnie dodged back and forth as she descended down the steps.

One tendril wrapped around her leg, but barely had time to get a good grip on her, before she slipped out.

The bottom step opened up, and a wave of tendrils reached up from beneath it.

On his way down, Pluto tripped and went rolling down the steps. The hound dog arrived at the bottom and closed the bottom step, squashing the tendrils all at once.

The way was now safe for the others to reach the downstairs area. But, it was no better there than upstairs.

The wondrous store downstairs had become a nightmare. The substance from upstairs was leaking through the ceiling, and reaching to the floor.

Pluto’s first instinct was to run for the front door. Before he, or any of the others could reach it, it was blocked by the substance enveloping it.

The blobby, translucent columns that dripped from the ceiling grew appendages, which reached out for its quarry.

Caru pulled Spike away as one reached in his direction.

The appendage reached for Minnie, and wrapped around her arm.

The mouse yelped as she felt it tighten around her arm. She tried to pull free, but the tendril held firm. And it was joined by others.

Pluto, Spike and Caru all worked to remove the tendrils. For every one they removed, they were replaced by another.

Spike blew his flames at the tendrils, hoping it would have some useful effect.

Indeed, the translucent appendages all retracted. All but one, which held firmly to Minnie’s arm.

Pluto saw the globules inside the substance moving closer to Minnie, the same way they had with Taffy. The hound dog jumped and clamped his teeth over the globule.

In a second, the tendril that held Minnie released her. The tendril trembled like it was shaking pain from itself, and morphed into a fist. The fist wound up for a second, then punched Pluto backwards.

A mass of the substance contracted to thinner than an inch, then bulged out to nearly a meter to bounce the rolling hound dog away.

Spike and Caru caught Pluto. The moment they caught him, they were wrapped up in a tendril of the substance, and carried off toward the workshop.

Minnie charged to rescue them, just as the workshop was about to be sealed off by another mass of the substance.

The mouse ran toward the workshop, as the floor beneath her began to bulge upward, and more of the substance leaked through.

In a daring move, Minnie leapt toward the rapidly narrowing opening of the workshop.

The substance started to close the doorway.

Minnie could feel it on the contours of her body as she passed through the doorway. It began to squeeze, just as her hips passed through, and rapidly closed around her legs.

The toes of Minnie’s shoes only just passed, as the last centimeter of the substance congealed shut.

In the workshop, Minnie saw how the strange fluid had worked its way there as well. All around, parts of the machines were taken and dismantled.

At the far end, Spike, Pluto and Caru were all bound tightly by the substance’s tendrils.

“Hang on! I’m coming!!” Minnie shouted.

She tried to run to them, but the translucent mass oozed in front of her. In a moment, she saw the disparate parts it had been collecting start to swirl inside of it. The next moment, the parts arranged themselves into a half-formed torso, a spindly pair of arms with hands at the ends, and a face that had no solid head.

Still surrounded by the clear fluid, a mechanical arm reached out and grabbed for Minnie.

The mouse tried to pull away, only to have her arm caught in the metal hand. To her surprise, it was quite a bit stronger than the substance by itself.

She grasped for anything she could get her hands on, and found a wrench that was lying by an unfinished project. She swung over and over at the metal arm, finding it to be as solid as it looked.

More of the tendrils dragged the mass toward the mouse.

Beyond the workshop door, Taffy watched Minnie through the translucent fluid. She did nothing and made no motions to suggest she was going to help. She simply watched as the mouse struggled, and a smile crossed her face.

A smile crossed the face of the shadowy figure, as she watched the image of Minnie on her starlit surface. She knew that she had caught her perfect specimen. In mere moments, she would have the mouse in her clutches, and would be able to complete her experiments.

The time to strike was at hand.

The mass began surrounding Minnie on all sides, and reached out to envelope her.

Minnie struck the metal arm that grasped her again, only for her wrench to bounce off of it.

Within the clear substance, Minnie saw multicolored globules at the joints of the arm. An idea sparked to her mind when she recalled what Pluto had done earlier. She raised her wrench, and struck the globules on the joints.

The substance splashed to the floor, and the mechanical arm fell limp, releasing Minnie from its grip.

Minnie stumbled backwards across the floor, tripping over the substance as it tried to reach for her.

She continued to stumble, until she fell backwards into a locker with tools and a green jumpsuit.

Behind the gelatinous curtain that cordoned off the workshop, Taffy growled and bared her teeth.

“No! No! No! No! No! I just had her!” the figure shouted, as she threw a flask that was set on the table at her machine.

The machine responded by shooting back one of the bolts in its side, which bounced off of the shadowy figure’s head.

The figure stiffened as if a bullet had hit her, and collapsed to the floor.

Spike continued to shoot his flames at the substance, as it continued to envelope him and the others. Not one of the captives knew what would happen if the fluids overtook them. Only that the entire thing seemed alive and hungry.

Caru looked to the door, and saw Taffy staring at them.

“Mamma! Helpwch ni!” the doll shouted.

Taffy did nothing as Caru shouted for help. She only watched as the substance used its tendrils to pull itself toward the locker Minnie was trapped in.

The substance rose up and peered through the vents in the locker. It began to seep in, when the door burst open and slammed it against the wall.

Minnie shot out of the locker, wearing the green jumpsuit, and equipped with a belt loaded with tools.

“Don’t you touch those kids, you horror movie reject!!” Minnie shouted, as she ran forward.

Minnie never thought her mechanical skills would ever come in handy since the war ended so long ago. But now, they would be put to work saving her young companions.

Without stopping, she threw forth the two bouncing toys that she had caught earlier. With a jump, she landed on top of them. The toys bounced her across the room, right to the proximity of the tendrils that held her friends.

Minnie took a small hammer from her belt, and began attacking the tendrils.

Spike, Pluto and Caru all yelped as they were pulled away from Minnie’s reach.

The mouse swung her hammer, knocking away each of the tendrils that reached for her.

The substance collected more parts to cobble together makeshift hands to grab her.

Minnie swung her hammer and struck the hand.

The mechanical hand was knocked apart by the blow, but quickly reassembled and attacked again.

Minnie tried striking at the globules within the substance, but missed as they dodged out of her way.

The hand reached out for her again.

“Wait!” Minnie shouted.

Just before it caught her, the hand paused.

Minnie held the hammer’s handle in one hand, and slapped its head with the other. The hammer head spun around at a blinding speed. When it stopped, its size had increased dramatically.

In less than a second, Minnie swung her hammer and smashed the mechanical hand. And the globules that held the substance together along with it.

Minnie saw her friends being carried away from her. Her eyes snapped to a stream of the substance that sprouted the tendrils that held the others.

She spun, and swung her hammer at a tendril that reached for her, and stopped before a half-finished contraption on a table.

Minnie holstered her hammer and took a screwdriver from her belt. She turned the contraption on the table toward the substance. A well-placed jab from her screwdriver, and the springs and catches which held the cogs broke loose.

The mouse threw the entire thing away, as if she were throwing a potato masher grenade.

The moment the makeshift contraption hit the floor, it exploded in a shower of cogs and springs, which struck the globules in the substance with grim accuracy. Once they were hit, the substance melted harmlessly away.

Minnie jumped to the top of the table, and caught her screwdriver as it flew back to her. She jumped across to the next solid surface to reach the others.

The main body of the appendages that bound Spike and the others dropped to the ground. The three of them were able to quickly pull off the tendrils, which writhed and flopped about like fish out of water.

Caru and Spike both stomped the tendrils into oblivion, getting their feet wet with the thick substance.

Pluto searched for a way out, and found a window that the substance had covered. Having seen what held the substance together, he knew how to unblock their escape.

Minnie arrived, and stood protectively in front of the children.

“Stay behind me!” Minnie said, as she fought off the tendrils.

Instead of listening, Pluto ran off toward the window.

“Pluto! What are you doing!?” Spike called after the hound dog.

Before Minnie could move to rein in Pluto, the substance rose up before her, and took hold of a metal bar to swing at the mouse.

Minnie drew a small hacksaw from her belt, and parried the blow.

The substance swung again, and Minnie parried.

The mouse thrusted and swung her weapon, hoping to drive back the appendage.

Tendrils rose to grab for them all.

Spike blew his flames at one, driving it back.

The tendril attacked Spike again, striking him in the face.

Caru swung her tin hooves at the attacking tendril, striking the globules within.

As the doll attacked, Spike saw that her hooves were now surrounded by tiny tools, like miniatures of what Minnie was using.

“Ydych chi’n iawn?” Caru asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Spike said. He took a closer look at Caru’s hooves, and saw that all of the small tools folded out from her metal ankles.

A tendril reached for Caru.

Spike pulled her towards himself, and shot a flame at the globules within.

A short distance away, he saw Pluto busily chomping the globules nearest to the window. One look, and he knew what the hound dog was planning.

“Everypony go to Pluto!” Spike said.

Minnie backpedaled as she defended the children from the substance’s attacks.

In moments that seemed innumerable, they reached Pluto. Caru and Spike both assisted the hound dog in popping the globules, while Minnie fought off the encroaching tendrils.

The substance around the window started to slowly melt away.

The tendrils grew greater in number.

Pluto quickly bucked Spike and Caru onto his back. With a mighty leap, he jumped through the curtain of melting fluids, right through the workshop’s window. Minnie cut off one last reaching tendril, before she followed suit.

Outside, it was as peaceful and quiet in the village as ever. Too quiet, as every one of the theows had mysteriously disappeared. All but one, which Caru saw first.

“Mamma!” Caru called.

There was Taffy, who briefly stared down the group, before charging with her fangs bared.

“That’s it! Keep them pinned!” the dark figure said, as she watched the group through Taffy’s eyes. “The rest of you: help her!”

The glowing object within the figure’s head grew brighter, and more intense.

Taffy lunged for Minnie with her fangs bared.

Minnie quickly rolled out of the way and faced down the raging theow.

“Taffy! What’s gotten into you!?” Minnie said, as she blocked Taffy’s attacks with the handle of her hammer.

“Mamma! Stopio!” Caru begged Taffy, as she tried to intervene.

The doll yelped when another theow charged her.

Spike pulled her out of the way, and watched as their attacker turned. They saw that it was the butcher from earlier.

Pluto tried to intercept the butcher’s attack, only to be blocked by the florist and the baker.

Spike tried to guide Caru and Pluto away, only to be blocked by Pike.

More snarling theows appeared seemingly from nowhere.

Minnie fought off a number of them, and created an opening for herself and the others to run through.

They were back in the town square, and more theows appeared at the far end.

They soon found themselves surrounded by the snarling theows. Minnie held her tools at the ready, as she backed away from the group. Pluto lowered to the ground, letting his younger companions hide behind him.

“That’s it! Just a bit closer!” the dark figure said, as she watched the image of Minnie inch closer to the well.

Minnie stopped moving, and stood at the ready.

“Oh, no you don’t! Not when you’re right there!” the figure shouted.

The table around her was dimly illuminated, as the light from within her glowed even more brightly.

The crowd of theows slowly closed in on Minnie, quietly encroaching on her with their fangs bared.

Minnie held her hammer at the ready, primed to block any attacks.

The theows were just beyond Minnie’s reach, when they suddenly parted. Taffy lunged forward, her mouth open wide to attack.

Minnie blocked by jamming her hammer’s handle in Taffy’s mouth.

The weight of the theow made the mouse stumble backwards to the edge of the well.

Spike, Pluto and Caru all attempted to pull Taffy off of Minnie. To their surprise, the tinker was far stronger than they would have expected.

Minnie struggled to push Taffy off of herself, when she heard a noise come from below. She didn’t dare to take her eyes off of her attacker, but had the sinking sensation that something terrible was coming toward her.

As Minnie’s companions tried to pull Taffy off of her, Taffy pushed harder and leaned Minnie’s head over the side of the well.

From the corner of her eye, Minnie could see something rising up from the bottom of the well. Something amorphous and translucent. Like water, but not water.

A geyser of the strange substance shot out of the well.

There was no time to shout, scream, or even yelp. The substance overtook Minnie. And Taffy, Spike, Pluto and Caru along with her. Before any of them could comprehend what was happening, they were pulled down into the darkness of the well.

“Got you,” the dark figure said.

Like fireworks in the sky, the room was illuminated by crackling electricity flying through the air. For a moment the machine was lit up, and disappeared into darkness.

Author's Note

That's a nasty way to end, isn't it?

So, it seems that we are learning a little bit more about what is happening in this village. The theows are under some kind of control, and there is a smooze-like substance getting into every nook and cranny.

The inspiration for that was a mix of a bunch of horror movies that I watched over the Halloween season. Particularly, The Blob, Village of the Damned, The Thing, and The Fog. You may have noticed I'm a John Carpenter fan. You also may have noticed that I like to take inspiration from things that I'm into at the moment. But, as always, I try to maintain the core feel of the crossed over materials.

And check out Minnie in her mechanic outfit. This was inspired by two sources. The first was the second Magical Quest game, where Mickey and Minnie get cleaner outfits. The second inspiration was this old poster from waaay back in the 1940's that had Minnie Mouse dressed as a mechanic, and encouraging women to join the work force while the men were at war.

Brace yourselves for the next chapter. We're going to finally meet the shadowy figure, and learn what she is up to. Rock on for that \m/

Chapter 33: Open Heart

Chapter 33

Open Heart

Much of the kingdom of Blaiddru was not what it seemed. Many of the villages were relatively new, compared to the ancient ruins that dotted the landscape. But the ruins that were seen were only a small portion.

Over the thousands of years of the kingdom’s history, erosions, wars and disasters had buried much of what once was above its own ground.

Every creature in the kingdom knew of them. From the ffwyns living in the woods, to the gwylls who resided in the graveyards, to the corniog unau far in the mountains, all had used the ruins in some part of their lives.

For the theows of a certain village, the ruins beneath them had been reverted to irrigation and plumbing. In the dark passageways that once housed those living in the kingdom, water flowed to every home and business. Now, it carried something more.

The water changed somehow. As if it were no longer the life-sustaining liquid that flowed through the channels. With the change, something moved hurriedly along its surface. Within it, it carried five shapes. Four of them were dropped into the stream. The fifth was carried away.

Spike lifted his head from the water and breathed deeply. It felt like eternity since he was engulfed by that living substance, and he held his breath ever since. Now, he was free to breathe the air and see where he was.

It was almost pitch black in the cold, stone corridor he was in. The only light came from tiny panels on the ceiling above. Whatever they were, Spike couldn’t tell. They were not oil, or fireflies, or electricity, or anything he knew. As far as he could tell, they were making light within themselves, casting their glow on the world around him. Whether by natural or magical means, they revealed three other shapes lying in the watery passage. One of which started to move.

Nearby, Taffy lifted her head from the water and looked around herself.

Spike cautiously backed away from her. He bumped into Pluto’s side, rousing the hound dog. Pluto nervously watched the tinker, ready to buck Spike onto his back and run away.

“Caru? Caru!? Ble wyt ti!?” Taffy called.

At that moment, Taffy shouted loudly and started pawing at her head again. She threw her body to the ground, and rubbed her half-submerged head against the stone floor.

Half of Spike wanted to run. But, the other half knew that something was terribly wrong with Taffy. In the dim light, he could see something extruding from her ear. From what he could tell, it was the very same substance that attacked them all.

Not knowing what he could possibly do, the dragon ran to Taffy’s aid. He started by taking hold of the substance in her ear, and pinching the globules within it.

Taffy stopped shouting, and the substance in her ear started draining out.

Pluto took the substance in his teeth, and pulled it out all of the way, revealing it to be at least the size of an apple.

Spike finished it off by blowing his flames at it.

The globules inside the substance fizzled out, and the entire thing melted away.

Taffy breathed heavily, and stared into nothingness.

“Diolch...Diolch iawn, bach draig…” she said.

Whatever had come over Taffy, it had gone. In the silence that followed, the sound of chattering gears was heard. Taffy looked to its source, and saw the form of a small, tin theow twitching in the water.

“M-M-M-Mamma-a-a…” Caru stuttered, as she tried to get up.

Taffy shuddered and ran to Caru’s side.

Spike winced when he saw the tinker pick up the doll by her neck with her mouth and carry her over to a dry walkway. In the dim light, he could see something was very wrong with Caru. One of her legs bent in the wrong direction, and her head hung loosely on her neck.

Both the dragon and the hound dog hurried over to investigate the matter.

As Caru stuttered, Taffy set to work fixing the doll. First, she removed the tools that folded out from Caru’s legs. Once she had what she needed, she applied each tool to where it was needed.

Spike was impressed as he watched. Taffy worked with such tact and precision, and her cloven hooves seemed even more dexterous than any appendage a pony had. More still, in spite of the visible fear and worry on her face, Taffy worked with a heart that would have been the envy of any artist or scholar.

The tinker quickly placed Caru’s disjointed leg back into place, tightened her screws, reset her neck in its socket, and reattached all of the connecting hinges.

Lastly, Taffy opened up the panel on Caru’s side. Nothing was terribly displaced there, but the cylinder Spike had placed inside of her had been jolted loose. Quickly and carefully as she could, Taffy reset the cylinder back into its slot, and tightened it securely. Once she was done, she replaced the tools on Caru’s leg, and folded them back into her form.

The panel on Caru’s side closed on its own, and she looked up to face Taffy.

<“Mommy?”>* Caru said.

[*Translated from theow]

<“Caru! Darling, I’m so happy you’re not hurt!”> Taffy said, tightly embracing the doll.

<“Mommy, where are we?”> Caru wondered, as she looked around.

Taffy saw the fear in Caru’s life-like eyes, and dreaded the thought of worrying her further. But, she didn’t want to keep the urgency of their situation hidden. After taking a moment to calm her nerves, Taffy conveyed what she needed to.

<“We’re somewhere very bad right now,”> the tinker said. She knew they had to leave that horrible place as soon as possible, but she had to ask Caru an important question. <“How did you start moving again? Who brought your core back to you? Was it them?”>

Spike was taken slightly aback when Taffy pointed her hoof at him and Pluto. Almost like they were being accused of something.

<“I think so. When I woke up, I saw them both in your workshop,”> Caru answered.

Taffy looked warily at the dog and the dragon. If they knew the nature of Caru’s life, staying with them could easily have been a liability. Still, the youthful dragon and half-witted hound dog hardly looked like a threat. She had to be sure.

<“Can you trust them? Do you think they would steal anything out of you?”> the tinker asked.

<“I can trust them. They only wanted to play with me,”> Caru answered. <“Mommy, why would they steal from me?”>

Once more, Taffy wished she didn’t have to tell her daughter the terrible truth. Still, she needed Caru to understand the full urgency of what was happening.

<“Caru,”> Taffy began, taking moment to settle her nerves, <“Do you remember when I took the job to fix the gears beneath the clock tower?”>

<“Yes,”> the doll answered.

<“Okay…”> The memory of what Taffy was about to convey sent waves of fear through her. Her breath shuddered a moment, before she continued speaking. <“When I was under the clock tower, I found something. There is something down here that wants to get us.”>

Taffy’s heart wavered when she saw the fear in Caru’s eyes.

Spike too saw all the fear in the doll’s uncannily lifelike face. For a toy, he felt himself empathizing with her, and wanted to lend her his comfort and support. Though, he wasn’t sure for what.

Before she continued, Taffy watched for a moment as Spike slowly approached Caru. Once he was close enough, Caru leaned slightly closer to him. Pluto joined next, taking his place behind the two children. Seeing her daughter with her new friends made Taffy realize then that she had to get them all out of there as quickly as possible.

The hallway lit up when all of a sudden electricity crackled above them. For a moment, they were all illuminated, then the hall around them darkened as the voltage coursed through the wires that hung from above.

<“Mommy, what was that?”> Caru asked.

<“It was how I found my way to that creature’s lair. If we follow the direction it came from, we should get to the base of the clock tower,”> Taffy answered.

She didn’t want to waste any more time on the matter. The tinker gently nudged her young company forward, hoping to find the exit.

Even though he didn’t understand the theows, Spike had a feeling he knew what was happening. And he knew that he couldn’t leave yet.

“Wait! We can’t go without Minnie!” Spike said.

Next to the dragon, Pluto nodded.

The theows stopped to look at Spike. Caru looked up at her mother.

<“Mommy, Spike came here with his mommy. But, she isn’t here now. Where is she?”> the doll wondered.

Taffy didn’t answer. She had only vague, hazy visions from when she was under the control of the beast that dwelt beneath the village. In the darkest reaches of her mind, she recalled a creature unlike any she had seen in Blaiddru getting consumed by it. She knew the truth, but didn’t dare to tell it to the children. Minnie was lost.

Minnie was pulled through the unfathomable depths of the ruins by the strange substance. She was tossed about, endlessly falling in all directions.

The mouse held her breath, afraid to find out what would happen if she allowed this substance to enter her body. Her face began turning blue, and she began to wonder how much longer she could hold out.

In an instant, she landed hard on a seat of some kind, and the substance around her melted away from around her. Minnie barely had time to perceive what was happening.

Quicker than she could think, the substance’s tendrils took hold of her wrists and ankles, and fastened metal restraints around them.

“What is this!? What’s going on!?” Minnie shouted, as two more restraints were fastened around her waist and her neck.

The mouse struggled against the restraints, as the substance poured itself away through a grate in the floor.

It soon became clear that she would not be able to break free of her restraints. Instead, Minnie looked around the room.

It was dimly lit, and full of mechanical contraptions. Tables were laid out with flasks full of bubbling liquid of all colors, and other, smaller pieces of machinery. A large console was lit up with blank monitors, buttons and lights. Just around the side of the chair she was strapped to, Minnie could see the edge of a gigantic switch attached to a machine.

To her, this machine seemed somehow alive. Like every one of its lights was an eye staring at her. Other than that, there seemed to be no living soul in the room.

Somewhere nearby, Minnie could hear steps rushing toward her. As the steps grew closer, she could hear a voice accompanying it.

“She’s here! She’s here! She’s here! SHE’S HERE!”

Before Minnie could wonder who it was, a door somewhere to her side burst open. She wanted to see who had entered, but the restraint around her neck kept her from leaning.

In the dim light of the room, Minnie saw a half-hidden silhouette screech to a halt in front of her. In its hand, it held what seemed to be a large box with a handle on it. Rather than crouch down to place the box on the floor, Minnie swore she saw the dark figure stretch her arm all the way down to the floor.

“Okay! Tools: check! Specimen: check! Functioning machine:...I’m sure it’ll be fine this time,” the figure said.

“What are you talking about!? What am I doing here!? Let me off this chair!!” Minnie shouted.

“What? Oh! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just had to get a few extra tools, just in case this hunk of junk gets a little buggy during your procedure,” the dark figure said.

The machine sputtered and wheezed loudly, before silencing.

“What procedure!? Who are you!?” Minnie said.

“What do you mean, who am I? I’m your hostess of course. Pleased to meet you,” the figure said, offering her hand as though she expected Minnie to kiss it.

Instead, Minnie chomped at the fingers before her.

The dark figure retracted her hand, just beyond the reach of Minnie’s teeth.

“Wait, I know what you meant. Sorry, but I need to save power around here, so I keep the lights off most of the time. But, far be it from me to not do you the courtesy of letting us see each other clearly,” the dark figure said.

Minnie watched as the figure’s arm seemed to stretch across the room, into the shadows beyond.

“Let me see...Which one of those was the light switch?” the dark figure said. Suddenly, she jumped into the air, and her arms and legs began flailing violently as electricity coursed through her. In the next instance, she landed back on the ground. “That’s the one.”

With a loud click, light bulbs illuminated the room from lamps hanging by metal fixtures. Now, Minnie could see in full the diabolical machinery and formulas around her. Strangest of all was the once dark figure.

What seemed to be a rubbery form appeared to be confirmed. As far as Minnie could tell, the figure was wearing black rubber gloves that reached up to her shoulders, and black rubber boots that disappeared past the hemline of her white lab coat. However, a look to the figure’s chest under the lab coat showed that it too was covered in black rubber. From what she could infer, this figure was simply wearing a black, rubber suit that covered her from her neck to her toes. All but her head.

The headpiece of the suit was made of some sort of clear, acrylic material, and was filled with the very same translucent substance that attacked her and her friends earlier. The only major difference was the large, greenish-blue globule within, which had many shivering hairline appendages reaching off from it. One look, and Minnie knew what she was looking at.

“You’re an ama--An umma--” the mouse stammered over her rapidly beating heart.

“Umma-Umma-Amoeba?” the figure finished for Minnie. “I know, it must seem pretty weird to see an amoeba as big as me. I must be at least forty-five trillion to the billionth power times bigger than most of the others. But, that’s just one of the benefits of science.”

The doctor stretched an arm across the room to reach into a cabinet. From there, she grabbed an otoscope.

“Speaking of science: let’s get a look at those peepers, honey,” the doctor said, as she forced Minnie’s eyes open.

Minnie shook her head back and forth, trying to keep the light out of her eyes.

“What’s wrong with you? You can trust me. I’m a doctor. See?” the doctor said, as she retrieved a framed paper off the wall.

It looked like an official degree, but the name of who it was honoring was made up of cut and pasted letters from a magazine.

“You’re not a doctor! You’re crazy!” Minnie said.

“Twice wrong there, squeaky,” the doctor said, as she tossed the degree over her shoulder, letting it shatter somewhere on the floor. She quickly shined the light of her otoscope into both of Minnie’s eyes. “Okay. Both pupils dilate and contract. That’s a good sign of proper brain function. We’ll have to fix that later.”

Those words spiked Minnie’s fears, and made her struggle harder against her restraints.

“Now, stop that,” the doctor said, as she slapped Minnie’s hand. “That chair you’re sitting in is just about the only thing that works in this place. I can’t have you loosening those restraints from their base.”

An idea came to Minnie. If she could do anything to loosen her restraints, she was going to figure it out. But, she barely had time to think when the amoeba slapped an oversized electrode to her chest.

“There you go. One ticker-taker, primed and ready,” the doctor said.

Minnie paused. She looked at the electrode on her chest, and then to the doctor.

“What are you going to do to me?” the mouse asked.

“You mean you’ve never seen a heart extractor before?” the amoeba said, as if she actually couldn’t believe what Minnie said.

“Heart extractor!!?” Minnie shouted.

“It’s just what it sounds like, so I shouldn’t have to explain the whole thing. Time’s wasting, and I got a deadline to meet for these experiments.”

The doctor quickly rushed away to the machine console.

Minnie had no idea what was going on. She had been taken out of one horrifying situation, and dropped into another. She tried to see what the doctor was doing, only to be held fast to the chair.

The amoeba stretched her arms all across the console, turning knobs, flipping switches and activating monitors. Once everything was set up, she stepped before one final, large switch. She took one last look at Minnie, who still struggled against her restraints. With the giddiness of a schoolgirl, the amoeba flipped the switch.

Lightning flashed above the village, as the machine worked its diabolical hand. The clocktower pulled electricity from the air, and the reworked internal structure powered the evil beneath it. The rapidly grinding gears all rumbled loudly, creating a cacophony of thunder that echoed far and wide.

In the ruins below, Taffy stopped the children and Pluto from advancing on, and lowered them all to the ground as the thunderous noise reached them.

“What was that!?” Spike said.

Pluto was never good with loud noises. Thunder especially got the better of him, and he quickly dunked his head beneath the water to escape the noise.

Taffy listened for a moment, and looked forward. The sound of thunder was coming from somewhere ahead. Above them all, the wires shot to electrical life. The crackling current jolted and shivered above them all, illuminating the hall with a flashing glow.

Caru huddled closer to her mother.

Spike hid beneath the water with Pluto.

The voltage showed no signs of letting up. All the better for Taffy to follow its current to the exit.

<“Get up. We need to keep going,”> Taffy said, as she prodded Pluto forward.

Pluto refused to take his head from above the water. Until his face started turning blue from holding his breath. In an instant, he lifted his head with a loud splash, and inhaled deeply.

Caru had a much easier time nudging Spike to his feet.

“Are we getting close to Minnie?” Spike asked.

Caru looked at Spike, puzzlement clear in her lifelike eyes.

“Caru, does your mamma know where Minnie is?” the dragon asked.

Even though language separated the two, Caru could tell full well the nature of Spike’s distress. She looked to speak to Taffy.

<“Are we going to go find Spike’s mommy?”> the doll asked.

Taffy paused for a moment. She had to think of a way to explain the situation in a way that her daughter would understand. After a moment, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

<“We can’t go looking for her just now,”> Taffy answered.

<“But, Spike’s mommy is gone. We have to find her. Where is she?>

<“I don’t know. But, we can’t stay down here longer than we need to,”> the tinker said.

<“But, we need to help Spike’s mommy,”> Caru insisted.

<“Caru!”> Taffy snapped, silencing her daughter. Once she saw the stunned silence on Caru’s face, she calmed herself. <“I’m going to find her. I don’t even know if she’ll even be herself when I do. But, first I have to get you and your friends out of here.”>

<“But, mommy--”>

<“No! I’m going to take you to the surface. When you get there, go to the next village to get help. Do you understand?>

<“But--”>

<“Do you understand?”>

Her mother’s curt tone worried Caru. Too stunned to say anything more, she simply nodded in response.

<“Good. Now, listen: When you all get to the exit, I’m going to stay behind to look for Spike’s mommy. I’m counting on you to get help. I’ll try to catch you all up. Okay?”>

Caru nodded again.

<“Good. Now, follow me. The exit’s this way,”> Taffy said.

Truthfully, Taffy wasn’t entirely sure if the exit was down the path she was taking. But, she had escaped once by following the wires to their source. Before they even took five steps down the hall, something that appeared at the end of the hall made them all pause.

In the flashing light of the electricity, Taffy and her charges saw another theow turn the corner at the end of the hall. In the flashing light, his yellow eyes shone like beacons against his grey coat.

“Pike!” Taffy called. In the back of her mind, she hoped he would help them.

The other theow didn’t move for a moment. Then, he took a step forward. A slow, deliberate, predatory step.

Taffy turned her body to the side, protecting the children as she slowly backed away..

Spike warily kept his eyes on Pike, and took hold of Pluto’s collar. At any moment, he was ready to jump onto the hound dog’s back.

Pike continued to walk toward his prey.

Taffy looked for a way to escape. There was a hallway to her left. The only ways to run were ahead, where Pike awaited; backwards, where the lair of the beast was; or to the side, where getting lost was the greatest probability. Taking the lesser of the evils at hoof, Taffy glanced to her daughter.

When their eyes met, Caru saw her mother glance to the hallway to their left. Taking her hint, the doll started rotating her tin legs to that direction.

Over the sound of crackling electricity, Pike’s guttural growl was heard.

They all spurred to action. Taffy and Caru quickly ran down the dark hallway, splashing their hooves loudly with every step.

Pluto scrambled after them, as Spike quickly climbed onto the hound dog’s back.

Through the dark halls they ran, unsure of where they were going. The only certain thing was they couldn’t go back. Not when Pike was in hot pursuit.

The hallways twisted back and forth on their sides, a consequence of the erosion that buried the ruins. Both quarry and prey had to adjust their footing as they ran.

Spike held tightly to Pluto’s collar, bouncing up and down like a polo player as the hound dog darted through the winding hall. Between the bouncing, and Pluto’s rapidly changing footing, the dragon was spun around on the back of his mount.

Turned around, Spike could see that Pike was closer than ever behind them. The theow bared his fangs, as Pluto’s tail waggled not two inches from his face.

Pike opened his jaws.

Spike pulled Pluto’s tail from danger, just as the theow’s jaws snapped down.

Pluto ran into the next room, and suddenly found himself sliding in one direction.

The entire room slanted downward, causing the hound dog and dragon to go careening down the watery slope.

The cloven hooves of the theows prevented them from sliding. Instead, they hopped down the slope with their canine gait.

Caru twisted her head around, and saw her friend sliding toward her. It was too late for her to move when Pluto bumped into her, and bucked her into the air.

Spike caught Caru by her mechanical tail, and placed her on Pluto’s back behind him. At the same time, he unwittingly detached Caru’s tail from her body.

Pluto’s eyes widened as they slid closer to the wall at the other end. Not only that, but all of the broken furniture in the room seemed to land in a way that all of its splintered, water-worn edges pointed right at them.

Spike shouted loudly and did the one thing he could think at the moment. He leaned over Pluto’s side and jammed the tip of Caru’s metal tail into the stone floor.

The momentum pivoted Pluto to the right, and sent him through a door to safety.

Pike pounced for Taffy, threatening to send them both tumbling toward the broken wood.

The tinker nimbly jumped through the doorway, just as Pike sailed past her.

Before he could impale himself on the broken wood, Pike grabbed the slanted edge of the door frame, and crawled through.

Their pursuer had been slowed down, but that was no comfort. The next hallway had dry floors with a long red rug on it. As they ran down it, the hall twisted itself until it leveled out.

The sudden level of footing made Pluto trip, and fall into Taffy. All four of them rolled just beneath a swing of the butcher’s cleaver, which embedded into the stone wall.

When they stopped rolling, they were all able to see their new opponent, who growled after missing them.

Spike’s mind went to how Taffy only returned to normal after he removed that substance from her ear. If there was a way to get that close to Pike or the butcher, he thought he may have a chance to end the peril they were in. But, not when the butcher was pulling his cleaver from the wall, and Pike was running toward them.

Thinking quickly, Spike put Caru’s tail down and cracked the rug at their opponents.

The rug arched violently, and shot toward the two theows. Both were thrown into the air, and wrapped up into the billowing curls of the rug.

“Diolch, Spike,” Caru said, as she reattached her tail to her body.

They all continued to run away.

Taffy tried to orient herself as to where they were. She had not been that way when she was escaping the last time, and thought that only now they were more lost within the ruins. There was no electric current to guide her there, and she began to feel as if they would never escape.

In the next room they entered, Taffy yelped when she saw the only exit was blocked by the florist, who brandished her shears in her fangs.

With a swing of her head, the florist threateningly snipped her shears at her prey.

Going backward was no option. A way past the florist was needed to be found.

Caru had seen what Spike was able to do with her tail, and thought he could use something to get past the theow with the shears.

“Yma!” Caru said, as she gave Spike a screwdriver from her leg.

Taking apart the shears would have been a good idea, but not a feasible one. Not when the florist was rushing them with her shears open.

In a futile effort to defend himself, Spike held up his claws before himself. To his, and his friends’ surprise, he held the screwdriver so that it wedged the shears open.

Before the florist could try to attack again, Taffy pushed her over, and led her young charges onward.

Deeper they went into the ruins, the danger mounting by the moment, and the hope of escape dwindling.

Minnie jumped in her seat as an electric current coursed through her. It wasn’t the shock that got to her, so much as the feeling on her chest. Something was being taken from her. Something that made her uniquely herself. And she could feel it slipping away.

The doctor looked at the monitors on her console. Minnie’s outline and all of her vitals showed positive. The nature of the magic within her shone like a beam of light. Next, the image of Minnie’s brain appeared.

“Yes…” the amoeba said, gripping her console.

All the important areas lit up.

“Yes…” she said, tightening her grip.

A light appeared on the image’s chest.

“YE--Steady. Don’t get your hopes up. Not yet,” the amoeba said, restraining herself.

The light on the image’s chest glowed brighter, and stopped.

“Oh no! Nononono! This ride’s not stopping now!”

Quick as she could, she removed the casing from her machine and gathered the tools she needed. Her suit opened up, and the amoeba extended her pseudopods to collect the tools and apply them to where they were needed.

The part of her with the green, shivering globule stayed to watch the monitor, while the rest of her body went hard to work to keep the machine running.

Minnie didn’t know how much more she could take. She had grown lightheaded since the process started, and wondered how much longer it would be until she passed out.

“That’s it! Keep it coming, honey!” the doctor said, as the machine powered forward.

In a nearby vessel,a certain starlit magic began to gather. A small, threadbare trace was appearing, and it sent waves of joy through the doctor. Until it started to fade.

“NO! NOT WHEN WE’RE THIS CLOSE!!” she shouted.

Her machine seemed to disagree with her, when all of a sudden, its gears started swallowing up the amoeba’s arms.

“Eh?” was all the doctor had time to say, before she was suddenly pulled out of her suit like a spool of thread.

She screamed and hollered as her amorphous form went spinning through the moving parts of her machine. And it became worse when she contacted the electrical parts.

Once again, voltage went coursing through her, as the current was intercepted from Minnie, who was relieved to stop being shocked.

There was another explosion inside the machine, and cytoplasm went splashing everywhere.

Minnie tried not to scream, when she felt it splash over her face. Instead of dripping off, it simply stayed there.

The plasm on her face peeled itself off, revealing it to hold the nucleus within.

“Oh! Pardon me,” the doctor said, before sliding off of Minnie’s face to her lap, then jumping to the floor.

Minnie watched as all of the plasm in the room started to wiggle toward the empty suit on the floor. With some difficulty, it was able to wriggle its way in, and fill the suit. It started with the plasm filling the arms of the suit. Once the arms were operable, they facilitated helping the rest of the amoeba back inside.

Finally, the suit was able to stand up straight, and the nucleus was placed inside. The front of the suit closed, and the nucleus drifted up into the clear headpiece.

“Rgh! I hate when that happens!” the doctor said, as she straightened out her lab coat. With a frustrated sigh, she looked over to the vessel, which once held magic within it. “Looks like we’re going to have a little bit of a setback. At this rate, I’ll never copy anyone’s magic!!”

Minnie’s foggy brain lit up at those words. Whoever this doctor was, whatever she was planning to do with extracted magic, the mouse now knew how truly mad she was.

“You can’t…” Minnie exhaled.

“What’s that?” the amoeba asked.

“You can’t copy other’s magic...It’s what makes us all unique...And you can never duplicate it...You can only make it a shade similar, but that's it...You’ll never succeed...So just let me go…” Minnie said.

It may have been her lightheadedness, but Minnie felt as if the amoeba stopped talking and stared her down for several minutes. There was no telling what the amoeba would do next. Somewhere inside herself, the mouse hoped that she would come to her senses and back down, before one of them ended up like The Massster.

She thought she may have succeeded when the doctor started undoing her restraints.

“Nothing doing, honey,” the doctor said, as she lifted Minnie from her seat. “If there’s a heart that I can copy, it’s yours. And if I can find a way to make all the magic in the kingdom like that? Oh, the boss is going to be so happy with me.”

“But, you can’t make everyone’s magic the same...It’s what makes each person special,” Minnie tried to reason.

“Sorry, but my boss wants all magic to be his own. All I need from you is a template of your heart. But, this stupid machine doesn’t want to cooperate with me,” the doctor said.

The machine wheezed out a puff of smoke.

“It’ll be fine. All you need is just a little bit of fixing up, and I know we’ll get it next time,” the doctor said to her machine, before she addressed Minnie. “As for you, I need to make sure you don’t go anywhere, until I’m ready for your services again.”

“What?” Minnie said.

“Have you ever wondered how dirty laundry feels?” the doctor asked.

“What!?” Minnie repeated.

The answer she got was being carried across the room by the doctor’s stretching arms, until she was dropped down a chute to the deepest parts of the ruins.

The doctor knew she was closer to success. In a few short minutes, she was going to find a way to alter the magic Yen Sid drained. And the world would be under his rule.

Author's Note

That's a lot of information to take in for just one chapter. We learned what power has come over the theows. We learned just who and what we are dealing with. And we have learned what the mad doctor is trying to do.

Some of my friends had been guessing that the villain for this arch was going to be an octopus. When my brother found out what she was, he starts going, 'Aw, man! I never would have guessed!' That wasn't my intention, but it was funny to watch him freak out about it.

The inspiration for this chapter was (of course) the old Mickey Mouse cartoon 'The Mad Doctor,' as well as the Friendship is Magic episode, 'Castle-Mania.' Other inspirations that were thrown in was the video game 'Clock Tower.' Anybody here remember The Scissorman? That guy was scary. Like, I played the original 'Clock Tower' on the SNES, and I remember freaking out every time that sadistic freak showed up.

Here, we are seeing more translated text from foreign languages. Just like it was with the llamas, the translation depends on the character perspective. In this case, the conversation between Taffy and Caru. Additionally, it wouldn't be very informative to you readers if you had to read an entire conversation in Welsh. Sure, it wouldn't be a problem for me, but I don't know how many of you out there speak Welsh too.

Another theme of this chapter is something that I don't think a lot of people think about. Like, when an author sees another person's work, and they try to emulate it exactly the way that they see others do it, it never turns out right. Sometimes, I see people trying to copy the styles of Hayao Miyazaki, or David Lynch. There's this game developer called Swery 65, who is very clearly trying to emulate the style of Suda51. And it just doesn't work.

You already know that the last couple of chapters were inspired by the likes of Osamu Tezuka and John Carpenter, but that's really all. Their style is all their own, and it would have been pretty bad if I tried to directly emulate doing things the way that they do them. Kind of like how while I try to make this story feel like a Gottfredson adventure story, but never try do things the way he would do it.

It's just another one of those things that you have to learn on your own. Your own personal style that differentiates your work to stand out from others. Could you tell Don Bluth from Walt Disney from Chuck Jones? Of course you can. Their art and storytelling are all distinct from one another, and they are all fantastic in their own ways.

But, that is not going to stop this mad amoeba from trying to get what she wants. In the next chapter, we are going to run into a few more very unpleasant surprises. Until then, I ask you all to rock on to your own jam \m/

Chapter 34: The Fear Factory

Chapter 34

The Fear Factory

In the silent halls of the ruins beneath the theow village, the echoing sounds of hurrying steps ran through the once grand structure. Hooves, both natural and tin clattered through the stone paths of the ruins, followed by paws and claws.

It had been only a short time since Spike, Pluto, Caru and Taffy lost their pursuers earlier in the ruins. Only moments before, they were all staring danger in the face, and barely escaped with their lives. Now, as they slowed to a halt, Spike began to realize how lost they were.

A drop of water fell onto the dragon’s nose, prompting him to look up. Water fell from the ceiling as if there were a river flowing above them. The stone walls around them were stained with the marks of dripping water and stale mildew.

For once, Pluto was at a complete loss of where to follow his nose. Whether it was to find Minnie, or to retrace their steps to an exit, he could do nothing. Water masked every scent. And the growths of mildew and lichen only added to the muffling of any smell. Now, there was only the faint scent of what trail they left behind themselves.

The situation was now beyond hopeless. As Taffy looked around, she could see no trace of wires, or coursing electrical current to guide them back to the base of the clock tower. Occasionally, she would glance down and see Caru looking up at her.

<“Where are we now, mommy?”> the doll asked.

<“I don’t know,”> Taffy answered.

<“Mommy? Are we going to stay here forever?”>

Taffy’s cautious steps slowed to a stop.

Spike stopped to see what she was doing, and was bumped from behind by Pluto. Both dragon and hound dog watched as Taffy pensively stared at Caru. He had seen that stare before. It was the same one that Princess Celestia used just before she divulged something terrible to Twilight and himself. Whatever Taffy was going to say next, Spike knew that it was going to be something awful.

After taking a moment to think, Taffy spoke to her daughter.

<“No. We’re going to find a way out. But, if we...If we get caught before we do, I need you to not show what you really are,”> the tinker said.

<“What do you mean?”> Caru asked.

Taffy stopped to think for a moment. She had to explain the situation to the doll in a way that she would understand.

<“When you see any of the other theows again, I need you to act like you’re a doll,”> the tinker said.

<“But, I’m a theow,”> Caru replied.

<“I know. But…”> Taffy paused again. When she thought of how to make Caru understand, she spoke. <“They don’t know that you are anymore. They might look like our friends, but they’re not. If they see that you’re not just an ordinary doll, they’ll...do terrible things to you.”>

<“But, I’m a theow,”> Caru repeated.

<“I know!”> Taffy curtly replied. When she collected herself, she continued explaining to her daughter. <“Caru, you’re a very special theow. Ffion knows it. Aranau knows it--”>

<“And Pike too?”>

<“And Pike too,”> Taffy confirmed.

She faltered a moment to continue explaining. Every one of the theows in the village knew about Caru, and acted as if she were one of them. Even Pike, who treated everyone as if they were a complete stranger, took time to play with Caru when she asked him. To think that they had now become monsters was a heartbreaking reality.

<“None of them think that you’re a theow anymore. To them, you are a toy that was made to be broken,”> the tinker continued.

<“But--”>

<“I know you’re a theow. But, they are not the theows you knew before. If they catch you, you must sing and dance. And that’s all. Do not talk to them. Do not try to make them remember you. If they see you not acting like a doll, they will break you open, and take everything that makes you special. Do you understand?”>

In that moment, Taffy thought she may have been too forceful for Caru. Were the doll any more like a theow, Taffy knew that Caru’s face would be wet with frightened tears.

<“Now please, Caru. You and your friends follow me, and I’ll take you to safety. And remember: act like a doll if any of us are caught. Please,”> the tinker finished.

Spike watched as Caru silently nodded in response to her mother. Even though he didn’t understand a word of what they said, he had the sinking feeling that it was nothing good.

He took Taffy walking onward as the signal to continue their trek through the underbelly of the ruins they were in. With a gentle tug on Pluto’s collar, the young dragon led the hound dog on.

Caru waited to walk until Spike was beside her. Once she was moving, Spike noticed how Caru was walking. For a doll, her steps seemed to trudge, and her gaze was cast low. Exactly the same as a real creature who was deeply troubled or saddened by something.

“Um…” Spike began. He felt it slightly unorthodox for concerning himself over the emotions of a doll. But, Caru’s lifelike eyes pushed him onward with his question. “Are you feeling alright?”

Caru looked directly at Spike.

Seeing the doll’s eyes in full sent a shiver down Spike’s spines. In the back of his mind, he hoped Caru would not answer. Even if he could not understand her, just the mere idea that she may give a response would have been too much for the dragon’s perceptions of the world.

“Spike,” Caru began. “Ydych chi'n meddwl fy mod yn teow?”

Spike didn’t know how to answer.

“Yn dw i mewn gwirionedd yn teow go iawn?”

One look at Caru's tin face, and Spike didn’t need to understand her language to know what was wrong. Something was deeply troubling her. It was the very same way he once felt when he pondered his displacement from dragon society to pony’s. An outcast among his own peers. Always accepted, but never quite fitting in. It was during those times that Spike wished the most for somepony like himself. And without even knowing her for very long, he knew that Caru often wished the same.

He didn’t know any words to say. But, there was the one connection that bonded all creatures beyond species and language. One that was found deep within that was treasured by all who shared it. Greater than even friendship.

Spike’s eyes met with Caru’s as he slowly placed a claw around the doll’s tin shoulders.

In that moment, a warmth grew in the dragon’s chest, and it spread through his arm, to his claw, and into Caru’s being. And even though she was a doll, Spike thought he could feel the same coming from Caru.

Pluto watched his two younger companions, wondering what they were doing. He watched as a smile bloomed onto Caru’s mechanical face. In the next moment, he was surprised to see the doll rub the top of her head beneath Spike’s chin and nuzzle his shoulder.

That was when Pluto understood that it was the same thing he shared with Mickey. A connection that came from the special place within the hearts of all creatures, and was shared by only those who profoundly knew and understood one another.

The memories of his very best friend made the hound dog want to share in the connection with the young creatures before him. With an excited wag of his tail, Pluto bounded and splashed through the watery floor to the front of his companions, and vigorously licked both of their faces.

Both young creatures laughed under the touch of the hound dog’s tongue. Even if they never would escape the ruins, those moments would have been counted among the happiest in their lives.

“Cenau,” Taffy called from ahead. “Mae angen i ni barhau'n symud. Cadwch yn agos atof mi.”

Spike needed no translation. He, Caru and Pluto all trotted ahead to catch up with Taffy, and kept close to the tinker as they continued on.

As they walked onward, Spike caught Caru’s glance once more. As the doll giggled at the sight of his eye contact, Spike knew that he had collected a new friend who would stay with him forever, even after they parted.

“Aros,” Taffy said abruptly, as she stopped the others from continuing.

Spike could not hear it, but his companions could. Their canine ears all heard the sounds of a quiet rumbling sound. The sounds of heavy moving parts rang to them through the stone halls, and the water around their ankles was rippling not from the water dripping above, but the distant vibrations of something large.

Taffy now knew they were near their destination. The working parts of the clock went as deep as the ruins themselves. And any trace of its moving parts was a surefire straight shot to the surface.

With a quicker, but still cautious pace, the four creatures all traveled the ruined halls to the source of the disturbance.

The sounds of clockwork grew louder. A broken doorway led them to the next room. Freedom was well within their grasp.

When they came closer, Pluto began to grow wary of where they were going. Amid the murky scents of water and mildew, he began to smell that strange scent once more.

They passed to the door, onto a catwalk that overlooked the clockwork of the room. One look, and they knew that their escape was far from near.

Down in the bowels of the clock tower, where the grinding gears and turning wheels had been left to rust, something terrible awaited them.

There, permeating every groove, hole and cranny was the very same protoplasm that had attacked them earlier. Nearly every grinding gear and turning wheel, almost every spinning shaft and bouncing spring. It seemed the entirety of the massive clockwork was covered in it.

And at the very top of the ceiling, a massive blob of protoplasm was attached. It was at least the size of a small lake. Within it, hundreds of multicolored globules swam about. Far more than any of them could handle to destroy the vile substance.

It was the heart of the operation. Pseudopods extended and reached out to operate the heavy equipment. Taffy’s keen eyes noticed every change and modification to the place. Generators had been installed to the clockwork, which sent power to the rest of the evil machines in the ruins.

When her eyes glanced to the conveyor belt in the room, the tinker suddenly had flashes of riding the very same contraption. She recalled her half-conscious mind panicking as she was carried along its length, until the protoplasm in the room took over her mind.

With every intention to avoid the plasm, Taffy was about to guide the children back the way they came. Until Spike noticed a familiar shape that was riding the conveyor belt.

“Minnie!” Spike shouted.

The mouse did not respond. She did not even move at the sound of Spike’s voice.

The young dragon’s eyes followed the path of the conveyor belt. To his horror, he saw it was going right into the thick of the massive plasm. Remembering what he had extracted from Taffy’s ear, he knew that he had to save Minnie.

It seemed Pluto had the same idea, as the hound dog quickly grabbed Spike in his teeth and tossed the dragon onto his back.

Spike barely had time to hold onto Pluto’s collar, before his canine mount ran into the room.

Neither could hardly hear the protests of their theow companions over the grinding clockwork, as Pluto leapt from the catwalk to the nearest solid surface.

The path ahead was nothing more than moving clockwork. Every step was a precarious balance between safe passage, a long fall, and getting ground into a fine powder. For Minnie, they knew they could risk it.

Pluto’s paws caught the teeth of a turning cog. His rear paws scrambled frantically to climb up as he was pulled to another cog.

Spike steadied himself on the hound dog’s back. As Pluto pulled himself up, the dragon kept his head low to avoid being struck by the cog above him.

Placing his rear paws on the cog he was on, Pluto leapt forward, just before his tail was swallowed by the grinding gears.

The next landing was on a cog with a spiral groove.

Try as Pluto did to run forward, he was unable to keep up with the speed of the spinning gear. Each step, he was forced to hold tightly and spin around, until he was set upright again. But, every time he tried to move again, he was once more forced to hold on as he was spun around the cog.

With every spin, Spike saw Minnie moving closer to the plasm. Time was running out, and they needed a way off the spinning cog.

Not about to let anything happen to those under her care, Taffy ran down the steps of the catwalk. In all her years of working with clockwork machinery, she knew that one misplaced component, or one missed step in assembly would sink an entire project. If she could stop the working parts in just the right spot, she could stop the whole operation and save the others. Or at the very least, slow the contraption down some.

At the bottom landing, the room was half flooded with water, which was pouring in from the doorway above. Taffy splashed through the water, looking for a means to stop the diabolical clockwork.

Behind her, a second splash was heard.

When the tinker turned to look, she saw a ripple and bubbles at first. In a second, a tiny, tin head broke the surface.

“Mamma!” Caru said, before she sank beneath the water. She jumped up and appeared above the surface again. “Dw i’n dod hefyd!” She sank again.

Taffy waded over to where she saw Caru last sink, and lowered her head beneath the water. She picked Caru up in her teeth and hoisted the doll above the water.

Any other time, she would have told Caru to stay behind. But, with no tools at her disposal, taking Caru with her was the best chance Taffy had of getting anything done.

Spike and Pluto spun around the cylindrical cog for what felt like the hundredth time. Dizzy and disoriented, Spike knew that the ride had to stop. With every pass around, Minnie was getting further away from them.

Time was wasting. In the corner of his eye, Spike saw a moving chain. On the next pass around the cog, he tried to reach for it.

He missed.

Before going around again, Spike shot his long, reptilian tongue at the chain, and snagged tightly.

Pluto had no time to realize what was happening, before he was hoisted upward by his collar.

Upward the two went, getting further from Minnie, as the mouse got closer to the plasm.

Spike swung Pluto, and tossed him to the flat surface of the next spinning cog.

Pluto scrambled up and caught Spike when he jumped next.

They needed to head Minnie off, before she was engulfed by the plasm.

“Giddyup!” Spike said, as he spurred Pluto with his heels.

Though he was tired of being treated like a horse, Pluto had no time to gripe. He still had to rescue Minnie.

The hound dog jumped and rode the next vertically spinning cog.

A tendril of plasm seeped out of the grooves of the cog, forcing Pluto to leap off.

Taffy reached a vertical shaft down below. In a moment, her eyes followed the path that the cogs would operate, and knew she had arrived where she needed to.

The shaft was so rusty, it would surely be weak enough to do what she needed. Quickly, she placed Caru back on the floor.

Without even speaking Taffy placed her head underwater, and removed Caru’s tail.

Caru stood on her back legs, and placed her front hooves against her mother’s side to stay above water. Before she could ask what Taffy was doing, the tinker set to work using the slightly serrated edge of the doll’s tail to saw through the rusty shaft.

Pluto’s next landing took him on top of a metal arm that rocked up and down. When it rocked one way, plasm approached from one side. When it rocked the other, the plasm receded, and plasm from the other side approached.

The only chance to escape was through one of the holes in the spinning cog at the end of the arm.

Pluto jumped over the receding plasm, and passed through the opening in the cog.

There was barely anything to land on beyond it. Spike and Pluto looked over the edge of the metal arm they landed on, as the hound dog’s paws barely teetered on the edge.

Spike looked over his shoulder, and saw the plasm creeping up behind them. Shifting his weight forward, he forced himself and Pluto to fall.

Down both fell toward the spinning cogs. If nothing was done fast, they would soon be ground to mush.

Taffy finished sawing through the shaft, which slid off of its base. Once she was done, she replaced Caru’s tail, and carried the doll up the nearest flight of stairs, just before the plasm started reaching down for them.

As they made their escape, the effects of their actions were reverberating through the machines.

Beside Taffy as she ran up the steps, huge pieces of clockwork began to slow down. Some stopped altogether, allowing her to jump across the surface of some to reach another shaft.

The cogs beneath Pluto and Spike slowed dramatically, grinding almost to a halt. It was more than enough for the hound dog to land with his paws on four separate gears, forcing him to step up one paw at a time as the clockwork slowly moved.

In the dark room, the doctor busily worked on her machine console. She had to get the modifications finished, if she was ever going to make the template to make all magic the same as her master’s.

However, there was one complication that she had not counted on.

She first tested the power flow by turning on the monitor. For whatever reason she could not comprehend, the monitors only showed fuzzy images.

“Hm?” she said, as she examined the screens.

Once Pluto’s four paws reached the highest point they could go, Spike leaned his full weight backwards.

Pluto reared up on his hind legs, and pivoted in the direction the dragon leaned next.

With a jerk forward, Spike forced Pluto to jump forward, onto the surface of the next solid cog.

Minnie was closer to the plasm than before. Only now, it seemed she was moving much more slowly along the conveyor belt.

Taffy’s machinations had worked. The path she created across the slowed cogs allowed her to hurry across them all, as the plasm reached for her on all sides.

As she was carried by her mother, Caru winced when the pseudopods closed in.

One reached for Taffy’s leg.

Caru’s leg hydraulically extended, and her tin hoof squashed the globules within, rendering the pseudopod immobile. Once she was done, her leg telescoped back to normal length.

It was just enough to allow Taffy to jump to the next cog, where she placed Caru on the ground and took her tail to saw through another metal shaft. This one traveling horizontally.

As her mother worked, Caru saw the plasm creeping in from over and across the many cogs around them.

The doll yelped when a blob of the stuff dripped from above and landed before her.

Purely on instinct, every tool she had unfolded from her legs, and she frantically started stomping the plasm.

Her amorphous opponent seemed wise to her wild swings, and deftly dodged her attacks. Sometimes, it rose to strike back, but was too little to do much against the doll. Until more plasm started falling from above.

“Mamma!” Caru said, as she huddled closer to Taffy.

The tinker had been aware of the danger the whole time. She just finished sawing through the thin shaft, when she replaced Caru’s tail and picked her up.

She tried running one direction.

The blobs of plasm merged together and quickly blocked her.

Taffy tried running another way and the blob slid to block her path again.

The amoeba tried to reconnect the different wires of her machine, to see what was working and what wasn’t.

She tried over and over touching different wires to a ground, only to keep coming up with duds.

“No!”

She tried the next pairing.

“No!”

She tried the next pairing.

“NO!!!”

She tried the next pairing.

*BZZZZZT*

The sudden flare of sparks blew the doctor backwards. Right towards a shelf full of scalpels, cleavers, bonesaws and drill bits.

With a panicked scream, she compressed and contorted her body. Each part of her harmlessly broke through the wall, leaving a hole in the shape of herself between each sharp instrument.

Spike and Pluto were closer to rescuing Minnie. Taffy had not only slowed the machinery for herself, but for them too. With the slowed, or immobile clockwork around them, only a few more jumps would take them to the conveyor belt, where they would run up its length and pull Minnie to safety.

A sudden shout made Spike look to its source.

Looking over, the dragon saw Caru and Taffy blocked by a wall of plasm. Above them, a pseudopod slowly lowered to engulf them.

Firmly gripping Pluto’s collar, Spike reined the hound dog into turning toward them.

Pluto jumped from the cog he was on to a spinning wheel.

The wheel spun as fast as Pluto could run, keeping him on it like a treadmill.

Spike knew what had to be done. He stood atop Pluto’s head, and leaned closely to the chain that spun the wheel. Welling up his flames, they sliced through the chain like a cutting torch.

Without a chain to stabilize it, the wheel spun around faster and faster under Pluto and Spike’s combined weight.

With a sudden jerk, Spike was bucked into the air, while Pluto scrambled to stay atop the wheel.

The chain above fell and draped itself around Spike, as the dragon landed on Pluto’s back.

The surge of weight made the wheel slide from where it was set, and go rolling across the many cogs before it.

Pluto’s paws scrambled madly backwards, trying to stay atop the spinning wheel.

Everything the errant clockwork landed on fell away, or was dislodged.

“Keep it together, you hunk of junk!!!” the amoeba shouted, as she used her pseudopods to hold the insides of her rapidly malfunctioning machine together.

With one loud bang, the machine practically seemed to vomit its working parts out of itself, and into the amoeba’s open suit.

The rubber suit full of cytoplasm started bulging wider, and the nucleus in the headpiece was squished against the top of the acrylic glass.

Before the nucleus could be completely smashed, then entire contents of plasm shot out of the rubber suit, making it crumple on the ground. All but the nucleus, which called back the errant plasm.

When the suit was filled, the front was zipped up, and the amoeba buttoned up her lab coat.

“Alright! That does it! No more Miss Nice Eukaryote! I’m fixing this right at the source!” she fumed, before she stormed out the nearest door.

Spike took hold of the chain that was wrapped around him, and threw it at the rusty metal rods overhead.

The chain wrapped around the metal shaft. Spike held the chain in one claw, and Pluto’s collar in the other, as they were pulled upward.

The wheel continued to roll, and bumped hard into the metal pole that supported the cog Taffy and Caru were on.

The cog wobbled hard, making the doll and tinker lose their hoofing, and slide out of the way of the plasm that was lowering toward them.

Before they fell off the cog, Pluto grabbed Taffy in his paws, who tightened her hold on Caru in her mouth.

All four of them shouted as they swung closer to a giant pair of grinding gears.

Pluto arched his body backwards, pulling all of his passengers backwards, just barely far enough from being crushed by the gears.

They all swung back.

Spike used the weight of the others he was carrying to swing them all side to side, to avoid the rest of the clockwork.

Minnie was practically upon the plasm. In only a few moments, she was going to be engulfed by the substance and have her mind taken over by it.

It was now or never. Despite the protests of his friends, Spike swung them all forward to get extra momentum. Then, he let them go.

Each of them landed on a separate piece of still clockwork, and were able to see Spike swing toward the conveyor belt. However, their spectacle was cut short when the encroaching plasm forced them to run.

Spike landed on the edge of the conveyor belt ahead of Minnie. He desperately tried to pull himself up, even as he was slowly dragged toward the plasm.

With one burst of strength, Spike pulled himself up to the conveyor. It was only three or four steps for him to reach the unconscious mouse, who he desperately tried lifting up.

A sudden chill touched the dragon’s spines on his back. He knew the plasm was reaching for him.

There was no time to think. He held tightly to Minnie, and leaned over the side of the conveyor belt.

The water below was rapidly approaching. If nothing was done fast, it would be all over for him and Minnie both.

There was a sudden jerking stop, and Spike held tightly to Minnie to keep from falling from her. Looking up, he saw a large wrench had been hooked into the scaffolding that held the conveyor belt up. Looking to the owner of the arm that held it, Spike was overjoyed to see Minnie had regained consciousness.

“Spike! What in the name of all that’s good and wholesome has been going on!?” the mouse asked.

There was no time to answer. More of the plasm was creeping toward them.

Minnie quickly swung them onto the next nearest cog.

Pluto’s loud barking, and the shouts of Caru and Taffy echoed through the room. Not a word was understood, but Minnie and Spike knew it was a signal to regroup and escape.

It was Pluto who was the first to facilitate the endeavor. Putting his pointer instincts to good use, he pointed his nose at a doorway at the next nearest catwalk.

Minnie took Spike by his claw, and guided him across the jammed clockwork.

Taffy carried Caru up a set of cogs, careful not to set them in motion as she walked.

Pluto ran as fast as he could through the clockwork, wishing to leave the room as quickly as possible.

The plasm in the room started to reach for them all. One way or another, it was going to corrupt all of their minds at once.

Under the steps of each of the runners, the unstable clockwork started to wave and rumble. Beneath their feet, hooves, paws and claws, it seemed almost as if the entirety of the working parts were coming undone.

The plasm that reached for them all was smashed by the falling clockwork, and what wasn’t quickly receded to avoid the chaos.

The entire tower seemed to rumble and roll, and the catwalk started pulling loose from the heavy bolts that fastened it to the wall.

Minnie quickly fixed the problem. After fitting her wrench around a bolt, she swung the handle, and let it spin like a propeller until the catwalk set itself to the wall.

A cog fell and slammed against the catwalk, making all on it wobble and shake.

Spike began teetering toward the edge, coming dangerously close to falling into the mess of falling clockwork and writhing plasm.

Caru quickly placed her front hooves on the two nearest bolts, and spun them at her wrist.

The bolts sank into the wall, stabilizing the catwalk, and allowing Spike to shift his weight back to safety. Caru facilitated the rest of the effort by snatching Spike’s claw in her teeth and pulling him forward.

“Thanks, Caru!” Spike quickly said, as he scratched her behind her tin ears.

There was no time for the doll to appreciate the gesture. The bolts would not hold long, and they all had to run.

There came a cacophony of thunder, as the clockwork rumbled loose.

One after the other, Pluto, Minnie, Spike, Caru and Taffy rushed out the door, as the sounds of thunder quieted behind them.

The floor of the next room splashed quietly, as the water displaced beneath their hurried steps. They didn’t know where they were running. They had no idea how to escape. But, the longer they ran, the sooner they found themselves in more unfamiliar territory.

Things were now seeming completely hopeless. For as much as they tried, it seemed like they only ever went deeper into the unknown ruins.

Taffy began to hear a whirring, grinding sound. The very same that came from dislodged or worn clockwork.

<“Mommy...I need to stop…”> Caru said.

It was a disheartening sight for the tinker. The immense stress Caru had been under seemed to have taken its toll on her mechanical body. She was practically limping, and her joints moved more stiffly than before.

<“Oh, dear! Oh, no! Caru, sweetheart, lie down. Mommy’s going to make you better!”> Taffy said, as she gently laid the doll on her side.

Once again, she opened the panel on Caru’s side, and peered at the clockwork within.

There was nothing terribly wrong. Only that several of Caru’s working parts were slightly dislodged. Thankfully, her core remained steadfast and firm.

Minnie gasped at the sight. Even though it was only a doll who needed attention, her heart faltered at the sight of Taffy’s worried face. Her instincts completely took hold of her, and she rushed to the doll’s aid, tools in hand.

Taffy readily accepted everything Minnie offered her, and quickly applied them to fixing her mechanical daughter.

Spike and Pluto looked over what was happening, as the two adults worked. To them, it was like waiting for a friend to move from operation to recovery.

Taffy nudged Minnie aside, and started working by herself.

Minnie took the hint, and allowed the tinker to work by herself.

“Oh, the poor thing. Why do the worst things have to happen to children?” Minnie said.

Pluto wasted no time greeting Minnie, now that they had a reprieve. The hound dog placed his paws on Minnie’s hips, too drained to greet her with his normal jump.

Spike also took the moment to reunite with his friend, who he thought was lost to the perils of the ruins. With a quiet sigh, he gently hugged the mouse, but always kept his eyes on Caru.

Minnie gently placed her hands on Spike’s back, and held the little dragon closely to herself. After the terrible things she had experienced in those ruins, she wanted nothing more than to rush him and all of the others to safety.

For as much as she had seen and experienced, she did not wish to tell Spike just yet of the terrible plot the master of the ruins had in store. She would wait until later to reveal that to her young companion.

A guttural growl reached their ears.

Looking to the far end of the room, Pike appeared in the doorway, glaring at his prey.

Taffy wished to run, but knew she could not leave Caru behind.

Minnie drew her hammer from her belt and raised it to defend herself and the others.

Pluto looked around, and saw that the way they had come from was blocked by more of the corrupted theows. And they were soon joined by more. Then, over the sounds of their growling, there came rushed footsteps.

In a moment, the amoeba came storming into the room.

“Aw, will you look at this! Everything goes wrong at once around here! The machines here keep malfunctioning! They aren’t dead yet! She’s not under my control! And I still can’t find the heart I’m looking for!” she angrily fumed.

“Who’s that?” Spike quietly asked, as he and Pluto huddled closer to Minnie.

“She’s the one who did all of this,” Minnie answered, as she glared at the doctor.

“That’s it! I’m taking care of this whole shenanigan! All of you: rip apart the dragon, the theow and their little dog too! Leave the mouse!” the amoeba ordered the corrupted theows.

Each one of the theows growled hungrily at their prey.

Pike slowly made his way toward Taffy, who backed away from Caru’s side.

“Mamma!” Caru said.

<“Be a doll, Caru! Just like I told you!”> Taffy said, as she warily eyed Pike.

Caru was not one to not do as her mother said. But, she knew that Pike still existed within the beast that approached her mother.

<“Pike! Stop! Don’t you remember my mommy? You told me you like her!”> Caru said.

<“Caru, be quiet!”> Taffy shouted.

But, her worst fear had already been realized.

“Wait! Now, hold on just a second!” the amoeba said, as she hurriedly walked past the theows under her control.

Taffy tried to intervene, only to be stopped by Pike’s snapping jaws.

The amoeba knelt down to examine Caru, and was amazed by what she had found. Even though it was just a doll, she marveled at the lifelike face, and even more at the uncanny expression of fear in its eyes. The very same as a real child, whose heart was gripped by fear.

She looked into Caru’s open side, and saw something even more astonishing. The working parts inside of her were like nothing she had ever seen. It was almost as if each part was meant to accommodate a living, breathing creature. Most of all, there was what was unmistakably the most important working component. The heart of the doll.

A beaming smile morphed beneath the headpiece of the doctor’s suit. She had found both the heart she needed, and the part that would fix her derelict of a machine. A core to power her evil devices, and a heart that she could forge and manipulate and copy, all in one convenient package.

“This is it! I can finally finish my work here!” the amoeba said, as she reached into Caru’s side.

“Na!!” Taffy shouted, as she tried to save her daughter.

Pike’s jaws clasped around her neck, and threw her to the ground.

Taffy lifted her head, just in time to see the amoeba remove Caru’s heart.

“Caru!!” Spike shouted.

“M-Ma-amm-a-a...Spi-i-i-i-ke…” Caru stuttered, before her head laid lifelessly on the floor.

The doctor took a moment to savor her find. But, she knew she could not stay. There was much for her to do, and now she had the means to do it efficiently and effectively. She quickly left the room, but not before giving one last order.

“Alright. That’s all I needed. Now, kill them,” she said, dismissively waving her hand.

“Caru!” Taffy called one last time, as the theows who were once her friends closed in on her, Minnie, Pluto and Spike.

Author's Note

Looks like some majorly hot water our friends have found themselves in. Almost makes you think I'm trying to get these characters killed. As an author, that's kind of my job though, isn't it?

So, we've learned a few important details here. We now know why Taffy wanted to keep Caru hidden from the villain of this story arch. It turns out that the little doll had a heart that can be reshaped and reformed for evil purposes. And the fiendish doctor is taking advantage of a theow pup's heart. What a terrible thing to do.

This isn't so important, but we also now know the real size and scale of this villain. If I had to guess, I'd say she's bigger than The Massster was. Seems like Spike, Minnie and Pluto end up fighting the biggest bad guys, doesn't it? But, that's completely unintentional.

The title of this chapter comes from the name of the band 'Fear Factory.' Their name just seemed a good fit for what was happening in this chapter.

This chapter was also a bit tough to write, because I always had to be conscious of how the clockwork was set up and applied here. I don't know how well I did with keeping it consistent and believable, but hey, I gave it a shot.

Originally, I intended there to be a battle among the clockwork as part of the showdown chapter, but I thought of something different for that. I won't say what it is just yet, but we will be seeing that in a little bit. I promise you that much.

That's it for me here. Don't be a stranger, all you happy people \m/

Chapter 35: Heart of Tin

Chapter 35

Heart of Tin

A merry tune was whistled in the halls of the ruins. For the rotted wood and dilapidated stone that made up the structures, everything seemed to sing along with the simple melody that rang through the halls.

Splashing was heard, as the steps of the whistler practically skipped across the crooked floor.

From around the corner, the mad doctor appeared, fresh from her latest excursion in the bowels of the ruins. She had gone down there in the foulest of moods, having encountered setback after setback during her work. What she expected to find was one of the many malfunctioning machines in her lair. What she found instead was the key to success.

The amoeba cradled Caru’s mechanical heart in her hands. There was the key to fixing her faulty machine, and to completing her experiments. Even with the broken clockwork and generators, the simple cylinder in her rubbery hands was more than enough to power everything she needed. Once it was modified, of course.

In mere moments, the stolen magic of the kingdom’s creatures was going to be remade into her master’s. And with Yen Sid’s magic permeating the land, nothing would be beyond his control.

Of course, there was always the possibility of the mouse and her friends teaching others to use it as they did, in a way that nobody, not even Yen Sid, could steal or control. But, as they were now, the amoeba was sure that the mouse would be put under her control, and the others were chewed up into dog food.

However, she realized then that not one of the theows behind her was dragging Minnie along, while the others feasted on what was left of her friends. Thus far, the mouse and her friends had proven to be frustratingly hard to eliminate, and would surely put up a fight against the corrupted theows. In the likely event that the mouse and the others escaped, a constituency plan was needed.

The doctor’s sunny smile shrank to a devious smirk. She had much work to do. And she would succeed. Even if the mouse and her friends surely interloped again.

Minnie stood protectively before her friends, brandishing a wrench and a mallet at the approaching theows.

Every one of her enemies had a look of pure, murderous intent in their eyes. Never before had the mouse seen a canine creature look so vicious.

Taffy stood before Spike and Pluto, keeping her eyes ever turned toward the theows she once called her friends.

Spike noticed the tinker’s glance dashing to Caru’s lifeless body, which laid on the floor nearby. He knew she was formulating a plan to collect her mechanical daughter.

“Spike,” the dragon heard Taffy say, “Pryd dw i symud, chi a ti'n ci rhedeg am y drws.”

Spike swallowed when heard Taffy speak. Clearly, she was telling him something important, but he could not understand what. Until he saw her glance to the nearest door.

Minnie glanced at the others, and saw Taffy instructing her friends from the corner of her eye.

“Rhedeg am y drws. Pryd dw i symud,” Taffy repeated, as she glanced emphatically to the door.

The dragon and hound dog both saw Taffy slightly lower herself and tense her muscles. It was then that they understood what they were being instructed.

Minnie held tightly to her tools, and returned her eyes to the encroaching theows. She too noticed Caru lying lifelessly on the floor. Even though she hardly knew Taffy, she could read full well the expression of motherly concern on the tinker’s face. Whatever was going to happen next, she hoped she would be able to both protect Taffy and help the others escape.

She eyed the room around herself, and analyzed what could be used to her improvisational advantage. The long table and rotting chairs would be of little use to her, but it was all that was readily available.

Pike bared his fangs and growled quietly as he and the other corrupted theows closed in. There was a predatory glint in his eyes, which seemed to ripple to all of the other theows around him.

That was it. As though some silent signal were given, everyone moved at once.

Quick as her hooves could carry her, Taffy jolted toward Caru.

Pike charged at Taffy, his mouth open and aimed at the tinker’s throat.

There was hardly any time for Minnie to react when one of the theows attacked.

Pluto shifted his entire weight as he ran, to quickly throw Spike onto his back as the dragon took hold of his collar.

The butcher leapt for them.

Before Spike even landed on his back, Pluto threw the little dragon into the air, over the butcher’s head. The hound dog himself tumbled end over end beneath the theow’s attack.

Taffy was hardly three steps forward, as Pike’s fangs closed in on her neck.

Minnie crossed her tools before herself, blocking the sharp hooves and fangs of her attacker. She pushed the theow away, and jumped to a nearby chair to dodge the next attacker.

Placing one foot on the seat of the chair, and one foot on the back, Minnie shifted her weight and walked the whole furniture to the path of Pike’s attack.

The delivery theow crashed into the brittle wooden chair, breaking it apart under the force of his attack.

Taffy was struck in the face by the broken wood, and fell over as Minnie was thrown over her head.

Pluto had rolled to his paws, and quickly positioned himself to catch Minnie on his back.

The mouse landed on the hound dog’s back, and caught Spike as he fell through the air.

Taffy shook the pain from her head and continued to run for Caru.

Minnie struck the long table before her with her hammer, and sent a ripple through it, which knocked away the theows near it.

The nearest exit was blocked by a group of theows, who herded Minnie, Spike and Pluto away from their escape.

Without stopping, Taffy picked up Caru’s lifeless shell of a body in her mouth, and ran away just as her tail narrowly avoided being bitten off.

The tinker ran to regroup with the others, who met her partway before they were backed against a wall by their attackers.

All four frantically looked for a way past them, but none was readily found.

Spike first looked to Taffy, then to the other theows. He had already figured out a way past them. It was the execution that was the tricky part.

“There’s something controlling them,” Spike said to Minnie.

“What?” Minnie asked.

“There’s something in their ears controlling what they do. If we can get it out, they’ll be back to normal.”

Pluto nodded, having seen it for himself with Taffy earlier.

Minnie looked to the snarling theows before her. In their ears, she thought she could see just the tip of something translucent. The very same protoplasm that had been dogging them since they arrived in the village.

What Spike was saying was easier said than done. But, after what she had seen, Minnie was ready to end the evil of the mad doctor who had taken over the village.

One of the theows growled loudly.

“Okay. What do we do?” Minnie asked, as she held her tools at the ready.

Spike’s eyes darted around the room. He had gotten this far by improvising just about everything, and he was not about to stop.

The chairs, the table, the rafters, the candelabras, the chandelier. All around, the dragon saw potential ways to escape their situation. He would just need the time and the cooperation of the others to execute it all.

“We get these theows pinned,” the Spike said, as he took hold of Caru’s leg, and gently unhooked it from her body, “And pray to Celestia they don’t get a chance to eat us.”

Pluto’s eyes went wide when he felt Spike grab his tail. After so many times suffering the young dragon’s fiery breath, he was now wary of Spike standing behind him.

The green flames flew from the dragon’s mouth, and ignited the very tip of the hound dog’s tail.

“BOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!” Pluto shouted, as he shot forward toward the theows.

Spike held tightly to Pluto’s tail, as the theows were knocked aside like bowling pins. When the dragon was in the thick of his enemies, he let go of the hound dog and landed on a fallen theow.

Taking Caru’s disembodied leg, Spike placed the tin cloven hoof in his opponent’s ear. A spring-loaded mechanism made the hoof’s two parts spread, then pinch closed on the plasm within the theow’s ear.

The florist lunged at Spike, ready to end him.

Minnie kicked a chair in the path of the theow, and held it in place with her foot.

The florist crashed into the chair, and broke through the back, snapping at Minnie’s ankle.

The mouse just felt the teeth of her opponent, before she knocked the chair away with her hammer.

Keeping her momentum going, Minnie rolled over Taffy’s back, and slammed her hammer onto a broken chair.

The chair compressed beneath the tool, and suddenly rearranged itself into a wooden barricade, which stopped Pike from attacking the tinker again.

Minnie noticed Spike, as the butcher lunged for him. Before she could move, Pluto tackled Spike out of the way.

The dragon held tightly to Caru’s leg, and pulled out the blob of plasm as he was knocked away.

The plasm slipped from Caru’s disembodied hoof, but was done away with one powerful flame before it even hit the ground.

Spike held tightly to Pluto’s face, as the hound dog dodged back and forth between the diving theows. Between their sharp teeth and sharp hooves, one false step would mean injury for the hound dog.

The dragon was suddenly bumped onto Pluto’s back, as a theow’s head impacted the hound dog’s side.

Spike reached Caru’s leg out, and used it to hook onto a standing candelabrum. The dragon spun upward on the spiral groove of the candelabrum, until he reached the very top.

As the candle holder wobbled forward, Spike shifted his weight at the top, and blew his flames to light the candles.

The butcher ran to maul Spike as he fell.

Before hitting the ground Spike pulled a candle from its sconce and jumped to allow the candelabrum drop onto the butcher’s face.

The butcher had no time to shake himself free, as Spike landed on his back, and applied the tiny flame of the candle to his ear.

The dragon held tightly as the butcher bucked wildly, until the plasm in his ear started leaking out.

Taking hold of it in his claws, Spike yanked it out and was sent sprawling to the floor as the butcher fell over.

The dragon did not even stop rolling, before he flamed the plasm into oblivion.

Minnie swung her hammer like a croquet mallet, and sent a chair sliding over to Spike.

Spike rolled to his feet, jumped to the seat of the moving chair, then onto the surface of the long table.

Pluto ran beneath the table from his theow pursuer, and came out from beneath just in time to catch Spike on his back.

The hound dog ran as high as he could up a wall, before Spike jumped from his back to the low-hanging rafters.

A broken beam offered a handhold for the dragon to grab onto.

“AAAAUUUGH!!!!” Spike shouted, when he felt an incredible pain in his tail.

The surge of pain was just what he needed to haul himself up, along with Pluto, who had jumped from the wall, and clasped his teeth around his dragon companion’s tail.

Spike swung himself and Pluto both up to the top of the beam. When the hound dog’s four paws landed on the wooden surface, he tossed the dragon onto his back, and kept running, just as their pursuer clambered up to continue the chase.

Pluto’s paws clattered over the wooden beam, ever staying just ahead of the theow behind them.

Ever observant, Spike’s eyes caught sight of a pulley and a rope. One look, and Spike knew it was attached to the chandelier he had seen earlier.

The theow behind them was growing closer.

Spike waited until the last possible second, as Pluto ran nearer the pulley.

The theow lunged forward.

There was no time left. Spike leapt from Pluto’s back, and intercepted their attacker. Both dragon and theow dropped from the rafters, toward the chandelier below.

Spike’s smaller size allowed him to pass right through. The theow with him became stuck fast in the decoration.

Suspended in the air, Spike wrestled against the struggling theow, keeping his best away from his snapping teeth.

With no way to restrain his opponent’s head, the dragon struggled to get a grip on the plasm in the theow’s ear.

He had just pinched the plasm in Caru’s tin hoof when he was shaken loose.

The plasm stretched itself lower, but remained stuck in its host’s ear.

On the nearby wall, Pluto saw the winch to lower the chandelier, and jumped from the rafters to operate it.

Paws on the wall and the lever in his teeth, the hound dog started rapidly lowering and raising the chandelier.

The shaking motion helped Spike yank the plasm loose, just before the theow host was dropped from above. A quick burst of fire, and the plasm was done away with.

Minnie was thrown against the table where Spike had landed, and used her wrench to parry the jaws of the theow attacking her. Her hand was barely grazed by the hoof of the theow, and she rolled away just as the other hoof dug deep into the wooden table, just narrowly missing Spike, as the dragon was pulled away by Taffy.

Taffy jumped back, just as she was nicked by a slashing hoof.

Minnie pulled the attacking theow away, and swung her hammer just hard enough to stun her attacker.

Taffy quickly removed the hammer from the tin leg Spike held, and smacked it against Minnie’s hammer.

The plasm flew out the theow’s opposite ear, and splattered against the nearest wall.

Minnie’s foot shot out, and squashed the plasm with the sole of her heavy boot.

The florist attacked again.

Minnie pivoted on the ball of her foot she had planted on the wall, and was only grazed by the fangs of her attacker.

The mouse fell on her back, and was pulled from harm’s way by Taffy, as the florist tried slicing her with her hooves.

Pluto bucked a chair Minnie’s way, allowing the mouse to roll so that her feet were planted on the wobbly furniture.

Taffy pounced on the florist who was targeting Minnie, and pinned her to the ground.

Spike tossed the tinker Caru’s leg, who caught it in her teeth and set to removing the plasm from the florist’s ear.

Shifting her weight atop the chair, Minnie deftly wobbled back and forth to stave off the two savage theows from her friends.

With each attack, the theows destroyed more and more of Minnie’s chair. One bite took off one leg. Another took off the next.

Minnie soon found herself balancing her chair on one leg.

The theows closed in around her.

Taffy struggled to keep her opponent from escaping her pin before she was finished.

The mouse jumped about as if she were on a pogo stick, threatening to stomp the theow’s heads and hooves with her one remaining chair leg.

The florist bucked her head, and knocked Caru’s leg from Taffy’s grip. Once the tool was lost, the two theows began wrestling across the floor, trying to pin one another.

Spike and Pluto wobbled Minnie’s one-legged chair back and forth, allowing the mouse to deftly (if not clumsily) fight off the approaching attackers.

Caru’s leg rolled to Spike’s feet.

Minnie gasped when she started to fall over toward her attacker’s fangs.

Spike quickly replaced Minnie’s chair’s missing legs with himself, Pluto and Caru’s leg.

The restored balance allowed Minnie to dodge an attack, jump from her chair, and get one theow into a headlock, where she removed the plasm from the theow’s ear with a pair of pliers from her belt.

The loud, snarling growls of Taffy and the florist were heard, as the two wrestled nearby.

The tinker was pinned by her opponent.

“Taffy!” Minnie called, as she threw her pliers.

Taffy reached her head back to catch the pliers in her teeth.

The florist lunged for the tinker’s exposed neck.

In one lightning quick movement, Taffy stuck the pliers in her opponent’s ear, and clasped them tightly on the plasm there.

The two theows continued to roll and wrestle, until Taffy finally pushed herself away, and pulled the plasm with her. In an instant, her sharp hooves stomped the globules within the plasm into nothingness.

There was no time to celebrate the victory, when Minnie was suddenly pounced on from behind.

Rolling to a stop, the mouse felt her shoulder was clasped tightly in the jaws of the last corrupted theow, as she was carried from the room.

Unable to reach her attacker’s ear, Minnie took her wrench and pinched it onto his nose.

The theow growled loudly and released Minnie, sending the mouse to the floor. She was helped to her feet by Taffy, who they, Spike and Pluto turned to see their attacker.

Standing between them all, Pike growled ferociously, and eyed his opponents.

Extracting the plasm from the other theows had not been easy, but Pike was sure to be the most difficult of them all. While he was only inches taller than the others of his kind, his burly, muscular build added an imposing bulk that imposed over all before him.

Before any of them could blink, the delivery theow lunged for Minnie.

Spike jumped onto Pike’s back, and tried to climb toward his ear.

Pluto rushed over, and chomped his jaws onto Pike’s leg.

Taffy tried to tackle Pike to the floor, only to be struck by his head.

The large theow shook Pluto from his leg, and kicked him away.

Spike held tightly to his opponent’s back, as Pike bucked around.

The delivery theow heaved his full weight against the nearby table, and broke it apart under Spike’s back.

With a savage growl, Pike started rolling around in the broken pieces of wood. The only thing sparing Spike from the sharp splinters were his naturally thick scales.

With one last buck, Pike threw the dragon from his back, and charged to maul him.

Minnie, Pluto and Taffy all tried to stop Pike as he ran, but were easily knocked aside.

Spike suddenly found himself caught on Pike’s face, and tried reaching for the plasm in his ear, as he was snapped at and shaken about.

Pluto saw an opportunity in Pike’s swishing tail, and took it. Dashing forward with his jaws open, the hound dog chomped hard onto the delivery theow’s tail.

Pike growled loudly, and swung Pluto around, knocking back Minnie and Taffy with the hound dog.

Pluto’s paws caught onto the lever that lowered the chandelier, and held fast even as the device was slowly broken from the wall.

Tools in hand, Minnie and Taffy both rushed forward to extract the plasm from Pike’s ear.

Both jumped on Pike, hoping to pin him, but merely slowed down his savage thrashing.

Spike held fast to the theow’s face, and managed to clinch his jaws shut. But only just barely. With every swing of his head, Spike could feel Pike’s jaws open, and could feel his teeth brush against his scales.

Minnie tried her best to hold Pike steady, while Taffy took Caru’s leg once more to remove the mind-controlling substance. The mouse was constantly thrown about, while the tinker was repeatedly knocked aside.

Pluto strained to keep his grip on both Pike and the winch. One slip from either, and he knew the burly theow would run wild once more. His forehead began to sweat when he felt another bolt pulled loose from the wall.

Minnie threw her wrench to catch the loose bolts and tighten them against the wall, but they were soon pulled loose again.

It seemed even with the combined strength of the four, Pike was too much for them to handle.

Something happened that none of them had expected. The butcher suddenly rushed in and leapt on top of Pike. Following him was the florist, and then every other one of the theows who had been freed of the amoeba’s control.

Pike violently wobbled back and forth, trying to throw off the weight of every creature in the room.

Taffy took Caru’s leg, and jabbed it toward Pike’s ear.

With a massive growl, Pike shook his entire body, and threw every creature on himself away as if he were shaking water from his fur.

In the burst of chaos, Taffy let go of Caru’s leg again, and lost it in the confusion.

Everyone: Minnie, Spike, Pluto and all of the theows looked up, and saw Pike standing still. His shoulders heaved gently with his ragged breathing, and his hair stood on end. Slowly, his predatory eyes crossed the room, until they rested upon Taffy.

The tinker’s ears folded to her skull, and her head lowered as Pike bored his stare into her.

“Pike?” Taffy cautiously asked.

<“It’s okay. It’s me,”> Pike said.

Minnie watched as Pike walked toward Taffy, and put her hand on her tool belt to draw her hacksaw.

“Wait,” Spike interjected.

Minnie looked, and watched as the young dragon took Caru’s errant leg in his claws, and blew the plasm caught on the end away with a burst of flame.

Pluto exhaled long and loud, and let his head drop to the stone floor. After the day was done, he was going to need a serious rest.

As Pike walked to Taffy, he stopped to pick up Caru in his teeth. Once he reached the tinker, he gently placed the doll on the floor.

<“Here. Even without her heart, Caru should be with her mother. Where’s the rest of her?”> Pike said.

Taffy looked, and saw Pike meant the doll’s missing leg.

Without even being called, Spike trotted over, and offered the missing leg to Taffy.

<“Thank you, Spike,”> Taffy said, as she took the leg, and reattached it to her mechanical daughter.

<“How do we get out of here?”> the butcher asked.

<“I don’t know. But, where there’s an electric current passing overhead, we must follow where it’s coming from. That should lead you all to the surface,”> Taffy answered.

<“Then, I say we hoof it there. Before that monster gets us all again,”> one other theow said.

There was no arguing with that logic. While there were still other theows besides them who had been corrupted by the doctor’s power, the ones who had their will restored were going to make good their escape from their home.

While some of the theows started moving, others stayed behind, as if they were all waiting to make sure each of them was truly restored.

Minnie watched each one of the theow’s. But her eyes soon set upon Taffy.

Taffy clutched Caru’s lifeless body in her trembling hooves, and glanced warily toward the opposite door, where the doctor had left with Caru’s heart.

<“We need to go get Caru,”> the tinker heard Pike’s gravelly voice say.

Taffy said nothing, but looked up from the ground at Pike standing over her, before he helped her up. Once she was on her hooves, she found her voice.

<“No. Pike, I can’t let you come with me,”> the tinker said.

<“Caru is precious to all of us,”> Pike said. His gaze shifted to the florist and the butcher. <“Ffion and Aranau were her friends when they were pups. And they still are, even after they grew up, and Caru stayed the same. She’s helped me break up the monotony between hauling loads of metal. Even those circus clowns over there have taken a liking to her,”> Pike said, nodding over to Minnie, Pluto and Spike.

Taffy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had never imagined Pike, of all the theows in the world, to say anything kind or uplifting. But, for all the times she had caught Pike throwing a ball for Caru to catch, or racing the doll around the village, she always felt there was something inside of him that almost made him seem like a theow.

Before Caru, her husband had been everything she hated about Pike: a short-tempered, gruff, unsociable grouch. How she ever had a pup with her husband, she never knew. But, on the day when sickness took her daughter, Pike was there among the mourners in place of her husband, who had decided life would be easier without a wife and pup.

Alone and without a family, Taffy cloistered herself in her workshop, idly crafting one mechanical toy after the other. It was when she happened upon her daughter’s favorite toy that she decided to make something truly wonderful. A doll that would be able to play with the toy on its own. But, why stop there? She would make a doll who could play with the other pups in the village.

Days, weeks, months were spent trying to create the perfect doll. In the end, she succeeded. All of the theows took immediately to the mechanical pup, who would not only walk and talk, but play and converse. Eventually, Taffy took the doll on as her own daughter, and happily raised her as such ever since.

It was then that she started seeing everything that she loved about Caru in Pike, who she had never once seen smile at another theow. With Caru, he seemed almost a pup himself. Something Caru needed when all of her friends grew up without her.

<“Pike,”> Taffy began, <“I need you to go with the others.”>

<“No,”> Pike simply said. <“Caru needs us both.”>

<“Exactly. If anything should happen to me, I need you to be there for her. Help the others to the surface, and escape the village. Do it for the both of us. Please,”> the tinker beseeched.

Pike glanced down when he felt Taffy’s hoof rest atop his own. He would not argue with her, for he knew she was right.

<“Okay. I’ll keep the others safe. But, I’m expecting you to meet us on the road to the next village. Even if the others keep going, I’ll wait for you there,”> Pike said, before he sauntered toward the door.

Minnie, Spike and Pluto all flinched when the delivery theow stopped to talk to them.

<“I’m counting on you freaks to look after Taffy and Caru. If anything happens to either one of them, I’ll know who to blame. Now, get moving,”> Pike said.

Even though they didn’t understand him, his message was clear: go with Taffy to rescue Caru.

After the other theows left, Minnie, Spike and Pluto slowly approached Taffy.

No words were exchanged, as Minnie placed a reassuring hand on the tinker’s shoulder, while Spike gently folded up Caru’s legs and placed her into his backpack, allowing only her head to peer out. Inside his pack, Spike found something else he knew would help.

The red coat Caru had been wearing when Spike first found her was still folded up inside his backpack. Taking it out, he gave it to Pluto to get a scent of the doll.

The hound dog sniffed deeply into the fabric of the coat, and took in every scent from the strongest metallic smell, to the faintest hint of grease.

Next, he put his nose to Caru’s head, and took in the scents from there.

Turning his nose to the air, Pluto could smell the water and the mildew on the cold stone walls and floor. But, between the two sources, the hound dog could pick out only the slightest trace of metal, along with a faint smell of the plasm.

Keeping his nose from the contaminated floor, Pluto started leading the others toward the exit the doctor had taken, and down the hall, hoping his instincts would not fail him. For Caru’s sake, they couldn’t.

In the laboratory, the merry tune was heard whistling somewhere beyond its doors. As if to hum along, a slow, steady electrical current coursed through the machine in tune with the improvised song.

The machine rumbled briefly, making the various glass flasks and vials rattle like a percussion section.

A bubbling liquid over a burner started gurgling and spurting, joining in with the choir of diabolical devices.

The doors burst open, and the doctor was greeted by the harmonious tune of her equipment.

“Good news!” the doctor musically called, as she skipped into the room. “I just found what’s going to make us all jump right to the final step in our projects! The last piece of the puzzle! The key to the kingdom!”

As the amoeba giggled giddily over her find, the machine sputtered an electrical current.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t worry about a thing. Your hard work is over. All we need now is a few minor tweaks and adjustments, and we’re in business!” the doctor said, as she spun Caru’s mechanical heart on her finger.

In one terrifying moment, the core fell from her finger, and plummeted toward the floor.

“EEP!!” the doctor shouted, before she dropped her entire body to the floor, and caught the vital element.

Everything was fine. So long as there was no more unnecessary horseplay with the new part. Slowly, she stood up from the floor, and examined the core in her hands.

The circuitry of the core was unlike any she had ever seen. The complex craftsmanship and the intricate design was the work of a master. One probably on par, or greater than herself. As though whoever had created it had put everything of themselves into their own work.

“A heart within a heart...Interesting,” the amoeba said, as she studied Caru’s core.

The possibilities for how she would manipulate such a thing was endless. After recreating it in Yen Sid’s image, she would mass produce them and surgically implant them to all living creatures in the world. But, why stop there?

She could very well create more hearts of her own design, and produce those. What would she do? Create a living, breathing, obedient machine console? Change the opinions of her dissenters? Perform a mitosis, and implant her double with the heart of the perfect boyfriend?

The doctor’s membrane tingled with delight beneath her containment suit. But, in order for any of her crazed dreams to come true, she would have to get to work. First, she would need to take care of any potential intruders.

Gathering as many tools as she possibly could, the mad amoeba set to working on the first step to a darker future for the kingdom.

Author's Note

Finally, I get this chapter done! Sheesh! Between work, school, holiday frivolities and intruding relatives, I thought I'd never make it! But, make it I did, and I'm damn happy to present the newest chapter to you lovely readers.

First and foremost, I think I need to explain something that my girlfriend pointed out I forgot: the meanings of the theows' names. See, each one of them has a name that translates into English. Their naming system is not based on like what the ponies have. Instead, they have names that just sound like cute dog names. For example Ffion means 'foxglove,' Aranau means 'beef shanks,' and Pike means a very large North American/European fish with lots of teeth. Apparently, they are the same word in both English and Welsh.

Taffy is a very old-fashioned Welsh slang word, which means lovely or pretty. Basically, it was the Welsh equivalent of the Scottish slang word 'bonnie.' But, 'taffy' isn't used very much anymore. Some of you may remember the first chapter in this story arch, where Aranau refers to Taffy as a lovely girl. It was a reference to the meaning of her name.

Caru, however, was named a bit more in line with the naming system of the ponies. Her name translates to love, because that's how she was made. With love.

The action in this chapter was a little bit different for me to write, in that I tried to do something I hadn't done. I tried to make each character perspective flow organically to the next. This was done, because partway through the chapter, I realized that all of these characters were all between two and fifteen steps of each other, and did not leave until the end. If the perspective kept getting broken up by horizontal lines, it would have seemed like a mess. So, I tried something new, and hope that it worked well enough.

Something you may or may not have noticed is that the doctor is somewhat based on a copycat artist. I'm sure all of us reading this have seen a movie, or played a video game, and thought to ourselves, "Okay, I see whose style they're tying to emulate, and its just not working." In this case, the amoeba is sort of meant to be a dark reflection of Taffy.

So, the next chapter is going to be a showdown. Whether Spike and the others find Caru before it's too late is a matter of reading on. Perhaps they will not just have to face the mad doctor herself? They may well have other hazards to contend with. That remains to be seen.

Just a teaser here, but after the next showdown, we're going to see what Fluttershy, Applejack, Donald and Uncle Scrooge are up to. Where will they go? Who will they meet? I won't say just yet, but I will say that it's something I thought I would not end up using. Something that I mentioned to you all before. Rock on with that stewing in your eager minds \m/

Chapter 36: Made to Be Broken

Chapter 36

Made to Be Broken

The hunt was on.

The air was stirred and displaced by deep, repeated sniffs.

For every inhale, Pluto’s nose was assaulted by the pungent, stagnant aromas of the flooded, underground ruins. But, between the two sources he had been given to follow, he was able to pick out the faint traces of tin, grease and woven fibers that still lingered from Caru.

Behind him, Taffy followed worriedly behind, hoping to find her daughter before anything she didn’t dare think about happened. She had already lost one pup, and didn’t know if her heart could handle losing Caru.

She knew they were on the right track when she saw wires overhead. Where there were wires, there was the path to the doctor’s laboratory. But without any power flowing through them, they had to rely on Pluto to see them through.

At the very back, Minnie kept a watchful eye on all of the others before her. She knew full well the danger they were walking toward, having been in its clutches only just prior. If anything happened, she was going to be ready to protect the others.

The mouse glanced to her side, and saw Spike focusing solely on the direction Pluto was headed. It was his focused stare, and the way that he was clutching Caru’s red coat that let Minnie know what was precisely on his mind.

She turned her eyes to Spike’s backpack, and saw Caru’s lifeless tin head peering out the back of it. She could see full well the dragon’s desire to restore the doll to life. How even though Caru was built as a toy, she had come to mean much to the dragon. Why or how the two had bonded, Minnie could not know. She only knew that they had to rescue their new friend.

Pluto stopped at an intersection in the halls and started sniffing in circles.

Everyone waited tensely to see what direction the hound dog would choose.

Taffy ground her hooves into the stone floor, and clenched her teeth. Every second was valuable. The longer Pluto took, the longer Caru’s heart remained in the clutches of the mad doctor.

Pluto sniffed, and snuffed, and huffed loudly, trying to find the proper direction. It was the hall to the right which had the strongest scent, and that was where the hound dog led the others.

Soon, Taffy looked up and saw wires hanging from the ceiling. There was no power to them, after she and the others destroyed the clockwork at the base of the tower. But, she knew that soon enough, she would be able to find her way back by memory and rescue her daughter.

Formulas bubbled rhythmically. Tools clanged and clattered with a harmonious beat. And amidst it all, the amoeba danced her way through her lab, shaking her hips in tandem with the music that seemed to compose all around her.

Even the noise of the doctor clamoring through her tool closet seemed to mix perfectly with the industrial beat in the room. When she found what she was looking for, she closed the tool closet’s door with her foot, and danced her way back to her work area.

On her way back, she took hold of a mechanical arm, which was previously arranging vials of stolen magic, before the power in her lab had been disrupted. She twirled around, as if to dance with her machine, and continued on her way.

Tools in hand, she returned to her table where she resumed her diabolical work.

The mechanical heart she had stolen was nearly completed. The work on building it was already done. Now, she just had to reconstruct, reconfigure, rewire, and redo the whole thing to make it suit her ends.

Adding a new receptacle on the outer casing was easy enough. Everything else was a bit trickier. But the theow who created the heart was kind enough to have set up the groundwork already.

In no time at all after returning to her lab, the amoeba finished recreating what somebody had created to bring joy to others into her own twisted vision.

With slightly trembling hands, she exhaled quietly and held the corrupted mechanical heart in her palms, marveling over the completed work.

The doctor couldn’t help but giggle. It was time to now test the creation.

Gently, she carried it over to her machine. She unbuttoned her lab coat, the front of her suit opened up, and her pseudopods set to removing the machine’s metal casing. Inside, there was the device’s core. The beating heart of the contraption, now cold and lifeless.

The doctor placed the heart she held into her pseudopods, and reached her hands into the machine. With the softest touch, she removed the old core, took Caru’s corrupted heart, and placed it into the slot.

Two loud clicks sounded, and the amoeba stepped back to observe the fruits of her labor.

It began with only a tiny spark. Like the tiniest ember that bloomed into a raging wildfire, the glimmer of voltage soon coursed through the rest of the machine, making it come to terrible life.

The doctor beamed widely, her membrane arranging itself to a parody of an overjoyed smile. All around her, monitors started turning on, showing images of stolen magic. Electrodes came alive, shooting electricity along one another as if they were old friends joining hands for the first time in ages. Machinery whirled to life. Gears ground and pistons pounded, applauding loudly for the success of the experiment. And up above, the lights overloaded with power, illuminating the whole room brightly, before they exploded, showering all below with their light in celebration.

As the doctor madly danced amid the clamor, more electricity flowed forth from the corrupted core, and through the rest of the ruins.

In the halls of the ruins, the wires that hung limply overhead began shaking violently, as a powerful current coursed through them. Some shook so hard, they threatened to break free from the clips and hooks that secured them.

Deeper within, Pluto continued the hunt for the stolen heart, when his canine ears picked up a sound in the distance.

“What is it, Pluto?” Minnie asked.

The hound dog turned his head and lifted one ear. It was a sound he had heard some times before. Once, he heard it all too closely, when he sniffed an exposed wire while Mickey was fixing a wall outlet. Now, the sound was faint, but growing steadily closer.

Taffy’s canine ears caught the sound next, and she glanced upward. She saw the wires above start swinging. Softly at first, the wires began shaking harder, and a light started shining from around the corner at the end of the hall from both sides.

In moments, the chattering grew so loud that it echoed off the walls, as an electrical current rushed through the wires.

Everyone covered their ears as the hall around them was illuminated by the crackling voltage. All around them, their shadows multiplied and jumped about on the walls, as though they were all trying frantically to escape the sudden clamor.

Even deeper, the current found its way to the ruins’ clockwork foundation. As the massive plasm in the room repaired the broken clockwork, the generators in the room roared to life.

With a sudden surge of power, the clockwork in the room began to spin on its own. Parts of the plasm were pulled in and wound through, having their globules crushed in the working parts. The plasm that was unharmed set double time to fixing the clockwork, making the machine come back to life. Once it was done, it retreated from the room, into the halls of the ruins.

Above on the surface, the hands on the clock tower spun madly around in circles, as the structure rumbled from within. Lightning was drawn from the sky, and surged into the clock tower. The added power of the lightning coursed through the wires in the ruins, and brought more of the evil machines back to life.

The sudden upsurge in activity at the base of the tower made the entire underground ruins rumble. Every subterranean room shook, as if an earthquake had struck the kingdom.

Spike held firmly to Minnie, as the mouse braced herself against the wall, next to Taffy. Pluto had dropped to the floor, and covered his eyes with his ears, hoping the terrible tremors would end.

The amoeba wobbled back and forth across the floor, trying to save as much of her equipment as she could.

“Whoah!” she shouted, as she collected a bubbling flask. “Could you please--” She caught a falling microscope, “--Be more gentle!!?”

At the other end of the table, her all-seeing eye started wobbling dangerously close to the edge.

In a sudden burst, the doctor’s arm stretched as far as she could send it, and caught the device just as it was inches from the ground.

Another tremor, and the doctor had to roll to the side to avoid the other instruments on the table falling on her.

Before she could save her equipment, another tremor kept her rolling across the floor, until she bumped into the side of her control console.

For a moment, she regretted putting so much power into her own machinery. At the rate things were going, her entire lab was going to fall apart.

A surge of power coursed through the electrodes at the top of the console, and arced to the surveillance device in the doctor’s hands.

The doctor jumped and thrashed about, sending the equipment she had managed to salvage flying across the room. All but the surveyor, which she held in her clenched grip. Soon, the surge ended, and the amoeba was left smoking on the floor.

Abruptly, she stood up and raised the surveillance device over her head.

“Why, I oughta--” she growled, before the device in her hands started to glow.

It seemed that the power surge involuntarily activated the device in her hands. With a curious glance, the doctor saw the halls of the ruins being rapidly traversed. In another moment, the plasm she was seeing the world through retreated to inside the walls, to avoid an oncoming surge of electricity from the wires above.

Through the walls the plasm passed, and through the cracks in the structures the doctor saw a familiar and expected sight. The mouse and her friends had escaped the attack of her theow minions, and were now traversing the halls.

Between slamming into her machine and seeing what she did on her magical monitor, an idea began to swim about inside the amoeba’s translucent head. She was going to take full control of everything in her lair. Become one with her machine, and operate as a single being. A devious mix of machine and microorganism, to conquer all that there was within the kingdom of Blaiddru.

With a devious smirk, the doctor threw off her lab coat, revealing her containment suit in full. Placing her hands gently atop her console, she gently squeezed the edges as if she were taking the hands of her groom before matrimony. Their future together was going to be wonderful.

In a sudden motion, the front of her suit opened up, and her entire form went sliding into the machine console once again. It was somehow more blissful than before. She didn’t even feel like she would mind it when the time came to struggle back into her suit. But for the sheer power and control she was feeling, the doctor felt she may not want to leave her machine.

Another surge of power, and she was suddenly everywhere at once. She could see everything. Feel everything. She was everything.

In moments, the tremors caused by the clockwork slowed to a dull rumble, and the electrical current in the wires lessened to a steady, powerful stream.

The entire machine chattered with electricity, and was joined by manic laughter that echoed through the entirety of the ruins.

In the ruined halls, Pluto’s ears perked up and tried to pinpoint the source of the mad cackling. To the others, it seemed the laughter was coming from no one source, but from everything around them. From the wires that buzzed with electricity overhead, to the cracked stone walls that surrounded them all.

In moments the laughter stopped, and its echo faded into silence.

They all listened for what more was to come, but heard only the electric current and the dripping water.

When all seemed to have passed, Pluto took the first step forward to tracking Caru’s scent.

Taffy’s heart clenched at the thoughts of what could have caused the sudden upsurge in power. Whatever was being done, she hoped soon to rescue her daughter.

As Minnie walked, she saw something on the very edge of her peripheral vision. The stones in the wall began to vibrate ever so slightly. There was a glint of something reflective and translucent behind them, and the mouse’s brain snapped to alert.

There was no thought that entered Minnie’s mind, as she leapt forward and tackled the others out of the way, just as the stones in the wall slammed into the ones opposite them.

“What the hay was that!?” Spike said, as he lifted his head from the watery floor.

The dragon’s question was answered, when all of a sudden the walls started oozing more of the amoeba’s vile plasm, carrying with it the broken bricks.

The bricks swirled about inside the substance, until they arranged themselves into two concentric circles, alternating between themselves and the globules within. At the very center, one large, black globule set itself, and the entire thing seemed fixated on them.

Nobody had to wonder about the bizarre arrangement. They were being watched. And they knew by who.

Pluto was the first to run off. He knew the others would follow, and he would be able to lead them to Caru’s heart. However, leading them there would be far more hazardous.

The hound dog’s chin was hit from below by a rising brick, which took him off his paws.

Behind him, everyone else was assaulted by the very walls themselves. For every attack they dodged, they were hit by two more.

Minnie took her hammer from her belt, and started batting away the attacking bricks.

One brick was slammed back into its place in the wall. When it was, four more sprouted forth to attack.

The mouse knocked away two bricks that attacked high, and was hit by the two attacking low.

Spike fell backwards as entire chunks of the ceiling tried to crush him. As he scrambled backwards, Taffy pulled him clear of the hazard. After, Pluto pulled both Taffy and Spike clear as another part of the roof was punched down by the plasm.

Minnie ran forward, knocking away the attacking bricks with her hammer as she ran.

“Move!” the mouse shouted.

Pluto ran beside Minnie, frantically trying his best to keep on the trail of the scent, while the mouse batted away the attacking bricks.

Behind them all, the floor began to flip itself upward, as if something large were burrowing beneath it.

Taffy glanced behind herself, and saw the tiles of the floor spreading apart as they bulged, revealing the mass of plasm beneath. And it was rapidly closing in on them all.

Nearest to it was herself, with Spike right beside her.

“Llygoden!!” the tinker shouted.

Minnie screeched to a halt and batted away another brick, before she turned to see what Taffy was shouting about.

What she saw was the tinker pick Spike up with her teeth, and toss the young dragon toward her. Just as Minnie caught her friend, the floor beneath Taffy started to bulge up, and she was hoisted into the air by the plasm lifting the tiles.

Minnie quickly handed Spike off to Pluto and rushed to Taffy’s aid.

The moment she started running forth, the ground beneath her started to shift. As if the doctor could feel every step, the plasm started lifting the tiles in an attempt to stagger the mouse.

Minnie stumbled and tripped on her way to help Taffy, as she was assaulted from all sides by the bricks in the walls. No matter how she tried to deflect the attacks, she was struck from behind, and went tumbling forward.

Taffy jumped from her perch, and helped Minnie to her feet. Before they could run, the ground beneath them started opening up.

Both mouse and theow tried to keep ahead of the falling floor, knowing it would put them back in the clutches of the evil doctor.

Spike reached into his backpack and retrieved one of Caru’s legs. Keeping his head as low as he could, the dragon rushed past the attacking bricks, dove forward, and extended Caru’s leg toward his friends.

“Here!” Spike called.

Just as the floor fell from under them, Minnie and Taffy jumped forward and grasped onto the doll’s tin leg. Taffy held Caru’s hoof firmly in her teeth, while Minnie grasped the tinker around her waist.

There was only darkness beneath them. A deep, gaping hole where tendrils of plasm reached forth.

Minnie put her hammer back on her belt, drew her hacksaw and began slicing the reaching pseudopods apart.

Pluto quickly crawled to Spike, and began helping pull up his friend by gripping Spike’s tail. Little by little, they were coming up. But, not fast enough.

The plasm kept closing in.

In a desperate move, Minnie released Taffy, and landed precariously on a broken piece of floor.

Taffy was pulled up to the surface, and looked into the hole with the others.

“Minnie!” Spike shouted.

“Find your friend! I’ll catch up!” Minnie replied, as she slashed away the approaching tendrils.

For a moment, Spike and Pluto hesitated. But, the responsibility they felt to Taffy for her daughter kept them going. Quickly, they all started running down the hall.

Minnie continued fighting off the attacking tendrils, and was about to climb her way out of the dark hole to follow after. Until her foothold started to slide from its slot, and sent her plummeting into the darkness.

On and on the mouse fell, until she was caught by a pseudopod. Without even thinking, Minnie slashed the globules within it, and was dropped to an unseen floor.

Everything around Minnie was darkness. She could hardly see her own hand in front of her face, let alone her attacker.

In the darkness, electricity began to crackle, illuminating the entire area around the mouse.

She was in a room with many wires, electrodes, grounds, transformers, low walkways and platforms. Voltage arced viciously between them all, until the wires above Minnie started to crackle.

Before she was struck by an improvised lightning bolt, the mouse dove forward to the watery floor. From the ground, she looked over her shoulder and saw electricity arcing to the other electrodes around her.

With the chattering current, Minnie knew she could hear maniacal laughter among it. She was not alone in that room. And she readied herself to fight back.

Before her, a massive current of electricity arced between two electrodes, and the amoeba’s plasm started oozing onto its power console. The more Minnie looked at it, the more she knew that she was looking at a face slowly forming. And it was laughing at her.

“Look at the mouse caught in a trap! People have been looking for a better one of these since the wheel was invented! And honey, have I got it!” the doctor’s voice said, as electricity flew around the room.

“What have you done to that little girl!” Minnie demanded.

“What little girl? The little tin thing? I did what any scientist worth her salt did, and gave her an upgrade!”

Minnie was beyond shock and anger. The mere idea of exploiting a child’s heart as the doctor had offended every one of the mouse’s sensibilities.

“You--” Minnie said, as she clenched her fist on the handle of her hacksaw, “I’ll never forgive you for this! You evil, blobby--!”

The next word Minnie spoke was drowned out by the sound of chattering electricity, as though the machine itself was laughing at her.

The amoeba’s plasm before her seemed to smile like an amused child, spiking Minnie’s anger.

“An evil, blobby-- *BZZT* --am I?” the doctor said, as electricity blazed forth, muffling her speech. Whether it was from the machine, or from the amoeba herself, Minnie could not tell. “Get as mad as you want, mouse! There’s nothing you can do about it! Just look at where you are! This is no mouse hole! You’re in my world now!”

Minnie knew the amoeba was right. And she was going to take direct advantage of it to defeat the mad doctor once and for all.

In a sudden burst, Minnie kicked the water on the floor onto the console the amoeba was occupying. The voltage within it shorted out, and Minnie smiled complacently as she heard the doctor’s voice gibbering as electricity coursed through the plasm.

With one last burst of smoke, the voltage stopped, and the doctor was heard loudly coughing and sputtering.

Minnie knew she had angered the doctor. Even though the plasm on the console before her had been reduced to an inert, useless blob, she could hear the boiling rage in her opponent’s ragged, heavy breaths.

“I--am sick--and tired--of being--ELECTROCUTED!!!!” the amoeba shouted, as electricity arced throughout the room.

Minnie looked down, and saw the danger she was in. As long as she was ankle-deep in water, she may as well have been a living lightning rod.

The mouse leapt forth to the safety of a walkway, just as the watery floor was charged with electricity. From her prostrate position, Minnie saw one of the power transformers charging up, and the electrodes atop it were crackling with voltage.

Minnie rolled to the side, just as electricity arced to where she just was. When the current died, she could hear the doctor’s mad laughter. She knew then just how right the amoeba was: she was in a completely different world of evil and danger. And it was out to get her.

The peril was equally so for Spike, Pluto and Taffy. The very fixtures of the ruins themselves were turning against them.

The already twisted halls and corridors became moreso, sometimes forcing the three to literally walk along the walls and ceilings.

Even through the peril, Pluto did his best to keep his hound dog nose on the trail of Caru’s scent. But with the halls constantly reorienting themselves, and the water splashing about as a result, keeping a steady lead on the scent was proving more dangerous than it was worth.

The broken tiles of the floor constantly raised and lowered, making the very ground ripple and wave like a stone was thrown into a pond.

It was only Taffy’s naturally cloven hooves that kept her mostly upright. Having lived her entire life in the rolling plains of Blaiddru, the tinker was accustomed to uneven terrain. But, not when it came alive to deliberately attack her.

Spike rolled around the turning hall like a sock in a dryer. Between dodging flying bricks and reaching pseudopods, the dragon was beginning to wonder how much longer he was able to hold out.

The plasm that moved the bricks was just visible through the spaces, as the floor waved about. Spike blew forth his flames and destroyed the globules within, making the plasm go limp.

There was only one small safe area for the dragon to stand now. And it was quickly occupied by more of the vile plasm, and shook violently.

Spike was thrown forward to the ground, and landed before a brick in the wall that was shaking loose.

Taffy rushed forward and picked the young dragon up in her teeth, her haunches taking some of the brunt of the errant brick.

As he was carried, Spike blew his flames at the rising tiles, shriveling the plasm and creating a safe path for the tinker to follow.

Pluto flattened his body against a wall when he heard his dragon friend’s flame approaching from behind.

When Taffy and Spike passed, the hound dog jumped off of the wall when he noticed the evil plasm reaching for him through the cracks in the bricks.

The three kept on the path Spike was creating for them, all the while keeping their best to avoid the attacking bricks.

Pluto was beginning to catch wind of Caru’s scent again. They were still on the right trail, but they were coming to an intersection in the halls.

Behind them, the tiles of the floor rose up, and surfed forward on a tsunami of plasm. And it was rapidly closing in on its prey.

At the very rear, Pluto could feel the floor arching up behind him. With every rushed step, he tried raising his rear paws off the ground, until he was running on only his front paws. It did little to help him, as the plasm suddenly surged forward and scooped up the hound dog.

The floor ahead stopped waving, making Spike wonder what had happened. He glanced over his shoulder, and was horrified to see what was coming toward them.

Before he could warn Taffy of the danger, the wave caught them both and carried them down the hall.

The closer they were taken to the intersection in the halls, the more they were pushed to the outer edges of the wave. Right into the path of the oncoming corners.

Preferring not to become a smear on a wall, Spike reached into his backpack and retrieved Caru’s legs. The dragon used them to deftly climb up the wave.

At the top, the plasm was exposed, and Spike could see the globules within that gave it life.

Bracing himself with Caru’s legs, Spike welled up the biggest flame he could muster, and blew it into the wave.

The globules within fried, sizzled and burst. Their power over the wave was dwindling, making it lose its momentum.

Taffy and Pluto both took advantage of the lull. They climbed up to the top, Pluto pushed Spike forward, and they all went tumbling down the back of the wave.

The wave in the floor crashed into the corners of the intersecting halls with a sickening splat. The plasm itself slid to the floor, as if a solid body had impacted the wall, and slid back beneath the tiles. The tiles themselves all evened and smoothed out, as if they were completely undisturbed.

Even though they had all survived, Caru’s legs had bent, and one of her joints was loose. Taffy stood dumbstruck over her mechanical daughter’s limbs. But, she knew she could not dwell on them. Those legs could be easily repaired or replaced. It was Caru’s heart that mattered the most at that moment.

There was a new problem. Of three possible paths, the doctor could only have taken Caru down one of them. And the amoeba was still trying to eliminate the intruders in her domain.

The splintered wooden beams up above started to shake.

Spike quickly crawled across the floor to avoid being smashed by a heavy beam.

After dodging, the plasm reached down from above and collected the beam to swing at the dragon.

Spike shot forth a flame to incinerate the wood, only to find that years of water damage had rendered it all but fireproof.

The dragon was taken off his feet by the swinging lumber, and crashed into a wall. Taffy was struck next, and was knocked to the floor.

Pluto tried his hardest to discern the direction of Caru’s scent. But, the hazard the flying woodwork was presenting made his task more difficult.

With a deep inhale, Pluto ducked under a swinging beam, and got a snout full of watery scent.

The hound dog jumped over another swing, toward the direction of another hall. The scent of water lingered in his nostrils, keeping Pluto from tracking Caru or the doctor.

He snorted, trying to exhale the smell of water from his nose, then was struck by the swinging lumber.

The hound dog rolled across the floor, and stopped short of being smashed by a falling chunk of the ceiling. One look, and Pluto knew the plasm that held the ceiling was looking at him. A thousand eyes contained within a single, massive surface, all staring focused at him. Anticipating his move.

Pluto scrambled away from the plasm as quick as he could, and resumed trying to pick up the scent of Caru once more.

As the hound dog circled the middle of the intersection, Taffy bumped into him as she dodged a pseudopod that reached for her.

The tinker lashed forward and chomped the globules within.

The pseudopod fell limp and useless, and trickled back beneath the floor.

In the next moment, the center of the floor rose up. Beneath it, a singular mass of plasm rose almost to the ceiling, and branched out with many pseudopods like an amorphous tree.

More plasm started dripping from the ceiling, creating translucent columns that carried the wooden beams from the ceiling within them.

Spike tried to well up another flame to destroy the globules within the substance, but his racing heart betrayed his breath.

A rafter was swung at Spike, knocking the wind from the dragon and releasing his fire.

The plasm knocked Spike against a wall, but was destroyed by his flames.

The dragon was pinned beneath the heavy woodwork. His heart stopped when the plasm in the middle of the room turned toward him, and aimed every brick within it at his head.

Taffy rushed to Spike’s side, and quickly moved the heavy beam. Both dragon and theow dove aside, just as the wall behind them was smashed.

Pluto jumped, as his friends rolled to the floor beside him. Keeping to his duty of finding the scent, he frantically sniffed the air by the next hallway. He jumped back and forth across rising floor tiles. The smell was still weak, but it was not getting any stronger in that direction.

Another pseudopod started swinging a beam at them all.

Spike knew he could not risk his fiery breath failing again. He reached into his backpack and retrieved the first thing that felt solid enough to strike with.

With a mighty swing, the dragon sliced right through the tendril of plasm, making it drop its weapon.

For a moment, Spike realized that it was Caru’s tail that he had taken from his pack. It seemed that its slightly curved, flexible design, along with its simulated tin fur made it ideal for cutting apart the vile plasm that was assaulting him.

Taking the doll’s tail in his claws, Spike set forth slicing through the substance that tried to attack.

The mass of plasm in the middle of the room seemed to reel from the repeated blows to its pseudopods, and began to wobble about. As if to retaliate, it sprouted more branches of tendrils from its body, tore entire chunks from the walls and ceiling, and started lashing out at the dragon.

Taffy pulled Spike from danger once more by grasping his spines in her teeth. She jumped aside, carrying Spike with her, as more bricks hammered down, shaking the hall with every miss.

Pluto continued to sniff for Caru’s scent. And finally, he found it. Though it was still very faint, he could smell it more strongly coming from the hall to the left.

“ARF!! ARF!!!” the hound dog called to the others.

Knowing that their canine companion had found the way, Taffy and Spike started running for his direction.

The doctor would not let them escape so easily. A pseudopod swung another piece of lumber at them both.

Spike took Caru’s tail, and swung it like a hatchet at the oncoming attack.

The beam was upon him.

The dragon swung his improvised weapon, and struck true.

The well-worn wood could not handle the impact. Between the massive water damage, and the serration of Caru’s tail, the entire wooden beam split apart.

Spike and Taffy could not grieve for how warped and broken Caru’s tail had become from the solid impact. Her tail could be easily replaced.

The hammering bricks of the plasm behind them spurred them all onward.

The rapid hammering proved to be the downfall of the plasm, as the shockwaves it was creating brought the very ceiling down on top of it.

As the roof caved in, Pluto led Taffy and Spike onward to the doctor’s lab.

Behind them, the plasm started seeping through the cracks in the fallen bricks, ready to resume its pursuit.

The battle was to begin. Minnie readied her tools to attack, and take on the mad doctor once and for all.

Plasm surrounded a cluster of three wires, making them come alive and shake loose from their surge arrestors. The coppery ends of the wires arced electricity between them all and struck for Minnie.

With all haste and speed, Minnie dodged the attack of the wires, which curved around to face her.

The mouse took a screwdriver from her belt, and used it to pin the vile cords to the nearest solid surface.

The plasm slid from the live wires and into the transformer where Minnie had stuck the cords. In the next moment, the entire fixture bulged and shot forth all of its bolts at the mouse.

Minnie was struck over and over, and was pushed back along the walkway toward the very edge.

She teetered at the edge of the walkway, with only the toes of her boots on any solid surface.

The water below charged with electricity, and Minnie’s screwdriver was shot from the side of the transformer.

Minnie spun on the very tip of her toe and caught her screwdriver, but was then faced with the electric hazard below.

The mouse rapidly spun her arms, attempting to balance herself back up to the platform.

The freed wires shaped themselves into the outline of a boot, and wound up to kick Minnie into the water.

With a solid hit, Minnie was pushed over the side of the walkway.

The mouse sailed off, and saw her end in the crackling water below.

Reaching out, Minnie took hold of a hanging wire.

The wire was disconnected from its base by the doctor’s plasm.

Minnie rapidly climbed up the wire, as she swung over the water. Only the tip of her tail skimmed the surface, giving her a terrible shock.

The mouse let go, and landed on another platform. Whether it was her frayed nerves, or the will to win her fight, she rolled as soon as she landed and dodged a heavy panel that dropped from a transformer, revealing the plasm within.

When she was on her feet, Minnie took her wrench and jammed the open jaws of the tool into the fixture.

The two tips of the wrench found two fuses to contact, and sent a surge of power through the machine.

The plasm in the transformer was shocked, and the globules within it burst. Most of them, at least.

The remaining plasm within burst forth, carrying with it all of the sharp copper inside of the console.

Minnie used her wrench to block the attacks, but could not spare her arm from being cut.

The mouse yelped, and was knocked backward between two metal coils. She quickly jumped away, just as electricity arced between the coils.

Her landing took her to the watery floor, where more wires were beginning to hover over.

Minnie shot to her feet, and started running toward the relative safety of a platform.

The wires were only inches above the water.

In a daring move, Minnie jumped and took hold of one of the lowered wires, narrowly avoiding an electric demise.

The wire Minnie held started to shake, trying to throw her off, as more wires started hovering over to her.

The mouse took the hacksaw from her tool belt, and started slicing the crackling wires that threatened her.

Shifting her weight, Minnie swung from the wire she was holding, and jumped to another walkway.

Minnie stood up, ready to fend off whatever the doctor would attack with next.

A wire lowered from the ceiling, just behind Minnie.

The mouse sensed the danger behind herself, and swung her hacksaw as she turned.

The wire deftly looped around, remaining unseen behind Minnie’s back.

Minnie whipped her arm again, missing as the wire stayed out of sight behind her.

Almost playfully, the wire rose up and tapped her shoulder, sending a small shock to the mouse.

“OH!!!” Minnie shouted, as she jumped forward, turned in mid air, and landed facing her opponent.

The single wire that tormented her was joined by four others. Two slightly lower than the first, and two more almost to the floor, arranging themselves into a pentagon pattern.

Electricity arced between the five wires, conjoining to a point in the center where the chattering current took the vague shape of a stick figure. The wires bent in a way that manipulated the figures movements, so that it assumed a fighting stance.

“You and me, mouse! I’m gonna make extra crispy cat snacks out of you!!” came the doctor’s voice from the hanging wires.

Minnie almost didn’t believe what she saw. The amoeba had become the very room itself, bringing it all to literal life. Even the electric current carried some trace of the doctor’s consciousness in it.

She knew she could not falter. Taking her hacksaw in hand, Minnie readied to fight the doctor rodent-to-eukaryote.

Both duelists ran toward each other.

The doctor jabbed her electric fist.

Minnie bobbed and swung at the doctor’s midsection.

The doctor dodged, arced electricity between her fists, and swung both her fists down on Minnie’s head.

Minnie ducked low, only the tips of her ears taking the brunt of the attack. She swung her hacksaw again.

The doctor rippled her electric body out of the way, and snapped back with an electrical surge.

Minnie was knocked backwards, and rolled across the floor. She landed in a kneeling position.

A panel on the console next to her was opened by a pseudopod, intending to smash her face.

Minnie blocked with her hammer, stood up and kicked the panel shut.

The plasm sprouted from the top of the console, ready to attack.

Minnie swung her hammer at a coil atop the console, bending it to contact the plasm.

The plasm was shocked, the globules within it burst, and it fell dead.

The doctor’s electrical mannequin lashed to attack again.

Minnie kicked the panel door of the console next to her open, and knocked away the wire that tried to attack her.

She swung her hammer at the side of the console, and made the entire side of it swing to strike the doctor.

“In here!” the doctor said, as five more wires shot out from inside the open console to attack..

Minnie shouted, as she slammed the console shut.

With the console shut, and the view ahead clear, Minnie saw the electrical mannequin was gone.

“Here I am!”

Minnie swung her hacksaw upward, as the doctor’s wires came dangling down from above.

Quick as they came, they retracted upward.

“On your six, honey!”

Minnie swung behind herself.

The wires disappeared again.

“Comin’ atcha!”

Minnie readied to attack the electric mannequin as it charged her.

The moment the mouse swung, the wires all spread apart, passing their arc through Minnie, who jolted violently and dropped to the ground.

The electric mannequin reassembled itself, and laughed heartily.

“It sucks when it happens to you, doesn’t it!?” the doctor said.

Minnie shook her head to steady her trembling nerves. The doctor was right. Receiving an electric shock like that was by and large one of the most unpleasant things the mouse had ever experienced. And she was going to make sure that the cackling amoeba was going to feel the same way by the end of it all. With interest.

It then occurred to her how the doctor was attacking her, and how she could have been doing it. In order to do so, she would have to get a little creative. With a grunt, Minnie rose to her feet.

The doctor was still laughing at the mouse’s expense, doubled over, as the wires held her simulated sides.

The sudden sounds of pattering feet caught the amoeba’s attention. She looked up, and saw Minnie running away from her down the walkway.

“Oh, no you don’t!” the doctor said, before the wires that made her electric mannequin retracted upward.

Minnie ran along the walkway, keeping her eyes on her destination. If she could get to the transmission tower, she knew she would have her opponent beat.

Along the way, plasm started reaching up to shake loose the walkway Minnie was on. With a sudden jerk, it dislodged the section of walkway and lifted it into the air.

Without stopping, Minnie jumped from the walkway she was on, and landed on the next before she was tossed into the electrified water.

The mouse continued to run, as the world around her lashed out to attack.

She reached the transmission tower, and waited at the base of it. In seconds, the entire structure started to shake, and the many wires connected to it started to come alive.

Minnie could see she was facing a beast greater than any she had yet encountered. Worse and more terrifying than The Massster and his lethal stage production. But, victory was in her grasp.

Plasm reached down to take hold of her.

Minnie sliced through it with her hacksaw, and stuck it to the side of a conduit box with her screwdriver.

The plasm simply pulled itself from around the screwdriver, pulled the tool out, and began stabbing at Minnie with it.

The mouse dodged the attacks of the plasm, between dodging the swings of the electric wires.

She jumped to a ladder on the side of the transmission tower, and started frantically climbing.

The electrical wires applied their coppery ends to the metal ladder, pushing their current through it.

The rubber soles of her shoes and palms of her gloves kept Minnie safe from most of the shock. So long as she made sure no other parts of her body touched the ladder.

She reached the top, where the electrodes at the top sparked loudly as electricity arced between them.

The electrical wires all rose up to surround Minnie, illuminating the whole world around her. Above, the mouse could see the amoeba’s plasm stuck to the ceiling. A huge, undulating mass that was controlling everything. Within, she could see her screwdriver poised to shoot down on top of her head.

This was it.

Minnie drew her hammer, as the wires around her crackled loudly.

Electricity arced between the many wires.

As the wires lashed to deliver their final blow, Minnie raised her hammer over her head.

The surging power all arced to the metal head of the mouse’s hammer, which in turn arced into the metal screwdriver that the plasm still held.

The tower sparked brightly, and shot forth many sparks.

“OH!!” Minnie shouted, as she fell off the tower.

Using her wrench, she hooked onto the side of the structure. Another shock, and Minnie simply dropped down to the walkway. Upon landing, she held out her hand and caught her falling screwdriver.

From where she stood, Minnie could see that her plan worked better than she had imagined.

Electricity continued to arc up into the plasm above, causing the whole room to go haywire. Lights turned on and off. Panels opened and shut. Sparks flared up and died just as quickly. And through it all, Minnie could hear the doctor jibbering and jabbering as enough electricity to light a metropolitan city coursed through the plasm.

A new sight caught the mouse’s eye. A door was opening and closing rapidly across the room. Past the door, a tiny room was seen. One that Minnie knew was her ticket out of the power grid.

Running through the shower of sparks was like victorious fireworks for her. And it all culminated into a grand boom when she reached the elevator.

Once inside, Minnie pressed the first button she saw. She didn’t care which floor it took her to, or to which room. As long as she escaped the electric inferno of the bowels of the ruins.

The elevator doors continued to rapidly open and close, as the mouse rode upwards. She knew it was only a matter of time until she crossed paths with the mad doctor again. The next time they met, she intended for it to be their last.

Pluto continued to lead the others through the ruined halls. It had been eerily easy for them to progress as they were. Ever since the encounter at the intersecting halls, they had not once been attacked by the doctor’s plasm.

It was the absence of seeing their enemy that put them all on edge. They knew she was still very near. Picking her moment to strike again.

Around a corner, and there was another intersection. There was still no sight of the doctor’s plasm, but the hall at the far end was brightly illuminated by coursing electricity.

Taffy knew then that they were very near the mad doctor’s lab. The electric current was what led her there before, and she was going to follow it back to the belly of the beast to rescue her daughter.

The tinker sprinted ahead of Pluto, making the hound dog spin in her wake.

“Taffy! Wait!” Spike called after.

Pluto spun again, as his dragon friend ran past him. Once Pluto stopped and shook his head lucid, he followed after the other two.

As Taffy ran, she noted the direction that the electricity was traveling, and followed its current.

The ruins around her were growing more familiar by the moment. In no time at all, she found the flight of stairs that led to their ultimate destination.

The tinker’s hooves clattered loudly against the stone steps, announcing her arrival to the occupant of the room above.

When she arrived at the top of the stairs, the door to the lab was already open. But, Taffy didn’t care if she was running into a trap. She was going to find Caru’s heart, and take it from that terrible place she was in.

Just behind her, Spike and Pluto had rushed up the stairs to join her, only for the door to slam shut in their faces.

Though Taffy could hear them clamoring to enter, she did not stop to allow them in. Desperately, she began tearing her way through the laboratory to find Caru’s heart.

“Caru?” the tinker called, hoping her daughter would answer her in some discernible way, as she frantically searched the nearby table. “Caru!” she shouted again.

The answer she got in return was an amused chuckle from an unseen source.

“Hate to tell you this, but ‘Garry’ isn’t here anymore,” said an eerily familiar voice.

Taffy’s eyes shot to the source, and saw a control console with a large screen on it. The screen lit up, and on it was an image of the amoeba’s nucleus, surrounded by plasm.

“Ble mae Caru? Rhowch hi'n ôl ataf!” the tinker demanded.

“Hold on a second. That gibberish isn’t computing here. Let me just--” the doctor said, before an electrical current coursed through the electrodes at the top of her machine. <”Okay. Testing.”>

<”What have you done to my daughter!?”> Taffy shouted.

<”Oh, for Pete’s sake! That’s the second time I’ve been asked that in the last few minutes. I should have that answer printed on the door, just so your pet dragon doesn’t bother me with the same question!”>

<”Where is Caru’s heart!!?”> Taffy said, cutting past the doctor’s runaround.

<”What heart? She’s a doll!”>

<”I’m not going to ask you again! Tell me where my daughter’s heart is, before I dismantle this whole room with my bare hooves!!”> Taffy loudly threatened.

<”Wait,”> the amoeba said, as if it suddenly occurred to her what Taffy was talking about. <”You can’t mean that thing I yanked from the doll’s insides earlier?”>

<”I want it back! Now!”>

<”No can do, honey. But, if you want, I can give you a replacement.”>

In the next moment, electricity crackled through the room, revealing a ghastly sight.

On another table, mechanical arms were busy at work crafting more hearts of tin. A mass produced plethora that at once resembled Taffy’s work, but was different. One look, and Taffy could see that not one of the copied hearts carried any of the love and warmth of Caru’s original.

<”Pretty picture, isn’t it?” the doctor asked. <”Just my little contribution to my master’s cause. Once these puppies get finished, they’re going into every little meat puppet in the land. After a quick charge of some of his magic, that is.”>

In a nearby machine, Taffy saw what looked like pure starlight tumbling end over end, like socks in a dryer.

When the day began, she had simply been commissioned to fix the faulty clockwork of the town’s tower. Now, she had stumbled upon a plot as viciously diabolical as was concocted by any wicked witch in a fairy tale. But, if reading those fairy tales to Caru had taught her anything, it was that those evil creatures could always be stopped. And she was going to find a way. For Caru, she had to.

More mechanical arms came to life, lowering from the ceiling. Blades of all shapes and sizes branched from them, like fingers. One arm held a completed replica heart.

<”How about a little surgery, fuzzy?”> the doctor said.

Taffy warily eyed the surgical instruments as she lowered herself to the ground, devising a way past them.

At the other end of the lab, a bell dinged and a door opened, revealing Minnie inside.

The mouse’s nerves bristled the very second she entered the room.

“Taffy!” she shouted.

The nucleus on the console screen turned to the source of the mouse’s voice. Upon seeing her, the amoeba’s rage spiked. After the shock she had suffered in the power grid, she was going to make sure the mouse never lived to see another day.

“DIE, RODENT!!!!” the amoeba shouted, as every single machine in the lab loudly whirred to life.

Minnie dove beneath a table to dodge a slicing buzz saw.

She crawled under the length of the table, while the table itself was reduced to sawdust by the flying blades just behind her.

Once she was out in the open, Minnie rolled to her feet and drew her wrench.

The mechanical arms sliced at her.

Minnie parried with her wrench, caught a bolt and twisted hard.

The parts holding the blade to the arm fell off, removing the spinning buzz saw from the mechanism.

The mouse jumped backwards, as the saw was still spinning when it hit the floor.

Taffy took Minnie’s example, and retrieved a manual drill from off of a wall rack.

Keeping the handle in her teeth, Taffy tried to dislodge the fixtures from the mechanical arm that attacked her. Only, with every attack, the tinker backed away. It seemed that she lacked the nerve that the mouse had.

She ended up backpedaling from the attacking arm, and ended up against the side of one of the room’s many machines.

The blades of the arm all aimed squarely for every vital part of the tinker’s body.

As Minnie battled the mechanical arm, she saw the danger Taffy was in, and rushed to help her.

She was cut off by a swing of a blade, and forced to re-engage in battle with her mechanical opponent.

Taffy closed her eyes, regretting she would never be able to see Caru again.

The mechanical arm that aimed at Taffy locked up and began shivering. The more it shivered, the more of its fixtures fell loose, making it fall apart piece by piece.

“No! Stop hurting! Stop hurting!! Leave mommy alone!!” the doctor shouted. The image of the nucleus on the screen shivered violently, and an electric shock was seen coursing through the console. “Whew! I lost my head there for a second,” the amoeba said, in her usual aloof and unsympathetic tone.

That was it. Taffy now knew how to rescue Caru and defeat the evil doctor once and for all. Taking her drill in her teeth, she dashed toward the machine console.

Once she arrived, the tinker quickly started undoing the bolts that held the machine’s casing. With her years of mechanical experience, she finished her objective in seconds, and allowed the casing to fall right off.

Inside, there was a horrid mix of electrical circuitry, grinding clockwork and living plasm. Among it all, Taffy saw Caru’s heart set in the middle.

The moment Taffy reached in to retrieve her daughter’s heart, the plasm within reached out and knocked her backwards.

As the tinker rose to her hooves, she saw the plasm ooze out of the console. Still connected, but far enough beyond to continue blocking her attempts to save Caru.

Outside the door, Spike and Pluto were still desperately trying to enter. They tried everything, shy of blowing the door apart. And without any explosives, that was far out of the question.

Spike looked through his backpack for anything that could help. The only thing of remote use he could find was Caru.

Caru, who even after she was rendered a lifeless doll, was still helping him out of trouble. And she had paid the price for it time after time.

The doll had only two working legs. Both of which seemed strong enough to pry the door open.

Spike took the two remaining legs in his claws, and stared pensively at them. Looking to Pluto, he could tell the hound dog was feeling the same way as himself. Caru would have wanted to help them any way she could. Even if they had to sacrifice her legs.

Knowing they had to save their friend’s stolen heart, Spike passed off one of the tin legs to Pluto.

Spike wedged Caru’s hoof at the bottom of the door, while Pluto stuck his near the middle.

Both dragon and hound dog pried with all their might. Over and over, they heaved and strained, feeling every ounce of tension building in the doll’s legs.

The door was beginning to crack open.

With one last mighty heave, the door swung open. But, at the cost of Caru’s legs. Now, her hooves swiveled loosely in their sockets like a stripped bolt.

After a moment of shock at what he had done to the doll, Spike put the tin legs back in his backpack and rushed into the lab with Pluto.

It was pandemonium within. Minnie was fighting against a mechanical menace, while Taffy was going hoof-to-pseudopod with the doctor’s plasm.

Minnie parried the arm with her wrench, and knocked it away with her hammer, before she noticed her companions at the door.

“Spike! Pluto!” she said.

Taffy heard the names called, and looked to them.

“Spike! Dyma Caru! Yn y consol peiriant!” Taffy shouted, before she had to dodge the doctor’s plasm.

It only took a cursory glance to see what the tinker was indicating. There, in the console was Caru’s heart.

Spike was taken by surprise when Pluto suddenly bucked him onto his back. Taking hold of the hound dog’s collar, the dragon rode across the room, past the many hazards.

The mechanical arm lashed out to slice him.

Minnie parried with her hammer.

The arms on the tables started knocking formulas down on the running pair.

Pluto deftly skittered around the shattering glass flasks. He yelped loudly as one exploded uncomfortably close to his rear legs. The hound dog ran forward on his front legs, as the formulas exploded around him, or ate through the floor where they landed.

Spike held tightly to Pluto’s collar, as the odd riding angle threatened to make him slip off. Slip, he did, as the young dragon held tightly to the hound dogs collar, and found himself holding onto his mount’s underside.

Down low, Spike found himself closer to the hazards the falling formulas posed, and winced when a tiny pressure wave and several shards of glass bounced off of his scales.

The pressure wave and the extra weight of the dragon made Pluto start tumbling end over end, until he ended up by the machine console.

Taffy was still trying to combat the plasm within the machine, doing her best to jab at the globules within it.

One look into the machine, and the dragon and hound dog could see what needed to be done. First, they needed to get the plasm out.

Not wanting to risk damaging Caru’s heart with his flames, Spike tried to think of another way to help her.

It was Pluto who saw the solution. Within the many spinning cogs, there was one open space. A space where if a cog, or something similar were inserted, it would solve their amoeba problem.

One look at the spines down Spike’s back, and Pluto knew he would finally be able to pay Spike back for setting his tail on fire.

With a devious smile, the hound dog picked Spike up in his paws, and started curling him into a ball.

“Hey--What the hay are you--Stop it!” Spike shouted, as he was shaped to the hound dog’s design.

When he was finished, Pluto had made Spike into an impromptu cog. Before the dragon could even move, Pluto placed him into the machine, fitting his spines between the many teeth of the cogs, and started spinning him.

Spike shouted loudly as he spun, not knowing how he was helping in the victory.

The cogs in the machine started spinning in a different direction, moving the plasm within, away from Caru’s heart. The faster Pluto spun Spike, the more the plasm started being forcibly extracted from the console entirely.

The doctor was loudly protesting the effort against her, but Pluto couldn’t hear it. He was too busy trying to make Spike spin faster and faster.

With one last powerful swing, Spike went flying around and around. The cogs connected to him all started spinning madly, and electricity began coursing through the machine. The plasm within all started leaving on its own, and joined with the mass that was attacking Taffy.

Spike popped out of the machine on his own, and landed on his stomach, facing the plasm.

Pluto was not done yet. Taking the dragon’s tail in his teeth, the hound dog pumped it up and down like a bellows.

Fire flew forth from Spike’s mouth with every pump, frying the plasm, and reducing its size with every globule he destroyed.

Once it was reduced enough, Taffy lunged forth and started eliminating the globules that gave the plasm life.

Minnie too finished off her opponent, by removing the last of the slicing blades, then removed the pins that held the next highest joint. The mechanical arm was rendered to a useless stub, and could only shake angrily at the mouse.

The mouse and tinker both grouped with the dragon and hound dog at the console. It was now a straight shot to rescuing Caru, whose heart was now completely unguarded.

Feeling her own heart lighten, Taffy reached in to make her family whole again. But, it was not to be.

An electric shock surged through the console’s innards, making Taffy quickly retract her hoof.

“Back off, Rover!!” the doctor’s voice said, as the room started surging with power.

Nobody was prepared for what happened next. Every one of the machines in the room came alive. And it was not alone. The doctor’s plasm started seeping in from every corner, every nook, every cranny. It was clear now that she was not going to let anyone leave the room alive.

A tiny spark inside the console caught Taffy’s attention. Somewhere inside, a small voice was calling for help.

A look to the tin heart, and Taffy could see something on it that was not there before. A singular globule had attached itself to the core. The very same as the one on the screen that was mocking them all. It was then that the theow realized not one heart was controlling the evil machines, but two.

It was then that she realized what she had to do. What Caru was telling her to do. Quickly, but hesitantly, she took her drill in her teeth, and started jabbing at the doctor’s nucleus. Each time, she either missed or came up short, receiving a shock that made her retract.

Spike held onto Minnie, as the plasm closed in around them. Looking to Taffy, they saw what she was trying to do.

There was no way to get past the electric shocks. Not without putting a tool of some sort inside.

As the plasm and machines closed in, Spike made the most difficult decision he ever made in his young life.

Turning to the console, the dragon blew his flames at Caru’s heart, engulfing the doctor’s nucleus in the fire.

The sound of the doctor screaming filled the rooms, and the plasm and machines all started shaking violently.

Without their globules bursting, the plasm all started falling limp and dead, and disappeared through the cracks in the floor. The machines themselves all shook loose from their bases, and started falling apart piece by piece.

With one last burst of fire, the doctor’s screams reached their peak, and the nucleus dripped out from within the tin heart.

Minnie, Spike, Pluto and Taffy all backed away as the doctor’s evil heart dropped to the ground. As it fell, it pulled Caru’s fire-damaged heart with it. The nucleus melted into useless nothingness, and the doll’s heart cracked against the floor.

Nothing was said. No sounds were heard. Nothing moved. The doctor had been defeated, but at a terrible price.

With shaking claws, Spike took his backpack off, and removed Caru from within.

Taffy quickly pieced together the doll’s broken body, then took hold of her heart.

The broken core was carefully placed within Caru, and Taffy waited tensely for her daughter to come alive once more.

An eternity seemed to pass, and Caru remained motionless.

“Caru…?” Taffy shuddered.

No answer.

She would not give up. For everything she had gone through to rescue her daughter, Taffy was going to see her move again. Hear her sing. Watch her dance.

With shaking hooves, Taffy turned the key on Caru’s back. Her heart steadied, and the corner of her mouth twitched as she watched the doll’s clockwork insides start to jitter. The clockwork jumped and stuttered within their slots, and Caru’s mechanical mouth started to twitch.

“M...M...M...Mam...ma-a-a...Mam-ma...Mam-ma…” the doll said.

<“I’m here. Caru, mommy’s right here!”> Taffy said.

From where he stood, Spike could see something was terribly wrong with Caru. Her broken core was spinning unevenly, and splitting along its fracture with each rotation.

Minnie gently tightened her grip on Spike’s shoulders, which the dragon slowly leaned into. Next to them Pluto tried to get a better look at what was going on inside of the doll.

<”Mommy…? Is that y-y-you…?” Caru asked.

<”Yes. I...Mommy’s going to fix you…”> Taffy said.

Caru was silent. For a moment, everyone feared the doll had stopped working, until she spoke again.

<“Mom-my--I-I-I-I can’t be fixed...”> the doll said.

<”No. Caru, I’ve fixed you hundreds of times before! This is just another little scrape!”> Taffy said, trying to calm both herself and Caru.

<”Mommy-y-y…”> Caru began. <“You sa-id that th-the most important part of a theow was their hear-r-rt...And that n-n-nothing could replace them. I know that ev-en if I’m not a real the-e-ow, I can’t have the same heart again…”>

<”Honey, don’t talk like that! You are a real theow! Just like me!”> Taffy said, nearly on the verge of tears.

Caru shook her head.

<”I know I’m just a d-d-d-dollll...But...You made me-e-e-e feel like I was real...And Pi-i-ike...And Ffion...And Ar-anau...And now...Spi-ike too--I’m sorry, mommy--I c-can’t be your daughter anymore…”>

It was a shock to Taffy’s entire system. It was like losing her pup all over again.

Even though the others could not understand, they knew full well what was happening. Caru was not going to ever be the same again.

Though her insides were dislodged and broken, Caru stood as best she could. Slowly, she crawled to her hooves and began to rise. Her tiny, tin legs began to shake and shudder, as though they would fall right out of their sockets under the weight of her body.

With a labored grunt, Caru was on her hooves.

Taffy wanted to say something. Anything to encourage her mechanical daughter on. The lump in her throat kept her voice from escaping.

The doll limped forward on her broken legs, until she was able to rest her head against her mother’s chest.

Taffy rested her head atop her daughter’s trying her best not to cry. She wished more than anything to hold Caru closely to her in her last moments, but feared she would release her tears.

Spike watched the scene play out before him, hoping that Caru was going to her mother for repairs.

“Minnie? Caru’s going to be okay, isn’t she?” Spike asked.

Minnie said nothing. The only answer she gave was when she gently bit her own lip, and slightly shook her head.

The aspect of not knowing was worse than anything for Spike, who averted his gaze from the scene by burying his face into Minnie’s arms.

Nothing was said. The only sound that broke the silence was the quiet ticking of Caru’s clockwork body.

Limply, Caru swiveled her neck to look at Spike.

<”I have to--g-go now...P--Promise you won’t cry...Please…”>

Taffy had to hold her breath to keep any promise to Caru. Slowly she nodded her head, before the doll spoke her last words.

<”Mommy...I love you…”>

Her voice was followed by the sound of something solid and metallic falling to the ground at her hooves.

Hearing Caru’s voice, Spike took his face from Minnie’s shoulder, and turned to see what had happened.

Taffy hardly dared to look, but she had to face the inevitable truth. There on the ground at her hooves was Caru’s heart, broken in two.

“Caru?” the tinker asked. She stepped backward, and saw Caru staring blankly forward, as the key on her back spun around. “Caru…?”

Taffy could bear it no longer. A terrible feeling rose from her chest, and into her throat, when she released a quiet, dry sob.

<“Hello. My name is Caru,”> the doll said.

Taffy gasped sharply. Those were the first words Caru had ever spoken, long before she was given a heart.

<“I was made to play with you and make you smile. I would be so happy to bring you all the love and joy you could ever want. Would you like me to sing for you?”> the doll continued.

Taffy was silent. She looked at her daughter’s broken heart lying on the ground. She could no longer keep her promise. Tears trickled down her face, to the ground around Caru’s core.

<“Yes...Sing for mommy. One last time,”> Taffy choked.

For whatever reason, it seemed to the onlookers that Caru smiled for a moment, before a simple melody of a foal’s lullaby filled the air. And with broken, disjointed movements, Caru began to dance and sing.

<“The wolf mother sings,

A song of love to her child,

The moon is crying for her voice,

The cold of night is warmth for them,

Because in their hearts, love is a fire”>

<“Wind blowing, leaves dancing,

The end is soon to come,

They will sigh their last,

With all else in the world,”>

<“Wish hung from a star,

Forever, and after,

Their heart stays forevermore…>

And with those last words, Caru stopped dancing. Her legs twitched, and buckled beneath her.

Though her song had stopped, Caru’s music filled the room long after.

Minnie slowly approached Taffy, not knowing how she could offer any comforts. She had no children of her own, and could never know the heartbreak of losing anyone as precious as Caru.

“...I’m so sorry…” the mouse quietly said. It was all she could think to say, even if Taffy could not understand her.

The tinker sniffled, and leaned her head onto Minnie’s shoulder.

The mouse gently embraced Taffy.

Pluto and Spike too offered their comforts for their lost friend.

Slowly, Caru’s key stopped spinning, and the music she made was silenced.

On the road beyond the village, a melancholy procession followed the path. Between Minnie and Spike, Taffy walked with Caru on her back.

Ahead, lying beneath a tree was Pike. He had kept his promise to wait for Taffy, and lifted his head the moment he heard her steps approaching. Upon seeing her, he trotted over to greet the tinker.

No words needed to be spoken. One look at Caru, and he knew she was not the same pup who he played with in the village.

Taffy hung her head low, and rested against Pike’s burly frame.

Pike returned the comfort by gently nuzzling Taffy’s ears. In a moment, he guided Taffy beneath the tree and laid down with her in the grass, while Caru was settled between them.

Minnie saw no more reason for them to intrude on the private moment they were sharing. She picked Spike up, set him on Pluto’s back, and quietly guided them along.

As they walked out of the theow’s lives, Spike took the one last thing of Caru’s from his pack.

The red coat she was wearing when he first found her was still with him. One look at it reminded him of the short time he had spent with her, and the profound lessons of friendship she had unknowingly taught to him. Even if she was a doll, he learned more about the heart of friendship from her than his lifetime spent with Twilight.

A single tear fell down his face, onto the coat. With a heavy heart, he put it back into his pack.

The road ahead was sure to be longer and more treacherous than before. But, for the sake of others like the theows, they had to brave what was coming. No matter what.

Author's Note

Heavy chapter there, huh? You might be noticing a pattern, after Twilight, Mickey's and Rarity's spectacular failure. The good news is that in the next story arch, nobody we like is going to die (I don't think). Just get the influx of downvotes in. I'll have my laugh about it, and we'll carry on.

This showdown was somewhat inspired by a song that I like, called 'Syndrome,' by the band Deathstars. The lyrics of it could be interpreted as a virus, either biological or cybernetic, being implanted to a living host. Except in this chapter, a living amoeba has attached herself to a mechanical host.

Originally, the fight was going to take place completely in the doctor's lab, but it seemed more interesting to have it take place across the ruins. Minnie in the power grid, and the others all in the ruined halls. Also, Minnie was going to don her 'lady' costume again, and use her fan against the doctor. I decided against that, because I wanted to get a few more creative uses out of the 'mechanic' costume. That, and the idea of fighting an electrical mannequin just seemed logical to do in a place where electricity was prevalent.

Something that I thought I had mentioned before, but actually forgot to, was that Pike's design was based on Bruce from Witchcraft is Magic. The reason for that was because after Courtney and Molly made their cameo back in Avalon, I didn't want to leave out my favorite werewolf. Even though it's not actually Bruce appearing, Pike's burly build, grey fur and yellow eyes are all reminiscent of him.

Coming up next, we'll see what Applejack, Fluttershy, Donald and newcomer Uncle Scrooge are up to. Just a heads up, they will be visiting a place that I didn't think I was going to end up having as a scenario. But, some things changed for the better, and now I can do it. Lucky you guys, right?

Well, that's it for me here. You guys just rock on without me, while I get cracking on the next chapter \m/

Chapter 37: Wild Ride to the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 37

Wild Ride to the Middle of Nowhere

Wind blew the very topmost grains of sand across the dunes. Far as the eye could see, that’s all there was. Sand. A long, lonely stretch of desert that reached the horizon in all directions.

A single set of tracks was seen across the sand. Far too small to be noticed by anybody at all, and covered just as quickly by the shifting dunes.

The small beetle who plodded through the sand plowed its way through the grains that threatened to bury it with every step. Out there in the wilds of the desert, it was a struggle to survive, even against the land itself.

Taking refuge from the winds, the beetle burrowed beneath the sand, and tunneled its way along. It was only moments later that it popped out from the sand on the other side of the dune. It was unfortunate to be back in the tumultuous environment, but it was lucky that it found something else.

A dhaka bush. And it still had some of its seeds attached to it.

Instinctively knowing how a dhaka bush spread its seeds, it began scurrying toward the plant. Not even heeding the larger creatures nearby it.

As the beetle crawled up the trunk of the bush, two of the larger creatures threw a third to the ground. They were talking, but the bug couldn’t tell what about. Nor did it care. As long as it was left alone, it didn’t care how hostile they were to one another.

One of the standing creatures reached inside of its jacket, and drew something from within.

There was a sudden breeze and the seeds of the dhaka bush were carried on their parachute-like petals high into the sky. The beetle held tightly as it flew above the dunes, and only caught a glimpse of two of the creatures leaving, but no sight of the third.

The wind changed direction, and blew the arthropod passenger along its current.

Over the land the little bug flew, not knowing where it would end up, but hopefully somewhere that food and water was plentiful.

After a short ride, the wind began to die down. The beetle saw that it was now drifting down over something it had never seen before. Two metal rails were laid down side by side. And between them, wooden planks were placed at equal length intervals. And it was all held up above the sands by many more pieces of wood and metal.

It didn’t know what they were. And it did not care. So long as they presented no danger to it, the bug was happy with landing there.

The rails began to vibrate, and a quiet rumbling sounded in the distance. Suddenly, from over a ridge in the dunes, where the rails arched over, a shining light flew along the tracks, followed by a large, metal trolley that came plowing through. So fast that it jumped over the rails as it did.

The beetle’s eyes bulged wide when it saw the trolly coming straight for it. As it was unceremoniously plastered to the front of the trolley, the last thing it heard was a loud, hearty--

“YEEEE-HAAAAAWW!!!!!”

The trolly landed back on the rails, bouncing violently on impact. Inside, Fluttershy braced herself against the floor, and held tightly to Donald’s legs.

“Nice job findin’ us this swanky ride!” Applejack said, holding tightly to her hat, as she rode up front with Uncle Scrooge.

“T’was nothin’, lass! I didn’t see anyone else usin’ it for any proper utilities, so I thought fit to declare it salvage!” the tycoon said, also holding tightly to his own hat.

“You could have at least checked for some kind of logo! Or a ‘property of’ marker!” Donald said, as he held tightly to the sides at the back of the trolly, having tucked his own hat into his double-breasted coat.

“I didn’t make my fortune by sharin’ my claims, nephew! Now, everyone lean! We got a turn comin’ up!” Uncle Scrooge said.

“Turn…?” Fluttershy asked.

Slowly, the timid pegasus peeked up over the top of the trolly, and saw that they were rapidly approaching a sharp curve in the railway that rounded the large rock face they were riding beside. Knowing full well that they were more likely to jump the rails than to turn on them, she began trembling harder, and dropped back to the floor.

“Uh...don’t you think we oughta slow down?” Donald said.

“Slow down?” Uncle Scrooge incredulously asked. “Who blasted knows how much time we have left to complete this magical quest o’ yours, let alone your very life! It’s time ye started showin’ some o’ that McDuck backbone and took life by its skivvies!!”

“There won’t be any skivvies to take, when we’re all sucking sand!” Donald rebutted.

“Ach! No sense o’ adventure in ye! Your mother’d be ashamed!” the tycoon said.

“Hey! You don’t get to throw mom at me! She’d say to slow down too! And you know--”

Donald’s tantrum was cut short by his uncle’s cane bopping his head.

“Your mother would also know when to curb that temper she passed on to ye! Now, quit squawkin’, and LEAN!!” Uncle Scrooge said.

The turn was upon them. And all at once, the passengers in the trolley leaned to the inside of the curve.

The hinges that the trolley used for dumping its payload made learning easy. Even for Fluttershy, who still cowered on the floor. But, it was not enough for them. For as fast as they were going, the wheels on the outside rail were still rising off the tracks.

“This bronco’s startin’ to buck somethin’ fierce!” Applejack shouted.

“Lean further!” Uncle Scrooge said.

“Any further, and I’m gonna be roadkill!!” Donald said, his face only inches from the rocky face of the wall beside them.

At the front of the trolly, the beetle was still trying to make its way off. It slowly crawled toward the inside of the curve, where the edge was nearest to it. Unknowingly, the extra milligrams of weight it added were just what was needed to stabilize the ride, and set the wheels back on the track.

As they rounded the bend of the rock, a new sight came into view. Far in the distance, the rails went up, up, up into the sky, to what appeared to be a flying castle of unimaginable machination.

Beneath it, a great sandstorm was seen, created by the many propellers that kept it aloft.

From the grand structure, gigantic rails, far larger than what they were riding, were seen branching out into every direction, like the central hub of some vast network.

“That’s it! That’s where we’re going next!” Donald shouted, pointing to the marvelous castle.

“No! That’s where we’re goin’ next!” Uncle Scrooge corrected, pointing ahead to what seemed to be a small outpost of some kind.

With a destination in sight, Applejack saw fit to start applying the brakes at the front.

“Why you gotta contradict me like that!?” Donald fumed at his uncle.

“I wasn’t contradictin’ ye, nephew! I was pointin’ out what’s actually goin’ to happen!” Uncle Scrooge said.

The brakes squeaked loudly as Applejack pulled harder.

“Aw, phooey! You were just trying to be right by default! Same as always!” Donald shouted.

“Because I was right, ye walkin’ speech impediment!”

“Wa-a-ak! You wouldn’t have said dip if it was mom who pointed it out!”

“Don’t ye be bringin’ my sister into this business! Her opinion’s got nothin’ to do with your statement, ‘cause she would o’ made the correct one!”

Fluttershy saw Applejack struggling with the brake, and took hold of her waist to help with the pulling, however gently. It was just the right amount of added pressure to make the brake lever crack and fall off.

“WA-A-A-A-A-AK!!!” Donald shouted, as he swung his fists about.

“Oh! Great comeback! I suppose that’s your father’s razor wit cuttin’ through!” Uncle Scrooge said, before the trolly started bumping up and down. “Applejack! For goodness sake, start slammin’ that brake!”

“Uh...I slammed it, alright,” Applejack said, as she presented the broken handle. “This brake’s broke, buckaroo.”

“Oh, for the luvva--!!” Donald and Uncle Scrooge both said at once.

Their exclamation gave way to screams, as the outpost was upon them sooner than they knew.

Ahead of them, they could see the citizens of the outpost shouting loudly, and setting up obstructions on the tracks.

Camels were seen placing 4x4 lumbers on the track, to catch and slow down the trolley that was rocketing toward them. Nearby, other creatures were hurriedly trying to switch the direction of the rails.

“Astadara alaa al’yamin! Al’haq!” one of the creatures shouted, as it emphatically pointed to the right.

The passengers all took the hint, and leaned hard to the right. They took their turn, and crashed into one of the wooden posts placed on the rails.

They were barely slowed down at all by the first impact, but the second post hit sent them flipping into the air.

End over end the trolly tumbled with five screaming passengers aboard.

The ground was coming nearer, until Uncle Scrooge reached out with his cane.

The tycoon hooked onto a rope that was tied across two support posts, spinning them all around the rope. Donald was dumped out of the trolly, followed by Fluttershy, who still held onto his legs. Before the others could follow, Uncle Scrooge’s cane slipped from the rope, and sent him and Applejack flying into the air.

Up high, the beetle fell free of the front of the trolly, and started falling back to the ground. It was a relief for it to be simply falling toward the sand, and continue on its way. But, the insect screamed at the sight of the trolly falling from the sky behind it.

Once more the beetle was plastered to the front of the trolly, now on the return trip to the ground.

“Come on! We gotta catch them!” Donald said.

“Catch them…?” Fluttershy said, not particularly liking the notion of catching a five-hundred pound trolly with two passengers.

“You heard me! Now, get cracking!” the duck said, as he retrieved a loose metal rail.

The other creatures of the outpost all took the duck’s cue, and retrieved rails of their own.

Before Fluttershy could attempt to take one of the loose rails from the pile, dozens of camels and the other creatures rushed in to collect their own. Once the frenzy was finished, Fluttershy was left on the ground, ducking in cover.

All that was left was one single bent rail, defective for much use. But, the pegasus did not want to simply stand by and do nothing for her friends. She took the bent rail and hurried to join the others.

Donald, and all of the other creatures of the outpost took their positions, standing so that they held the rails parallel to one another.

One two-humped camel had a more difficult time balancing the rails on his comparatively smaller humps.

The trolly landed, and the camels strained to not recoil under its shock.

The passengers rode along the impromptu rails, wobbling back and forth as the camels tried to keep stable.

The two-humped camel’s rail began to wobble, and fell to between his humps.

The passengers of the trolly shouted loudly at the sight, and leaned to one side.

The trolly heaved onto two wheels, and rode safely across the single rail.

“WAK!!” Donald shouted, as he ran to the back of the line to extend the ride, hoping they would shortly lose momentum and safely bail out.

Each of the other creatures followed suit, keeping the precariously perched ride going.

Fluttershy saw they were quickly heading toward a dead end, and ran forth with her bent rail.

She took her place at the end, and braced herself for the sudden impact.

The trolly came, and the pegasus recoiled under the weight of it all.

The lowered rail sent the trolley straight to the midsection of one of the unknown creatures at the outpost.

The creature shouted loudly, and held its rail upright in front of itself.

The trolly shot up into the air, and smacked the rail the creature held into its face, knocking it to the ground.

“Applejack!!” Fluttershy shouted.

The creature on the ground groaned in pain.

“Oh, goodness! Are you hurt?” Fluttershy said.

The creature raised a single clawed finger, pointing to the many trollies with screaming passengers it saw spinning above its head, before it fell limp.

Donald took Fluttershy’s bent rail, and held it upright in his palms, resting the upper half against his chin.

The duck calculated and anticipated where his friend and family would land, and stood in the precise spot.

The trolly landed on the rail, and went flipping into the air one last time, driving Donald into the sand under its force.

The duck became aware of a shadow above him, and tried to dig himself out from his hole. Too late, as the trolly landed right on top of him.

It was finally over. The wild ride ended, and the passengers within disembarked.

“WOO!! Let’s find another cart an’ do that again!!” Applejack shouted.

“Aye. Takes me right back to my days as a young man, tryin’ to make my fortune!” Uncle Scrooge said, holding his chest and leaning hard on his cane.

“You feelin’ okay?” Applejack asked.

“Never ye worry about me, lass...I’m just not as young as I used to be…” the tycoon chuckled, patting his chest to steady his racing heart.

The beetle peeled itself off of the front of the trolly, and dropped to the sandy ground. Happy to be back on solid ground, it tried to go on its way. Until four yellow hooves ran past it. On an instinct to avoid the danger, the beetle grabbed onto the pink tail that followed, and was taken off the sand.

“Oh my goodness--Oh my--Did you--Are you two--” Fluttershy stammered.

“We’re alright, sugarcube. Just a bit shook up is all,” Applejack assured her friend.

“An’ it looks like ye had a bigger scare than we did,” Uncle Scrooge added.

“O--Okay--Where’s Donald--?”

The sudden sounds of digging caught their attention, and they all watched as the duck crawled out from beneath the trolley.

“This is exasperating,” Donald grumbled, as he dumped a load of sand out of his hat.

A sound of many approaching feet and angry voices was upon them. When they all looked, they saw a crowd closing in fast.

Fluttershy jumped into the trolly, only the top of her head peering out to see what was happening.

Among the angry masses were two types of creatures. Many were easily recognized as camels. Some with one hump, others with two. And their coats were all varying shades of the colors of sand, ranging from pale grey to golden yellow.

The other creatures among them were completely foreign. They walked on two legs, and wore long, flowing robes. Their faces were not seen, being hidden beneath the lengths of turban that were wound around their heads and faces. The only thing of these creatures they could see were their eyes, peering out from a dark void in the opening of their turbans, their hands which had five digits on each, ending in long claws. On their backs were feathered wings. While the skin on their hands all seemed to be the same dark color, their wings were all varied in style and color. From long, white feathers, to jagged metallic silver, to thin and rust-colored, and everything else in between.

Every one of the creatures glared angrily at the interlopers, who had dropped so unexpectedly and uninvited into their lives.

“Hal 'ant majnun!? Hal taerif madaa qarbik min qutilna jmyeana!!?” a camel shouted.

“Nuajih mushkilatan fi alaintiha' min hdha almashrue, dun tadakhuluk!!” said the robed creature, who had a long indentation up his entire body from the rail that had struck him.

“Min, 'aw 'ayaan kan 'ant: akhrj! Ladayna ma yakfi min almataeib li'iinjaz hadhih almuhima! nahn la nahtaj 'iilaa musaeadatikum lileamal fi 'ayi sureat 'abta!” another camel shouted.

Applejack looked warily at the crowd before her. Normally, placating unhappy customers was her specialty. But, not when she could not understand what they were saying.

“Any chance you know what they’re sayin’, Don?” Applejack asked the duck.

“Not this time. And if we don’t manage to make them any happier somehow, we might have to pack up Fluttershy and make a run for it,” Donald answered, indicating the pegasus huddled inside the trolley.

<”Now, wait just a blasted moment!”> Uncle Scrooge shouted. <”None o’ this was our fault! We all did our best to avert disaster, an’ I’d say we accomplished that rather well, considerin’ what we had to work with!”>*

[*Translated from camel]

<”There would be no disaster, if you and your thrill-seeking friends never dropped out of the sky, into our work zone!!”> a camel rebutted.

“Yer uncle speaks camel?” Applejack asked Donald.

“Yup. He also speaks Dutch, Gaelic, Mayan, German, and a billion other languages,” the duck answered.

“Dang. You ducks’re full o’ surprises.”

<”Aw, fiddlesticks an’ stuff! Ye can’t prioritize yer work over the lives of others! Yer boss’d be ashamed o’ ye!”> Uncle Scrooge said, having learned that lesson himself as a young entrepreneur.

<”You would think so, wouldn’t you?”> asked one of the other creatures. <”We can all promise that our boss would feel the same way.”>

<”Oh? An’ how can ye know that!?”> Scrooge demanded.

<”Because, he’s already paid us enough to dictate each one of our priorities! He wants this mega-rail finished, and he wants it done no matter what!”> another camel said, indicating the massive railroad they were building next to the regular sized tracks with all the supplies nearby.

<”Is that so?”> Uncle Scrooge said, suddenly sensing an opportunity.

“Uh-oh,” Donald said.

“What is it? Are they still mad at us?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yup. But, that’s not what’s got me worried. I know that look Uncle Scrooge is making. He smells a profit. And he’s gonna cash in on it.”

<”Tell ye what, friends. How’s about I realign those faulty ethics o’ yours, get this rail finished, an’ help us all make some serious dosh anyway?”> Uncle Scrooge offered.

Scrooge McDuck was a duck known for his silver tongue and slick business hand. A duck who could identify with the wants and needs of every client, and sway them to his side with a fair cooperation that always ended with him making the most money in the end. Only this time, things were different.

Instead of the client curiously egging him on, the tycoon was met with roaring laughter from the crowd.

“Looks like yer uncle’s worked this crowd pretty nice,” Applejack optimistically said.

No sooner did she finish speaking did one of the camels answer, sending Uncle Scrooge into a shouting frenzy at the crowd.

“Spoke too soon, I guess,” the farmpony said.

“<--And a lunch break two minutes longer than what you’re bein’ given! At thirty cents an hour more! Now, how can ye say no to that!?”> the tycoon said.

<”Listen, little duck,”> one of the other creatures said, <”However much money you think you can offer us, you have nothing on our boss. For as much as he pays, we’re willing to do any amount of work, for as short a break, for a little vacation time as he says. And believe me, you couldn’t hope to match his salaries.>”

<”Couldn’t hope--Blast it all! I’m the richest duck in the world! I could pay circles around your bargain bin big shot! I own the city I live in, practically!! I’m about to add a fourth cubic acre to my money bin”>

<”Only the richest duck. You’re a flyweight, compared to the boss: the richest transportation magnate in the world. Your money bin is simply a drop in his money bin,”> said a camel, who pointed skyward.

Uncle Scrooge turned around, and his eyes went wide.

There in the sky, he saw the massive railroad leading up to the mammoth castle. Only now that he was closer did he realize just how large it was. It greatly outsized his money bin by at least four times, and it looked like it could have held more than two of his fair shares in gold.

<”Where’s that boss o’ yours…?” Uncle Scrooge asked through clenched teeth.

<”Not sure. But, if you must speak with him, his assistant’s in town. Maybe he’ll put in a good word, and have the boss hire you,”> the camel said.

<”If he doesn’t eat you first!”> another camel said, making everyone laugh briefly, then shudder.

“Right,” Uncle Scrooge said, tilting his top hat, and turning to walk down the street.

“Where you goin’, Mr. McDuck?” Applejack asked.

“To see a man about a horse! Or vice versa!” the tycoon said, as he stomped past the others.

Sensing the situation had been defused, Fluttershy peered out from the trolly, and slowly emerged.

Not wanting to be left to the mercy of the crowd, the beetle held onto her tail and rode out.

“Does your uncle always talk to other creatures that way?” the pegasus asked.

“Not always. Just when things don’t go his way. I didn’t understand a word he said, but I think he just had a sour business deal,” Donald answered.

“Business deal? He was just talkin’ about finishin’ up this quest thing, an’ now he’s stallin’ to make a few bits?” Applejack said.

“That’s my uncle for ya. Money first,” Donald sighed. “I better go after him. Before he starts trying to find some legitimate way to sell sand to these camels.”

Both mares groaned quietly, as the duck walked after his uncle. They had heard about Uncle Scrooge’s pinch penny ways during their night in the Santillama jail, but didn’t think Donald was being so literal about it. Neither one could believe that anypony would put business ahead of family so readily.

Applejack was reminded of their task at hoof, when the magical light drifted out from her hat.

“So, that’s where ya went. How about showin’ us how to get outta this dust burg?” the farmpony said, hoping the light would lead them away from the outpost of unfriendly creatures.

The light answered by drifting through the street.

The mares followed it, past the supply yards and construction sites. Among them all, they noticed that there were also several homes and shops set between the gigantic supports of the railway above them. To them, it seemed that the rail was built without any regard to who or what was living there already.

They walked into a crowded street of a shopping district, far from where construction was taking place, but still affected by it all.

One of the winged creatures was walking through the street with a basket of bread balanced atop her head. She had to bob and weave her body to avoid the crowd, but walked face first into one of the giant supports.

Both mares stopped following their light to help the creature in need. Applejack quickly picked up the fallen basket, while Fluttershy helped the creature up and dusted her off with her wings.

“Here. Yer lucky none o’ this fell out,'' Applejack said, as she passed the bread basket back to its owner.

“Alsalam ealaykum, mahr.,” the creature said, as she folded her hands and bowed her head, before taking her basket and continuing on her way.

In the direction the mares were facing, they saw the magical light again. Now, it was hovering before a small shop made of tarps and sheet metal. The light drifted before the shop’s sign, which was written in an alphabet neither mare could read. In another moment, the light gently burst apart, and dissipated.

“Does this mean we have to stay here longer?” Fluttershy asked.

The beetle hanging off the end of her tail bemoaned having to stay there longer than it had to. Especially with so many stomping feet around.

“Good news is that it don’t look like any of those other jerks are hangin’ around here. Should be a nice open an’ shut leg o’ this whole shenanigan,” Applejack said.

As if on cue, a loud clamor was heard inside the shop. A sound like an intense struggle was rattling the tin sides of the shop, threatening to topple them over.

“You wanna dance, old timer!? Alright! I got a couple o’ pretty little partners for ya!” said a deep, guttural voice, followed by the sound of blades unsheathing.

“'Ant la tukhyfuni ya dhiiba! Sakhidh shuraka' alraqs alkhasi bik wajaealaha hataa yakun ladayk limatabaeat!” another voice shouted.

More sounds of blows landing sounded, until a sudden wind blew from every door, window and crack in the building.

Between the distinctive voice, the unsheathing blades and the sudden gale, it was easy for the mares to infer who was causing the uproar. The memory of the claws and fangs of the voice’s owner sent shivers through Fluttershy, who had hoped she would never see him again. Now, it seemed another meeting with him was imminent.

Author's Note

Alriiiight!!! Look where we are now! In a kingdom of camels, just like I wanted to do in Twilight, Rarity and Mickey's previous story arch!

'What's changed?' you may be asking. And I am answering this:

Sometime during the middle of me writing the previous story arch, which took place in the Scotland/Ireland/Wales-inspired kingdom of Blaiddru, my friend made friends with a guy who speaks Arabic. I want to thank him real quick, because he was the one who helped me with the camel's language. I realize the language is a bit shaky, but that's because my consultant speaks Arabic as a second language, and I filled in the blanks with a phrasebook I found. Now, I can have these characters in a place I wanted others to be before. And it works, because canonically Uncle Scrooge speaks Arabic.

Some of you might be wondering about the other creatures of this new land. Besides the camels, this kingdom is inhabited by strange, mishmash kind of creatures. The name of their species will be revealed in the next chapter (they will be named after a certain creature in Persian myths), and their aesthetic is basically a mixture of creatures from various Middle Eastern mythologies. They are a mixture of Persian ghouls, Egyptian mummies an Zoroastrian demons (called dhaka, like the bush the beetle finds at the beginning).

As for that beetle: that's also an interesting story.

I wanted to have so many characters from both canons appear in this story, but it just didn't make any sense to put them into any part of it. One of the characters that did not make the cut was the Bootle Beetle. But, with this little bug along for the ride, we can just think of him as a stand in for Donald's pesky friend.

And sorry to Dinodisneylover1. If you're reading this, Ben Buzzard is not the boss the workers were talking about. I did really consider having him be the boss in this place, because I already had figured out what was going to happen in this arch, and it did have a lot in common with 'The Flying Jalopy.' But, Ben Buzzard just didn't make the cut. Hope you like the new guy instead.

That's it for me here. Hope you guys liked this, and I hope you rock on to the next chapter when it's completed \m/

Chapter 38: Look for Trouble, And It Shall Find You

Chapter 38

Look For Trouble, And It Shall Find You

The streets of the outpost town bustled with life. All about, the creatures of the kingdom ran their errands, ran their business, and finished their chores.

Scrooge McDuck pushed his way past the crowd, desperately trying to find out who the owner of the railway was. More importantly, the identity of the owner of the massive money bin in the sky.

He stopped to inquire a camel, who was carrying an urn of water on each of his two humps.

<”Excuse me. Could I take a moment of your time to ask who owns the railways?”> the tycoon asked.

<”I know nothing of the railways. Apart from that they now surround my house with their rattling lumber and metal,”> the camel answered.

<”Fair enough, I suppose. Sorry to waste your time,”> Uncle Scrooge said.

<”Peace to you, duck,”> the camel said, before carefully going along his way.

As Uncle Scrooge walked off to ask the next creature what they knew, his nephew was following closely behind.

“Uncle Scrooge! Wait up!” Donald called, before he bumped into the camel who was carrying the water urns.

The two urns atop the camel’s humps started to wobble.

“WAK!!” Donald shouted, before he tried to steady them.

One urn was saved, while the other fell right on top of him, splashing him with its contents and covering him down to his knees.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!? Who turned out the lights!?” the duck squawked loudly, his voice echoing inside of the urn.

He tripped over his own feet, and went rolling down the street. It seemed to be no hindrance to the creatures in the market, who simply moved out of his way like a school of fish.

Uncle Scrooge was still searching for any clue to the identity of the railway boss, and stopped at a stall where there were bins full of salted nuts and sugared fruits.

The winged creature running the stall barely had room to move with the massive rail post smack in the middle of his shop. His back was pressed against the post, as he cracked nuts on his stall’s front counter.

<”Hello. And peace to ye on this day,”> Uncle Scrooge said, having picked up on the local greeting, <”Tell me, would a...creature such as yourself know anything about the railroad boss. Ye bein’ so close to it, an’ all.”>

<”No. But, if I ever see the lousy dog face to face, it will be his head under my mallet!!”> the creature said, as he violently cracked another nut.

Uncle Scrooge winced slightly at the sight, and decided he had better be going.

<”Just don’t do anything drastic, until I ask him how he built that bin o’ his,”> the tycoon said.

<”I can make no promises,”> the creature said. He picked up a bunch of sugared grapes and gently tossed them to his elderly customer. <”Here. Peace be.”>

<”An’ to ye too,”> Uncle Scrooge said, before he walked off to continue his search.

As the tycoon was enjoying his free sample of sweets, Donald came rolling up to the stall where his uncle just was, still trapped in his urn.

“Let me outta here! Let me outta here! WAK!!” the duck shouted.

Unknown to Donald, while he was throwing his tantrum the creature at the stall leaned as far over as he could, mallet in hand. With one powerful smash, the urn rang and rattled like a bell, as long cracks started forming all over its surface.

Piece by piece, the urn fell apart. In seconds, Donald was free, shaking like a plucked harp string. Putting his shaking hands on his head, the duck steadied himself from the top down, as his body rippled from his neck down to his toes, until he stopped shaking altogether.

“Thanks for the help, pal,” Donald said to the shopkeeper.

He did not hear the response, as he was already looking for his uncle. He easily spotted the distinctive red coat and top hat among the crowd, and started running after it.

Once more, Uncle Scrooge stopped to talk with some of the creatures in town. His next stop took him to a public water pump, where several ladies were washing baskets of linens.

<”Hello, an’ peace to ye. Pardon me for interruptin’, but who’s in charge of the railway around here?”> Uncle Scrooge asked.

Every creature at the open air laundromat looked warily at the duck, before the camel at the pump answered him.

<”I’m sorry, but we can’t be sure. I personally stay as far from this dreadful railway business as I can,”> the camel said.

<”I couldn’t agree more. If you were smart, you wouldn’t get involved,”> answered a winged creature, who was rinsing her load of linens.

<”I see. Good day to ye, ladies,”> the tycoon bade them.

<”Peace on this day to you,”> another camel responded.

It was becoming frustrating for Uncle Scrooge, who had not picked up a single clue to the identity or whereabouts of the one person in the world who was richer than he was. For once, he wished for the presence of Glomgold and Rockerduck, just for the sake of having someone on his side to team up and take on the magnate.

“Wait! Uncle Scrooge! Hold up!” the tycoon heard a voice call.

Turning around, Uncle Scrooge saw his hapless nephew rushing toward him.

It was Donald’s haste that made him trip once more, into the laundry pool with all the linens.

One of the winged creatures took the duck by his back, and started unknowingly scrubbing him against the ridged, corrugated bottom of the pool with the rest of her laundry.

Donald’s bill only rose above the surface long enough for him to sputter a single syllable at a time.

“Get--Me--Out--Ta--Here!!!” he said.

Uncle Scrooge reached in with his cane, and hooked the back of his nephew’s shirt. Once Donald was properly snagged, the tycoon fished him out of the pool and placed him onto the ground.

“Honestly, nephew! Rootin’ around a lady’s underthings as such! I raised ye better than that, lad!” Uncle Scrooge admonished.

“Ya let the house staff raise me,” Donald grumbled, as he wrung out his hat. “Now, listen up, unc. We got us a job to do. So, you can’t just go pussyfootin’ all over this town just to make a buck.”

“Really? It just so happens that the person I’m lookin’ for is the richest transportation magnate in the world. Don’t ye think someone like that could expedite yer endeavors?”

Donald had to admit that the aspect of getting help from somebody who could get them anywhere anytime was intriguing. But, knowing his uncle, the duck knew that he would try to extend their stay to the point that they would end up going into business together.

He noted the way Uncle Scrooge glanced upward toward the flying castle, knowing he was eager to see the money bin more than anything else.

“Alright. But, don’t try doin’ anything...capitalist,” Donald said, after taking a moment to think of the proper word.

“Ye’ll never get much farther than ye are in life now with that attitude. Me, I’m the enterprising sort. All I need is just one of these townsfolk to give me a clue to where to find the railway’s owner,” Uncle Scrooge answered, before going back to scanning the crowd for someone else to interrogate. And he found them.

There was a winged creature who stood out greatly from the crowd. Her turquoise robes shimmered with the immaculate sheen of silk, which perfectly complemented her sea green wings. From head to toe, from her turban to her shoes, she was adorned with jewelry.

Uncle Scrooge knew he had found his path to the boss. Anyone as rich as the lady he saw was surely in league with him.

“That’s the one there,” the tycoon said, pointing his cane at the ornate creature. He took Donald by the arm. “Come along, nephew. There’s work yet to be done.”

Donald almost started after his uncle, when he noticed one of the women at the laundry pool glaring at him.

The winged creature held up a pair of undergarments, which were peppered with white waterfowl feathers.

Donald grinned sheepishly, as the creature glared at him.

“Heh-heh...heh...Uh...Sorry to be an inconvenience, ma’am,” Donald said, before quickly bolting after his uncle.

Uncle Scrooge was already upon the opulent creature when Donald caught him up.

<”Peace on this day to ye, good lady. I was wonderin’ if--”> Uncle Scrooge began.

<”YOU!!”> the creature shouted, as she pointed a clawed finger into the tycoon’s bill, <”You are the ones who took my husband from me!!”>

Donald wasn’t sure what the creature was saying, but he could tell that she was definitely accusing them of something.

“I think that’s our cue to leave, unc,” Donald said.

<”Wait! I think ye might have me confused with someone else! Ye see, I--”> Uncle Scrooge tried to explain to the creature.

<”I’ve seen plenty already!”> the creature shouted, as she imposingly stepped forth.

The ducks both backed away.

“Ya better say somethin’ nice!” Donald said.

<”Now, see here, madam. I--”> Uncle Scrooge began.

<”First the bugs, and now the birds! Ever since you--things--have come to Kamelut, it’s been one tragedy after the next!”> the lady continued.

“Tragedies?” Uncle Scrooge said in a language his nephew understood. <”But, we don’t know anything about these tragedies!”>

His words seemed to spike the anger of the creature, who was joined by more of the others in the crowd in harassing the ducks.

Donald tripped and went stumbling backwards.

A camel in the crowd bumped the duck back into his uncle.

“Oof!” Uncle Scrooge said, when he was impacted from behind.

“What’d ya do? Tell her to build a bridge and get over it!? Bit of a sore subject for them, don’t ya think!?” Donald said, indicating the railway above.

Uncle Scrooge hooked his cane around Donald’s bill.

“Shut yer noise, lad! We might be onto somethin’ here!” he said, before addressing the creature again. <”Tell me, what have I got to do with your husband?”>

<”Ever since your kind came here, you’ve been corrupting the minds of good hearted camels and zahaks alike with your foul promises of wealth!”> one of the camels said.

<”My brother was an honest, generous zahak, before your boss and his blood money twisted his heart to greed!”> one of the winged creatures shouted.

<”And when my husband refused to intrude upon the lives of his friends and neighbors any further, you took him to the desert, from where he’ll never return!!!”> the rich zahak shouted.

<”Wait just a goldurn moment! I don’t know anything about this ralway business! And I certainly know nothin’ about yer husband! Why, my nephew an’ I rolled into town literally minutes ago!”> Uncle Scrooge said.

<”Then, you are potentially trouble,”> an elderly camel said. <”I can see by looking at you that you two are the types easily swayed by the promises of wealth. It will only be a matter of time before you too are taken into his evil business.”>

It was a shock to Uncle Scrooge to hear such a thing. He knew only too well the power that money had to make men do evil. Having once succumbed to it himself, he thought himself lucky to have learned his lesson and claw his way back to honest, legitimate business. Perhaps if he could share such a lesson with the railway boss, he could find a new business partner and expand his own money bin, while at the same time make life better for the citizens of the kingdom of Kamelut.

<”Then, my nephew and I will have a word with this degenerate, an’ set him straight!”> the tycoon declared, as he emphatically struck his cane to the ground. Unknown to him, he struck it right on top of Donald’s foot.

“WAK!!” Donald shouted, as he started hopping up and down, holding his sore flipper.

The sight before them all made the crowd collectively lose what little faith they would almost have had in the plan.

<”Do as you see fit. Myself? I’m taking my daughter and grandchildren to the next kingdom. We can only hope that the railways have not reached there yet,” the elderly camel said, before plodding along his way.

“Razzum-frazzum son of a wak-wak-wak-wak!!” Donald said, as he rubbed his sore flipper.

Uncle Scrooge hooked his cane around his nephew’s neck, and yanked him closer.

“Enough jibbering, lad. We got business to do,” the tycoon said, before addressing the crowd one last time. <”I doubt anyone here knows where the boss is, but I was told that his assistant was in town. Does anyone know where I can find him?”>

The camels and zahaks in the crowd all gasped sharply, and took a step backwards.

“What did I say? Was my dialect somehow offensive?” Uncle Scrooge wondered, as he scratched his head.

Fluttershy was the first to hide inside one of the nearby metal tubes outside the shop, followed by Applejack who jumped into the neighboring tube.

Inside the shop, the struggle continued. It sounded as if shelves were being knocked over and things were being thrown, between the blows landing.

One last blow was heard, and Zeke Midas Wolf went flying out of the shop, a cleaver held in each clawed hand and no hat on his head.

The wolf furiously stood up and shouted one last threat to the inside of the shop.

“The boss is gonna hear about this! You can count on that! And gimme back my hat!” Big Bad shouted into the shop.

His request was obliged, when his hat flew out and hit him in the face like a ton of bricks.

The wolf was knocked into the sand again, picked up his ratty old top hat, and dumped out a small engine from within. With a guttural growl, the glutton turned around and went on his way.

Fluttershy trembled at the sight of the wolf. After their encounter in Santillama, she had hoped he would only be a memory. Now, the Big Bad Wolf was back in her life, vicious as ever.

Big Bad stopped and sniffed the air.

Fluttershy trembled. Was the wolf sniffing for her? Could he smell her where she was? Whatever he was doing, he stopped sniffing, looked one direction, and rubbed his hands together.

“Skedaddle!” Applejack whispered, just loud enough for Fluttershy to hear through the next tube.

Both mares started shimmying backwards through their pipes, as the wolf stepped closer to them. Fluttershy shivered intensely when she saw the blades of Big Bad’s cleavers glint in the sun.

Behind her, the beetle that had hitched a ride on her tail took hold of her hairs and started pulling as hard as it could.

Soon, Fluttershy’s tail dropped out of the tube, and the beetle hung suspended in the air. Its tiny feet touched down to the sand, as the pegasus crawled out to safety.

Big Bad poked his head into the tube Fluttershy had previously occupied, and sniffed deeply.

Behind the tubes, Fluttershy and Applejack both crouched low, just out of the wolf’s sight, and quietly crawled away.

Through the openings of each tube, the mares saw Big Bad’s clawed feet walking in the same direction as themselves.

They were too far along to one side to run safely around the opposite corner. And it would be too easy for the wolf to reach in after them if they ran inside the tubes.

It was Applejack who discovered the escape. The farmpony began climbing straight up the sides of the stack of tubes.

Fluttershy hesitated a moment, but the sounds of Big Bad’s approaching steps spurred her to action. Quickly, she followed after Applejack, and reached the top, just as the wolf rounded the corner.

Big Bad continued to sniff the air, searching for the source of the scent.

Slowly, the mares backed away from the edge of the stack. Applejack kept a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulders to keep her from trembling.

The pegasus’s hoof missed a step, and rattled the metal tubes against each other.

The wolf’s attention was drawn upward, and the mares crouched low to keep out of sight.

Big Bad sniffed the air again, lowered himself to all fours, and silently walked through the length of one tube to stealthily move to a different vantage point.

Applejack dared to look around. She raised her head slightly, and scoped her surroundings. But, she could find no sight of the wolf.

Down below, Big Bad was growing closer to the other end of the tube.

Not seeing any sight of their opponent was more terrifying than otherwise to Fluttershy. For all she knew, the wolf was already right upon them both.

The beetle decided that then was a good time to bail out on the suspense. It let go of Fluttershy’s tail, and started creeping toward the edge of the stack.

Just as Big Bad emerged from the tube below, he slowly turned his gaze upward.

The beetle reached the edge of the stack, and began climbing its way down. Unfortunately, its extra weight was just enough to send the teetering tube at the top of the stack tumbling down.

Big Bad’s eyes snapped to the source of the disturbance, and the wolf rushed to its direction.

“Got ya!!” he shouted.

The mares at the top of the stack both ran away to the opposite direction they heard the wolf’s voice, pushing the large metal tubes to their opponent’s direction.

Big Bad yelped, as the stack came crashing down on him. In seconds, he was buried beneath a mass of metal.

In a moment, the wolf popped up from beneath the pile, one of the smaller tubes stuck firmly on his snout. At the end of the tube, the beetle hung helplessly.

As Big Bad tried removing the tube from his face, he wondered if the trouble was worth it to find the source of the curious scent. Until he noticed it more strongly.

Turning his head toward town, he inhaled deeply, using the tube as an amplifier to catch more of the scent.

That was it. He finally found what he was looking for.

“Kofta!” the glutton declared, before he started trying to pry off the tube.

With another deep inhale, Big Bad’s whole body inflated. With a massive exhale, he blew the tube off of his face and sent it flying into the wall of the nearby shop.

The beetle held tightly to the tube, and crawled inside, before the tube impacted.

The tube flipped into the air, landed, and the beetle dizzily crawled out the top. It fell, and landed on the awning over the shop.

Now free, the Big Bad Wolf ran off in the direction of the food he had smelled, ready to devour it all.

With the coast clear, the mares crawled out from hiding. Fluttershy and Applejack both peered out from opposite sides of a single large tube they had both crawled into, and back into the sandy ground

“You alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

Fluttershy shuddered and nodded her head.

“Don’t worry. We’ll just have to keep duckin’ him while we’re here. But, I promise the second I get my magic back, I’m fixin’ him like the bad dog he is,” the farmpony promised.

Given her profession with animals, Fluttershy thought Applejack may have meant something different from ‘repair’ when she said ‘fix.’ Typically, such a thought would make her wince. But, for the first time, she found herself feeling indifferent to any harm that would come to the gluttonous wolf.

“We better get inside there,” Applejack said, indicating the shop.

“But…” Fluttershy tried to protest.

“It’s okay. He’s gone now. An’ if he was just in there, you can bet that there’s somethin’ we should try gettin’ to first.”

Fluttershy knew there was sound logic in her friend’s words, and hesitantly agreed to go inside. Her nerves steaded when she saw two familiar faces in the crowd on the street.

“Oh! Donald! Mr. McDuck!” she called to them.

The ducks heard her, and trotted to greet them.

“So, this is where you got off to,” Donald said.

“And how fortuitous it is. It just so happens that this is where I was told I could find the rail boss’s assistant,” Uncle Scrooge said, before hastily walking into the shop.

A terrible thought occurred to Fluttershy. The only creature she had seen in the shop was the scariest, nastiest one she had ever known. And now, her friends were looking for him.

“Wait,” Fluttershy quietly called.

It was too late. The tycoon had already disappeared into the shop.

“Don, we got bad news. That wolf yer uncle bucked at Paya’s house? He was in there!” Applejack said.

“Wak! Just now?” Donald exclaimed.

“Just now. He left, right before ya came here. Y’all were lucky ya didn’t run into him on the streets!”

“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy,” Donald groaned.

“And Applejack thinks that there was something inside that he wanted,” Fluttershy added.

“The bad news just keeps on coming, doesn’t it?” Donald said. “Well, we better get a look in there. See what this fuss was all about.”

The mares and duck walked into the shop. Fluttershy hesitantly so, remembering the brawl that took place when she and Applejack arrived.

On the awning above, the beetle tried to climb down, only to slip, fall, and land on top of Donald’s hat.

Inside the shop, there was almost nothing of note to see, other than the incredible mess from the previous brawl that took place inside. Besides that, it seemed just an ordinary scrap shop.

Bins full of nuts, bolts, hinges, nails, springs and washers were against the walls, with their contents spilled across the floor. Cubbies full of rods, shafts, rings, spikes and other parts reached from ceiling to floor, some of them toppled over. Tables were laid out with scraps of metal and mechanical parts that looked as if they had come from many disparate machines, which once upon a time were grand constructs. After nearly stepping on a nail, Fluttershy began cleaning up the floor.

Applejack found a desk that was laid out with many papers, written in an alphabet that she could not read.

At the same counter, Donald discovered somebody’s lunch that had been left out, partly scattered by the apparent struggle that had taken place before they arrived.

Atop his hat, the beetle noticed the food, and made its way toward it. It jumped down to Donald’s shoulder, then to the table, where it started examining the scattered food. It found an overturned plate of seasoned barley and began eating heartily.

“It’s a right sorry state, this shop,” Uncle Scrooge muttered to himself. “An’ not a sign of a single soul.”

“Maybe they went out back?” Fluttershy suggested, as she carefully picked up the mess on the floor.

Uncle Scrooge looked to where the pegasus indicated, and saw an open door that led to what looked like a large scrapyard. A vast expanse of broken, jagged metal in all shapes and sizes was seen, scattered about in massive piles that left narrow paths between them. In the middle of it all was a single, straight, very wide path that stretched far into the distance.

Seeing the door, the tycoon decided that it was as good a place as any to check for anyone in charge. He walked toward the door with a spring in his step, knowing he was close to his end goal. Until he was stopped completely.

A zahak, far taller than any other they had yet encountered, blocked the doorway. And he glared at Uncle Scrooge with a vicious contempt that nearly pierced a hole through the tycoon’s top hat. Though he was elderly, fairly skinny, and dressed in tattered robes, the zahak seemed every bit as intimidating as any business rival Scrooge had encountered.

“Anypony find anything?” Applejack said, before she turned her attention to the door. One look at the unfriendly stranger, and she knew trouble was imminent.

Fluttershy and Donald too noticed the newcomer. Fluttershy slowly hid behind the duck, hoping that the zahak would not attack them quite as viciously as he did the Big Bad Wolf.

Author's Note

Like the chapter title says, our heroes and heroines have been looking for trouble, and it found them. Several times in this chapter, actually.

We did learn a few things about what's going on in this chapter. We have seen the extent of the damage the railway is imposing onto the creatures of the kingdom. We learned that this kingdom is called Kamelut. And we learned the name of the unknown species of creature. We know that there is something important in the little scrap shop that Big Bad wants for his boss. But, we do not yet know who the boss is. Don't worry, though. We will be meeting the boss in the next chapter.

This was a fun chapter to write. I actually sat down and started studying up on Persian culture and lifestyle, from the times of the Persian Empire, up to about the early 1900's. things like carrying urns of water, public laundry pools, the foods we see being eaten, and all that jazz are taken from the various eras of life in that area.

The name of the kingdom is actually a twist on the Arabic-language name of Camelot, that name being Kamilut. It was changed to Kamelut, in order to fit in the camel pun to the name.

Another thing about names. In fitting with the amalgamation of various Middle Eastern creatures that the zahak are based on, the name of their species is taken from a dragon from Persian mythology called the azhi dahaka. And rest assured, we will see another character who is based on mythological creatures from the Middle East.

So, it seems like something is rotten in the state of Kamelut. Good-hearted citizens are being turned to greed and evil, and those who resist are dealt with accordingly. Could that be what we witnessed at the beginning of the previous chapter?

Fluttershy and Applejack's encounter with the Big Bad Wolf at the front of the scrap shop was somewhat inspired by slasher movies. You know, those parts where the dim-witted teens are being stalked by the killer? In this case, a pair of resourceful ponies are being stalked by a gluttonous wolf. Lucky for them that they had help from a tiny new friend.

Another thing about that beetle. Does it seem that even without her magic, Fluttershy seems to have some connection with the little bug? She already had a minor breakthrough back in Santillama. Maybe she'll learn a little bit more about herself here.

Now, here's something that's a little bit more behind the scenes. Recently, I've been getting comments here and there about how great each of the character teams work with each other. I think you readers will be interested to know that this is because the teams were not chosen by accident. They were deliberately teamed up in a way that would emphasize their characterizations.

For example, Mickey, Rarity and Twilight are all powerful mages. However, the magic that Mickey and his friends use is different from Twilight and her friends. And Rarity already has what it takes to learn it faster than Twilight ever would.

Spike, Minnie and Pluto are often considered by fans of each respective fiction as 'the other guys.' The ones that nobody pays any particular mind to, because they don't really get many chances to show what kind of character they can be on their own quest.

Applejack, Donald, Fluttershy and Uncle Scrooge were made a team, because of their extreme temperaments. Between stubbornness, volcanic tempers, timidity and single-mindedness, they were all a perfect match for one another.

And of course, the goofs. Pinkie, Dash and Goofy were the easiest ones to team up, because they are the goofs of their respective groups of friends. I knew the second that I started this story that I wanted them together, because their adventure was sure to be the most fun to write. Personally, I've always thought that Goofy was the perfect character to put into an action scene, but those usually went to Mickey and Donald in the older Disney shorts.

So, that's that. We've learned about the chapter, and we've learned a little behind the scenes magic. I use the word magic loosely here, of course. Next time, we're going to meet the railway boss, and may even get a look at what it is that Big Bad wants from that shop. Rock on for now, until the next chapter comes up \m/

Chapter 39: Who Shot the Cannon?

Chapter 39

Who Shot the Cannon

The Big Bad Wolf was growing impatient. After being tossed out of the scrap shop, he sent a direct message to the home office, asking for the boss’s help.

At the edge of the small town, the glutton sat on a bench at a wooden platform, awaiting the arrival of a sky tram. He had already finished the kofta he had stolen from a shop, and tossed the kabob away.

With a quiet huff, he idly tossed one of his cleavers into the floor, kicked it into the air by its handle, caught it, and repeated the process.

It was humiliating for him to have to get help from a superior not once, but twice. Such a thing brought shame to the ‘big bad’ moniker. But if he was going to succeed, he would need help.

Any help would do. The boss had an entire rogues gallery of arthropod assassins to do his bidding. And even though Big Bad hated every single one of them, he would finish the job he was given no matter what. Even a blow to his pride was preferable to failure.

Before him, the cables of the sky tram started to wobble. Looking down the line, the glutton saw a tram approaching.

This was it. With the arrival of the tram, success was within his clawed grasp.

Big Bad pocketed his cleaver, leaving it exposed just a half inch in case any of the boss’s thugs attempted anything drastic. Prepared for the worst, he walked to the edge of the platform just as the tram arrived.

With a hydraulic hiss, the doors opened revealing the passengers within. Among them, Big Bad was both surprised and relieved to see one particular face.

“Boss,” the glutton began, “We got a problem.”

In the scrap shop, another meeting was underway. And just as unpleasant.

The elderly zahak filled the doorway, blocking any from proceeding.

Fluttershy peered out from behind Donald, warily eyeing the zahak for any hostile movements.

“Ma aldhy tafealuh huna? 'Akhraj min mutajari! 'Aw hal turid 'an yantahi bik al'amr mithl aldhyb?” the zahak said.

Only Uncle Scrooge understood that they were being threatened to leave the shop. It was a lack of understanding that led Applejack to escalate the situation.

The farmpony prided herself on being able to placate even the unhappiest customer. Even without her magic, or the ability to understand the camel language, she felt as if her friendship with Paya had given her an understanding of others that went beyond language.

Putting on her friendliest face, Applejack took a step forward and greeted the zahak with an enthusiastic, “Howdy.”

Even though they could not see his mouth beneath the turban that wrapped around his head, the way the zahak was growling made them all think he was angrily baring his teeth.

“Hola?” Applejack tried again.

The zahak reached up to grasp a metal cable that hung above the door frame. With a strong pull, something terrible happened.

The wall next to the door opened up, revealing a view to the scrapyard beyond. From there, a cannon made from old parts wheeled its way in and pointed at the intruders in the shop.

“EEP!” Fluttershy gasped, as she ran out from behind Donald, making the duck spin from her speed.

She found more solid cover behind the counter, where only her shivering tail was seen protruding. Behind the counter, Fluttershy found something else. Something that seemed a memento of another time in their attacker’s life. But, she could not focus on it when she was a hair’s breadth from being blown through the wall.

“Perhaps I’d better take things from here, lass,” Uncle Scrooge said to Applejack.

The tycoon took a single careful step forward, until the zahak reached into his robes and produced a silver lighter.

On the counter, the beetle stopped eating the leftover food for a moment, and observed the standoff between the two elders.

<”Good mornin’. An’ peace to ye on this fine day,”> Uncle Scrooge said, knowing that speaking the local language and observing the social customs of another culture was the surest way to get on someone’s good side.

The zahak flicked the lighter open with his thumb, creating a small, but powerful flame.

“You speak camel terribly. And I find your attempt to relate to me by emulating my social customs condescending,” he said in a language everyone understood.

“Ah, yes. I see,” Uncle Scrooge said, ever steady and collected, “I suppose I should waste no time in explaining that--”

“Don’t bother explaining. I know why you’re here. Our magic was not enough. Now, you and those devil bugs want our very lives! But, I’ll tell you this: my life, my ambitions, my hopes and my dreams are not for sale! And I would rather see them blown to Maha, down to Duzakh, and back to the mortal plane, than ever see it in the hands of you swindlers!!” the zahak shouted, as he thrusted his lighter, barely an inch from the cannon’s fuse.

“Easy there, partner! No need to fly off the handle like that!” Applejack said.

“Fly off the handle? Is that your idea of a joke!?” the zahak said, as he stepped inside through the door frame.

From behind her hiding place, Fluttershy had been peering out to see what was happening. When she saw the zahak in full, her face turned sickly green, and she became very aware of her own wings.

“Wak!” Donald exclaimed at the sight before him.

The zahak had only one wing protruding through the back of his tattered, grease-stained robes. How or why that was so, nobody dared to ask, for fear of offending him into firing his cannon.

“You have five seconds to leave my shop unhurt. Or else you can leave with a serious bruise,” the elderly zahak said.

Uncle Scrooge knew full well the power such a cannon had, having used his own relic from the Boer War as a deterrent against freeloaders asking for handouts. And if the cranky old zahak was anything like himself, he was not afraid to use it.

The tycoon raced for something to say.

“Now, wait just a darn minute!” Applejack interjected.

“Applejack! Don't you think you said enough already?” Donald tersely asked, as he inched toward the door.

But, the farmpony did not listen.

“We just came into town, an’ ya treat us like a bunch o’ rustlers! Fer all you know, we could be here to help ya put yer life back on track an’ make yer dreams come true!”

The zahak stared at Applejack, hovering his lighter over the cannon’s fuse.

“We got our own dreams too! An’ our own ambitions! The nerve o’ you thinkin’ yours is so lofty that ya’d turn us away at first sight is downright unfair! I’d be surprised if ya had a friend in the world, if this is how ya relate to any creature what walks into yer shop!”

The zahak focused his glare on Applejack, his lighter hovering dangerously close to the fuse. In a moment, the zahak snapped his lighter shut, and placed it on the counter.

A sigh of relief whooshed through the shop. Even the little beetle heaved most of the air from its tiny body, before it resumed eating. It had just finished the barley, and went on to eat the overturned plate of fruits and vegetables.

Uncle Scrooge put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart patter the same way that it did after the trolly ride into the town. He could not explain the sensation. Admittedly, his nerves were slightly rattled from facing the mouth of heavy artillery, but not enough to make his heart race as it was.

“Take what you need from the scrapyard, then leave. But, my shed is off limits. Anything in there isn’t for sale,” the zahak said, before picking up the overturned chair behind his desk, and sitting down to cobble together what looked like a small engine.

“Yes. I think we’ll be on our way,” Uncle Scrooge said, as he started turning for the door.

“Actually, there’s somethin’ I’m lookin’ for what might be in the scrapyard,” Applejack said.

“Yeah? What’s that?” Donald wondered.

“Come on. I’ll show y’all,” Applejack answered, before leading the ducks to the back door.

Once the three reached out back, they saw truly how expansive the scrapyard was. It seemed to go on for acres in all directions, and was untouched by the intrusion of the railway. Donald stepped into the middle of the wide path in the middle, thinking that an aircraft carrier could have been placed on it.

And to either side, a maze of winding paths wound through the many piles of junk, which were organized by quality of metal, weight, composition, function and every other facet imaginable.

“Applejack, just let me say that that was some mighty fine negotiatin’ in there,” Uncle Scrooge congratulated.

“And how. That was some buttery smooth shmoozin’ just now,” Donald added.

“Weren’t nothin’. Just somethin’ I picked up workin’ in my business,” Applejack answered.

“Is that so?” Uncle Scrooge asked, as his eyes glinted behind his glasses. “I had ye pegged as a business mare the moment I saw ye at that quaint little casa in the mountains. Tell me, what business are ye in?”

“Oh, boy. Here we go…” Donald muttered, knowing his uncle’s enterprising instincts were kicking in.

“Apples. I grow ‘em, harvest ‘em, an’ process ‘em’ myself. We got applesauce, apple pastries, apple jam, apple cider, or just plain ol’ apples as is,” Applejack proudly proclaimed.

“Ach, good salt o’ the earth, ye are! I’ve had my hand in the soil a part o’ my life, myself,” Uncle Scrooge chuckled.

“Chippin’ mud off of people’s shoes,” Donald said under his breath. But, not enough to avoid his uncle’s cane cracking onto his head. “OW!! WAA-A-A-AK!!!”

“A little back-breakin’ labor in the dirt’d do ye some good, nephew,” Uncle Scrooge said, pointing his cane in Donald’s face.

The duck’s face turned bright red, and sweat poured down his forehead. So much did Donald’s temperature rise, that it singed the end of his uncle’s cane.

Donald was about to let loose a string of garbled curses and swears, until the cane before him was lowered to the ground for his uncle to lean heavily on.

“Mr. McDuck?” Applejack asked.

“You feelin’ okay, unc?” Donald asked, his rage simmered down to concern.

“I’m fine. My nerves are just a bit frazzled from facin’ down that cannon is all,” the tycoon answered.

Donald knew his uncle better than almost any duck or dognose back home. The only thing that ever shook him up was the thought of losing any amount of money. Seeing Uncle Scrooge in such a state made him wonder what was truly wrong.

“So, what is it ye need in this junk heap?” Uncle Scrooge asked Applejack.

“Beats me. But, this is where that magic light o’ yers led me an’ Fluttershy, so I’m thinkin’ this is where we’re needed to be,” the farmpony answered.

Donald began impatiently pacing.

“I wish it would be a little more specific. Like, showing us the exact object, person, or place of interest that we should--” Donald said, before he trailed off.

There before them, up against the shop at the very nearest end of the long, wide, straight path was the shed they were told to keep away from. If there was anything to be found in that place, the shed was sure to be it.

Inside the shop, the elderly zahak sat at his counter, idly working on the engine before him. With a quiet sigh, his single wing drooped as he stopped wrenching in a bolt.

“Excuse me…” Fluttershy’s voice quietly called.

The pegasus winced, as the zahak turned his gaze toward her.

“M-Maybe you just need a bigger bolt?” Fluttershy suggested, as she offered a single, slightly larger bolt.

The zahak took the bolt, examined it briefly, then placed it on the counter.

“A larger bolt’s no good. The threading of the socket on this thing is stripped,” he answered.

“Oh...Do you, um, need a needle?” the pegasus asked.

The zahak stopped what he was doing altogether, and turned in his seat to face Fluttershy, who hid behind her mane.

“You clearly know nothing about machinery or hardware. Why are you here?” he asked.

“I...um…”

Fluttershy thought back to the day of the Ponyville harvest festival, when she first met Donald and joined him in his magical quest. How even though she knew the road ahead of her was fraught with danger and peril she went along, if only for her responsibility as a Bearer of Harmony.

“I...came because I wanted to help,” Fluttershy answered.

“Then, whatever it is you came to help with, it’s no good here,” the zahak answered, before returning to his project.

“But, what if we got your friend to help?”

“Who?”

“Your friend. The camel in the picture you have in the cubby under your desk. The one where...you had both your wings…” Fluttershy answered, as she folded her own wings closer to her body.

Once again, the zahak sighed, and his wing drooped.

“Khabuubhi can’t help anymore, where he is. That picture was taken from a different time, when we both had our heads filled with fruitless dreams and desires doomed to never come true,” the elderly zahak said. He turned back to his counter and folded his hands on top of each other. “I’m old now. I’ve learned from a lifetime of mistakes that I can never be more than what the reality around me dictates. I’ve even forgotten how to fly.”

“But, you both look so happy. Don’t you remember what it was that made you feel that way?” Fluttershy said.

“Yes. All too well. But, I learned that happiness is only the product of delusion and ignorance. A fantasy that pulls you from the terrible world we’re all born into. It’s because of this that I feel terrible for any creature who is always smiling,” the zahak answered, before coughing violently.

“Do you need to lie down? I could get a doctor. Or--” Fluttershy began, before the zahak raised his hand to stop her from speaking.

“No doctor can help me. What I have may well be my last illness. Someday soon, I’ll be seeing Khabuubhi again. And when that day comes, my dreams will be in the evil hands of the railway syndicate,” the zahak answered.

Fluttershy’s ears drooped at the words she heard. Of a life cut short, and another continued unfulfilled. Admittedly, he was on to something when he mentioned those who smiled all the time were wrapped in delusion. Pinkie Pie was certainly evidence of that. But, it was ponies like her who brightened the days of the others around her.

She wanted to offer some word of comfort or kindness to the zahak, but could think of none. All she could think was the simplest, most basic form of such a thing.

“My name’s Fluttershy,” the pegasus said.

For another moment, the zahak stopped what he was doing, and only shifted his glance to her. For several seconds, he remained silent. Until he finally spoke.

“Alshuhum Qard,” he said.

For reasons she couldn't understand herself, Fluttershy smiled at hearing the elderly zahak’s name. And even though she could not see Qard’s mouth, she thought she could see his eyes soften slightly.

Without warning, or with any prior action, the cannon suddenly discharged, blowing its payload of scrap ammunition through the closed bay door at the front of the shop.

Silence filled the room, as a thin plume of smoke drifted up from the mouth of the cannon.

Applejack, Donald and Uncle Scrooge all rushed in from the scrapyard.

“Great gallopin’ golden delicious!! What the hay just happened!?” Applejack exclaimed.

The answer was made obvious by the smoking cannon before them.

None of them had gone near it. Nobody could have possibly set it off. Now, it seemed that somebody outside the shop may well have been put in danger for the sudden carelessness.

Movement was seen beyond the holes that were punched through the bay doors of the shop. Somebody was outside, making their way in.

With a loud squeak, the large bay doors were slid open, revealing once again the Big Bad Wolf.

The glutton bared his teeth at the company he saw within, glaring particularly nasty at Donald and Fluttershy. But, he was not the worst of their worries.

From around the door frame, another creature appeared. One that was far different than any other seen in Kamelut. One look, and Uncle Scrooge knew he had found who he was looking for.

It was a fly. A six foot, bipedal fly, dressed in a pressed white suit, gold cufflinks, polished black shoes, and a red necktie. In his mouth, a stub of a cigarette was seen. In one hand, he carried a cane with a large, silver handle. In his other hand, he carried a white trilby hat, with a metal rod stuck straight through the top of it.

He seemed extraordinarily old. Older than Granny Smith, Uncle Scrooge and Alshuhum Qard put together. His hands and face were wrinkled. His hair was as white as his suit. But his eyes were as sharp and alert as a creature who was likely only a quarter his age.

Casually and calmly as ever, the fly walked into view, pulling the metal rod from his hat. Never once taking his eyes from the company in the shop, he placed his trilby atop his head, and straightened it out.

With a simple exhale, he spat out his cigarette stub and crushed it on the ground beneath his shoe.

The fly’s massive compound eyes slowly scanned each of the creatures before him.

Uncle Scrooge knew that look. He was analyzing them all. Looking for clues to something he could not immediately deduce.

The fly twisted the handle on his cane. With a quiet click, the handle was removed, and something was drawn from within.

Donald’s color drained when he saw what was taken from the cane was nothing meant to make friends with. He knew the handle of the cane looked familiar, but now saw that a six-shooter had been drawn from within it. And a large one at that.

The fly held out his empty hand.

Big Bad reached into his pocket, and used his thumb to flick a single bullet into his boss’s waiting palm.

“Alright--” the fly said, calm, collected, and with a hint of contempt in his voice as he loaded the one bullet. He twirled his firearm once, and held it up in a duelist stance, “--Who shot the cannon?”

Nobody dared to answer.

“It’s a simple question, people. I wanna know who it is shootin’ off heavy artillery around here,” the magnate insisted.

Still no answer.

With an impatient sigh, he stepped into the shop. Slowly and deliberately, he started walking past each one of the creatures inside.

“Let me put it to you this way: it’s just a matter of a lapse in civility,” the fly said, as he slowly circled around Applejack and Donald. “When someone starts blowin’ away whole chunks o’ construction on the DiMosco railway, an’ everybody else caught in between, we got us a problem.”

Looking to the open bay door, everybody could see that a chunk of one of the railway supports was blown off, with other bits of scrap stuck in the wooden framework.

“There are people out there who frown on progress. Don’t wanna lift a finger, or offer a red cent to the folks tryin’ to make a change for the better,” the magnate looked directly at Applejack. “An’, as you might say: one bad apple ruins the bunch.”

Even though he had not been looking at her before, the farmpony felt as if the fly were talking directly to her the whole time. One look to the fly’s weapon recalled a similar one used by the sheriff in Santillama. Even though it was much smaller, she didn’t dare tempt its lethality.

“Sometimes, folks just lose their tempers,” the fly continued.

Donald nervously tugged his collar.

“Sometimes, enough is enough. An’ folks tend to act out in belligerent, often unneighborly ways. It wouldn’t be the first time any of us felt that way. But, how many of us act on those repressed, insane urges?”

Qard glared reproachfully at the fly in the room.

From her hiding space behind the counter, Fluttershy dared to peer out, and found herself faced with a pair of knees, dressed in pressed white fabric. Slowly, her gaze drifted up, and she saw the magnate looking down at her.

“An’ a lot o’ the time, it’s the folks we least suspect who do the most extraordinary, crazy, off the wall thing you’d never think they had the grit to do.”

Fluttershy’s knees trembled as the fly knelt down to her eye level.

“Somethin’ you wanna tell old Bosco?” the magnate asked.

“I...I, uh…” Fluttershy stammered.

“Fer Celestia’s sake! Leave her alone!” Applejack blurted out.

All eyes were on Applejack. She stood firm and resolute, staring down the railway magnate with the same fury she reserved for apple poachers.

DiMosco stood up and twirled his revolver on his finger.

“Well, lookit you. Stickin’ up for the little folk. Tryin’ to play hero,” the magnate chuckled, as if he mocked such values. “Sounds like we got us a culprit.”

With only a glance toward Big Bad, DiMosco signalled the gluttonous wolf into action.

Big Bad reached into his pockets, and slowly drew his cleavers.

Before he took two steps toward Applejack, the glutton’s nose was struck by Scrooge McDuck’s cane.

“Wait just a second, ye buzzin’ blowhard!” the tycoon threatened.

“Uncle Scrooge, don’t escalate things,” Donald warned.

Uncle Scrooge did not listen.

“I’ve seen my share of turns o’ the century! An’ in that whole time, I never met a businessman as vile as yerself!” the elderly duck shouted. “I came here wonderin’ how ye amassed such a money bin! An’ now I know that it was built on the back of an unscrupulous, amoral enterprise!”

DiMosco turned his gaze to Uncle Scrooge. His compound eyes flashed with amusement at the tycoon’s outburst, as he slowly stepped forth to face the duck.

“You consider yerself an honest businessman, do ya?” the magnate asked.

“Aye. That I do,” Uncle Scrooge answered, as he and DiMosco both stood with their weapons at the ready.

“Well,” DiMosco began, “I seen more than my shares o’ turns o’ the century too. An’ I learned more than you ever did. All wealth, all success, is dependent on a distinct lack o’ sentiment. Just take a look at the dirt-pusher, the panhandler, the shut-in an’ the grease-monkey,” he said, indicating everyone else in the room. “They all got somethin’ keepin’ ’em back from true greatness. But, you. You let go o’ yer humanity a long time ago, didn’t ya? Did some real bad things to get to where you are now.”

“Ye don’t know a blasted thing about me,” Uncle Scrooge rebutted.

DiMosco chuckled again, before answering.

“I know you better than anyone else in the world. ‘Cause I’m you, duck. I’m just better at bein’ everything you are. Tougher than the toughies. Smarter than the smarties. To top it all off, I got me a sweet little money bin. Ya do got one o’ those, don’t ya?”

“Yes…” Uncle Scrooge answered through clenched teeth.

Nearby, Big Bad noticed Fluttershy in her hiding spot, and slowly started making his way toward her.

Donald noticed the glutton’s advance, and quickly got between him and his pegasus friend. His worry rose when he saw Big Bad lick his chops, without even stopping.

“Hold up,” Applejack said, taking her place beside Uncle Scrooge. “I’m a completely honest businessmare! An’ I got me plenty o’ bits!”

Instead of a chuckle, DiMosco let loose a loud, hearty laugh.

“Sweetheart, you ain’t even in the same league as us,” the magnate said.

Big Bad continued his advance on the prey before him.

Qard stood from his seat, walked to his cannon, and pointed it directly at the glutton.

Big Bad was not intimidated. He knew that the cannon had already been fired, and was out of ammo.

With a strong push, Qard jabbed his cannon forward and knocked the wolf back.

Everyone watched as the glutton rolled backwards, and crashed into a wall.

DiMosco turned to look back at everyone else one last time, before he backed away toward the door.

“Tell ya what,” the magnate said, as he sheathed his firearm back into his cane, “I’ll let y’all think over what ya wanna do next. If ya wanna join the syndicate, or if ya wanna sit back an’ let yer lives pass on by. It’s all up to you. Just make sure y’all stick around long enough to regret it. Or not. Let’s go, Zeke.”

Big Bad picked himself up from the floor, and glared daggers at Qard. He was going to get the zahak back for the blow that was inflicted on him, and he was going to make sure that it was dire. Before he would do any of that, he followed DiMosco to the door.

“Oh. One more thing,” DiMosco said, as he looked directly at Uncle Scrooge. “If ya do decide ya wanna be a part o’ my business family, I think I can set aside some room in my money bin to fit yers inside.”

Scrooge nearly snapped his own cane in half at the insinuation. And kept his eyes on the two interlopers, until they disappeared from sight.

Fluttershy whimpered, and sank shivering to the floor.

“Fluttershy,” Applejack said, as she went to comfort her friend. “It’s alright, sugarcube. They’re gone now.”

“They’ll be back,” Qard said. “They’ve been harassing me for days over my cooperation with them. If you’re smart, you’ll leave and never return to my shop.”

“I don’t know if it’s all that simple,” Donald said. He took one last look to the cannon, and examined the fuse. “Who shot this thing anyway?”

Down on the floor, the beetle had just made its way down from the countertop. After a brief search, it found the silver lighter.

After the fall it had taken from the countertop, it had closed itself and extinguished its flame upon landing. It was no problem. The beetle simply opened the lighter again, used a nail that it took from the countertop, stuck one of the vegetable slices that was knocked to the floor, and began roasting it as if it hadn’t a care in the world.

There came a sudden clamor from outside in the scrapyard.

Qard’s eyes flashed with fury, as he rushed to the back door.

They all came to the same conclusion. Everything that had happened just then in the shop was a setup. A diversion for the express purpose of keeping them busy, while the real plan was being executed out back.

Author's Note

Bosco DiMosco. The featured villain of this story arch, who I picture is voiced by Dennis Hopper. As always, you readers are welcome to picture your own voice for the villains.

A few words about this guy. You may be wondering, 'Why did the jackass writing this decide to make him a fly?' I'll tell you. See, in Persian mythology there is a deity, a djinni named Kabikaj, who is the retainer, distributor and bestower of knowledge. Oftentimes, he is depicted as a fly or a cockroach, and has dominion over all insects. Back in the days of ancient Persia, scholars, scientists and scribes would pray to Kabikaj to keep his six-legged minions from eating the papers and bindings of their hard earned research and meticulous writings.

In this case, DiMosco (whose name translates from Italian as 'The Fly') is a cold, calculating, cunning sort who can size up most anyone he meets the second he sees them. This may make for him to be a rather difficult opponent to deal with.

More than that, he was kind of imagined as an evil Uncle Scrooge. Sort of a Glomgold who's better than Glomgold. A richer, smarter, tougher version of our favorite tycoon. But, without all of the things that make Uncle Scrooge a likable character.

We've also been introduced to our friend who will be with us for this story arch: Alshuhum Qard. Just so you know, his name translates to 'Grease Monkey.' Fitting, considering his profession.

His character was inspired by the idea of what Uncle Scrooge would be like if he never found his way in life. In Scrooge's case, if he never found his fortune. We'll have to wait a bit in order to know what it was that Qard missed out on. You may have also noticed a few parallels between him and Uncle Scrooge. Namely, the cannon he keeps in his office, and his generally cantankerous personality.

You all know that I like to reference other fictions in my stories as well. This time, the old time Hanna-Barbera cartoon, 'Shazzan.' In that cartoon, there was a flying camel named Kaboobie. Qard's deceased friend has a similar name.

Incidentally, before I started writing this story arch, I considered there to be winged and magical camels, much like there are with the ponies. However, I decided against it, and decided to introduce the zahak species as an alternative. I don't know if we'll see any in this story arch, but I imagine that there are mages among both camels and zahaks. They'd likely be modeled after Persian magoi and other forms of witchcraft.

Speaking of Persian paganism (by paganism, I mean anything that predates Abrahamic religions) Qard references Maha and Duzakh. Maha is the ancient Persian personification of the moon. I imagine that Maha is the Kamelut equivalent of Equestria's Princess Luna. Maha was a moon goddess, after all. And Duzakh is the Zoroastrian equivalent of Hell. (Again, don't freak out over Hell with a capital 'H' in an E-rated story).

For anyone who does not know, Zoroastrianism was the prevalent religion in ancient Persia. Duzakh was where the king of evil, Ahriman, lived. If you care to learn more about it, look it up. I'm sure I've bored plenty of people with history lessons enough.

Anyhoo, we're seeing our pony friends get some of their voodoo back. Fluttershy and Applejack both have had their hoof in reaching another creature, using their special talents.

In case there are any theories cooking in your minds: the beetle that has been following Fluttershy around is not a part of the DiMosco railway business. Its just a little bug, who happened to get involved more than it wanted to.

That's all for me here. Rock on with peace to you all \m/

Chapter 40: Scrapyard Scrape

Chapter 40

Scrapyard Scrape

Sparks flew as a sledgehammer struck an enormous lock over and over.

The stag beetle with the hammer huffed, and struck the lock on the shed again. No matter how he tried, it seemed that he could only manage to scuff the iron catch.

“Hurry it up! Someone’s gotta heard us already!” said the ant keeping lookout.

“I’m tryin’! This lock’s tougher than it looks!” the stag beetle said, as he kept swinging against the lock.

“Then hit it harder!” the ant replied, as he scanned the area for intruders.

“You want to give this a shot? I told you we should have brought the hacksaw. It’s quieter,” the stag beetle said, stopping a moment.

“Yeah. And a heck of a lot slower. That crusty old feather head at the front desk would probably have come out and seen us before we was halfway through the chains,” the ant rebutted.

“So what? Harry’s got us covered up high. That one-winged schmuck comes out, Harry gives him a long-range lobotomy. End of story,” the stag beetle said, as he swung harder still.

Their cohort’s skill was soon to be put to the test. On a distant rooftop, a hornet sat at the ready with a sniper rifle.

From his table, under the shade of a large umbrella, Harry the hornet looked at his reflection in a glass as he combed his slicked hair. Once he pocketed his comb, he examined his teeth in his reflection. Perfect, as always. Sparkling, white, and one of polished gold that stood out greatly from the rest.

He chuckled at his reflection, and bobbed his eyebrows. Who could resist a face as charming as his own?

At the very periphery of the reflection, the sniper did not notice something else moving.

Down in the scrapyard, Qard was the first to round the pile of junk outside his door. When his shed came into view, he saw both of DiMosco’s men. Less than a second after he arrived, Applejack, Fluttershy, Donald and Uncle Scrooge all ran to his side.

“Thieves!!” Qard yelled, as he took hold of a piece of metal to fight off the two goons.

“Cheese it! We’re caught!” the ant exclaimed.

The stag beetle stopped what he was doing, and threw his sledgehammer at Qard.

It was pure instinct that made Applejack rush forward. The sight of the oncoming projectile made her instantly recall the games that she played with her sister back home.

Whenever Apple Bloom tossed her a bad apple, Applejack would buck it right into the refuse cart to be composted later. Now, as she was faced with a flying sledgehammer, the farmpony thought to take out a different kind of garbage.

The hammer was upon her.

Applejack turned, and raised her rear hooves.

She felt contact, as the familiar shock of a bucking impact rippled through her being.

The ant had just reached into this coat for his firearm, when he had to sidestep the oncoming hammer.

The stag beetle dropped his shotgun when he was hit squarely in the face by the hammer.

The tool bounced into the air, and fell toward the ant.

“You dirty, cud-chewin’--” the ant said, as he drew his pistol from his coat.

That was all he could say, when the hammer landed directly on top of his head, making him unintentionally toss his weapon somewhere into the nearby junk heaps.

“I did it…!” Applejack said aloud to herself, more asking than anything. She dared to look over her shoulder, and saw both bugs were knocked to the ground. “I did it!”

It was the breakthrough she had been working for, ever since her magic was stolen from her. From the time she was in Santillama, she felt as if she had been on the track to finding what was lost. And it seemed that what Uncle Scrooge had told her then was true. One single tiny spark of motivation and inspiration was what it took to get the grandest task done. Just as she had always done before, when she used her special talents to farm apples, win athletic competitions and market her business.

Donald, Fluttershy and Uncle Scrooge all went to congratulate their friend.

“Applejack! You bucked!” Fluttershy said.

“I knew ya had it in ya! Never had a doubt!” Donald said, as he emphatically shook the farmpony’s hoof.

“How did you do it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I…” Applejack began, unsure of what to say. After a moment, she knew precisely how she accomplished such a feat with no magic of her own. “I knew what I had to do, an’ the rest just came natural.”

“Ah-ha! Precisely, lass,” Uncle Scrooge said, “Just like I told ye at the llama village. Just apply yerself, an’ the world is yours!”

“Thanks, y’all. Don’t know if I’d ever o’ done it without ya,” Applejack said.

“Now, when we get back home you can still buck for your harvest,” Fluttershy said.

“Yes,” Uncle Scrooge said, as a familiar gleam shone behind his glasses, “Speakin’ o’ havin’ the world in yer hooves: have ye ever considered expandin’ yer apple business?”

“Oh, brother…” Donald groaned. For a moment, he thought his uncle would present his humanity to another, only to see the old tightwad’s instincts kick in again.

Fluttershy too felt a tiny spark within herself. Even if she could only get a cranky old zahak to tell her his name, she felt as if she had rediscovered something she thought could never have back. And it was only herself who noticed Qard had already passed them by.

The elderly zahak hobbled to his shed, where before he could even begin to inspect it for damages, the two thugs on the ground started to stir.

Fluttershy gasped, and pointed to the source of her distress.

The others saw what she indicated, and readied themselves for action again.

“Looks like these clowns wanna have another rodeo,” Applejack said.

“Get on back in the shop, toots. We’ll call you when we’re done here,” Donald said to Fluttershy, as he rolled up his sleeves.

Fluttershy stood rooted to the spot as her friends approached the recovering toughs. When both insects were on their feet, she turned tail and quickened her pace back toward the shop, not wanting to witness the violence that was sure to follow.

She was just at the entrance of the shop, when she was suddenly halted.

Big Bad and DiMosco both filled the doorway, keeping the pegasus from escaping.

“Team effort, sweetheart. Everybody’s gotta pull their weight ‘round here,” DiMosco said, as he unsheathed his revolver from his cane. “‘Course, if--HARRY--was doin’ his part, me an’ the wolf here wouldn’t have to be playin’ the field, would we, darlin’?”

On the distant rooftop, the hornet didn’t hear his name called. He simply kept primping and preening, lost in his own reflection.

Fluttershy looked at the two before her. She only glanced at Big Bad’s bared teeth, and ran headlong into the labyrinthine scrapyard.

“I don’t want any o’ these do-gooders leavin’ here alive. So, Zeke, I’m delegatin’ you to gettin’ rid o’ that there canary horse,” DiMosco said.

Big Bad licked his chops, and smiled hungrily at the thought of devouring Fluttershy. Her color made him think immediately of cornbread with butter, making him think she would go deliciously with a pot of chili, or a platter of pork rinds.

Letting his stomach be his guide, the glutton ran into the maze of junk after Fluttershy, ready to make a delicacy out of her.

With Big Bad gone, DiMosco went to complete his own objective. He pulled back the hammer on his revolver, and walked into the fray.

Smoothly and calmly, the magnate walked past Applejack, who was doing battle with the large stag beetle.

The farmpony bucked.

The stag beetle blocked and countered with his hammer.

Applejack dodged and backpedaled.

The stag beetle advanced.

Past them, DiMosco did not even flinch as Donald was thrown to the ground behind him. After him, Uncle Scrooge was thrown on top of his own nephew.

The ant stood at the ready, jabbing at the air, daring his opponents to come back.

DiMosco reached the shed, where Qard stood trying to reinforce the lock with more chains, catches and bars.

Before the elderly zahak could finish locking the first lock, he began coughing loudly, and was easily knocked aside by DiMosco. From the ground, Qard watched as the magnate aimed his pistol at the large padlock, and fired.

The sound of the gunshot made everyone in the scrapyard jump, and snap their attention to its source. Donald began checking himself for any open wounds.

From his distant vantage point, Harry jumped in his seat. He had been slacking on his duties, and was sure to hear about it from the boss.

The hornet quickly downed his iced drink, and held his head from the rush of brain freeze he inflicted upon himself. He fumbled to the edge of the rooftop vantage and nearly fell over the side.

Fumbling as best he could, Harry managed to keep hold of his sniper rifle, but could not stop from falling nearly over the edge.

The assassin hooked the edge of the roof with his foot, and buzzed his wings as best he could.

DiMosco held his smoking gun as he looked at the lock on the shed. The bullet he fired had only managed to dent the heavy catch.

“Dang. Well, that’s what I get for only loadin’ one bullet,” DiMosco said to himself. He curled his lip, placed his first two fingers into his mouth, and whistled loudly into the distance. “Hey! Harry! How ‘bout a little lockpickin’!”

With his wings buzzing rapidly, Harry started steadily levitating himself back onto solid ground. Putting his compound eye to his scope, the hornet found his mark. The lock was in his crosshairs, and he squeezed his trigger.

Everyone looked to where DiMosco had called out toward. In the distance, a glint of light shimmered for a moment, then vanished.

Though she had no idea what it was, Applejack knew it had to be intercepted.

She stomped her hoof on a sheet of thick metal, flipped it into the air, and bucked it toward the shed.

Two loud bangs sounded. The first was Harry firing his rifle. The second was the sheet of metal embedding itself into Qard’s shed.

The fired bullet bounced off of the metal sheet, and through the hole in the top of DiMosco’s hat.

The fly caught his hat, before it was blown off his head.

The moment his trilby was put back in its place, Qard got to his feet and swung a metal rod at DiMosco.

DiMosco parried with his unloaded pistol and countered with his cane.

It was like a signal. The moment the two elders started battling, the others continued their vicious melee.

Uncle Scrooge jumped to Qard’s aid, fighting against DiMosco.

“Aw, real nice, Unc!” Donald shouted.

He was punched in the bill, and sent sprawling backwards.

Applejack’s hooves were both grabbed when she tried to buck, and was rolled like a bowling ball.

The duck and farmpony met in the middle and crashed into one another. Both popped into the air, and landed atop one another. Their respective hats landed on one another’s heads.

“Boy, oh boy...I’m gonna feel this tomorrow…” Donald said, as he exchanged hats.

“An’ it ain’t even lunchtime yet…” Applejack groaned.

Both yelped as a bullet shot past them, and slightly dislodged the metal plate that was shielding the lock on the shed.

They did not know why or what. But, something was inside of that shed that needed to be protected. Between two armed thugs, an assassin’s bullets and their boss, they could not imagine a more harrowing task.

In the winding pathways of the scrapyard, the beetle continued to plod along its way. It had eaten its fill at the shop, and now went to wherever its tiny legs would take it to find its next meal.

The ground began to tremor, as hooves pounded the sand.

Not wanting another fiasco like on the railway, the beetle quickly rushed into hiding inside of a tin can.

From around a bend, Fluttershy appeared and stopped a moment to look around herself.

Even though she hadn’t seen him begin pursuit, she knew that a predator was after her. To make matters worse, it was an intelligent, cunning ambush predator.

Everywhere she looked, she thought she could see traces of where Big Bad may have been hiding. Beneath a lean to of scraps. Inside a rusted pipe. Or was he beneath the very sand itself?

The beetle began skittering inside of its can, making it roll as best it could, until it stopped against a jutting rebar.

With just that one hit, the junk loosened, and started to tumble forth. Like a stack of dominoes, the entire thing began to fall down.

The sound of clattering metal spurred Fluttershy to run faster, accidentally kicking the beetle’s can forward as she did.

The beetle flew through the air, holding onto the inside of the can for dear life. As it flew, it saw something on the path before it.

Big Bad rounded the corner, facing Fluttershy with his cleavers drawn.

The pegasus screamed as she faced down the gaping maw of the glutton, until the open end of the beetle’s can lodged itself into his mouth.

Big Bad gagged and choked on the can, as the beetle inside held fast to keep from sliding down the glutton’s throat.

With a huff and a puff, Big Bad blew the can out of his mouth with the force of a cannon.

Fluttershy ducked as the can flew over her head, and crashed into a pile of junk behind her.

The beetle had fallen out of its can and landed in the sand between Fluttershy and Big Bad, just as the glutton started toward his prey.

Fluttershy gasped when she saw the helpless insect in the path of the heavy paws padding toward it. Putting her own safety out of mind, she dashed forward.

Big Bad readied to lunge, cleavers drawn.

The beetle looked side to side at the two goliaths rampaging toward it.

Before it could run away, Fluttershy dove forward and reached for the beetle.

Big Bad dove, mouth agape to devour the pegasus.

Keeping low, Fluttershy flicked the beetle into the air and onto her mane.

The beetle unleashed a high pitched scream as the glutton’s cleavers barely brushed against its antennae.

Fluttershy could feel the steel passing over her head, and folded her ears to keep from losing one of them.

Big Bad saw he had missed with his blades, and snapped with his jaws.

Fluttershy was quickly passing beneath him, as his teeth closed down around her.

With a sudden jerk, Fluttershy found herself stopped in mid-air and pulled backwards. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her tail was caught in Big Bad’s mouth.

Panic struck the pegasus. As Big Bad pocketed his cleavers, Fluttershy tried to scramble forward through the sand, only to be pulled back by the glutton’s clawed hands.

The beetle watched as his savior was pulled toward Big Bad’s open maw. Not about to let a favor go unreturned, it began searching for a way to free Fluttershy.

The sand that the pegasus was kicking into Big Bad’s face sparked an idea.

Using a trick that it knew to gather moisture from the air, the beetle stood on its head, opened its shell and amassed a load of sand onto its back. Once at full capacity, the beetle skittered along on its front legs down Fluttershy’s back, across her tail and up Big Bad’s arms.

“Owoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!!” Big Bad giggled when he felt the sudden tickling sensation up his arm.

Looking to the source, he let go of Fluttershy’s tail with one hand to swat at the bug.

Without losing a grain of sand, the beetle hopped and landed on the glutton’s hand. When Big Bad shook his hand, the beetle flew off and landed on the top of his nose.

It was just where the beetle needed to be. Taking the sand from its shell, it dropped its entire payload into Big Bad’s nose. Fanning its shell, it blew the grains deeper into his nasal cavity.

Big Bad gagged loudly. He sniffled and chuffed, as a feeling welled up within his nose. With a huff and a puff, he loosed an enormous sneeze that blew the beetle, Fluttershy, some light scraps of junk and most of the sand before him down the path in the scrap heaps.

Fluttershy rolled to a stop against a mattress, and dodged out of the way of the scraps that followed after her. Lastly, the beetle thudded against the mattress above Fluttershy, and landed on her head.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked the insect in her mane.

The only answer the beetle gave was a high-pitched groan, and fell over backwards in her hair.

Both snapped to high alert when they saw Big Bad brush the last of the sand off of the tip of his nose and glare at them both.

The beetle took hold in Fluttershy’s mane, and Fluttershy herself ran full throttle away from the glutton.

Through the maze of junk, the stacks of metal seemed to rearrange themselves in ways that forced Fluttershy to run in complete circles.

Above and below herself, she could hear Big Bad chasing after her. How he was doing so, she couldn’t tell. All she knew was that she had to escape no matter what.

There was a stack of pipes before her. Remembering how she avoided Big Bad before, she began climbing straight over the top of them.

Through machinations she was too terrified to take the time to ponder, a hairy arm with a cleaver in its clawed hand protruded through the opening of a neighboring pipe.

With a yelp, Fluttershy swung herself out of the way of the attack, right into the path of the second slicing blade.

The pegasus quickly scrambled up the stack, hoping the nightmare would pass.

The pipe in front of her face blew a wind that nearly knocked her back to the ground.

Fluttershy managed to hold on with only one hoof, as Big Bad’s snapping jaws shot out to grasp her.

The pegasus yelped and let herself fall out of reach.

She caught herself less than a hoof below and narrowly avoided losing a hoof to a cleaver.

Using the blade as a hoofhold, Fluttershy started climbing upward once more.

Another blade swung, slicing off only the very tip of Fluttershy’s hoof. Not even stopping to see the extent of her injury, she continued climbing up.

Big Bad’s open jaws shot out directly in front of Fluttershy’s face.

Her hooves shot up and closed the glutton’s mouth. Quickly, she scrambled upward, over Big Bad’s face. Finally, she was at the top of the junk heap.

Fluttershy saw where she was. The wide path in the middle sprawled before her, and the safety of the shop was only hundreds of hooves away.

The sound of moving metal behind her spurred her forward. As she scrambled down the scrap heap, her hooves stepped upon a slab of sheet metal. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Fluttershy went sliding down the hill of junk as though she were tobogganing through some ferrous, jagged snow.

The beetle held tightly to her mane, jolting up and down with every tremor beneath them.

The makeshift sled hit an upturned scrap near the bottom and sent the two passengers flying from their seats and sliding through the sand below.

Fluttershy picked her face out of the sand and spat out the grains. She scrambled to her hooves and shook the sand from her feathers, before she noticed her friends in their melee.

Behind her, she heard Big Bad climb up to the top of the junk heap. Before she started running, the glutton jumped into the path before Fluttershy, cleavers drawn.

There would be no running back to the shop. She would have to keep running through the maze of junk.

“Applejack! Help!!” she shouted, just before Big Bad lunged to attack.

Applejack heard her friend’s call, and just saw Fluttershy get chased into the maze of junk.

The stag beetle swung his fist one last time at the farmpony.

Applejack ducked and let her opponent’s fist fly over her head. With one last buck, she knocked him backwards and rushed to Fluttershy’s aid.

“Take care of him for me, Don! I’m goin’ after Fluttershy!” Applejack said, as she ran off.

“Just swell! Leave me to fight off not one, but two beef-headed--” And that was all Donald had time to say, just as the ant and the stag beetle both punched the duck in his face.

Donald rolled backwards, until he ramped up a bent I-beam, flew into the air, and crashed down onto a pile of scraps.

He slid down to the bottom, taking with him an avalanche of metal. Once in the sand, the duck was clobbered with everything from old valves to lead pipes to aluminium siding. Finally, two large metal shutters landed on top of Donald.

The ant and stag beetle both moved in to finish him off.

Donald took hold of the two shutters, held them in front of himself, and sprang forward, knocking both opponents over.

Before he could discard them, Donald shielded himself with the shutters again to block the ant’s kick.

The stag beetle stood up and attacked Donald from the other side.

Donald held up his shutter, and was pushed backward from the blow.

While the stag beetle agonized over his aching fist, the ant attacked again.

Donald blocked his punch, and while his opponent was reeling in pain, he pushed the ant backward.

“Wak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Come and get me, boys!” Donald taunted.

Both opponents accepted the challenge, and ran at the duck full speed.

“Uh-oh!” Donald said, as he shielded himself from both sides.

The thugs both crashed into the shielding shutters, and smashed Donald between them.

He fell to his knees in a daze, and his opponents took advantage.

The ant kicked Donald in the face, knocking him backwards.

Donald shielded himself, as the stag beetle jumped into the air for an elbow drop.

The duck was smashed beneath his own shield, as the stag beetle howled in pain over his elbow.

“Nice shot, Maurice. Now, quit whinin’ an’ let’s finish this duck!” the ant said.

He opened one shutter as if it were a cellar door, but saw that Donald was not beneath it.

“What the--?”

Donald came spinning out from beneath the sand, holding both shutters outstretched as if he were a living helicopter.

Upward he spun, hitting his opponents multiple times in rapid succession. When he landed, he had to duck under his uncle’s swinging cane.

“WAK! Watch it!” Donald shouted, before he had to duck again.

Uncle Scrooge and Qard’s battle with DiMosco had shifted across the sands to nearer the others.

While Uncle Scrooge and Qard both looked like they were fighting with all their might, DiMosco looked as invigorated as if he had already begun to battle.

The magnate twirled his cane, trying to hit both opponents at once.

One after the other, the ant, Donald, the stag beetle and Qard all ducked out of the way. Finally, Uncle Scrooge blocked the blow with his own cane and countered.

DiMosco blocked with his unloaded pistol, and manipulated Scrooge’s cane to block Qard’s pipe.

With the three weapons locked, the magnate swung his cane again, first hitting Uncle Scrooge, then Qard.

The zahak swiped with his clawed hand.

DiMosco dodged and had to move as Harry shot another bullet to dislodge the shield in front of the lock.

The slab of metal loosened again. One more shot was likely enough to allow the others to knock it loose.

DiMosco holstered his gun and held his cane laterally to fend off his two attackers.

Uncle Scrooge struck.

Qard struck.

Both were blocked.

DiMosco advanced.

The attacking elders retreated as they were pushed back.

The magnate struck again, hitting Qard with one end of his cane and Uncle Scrooge with the other.

Both recoiled. The blows they received triggered something deep in their systems. Qard began coughing heavily, and Uncle Scrooge held his chest again.

Instead of attacking, DiMosco twirled his cane and planted it in the sand.

“You old timers feelin’ okay? Looks like yer both due for a box an’ a slab,” he chuckled.

Uncle Scrooge breathed deeply as he held his chest. He had gone through far worse that what he was up against in that moment. And he wasn’t going to go out by losing a battle to the greediest swindler since Flintheart Glomgold.

His heart settled, and the tycoon took his fighting stance again.

DiMosco rolled his compound eyes, and raised his cane to attack.

One last shot from the distant sniper, and the metal plate flew loose from the shed, leaving the lock unprotected.

“WAK!!” Donald exclaimed.

He pushed back his two attackers, then charged DiMosco with his shields up.

The magnate was unprepared for what happened next, as he was forcibly pushed between the lock and the sniper’s aim.

DiMosco pushed Donald back, and moved aside from the lock.

“What’re ya waitin’ for!? Shoot!” he shouted to his distant cohort.

Harry took aim again.

All thoughts left Donald’s head. He dove forth with his shutters held up, and blocked the next bullet.

The impact of the large, high-velocity round dented the metal shutter, but otherwise left its wielder unharmed.

“Y-Ya wanna get into the shed? Ya gotta go through me!” Donald said, as his knees shook.

The three insects all readily accepted the challenge. The stag beetle cracked his knuckles, the ant rolled up his sleeves, DiMosco straightened his hat as they all closed in on the duck. High above, Harry chambered his next round.

“Cover the lad!” Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he and Qard both rushed forth to defend Donald.

Applejack ran through the maze of junk, hoping at once to find Fluttershy and avoid The Big Bad Wolf.

She knew she had seen Fluttershy run through that corridor. But with the many twists and turns afterward, she feared she had lost her way.

“Fluttershy!!?” Applejack called out.

She listened for a moment, knowing that she had given herself away to any nearby predator.

There was no answer.

Between Fluttershy’s timidity and Big Bad’s cunning, Applejack knew an answer was not likely. Suspecting an ambush at any moment, Applejack ran on her way, staying on high alert for any sign of her friend or her enemy.

“Fluttershy!!?” she called again.

“Applejack!!” came the answer.

That was it. The call came from somewhere nearby. Now, to follow it.

“Fluttershy!!?” Applejack called again.

“Applejack! I’m over here!”

Far as the farmpony looked, fast as she ran through the maze, she couldn’t see where Fluttershy was at. Finally, she found something.

A metal barrel was shivering violently, as though what or whoever inside was scared senseless.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack said. She trotted over and gently tapped the barrel. “Come on out. It’s me.”

It was only then that Applejack noticed one telling detail. From a hole in the bottom, near the back, a bushy, black tail was seen protruding.

There was a flash of metal, and Applejack was only glanced with the flat of a blade as she backpedaled.

A drop of red appeared on her face where the cleaver brushed her.

Big Bad emerged from the barrel, wearing it around his middle like a loser at a horse track.

The glutton swung and teetered in his barrel.

Applejack bucked, and sent Big Bad rolling backwards.

From inside his barrel, Big Bad steered himself. He bumped against an old carriage wheel and set himself upright, wobbling around on his base. With his cleavers outstretched, he threatened to cut Applejack high and low.

Not wanting any more cuts than she had taken, the farmpony tried to keep clear of the cleavers. She tried bucking loose pieces of scrap at Big Bad.

Anything that hit him either bounced off his barrel or was deflected by his cleavers.

One circular saw blade that Applejack bucked stuck deep into the metal barrel.

Big Bad yelped and jumped out of his protective covering.

Applejack knew she had him, and charged to buck him before he recovered.

The glutton recovered quicker than she expected. Before he even landed on the ground, Big Bad huffed and puffed. When he landed, he blew forth a breath that conjured a sandstorm.

Applejack was halted by the blowing sand, and quickly found herself buried up to her chest.

Through the haze, Big Bad could see the top of the farpony’s hat disappear beneath the sand. Now, she was immobile, and was easy prey.

Applejack had just poked her head from the top of her sand mound, and saw Big Bad closing in on her.

From above, one large rubber tire after another fell from the top of a scrap heap and landed around the glutton. Soon, Big Bad was bound and immobilized from his ankles to his snout, and fell over to the side.

“Applejack!” Fluttershy called, as she ran to her friend’s side.

“Fluttershy! Hot dang, am I glad to see you!” Applejack said, as her friend dug her out from her sandy entrapment. “Why didn’t ya tell me you were up on that junk sooner? We both coulda been outta here an’ away from that wolf”

“Um, Applejack...I wasn’t on the junk pile,” Fluttershy said.

“Then who--”

Before Applejack would wonder who saved her with the tires, a tiny beetle jumped down from the top of the scrap heap, and settled into Fluttershy’s mane.

“New friend?” Applejack asked with a tiny smirk.

“Mm-hm,” Fluttershy answered, glancing up at the insect on her head.

The sounds of Big Bad struggling to free himself cut the mare’s exchange short. Quickly as their hooves could carry them.

Behind them, Big Bad managed to get one clawed hand free and started scratching away at the tires.

The mares both ran through the winding paths of the scrapyard, until they found their way back to the wide, straight path in the middle. The way to the shop was unguarded, and the others were quickly growing overwhelmed by their attackers.

They knew what to do. Fluttershy ran for safety, while Applejack ran back into the fray.

It was coming down to the wire. The fight to protect whatever was in the shed was quickly being won. But not by any of Applejack’s friends. The only thing preventing the sniper from shooting the lock was the constant movement of his cohorts into his line of fire.

He had only three rounds left.

The hornet checked his pockets for extra ammunition, but only found brass knuckles, piano wire, pinup posters, counterfeit money, hair gel, a dozen or so combs and the paste that he used to polish his gold tooth.

Harry sighed. He would have to make his last shots count. Taking his rifle in hand and his eye to his scope, the assassin took aim again.

The lock was in his crosshairs, when a sudden wind blew a patch of dhaka seeds past him.

Harry sputtered and spat, trying to keep the seeds out of his face. In his zeal to keep them away, his finger slipped and pulled the trigger.

As Fluttershy was running to the shop, the errant bullet hit the sand before her.

“EEP!” she shouted, before running back to the opposite direction, toward the massive melee.

Try as the pegasus did to avoid the fight, she found herself caught in the middle of every battle.

She was accosted by the stag beetle, and ducked just as Applejack’s bucking hooves shot out.

As she crawled through the sand, Donald tripped backwards over her and was jumped by the ant.

Donald deflected the ant with his shutters, then held them up to block Harry’s next bullet.

Fluttershy stopped crawling when three weapons all at once clashed over her head. She ducked in cover, and laid shivering in the sand.

The owners of the weapons looked down to the pegasus in their midst.

“Fluttershy!” Uncle Scrooge said.

“Fluttershy!” Qard followed.

“Fluttershy? Looks like a Scaredy Cat,” DiMosco chuckled.

Harry saw his opening. One last bullet, and he aimed squarely between the three elders. Donald was busy with his own fight, and left a sliver of a trajectory path.

Focusing his mind, the hornet bared his teeth, letting his gold tooth glint in the sun.

The tiny glint caught Uncle Scrooge’s attention for just a moment, when they heard one last loud bang.

The bullet flew on its beeline path. Nobody knew what was coming to them, as it flew by them all. The only one who even remotely noticed it was Donald, who felt something pass between himself and the metal shutter that was only held inches away from himself.

The lock was hit. Its catch broke and the entire thing fell to the sandy ground.

“Boss! We’re in!” the ant called, before he was slapped by Donald’s shutter.

“Everyone! In the shed!” Qard shouted, before he and Uncle Scrooge both shoved DiMosco aside.

Fluttershy was helped to her hooves and guided by her friends.

Donald stood at the ready, and charged forth with his shutters held laterally.

The duck was able to push back DiMosco and the ant, but was stopped by the much larger stag beetle grabbing him from behind.

“Donald!” Fluttershy called.

The stag beetle released Donald when he was bucked from behind by Applejack.

“Just get to the shed! We’ll handle these bozos!” the farmpony shouted.

Fluttershy was hurried along when she saw Big Bad come bounding from the large central path. Even though he still had a tire stuck around his snout, she feared the fangs of the glutton.

She ran to the shed, just as Qard and Uncle Scrooge arrived. Once inside, they began coaxing their friends inside.

Big Bad saw Fluttershy in the shed, and immediately set his sights on her and the others with her. Unable to huff and puff, he wound up his arm and threw his cleavers at them.

“Jumpin’ jehosaphat!” Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he quickly slammed the shed doors shut.

The world was suddenly dark.

Two solid thuds sounded as the blades glanced off of the metal side of the shed.

There was a sound of a pebble dropping into a basin of liquid.

A light appeared from what seemed to be a shallow bowl of water. Next to it was a basket of what looked like sparkling, white rocks.

Qard took one of the rocks and dropped it into the bowl, and the light glowing from within grew bright enough to illuminate the room.

The shed had all of the usual accoutrements. Tools, a workbench, a seat, a tiny fridge stocked with drinks, and most importantly a project.

In the center of the shed, there was a large object covered by a heavy tarp. Whatever it was, no one could tell. Nor was there time to bother wondering. There were others still outside who needed help.

“Is there anythin’ in here we can use to help? Another exit?” Uncle Scrooge asked.

“The skylight,” Qard said, pointing to the small window above the workbench. He grabbed one of the tools from the bench and stood at the ready by the door. “Leave if you must. I’m staying to--”

The elderly zahak was cut off by a fit of coughing.

Fluttershy immediately helped him to the seat at the bench.

“Just give me somethin’ to squash those bugs, an’ I’ll be back out there in that hootenanny!” Uncle Scrooge said.

It was then that Fluttershy noticed something she heard.

“Wait,” she said.

“For what?” Scrooge impatiently said.

It was then that he too noticed what Fluttershy did.

There was no noise beyond the shed. Whatever struggle had been happening before, it was now completely silenced. As if everyone involved had gone away.

“Applejack?...Donald?” Fluttershy quietly called to the outside.

No answer came.

Footsteps were heard approaching. Soft crunches through the sand, toward the shed door.

“Somepony, please answer,” Fluttershy pleaded.

They all waited for a response. All they could do was sit in fatal anticipation, hoping for a friendly voice beyond the door.

Then, there came a knock.

Author's Note

Sorry for abruptly ending the chapter like that. But, isn't the tension of not knowing who is beyond the door palpable? No? I'll just have to try harder next time.

Some surprising details have been developed here. The mares both seem like they're getting a hang of recovering their magical abilities back. They seem to be driven to it by their motivation to succeed at it. Motivation, which goes hand in hand with creativity and imagination.

Also, does it seem like Uncle Scrooge may be sick? Hm...This may play into an important plot point later.

More shockingly, did Applejack bleed in this chapter? Yes. But, again, don't be so alarmed. I've seen plenty of cartoon characters bleed in my day. Remember when Batman had a bloody lip in 'Batman: The Animated Series?' I don't know what the big deal with that was. I've had worse cuts when I shave. More to the point, there have been dozens of cutesy Y-rated cartoon characters who have gotten cuts and bruises. Applejack is not exempt.

Any of my regular readers know that I try to take great care with my action scenes. This one was no exception, as I wanted to show the ways that the mares were learning how to manage without their magic. In this case, what was it that really made them so good at their respective talents?

We also got to see a little bit more of Uncle Scrooge warming up to Applejack. Perhaps by the end of the story, they will go into business together. That is assuming that either of them lives to that point.

Another detail that we saw was the shutters Donald used to fight. Normally, the characters get their costume at this point in the story arch. But, not this time. That's going to come later. However, the shutters and the way Donald wields them are something of a hint of what he is going to acquire.

Before we see that, we still need to know what is hiding inside of the shed, and why DiMosco wants it so badly. That will be revealed in chapters to come, so just rock on for a while until then \m/

Chapter 41: A Plan is Needed

Chapter 41

A Plan is Needed

Fluttershy recoiled from the door when she heard the sudden, tinny knock. As she quickly backed away, she bumped into something behind her making her jump once more.

It was only the object covered by the tarp. There was clearly no danger behind herself. But, what of the stranger at the door?

“Hello?” she cautiously asked.

No answer came.

Slowly, the pegasus inched toward the door.

She was stopped by Uncle Scrooge’s cane hooking her shoulder.

“Don’t ye go near that door, lass. It could be danger,” the tycoon warned her.

“But, what if it’s Applejack and Donald trying to get in?” Fluttershy asked.

The beetle atop her head nodded in agreement.

“Or, it could be DiMosco an’ his thugs tryin’ to get in! We need to find out for sure first,” Uncle scrooge said.

That was all Qard needed to hear. With a quiet groan, he managed to lift himself from his seat and set to locking the shed’s door.

“Mr. Qard! What are you doing?” Fluttershy asked.

“The duck is right. We have to keep them out, no matter what,” Qard said, as he started quickly bolting the doors shut.

“But, the others! What if they’re…” Fluttershy trailed off, not wanting to think about what could have happened to her friends who did not make it into the safety of the shed.

“I’m not worried about Donald. He an’ I have been through our fair shares of fights. Often against jokers tougher than those bugs out there. If anythin’, he an’ Applejack have retreated to a safer place,” Uncle Scrooge assured.

Instead of relief, Fluttershy was gripped by fear.

“Then...If they ran away...Who’s knocking…?” she asked.

The knocking on the door sounded again.

Everyone in the shed warily eyed the doors. Fluttershy watched as Qard slowly placed the last bolt to lock the door. In the back of her mind, she could only wonder whether or not her friends were actually outside the shed. But if they were, why had they not announced themselves.

Once again, there was a knock.

“Applejack…?” Fluttershy asked.

“Donald? Is that ye out there?” Uncle Scrooge called.

Instead of the country drawl or a squawking gab, there came a malicious chuckle

“Guess again, old timer,” answered the voice of DiMosco.

The sound of the voice put everyone on edge. Qard reached to take hold of a heavy wrench, before answering the magnate.

“What do you want?” Qard asked.

“Don’t you go askin’ questions you know the answer to. That kind o’ roundabout don’t fly here,” DiMosco chuckled. “‘Course, now that I got y’all holed up in there, no hope of escapin’, I think it’s time we started negotiatin’ like civilized folk.”

“Don’t do it. It’s surely a trick,” Uncle Scrooge told Qard. He walked right to the door to address DiMosco, “Now, ye listen up! There will be no negotiatin’ with an underhanded crook where I’m concerned! Ye hear me, ye stain on a Sunday paper!”

The door before Uncle Scrooge rattled violently, as though it were struck hard. The sudden impact made the tycoon jolt back from the door.

“Butt out, duck. This don’t concern you. Not yet, anyhow,” DiMosco said. “Now listen up, you with the one wing: that little pet project o’ yers is nothin’ but a lost cause at this point. I know for a fact that you ain’t got the means to finish it. An’ that even if ya did, ya don’t have nearly enough time to get it finished.”

“Sniff your dung heap, fly!! Even if I never finish, I’ll see to it you never lay a hand on--” Qard shouted, before he began coughing loudly.

Fluttershy helped the elderly zahak back to his chair. Her attention was brought back to the door by the sound of DiMosco’s voice.

“Stubborn ol’ coot, ain’cha? I can tell that ya got some pretty strong emotional attachment to that jalopy o’ yers. So, I’ll make ya a deal: you let me buy it off ya for at least twenty million times what it’s worth, an’ me an’ my boys’ll have that thing finished, primed and ready to go by the end o’ the week. Ya think you’ll live at least that long, don’t ya?” DiMosco said.

Uncle Scrooge knew that whenever someone offered such a hefty sum for something they called worthless, there was always an ulterior motive. Whatever was in the shed with them, he knew they could never relinquish it to DiMosco.

“There’s no sum that can equate to a man’s dream’s an’ desires. Now shoo, fly!” Uncle Scrooge said.

The tycoon’s ire was roused by another chuckle from DiMosco. Whatever the magnate found so amusing, Uncle Scrooge wished he could wipe that smile off his face with the broad end of his cane.

“I think you of all folks knows that there actually is a sum to dreams an’ desires. Just how big’s yer money bin, exactly?” DiMosco asked.

“None o’ yer goldurn business!” Uncle Scrooge shouted.

“No need to get all hot an’ bothered, old timer. I’m just makin’ a point here.”

“Oh? An’ just what is that?”

“Only that for every square foot in yer midget money bin, every bill, every coin, every precious gem, it’s an addition to the sum o’ yer dreams,” DiMosco said. “You know full well that everyone has their price. An’ by payin’ for theirs, you just gave ‘em the means to fulfill all their heart’s desires. With every bit o’ currency, even the lowest gutter-rat’s dreams come a step closer to comin’ true. A lot o’ folks don’t know it, but money really is the key to happiness. An’ the ones that say otherwise are just foolin’ themselves to try an’ make do with what lousy lot in life they got. So, all you gotta do is name yer price, anything at all, an’ all yer dreams an’ desires can come true.”

Uncle Scrooge wanted to rebut, but he knew that DiMosco was right. Everything that ever made him happy and offered a comfortable lifestyle came from having the money to afford it. And for everything he desired to acquire, he simply had to offer a bag of money to have it in his possession.

He was not ready to admit defeat. He was going to find some way to refute DiMosco’s claim. But, no matter what he thought of, it only proved the magnate’s point.

Fluttershy glanced up to the beetle in her mane. Ever since she found the tiny bug, she felt as if she were doing the same with it as she did with the other animals back home.

The thought of her home made her remember every moment of happiness spent there. Be it taking care of her animal friends, helping Pinkie in Sugarcube Corner, or modeling for Rarity, all of it made her happier than the bits she never seemed to have.

“But, I don’t have any money…” Fluttershy quietly told Uncle Scrooge.

“What was that? If ye’ve somethin’ to say, say it so I can hear ye,” Uncle Scrooge answered.

“I said that...I don’t have any money...But, I’m still happy,” Fluttershy said.

That was precisely what Uncle Scrooge needed to hear. Before he was ever the richest duck in the world, he was a poor boy living in a ramshackle house on the outskirts of Glasgow. Life was often difficult, but rarely was it miserable. Not with the presence of his parents, his three siblings and his uncle Jake. Years later when he amassed his fortune, he had completely forgotten the closeness and comfort his family brought him. Even when he was raising his own nephew and niece, he could never recall such a thing. It was only when Donald was grown and raising his own nephews that he ever remembered what he felt as a child in Scotland.

With that in mind, he knew what he had to get the better of DiMosco.

“Keep your money. There’s nothing you can pay for what I have,” Qard said.

To his side, Fluttershy thought she could see Qard’s eyes soften in the darkness beneath his turban. Whatever it was he meant, the pegasus could tell it was something that had meant a great deal to him. Something that went beyond material wealth. Something that DiMosco could never hope to afford.

“He’ll leave us alone now, won’t he?” Fluttershy asked.

As a business duck, Uncle Scrooge had dealt with all manner of partners. There were those who gave up when they realized that there was no amount they could pay. But, they were the amateurs. There were others who were more cunning and resilient than most in the world of business. And they often knew other ways to acquire what they wanted.

The moment they heard the magnate’s devious chuckling, they all knew that he had something else up his sleeve.

“I hear ya. You folks are them ‘immaterial’ types. Looks like I’ll just have to move on with my life,” DiMosco said. “Oh. An’ since ya don’t care for anything material, I guess ya won’t mind if I keep yer friends for myself.”

Fluttershy gasped sharply. Ever since she arrived at the safety of the shed she feared the worst for the others. Now, that fear had appeared to come horribly true. She knew the hardiness of Applejack and Donald. But, she could not help but think that they both had finally encountered something they could not overcome.

Uncle Scrooge clenched his teeth, held his chest and shook his cane at the door.

“Ye’re bluffin’! I know my nephew! He’d o’ hightailed it outta here, an’ come back to bite ye when ye least expect it! With reinforcements!” he said.

“And Applejack would never let herself get caught. Not when she just learned to buck without her magic,” Fluttershy quietly said.

“An’ Applejack would never let herself get caught, after learnin’ how to buck without magic!” Uncle Scrooge repeated loudly enough for DiMosco to hear.

“Ya think so?” the fly said. “Maurice. Andy. Let the bargainin’ chips breathe, why don’t ya?”

As if some radio had been cranked up to its loudest setting, two familiar voices began shouting loudly.

“--PUT ME DOWN!! PUT ME DOWN!! THEN YOU’LL GET WHAT’S COMIN’ TO YA--”

“--YA OVERSIZED HOUSE PEST!! I’M GONNA BUCK YA WHERE IT HURTS AN’--”

“--MAKE YA WISH YOUR MOMMA NEVER MET YOUR PAPA--”

“--YA CUD SUCKIN’--”

“--SON OF A WAK-WAK-WAK-WAAAAK--”

And suddenly, their voices went silent.

Fluttershy’s color drained. There was no denying it then. Her friends were in trouble, and needed help desperately.

She was about to unlock the door for the others to rescue their friends. But, Qard’s clawed hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“No. No one here goes near those locks,” the elderly zahak said.

“But…” Fluttershy wanted to protest, but the words froze in her throat.

“But nothing. Whatever they’re planning, they need our cooperation. And they know that they will only have that so long as your friends live.”

There was only silence both inside and outside the shed. Fluttershy froze completely at the thought that Qard was selling out her friends for his own gain. Uncle Scrooge glared harshly, wanting to shout and swing his cane. Instead, he placed his hand over his heart to keep it steady, rather than risk more chest pains.

A soft thump sounded outside the shed, as though something had set itself against it.

“Hm…” said DiMosco’s voice, as though he were right up against the shed. “Looks like ya got me again. Negotiatin’ with ya wouldn’t do much good if I snuffed out yer pals here. So, I’m gonna let ya think about this: you two strangers in Kamelut got a mighty fine barter right there in that shed with ya. If y’all let me have it, you get yer friends back. If not, then I can’t guarantee their safety.”

It was an ultimatum of the worst kind. Selling out someone else to save others. Fluttershy looked to the tarp-covered object, then to Qard, who protectively sat by it.

Uncle Scrooge would hear no more of the negotiation. He hobbled to the door where he heard DiMosco laughing. Taking his cane by the bottom tip, he aimed the handle at the door the way a golfer aimed at a golf ball.

He calculated his swing. Going by the height of DiMosco, his target was some three feet off the ground.

Uncle Scrooge wound up, and swung with all his might, striking the metal door.

Outside, DiMosco was flung forward by the seat of his pants, and landed in the sand.

“You alright there, boss?” the ant asked.

Without missing a beat, DiMosco stood up, brushed the sand from his suit and put his hat back atop his head. Once he tidied himself, he turned back to the shed.

“Okay. I wanna close this deal today, so I’ll give y’all a few hours to think it over. When the time comes, I expect an answer. In the meantime, I’ll be keepin’ yer friends here as collateral,” he said

When he was done talking to everyone taking refuge in the shed, DiMosco went to address the others outside with him.

He passed by the Big Bad Wolf, who was trying desperately to remove the tire from around his head. Past him were the ant and the stag beetle, who held tightly to their prisoners.

“Get these bozos outta here. Take ‘em to HQ, an’ wait for me to drop by with any further updates on this here business deal,” DiMosco said.

“Where do we keep ‘em there?” the stag beetle asked.

“Where? Look where HQ is. Soon as they’re there, they ain’t goin’ nowhere,” the magnate answered, as he indicated the flying fortress in the distance.

Upon learning where they were going, Donald and Applejack doubled their efforts to escape. But, even though their captors were insects, they easily kept their hold.

“Let’s get movin’. This little bronco’s buckin’ somethin’ fierce,” the stag beetle said, as he tightened his grip on Applejack.

The farmpony yelped when she felt her back pop.

“Aw, quit yer whinin’. Maurice here’s been practicin’ for his chiropractor’s license. Hey, how about you show these mooks how you fix deadbeats’ backs when we get to HQ?” the ant said.

The two toughs left the others behind. As they departed, DiMosco turned to Big Bad who managed to slip a fang over the edge of the tire around his face. The glutton began viciously chewing it. In seconds, he was free, with shreds of rubber surrounding his feet.

“Hey, boss, why don’t I get us into that shed? I wouldn’t even need to huff an’ puff to blow that thing down,” Big Bad suggested.

He took a single deep breath in, but was barely at a quarter of his maximum air capacity when DiMosco stuck his cane in Big Bad’s mouth.

“Hold it right there, leaf blower,” DiMosco said, “You blow that shed down, you risk damagin’ our merchandise. Now, I like that yer takin’ initiative. But, we’re gonna need somethin’ a bit less forceful.”

Big Bad spat out DiMosco’s cane.

“What’d ya have in mind, boss?” he asked.

“Not quite sure yet,” the magnate said, as he took a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped off his cane. “It’s gotta be somethin’ low key an’ non-forcible.”

“Some way to smoke ‘em out?” Big Bad suggested.

“Now yer thinkin. Go root around through this scrap heap, an’ see what ya can’t dig up. I’ll keep an eye here with Harry,” DiMosco said.

While Big Bad ran off to collect anything that could help his evil endeavors, Harry was frantically searching for more ammo around the rooftop he was on.

He had brought more bullets, he was sure of it. He was never without another clip or two. But, at the moment, the assassin was bereft of ammunition.

Harry hurriedly crawled across the ground, looking for his lost ammo. His head bumped into the one splitted leg of the table on the rooftop, and spilled the glass he was drinking from.

“Ow!” the hornet said.

He immediately pulled a comb from his pocket and scrambled out from beneath the table to fix his hair.

His knee landed in the spilled drink.

“Aw! Rgh!” Harry growled.

He set to work fixing both problems at once, wiping off his knee and combing his hair.

The spilled drink began running toward him.

Not about to ruin his shoes, Harry started hopping backwards. If only he had been paying attention to how near to the ledge he was.

The hornet teetered backwards over the edge on one foot, and looked over his shoulder. Even with the ability to fly, it was a long way to fall before orienting himself.

He was about to buzz himself back to balance, when he saw something. His missing ammo clip was resting on a windowsill just one floor down. Likely, it had fallen when he had his previous close call.

Carefully as ever, Harry pivoted on the ball of his foot and leaned over the edge, until his ankle was hooked on the ledge. Slowly, he buzzed his wings and lowered himself to reach his fallen ammo. Once he had it in his grip, he buzzed his way back up again, loaded his rifle and took his spot to keep an eye on his targets. Anyone who took one step outside of the shed would take their last.

Inside the shed, indecision and animosity mounted slowly.

“Well, I hope yer happy. Ye just sold out my family an’ her friend to keep yer precious shed safe!” Uncle Scrooge said to Qard.

“I bought us time to figure out a way to save them. Had I remained silent, DiMosco would have taken them both to the desert to be killed, and thrown what was left of them to the ghuls,” Qard rebutted.

“Had I spoken first, I’d have-- I woulda--” The tycoon nearly blew up in Qard’s face, but his steadily increasing heartbeat stopped him.

Even if he could have answered, Uncle Scrooge knew there was nothing he could have said to reason with or outsmart DiMosco. In the back of his mind, he feared that what DiMosco told him was true. That he truly was a greater version of himself.

Qard coughed gently and leaned on the object covered by a tarp.

“You don’t have time to argue. If you are going to rescue the others, you need to get out of here. Go through the skylight and follow those bugs to the sky tram. Just follow that flying fortress to find it,” Qard said.

“But, what about you? What will you do all alone against DiMosco and...that wolf?” Fluttershy asked.

“Don’t worry about me. If they do ever come inside here, I’ll make sure they never take what is rightfully my own. Even if I have to destroy it completely,” the elderly zahak said, clenching the tarp in his fist.

As the others were talking, Uncle Scrooge placed a small crate on the workbench and climbed up to reach the skylight. Using his cane, he pushed the opaque glass open and raised it up out of the shed.

A shot fired, and the tip of the tycoon’s cane was shot off.

“Blast it all!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted. He lifted his fist out through the window to shake at the offender, “Ye owe me a new cane!!”

Another shot was fired, which took the cufflink off of Uncle Scrooge’s sleeve. Before another bullet was shot, the tycoon retracted his arm to safety.

“Mr. McDuck! Did he--Are you--” Fluttershy stammered, afraid to ask her own question.

Uncle Scrooge stumbled back down to the workbench and hopped to the floor.

“I’m alright, lass. But, my cane! This was a gift from my sister!” the tycoon said.

“There are wooden pegs, glue and nails over there in those trays. Use them to fix your keepsake,” Qard said, which Uncle Scrooge readily obliged. “As for me. I’m afraid that I’ll have to abandon my own.” He stopped a moment, and stared fixedly at the object covered by the tarps. “I pray that Khabuubhi forgives me.”

Fluttershy watched as Alshuhum Qard slowly removed the tarps from the object in the middle of the shed. What she saw stunned her.

It looked like some sort of flying machine. But, it was unlike any she had seen before in her life. Unlike the usual balloons and dirigibles that were commonplace in her home, this machine had wings. Majestic metal wings that looked fit to soar as gracefully as any bird or pegasus.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said, as she rounded to the front of the machine to examine the propeller.

The beetle in her mane hopped out and started walking along the edges of the propeller. Up one way and down to the next, before the propeller started tilting slightly under its weight. Thus, the insect went scrambling back to the safety of Fluttershy’s mane.

“Yes. This is my life’s work. A dream shared by me and my friend,” Qard said, as he rubbed his clawed hand on the metal sides of the machine.

“You mean your friend wanted to build it too?” Fluttershy asked.

“Wanted to? He started the project first. In fact, it was he who inspired me to help him finish it,” the elderly zahak chuckled at the memory. Soon, his gentle laughter faded, and he sighed heavily as his one wing drooped.

“Most interestin’,” Uncle Scrooge said, before he started repairing his cane. “Exactly what is it about this contraption that DiMosco wants so badly? It looks like a regular aeroplane to me.”

“This,” Qard emphatically said, “Is no mere flying machine. It was made to be the optimum of air travel! Personal flight for every creature! All could experience the joys we zahaks do!”

Were his face uncovered by his grease-stained turban, Fluttershy knew that Qard’s face would have been rosy with delight. How she wished she could have seen it, if only to share the smile he had passed on to her.

“But, it seems to me that DiMosco could have easily built one of his own. Why would he need yer plane specifically?” Uncle Scrooge asked.

“Because,” Qard said, with a glint in his eye, “Of those stones in the basket next to you, duck.”

Uncle Scrooge looked and saw the same sparkling, white stones that Qard used to illuminate the room by dropping them in water.

Before the tycon could ask, Qard opened the fuel tank on his machine, and revealed that it too was filled with the same stones.

“This is the first flying vehicle in history not powered by something so unstable as magic. These mithra stones are easily created from nothing but sand and light. And output more power than magic when harnessed properly, which can make them last far longer than any magical engine!” the elderly zahak said.

“An’ ye know this from usin’ it before?” Uncle Scrooge asked.

“That’s just it. This is the very first engine of its kind! We in Kamelut typically use mithra stones as a source of light. But, Khabuubhi. He saw an alternative use in them. A greater use that would allow all to soar the skies as far as they wished to go!”

And all at once, Qard’s jovial and jubilant tone slowed to a dismayed sigh, as his wing drooped again.

“Khabuubhi so wished he could fly. When we were younger, I would tease him that ladies preferred a creature who could take them high as the sky. Which was why he added the second seat. For all the dates he would steal from me.”

“And...did he?” Fluttershy wondered.

Uncle Scrooge had finished repairing his cane, and quietly walked over to hear the rest of the story.

For a long while, Qard was silent. Even though his face was hidden, and all that was visible was a dark void with two shining eyes, Fluttershy knew how he was feeling. Like a creature who had the desperate need to confess or convey something. Somepony who wanted to have another help them to carry their emotional burden.

“No…” Qard answered.

He said nothing more afterward. But, he remembered every detail of that horrible day over fifty years ago. Something had gone wrong with their machine. They had gone through every detail. Checked every discrepancy they could find to keep their mithra-powered engine stable. Yet, it was not the engine where any problem laid.

There had been a flaw in the construction they had overlooked, which kept power from being drawn from the mithra stones.

As a young zahak, Qard recalled watching from the ground, and seeing how his friend lost control of their machine. How he flew to save Khabuubhi, and failed to do so.

Even as their machine was plummeting, Qard refused to abandon his friend. They soon crashed to the ground, and his world turned black.

On his back, Qard’s one wing twitched at the memory of when he awoke. He was amazed to find he was alive on the dunes. But, his right wing was pinned under the broken tail of their machine. Before him, Khabuubhi laid motionless in his seat.

Whether he was unconscious or already dead, young Qard did not know. All he knew was that his friend was slowly sinking beneath the sands.

Qard called his name, but heard no answer. No matter how he struggled, he could not pull his wing free. Nor could he move the heavy machine.

Khabuubhi was sinking steadily.

In a desperate move, young Qard took a broken piece of metal and sacrificed his own wing. But, it was not enough.

For as fast as he was, for as determined as he was, he was too late.

The front of the machine sank beneath the sands with Khabuubhi still inside. Heartbroken and frantic, young Qard ran to retrieve the equipment to save his friend. Though he was able to retrieve the remainder of the machine, his friend had disappeared from it. Swallowed by the sands of the desert.

Khabuubhi was gone. The only thing left of him would be his memory. And the dream that he shared with him. A dream that had cost him his life.

Hundreds, possibly thousands of times throughout his life, Qard considered dismantling the machine that took away his friend and ended his own dreams. But Khabuubhi’s dream kept him trying to repair, restore and finish the machine. No matter what part was lost and could not have been replaced. No matter how it would have to be modified or adjusted. He was going to complete it.

Now, at the end of his life, Alshuhum Qard feared he would never fulfill the dream he had inherited.

The elderly zahak coughed and leaned over his machine.

Fluttershy did not know what else to do for Qard. She stood upon her hind legs, and gently hugged him around his waist.

The beetle on the pegasus’s head had to take cover behind her ear to avoid Qard’s hand stroking through Fluttershy’s mane.

Qard rested his hand on Fluttershy’s wing, remembering the feeling of flight.

Uncle Scrooge could fully empathize with what he knew the elderly zahak was feeling. The most worthwhile thing he ever did in his life was look after his departed sister’s children. Years later, he lost one of them in a terrible accident. A pain in his chest then made him realize how far into his own life he had gone, and how little time he may have had left.

He placed his hand over his aching heart. Now, after losing one of Hortense’s children, he feared he had failed her for losing the other.

It would not end that way. The tycoon was determined to keep his promise to his sister. Even if it was the last thing he did. Looking to the flying machine, then to the disparate, assorted junk that was lying about, he knew they had the means to do so.

“Gather what parts ye can. We’re gonna make this bird fly,” Uncle Scrooge declared.

“How? I’ve spent more than fifty years trying to piece this junk back together. What can you expect to do to finish this in time to save your friends?” Qard said.

“We’ll do it,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve been doing things I never knew I could do. All because of the magic my friends have been teaching me. And, I know that our magic will help you finish your machine.”

“What magic? If you hadn’t been robbed of your power, you would have flown already,” Qard rebutted.

“You’ll see,” Fluttershy said, as she glanced to the beetle atop her head.

Though just a bug, the beetle could feel the connection. Something that had drawn it to Fluttershy, which it could not explain. But, it was there. And the beetle knew it was something that went beyond simple convenience.

In a moment, the beetle started choking. It grabbed its tiny throat, spun once on its tiny heel and fell over backwards.

“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

Her worry grew tenfold when Qard started coughing again. A violent, wheezing cough different from the other times before. Then, a pungent smell reached them.

“Everypony get down!” Fluttershy urgently said.

She and the others all dropped to the sand, as above them a black cloud formed. Somewhere, a rumble of an engine was heard.

Beyond the shed, DiMosco’s devious chuckling came and echoed between the tinny walls.

Somewhere outside, an exhaust tube was attached to the shed. At the other end, a crudely assembled engine was spewing black exhaust into an open vent.

At the engine, Big Bad was turning a crank, powering the machine to belch out more of its toxic fog.

“Ist das nicht ein smoke-en haus? Ist das nicht ein filthy louse? HA!!” Big Bad sang, as he cranked harder on his homemade smoker.

“Ha-ha-ha-haaa! Just goes to show there’s more than one way to smoke a hog!” DiMosco said, as he fanned the exhaust into the vent with his hat.

It was so ingeniously simple. In a few moments, they would smoke out their opponents in the shed for Harry to pick off. Otherwise, they would all succumb to the noxious fumes. Either way, victory was in their grasp.

Author's Note

Looks like another new plan is needed as well. And it better come fast, or one of two things is going to happen. Neither one very pleasant.

Another very unpleasant development is that now Donald and Applejack are both in serious trouble. What's to become of them when they get taken to the big money bin in the sky?

Being mostly dialogue, I found this chapter rather dull to write. As such, I had to some up with some interesting topics for the characters to cover. Things like trying to outwit DiMosco, or some insight to what Qard is trying to protect and how he lost his wing.

Matter of fact, the most fun part to write was Harry the hornet's search for more ammo. While just a minor part, that was the part I imagined being the most fun visually.

At least now we know what it is DiMosco wants. Not just a prototype airplane, but a way to power his own transports.

And even though it's still a bit subtle, we can see Fluttershy getting a handle on her usual talents without her magic. Who knows, maybe it's not even magic at all that's letting the mares return to their old selves?

Some bits of trivia dropped here were things like how Uncle Scrooge's cane was a gift from his sister. This is true. As were the glasses he wears. And his top hat too, if I'm not mistaken.

Another bit of trivia, but Mithra is the name of the Persian sun goddess. I guess she could be the Kamelut equivalent of Princess Celestia. I don't think that we'll ever be seeing Mithra or Maha in this story. But, you readers can imagine what they're like. Personally, I picture Mithra being some kind of bird, and Maha being an asura (six armed demon, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term).

That's all I've got here for now. Next chapter, we'll have a look at how Donald and Applejack are faring. We'll also see what's going to happen with the others at the shed. Hope you all rock on \m/

Chapter 42: A Bug's Peril

Chapter 42

A Bug’s Peril

High in the sky, the massive fortress awaited its new arrivals.

A sky tram plodded along its cables, carrying Donald, Applejack and their two captors. It didn’t matter how much they had struggled, or how much they called for help. They were now headed to an unknown fate in the flying fortress.

The two prisoners sat restlessly in their seats, agitated by the casual demeanor of the two burly bugs. The ant leaned against a wall, idly awaiting arrival. The stag beetle had picked up a newspaper that some other passenger had left behind, and read about the progress on the railways being built.

Donald whiled away the time by looking out the window, and watched their destination grow ever closer to him.

As for Applejack, she never took her eyes off of the two bugs. Though she had gotten her bucking groove back, it was no match for her opponents, who still overpowered her. During the whole trip, she had been planning revenge on them both. Contemplating the strengths and weaknesses of her bucking technique, and analyzing her opponents for any weak spots. Mostly, it was clouded by the many ways she could think of to execute such retribution.

The stag beetle lowered his newspaper and glanced at Applejack.

“Would you quit staring already? We beat you fair and square,” the stag beetle said.

Applejack said nothing.

“Fine. Be a sore loser. You only got yourself to blame for not being able to buck.”

That struck a nerve like no other for the farmpony. Before her magic was stolen, she had been the best bucker in Equestria. Now without it, what was she? A second-rate bucker. A rank amateur, at best.

Applejack’s mind went back to the scrapyard when she bucked the hammer that was thrown at her. She knew it was no mere fluke that she was able to make a trick shot like she did. If she thought about it, it was the same as when she bucked competitively. The same feeling of drive and perfected technique she had spent days upon days practicing.

Lights turned on in Applejack’s brain. Now that she thought about it, having magic had very little to do with bucking the way that she did. It was the product of her own drive and motivation to be the best bucker there was, and the countless accumulated hours, days, weeks that she spent working her way to that level of skill.

Across from herself, the farmpony saw Donald glowering out the window. They were growing nearer to the flying fortress.

The closer they came, the more it seemed less like a fortress, and more like a small city. Many buildings were seen within it, with many, many creatures roaming about it. Camels and zahaks were seen. But, most of all there were other insects like the ones Applejack and her friends had been fighting against.

Each one of the creatures was climbing into some transport at the edge of the fortress, or loading construction equipment to be shipped away to some other part of the kingdom. And for as far as the eye could see, more of the massive railways stretched out in all directions. Some of them were only just being built. Others stretched far into the horizon, making Donald and Applejack wonder just how far DiMosco intended to reach out and ensnare other kingdoms. With a budget like his, his reach was probably endless.

They needed to escape. Somehow, they needed to find a way to sink DiMosco’s plans, before he corrupted and bled more kingdoms dry.

Looking out the window, Applejack saw that they were now over the fortress, and were about to dock at one of the higher stations. A glance downward, and she saw more of the sky trams below them, ferrying along other passengers to the destinations.

The farmpony glanced to the insects with them. The ant was patiently waiting, completely lax with his hat turned down. The stag beetle was distracted completely by his newspaper.

As surreptitiously as she could, Applejack slid from her seat, across the aisle and sat down next to Donald.

“Pst,” she whispered, as she nudged the duck.

“Hm?” Donald answered.

“Keep them bugs busy. I’m gettin’ us off this slow boat to Tartarus.”

“How?”

“No time to explain. Just keep ‘em away from the door.”

Seeing how close they were to where they were going, Donald simply obliged rather than question Applejack.

The two got up from their seats, and walked down the aisle of the tram. Applejack stopped by the door, while Donald walked ahead between her and the bugs.

Applejack turned around and aimed her hooves at the door.

The ant suddenly snapped to alertness.

“HEY!” he shouted.

With a loud crash, Applejack bucked the doors out of their grooves, making an opening for them to escape.

Both bugs stood up to attack.

Donald was ready for them. He ducked under the ant’s punch and suckerpunched him twice in the gut.

The stag beetle was too large to easily overpower.

Donald grabbed the newspaper the beetle held, and pushed his larger opponent back into the ant.

Taking the paper, the duck rolled it up and blew into one end, inflating it to three times its size. He raised his enlarged newspaper over his head and slammed it down on both bugs at once, stunning them both.

“Ha! The ultimate anti-pest weapon!” Donald said, sheathing his newspaper like it was a rapier.

“We gotta jump!” Applejack said.

“Wak-wak-wak-What!!?”

There was too little time to spare. Applejack grabbed Donald’s sleeve in her teeth and pulled him with her out of the sky tram.

Both shouted loudly as they freefell through the air. Applejack held tightly to her hat. Donald pulled his own hat more tightly around his head and flapped his arms, hoping somehow that his nature as a flying waterfowl would kick in. The only thing that came close was the slight resistance that the newspaper he held granted.

The top of another sky tram was coming closer as they plummeted.

The passengers within heard a sudden loud thump on the roof above them, and gasped loudly. Looking up, they saw two dents in the roof. One shaped like a duck. The other, like a pony.

Applejack pulled her face out of her own impression and shook her head. Across from her, Donald lifted his head, but his bill stretched out as if it were pasted to the tram beneath them. With one last pull, the duck pulled his bill free.

“Now what, genius?” Donald said.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Duck! I just saved our hides!” Applejack said.

“Great! Swell! What do we do next!?” Donald fumed, indicating that they were nowhere near the ground, and there were no more safe landings.

“Cool yer tenders! I’m thinkin’ o’ somethin’!”

There was no time to think. DiMosco’s men would likely be after them soon.

Fluttershy was not around to help Donald fly. Looking to the newspaper in his hand, the duck knew he would have to improvise.

“Get on!” Donald said, indicating his back.

“You got a plan?” Applejack asked, as she readly clung to the duck’s back.

“We’re flyin’ outta here!” Donald said, as he spread his arms, pages in each hand.

“What!? Now who’s talkin’--HORSE AAAAPPLLLEEESSSS!!!”

Applejack shouted more loudly than ever when Donald abruptly jumped from the sky tram.

With his papers in hand, Donald started flapping his makeshift wings. With Applejack’s extra weight on his back, getting any resistance to float, so much as flutter, was next to impossible.

The duck flapped his arms harder, losing only minimal velocity as he dropped.

They both jolted hard when Donald landed on a steeply sloped rooftop, and started sliding down the incline.

Both flew off the ledge, releasing one another in midair. Donald grabbed a wire that ran between two buildings. Applejack barely managed to save herself by chomping Donald’s tail feathers.

“WAK!!” the duck shouted, and let go of the cables.

They continued to fall, tumbling their way through the wires that ran between the many buildings in the fortress.

In one of the offices, a black widow idly sat at her switchboard with a phone to her ear.

“I swear, if I go home tonight, and he forgot our anniversary for a third year running, he’s worm food!” the black widow said into her phone.

Outside her window, she saw two creatures climbing down the wires that crossed from her building to the neighboring one.

“Hang on a second. I need to zap a couple of pigeons, before they ruin the wires out here,” the spider said.

She put her phone down, transposed a few wires on her switchboard, and pressed a switch to the side.

“Ya hear somethin’ buzzin’?” Applejack asked.

Both were unceremoniously zapped, as electricity coursed through the wires they held onto. With one strong jolt, they flew from the cables, leaving a trail of smoke behind them.

There was no way for them to see where they were going in that moment. But with a loud crash, they both found themselves meeting solid ground.

“Aw…” Applejack groaned. She picked herself up, and found she had landed on a laminated tile floor. Looking up, she saw that they had been blown through a roof. “Dang...That was some shock…”

When she rubbed her sore head, the farmpony noticed something crucial had disappeared. She didn’t know when. Only that it had to have happened after Donald jumped from the sky tram.

“My hat!!”

Applejack started frantically searching the room for her hat. The one memento of her parents, now lost somewhere.

Donald wobbled to his feet, and was knocked down again by Applejack’s mad search.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!?” the duck fumed.

“My hat’s gone!” Applejack answered, as she lifted Donald up to look beneath him.

“Knock that off! We’ll find it on our way outta here! Before more of those bugs show up!” Donald said, as he climbed down from Applejack’s hoist.

She hated to go, but the farmpony knew that staying around would only make it more likely for them to be caught. Hesitantly she ran to the door with Donald, taking one last look around the room before leaving.

Black exhaust was seeping from every nook and cranny in Alshuhum Qard’s shed.

Big Bad was working double duty to both turn the crank on the machine spewing the exhaust, and blowing it harder through the ventilation tube it was funneled into.

DiMosco watched the shed, listening for any signs of life within. Though he heard much loud chatter, there were no sounds of anyone trying to make an escape.

“Keep it up, Zeke. I’m gonna go have one last talk with our associates,” the magnate said.

“You got it,” Big Bad said, before he blew another black cloud into the vent.

DiMosco casually sauntered up to the shed’s door and knocked with his cane.

“How y’all holdin’ up in there? Gettin’ a bit stuffy in that little hotbox, I bet,” he said.

There came an answer from inside, but it was too choked and sputtered for DiMosco to understand.

“Well, in that case, I’ll tell ya what: come on out o’ there right now, an’ I’ll tell my sniper not to blow y’all away when ya do? But in exchange, I want me that ol’ beater in there. Sound like a fair deal?” the magnate asked.

He waited for an answer. Once more, a strained reply was given. A reply in the camel language that he would never repeat in front of his mother.

“That’s how ya feel about it, huh? Doesn’t worry me none. I just gotta wait another five minutes or so. Less, if Zeke there can blow any harder.”

The prisoners inside the shed heard DiMosco’s laughter again. They knew that they had very little time left, as the noxious fumes poured in.

Fluttershy looked frantically for a way to escape. The skylight was not an option, with the distant assassin watching it closely. The front door was out as well, being guarded by Big Bad and DiMosco.

As she searched for an escape, the beetle in her mane caught sight of the source of the exhaust. Through a crack in the shed, black fumes seeped in. Too high for any of the others to reach, and too narrow for them to do anything about it.

They would have to buy themselves time to formulate a plan

Beneath her hooves, Fluttershy noticed how soft the sand was. Enough to be dug away hopefully enough for ventilation.

“Everypony...This way…” the pegasus coughed.

Hoping she had found some way to escape, or at least some temporary relief, Uncle Scrooge and Alshuhum Qard crawled after her.

Qard’s ailing lungs succumbed to the noxious fumes and started coughing loudly.

Fluttershy helped the elderly zahak to the edge of the shed, where she started digging her hooves into the sand.

Taking her cue, the two elders started digging the grains away from the base of the shed, until they hit the solid dirt underneath the loose sand.

In moments, daylight was seen peering through the bottom of the shed. All three quickly took refuge by the precious leak of fresh air.

They knew they could not stay where they were. Somehow they had to escape, or stop the machine outside. Either way, it seemed impossible for them to do much of anything.

The beetle looked to the source of the exhaust. It did not know what it would do, or how it would do it. But, it knew that somehow it had to save the pegasus who saved its own life before.

Quickly as anything, the tiny insect jumped from Fluttershy’s mane to the leg of the nearby workbench, where it climbed its way up to the table.

As it skittered its way past the various tools and bits and pieces, the beetle collected a few items for when it may have needed them. Having lived its entire life slightly bigger than a mouse, it could never be too careful.

A screw cap was placed atop its head as a makeshift helmet. A tiny coil of copper wire was taken, just in case. And a screw was tucked into the coil of wire, for anything that needed to be prised open.

Now, it was fully equipped. Ready to take on anything that came its way, the beetle began climbing the wall to save its newest friend.

The crack in the shed billowed toxic clouds like the mouth of a beast with halitosis. Knowing full well was going to be a canary in a coal mine, the little bug took a deep breath in and climbed headlong into the source of the mist.

Past the mouth of the ventilation tube, the black clouds mostly floated near the top. With the danger above it, the beetle kept low as it ran along the tube.

The translucent sides of the tube offered little light. What sun shone through was warped and distorted by the sides of the tube, creating harsh glares of light that branched out like the many legs of a spider.

The uneven, coiled form of the tube made keeping pace difficult. But, for the sake of its new friend, the beetle ran boldly on.

In the tube with it, there were more insects and arachnids. Stragglers who had simply made their homes within the tube, and who were now trying to escape from the black cloud above them.

The beetle lurched suddenly forward, and found itself looking out of a hole in the tube to the ground below.

It teetered precariously on the edge, trying not to fall out to the difficult terrain outside the tunnel.

It was pushed back to standing by a larger beetle, which evacuated through the hole.

All around, the other bugs were escaping through other small holes in the tubing.

One group of ants worked together by climbing atop one another into the shape of a saw. With a few quick strokes, they cut a hole large enough for their whole colony to jump through in one swift motion.

The beetle dove forward and swam its way through the escaping ants. With a graceful jump, it leapt from the ant colony to the back of a larger insect.

Before the larger bug went too far, the beetle jumped forth and landed on the back of a long caterpillar. The beetle ran along the length of the longer bug, and was slowly pulled back toward one of the escape hatches. To the left and to the right, there was no room to safely land in the pandemonium.

The beetle ran faster, but was not fast enough to escape the length of the caterpillar, and was taken closer to one of the holes.

Faster the little bug’s legs skittered, until the caterpillar nearly dragged it out of the tubing.

The end of the caterpillar was nearing.

The beetle jumped, and hoped it was close enough to be spared from falling.

The caterpillar’s rear segment whipped and batted the beetle further down the darkness of the tube.

It was a hard landing for the beetle. The ridged, grooved contours of the tube made the little bug bounce up and down with each impact. It tried to steer its way from the various holes that were still present.

There came a point where the tube dipped downward. The beetle was sent free falling down into the depths of the tubing.

The beetle rolled to a stop. There were no more bugs around, and the tube was vibrating beneath its tiny feet. Ahead, the roar of a motor was heard. And it was getting louder.

The shaking ground of the tube was growing too unstable for the beetle to continue on. Through a crack in the tubing, the little bug could see the source of the incredible tremors. It took the screw from the coil of wire, and began prising the crack wider with the tiny tool.

More daylight was seen as the little bug pushed and pulled the crack apart. Suddenly, its progress was stalled by the crack reaching the limit of its range.

It knew its friend had little time left. It would have to expedite the opening of the crack.

Taking its own shell from its back, the beetle took the two halves in its front legs. It snipped them twice to check their function. Once it was satisfactory, the little bug set to work shearing a longer tear in the tubing.

Once at a satisfactory length, the beetle prised the crack open, stuck the screw into the ground beneath it, tied the length of wire around the screw, and rappelled down the coppery line.

There it was. The side of the sputtering machine faced the beetle like the face of a monster from the deepest depths of the desert. Every seam was crudely placed together, and billowed black clouds from every opening its loose nuts and bolts allowed. Next to it, Big Bad continued to work his crank, keeping life running into the foul contraption.

DiMosco happened to glance at the beetle, and curiously watched the bug as it dangled like a pendulum from its wire.

The little bug swung on its line, getting closer to the side of the machine with each swing.

There was a tiny ledge for it to land on.

The beetle reached its leg out, and just managed to hook onto the edge. It balanced itself to solid ground and whipped its line.

The copper wire arched along its own length, and dislodged the screw from its base.

Always one to swat the tiniest pest, DiMosco stepped closer to the machine and readied his cane to strike.

The beetle spooled up the line, wrapped it around itself. Taking the screw, it started to pull open one of the seams on the machine.

DiMosco wound up his wrist to strike.

The beetle prised the machine open, and crawled into its devilish depths, just as DiMosco’s cane struck the metal sides.

A tremor rang through the side of the machine, making the beetle jolt forward. When the jolt ended, the beetle found it could not stop shaking.

The inside of the machine was even more treacherous than outside. Everything seemed to exist to end its tiny life in the fastest, most painful way possible.

Steeling its resolve, the beetle began walking across the length of a shaking tube with a bubbling liquid within it.

Every step was precarious. On all sides of the beetle, there were fans spinning around, threatening to shred the little bug after one missed step. It tried not to look down, but the breeze of the fan was enough to keep danger in its mind every second.

The beetle managed to get to the safety of a metal plate. Though full of holes, the plate offered adequate footing. Until a new one suddenly opened up.

From the newly opened hole, a tiny burst of flame shot up, startling the beetle. As if a hatch were suddenly shut, the flame stopped. But, another soon spewed from a new opening. This one nearer to the little bug.

The beetle ran across the metal plate, stepping to avoid every burst of fire.

A towering flame shot up before it, as if it were a predatory arachnid from the dunes.

The beetle took its screw and swung at the flame, cutting it down a size.

The flame opened its fiery mandibles, ready to chomp its prey.

Taking no chances with a delay, the beetle jumped over its blazing foe. Right over the side of the metal plate.

Faced with the spinning fan, the beetle tossed its length of wire to catch onto a cranking lever.

The wire spooled itself around the turning lever, reeling the beetle up just as it nearly touched the blades of the exhaust fan.

Salvation was within reach. The little bug reached up and grabbed onto another metal plate, where it was glad to see there was no more fire.

The beetle jumped aside, just as a metal arm swiped at it. It jumped to the other side, when another arm attacked. And backward toward the edge when a third struck.

As it teetered on the edge, the beetle saw it was now faced with three metal arms. All three crudely hinged together by scraps and nails and bolts. And they were all undulating up and down, striking at the beetle one after the other.

Balancing itself before it was pushed off, the beetle took its own shell from its back and held it before itself. It took its screw and fiercely brandished its tiny weapon.

The metal arms did not seem to care one bit for the diminutive dragon slayer. They continued to attack in tandem, first one, then the next, then the last.

The beetle bounded between each attack, swinging its screw at the seemingly impervious hide of the metal beast.

An arm struck, knocking the beetle away. The only thing that saved it from injury was the screw cap atop its head.

The beetle parried one arm with its shield, then struck with its little blade.

The first arm lowered to attack.

The beetle jumped to grapple the mighty metal beast, and clung tightly as it was hoisted into the air and lowered down.

It would avoid attack from the top of the arm. The little bug took its screw and started jabbing it into the part where the metal arm bent, and felt the beast rattle in pain. It knew it had found the monster’s weakness.

The beetle started mercilessly attacking the hinge, feeling something loosen with each strike. Finally, something fell loose.

A pin that was holding the hinge rattled to the floor of the metal plate, then bounced down into the fan.

The blades of the fan spun violently and knocked the pin about the inside of the machine, slightly dislodging other parts.

Outside, DiMosco noticed something was wrong. The machine was not spewing as much exhaust as it should have.

“What’cha doin’ there, wolf? I ain’t payin’ ya ten cents an hour to lollygag!” the magnate said.

“I’m crankin’ just the same as I been doin’! This little jury rigged jalopy’s just chokin’ a bit!” Big Bad said.

“Then give it some more gusto, an’ get this thing belchin’ harder!!!”

Big Bad did as he was told, and started cranking harder on his lever.

The two remaining arms started attacking more quickly. One after the other, they stuck like a pair of stomping feet. With their more rapid movement came also more unstable, unpredictable strikes.

The beetle had to hop like a flea to keep from being crushed.

One of the arms lashed out and swung at its tiny opponent.

Holding its shield, the beetle blocked the blow, and was nearly crushed under the force.

It rolled to the side to avoid being crushed completely. It parried with its screw to deflect the next blow.

The little bug stood and jumped forth at the next attacking arm with its shield in front of it.

The two met in mid-air, as the beetle swung at the arm’s hinge.

Two strikes were landed, before the beetle was knocked down by the arm’s undulation.

The arm came down again, ready to smash the little bug.

Boldy wielding its screw, the beetle sat up and swung once more at the arm’s joint, where another pin was knocked loose.

With a defeated groan, the entire arm fell apart, with only the tiny stub in the side of the machine still moving up and down.

Big Bad was growing frustrated by his malfunctioning motor. He huffed. He puffed. And--

“RAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!”

He growled so fiercely that the whole machine shook like a very small piglet. As the glutton growled he cranked harder and faster than before, becoming a black blur after only three turns.

Through its shaking, the machine roared in turn, billowing out a cloud of darkness that threatened to block the sun should it escape from the vents.

The black cloud blew its way into the shed, where it filled the tiny room like a flood of water.

By their tiny vent, the three trapped prisoners coughed violently. Between the two ailing elders, Fluttershy frantically tried to dig a larger vent. The ground beneath the sand was cold and hard. More of the pegasus’s hooves seemed to be scraped away than the dirt itself. But, she had to go on. If only to prolong the lives of her elderly friends.

The beetle was pushed to the edge of its tiny platform.

The final mechanical arm rapidly undulated up and down, side to side.

A great gust arose from the bottom of the machine, as the fan blew with the force of a tiny gale.

Fire sprouted up higher than ever from the combustors. Each one seemed to take the shape of some terrifying devil bug, each more fierce than the last.

The whole machine shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck within the contraption itself.

It was the gale from the fan below that blew the beetle back onto the platform. There, it tried its best to defeat the final arm of the metal beast.

With its shell and its screw, the beetle tried to combat its opponent, which was on its last leg. However, with its defeat near, the machine had grown violent and frenzied.

The metal arm had grown too fast and too erratic to predict. Over and over, the beetle was bludgeoned without any chance to counter.

The platform it was standing on started to wobble, until one of the screws holding it into place started to loosen. Soon, it fell free, and slanted downward.

In its rage, the beetle saw the machine was undoing itself from its own fury. Remembering what had happened when the first pin dropped to the fan below, the little bug took the screw cap from its head, and tossed it to the spinning blades.

The screw cap hit the fan blades, and was shot through the machine. One tube was knocked loose from its socket, and spilled its contents into the combustor. The fuel blazed brightly, feeding the flames until every one of the infernal flames morphed into the fiercest insect from the depths of Duzakh.

It was time to retreat.

The beetle put its shell back on and slid down the sloped platform, just as the final arm broke itself apart.

It was falling toward the burning mandibles of the fiery bug below.

Reaching up, the beetle caught the broken metal arm, just as it jammed on two metal hinges.

The fire was creeping closer, and the beetle could see the hunger of the devil bug within.

Quickly and clumsily, the little bug climbed to the top of the arm and ran along its length, as the fire trailed behind it.

Through the shaking parts of the machine the beetle ran, with the fire close behind it. A piece of machinery fell from above, and split the fiery bug in half. It was not a moment later that it reformed and pursued the beetle.

It felt the heat growing more intense behind it. Then, more flames sprouted before it.

The beetle cut through them with its screw, and jumped to the platform where it had arrived. As quick as it could, it started using its screw to prise the outer shell open again.

With another violent shake, the entire panel before the beetle fell off. Now with a clear escape, the beetle twisted the wire around its screw and threw it up to the tubing. The screw embedded into the tubing, and the beetle climbed up the length.

DiMosco and Big Bad tried frantically to keep the machine together. But, it was no good. The entire contraption began bouncing and bucking, as parts of it shot out of its top and sides like live ammunition. Black clouds spewed out of its sides, sending its foul exhaust into DiMosco and Big Bad’s faces. With one last choke, the machine shook itself apart, laying in a heap of its own parts.

“Ain’t this a fine how do ya do!? What in the blazes happened here, Zeke!?” DiMosco shouted, as he fanned the clouds away with his hat.

“Musta been a...bug in the works…” Big Bad wheezed.

And they would never know how right the glutton was, as the tiny dragonslayer ran back through the tubing to check on its friend.

Time passed, and in the shed the air was growing clearer. After the sounds of the machine stopped, Fluttershy cautiously sniffed beyond the vent at the ground. The smell of the exhaust was less pervasive now, making her think that it was soon safe to breathe freely. But the labored coughing of the others made her realize it would not be soon enough.

Sniper or no, Fluttershy had to create greater ventilation. She inhaled deeply from the floor, and ran to the workbench. She climbed up to the table, just as the beetle arrived through the crack where the tubing was placed. Without Fluttershy even noticing, it jumped back into her mane, where it rested against her ear, relieved that its adventure was over.

The pegasus had just pushed the skylight open, when a bullet shot out and shattered the opaque glass.

“EEP!!!” Fluttershy gasped, as she fell over backwards from the bench.

The beetle held tightly as they both went falling back to the sand.

Fluttershy picked herself up, and saw the haze slowly drifting up through the broken skylight. Without any more exhaust to replace it, the shed was soon becoming a mostly hospitable environment once more.

Uncle Scrooge coughed again and leaned his back against the wall. Next to him, Qard struggled to stand up, using the metal support pole next to himself to rise.

Leaning on the side of his flying machine, the elderly zahak hobbled his way to the front of the shed, where he slumped his side against the door.

“I know you’re listening, fly!” he said through the sheet of metal. “Try as you will, there’s nothing you can do to eliminate us! We are the spirits that cannot be broken! You’ll have to take your business to some other enterprising soul to corrupt!”

The only answer was something slamming against the side of the shed. Then again and again.

One last time, DiMosco clubbed the side of the shed with his cane, hoping in vain that something would give for his limited strength.

He stopped and glowered at the shed, when he happened to notice the tiny dents he had made. Perhaps not his cane, but something larger would suffice.

“Wolf!” the magnate growled, “Get the boys on the line! I want ‘em all here right away! Tell ‘em to bring all the demolition gear they got, besides explosives! I wanna see crowbars, prybars, buzzsaws, hacksaws, sledgehammers, baseball bats, brass knuckles! Right down to a can opener an’ a corkscrew! We’re tearin’ this shed apart piece by piece! An’ we’re killin’ anything inside that breathes!”

“An’ I get the leftovers?” Big Bad asked.

“Yer gonna be leftovers, if ya don’t move it!!” DiMosco threatened.

Not one to disobey a temper like DiMosco’s, Big Bad hurried away to the nearest communication point to relay the message.

Inside the shed, Fluttershy trembled. They had just so narrowly evaded danger, and it seemed now that the next was unavoidable.

Between two ailing elders and a timid pegasus, there was no way they would be able to handle an entire gang of thugs.

Uncle Scrooge looked to the one hope of escape they had left, and used his cane to climb to his feet.

“Open the side of that aeroplane, lass,” the tycoon said to Fluttershy.

“Why?” Fluttershy wondered.

“We’re gonna fly out o’ here.”

Author's Note

That was an exciting chapter, wasn't it? And a bit of a story behind its origin.

You all know that I had wanted the Bootle Beetle in this story, but decided against it. Well, the Bootle Beetle was also going to be involved in this story arch's showdown chapter as well. You see, DiMosco was once upon a time quite different. Before I decided on his current incarnation, he was a whole swarm of flies inside of a robe and a turban. And the Bootle Beetle was going to fight against the swarm with a sword made from a screw, and a shield made from a button. But, after the Bootle Beetle was scrapped and DiMosco was made into a singular giant fly, I thought that whole fight was finished.

Not so, as the little bug Fluttershy found plucked up to save its enormous friend. Of course, some things had to change. In this case, it battles against the insides of an entire machine.

The machine itself was somewhat interpreted from a bug's point of view. What we would recognize as simple moving parts were described with monstrous, dragon-like features to make it seem more exciting from the smaller perspective. Same with the flames, which while not actually being a predatory bug, was made out to seem so to our tiny protagonist.

In the end, I thought it a pretty fair compromise to have the beetle take the center stage of this chapter, so as to catch up on the one part that I had to sacrifice, but really wanted to do.

Now, how about Donald and Applejack. They're on a new adventure high in the sky right now. And with nowhere to run, they will either have to come up with a clever escape, or simply avoid the personnel that patrols the fortress.

I know that you guys are always excited for this, but the next chapter will not be a showdown. That's going to be the chapter after the next. Before that, we are going to see the kind of thing that dreams are really made of.

I think that's all I have to address here. If you have any questions afterward, feel free to ask them. Hope this gives you cause to rock on \m/

Chapter 44: To the Rescue

Chapter 44

To the Rescue

The skies of Kamelut were blue and clear. The perfect day for the perfect view from the communication tower window in the flying fortress that hovered above the desert sands.

A camel sat at his desk, wistfully watching out the window at the clouds and birds above. How often he had wondered what it was like to fly through the air the same as the zahaks did, before their magic was stolen. Then, something else in the view caught his eye.

Something was flying in the distance, and getting closer. Something that the camel had never seen before, and wasn’t sure of its intentions.

Before the camel could wonder what the strange flying contraption was, his radio crackled to life and the voice of one of his colleagues came buzzing in.

Onward Uncle Scrooge and Fluttershy flew, ready to rescue the others from the clutches of the guards in the fortress.

The sounds of the engine had dulled to a quiet murmur. A sound Uncle Scrooge found quite pleasant, compared to the obnoxiously loud combustion engines he was familiar with. And over the hushed roar of the engine, the sounds of rapidly displaced air and grains of sand were growing steadily louder the closer they came to the flying fortress.

Fluttershy hid behind her mane to escape from the granules of sand. As the fortress came closer, she began nibbling her hoof. Every instinct she had told her to shrink down in her seat. Fighting her clenching gut, she leaned closer to Uncle Scrooge.

“Mr. McDuck?” she asked.

“Aye?” the tycoon answered.

“Do you think...Um...Would they be expecting us?”

“That they would, lass. I’ve not a doubt in my mind that there’ll be some welcomin’ committee for us.”

Fluttershy whimpered quietly, and shrank below her seat.

“Don’t worry. I’ve faced just about everything there is to see durin’ my life. Long as I’m flyin’, we can handle any surprise they throw at us!” Uncle Scrooge assured his timid passenger.

The tight, rapidly pounding feeling in his chest flared up again.

Uncle Scrooge lurched in his seat, and accidentally made the plane dip momentarily.

Fluttershy’s first instinct was to crouch low and take cover. But, Uncle Scrooge’s condition brought forth the caring that helped her brave the greatest dangers before.

“Mr. McDuck!? Are you hurt?” she asked.

Uncle Scrooge breathed deeply for a moment and felt his pains subside.

“I’m fine lass…” he said.

In truth, he had never felt less well in his entire life. A life which had been lived decades longer than most others. His only wish was that he would hold on long enough to keep his promise to his sister, and look after Donald. Just until his nephew’s safety was assured.

“Fluttershy,” Uncle Scrooge began, “If for some reason I don’t make it to the fortress, ye’re gonna have to fly the plane.”

“B-But...But…” Fluttershy did not know how to respond. Whether to protest the idea of taking over the controls, or think of a way to prevent Uncle Scrooge from having another attack, she could not decide.

“It’s simple, long as ye’re in the air--”

Ahead of them, a cloud of smoke was seen suddenly billowing, and an explosive projectile started rocketing toward them. And it was joined by many others.

“Those aren’t just fireworks...are they...I hope…” Fluttershy squeaked.

The lesson Uncle Scrooge was about to give had to be suddenly put to practical application.

“Listen good! Up an’ down is reverse on an aeroplane! When ye wanna go down, push--UP--on the controls!” the tycoon said, as he shoved forward on the control column, just as a rocket went flying over them.

Inside where the engine was, the beetle had to hold on to the machine’s innards to keep from tumbling about. As it held on, it noticed some parts were starting to come loose from the sudden maneuver.

More rockets were fired at the little craft.

“A-And to go up, you--” Fluttershy began.

“Pull down!!” Uncle Scrooge finished, as he demonstrated his lesson.

The plane swooped upward, as more rockets danced around them.

Uncle Scrooge’s top hat flew from his head.

Fluttershy leaned out of her seat, and caught the flying hat in her teeth.

The view below her was the distant ground, making her suddenly remember her fear of heights and of falling from them. From her new point of view, she was able to see the rockets that had missed them curve around in midair, and shoot back toward them.

“EEP!!” Fluttershy gasped, as she scrambled back into her seat. “They’re following us!”

“Ach! Must be some o’ them seeker missiles!” Uncle Scrooge said.

More rockets flew for them, forcing the little plane to be sharply veered to the right.

“Bankin’ left an’ right’s done by pressin’ a pedal on the side ye wanna turn!” Uncle Scrooge said, continuing his lesson.

Being made for a camel, the tycoon found that he had to stretch his legs as far as they would go in order to reach the pedals.

They only just missed being hit by a rocket, which barely clipped the side of their craft. Though shaken, the passengers were otherwise safe. Or so they thought.

Inside the craft, the beetle ran frantically about on its improvised walkway of mechanical parts. Everything was falling apart. Nuts and bolts had to be reaffixed. Pistons had to be manually pushed up and down. Worst of all, the pin that held the arm on the engine’s compressor had come loose, preventing the pump from doing its job.

The mithra stones in the engine slowly started dimming, and the engine began sputtering.

Taking the plunger of the pump that had been used to jury rig the engine, the tiny bug ran forth to pick up the fallen pin.

With the pin in hand, it pulled the plunger along over its shoulder to reattach it to the gyrating arm it had fallen from.

It jumped to pin the two parts back together.

Miss.

It jumped again.

Another miss.

It jumped a third time.

The gyrating arm uppercutted the beetle, and knocked it off of its feet.

Six little legs scurried in the air, before the beetle rolled itself upright. Shaking its head, it quickly skittered to collect the pin. Otherwise, the machine was doomed to crash.

DiMosco paced impatiently at the platform as he awaited his ride. He had specifically ordered for an express sky tram to pick him up, and it was already a minute late.

In the distance, he heard a loud explosion. Turning to the source, he saw the sky filled with explosives as a barrage of missiles shot toward, missed and dtonated midair around a small flying machine.

“Aw!!! Willya lookit that!! I shoulda told ‘em not to use explosives!!” the magnate cursed himself.

He was all ready to go to the nearest comm station and chew out the artillery operators, but was stopped by the sight of another vehicle rocketing toward him.

On the cable that led to his platform, DiMosco saw the familiar red of an express sky tram rocketing toward him at an incredible speed. At the moment, it was little more than halfway down the wire.

The miles long trip was finished in less than a minute. With a loud screech, the sky tram stopped at the platform and a loud crash was heard within it.

The door to the sky tram opened, and a gnat staggered into view. He was wearing a bellhop uniform, which was made for a bug twice his own height, and a hat which nearly covered his eyes.

“...Thank you for using Di...Mosco Express Skyways…” the gnat began, as he gave a clumsy salute, swaying back and forth on his wobbling knees. “...How may I be of...”

“Skip the howdy-do’s! I gotta get to my office! Pronto!!” DiMosco said, as he shoved his way past the gnat.

“Okie-dokie...Uh, boss...Me and the other express operators were wondering...could we get helmets for when we’re on the job?”

The innocent request was met with DiMosco cracking his cane over the gnat’s head.

“If I get you a helmet, then I gotta get every-friggin’-body else a helmet!! You’ll take yer lumps, an’ you’ll like the ten cents an hour y’all get for it!! Now, get this thing rollin’!!” the magnate shouted.

Taking the message in full, the gnat quickly locked the door closed, then set to work operating the sky tram.

With only the press of a few buttons and switches, the express tram began to rumble.

Working parts within the machine rerouted themselves to shoot fiery exhaust from one side to the other. And with a sputter of flame, the sky tram took off like a rocket from its platform.

During the trip, DiMosco held tightly to the safety rail, while the operator was swept off his feet by the inertia.

The fortress was growing closer by the second. Once he was there, DiMosco was going to set everything right himself: shoot down the plane, recapture the prisoners to bargain for the engine, and dispose of them all in one fell swoop the moment he had the chance.

Seconds passed, and the miles were crossed in the span of them. Even after the sky tram arrived, DiMosco would need to take another commute to his building. Then, he would have to climb every single step to his office at the very top.

Taking his cane in hand, the magnate smashed a glass panel next to himself, and took hold of the lever, which said ‘EMERGENCY BRAKE: DANGER!! DO NOT PULL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!’

“You’re not serious!!?” the gnat shouted, as he held on for dear life.

He was most dismayed when he saw that his boss was dead serious.

DiMosco kept his hand on the switch, and stared intently at his office window. He had to pick his moment.

Just a little further…

And…

The switch was thrown. DiMosco let go of the switch and held tightly to his trilby as he smashed through the window with his cane.

The magnate shot through the air, while the little gnat behind him smashed face first into the seat at the far end of the tram.

It was a feeling of flight like was never felt before by DiMosco. Almost as if he were a living rocket that had taken off. Perhaps the closest thing he could compare it to was being shot out of a cannon.

He could not meditate on it for much longer, as he was growing close to his office balcony.

Holding out his cane, DiMosco hooked the handle around an outcropped beam of an awning. He spun twice around the wooden beam, until his revolver dislodged. His firearm continued to spin around the beam, and the magnate went spinning into the air.

With a graceful aeril twist, DiMosco landed safely on his feet. He outstretched his arm and held his cane upright. His revolver stopped spinning around the beam, and dropped neatly into its sheath with a resounding click.

Once everything was in place, the magnate ran full speed into his office, carefully navigating past all of the carefully placed displays until he reached his desk. As soon as he reached it, he picked up the black phone that was attached to it.

“Sybil!!! Get the guys in artillery on the horn!!!” he barked into the mouthpiece.

As the centipede operating the communication lines worked her many arms to connect the proper wires to their proper place, DiMosco impatiently drummed his fingers on his desk, which gradually escalated to him slamming his palm onto the flat surface. Until a voice was heard on the line.

“Boss?” the voice on the other end asked.

“WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA, BLOWIN’ AWAY OUR HOT PROPERTY!!!? YOU BOYS DOWN THERE BETTER KNOCK OFF THAT MISSILE BARRAGE, OR I’M LOADIN’ YOU INTO THEM BATTERIES!!!!”

“But, you said--”

“I’M SAYIN’ NOW: ANYTHING, BUT EXPLOSIVES!!! EVEN IF YA GOTTA RESORT TO SPITTIN’ A WAD O’ GUM AT IT!!!! I DON’T WANT THAT PLANE, OR ANYTHING IN IT BLOWN AWAY!!! UNDERSTAND ME!!?!!?”

“U-Understood, boss!!”

DiMosco growled fiercely into the phone, before he saw something that spiked his rage. The display case for his aviator’s suit was shattered, and the contents within it were gone.

“RRRRAAAAARRRRGGHHH!!!!!” DiMosco yelled, as he smashed his phone against his desk.

It was time to put a constituency plan into effect. The magnate knew that he would have to do something, in case the intruders survived. The moment that he acquired the plane and the marvelous engine within, he was going to hightail it to another one of his established strongholds. From there, he would spread another network of mega rails, connecting them to other hubs and spread Yen Sid’s influence further around the globe.

Luckily for him, he had already laid out the groundwork for such an escape, just in case. A plan where he would take all the contents of his money bin with him wherever he went.

He turned on the security monitors in his office to keep an eye on his money bin as it was emptied of its contents. To his greatest shock and horror, he saw that there were two uninvited guests within.

The pony and duck he had apprehended only minutes earlier were smack dab in the middle of his money bin. At the moment, the pony was bucking the duck into the air. At the zenith of every buck, the airborne duck reached for the catwalk that ran over the bin, where the large gold nugget was suspended. But, he kept coming up several feet short.

How had they gotten in there? What blindspot did they find that he had missed? More distressing still was that the duck was wearing the aviator’s uniform that the magnate had so painstakingly collected piece by piece over the years.

“That no good, thievin’--!!!”

DiMosco took the phone he had just broken and slammed it repeatedly against his desk, until it was nothing but a few shards of plastic and wires.

Once the initial fit of rage passed, an idea occurred to him. He would be able to pack up his bin and dispose of the two interlopers in one fell swoop.

Smiling deviously, DiMosco slid aside the name plate at the front of his desk, revealing a red button beneath it. The button popped up from its hiding place, ready to await its duty, which DiMosco happily obliged.

With all gusto, the magnate slapped his palm down onto the button, and his escape plan was put into play. Once that was finished, he opened his desk and loaded his pockets to capacity with bullet clips as he monitored his bin’s drainage.

“WAAAAK!!” Donald shouted, as he was bucked into the air again.

He rapidly rose to the catwalk above, and reached his hand out for it.

His momentum was quickly lost, and he went dropping back down.

“Ya got it yet!?” Applejack asked.

“No!” Donald called back, as he fell back downward.

Applejack stood on her front hooves and readied to buck upward again.

“We better get it this time--” Donald said, as he landed on his friend’s hooves, “--I don’t know how much more of this I can--” He was rocketed back into the air, “--Taaaaake!!!”

It wasn’t that Applejack didn’t try as hard as she could. It was only that even from the tops of the simulated jeweled trees, it was still such a long way up. And it was about to get longer.

The gilded ground beneath Applejack’s hooves dropped a sudden inch. Before she could try to figure out what was happening, Donald came plummeting back to the ground. Without being alert, she was unable to catch the falling duck, who landed face first into hard ground.

“What’s the big idea!? What’s the big idea!? WAAAAAAK!!!!” Donald shouted, as he hopped up and down, twirling one arm around in circles and holding the other straight out.

Before he could continue his trademark tantrum the ground dropped again, and steadily continued to lower.

“Ulp...Did I do that…” Donald meekly wondered.

Whether he had or not, a dip was growing in the middle of the money bin. And it was getting steadily larger.

Knowing they would have no chances of survival if the bin swallowed them, Donald and Applejack began desperately running to the edges, hoping to escape the peril.

Qard’s flying machine sputtered in the skies as rockets exploded all around it.

Uncle Scrooge fought the controls, as the plane started to fail him.

Fluttershy did not dare to look out from her seat. She could feel their altitude dropping, just the same as she had experienced countless times when she found she had flown too high and grown queasy when she suddenly looked down.

The machine was growing more difficult to control by the moment. Every time they dodged a rocket, another one sped by closer than ever.

Uncle Scrooge tightened his grip on the controls and swerved away from an oncoming rocket.

The errant missile collided with another, creating a pressure wave that gave the entire plane a jolt of turbulence.

Inside the aircraft, the beetle bounced around. Though it held tightly to the arm of the pump, it could not stop itself from spinning around it. In its two middle arms, it held tightly to the pin that would clasp the working parts together. If it could only stop jumping enough to aim it properly in its slot.

There was another turbulent jump, and the beetle fell from the arm it was hanging to. Worse still was that it dropped the pin that it was holding.

With a frightened squeak, the little bug skittered after the pin as it rolled toward the edge of the metal platform.

One end of the pin teetered over the edge.

The beetle dove.

The pin dropped straight down into the machine.

The beetle landed on the edge and was only just barely able to brush the tip of the pin as it dropped below.

More turbulence, and the beetle was bumped down after the pin.

The little bug bumped its head against what felt like every metal part as it dropped into the belly of the plane. When it stopped, it felt like it had fallen into another world.

The inside of this machine was far more hospitable and forgiving than the last one it was inside. It was cooler, and there were more places to walk and climb. But, the constant winds that blew there felt liable to send it all the way to the other end of the plane. And that’s just what was happening to the pin.

The landing gear had been pulled up, but there was nothing to cover the openings where the wheels were retracted. Which was exactly where the pin was being blown.

The beetle tried to crawl after the precious component, but was pushed forward by the gale behind it.

It was a stroke of luck. Between its skittering legs and the wind, the beetle was able to run more quickly to the pin.

The wind caught the little bug’s shell, forcing it to pop open and act as an impromptu drag chute.

Suddenly caught like a sail, the beetle went gliding over the top of the pin, unable to reach it no matter how it strained to do so.

It was stopped from gliding by slamming into the front of the wheel of the landing gear, where the pin was rolling.

Held against the front of the wheel by the wind, the little bug quickly started running down its surface. Only, its progress was slowed by the wheel spinning against it.

Not daring to stop and miss the pin before it fell, the beetle started running faster, slowly descending down the face of the wheel.

The pin rolled closer to the edge, and the beetle doubled its effort to catch it.

Both were so near one another. If only the beetle could stretch farther, as the pin teetered on the verge of a mile long drop to the dunes below.

Desperate action was needed.

The pin dropped, and the beetle jumped from the face of the wheel. Reaching out, it caught the pin in all six of its legs as it unfurled its shell.

The air current in the plane’s undercarriage caught them both, and swerved them both around to the back of the landing gear.

Quickly as ever, the little bug reached one little leg up to grab onto the nearest metal outcropping.

It did not even take the time to gasp and sigh with its newfound relief. It simply continued to firmly grasp the pin as it climbed back up toward the engine.

Uncle Scrooge continued his aerial maneuvers, weaving in and out of the flying rockets. Like a grand aerial show, plumes of smoke trailed around creating intricate shapes in the sky, followed by a burst of flame as the rockets detonated.

One rocket exploded so near that the little aircraft was blown off balance. The entire craft rolled over, until it was very nearly upside-down.

The pilot and passenger both struggled to stay in their seats, while the beetle inside had a sudden drop to its intended destination. Before it fell past, the little bug grasped onto the edge of its metal platform, pulled itself up and set to work trying to reaffix the jury rigged compressor back together.

Fluttershy propped her four hooves tightly against the edges of her seat, trying her best not to fall out as Uncle Scrooge jerked the plane around. She tried flapping her own wings, in a futile effort to save herself from falling.

From her inverted view of the world, she saw something that she would recognize from any angle. Somehow, in a way that she could never have imagined possible, Applejack’s hat was hooked onto the tailfin of one of the rockets.

Knowing that Applejack would never be whole without her hat, the timid pegasus carefully craned her neck out of her seat to grasp the treasured item in her teeth.

The rocket was growing closer.

Fluttershy’s nerves faltered.

Even though the rocket passed nowhere near close enough for her to be harmed by it, she still retracted her reaching neck to safety.

“Hang tight, lass!!” Uncle Scrooge called, as he slowly reoriented the plane.

Fluttershy did no such thing. The missile with Applejack’s hat on it swerved back around, ready to make another strike at its target.

She had no idea of when the rocket would explode. All Fluttershy knew was that she had to save the hat before it did.

The plane was on its side now as the rocket flew closer. Fluttershy reached further out of her seat, this time outstretching her hooves.

The loosened grip on her seat was nearly a fatal mistake.

Uncle Scrooge pulled hard on the control column, making the plane stall sharply upward out of the way of an oncoming rocket.

Just as the rocket passed by Fluttershy, she fell out of her seat and went freefalling to the ground below after knocking Applejack’s hat from the tailfin.

It was only her shrill scream, just before the rocket detonated that alerted Uncle Scrooge to the danger his passenger was in.

The tycoon quickly veered downward to catch Fluttershy.

The downward momentum was just what the beetle had needed. As it was jumping to fit the pin back into its slot, the world around it shifting had reoriented the two metal arms to align their slots with one another. All the little bug had to do was fall in order to put the pin back into its place.

With the compressor working once more, the mithra stones started glowing brightly,] and power was restored to the engine. Once that was taken care of, the beetle returned to setting right all of the other minor bugs that were happening within the engine.

There was a sudden surge of cooperation from the flying craft, and Uncle Scrooge was able to dive beneath Fluttershy and catch her just in front of the pilot’s seat. Once she had landed, Applejack’s hat flew in and perched itself atop her head like a bird.

The pegasus and tycoon almost dared to laugh, if only for the sense of relief it would bring. But, now neither could see what was in front of themselves.

If either of them were able to see, they would have noticed the assault of missiles had stopped, and new weapons were manned.

A loud metallic panging jolted Fluttershy forward, as bullets pelted the plane just through the hairs at the end of her tail.

She scrambled across the top of the plane and held tightly to the wing’s supports, where she hoped whatever was happening would not happen to her.

Uncle Scrooge veered the craft to the side, assuming that they were now using machine guns once they had gotten closer to the fortress. It was even worse for them now. They now had to dodge a rapid stream of small, blindingly fast ammo, with no way of knowing what direction it was coming from.

The only thing that was going their way was that the bullets did not seem to be able to pierce the metal hull of the plane. But, the engine and propeller at the front were not so sturdy.

The beetle had to press itself against a wall as the bullets shot through the very front.

The propeller began to slowly stop, and the little bug ran forth to manually turn a crank, keeping the propeller spinning.

More gunfire forced the beetle to abandon its post and run for cover.

The flying fortress was practically upon them, but Uncle Scrooge did not dare fly higher, for fear of being made a sitting duck by the gunners.

His old eyes darted desperately behind his spectacles, searching for any other way in, or a place to land safely. And he became even more desperate when he felt another surge of pain in his chest.

Then, there was something. Through the blinding sandstorm below the fortress, the tycoon thought he could see a balcony or a walkway. He could not gauge how large it was. Only that it was the only chance they had of survival.

“Ach!!” he shouted, as the pain in his chest throbbed harder, now into his arm.

“Mr. McDuck!!” Fluttershy gasped.

“Fluttershy…!!! Take the controls!!!”

“But--”

“Do it!!!...For the sake o’ the others…!!!”

For Applejack and her new friend, Donald, Fluttershy would risk anything.

Securing Applejack’s hat atop her head, Fluttershy leaned forward into the pilot’s seat, and slowly clambered into it. Uncle Scrooge scooted aside, allowing the pegasus to take over the controls.

“Where are we flying?” Fluttershy asked.

“There...Into the sands…” the tycoon said, as he weakly pointed a shaking finger to the sandstorm below the fortress.

Fluttershy did not protest. She did not ‘but,’ or ‘eep,’ or ‘if you want to.’ She fully trusted what the elderly duck was telling her, even if she didn’t understand it.

She was just beginning to feel the grains of sand blow against her face, and squinted her eyes.

Something was there. Something in the sandstorm that looked unnatural, as if made by hoof.

More sands pelted her face, as the propeller chugged and sputtered.

She pulled on the controls and closed her eyes, hoping to live to see the landing.

Any solid surface in the money bin was giving way beneath Applejack and Donald, as they frantically ran for safety. Slowly but surely, the incline they were escaping was getting deeper, and threatened to pull them toward the sinkhole in the center.

They ran along the length of the catwalk above them, hoping that at the end of it was a ladder or a staircase to help them escape.

How far they had run, neither of them could guess. But, no matter how they tried, they could not escape the constant hazards that the unnatural disaster constantly presented to them.

The golden brick road warped and waved as it slid toward the sinkhole.

Applejack had trouble keeping her hoofing on the unstable surface. Her legs ran madly across the aureate ground, kicking up heavy golden blocks in her wake.

Behind her, Donald had to bob and weave his way around the bricks Applejack kicked up.

“Hey! What’s the big--” Donald shouted, before he had to spit out a gold brick that had become lodged in his bill.

“You’re gonna get it for--”

He spat out another gold brick.

“I’d horsewhip ya, if--”

He spat out another gold brick.

“WAAAAAAAAK!!!!”

Donald had enough. He jumped and ran across the tops of the flying bricks, using them like stepping stones to overtake Applejack.

One of the amber trees toppled over, right into the path of Applejack.

The farmpony jumped and caught Donald on her back, just as her hooves landed on the fallen trunk.

Donald’s flailing arms caught two of the smaller branches, as Applejack swerved around the oncoming limbs.

One particularly large branch stuck straight up in the center of the trunk.

Just as Applejack was fumbling for a way to swerve around the branch, Donald flapped his arms.

With a sudden jolt, both duck and farmpony went sailing over the top of the oncoming limb.

Applejack’s hoof barely brushed against the tip of the stiff branch, making her tumble forward in the air.

Donald was thrown from her back, and literally hit the ground running across the moving currency. After him, Applejack landed squarely on his shoulders, about to take the ride of her life.

An avalanche of platinum boulders came rumbling toward them.

Donald tried running up the side of another fallen tree, but had to jump aside when a branch plowed rapidly toward him.

His webbed feet landed on the top of one of the rolling boulders, before jumping to the next one.

One boulder jumped over the others toward him.

Applejack swung herself around Donald’s neck and bucked the silvery white boulder away.

With the boulders came what looked like a forest of trees. By bunching together, these trees managed to stay upright. And it was precisely that what allowed Donald and Applejack to escape from the rolling boulders.

Applejack reached her hooves up and caught a branch, pulling Donald up with her as she climbed.

Once they were both on the branches, they began frantically climbing their way through the moving forest. They climbed higher, hoping to see the edge of the money bin, before they were swallowed.

A loud crash sounded high above. Whatever it was, neither could see through the thick branches. All they could do was hope that it would do them no further peril than they were already in.

Qard’s flying machine smashed through the bay window, showering the floor with shattered glass and broken metal bars.

Neither passenger had a chance to shout as they were thrown from their seats. Uncle Scrooge rolled to the side, away from the broken plane.

The beetle fell from Fluttershy’s mane as the pegasus nearly skidded right into the money bin. Were it not for the safety rail, she would have fallen right in. After her, Applejack’s hat and Uncle Scrooge’s cane rolled up to her side.

After the crash, something else fell from the broken aircraft and fell into the bin.

Down below, Applejack’s head emerged from the golden canopy. Above the peril, she was glad to see a familiar, butter-yellow coat and pink mane.

“Fluttershy!!! Down here!!!” she called.

“Fluttershy!!?” Donald echoed, as his feathery head popped above the golden leaves. He quickly looked around, until he caught sight of his timid friend above. “Hey!! Help us!!”

Though she was so near, Fluttershy laid completely still. Though her friends shouted loudly, she remained unroused.

The pains in Uncle Scrooge’s chest had stopped, but he was still too feeble to stand up without his cane.

From somewhere that he could not determine, he could hear the sounds of his nephew’s voice yelling for help. It was that which made him realize that he had to do something. Anything.

The tycoon spotted the tiny beetle lying on the ground, its six legs flailing about as it laid immobile on its back. Desperate for anything that would help, he thought of a way to wake Fluttershy.

With a shaking hand, he flicked a piece of shattered glass to the bug.

The beetle was propped up on its side, where it rolled over rightside-up.

More pieces of glass were flicked at it by Uncle Scrooge.

Quickly, it ran for the safety of Fluttershy’s mane.

Once it reached its larger friend, it quickly skittered up her face and behind her ear. There, it had a clear view into the money bin, where it saw Donald and Applejack desperately trying to escape what looked like golden, glittering quicksand.

There was nothing that the little bug could do. But, perhaps if it could wake Fluttershy.

It quickly jumped to the front of the pegasus’s face, and hastily began tickling her nose with its first two legs.

Fluttershy’s nose twitched gently. She sniffled.

The beetle stood up and started using two more legs to tickle the pegasus.

“Ah...Ah...Choo!” Fluttershy said, as she awoke with a sneeze.

The beetle was blown backward, nearly over the edge of the bin.

“I’m alive…! I-I flew!!” Fluttershy excitedly said to herself.

In spite of her several tiny cuts and the incredible ache she was feeling all over, Fluttershy had never felt prouder of herself. She had been riding passenger with Uncle Scrooge since they had taken off. But, after taking the controls for herself she felt as if she were actually, truly flying on her own.

“Fluttershy!!”

“Get us outta here!!”

The pegasus jumped when she heard Applejack and Donald’s voices shouting to her. She also became aware of a rumbling noise in the room that shot a pang of fear through her being.

Looking to the source of the sounds, Fluttershy was horrified to see her friends in mortal peril.

She didn’t stop to think about how. She knew the great, glittering sinkhole meant the end of her friends. If she did nothing, they were going to die.

Quick as she could, she looked for a way out. There was a ladder at the end of the catwalk, but her friends were nowhere near enough to reach it. But, there was something else that may have been able to help.

A control console by the catwalk sat with many buttons and a great lever atop it.

No thoughts were in Fluttershy’s mind as she limped forth and pulled the lever on the console.

There came a loud groan of metal, and the sounds of hydraulic whirring. At first Fluttershy thought she had made the situation worse, until the catwalk split in two at the middle, and the end closest to herself started lowering downward.

It was just what she needed to have done. Carefully as ever, the pegasus started edging her way down the ramp, until she was almost at the end.

“Over here!” she called, as she reached out a hoof to her friends.

For as much as they were trying, neither Donald or Applejack could reach her. Their outstretched limbs simply would not connect to Fluttershy’s waiting hoof.

The beetle dragged over Uncle Scrooge’s cane. At the other end of the cane was Applejack’s hat, which fell off as the little bug hiked down the ramped catwalk.

As it walked, the beetle tripped and let go of the cane, which rolled down the ramp, hooked onto one of the supports and bumped Fluttershy’s leg.

Fearing she had just been nudged by one of DiMosco’s thugs (or worse, The Big Bad Wolf), Fluttershy gasped as her eyes met with nothing but a harmless cane.

It was exactly what she needed. She took the cane in her teeth and reached out for her friends to grasp onto it.

Donald grabbed first and pulled himself up to the catwalk, where he helped Fluttershy haul Applejack up to safety. Once all feet were safely on solid ground, they quickly ran up the ramp, as the treasure below them sank away.

Once they were back up to the ledge, no words were said at all, before Fluttershy threw her hooves around Applejack.

“Applejack! Applejack!” Fluttershy said, her voice muffled by Applejack’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, sugarcube. I’m fine, thanks to you,” the farmpony assured her friend.

To Applejack’s surprise, when Fluttershy looked up at her, it was not with the usual worry, fear or concern. Instead, it was a beaming smile.

“Applejack! I flew!!”

Amid the gasps of excitement, Applejack’s brown hat skittered over as if it had a life of its own.

“Ya flew!? How!?” Applejack said, catching Fluttershy’s excitement.

“It was--Mr. Qard--He had his machine--And the mithra stones--And it flew!! I flew it!! And your hat--” Fluttershy answered.

“My hat!?” Applejack interjected.

Something bumped Fluttershy’s leg again, and she found it was the hat in question. She quickly picked it up, revealing the beetle beneath it.

“Here,” Fluttershy said, returning the hat, as the beetle crawled back into her mane.

Applejack took her hat back, and placed it atop her head. Now, she was whole again.

Uncle Scrooge managed to pull himself to his feet by grasping onto the safety rail. Once he had, Donald approached him, having retrieved his hat and cane.

“Uncle Scrooge! I knew ya’d come through!” Donald said.

The tycoon took his items back, and promptly whacked Donald over the head with his cane.

“Ow!! WAAAAAAK!” Donald said, as he shook his fists in the air.

He was stopped by another hit from his uncle.

“Gettin’ captured by the enemy like that!? I ougtha put ye to work spit shinin’ my office buildin’ from basement to rooftop!!” Uncle Scrooge fumed. “I taught ye better than to just roll over an’ accept defeat! Where’s yer McDuck backbone!?”

“Probably knocked outta me by the end of your cane!!” Donald rebutted.

He was struck again by his uncle’s cane.

“That’s a pretty way to talk to the duck that raised ye!! Next, ye’ll be tellin’ me that temper o’ yours is my fault!”

“I got it from your side, ya know! Who do ya think I learned it from!?”

“There ye go again, bringin’ my sister into the debate!! Ye think just ‘cause I cherished her as greatly as my money, ye can use her to win every argument!?”

“Ya never cared about anything more than your money, ya tight-fisted old coot!!”

Both ducks hopped up and down, shaking one fist and whirling the other around.

The mares watched in silence, unsure if the two ducks were glad or angry at seeing one another again.

As he bounced, Uncle Scrooge gasped suddenly and leaned against the rail.

“Uncle Scrooge?” Donald said, his fury leaving him in an instant.

The pain had come back. Not as bad as before, but enough to make the tycoon reel. As he looked over the side of the rail, he saw something that nearly stopped his heart on the spot.

“Fluttershy! Look!” he said, pointing into the bin.

Fluttershy, Applejack and Donald all looked over the side. But, it was only the pegasus who noticed what was so perturbing.

The marvelous engine from the plane had fallen loose during the crash, and fell into the sinking pile of treasure.

There was nothing that they could do. For almost a minute, they watched helplessly as the last bit of the treasure drained. And the engine along with it.

“Yes!!!!!” DiMosco shouted, as he jumped for joy before his monitors.

Everything had gone his way. He was about to make his escape, and with the engine he sought to possess.

With that marvel of engineering, he would monopolize the transportation industry. Money from all corners of the globe would flow his way. And he and the rest of Yen Sid’s minions would cover more ground than ever before in their conquest of the world.

With a victorious smile, he pressed another button beneath his desk, which opened a door behind one of the display cases. Beyond it was a metal pole, which DiMosco slid down all the way to his secret escape route. That is, secret to most.

Big Bad was already at the bottom, making a few last minute preparations. The glutton huffed and puffed loudly as he carried the last box of documents and stuffed it into its compartment.

Behind him, DiMosco arrived with a loud clack of his polished soles on the concrete.

“Everything better be loaded!” DiMosco curtly said.

“All present an’ accounted for, boss!” Big Bad said.

“Good! Now, get in! I wanna be outta here ‘fore anyone knows I’m gone!”

Both filed through the door in the side of a vehicle that was mounted on a massive railroad track.

The inside of the money bin began to rumble, and the sound of something moving was heard over the raging sandstorm outside.

They all ran out through the broken window to see what was going on.

Before their eyes, a massive railway rose from the sands, and a train with busses the size of blimps rode out.

Though they could not see it, they knew exactly who was aboard.

“That swindler’s escapin’ with the engine!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted

“How do we stop him now!?” Fluttershy said.

Donald pushed past them all. On his arms, he held firmly to the broken wings of Qard’s flying machine. He spread his wings wide and readied to jump.

“Donald! What are you doing!?” Fluttershy gasped.

“No! No ye don’t!” Uncle Scrooge said, trying to hook his nephew with his cane.

It was no good. In a sudden burst, Donald was gliding after the gargantuan train.

“When ye find that missin’ spine, make sure it comes with a brain!!” the tycoon shouted after his nephew.

Another sharp pain stopped him from fuming after Donald. He had just rescued him from one danger, and he was now flying off to another.

Fluttershy stopped to offer her comforts to Uncle Scrooge, and steadied him as his knees wobbled.

“Hey! Get a load o’ all this!” Applejack called.

They walked to where her voice sounded from, and found that she was standing before a flight of stairs, which led down to a gigantic train platform. On the platform were countless other spare parts of the train. Huge wheels, giant axles, and loading bins that were set beneath a massive chute. One look, and they all had the same idea.

“I can make this in a second!” Applejack said, as she set to work cobbling together their means to chase DiMosco.

Fluttershy stayed behind to mind the ailing Uncle Scrooge.

DiMosco cackled victoriously in the lounge bus of his train. He jumped and slapped the hanging chandelier, slid down the bar and opened every tap into a single glass as he passed them, swallowed his drink and danced merrily when he touched back down to the floor.

Big Bad celebrated too, by stuffing his face with everything he could find in the fridge. Even the bulb at the top, which made his cheeks illuminate slightly. Despite that, he swallowed it all anyway.

“I got it! I got it!! Ahahahahaha!!! Promotions all around!!!” the magnate shouted.

“I bet Yen Sid gives me a smokehouse big enough for an ursa major!!” Big Bad cheered.

“What makes ya think ya earned it, wolf!?” DiMosco snapped. His demeanor quickly lightened. “Aw, what the heck! I’m in a good enough mood to put in a good word for you!”

Their feeling of victory faded when they saw something outside the window.

The duck who they had very nearly killed was still after them. Their escape had failed. But, DiMosco was not worried.

He walked over to the nearest table drawer, and took out all of the revolver clips from within. Unsheathing his firearm from his cane, he loaded one clip inside and pocketed all the others.

“This shouldn’t be too tough. Help yerself to the rest o’ the food while I’m gone,” DiMosco said, rather unwisely.

Big Bad smiled as he left, and started stuffing his face with the rest of the contents of the fridge.

DiMosco climbed a flight of stairs, and exited the bus through a hatch in the roof.

The wind whipped his white hair around as he steadied his trilby atop his head. The magnate aimed his pistol at the flying duck.

“YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAWWW!!!!”

A loud shout drew the magnate’s attention behind himself.

There, on the track behind the train was another very different train. Three large trolleys had been cobbled and hitched together from the spare parts of the train, carrying a passenger in each.

Applejack was in the lead, waving her hat around in the air. Behind her, Uncle Scrooge leaned eagerly forward, ready to take Donald from danger again. And bringing up the rear was Fluttershy, who half hid within her trolley.

“Looks like we got us a little carnival game goin’ on,” DiMosco said, as he aimed his gun, ready to see how many ducks in a row he could drop.

Author's Note

You know that familiar feeling of impending finality. It's time for a showdown!!!

The very moment that I started this story arch, I wanted the showdown to take place in DiMosco's money bin. But, the longer I went on I started to realize that a person like DiMosco would never risk any harm of any kind befall his beloved bin, and a fight inside of it would put him at a severe disadvantage. So, that led me to decide that the final encounter with the unscrupulous magnate would happen during a high speed escape. To make it interesting, it's against him in a gigantic train.

It's not quite going to be like the fight against Rex, with a small army's worth of artillery at the villain's disposal. But, I think that you'll find it a fun read anyway.

Speaking of which, this was a fun chapter to write. Three different perils were all going on at once, and they were all loads of fun to figure out.

As you may have guessed (and I know some of you have) the aerial antics of Uncle Scrooge and Fluttershy were inspired by Baloo's fancy flying in TaleSpin.

The beetle was given another shot at stardom by navigating the inside of a much more forgiving environment. Instead of fighting against an evil engine, it simply had to keep this one from falling apart. Of course, it had to be made exciting, so it had to chase the important part through the plane.

Finally, Donald and Applejack's peril was inspired by one very obvious source: the Carl Barks Donald Duck comics. I just wanted something that seemed like something out of those old time adventure serials that Donald used to appear in. Of course he still does, but mostly in the European comics.

This is a bit of a tangent, but I feel like Europe is kind of the cultural blind spot when it comes to things like animation and comics. I just say this, because just today I met three friends of friends who said that they only ever watch anime. Me? I think that's a pretty narrow-minded attitude. I too enjoy anime, but I also really like the media of my home in the USA, and the wonderful media of my roots. (My parents are European). Long gripe short, I don't think people should limit themselves to only one medium, based on cultural preconception. But, that's your business, not mine.

Moving on, learning about how to fly a plane was easy for me. One of my friends is a bush pilot, and he gave me a short crash course in how to fly such a small craft. Turns out that flying small, single engine planes has changed very little from back in the days of Charles Lindbergh. Who'd have thunk it? Basically, the lesson that Uncle Scrooge gave Fluttershy is the one that I got. I didn't actually fly, though. That would have been bad for everyone present.

Another fun tidbit was the design of the gnat who operated the express sky tram. That was inspired by a mix of Orko from 'He-Man,' and Spirou from 'Spirou et Fantasio.' I recommend 'Spirou' for a good read. It's a lot of fun, like those old 'Mickey Mouse' and 'Donald Duck' comics. Even though that little gnat hardly appeared, he was still a fun little character to write.

And, I may be jumping the gun here, but I really want to give you all a heads up that after the showdown with DiMosco, we'll be checking in on my favorite group: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Goofy. The goofs will be going into territory that the others have not. I won't say where. Just that it's going to be a wretched hive of scum and villainy. (No, not Mos Eisley! This isn't that kind of crossover). And the creatures who inhabit that kingdom are ones that we've seen before.

I think that's about all I have to say here. I'll just leave you with this to hang on your conscience, until the next chapter: if you readers know me by now, I am not afraid to kill off a character that you like. And Uncle Scrooge isn't looking so good. Will he live to the end of the story? That still remains to be seen.

Rock on to that little jam, until the thrilling conclusion of this story arch \m/

Chapter 45: Wild Ride to Oblivion

Chapter 45

Wild Ride to Oblivion

At the construction site of the mega rail, the camels and zahaks all toiled without end. During that particular moment, there was a sight among the workers that none of them had ever thought they would see.

Grunting and groaning, and clutching a rope in his withered hands was Alshuhum Qard. His breath was strained and his greasy robes were soaked with his own sweat. On his back, his one wing flapped hard as he trudged his way through the sands.

<”Well. Look who has finally come to his senses and joined the soon-to-be-wealthy working class,”> said one of the workers.

Qard didn’t pay any mind to what was said. He simply continued trudging his way along.

<”Don’t bother helping an old zahak--!”> Qard puffed, as he pulled his payload. <”By the sound of it, you’re all--still too busy--selling out!”>

<”Selling out? What you call selling out, I call the promise of a brighter future,”> said one of the camels from his scaffold.

<”What future is that--For ten siglos an hour--You shun the very values--Mithra and Maha have taught us all!? Humbleness--Altruism--Cooperation--The golden word of peace--All tossed to the sands!!!?”> Qard said.

<”We never forgot the lessons taught! But, humbleness and altruism won’t put food in my wife and calves’ mouths!”> a camel indignantly replied.

<”But, ten siglos? Yes--That should get your family--A few apples for dinner! How do you plan to divide them?”> Qard responded.

<”More will come!”> another zahak said. <”DiMosco promised us compounding interest on our salary for overtime work!”>

<”And just how much is this compounding interest--”> Qard asked, as he pulled harder on his rope, inching further across the sands.

There was no answer. From the silence, Qard smirked complacently beneath his turban. But, at the same time, he was filled with disdain for everyone else for not wondering the same.

<”Did none of you think to ask how much extra you would receive--”> he asked. <”Were you all so blinded by DiMosco’s promises--That not one of you thought about how little he may have been planning to pay you--Or even when--If at all?”>

Once again, there was no answer from the crowd. Each of them had known the promises that DiMosco made sounded lofty, and that the probability they would be kept on his payroll was next to nil. But one by one, they all allowed themselves to be drawn in by his slick appearance and even slicker tongue.

What values that their rulers had taught them had been put at the backs of their minds in favor of financial gratification. And in time, some had nearly forgotten what made their kingdom so harmonious.

Some of the workers continued watching Qard in silence, while others slowly turned their backs to him and half-heartedly continued their work.

As for Qard, the elderly zahak simply continued dragging his massive haul.

<”The rest of you can do what you want--I am going to return to us--what has always mattered most in Kamelut--”> he said.

The strain on Qard’s body soon took its toll. He began coughing loudly, and had to lean on the side of his haul to keep from keeling over.

His fit ended. And as he breathed deep, ragged breaths, he felt the rope he was holding go taut.

Looking up, he saw that one of the younger zahaks had taken hold of the rope and was pulling it along. Soon, he was joined by a camel. At the other end of the haul, more workers had started pushing the massive payload forward.

A tiny spark was felt in Qard’s mind. The very same he felt that day when he truly thought Khabuubhi would one day fly.

Clutching the rope, he helped to drag along the massive railroad support through the sands.

<”Just where are we taking this thing?”> one of the camels asked.

<”We’re going to my shop--I’ll explain the rest of the project there,”> Qard answered.

A cylinder turned, and a bullet was chambered.

With a click, the brass case was struck, and a burst of flame and a sound of thunder rocketed the lead projectile through its barrel.

Through the air, the bullet flew. The meters through the air toward its target were barely covered, when it was joined by another shot, then another.

Less than a second passed, and the first bullet fired contacted one of the wings that Donald was using to fly after the massive train that Bosco DiMosco was escaping on.

“WAAAK!!” the duck shouted, as he bobbed turbulently in the air, dodging the next two bullets.

To his great surprise, the wings were only scratched and dented by the bullets’ impacts.

Recalling his battle against DiMosco’s minions back in the scrapyard, an idea entered Donald’s mind. He was no stranger to tricky flying maneuvers, and it was that experience that would save his life.

Before he even heard the next shot fired, Donald started to roll in midair.

Bullets pelted the wings, and were bounced back to where they came from.

DiMosco jumped into the air, as one of his own bullets hit the ground between his legs and ricocheted harmlessly away.

“Why you--” the magnate growled, as he reloaded his revolver.

In the corner of his compound eyes, he saw the improvised train rolling after his own.

At the lead, Applejack was leaning forward earnestly, ready to jump aboard DiMosco’s enormous locomotive and take him on.

“Need more speed up here!” she called to Uncle Scrooge.

Uncle Scrooge turned around to talk to Fluttershy.

“Give it some more welly, lass!” he shouted.

Fluttershy, whose trolley had the brake built into it, pushed forward on the lever at the very rear of her seat.

The beetle in her mane trotted down her front leg, and offered its help by pushing on the lever.

Beneath the rearmost trolley, tension was eased on the axle.

The more Fluttershy pushed, the more she could feel speed picking up. Soon, the trolley train was bumping along the tracks. One particularly large bump made the pegasus ease up slightly on the acceleration.

“Don’t ye stop now! We got a train to catch!” Uncle Scrooge admonished her.

Fluttershy didn’t know what scared her more. Flying off of the tracks, or the temper of Scrooge McDuck. But, as she pushed the lever on her trolley forward again, a new fear was added to her growing mound of terror.

There was a loud ding, as something small and metal bounced too near her legs, sending up small sparks as it shot away.

“EEP!!” Fluttershy shouted, as she ducked in cover.

The beetle spun in the air a moment, when another loud bang sounded. With a frightened squeak, the little bug arched its body in midair, allowing the second bullet to pass safely beneath it, before falling back into Fluttershy’s mane.

“That buzzin’ house pest’s got us pinned!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted.

More bullets pelted the trolleys as the passengers ducked in cover.

For a moment the shots stopped, and Applejack dared to peek over the side of her trolley.

DiMosco exhaled long and slow as he aimed his revolver at the orange target, and fired.

It was too fast for Applejack to see, but the bullet was flying on a course that would go straight between her eyes.

Applejack barely had time to shout when she heard the shot. When all of a sudden something swooped in front of her and deflected the bullet.

Looking to her savior, she saw Donald swoop into the air and turn back around.

With a fast exhale she dropped back into cover.

For the first time in years, she had never felt her nerves so shaken. Had Donald not reached her in time, her life would have ended in an instant.

Applejack had been on dozens of quests with her friends. But, never before was the danger of death so very apparent. Never was there an evil like the Big Bad Wolf, the sheriff or DiMosco, who would so readily resort to violence and murder. And the stake of it all was not only Equestria, but the world itself.

As the sound of the shot echoed in her ears, Applejack thought back to the papers she and Donald found in DiMosco’s office. The name ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ printed on the pages stuck in her mind, as if it had been brilliantly lit up and placed before her eyes.

Her home was in danger. Without Sweet Apple Acres, her family had nothing. Their very livelihood was forfeit with the loss of their land.

Applejack knew she had to do it. As scared as she was to face DiMosco, she knew that all was lost if she did nothing.

Another shot was fired, and Donald blocked again with his metal wings.

“That’s the stuff, lad! Keep it up!!” Uncle Scrooge cheered from his trolley, as Donald’s wings deflected another shot. He turned to talk to Fluttershy. “Donald’s coverin’ us! Ye can get crackin’ on that lever again!”

Slowly, Fluttershy’s hoof raised up, and pushed gently forward on the lever.

“What’s that supposed to be!!? I can barely feel my hat wobblin’ on my head! Push it like ye mean it!!” Uncle Scrooge said.

Donald had just blocked a bullet intended for Fluttershy, as the pegasus shot up and pushed the lever with both hooves.

The trolley train ran faster down the tracks, rapidly closing in on DiMosco’s titanic locomotive.

“That’s it! Keep it comin’!” DiMosco said, as he reloaded his revolver.

Never once taking his eyes from his opponents, he saw Donald come swooping toward him.

The magnate quickly loaded his firearm, and took aim.

Donald was already gliding over the train. Before DiMosco fired the first shot, he held his wings up in front of himself and blocked every bullet fired at him.

DiMosco hopped backwards, as Donald rolled to standing before him, and swung his wings wildly.

Another shot was fired.

Donald charged with his wing shielding himself, and swung the other at DiMosco.

DiMsoco ducked and kicked Donald backward.

Donald spun around the next shot and swung his wings again.

DiMosco leaned far back, aimed and shot.

“WAK!” Donald squawked, as the bullet passed over his shoulder. He lost his balance and nearly fell over.

It was the perfect setup. DiMosco aimed and squeezed his trigger.

With a flap of his wings, Donald was back in the air, and the bullet meant for him sailed harmlessly beneath.

DiMosco aimed as Donald was gliding further behind, and fired his remaining ammo.

Donald pitched, rolled and dipped around each shot, until the magnate was out of bullets.

DiMosco decided to try his luck instead with picking off the others tailing him. He reloaded his revolver, and aimed to the tracks behind him. Only, the improvised train chasing him was nowhere in sight.

The magnate huffed when he realized what had happened. Donald was only distracting him, until the others were close enough to be covered by the train itself.

He knew what they were trying to do. And with one last look to Donald, who was gliding higher, DiMosco retreated back through the hatch in the top of the bus, ready to take on anyone foolish enough to encounter him again.

Donald saw DiMosco retreat, and swooped low as he let the train pass him. Soon, he was at the rear, where his friends were nearly upon the train.

Applejack was reaching her hoof out, so very near to grasping the rail on the platform at the rear of the train.

“He just went inside!” Donald shouted to Applejack.

“He what!?” Applejack replied, not having heard properly over the wind.

“DiMosco! He’s in the train now! Probably waiting for you to board!”

Applejack hesitated a moment, but the feeling of apprehension soon passed.

“Alright! Thanks fer the heads up!” she answered.

With a nod, Donald glided back toward the next trolley, where Uncle Scrooge was ready to climb over to join Applejack.

“Ya better stay back, Unc! No tellin’ how bad your condition really is!” Donald said.

“Balderdash an’ hooey! I know my own blasted condition better than ye! Someone has to cover Applejack! An’ I’m the duck to do it!” Uncle Scrooge said.

“Push yourself, and you’re a dead duck!!” Donald rebutted.

Uncle Scrooge hooked his cane around Donald’s neck, and pressed his forehead against his nephew’s.

“We all have our jobs to do here! Ye have to stay back an’ cover Fluttershy, in case that trigger-happy fly comes back while she’s keepin’ pace! Now, shove off!”

With a jerk, Uncle Scrooge unhooked his cane and shoved Donald away.

Donald swung his fists and cursed loudly and indistinctly, while he glided backwards without spreading his wings.

“Donald…?” Fluttershy timidly said, as she half hid in her trolley.

Donald quickly recomposed himself and spread his wings, before gliding to the very back of the trolley train.

“Uncle Scrooge says you have to stay here and keep up with the train!” Donald said.

Fluttershy’s only answer was a shaky nod, while the beetle stood on the tip of her ear and offered a tiny salute.

“When this is done, ya better take a bath! Ya got bugs livin’ in your mane!” Donald said, before he flapped his wings and gained a surge of altitude.

Fluttershy watched as Donald shot up and ahead of her. With one last look ahead, she saw Applejack climb aboard the platform at the train’s caboose, followed shortly by Uncle Scrooge.

Applejack bucked the door open, and together they both disappeared into the monstrous train. Once they had gone, Fluttershy returned to her duty of minding the acceleration.

The inside of the train was like most any other, except that it was enormous. And it seemed even more vast with the complete lack of any of the normal accoutrements typically seen inside of a caboose.

However they would stop the train and DiMosco, it would not be in that bus. So, they hurried onward.

Halfway along, they noticed a staircase that went straight up to a second level. The train was so large, it would not have surprised them if there were a third level above it.

“I’ll go high. Ye’ll go low,” Uncle Scrooge said.

He was only a few steps, before Applejack stopped him.

“I’ll go high. You take it easy,” the farmpony said.

Uncle Scrooge nearly protested, but a slight jab in his chest reminded him of how frail his health had become.

“Aye, alright. But, ye be careful up there,” he said, as he walked toward the door below.

Applejack quickly climbed the stairs, hoping she was ready to take on what came her way.

On the second level, everything looked quite different. There, everything looked like some grand suite, complete with a gigantic bed, a kitchenette with all the normal kitchen furnishings, and another door that led to a silvery bathroom.

Cautiously as ever, Applejack walked to the door at the end of the room and stepped into the next bus.

There, everything was just as different as the previous room. Judging from the number of pantries, refrigerators, tables and cooking utensils, she guessed that it was some kind of food storage.

As she walked, Applejack saw that some of the cans of food were put out, and glanced at their labels. Many of them were in foreign languages that she didn’t understand. But, one can in particular had a label that was unmistakably for chili. And the picture showed a cow sitting in a cauldron, slurping a ladle.

With a shiver, she hurried past that one to find her opponent. But, it soon became apparent that she was not alone in that bus.

Somewhere ahead, a voice was heard.

“Bacon from the back and stomach of the pig!!? Yes please!!” the voice said.

Applejack had no time to hide herself, just as the Big Bad Wolf appeared from around a wall that blocked him from view before. However, he had not noticed her as he opened a refrigerator and started rummaging through its contents, and stacked them onto a silver platter he was carrying.

“Let’s see... Chicken thighs? Don’t mind if I do. Mutton chops? Always a tasty dish. Venison? Yes sir. Fish filets? I’ll have that with the white. Pork ribs! Now we’re talkin’!”

Applejack turned a slight shade of green from the gruesome dishes.

Finally, Big Bad leaned back into view, holding a small tin in his clawed hand.

“Sea pony caviar!!? Ya can’t even get this through the direct market!” the glutton said, as he opened the tin with his thumb. Before he ate anything, he noticed Applejack in the corner of his eye. “Ain’t this lucky? I was just thinkin’ about apple pie fer dessert!”

Big Bad literally inhaled the heaping platter of food, swallowed it in one gulp, and threw the empty platter at Applejack.

Far easier than a bullet, Applejack reacted in time to buck the platter back to Big Bad.

The glutton caught the platter in his mouth, and recoiled heavily backward.

Applejack charged and bucked hard.

Big Bad shielded himself with the platter he held, and was blown back onto a table that was loaded end to end with food.

He crashed into a platter of lamb, which flew into the air and fell on his head piece by piece.

Applejack jumped up to the table and readied to attack again.

To one side, there was a large turkey, baked to golden-brown perfection. Before her, there was a large bowl of apples set out. Perfect for her.

She stomped the edge of the bowl, launching it and all of the fruit into the air. Turning around and raising her legs, Applejack bucked rapidly over and over, shooting each apple to Big Bad.

Big Bad opened his mouth and caught every one of the apples in his gaping maw. Without even inhaling, he blew every one of the apples back to his opponent.

Applejack was pelted with each fruit, until she shielded herself with the bowl that held them.

The apples rolled up the inside of the bowl and flung themselves back at Big Bad.

Before the first apples struck back, the glutton growled fiercely and leapt forward with his cleavers drawn, slicing madly through anything in his path.

Applejack backpedaled from danger, and felt her hoof tangle on something. Looking down, she saw a long link of sausages.

Trying not to think what or who they were made from, she picked them up in her teeth and twirled them into an improvised lasso. She tossed it and ensnared Big Bad’s left arm.

The glutton stopped swinging and tried to pull his arm free.

Applejack took the opportunity to buck more food at him, sending a platter of entrees into his face.

The platter fell from Big Bad’s face, leaving olives over his eyes, artichoke hearts in his ears and ripe cheese up his nose.

Big Bad’s tongue slurped up all of the entrees, before he bit the sausage lasso in two. With the links still in his mouth, he started munching his way closer to Applejack.

He was growing closer. And when he was close enough, the farmpony yanked hard and rolled Big Bad over her shoulders like he was a sack of chicken feed.

The glutton landed hard on the table, and crossed his cleavers to block Applejack’s stomp. In a burst, he pushed her away and rolled to his feet.

The moment he stood, Big Bad grabbed a handful of hot peppers and squeezed the juices at Applejack.

Applejack quickly raised a hoof to shield her eyes, but could not stop a few drops from getting her.

The blinding, stinging sensation forced her to shut her eyes, as she tried to smudge them clean with her dry hoof.

It was only the sounds of claws on wood that alerted her to Big Bad’s rapid approach.

Purely on instinct, the farmpony ducked out of the way of a swinging cleaver, and felt the blade of the next nick her side as she stepped away.

She felt her hoof bump something, and picked it up in the hopes that it would help fight off her opponent. To her dismay, it was simply a large, unsliced loaf of bread.

Feeling it was better than nothing, she swung it at Big Bad’s head.

Big Bad opened his mouth, caught the loaf and bit off so much that Applejack only held the heel in her teeth.

Applejack ducked, leaving only the heel of bread in the air, as Big Bad’s cleaver’s sliced the bread apart.

Down low, Applejack bucked again, aiming below the belt.

Too high, as Big Bad felt the wind knocked out of him, and was thrown backward.

Applejack was blown away by a sudden gust from the glutton’s mouth. As she was blown back, she was pelted with more of the foods that adorned the table that were caught in the gust.

She yelped when she felt a fork jab her front leg, and shielded herself with a leg of ham from the rest of the oncoming silverware.

Big Bad was already charging her with his cleavers at the ready. Once he was upon her, he swung at her neck.

Applejack blocked with her ham, stopping the blade. She blocked an attack on the other side, then stuffed the ham in her opponent’s mouth when he tried to take a bite out of her.

With his mouth corked, Big Bad hobbled back and started chewing the meat. Bone and all.

“Dang! This guy’ll eat anything!!” Applejack thought.

If only she could get her hooves on something he would regret ingesting. Something rotten, or poisonous.

The sting of the pepper’s juices still lingered around her eyes.

“Peppers!” she thought.

The bowl of peppers Big Bad had used to blind her was set between them.

A look to a large, golden-brown turkey nearer to her, and she knew how to defeat Big Bad once and for all.

Big Bad swallowed the last of the ham, then spat out the bones. But, he was still not satisfied. He bared his fangs and eyed Applejack hungrily.

Everything had to be done with split second timing, if Applejack was going to beat the glutton. Putting her eyes to the turkey, then to the plate of peppers down the way, she knew she was going to have to pull off a gold medal performance to survive the plan. Luckily, she had been preparing for such a thing her whole life.

Both opponents charged one another.

When she was close enough, Applejack kicked the turkey up into the air over Big Bad’s head.

Big Bad crossed his arms and swung his blades like a pair of shears.

When they were near one another, Applejack ducked and rolled between her opponent’s legs, just as the turkey landed in the bowl of peppers.

Without losing any momentum, the farmpony grabbed the newly stuffed turkey and jumped over another swing of Big Bad’s cleavers.

Midair, she slammed the open end of the turkey over the glutton’s head.

Mission accomplished. She jumped back as Big Bad started blindly swinging his cleavers.

“This ain’t over, dirt pusher!! Ya can’t stop the Big Bad Wolf with poultry!!” Big Bad’s muffled voice came.

Applejack smiled when she heard a munching noise. Big Bad was doing just as she expected him to do, and was eating his way out.

“Ow-Woo!!” Big Bad yelped, as smoke started seeping out of the open ends of the turkey. “OW-WOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!!!!”

Applejack nearly laughed at the sight as Big Bad stopped, dropped and rolled across the table. She came particularly close when he rolled over the forks and jumped into the air.

Before he even dropped back down, Applejack readied to buck again.

The moment he was at the optimal level with her, she aimed her hooves at the nearby window and bucked the glutton straight through the glass.

There was a horrible scraping sound that followed, but Applejack didn’t linger to wonder what it may have been. She still had to stop the train and defeat DiMosco. Not necessarily in that order.

Big Bad’s cleavers dug deep into the sides of the train, trailing long gashes as he tried to shake his head free of the turkey.

Just as his blades hooked onto a window frame, his whole body jerked and flung the turkey from his cranium.

The hot peppers were still blazing in his mouth and all over his face.

Big Bad clenched his teeth, and his face turned as red as the peppers he was forced to swallow. Indignant and infuriated at the idea of being beaten by nothing more than a side dish, he pocketed his cleavers and started clawing open the window.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the smaller train behind the massive one he was clinging to. Riding in the very furthest trolley was the same timid pegasus who had eluded him as much as a practical pig. And she was alone now. Completely cornered and isolated, without anywhere to go and nobody to help her.

It was perfect for him. Finally, Big Bad would fill his belly with pony meat, and eliminate a thorn in Yen Sid’s side once and for all.

Firmly gripping his claws onto the side of the train, the glutton started quickly climbing his way to his next meal.

Uncle Scrooge was quickly, yet cautiously making his way through the lower part of the train’s bus.

His objective was simple: to find where DiMosco was keeping his treasure, and recover the stolen engine.

Looking around the bus he was in, he could only imagine one possible place that so much money could be stored on such a massive train.

Beneath his webbed feet, he searched warily for any hatch that would lead into the lower parts of the train. Unless it was hidden in some storage in the upper level. And if it was so, he knew he should have insisted on investigating upstairs.

Applejack was a smart mare, he could tell. But, she didn’t think like a skinflint. She wouldn’t be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, which would lead to a hidden king’s ransom.

Carefully, he scoured every square inch of the bus for anything that would have seemed unusual. A seam or a crease in the floor or walls. An oddly placed piece of furniture. Anything.

Uncle Scrooge started tapping his cane on the floor, listening for anything that sounded hollow. Or at least less solid than any other part of the ground.

The more he tapped, he found less of any evidence that the engine may have been hidden beneath his feet.

“Ach. I knew I shoulda took the stairs,” the tycoon muttered to himself.

From the stairs, a polished black dress shoe stepped noiselessly onto the topmost step, and stealthily descended.

DiMosco carefully timed his steps with every tap of Uncle Scrooge’s cane, hiding any trace of a sound he made on his way down. Once he was on the steps’ landing, the magnate carefully peered into the room before him. His compound eyes barely passed around the corner when he saw Uncle Scrooge tapping around.

It was too easy. The old duck had his back turned, and was much too preoccupied to notice anything behind himself.

DiMosco smirked as he aimed his revolver, slowly, carefully at the back of Uncle Scrooge’s head. And with a silent exhale, his hand steadied to deliver the fatal shot.

As far as Uncle Scrooge could tell, there was nothing of note in that bus. Now at the far end, he was ready to leave and investigate the next area.

He opened the door, and just beneath the sounds of the metal door in its runner, he heard the familiar sound of a hammer clicking.

There was no thought as the tycoon dove forward through the open doorway, hoping he would land behind some cover.

Before he ever landed, there was the sound of a gunshot, and an incredible pain struck the tycoon’s arm.

More shots sounded as Uncle Scrooge hit the floor and crawled behind what seemed like a large shelf. Taking a moment, he looked at his arm and saw that it was not as bad as it felt. The bullet had only nicked his arm. Barely a scrape, if even that.

Between the sudden startle he had, and the intense physical maneuver, Uncle Scrooge felt the familiar terrible pain in his chest.

“Blast ye! Don’t fail me now!” he muttered to himself as he clutched his chest, not wanting to give DiMosco the satisfaction of defeating him.

The sounds of hurried steps approached the bus, and stopped suddenly in the doorway.

“Say somethin’, duck! I wanna how many times I hit ya!” DiMosco’s voice called.

Uncle Scrooge was no fool. He knew that DiMosco was trying to find where he was hiding. Looking up to the shelf, the tycoon decided that he was going to do exactly that, and give himself away. To start, he hooked his cane onto the back of the massive piece of furniture.

“An’ why do ye care!? So ye can charge me for six wasted bullets!?” he shouted as he pulled downward.

“Durn tootin’, ya old coot! At a buck-fifty a pop, I’m gettin’ my money’s worth!” DiMosco replied, as he jumped over an armchair and landed before the shelf, just as it was crashing down on top of him. “Holy--”

The elderly magnate hopped backwards into a chair, one foot on the seat, the other on the back. As the chair toppled back, DiMosco stayed perfectly upright as he aimed and shot at the fleeing Uncle Scrooge.

“YA-HOO!! Time fer a duck hunt!!” the old fly shouted, as he shot wildly after his opponent.

Uncle Scrooge dove behind a counter, finding it to be the front of a grand tea station.

More shots were fired as the tycoon took a steamer and turned up the pressure beyond its limit. When the thing seemed liable to burst, he tossed it over the counter.

DiMosco had just finished reloading his pistol when he was forced to dive over a table, overturning it as cover when the steamer exploded in a burst of metal and foam.

“Yer killin’ the atmosphere in my lounge, duck!” the magnate shouted, as he shot blindy at the counter.

Uncle Scrooge popped up a few feet from where DiMosco was shooting, throwing mugs and teacups.

“Ye call this a lounge!? I wouldn’t have my shoes shined in this dump!” he shouted.

“You can bet it’s better than yer lounge!” DiMosco shouted, as he shot the flying cups out of the air, and dodged what ones he couldn’t shoot.

Uncle Scrooge took several tiny cups of honey and tossed them ahead of where DiMosco was dodging.

“Bah! Ye haven’t even got a decent culinary station in here!” Uncle Scrooge said, as he placed several loose tea leaves into a bag. He winced when more bullets were shot blindly through the counter, dangerously close to where he was.

The moment the magnate stepped in the sticky puddle his opponent had thrown, he found that he had difficulty pulling his foot free. But, he wasn’t stopped from firing his weapon.

“Ya ain’t seen upstairs! I got me a ten star kitchen chock full o’ eleven star vittles!!” DiMosco shouted, as he finished reloading and aimed again.

Uncle Scrooge twirled the stuffed bag around as if it were a miniature hammer toss, and lobbed it at his opponent.

DiMosco shot it out of the air, and was engulfed in a pungent, stifling cloud of dried leaves. He coughed and waved his hand to clear the air, shooting blindly as Uncle Scrooge charged him.

Both elders met in the middle, as Uncle Scrooge unleashed a tackle that pulled DiMosco free of the honey trap and slammed him against a wall.

“Eleven stars!? Pish-tosh!! I’ve twenty star eateries on my yachts! All fifty of them!” the tycoon shouted, as he unleashed a mean shoeshine punch on DiMosco’s stomach.

DiMosco kneed Uncle Scrooge away and swung his cane, smacking vases and tabletops every time he missed.

“Quantity over quality!!? Hah!! Yer givin’ a bad name to real business moguls!!” DiMosco shouted, as he jabbed Uncle Scrooge in the chest, sending him backwards.

Uncle Scrooge fell backwards as a bullet sailed over his head. Quick as he could, he scrambled out of the way of another shot.

“I got yacht to carry my other yachts!!” DiMosco shouted, as he trailed bullets behind Uncle Scrooge. He ran to head off the tycoon as he reloaded his firearm. “Top o’ the line! All the modern accoutrements! A staff what works dirt cheap!! An’ they got twenty star eateries too!! All you got’s a fleet o’ overgrown bath toys!!”

“Here’s yer bath toy, brigand!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted as he picked up a chair to throw at DiMosco.

In all the strenuous activity, the pains in his chest flared up again. He nearly dropped the chair as it was over his head and only just managed to throw it at DiMosco.

The magnate easily spun out of the way of the large projectile and aimed his pistol just as Uncle Scrooge dove for cover behind the bar.

More shots fired over the bar, shattering many bottles and spilling their contents to the floor.

The pains in Uncle Scrooge’s chest were becoming worse. He gasped painfully, and thought that at any moment DiMosco would not have to shoot him to get him out of the picture.

“Ya ain’t soundin’ so good, old timer! Might be time to give up the ghost!” DiMosco loudly guffawed, as he shot blindly at the bar.

Nearby, a CO2 canister by the taps was shot, and it burst in a cloud of cold, which chilled Uncle Scrooge and sent more pains through his chest.

It was time for a Scottish home remedy. Taking his hat from his head, Uncle Scrooge held it beneath the deluge of spilling liquids. As his breath grew more shallow, he added some honey and herbs from the tea station earlier. He put his palm over the top and quickly swished it all together. Once adequately mixed, he guzzled it all down.

His breaths grew deeper as DiMosco’s bullets penetrated the bar gradually closer to him. A burning sensation grew in his throat, which slowly trickled down to his stomach. For a quick moment the pain in his chest sharpened, then gradually lessened.

The bullets were growing closer as Uncle Scrooge’s mind both clouded and focused at the same time. The sweetness of the honey and the savory of the herbs made his eyes water.

“Ahhhhhh...! Just like mother’s!” he exhaled.

He suddenly became aware that a bullet was shot through the bar only inches from his head.

Spinning in the direction of the prior shot, another bullet penetrated exactly where he would have been before. In the same motion, he grabbed an armful of bottles and shot up above his cover.

DiMosco had no time to react as he was reloading his revolver, when he was struck by a flying bottle.

“Have a drink, fly!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he rapidly lobbed more bottles.

DiMosco tried to dodge out of the way, but every projectile led him by exactly the steps he took. One well-aimed hit knocked the revolver from his hand. Before he could retrieve it, he was struck in the head by a flying metal can, which made him fall to the floor clutching his cane.

Uncle Scrooge had placed the CO2 cans on top of the bar and was knocking their tops loose with his own cane, sending them flying about the room like a swarm of metal flies.

“Ye won’t get the best o’ Scrooge McDuck! I’ve tamed wild beasts! I’ve discovered lost civilizations! I rewrote history in my lifetime! An’ I won’t be done in by a trash-dwellin’, carcass-munchin’, flypaper model!!” the tycoon declared, as he shot one last canister.

Perhaps it was the drink he had, but something in his mind clicked in that moment. The sheer number of taps behind the bar was far beyond normal. And the space it took up was more than most others. It would be the perfect way to hide something one never wanted others to find. That was where he needed to look. Taking his cane, he started his search.

DiMosco dropped to avoid the flying canisters and scurried about the floor to search for his revolver.

While DiMosco was busy, Uncle Scrooge set to smashing the many taps with his cane, knowing that one of them was going to open the secret compartment to DiMosco’s ill-gotten gains. And to the marvelous engine he had stolen.

DiMosco was still searching for his weapon, when a flying canister knocked a table into his path. He rolled around the falling furniture and noticed the ruckus Uncle Scrooge was making. Stopping a moment, he wondered what he was doing.

“Blast it all! It must be here!” he heard Uncle Scrooge shout.

DiMosco knew that there was only one thing his opponent could have been looking for. A complacent smile crossed his face, before he rolled to the side to dodge another falling table.

There was a mess of spraying foam as Uncle Scrooge had broken off all but one of the taps. Looking at the final tap, he knew that was the one. One good swing, and he would open the door to retrieve what was stolen. Raising his cane, he smashed it down hard on the tap, knowing it would swing like a lever.

His cane contacted the tap, and a loud crack sounded as the metal head under the bar broke free and sprayed its foamy beverage.

He was wrong. There was no secret lever to open the hidden compartment with the stolen treasures. Not about to give up, Uncle Scrooge swung his cane at the large mirror behind the bar. To his dismay, all he found there was a metal back where the glass had been set.

With no warning, Uncle Scrooge was kicked in the face by DiMosco jumping over the bar. When he landed, he brandished his cane and swung to attack.

“I told ya I was better at bein’ everything you are, duck!” the magnate shouted, as he swung his cane at the dodging duck. “I’m smart enough to hide my cash where even you won’t find it!”

Uncle Scrooge parried an attack, but was still struck as he felt his heart racing again.

“An’ I’m tough enough to keep the spring in my step! Even at my age!” DiMosco said, as he kicked Uncle Scrooge over the bar.

When he hit the floor, the tycoon looked frantically around for DiMosco’s dropped revolver, but was unable to find it as his opponent leapt over the bar with his cane over his head.

Uncle Scrooge rolled away, just as DiMosco slammed his cane to the ground. Getting to his feet, he engaged the magnate in another one on one duel.

“Ya ain’t been on top o’ the world long enough, duck!! Yer soft! Ya ain’t got what it takes to conquer a whole continent! Or even a guy like me!!” DiMosco berated, as he struck and was parried over and over.

Though he feared it, Uncle Scrooge thought what DiMosco said may have been true. For the long life he lived, he was now nearing his own end. But, if he could only hold on just long enough to stall DiMosco, he knew he would not be lost in vain.

He would keep DiMosco busy, and his younger companions would stop the train, defeat the evil magnate, take back the marvelous engine, and continue their magical quest. Then, Scrooge McDuck would join the glorious ranks of his ancestors.

Glaring intensely and clenching his teeth, Uncle Scrooge parried with gusto and staggered DiMosco, ready to go out on the highest note in McDuck history

The door to the control room burst open as Applejack bucked her way inside.

After what felt like galloping a marathon she finally arrived at her destination, ready to stop the massive train. Only, there was one rather large problem.

The engine of the train looked like none she had ever seen. Buttons, lights, levers, switches and monitors were all over the front of the room. There was no furnace to douse, and there was no definite brake to pull. Clearly, a far cry from the Friendship Express.

But, that wouldn’t stop her.

Quickly as she could, Applejack started pressing, turning and flipping everything she could get her hooves on, knowing that one of them was bound to be the one that stopped the train.

For as much as she tried, none of them was what she was looking for.

A button was pressed and lights on the back of the train started blinking. A switch was thrown and a series of intercom speakers opened up on the train’s outside. More buttons were pressed, and the monitors in the room started turning on. Another lever was pulled, and nearly the entire wall of the bus Uncle Scrooge and DiMosco were battling in opened up to reveal a bay view of the desert, and of the outpost town in the distance.

Applejack was running out of functions to use on the console. Finally, she knew she found what she was looking for.

A red switch was at the far left of the console. And there was only one way to turn it. A brake if she ever saw one.

Turning around, she raised her rear hooves and bucked the switch so far forward that it broke off.

Big mistake.

A feeling of accomplishment rushed over Applejack, but it gradually passed. She did not feel the steady lurch of braking, but the rising whoosh of acceleration.

The scenery outside the window started passing more quickly. The only thing that seemed constant was the outpost town in the distance, though that too was very slowly going by with the rest of the view.

“AW…! Horse apples in a hat!!!” Applejack shuddered, before she started rapidly pressing and pulling the rest of the functions on the console

Nothing worked. Whatever she tried, nothing slowed the train down. And she kept trying, until she noticed one of the monitors.

There was Uncle Scrooge crossing canes with DiMosco. And from the look of it, the old tycoon was losing.

One look at Uncle Scrooge clutching his chest as he fought, and Applejack knew she couldn’t stay in the control room.

Without a second look to the monitors, she rushed off to aid the ailing duck, and hopefully defeat DiMosco with him.

Big Bad clung tightly to the side of the train as the acceleration grew. He was very nearly at the back, when he suddenly found he had to cling tightly to keep from being blown off.

So great was the speed increasing that his suspenders started coming undone, and his pants started blowing off.

Quicker than he could blink, Big Bad pulled his trousers back up, but only realized as he floated in the air that he had let go of the train. Before he even had a chance to reach back for the train, he went rocketing backward.

On the tracks behind him, Fluttershy’s tiny beetle friend was urging her to push harder on the accelerator.

“I’m trying! But, I don’t think this train goes that fast!” Fluttershy said, as she pushed further on the lever more than it was meant to go.

The beetle leaned its back against the lever, only adding micrometers to its push.

With its back to the lever, the beetle was the only one of the two to notice something black, furry and with lots of teeth plummeting toward them from the train ahead.

It jumped and pointed, trying to alert Fluttershy to the danger behind her.

“Is something wrong?” the pegasus asked.

She was answered by a thump that shook the entire trolley train.

Taken completely by surprise, she quickly turned around, but saw nothing there. Then, a single clawed hand reached up and grasped the edge of the frontmost trolley. Frozen by terror, Fluttershy watched as the Big Bad Wolf appeared over the edge and pulled himself into the tiny train with her.

The two locked eyes, and Big Bad licked his chops, which seemed to grow bigger once his tongue had passed over them.

When she was a filly, Fluttershy had heard stories about pony-eating monsters. Every camping trip and every Nightmare Night was made more terrifying with tales of terrible beasts with claws and fangs, who would never let up until they caught and ate a frightened pony. Now, she was facing a monster she had once relegated to make-believe. And there was nowhere for her to run away to, short of leaping over the side and falling hundreds of hooves to the sands below.

“Nowhere to run now! It’s just you an’ me!” Big Bad said, as started toward the next trolley.

In a few short moments Fluttershy knew she would be eaten. And there was no way she could defend herself from a wolf with cutlery.

Not knowing what else she could possibly do, Fluttershy pulled hard on the lever she was operating.

There was a sudden squeal as the wheels beneath the trolley ground to a halt for a brief instance, making Big Bad fall forward and hit his face on the floor of the trolley.

Fluttershy knew that would not stop the glutton. Thinking quickly she pushed the lever forward more than she ever had before.

The small train picked up speed. Far faster than it had gone since it was cobbled together, the contraption started trembling with pure inertia. Fluttershy trembled too, adding to the tremors.

Big Bad held tightly to the floor, feeling like at any moment the entire trolley train may fall apart.

Fluttershy kept her eyes on the lever, listening for movement from Big Bad, hoping that he wouldn’t move as long as they were going so fast. And their speed only picked up when the tracks started gently sloping downward.

The beetle kept its post on Fluttershy’s hoof with its back to the lever. Warily it watched for Big Bad to reappear. But, then it saw another terrible sight.

The trolley train was going so fast that it was nearly on the tail of DiMosco’s enormous locomotive.

Before the beetle could warn her, there was a sudden impact.

Fluttershy lurched forward and nearly fell out of the trolley, breaking the lever as she did. Worse still, her tiny insect friend had fallen off her hoof.

“No! Mr. Bug!!” she called after the beetle. But, it was too late.

The tiny bug had fallen out of sight, left far behind as she sped down the tracks.

Another thump sounded behind herself, and she turned to see a frightful sight.

The impact of the collision had knocked Big Bad out of his own trolley, and into the one Fluttershy occupied. Menacingly, the glutton stood up and bared his fangs. After hunting the mares for so long, eating one of them now was going to make her taste all the better.

Before anything else, Fluttershy watched Big Bad reach into his pocket. Fearing it was one of his cleavers, she was mortified even more to see that it was a napkin with a picture of a pony on it, which the glutton tied around his neck.

There was nothing more Fluttershy could do, than to shrink into the corner of the trolley. In an act of panicked desperation, she thought to stall Big Bad, if only for a moment.

“I’m...not afraid of you…” she whispered.

“What’s that? Speak up! I wanna hear yer last words!” Big Bad said.

“I’m not afraid of you…” Fluttershy repeated, slightly louder.

“Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha!! Lady, if you keep up that kind o’ hog manure, you’d have a promisin’ future as a politician!” Big Bad guffawed. “Not that yer future’s lookin’ too bright, anyway!”

Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to face the maw of the beast. With her eyes shut, she found that she didn’tt feel the breath of the glutton, before his teeth chomped down on her. Instead, she felt the trolley thump again, as if something else landed in it with her.

“What the--!” Big Bad shouted.

“Pick on someone yer own size, Zeke!!” said a familiar squawking voice.

The sounds of blows exchanging reached Fluttershy’s ears, who dared to crack an eye open and peek at what was happening.

The first thing she saw was the sudden glint of steel, which made her gasp as Big Bad slammed his cleaver down onto what looked like a tiny wall of metal.

When the blow was deflected, the wall opened up, revealing Donald with his metal wings on his arms.

The duck countered the blow with his larger weapon, which was found to be unwieldy in such small quarters.

Big Bad easily caught the swinging wing, and slashed at Donald’s ribs.

Donald lifted his elbow and barely managed to block the cut.

Another swing of the cleaver, and Donald blocked.

Swing after swing, and Donald blocked with his one free arm.

Their battle inched them backward in the trolley, closer to Fluttershy.

Big Bad tried taking a swing at the pegasus, only to be intercepted by an uppercut from Donald.

The glutton growled fiercely and grabbed Donald’s other arm with his free hand.

Donald thrashed and cursed, trying his best to attack. But, with both his arms clinched, he was powerless to attack.

Big Bad, however, was not. Though his hands were tied up restraining Donald, his fanged mouth was more than enough to finish the duck off. Opening his maw, that was exactly what he intended to do.

Fluttershy didn’t know what else to do, other than grab Donald by his waist and pull him back from Big Bad’s snapping teeth.

“Hey!” Big Bad indignantly shouted.

He chomped again.

Fluttershy twisted Donald to the side and inadvertently moved his arm to hit Big Bad in the face.

The glutton chomped again, and was hit again by Donald being turned out of the way.

Big Bad had enough. He was hungry. He was agitated. He was going to solve both problems in one go.

With a fierce growl, Big Bad pushed Donald into Fluttershy and raised both of his cleavers over his head. The final blow was about to be delivered.

Instead of swinging them down, he suddenly started wildly swinging his blades at a cloud of dhaka seeds that blew past him.

On one of the seeds, Big Bad saw a small, black beetle. And it was blowing right toward him with an armful of dhaka pollen.

The beetle jumped off its seed and landed directly on Big Bad’s nose, where it dropped its tiny payload.

Big Bad knocked himself in the face with the flat of his own cleaver, missing the beetle as it jumped back onto one of the floating seeds.

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up at the sight of the tiny savior, who floated before her on its seed.

“Well, what do you know about that?” Donald said, as he watched the little bug.

Not one of them noticed how Big Bad was snuffling violently, until he let out another one of his gale force sneezes, which blew the seeds away from them all.

Fluttershy tried in vain to catch her tiny friend before it went, but it was no use. The beetle blew away on the winds, never to return to her.

Big Bad was about to sneeze again, when Donald shot to his feet and clapped both his metal wings on the glutton’s head like a pair of cymbals.

Before his opponent could stop rattling, Donald slapped Big Bad left and right, then finally slammed him down.

Big Bad sneezed one last time toward the floor and blew himself out of the trolley like a rocket, and fell from the air like a boulder over the side of the tracks.

Howling madly, he only just barely managed to drive one of his cleavers into the wooden rail supports.

Hanging only by the handle of his blade, he watched his opponents get further from him, with no hope of catching them up.

“This ain’t over!!” Big Bad shouted, shaking his fist with his free hand. “Next time I see ya, I’m gonna have apples in both yer mouths!! I’m gonna glaze ya an’ baste ya in--”

He was cut off by another sneeze, which sent him spinning around the handle of his blade.

First thing was first, he took his other cleaver and started slowly climbing hundreds of feet to the dunes below.

“You alright, toots?” Donald asked the trembling Fluttershy. But, she didn’t hear him.

Fluttershy was looking skyward to the cloud of dhaka seeds, her eyes fixed solely on the one just on the edge of the setting sun. The one with the tiny passenger aboard it, who was slowly floating out of her life.

The beetle clung proudly to its seed, watching Fluttershy as it drifted away beyond her. It didn’t know where it would go, but it hoped the path it landed on would one day cross with the pegasus who became his very first friend.

The breeze changed direction, and the beetle was blown further away, until Fluttershy was only a speck.

Turning toward the new direction its life was taking, the beetle found that it was now joined by another cloud of dhaka seeds. Within that new cloud, another passenger was seen.

A female of its own species was clinging to her own floating seed. And she was inviting the beetle to join her.

Taking the invitation with gusto, the beetle hopped from seed to seed, until it joined the female, who blew away together into the distance.

“Hey!” Donald said, snapping Fluttershy back to alertness.

“Huh? Uh...I’m alright…” Fluttershy answered, only then registering what Donald asked her.

“Aces. What’s better is that’s the last we’ll be seeing of that hairy garbage disposal for a while,” Donald replied.

It was both relieving and distressing for Fluttershy to hear. Partly, it was that she would not see Big Bad for a long time. More so, what Donald said made it sound as if they would definitely see him again.

“Keep this train chuggin’, toots. I’m gonna go try and help the others!” Donald said, as he spread his wings and took to the air.

“But, the lever’s--broken…” Fluttershy said, just as Donald flew out of earshot.

And the trolley train started slowly losing speed as the tracks leveled out.

Donald was already on his way toward DiMosco’s train. From his high vantage point, he could see the tracks starting to curve, and up ahead, he saw the tracks diverging into two directions. Whichever way they went was irrelevant, so long as they stopped the train in time from wherever it was going.

“What’s this?” Donald thought, as he noticed a large opening in the side of the train.

Though he was very high up, he thought he could see two figures battling back and forth in the room within the bus.

Focusing his mind, Donald spread his wings as wide as they could go and dipped for a nosedive.

The closer the train came, the more he could see his uncle dueling fiercely with DiMosco. And like Applejack before him, he could tell that Uncle Scrooge was not holding himself so well.

Donald clasped his wings to his body, increasing the velocity of his dive. Before he even knew where precisely he was landing, he was inside the train.

DiMosco jumped off the table he was dueling from, when Donald crashed right into it and rolled across the floor.

“Donald!!?” Uncle Scrooge shouted.

“My aviator suit!!” DiMosco added.

“Reportin’ for duty! OW!!” Donald said, as he saluted and hit himself in the forehead with his own wing.

“This yer big idea, tough guy?” DiMosco asked, with a sadistic smile on his face. “Can’t fight yer own battle, so ya get yer junior cavalry to finish it for ya? Well, news flash, pillow stuffin’: two ducks ain’t better than one!”

Donald was taken by surprise by how fast DiMosco lunged at him. He barely had time to block the attack when Uncle Scrooge intercepted with his own cane.

“Let the lad alone, fly! Scrooge McDuck always finishes what he starts!” the tycoon said, as his cane was parried aside and he shouted in pain when he was struck on the wound on his arm.

“Hey! No fair makin’ cheap shots!!” Donald fumed as he shot to his feet.

He swung his wings at DiMosco, finding the extra space of the lounge accommodating. He was able to duck, dodge, counter, and block effectively. But, he was barely able to keep up with his elderly opponent.

Every time Donald blocked, DiMosco wove around him with the agility of a matador and struck again. Soon, Donald found himself circling around, just to defend himself.

His feet began to tangle, and he nearly lost balance when Uncle Scrooge came to his rescue. DiMosco turned and parried the attack from behind him, while Donald took advantage of the magnate turning his back to him.

He was forced to block, and was pushed back when DiMosco jabbed his cane at him. Next, DiMosco jabbed the other end of his cane at Uncle Scrooge, who weakly parried.

Under one of the barstools, DiMosco saw his revolver. Knocking Uncle Scrooge aside, he leapt over one of the fallen tables, rolled to his feet, collected his gun, and aimed at Uncle Scrooge. All in one fluid movement.

A shot was fired, and Donald shielded his uncle with an outstretched wing. He shielded himself next when the firearm was aimed at him.

Holding both wings up before himself, Donald stood before Uncle Scrooge, shielding them both.

“Charge him, lad!!” Uncle Scrooge said.

“Charge him!!? We gotta get outta here!!” Donald protested.

“Do as I say, nephew!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he jabbed Donald’s back with his cane and rushed forward.

Donald kept his wings up as they closed in on DiMosco, who deftly stepped to the side.

“Spread ‘em!!” Uncle Scrooge commanded.

Donald spread his arms wide, and slammed the edge of his wing into DiMosco’s chest.

The magnate was knocked off his feet, and discharged his revolver into the air when he landed on his back.

Donald pivoted around and fell down toward DiMosco with his wings held up to block.

DiMosco rolled aside before he was crushed, and before he could aim he was struck by a table Uncle Scrooge swung toward him.

The home remedy Uncle Scrooge drank was wearing off. He could feel the pains in his chest coming back. And they seemed more violent than ever.

He raised his cane like a golf club to swing another fallen bottle at DiMosco, but found the pain too great to do so. With a groan, he dropped his cane and leaned heavily on the nearest table. Another pain shot through his arm, making him fall onto his face as he clutched his chest.

DiMosco continued to fire his revolver at the blocking Donald, only alternating attacks with his cane when he needed to reload.

“Wait! Stop! You’ll ruin your aviator suit!” Donald shouted, as he narrowly blocked another bullet.

“I know! But, I can just buy me another one!!” DiMosco rebutted, as he swung his cane at Donald, who blocked again.

Donald swung his wings at DiMosco, who jumped back as he finished reloading his firearm and aimed at Uncle Scrooge.

Quicker than he could think, Donald dove into the path of the shot with his wings raised, deflecting the bullet. He quickly got to his feet and shielded himself again, as more shots were fired, and backpedaled to his ailing uncle.

“Uncle Scrooge!!” he said.

Uncle Scrooge had sprawled himself over the table, and was groaning weakly.

There was no other choice now. Donald had to get his uncle to safety.

“Stay behind me! I’m gettin’ us outta here!!” Donald said.

“Like blazes ye are…” Uncle Scrooge gasped.

But, he was in no fit state to protest. Donald grabbed his arm and guided him to the door, shielding himself as best he could with only one arm. All the while, he carefully counted the bullets DiMosco had fired. The moment he ran out of ammo, he was going to make a break for the open bay window. Once he knew his uncle was safe, he was going to go back for Applejack. Then, the two of them would take on the magnate together.

DiMosco fired another shot.

“Four…” Donald thought.

He shifted the position of his wing, anticipating the placement of DiMosco’s next shot, and successfully blocked it.

“Five…”

Donald held both wings before himself, ensuring that the last shot was blocked.

“Ha! Six shots!! You’re outta ammo, bug!!” Donald gloated. Before he could run, he quickly shielded himself when DiMosco charged him. “Wak!”

There was a sudden weight on top of Donald, when DiMosco jumped on top of the inclined shields. Pulling himself over the top, he pointed his revolver between Donald’s eyes.

“This here’s a seven shooter, duck!” DiMosco said.

Sweat poured down Donald’s face as he stared down the barrel of the revolver. He didn’t even have time to start saying his favorite prayer when the hammer started to move.

With no prior warning or action, an orange blur suddenly leapt over Donald and landed on the wing with DiMosco.

Applejack had found her way to the lounge and bucked DiMosco away with a buck she reserved for the sturdiest apple trees. But, at a price.

Just as he was hit, DiMosco fired his weapon, but had no time to see who or what he had hit when he was embedded into the wall at the far end of the room.

“BUCKIN’ HAYSEEDS!!!!” Applejack shouted.

At the sound of the gunshot, she felt a pain in her bucking leg like no other. It was like stepping on a nail and being bucked by her brother both at once. She could feel her leg stiffen and didn’t dare look at the wound inflicted on her.

She felt herself placed onto Donald’s outstretched wing, and looked over to see Uncle Scrooge had been placed onto the other.

“Hang on!!” Donald shouted, as he started running toward the open bay view.

Applejack and Uncle Scrooge limped along as best as they could, and held onto their hats as Donald jumped out and started gliding back to their trolley train.

DiMosco pulled himself out of the dent in the wall and rushed to the open view. He leaned far out and saw his opponents gliding away to the trolley train, which already seemed miles behind his own train. More still, he noticed that they had not yet reached the diverging track.

With a complacent smile, DiMosco knew he had won. Casually as ever, he walked over and collected his cane, which he had dropped when Applejack bucked him.

He looked at his cane with satisfaction. If the duck were smarter than the smarties, he would have guessed that DiMosco would never let the key to controlling all parts of the train leave his person. And with a simple sigh, the magnate holstered his revolver in the top, turned his cane around and withdrew a miniature remote control from within it.

With the simple press of a button, the tracks behind him rerouted, assuring his escape.

One last time, he looked out the bay window and saw that they had not quite reached the divergence. He also saw that the exterior speakers were activated, and smiled more maliciously. He walked over to the intercom in the bus, ready to deliver one last blow to his enemies.

Fluttershy watched tensely as Donald glided back to her with the others on his wings. Applejack was the first he dropped off, who yelped slightly when she landed.

“Augh!!” Applejack said.

“Applejack!” Fluttershy said, as she climbed over to the next trolley. “Are you hurt?”

“Yeah. Nothin’ I can’t handle, though,” Applejack said.

Fluttershy nearly turned green when she saw the wound her friend sustained.

“Your leg!” she gasped.

“It ain’t as bad as it looks. I don’t think. But, Mr. McDuck…”

Before Fluttershy could ask what was wrong, Donald landed in the trolley with them, cradling his uncle.

For the first time in her life, Fluttershy wasn’t sure she could help an ailing creature. She wished more than anything that her first aid skills were up to par, but for as bad as Uncle Scrooge looked, she thought all she could do was make him comfortable.

She removed one of Donald’s wings and wedged it against the wall and the floor of the trolley. Next, she cushioned it with Donald’s folded aviator jacket. Once that was done, they all gently laid Uncle Scrooge onto it.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Scrooge. We’ll get you some help at the next stop. And we’ll swat that fly together!” Donald declared.

“But...We’re going the wrong way…” Fluttershy pointed out.

It was true. They were so busy helping Uncle Scrooge that none of them noticed that they were going right as DiMosco’s train was going left.

“That lowdown rustler! He planned this!” Applejack fumed.

If he had both of his wings, Donald would have flown after DiMosco and torn him limb from limb himself. But, not wanting to disturb his uncle, he could only seethe with rage.

“That no good-- That piece of-- That son of a--” Donald said.

“Let it go, Don. Ain’t nothin’ we can do now,” Applejack told him.

There was no placating Donald’s rage and frustration. He was unwilling to accept defeat, but he knew that they had indeed lost.

And it was made all the worse when they heard DiMosco’s gloating laughter cackling loudly from speakers on the sides of the train.

“What’s that noise?” Fluttershy gasped.

Uncle Scrooge said nothing, but he glared at the sound of the laughter.

“Ya see that!?” DiMosco’s voice rang loudly across the desert. “This is why ya don’t mess with Bosco DiMosco!!”

Donald clenched his teeth and breathed heavily as his face reddened. It was bad enough to lose. Now, DiMosco had the gall to rub it in.

“Y’all might o’ faced folks what got fancy magic an’ don’t give a flyin’ fish about friendship! But, there ain’t a thing you can do about me!! I’m the fly you can’t swat!! An’ you better believe I’ll be seein’ y’all again! Once I got my battalion all souped up with the engine y’all were courteous enough to give me, it’s curtains for ya!!”

Fluttershy tried not to tremble, for fear of agitating Uncle Scrooge’s condition.

Everyone gathered around the ailing elder, not knowing what they could do to help. And the sounds of DiMosco’s laughter were not helping them to think.

For one last time, Donald looked at DiMosco’s departing train, which was quickly getting smaller in the distance. He knew they would see DiMosco again. And when they did, he knew they may well not survive the encounter. Deep down, the others knew as well.

“Oh! An’ to the ol’ coot who’s clingin’ to life by a thumbnail,” DiMosco continued. “I told ya I was better than you! I done everything you did, an’ more!! Folks’re gonna think o’ me who conquered ancient civilizations, discovered lost cities an’ rewrote the history books! When you pass on, nobody’s gonna remember who you were!! Or even if you ever existed!! You jelly-spined, yellow-bellied, corn-fed, bow-legged, cross-eyed, pin-headed, poodle-walkin’, perfume-stinkin’, skirt-wearin’, haggis-brained--MOTHER--!!!!!!!”

And that was all DiMosco had time to say, when he saw through his bay view something almost as large as his train’s bus come rocketing directly toward him.

There was a sickening crunch and the incredible creak of warping metal.

Applejack, Fluttershy and Donald all took cover at the sound of the impact. Cautiously, Donald peered over the side, followed by Applejack and Fluttershy, and saw DiMosco’s train had been knocked off of its tracks by an enormous wooden support. And with an impact that shook the rails, it landed on the ground, spilling its contents of treasure across the desert sands.

Somewhere among that treasure, Fluttershy knew the marvelous engine was to be found. Wherever it was, she hoped that Qard would find it and put it to better use than what DiMosco had intended.

Far away, set on the dunes, a gigantic ballista cobbled together from disparate parts of other machines stood.

Around it, many camels and zahaks looked in awe and wonder at what they had accomplished. Alone, they were stuck under the employ of DiMosco. By working together, the simplest of things destroyed the evil that had conquered their kingdom. And with it, the treasures that had been withheld from them were now lying in the sands.

Alshuhum Qard stood by the firing mechanism, and with finality cranked the lever back to its ready position, never once taking his eyes from the beast of a train.

“La salam laka,” the elderly zahak grimly muttered.

Before anyone else knew what to do next, Qard stepped forth across the sands toward the broken train. The sun was setting, and it would be cool enough to make the trip over the desert.

After him, the others slowly started to follow. One camel allowed Qard to ride on his back. And onward they all steadily walked toward the trainwreck, ready to claim their fair share of the treasures they had been promised by their former employer.

The trolley train clacked along the tracks, and picked up speed when the track started to gently slope downward.

Nobody would take their eyes from Uncle Scrooge, who laid rigidly against his improvised stretcher, breathing rapidly. Until the magical light appeared before them all.

Somehow, the sight of the gently twinkling light made them all feel slightly less worried about their situation. Perhaps somehow, it could find help for them.

“Well, go on…See where that light’s pointin’ us...” Uncle Scrooge weakly said.

Without a word, the others stood up and the light rose above them. Quick as a wink, it shot down the track in the direction they were heading.

Applejack laid down, easing some of the pain in her leg.

Fluttershy sat down next to Uncle Scrooge to comfort the elderly duck, before tending to Applejack’s wounded leg

Looking ahead, Donald hoped that wherever they were going, they would find help to save Uncle Scrooge, and end the magical quest once and for all.

Author's Note

Deary, oh my! What will become of the old codger? Well, we still have another Donald story arch to see what's to become of one of the few relatives Donald actually cares about. Whether or not Uncle Scrooge will live to the end is still a matter of reading onward. As such, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from clicking that thumbs down button and try to keep reading onward, no matter the squalls.

Writing this chapter was a lot like the previous one. All the different characters with their different perils they face. It was different though, considering the circumstances. I had to try a little harder to make it exciting this time, since they are all essentially facing the same situation, instead of being in several different scenarios.

We also got to see a little development in the characters here. Applejack facing the big and small picture of her success in the magical quest. Fluttershy facing her fears of Big Bad. Uncle Scrooge facing who is basically himself. And Donald facing the prospect of losing his uncle.

Seems kind of heavy for things like My Little Pony and Disney, I know. But, I think that in a perfect world everyone would treat young audiences as if they were intelligent and emotionally sturdy. Like, I still wish there was an episode where Apple Bloom wonders what happened to her parents, but nobody wants to tell her, because they all think she's too young and delicate to handle such tragedy.

This showdown was fun to write, particularly Applejack and Big Bad's fight on the kitchen table. Part of what was so fun about it was thinking of the different ways they would use the different foods to attack one another. Especially since anywhere with food is basically Big Bad's turf.

You might have noticed that Donald kind of took a backseat to this showdown. That was because I kind of wanted to put the others in the spotlight for a bit.

Originally, Uncle Scrooge was going to discover the way into DiMosco's hidden money storage, and the battle was going to continue in there. What was going to happen was he was going to discover the remote in DiMosco's cane, and use that to open the hidden door to the portable money bin. However, I decided against it, because not finding it would emphasize the fact that DiMosco is smarter than the smarties more so than Uncle Scrooge is.

Speaking of emphasis, I think I should clear up something that I know a bunch of you are most likely thinking. The reason that DiMosco hasn't made his own fleet of personal airplanes is to place emphasis on the fact that a machine like the one that Qard made is unique in this fantasy world. (I don't think the name of the planet Equestria is on is named in the series, but I could be wrong. If any of you know it, I'd love for you to share).

Shame that DiMosco had to go the way of the other villains, because he was one of my favorites to write for. Like he said himself, he had no magic and he did value friendship (much like Uncle Scrooge, DiMosco greatly values his employees, though he does not show it), making it quite a shock to the heroes when he wins. I really like villains who have no superpowers, but can still present themselves as a genuine threat. Kind of like Lex Luthor.

Fluttershy facing Big Bad was also a bit of a challenge to write. I remember telling you guys that there are rules when it comes to writing characters. One of the rules I made for Fluttershy is that during action scenes she is very passive and will never directly attack if she can help it. I also made it my own rule that she does not break away too much from her timid, passive nature, even when she or her friends are under duress. Like, I thought her outburst in the episode 'Dragonshy' was really out of the blue, and seemed to break her character in a way that did not feel natural. But, that's just me.

Next up, we have Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Goofy to look forward too! Their quest to restore magic, free the people from Yen Sid's tyranny and find Max are going to reach their next legs. Whether or not they succeed is again a matter of reading on.

I already told you that they will be going to a wretched hive of scum and villainy (again, not Mos Eisley. This is strictly a Friendship is Magic/The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse crossover). If anyone wants to try to venture a guess as to what type of setting they will find themselves in, go ahead. I won't say if you're correct, but I think you'll all have some fun guessing.

I will say this as well. Mickey and his friends had the land. Minnie and the others had underground. Donald's group took to the air. Can you guess where the goofs will go next?

Just since I was talking about this being a strict crossover of two mediums, I do confess that I was tempted to add another thing to the mix. Instead of going to Avalon, Twilight, Mickey and Rarity almost ended up in Grandville from the 'Grandville' comics. The lead characters (Archie, Roderick, Billie and Koenig) were not going to appear, but the setting was going to be the same. In the end, I decided that I did not want to clutter things up with another canon.

One last thing. The last words that Qard says to DiMosco translates to, 'No peace to you.' The reason that it was written without translation is that is seemed more impactful for Qard to say such a thing in his own native language. But, I think that even if you didn't know what it meant you might have had a pretty good idea.

All and all, I hope you guys are stoked to see what's coming in the next leg of the magical quest. And as normal, after Goofy we're going to loop back around to Mickey. And I know you all really want to see what happens there. Rock on, why don't you? \m/

Chapter 46: All Aboard the Double Down

Chapter 46

All Aboard the Double Down

Deep in Le Marais Sombre, a ship was anchored in the foggy waters. Near the top of it, light shone through two large window panes, the only beacon of civilization for miles.

From the left pane, a silhouetted figure watched the waters below. His beady eyes darted across the foggy waters, waiting for any sign of life. It would be then that he could carry out his mission for his master, and destroy his enemies once and for all.

Suddenly, as if it had peered out from behind a wall, a tiny light appeared in the distance through the mist.

They had come. And with a sharp turn, the silhouette turned away from the window.

Down in the waters, the light sailed like a ghost through the fog. Unseen beneath it was the little boat it was set on. Unseen to all, but its six passengers.

“That’s it, guys! We finally made it!” Cheet said, as he watched the lights of the larger ship ahead.

“An’ about stinkin’ time, too! I never thought we’d get this far alive!” Sneek added, slicking his hair back and putting his hat back atop his head.

“Heh,” Cheet huffed, before twitching his head backwards. “Go let the the others know we got here.”

Sneek turned and walked across the deck of the boat. He walked around the cabin in the center, all the way to the back where the others were.

A table had been set up where Theef, Creep and Cheepskate all had their noses pressed into the cards they held in their hands. Also at the table, Max was sitting and staring equally intensely at his own dealt hand.

“Alright. I’m puttin’ in fifty!” Theef said, slapping a number of bills and pocket change onto the table.

“That all ya got? I’ll see yer fiddy bucks, an’ raise ya a reuben!” Creep said, as he placed his money and a sandwich on the table.

“A reuben!?” Cheepskate asked. “You musta lost it, little bro.”

“Eh-eh-eh-eh. This here’s corned beef on marbled rye. Whole peppercorns. Aged swiss cheese. An’ the sweetest thousand island on top o’ the sourest sauerkraut you ever ate. Freshly grilled on the boat’s engine,” Creep boasted.

“Ahh,” everyone else at the table said, enlightened to the value of the sandwich.

Theef added more money to the ante to stay in the hand.

“Alright. I got somethin’ woyth just as much,” Cheepskate said, as he reached into his pocket, and placed a dingy diamond ring on the table. “My foyst wife’s weddin’ ring! Worn only once! Nevah been appreciated!”

The weasels all laughed heartily, while Max only stared, confused by the exchange he just heard.

“What about you, squirt? What’re you addin’ to the pot?” Theef asked Max.

Being barely five years old, Max had very little to up the ante. As it was with every other hand, he bet the best thing he could think of.

“I bet my dad’s gonna tie you all together by your noses and throw you overboard!” he said.

The weasels all laughed loudly, just the same as they did when Max bet his dad would find them and use them as bait for the spike-tailed monster he saw on the shore a while ago. Or when he bet that his dad would sink their boat by swimming through the hull.

Theef had already promised Max that his dad was reduced to a smear on the ground by Theronicus Rex, but the boy didn’t waiver his faith in his father.

“Whatevah you say, kiddo,” Cheepskate said, as he turned over the last card in the river. “Nine o’ diamonds.”

“Ohhh!” Theef and Creep both said in unison.

“Nine o’ diamonds at the end o’ the river. You know what that means!” Theef said.

“Yer gonna have bad luck fer the rest o’ the game!” Creep chuckled.

“Aw, get stuffed! That’s just a superstition,” Cheepskate said. “Let’s see ya hands.”

“Two pair!” Creep began.

“Three of a kind!” Theef said, triumphantly.

“Ha! Flush! Beat that!” Cheepskate said, having surreptitiously changed his own hand.

“How ‘bout you, kid? Whaddaya got?” Theef asked Max.

“Uh...I got four, five, six, seven, eight. All hearts. Is that good?” Max asked.

“What!? No, it ain’t! Dat’s one o’ the woyst hands ya can get!” Cheepskate said, as he took the pot in his arms.

He was just about to take a bite of his newly won sandwich, but bit his own tongue as it was pulled out of his hands.

Max didn’t know what hand beat what, but he knew when he was being cheated. As Theef and Creep laughed, he glared daggers at Cheepskate, and took a huge bite of the sandwich himself as he pocketed the rest of his winnings.

“This kid’d make a good weasel!” Theef said, as he jostled Max’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Whaddaya say ya ferget ya old man, an’ loyn what it really takes ta make in this crazy woyld?” Creep asked.

“Uh-uh!” Max said through a mouthful of reuben. “I won my bet! So, that means my dad’s gonna beat all of you up and take everything you own!”

Cheepskate was still grieving over his sore tongue, and glared at Max.

“Ya really think so, eh?” he said, angrily eyeing the sandwich he had lost. “Well, even if yer dad did beat Rex, which he ain’t gonna, he’d never get past the beasts.”

Max stopped chewing his bite for a moment and stared at Cheepskate.

“The whats?” he asked.

“You remember that thing ya seen on the shore? The one ya said yer dad was gonna feed us to? Heh-heh-heeeh. Well, that ain’t the only thing ya gotta worry about out here.”

“It’s not…?” Max nervously said, as he lowered his sandwich back onto the table.

“Not even the least,” Cheepskate said in a low voice, as he leaned over the table to Max. “Ya see, this swamp ain’t just home to a buncha mean gators, or fish with a dental problems. The worst things are the beasts that live only here.”

“What are they? Where did they come from?” Max wondered, wide-eyed.

“That’s just the thing. Nobody knows. Far as they can tell, they always been here. Monsters from a time before anybody started writin’ any history books. An’ the swamps o’ Bichumonterre are the last place that these forgotten beasts live. An’ they’re gonna stay here. Unchallenged. Unchangin’. Until some smart aleck decides they’re gonna try meetin’ one face to face…”

Max was petrified, staring frozen at Cheepskate, who was barely inches from his face.

In one swift motion, Cheepskate snatched the sandwich from Max.

“Hey!” Max shouted.

“Snooze, ya lose, kid. Ya can’t be so dim with them beasts!” Cheepskate gloated.

“You mean, like that one!?” Max gasped, as he pointed ahead.

Cheepskate turned and yelped at the massive, dark shape that appeared next to their boat. It was only a second that he realized it was actually a ship. But, he couldn’t focus on that, as the sandwich he was holding was slipped out of his hand.

“What the--”

He turned back around, and watched as Max stuffed the entire sandwich into his mouth.

Theef and Creep laughed hysterically at Cheepskate, and Max couldn’t help but feel proud of himself for besting a grownup so easily.

Cheepskate thought otherwise. He reached into his jacket for a blackjack or a set of brass knuckles.

“Hold it!” Sneek sharply said. “You got any idea what Rex is gonna do to us if anything happens to the kid!?”

Sneek had stretched the truth when he relayed the instructions Rex had given him to the others. Back in Trottingham, Theronicus Rex threatened that if anything happened to Max, he would blame it exclusively on Sneek. However, Sneek had told the others that they all were in trouble otherwise.

Not wanting to risk the wrath of a two ton war horse, Cheepskate put his weapon away.

“Come on. Our new pals’re waitin’ for us,” Sneek said, motioning for the others to follow him.

Sneek, followed by Max, Cheepskate, Creep and Theef met Cheet at the front of the boat, where a gangplank was lowered to receive them.

Single file, they all boarded the larger ship, while their own was left to drift out into the swamp. Once on the deck, they were greeted by a much larger, more muscular weasel.

“Evenin’, mateys. Name’s Freeboot. Be ya the swabs the boss was expectin’?” the weasel asked in a salty, grizzled voice.

“Only if he was expectin’ five mooks an’ a nipper,” Cheet said, indicating his company.

“No. He be expectin’ a nipper, a wiseguy an’ four dips. I guess it’s you after all,” Freeboot said, before he motioned for the others to follow him. “This way. Mr. Cray’s waitin’ for ye.”

The crew from the smaller boat was led into a door, which led into a room that was simply a long hall with many doors on either side. At the end, there was a long staircase that went up into the ceiling.

They climbed the staircase, where at each landing there was another solid metal door. Up they went, seemingly without end, until they reached the door at the top.

Freeboot led them through the door, which led to another hall. This one was lavishly decorated with gold moldings and red carpets. On the walls, there hung lamps that cheerily illuminated the hallway.

There was a door at the end, which Freeboot stopped before and knocked.

An intercom by the door buzzed.

“Who is it!?” asked a gruff, gravelly voice from the speaker.

“Freeboot. Your appointment’s here,” Freeboot answered.

“Appointment, eh? Miss Argente! Get the door!”

The door was quickly opened by a short, skinny cervequin, whose silver-white mane stuck out wildly from the bun she tried to tie it in, and whose glasses were slipping down her nose.

As quickly as she opened the door, she backed away from the company of weasels, clutching the clipboard that was hanging by a chain around her neck.

When the weasels walked in, Miss Argente gasped quietly at the sight of the young dog in their company. She had always known her employer was the unscrupulous sort, but never imagined that he would bring children to that horrible place.

The boss was standing with his back to them, hunched over his desk as he hastily scribbled on some papers. As he wrote, there was the sound of a snap, and the pieces of the pencil he was holding rolled to the floor.

“Heck!” the boss shouted, before taking another pencil from the jar next to him. On the floor next to his desk, there was a wastebasket full of other things that had broken. Mostly pencils.

What Max had noticed was that the boss at the table wasn’t grasping the pencil with a hand, but with a claw. A large, pincer-like claw.

“These swabs wanted to see ya, boss,” Freeboot said.

“Fantastic! Now, get out!” the boss said, as he snapped another pencil. “Nuts!”

“Not just yet. See, we got us some merchandise to deliver. From Theronicus Rex,,” Cheet said, as he yanked Max forward.

“From Rex, huh?” the boss said, now sounding intrigued. “So, the old mule couldn’t handle a job that didn’t involve breaking things. I guess it’s up to me to finish what he couldn’t.”

The next pencil he had grabbed snapped. And when the pencil snapped, so did his temper.

“Of all the rinky-dink, jury-rigged garbage!” the boss shouted as he threw his pencil into the trash and kicked the bin into a wall. “Why don’t they make things like that with stainless steel, or wrought iron!? I’m gonna have a thing or ten to say to the high-falootin’ bozo who makes these things!”

The boss finally turned to face them, and Max was hit by a silent surge of fear. The boss had a face like no other creature he had seen. Not a dog, a mouse, or even a duck. He was a crayfish. A large crayfish in a black suit, white shirt, brown shoes, brown suspenders and a red necktie. And his face was more furious than he had seen Donald Duck on his worst days.

Mr. Cray stomped over to the newcomers. Max flinched when he stood towering over him. In the back of his mind, he feared that this was one of the beasts that Cheepskate was telling him about.

“Doesn’t look too tough to handle. Should be easy enough, between fleecing all those goons downstairs,” he said. He sharply turned to face the cervequin in the room. “Miss Argente!”

“Yes, Monsieur Cray?” she answered, her glasses sliding further down her nose after she jumped.

“You’re on babysitting duty now! Look after the kid! And make sure he never leaves your sight!” he shouted. He turned to the weasels. “And you fur wraps: get outta my office! Or the next time anyone sees you is gonna be wrapped around a lady’s shoulders at a gala!!”

“Done an’ done,” Cheet said. He and the others turned to the door. “Come on, boys. Let’s blow this joint.”

They were stopped by Freeboot.

“I says ye’re goin’ nowhere. If ye’re not a customer, then ye’re an employee. So, get below and get some uniforms! We got work to do!” he said to the other five weasels.

“Great! We just get here, an’ we’re shanghaied!” Creep moaned, as they followed Freeboot away.

Max watched as the weasels left, before Miss Argente closed the doors.

“Make yourself comfortable, kid. You’re gonna be here for a long time,” Mr. Cray said.

“Not as long as you think,” Max rebutted. “I know my dad’s coming for me! He’ll blow this whole ship up, if he has to!!”

For as brave as Max felt for the strength and bravery he knew if father had, he felt his own courage falter when he saw Mr. Cray glare at him.

“You think your dad’s coming for you?” he said, as he snapped his claws.

Max inched backwards, and hid behind Miss Argente, who stood shivering in front of him.

“I got news for you, pup: even if your dad got to me--” he illustrated his point by cleaving the head off of a marble statue with his bare claw, “--He’d never get past the muckasaurs in the water!!”

Mr. Cray laughed malevolently at the idea of the boy’s father failing before he even got close to rescuing his son. And his laughter carried deep into the swamp, far from where his boat was.

Nobody went so deep into Le Marais Sombre without good reason. Deep in the swamp, where Mr. Cray’s laughter was naught but a whisper, the land had become little more than a vast expanse of quicksand, where anything heavy enough found itself treading up to its knees in the mire. That is, only the ones large enough not to be swallowed by the ground.

Every other creature dwelt in the wild, gnarled branches of the trees, which tangled with the branches of their neighbors. Cackling birds and chattering insects made their homes above, not daring to risk the dangers of the waters below.

Down in the deep, dark water, poisonous reptiles made their homes. Large fish awaited their next meal to drop from the branches above. But, no matter how vicious they were, they all feared the beasts.

A single glittering light drifted across the top of the murky waters. Behind it, the surface of the water rippled gently, as a fallen log drifted lazily along, stirring the inhabitants that dwelt on the bottom, who created a fog of silt and mud as they swam.

The sounds of rustling reeds accompanied the gentle lapping of the log, and were joined by a choir of frogs. Unseen birds chimed in from time to time, adding to the eerie symphony.

A gentle breeze blew, whistling like a lost voice through the reeds, calling to all who could hear to go deeper into the swamp and stay for eternity. With the breeze, the mists on the banks blew across the water, billowing into ghostly shapes that faded almost as soon as they were seen.

The ambience played its song for the lost, slowly fading into the back of the minds of all lost souls who could hear.

Far in the distance, a new voice was added to the song. One that when it started, all others went silent, fearfully hoping its owner was not near. It started out quietly, but grew louder to the point that it seemed to split the water with its voice. A roar that cut through the entirety of the swamp, letting all know who truly ruled there, and daring others to challenge it.

The drifting log started to spin, as the three goofs riding on top of it scrambled into one another’s arms.

In a moment, the log stopped spinning, and the largest of the three steadied the log under his shaking knees, holding his smaller friends.

“What was that!?” Pinkie said, trembling as she clung to Goofy’s head.

“Gawrsh if I wanna find out!” Goofy answered, clutching Dash like a shield.

“Whatever it is, don’t just throw me at it!” Dash said, as she struggled to free herself from Goofy’s grip.

Another roar shook the swamp. Whether it was nearer or further, they couldn’t tell, as Goofy tried to run away with his pony friends holding tightly to him.

Instead of going anywhere, the log beneath him spun end over end, making them all rise up and down on the length of their ride.

The roar died down, and Goofy stopped running as the log bobbed on one end. He wobbled under the weight of Pinkie and Dash, teetering to stay atop the log. Finally, when the terrible noise stopped, he found his center and stopped moving completely.

The three all listened as they held their breath, fearing the slightest sound would alert the source of the roar.

Nothing more came. All that was heard was the gentle moan of the wind through the reeds. As if to signal that all was well, the song of the frogs started again, which was soon joined by the rest of the swampland symphony.

Pinkie, Dash and Goofy breathed one collective sigh of relief, as the log gently tilted back downward.

Goofy was able to lean in tandem, keeping upright and allow the mares back onto the surface of the log.

They continued to drift lazily ahead, keeping a wary eye out for anything as mean as what had just made that terrible noise.

Nothing was visible through the fog, save for the glittering light ahead of them. There was no telling what they may have been heading toward. Or worse, what may have been heading toward them.

Dash’s eyes darted to the darkened bank across from them. She knew as well as the others that something was there in the swamp with them. And she was sure that it wouldn’t care to talk about the Wonderbolts or Daring Do.

As she looked out into the haze, she could see the reeds near the bank moving. Sometimes, they were accompanied by a sound she was familiar with. Other times, they simply stopped moving without a sound. One that seemed particularly large slipped unseen into the water.

For a moment, Dash looked to the water, hoping that whatever it was wouldn’t swim toward their floating vessel.

Something in the water broke the surface briefly, then sank back down. Her eyes darted to a bubble which burst only hooves across from them. Then, she heard it.

The sound of wood being rhythmically tapped reached her ears. A quick, rapid pace that sounded almost to her like some kind of code. Were there others in the swamp with them? Did they need help? Or was it something to lure curious souls to their doom?

The more Dash listened, the nearer the noise sounded, until she looked to her right and saw Pinkie Pie nervously tapping her hoof on the log.

“Stop that! You’re making me nervous!,” Dash said, stopping Pinkie’s hoof with her own.

“Well, this is making me be un-nervous!” Pinkie said, as she started tapping again.

Pinkie was taken by surprise when Dash took her hooves and put them under her own flank.

“Sit on your hooves then!” Dash said with finality, before looking back to the haze.

Pinkie sat indignantly, wishing that there was something to take her mind from the unsettling ambiance. The more she looked, the more her mind wandered back home to Ponyville and Sugarcube Corner.

The Cake family, the cupcakes, the tortes, the pies, the cookies, the cupcakes, the parties, the fun, the community, the cupcakes, the music--

“Music…?” Pinkie thought.

She gently tapped her rear hoof on the log, quietly enough for Dash not to hear. There was a simple sound to it. Almost like a bongo. And a tune came to her head. Something in the vein of a salsa or a calypso.

Slightly louder, but still too quiet to notice, Pinkie continued to rhythmically tap her hoof.

At the front of the log, Goofy, who had been keeping a watchful eye ahead, started bobbing his head and humming in tune.

“What’s that you’re humming, Goof?” Dash wondered.

“Dunno. Sure is catchy, though” Goofy replied.

Before she asked what the goof meant, Dash heard it too. This sound was different, however. It was strangely calming. Almost uplifting. And she thought she could pinpoint the source.

“Pinkie?” Dash said, as she looked to her pink friend.

Hearing the change in Dash’s tone, Pinkie stopped sitting on her hooves and added them to the beat.

Dash and Goofy both started gently bobbing to the rhythm, careful not to overturn their floating log as they did.

The log drifted beneath the reaching branches of one of the trees, sending them into a hollow that was only illuminated by the phosphorescent fungi that grew near the banks and the twinkling little bugs that danced about through the air.

“Are we doing this?” Dash wondered.

“A-yup. Ain’t nuthin’ to it. Just go along an’ cruise with the beat,” Goofy answered.

A cruise? That was it. They were on a cruise through the wild wetlands of a foreign kingdom. And Dash was going to add to the atmosphere.

Jumping up, she performed a graceful somersault as she knocked some branches down with her hoof.

She and the other branches made the log jump when they landed. And when they did, the branches and leaves all set themself up like a canopy over the log. With the canopy, Dash was now wearing a skirt and a lei, both made of the hanging moss.

“Nice canopy, Dashie!” Pinkie said, as she continued her lively beat.

“A-hyuck! An’ some snazzy threads to go with it,” Goofy said, indicating that he too was wearing a skirt and a lei.

It was too tempting to resist. Even though the log wobbled back and forth, threatening to roll them overboard, Goofy and Dash both stood up and started dancing. Without losing a beat, Pinkie scooted back and forth to keep from spilling into the drink.

For just one moment, they forgot the fear and the danger of the swamp. All there was was the music and the time with friends. But, they were soon reminded.

“Aloha oe. Aloha oe. Alo-HOO-HOO-HOY!!!” Goofy sang, before he received a nasty surprise.

The lei that landed around his neck turned out to be an irate snake, which had been napping peacefully before it was awoken by the loud noise of its new neighbors.

Goofy quickly pulled the snake from around his neck and threw it into the water.

The snake’s head rose above the surface, followed by its tail. Its tail balled up into a fist, which it shook at the goofs, before it swam away into the reeds.

Dash and Pinkie both laughed as Goofy checked himself for any other unfriendly hitchhikers. And the sound of their laughter carried far into the swamp. To the ears of one of the ageless beasts that lived there, which started sloshing its way through the mud to the source of the sounds.

Goofy had just shaken his hips like a hula dancer, and dislodged at least a dozen other biting bugs into the water.

“Whoah! Whoah! Whoah! Whoah!” Dash and Pinkie both shouted, as the log wobbled back and forth from Goofy’s mad dance. Unfortunately, the canopy was a casualty of the turbulence and fell apart.

Finally, the mossy skirt fell from Goofy’s hips, and landed in the water.

“Sorry, Goof. I didn’t know you’d have all those dance partners with you!” Dash laughed.

“You know who I bet is a great dancer? Cream Filling!” Pinkie said.

At the mention of the name, both Dash and Goofy rolled their eyes and groaned.

“How many times are ya gunna bring him up?” Goofy asked.

“As many times as it takes for the whole world to know that my coltfriend is the king of Trottingham!” Pinkie answered, saying the last seven words slightly louder than the rest.

“Then, tell it to the rest of the world! We already know! And don’t yell so loud! That thing might still be out there!” Dash said.

“Whut thing?” Goofy asked.

Amidst the fun they were having, Goofy, and even Pinkie, had quite forgotten the terrifying roar that had shaken them so. And before Dash could remind them, the log suddenly shook.

“What was that!?” Pinkie said, as she frantically looked around.

“The thing we were trying not to make mad!” Dash answered.

Though she had hoped to avoid an encounter with the thing, Dash was now prepared to defend her friends from what was to come. But, when one was on a floating log, in the middle of a foggy swamp, with no way to fly, she wondered how she would do it.

The log rocked again, and they all wobbled atop it.

When the shaking stopped, another log floated up next to them. One that looked as grey and as dreary as the one that they were riding on, which was angled toward the shore.

“D’yuh think we can get to shore from that one?” Goofy asked.

“Anything to get away from that thing rocking our boat!” Pinkie said.

At first, it seemed like a good idea to take the opportunity to escape, until Dash noticed something that was quite off.

“Wait!” she said, grabbing hold of Goofy’s shirt and Pinkie’s tail.

“Yuh don’t really wanna stay an’ fight that thing, do yuh!?” Goofy asked.

“No. Look,” Dash said, pointing her snout to the drifting log.

Pinkie and Goofy both looked, and thought they saw what Dash meant. The other log in the water was so similar to the one they were on, but so different as well.

The color was wrong. Though it was the same shade of grey, thin, black stripes ran along its topside. At either end, there was no sight of any roots, or what may have once been branches.

It was a curious sight to see. Whatever it was, one thing was for sure: it wasn’t a log.

“Should I give it a poke-see?” Pinkie wondered, as she raised a hoof.

“NO!” Dash and Goofy both said at once.

It was too late. Pinkie had already poked the log, and found that it was not made of any kind of wood. And the log drove the point home when Pinkie saw a paddle-shaped flipper briefly break the surface of the water.

There was a sudden splash of water, and Pinkie felt herself pulled back by her mane, just as a set of teeth snapped where her neck had been.

None of them knew what the thing in the water was. Only that it had a long snout and lots of teeth. And that was all they saw, before it sank back below the surface.

Pinkie had barely seen anything, as she was too busy scrambling up Goofy’s back and resumed her perch on his head.

“Did you see it!? Did you see it!? Celestia and Luna, that was a muckasaur!!” she shouted.

“Muck-uh-huh?” Goofy asked.

“A really big, really nasty water monster! But, it was supposed to be extinct like a million years ago!” Dash said.

“What do we do now!? We can’t fight something that even extinction couldn’t kill!” Pinkie said, as she tightened her grip around Goofy’s head.

“We might just have to,” Dash said, as she readied herself into a fighting stance.

Goofy mumbled as Pinkie tightened her grip around his head.

“You really want to fight it!? Are you nuts!?” Pinkie shouted.

“I don’t want to fight it! But, what choice do we have!?” Dash rebutted, spreading her wings wide.

There was another splash, as the muckasaur leapt out of the water toward Goofy.

The goof jumped aside, and landed on top of Dash’s back.

For a split second, he saw the beast more clearly. Before the sudden and unexpected trip into Equestria, Max had been learning about dinosaurs in school. In one of the books Max had brought home from school, there was a picture of some vicious aquatic animal that looked like a dolphin with a bad attitude. By the light of the bugs and the fungi, Goofy thought that he was only feet away from one of those prehistoric beasts. And with a splash that rocked the log, it was back in the water.

Dash wobbled around, trying to stay on the log while her friends teetered on her back.

“This isn’t helping, guys!!” Dash tersely said, as she steadied herself.

“Wo-ow!!” Goofy said, as he leaned forward under Pinkie’s weight.

Pinkie overbalanced, and started slipping from Goofy. In a moment, she found herself falling toward the water, and slapped her hooves around the goof’s neck.

There hung Pinkie like a great pink worm on a hook. Below her, she thought she could see the surface of the water rippling, as the thing swam about.

“Pull me up! Pull me up!! That thing’s eyeing me like I’m fish bait!” Pinkie shouted.

“We got yuh, Pinkie! We ain’t lettin’ yuh go!” Goofy answered.

Dash was already leaning too close to the side of the log, and felt it start rolling beneath her hooves. She tried stepping backward, but found the weight atop her only made the log roll in step with her own hooves.

The more she moved, the more quickly the log spun. Soon, she was trotting backward like a log roller.

The muckasaur swam toward them again, and rapidly surfaced.

Dash tried shuffling to the side, but found that any lateral movement threatened to throw them all into the water.

Soon, the beast was upon them, ready to lunge again.

Pinkie’s rear legs ran in vain through the air, as if she were hoping that would somehow take them further from the beast.

It was upon them. The muckasaur rose from the water, ready to devour them all.

With no warning at all, a boulder the side of a barrel landed right on top of the beast’s head.

There was a sudden splash, which made the log jump up high enough for Goofy to grab onto the lowest branches they were under. Pinkie still held tightly around his neck, while Dash clung to his knees.

Below them, the beast in the water floated bolt upright in the water as a lump rose on its head. Gradually, it sank back down into the water, the lump being the last thing that disappeared.

“Gawrsh! Thank goodness fer flyin’ boulders, huh?” Goofy said.

“I don’t think that’s a good thing, Goof. Boulders don’t fly!” Dash said.

As they dangled from the branch, a noise from the shore diverted their attention. A noise that was growing rapidly closer.

“Look! Somepony’s there!” Pinkie said.

“Huh? Who?” Goofy asked, as he squinted to see.

Through the haze, they thought they could see the form of their savior.

They couldn’t make out the exact form. Only that it was very broadset, and almost as tall as Goofy. Whoever it was, they had saved Dash, Pinkie and Goofy from the beast in the water, and was likely a friend.

“Hey! Over here!” Dash called. “Thanks for helping with that thing! But, could you help us down from here next?”

Their savior didn’t answer. They only huffed a short, agitated breath of air. Then, it started bobbing up and down as if it was doing squats.

“You can exercise later! We need some help here!” Dash shouted.

“Dash...I don’t think it wants tuh help us,” Goofy said, as he watched the strange behavior of the creature on the bank.

Indeed not. The creature on the bank suddenly reared up onto two legs, standing even taller than Theronicus Rex. It started beating its chest and roaring loudly, before it picked up another gigantic boulder from the mud.

That was their cue to go.

Goofy tried to scramble up to the branches, as the mares tried frantically climbing up him. In their mad hurry to escape, they barely got anywhere as the creature on the shore wound up to heave its boulder.

Dash tried to climb Goofy, but her hoof slipped when she was kicked by the scrambling Pinkie.

Pinkie was pulled down as Dash kept climbing.

“Come on, Pinkie! Move!” Dash said.

“I’m trying! You stop moving!” Pinkie rebutted.

Amid the battle around his waist, Goofy could feel his belt loosening.

“Girls! I think yuh oughta--” Goofy said, before his pants slid down to his ankles, revealing pink boxers with green polka dots.

“AUGH!!” Dash and Pinkie both shrieked, as they held tightly to Goofy’s ankles.

The creature threw its boulder, and the mares had to pull their hooves up to keep them from being struck. There was another splash, which blew up beneath the three and sent them into the branches above.

They landed on one of the tangles of the many branches. None of them took the moment to notice how the knot of limbs was almost as broad and sturdy as any road they walked on. Their first priority was to escape.

“Let’s hoof it! Before that thing chucks another rock!” Dash said, as she trotted down the branches.

“I’m with you, Dashie!” Pinkie said, as she hurried after her friend.

“Hey! Wait fer me!” Goofy shouted, as he stumbled along, trying to pull up his pants.

The creature on the shore growled ferociously and climbed up the nearest tree. Those intruders were on its territory, and they wouldn’t be tolerated.

Dash and Pinkie ran through the winding paths the branches made, throwing caution to the wind, in spite of the heavy mist around them. From time to time, they had to jump across a gap from one tree to the next.

“Don’t wait fer me!! I’ll catch yuh up!!” Goofy called, as he hopped after them, hitching up his pants.

There was no telling what dangers going so deep into the swamp would present. After avoiding two monstrous beasts, they could only imagine how much worse it could become. And the worst presented itself.

Dash suddenly dropped down, but was caught by Pinkie. Through the mist, they hadn’t seen the branch they were on suddenly ended, and were overlooking a vast body of water.

Behind them, Goofy had just finished refastening his belt around his waist, when he bumped into Pinkie. Quicker than he could blink, he grabbed Pinkie before she too fell in the water.

“Now’s a good time for a plan, guys!” Dash said.

“Hang on! Lemme think a bit!” Goofy said. The noise of the beast chasing behind them reminded him that time was of the essence.

“Oh! I know! Dashie can fly us out of here!” Pinkie suggested.

“No magic, Pinkie!” Dash said.

“I know! But, can’t you use magic like Goofy!?”

“Don’t work like that!” Goofy reminded Pinkie.

There came a guttural hooting and grunting noise behind them, and the sound of snapping twigs was growing closer.

Dash could think of nothing else to do. She started flapping her wings, hoping in vain that they would soar from danger.

“What are you trying to do!? Die tired!?” Pinkie shouted, as she held tightly to the flailing Dash.

But, the pegasus paid no mind to her friend. She was focusing on a way to escape.

She had done magic before. And it was as simple as what Goofy told her back in Trottingham: she just had to imagine it.

Through the fog, she could see another solid shape. Something that she knew she and the others could use to escape across the river from their pursuer.

“This is it! I’m flying us out of here!” Dash thought to herself.

She could hear the flurry of wings flapping all around her, and the cheer of the distant crowd. Unknown to herself, the source of the cheer was closer than she thought.

“Keep going, Dashie! You’re doing it!” Pinkie cheered, as Dash started hovering back and forth.

Seeing her friend perform such a magical feat inspired Pinkie to conjure an escape in turn. She had seen what Dash did, and wanted to have her hoof in helping. If only she could help Dash reach it.

Goofy started swinging his arms in concert with Dash. He too had seen the dark shape, and knew how they were going to reach it.

“Get ready, girls!--” Goofy said.

With one last powerful surge from all three, Goofy was able to swing both mares over his shoulder, knocking Dash’s head against the head of the monstrous ape that had been pursuing them.

“--We’re gunna fly!”

He cast Dash and Pinkie out like a fishing rod.

Goofy teetered forward so that only his toes were planted on the edge of the branch.

His legs, along with the legs of Dash and Pinkie, all stretched inches longer than normal as Dash flapped through the air. In seconds she grabbed onto the top of the dark shape in the water.

The ape stopped rubbing its sore head, and reached to grab Goofy. Before its massive palm could wrap around the goof’s middle, Goofy snapped forward like a rubber band.

The soles of the goof’s shoes planted onto two floating branches, which made a wake behind him like he was speeding on a pair of water skis.

“We did it, Dashie! We’re saved!” Pinkie cheered.

“Like there was any doubt!” Dash said, as she victoriously pounded her hoof on the dark object.

A sudden burst of hot air hit her stomach when she heard a low growl.

Now that she got a closer look at what she was holding, Dash saw it was the face of another prehistoric monster.

There was little that made Rainbow Dash scream. But, facing into the bloodshot, death stare and feeling the hot breath as it opened its mouth wide enough to swallow her made her terror escape. The only upside was that its roar was loud enough that the others couldn’t hear her.

Goofy skidded across the water, around the tree-like neck of the beast. As he shot further across the river, he pulled on the mares.

Dash let go of the monster’s face, and she and Pinkie snapped back to Goofy. Their sudden jolt sped them faster across the water, as they perched on either one of his shoulders like a pyramid of performers. The burst of speed was just what they needed to send them rocketing away from the snapping jaws of the beast.

Below them, they could see tall grass. Goofy could feel mud beneath his improvised water skis. The mares on his shoulders were buffeted by low-hanging moss, until they both wore moss shaped in one another’s mane styles atop their heads.

Goofy snagged a ski on a tree root and sent them all tumbling end over end. Each of the three took turns as the one running atop the rolling others, until the wild ride ended with a crash against a rock.

There was a spurt of mud as three solid forms dropped. For a moment, there was stillness in the swamp. The roars of the beast had faded away, and the simple swampland symphony returned. Until one blob rose up and jumped victoriously into the air.

“Did you see that!?” Dash triumphantly declared

“Uh…?” Goofy said, as he tried to sit up.

He was promptly knocked back down by Dash lifting his hand and slapping it with a forceful high five.

“We just creamed the beasts that beat extinction!”

Pinkie staggered to her hooves, and was promptly spun by Dash slapping her hooves left and right.

“We’re buckin’ unstoppable!” Dash declared, as she bumped Pinkie’s side, knocking her back down.

“Oof...I’d almost rather been caught by that ape…” Goofy groaned.

“It would be gentler,” Pinkie added.

Dash didn’t hear them. She was too busy celebrating their escape. Even if they were in a land forgotten by time, she felt like they were invincible.

“You hear that, you prehistoric punks!? Come and get a piece of us! We’re ready for anything!” Dash called out to the swamp.

“Dashie!” Pinkie interjected, snapping Dash back to reality. “We’re supposed to be following that magic light! Not fighting dinosaurs!”

Goofy sat up and shook the mud from his face.

“Yeah. An’ we still gotta find my son,” he said. He took a moment to gaze at his surroundings. The mist had thinned some, letting him see the dismal mire with its gnarled trees and hanging moss. And somewhere out there, he knew more of the monsters were waiting. “Gawrsh. I just hope he ain’t lost out here somewheres.”

“Don’t worry, Goofy. We’ll find him...Just after we find our light…” Pinkie said, suddenly sounding less sure of herself.

It was true. None of them had realized it before, but their guiding light had disappeared. Whether they had lost it, it abandoned them, or it simply disappeared when it had guided them far enough, they didn’t know. All they knew now was that they were without a guide to take them to any place that looked like they were needed there.

“There it is!” Pinkie declared, pointing her hoof toward the distance.

Dash and Goofy both looked to where their friend indicated, and saw something through the thinning mist. In the far reaches of the bog, there was a shining light. As Goofy squinted, he thought he could see there was something different about it from before, but he couldn’t tell what. Before any of them could mull on it longer, it was swallowed up again by the fog.

“Come on. Let’s go, before it moves without us,” Dash said, as she started forward.

“But, what will we do if we run into more of those beasties?” Pinkie wondered.

“Let ‘em find us. Remember how we just got away from those two monsters just now? We got enough magic between all three of us to squash anything in our way.”

“Yuh didn’t seem to think so when you were screamin’ at that nessie-saurus,” Goofy said.

“I wasn’t screaming! I was...breathing really hard!” Dash tried to explain.

Just then, the rock that they had crashed into rose up ever so slightly, and a turtle’s head, larger than any they had ever seen, rose up to blink lazily at them.

Dash, Goofy and Pinkie all screamed in unison, and took off blazing across the muddy ground of the swamp to the light they had seen.

The prehistoric-sized turtle simply yawned at the sight of the three screaming goofs and set to enjoying a meal of hanging moss.

In a deeper part of the swamp, the sounds of screaming carried far. By the time it reached a cave where no living thing dared to trespass, it had all but gone from existence. Though faint, it was enough to wake the one beast that was feared by all other inhabitants of the bog. A beast who had ruled the land in its own time, and remained the undisputed terror of the land few dared to tread.

Rising from its foul lair, it pinpointed the direction where it had heard the noise, and stomped across the land to find and devour the intruders on its territory.

Author's Note

Okay, so some of you re-reading this chapter may notice now that the ending is different. The reason for the rewrite is pretty simple.

You see, I was about nine tenths of the way through chapter forty-seven when I realized that there were elements in there that could use a little bit of buildup before their reveal. What was basically going to happen was that the goofs were going to find some rather nasty surprises aboard the ship, then get thrown overboard by the weasels. Yes, those filthy rats are still up to no good, just the way I know you readers hate them.

Anyway, after being thrown overboard, Pinkie, Dash and Goofy were going to have a run in with the king of the beasts, who was introduced at the end of this chapter. What the beast is, I will not say. Only that it is another prehistoric monster, which is based on a real world creature that is now extinct. I'll let your imaginations fill in the blanks for now. If you're anything like I am, you have a pretty active imagination.

Moving on, I still want to credit my girlfriend for the introductory scene before our heroes show up. She really did get that whole swampland ambiance down pretty well.

Additionally, I want to thank my nephew. He's helping on this story arch by letting me flip through his books of prehistoric animals. And I'm going to tell you now that you readers are in for some seriously bizarre surprises.

That wretched hive of scum and villainy I mentioned before is still the Double Down. And we are not yet going to discover why it's drifting through the prehistoric swamps of Bichumonterre. That's going to be a little bit down the way.

Okay, the explanation for the rewrite is out of the way. Let's talk about the setting now.

The setting for this story arch is something that I wanted to do for a while now. I think I mentioned before that I'm a big fan of old time adventure comics, like Prince Valiant, Tarzan and Conan of Cimmeria. One aspect about them that I really like is their treatment of prehistoric animals. Like, what we recognize as a stegosaurus or a pterodactyl, they call a dragon, or some other kind of monster. I just thought that would be really cool to put in here.

The muckasaur that the goofs battle is modeled after real life prehistoric aquatic reptiles like mosasaurs (which I now know for sure is the correct word. Another thank you to my nephew). And the ape-like creature who attacks them afterward is based on gigantopithecus. However, I imagine that the monster that attacks them has some more monstrous features, like tusks or claws. Kind of like those ape monsters so often seen in Conan comics. I still can't think of a better name than mire ape for it. Thinking of names that sound authentically prehistoric is hard, unless your a paleontologist.

Some of you might be confused about the nine of diamonds being bad luck. Well, it's considered the card of ill fortune, much like the ace of spades. The ace is just more famous. How, I don't know, but the nine of diamonds was the original card of death.

In this chapter, we also met Mr. Cray. The villain of this story arch. You can see that he is quite bad tempered. Because of his temper, I almost made him a crocodile or an alligator. However, the voice that I heard in my head when I was writing his dialogue did not sound like a crocodile or alligator. The voice I heard, just so you know, was Michael Magee. The guy who voiced Cyril Sneer in 'The Raccoons.'

The weasel gang is also back. They have a new member in their ranks, and you can bet that there are going to be more weasels appearing. As I was writing the next chapter, I introduced some more weasels, but they probably won't be appearing until the goofs reach the ship. How long that's going to take depends on the pacing of this arch.

As for the new kingdom we are in, it's still the cervequin kingdom of Bichumonterre. A bit of a mouthful, but its name is a portmanteau of three French words. The words being biche (doe), jument (mare), and terre (land).

And yes, French is still going to be the prominent language here, just as Spanish, Arabic and Welsh were present in other kingdoms. (I still say there should be Spanish-speaking llamas on the actual show).

This one is going to be a little bit easier for me to get some more accurate translations. My grandmother speaks French, and she will be the language consultant for this arch. A big thanks to her as well, since she helped me with the French in the chapter I was writing after this one.

I don't know about any of you, but I think we're off to a better start than before. Rock on and see where it goes in the next chapter \m/

Chapter 47: Grim Discovery

Chapter 47

Grim Discovery

All the sounds of the swamp had gone silent. Through the mist, the bones of a long dead beast bridged the way across a watery ditch. The armored plates of its back were gripped tightly by the claws of the exoskeleton of a massive prehistoric scorpion, while the rest of it was wrapped by the chitinous remains of a centipede the size of a boat.

For time immeasurable, the remains of the three beasts sat undisturbed, locked in combat in death as they were in life.

On that foggy day, after being undisturbed for so long, the remains all started to move. It began as a gentle rattle, which soon turned into a sharp wobble. Were there any others there to watch, they would have seen the source of the disturbance to be the silhouetted forms of three lost goofs.

“I don’t like this,” Dash said, as she trotted across the back of the beast, using its armored plates as cover.

“Me neither,” Pinkie said, as she hopped across the tops of the plates. “But, I try to think of it more like a funhouse course.”

“But, yuh don’t get dropped intuh water with Pinkie-eatin’ dino-sawrs if yuh trip in a funhouse,” Goofy reminded her, as he wove his much taller figure back and forth through the plates. However careful he was, he found he was still bumping into them.

All three skeletons shook when Dash dove and rolled behind one of the armored plates. She quickly peeked her head out, and darted her gaze around the foggy scape.

“It’s not that. It’s all the quiet,” Dash said.

“What’s so bad about that?” Pinkie asked, as she dangled herself upside-down from the top of the plate Dash was hiding behind.

“Yeah. What we can’t hear can’t eat us, right?” Goofy added, just before he wobbled around and bumped face first into a plate, teetered dangerously close to the edge.

As he shimmed by only his toes across the beast’s spine, the legs of the centipede dropped one after the other behind the goof, threatening to impale him.

Just as the last leg caught up to Goofy, he spun around and teetered into a handstand when the last leg nearly struck him through.

Goofy’s hat landed on his nose just as he regained his balance. Unable to lean back for the large armored plate, and unable to move for the drop into the water below, he shimmied along on his palms.

“Goofy’s right, Dashie. As long as everything’s quiet, it means there aren’t any more of those prehistoric meanies out to get us,” Pinkie said.

“Don’t you guys read adventure books?” Dash asked, as she darted to another cover.

The wobbling her rush created caused the claw of the scorpion to creak toward her. Had Dash not moved to another cover, she would have been crushed by the great pincer.

“Why? Because the boredom might put us to sleep? I know I always need some noise to liven things up,” Pinkie said, who would have produced blowers and crackers, had she any of her usual magic. Instead, she settled for making faces at herself in the chitinous reflection of the claw.

Once she was done, Pinkie jumped through, just before the claw snapped shut.

“No! Because, it means that anything that’s trying to eat us is hiding from whatever eats them!” Dash replied.

“Don’t yuh think sum’n that nasty’d make a little more noise?” Goofy asked, as he scuttled along by his fingertips.

He stopped suddenly when the cuff of his pants got caught on a smaller armor plate.

“That’s just the thing, Goof. Predators like them never make noise. They only roar after they pounce!” Dash dramatically said, as she demonstrated pouncing forward when she saw the shore was near. Unseen through the fog was the pit that she landed in.

“Why? Are they shy?” Pinkie asked, before she jumped off of the last armored plate.

Were she looking where she landed, Pinkie would have successfully avoided landing on the spikes that were on the beast’s tail.

“YEEEE--!!” Pinkie shouted, before she restrained herself.

For a moment, she held her breath, and her face turned deep red, before she rocketed into the air, and landed in the pit next to Dash.

“--oooooooooooowww!!” Pinkie whispered.

“Keep it down, Pinkie!” Dash said, as she pressed her muddy hooves over her friend’s mouth, still fearing the pained shout would alert something terrible.

Back on the bridge, Goofy’s pants were still caught on the armor plate.

“Hmm…” Goofy muttered to himself.

The goof strained as he curled his whole body so that he was able to see the cuff of his pants caught on the top of the armor plate. Though he tried to be careful, all of the bones around him all rattle violently as he tried to unhook his pants from the skeleton.

“Hey, Goof! What’s the holdup?” Dash asked from the shore.

“Hang on! Jus’ gimme a sec!” Goofy replied. “WO-OW!”

He overbalanced at the top of the plate, and teetered forward. Though his pants were now free of the snag, he tumbled down the armored plate, and rolled the rest of the way to the pit with his friends.

They had all made it. After the treacherous trek, they were all safely on the other side of the trench they crossed. All of a sudden the three skeletons all started shaking at once, and as one fell apart and splashed into the water.

Far off, the sound of the splash reached the ears of the beast all others feared. In its primitive mind, it registered the direction of the sound, and lumbered toward it.

As for the goofs, they were busy trying to pinpoint the direction of the light they had been following to get where they were.

Through the gloom of the slowly thinning mist, Pinkie once more saw something glowing in the distance.

“Thattaway, troops!” Pinkie said, as she hopped out of the pit.

Dash followed next, lifting off with a flap of her wings. Whether or not her wings actually helped her take off, she didn’t know. But it felt right.

Though Goofy was much taller than either of the ponies, he had trouble scrambling out of the pit. With a little help from the mares, they both pulled him free.

“A-hyuck. Thanks,” Goofy said, as he wiped the mud from himself.

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Dash replied, as she wiped away the mud that Goofy had passed to herself and Pinkie. “Let’s keep following that light. I want to get out of this swamp.”

“But, what if that light only takes us further into the swamp? What if it’s one of those fool fires that leads ponies to a place where they stay forever?” Pinkie asked.

“That’s just a Nightmare Night story. We’ve been following that light forever now, and it hasn’t led us wrong yet. I say we trust it,” Dash said, before she sliced through the brush with her hoof like a safari explorer.

Pinkie and Goofy both followed immediately after her. Had they lingered for but a moment, they would have seen in the thinning mist that it was not a pit they had escaped from, but a massive print of a four-toed hoof.

The magical light ahead disappeared through the mist and foliage. But, they knew that they were on the right track

Beneath them, they could feel the ground changing. What was once soft mud was gradually felt to be solid rock. And with the mud, the foliage soon ended, revealing the scene before them.

“Ho--”

“--Lee--”

“--Snickerdoodles!”

Dash, Goofy and Pinkie said one after the other.

The awesome sight of a forest of massive mushrooms loomed before them. Mushrooms of all shapes, some were flat, some were domed, and others were shaped like an umbrella that was blown the wrong way by the wind. The one thing they had in common was that they towered as tall as trees, blotting out any light from the sky above with their enormous caps to turn any land beneath them as dark as the night.

There was a river flowing through the rocks, feeding into what looked like a massive, knee-deep lake that spread far through the mushroom forest, until it was swallowed by the mist and darkness. And within the mist and shadow beneath the mushrooms, the faintest of lights was seen, before it dimmed into nothingness.

“Looks like this is it,” Dash said, as she started forward.

“*ulp*...S’pose there’s nuthin’ else for it,” Goofy said, hoping that the light would have guided them somewhere more pleasant. Someplace where nothing could hurt them, such as a petting zoo or a flower garden.

There were smaller mushrooms throughout the forest, which were the exact perfect size and height for improvised stepping stones

Dash took one step onto a smaller mushroom, and an amazing thing happened. The moment that it vibrated beneath her hooves, it began to glow. When it bumped into the mushroom ahead of it, it too illuminated.

And through the forest, the lights of many bioluminescent mushrooms shone and dimmed. Some stayed lit, while others simply faded out and didn’t illuminate again for several seconds.

All three of them managed a shaky smile. At the very least, they were going to have a somewhat easier time than they thought navigating the darkness of the mushroom forest.

Pinkie was next, and found the fungi were strong enough for her to hop across. Taking a moment to cradle the bottle of hot sauce that Cream Filling had given her, she thought of what was waiting for her at the end of the magical quest, put away her condiment and hopped onward. Lastly, Goofy followed quietly, humming his favorite song to himself.

The trek through the mushroom forest was unnerving, if not dangerous. Strange colors seemed to swirl about them all, as though trying to hypnotize and allure them off of their path to the darkness beyond.

In the water floated the usual debris of the swamp. Leaves, branches, moss, and the occasional log. But, most of all there were the animals that lived there.

Small, milk white creatures swam through the water below. Some looked like furry slugs. Some looked like living ribbons Others looked like amphibians. And others still looked like tiny armored fish. Once in a while, something was heard scurrying up and down the mushrooms, or splashed into the water from beneath one the travelers were standing on.

Ever wary, Dash, Pinkie and Goofy all kept their eyes and ears open for danger. But, it was beyond the mushroom forest where the danger lay.

The king of the beasts had seen the broken bones of the dead creatures, and followed three sets of tracks through the brush. Soon, it was at the mushroom forest, and sniffed the air.

It had been that way hundreds of times. The albino creatures within were easy prey to track down and devour. Now, mingled with the familiar smells of spores and water were new smells. Creatures not known to the swamp.

This was where the king would find them and devour them all. With a low groan, it lurched into the mushroom forest, whipping the tip of its tail in anticipation.

“You know, this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Pinkie said, as she hopped from mushroom to mushroom, creating the pattern of a cupcake with sprinkles with their lights.

“Yeah. These lights really take the edge off of getting lost in here. Like, if anything’s trying to eat us, we can see it now,” Dash said, hopping off of one mushroom like a trampoline, and landing flawlessly after a triple somersault

Goofy said nothing. His eyes were wandering all about the mushroom forest, trying to find their guiding light among all of the others.

“Wulp!” he jolted when Pinkie suddenly popped up in front of him with two round, pink fungi atop her head, and one on her nose.

“Guess who I am!” Pinkie said.

Goofy was no stranger to this game. Twenty Questions and Charades were two of his favorites. And as he looked at Pinkie, he thought there was indeed something familiar about the two round shapes atop her head. And the little button nose reminded him of a certain somebody he thought he could put his finger on.

“Uh...Felix the Cat!” Goofy resolutely declared.

“Eh! Wrong! IIIIIIt’s--” Pinkie said, before she started sniffing the air. “Cupcakes?”

“Cupcakes?” Dash asked from up ahead.

“But, Felix ain’t a cupcake,” Goofy replied.

Pinkie took the mushrooms she had been wearing and started sniffing them. After one deep inhale, she darted over to Dash.

“Dashie, smell these!” Pinkie said.

“No! I don’t want to--” Dash tried to protest, as the mushrooms were pressed to her nose. Soon, she stopped trying to push them away when she noticed the familiar smell. “I don’t believe it! That smells just like--”

“Cupcakes!” Pinkie finished.

“Well, I’ll be gawrshed. Where’d yuh find sum’n like that?” Goofy asked.

“They’re all over the place. Look,” Pinkie said, indicating the swamp around them.

It was true. Through the dark and the fog, they could see many more of the little mushrooms growing on the larger ones. And just like the ones Pinkie had plucked, they too smelled like cupcakes. How such a wondrous thing had happened, they couldn’t say. But, if something like that could exist among the prehistoric monsters that wandered about the swamps, then truly there was always hope to be found.

A low guttural growl suddenly cut through the silence. A growl that was all too near.

Panic suddenly struck the goofs. Perhaps one of them had a plan to escape and regroup. But, not one of them would have been able to hear it over the roar that shook the swamp. The very same that they heard during their log ride into Le Marais Sombre.

It was lucky for them that Dash was wrong. The king of the beasts had roared before it attacked, giving them time to find a hiding place. Only, now not one of the goofs knew where the other two were. They only sat motionless in their hiding places, hoping that whatever had just roared would come no closer to them.

As it was with most pleas and prayers, this one went unanswered.

From where she hid, Dash heard a loud splashing noise that was coming closer. And in the ghostly glow of the fungi, she saw the back of the monster. Twenty hooves tall, forty hooves long, and covered in rows of armored plates, it looked as if nothing would ever penetrate its hide.

Whether it was the light of the mushrooms, or its natural color, Dash couldn’t tell. But, there was something oddly luminous about the beast. Like a scorpion seen under a special light. Whatever it was, she wasn’t about to get close enough to investigate.

Goofy pulled the mushroom cap he had jammed over his head down further, as only his eyes peered out to see what was approaching him.

Water splashed over the goof, when a gigantic four-toed hoof stomped through the fog to the ground. The leg the hoof was attached to was nearly as big around as the trees in the rest of the swamp, and covered in reptilian scales.

Three more of those terrible legs passed by, each one making the ground tremor and the water crash over Goofy. For a moment, the goof dared to raise his head, only to quickly duck back down as the massive tail of the beast swung over his head.

It was Pinkie Pie who had the most terrifying vision of all. From her hiding place, she could directly see the face of the beast coming toward her through the fog. And the sight of it sent shivers down her spine.

Countless hours of her life had been spent joyfully playing with her pet alligator, Gummy. Gummy, who was affectionate, playful and above all cute. Were it not for Gummy, the sight of this beast would have put her off alligators for life.

Its long, pointed snout hovered just above the water, and waved left to right, scanning the area for any unfamiliar sight or scent. As it approached her through the fog, Pinkie could see the flashes of its jagged, serrated teeth glistening in the light of the mushrooms with every pass of its gaze. From the front of its mouth, long tusks jutted and curled in many directions, adding to its fierce appearance.

Worst of all were its eyes. Giant, yellow lamps that shone through the fog, with no trace of any pupil or white. It may have been another prehistoric survivor. Or, it may have been the ghost of one. Either way, it was clear from its appearance alone that this was the king of the beasts. The ruler of all that walked the swamplands of Bichumonterre. And it was lumbering ever closer to Pinkie.

Pinkie’s heart raced at the sight, and hoped that her disguise would fool the beast. In a desperate bid, she had covered herself with more of the cupcake-scented fungi. Hoping that she looked and smelled like nothing more than a cluster of mushrooms, she tried to sit still as the beast came closer to her.

From their hiding places, Goofy and Dash watched the beast lumber on, and saw that it was heading toward a large bunch of shivering mushrooms.

Pinkie was in danger, and their minds raced for a way to save her.

Deciding that she could always improvise an escape, Dash started silently jumping across the glowing mushroom caps toward the back of the beast.

Goofy took a different approach. He started quickly tying together dozens of long, skinny mushrooms that were growing out of the ground around him. Once he had run out of mushrooms, and hoped he had enough line for what he was about to attempt.

Taking one of the drifting branches out of the water, he tied the line onto it.

“Okay! Stay loose! Relax!” Goofy frantically thought to himself. He tried to keep himself composed as he readied to unleash the secret technique that was passed down in the Goof family. “Ten o’ clock! Two o’ clock! Quarter to three--”

He realized there was no time to complete the technique, when he heard the beast loose a low growl as it lowered its head to the shivering mushrooms.

Taking no risks for his friend’s life, Goofy let fly the line of his improvised fishing pole.

He had meant to snag Pinkie and pull her to safety. His plan was to grab her around her hoof, or her waist, or anything, and reel her in like a prize tuna.

Cursing his rushed cast, Goofy was dismayed to see that his line had snagged around the tusks at the very front of the beast’s face.

The beast growled angrily as its head whipped away from Pinkie when it was pulled by its tusk. For just a moment, Goofy could see its eyes shining against its silhouetted body, before it snapped its head in the other direction.

With the line suddenly pulled further away, Goofy’s arms stretched like rubber beyond their normal threshold.

“Oh, boy…!” Goofy groaned to himself, just before the rest of him followed his arms.

With the beast’s jaws away from her face, Pinkie was about to run away to safety. Before she even had a chance to shake off the mushrooms she had piled around herself, she saw the silhouette of Goofy come flying at her through the fog.

There was no time to shout when the goof slammed into her, knocking away her mushroom disguise and pinning her against the large mushroom stem behind her. All but the two round mushrooms over her ears.

“Ow…” They both groaned.

The king of the beasts jerked its head again, trying to loose the line of mushrooms from its tusk.

Goofy was once again yanked into the air, with Pinkie clasped tightly around him.

Both of them were flung around the air, Goofy not daring to let go of his improvised fishing pole.

The beast thrashed around, trying to snap at the flying morsels. But, no matter how it tried, they always seemed to avoid its snapping jaws.

Pinkie planted her hooves and kicked off of the beast’s nose.

Goofy rolled them both up the length of the line like a yo-yo and stopped against the beast’s tusk, just before its jaws snapped over them. Unable to keep up the suspension, Goofy and Pinkie unraveled again.

Dizzy and disoriented, Goofy and Pinkie barely had time to react when they saw an open mouth full of fangs snapping toward them.

With a shout, Pinkie put her hooves in Goofy’s hands and threw herself into a hoofstand. Both goofs compressed slightly when they felt the beast’s jaws suddenly clasp over them.

They grunted and strained as they pushed against the beast’s crushing jaws.

The king of the beasts reared its head back and chomped with all its might.

Under the strain of the bite, the two goofs stuck in the jaws of the behemoth started to bend outward.

Dash had been trying to think of a plan, and saw one practically fall together below herself.

Wasting no time, she started rushing back and forth across the top of the mushroom she had climbed. In seconds, the entire fungus started to sway.

Goofy’s hands clutched tighter around Pinkie’s hooves, as they both tried to keep their footing inside the beast’s mouth.

They knew they couldn’t keep it up. Slowly, they both inched toward the opening of the monster’s jaws.

Neither knew who, but one of them had given way. One of them had slipped, and forced them both to pop out of the beast’s mouth.

In one sudden movement, the king of the beasts snapped upward.

In the exact same instant, Pinkie and Goofy clasped one another close and stood directly atop the beast’s nose.

Knowing that they were little more than a biscuit on a very ferocious dog’s muzzle, they had no time to think when they were suddenly bobbed into the air.

Goofy managed to keep ahold of his makeshift fishing pole, but his line had come loose from the beast’s tusk. There would be no more zipping around to avoid it this time.

Dash finished rocking backward, and started rapidly flapping her wings.

When the mushroom she was on snapped forward, Rainbow Dash shot off of it toward her friends, trailing a streak of rainbow behind herself.

The king of the beasts jumped with its mouth open. But, before it could finally eat the little morsels that had intruded on its land, they were snatched away by a flying blue blur.

Dash held tightly to her friends, and did not let go until they landed on top of another, taller mushroom.

“And Rainbow Dash saves the day again!” Dash triumphantly shouted.

No sooner did she finish speaking did the mushroom they were on start shaking violently.

The king of the beasts bellowed another roar and started chomping away at the mushroom stalk.

Apparently Dash had not quite saved the day.

One look to Dash’s wings, and inspiration struck Goofy like a brick wall.

“Grab a hold, gals!” the goof said, as he swung his line of mushrooms around the mares.

“And what!?” Pinkie practically demanded to know, as the mushroom they were on shook again.

“Dash, when I say so, flap yer wings hard as yuh can!” Goofy explained.

“Right!” Dash said, as she readied for her cue.

“Let’s try this again!” Goofy said to himself, as he raised his fishing rod over his head.

“Try wha-AAAAAAAAT!!!!!??” Pinkie shouted, as she and Dash were both whipped off of their hooves.

“Ten o’ clock! Two o’ clock--!”

Goofy’s cast was interrupted again when the mushroom beneath him started teetering downward. They were toppling like standing timber, and he knew that the king of the beasts was waiting below to devour them.

There was no more time. He had to cast.

“Now, Dash! Let ‘er fly!!!”

The moment she heard her name called, Dash flapped her wings with more gusto than she ever had since entering the swamp.

With Pinkie close in tow, Dash almost felt as if she were actually flying when she started weaving around the massive mushroom stalks. Whether or not it was real she didn’t question it, and allowed herself to maneuver masterfully through the forest.

Once she felt the line going taut, she and Pinkie grabbed onto the cap of one of the shorter mushrooms and held tightly.

With one last snap of its jaws, the king of the beasts chomped through the mushroom stalk and awaited Goofy’s landing.

Goofy tried to backpedal on the top of the mushroom, but found it was toppling too fast.

He was soon met with the open jaws of the beast, and just felt the line he was holding go taut. With a sudden jerk, he was pulled through the mouth of the monster, and had to suck in his gut and turn his body to slip through its teeth.

“AAAAHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOYYYYY!!!”

The goofy holler rang through the swamp, as the goof it came from followed the curving line he cast. Every sharp turn sent Goofy swerving madly around the stems of each massive fungi. One, he smacked into face first, before zipping away.

Dash and Pinkie looked below themselves and saw Goofy zip right past them.

Pinkie grabbed the line with her free hoof and yanked it upward.

Goofy swung up into the air and curved around the pale white stem of another mushroom. After him, the mares were pulled along the line.

All three went spinning around the mushroom stem, until they all tangled so much that they tied themselves up to it.

“Well, here’s a real gawrsh an’ a half,” Goofy said.

“This isn’t a problem! They’re just mushrooms,” Dash said, before taking a bite through the strand around her nose.

The moment she chomped through, her eyes watered and her face turned from sky blue to sickly green. The next moment, she started retching loudly, and spat madly like she was trying to remove any trace of the fungus from her mouth. After retching one last time, Dash’s whole body went lax, her eyes rolled up into her head and she began to drool lazily.

Eating their way out was no option. Pinkie and Goofy instead struggled hard against the binding fungus, hoping that the king of the beasts wouldn’t catch up to them in time.

Pinkie thrashed her head about, and saw through the fog their guiding light ahead of them. Only now, it was moving without them.

“Wait! Come back! Don’t just leave us here!” she called to it.

Goofy, however, saw a different light when he was struggling to get free. The eyes of the king were shining brightly through the dark and the mist, and were growing rapidly closer. Then, there came a groan.

Not from the king of the beasts, but from somewhere nearer. Somewhere above them. Looking up, Pinkie and Goofy saw that it wasn’t a mushroom stem they were tied to, but the impossibly long neck of one of the prehistoric beasts.

Like all the other creatures in the mushroom forest, it was completely albino. At the moment, it was munching on the giant mushroom caps without a care in the world.

“Hey! Hey! This isn’t the time for munchies! There’s a monster after us!!” Pinkie said, as she frantically rapped her rear hoof against the beast’s neck.

If only Fluttershy was there to work her magic touch on the beast. Surely, even a prehistoric animal would prove no challenge for her to cooperate with.

Pinkie’s mind raced for a way to entice the beast. She thought of the many ways she had seen Fluttershy coax unruly animals into behaving, especially the always ornery Angel Bunny.

That was it! Even whenever Fluttershy wanted a favor from Angel, she always promised him extra food. With that in mind, she started thumping her head against the beast, hitting it with the mushroom that was still on her ear.

The familiar sweet scent reached the beast, who started craning its head around to find the source. Except what it saw was not a delicious treat. Instead, it saw a pair of solid yellow eyes shining through the fog. And the shadow they belonged to was growing closer.

Taking no chances to face the ruler of the swamp, the albino dinosaur turned tail and fled through the mushroom forest.

It was a bumpy ride, to say the least. The thumping of the albino beast’s feet shook its three passengers, making Dash turn greener than before. And it did not help that when it ran, it pointed its head directly forward, and snaked its neck through the winding hazards.

Pinkie and Goofy both continued their struggle to get free, and were starting to make headway. Goofy managed to free both of his arms and started pulling himself out. Dash, however, was already partly free, and had been steadily slipping out of her line of mushrooms. And in moments, the weight of her slumping body started pushing her restraints away.

“Whup--Whoah--Hold on there, Dash!” Goofy said, as he flicked the line of mushrooms.

The line cracked, arched up and started following the path around the beast’s neck.

Just as Dash was about to fall to the ground, the line of mushrooms whipped out and snagged her by her hoof.

Pinkie freed her hooves and grabbed Dash around her shoulders.

With the line loosened up, Pinkie and Goofy both started shimmying around the neck of the beast. When they reached the back, they all slid down the beast’s neck to its back.

“Dashie! Are you okay? Speak to me!” Pinkie said.

“I-I-IIIII don’t feel so good…” Dash moaned, before collapsing into Pinkie’s hooves.

A sudden bump reminded them all that they were on the run.

Dash’s cheeks bulged beyond their normal size, as she tried to keep her stomach out of her mouth.

The eyes of the beast were growing closer, and its silhouette was growing more defined.

Goofy looked around the neck of the albino beast. Ahead, he saw the guiding light had turned in a different direction than where they were heading.

The albino beast jumped over a fallen mushroom, making its passengers all jolt.

Goofy wrapped his fishing line around the beast’s neck, and kept from falling.

Try as she did, Pinkie couldn’t keep her grip on Rainbow Dash, who went rolling down the back of the beast.

“Dashie!” Pinkie shouted, before running after her friend.

Dash bounced down the beast’s pallid back, rolling further with every rushed step.

She started teetering toward the side.

Goofy didn’t even think about the fishing line around the beast’s neck. He simply pulled in the direction he had seen their guiding light, and the albino beast swerved to the side.

The change in momentum let Dash flop back toward the center of the beast’s back, where Pinkie was able to catch her and pin her down.

Looking around, Pinkie saw that they were now almost at the base of the beast’s tail. But, the shock of nearly falling off was nowhere near the terror of the king of the beasts now closer than ever before.

They could see its ghostly eyes against its monstrous face. Its unusual coloring distorted by the luminous mushrooms made it seem as if it were stepping from one world into another with every step it took, growing closer at an unnatural rate.

Goofy tried to keep their ride steady as it ran toward their guiding light.

“C’mon, girl! Pick up the pace!” Goofy shouted, as he spurred with his heels.

The albino beast didn’t run faster, but whipped up its tail to uppercut the predator behind herself.

The king of the beasts was struck, and the suddenly inclined tail made Dash and Pinkie roll back toward the front. Right into Goofy’s back.

“Whoof!!” Goofy wheezed when he was struck.

Pinkie kept one hoof around Dash and the other around Goofy, as they rode the albino beast through the forest.

They were getting closer to the light. Hopefully, it was leading them away from danger. But, the closer they came, the more they thought they were being misled.

There was another dark shape beneath the light. One that did not look in any way natural.

Before they were upon it, Goofy steered their massive mount to the side of it to try and see it. They heard a sound of a motor revving, and the moment they passed by they saw what they had truly been following.

The light turned out to be nothing more than a lamp on top of a small airboat with two passengers occupying it. One of them was holding a sack, while the other was revving the engine of the craft. In the dim light, the beast’s passengers thought they could recognize the pointed face of one of them.

With one last rev, the airboat took off like a shot, faster than any prehistoric beast could run. And soon, it was out of sight. But, the sound of it’s motor lingered behind.

There was a sudden splash, when all of a sudden the albino dinosaur partly submerged itself into the water and paddled away.

Another splash sounded, when the king of the beasts followed suit. However, its smaller frame and four-toed hooves didn’t allow much in the way of swimming.

The albino beast was swimming far ahead of the king, and soon disappeared like a ghost in the fog.

With no way to catch up to its prey, the king of the beasts paddled to the shore behind it, and turned to look one last time at the lost meal.

On the back of the albino beast, Pinkie, Dash and Goofy watched tensely at the glowing eyes peering at them through the mist, before they turned and disappeared from view.

“Please be gone forever! Please, please, please never see us again!” Pinkie begged to herself.

“No good praying, Pinkie...We’re just gonna have to be more careful…” Dash said, feeling less nauseous now, for the smoother ride. She burped loudly, but managed to keep her stomach down. “Ugh...Never. Never again…”

As Pinkie cradled the nauseous Dash in her hooves, Goofy took one of the cupcake-scented mushrooms from her ears and offered it to their mount.

Here yuh go, Gertie. Fer helpin’ us out back there,” he said.

The albino beast’s head craned around, and saw the mushroom. Reaching down, the newly christened Gertie took the mushroom from Goofy’s hand and swallowed without chewing.

“Cool! I want to feed her…” Dash said, as she reached up and took the other mushroom from Pinkie’s ear.

Gertie the dinosaur saw the other treat, and licked it out of Dash’s hoof. Lastly, she took the final smallest mushroom off the tip of Pinkie’s nose.

“Man...Fluttershy would be so jealous if she found out we had a pet dinosaur!” Dash said, the queasiness ebbing away from her.

“Gertie the albino dino! Mare’s best friend!” Pinkie affirmed.

It seemed that Gertie didn’t feel so strongly, as she promptly started to dive.

“Whuh-oh! Oh! No! No! No!” Goofy said, as he and the mares all scrambled to the highest spot on Gertie’s back.

In moments, they were all sinking down below the surface with their prehistoric mount, until they were all submerged. Less than a second later, they all bobbed back to the surface.

“Gertie!? I thought what we had was special!” Pinkie called out to the fog.

“Yeah! Is that all the thanks we get for giving you those mushrooms! I oughta--” Dash would have gone on, if not for another bout of nausea. When she looked up from the water, she saw something else through the mist. “Hey! Over there!”

Pinkie and Goofy both looked to where dash pointed, and saw it as well. There, resting against one of the trees of the swamp was a small fishing boat, perfectly intact and with a light still lit on the deck.

The condition of the boat led them to believe that it had not been there long. And judging by the way it had lazily moored against a tree, and for seeing nobody aboard, it made them wary as to whether or not the crew might ever return to it.

Rather taking their chances aboard the ship than the water, the three of them swam over to it.

Goofy put his hands up and grabbed onto the side of the boat first. Promptly he was climbed up like a ladder by Dash and Pinkie. Once the mares were on board, they both reached over and hauled Goofy up out of the water.

Dash shook her mane out. Pinkie checked her mane and found that her bottle of hot sauce was still unharmed. Goofy hiked up his pant legs, and shook out a load of water and one prehistoric fish, which flopped back over the side of the boat into the drink.

“Whuddaya think? Look like anyone’s here?” Goofy wondered, as he carefully walked around the deck.

“I don’t think so. Looks like this tub’s been abandoned,” Dash said, before peering into the cabin.

No sooner did she finish talking did the boat’s motor start sputtering to life. Apparently the boat was not as abandoned as they thought. Dash was still feeling slightly nauseous, and Goofy had lost his fishing pole to Gertie the Dinosaur. They would have to get creative to defend themselves from who or whatever was still on the boat.

“Guess what!” Pinkie Pie said, as she suddenly popped up from a trap door in the deck like a pink jack-in-the-box.

“WHA--!!” Goofy yelped, as he jumped onto Dash’s back.

“The engine still works! That’s WHA--!” Pinkie explained, emphasizing the last word, before climbing on deck and kicking the trap door shut.

“It does?” Goofy asked, trembling slightly as he climbed off of Dash’s back. “A-hyuck. I knew that.”

Dash groaned and rolled her eyes, as she walked over to the tree the boat was moored against. Goofy and Pinkie both joined her, and in seconds were able to push themselves away.

The boat was free now. Soon they were drifting down the river.

“I call skipper!” Dash, who had no nautical experience whatsoever, volunteered immediately. She ran past Goofy, and made him spin around.

“I’ll keep a lookout for any more of those beasties!” Pinkie said, making Goofy spin the other way, before she climbed to the top of the tiny mast.

With the mares occupied, Goofy tried to think of a job for himself. And the filthy deck gave him just the idea.

“Guess I better see if there’s any swabbin’ gear ‘round here,” he said to himself.

He walked past the cabin and saluted Dash through the window. Had he been watching where he was going, he would have been able to avoid a terrible accident.

“WO-OW!! Goofy shouted, as he tripped down the steps to below deck.

And with a crash, he was where he wanted to be, ready to contribute to the continuing of the magical quest.

Author's Note

To start with, let's talk about that hidden Mickey. As it is in any Disney property, the creators like to hide a Mickey Mouse silhouette somewhere within. In this case, it's Pinkie wearing those cupcake-scented mushrooms on her head. Granted, this is not actually Disney property, but I felt obligated to put it in somewhere.

So, we had a few surprises in this chapter. We met the king of the beasts, and apparently the light that the goofs had been following is not what they thought it was. Who was in that airboat, and what they were doing there will be revealed soon. But, I think you guys can guess.

The inspiration for this chapter was actually from a completely different story that I am helping to edit. See, in this other story, there is a chapter where the main character is chased through the forest by an angry mother bear. In this case, it's a prehistoric monster chasing them all. Sure, it's a lot like the last chapter with the monster ape. But, this king of the beasts here is more of a prominent figure. Meaning yes, we will see it again.

Speaking of that king of the beasts, let's talk about it for a bit. It almost sounds like it's some kind of horrible prehistoric chimera, mashed together with four or five different animals. No, no. That's not the case at all.

You see, I originally was going to make it a tyrannosaurus. But, when I was flipping through the pages of my nephew's books, I found something better: boverisuchus.

Boverisuchus was a prehistoric crocodile that evolved to live on land, instead of in the water. Because of this, it had hippo-like hooves on its feet, instead of webbed flippers. It also had very long legs that were set beneath its body, making it ideal for charging down prey. Thank goodness this thing is extinct, right?

However, some liberties were taken with its design. Its size, for example, is closer to that of a t-rex than of an actual boverisuchus. In real life, boverisuchus was actually about the same size as a pony. Its tusks were added to make it look more monstrous, as were its solid yellow eyes. Then again, there's no way of knowing how its eyes actually looked, but it's a fair bet that they were not a solid color.

On a slightly more interesting note, you guys remember my rule about sentience and intelligence in real world animals, don't you? That they have to have hooves? Perhaps this king of the beasts is some monstrous missing link in pony evolution? Sort of like what some people think of sasquatch.

Some easter eggs that slipped in here: did any of you notice Goofy's technique for when he's trying to cast his line? Looks familiar, doesn't it? If not, brush up on your Disney animation.

Also, Gertie the Dinosaur is a very, very, very old cartoon character from all the way back in 1914. If I'm not mistaken, she was the first cartoon character to be animated by using key frames with in-betweens, instead of being treated like a stop-motion-on-paper.

Another old cartoon character referenced here was the world's first animated cartoon star: Felix the Cat. He had gotten his start as a weekly comic strip, before he made the jump to animation, predating Mickey Mouse by about nine or ten years. Sort of the reverse of Mickey, who got his start in cartoons, then made the jump to comics.

This is old news by now, but there was another reference to Witchcraft is Magic in here. Pinkie suggests that the light they were following is actually a fool's fire. A fool's fire being a dangerous ghost-like creature from that story.

I know that I reference that story a lot, but I really like that one. It's something that was with me before I adapted it into a story on this site, and I'm actually trying to develop it into something that can be made into an animated series. Once I attain my animation degree, of course. I even have my own list of rules written down for it once it's made into a cartoon. But, that's way down the line.

Enough of all this. I got a new chapter to make. Something I'm sure you readers will enjoy. Rock on until then, won't you \m/

Chapter 48: Trapped

Chapter 48

Trapped

The dark silhouette of a massive ship drifted silently through the waters of the swamp. At the front, the painted black letters of the ship’s name shone dully in the deck lights: the Double Down.

Attracted by the light, a massive prehistoric insect buzzed toward the boat, looking for the strongest source.

Through a porthole, its attention was drawn by lights within. Beyond the dim, sullen lights of a grand room, the glamorous lights of a stage revealed to all the marvelously beautiful cervequin who danced for the crowd.

Unseen in the darkness beyond were the longing gazes of lonely bucks and the fleeting glances of those who were otherwise occupied in their unscrupulous deals.

A buck in the audience stared longingly at the star of the show. Her pink coat shimmering many shades in the meeting of light and dark where the stage ended.

With a sip of his drink, the buck knew that she was growing closer to him. One moment, she faded into darkness, and the next moment in the light she was nearly within reach of his longing hoof.

Slowly, his drink slipped past his lips, and the cervequin could feel the pink wonder’s eyes upon him. For the one moment of his life, he recalled every happy day he ever had. The more he stayed in that one moment, the more he realized that every day had been as bright as the most radiant sun.

And as his eyes clouded over with the sunny thoughts of his future with the doe on stage, a tiny laugh escaped his lips. Followed by another. Soon, all he was doing was laughing.

Around him, not a single one of the other patrons looked at the buck when he fell out of his seat and writhed fitfully on the floor, laughing but a whisper to himself.

Two weasels emerged from the shadows between the tables where the patrons sat, and stood over the fallen cervequin.

One weasel inhaled on his cigarette, dimly lighting his features in the orange embers, before they faded to darkness again.

“Whatta shame. Whatta darn shame,” the weasel sighed.

“Happens to all of ‘em. Those honeyed wishes an’ candy floss dreams always get ‘em in the end. An’ they always go back for more,” said the other.

“Not that we want ‘em to stop.”

Both weasels chuckled darkly over the writhing cervequin, whose silent laughter faded into the weasels’.

“Come on. Let’s getcha outta here,” one weasel said, as they both helped the cervequin to his hooves and guided him to the door.

Onstage, the dancer finished her routine, never knowing what had happened to the buck.

But, there was one who had. Somebody who oversaw everything that happened on his ship from his lofty sanctuary above all others.

Mr. Cray smirked both blankly and malevolently at the cervequin, as he was led out of the room below.

He knew that he would see that buck again. It was his business to make them come back for more. And with that first mindless fit he witnessed, Mr. Cray knew that he had yet another repeat customer.

The only other person Mr. Cray knew of who could do such a thing to another creature was Yen Sid. But, there were even those who the great sorcerer could not entice with his powers. But, Mr. Cray knew that as long as he was doing his job, he would find other ways to ensnare the hearts and minds of others, and keep them under his claw.

Amid the abundant happiness, there was one noticeably displeased face. Next to the reflection of his own satisfied smirk, Mr. Cray saw the scowl of young Max.

For all the time he had been there, Max had hardly taken his eyes from Mr. Cray. The young goof sat cross-armed and glowering in a chair that was set beside Miss Argente’s desk. A desk which was much smaller than her employer’s, and stacked high with mountains of papers

Miss Argente herself was at her desk, trying her best to write with her hoof, as opposed to magic. For the entire time, she was always within five steps of Max, and flicking her eyes from her work to Mr. Cray.

For almost ten minutes, there was complete silence. And in the same time, Miss Argente had looked up from her desk nearly every half minute, keeping sure that her volatile employer wasn’t going to blow up over the most minute thing.

“Glare all you want, kid. You’re here until I say otherwise,” Mr. Cray said, without turning around.

Miss Argente was snapped from her work, and shot her gaze to Mr. Cray. In the short time she was working for him, she knew nearly anything set off his temper. And the idea of him bearing down on a little boy made her chest tighten.

“That’s what you think,” Max defiantly grumbled.

“You got a real bad attitude there. You better start curbing it, or you’re going to be in big trouble one of these days,” Mr. Cray answered, clenching his claws behind his back.

Slowly putting her pencil down, Miss Argente readied to pull Max away from Mr. Cray’s warpath. Insubordination was not something he ever tolerated, and she had seen too many violent injuries to those who didn’t do exactly as he demanded.

“You’re the one who’s going to be in trouble! My dad landed a fish that almost ate him! And he’s going to do the same to all those monsters out there! And he’ll make them eat you!” Max boldly asserted.

He would have gone on, if not for Miss Argente placing her hoof firmly on his arm. Looking over, Max saw her surreptitiously shake her head, signalling him to stop.

At first, Max didn’t know why she was telling him so. But when he saw Mr. Cray, it became apparent.

The temperamental shellfish lowered his head, and his shoulders heaved up and down. Behind his back, his claws clamped so hard over one another that they seemed liable to cut through themselves.

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times…” Mr. Cray seethed, before he suddenly whirled around, his eyes shot red, “YOUR OLD MAN ISN’T COMING!!!”

A jolt of fear shot through Max at the sight of the raging crustacean. Before he even had a chance to move, Miss Argente tried to coax him into hiding under her desk.

Max, however, resisted her hooves and stood atop his seat, so that he was almost as high as Mr. Cray’s chest, when the shellfish was suddenly upon him. Fear still clutched his young mind, but there was something greater that allowed him to stand before Mr. Cray

“My dad’s the bravest, strongest, greatest person in the world! After he finds you, you’ll be lucky if he just turns you into gumbo!!” Max bravely retorted.

He and Mr. Cray both locked eyes, neither saying a word.

Miss Argente was frozen with fear, her hoof still clasped on Max’s arm. She didn’t dare move as she watched Mr. Cray. But, she wished more than anything to pull Max clear from his wrath.

“That’s what you really think, eh?” Mr. Cray said, in a voice so calm and collected that it was somehow more unnerving than his usual burst of rage. “Take a seat, kid. There’s a hard lesson that I have to teach you.”

From what she heard, Miss Argente feared that her employer would explode any second, and kept her hoof firmly on Max’s arm.

“Miss Argente,” Mr. Cray said, still eerily calm. “Put your hoof down, or lose it.”

Hesitantly, Miss Argente lowered her shaking hoof from Max’s arm to the floor. One look to Mr. Cray’s fixed glare, and she took two small steps back from her young charge. Once she had, she drifted her gaze from Mr. Cray to Max, who slowly sat down on his seat.

For a moment, Mr. Cray said nothing. Finally, his rough voice ended the silence.

“Tell me what makes your dad so great,” he beseeched.

Max took no time thinking of his answer.

“He’s the biggest, strongest, funniest, greatest person I know. He can do anything, go anywhere, and is the best at everything! He showed me how to skateboard, bungee jump and skydive! And I’ve seen him beat up guys a hundred times bigger than you are! You’ll be sorry you ever messed with him when he gets here!”

“I see…” Mr. Cray said, before he slowly, deliberately walked past Miss Argente’s desk with his claws folded behind his back.

Not wanting to be anywhere near him, but not daring to inch toward Max, Miss Argente slowly stepped backward, until her flank bumped into the wall behind herself.

Further away, Mr. Cray stopped and peered out another window, letting him see down to another, more boisterous floor. Down below, the patrons happily mingled and played their games. Among them, he spotted the cervequin who was taken from the room with the stage.

“Kid,” Mr. Cray began, “I know that you think your father is invincible. That he’s the greatest at everything. But, eventually you have to realize that he’s only as limited as everyone else in the world.”

“Not my dad! He’s--” Max started to say.

“Kid!” Mr. Cray said, more sternly, silencing the boy, “It happens to everybody. All kids find out sooner or later that their fathers are only human. One day, you’ll find there’s something even he can’t do. And your whole world around him is going to fall apart. It’s best that you stop building it up now. Otherwise, it’s going to crush you hard when it happens.”

Max didn’t know how to answer. He sat thinking about what Theronicus Rex had told him back in Trottingham. How he was going to crush his dad and mop up the stain that was left of him.

Both messages swirled in Max’s head, mingling with one another. Rex was going to destroy his father, and all of his awe and wonder of the most important person in his life was going to bury him.

“But, I know I can always count on my dad. He’s never let me down once,” Max said.

“He will. One day. If it’s today, tomorrow, or a year from now, you never know when. But, he will,” Mr. Cray answered.

Miss Argente didn’t know if her ears were deceiving her, but she thought that she could hear a subdued tone in Mr. Cray’s voice.

“You may not have thought about it, but I’m somebody’s son,” Mr. Cray continued.

Max leaned slightly forward in his seat. It was true. Max never thought that anybody so rotten, so callous, so cruel could be anybody’s child. For a moment, he wondered what Mr. Cray’s father would have thought if he saw how his son had turned out.

“You...had a dad?” Max said, not knowing what else to say.

“Oh, yes. And he was the greatest guy I ever knew. Everything he ever did, it was for me,” came the answer. Though he sounded like he should have been joyfully reminiscent, his voice carried an undertone of dismay. “One day, he lost it all. Our house. His livelihood. It all went belly up. And he hardly did anything to get it back.”

“Didn’t your mom help?” Max wondered.

“My mother died shortly after I was born. But, sometimes, I do wonder if she even could have…” Mr. Cray said. Another silence blanketed the room, before he continued. “I wanted to make my old man proud. So, I did what any scrappy kid would do. I worked, and I worked and I worked. Until I built the empire I have today!”

“And, your dad?”

“I don’t know,” came the answer. “No matter how I tried to contact him, he never answered. And when I went looking for him...he was gone. And nobody knew where he went. It’s almost as if he stopped bothering. My point is that the people you think you can rely on the most are the ones who are going to let you down the hardest.”

“It’s not true!” Max said, glaring intensely.

“You still don’t think so?” Mr. Cray said, sounding now somewhat amused. “You need more proof? Take a look at Miss Argente here.”

Miss Argente flinched slightly when a claw was pointed at her.

“Before she worked for me, she was Mrs. Argente. She took this job she’s got now to clear up a debt her husband owed me. And the second she signs that job application, you know what happens? That deadbeat jumped ship and swam off to who knows where! Now, he’s dino bait, and she’s still working off the money he owed!!”

Max noticed how the cruel recollection made Miss Argente slump limply against the wall. Just like himself, she was trapped by Mr. Cray, unable to leave. Unlike him, there was nobody coming for her. But, after hearing what he was told, Max started to wonder if there was truth in it. Would this be the first time his father would let him down?

Mr. Cray watched out the window at all of the others below. How happy they were. How merry.

“We all have our own delusions,” he continued. “If we’re smart, we can see past them to the broader pastures beyond. But, if you only ever want to be happy; if you only want to feel good and never grow up, you just hold on to that pretty little lie.”

Max didn’t know what Mr. Cray meant. As young as he was, he couldn’t comprehend the depth of such words. But, deep within himself he felt them. There was something that he was holding onto. And if there was any truth in what Mr. Cray had said, he would have to let it go.

For an eternity, Mr. Cray watched Max. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He simply stood, appraising the boy.

After a moment of staring, Max crossed his arms and glared blankly ahead.

“Heh,” Mr. Cray scoffed, before he turned to walk back to his own desk. If only he were watching what he was doing, he wouldn’t have knocked over a stack of Miss Argente’s papers.

Time slowed down, as Miss Argente watched the papers topple. Before the first sheet hit the ground, an explosion of shouted swears was directed right at her.

“FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR DESK ORGANIZED SO THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN AGAIN!!!” Mr. Cray shouted at his secretary.

“M-M-Monsieur Cray!! I-I’m sorry! But, ze filing cabinet I requested still has not--” Miss Argente stammered.

“I DON’T NEED YOUR THREADBARE EXCUSES, YOU CLUMSY DITZ!!! I NEED A SECRETARY WHO KEEPS HER WORK IN ORDER, SO I WON’T HAVE TO PUT HER AFFAIRS IN ORDER!!!”

Miss Argente loosed a shuddering gasp when she saw Mr. Cray brandish one of his claws at her.

Both frightened and appalled, Max had never seen anybody so angry in his life. His dad had taught him to stand up to bullies, but he was unsure if he would ever be able to take on anybody like Mr. Cray.

As he continued to verbally thrash Miss Argente, Mr. Cray noticed something that was amiss among the fallen papers.

“Wait a second--” he said, as he rummaged through the notes. “There are reports missing from downstairs for the last two days! Why in blazes are there no reports?!”

“I...I-I-I do not know, Monsieur Cray! Perhaps zey have simply forgotten…?”

“Or perhaps everybody around here thinks that this is some kind of luxury cruise ship, and are slacking off!! They stopped sending reports, and you’re not finding out why!”

For a moment, Miss Argenete was silent, until her fear subsided enough to register what was said to her.

“Do you...want me to go and get a report personally?” she quizzically asked.

“YA THINK!?” Mr. Cray shouted, slamming his claws onto Miss Argente’s desk, denting it slightly under the force. “STOP WHIMPERING AND HAUL YOUR WORTHLESS HAUNCHES DOWNSTAIRS!! AND TAKE THE KID WITH YOU!!”

Max suddenly felt himself lifted by the back of his shirt, and craned over to Miss Argente. Quickly and gently as she could, Miss Argente took Max and hurried toward the door. Once they were out, they both slammed the doors behind themselves.

For a moment, neither of them could move. Feeling as if they both narrowly avoided calamity, a brief feeling of relief washed over them.

For Miss Argente, she hesitated for another reason. The entire ship was a bad enough place for a child, but the area below was by far the worst place anyone so young could go. Weighing her protective instincts against her fear of Mr. Cray, she began slowly walking down the hall.

“Come along. We mustn't keep Monsieur Cray waiting for his report...” she gently bade Max.

Max followed after, and noticed how scared Miss Argente looked. The way her knees were shaking, he thought that she was liable to topple on the spot.

“Why don’t you leave?” Max asked.

“Hum?”

“Mr. Cray is really mean to you. And you don’t really owe your husband anything. So, why don’t you sneak away and go home?”

With a gentle sigh, Miss Argente’s ears drooped, and her knees steadied slightly.

“It isn’t so simple. Monsieur Cray is right. If I were to leave, I would be food for zose monsters. And besides...I have no home to return to,” she answered.

“But, everyone has a home. Why can’t you go back to yours?”

“Because...Because my husband put it as collateral when he started gambling with Monsieur Cray…”

Miss Argente’s mind was suddenly flooded by memories of all that had led up to her being under Mr. Cray’s control. How she had tried to help her husband, and his ultimate betrayal and abandonment of her. It was all too much for her to handle, and tears leaked from her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt something gently take hold of her hoof. Looking down, she saw it was Max’s hand.

“It’s okay. My dad’s going to be here any minute now. And when he comes, I know he’ll take you with us. Then, we can all go home,” Max reassured.

From deep within herself, Miss Argente managed a tiny laugh. Even if she were rescued, she would have nowhere to go. She was miles from any family or friends, and her home was now owned by her employer. Still, the faith the young goof had in his father was enough to lift her spirits ever so slightly.

“Zen, I shall thank him when I see him,” she said, before guiding Max onward.

“I’m Max, by the way,” Max introduced himself.

“And I am Lumiere Argente. It’s nice to meet you."

The fog was thicker than before, covering everything in its haze. Nothing was to be seen. Only the shadow of anything that was hiding within.

Through the fog came a boat ferrying three wayward passengers.

Atop her little mast, Pinkie darted her gaze around in every which direction. No matter what, even if she couldn’t see her hoof six inches from her face, she was not going to be deterred from her duty of keeping watch for danger.

A tapping from inside the cabin beneath her drew her attention.

“How’s the view up there?” Dash called from below.

“Foggy. I can barely tell my left hoof from my right,” Pinkie replied.

“Well, try to look harder. I don’t want that ten ton croco-pony catching us by surprise again.”

Dash was only half right. The monster they had just escaped only took them by surprise by loudly announcing its presence. Other than that, it was hardly subtle. But Pinkie, not wanting to meet it so closely again, wrapped her rear hooves around the mast and stretched herself out as far as she could go. Barely an inch was granted to her visibility, but it was surely an inch more that would give her the drop on any prehistoric monsters that roamed her way.

Down below, Goofy skated about the deck on scrub brushes he had tied to his feet with bits of fishing line.

For only a jury rig, it was doing its job as he skidded across the deck. And in his hand, a mop that he had found in a locker full of cleaning supplies, tinned food and some fishing gear. Most unusually, while he was below deck, he found that somebody had been grilling sandwiches on the engine. Promising himself a spot of fishing when his work was done, he merrily busied himself.

Humming to himself as he glided across the deck, Goofy maintained ship shape. Unlike the boat’s previous owners, who clearly had neglected almost every part of the ship down to the nails that barely held the deck together.

Were there no fog, he surely would have seen the fruits of his labor beneath his feet. And when he glided by the front of the cabin, he ran his mop across the windows to clear Dash’s view.

Apart from the fog, everything was going smoothly.

“BRANCH HO!!!” Pinkie shouted, as she swerved to another side of her lookout post.

Dash only just saw the branch coming out of the mist, and whirled the boat’s helm to the right.

The entire boat rocked to the side, sending Goofy swiveling madly across the deck. Try as he did to use his mop to steady himself, he slipped and went shooting toward the side of the boat.

Dash had cleared the tree branch, but swerved the other way to keep Goofy onboard.

The trap door to below deck lurched open from the sudden jerk, letting the errant goof drop right inside with a crash and a loud-- “AH-HOO-HOY!!!”

“You okay down there?” Dash called, but feeling as if she knew the answer.

Moments later, Goofy staggered back up to the deck, wearing tattered blue pants, black boots, an orange crew neck shirt with white stripes and a yellow straw hat. In his hand, he carried a fishing pole and tackle box.

“I...think I’ll man lookout at the frunt...Yuh don’t get a cuncussion sittin’ lookout…” Goofy said, before he staggered off toward the bow.

Dash shrugged, feeling like she couldn’t argue with that logic. Then again, this was Goofy they were talking about. Still, it was better to have two lookouts in the fog, as opposed to the one up top.

Goofy sat himself at the bow of the ship and cast his line into the water. It was still too foggy to see, so he didn’t even bother with the secret technique of the Goofs. Luckily, he heard his hook and bob plunk into the water, instead of tangling it up in the branches.

For many minutes, nothing happened. Just as it always was when one sat down to fish. Pinkie didn’t call out any dangers, and Dash was easily able to see Goofy’s silhouette pointing which way to turn around a rock, or a log, or a bend in the river.

The ride was as peaceful as it could be. Apart from the occasional massive insect buzzing by, the beasts kept mostly to themselves. Whether they were far away, or simply waiting on the shore, none of the goofs could tell. But, as long as they weren’t bothering them, there was no problem.

Sitting in the fog for so long, Goofy began to feel as if it were creeping into his very mind. Maybe it was the feeling of solitude, or perhaps it was the slowing of time that seemed to come with fishing. Whatever it was, his mind wandered back to the very start of the magical quest.

There he was, arranging a fishing trip for when Max came back from visiting his grandfather. Until Mickey called with a desperate request to find an anniversary present.

All day, and well into the night they searched. Until they found the mirror. The unknown magic mirror that would call upon a hero to the place where they were needed.

A slow, gentle sigh escaped from Goofy. All he wanted was to go fishing with his boy. Now, Max was kidnapped and held somewhere in that strange world of the magic mirror.

Questions swam through his mind like the fish in the water below. But the largest of all was the one Goofy wished more than any he could answer. Why him? What he had done at Ponyville and Trottingham seemed like something that anybody could have done. Why did the magic mirror choose him and his friends to save a whole world? If none of it had happened, he would still be at home, his son would be safe, and they both would be on a lake that was not swimming with prehistoric monsters.

Whatever strange forces or machinations were at work, Goofy could no longer contemplate when his line suddenly went taut.

“Hoop--Whoah--Got me a big’un here!!” Goofy said, as he fought to reel in his catch.

“What’s goin’ on up there?” Dash called.

“Nuthin’ much--! I’m just rasslin’ a monster catch--!!” Goofy replied, as he struggled against the beast in the water.

The beast proved more resilient than he would have wished. With a sudden jerk, Goofy was pulled over the side, forcing him to lean far over.

“Hold on, Goof!” Dash called, as she ran from the cabin.

“Help’s on the way!” Pinkie added, before she jumped from the top of the small mast.

If not for the fog, Pinkie would have been able to calculate her landing better. Well enough to not have landed directly on top of Rainbow Dash.

With a thud, both mares landed splat on the deck.

“Pinkie!!” Dash growled.

“Goofy!!” Pinkie reminded her.

Putting the verbal thrashing aside, Dash wriggled her way out from under Pinkie. Unfortunately, Pinkie tried to get up first, and pushed her hooves down on top of Dash when she tried to stand.

Pinkie lost balance and fell over when Dash stood up beneath her.

“Just hang on a sec, Goof!” Dash called, “I’m--HWUP!!”

Pinkie’s rear hoof was still caught around Dash’s leg, forcing her to fall forward. Right into Goofy, who went sprawling over the edge.

Before Goofy even had a chance to scream, he was caught around the ankles by Dash, who was shortly joined by Pinkie grabbing her around the waist.

“Ready?” Dash said.

“Ready!” Pinkie affirmed.

“And, pull--!!!”

Dash and Pinkie both hauled up their much taller, heavier friend, who didn’t look the slightest bit fazed by the experience.

“I got him! I got him!” Goofy proudly proclaimed as he held up his catch.

It was a muckasaur. One that was much smaller than the first they had encountered. It was hard to tell by the way it was thrashing about on the hook, but it seemed hardly eight inches long.

“Hmm...D’yuh think it’s under the legal size limit?” Goofy asked.

Pinkie was about to respond, when she suddenly saw something moving through the fog toward them that turned her blood to ice.

“What’s up, Pinkie?” Dash wondered.

Instead of answering, Pinkie put her hooves on top of both her friends’ heads and turned them to the direction she was facing.

Something was coming at them through the fog. Something enormous, with two shining lights on the front. At first, they thought it was the king of the beasts again. But, the closer it came, the more they saw that it was actually another ship. A massive ship that dwarfed their own little boat.

“Holy horse apples!!!!” the three goofs shouted at once.

The small muckasaur wriggled from Goofy’s grip and splashed back into the water.

There was no time for the others to reach the helm and swerve out of the way. The larger ship was already upon them, ready to crush the tiny boat.

Whether it was instinct, or that there was simply nothing else to do, Dash and Pinkie both took hold of Goofy’s arms and forced him to cast his fishing line ahead. To their greatest relief, it snagged something.

“REEL!!” the mares both shouted, as they clung to the goof.

Goofy readily obeyed and reeled like he was hauling in Gertie the Albino Dino.

The three goofs were pulled from their deck, just as the larger boat smashed their vessel to driftwood.

Dash flapped her wings, only imagining that it was speeding them through the water, keeping them from the jaws of the beasts below.

Reeling with all his might, Goofy, Dash and Pinkie all jolted when the ship suddenly dragged them in the opposite direction they were going.

Dash tried motoring them in the other direction, just as the saber-toothed jaws of one of the beasts broke the surface.

Between reeling, flapping and kicking their legs, all three goofs did whatever they could to avoid the massive teeth.

Too late, as they ended up inside the beast’s jaws, which snapped shut over them.

Before the beast had a chance to lick its chops, a terrible feeling rose within it. A hot, stinging sensation that filled its nose and made its eyes water. With a belch of smoke and embers, the goofs were spat back into the water.

“Thank you, Cream Filling! Mwah!!” Pinkie said, as she kissed her bottle of hot sauce.

The lid was screwed back on, placed in her mane, and they all went up into the air, sliding along the hull of the boat as Goofy reeled like he never reeled before.

Their momentum shot them up past where the hook had anchored. For a brief moment, they were high enough to peer through one of the windows on the upper level. There was no time to see who or what was in the room exactly. Only that there was one of them.

Goofy briefly lifted his hat in greeting, before he and his friends dropped out of sight.

“Eh?” Mr. Cray said to himself, before he turned around to see who was there.

He thought that he saw something just drop out of sight, but dismissed it as one of the giant bugs that buzzed around the swamp. With a huff, he reminded himself to get that industrial strength bug zapper he’d been meaning to hang outside his window. Then again, that may have only come when that filing cabinet for Miss Argente arrived.

The fishing hook unsnagged itself from the railing on the side of the boat, and the goofs went plummeting back to the ground face first.

Dash flapped her wings and Pinkie flapped her arms. For a brief moment their fall was slowed. But, not nearly enough.

Taking no chances with a direct landing, all three bowed their backs upward and glided along the deck. Right into a vent that was on the deck.

All at once, Pinkie, Dash and Goofy went plunging inside. And promptly got stuck partway down.

“Well, ain’t this a fine how do yuh do?” Goofy grumbled.

“Haven’t I been saying we all needed to get a bit closer?” Pinkie said, reminding Dash of something she had mentioned for nearly a month.

“Yeah. But, this is closer than I ever want to be to anypony!” Dash said, trying to wriggle herself free.

“Yer imaginin’ things. Ain’t no way they made it all the way out here,” said a voice from up on deck.

“I’m tellin’ ya, that was the goofs out in those ‘shrooms!” said another voice.

And as one, Pinkie, Dash and Goofy went silent and turned their ears upward.

“Naw. How could they be all the way out here? They don’t even know where we are,” the first voice said.

“You got any idea who else would go ridin’ a dinosaur, right where we’re pickin’ the goods?” the second asked.

“Look: you’re bein’ paranoid. Those goofs are all suckin’ dust now. When we reach the next port, we’re goin’ right back to Trottingham. An’ when we do, Rex is gonna tell us how he ripped the heads offa each one o’ the goofs an’ made what’s left into taxadermies!”

Up above, something was stuffed into the vent. The voices were slightly muffled, but still intelligible.

“How much ya wanna bet?” said the second voice.

“I got a diamond ring from one o’ those bourgois inside that says the goofs are d-e-d, dead!” said the first.

“An’ here’s a gold watch I pinched that says the goofs was ridin’ that dino, an’ we’ll be shippin’ outta here with the kid before sunrise.”

Goofy gasped slightly at what he heard. Before any more thoughts could be registered, the overwhelming smell of cupcakes engulfed them all as the bag above was stuffed down the vent.

“What’s goin’ on?” asked one of the weasels on deck.

“Dunno. Must be clogged with the last bag we stuffed down there,” the other weasel grabbed the other around the neck, “Don’t move.”

“Hey!! Whaddaya doin’!? Put me down!!”

And just like a chimney sweep, one weasel used the other to stuff the bag of merchandise down the vent.

At the front, the goofs all grunted as they were stuffed further along, until the three dislodged and went tumbling down the vent.

It was a soft landing, thankfully. They all thudded deep into a pile of other sacks identical to the one stuffed in behind them.

One by one, they popped up from the pile, only to be buried again by the sack that was stuffed in after them, and two others after it.

“New adventuring rule: no vents!” Dash said, as she popped up again from the pile.

“On the bright side, nothing beats the smell of fresh baked cupcakes,” Pinkie said, taking in a whiff of the bags that had opened slightly. However, she was dismayed by what was inside. “Awww. It’s just more of those mushrooms.”

Goofy sat up and flicked a tiny mushroom from his nose. He was inclined to agree with Pinkie, but was stopped from saying anything by what he saw.

“Gals...get down real slow,” he said, putting his hands on top of their heads and lowering them all back into the pile.

From within, three pairs of eyes peered out.

“What’s the deal, Goof?” Dash asked.

“That,” Goofy said, indicating his gaze ahead.

Looking to where Goofy was, the mares saw his point. There was a door half opened ahead of them. Past it, there was another room that was crawling with weasels. That was all they needed to know that they were in the wrong place.

Author's Note

Uh-oh. Looks like trouble for the goofs. Now, all they have is one another in a place where they are very unwelcome.

Not only that, but did you readers get a sudden sense of foreboding during Goofy's self reflection? If not, let me give you a quick rundown of things that seemed small that turned into crises: Twilight felt she could contribute nothing and abandoned her friends and the magical quest altogether, Spike wanted to be treated as an adult and learned some painful lessons about growing up that he never learned back home, Uncle Scrooge had some mild chest pains and now he may be dying.

What do you think's up with Goofy?

On to some more pleasant things, Goofy got his new costume for this place. A fisherman costume! This was inspired by my desire to see Goofy actually be playable in the Magical Quest games. I always imagined that if he were to get a climbing costume, he would utilize a fishing pole instead of a grappling hook the way that his friends do.

As for the costume's aesthetic. Well, it's almost a one-to-one recreation of the outfit Goofy wore in the short cartoon Goofy and Wilbur. The reason for that being that fishing is prominently featured in that cartoon.

For storytelling, I thought that I would try and shake things up a little bit. Last chapter, I made it so that the guiding light was actually a false guide. This time, it seems like somebody besides the main cast is making a friend. In this case, Max is the one making friends with Miss Argente.

Speaking of Miss Argente, her full name (Lumiere Argente) translates to Silver Light. This is a name that was taken from that story I'm helping the other writer edit. The one who inspired the previous chapter. I just liked the name and decided to use it.

The opening of this chapter was a little tricky to write. I wanted to come up with a fun way to introduce the dark room with the stage, and went through a few different ideas before I settled on the 'fly on the wall' approach. It just seemed to me that it was a natural, yet fun setup which could then flow to Mr. Cray's office.

And speaking of Mr. Cray, I think he is one of my favorite villains to write for. Because the thing about him is that even though he sounds harsh, he is one hundred percent right. And he does bring up a point: even though he is a villain, he is a person too.

That's also kind of the reason that I pictured Michael Magee as the voice of Mr. Cray. When I was very young, I only saw one episode of 'The Raccoons.' And in that one episode, the villain, (voiced by Mr. Magee), has a serious talk with one of the protagonists about a difficult lesson he learned by making the same mistake the protagonist did. And even though I was very young, it was like my mind expanded. It was then that I learned that villains are people too. They just have opposing goals with the heroes/heroines.

I never saw another episode again, until I was an adult. Still, that lesson stuck with me.

But, none of you are interested in hearing about that.

That's about it for here. I should tell you all that the next chapter may come out a little bit slower than the others. I'm helping a friend to develop their own tabletop RPG. There's five of us working on it, but I get to do the fun stuff (classes, bestiary). I'm looking forward to that project. And I hope you all are looking forward to the next chapter. I bid us all to rock on now \m/

Chapter 49: Down Below

Chapter 49

Down Below

Deep in the belly of the Double Down, weasels worked relentlessly. Their stamina was endless, as they toiled away at their workloads.

The smell of cupcakes hung thick in the air, filling the noses of the workers with its sweet scent. Though overbearing, it was the one underlying pleasantry that kept them all hard at work.

From a crack in a nearby door, three goofs warily watched the industrious ermines at their work. What they were doing, or why they were doing it, none of them knew. At the moment, there was only one thing that they knew for certain.

“We gotta get outta here,” Goofy whispered.

“But, how? There must be a gazillion weasels out there,” Pinkie answered.

If Dash had learned anything from adventure novels, it was that getting out of the enemy’s lair was of the utmost importance. How to escape? That depended on the conditions. Usually in those novels, the place to escape from was a temple in the densest part of the jungle, or a raging river that led to a waterfall, or the crater of an active volcano. But in buildings, the only way out was to use a door or a window.

Scanning the area, all Dash could see was more weasels going about their business. One particularly large weasel looked like it was coming right toward them, forcing them to hide. Dash, however, lingered just a second longer. With the large weasel out of the way, the exit was clear.

Perhaps only a millisecond before she was seen, Dash was grabbed by her tail and yanked back into the pile of bags.

“We can’t go now! They’ll see us!” Pinkie said, popping out of one open bag.

“I know! But, I know how to get out of here now?” Dash replied, as she came out of another bag.

“Yeah? Whut’s thuh word?” Goofy said, who was stuffed headfirst into a third bag.

“At the far end of the room, there’s a staircase that goes up to a door. All we have to do is get past these weasels, and we’re clear.”

“Great! There’s just one eensy-weensy thing I think you forgot,” Pinkie said.

“What?”

“The weasels! Me and Goofy took out about ten. With you, that’s probably another five or six. But, there’s more weasels out there than I can count!”

“I thought we took care o’ Rex pretty good. He musta been strong as all these fellers put together,” Goofy offered.

“No. Pinkie’s right,” Dash conceded, “Rex was just one guy. Even if these guys are weaker than him, there’s still more of them than us. We’ll have to get past them without being seen.”

Easier said than done. With that many weasels, there was little they could do to not be noticed. Before any of them had a chance to discuss what they would do, the door suddenly creaked open.

Ducking back into their sacks, the goofs were unable to see the weasel who walked in to retrieve one of the sacks of mushrooms.

With the sound of departing footsteps, Goofy peered out and saw the weasel leaving.

The weasel huffed and puffed as he dragged the sack behind himself. It seemed like they were in the clear, until Goofy saw the top of Pinkie’s mane poking up from the top of the sack.

Dash too had noticed, and was about to jump out and rush after to rescue her friend. Goofy, however, beat her to the punch. He brandished his fishing rod and cast his line to hook onto the bag containing Pinkie.

Reeling as quickly and quietly as he could, the line soon went taut and started dragging Goofy out with it. Dash hiked up her sack and quickly bit onto the corner of Goofy’s bag.

The weasel dragging Pinkie’s bag jerked suddenly from the extra weight he was carrying. Looking back, he couldn’t see the other two bags he was dragging from around the corner of the door frame. Nor could he see the nearly invisible fishing line that was attached to his sack.

Pinkie slowly lowered herself downward, hoping she wouldn’t be noticed. Fortunately for her, the color of her own mane and coat was almost indistinguishable from the color of the mushrooms in the bag.

A faint clicking sound caught her ears. Peering through a tiny hole in the bag, she saw that two more bags were sliding out from around the doorway behind her.

Goofy continued to slowly reel, closing in on Pinkie and the weasel who was dragging her.

Dash peered out ever so slightly from her bag, and saw that they were being dragged laterally from the exit. Wherever they were going, it was the wrong way.

Realizing that she was headed for a den of weasels, she quickly pulled the bag back over her head, and held it more tightly to Goofy’s sack.

The exit slowly opened from the gentle push of a shaking hoof. Once it opened all the way, Miss Argente and Max both looked deeply into the room beyond.

It was Max who took the first steps into the room, despite how Miss Argente tried to stop him.

The room was like none other the young goof had seen. The creaking, pounding sounds of the machines, the chattering of the weasels, the blaze of the kilns and the overwhelming scent of cupcakes was enough to make him want to leave. He nearly would have, if not for Miss Argente steadily stepping to his side.

Carefully surveying the room, Miss Argente checked for the disposition of the workers. As normal, they were picking fights over perceived wrongs, surreptitiously robbing one another, and no doubt plotting other terrible schemes.

It was as bad as it ever could be for a child (or anybody) in such a place. Miss Argente always avoided the lower rooms if she could help it. But an order from Mr. Cray was not to be disobeyed, lest one’s head be separated from their shoulders.

“Max,” she began, “Listen to me, because it’s very important zat you do as I say. You must stay with me at all times. Do not wander off. Do not talk to any of ze workers in zis room. If any of zem talk to you, ignore zem. And if you see anything out of ze ordinary, you must tell me so zat we may avoid it. Do you understand?”

Even though Max didn’t understand why the reason was, he could sense the urgent tone in Miss Argente’s voice.

“Okay,” he answered, nodding his head slowly.

Miss Argente hesitantly walked down the metal steps with Max by her side. She quickly scanned the room for any sign of the weasel in charge, but found no sight of him. Steeling her nerves, she cautiously approached the nearest weasel, who was carrying a drawn up pouch.

“E-Excuse me…” she began.

The weasel stopped walking and looked directly at her.

“Eh? Ain’t you Mr. Cray’s coffee maker? Shouldn’t you be upstairs pourin’ him a cup o’ Irish?” he said.

“No. I’m...I…Where is Freeboot?” Miss Argente asked.

“The boss? He’s somewhere around the kilns dryin’ out the merch. You can say what you gotta over there.”

“Can’t he come to me?” Miss Argente asked, ever mindful of Max beside her.

“You think he’s got the time to stop? We’re busy down here doin’ our jobs! Why don’t you do yours, an’ go find him!”

And the weasel walked off carrying his large pouch.

The glow of the kilns caught Miss Argente’s gaze, and against them she saw Freeboot’s burly silhouette. Between the two of them was a sea of other weasels. Glancing to Max, her mind began to struggle between her natural instincts and her conviction to see through Mr. Cray’s demand.

“I need you to wait for me here,” she said to Max.

“But, you said I had to stay with you,” Max said.

“I know. But, right now I would feel better if you did not come with me.”

“But, what if one of those guys tries to get you? Shouldn’t somebody try to keep them away?” Max asked.

“I’ll be fine. Just stay here and wait until I return. And remember, do not wander off or talk to ze workers. I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Miss Argente said.

“Okay.”

Though she wasn’t sure if Max was truly compliant, it was enough for Miss Argente that he sat down on the last step. And with one last look at her young charge, Miss Argente turned around and walked off into the midst of the workers.

Max watched her go, seeing the way that she was warily eyeing every one of the workers in the room.

“Stay here? Forget it!” Max said to himself.

Of all the creatures he had met since he was brought to that strange world by that magical light, Miss Argente was the only one who treated him decently. And he was going to repay her in kind.

Paying no mind to the weasels, Max set to following after Miss Argente.

The weasel dragging Pinkie’s sack huffed and puffed. He stopped pulling a moment to catch his breath, and leaned against the side of one of the machines.

Pinkie peered out of her sack and briefly saw the layout of where she was. Goofy was still slowly reeling toward her, as she was set beside a large machine. What it was, she couldn’t tell. But, there were other weasels there using it, and the moment Pinkie saw them she ducked back into her sack.

“What are we puttin’ in here now? Bricks? I swear, this bag gained a thousand pounds when I was haulin’ it!” the weasel said.

“Or maybe you just turned into a sissy little mouse on your way here. Now, get that stuff into the grinder,” said another weasel.

“Grinder!?” Pinkie frantically thought to herself.

There was no time to act. The bag was hefted up, and Pinkie felt herself hoisted forward.

Mushrooms fell out of the bag around her, and for a brief moment Pinkie saw what looked like a metal pit with two churning screws within.

Desperate to avoid her fate, she started crawling further back into the sack.

“Hey! What the--!!?” The weasel said, as he was suddenly jerked around by his own sack of mushrooms.

“Quit messin’ around an’ get those mushrooms in there!” another weasel said.

“I’m tryin’! But, they’re alive!!” said the weasel with the sack.

Goofy saw an opportunity and yanked hard on his fishing rod, pulling Pinkie’s sack away and toppling the weasel.

The other weasels around the grinder laughed at their associate’s mishap.

“Ya know, ya gotta be smarter than a mushroom to beat ‘em in a fight!” one weasel guffawed.

“Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up! Somethin’s wrong with these--” the first weasel began, as he stood up. When he reached for his sack, he found that it was gone. “Eh!?”

Looking back, the weasel saw that the sack he was carrying had moved some three feet away from where he knew it had landed, and was joined by two others.

“So, that’s it, huh!? Gangin’ up on me! Well, you ain’t gettin’ the drop on this weasel!!” the weasel said.

Before anyone could react, he started stomping on each one of the sacks, jumping from one to the other, giving them all a thorough squashing.

Next, he grabbed a metal rod from nearby and started jabbing them all with the pointed end.

Once finished with the rod, the weasel drew a pistol from inside his jacket and started firing at the three sacks until he was out of ammunition.

“An’ let that be a lesson to ya’s!!” the weasel shouted, foaming at the mouth.

The three sacks were dragged away. And from below the grinder, three goofs watched what was very nearly their demise.

“Gawrsh...I don’t think he likes mushrooms much,” Goofy said.

“I don’t think he likes me much…” Pinkie shuddered.

Danger was everywhere in the underbelly of the ship. None of them were sure how much better things were beyond the room. But, they knew that they could not risk staying when they were so grossly outnumbered.

Silently motioning to the others, Dash began crawling beneath the length of the machine, followed by Pinkie and Goofy.

As they crawled, they saw the feet of the many weasels stepping by, operating the machine. Whatever they were grinding the mushrooms for, not one of them cared to know.

The end of the machine was in sight.

Above them was a narrow conveyor belt that led to a table. Periodically, weasels would walk to the table and pick up a tray to carry off somewhere the goofs couldn’t see.

It seemed there was no escaping from beneath the grinder. Everywhere they looked, there was no space to move without being seen.

Looking to their side, Goofy saw a set of hinges on one of the machines. A quick glance further down the machine, he saw a handle that would open the hatch before them.

Judging from the size of the hatch, it looked as if it would cover their escape just enough to minimize the chance of being noticed.

Goofy focused his mind and gripped his fishing pole. If there was any test of an angler, it was their ability to cast anywhere anytime. Now, in those tight quarters, he was ready to test his mettle.

The goof nudged Dash and motioned that they needed to switch places.

As if they had choreographed their maneuver, Dash rolled right over Goofy, who rolled right under her, until they both had switched places.

Once repositioned, Goofy recoiled his arms and thrust his fishing rod forward.

The line shot out and snagged the handle on the hatch. And with a strong pull, the hatch opened right up, slamming into a weasel who had just arrived to pick up one of the trays.

Dash rolled back over Goofy, flapped her wings, and went sliding across the floor to the space between the machines across from them.

Pinkie was next, frantically swimming across the floor with a graceful breaststroke.

Finally, Goofy reeled in his line, closed the hatch as he unhooked from it, and shot to where his friends were hiding.

The weasel who had been knocked over investigated beneath the conveyor belt and the table, but found nothing and nobody that could possibly have opened the hatch.

“Hrm…” the weasel said, before he started investigating around the machines for a culprit.

The goofs all quickly shuffled around to the other side of the machine, just as the weasel peered into the narrow space.

Behind the machine they had squirmed behind, it had become suddenly very hot, and the walls were blackened with soot. Somehow, they all got the feeling that they had wriggled around to some red hot oven.

“Hey, Greesball! Let’s be gettin’ them shrooms in the kiln!” a much lower voice called.

“Yeah, yeah! I’m comin’!” came the voice of the weasel who had just been investigating who had opened the hatch.

Dash was about to lead the way to the next hiding spot, when the way ahead was blocked by a massive weasel.

There was no way to move now. They were trapped between a hundred weasels and a very hot place.

Miss Argente cautiously made her way to the kilns, careful to not make eye contact with any of the workers. More than anything, she hoped that she would not be noticed in such a place. But, being the only silver cervequin in a room full of drab brown weasels made her stand out greatly.

Unknown to herself, she was being watched over.

Max silently followed behind, keeping out of sight beneath the many tables and machines that were placed throughout the room.

He shot out from under a table and covered himself with an empty bin that was against one table. Peering out, he saw that the table before him was laden with many bottles full of bubbling formulas over burners, and many hoses with valves. To him, it looked like a mad scientist’s work station. But, there was no time to wonder what the weasels were doing with all of those chemicals, as he noticed Miss Argente’s silver hooves walking on the other side of it.

The young goof struck out from under his bin, and crawled unseen beneath a table, right alongside Miss Argente’s hooves. Between the two of them, Max could see the knees of many weasels who were working at the table. So long as none of them turned around, he was satisfied with Miss Argente’s safety.

Unseen by Max, there was another weasel who was on his way toward Miss Argente. And with a sudden crash, the two collided with one another, and the weasel dropped the boxes he was carrying.

Miss Argente toppled to the side and bumped into two weasels who were at the table.

The table itself suddenly shifted, nearly revealing Max beneath it, who scooted back from view.

For just a fleeting moment, Miss Argente thought she had seen her young charge, before the workers turned on her.

“What’s the big i-dear!? You tryin’ to kill us!?” one weasel said.

“Je devrais vous jeter dans une fournaise pour ça!” said another.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I was looking for Freeboot! He has--” Miss Argente tried to explain.

Max saw she was in trouble, and looked for a way to help her.

Seeing one of the hoses that was before him, he followed it to a small propane tank on the floor under the table. Guessing what was on the other end, he slowly reached his hand up to the top of the table, unseen by the workers who had their attention turned solely to Miss Argente.

“You got no place down here! This whole operation’s gettin’ t’rown out o’ whack ‘cause o’ you!” one weasel said.

“Si Monsieur Cray avait du bon sens, il aurait jeté vous aux des bêtes après votre mari!” said the other.

“Well said, pal.”

As she looked helplessly at the weasels bearing down on her, Miss Argente saw a small hand reach up from below the table and turn a burner up as high as it would go. Next, the burner was turned directly to the seat of the nearest weasel’s pants.

An incredible yelp ran through the ship’s underbelly as the weasel shot into the air. Before he even landed, Miss Argente hurried away.

She was growing closer to her destination. But, before she arrived, she slowed to a halt and lingered by some bins.

“I told you to wait by ze stairs!” she whispered to the bins.

“And let the workers pick on you like Mr. Cray? No way! They shouldn’t get away with stuff like that!” the bin whispered back.

“It’s not ze point! It’s dangerous here! You should be back where it is safe!”

“I’m safe enough!”

Miss Argente never had much experience with youngsters, and was quickly growing frustrated by Max’s hard-headedness. But, she quickly thought of a way to get him to comply.

“Do you think zis is what your father would want? No! He would have insisted you stay back at ze stairs, just as I had,” she tried to reason.

With a sudden pop, Max stood up from beneath the bin he was hiding under.

“My dad also said that you should never leave your friends in a jam. So, as long as Mr. Cray is keeping us both here, we’re in this together!” he rebutted.

For one fleeting moment, Miss Argente could see why Max idolized his father so. From the sound of it, she might have believed he was as grand as Max made him out to be. Any father who taught such lessons to their son had to be.

“Talkin’ to th’ merchandise bins, are ye?” asked Freeboot’s voice when he suddenly arrived.

Max hid back beneath his bin.

“Ya’d best be quittin’ that, missy. The crew might think yer stealin' our product,” Freeboot said, as he lifted one of the bins.

“Uh...Um...Monsieur Freeboot...Monsieur Cray has…” Miss Argente began, as her knees trembled beneath herself.

“Tell me on the way to the kilns. There be a whale of a workload today,” Freeboot said, as he walked away to the kilns.

Miss Argente took one small step after him, then looked behind herself.

Max’s arm poked out from under the bin, giving her an affirmative thumbs up.

Unsure of what the gesture meant, Miss Argente leaned down to the bin.

“Stay behind! I’ll come retrieve you when I’m finished with Freeboot,” she said. Though somewhere in her mind, she knew that Max wouldn’t listen.

So, onward she went with a bin shuffling after her.

From behind the kiln, Dash, Pinkie and Goofy waited tersely for a sure sign that they were safe to make their next move.

The massive weasel had walked away from his post, and they had not seen him for several seconds.

“D’yuh think it’s safe tuh go?” Goofy asked.

“We have’t seen him for almost twenty seconds. That’s good enough for me,” Dash said, as she readied to make a mad dash for below the nearest table.

Before she could even start, Pinkie took hold of Dash’s tail and pulled her back.

“He’s coming back!” Pinkie said.

The goofs all shuffled further back into hiding. Sure enough, the muscular weasel walked right past their hiding spot. Shortly after, a silver cervequin followed.

“Nice save, Pinkie. You got that Pinkie Sense thing working again?” Dash asked.

“No. I was just listening for the thump-thump-thumping of his giant feet,” Pinkie said.

“No Pinkie Sense. Nuts! You could have told us when he was leaving again.”

As soon as Dash finished, a small, black bin shuffled by the gap between the machine and the wall.

The goofs stared dumbstruck at the sight, unsure of what to make of it.

“Uh, could yer Pinkie Sense have explained that?” Goofy said.

Pinkie slowly shook her head, doubting that even the fabled Pinkie Sense could have explained, or even noticed such a thing.

They could hear voices speaking on the other side of the machines. But, over the other noises, it was nearly impossible to make out what was being said.

“So, what brings a delicate piece o’ fish bait like yerself down to the bilge?” Freeboot asked, as he heaped tray after tray of dried mushrooms from the kiln into an empty bin.

“Uh…” Miss Argente began.

A sudden flare from the kiln made her gasp sharply, and jump so that her glasses nearly flew off of her face.

“Ha, ha! Sorry for me friend’s little belch here. He’s had too much to drink!” Freeboot chuckled, as he uncorked a bottle and threw its contents into the kiln.

The second the liquid touched the red hot wood, it shot forth a plume of flame.

Behind the kilns, the goofs felt the temperature suddenly spike. Along with it came a low churning noise.

“Whut’s that?” Goofy wondered aloud.

His question was answered when Pinkie, who was standing directly in front of the exhaust vent, was enveloped in a cloud of black soot that covered her from mane to tail. No longer was Pinkie Pie bubblegum pink. Now, she was a deep charcoal black.

“You look like Pudding Pie,” Dash giggled.

Pinkie opened her mouth to rebut, but was covered again by a cloud of soot.

“Gawrsh. I think Mr. Muh-sheen here needs a hankie,” Goofy said.

At the front of the kilns, Freeboot kicked the bin he had filled up over to the chemistry station, then stuffed a tray full of freshly ground mushrooms into the flaming kiln.

“Now, answer me question, before I throw ye overboard fer wastin’ me time!” he said to Miss Argente.

“Um...Monsieur Cray wants to know...Why have you not been sending in reports to his office for ze last two days?” Miss Argente answered.

“Ah-ha. That. Well, fish bait, I can understand the cap’n’s concern if he ain’t heard the scuttlebutt from below. But, the reason for our silence be a good’un. We’re workin’ double overtime from a surplus o’ production.”

“Pardon? A surplus?”

“Aye. The customers want what we got. An’ they want it bad. More creatures be comin’ here by the day. An’ the regulars be usin’ more than when they first arrived. ‘Cause o’ this, we had to work harder than ever to keep up. Not that it’s a problem. I suppose we’ll be seein’ a huge profit by the end o’ next month.”

“I..I see,” Miss Argente said, warily eyeing the very product that stole her husband from her. “Do you perhaps have ze numbers I can look at? So zat I can make a proper estimate?”

“Numbers? Ha!” Freeboot said, as he loaded up another tray to shove into another kiln. “We be but humble blue collar workers down here. No head for numbers to be found in the bilge. But, if ya wanna give it a crack, I got me a few rough numbers here.”

Freeboot took off his sailor cap and dug deep inside. After reaching nearly up to his elbow, he produced a crumpled sheet of paper with many illegible scribbles on it.

Miss Argente looked at the paper, dumbstruck as to how she was supposed to interpret such a thing.

“Aw, don’t look so down in the mouth over it. Ya can have the lad help ya,” Freeboot said.

“Z...Ze who?” Miss Argente said, though she thought she knew the answer.

Freeboot replied by kicking the bin that had been following Miss Argente away, and revealing Max underneath.

“The little swabbie me newest recruits brought aboard,” he explained. He then turned to Max. “Word of advice to ya, lad: it was clever of ya to hide like that. But, bins don’t walk. Work on yer disguise.”

From the gap behind the machine, the goofs saw their chance to safely progress present itself. A bin bounced into view, and well within the reach of Goofy’s fishing line.

Pulling his arms back, Goofy thrusted and cast his line forward.

The hook caught onto the lip of the bin, and Goofy reeled it to himself in an instant. The open part of the bin was now facing the gap the goofs were in, granting them easy access to enter it.

From the corner of his eye, Max knew he saw something move. Looking to the source, he saw that the bin that had surely landed nearer to the other workstations was now pressed against the end of the kilns.

Dash entered first, and pressed herself against the side as much as she could to admit Pinkie.

Pinkie, who was still covered in soot, started to wince. A terrible feeling grew within her head that made her nose twitch and her eyes water. There was no helping it. She had to let it out.

“Hiyee--hwoocha--ahee--HWAA--”

Dash and Goofy both clasped Pinkie’s mouth shut.

What would have been a sneeze that registered on the Richter scale was reduced to a low, constant nasal exhale. And once the danger had passed, Pinkie squeezed her way into the bin next to Dash.

Two ponies barely fit inside. So, how were they to fit a goof who was well over six feet tall?

Max watched warily as the bin started to shake all on its own. Something he knew shouldn’t have been. Though he had hardly obeyed a single instruction Miss Argente had given him, he was sure that reporting anything out of the ordinary was far more important than staying put.

“Miss Argente,” Max said, gently jostling her knee.

“Max, please. Not now,” came the answer, before Miss Argente returned to trying to decipher Freeboot’s scribble. “Zis here under weekly collection sums. Is zat a number four?”

“No. That be a doodle of a cow one o’ the more ornery mates made. Rest assured, he was peelin’ taters ‘til his fingers fell off,” Freeboot answered.

Unsure of how to react, Miss Argente simply returned to the paper.

Goofy was bent, twisted and contorted to fill every space there was between the mares. By the end of it, the three began to feel as if they had been molded together like three globs of clay.

“Well...Here we are again...Back where we started!” Dash muttered with her face in Goofy’s shoulder.

“Can we go now? I’m feelin’ kinda closter-phobic,” Goofy said, his nose stuffed into Pinkie’s side.

“Air…! Need air…!” Pinkie said, through a face full of Dash’s ankle.

“We’ll get it, Pinkie...Everypony ready? On three.,.Three!” Dash said.

In one sudden movement, the goofs all shoved their weight backward, tumbling so that the open end of the bin faced down. Placing whatever digits they could on the floor, they all shuffled away to the next safest place to hide.

“I have an itchy! Somepony scratch it,” Pinkie whispered.

“Where?” Dash asked.

“Everywhere!” Pinkie replied, as the soot started seeping between every hair on her body.

Max watched in mortified awe at the sight. Everything he knew in that moment was thrown to the mists beyond the ship. Bins were walking on their own, and he was to tell it to nobody.

One of the weasels working at the chemistry station walked away to get a new filter mask. After retrieving one from a crate, he turned around and was about to go right back to work. Until he noticed something strange.

A black bin, just like the ones he and the others collected dried mushrooms from, was set before himself. One that he knew for certain had not been there before he went to retrieve a new mask. And there was nobody else around to have put it there. For all the circumstances revealed, it had simply walked there all on its own.

Not wanting to simply leave it, the weasel did the responsible thing and tried to pick it up.

The moment that it was mere centimeters off the ground, it slammed itself back to the floor.

“Eh?” the weasel said.

He tried heaving it off of the floor, only for it to remain firmly planted. Next, the weasel tried shoving it along, only for the bin to start listing slowly to a different direction.

“Hey! Buckaneer! Get me a crowbar over here!” the weasel called.

“Get it yourself, ya bleedin’ waster!” came the reply.

“Who youse callin’ a waster!? I done more than ten weasels’ share o’ work!”

During the argument, the goofs took the opportunity to make good their escape. Quietly as they could, they started shuffling away in their bin.

The weasel was done arguing, and was about to take another swing at moving the errant bin. Only, he found that it was moving on its own. Now, he knew there was something unusual going on.

As the bin shuffled along, he slowly crept up behind it.

Under the bin, Pinkie felt her nose twitching again.

“There’s another one coming!” she said.

“Anuther whut? Not a weasel!?” Goofy asked.

“Worse! Another snee-heee! Another snuh-huhhh! Another hoychee-hee-hay-hwa--”

“Stop her! She’ll blow our cover!” Dash said.

As best as they could, Dash and Goofy tried to cork another sneeze. Except, it proved difficult in such cramped conditions.

“Let go of my hoof!”

“Who’s grabbin’ my ear?”

“Hey! That’s my tail!”

“Whut’re yuh mussin’ my collar for?”

“Got it!” Dash finally said, when she felt her hooves clasp onto a snout.

“No yuh don’t,” Goofy said, rather nasally.

Pinkie’s face was turning red under her sooty veneer. In seconds, she was going to blow.

“Gotcha!” the weasel shouted, as he leapt on top of the goofs’ bin.

“HWA-HA-HA-HAAAA-CHOO!!!!”

Up went the bin, goofs, weasel and all.

For a moment, the nearby workers stopped and watched as their colleague reached the zenith of his jump, and then went crashing down.

“Holy moly! Too bad there ain’t any bozo olympics! That was a ‘10’ performance right there!” one weasel laughed.

“Olympics nothin’! I was almost blowed up!” said the weasel who tried attacking the bin.

High up, the goofs still clung to one another. Goofy didn’t even need to cast his line to hook onto one of the ventilation ducts. However, the moment he tried to pull them all up, the line started to go slack.

Down they all went, just as the other weasels went to help their colleague.

Goofy reeled as hard as he could, and felt the line go taut just as the weasels were directly beneath them all.

“Ain’t seen a jump like that since my uncle Skeev was bucked off a rabid bronco,” one weasel said.

“Yeah. I never saw a bin go as bad as dat one. What happened?” asked another.

“Don’t know. All I can find in here is some raw shrooms an’ some soot,” said the weasel who was blown up.

Pinkie started scratching herself, making the soot in her coat sprinkle to the floor below.

Looking down, Dash and Goofy both knew it was only a matter of time before the workers noticed the unusual precipitation.

Pinkie started more vigorously scratching her itches, twisting and turning her body as she did. Through the effort for salvation, she began reeling them all upward by wrapping the fishing line around their bodies.

In seconds, possibly quicker than Goofy could have reeled them up, they were up atop the vents, and tied up like a big, goofy turkey.

“Okay...I got this,” said Goofy, whose legs were not tied.

Slowly, he rose to his feet.

“Doin’ good...Doin’ reeee-ee-ee-eeeal!!!”

They all started tilting to one side.

Dash quickly spread her wings, and let them balance them all out again.

With a careful lean, Goofy started teetering back to standing.

“Thanks, Dash,” Goofy said.

“No problem. Now, let’s go. We’re in the home stretch here,” Dash said, motioning forward.

She was right. There, at the end of the vent was a landing that led right to the exit. Of all the luck, somebody had left the door open for them. And with no time wasted Goofy started shuffling forward.

There came a support fixture in the middle of their path.

Pinkie outstretched her one free hoof and hooked onto it, while Goofy swung himself around it. After the initial spin after landing, Dash spread her wings again to restore their balance. And with a heavy lean forward, they all shot toward the end.

Goofy nearly went right over the edge. But, with a flap of her wings, Dash set them all back to solid ground.

Now, they were safe. But, there was still one major problem with their escape: the way across was too far for them to jump.

That wasn’t going to stop Goofy, who started backing up for a running start.

“Not even!” Pinkie said, making Goofy screech to a halt.

“Do you have any better ideas?” Dash tersely asked.

In truth, Pinkie had no ideas. But, she wasn’t about to risk falling to the ground below and be discovered by the weasels.

She idled with the hook that rested against her foreleg.

“The hook!” Pinkie declared.

Neither Dash nor Goofy could ask what about it, when Pinkie took the hook and passed it over to Dash.

“Pass it to me!” Pinkie said, as she peered around Goofy’s back.

Dash did as instructed, and passed the hook over to Pinkie.

Over and over the mares passed the hook, and Goofy started to see what was happening. The line was growing longer, and would soon reach the next anchor point.

After several passes, the line tangled up on itself, preventing any more passes. And from the look of it, it wasn’t enough to reach the door.

Goofy took the line in his teeth and started twirling the hook around. Then, he took a step backward.

There was nothing for it. It was the only chance they had.

As one, the goofs held their breath. All sounds were shut out to them, as Goofy ran to the edge and jumped for all he was worth.

He jerked his head and let the hook fly from his teeth.

The little hook shot through the air, the gossamer line trailing behind it.

Goofy’s aim had been true. The hook snagged onto the frame above the door. And with Pinkie reeling them all up as she was itching all over again, she reeled them up just enough to clear the railing.

Out they went through the open door. And with a crash, they arrived to the safety of the empty hall beyond.

The crash had knocked them all loose from the bind of the fishing line. And from the crumpled heap of goofs, Dash spun from the floor into the air and landed gracefully on her hooves.

“Did you see that!? We beat the weasels with ingenuity and a fish hook! I should write my own book! I’d outsell A.K. Yearling by a billion copies!” Dash boasted.

Neither of her friends seemed so enthusiastic, as they both groaned on the floor.

“Aw, come on. It wasn’t that bad,” Dash said.

“It was scary! It was icky! And I got sneezed on by an oven! It was, Dashie! It was!” Pinkie said, as she scratched herself all over.

At that moment, steps were heard coming up the metal steps behind them.

“Hide!” Goofy said.

In that long hallway, there was nowhere to hide. And the creature climbing the steps was too close to not notice them running around the corner.

Dash tried climbing the walls.

Pinkie scuffed her hooves to somehow burrow under the carpet.

Goofy stumbled over both of his friends, bumped into a wall and slumped to the floor.

His fishing rod and his hat landed in his lap, and Goofy was suddenly struck by inspiration.

Planting the rod upright on the floor, Goofy snagged the back of his shirt onto the hook. He then grabbed Dash and Pinkie both, and pulled them underneath his jacket.

“What are you doing!?” Dash said.

“Just keep real quiet! An’ don’t move!” Goofy said.

The goof pulled his arms, legs and head into his own shirt.

Catching on to the plan, the mares both followed suit, pulling their legs, heads and tails into Goofy’s jacket.

One last touch, and Pinkie stretched Goofy’s hat wide over the opening atop Goofy’s shirt, covering the top of the goof’s head, and any equine ears that were showing.

The steps arrived at the top of the stairs, and Dash quickly pulled her tail up inside of the hiding place, just as the steps’ owner arrived.

Miss Argente peered around the hallway, seeing nobody around. A great relief to her, after the nerve wracking experience in the ship’s underbelly.

“Alright. It’s safe to come up,” she called behind herself.

Max appeared from around the door frame, and scanned for any more dangers that may present themselves. Once the threat level seemed satisfactory, he trotted out to Miss Argente’s side.

“Let’s go. We need to get back to Monsieur Cray’s office,” Miss Argente said, guiding Max along with a gentle hoof.

Max did as he was instructed, but stopped when he noticed something.

There in the hallway was a strange and flimsy-looking coat rack that he swore had not been there before. How it was able to stand up under the weight of the bulky coat and hat that hung from it was beyond him.

But, at the same time, it was somehow familiar and natural to him. Something about the off-kilter way it all looked, and the style of clothing seemed like something he knew from nearly every day of his young life.

All on its own, the jacket began to sway, and a bottle of hot sauce dropped from inside of it.

Remembering what Miss Argente had told him about keeping away from anything that didn’t seem natural, Max hurried down the hallway after her. And he stayed with her well after he followed her around the corner.

The sounds of their steps faded completely, and Goofy’s jacket began to swing harder, until finally it deposited three goofs from within.

“Rrgh!! This soot! Get it off me!! This is worse than fleas!!” Pinkie said, as she rabidly scratched herself all over.

Goofy and Dash both grabbed Pinkie by her front and rear hooves, turned her over, and started rubbing her back against the floor like she was a piece of sandpaper.

“Gawrsh, that was close. I thought we’d had it fer sure,” Goofy said.

“Well, it’s over now. Even if Pinkie almost blew if for us at the end there,” Dash added.

“I’d like to see you sit still when you have itchies this bad!” Pinkie retorted, as she was scratched against the floor.

“I once had an elephant frisk me head to toe fer sum peanuts, an’ that tickled sumthin’ fierce. Felt it fer almost an hour after,” Goofy said.

“An elephant? How does stuff like that happen to you?” Dash asked, as she took hold of Pinkie’s head and scrubbed her mane against the floor.

“Just comes frum bein’ Goofy, I guess.”

“I don’t know--if I could stand--being that goofy!” Pinkie said, as she was rolled from side to side.

“Tell me about it. I don’t envy the guy who has to deal with a tickling elephant,” Dash said.

Pinkie was picked up and set to her hooves.

“I don’t envy the guy who’s gotta clean this carpet later,” Goofy said, overlooking the black streak that they had left.

Pinkie shook the last of the soot from herself, and collected her bottle of hot sauce.

“Now, I feel like Pinkie again,” she said.

No sooner did she finish speaking did the static she accumulated on the carpet catch up to her. Her mane and coat stood on end, and Goofy’s hat flew from his head to her own.

When Goofy tried to retrieve his hat, there was an incredible popping sound, and Goofy and Pinkie both jumped into the air.

Pinkie’s hair all returned to normal, and Goofy’s hat flew through the air and landed on his head.

Before anything more could be said, more steps were heard coming from the direction the previous two creatures left from.

There were no thoughts in the goofs’ heads, as they ran full throttle in the opposite direction.

Down the hall and around the corner, another door awaited at the end of the next hallway.

Dash arrived first, and started opening the door.

After her, Pinkie crashed into Dash’s back.

Finally, Goofy tripped and fell into Pinkie, making them all crash through the door.

“I think we’re all a little too Goofy today,” Pinkie groaned.

The sounds of the room reached their ears all of a sudden, and they then realized that they were a world away from the underbelly of the ship.

Author's Note

D'oh! D'oh! And d'oh again!

Goofy, you ninny! You twit! You fish-bait-for-brains goof! You missed your son not once, but twice during the whole time in the bilge!

Who else wants to wring Goofy's neck for being so short-sighted?

Okay, now that I've spouted off, let's talk about this chapter.

This was inspired by the very adventure comics that inspired this story. No matter which one you read, there's always a scene where the protagonist ends up in the den of the bad guy's operation. In this case, it was Mickey and Minnie stumbled upon Pete's opium refinery. Yes, there was opium in Mickey Mouse once upon a time. What racket Mr. Cray's running still has yet to be seen.

Thinking of the ways that the goofs would travel unseen was somewhat difficult to do, but also a lot of fun. But, after I decided that Max and Miss Argente would be walking toward where the goofs were sneaking around, it just kind of clicked.

By the way, has anybody noticed Miss Argente's attitude toward Max. She seems rather protective of him, doesn't she? Almost, dare I say, motherly. Interpret what you will from that.

And before anybody asks: as far as I know, there is no pony called Pudding Pie. It's just Dash making a joke about Pinkie's sudden change in color in this particular context.

For anybody wondering about what that weasel meant about Miss Argente pouring a cup of Irish for Mr. Cray, he means Irish coffee. Something that my dad says actually was made in Ireland, but I think it's just part of the American conceit that adding whiskey to any recipe makes it "Irish."

And just because I mentioned Mr. Cray: I've got something to share with you readers. I've been assigned some homework for my animation class to draw up characters with certain color schemes. And for making a monochrome character, I drew up a certain raging crayfish. I know I'm not much of an artist, but here he is:

So, tell me, does he look at all how you pictured him? Probably not, but that's how it is with most things. I don't even want to know what you readers think I might look like. I have a sinking feeling that most people's image of me is really unflattering. More importantly, do you think you could hear the voice I picked out coming from him? If not, I want to remind you yet again that you're free to pick whatever voice you want for these villains.

But, seriously, Mr. Cray was designed to have simplest, most recognizable features of a crayfish. Namely, a pointed face, claws and feelers. His color and markings were also inspired by a real animal called a devil crayfish. It just seemed like a good fit for him.

That's about all I've got for now. Next up, we're going to keep following the goofs through the Double Down on their quest to free Bichumonterre from Yen Sid's grasp. Rock on, and rock on again \m/

Chapter 50: Gone Goofy

Chapter 50

Gone Goofy

Dice rolled. Roulettes spun. Cards were dealt. Chips clicked and clacked. Coins chattered. And most of all, the sounds of victorious shouts and defeated groans were heard from every which way.

Beyond the hall that led from the bilge, the room was lit with dim lights which hung from the high ceiling, giving dark shades to the royal purple carpets, golden columns and all of the many creatures present. All around were even more lights, which flashed and blinked from the various tables and machines that were present.

The air hung thick with the smell of exotic perfumes, colognes and some underlying smokey scent. Each one a signature of the wearer, who darted about the massive room.

And it was the creatures themselves who caught the eyes of Pinkie, Dash and Goofy just as much as the massive room. Mostly, they were cervequins, whose gleaming coats flashed the colors of the natural world. Some even presented colors that reminded them of the swamp beyond the ship. Others had colors akin to the flashing lights of the machines, the cards that they held in their hooves, or of the chips they continually bet among one another. And atop all of their heads was a single smooth, crooked horn with anywhere between two and six smaller protrusions jutting from the main body.

Along with the cervequins there were other creatures. Some, the goofs recognized, and thought they had to have traveled far to come to this place. Once or twice, they thought they saw a pony in the crowd.

After standing up from the floor, Pinkie looked about the room. For some reason she felt she didn’t know how to react to the bustling crowd she normally lived for. To her, it felt almost like it was a party, but with an air of seriousness that was never present at any party she had ever thrown.

“What is this place?” Pinkie wondered.

“It’s a casino,” Dash said, wide-eyed at the sight. She had often fantasized about beating the house at Las Pegasus, but never had the chance to make the trip. Now that she was in a flashy gambling den, she thought it was time to ante up and win big.

Goofy scanned the room, looking for any sign that his son had been there. After hearing what the weasels had said before stuffing him and his friends down the chute to the bilge, he knew he was on the right track. Max had to be nearby. And in that den of debauchery, Goofy hoped that he was somewhere more wholesome. If only slightly.

Even without the guidance of the glittering light, the goofs knew that they had arrived. And with careful, cautious steps they walked into the midst of the room.

Giddy laughter was heard from all around as the gamblers either bounced with unrestrained glee or slumped in abject depression with no moderation in between.

From what the goofs could tell, every single creature in that room was as happy as could be. Even when they lost and cried rivers of tears they looked like they were trying to elicit some feeling of joy.

A waitress hopped over to them with a tray of drinks that was hooked around her side.

“Bichu bisou?” she offered with a smile that nearly spread off of her face.

Dash was the first to accept her drink, followed by Pinkie and Goofy next. Once they had their drinks, the waitress hopped away to go about her duties.

“Any idea what this is?” Goofy wondered.

“Pinkie?” Dash said, referring to Ponyville’s resident recipe expert.

“Hmmmm…” Pinkie hummed to herself, already examining the drink in her hoof. She took a light sniff. “Raspberry...Some kind of sweetened thickener. Milk or cream...And something else…” She sniffed again. “What is that? Engine grease? It’s going up my nose more than the other stuff! Nopony drink until I figure it out!”

Curious as to the nature of the ingredient that would turn away the pony who made rock candy out of gravel, Dash chanced a sip.

She could understand what Pinkie was talking about. For a moment, there was the feeling as if she had sniffed live embers up her nose. She smelled something like molded straw, which mingled with the other ingredients.

Finally, Dash felt the familiar gentle warmth of Applejack’s homemade apple cider, mixed with a sweet fruitiness and a thick texture that all trickled down her throat to her stomach, and spread right to her hooves.

“Hey! That’s good stuff!” she said.

“Dashie! Are you nuts!? You shouldn’t drink new things without the input of an expert!” Pinkie shouted.

“Seems okay to me,” Goofy said, after finishing his own drink.

“Goofy! Not you too! Do you realize what could happen now--”

Pinkie never got to finish her admonishment, when Dash poured Pinkie’s drink down her throat.

For a moment, Pinkie tried to tell off her friends, but kept her mouth shut for not wanting to spit out her drink. Gradually, her demeanor lightened, until she swallowed.

“That is good!” Pinkie agreed. “Where do we get more?”

“How ‘bout at the roulette table? Servers are always driftin’ around there,” a nearby voice suggested.

Looking to the source, Pinkie, Dash and Goofy nearly lunged at who they saw. They restrained themselves when they saw that it wasn’t who they thought.

“Naw! Hang on a sec’. Yer not the roulette kinda crowd. Lemme get a better look at you,” said a very short weasel, who was talking at a mile a second.

Goofy found the weasel before himself quicker than he could blink. And as the miniature weasel darted circles around him like a fly, he twisted his body to follow.

“You look like a blackjack sorta yutz. Maybe yer really lucky, or maybe ya just get hit a lot. Can’t really tell, ‘til I get to know ya better. Take care,” the weasel said.

Goofy spun himself one too many times, and fell over just as the weasel darted over to Pinkie.

“An’ you?” the weasel said. He darted to Pinkie’s other side, “Oy vey! We got us a high roller kinda girl here! Hussy yerself up, an’ you gotta good chance at the poker tables. Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. That’s you all over.”

Pinkie almost thought he was right. If only she had her Pinkie sense to help her with a game of poker.

Before Pinkie could respond, she was spun around by the weasel darting over to Dash.

“An’ you…” The weasel stopped moving. He looked Dash up and down, assessing her.

“Yeah. Take it in. This is the mare who’s gonna beat the house!” Dash triumphantly declared.

“You?” the weasel scoffed. “Sorry, bubeleh, but yer a pigeon for the slots! The most you’ll win here is the change other shnooks drop on the floor! I feel like I oughta give ya clothes, just so ya got somethin’ else to lose around here before I send ya home on a rowboat in your undies! Oy, ya make me sick just lookin’ at ya! Get outta here!” the weasel said.

For somebody so short, the weasel was surprisingly quick at rounding the goofs up and punting them away.

They rolled to a stop. Goofy hit his head on a craps table and made the dice up top jump from snake eyes to seven. One very happy gambler whooped and collected his winnings from his previously unlucky throw.

Dash stood up first, indignantly shaking her head.

“Pigeon for the slots!? That weasel doesn’t have a clue who he’s dealing with! Well, I’ll show him! I’ll show all these--”

She would have continued, had she not slipped on pocket change that had fallen on the floor. Dash rose again, this time joined by Pinkie, whose mane ruffled enough to cover most of her face.

“Don’t forget, Dashie: we still have stuff to do here,” Pinkie reminded her friend, as she smoothed her mane out.

Goofy stood next, his hat pushed down over his eyes. With a strong pull, he lifted his hat from his head.

“Uh, yeah. But, whut?” the goof wondered, as he put his hat back on.

“Same thing we did in Trottingham. We went looking for trouble, and we kicked its flank!” Dash said.

Sure, Goofy knew that was what they had done. But, for all that they had accomplished, he didn’t know what it was for. After the defeat of Theronicus Rex, Trottingham had been freed, and a new, benevolent king was put on the throne.

His mind went back to when he was fishing on the boat in the river. How he was picked for a reason unknown for a quest he never asked to go on. But, he supposed that if he was going to find the answer, he would have to keep going forward.

“Alright. But, can we keep lookin’ fer my son on the way?” Goofy asked.

“Righteo, captain!” Pinkie said, saluting like a soldier. “We’ll bust up this nest of evil! We’ll save your son! And then we’ll--we’ll…” It was then that Pinkie noticed that something seemed quite off. Something about her mane that felt more empty than before.

Quickly, she ran a hoof across her head, and her eyes went wide with shock before she started searching the floor at her hooves.

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no! This isn’t happening!” she said.

“Uh, sum’n wrong, Pinkie?” Goofy wondered.

“My hot sauce is gone!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Yer whut?”

“My hot sauce that Cream Filling gave me! It’s gone!”

“So, what? Just get a new bottle. I bet there’s a buffet table somewhere--” Dash said, before Pinkie cut her off.

“You don’t know what that sauce meant to me, Dashie! I had plans for it! I was going to share it with Cream Filling when I got back to Trottingham! I need it back NOW!!” Pinkie shouted.

“Why don’t yuh think back to where yuh had it last,” Goofy said, as he shrugged.

When he did, he bumped the gambler who had just won the last throw. The cervequin gambler dropped his dice onto the table, and rolled another seven.

As the table cheered for the sudden surge of fortune, Pinkie frantically thought back to all the places she had been just previously.

“I know I had that bottle when we jumped on that tree! I made sure not to lose it when that muckasaur and that monkey attacked us! I know for a fact it was still in my mane when we jumped on the ship’s deck! And I had it just now before we came in here--” Pinkie gasped, and her eyes shot wide. “That weasel! He picked my pocket!”

“Of course it was the weasel! You can’t trust any of them! Come on, Pinkie. Let’s get that sauce back,” Dash said, figuring that solving Pinkie’s simple problem would be no impediment to their more pressing objectives. That, and any excuse to pop a weasel in the jaw would do.

“Wait a secund,” Goofy said.

“Don’t worry, Goof. We’re just going to get Pinkie’s hot sauce back. We’ll take care of whatever’s waiting for us here afterward,” Dash said.

Goofy almost went after them, hoping more to find Max than a condiment. But, before he could try to leave, his arm was grabbed by the cervequin who had his loss suddenly turned into a victory.

“Non, non! Monsieur, vous devez rester avec moi! Vous êtes peut-être un porte-bonheur!” the cervequin said, as he yanked on Goofy’s arm.

“Hwuh!? B-But, I gotta go an’--” Goofy began.

The goof was nearly pulled off his feet, and accidentally kicked the dice out of another gambler’s hoof.

The gambler’s dice rolled across the craps table, and turned up rolling five and six.

“Onze!” the croupier declared.

The table cheered loudly, and the cervequin who had just rolled lucky eleven grabbed Goofy’s other arm.

“Obtenez votre propre, perdant! Je suis en gardant lui pour quand je roule à nouveau!” she said, yanking Goofy in her own direction.

“Sorry, ma’am. But, I ain’t got time to--Wo-ow!!” Goofy said, as his ankle was grabbed by another cervequin who hoped to attain some of the goof’s good luck.

Goofy hopped about on one foot, as he was pulled in three directions. Soon, he felt his other ankle grabbed and lifted into the air as a fourth gambler joined the tug o’ war.

The more that he struggled, the more he felt his senses overwhelmed by the smells and sounds of the room. Soon, he began to feel as if he had no reason to fight against his captors. And his will to search for his son was pushed to the back of his mind.

“Ahyuh-huh-huh-huck…” Goofy started to giggle to himself.

A short distance away from the craps table, another scene was playing out.

The Klepto brothers, Creep and Cheepskate, were working the roulette table. Unknown to the gamblers (though many suspected), the two weasels were cheating each and every one of them.

The bets were placed, and the ball was tossed into the wheel. Known only to the weasels, the ball had a tiny piece of metal embedded in its core, and magnets had been placed on the underside of the wheel. Creep surreptitiously placed the magnets on all the losing numbers, and the wheel was spun.

“Twenty-three! An’ it’s a table full of losers here!” Cheepskate said, as he collected the gambler’s losses.

“Zat’s five losses in a row for us all! Zis game is clearly fixed! Mécanicien! Mécanicien!” one of the cervequins at the table shouted, as he pointed an accusing hoof at the weasels.

Without batting an eye, Cheepskate pressed a button underneath the table.

A trapdoor opened beneath the displeased gamber, who was sent tumbling through the underbelly of the ship and ejected into the foggy waters of the swamp.

The other gamblers all watched in shock, as the trap door closed.

“Anyone else havin’ a bad time?” Creep asked.

“Non!”

“Tout va bien!”

“Mécaniciens? Quelle mécaniciens? Je n'en vois aucun ici!”

“Thaaat’s right,” Cheepskate said with finality.

He and his brother continued their rigged game, chuckling deviously over the job they had both been given.

“Ain’t this a sweet gig? I nevah thought I’d say this, but I’m glad that salty goon shanghaied us,” Creep said.

“Tell me about it. I never seen a bigger flock o’ pigeons! These guys is easier to fleece than a sheep in a coma!” Cheepskate replied.

“Pigeon? Fleece?” said the nearest gambler.

“You want summa what I gave the last uppity joyk!?” Cheepskate said, as he threateningly hovered his finger over the button beneath the table.

“Deux cents sur le rouge!” the gambler quickly said, as he placed his chips to bet.

“That’s what we like to hear,” Creep said, as he spun the roulette. “Awright! Whadda the resta you chumps bettin’? An’ make it snappy!”

He didn’t hear what any of the gamblers bet, when a sudden commotion drew his attention. Looking to the source, Creep’s eyes popped wide.

“Ten o’ clock, bro,” Creep said, clasping his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Cheepskate looked to where Creep indicated, and what he saw made his eyes pop as well. There was the giggling Goofy, being pulled into four different directions by four different cervequins, each equally determined to keep him as their good luck charm.

“Cheese ‘n crackers! That’s the guy Rex was supposed to ice! What’s he doin’ here!?” Cheepskate said, shaking Creep.

“I don’t know!” Creep said, taking his brother’s hands off of him. “But, if he’s here already, then we oughta get ready to hightail it outta here!”

“I gotta tell the othahs!”

“Good idea!”

Creep and Cheepskate both tried running off at the same time, and ran right into one another. When they did, the roulette ball fell from Creep’s hand into the wheel.

“I’ll tell the othahs! You keep this racket goin’!” Cheepskate said.

Before Creep had a chance to agree, Cheepskate ran him over like a doormat.

Creep pulled himself up to the table, and heard the rattle of the ball in the wheel slow down. When he got to his feet, the wheel had stopped.

“Zéro! Je suis le gagnant!” said the one cervequin whose chips were bet on zero.

“Yeah, yeah. I got yer ‘gon-yon’ right here!” Creep said, as he paid out marked chips that were to be stolen by his cohorts, who were roving the game floor.

With a slurp and a gulp, Pinkie Pie finished her fifth drink since she had started looking for her hot sauce.

“Pony’s sake, Pinkie, slow down. You’re going to be bouncing off the walls at the rate you’re guzzling down that stuff,” Dash said.

“I can’t help it, Dashie! I binge when I’m nervous!” Pinkie said, before sucking down another drink from a passing waitress.

Dash rolled her eyes, and took a drink for herself. After what felt like an eternity of searching, she was becoming annoyed by constantly coming up short.

Her eyes darted about the room, watching all of the games being played. She knew that she could blow every one of them out of the water and eventually beat the house. But, she knew that she had to help Pinkie Pie first.

A sudden thought occurred to her. What was a place like that doing in a swamp, which was prowling with prehistoric monsters? Normally, a casino would be built where anypony could access it. Mulling these thoughts, she took a tiny sip of her drink.

The sudden sounds of giddy giggling reached Dash’s ears. Looking to the source, she saw a group of players at a big six giggling foalishly. Like the other gamblers, some of them were bouncing up and down.

At another table, some of the players were talking rapidly in a language Dash couldn’t understand. Many of the others were stuffing their faces with every hors d'oeuvre that passed their way.

All of these behaviors added in Dash’s mind to a very familiar sum. All they needed was a coat of pink, and the cervequins would pass easily as a Pinkie substitute. But, that was another oddity.

There had not been so many Pinkie Pie’s in one place since the discovery of a magical pool of water. Unless there was something in the water cervequins drank, Dash couldn’t think of any reason that such behavior would run so rampant.

Her mind clicked when she felt her lips touch her drink. Without even thinking, Dash abruptly dropped her glass, and spat out any remnant that lingered in her mouth. Something strange was going on, and she knew how it was spreading.

“Pinkie!” Dash sputtered.

Pinkie had gone from her side. But, she was easy to track down.

Dash noticed a candy floss mane at the big six, and hurried over.

“Pinkie! Don’t have any more drinks!” Dash sharply said.

The big six stopped spinning and landed on the image of a wickedly grinning cervequin.

“Joker!” the game operator declared.

Pinkie bounced happily up and down.

“I won! I won! The minties are mine!” she shouted as she collected her winnings.

“Pinkie! Listen to me!” Dash said, forcing Pinkie to face her.

“Never! These are my minties!” Pinkie declared, clutching the chips.

“Minties!? What are you talking about?” Dash said.

“The minties! The minties!” Pinkie hysterically said, as she waved a red and white striped chip in front of Dash’s face.

When Pinkie felt she had quite gotten her point across, she stuffed the chip in her mouth and started sucking. In a moment, she grimaced, wretched and spat the chip out.

“Yuck! Stale minties! They must have got that from the bottom of the candy dish!” she said, as she carefully inspected the next chip.

“Oh, Celestia and Luna! Pinkie, you’ve gone goofy!” Dash lamented.

“I haven’t gone goofy! Goofy’s gone! Wherever he is, I hope they have better minties!”

“Enough with the minties!”

They were lost in an unfamiliar place where the only friends they had were each other. They didn’t know yet why they were led to that place. They had already been robbed. They were separated from their friends. And now Pinkie was nibbling casino chips like they were bonbons.

“Mmm-mm. Butterscotch!” Pinkie said, as she swallowed a yellow chip.

“Pinkie!” Dash said, as she stopped her friend from eating another chip. “Listen, we need to make a plan. Like, now! Let’s go find Goofy and try to figure out what’s going on! If we don’t, we’re muckasaur bait!”

“Dashie, muckasaurs have been extinct for a bajillion years!” Pinkie replied.

Dash groaned and took Pinkie by the hoof.

“We’re going,” Dash resolutely said.

“But, my minties!” Pinkie said, as her chips fell from her grip.

Cheet Ripov was sitting innocently at the bar, sipping a drink that was served to him by Speekeezy, the elderly weasel who tended the bar.

Around him, everybody else sat enjoying their drinks, never knowing that the bar was not only loaded with drinks, but with every spike known to man. Everything from anesthesia pills to laxatives to pure, unfiltered rainbow. And not one of them knew when they would have something extra put in their drink to encourage a gambling habit.

Taking a huge sip of his drink, Cheet noticed the diminutive form of the weasel called Shlemeel darting toward him.

“What’s the take, my man?” Cheet asked, without glancing at his newest associate.

“Six G’s in marked chips, a few wedding rings, earrings, bracelets, anklets, (had a heck of a time gettin’ those off), about a dozen pouches o’ change and a bottle o’ hot sauce,” Shlemeel said, as he presented his haul item by item.

“Not bad,” Cheet casually said, as he discreetly passed the valuables behind the bar.

The haul was collected by Speekeezy, who sent it down a chute to the bilge of the ship, where the rest of the cache was stored.

“Woulda had more dough, but one of the schmucks I shook down just had a picture of his kid in his wallet. An’ let me tell you, that was one ugly little dybbuk,” Shlemeel said.

“You shoulda seen the buck-toothed nipper me an’ my boys brought to your boss. You heard o’ bein’ hit by the ugly stick? He was what happens when two ugly sticks duke it out,” Cheet said, as he grabbed the bottle of hot sauce before it was taken away. “Get back out there an’ keep makin’ us a profit. I’ll meet ya over by the VIP lounge in a bit.”

With those words, Shlemeel darted back into the crowd, past Cheepskate, who spun like a top all the way over to the bar.

Cheepskate continued to spin, even when he sat on a barstool, until Cheet grabbed the seat.

“What d’ya think yer doin’ here? Yer supposed to be fleecin’ this bunch o’ ninnies,” Cheet said.

“It’s...the goofs…” Cheepskate dizzily said.

Cheet was about to pop the lid off the bottle of hot sauce to pour into his drink, but stopped when he heard what his cohort said.

“What’d ya say?” he quickly asked.

“The goofs…” Cheepskate answered, forcing himself to lucidity. “I don’t know if they beat Rex, or what. But, they’re here!”

Cheet nearly dropped the drink in his hand. For anyone to face Theronicus Rex and live, that was one thing. To come chasing after him and the rest of his gang next: that was trouble all over. He quickly finished his drink, put the glass on the bar and pocketed his newly acquired bottle of hot sauce.

“Okay! This ain’t a problem! We just need to move things quicker than we thought! Slow the goofs down. Get the others. Get the kid. Then skedaddle!” Cheet said.

“How we gonna do that? We got no way out, nowhere to go, and a goof on our tails! We got a real big problem here!” Cheepskate said.

Speekeezy took an empty cardboard dowel from a roll of paper towels and stuffed it over Cheepskate’s snout.

“Thanks for that, gramps,” Cheet said. “Listen up: I’m gonna go tell Cray about this little development. You go get the others, an’ tell them we’re gonna ship outta here soon as I give the word. Sneek’s at one o’ the blackjack table, an’ Theef’s pickin’ pockets at the silent auction. Once you got all the guys, we’re outta here.”

Cheepskate pulled the dowel off of his face and went to work, first going back to the roulette to collect his brother.

Cheet started toward Mr. Cray’s office. Before he was two steps from the bar, a waitress with a tray of drinks clasped on her side walked by. Readily, he took one of the glasses.

“I wouldn’t drink anything on the way, if I was you,” Speekeezy said. “You want to stay lucid when you see the boss. It’s harder to duck when he tries to snip your head off otherwise.”

Cheet looked warily at his drink and placed it back onto the tray, before he hurried off.

Things were not looking up for Rainbow Dash. First, Pinkie’s hot sauce was stolen. Then, Goofy turned up missing. Now, after tanking up on so many of the unusual drinks, Pinkie was behaving like she had no self-control or social awareness.

Over and over, Dash had to keep pulling Pinkie from trouble. Whether she was riding on roulette wheels or trying to eat the chips of other gamblers, Dash had a time keeping her on task.

At the moment, she had lost sight of Pinkie yet again, and was frantically looking for her.

“Pinkie!” Dash called.

No answer came.

“Pinkie!”

Still no answer.

With a frustrated groan, Dash kicked her hoof on the carpet.

Soon, the scents of the room started getting to her. The many aromas all mingled to one and filled her head. And for a moment, she thought she could taste that drink again. That wonderful bichu bisou that had brought her that unique sort of joy she felt from nothing else.

With a tiny giggle to herself, she thought she could stand just one more. And as luck would have it, a waitress was walking by with a tray of drinks.

“Hold up. Thirsty mare right--” Dash stopped herself when she saw who was serving. “Pinkie!!?”

“Yep, and yep again, Dashie! I got a job to get more drinks--I mean, serve more drinks! See?” Pinkie replied, as she modeled her uniform, which was clearly made for a taller, slimmer creature. One with a name tag that read ‘Cristal Clair.’

“Will you snap out of it, already!!” Dash said, as she shook Pinkie so hard that her uniform was shaken off. Fighting against the urge to giggle, or to think about another drink, Dash reminded Pinkie of what they had to do. “Goofy! We need to find Goofy!”

“We don’t need to find Goofy. We have enough goofy between us to make two Goofys! How do we do it? Ooh! Let’s find a dog and train it to go ‘a-hyuck-a-hyuck’ instead of barking!”

Without her own awareness, Dash started laughing as Pinkie rattled off more suggestions. Despite her previous frustration, she was starting to enjoy herself. And to think that it was started by a bottle of hot sauce.

“Hot sauce!” Dash declared.

“Hot sauce isn’t goofy! Hot sauce is yummy-num-num-numminess!” Pinkie said.

“No! I mean we still have to find your hot sauce!” Dash corrected.

“Dashie, I feel so silly! How could I forget about my engagement hot sauce? Let’s go find it!” Pinkie said, suddenly forgetting about anything they had just been talking about.

Pinkie dropped her nose to the carpet and started sniffing like a bloodhound. Until she was pulled back up by Dash.

“That’s how you find bad guys, Pinkie. This is how you find hot sauce!” Dash said, as she revved up her wings.

Kicking an imaginary kickstart, Dash’s wings started roaring like a motor.

Pinkie hopped onto her friend’s back, and twisted Dash’s ear like a throttle

Then they were off.

Both mares sped through the casino, noticing only glimpses of anything around them.

It may have been the mixture of the drink she had and the strange scents, but Dash truly felt as if she were going as fast as she once could. And that alone put a smile on her face. Were she not going so fast, she felt liable to start laughing again.

Time slowed all around her, and Dash became aware of everything around herself a thousand fold. From the gentle bounce of Pinkie on her back to the exact number of fibers in the carpet. And all around she could see the precise movements of the many creatures as they played their games. The way they tossed their dice. Held their cards. Walked. Jumped. Hugged. Laughed.

Among the laughter, she heard one very distinct giggle. Though it sounded very slow, and from a great distance, there was no mistaking it.

“A-hyuck! Hiya, Dash!”

Looking over her shoulder, Dash saw Goofy waving at her as each of his limbs was held by a cervequin.

“Hey, Goof!” Dash called, as she waved back.

And no sooner did Dash finish talking did she crash into a table and crumple to the floor.

“Hey! Watch where you’re walkin’!!” the dealer shouted.

“You call that walking?” Dash said, as she tried and failed to stand up. “I’m the first mare ever to warp time! Nopony’s better than me now! And my friend here agrees with--”

Dash reached her hoof out to clasp Pinkie’s shoulder, only to find she was gone once again. She reached out to the other side, but Pinkie was not there either.

“Pinkie! Get out here and tell everypony how great I am!” Dash called.

“She’s not lying! Dashie’s the greatest, bestest, most greatestest mare who ever lived!!” Pinkie said, as she popped up from behind the table with at least ten packs of cards stuffed into her mouth.

“Hey! Gimme those!” the dealer shouted as he tried to wrest Pinkie’s jaws open.

“Never! These are my icy cream sammiches!” Pinkie protested, as all but one of the packs was shaken from her mouth.

In that moment, Pinkie froze and her eyes shot wide. Even in her goofy state, she recognized the dealer. The very same weasel who had made all of those unfair calls during the jousting match against Theronicus Rex.

“You!!” Pinkie and Sneek both said at once.

Sneek wasted no time escaping. He slammed Pinkie’s head onto the table, vaulted over her, landed on Dash and ran as fast as he could to tell the others.

“You call that a landing!? I can stop on a bit after a sonic rainboom!!” Dash boasted from the floor.

Pinkie rounded the table and gave Dash her pack of cards.

“Hold this! I’m going on a weasel hunt!” she said, before hopping after Sneek.

“Weasels? Naw. That was a blackjack dealer,” Dash said. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her. Shooting to her hooves, she pinned the nearest gambler she could reach to the table. “You! Can weasels be dealers!?”

“Menthe?” the cervequin said, as he offered Dash one of his chips.

“I knew it!” Dash said, before she dropped the cervequin she was interrogating and ran to where she thought she had last seen Goofy. Only now, he was gone.

“Goof!?” she called out.

“Right here!” came the reply.

There was Goofy and his whole entourage were at the nearby slot machines.

One of the cervequins took Goofy and started rubbing his head all over the machine.

“Hey! That feels kinda funny,” Goofy giggled.

Less so when his head was jammed into the coin receptacle.

“Hwup! Hey! Lemme out!”

Instead, the gamblers pulled the lever on the slot machine.

The slots whirled around, until they all stopped on a symbol of a hollering Goofy face.

There was a loud buzz, the slot machine started to smoke, and the entire frame fell apart. Without any payout, no less.

“Aw! Ce fous n'a plus de chance!” one gamber groaned.

“Allons essayer de trouver un trèfle dans le marais!” another suggested.

And with a throng of agreements, the cervequins all left Goofy behind as they hopped away.

Dash trotted over and pulled Goofy’s head from the slot machine.

“A-hyuck. I been on a winnin’ streak. Yuh think we can stay a bit longer?” the goof asked.

“No time! Pinkie’s hunting weasels!”

“The bad guys? I’m on it,” Goofy said, just as he dropped to the floor and started sniffing like a bloodhound.

“We can’t sit around sniffing all day! Take these and come with me!” Dash said, as she passed Goofy the pack of cards Pinkie had given her and ran off.

Not knowing what to do with the cards, Goofy passed them off to the nearest creature he could see: his own reflection in one of the slot machines next to him.

“Take these, an’ come with me,” he said.

“Don’t mind if I do,” his reflection answered, as it put the cards into its own back pocket.

“Thanks,” Goofy replied, before he ran after Dash.

Sneek pushed his way through the crowd, looking for any familiar face to report to. Somehow, it seemed as if every weasel on the ship had disappeared. And to make the matter worse, he could hear the pink fiend relentlessly chasing after him.

Looking over his shoulder, he caught brief glimpses of Pinkie appearing over the crowd, determined to catch him.

Sneek tripped when he bumped into a patron with a drink and sprawled out on the floor. Looking up, he saw Pinkie bearing down on him.

“You’re mine!!” Pinkie shouted.

Sneek rolled to the side, and watched as Pinkie landed in the spilled drink, paying absolutely no mind to the weasel at all.

With a malicious grin, Sneek realized what a stroke of luck that was. The pink goof was hooked. Using the opportunity, he made good his escape.

“Sneek!” a voice called out to him.

Screeching to a halt, Sneek saw Theef, Cheepskate and Creep all hurrying over to him.

“I got bad news,” Sneek said.

“Ours is worse. The goofs are here!” Creep said.

“That’s what I was gonna tell you.”

“Ya already know? Great! Cheet’s already gone to tell Cray that we’re packin’ the kid up an’ shakin’ a leg outta here,” Theef replied.

“Come on. Quickest way to Cray’s office from here’s through the theater lounge,” Cheepskate said.

Sneek was about to tell them that they didn’t have to move all that quickly, now that the pink goof was hooked. But, something suddenly bumped into his shoe.

He did not even have time to look down, when Dash all of a sudden shot up in front of him, pointing a victorious hoof into Sneek’s nose.

“Found ya!!” Dash declared. “Hey, Goof! The sniffing worked! You were right!”

“A-hyuck! Never fails to catch bad guys,” Goofy said.

“Yeah. Who knew?”

Dash had been so busy talking to Goofy that she didn’t even notice that the four weasels had run off without her.

“Ah! Weasels on the move!” Dash shouted.

“Wizzy-weezy-weasel! Wizzy-weezy-weasel! Wizzy-weezy-weasel! Wizzy-weezy-weasel!” Pinkie shouted, as she resumed hopping after the ermine entourage.

“They’re mine!” Dash said, as she ran after.

“I got ‘em!” Goofy declared, as he swung back his fishing rod and cast his line.

He didn’t see what he had hooked, but knew it was something with plenty of weight.

“Got me a big wun!” the goof shouted, as he yanked on his line and reeled madly.

What happened next, Goofy didn’t know how it could have happened. Rainbow Dash came sailing back through the crowd with the hook caught in her mane, and crashed face first into Goofy’s stomach.

Both rolled backwards, until they hit a column.

“A-hyuh-huh-huh-huck! Rainbow Dash Trout! Now, that’d look good mounted on the wall,” Goofy giggled.

“Or a goof-feesh!” Dash added, breaking down into her own fit of giggles.

A sudden crash reminded them that they still had to catch Pinkie and the weasels. And after shakily standing up, they managed to follow Pinkie’s trail of destruction to a door that was lined with black curtains.

Past the doorway, there was a room that was so dimly lit that the hallway beyond could hardly be made out. And with every step down its length, Dash and Goofy kept bumping into walls, statues, and each other. Until they finally reached the other side.

It was a room very unlike the others. There were no games set. Instead, the only tables looked like small restaurant tables, each with two or three creatures sitting at them. Some of them ate and drank. Others simply watched the dancers on the stage at the front.

Unfortunately, the stage was the only part of the room with any decent lighting. The rest of the creatures appeared only as dark silhouettes with vague outlines, barely distinguishable from one another.

“Gawrsh. How’re we gunna find Pinkie in here?” Goofy wondered.

“How? I’ll tell you how. I’m gonna find her in ten seconds,” Dash boasted.

“Okay. We been here ‘bout seven now. So...eight...uh, nine...ten.”

“Starting now,” Dash said, before she quietly called her friend’s name. “Pinkie?”

“Pinkie? Where are yuh?” Goofy called next, as he ventured after Dash into the dark lounge.

Author's Note

Holy wow!! Isn't this supposed to be an E-rated story? Well, given that the nature of the drug is never mentioned, and it simply causes the character to act a little more cartoonish, it's still within the boundaries of family friendly entertainment. Just not so far within the boundaries.

It looks like the goofs are getting deeper into trouble the longer they stay in Bichumonterre. And it's probably not going to get any better.

The moment I started this story arch, I wanted the goofs on a casino ship. To me, that is the epitome of something that puts on a happy and exciting facade, but is really a terrible beast underneath. A lot like a certain animation company. (Disclaimer: I love the films of Disney. I just wouldn't work for them, because I hear it is quite a dysfunctional workplace).

There is another reason that I chose this particular place and theme. But, that reason will have to be revealed in a later chapter.

We also got another brief glimpse at Goofy's doubts to his own purpose in the magical quest. Starting to seem like he might start losing his way along with the others, don't you think? It's like Goofy says, "Whut's a goof tuh do...?" Frankly, I thought Goofy would have been happy to participate in the magical quest at all, having not been playable in any of the canon games.

The name of the drink Bichu bisou is one that I made up. Bichu coming from a shortening of Bichumonterre, and bisou being the French word for 'kiss.' I'm not sure what's actually in it, but I don't think I'd want to drink one at all, given what it does to our heroes.

Speaking of that drink: did any of you notice how it made Pinkie act after she downed them all? Does she seem a little bit more like (oh, I don't know) Pinkie Pie? I bring this up, because my friend's wife pointed out how in this chapter, Pinkie starts acting more like she does on the actual show than in the rest of this story. Yes, I did tone down Pinkie's character for this story. I actually do that to Pinkie in every story I write, because the canon Pinkie is in violation of at least three or four of the rules for writing I shared with you all. And I feel that it makes her something of a detriment to the series as a whole.

On to some new characters, we've met some new weasels. Shlemeel was inspired by a friend of my granddad's. Just like Shlemeel, he could talk at a mile a second, except he was more about espousing observational joke an one liners.

For anybody who doesn't understand what he means when he says 'dybbuk,' a dybbuk is a demon from Jewish folklore. He's basically referring to the kid in the picture as being ugly as sin.

That's what I got to share here. Look forward to the next chapter, and rock on in the meantime \m/

Chapter 51: Rose la Belle Rose

Chapter 51

Rose la Belle Rose

After what felt like climbing fifty flights of stairs, Max and Miss Argente arrived on the floor to reach Mr. Cray’s office.

The experience in the bilge had been harrowing for them both. But, neither were too pleased with the prospect of returning to the raging crustacean’s quarters.

As they returned, Max noticed that they were taking a different route back to Mr. Cray’s office. One that bypassed going directly to the front door. Max guessed that it was done to avoid having to be let in by talking to Mr. Cray over the intercom.

They entered a room that had a gigantic tank of water within it. Over the tank, there was a catwalk that went along the top. As they passed by it, Max looked in to see what could possibly live in a tank so large.

He had to stand on his toes to see inside the tank. Large stalks of mossy seaweed rose from the sandy bottom, and giant boulders dotted the simulated landscape.

Among them all, Max spotted a very unusual looking rock. One that was pale, and oddly thin and conical, with a spiral groove around it. As the young goof watched it, he saw it begin to wobble. In a moment, a tentacle snaked out from beneath it. And it was followed by more.

Max watched in terror as a monster he scarcely dared to imagine revealed itself from within the shell. Until it was chomped by a set of jaws that sprang from the screen of seaweed.

With a shuddering gasp, Max retreated back to Miss Argente’s side.

For a moment, Miss Argente regretted taking Max through the back way to Mr. Cray’s office. For wanting to spare him the trauma of interacting with her vicious employer again, she had instead presented him with the gruesome sight of Mr. Cray’s pets.

Putting a hoof around Max, and gently guided him to the door. Hopefully, she would be able to enter Mr. Cray’s office without his notice and quietly place Max by her desk, before presenting her findings.

“WHAT!!?” came Mr. Cray’s voice from the other side of the door.

Both Max and Miss Argente stopped before they entered. So much for the quiet approach.

“GOOFS!!? ON MY SHIP!!? HOW DID YOU HALF-BRAINED HANDBAGS LET THAT HAPPEN!!?”

There was a loud crash, as if something large had been thrown across the room.

Silently, Max and Miss Argente agreed to wait until the storm blew itself out.

“Whoah! Whoah! Take it easy! It’s not like we invited them on board!” said the unmistakable nasally voice of a weasel.

“Yeah! We thought they’d o’ been wasted back in Trottingham!” said another weasel.

“AND INSTEAD, THEY FOLLOWED YOU A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES TO HERE!! HOW!!? IS SOMEONE TIPPING THEM OFF!? DID ONE OF YOU NITWITS LEAVE A TRAIL FOR THEM TO FOLLOW!!?!”

Another crash sounded loudly against the door. After the crash, a weasel’s voice spoke, sounding as if it were right on the other side.

“H-Hey! Come on, Cray! We already got an escape plan! Just give us a hand, an’ we’ll be on the next continent by the end o’ the week!” said the weasel.

“THAT’S MR. CRAY, BOZO!! AND YOU’D BETTER START WORKING THAT ESCAPE PLAN NOW!! OR THE ONLY THING YOU’LL GET FROM ME IS A CLAW WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE!!” Mr. Cray raged.

“Ah-ah-ah-Understood! Where do ya keep the rowboats around here?” asked the weasel.

“A rowboat? That’s your big idea? Ha! Go up top. You’ll find what you need to make your getaway there,” Mr. Cray said.

“They’re leaving?” Max thought, somewhat relieved to be rid of the weasels.

For a moment, there was silence on the other side of the door. And Miss Argente gently pulled Max to the side.

“WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE!!? GET OUT OF HERE!! BEFORE I FLAY YOU ALL INTO FUR COATS!!” Mr. Cray shouted.

What happened next sounded like a series of blows landing, and more furniture flying. Finally, the door burst open, and five weasels rolled through it in a crumpled heap.

Cheet rolled from the top of the pile and fixed his clothes.

“Let’s get up top. Before that rotten gumbo guillotines us,” he said to the others.

The other four all got up as well, and walked after Cheet.

“By the way: the goofs ain’t dead, so you owe me a diamond ring,” Sneek said.

“Hocked it,” Theef answered.

“Then, gimme the money you got for it.”

“Spent it.”

“Then, gimme what you bought.”

“Fenced it.”

“Then, gimme what you fenced it for.”

“Wearin’ it,” Theef said, as he presented the silk underwear he was wearing.

“Ugh! Keep it,” Sneek replied.

With one last chuckle, the weasels disappeared out the door on the opposite end of the room.

Once again, Miss Argente felt at once relieved and distressed. She tightened her gentle hold on Max, fearing what would happen if she waited for Mr. Cray’s temper to simmer down, or if she entered then.

“What are you doing out here?” Mr. Cray’s rough voice demanded to know.

Max and Miss Argente were both startled back to reality, and found themselves faced with the raging crustacean.

“Both of you, get in!” he ordered, pointing to the door.

Not wanting to disobey an order from the volatile shellfish, they both quickly scampered inside.

The room had been thoroughly trashed during the scuffle. Barely any of the furniture was left standing, and papers covered nearly the entire carpet.

“You!” Mr. Cray said, pointing to Max. “Go wait at Miss Argente’s desk!” He turned his attention to his secretary. “You! What’s the word from the bilge?”

With a shaking hoof, Miss Argente pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and divulged the details of Freeboot’s report.

At Miss Argente’s overturned desk, Max began picking up all of the fallen papers, warily keeping his eyes on Mr. Cray. Something was happening. He had heard the word ‘goof’ spoken. And in his mind, there was only one person in the world who defined ‘goof’ so appropriately. So accurately. He knew his father had come for him.

“Pinkie?” Goofy quietly called, as he walked through the dark lounge.

To conduct their search more efficiently, Dash and Goofy had split up and decided to work on opposite ends of the room. At the moment, Goofy was searching the left side of the lounge.

Aside from the stage, the only light in the room was the tiny phosphorescent fungi that was set in a glass casing at every table. And the creatures were all but indistinguishable in the dim light. Occasionally, Goofy noticed the telltale horns atop their heads. However, he spent most of his time investigating almost every creature in the room.

“Pinkie?” he asked one creature at a table.

“Pinkie? Qui est Pinkie?” asked the patron.

“Whoop. Sorry,” Goofy apologized.

He tried the next table.

“Pinkie?”

“Allez-vous en. J'essaie de regarder le spectacle,” said the creature, who waved a cloven hoof at Goofy.

“Uh, pardon me,” Goofy said.

He had searched what he felt was every table present, and there had been no sign of his pink friend. For all he could tell, she had simply disappeared into the darkness.

But, a thought occurred to the goof. He had only searched above the tables, but not beneath them. Dropping to the floor, Goofy started scouring beneath them.

“Pinkie? Yuh down here?” he quietly called.

One cervequin felt her hoof brushed by Goofy’s ear as he passed by. Glancing to the stranger sitting beside her, the cervequin returned the gesture in kind, making the stranger’s eyes go wide.

“Pinkie?” Goofy called again. He didn’t find Pinkie, but did find a breadstick somebody had dropped. Brushing it away, he continued his search to the next table.

Before he even crossed over, he bumped into something in the aisle. At the exact same time, somebody else bumped into it as well.

“Ouch!” both exclaimed.

“Dash?”

“Goofy?”

“Weren’t yuh just way over there?”

“Yeah. But, Pinkie wasn’t anywhere on that side.”

“So much fer findin’ her in ten secunds,” Goofy said, as he slumped onto the thing in the aisle.

“Yeah...I must be losin’ my touch. Horse apples…” Dash sighed, joining the slump.

The previous giddiness they felt had run its course, replacing itself with a permeating feeling of mild regret. How they wished to regain that feeling of happiness once more. That feeling of pure elan that they once had, now lost and never to return.

A glimpse to the stage, and Goofy watched the dancers merrily play out their choreography. He knew he should have enjoyed it more than he was. But, it felt as if the feeling of joy had been sapped from him the moment his giggles had gone.

Suddenly, there came a faint giggling. And the thing Dash and Goofy slumped on started to tremble slightly.

“That you, Goof?” Dash asked.

“Nope. Sounds like sumbuddy’s enjoyin’ the show, though,” Goofy said.

They realized then that the source of the giggles were closer than they knew. Looking down, they saw that they were both slumped on something pink and pony-shaped.

“Pinkie!” Dash said.

She and Goofy both stood their pink friend up to her hooves.

“Gawrsh, Pinkie. We been lookin’ all over for yuh? Still feelin’ a bit goofy?” Goofy wondered.

The answer he got was a slightly louder giggle. And in the light of the phosphorescent fungus at the nearest table, the dazed, smiling face of a pink cervequin was revealed.

“Uh, that ain’t Pinkie,” Goofy said, as he and Dash slowly backed away from the giggling cervequin.

The pink cervequin started dancing, flashing the many shades of her coat, giggling all the while. After a few steps, she tripped and fell back to the floor, just as the number onstage ended, and all of the dancers departed.

Dash and Goofy realized then how vital finding Pinkie was. If she got any goofier, she may well have become a giggling simp the next time they saw her. And a goof who was only goofy with no other attributes or emotions would hardly be any more than a hindrance.

The stage at the front darkened, and the distinct outline of a weasel walked onstage.

“Mesdames et Messieurs,” the emcee began, “Le Double Down Theatre est fier de présenter le plus récent artiste de notre troupe.”

It was as if Dash and Goofy had become transfixed on the stage. For reasons they couldn’t understand, their eyes were stuck on the stage, as music started softly playing beneath the emcee’s voice.

“Fait de pure joie, elle est venue mettre un sourire sur tous vos visages,” the emcee continued.

On the stage behind him, another silhouette appeared, rhythmically bobbing its hips in tune with the music.

At the emcee’s words, many of the patrons stopped what they were doing, and watched with undivided attention.

Dash and Goofy were bumped aside when one of the cervequins walked between them. And he was followed by more.

“What the hay’s going on?” Dash wondered.

“Dunno. But, thuh emcee must o’ said sum’n pretty nice tuh get all these deer-ponies movin’,” Goofy noted.

“Pour votre bonheur éternel, je vous présente: Rose la Belle Rose,” the emcee finished, as his silhouette glided offstage.

The remaining silhouette was illuminated by a single spotlight, and the dancer turned around. In the light of the stage, her pink coat flashed its many colors, catching the eye of every creature in the audience as she danced and sang.

“Tu n'es pas prince,

Tu n'ês pas pauvre,

Tu êtes le plus bas des vies.”

“Ton coeur est un cupcake rassis,

Ton visage est comme pâte crue,

Ton baisers sont des bonbon aigre,”

Dash’s jaw dropped the moment she saw the performer. Her costume and mane had changed, but there was no mistaking that distinct voice and manner.

“Pinkie!!” Dash shouted. “What in Tartarus is she doing?!”

“Gawrsh. She dresses like that fer Cream Filling, she’s gunna be queen o’ Trottingham fer sure,” Goofy added.

Dash moved first, running for the stage. Her first step wasn’t even finished when Goofy followed suit to rescue their friend.

Up in his office, Mr. Cray paced impatiently.

“What’s taking those big-nosed buffoons so long? They should be done setting up already!” he grumbled.

Miss Argente readied to run for cover, as Mr. Cray was sure to blow his top any moment. Even after hearing the positive report from the bilge, her employer’s temper would be no less volcanic.

Rather than vent his frustration on his secretary, Mr. Cray drifted over to the window that overlooked the theater lounge. And what he saw there perplexed him.

Many of the seats were now empty, and his temperature steadily rose. Before he started cooking in his own shell, he saw that the audience had not left, but was gathered right at the front of the stage.

There was a dancer he didn’t recognize. She wasn’t one of his usual girls. She was a new face who had boarded his ship, and was quite clearly hooked on his product. Best of all, she had a tantalizing effect on the audience like no other performer before her.

Everything she did, the audience all started laughing. Whenever she bounced, some of the audience members bounced with her.

Everything that pony was, it was precisely what Mr. Cray needed to keep his clientele in a joyful stupor. He was going to have her. And he was going to keep her for the rest of her days.

Fortune favored few in the world, and even fewer when the time was precisely right. For Mr. Cray, that divine meeting of fates graced him as the weasels walked back through the door.

“Sorry to bother ya, but these mooks got no clue how to put your doohickey on the roof together,” Cheet said.

“Us? You’re the guy who tried usin’ a lighter to check the fuel tank for flammable material,” Theef said.

“Aw, shaddup!”

“All of you: shut your pork troughs and get over here!” Mr. Cray said, without turning around.

Not wanting to rouse his temper again, the five weasels hurried over to the window.

“I don’t believe it! That goof’s drawin’ the whole crowd!” Cheepskate said.

There was that word again. ‘Goof.’ And the moment he heard it, Max rushed to the window. Shortly after, Miss Argente followed him.

When he reached the window, Max started scanning the stage for any sign of the goof the weasels were talking about. Instead of his father, he was dismayed to see a single pink pony.

“Hrm...She’s one of those goofs, eh?” Mr. Cray said, half to himself.

Max, Miss Argente, and all of the weasels grew uneasy at the sight of Mr. Cray’s malicious grin.

In the crustaceans mind, a plan was forming. He was going to keep Pinkie for himself and eliminate her friends at the same time.

“Before you go,” Mr. Cray began, speaking slowly through his smile and pointing to Pinkie, “I want you to bring that goof to me. And her two friends.”

“Riiiight. We gotcha,” Creep said, brandishing a switchblade from his pocket.

Before he could blink, Mr. Cray’s claw sliced the blade from its handle.

“You’re not going to move a hair on their heads!” Mr. Cray said, suddenly losing his calm. He reached both claws out, grabbed each weasels’ neck in his grip, and pressed their faces into the glass. “That goof is mine! And her friends are going to be here--alive--when I take her from them! Understand?”

“You got it,” Sneek said, his lips smearing the glass with every word.

“Can we waste ‘em after ya take the pink one?” Theef added.

“I’ll worry about that! You fur-bearing freeloaders just worry about getting them up here! By any means necessary!”

With two powerful heaves, the five weasels were thrown to the door.

“AND DON’T COME BACK, UNTIL YOU’VE GOT THEM ALL!!!” Mr. Cray shouted one last order, sending the weasels tripping over one another as they ran down the hall.

Dismayed by not seeing his father through the window, his faith in him was still not shaken. He had distinctly heard that there were more goofs than the one dancing onstage. And he knew precisely who one of them was.

“You just made a big mistake, Cray,” Max gloated. “You’re bringing my dad right to you. And he’s going to take me and Miss Argente out of here!”

“Max! Please!” Miss Argente said, quickly hushing her young charge.

“You!” Mr. Cray said, thrusting an open claw mere centimeters from Max’s face, “You...Are about to grow up. Very, very fast.”

Max froze, keeping his eyes on Mr. Cray’s claw. But, he didn’t perceive the movement when the front of his shirt was clasped in the crustacean’s grip, and was lifted to his eye level.

“And it’s Mr. Cray!” he malevolently hissed, before shoving Max into Miss Argente’s hooves.

Without even looking to Mr. Cray, Miss Argente placed Max on the floor and hurried him back over to her desk. When they arrived, she placed Max into one of the seats that she had placed by her desk after Mr. Cray’s previous outburst.

“Max, it is more important now zat you listen to me. Do not provoke Monsieur Cray further. If you truly want to see your father again, you must promise to sit here and not do anything to infuriate him,” she said.

Max didn’t answer.

“Max. I need you to promise zis. Ze same as you would promise your own mother and father. Can you do zat for me? For your father?”

That did it. The thought of being reunited with his father made Max start to nod.

“Okay. I promise,” he said.

“Good. Now, just wait quietly. And please do as I say zis time.”

As much as he wished to confront Mr. Cray, Max wished more to see his father. Gripping the seat of his chair, he waited tensely for the moment he would be liberated from the Double Down.

“Je ne sais pas pourquoi,

Je t'aime tellement,

Mon chéri aigre,”

“J'ai eu un meilleur amour,

Avec un éclair d'un an,

Et une miette de beignet,

Sèche mes larmes mieux que toi,”

Pinkie continued her song and dance, barely aware of anything but the joy she felt. A joy that permeated every corner of her mind, blinding her to even her friends who were pushing their way through the crowd toward her.

“Hold on there, Pinkie! We’re comin’ for yuh!” Goofy called. “Jus--Wha-oh-oh!!”

Goofy felt himself pushed back, and fell to the floor.

“Partir, gaffe! Elle est mon rêve rose!” a voice in the crowd said.

With a sudden heave, Dash was thrown on top of Goofy.

“Et prenez votre amie stupide!" another voice said.

Dash shook her head lucid and stood up atop Goofy’s chest.

“Can you believe it!? It’s like these goofy weirdos are trying to stop us!” Dash said.

“Yeah! It ain’t that we’re tryin’ tuh ruin their fun! We just gotta save our pal. Same as they would!” Goofy added.

The music picked up, and Pinkie’s dance became more energetic.

From where he was lying, Goofy could only see when Dash stopped moving and looked fixedly ahead.

“Dash?” Goofy asked.

She couldn’t hear him over the music, so the goof decided to tap her side.

Dash answered by stepping down to the floor and nudging Goofy with her hoof, signalling him to stand.

Goofy sat up, and saw what she did.

There before them, partly silhouetted against the stage was the form of Theef Lolyfe, toothpick and all.

Theef simply stood there with one hand in his pocket, and the other simply set on his hip.

Dash readily accepted the challenge, threateningly spreading her wings and lowering herself to a fighting stance.

With a snort that wasn’t heard over the music, Theef motioned for Dash to have at him.

A flap of her wings, and Dash shot toward the weasel.

Theef slipped out of the way and drew a cosh from his pocket, which he swung at Dash’s head.

Dash dodged and swung back.

Theef backpedaled and disappeared into the crowd of cervequins.

Dash staggered as she was struck from behind by Cheepskate, who emerged from the crowd.

She whirled around to attack, only to be struck from the side by Sneek.

Both weasels disappeared, and Dash struck blindly again.

She recoiled her hooves and saw Goofy stumbling back from where she tried to strike.

As they faced one another, they saw more weasels slowly emerging from the crowd.

Goofy drew his fishing rod and stood back to back with Dash, just as the five weasels revealed themselves.

Dash’s wings shook in anticipation.

Goofy raised his fishing pole to strike.

Creep and Cheepskate both lunged at Goofy.

The goof parried with his fishing pole and shoved them back into the crowd of cervequins.

Sneek jabbed low at Dash, who easily jumped over him and stuck Cheet on the nose.

Goofy toppled back from a blow from Cheepskate, and unintentionally parried an attack from Sneek.

“Pourquoi est-ce que je gaspille

Mon temps avec toi,

Mon chéri aigre,”

“Tu êtes un morceau de farine,

Je suis un gâteau givré,

Tu êtes juste une tête de méchant,

Je suis reine des bonbons”

Pinkie flashed her eyelashes to the crowd, and received a wild round of shouts and whistles.

The audience started bouncing up and down, emulating how Pinkie started doing so.

The energy of the audience reached the seven fighters on the floor, who all fought more vigorously.

Dash pinned Creep’s club to the floor with a hoof.

Theef attacked from the other side.

Dash spun on her one hoof, pinned Theef’s club and kicked both weasels with her rear legs.

She slipped beneath a bouncing cervequin, then beneath another when Creep tried to strike her again.

Goofy backpedaled toward her, fencing with his fishing pole against Sneek and Cheepskate, who had both drawn truncheons to do battle with the goof.

He was pushed back to the nearest table, and forced to stand atop a chair.

Cheepskate clubbed the chair.

Goofy hopped up to the table.

Cheet popped up from beneath the table and yanked the tablecloth from under Goofy’s feet.

Goofy fell onto his face, and his nose was slugged with a right hook from Sneek.

He spun around on the table, until he faced Cheet and was socked to keep spinning in the same direction. And again when he was faced by Cheepskate.

By the time he circled back around to Sneek, Goofy slapped his fishing rod against Sneek’s face and let the line tangle around his neck.

With a swing, he threw the entangled weasel into Cheet, then into Cheepskate, before releasing Sneek.

Sneek bowled over Theef, who was about to club Dash while Creep restrained her.

Dash then slipped from Creep’s grasp and tripped him, before trying to make her escape.

She tried vaulting over a bouncing cervequin. The moment she was on their back, Cheet jumped onto the back of the neighboring creature, and swung his fist when he and Dash were level with one another.

Dash dodged and returned a blow when they were both level again.

Cheet swung low, forcing Dash to jump.

While she was in the air, Cheepskate shoved the cervequin beneath Dash out of the way, replacing it with a tablecloth he and Creep held between them.

Dash landed on the tablecloth, was immediately cinched up and swung at Goofy.

Goofy parried with his fishing pole and used the hook to pull the tablecloth from the two weasels’ grip and release Dash, who swooped out and knocked over both opponents with her outstretched wings.

Theef was waiting for her and overturned a table.

Dash crashed face first into it, and was smashed from behind by another table pushed by Cheet.

Trapped between the two, Dash started pushing against them.

She saw Goofy cast his line toward her, and clenched the gossamer thread in her teeth.

With a yank, she was pulled from danger, letting the weasels crash into one another.

Goofy recoiled, and Dash swung behind his head.

Dash lashed out her hooves, kicking Sneek as he tried to blindside Goofy.

“Oh, ma chérie aigre,

Je ne comprends pas pourquoi,

Je t'aime tellement,”

“Tu êtes des miettes,

Tu êtes des biscuits brûlés,

Pas un peu de toi,

Est digne de mon amour,”

After the last verse, Pinkie began giggling onstage and her dance grew more frenzied.

After her, the audience followed suit.

What was once a crowd of transfixed cervequins had become a tumultuous moshpit.

Every member of the audience was bounding and crashing into each other. Those who weren’t knocked over simply dropped into a giggling stupor.

Goofy stumbled over a fallen cervequin, and was bumped back to standing by another that smashed into him. And the process kept repeating itself.

Dash fared no better, getting bounced up to the air and down to the floor, feeling more like a bruised piece of fruit with each go.

The weasels too felt the effects of the rollicking crowd, and found themselves quickly smashed underhoof or pushed about.

Sneek was bounced like a pinball from one cervequin to the next. Finally, he crashed into a table, where his nose caught in a flower vase.

After pulling the vase from his nose, he noticed something that had been left there as well. A full glass of Bichu bisou. One goof had been hooked. It was time to hook the others.

Taking the glass, he carefully made his way back into the busy crowd, keeping low with his palm over the top of the drink.

Goofy was shoved backwards and tumbled over Dash’s back. Upon landing Dash was shoved over Goofy’s back next.

On the other side of the goof, Dash was punted back over by one of the weasels, followed by Goofy being punched over her.

When Goofy landed, his nose was grabbed by Sneek, and was lifted so his mouth opened.

“Bottoms up, goof!” Sneek was heard saying just beneath the music.

And the drink was thrown down Goofy’s throat.

The goof sputtered and spat, scrambling to his feet, before he stumbled into another weasel.

The other weasels appeared to have gotten the idea of what their cohort was up to, and went hunting for the nearest Bichu bisou they could find.

Cheepskate and Creep stayed behind to keep the goofs occupied.

Between the two of them, the Klepto brothers grabbed and stretched out one of the giggling cervequins and charged their opponents.

Dash and Goofy both jumped over the attack.

Reaching over, Dash grabbed Goofy’s fishing pole and flapped her wings.

Goofy spun from the force and swung Dash at the two weasels.

One after the other, Creep and Cheepskate jumped over the attacks, as cervequins toppled onto the goofs.

Pinned under the pile of cervequins, Goofy’s knees made an easy target to club.

Cheepskate and Creep swung one after the other.

With each swing, Goofy moved his knees out of the way.

With one last attack, Goofy retracted his legs beneath the pile, letting Cheepskate club his brother’s toes instead.

Before Creep could retaliate, Dash grabbed both of their heads and knocked them together.

Creep raised his weapon to strike Dash, and had it slip from his grasp by Goofy casting his hook.

Goofy swung again and again, hitting both weasels with the hooked club until they were both pushed into the bouncing crowd, and subsequently trampled.

After disposing the two, Dash and Goofy both loosed a victorious laugh. Only, Goofy didn’t stop laughing.

Any feeling of relief or accomplishment the pegasus felt in that moment suddenly dashed.

“Goofy?” she asked, barely audible over the music.

Goofy kept giggling.

“Goof--!”

Her shout was cut off by a glass being thrown into her open mouth.

With a sickened swallow, Dash recognized the flavor of the drink that was forced into her mouth. Try as she did to get any of it out of her mouth, she was terrified as she felt some of it trickling down her throat.

Theef rounded behind Goofy and poked the seat of the goof’s pants with his toothpick.

Goofy shouted and spread his arms wide, knocking a drink from Sneek’s hands. However, Cheepskate poured a drink into Goofy’s open mouth.

Before Sneek’s drink spilled, Cheet caught the glass’s contents in his outstretched hat.

He tossed the drink he held into his hat, then stuffed it over Rainbow Dash’s face.

Dash was again forced to swallow. Only this time, she didn’t feel such a strong urge to resist. The corner of her mouth cracked, and she soon joined Goofy in his fit of giggles.

“Mais, une fille comme moi,

Ne peut pas vraiment être si doux,

Pour être si amoureux de toi,

Mon chéri aigre,”

As Pinkie finished her song, she too started laughing. Soon, she collapsed onstage, laughing madly at who knew what.

The weasels all smiled deviously. They had completed part one of their plan. Now, to deliver the goofs.

High above, cast only as a shadow against the lights of the room, Mr. Cray watched the scene unfold. Unheard by the others, his own malicious laughter joined in with the mindless giggling of the goofs.

Author's Note

Sheesh. The deeper the goofs go, the more trouble they land in. Now, they're all caught by the bad guys.

This whole chapter was inspired by those European action-thrillers that I like to watch. The stylized setting and ambiance that is put on display in those movies just seemed like the perfect way to convey an action scene in a dark lounge.

As for the song that Pinkie Pie sings: I wrote it myself. That's probably why you can't imagine any tune that may complement it, because my lyric-writing skills stink. In any language, mind you.

Speaking of which, I think I forgot to tell you all this, but originally Bichumonterre was going to be Zebrica. That's right. We were going to meet zebras. However, I decided against it, because not only would I have to learn a completely new language, I would then have to write it in rhyming prose. And that would have given me a headache like no other.

Maybe I'll find a way to work the zebra homeland in somehow. In the meantime, I'll keep working with cultures and languages that I'm more familiar with.

Then again, the next place that Rarity and Mickey are going has no language that I'm familiar with. (In fact, the language of the land they are going to is almost extinct in the real world). So, Zebrica is still not off the table.

Something that I bet at least a few of you are wondering: how the heck did Theef hock, spend, and fence all of his rewards until he got silk underwear? Well, we are in a den of weasels. Who's to say that each and every one of them hasn't set up a little 'side business' of their own.

I seem to recall one of you readers who thought maybe the weasels came from some kleptocracy. Maybe there is a little truth to that.

Speaking of the weasels, the fight against Cheet, Sneek, Theef, Creep and Cheepskate was a really fun one to figure out. Like, I was grinning the whole time I typed it.

I'm guessing that all of you by now have noticed that the goofs are all about teamwork, synchronicity, choreography and cooperation (all of those are also important parts of the creative process too, mind you). I just thought to myself how cool it would be if the bad guys they had been pitted against were the same way.

The fight itself was inspired by that old 'Goof Troop' game for the SNES. Specifically, the first boss fight in that game, where Goofy and Max have to fight against a bunch of pirates who keep appearing and disappearing down a series of holes like a game of 'Whack-a-Mole.' Except, I think those pirates were actually dognoses. Or, maybe they were weasels. If they were, then Goofy being pitted against the weasel gang is even more fitting.

That leads me to another point that I'm pretty sure I haven't talked about before: picking a recurring villain for each group of friend.

We all know that in Disney canon there are three major recurring villains from the old time short cartoons: Pete, The Big Bad Wolf and the weasels. Before I even started writing the prologue of this story, I knew that I wanted all of those guys in this story. So, I had them all assigned to a particular team that I made.

Now, I already explained how the teams were put together: the mages, the other guys, the tempers and the goofs. Once they were put together, the villains practically assigned themselves each team.

Pete went to Mickey, because there is just no way Pete can be a villain to anyone else. The rivalry between them goes on for almost a hundred years, and simply cannot be tampered with.

That, and a dainty flowerpot like Rarity would have a time against a boorish brute like Pete. And somebody mentioned how Pete was at pretty much any given point in the story is a better mage than Twilight is. That's just another indirect blow to the poor alicorn.

Big Bad was almost assigned to Goofy's team, because he seemed like the kind of scary thing that Pinkie could not giggle away. However, he had no real connection to Dash or Goofy.

Then, he almost went to Minnie's group, and was going to be stalking them to bring them to Yen Sid, as was originally planned.

But, when I weighed the options of that and Donald's group, Donald's group won. This was because Big Bad has a propensity for fresh meat (namely pork, but he's not aversed to poultry). That, and Fluttershy would likely be the most afraid of a killer wolf. And Applejack seems like she would have her nerves of steel tested against an unstoppable force whose only objective is to eat her.

Finally, we get to the weasels. This was not only just because they were the last villain assigned to a group of heroes. If you watch any cartoon where the weasels are featured, you'll see that they too are a bunch of goofs. And I know for a fact that there are Goofy cartoons where Goofy faces one or more weasels.

Personally, I've always felt that the weasels needed more recognition, beyond being simple henchmen. That's also why there are named weasels in this story, with five of them being prominent villains. Like, I really want there to be a gang of recurring villainous weasels in the Mickey cartoons and comics. But, I suppose that would only happen if I got a job at Disney.

That's about all I got for here. I hope you guys are looking forward to the next chapter, because it's going to be a good one. Rock on as always \m/

Chapter 52: Cards With Cray

Chapter 52

Cards With Cray

Nothing was seen through the veil of deep darkness that had suddenly overcome Goofy. But, he felt a lingering sense of doubt and dismay like he only had during the worst days of his life. Whatever joy he previously felt had gone, and left him sulking in a dark funk.

Though he couldn’t see, he knew he was alone. He was far from the lounge, his friends had gone, and worst of all Max was nowhere to be found.

Try as he did, he felt he was nowhere nearer his son than when he started back in Trottingham. For all his efforts, Max eluded him. Everywhere he was guided, it was nowhere he could be reunited with his boy.

Sinking deeper into sorrows, he cursed the light that guided him. Once so sympathetic to the being who had given its last to help him on his way, Goofy knew now it had chosen the wrong goof to fulfill its task. Because of it, his son was in danger, and it was doing little to help him.

Magical quest or not, he was going to rescue Max. Then, he would do whatever it was that he was brought to the strange world beyond the mirror to do.

“Goof?” Dash’s voice distantly called out.

“Huh? Dash? Yuh there?” Goofy replied.

“Goof! Wake up!”

A sudden impact hit the back of Goofy’s head.

“HOO-WHUH!?” Goofy yelped, as he jumped many feet into the air.

“Jeez!! What the heck are you tryin’ to do!!?” Creep asked, standing on shaking knees.

“Heh-heh. I don’t know who jumped highah. You or the goofs,” Cheepskate said, idly flipping a playing card between his fingers. “Mighty fine jump, seein’ how they’re all tied up like that.”

“Huh?” Goofy said.

Usually slow on the uptake, Goofy wondered how even he could have missed how he was tied to a chair.

Behind him, Dash was bound to another chair, and was jumping up and down against her ropes to escape

“Aw, give it up, goofs. You two are all trussed up like a couple o’ toikies ‘bout to be roasted,” Creep said.

“Yeah! Laugh it up!” Dash grunted, as she struggled so hard that she knocked her head against Goofy’s again. “We’re gonna trash you like we did in Trottingham!”

“Ain’t that a hoot? The way I remembah, it was me an’ my little bro who put a jackhammah inta ya gut back there,” Cheepskate cackled.

“Lucky hit! That’s all!” Dash growled. “Even if you got us tied up, me and Goof here are still gonna turn all of you into coats!” She and Goofy both started inching closer to the weasels. “And then--We’re gonna--find Pinkie--and finish this quest!”

Knowing full well the two goofs were capable of the most unpredictable things, the two weasels readied to draw their weapons.

“Not ‘til we--find my son!” Goofy said.

“Yeah! We’ll get him--while we’re--doing all that other stuff!” Dash replied, inching toward Creep.

“No! We’re doin’ it--now!” Goofy said, shuffling to the door.

“What are you doing, Goof?!--We still have to--”

“Hafta whut?” Goofy said, as he struggled against Dash trying to steer another way. “Ain’t no real reezun fer us tuh be here--”

“We know why we’re here!--We’re here to--kick flank--and smash evil!” Dash said, suddenly swerving in the same direction as Goofy, and spinning him to the direction she wanted.

“Mebbe that’s whut yer here for--I was told that I wuz brought where I wuz needed!--Well, my son needs me!--An’ I’m goin’ tuh find him!”

The weasels stood back and watched the spectacle before them. Between the two of them, they shared a devious chuckle. Catching the goofs was sweet enough. Watching them fight against one another was pure ambrosia.

With one last heave, Dash and Goofy fell over. At the exact same time, the door squeaked open, and in walked Cheet.

“Whaddaya doin’? Cray said to make sure these goofs didn’t move,” Cheet said.

“They ain’t goin’ anywhere like that,” Cheepskate said, pointing to Dash and Goofy.

“Well, get ‘em up. We got everything set, an’ that selfish shellfish wants them in his room. So, let’s quit dilly-dallyin’ an’ haul these goofs,” Cheet said.

And as one, the three weasels lifted the goofs into the air, chairs and all.

The trip was nauseating, to say the least. Quick as a breeze, the weasels ran. And with such coordination that even as the goofs struggled, their captors didn’t miss a step. Every turn was done on a dime. Every step was perfectly coordinated, and moved as if it had been rehearsed.

After only a few turns, though it seemed many to Dash and Goofy, they came to another door, which Cheet opened.

Once they were hauled inside and dropped to the floor, the captives were able to see where they had been taken.

It was a room very much like the casino they had previously been in. Only, it was much smaller, and with only a few tables that were set up for games. At the side, almost an entire wall was made of glass, revealing a massive aquarium with a mirrored backside.

And with a thud, Cheet and the Klepto brothers dropped the goofs in front of the blackjack table.

“There!” Cheet said, dusting his hands. “Now, we just gotta wait, ‘til the boss gets here.”

“Yeah? Well you better hope he gets here real slow! ‘Cause, when your boss gets here, I’m gonna pick him up and beat you all with him!” Dash threatened, thrashing against her ropes.

Behind her, Goofy tried to keep the seats steady. Unsuccessfully so, as the two chairs toppled over once more.

The only thing keeping them from falling completely over was Goofy stretching his neck out and chomping his buck teeth into the edge of the blackjack table.

Without missing a beat, Dash continued her struggle, and Goofy kept his grip on the table. And all the while, the weasels laughed at their predicament.

Somewhere in a nearby room, a door rattled on its hinges.

On top of the catwalk in the room, two weasels jolted at the noise.

“Uh-oh. That’s Cray,” Theef said to Sneek.

“Razzum-frazzum, piece of junk!!” Mr. Cray’s voice sounded from the other side. “Who was the bean-brained bozo who decided round door knobs would be the standard!?”

Not wanting to incur the wrath of another minion of Yen Sid, Sneek darted down the stairs of the catwalk and turned the doorknob.

The moment the latch clicked, the door burst open, slamming Sneek against the wall.

Mr. Cray shoved his way in, dragging a small chair behind himself. Afterward, he was followed by Miss Argente and Max.

“Both of you, get in here! And stay put!” Mr. Cray ordered, slamming the chair down in front of the enormous aquarium. “Kid! You get on this chair, and watch through that glass! You’re about to see the show of your life!” he said, as he returned to the door, slammed it shut and locked it, revealing a flattened Sneek. “Miss Argente!”

“Yes, Monsieur Cray?” the silver cervequin said, shrinking at the sudden address.

“You stay here and keep your eyes on the kid! And don’t you dare let him move from that seat! Or it’s going to be you in that tank!” Mr. Cray said, pointing to the aquarium. “Weasels!”

“Yeah!” Sneek and Theef said at once.

“You make sure these two stay put! And keep a hold on that goof up there!” he said, as he stomped around the corner of the aquarium. He stopped when he reached the door. “And somebody open this door for me!! I lose enough money replacing these stupid things every week!!”

“On it!” Sneek volunteered, cracking himself like a rug and resuming his normal shape.

He darted around the aquarium and opened the door for Mr. Cray, who stormed past him without even looking.

Had the crustacean been looking, he may not have knocked Sneek over, and slammed the door in his face when he left.

The door locked with a heavy click, and the four were now trapped in the room.

Max looked up and stepped as far back as he could from the tank. He had heard there was a goof up there, and his heart fluttered at the idea of seeing his father again.

“Dad!” he called.

There was no answer. And he could see nothing atop the catwalk, but Theef sitting next to a winch.

“Yer old man ain’t here, kiddo. Just keep lookin’ through the glass. You’ll see,” Theef said, smiling deviously.

Though Max feared the creatures in the aquarium, he climbed atop the chair that Mr. Cray had brought in and warily peered inside.

Next to him, Miss Argente waited to pull Max away, fearing that her employer had expounded his cruelty and tossed the young goof’s father into the tank. Always on guard to turn Max away from a gruesome sight, she too looked through the glass at what was about to unfold.

Mr. Cray stomped down a hallway. And at the third door down, he started trying to open it.

Between rage, frustration and anticipation, he couldn’t bother to get somebody else to open the door for him.

“That’s it!! I won’t be bested by some malfunctioning piece of tin!!” he shouted.

Inside the game room, Dash, Goofy and the weasels all glanced toward the source of a loud crash.

With a burst of splaying metal, Mr. Cray’s claw busted through the door, and sliced around the latch like a can opener.

The room shook when the door slammed open, and Mr. Cray stomped toward the goofs.

“You two!” he shouted. “You’ve been a pain in my shell for too long! First, you stow away on my ship! Then, you harass my customers! You mug my waitresses! You trash my theater! You skip the bill on hundreds of peus worth of drinks! And you still got the nerve to put a dent in my blackjack table!” Mr. Cray yelled, grabbing Goofy’s nose in his claw. “Anything I missed!?”

“We, uh...W-We tracked sum soot ontuh yer carpet downstairs…” Goofy meekly answered. “OW!!”

Mr. Cray tightened his hold on Goofy’s nose, and turned a brighter shade of red as his temperature rose. With a heave, he pulled the goof’s teeth from his table, set him and Dash upright and released Goofy’s nose.

“You goofs are in deep! Everything that’s been going wrong around here’s completely your fault! And I’m going to have you pay out the nose to compensate!” Mr. Cray said.

Dash started jumping in an attempt to turn the chairs around and face Mr. Cray.

“You wish! Even if we had the bits, we wouldn’t pay you horse apples!” Dash said, as she struggled to turn.

“You’ll be paying with that big mouth, if you don’t comp me!” Mr. Cray threatened. “I already have that pink party favor of yours! And she’s not leaving, until she’s worked off everything she owes!”

“Pinkie!?” Goofy said, as he tried to face Mr. Cray. “Whudda yuh mean yuh got her? What’d ya do tuh her!?”

“Nothing. Yet. Unless she agrees to work off her debt, she’s fish food!”

“Give her back! Now! Or I’ll--” Dash demanded.

She was cut off when Mr. Cray clasped his claw around her open mouth.

“Or, what!? You’re in no place to negotiate with me, you squawking blue jay! And unless you want to join your friend, you two are going to get to work on this ship, until your debt’s paid!” Mr. Cray shouted, throttling Dash.

“Forget your stupid debt! Where’s Pinkie!?” Dash demanded.

“You really want to know?” Mr. Cray said.

He grabbed the backs of each chair with one claw, and dragged the goofs over to his massive fish tank. Heaving them both over his shoulder, he plastered their faces against the glass.

From their side, they only saw the simulated underwater world, and the mirrored glass at the back of the tank. On the other side, it was a completely different show.

A smile blossomed onto Max’s face when he saw who was pushed against the glass.

“Dad!” he called out, and started slapping his palm onto the glass.

For as excited as Max was, Miss Argente feared that the force of his blows may crack the glass. Try as she did to settle him, there was no stopping the young goof.

“Dad! I’m here!” Max shouted.

Gradually, he relented, when he started to feel as though his father couldn’t see or hear him. And through the glass, he saw Cheet take a two-way radio out of his pocket.

On the catwalk above, a beep and a crackle was heard.

“Hey, Theef! Boss man says to drop the goof!” Cheet’s garbled voice said.

“Roger that. 10-4. An’ you got it,” Theef answered.

“Hang on,” Sneek said, before running to look through the glass. “I wanna get a front row view o’ this show! Let ‘er rip!”

And with a simple slap of his palm, Theef released a latch that made the winch unspool.

To all who stood below, a horrifying spectacle awaited. Dropped into the aquarium, bound, gagged and weighted with a lead diving belt was Pinkie Pie.

The pink mare struggled against her ropes, kicking up clouds of silt and sand as she did. During her struggle, she turned so that she could see her friends’ faces pressed against the glass.

A mass of bubbles escaped her mouth, as she tried to call out to them. But, the more she did, the more she felt her chest was going to implode from a lack of air.

She could see her friends shouting for her, valiantly trying to free themselves to rush to her rescue. Then, Pinkie saw them pause for a single moment. And even though Pinkie couldn’t hear their words, she recognized the way their lips were moving.

“Behind you!” they were saying.

Pinkie twisted around. At first, she saw nothing. Then, she noticed it.

In the rows of the simulated kelp forest, something was moving. She could barely make it out through the pinhole spaces between the giant leaves. All she could tell was that it was big. Very big. And following its shape, she could see the very tip of a mouth. But like no mouth she ever saw.

What looked like a parrot’s beak with two sharp points on the upper and lower jaws jutted out. But, that wasn’t all. On the lower jaw, a third protrusion was seen. Not at all like the others, it looked metallic and rusty.

And a short way behind that was the massive eye of the beast, looking right at her.

With another burst of bubbles from her gagged mouth, Pinkie swung herself out of the way, just out of reach of the snapping jaws.

When she dodged, Pinkie could see that the unnatural protrusion was a massive metal hook.

The giant fish snapped to the side, bumping Pinkie out of the way with its head when it tried to bite her again.

Another snap, and Pinkie saw the hook was slicing toward her.

She bent her back and moved clear of the slicing instrument.

The beast rushed her with its mouth open.

Pinkie spun herself aside, and was only bumped by the beast’s head. And it continued to bump her, as she bounced down its length.

After the fish passed, she began to feel herself growing dizzy from a lack of air. As best she could, Pinkie struggled to free herself. Though her efforts were valiant, Pinkie couldn’t escape. All she could do was keep swinging, and hope that the beast didn’t catch her.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! This is fer tryin’ to scrub my nose off back in Trottingham!” Theef guffawed.

Much as he wanted to see his father again, Max could no longer watch the frightening scene.

Noticing his distress, Miss Argente tried to take the young goof to another part of the room. Before the first step away was taken, she found herself facing the tip of a silver straight razor.

“You heard the boss. You two stay put. Unless you want my friend here to fix that pretty face o’ yours,” Sneek said, threateningly brandishing the blade.

With little other choice, Miss Argente stayed. Though she averted Max’s gaze from the sight.

As much as Theef was enjoying himself, his fun was about to end. His radio crackled to life again, and Cheet’s voice sounded once more.

“Alright. Boss says to hoist her up,” came the message.

“Aw, nuts,” Theef said, before he started cranking the winch.

From Mr. Cray’s game room, Dash and Goofy kept shouting, until they saw Pinkie get pulled rapidly upward.

The monstrous fish took one last snap at Pinkie, managing only to get a chunk from the front of her mane, before it relented and swam back into hiding.

Once the tank was empty of life, Mr. Cray dragged Dash and Goofy to the middle of the room.

Nothing the two goofs said could be made out, as they shouted over one another at Mr. Cray. Before they went on too long, the crustacean knocked both of their heads together.

“Zip it!” Mr. Cray shouted. “You goofs aren’t going anywhere, until you pay up! And if you can’t pay, YOU WORK!!!”

There was clearly no negotiating with their captor. For a moment, neither goof said anything. Until Goofy spoke up.

“Whut can we do tuh get out o’ here now?” Goofy asked.

Then, it was Mr. Cray’s turn for silence. His face morphed from rage to intrigue, and his clenched claws loosened.

“Well...Since you put it that way,” he said.

And with a swing of his arm, he lifted Dash and Goofy into the air and sliced through the ropes that bound them.

Both captives fell to the floor.

Dash was the first to stand, and saw Mr. Cray walk behind the nearby blackjack table. Once he was there, he took a pack of cards from underneath.

“You get one hand to play. Normal blackjack rules: you both have to beat the dealer. And if one of you busts, you both lose,” Mr. Cray explained.

Goofy tried to get up by using Dash’s back as a prop. Before he could, Dash approached the table, sending Goofy back to the floor.

“What kind of stakes are we playing for?” she asked.

“You win: you go free. All three of you. You never have to see me, or this ship ever again. You lose--” Mr. Crays face suddenly shifted to a sadistic smirk, “--I keep the pink strumpet to work off her debt, and you goofs become muckasaur bait.”

“Whut!!?” Goofy shouted, as he pulled himself up with the table. “Yuh just said we’d have tuh work for yuh before! Whut’s the big idea changin’ cunditions like that!?”

“You’re playing for a bigger win, you run a bigger loss? Are you in? Or out?” Mr. Cray said.

Goofy exchanged glances with Dash. Neither sure precisely what to do.

When he didn’t get an answer right away, Mr. Cray glared slightly.

“How about this? For every hand you don’t bust, I’ll answer any questions you want. And I’ll elaborate on it for as long as I feel like. Doesn’t matter what you want to know: how much fuel this ship uses. My shoe size. Family. It’s all on the table,” he offered.

At the word ‘family,’ Goofy’s mind went immediately to his son. If there was any chance of learning where Max was, he was going to take it.

“Alright. I’m in,” Goofy said.

“Me too!” Dash declared.

“Great. Let’s deal,” Mr. Cray said.

“But--” Goofy interjected.

“But what?” Mr. Cray said, suddenly agitated.

If there was any chance to win, Goofy knew he had to eliminate all chances that Mr. Cray would play dirty. And there was something he had been sitting on since he woke up in that small room earlier. Something Dash had given to him, and he had passed off to his own reflection.

Reaching into his back pocket, Goofy produced his own pack of cards.

“But, we’re usin’ my cards,” Goofy said.

“*Ulp--*” Cheet, Creep and Cheepskate all gasped, when their edge suddenly ebbed.

“Fine,” Mr. Cray said.

“And if anypony in the room’s caught cheating, they get thrown to the muckasaurs!! Same if there’s any outside interference!!” Dash quickly added, pointing a hoof at Mr. Cray.

“Alright, already! Let’s play!” Mr. Cray said, as he sliced through the pack of cards he held with his claw.

He took Goofy’s cards, and threw six cards onto the table. Two for Dash, two for Goofy, then two for himself.

The first card had been played face down. The second was up for them all to see. Dash had been given an ace. Goofy had been dealt a three. And Mr. Cray had also been dealt an ace.

“What’s it gonna be? Hit? Or stay?” Mr. Cray asked.

“Hit me!” Dash said, as she turned her face down card over, revealing a two of diamonds. “Yes! I’m already closer to 21 than you! This game’s in the bag!” she boasted.

“You really don’t know how to play blackjack, do you?” Mr. Cray said. “You just played your hole. Now, you’ve got thirteen, and another card coming.”

Dash’s confidence waned slightly when the next card was dealt.

With a flick of his wrist, Mr. Cray dealt a card Dash’s way.

When it was examined, Dash found it to be another two.

“Two. Fifteen,” Mr. Cray said. “What about you, goof? Hit, or stay?”

Goofy looked at the measly three that had been played for him. Knowing that even if he had an ace or a face card, he was not likely to win with only a maximum of fourteen.

“Hit me,” he said.

Upon those words, Creep took a club from his jacket.

Before he took the first step forward, his brother stopped him, and silently signalled for him to put his weapon away.

Suddenly recalling what was said about outside interference, Creep put his club away.

Goofy was dealt his card, and found it to be a four.

“Four. Seven,” Mr. Cray said. “Ya didn’t bust. So, ask your question.”

Dash opened her mouth to interrogate the shellfish. But before the first syllable was spoken, Goofy blurted out his question.

“Where’s my son!?” he demanded.

“Hm,” Mr. Cray said with a sudden smirk, “Going right for the big money questions, eh?” He pointed his claw to his side. “He’s here. Right now.”

With a growing sense of alarm, Goofy saw that Mr. Cray was pointing directly at the massive aquarium where Pinkie had nearly met her end.

“Keep your shirt on. Even I’m not that cruel. The back of that tank’s made of one-way glass. Anyone in the room on the other side can see our whole game of cards,” said the crustacean.

“Maxie?” Goofy said.

He rushed from the table back to the glass wall, and peered through. Pressing his nose against the glass, he tried to see past the screen of kelp, but only saw the reflective backside.

On the other side, Max could see his father’s lips moving. And he knew it was his name being called.

“Miss Argente! Look! He knows I’m here!” Max excitedly said, before he started pounding on the glass again, “Dad!!”

“Max! Please, stop!” Miss Argente said, taking hold of Max’s hands.

Before Max could ask why, he saw what she was looking at.

The beast in the tank was slowly drifting into view. And its one visible eye was set squarely on the source of the disturbance in its watery home.

Suddenly shaken, Max relented his assault.

To their side, Sneek smirked, as he whittled a tiny block of wood with his razor.

Once the monstrous fish had passed by, Max saw Mr. Cray walk to his father’s side.

“In case you’re wondering, your son can see you right now,” Mr. Cray said.

“Huh?” Goofy said.

When he looked to Mr. Cray, he saw the broken door past him. If he could somehow overpower the shellfish and his weasel goons…

“Ya’d never make it, goof. By the time you reached that door, my boys would give the signal to drop your friend in the tank for old Chopper. And your son would be long gone from that room,” Mr. Cray said.

Glancing over, he saw Cheet standing at the ready with his radio. Weighing his options, Goofy opted to play by his captor’s rules.

“We got another hand to play, goof,” Mr. Cray said.

“Alright. But, if I win, would my son leave with me?” Goofy asked.

“You’ll see. If you win.”

And the two walked back to the table, where Rainbow Dash was eagerly awaiting the next play.

“Next round. Hit, or stay?” Mr. Cray said.

Dash and Goofy both looked at their cards.

Dash was already in deep at fifteen. But, she knew that if there was any chance of winning, she had to risk the highest possible sum.

“Hit me,” she said.

“On fifteen? You’re as good as chum right now!” Mr. Cray guffawed, as he dealt the next card. When Dash turned it over, his smile faded. “Four. Nineteen.”

Dash was starting to feel invincible. She was now only two away from a perfect win.

“Hit,” Goofy said.

And after another flick of a wrist, Goofy saw what was dealt to him.

“Six. Thirteen. Ask away.”

“What do you want with Pinkie so bad?” Dash quickly said, before Goofy could steal another question.

“What do you mean?” Mr. Cray asked.

“The second you raise the stakes, you said that we go down, and Pinkie works for you! What does she have that you want?”

Mr. Cray’s face morphed to a devious grin, as if he had just struck gold and intended to kill all of his prospecting partners.

“Because, she’s got a sway over all of my customers that I’ve never seen. This nation alone is packed with half-brained, world-weary bozos who just want to escape. Your friend’s uncontrolled, overzealous, non-sequitur behavior is exactly what I need to draw them all in and keep them here. Because the more customers I get, the more of my product I move.”

“Product…?” Dash thought for a moment. “The mushroom drinks!”

“Bingo!” Mr. Cray said. “I need those freaks coming here to guzzle down my drinks.”

“Yuh won’t have much more, when we get word out ‘bout yer little ring here!” Goofy said.

“You really don’t get it, do you? They want to have it!” Mr. Cray said.

“I don’t need to be the Bearer of Honesty to know that’s a lie! Nopony wants to be reduced to a giggling doofus!” Dash shouted, slamming her hooves onto the table.

“Shows how much you know,” Mr. Cray said, pushing Dash back off the table by her forehead. “Everybody lives for happiness and enjoyment. It’s all they want in their lives. And if they can’t find it in one place, they go looking for it somewhere else. Those mushrooms I use to spike my drinks: they do nothing but flood the brain with happiness. Every thrill, every favorite food, everyone that they ever loved with all their heart; it all comes rushing back after a few sips. And when they have it, it’s hard to live without. So, they keep coming back to me. Until they stay here. Because once you decide you only want to feel happy, you block out everything else that inhibits that feeling. And you start to deny reality. I just help speed that process along.”

It was both disgusting and terrifying to learn about. Neither Dash, nor Goofy had given it any thought, but what Mr. Cray said was true. There were those who took their own happiness, enjoyment and comfort to such extremes that they simply blocked out all things that they perceived to be a threat to that. Goofy knew that there were those who wanted some of his earliest adventures to be blotted from history, and Dash knew full well that Pinkie embodied everything Mr. Cray was talking about.

But, they wouldn’t relent.

“It ain’t everywun who’s like that. Most folks got a good head on their shoulders,” Goofy said.

“You goofs are even dumber than I thought!” Mr. Cray chuckled. “Everyone wishes they could escape the turmoil of the real world. Look at the losers who imagine themselves as the hero in all the books they read! Or when they go to the cinema! Even when they’re playing games with each other! Some of them go even more extreme and write their own stories where the lead character has their own morals, values, personality, slang, clothing style, and even their own name! Or at least their initials! They never fail! They never do wrong! It’s an escapist fantasy! And the only regret they have is that they can’t actually live it!”

“Well, I wouldn’t trade my own life for anything!” Dash rebutted. “Yeah, I’ve done all of that! But, my real life is so much better than any fantasy! I’ve made real friends! Had real adventures! I even got to live out my dreams when I became a Wonderbolt!”

“Then, I guess I’d have a heck of a time convincing you to take any more drinks,” Mr. Cray said, before placing the cards on the table. “Hit, or stay?”

Goofy looked to his own cards, and saw what was dealt to him. He had a total sum of thirteen. Anything over an eight would bust him. But, with his son at stake, he was willing to risk anything.

“Hit me!” Dash said.

“HWUH!!!” Goofy shouted.

“Hey, fish! Looks like meat’s on your menu!” Cheepskate called to the fish tank.

“You’ve got to be joking! You got nineteen right now!” Mr. Cray said.

“Yuh heard him, Dash! Nineteen! Ain’t that enough!?” Goofy tried to reason.

“No! We need the biggest win possible to beat this guy! You think he’d play fair, even if he’s using our cards?” Dash rebutted.

For a moment, Goofy paused, letting his friend’s words sink in. Putting his trust in her, he conceded.

“Alright...Yuh heard the mare. Hit her,” Goofy said.

And with a devilish chuckle, Mr. Cray flicked a card at Rainbow Dash.

Dash stared at the face down card, her chest tightening at the prospect of what the result may have been.

Sweat perspired on her forehead. And with a hoof that she struggled to steady, she turned it over so that only she could see it.

Mr. Cray grinned when he saw Dash’s blank expression. And it only grew when he saw Dash slowly place her card onto the table with her hoof over the top of it. However, his expression quickly changed to confusion when he saw Dash’s face lighten.

“Ace…” Dash breathed, revealing the ace of hearts.

“WHAT!!?” Mr. Cray yelped.

The weasels took the revelation no better. Cheepskate throttled Creep’s neck. Creep whaled on Cheepskate’s stomach. And Cheet banged his head repeatedly against the nearest wall.

In the other room, Max was laughing hysterically at the sight of Mr. Cray’s distress. And even more at the weasels grieving over their loss.

It did Miss Argente good to see Max enjoying himself. But, with so much still at stake, she knew she couldn’t join the celebration.

Creep had started to turn blue. Cheepskate had become nauseous. And Cheet was starting to forget his parents’ names.

“KNOCK IT OFF OVER THERE!!!” Mr. Cray shouted.

Slowly, the weasels all collapsed, one on top of the other.

Once the row was over, the crustacean returned his attention to the game.

“Call it, dealer,” Dash complacently said.

“Ace. Twenty,” Mr. Cray growled, glaring contemptuously at Dash. “And you, goof?”

Goofy recalled what Dash had just told him. In order to beat Mr. Cray, they needed the biggest win possible. He was going to keep going, until he hit the highest number he felt he could reach.

“Hit me,” Goofy resolutely said.

And with mechanical motion, Mr. Cray dealt Goofy’s card.

“Seven. Twenty,” Mr. Cray said, less enraged than before.

“YES!!!” Dash and Goofy both whooped.

“Don’t celebrate just yet! Even if you stayed, you still have to play your card in the hole!” Mr. Cray said.

Goofy looked down, and saw that he had quite forgotten about the first card he had been dealt. Suddenly, he was overcome by fear and foreboding.

Dash too felt it. She looked anxiously at the card on the table and her nerves bristled at the sight of it.

“You still haven’t busted. So, why don’t you ask one last question, before you goofs sleep with the fishes?” Mr. Cray offered.

If they were going to go out, Goofy decided that he would rather go, knowing what his purpose in that other world was.

“Why are yuh doin’ this?” he asked.

“You’re being a bit vague there, goof. Doing what, exactly?” Mr. Cray replied.

“Any o’ this!!” Goofy exploded, “Kidnappin’ my son!”

“Stealing everypony’s magic!” Dash added.

“Terrorizin’ folk wherever yuh go!”

“Ruining everypony’s life!”

Mr. Cray simply sat back as he was bombarded by questions. When it was over, he simply stared at his two opponents.

“If you’re done, I’ll answer all of that,” he said. “I don’t really have any stake in all of this. There’s no reward in it for me. But, no loss either. It’s my boss who wants everyone’s magic taken.”

“So, what’s he want with it? Anypony with that kind of power wouldn’t take it for no good reason!” Dash said.

“You got that right. It’s my job to spread the kind of magic that him, me, and the goof here all use. Because the more that it spreads, the stronger he becomes. And the stronger he becomes, the more he can clutch this pitiful world and squeeze it for all it’s worth!” Mr. Cray said, illustrating by clenching his claw. “Everyone and everything that exists here will be his to control! He could create as he pleases! And anything he doesn’t want in his world is going to be erased from existence!”

“Yeah? Well, I’m not gonna let that happen!” Dash said.

“It’s happening now,” Mr. Cray said. “The stuff I make on this ship makes anyone who takes it feel that same joy as when they experience my magic. It makes them easy to control. Especially when the boss spreads his magic here!”

“Then, whut’s my son got tuh do with all this?” Goofy asked. If anything, he was going to learn the reason why he and Max were brought to Equestria.

“You want to know?” Mr. Cray asked. “Come here.”

He motioned for Dash and Goofy to lean closer to him. An urging that they obliged.

When they nearly met in the middle, Mr. Cray elaborated in a low voice.

“It’s all...a wild...GOOSE CHASE!!!”

When Cheet passed out, he depressed the talk-back button on his radio beneath his chest.

In the other room, Theef’s radio crackled loudly, as Mr. Cray’s shout screeched with feedback, making him jump.

Below, Max and Miss Argente both covered their ears.

Sneek had whittled his piece of wood into the shape of a shapely lady weasel in great detail. But, the sound of the radio made him jump so hard that he threw his straight razor and his figurine upward.

Above the tank, Pinkie lamented that she had no free hoof to cover her ears. And it became worse when she was pelted in the face by Sneek’s figurine.

The piece of wood fell into the tank and was promptly eaten by the monstrous fish within.

“Aw, I hope ya choke on a splinter!!” Sneek shouted to the fish.

For Pinkie, all was not lost. Something else Sneek had thrown landed in her bound hooves. Something small and sharp, which she could just clasp in her hooves. If she could manipulate it just right, she knew she could escape.

In the game room, Dash and Goofy stopped their heads from rattling.

“Whuddayuh mean, ‘wild goose chase?’” Goofy asked.

“I mean the only reason you’re even here is to chase your kid around all willy-nilly, with no other direction or purpose!” Mr. Cray elaborated.

“That can’t be it! Goof and his friends were brought here for a reason!” Dash said.

“Maybe the others were. The goof here was just dumb enough to tag along. The boss brought his kid here, just so he’d stay out of the way and not muck anything up! Fat lot of good that’s doing, though!” Mr. Cray said, glaring over at the awakening weasels.

It was a shock to Goofy’s entire system. He had been wondering as to his purpose on the magical quest. Now, he knew there was none. If there was any reason that he was to be there, it was to rescue his son. All other things would have to be put aside.

“I’m assuming you’ll stay your hand this round. But, you still have your card in the hole. Play it,” Mr. Cray implored, motioning to the face down card.

With a sum of twenty, any card was suicide. But, with one last look to the fish tank, his resolve was steeled.

Max watched in anticipation as his father turned over his card on the table.

Dash tried not to bite her lip off as the card turned.

Goofy’s eyes narrowed, and he lifted the card for himself to see.

“...A-hyuck…” Goofy said, with no tone or emotion.

“Don’t keep me waiting, goof. Show your card,” Mr. Cray said.

“ACE!” Goofy victoriously declared, slamming the ace of clubs onto the table.

“Yeah, it is!!!” Dash shouted, high hoofing Goofy.

“Ace...Twenty-one,” Mr. Cray said.

“And I’m staying!” Dash announced.

“No more hits. Dealer plays his card in the hole.”

Once more, Dash and Goofy stopped breathing as Mr. Cray flipped his other card.

“Ace,” Mr. Cray said.

“Ha! Two aces! That takes you over twenty-one! All you got now is a lousy two!!!” Dash declared.

“We did it! Hot dog, we did it! We beat thuh house!!!” Goofy shouted, taking Dash’s hoof and dancing circles around her.

“You goofs are even dumber than I gave you credit for,” Mr. Cray said.

“Huh?” Dash and Goofy said at once.

“Don’t be a sore loser! You said that if we beat you, we’d go free with Pinkie! So, pay up, gumbo!” Dash demanded.

“And you said that anyone caught cheating would be food for muckasaurs. Take a look at the cards!” Mr. Cray said.

Doing as instructed, they didn’t immediately see what he meant. Dash had the ace of diamonds, the 2 of hearts, the 2 of spades, the 4 of clubs and the ace of hearts. Goofy had the 3 of clubs, the four of hearts, the 6 of spades, the seven of diamonds, and the ace of clubs.

Looking at Mr. Cray’s hand, he had two identical ace of spades set beside one another.

“Why, yuh no good cheat!” Goofy accused.

“You called?” Cheet asked.

“Me, a cheat? It was your deck, goof! You’re the one trying to fleece me!” Mr. Cray said, jamming his claw into Goofy’s nose.

There was no arguing with Mr. Cray on that point. But, had Goofy known how he had gotten it from Dash, who had received it from Pinkie, who stole it from a weasel, he might have been able to make sense of the cheater deck.

“What’s happening out there? Why does dad look so worried?” Max asked Miss Argente.

The look on Goofy’s face was one that Miss Argente knew only too well. The same face of shocked hopelessness and defeat that so many had worn after meeting Mr. Cray. The very same as herself, when her husband abandoned her all those years ago.

She swallowed her resurgence of all those feelings, and tried her best to explain to Max what had happened.

“Max...I...don’t think zat you’ll be going home…” she choked.

Miss Argente’s heart broke ever so slightly when she saw Max’s face drop to the same defeated expression as his father’s.

“No…! It’s not true! My dad can’t lose!” Max said, before he resumed pounding on the glass.

“You goofs had your chance! And you lost!! The pink pony’s mine! And you two are chum!!” Mr. Cray said.

He slammed his claw onto a button beneath his blackjack table, and the floor beneath Dash and Goofy opened up, sending them plummeting back down to the depths of the Double Down.

Author's Note

Not a pretty picture this is. The goofs just keep getting into deeper trouble the longer they stay on that ship.

The moment I started this story arch, I wanted there to be a card game against Mr. Cray. However, the ending is a bit different. Originally, the ending was going to lead into the showdown, where Max and Pinkie work together to shatter the tank and flood Mr. Cray's game room. But, that didn't seem too plausible or exciting. So, the showdown will have to wait for a little bit. Sorry, for anyone who was looking forward to the big fight.

Something you might have noticed is how when they have differing view points and goals, the goofs are out of sync. What was once a coordinated team is now a bumbling mess. Let's hope that doesn't affect them much during later chapters. Of course, it would be a pretty good handicap for then.

In addition to a loss of coordination, Goofy and Dash have learned some very important details of their magical quest. Namely, they're on a pointless escapade that's meant to keep them out of the way. Heck of a thing to learn that you're worthless, isn't it?

As normal, there are references that have sneaked into the story. In this case, Mr. Cray's pet is a reference to one of my new favorite comics, called 'Hook Jaw.' The hero of those comics is a giant, disfigured shark who has a fisherman's harpoon stuck in his lower jaw.

In this case, the fish is not a shark, but a prehistoric apex predator from the devonian period called dunkleosteus. I have to credit my nephew for lending me the book that clued me in to this thing. Otherwise, I might have made it a megalodon, and been a bit too on the nose with the Hook Jaw reference.

Another reference that showed up was Goofy's earlier adventures in the Gottfredson comics. There are people who think that media like that should be erased from history, because it has less than enlightened views of certain demographics.

Sure, those comics are embarrassing and uncomfortable to read. But, to scrub them out of existence and deny they ever existed is dangerous. It's the surest way that people will forget history, and end up repeating it.

That's about all I got here. Rock on until the next chapter, all \m/

Chapter 53: Once Together, Now Apart

Chapter 53

Once Together, Now Apart

Kelp leaves gently swayed in Mr. Cray’s massive aquarium. All else was still as stone. Until a shadow drifted over the bottom, stirring the silt into a whirlwind that followed the sudden current.

The giant, disfigured fish, dubbed Chopper by Mr. Cray, swam wide circles in his tank, eagerly awaiting the pink morsel that dangled above his waters to be dropped once more.

Ever since Sneek’s straight razor had landed in her hooves, Pinkie had been surreptitiously trying to cut herself free. The going had been excruciatingly slow, and she was beginning to doubt if she would ever escape the thick ropes that bound her.

From where he sat, it looked to Theef like she was simply trying to wriggle out of her ropes. And he was enjoying every minute of watching her, as his palm rested on the lever that would drop Pinkie

At the moment, he was idly picking his teeth with his toothpick, and absentmindedly throttled the lever.

Pinkie shook on her ropes, and loosed a muffled yelp through her gag when she almost dropped her razor.

“Ehhhh, shaddap,” Theef said.

Below the tank, the scene was not much happier. After seeing his father defeated in a supremely unfair game, Max did nothing but sulk in his seat. And try as Miss Argente did to comfort him since then, there was nothing she could say or do to lift the young goof’s spirits.

Deep down, she knew why. It was because without his father, he was doomed to stay aboard the Double Down, until Mr. Cray ordered the weasels to take him somewhere else in a world he knew nothing about.

Rather than continue trying to talk Max through his ordeal, Miss Argente opted to silently stay by his side, until the dreaded moment Mr. Cray arrived.

And it came sooner than she knew.

Somewhere beyond the room, a metallic door swung open and slammed shut.

So great was the sudden shock that Pinkie nearly dropped her razor again.

Two large claws punched through the door, and sliced through like it was tin foil. Mr. Cray burst through the door, breaking it apart. Behind him, Cheet, Creep and Cheepskate followed.

“GET YOUR HAND OFF THAT LEVER!!!” Mr. Cray shouted, without even being able to see Theef.

“Whup!!! Whoah!!” Theef shouted, as he jumped in his seat and accidentally pushed the lever on the winch forward.

Pinkie gasped as she plummeted toward the water.

Theef caught the rope in his bare hands and slowed Pinkie’s descent.

“YEEEE-OOOWW!!” he shouted, as his hands started to smoke.

With a sudden jerk, Pinkie stopped just above the surface of the water and her razor jumped from her hooves.

Glancing upward, she was only just able to clasp it in her rear hooves.

“Somebody help me out here!!! My hands’re lightin’ up like a luau!!!” Theef yelled.

“What are you waiting for!!? Don’t let my diva become an hors d'oeuvre yet!!” Mr. Cray ordered.

With that, Cheet, Sneek, Cheepskate and Creep all darted upstairs. After them, Max ran upstairs, shoving past Mr. Cray.

“Max! Wait!” Miss Argente called, taking a brief moment to check on Mr. Cray. After he angrily snapped his claws at her, she followed after Max.

All six took hold of the rope, and slowly hauled Pinkie upward, while the beast swam hungrily below.

The rope started going slack. Max took it upon himself to crank the winch and spool it up.

“That’s it. Dis boid’s hoisted high as a Christmas goose,” Cheepskate said, just before he and the other weasels let go of the rope.

Max had to brace himself against the crank to keep Pinkie from falling again.

Before he collapsed, Miss Argente locked the mechanism, letting Max free.

“She’s safe, boss!” Cheet called.

“Safer than you’ll be, if you don’t get down here right now!! Get back to the roof, all of you!! You’re getting off my ship yesterday!!” Mr. Cray shouted.

Four of the weasels quickly rushed downstairs, nearly bowling over Mr. Cray in the process. Cheet, however, stayed to offer one last taunt to Pinkie.

“Ya know, you ain’t lookin’ so good, goof. An’ after all that trouble you, the pigeon-horse an’ the dippy dawg gave us, I ain’t feelin’ too bad for ya,” Cheet said.

Pinkie thrashed against her ropes and shouted muffled curses at Cheet.

Cheet glimpsed between Pinkie and the monster fish in the tank.

“Hm...Ya know what ya need? Some condiments!!” Cheet said.

Pinkie’s eyes shot wide when she saw Cheet take her bottle of hot sauce from his coat, and wound up his arm to throw it at her.

“What are you doing up there!!? Get moving!!” Mr. Cray shouted.

Cheet jumped, and nearly dropped the bottle of hot sauce into the tank.

Pinkie gasped when she saw the bottle balanced on only the tip of Cheet’s finger. But, after a moment of fumbling, the weasel managed to grip the bottle, and safely pocket it.

“Comin’!” Cheet answered Mr. Cray, as he ran downstairs and followed the door to the roof.

Up top, Max lingered to watch Pinkie for a moment, while she fought to retrieve her hot sauce.

“Max, we should be going,” Miss Argente said.

“In a minute,” Max said, before talking to Pinkie, “Hey!”

Pinkie stopped struggling a moment, and turned to face Max. Even though her world was literally upside-down, she immediately recognized the young goof from the picture in Goofy’s wallet.

“Mapf!!!?” Pinkie said through her gag.

“Are you friends with my dad?” Max asked.

“Mm-hm!!!” Pinkie said, emphatically nodding.

“Miss Argente!! Get down here! And bring the kid!!” Mr. Cray yelled.

Miss Argente tried to lead Max away, but he insisted on staying.

“You have a plan to beat Mr. Cray, don’t you?” Max asked.

For a moment, Pinkie was silent. She, nor Dash or Goofy had thought of any plan to defeat Mr. Cray, or any of his weaselly henchmen. But, that did not stop them back in Trottingham.

“Mm-Hm,” Pinkie replied.

Max smiled. But, before he could answer, Mr. Cray’s rough voice sounded again.

“MISS ARGENTE!!!”

“Yes, Monsieur Cray,” Miss Argente answered, “Max, we need to leave. Now.”

Though hesitant, Max knew Miss Argente was right. He had seen Mr. Cray’s wrath, and didn’t wish to be on the receiving end of it.

He and Miss Argente hurried downstairs to where Mr. Cray was waiting for them.

“Follow me. You’re about to go for a ride,” Mr. Cray said, leading them to the exit at the other end of the room.

That was it. Max knew then that he was to leave the Double Down and his father behind. With a worried look to Miss Argente, he knew that there was nothing that she nor any other creature could do.

“MOVE IT!!!” Mr. Cray barked, shoving them both along, until they were gone from the room.

Once everyone in the room was gone, Pinkie resumed slowly slicing through her ropes, keeping an eye on the monstrous Chopper, who circled below her.

The wake behind the Double Down churned and bubbled, creating a rapid stream that rolled and rumbled, stirring all behind it under and above the surface.

Up on the deck, Greesball, Speekeezy and Shlemeel all stood leaning against the guard rail, watching the wake. Between them two ropes were tied to the rails.

Over the roar of the splashing water, other noises were heard. Loud yelps and curses from far below that could barely be made out.

Steps were heard, and Freeboot appeared from the nearby staircase carrying a fishing rod and an enormous tackle box.

“How fares the fishbait, mateys? Still squawkin’?” he asked.

“Feh! Those goofs just won’t give up the ghost! Dun’t matter how long they been riding keel. They just won’t shut up,” Greesball said.

“That blue one’s been shootin’ her mouth off real good. Can’t hardly hear the boat’s wake over her,” Speekeezy said.

“You wouldn’t believe the things she says. She’d make ya blush if ya heard her,” Shlemeel added.

Freeboot stepped between the others, and looked over the back of the boat. There, at the end of two long ropes, he could see two figures tied by their ankles behind the ship.

“You think--getting keelhauled--is gonna s--stop me!!!?” Dash sputtered, as she tumbled through the water. “You--You’re just--putting more--nails--in your coff--*cough*--”

She would have continued, had the current not slammed Goofy into her side.

“Aw!! Give it--a rest--alread-y, would yuh!!” Goofy said, spitting out a mouthful of water when he finished.

He and Dash started drifting apart.

“Not until--I give those--weas--weasels--each a big--fat--shiner--OW!!!” Dash said, before her flank hit a drifting log that made her jump out of the water momentarily.

“Is that--all yuh care about!!?” Goofy said, before his nose was dragged across the many branches of many pieces of driftwood. “Whut about my--son!! He’s--more important to--to me than--some darn ol’--quest!!”

“Don’t act like--I don’t care--I’ll help you--get your son--B--” Dash and Goofy were knocked together again. “But--my job’s to--protect my friends--and Equestria!!”

“Fer whut!--If yuh just lear--ed magic like me--yuh wou--n’t have tuh--worry ‘bout guys like--that crawdad--runnin’ thuh show!!” Goofy said.

When he was done talking, they separated again, and the goof ended up riding down the length of a row of rocks.

“My magic’s just as good as yours!!!” Dash shouted, angrily jumping out of the water, and getting smacked by a low-hanging branch.

Up top, the four weasels watched in amusement at the bickering goofs.

Freeboot chuckled heartily at the sight, and opened his tackle box. Inside, there were many hooks, lures, bobs and lines. At the bottom, there were many prehistoric arthropods.

He reached in and grasped one of the creatures. For a moment, Freeboot watched as it snapped his claws at him. And with a huff, he stuck the little beast on his hook.

“Let’s see if we can’t get a catch with some more tantalizing bait,” Freeboot said, as he readied to cast his fishing line. And with a swing, he let fly.

In the tumultuous wake, Dash and Goofy drifted together again, just as Freeboot’s bait landed in the water between them.

“Whut--wuz that!?” Goofy asked.

Dash looked up and tried her best to follow the gossamer fishing line to its source. At the very end, she saw four weasels. One of them holding a familiar piece of equipment.

“He’s got your--fishing pole!!” Dash shouted.

“What’s he--got it for!!?” Goofy wondered.

“Fishing!--What else!?” Dash answered.

“Whut’s he fishin’ for!?”

“Why do you care--It doesn’t matter”

As Dash and Goofy bickered, something else was making its way to the surface. And completely without their notice, it began surfacing behind them.

First, a head larger than the two of them put together rose, followed by a neck as long as a tree.

“Ha-har!! Thar she blows, mateys!!” Freeboot said,

The beast opened its mouth and readied to eat all three morsels in one go.

It was only the raging current of the wake that made Dash and Goofy separate again, just as the beast lunged at them, and disappeared underwater.

The wake of the beast’s strike knocked the two waterlogged goofs back together.

The moment they were back together, the beast lifted its head above the water again, with Dash and Goofy both clinging to the top.

“Now look! Out o’ thuh fryin’ pan an’ intuh thuh fire!!” Goofy said, pointing to the beast they were riding.

“Like it’s my fault!! You’re supposed to be Mr. Magic around here! Magic us an escape, Starswirl!!” Dash rebutted.

The beast had eaten the bait, but had snagged Freeboot’s fishing hook on its teeth. It started grunting and bellowing as it tried to shake the hook free of its teeth.

“Knock it off!! We’re trying to talk!!” Dash yelled, as she slapped the beast’s nose with her hoof.

The beast sputtered and snorted, and started shaking its head violently.

As burly as he was, Freeboot was nearly pulled over the rail by his giant catch. Before he went, the other weasels all caught him, and were one by one pulled over the side.

Just as Speekeezy was the last one over, he gripped the rail with his ankles.

With only an elderly barman keeping them from going overboard, Freeboot didn’t dare let go of his fishing rod. Lest the combined weight of himself, Greesball and Shlemeel overpower Speekeezy.

As Dash was still carrying on her tirade against Goofy, seeing the taut line gave the goof an idea.

“--And I’d like to see you make a sonic rainboom with your kind of magic!!” Dash yelled.

“Well, rainboom all yuh want on yer own time! I’m gettin’ out o’ here!” Goofy said, gripping the fishing line.

He started shimmying his way up the gossamer thread, slowly making his way back toward the deck of the Double Down.

After only a few feet, the beast in the water snapped again, snagging one of its teeth on the back of Goofy’s shirt.

“Hey!! Leggo!! Get off o’ me!!” Goofy shouted.

“How’s that escape coming, Hoofdini? Still hanging around?” Dash asked from atop the beast’s head.

“Why don’t yuh gimme a hand here!?” Goofy asked, as he stopped the beast from snapping at him by pressing the soles of his shoes against its mouth.

“Oh, look at Mr. Magic! Needs somepony else’s hoof to make anything happen!” Dash said, as she swatted Goofy’s shirt from the tooth of the beast.

The beast shook its head, and violently flung Dash forward.

Dash grabbed Goofy around his waist and held tightly as the beast continued shaking its head to loose the hook from its teeth.

Keeping his grip, Goofy started swinging around and around the fishing line. Slowly he started sliding up its length. And as the beast shook harder, the faster Dash and Goofy ascended.

The weasels at the end shook too, with only Speekeezy’s old, frail ankles holding them to the boat.

“This is givin’ me--a real--shpilkes!!” Shlemeel said

“But it’s--fixing my--lumbago!!” Speekeezy added.

At the front, Freeboot tightened his grip, and only just barely saw the two goofs whirling toward him.

Down at the end of the line, the beast pulled hard on the line, and started to feel the hook slipping from its teeth. And with one last tug, the hook slipped free.

The recoil of the line snapped the weasels all back up to the deck.

Goofy and Dash both landed hard on top of Freeboot. Once they had landed, Goofy took back his fishing pole.

“I didn’t need a hoof from you tuh do this!” Goofy said, indicating that the ropes that bound their ankles had come undone as they were spinning around.

“Dumb luck! Real magic makes you do really cool stuff! Like fly! You ever flown with a fishing pole?” Dash rebutted.

A low growl sounded, and Freeboot sat up between them, teeth bared and fists clenched.

Seeing him, he looked more vicious than the beast that the two goofs had just encountered as they were being keelhauled. In that moment, he looked likely to gully them both with his bare hands.

With a bellow like a foghorn, Freeboot burst to his feet, blowing Dash and Goofy away.

Viewed from below, Freeboot seemed to grow in size. And he only looked worse when he was joined by the other three weasels.

Goofy looked at the wall of weasels before himself, then glanced upward. The light of the upper floors shone brightly. He knew that was where he needed to go. If however far he fell through the floor was any indication, Max was going to be on the uppermost floors of the ship. And there was no way a few weasels were going to stop him.

He raised his fishing rod to attack. But, before he even lifted his arms, Freeboot’s fist smashed into his nose, sending him flying backwards into a nearby barrel.

Dash rolled her eyes and rushed to attack next.

Freeboot swung his fist down.

Dash dodged and tried to counter with a swing of her wings.

Freeboot backpedaled away, and Dash’s wing went straight over Shlemeel’s head.

The diminutive weasel retaliated by unleashing a flurry of rabbit punches right into Dash’s chest.

For a moment, Dash thought he had stopped. But, he was only allowing Greesball room to attack next.

Dash blocked with her wing and circled around to buck.

Greesball ducked and kicked Dash’s front legs out from beneath her.

When she fell, Dash flapped her wings and spun with her rear legs outstretched.

Greesball jumped back from the attack.

Dash spun to her hooves, and was immediately smacked in the face by Speekeezy’s elbow as the old codger lifted a silver flask to drink from.

When he was done drinking, Dash recovered and almost countered. She never got the chance, as Speekeezy belched loudly in her face.

From the intense heat and stench, Dash thought he may as well have been blowing fire from the deepest pit of Tartarus from his mouth. Whatever it was, it made the pegasus stagger back.

Goofy saw his friend was in trouble. Though he wanted more than anything to rescue Max, he knew he would never live with himself if anything happened to Rainbow Dash.

He tried to pull himself from the barrel he was in, only managing to teeter forward, until he fell over.

Keeping his momentum going, Goofy managed to get upright, with only his hands, feet and the tip of his nose protruding.

The weight of the barrel soon made him topple forward again, and the goof went rolling toward Dash.

The weasels had lined up one in front of the other to attack Dash, taking successive turns in attacking her.

By the time Freeboot had moved to the front, Shlemeel was bowled over at the back of the line. After him, Speekeezy and Greesball were hit, then Freeboot. Finally, Dash was flattened by Goofy rolling into her.

Caught in the momentum of the roll, Dash and Goofy went careening toward the edge of the ship.

At the very moment Dash and Goofy were going over the edge of the ship, Dash quickly caught the rail in her front hooves, and clasped Goofy’s barrel in her rear hooves.

Unfortunately, the opening of the barrel was pointed downward, and Goofy went sliding out.

He caught the edges of the barrel, and grasped his fishing pole in his teeth before it fell.

As Dash tried to pull herself up, Freeboot reached beneath his hat and produced a lead pipe.

Seeing the burly weasel raise his arm, Dash quickly jumped to the side along the rails.

The rail dented deeply where Freeboot had struck, and he swung again.

Dash shimmied her way back and forth, avoiding each hit. Below her Goofy could feel the barrel slipping from Dash’s hooves.

Pulling his arms back, Freeboot readied to thrust his pipe into Dash’s gut.

Dash sucked in her stomach and swung herself backward, the tip of the pipe just getting her.

The surge of inertia made the barrel slip from Dash’s grip, sending Goofy plummeting below.

“AH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOY!!!” Goofy shouted, before he realized what he was holding in his mouth.

He took his fishing pole and cast his line up top, hooking the rail. Once the line was taut, Goofy quickly reeled himself up.

Dash used her momentum from dodging to jump back to solid ground, where she immediately had to duck under Freeboot’s swing.

Greesball took one of the ropes that had bound Dash and Goofy earlier, and quickly tied one end into a monkey fist. Now armed with an improvised slungshot, he swung the heavy rope at Dash.

The moment Goofy set his feet back on deck, he was bowled over by Shlemeel charging him.

Flat on his back, he had no time to react when Speekeezy drank from his flask and toppled over, striking Goofy with his elbow.

From the ground, Goofy could see that every time Dash nearly got to her hooves, she was tripped up by Greesball’s slungshot. Somehow, he knew he needed an escape. Only then would he be able to resume his rescue of his son.

Staying to fight the weasels wouldn’t be worth the effort. And he was going to make good his getaway.

He rolled to his feet and dodged another attack from Shlemeel.

Focusing his mind, Goofy readied once more to perform the secret technique of the goofs.

“Ten o’ clock!” He said, hitting Speekeezy as he assumed his stance. “Two o’ clock!” he continued, hitting Shlemeel next. “Quarter tuh three! Tour jete!” he snagged the two weasels by their shirts and swung them around.

Dash’s hooves were tangled by Greesball’s slungshot, causing her to fall. And before Freeboot could strike with his pipe, he and Greesball were hit by the swinging Speekeezy and Shlemeel. All of who toppled on top of Rainbow Dash.

Crawling her way out of the bottom of the pile, Dash saw Goofy swinging his fishing pole through the air.

“Twist over! Pas de deux!” she heard him say.

He was getting ready to escape. And she was going to go with him, whether he wanted to or not.

She immediately rushed over to him.

“Wind up! An’ let ‘er fl--UGH!!!” Goofy said, when he felt a sudden weight thump onto his back the moment he cast.

“Tryin’ to ditch me!? Forget it! Somepony has to finish this quest! And if you don’t I sure as Tartarus will!!” Dash said, clutching tightly to Goofy’s back.

What would have been the Perfect Cast was thrown far off by Dash’s intervention. Had it not been for her, Goofy’s aim would have been true, and he would have snagged the very topmost part of the ship. Instead, he was only able to reach midway.

“Doggone it all, Rainbow Dash!! Whut’re yuh tryin’ tuh do tuh me!?” Goofy asked, as he slowly rapeled up the wall.

“Same thing I’ve been trying to do since we left Ponyville! Now, shut up and get climbing!”

“Yeah!? Well, why don’t yuh just make me?”

The sounds of the weasels approaching made up Goofy’s mind for him. That, and a swift kick in the seat of his pants from Dash spurred him upward.

They started going further beyond the reach of the weasels, just as a strong wind blew, and the waters of the swamp grew restless.

“Don’t worry, fellas. I got ‘em,” Greesball said, as he twirled his slungshot around, ready to slam it at the goofs.

“Nah. I got ‘em,” Speekeezy said, taking a vial of pure rainbow out of his pocket.

“You got ‘em? You got nothin’!” Shlemeel said, before dashing away. In a blink, he had returned with a rail-mounted gatling gun. “I got ‘em!”

Freeboot knew the ship almost as well as Mr. Cray. And he knew precisely what room he was standing above.

Plunging his fist through the deck, Freeboot retrieved a locker full of harpoons from the room below.

“We’ll all get ‘em! And it’s fifty dubloons to the swab what gets the goofs!” he declared, as he busted the locker with his elbow and retrieved his armaments.

Speekeezy started the festivities by drinking the entire vial of rainbow.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, his eyes turned into seven-colored gauges. Starting at violet, they quickly moved to red, where steam started shooting from his ears. And with a loud whoop, he ran straight up the wall the goofs had ascended, trailing a rainbow streak behind himself.

With a sudden whoosh, he was upon the goofs, who spun violently when Speekeezy shot past them. And with one swift movement, he undid the hook Goofy had cast.

Goofy quickly grabbed onto the outcropping from the side of the ship, with only the tips of his fingers gripping.

Dash couldn’t believe what she saw. Somehow, some other creature had emulated precisely what she was capable of. The greater insult was that he couldn’t even fly.

Speekeezy swerved back around and charged again.

When he was upon them, Goofy tried casting his line again, but instead struck Speekeezy in his knees.

The sudden jolt nearly made Goofy let go, but it had tripped up the speeding weasel, who dropped off the wall to the deck below.

“Nice going, Goof! You trying to get us killed!?” Dash said.

“That’s a laugh, comin’ frum thuh mare whut tried takin’ on every bad guy she met single-hoofed!!” Goofy rebutted, as he cast his line again, successfully snagging a higher point.

The moment he hooked on, a harpoon pierced the wall next to them. And with a yelp, Goofy swung to the side.

He stopped when Greesball’s slungshot dented the wall before them.

Dash kicked the wall, making them swing back the way they came.

They came to a stop when they hit the harpoon Freeboot had thrown.

Looking down, they saw that all the weasels had armed themselves. Even Speekeezy was taking another gulp of rainbow to make another charge.

At the very rear, Shlemeel saw that his opponents were right where he wanted them. He pulled the trigger on his gatling gun. And after a moment of whirling around, the barrel fired a rapid stream of lead at the goofs, making the tiny weasel shake violently.

Goofy yelped as he and Dash both reeled up on the fishing line, managing to stay just ahead of the line of fire.

Freeboot threw another harpoon, sticking it just above where Dash and Goofy were going, so that they both hit their heads on it as they ascended.

Quickly coming to, Dash shoved herself and Goofy out of the way, making the hook come undone from its anchorage.

Goofy cast again, keeping just ahead of Shlemeel’s gunfire, until he ran out of ammo.

“Oy! Bullet hogs, these things! Ten seconds to the clip! I oughta get one o’ those economic rail guns!” he said.

Freeboot aimed another harpoon just ahead of the goofs, and threw with all his force.

The harpoon hit its mark in front of the goofs’ fishing line, making Dash and Goofy twirl around the shaft of the tool.

When they stopped, Greesball’s slungshot pelted them seemingly from all sides.

Dash kicked off the wall again, making Goofy swing up to stand atop the thrown harpoon.

Once there, Dash jumped off of Goofy’s back and started climbing up the fixtures outside the ship.

“Wait! Where yuh goin’!” Goofy asked.

“I’ll get there quicker if I do it my own way! I’ll throw you a rope, or something when I’m up!” Dash answered, as she hopped atop another harpoon as it was thrown.

“Ain’t that a pretty picture!? Abandonin’ yer pal when he needs yuh!” Goofy said, swinging up to the next ledge.

“My flank I’m abandoning you! I’m just doing things the way I know how!” Dash said, catching the slungshot and throwing it over the next nearest fixture, then using it to swing across a gap. “And you know what? It always works! For me and my friends!”

“Whutever it is, it ain’t workin’ here!” Goofy rebutted, just before Speekeezy zoomed back to them, and ran rapid circles around them.

Once they were corralled together, Shlemeel aimed his newly loaded gatling gun.

Things were quickly going downhill. If the tide didn’t turn in their favor, Dash and Goofy both knew they were dead.

Sweat poured down Pinkie’s forehead as she feverishly cut through her ropes. She could feel her dexterity increasing gradually. The more it did, the more she knew she was closer to freedom.

“I can do it! Come on! Just a bit more!” Pinkie thought to herself. “It’s just like slicing a pie. Or a cake. Or a cupcake. A cupcake with sprinkles and cream filling. Mmm...Cream Filling…”

The image of her beloved Cream Filling flashed in her mind. Him in his regal royal clothes, sitting on a throne in his castle. And next to him, a second throne made completely of gingerbread. One bejeweled with candy. And a frosted crown set atop the queen’s royal pink head.

Between them, a tiny table loaded with all the royal pastries, with which they would share their first bottle of hot sauce together.

“Need...my...hot sauce!!!” Pinkie thought, just as her ropes sliced apart.

There was hardly any time for Pinkie to perceive what had happened, just as she plunged back into the water of the aquarium.

Once she hit the bottom, Pinkie pulled the gag off of her mouth and loosed a victorious, “HA!”

As soon as she spoke, Pinkie covered her mouth, trying now to keep as much air as she could.

She tried swimming to the surface, only to find that the lead belt she was wearing weighed her down.

Trying to exert as little force as possible, Pinkie started trying to undo her belt. Unfortunately, she found the machinations of a simple buckle were more than a match when all one had was hooves.

As she struggled with her belt, she began to feel the clench of hypoxia gripping her chest. Worse, she felt the sudden sensation of being watched.

Looking to her side, the tip of Pinkie’s snout bumped against a metal hook. And with a sinking feeling, she turned her head to see the gigantic eye of Mr. Cray’s pet staring at her.

Pinkie ducked beneath the beast’s snapping jaws.

Once the jaws safely passed over her and were bitten into a rock, she scrambled across the sandy bottom of the tank.

The beast chomped through the rock it had snagged, and crushed what was in its mouth to pebbles. Lashing around, it caught sight of its pink prey hobbling across the sand.

From the energy she was exerting, Pinkie felt her breath rapidly growing short. She knew she needed to escape the belt around her waist, or she would surely drown.

As she ran, she noticed something she had not before. Deep in the simulated kelp forest, Pinkie could see a steady stream of bubbles rising to the surface. Unless she found the source of them soon, she knew she was done for.

Just as she reached the edge of the kelp, she dove forward and hit the sand, just as Chopper’s open mouth sailed over her.

The beast disappeared into the kelp forest. And with it went an incredible current that dragged Pinkie after into the waving foliage.

Pinkie rolled into the tangled forest, and came to a hard stop against what she thought was a rock. Until the rock suddenly grew legs.

Not even waiting for the thing to turn and face her, Pinkie climbed atop its back and jumped to the ground some meters away. Upon landing, she had to quickly jump again when a long, slender claw lashed out from within the screen of floating leaves.

Quickly, she tried burrowing underneath the sand for safety, only to jolt back above when she uncovered a large, flattened crustacean.

There was no more time for her to waste. She was in another world of monsters, and her time was growing short.

Pinkie galloped as best she could through the underwater world, hoping to avoid any more unpleasant surprises.

Everything she passed seemed to come alive. Legs and antennae appeared from beneath every rock. Eyes and tentacles peered out from between the kelp leaves. And all the while, Pinkie dreaded facing the hook of Chopper.

In an effort to escape the reaching appendages below, she tried climbing one of the stalks of kelp. Only halfway up, the weight of her lead belt made the stalk bend heavily.

Holding tightly as she could Pinkie burst through a school of much smaller fish, which scattered when she plowed through them. The moment she passed, they all reconvened, and stopped to watch the pink stranger in their midst.

The kelp bent all the way to the ground.

Pinkie went rolling when she hit the bottom. When she stopped, she felt that her belt had slipped somewhat down her hips. But, it wasn’t enough to be free.

When she got her bearings, Pinkie found herself in a clearing. On the other side of a large rock, she could see the bubbles billowing wildly.

With a surge of energy, she rushed across the clearing to the source of the bubbles.

To her side, she saw the kelp shifting. She couldn’t tell how much kelp was moving, or how big what was making it move was. But, she wouldn’t stop to find out.

Pinkie clambered around the side of the rock, opposite of where she saw the kelp moving. When she was there, she saw the source of the bubbles.

A large, prop treasure chest was seen. From its open lid, it exposed vast quantities of plaster coins, diamonds and pearls. But, the greatest treasure of all was the geyser of bubbles shooting forth.

Wasting no time, Pinkie rushed forward, just as she noticed the kelp behind the treasure box moving.

She picked up her pace, racing frantically toward the prize.

A metal hook peered out from beyond the veil of green.

Pinkie leapt forward, just as she saw the hook’s owner appear.

She felt her hooves touch the edge of the box, and quickly pulled herself inside.

Chopper’s hook pierced the box, damaging the internal structure and releasing a surge of bubbles.

Pinkie clasped her lips around where the bubbles were coming from, and breathed deeply. She could feel the tightness in her chest loosening. And even though she was being shaken about inside the treasure chest, she felt nothing but relief.

With a snap of his head, Chopper broke his hook through the box, breaking it apart and revealing Pinkie with her snout stuck in an air hose.

Acquiring fresh air was such a relief that it took Pinkie a moment to realize that she was facing down a prehistoric apex predator.

Keeping the hose on her snout, the pink mare dodged another chomp of the jaws and a slice of the hook.

She picked up a piece of broken plaster, and brandished it like a saber.

With one chomp, Chopper nearly took Pinkie’s entire front leg off, had she not let go of the plaster.

One more swing of the hook, and Pinkie was forced to dodge to the inside. Right toward Chopper’s mouth.

There was no other choice. She was forced to grab onto the rusted hook in the beast’s mouth.

Chopper thrashed around, trying to shake Pinkie off. For a moment, he had. Pinkie was swept upward, but was quickly snagged back on the hook by her diving belt.

In an effort to get her, Chopper kept snapping to the side he saw Pinkie. And when that didn’t work, he resorted to the normal technique of his species: a high speed ramming assault.

Try as she did, there was nothing Pinkie could do to keep the air hose on her snout when Chopper swam at full speed through the tank.

With nothing keeping her connected to the beast but a belt, Pinkie was able to use her hooves to bat away anything that came her way.

Stalks of kelp and smaller fish were pushed easily aside. Then, Pinkie saw she was swiftly approaching a rock.

Trying not to yelp, she quickly planted her hooves on the surface of the rock and started running along its sheer surface.

Chopper veered to the side, making Pinkie briefly run on nothing.

He jerked his head to the other side, making Pinkie spin around his hook.

Pinkie pulled herself toward the tip of the hook, just as the beast snapped at her. After she dodged, she found that her belt was snagged on the top of the rusted instrument.

After missing again, Chopper swam at full speed toward the front of the tank.

Pinkie braced herself for impact and was smacked face first into the glass. The hook took the brunt of it, and cracked the glass where it had hit.

Chopper circled around, trying to heave Pinkie off of his hook.

The cracked glass had given Pinkie an idea. And just in time, as she felt herself liable to pass out from a lack of air.

She positioned herself on the hook to draw the beast’s attention where she wanted.

The gigantic fish charged headlong again. And again, Pinkie braced herself for impact, smacking face first into the glass like before.

A daze fell over Pinkie, who drifted to one side of the hook. But a sudden charge from Chopper snapped her back to her senses.

The lead belt had slipped around her shoulders, forcing her hooves to stick straight up. And Chopper was trying his best to get them.

Pinkie wriggled desperately, stuck again between snapping jaws and a slicing hook.

Soon, she managed to get the belt over her head, down her front legs and around her hooves. Were she not in such desperate need of air, she would have laughed. But, the belt gave her another idea.

Keeping hold of Chopper’s hook, she swung the lead belt at the center of where the beast had repeatedly rammed the glass.

For as hard as she tried, she could feel nothing give. No matter how hard she hit, she couldn’t manage to make a dent.

She could bear it no longer. With one last hit, Pinkie loosed all of the air from her lungs in one great bubble, and dropped the belt she was holding.

A single chip of glass fell, and the water pressure built against the tiny compromise.

In a moment, the cracks across the glass grew larger behind Pinkie. And with a thunderous crash, the wall of glass burst, spilling water into Mr. Cray’s game room.

It took only moments for the room to fill up, and the weaker glass of the game room shattered under the pressure.

Pinkie, Chopper and dozens of other aquatic specimens surged toward the open window.

Down below, Dash tried to brace herself against the wall, but was washed away by the torrent.

Goofy anchored his hook onto another spot and swung to catch Dash before she fell.

On the deck each one of the smaller weasels had to hide behind Freeboot, who was the only one sturdy enough to withstand the sudden tide that washed over them.

Pinkie desperately swam against the rushing current, while the monstrous Chopper was trapped just on the edge of the broken window.

No matter how hard she swam, Pinkie found herself unable to escape the rush of water. Chopper’s snapping jaws were growing closer and closer. Unless she thought of something fast, she knew she was done for.

The tip of her tail was only inches from Chopper’s mouth.

It took a moment, but Pinkie realized then that the solution was obvious. All of the water had run out, and she was swimming frantically against the wet carpet.

Slowly, she stopped swimming and stood up, soaked and tired.

She walked over to Chopper, who was still frantically trying to bite her.

Pinkie faced the beast, and quickly reached her hoof into his mouth to retrieve the chunk of her mane that had been bitten off earlier. She placed it back on her head, and it fused back to the rest as if it had not gone at all.

“Bad old Mr. Meanie Head!” Pinkie admonished, before turning around and bucking Chopper with a single hoof. A rash move, since she hurt her hoof against his armored head.

But, it was not for nothing. Her buck moved Chopper a mere centimeter through the window. Just enough to make him overbalance and slip backwards.

Dash and Goofy both screamed, and made a mad effort to run any way they could to avoid being hit by a falling fish the size of a school bus.

However, Chopper fell right past them.

“That it? Is it safe to move?” Greesball asked, when the last of the water passed them by.

Not one of them had a chance to glance upward, just as an open mouth closed around them. And with his palate satisfied, Chopper flopped back into the waters he had been fished from.

That was that. The perils had passed, but the water was not done pouring down, as it started to rain just then.

“Goofy! Dashie!” Pinkie called from the window.

Looking up, the two of them saw their pink friend, soaked but safe.

Quickly, they both climbed up to the broken window. Pinkie helped them both inside. Now that they were back together, they knew they had to resume their quest.

“Where’d those jerks go?” Dash asked.

“They got my son!” Goofy added.

“They have my hot sauce!” Pinkie finished.

“And we still have to free the whole kingdom from that crawdad!” Dash said.

“I know where they went!” Pinkie said, readily leading the way through the broken fish tank.

Goofy rapeled them all up the far end, and Pinkie led them through the door the others had exited.

From there, there were only two ways to go. One was a long hallway. The other was a staircase. Pinkie distinctly remembered Mr. Cray ordering the weasels to the roof, and led her friends upward.

On the very top of the Double Down, a flame ignited, and a canvas started to fill.

“There! The balloon’s almost ready for liftoff, boss!” Cheet called, shielding himself from the rain with his hat, while his associates all waited in the basket of a giant balloon.

“Finally! I thought I was going to have to take the kid myself!” Mr. Cray answered.

Max recoiled at the thought of going anywhere with Mr. Cray alone, and retreated to the safety of Miss Argente’s hooves. But, it was not to last.

Mr. Cray roughly took hold of Max’s arm and pulled him along.

“If you value your life, or his, you’ll stay right where you are!” he told Miss Argente. He then turned to Max. “Get in the basket! And wait there for liftoff!” he ordered.

“No!” Max defiantly shouted.

“Get in the basket, now! Or Miss Argente’s gonna join your dad!!” Mr. Cray threatened.

One look to Miss Argente, and Max knew he couldn’t go through with defying his captor. Tears slowly welled up in his eyes, as he silently relented.

Miss Argente wished nothing more than to rush forward and overpower Mr. Cray to retrieve Max. But, she knew full well the fury of the crustacean. Broken and defeated, she could do nothing more than watch him take Max away.

Suddenly she heard many steps approaching.

“HEY!!” a voice called.

“Dad?” Max said. He turned around, and beamed at the sight of his father, flanked by two of his friends. “DAD!!!”

“Get yer claws offa my son!!” Goofy shouted.

Goofy kept his eyes on Max. Dash kept her eyes on Mr. Cray. And Pinkie never averted her glare from Cheet.

“I don’t believe this! No matter what I do, nothing can kill you!!” Mr. Cray yelled, heaving angrily as the rain pelted him. “Weasels!! Get the kid!! I’m going to do what I should have done, and dissect these goofs with my bare claws!!”

Max was violently pushed back into the waiting hands of the weasels, who all pulled him back toward the waiting balloon.

Miss Argente had only seen Mr. Cray as mad as he was once before. Normally, he was an abominable, reprehensible, unlovable reprobate. As he was now, and only once before, he was truly a monster. A demon capable of any terrible thing, done in the most terrible possible way. It was at that time that she hid herself away, and hoped that she would not lose her life. The very same as she was doing in that very moment.

Before Goofy, Dash or Pinkie moved, Mr. Cray threw his jacket off of his shoulders. Then, he shredded his shirt with his bare claws, leaving only his suspenders to cover his torso.

His physique revealed, the goofs felt their nerves waver when they saw the raw, muscular body of their opponent. Though not nearly as large as Rex, and with only his snapping claws, Mr. Cray exuded a fury that eclipsed anything they had encountered. And as his fury grew, the rain poured harder. The winds blew. And the waters of the swamp churned violently.

Lightning flashed. And in the brief moment it illuminated the deck, Mr. Cray charged, ready to slice through his opponents.

Author's Note

Here we are! It’s time for a showdown, and Mr. Cray is ready to rumble! Take a look at him in his battle-ready stance.

This picture was another one that I did for my art class. Teacher man wanted an anatomy drawing. So, I gave him the bulky, muscular Mr. Cray. I’m not sure this is what he meant. But, hey, it’s a drawing that shows muscles. And if he tells me otherwise, I’ll just tell him the truth and say that I used my own reflection as reference for muscle anatomy. I know that it’s not perfectly accurate. But, hey, it’s a cartoon character. What are you going to do? Whine about it?0

Another reason that I decided to draw this was I figured since I drew Souris in both her regular and showdown forms, I’d draw Mr. Cray as he appears during the showdown.

Originally, he was going to have four other arms hidden beneath his shirt, but I decided against that. It seemed a mite too horrifying of a revelation for the showdown. Especially after we learn that Mr. Cray is deceptively muscular, and demonically furious.

Yes, I know that I’ve displayed some blatantly horrifying imagery before in this story. The entirety of Spike, Minnie and Pluto’s second story arch, for example. But, here it seems like it would be excessive.

Anyway, this is the part where I talk about the chapter, usually. Normally, action scenes are a breeze for me to write. However, Goofy and Dash’s was a bit tougher to do. The reason for this was that I had to write this action like the characters were out of sync. One would think that would be easier. But, it’s much easier when the characters are all working together, and know what the other is doing.

Although writing for the weasels was great fun. Especially Speekeezy. When I was thinking up his fighting style, I thought ‘Okay, he’s an old coot who pours drinks for a living. He’s probably not going to be much of a fighter, but is probably a solid drinker.’ After that, his fighting style just fell right into place. Not quite Wong Fei-hung, but similar.

Pinkie’s battle against Chopper was also a lot of fun. Coming up with that whole adventure inside the fish tank was a thrilling challenge to write. Particularly Pinkie’s wild ride through the tank. Research was also done about the ways that dunkleosteus hunted, and apparently it’s theorized that they would attack prey with a full speed ramming bite. Hence Chopper’s preferred method of attack.

In other news, some more Yiddish words snuck into this chapter. That word that Shlemeel uses, ‘shpilkes,’ is a Yiddish word that means a state of abject agitation or irritation. I’m not Yiddish, but I sometimes use that word in conversations just because it sounds funny.

For anyone who is not familiar, the weapon that Greesball uses is something that was used by European sailors way back in the day, before firearms were a thing. And even after they were, thugs would carry them as a weapon. At a time, they were just as popular as blackjacks and straight razors.

The reason that it’s called an improvised slungshot here is because a proper slungshot would have had a piece of metal in the middle of the knot that’s used to tie it, in order to grant more weight to the weapon.

One thing that was cut from this chapter was that we were going to learn Mr. Cray’s first name. At the end of the chapter, he was going to say, “This is what happens when you mess with Samuel Cray!” I decided to nix it, because it set a better tone for the segway into the showdown.

Now, for a bit of a special announcement.

You all remember how I mentioned that Chopper was a reference to an obscure comic book hero? Well, as it so happens, Hook Jaw may be appearing in my next crossover story that I write. But, that’s going to be a little down the way. That, and I still have to come up with a good story for that particular crossover to happen. I think that I’d do something different, and feature lesser known, or background ponies. I always kind of imagined that Daisy and Rose were best friends, so maybe feature them? Shoot, it may even take place in the Equestria Girls world. But, I’ll still have to go over many details and other considerations, before I start.

That’s all I got for this one. Do rock on, all of you. Or don’t. Either way, we all have a lot of fun \m/

Chapter 54: Lose My Way

Chapter 54

Lose My Way

Stormy weather brewed in the swamplands of Bichumonterre. And with the impending foul weather, the wildlife of the swamp took immediate shelter. Diving into holes, burrowing under riverbeds, anchoring themselves to rocks, or climbing into trees, they all awaited the impending squalls.

But, there was one among them who weathered the storm.

Through the screen of blown leaves and torrential rain, two large lights glinted through. The more they moved through the foliage, the more it was seen they were embedded in a darker shadow, which tore its way through.

A giant, four-toed hoof stomped onto the marshy ground, scattering the creatures who lingered in its path.

Driven from its home by the storm, the beast wandered further than it ever had before. The land was foreign to it. New. Fresh. A terrain that it had not explored, rife with new things to eat.

The storm had driven many of the prey into hiding. And with a deep, heavy sniff, the beast searched for its prey. But, for its effort, not a scent was detected.

The wind and the rain dampened all of its senses. Nothing was to be heard or smelled through the torrential downpour, the howling wind or the blowing foliage. It would have to rely completely on its sight to find anything to eat.

And it found its source.

A bright light was seen in the distance. Not at all like the natural phosphorus or bioluminescence it was used to seeing. It was curious. Alluring.

While not a powerful swimmer, the beast readily took to the water, ready to hunt down and devour whatever the light held.

Thunder crashed, and another bolt of lightning split the sky.

In the brief flash of light, Mr. Cray’s vicious form appeared right before Goofy, raising his claw to strike.

Dash and Pinkie shot to either side, while Goofy parried the blow.

Mr. Cray’s claw was knocked aside, but the force of his attack knocked Goofy backwards.

As the goof staggered, Mr. Cray’s other claw shot forth, aimed at Goofy’s wrist.

Goofy recoiled and yelped as his sleeve was shredded. Clear from danger, he advanced again, lashing out with his fishing pole.

While they fought their duel, Pinkie and Dash both took it upon themselves to handle the weasels.

Theef, Sneek and Cheepskate all rushed forward to have at the mares, while Cheet and Creep pulled Max back toward the balloon.

Dash dodged a hit from Cheepskate, and another from Theef.

Theef spun when he missed his full-force swing and tried to attack Pinkie next.

Pinkie dodged right into the way, and was struck by Sneek.

She reeled from the hit and tried to attack Theef, who ducked under her blow.

Cheepskate dodged Rainbow Dash’s buck by swapping places with Theef, who was still crouched.

Dash’s blow went over Theef’s head, who sprang up with a haymaker uppercut.

The moment Theef went up, Sneek attacked next, striking Dash twice in the face.

Dash spun with her wings outstretched, missing when Theef landed on her back and pinned her wings.

Between the two weasels, Dash was beginning to feel at a disadvantage. Even as she tried to throw Theef off of her back, she continued crashing into empty oil drums, crates, fuel tanks, coils of rope and nearly everything else that was on deck.

Theef remained steadfast, even as he partly took the brunt of each hit. Until finally he was thrown off when Dash was hit by a rolling barrel she knocked over.

Pinkie’s battle with Cheepskate fared no better.

Pinkie rapidly dodged backwards as knife after knife was thrown at her.

She bumped into a wall, and tried to move to the side, only to be stopped by a thrown knife.

When she moved to the other side, another knife stopped her.

She ducked under a particularly large bowie knife, and jumped over a still larger dagger.

Now with her hooves resting on the handles of the first two thrown knives, she was stuck. And Cheepskate drew a hatchet with a blade the size of his nose.

He raised the giant blade over his head, and was struck from behind by a rolling barrel.

Saved by the barrel, Pinkie hopped off of the knife handles and landed hard on Cheepskate’s stomach. After knocking the wind out of him, she hopped into the midst of Dash’s battle against Theef and Sneek.

“About time! Gimme a hoof with these guys!” Dash said.

As if she had not heard a word, Pinkie galloped away from the fight.

“Pinkie!!” Dash yelled, before she was forced to dodge one of Sneek’s attacks.

For Pinkie, there was only one real target.

Cheet yelped as he was kicked in the face and knocked back, releasing Max in the process.

“Give me back my hot sauce, Ripoff!!” Pinkie shouted.

Max, who had been waiting for a moment to be freed, was somewhat let down when his father’s friend overlooked him for a bottle of hot sauce.

For a moment, Cheet was confused. But, a devious smile soon crossed his face. He took the condiment from inside of his jacket and brandished the bottle.

“This hot sauce? Ya want it? Come get it, sister!” he taunted.

Pinkie lashed out to attack.

Cheet easily dodged and held the bottle as far from Pinkie as possible.

And like a nasty game of keep away, Cheet continued to dodge every blow Pinkie swung.

Creep snickered at the show, enjoying how Pinkie was obsessing over nothing more than a simple meal supplement.

“Hey, Creep! Catch!” Cheet yelled.

He tossed the bottle right over Pinkie’s head, who failed to catch it, and watched as it was caught by Creep.

Now, Max was freed from the grip of the two weasels, and took the opportunity to escape. He started by slugging Creep in the stomach as hard as he could, before he turned heel and ran away.

“Get back here, ya little punk!” Creep shouted.

Before he could try to apprehend Max, he was jumped on by Pinkie Pie, who furiously reached for her hot sauce.

Creep fell down the steps from the balloon’s landing pad and let the bottle go from his grip.

Pinkie immediately stood up to chase after her hot sauce, pushing past Max to retrieve it.

Max stumbled a bit, and caught himself against one of the overturned barrels.

From where he was, the young goof could see his father valiantly continue his fight against Mr. Cray.

Wanting to help bring the crustacean’s downfall, he took the barrel he was leaning on and rolled it toward his father’s battle. Once he felt he was close enough, he pushed with all his might toward Mr. Cray’s back.

“Dad!” Max called out.

Hearing Max’s voice, both fighters turned to face him. Mr. Cray would have been furious to see the young goof free from his minion’s grasp, if he were not knocked off his feet by the rolling barrel.

And though Goofy was hit next, he was overjoyed to see his son running free.

Mr. Cray snarled loudly and swung at the goof, as he recovered from his prone position. And the moment he was on his feet, he charged for Max.

Goofy saw the danger his son was in and cast his fishing line upward to snag the hook of a crane. Once taut, the goof swung forward.

Max started to run away, just as Mr. Cray was upon him.

Goofy kicked his legs forward and struck Mr. Cray in the back, knocking forward.

Max cleared out of the way and ran to safety.

Mr. Cray regained his balance and with a snarl turned around and slashed his claw, aiming to bisect Goofy at the waist.

Goofy jumped and used the crane to swing around to Mr. Cray’s back.

He was forced to release his line when Mr. Cray whipped around and nearly got him.

Past his opponent, Goofy could see the barrel Max had sent his way was still rolling.

Goofy cast his fishing line, caught the barrel and reeled it in hard.

Sensing danger, Mr. Cray dodged to the side, sending the barrel into Goofy.

Goofy found himself stuck down to his waist inside the metal barrel, unable to see his opponent, or swing his weapon.

Mr. Cray took full advantage and sliced through the barrel.

It was only Goofy’s staggering retreat as he tried to free himself that allowed only a gash to be cut through the barrel and not himself.

“Hang on, dad!!” Max called, as he tried to charge Mr. Cray.

He was stopped suddenly by an arm wrapping around him.

“Let go!!” he shouted, fighting against his captor. He relented his assault when he saw it was a silver hoof that was holding him.

“It’s not safe here, Max! We need to leave!” Miss Argente said, as she tried to guide Max away.

“I’m not going anywhere without my dad!” Max argued.

“Please! Listen to me! I know a way zat we can all leave zis ship! But, you must follow me first!” Miss Argente said.

And with one last look back to his father, Max agreed to follow Miss Argente down the nearest flight of stairs.

When they went, the battle on the upper deck raged on.

Though he was handicapped, Goofy tried to fight back. He bent at the waist and swung his upper body.

Mr. Cray recoiled only slightly from the blow, and blocked a thrust of the barrel.

He knocked Goofy back and furiously bludgeoned the barrel around Goofy with the broad side of his claws, denting it deeply.

Goofy was shaken and rattled around the inside, feeling like he was sitting inside of a paint mixer.

The goof tried to back away from the assault, but tripped when he stepped on Pinkie’s rolling hot sauce.

Mr. Cray pounced to slice the barrel open and gut the restrained goof. But, he was knocked over when Pinkie went running after her keepsake.

To catch himself, Mr. Cray ended up jabbing both of his claws into the front of the barrel.

Inside, Goofy had to suck in his gut to keep from being gutted.

With both claws punched into the barrel, Mr. Cray now had a solid grip. And with a vicious shout, he hoisted Goofy over his head to throw him overboard.

Goofy slipped to the back of the barrel, and the weight and inertia of his movement popped out the bottom, allowing him to slide out onto the deck, just as the barrel was thrown.

The goof cast his line and caught the barrel, reeling it in to hit home on Mr. Cray’s face.

In a blink, the shellfish sliced through the barrel before it hit him. However, he was unable to block the half of the barrel that struck his face anyway.

Goofy was struck by the other half, and staggered just out of the way of Mr. Cray’s next attack. Right into Creep’s back.

Creep lurched forward and hit Dash from behind, who in turn lurched toward her opponent.

Sneek toppled back and crashed into a control console, smashing the controls and bringing the loading gear near the landing pad to life.

Cranes swiveled in mad circles, raising and lowering their hooks at random intervals. Overhead, many conveyors started jostling back and forth, turning along whatever route they were set upon.

Dash had to roll out of the way of a hook, and crashed into Pinkie, who was still chasing her hot sauce.

“Would it kill you to help out!?” Dash angrily asked, as she deflected a hit from Cheepskate.

Once again, Pinkie didn’t answer. She single-mindedly pursued her treasured condiment, ignoring all else around her.

The only thing that snapped her to reality was when she saw the bottle roll up somepony’s outstretched leg. When it reached the knee, the owner of it popped the bottle up to his waiting hand.

Once again, Cheet Ripov brandished the bottle of hot sauce to Pinkie, taunting her to come and claim it.

The moment Pinkie rushed to attack him, Cheet raised his hand up and caught one of the hooks that Sneek had set in motion. And he rode the hook up to another rising hook.

Pinkie tried to follow suit by grabbing onto a hook, which swung out of her way before she could grab it.

Not about to relent, she chased it toward the battle that Dash was struggling to win.

Sneek just had Dash where he wanted her, and was about to deliver the blow that would take her out of the fight, he was jumped on by Pinkie Pie, who leapt to the hook she was chasing just before it rose beyond her reach.

With the fight tilted in her favor, Dash knocked Sneek away, and was assaulted by Cheepskate and Creep both at once.

She dodged out of the way of their attack, and right into the path of Theef, who successfully struck her.

Dash took two more blows, before she felt something roll across the deck and bump her rear hoof. She flipped it over her head and used it to block Theef’s blow.

What she found was a life preserver in her hooves. Not the greatest choice of weapon, but it would do in a pinch.

She blocked each of Theef’s successive blows, and dodged when the weasel’s fist punched through the open middle of the preserver.

Dash twisted her weapon and locked Theef’s arm, before she swung him around to hit Cheepskate, Creep and Sneek.

When she released him, Dash maneuvered to the center of them all, tossed the life preserver and caught it on one of her outstretched wings.

With a flap, the preserver went spinning around her wing, allowing her to uppercut one weasel with it, then the next and the next as she moved between them all.

Creep hooked his arm through the preserver and stopped it from spinning.

Dash took advantage and flipped the preserver over Creep’s head, restraining one of his arms.

Before the weasel could free himself, Dash bucked him into his brother.

The two remaining weasels came bearing down on her.

With no friends in sight, and with no magic, Dash knew that she was in for the fight of her life. Again.

Goofy had to duck beneath a claw that was jabbed at him, and stuck into the metal wall behind him.

He tried to counter, but was deflected by Mr. Cray’s free claw.

With a powerful swing of his arm, Mr. Cray sliced his trapped claw out of the wall and swung it at Goofy.

The goof toppled back and cast his line, hooking a rolling barrel and throwing it at his opponent.

Without stopping, Mr. Cray sliced through the barrel and continued his advance.

Goofy cast his line again and threw a crate that he had hooked.

Mr. Cray cut it to splinters the moment it was within his reach.

Goofy didn’t even look to see what he hooked on his next cast, and threw it with all of his might at his opponent.

Clouded by rage, Mr. Cray didn’t notice what he had gripped. Only that it didn’t immediately crumple in his claws.

Goofy gulped when he saw Mr. Cray tightening his grip on a fuel tank for his balloon. And with one last powerful squeeze, the canister exploded, blowing the two fighters away from one another.

Without looking, the goof knew he was too close to going overboard.

Lashing upward, he cast his fishing line to catch one of the hooks on the overhead conveyor.

His feet just bowled over the edge when his hook anchored to the conveyor, allowing the goof to reel himself up and over the battleground.

From his higher vantage, Goofy could see how the battle was going. Dash was fighting off three of the weasels as they moved their fight up toward the balloon, which was slowly filling up. He had to swerve out of the way of Cheet, who tried swinging Pinkie’s bottle of hot sauce at him. And he swerved again when Pinkie hopped from the hook she was riding to the top of the conveyors, where she ran after Cheet.

Though he tried, he could find no sight of Max. The last place he had seen his son was near one of the cranes, where he had toppled Mr. Cray. And after twisting around only once, he saw two silhouettes on a lower deck running toward the side of the ship. Though his vision was shrouded by rain and mist, there was no mistaking the smaller of the two forms, just before it disappeared into the haze.

“Maxie!!” Goofy called out.

Before he could swing to his son’s rescue, the entire conveyor system shook violently.

Goofy trembled like a fish on a hook. And through his shaking vision, he saw some monstrous silhouette climbing up one of the fixtures on deck, up to the top of the conveyors where it ran rapidly toward the dangling goof.

The silhouette jumped into the air, and another flash of lightning revealed Mr. Cray with his claws raised.

The conveyors shook again when he landed, and with a sickening grinding sound the hook that Goofy was riding stopped when it was clasped in the crustacean’s claw.

Goofy was shaken loose by the sudden stop and cast his line to the furthest hook from Mr. Cray and closest to Max. And like the king of the jungle himself, the goof swung across to his destination, swinging around the conveyor and landing atop it.

“Maxie! Where are yuh!?” Goofy called

A sudden vibrating beneath his feet alerted him to danger. Whirling around, Goofy was just able to see Mr. Cray’s burly silhouette charging toward him.

Wielding his fishing rod like a rapier, the goof readied to fight.

Mr. Cray growled and plowed straight through Goofy’s attack, and knocked him off of the conveyors.

Goofy cast his line again, catching Mr. Cray by his suspenders.

The shellfish lurched forward, nearly falling off of the conveyors himself. He found his footing, but was quickly slipping along the wet metal.

Taking his claw, he snagged the fishing line and cut through it.

Goofy had swung upward just in time to avoid falling to the deck below, and scrambled to climb back up on top of the conveyors and tie another hook to his line. The moment he finished was exactly the moment he stood up and blocked another attack from the charging Mr. Cray.

The two continued their battle atop the conveyors, focusing completely on getting the upper hand on one another and maintaining their footing. Not even Cheet running away from Pinkie Pie distracted them as they viciously fought.

Mr. Cray quickly advanced, swinging his claws furiously.

Goofy struggled to keep his footing, knowing that any false step would send him plummeting to the deck below. But, as the waters started tossing and rolling, and the wind blew ever harder, and the rain kept the metal beneath his feet sleek and slippery, staying upright was going to be an ordeal in itself.

He dodged an attack from Mr. Cray, and answered with a riposte of his fishing pole.

Mr. Cray shrugged off the hit and slashed with his claw, cutting Goofy’s weapon arm.

The goof shouted in pain and held his fishing pole laterally to block both of Mr. Cray’s claws.

The fishing pole was too slim for the crayfish to snip through, and he had no leverage to slice through it with his open claw. But, his grip on the simple tool was strong enough for Goofy to be unable to wrench it free.

Stopped face to face, they could see one another clearly through the rain. The fierce determination of a father against the living incarnation of rage itself. Neither was going to relent, until the other was defeated.

What began as a low growl from the depths of Mr. Cray’s gullet soon grew to a vicious roar, as he shot his forward, still clenching the fishing pole.

Goofy’s whole body lurched when he narrowly dodged the attack, still keeping his grip on his weapon.

He retaliated by trying to jab one end of the fishing pole at his opponent’s head.

Mr. Cray proved too strong to budge, and stopped the attack before it reached him. And with a surge of strength, he tried to throw Goofy off.

Goofy was shaken back and forth, but managed to keep his feet on the top of the conveyor. And through his constant flailing, managed a few hits on Mr. Cray.

Each blow seemed less effective than the last. No matter where or how hard he was hit, the shellfish shrugged off each hit. And with each blow, his rage intensified.

Mr. Cray roared again and swung upward, hoisting Goofy over his head, and threw him to the deck.

Goofy managed to keep ahold of his fishing pole and cast his line again at Mr. Cray, this time catching him by the knee of his pants.

There was no time for the raging shellfish to cut the line again, when all of a sudden he was yanked off of the conveyors by the force of the flying goof.

Just as he was flying overboard, Goofy started losing his momentum and gravity took its toll.

As he dropped, his fishing line draped over another line of conveyors, and allowed him to swing back to the ship. Unfortunately, Mr. Cray was swinging right toward him, suspended upside-down and claws at the ready.

Goofy curled his body up and over the claws, and missed when he tried to kick Mr. Cray as they swung past one another.

When they passed, Goofy caught one of the moving hooks beneath the conveyor.

Mr. Cray caught a swinging crane hook, righted himself and tried yanking the fishing line, only to cut through it again. Furious from not being able to pull Goofy closer, he started shaking back and forth graduallying gaining momentum to swing toward the goof.

Goofy held the conveyor hook in one hand, his fishing pole between the soles of his shoes, and fumbled to tie a new hook to the fishing line with his one free hand.

From the corner of his eyes, he just registered Mr. Cray swinging at him like an enraged wrecking ball.

Yelping loudly, Goofy swung out of the way, his legs pumping as if he were running on air.

He heard the fabric of his shirt tear, and felt the sting of the claw slice his back. Though painful, he knew it wasn’t as bad as it felt. If he was going to rescue his son, he had to weather the injury.

Mr. Cray’s feet planted on a wall, and he kicked off, swinging to attack again.

Goofy raised his fishing pole, ready once more to clash with the raging shellfish.

The balloon wouldn’t finish filling for some time yet. And Miss Argente knew so. After witnessing only as much of the battle as she could stand, she went scouting for an escape. And it wasn’t long before she found one.

The moment she returned for Max, she guided him straight to it.

And with one strong pull with her cloven hooves, she undid the ropes that secured the tarp over one of the lifeboats that hung suspended from the side of the ship.

“Climb in,” Miss Argente instructed.

With help from the cervequin, Max was able to climb inside of the small boat.

“Stay here. And do not leave under any circumstances. No matter what you may hear. No matter how long I seem to be gone. You must stay exactly where you are. And do not do anything to reveal yourself. Don’t even clear your throat. Do you understand?” Miss Argente said.

“Uh-huh,” was all Max said, the gravity of everything weighing heavily on his young mind.

“Good,” Miss Argente said, as she took Max’s hands in her hooves. “Remember to stay put. I’m going to go retrieve your father and his friends. Zen you can all leave zis horrible place together.”

“Are you coming with us?” Max asked.

“I…”

Miss Argente hesitated with her answer. The fury that Mr. Cray would bring down on her already for helping Max escape was sure to follow her wherever she went. The moment she was gone, she would live her life on the run from the raging crustacean’s wrath. That is, if the beasts of the swamp didn’t get her first. But at the same time, she recalled what Max had told her before. Mr. Cray would be horrible to her anyway, even if she had not helped him to escape. And what was her reason to stay? To pay off the debt her husband had purposefully passed onto her?

She would have none of that. Deep inside herself, she knew it was time to start making her own way through her life, free from the creatures who tried to keep her under their control.

“Yes. I’ll go with you,” Miss Argente answered.

Max was so excited to hear his new friend was going with him that he couldn’t help but hug her.

But, for the urgency of the situation, Miss Argente had to end it quickly.

“Stay safe,” she urged him, before refastening the tarp back over the top of the lifeboat.

Inside the lifeboat, the sounds of the storm seemed to muffle ever so slightly. The sound of the rain pattering against the tarp muted almost any other sound outside. It was only the sudden crash of thunder that Max was able to hear beyond the safety of his shelter.

Beyond the lifeboat, a new sound joined the storm. A low, rumbling growl that distantly sounded, as two lamp-like eyes drifted through the water toward the Double Down.

At the very top of the Double Down, near the smokestacks that billowed their vile plumes into the air, Cheet ran for cover around a corner.

He clutched the bottle of hot sauce, thoroughly enjoying the obsessed pursuit he was leading Pinkie on. As long as she stayed on his tail, it would be one less goof for his associates to deal with.

When he felt his thumb atop the cap on the bottle, a devious thought occurred to him. And with a sinister chuckle, he popped to top off to begin his plan.

Pinkie darted about the precarious rooftops, hunting ceaselessly for the weasel who had stolen her hot sauce.

Her mind raced as fast as her hooves, going over all of the ways she was going to make Cheet pay for stealing her keepsake. But, had she kept her mind on keeping her hoofing, she wouldn’t have slipped on the rain-slicked metal and slid on her face for a meter or two.

She lifted her head, and felt something dripping down her face. Something much thicker than the rain that had soaked her. The trickle reached her lips, and her eyes shot wide.

The hot, tingling sensation was unmistakable. And she clambered to her hooves to see why, or what had happened for such a thing to be.

Mostly washed away by the rain, there was a fresh streak of orangish-red where she had just plowed through.

Pinkie gasped at the sight. And again when she saw more blotches of hot sauce splattered about like a scene from a mystery novel.

She rushed to the rapidly thinning blotches, desperately trying to scoop them up in her hooves. But, as it always was with liquid in a hoof, it slipped away from her.

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Somewhere, her hot sauce was in danger. And she wouldn’t let up until it was safely back in her possession.

Another trickle of orange-red streamed in from somewhere ahead of herself. With no other thoughts in her mind, Pinkie followed it along.

The blotches of hot sauce wound around the smokestack, until Pinkie found it dripping from the rungs of a ladder that led up the sheer surface.

She climbed the ladder, finding no more of her hot sauce dripping its way down. A minor relief for that moment. But, she dreaded what she would find at the top of the ladder.

The end of her climb came in what seemed seconds to Pinkie. She set herself atop a small platform that ran along the perimeter of the smokestack. Before her, a great cloud of black, dotted with red embers.

The ship rocked in the stormy waters, and the wind blew harder, both moving the smoke enough to reveal on the other side of the vent Cheet Ripov.

With a devilish grin across his face, he stood with one arm extended. In his outstretched hand, he held the bottle of hot sauce over the open mouth of the smokestack.

“Checkmate, goof!” he shouted. “Ain’t no way for you to win now! You move: I drop this! You don’t move: I drop this! Either way, you an’ your hot sauce take a fiery plunge!”

Pinkie clenched her teeth and stared warily at her hot sauce, as it rapidly was obscured and revealed by the smoke. She knew that she had seen her way through more difficult situations. All she needed was a little imagination to get the better of almost anything. But, looking to her precious hot sauce, her mind was coming up blank for any solution. There didn’t seem to be anything at her immediate disposal to use. If she had cooperated with Goofy, he might have been able to cast a line to retrieve the hot sauce. If she had cooperated with Dash, she might have been able to hop across the black smoke as if it were clouds and wrest the bottle from Cheet.

It was too late now. Pinkie was on her own, wracking her brain for a solution. But, she could feel her concentration slipping like the bottle from Cheet’s gradually loosening grip.

Not about to lose her hot sauce, Pinkie took a deep breath in and attempted a leap across the length of the opening of the vent.

Partway across, she knew that what she had attempted was stupid and insane. There was no way that she was going to make it. She could already feel the heat of the fires below against her stomach, and knew that she was going to plummet to a fiery demise any moment.

The wind blew the smoke from her vision, revealing the sight of the balloon below. And an idea sprang to Pinkie’s mind.

Straining her cheeks, she sucked inward and caused her mane to inflate like a parade balloon.

It wasn’t much. But, it was just enough lift to carry her across the rest of the way.

As Cheet’s grip loosened, his grin melted away to pure shock. When he had once been so sure of Pinkie’s elimination, it was beyond his belief to see her sailing toward him.

As though time had slowed down, Cheet could feel the glass bottle sliding millimeter by millimeter from his grip. And he could feel himself beginning to retreat, when a flash of lightning illuminated Pinkie against the black smoke, just as her hoof bumped the bottle from his hand.

The hot sauce dropped down the side of the smokestack. And before she even landed, Pinkie grabbed Cheet and released the air from her mane, letting it deflate back to its normal, sopping wet lank.

The sudden weight she added to herself allowed Pinkie to tackle Cheet and use him as a makeshift sled to chase after her falling hot sauce.

Cheet yelped and groaned as he was ridden over what felt like every bolt and rivet along the side of the smokestack. And his ride seemed to have no end in sight.

Pinkie was rapidly growing nearer to her prize. She raised her hoof when she saw she was only mere meters of the coveted condiment. And with a satisfying clasp, she felt it against her hoof and quickly clutched it against her chest.

She had won. And without the help of her friends. Pinkie felt invincible. As if she could conquer anything. And with a crash of thunder, she shouted victoriously across the swamp. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

The ship started to rock violently, and Pinkie’s ride atop Cheet began to wobble. Still tightly clutching her bottle of hot sauce, she fell from the weasel’s back and went rolling the rest of the way down to the deck.

Pinkie rolled and rolled, until she crashed through the four weasels on deck like they were bowling pins. Along with them, she crashed into Dash, who was backed into the basket of the massive balloon. Before Dash knew what was happening, she was hit, and was knocked into the basket with Pinkie on top of her.

“For pony’s sake, Pinkie! You’re killing me faster than these weasels!” Dash shouted.

Pinkie almost responded, until she noticed that she had once again lost her hot sauce.

Before she could begin panicking over it, the ship tremored again. And a gigantic four-toed hoof crashed onto the deck.

The entire boat rocked more violently than ever.

Dash and Pinkie knocked their heads against each other and toppled about in the basket.

The weasels all scrambled around, dodging the various objects that were sliding and rolling across the deck.

Cheepskate dove over a large wooden spool, and laid as flat as he could to avoid the next, which passed right over him.

Partway up the stairs to the upper deck, Miss Argente had to grab onto the railing to keep from falling over. The bump was so violent that her glasses nearly fell off of her face, dangling off of one of her ears.

She fumbled to replace her glasses, nearly losing them in the process. Once they were securely back over her eyes, she resumed climbing the stairs, keeping hold of the rail as she ascended.

Inside the safety of the rowboat, Max held tightly to one of the seats. Whatever was happening beyond the tarp that covered him, he dared not to look. No matter what, he was determined to listen to Miss Argente and reunite with his father.

The only ones not fazed by the monstrous intruder were Goofy and Mr. Cray, who furiously continued their battle from their swinging hooks.

Back and forth, the struggle consumed them. All other things were put out of their minds, both vying to overpower one another and end the fight.

Even as the ship rocked and tilted, sending them swinging around, neither goof nor crayfish stopped their battle, even as the next giant hoof slammed onto the deck.

Goofy cast his line to catch another conveyor hook and swung around to dodge Mr. Cray’s next attack. He raised his fist to attack, but quickly retracted and spun out of the way when he saw a claw aiming right at his neck.

He and his opponent swung back toward one another, getting their lines tangled in the process.

They were face to face once more.

Goofy used his free hand to hold back Mr. Cray’s encroaching claw. Only, it was no good, as the shellfish was far stronger than himself.

As Mr. Cray’s claw inched closer to Goofy’s face, the gigantic, crocodilian visage of the king of the beasts rose into view.

Goofy jerked out of the way, just as Mr. Cray jabbed his claw forward.

He swung back and the two spun around one another, just as the beast announced its arrival with a ferocious roar.

Pandemonium struck.

The weight of the monster tilted the entire ship to one side, sending all who were on deck sliding toward it.

Dash and Pinkie both lurched when the partly-filled balloon suddenly started lazily drifting downward. Though the envelope was up in the air, it was not full enough to support the weight of two grown mares.

They were rapidly drifting toward the king of the beasts, who eyed the floating ponies menacingly.

Not about to become an entree for an oversized, prehistoric monster, Dash leaned her waist out of the balloon and started rapidly scuffling her hooves across the deck. And after catching on to the notion, Pinkie joined her.

Little progress was made toward the escape. Though their descent was slowed, the balloon was still sliding toward the snapping mouth of the monster.

“Duck!” Pinkie yelled, as she ducked back into the basket.

A metal barrel rolled toward them, and Dash had to stop trying to pull them up the sloping deck by deflecting it with her bare hooves. Unfortunately, without Pinkie’s help, she could only soften the blow as the barrel crashed into her, before she pushed it away.

“Pinkie!!” Dash snapped, as her friend reappeared.

“Duck!” Pinkie shouted again as she retreated.

Dash reached out and caught a long, metal tube that was rolling across the deck. As if she had intended to do so all along, she started using the tube as a gondola pole, and used it to climb up the deck away from the mouth of the beast.

“Pinkie!!” Dash repeated, when Pinkie appeared again.

“Duck!!” Pinkie shouted once more.

Dash passed the metal tube to Pinkie, just in time to stave off the assault of Theef and Creep, who were suddenly sliding toward her.

Creep slid around to the side, and grabbed the outside of the basket. Theef, however, grabbed right onto the edge in front of Rainbow Dash and punched her square in the face.

Dash retaliated, before he had a chance to climb in and nearly knocked him off of the balloon. It was only the quick reflexes of the weasel that allowed him to grab the ropes on the outside of the basket.

On the other side, Creep outstretched one arm and caught a cable that was tossed to him by his brother.

Once secured, Cheepskate, Sneek and Cheet all started shimmying their way toward the balloon.

Straining to stay upright, Miss Argente finally arrived back onto the upper deck, where she gasped at the horrifying scene before her.

A beast unlike any she had seen was climbing onto the deck. Though slowly, it was only a matter of time until it was able to crawl up and wreak its havoc upon all in its path.

The beast raised its hoof and slammed it onto the deck, making the ship lurch again.

Miss Argente fell forward and lost her footing.

She slid some distance along the deck, until her cloven hooves were able to find a catch. Struggling to right herself, she recoiled when she heard a sudden clash above her head.

Glancing up, she saw two silhouettes swinging from the many hooks above. One, she recognized as her heartless employer. The other, the distinct form of Max’s father.

“HEY!!” she called to Goofy’s silhouette.

She couldn’t continue, when the deck lurched again. Miss Argente rolled over herself and went sliding down the deck. Right toward the balloon, as it was lowering again.

Theef and Cheepskate teamed up to take on Dash, while Pinkie was busy trying to climb the sloping deck against the extra weight of five weasels.

Cheepskate pulled another knife from his jacket and tried to cut Dash.

Dash dodged and tangled the weasel’s arm with one of the ropes that was dangling from the balloon.

With Cheepskate’s arm under her control, Dash manipulated him into attacking Theef, who ended up falling off of the balloon.

Determined not to become the king of the beast’s next meal, Theef reached out and grabbed the steps of the balloon’s landing pad, staying his demise.

Cheepskate pulled another knife from his jacket with his free hand, and attacked again.

Dash manipulated his own arm to parry the blow.

Cheepskate slashed again, and was parried once more by himself.

The self-inflicted duel grew more frenzied, and Dash found herself struggling to properly manipulate her opponent to block his own attacks.

With a flick of his wrist, Cheepskate twirled his knife into a reverse grip and stabbed downward.

Dash quickly moved Cheepskate’s other arm so that his wrists crossed, keeping the blade only an inch from her face.

The two struggled, and the blade drew closer to its mark.

Without even thinking, Dash ducked at the very moment Cheepskate suddenly lurched forward. He went over the other side of the basket, nearly hitting Cheet, who was forced to retreat back over the side.

Cheepskate missed Theef’s waiting hand and bounced off of the sloped steps. The only thing saving him from falling overboard was a metal ring on the landing pad where a rope had once secured the balloon to the deck.

When she stood back up, Dash saw what had caused Cheepskate to go flying. The silver cervequin who had accompanied Mr. Cray when they arrived on the upper deck was hanging precariously from the side of the basket.

“Oh, no you don’t! No friend of a crawdad’s coming aboard this balloon!” Dash said, readying to push Miss Argente over.

“Dashie! Stop!” Pinkie said, staying Dash’s hoof. “She’s friends with Max!”

“Who?” Dash said.

“Goofy’s son!”

“Yes! And he is only moments from escape!” Miss Argente said.

“No way!” Dash said, taking a moment to fight off two more weasels who were climbing aboard.

“We must collect his father first! Zen, we can all escape!” said Miss Argente, as she tried to climb aboard.

The balloon drifted back toward the deck, and Miss Argente had to raise her hindquarters to keep them from being crushed under the basket.

Pinkie started furiously using her metal pole to climb back up the deck. The envelope of the balloon was fuller now, and allowed her to more easily get aloft. But, she knew it was also the magic she had learned from Goofy that allowed her to do any such thing at all.

However, the weight of the weasels were still keeping her from making any real progress. The extra passenger they now had complicated things further. But, as long as there was a way to escape, Pinkie was going to apply every fiber of her being to it.

She looked up and saw she was slowly drawing closer to the battle Goofy was waging against Mr. Cray. That was where she was going to go, no matter the obstacles.

There was a sudden jerk, and their progress suddenly halted.

Looking to the back, Pinkie, Dash and Miss Argente all saw that the weasels had cooperated to stop the floating goofs in their tracks.

Creep had tossed the excess length of cable he was holding to Theef, who had in turn tossed the excess to Cheepskate.

Cheepskate took another knife from his jacket and threw it up to the deck. His opponents were out of his throwing range, so he decided they were suited to another use.

Cheet, who already had one shoe planted firmly on a handle, set his other foot atop the newly planted blade’s handle, just as the other weasels had done.

Now that they were all anchored, the five weasels all pulled hard on the rope, yanking the balloon towards themselves.

Pinkie struggled against the weasels, but found that her metal pole was barely able to touch the deck anymore.

She leaned further out of the basket, and was supported by Miss Argente to keep from falling, allowing her to reach the deck.

Behind them both, Dash tried to undo the knot that tied the rope to the balloon, but found her fumbling hooves to be of little use. After a few desperate moments of trying, she resorted to grabbing the rope and pulling it from the grip of the weasels.

Again outnumbered five against one, Dash found her effort to free them as futile as the last one.

Working as one, the weasels all strained as they pulled the rope again. And the balloon started drifting back.

Dash was the only one who could see where they were going. The jaws of the king of the beasts separated ever so slightly, as a low, hungry growl escaped its throat.

Her mind racing desperately, she did the one thing she knew had seen her through most everything else in her life. She flapped her wings, and found that the balloon was drifting to the side, away from the monster that was climbing onto the deck.

The weasels all pulled again, trying to feed them balloon and all to the beast, but were resisted once more.

Two groups, desperate for survival, fought one another. And whoever lost was sure to be a meal for the king.

With the deck angled, the cables on each of the cranes wobbled more dangerously than ever.

Mr. Cray had to climb up his own cable when Goofy reeled himself upward.

At the top of the crane he had climbed, Mr. Cray took hold of the cable and started swinging the giant hook at Goofy.

Goofy was forced to unhook his line and cast it again, swinging about in a way that Mickey had once described doing in a dream where he was climbing a great mountain.

“Wo-ow!!” Goofy shouted, when he quickly had to retract his line, before he was hit.

He tried to cast his line again, aiming for one of the hooks of the conveyor. But, his cast was intercepted.

Mr. Cray’s swinging crane hook snagged onto Goofy’s tiny fishhook.

Goofy could only see his opponent’s silhouette against the flash of lightning behind him, and heard his beastly shout over the booming thunder that sounded off.

Mr. Cray heaved as if he were reeling in the great granddaddy of all muckasaurs from the waters. And with a pull that would have uprooted a tree, he yanked Goofy toward himself.

Goofy held tightly to his fishing pole, not daring to let go or unhook his line for fear of flying in some unknown direction. And with one last shout, Mr. Cray let him fly.

The world spun around as the goof flew through the air. And like watching the same loop of pictures, Goofy watched as the fanged mouth of the king of the beasts approached nearer with every pass.

“AH-HOO-HOY!!” the goof shouted as he readied to cast his line again.

It did not matter what his hook anchored to. As long as it was not the mouth of the monster again.

There was a snap of jaws, and the entire ship rocked.

Goofy yelped and bunched his body up to keep from losing his legs, and kicked off of the snout of the beast.

He swung back and saw he was headed right toward the envelope of the giant balloon.

Pumping his legs like he was running on air, Goofy swung to the side, out of the way of the balloon.

His added inertia supplemented Dash’s effort to resist the pull of the weasels, who all surged forward, nearly losing their precarious footing.

At the very back, Cheepskate began to grow wary as the hoof of the beast started slamming the landing pad, coming ever closer to him.

The entire balloon surged as Goofy slammed into the side of the basket. Hanging by only one hand to the outside, he was just able to see Pinkie and Dash both above himself.

“Goofy!” Pinkie greeted him when he arrived. “We know where to find Max!”

“Maxie!?” Goofy said. He hurriedly pulled himself up to peer into the basket. “Where!?”

“Zat way! In a lifeboat on ze lower deck! But, we must hurry! Or zat monster may reach us first!” Miss Argente said.

Dash answered by groaning loudly, as she resisted the pull of the weasels once more.

“Thanks. Uh, who are yuh anyway?” Goofy asked.

“Lumiere Argente. Monsieur Cray’s se--former secretary. I’ve been looking after Max since he arrived,” Miss Argente answered.

“Well, thanks again.”

“Can we please focus on getting out of here!?” Dash strained, as she rapidly flapped her wings against the pull of the weasels.

“Uh, right,” Goofy said, as he climbed into the basket, and helped Miss Argente in.

All of their weight combined into one spot made the balloon start to drop back down to the deck, where it slowly started sliding back down toward the king of the beasts.

The beast thrashed its rear legs, scraping its hooves against the hull to climb all of the way up.

The resulting tremor shook the weasels back and forth, until they were knocked loose of their footholds.

Keeping their grip on the rope, Cheet, Sneek, Creep, Theef and Cheepskate swung across the deck, just before Cheepskate was smashed by the king of the beast’s hoof.

The balloon was sliding toward them, and they all started careening overboard.

In the basket, Goofy looked for the next place he would need to anchor to next.

His eyes narrowed and his mind focused, as he determined the exact spot he would need to hook in order to take them toward Max’s hiding place.

Through his squinted eyes, he managed to see through the heavy screen of rain to a swiveling crane. That was where he needed to take them all.

He nudged the others to give himself some room, and once again readied to unleash the secret technique of the Goof family.

“Ten o’ clock!” he said aloud, as he swung.

The balloon was growing closer to the edge.

“Two o’ clock!”

Cheepskate was right at the edge, and began to slip.

“Quarter to three!”

Cheepskate slipped, and his weight pulled Theef down with him.

“Tour jete!”

Theef tried staying up, but was bumped by Creep, and knocked off the ship. After him, Creep, Sneek and Cheet went sliding overboard, still holding onto the rope.

“Twist! Pas de deux! I’m a little teapot!”

The weight of the weasels was rapidly pulling the balloon overboard.

“Wind up!!’

Goofy lifted his fishing pole high over his head, and twirled it around.

The hook and line went straight upward into the envelope, where they caught aflame.

They swirled about the inside of the balloon, like a great, flaming tornado, which filled the envelope further with its lifting gasses.

“AN’ LET ‘ER FLY!!!!”

Goofy cast his line, which shot forward streaking flames behind it like a tiny comet. The rain soon doused the hook and its line, as it wove back and forth in tandem with the swinging crane. And in another moment, it caught.

“Got it!!” Goofy victoriously shouted, as he started reeling in.

Soon after he started, Pinkie, Dash and Miss Argente all started to help him reel, pulling them more quickly on.

The weasels were all pulled upward, and Cheet slammed into the edge of the deck. He was hit from behind by Sneek, who was hit by Creep, who was hit by Theef, who was hit by Cheepskate. And the rope they all held slipped right from their grip, sending them splashing into the water below.

The ship floated away without them, and they were just able to see the shape of the king of the beasts climb further aboard, before it disappeared into the fog with the Double Down.

After it had gone, the very log that had carried the goofs into the swamp drifted by, and they all climbed aboard.

“Well, that was a bust!” Creep said, as he was helped up to the log by his brother.

“Yeah. Most profitable gig we had in years, an’ the goofs gotta torpedo it! An’ now they’re gettin’ away!” Sneek said, shaking a small fish from his pant leg.

“They ain’t gonna get away for long! If Cray or that walkin’ handbag don’t do ‘em in, we know right where they’re goin’,” Cheet said.

It was true. Even if the goofs escaped, there was only one way that the rivers flowed out of the swamp. That was where they were going to find the goofs next, and finally eliminate them.

The passengers of the balloon all reeled for all they were worth. With the weight of the weasels gone, they were able to lift off of the deck. And with the air Goofy had stirred up within it, they were able to just get nearly ten or fifteen hooves high.

They were nearly at the edge of the ship, and Goofy looked over the side of the basket, eager to see where his son was waiting for him. They were still not over the edge of the upper deck. But, it was only going to be a few moments until Goofy was reunited with his son. The anticipation was almost murder for him, but he knew he could easily wait it out.

As they reeled closer and were nearly over the edge, Pinkie saw something that made her heart leap. There, caught on one of the conveyor hooks in the direction they were heading was her bottle of hot sauce.

They were getting nearer to it. So tantalizingly close that Pinkie could almost taste it. Only, at the rate they were going, they were going to pass it up entirely.

Pinkie wouldn’t have it. Taking her metal pole, she reached it out, passed it through the eyehole of the hook and waited half a second for them to drift to a point where they would be safely snagged.

Goofy’s line went taut when the balloon stopped moving. Looking to the source of the snag, they saw Pinkie carefully pulling them up the length of the balloon.

“Pinkie! Whut’re yuh doin’!?” Goofy shouted.

“I’ve got to get my hot sauce!” Pinkie explained.

Between leaving the ship and helping Pinkie, Dash did not know what to do. And at the same time, she knew that their mission in Bichumonterre had not been completed. They hadn’t yet freed the land from the wrath of the creatures that lived there now. Nor had they done anything of particularly great significance.

Mr. Cray’s words echoed in her head, the very same as they had done when he told her that her mission was a complete wash. Even if they did stay to defeat him, or to rescue Pinkie’s hot sauce, what difference would it have made?

The balloon lurched again when a sudden weight on the fishing line made it dip.

Through the heavy rain, they could see a large silhouette sliding toward them along the fishing line. A flash of lightning revealed Mr. Cray, his claws snapped firmly around the line, letting him slide rapidly toward the passengers of the balloon.

Miss Argente quickly put Dash, Pinkie and Goofy between herself and her former employer, hiding at the back of the basket.

Mr. Cray crashed into the side of the basket, making the whole thing shake violently, almost making Miss Argente fall out.

There was no room for him to crawl inside. But, that didn’t stop him from viciously attacking the passengers.

The very moment that he arrived, he snapped at Goofy’s arm, aiming to amputate it.

Goofy parried with his fishing pole, which was caught again by Mr. Cray, whose eyes had shot as red as his shell.

Nothing about Mr. Cray was recognizable anymore. His face was completely contorted by rage, rendering him the appearance of a monster as terrible as the king of the beasts.

With deep, guttural growls, he attacked again, and was again blocked by Goofy.

Mr. Cray snarled and tried to attack Pinkie who was still trying to reach her hot sauce.

Dash threw a rope around his claw, stopping him inches short of his target.

Another growl was loosed, as he leaned far into the basket, reaching for Dash next as he cut the ropes that restrained him with his other claw.

Dash had to lean far back, and nearly fell out of the basket.

None of them were relenting.

Mr. Cray changed his tactics and started cutting the thick ropes that held the balloon’s basket to its envelope.

Goofy tried to stop him by attacking with his fishing pole. But, to little effect.

Miss Argente watched warily as her chances of escape slipped away. She kept her eyes on Mr. Cray, knowing that no matter what she did, her life with him had ended. She couldn’t even feel her own movements as she took hold of the clipboard that hung around her neck and lunged at her former employer.

Mr. Cray grunted loudly as he was bludgeoned over the head by the cervequin he deemed didn’t have the backbone to stand up straight in his presence.

And with one loud, satisfying crack, the clipboard broke over Mr. Cray’s head.

Miss Argente stopped for a moment, stunned by what she had done. But, her astonishment turned to fear when Mr. Cray grabbed the broken board that still hung around her neck.

She didn’t even have a chance to struggle as she was yanked out of the basket and thrown to the deck.

Everyone shouted as she grabbed onto one of the dangling ropes that was attached to the balloon’s basket. For one terrifying second, Miss Argente caught sight of the king of the beasts just as it climbed aboard. And it was looking directly at her.

The balloon was drifting further over the side, and the hook Pinkie had snagged was sliding along its groove after them, making the bottle that was caught in it wobble dangerously.

The king of the beasts started toward them, hungrily baring its jagged teeth.

Miss Argente could bear no longer. In a surge of panic, she let go of the rope and went falling back to the lower deck, where she landed on the tarp that covered Max’s lifeboat.

She was saved from severe injury, but still received a good thump when the tarp pulled loose from its securing.

Max, who had been hiding beneath the seat of the lifeboat, crawled out from beneath the crumpled tarp and saw who had joined him.

“Miss Argente!” he said. “Are you okay? Where’s my dad?”

Between panic and the fall she had just taken, it took Miss Argente a moment to recollect herself.

“Your father...He’s…”

She glanced up, and she and Max were just able to see the balloon, as it hovered overhead.

The ropes in the tackles and pulleys that held the lifeboat suspended started to loosen. Miss Argente’s hard landing was too much for them to handle, and they dropped suddenly down the side of the ship, stopping just halfway to the water.

When they stopped, their eyes went back upward, and they both called to the goofs in the balloon. Unfortunately, the balloon’s passengers were still occupied.

Mr. Cray started tearing the basket apart with his bare claws, hoping to drop them all out to feed to the monster on the deck.

Goofy attacked by ramming Mr. Cray with the butt of his fishing pole.

Mr. Cray recoiled slightly, and relented his attack. However, he took hold of the improvised weapon and wrenched it from his opponent’s grip, throwing it into the water.

Taking a cue from Dash, Goofy started trying to use the ropes around the basket to restrain Mr. Cray.

The moment Dash and Goofy got a rope around either of his arms, the crustacean swung his arms together and knocked his opponents into one another.

He then pulled his arms back and snapped his claws at them, narrowly missing once more. After he missed, Mr. Cray set to cutting apart more of the ropes, to keep them from being used.

Pinkie was now just beyond the reach of her hot sauce. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the trouble her friends were in. But, she also knew that she would only be a few milliseconds longer.

“Almost…” Pinkie said, as she reached her hoof out.

A loud bellow sounded beneath herself, as the king of the beasts lunged to attack.

Pinkie quickly turned, and saw the monster rushing toward them. Perhaps, she turned too quickly.

The bottle of hot sauce slipped from its hook.

Pinkie only just noticed it falling from the corner of her eye, and turned to catch it.

Her hooves frantically reached out, swiping only the air as the bottle fell past her.

The bottle fell between Dash and Goofy, and landed directly onto Mr. Cray’s face, where it shattered, splattering its contents all over his face.

It was a pain like no other for Mr. Cray. He yelped and shouted, as his entire face felt as if it had caught fire. And in his fury to get it off, he let go of the side of the basket.

He was only in the air for a moment, when the king of the beasts jumped upward with its mouth open. And with a sickening snap, Mr. Cray disappeared behind the wall of teeth that had closed around him.

Mr. Cray had been defeated. But, the ordeal was not yet over.

The impact of the king of the beast’s landing shook the entire ship again.

The lifeboat that was weighed down by two passengers could no longer support its own weight, and plunged into the water.

The Double Down was getting away from them, and the balloon was full enough that it was able to support its few passengers.

“Dad!!” Max called as loud as he could.

“Maxie!! Where are yuh!?” Goofy called, as he looked around in a panic.

In a moment, his eyes landed upon a silhouette that floated through the water. One that he could see two passengers aboard.

“Maxie!! Up here!!” Goofy shouted, waving frantically at his son.

He tried looking for a rope that he could lower to climb down to his son, but found they had all been cut by Mr. Cray.

With a heavy heart, he could only watch as Max once again moved beyond his reach, drifting into the mists of the swamp.

“All rivers out of zis swamp flow to Galway! Look for us zere!! In Galway!!” Miss Argente’s voice called, before she and Max were both engulfed in the mists of the swampland.

The balloon drifted higher, until it was above the fog. After so long in the mists, none of the goofs had any idea how much time had passed since they had entered the foggy swamplands of Bichumonterre. Not even the sun was seen through the dark clouds that filled the sky, which continued to pelt rain to all beneath it..

There would be no finding Max now. He and the river he rode on were lost in the fog below.

Looking ahead, Goofy could see where the fog ended, and saw where the river wound through the land and branched out in many directions. That was where he needed to go. But, in a hot air balloon, there was no way to steer, leaving the three goofs at the mercy of the wind that sent them in a direction lateral to the river.

Goofy looked a moment at his shredded shirt and sighed. Realizing it was useless as a garment, he shredded it completely apart and put it to use as a makeshift bandage, dressing the wounds he had sustained during his fight against Mr. Cray. And once he was finished with that, he ducked down into the basket. A moment later, he reappeared, wearing his normal clothes.

With a sigh, he placed his hands on the side of the basket, and waited to drift beyond the reach of the foggy landscape.

Time passed. The rain clouds slowly ebbed away, revealing the sun just as it was peering over the horizon.

With the sun, the land began to illuminate, revealing the countryside below. The kingdom of Bichumonterre beyond its swamps was a peaceful one. Seemingly a kingdom free of the dangers its wilds presented. And with the coming of the light, a road was seen below, which ran along the outermost of the many branching paths of the river.

Dash reached up and lowered the heat on the balloon’s burner, allowing it to gently drift to the ground. Along the way, she aided the balloon’s direction by gently flapping her wings. Whether it had helped or not, it was a matter of many minutes until the balloon landed with a gentle bump upon a hilly bank by the river.

Goofy was the first to disembark. For as long as they had been drifting, he had kept careful watch on the river, waiting for something to leave the mists. No such thing had happened. And with a grim sigh, he conceded the fact that Max and Miss Argente may well have taken a different branch of the river than the one he and his friends had landed beside.

The magical light that had guided them from Ponyville appeared once more, and gently drifted along the road that ran beside the river.

There was only one thing to do for it. Goofy, Dash and Pinkie all started walking after the light, knowing that it would take them to where they were needed next. To rescue Max and hopefully finish their exhausting quest.

Many miles were crossed, and not a word was said in all that time. Only the ambient sounds of the land filled their ears, along with the gentle tinkering of the magical light that guided them.

The sky gradually brightened as the sun climbed overhead. One more day since the beginning of the magical quest. One more day since any of them had seen their other friends.

Even though none of them said it, Dash, and Pinkie and Goofy all wondered how their friends were faring. For the tribulations they had faced, for all the grief that they endured and with more sure to come, they hoped the best for all of the others.

The light guided them to the middle of a crossroads, where the path split into many directions.

In the very middle of the road, a single, tall signpost stood, directing any creature traveling to their destination. But, the goofs had a more decisive guide than a simple road sign.

The magical light drifted slowly onward, as if to try and pinpoint its way. Then, it settled on a path that was set a small ways to their left

That was the way. The direction to continue, and hopefully finish their quest.

Goofy looked to the signs that named each destination. Partway down, he found the one where the light would lead them to. And to his dismay saw that it led to a place called Brumbury. Looking back to the post, he saw that below that was another sign that said ‘Galway,’ which led in the opposite direction.

Dash and Pinkie both started forth on the path toward Brumbury. But the moment their hooves touched the ground after the first step, they stopped when they saw Goofy walking the other way.

“Goofy?” Pinkie said, breaking the long silence.

Goofy paused and looked over his shoulder

“Whut?” he asked.

“We’re supposed to go this way...To Brumbury,” Pinkie answered, pointing toward the light.

Goofy sighed and shook his head.

“Maybe you are. But, I gotta go tuh Galway tuh find muh son,” he said

The light tinkered slightly louder, beckoning them forth.

“But, the light says we have to go--” Dash started to say.

“Nuts tuh whut thuh light sez!!!” Goofy snapped. “That thing’s dun nuthin’ but take us places where anybuddy at all could o’ solved their own problems!”

“Like horse apples they could! You saw Rex! He was huge! And that crawdad was just as bad!” Dash rebutted.

“An’ anybuddy at all could o’ took ‘em on! Even if yuh didn’t have yer fancy magic!”

“But...We did it, because we learned your magic. We couldn’t have learned it without you,” was all Pinkie could think to say.

“You weren’t there when we were talkin’ tuh that crawdad. He spelled it out plain an’ simple that our whole quest’s been nuthin’ but a snow job. An’ if me bein’ here’s pointless, yuh never needed me tuh teach yuh magic,” Goofy said.

In actuality, Pinkie had heard everything that was said over Theef’s radio. She knew full well the futility of their involvement. And there was no arguing Goofy’s point. Even after their magic had been stolen, she and Dash were able to hold their own against the obstacles that came their way.

In fact, Dash realized that she and Pinkie had both very much discovered how to use magic like Goofy’s on their own. And with only minimal guidance from the goof.

“Thuh folks in Brumbury can look after themselves. My son needs me. So, I’m goin’ tuh find him. No matter whut that twinklin’ bug zapper says,” Goofy said, with complete finality.

And with those last words, he walked onward to the path to Galway.

The mares stood stunned at the sight. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine their own friend leaving them behind. Nor could they imagine going anywhere without one another.

“Dashie...I…” Pinkie stammered.

Dash could barely believe her eyes when she saw Pinkie take a step after Goofy. And with one last look over her shoulder, Pinkie continued on, keeping her head low to the ground as she followed Goofy.

Never before had Rainbow Dash felt so alone. The Bearer of Loyalty without a friend, and the burden of her responsibility to Equestria weighing heavily on her.

She looked back to the magical light. There was the path that would lead to the salvation of Equestria. To the completion of their quest and to the reunion with all of her other friends.

On the other path, her friends who had accompanied her. Who had seen her through the best and worst times of the quest were walking away. And in a few short moments, they would disappear around the bend in the path ahead.

It was the worst conflict Dash had felt in her life. As if one part of herself was tearing itself in two, trying to pull her in different directions.

Swallowing hard, she made up her mind.

Her hooves shakily left the ground as she hesitantly walked after her friends.

Behind her, the magical light twinkled one last time, before it burst into stardust and dissipated from existence.

There would be no more guiding the goofs. Now, they were making their own way, lost and bewildered on their own path to finish the magical quest.

Author's Note

Lose their way, they did...Or, is it by forging their own way that they will find the only way to succeed? Sorry, but you readers are going to have to ponder that for a long while, until we meet the goofs again.

This showdown was actually a bit easier to write than the action scene before it. Like, it’s already been established that the goofs have lost their sync, so this time it’s not necessary to show them trying to work together. This time around, it’s more like they’re all drifted apart and facing their different perils. Pinkie trying to protect her bottle of hot sauce, Dash facing off against the rest of the weasels, and Goofy facing what is essentially rage incarnate.

However, there were some parts that I thought still needed work. As I was writing it, the fight did not feel perilous enough at first. I knew right away that the king of the beasts was going to appear during the final part of the showdown. But, the beginning of the fight seemed to be lacking in excitement. I tried a few things, until I found a picture of a ship that had loading equipment near its helicopter pad. It seemed to me that it would make sense for a ship like the Double Down to have some kind of cargo bay for their product, so I added in the cranes and conveyors to present some hazards to the fighters. That, and the moving hooks would allow some way for Goofy to put his fishing pole to good use.

Something that almost happened in this chapter (but didn’t) was that it was almost Dash who was going to get stuck in a barrel during her fight against the weasels. What was going to happen was one of them was going to trip her while another was going to be holding a barrel for her to fall into. The four weasels she was fighting were all then going to play an impromptu game of hockey with her.

In the end, I thought that Goofy getting stuck in a barrel would be a better idea, since it would fit in with his tendency to still make do, no matter what predicament he’s in.

Personally, I loved the part where Miss Argente broke her clipboard over Mr. Cray’s head. After all the abuse she put up with, I say it was high time she did. It would have been nice if she had taken off her glasses and did like that scene in ‘The Godfather Part 3,’ but this is an E-rated story.

There’s yet another reference to the Magical Quest games in here. Where Goofy is swinging in a way that Mickey said he dreamed about doing. In the first Magical Quest game, when Goofy bestows the climbing costume to Mickey at the mountain level, Mickey is able to swing like Spider-Man by using a hook.

What further disappoints me that Goofy was not playable in any of the Magical Quest games is that he is clearly capable of handling his own. Because in the first game, he obviously made his way past the Treetops, through the Dark Forest, out of the Fire Grotto, and then finally to Pete’s Peak, where he gives Mickey his new costume. I played that as a kid, and I imagined what costumes Goofy could have used to make it that far? But we’ll never know, because there’s never been a Magical Quest where Goofy was playable!!

But, I’m just venting here. These Goofy arches are meant to satisfy that itch I’ve had since I played those games anyway.

The two named destinations on the road sign are based on real world animal names mixed with real places. The first, Brumbury, is a mix of Bunbury (in Australia), and the Australian slang word for a wild horse, ‘brumby.’

I’ve said before that I’ve decided this is strictly a crossover with Mickey Mouse and My Little Pony. But, at a time, I also considered adding in characters from ‘The Silver Brumby’ to a story arch. Like, they weren’t going to be named, but the characters that were going to appear in Brumbury were going to be heavily implied to be Thowra, Arrow, Boonboon, Currawong, etc.

But again, just as I did not want to muddle things up by adding canon from Grandville, I decided against adding characters from The Silver Brumby. The books are great, by the way. And the cartoon is also fantastic. If you need a horse-related cartoon after Friendship is Magic gets canned, I highly recommend The Silver Brumby.

I don’t know how deep of a cut this is, but the name of this chapter is also the name of a music track from the ‘Goof Troop’ video game that was released on the SNES. I think it was the fourth or fifth level, but one of them was a maze-like cave, which played the background music titled ‘Lose My Way.’ To this day, I find myself whistling music from that game. Lose My Way in particular. Give it a listen and see what I mean.

If you’ve noticed the pattern by now, (which I know you have) you will know that Twilight, Mickey and Rarity will be the featured characters in the next story arch.

Just a quick recap: the last time we saw them, they experienced a colossal failure. Rarity failed to save the life of a potential love interest. Mickey failed to prevent the destruction of the entire city. And Twilight failed to learn or apply any magic different from her own, and failed to reform one of the villains. A villain who she had looked up to as her mentor, who saw Twilight as a friend, and who refused to reform for the sake of the other friends she valued.

Since that time, Twilight has abandoned her friends to return home, but has been sidetracked by somebody who also desperately needed a friend. Meanwhile, Mickey and Rarity are following their magical guide, unknowing that it is actually taking them further away from Twilight, instead of leading them to her.

As for where they’re going? That’ll be a bit of a surprise for now.

That’s it for me here. I’ve stayed up past my normal bedtime to get some schoolwork done, and to finish up this showdown for you lovely readers. Me? I’m going to rock on some z’s \m/

Chapter 55: Far North

Chapter 55

Far North

Cold was the land of the north. But far from lifeless.

Through the bushes that nearly hid the well-worn trail, many steps were heard approaching, as though from a great distance.

Birds chirped in hushed trills among the snow-covered pines of the forest. The gentle whispering of the wind swishing their nettles ever so slightly, instigating a tiny rush of movement by the animals that dwelt there.

A stream ran through the icy forest, moving too fast to be slowed by the cold. It’s constant gurgling was joined by the sounds of the steps, which had grown closer.

There was a splash, as one of the creatures of the river hopped in to escape what was approaching.

“Oh, so very, very lost…” said a female voice.

The pristine snow was indented by many feet impressing into it, leaving behind enough tracks to make another creature think a whole group of something had passed by.

After them, the four purple hooves of a pony made their own tracks in the snow.

Shivering and with her teeth chattering, Twilight Sparkle followed her new companion through the frozen trail.

She didn’t know where they were going. Or for why. Some part of her regretted following the creature to the frozen lands. But if she hadn’t, she would have returned to Ponyville a failure. Everypony she had ever known would have looked down on her the moment she set hoof back home. They would all know how terribly she had failed as an Equestrian princess. Worse, what if she had to tell them that she had given up?

The only thing for her to do then would be to lock herself in her home for the rest of her days, while the world around her fell to Yen Sid’s design. And without her magic, all she would be able to do was watch.

Clouds of breath erupted from Twilight’s mouth as she loosed a shudder that made her knees shake.

“Are you alright?” said a voice that sounded somehow very distant.

Twilight looked up, and gasped when she saw the fanged, many-eyed face of her companion looking directly at her.

“I...I’m alright. I’m just a little...I’m cold is all,” Twilight answered.

“You need a coat of hair like mine, then,” her friend said. “I know it looks a little coarse, but it’s very warm. Perhaps the next time I molt, I’ll lend my coat to you.”

“That’s alright. I’m happy with my own coat.”

“Oh. Alright then.”

And she turned around to walk forward.

Twilight thought she could hear just a faint note of curtness in her company’s voice. She thought that somehow, she had offended the creature.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--I mean--It’s just not me,” Twilight hastily explained.

Her ears drooped when she realized who she sounded like.

In the swirling snow, Twilight thought she could see the pure white coat with three diamonds on its flank. However, it was only snow. And the diamonds were no more than hanging icicles.

She shook her head clear of the delusion and hurried after the other creature.

“Please, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mean...I appreciate the gesture. But--” Twilight tried to explain.

“Don’t worry. I know that my bristly, black coat is not to the liking of most. And that it certainly wouldn’t complement those lovely shades of purple and pink you sport. I just thought I would demonstrate a little generosity,” came the answer.

The word ‘generosity’ set off another pang of guilt in Twilight’s chest.

“No. She’s fine without me. She’s probably further along than she’d ever be if I was there,” Twilight thought, trying her best to swallow her remorse.

They walked onward through the snow, and the trail led alongside the banks of the running river.

At the bank ahead of them, there were three of the oddest creatures Twilight had ever seen. They looked like timber wolves, but had none of the sylvan features she was familiar with. One was sleek, blue, and had very little hair. What stood out the most was the large, cartilage fin on its back. The next was all black and had glowing red eyes. Its body was covered in scales like a lizard, and had a long tail with a pointed sting at the end. The third was the most terrifying of all. It was three times the size of a pony, and had fur so white that it could have blended in perfectly with the snow around it. The only thing that kept it from doing so were its black claws, black lips and pitch black eyes.

All three were drinking peacefully from the water, their long tongues lapping up their fill. But, at the sound of approaching steps, all of their ears twitched to alertness.

As one, they all looked up from their drink and saw the strange newcomers.

Twilight hid behind the many legs of her companion, and felt relief wash over her when each one of the creatures ran from the bank and into the trees.

The largest of the three turned around, and stopped a moment to see if they were being followed. After it was sure they were safe, it followed after its smaller companions.

“What were those?” Twilight asked.

“Wolves. Though, probably different from the ones you’ve seen in your home. The one with the fins was an akhlut. The black one with the stinger was an aziwugum. And the giant was an amarok. They look scary, I know. But, they are all quite harmless. I find that to be true about most things,” answered the creature, with a hearty chuckle before she started walking again.

“Oh. It’s just that I’ve never read any books about the creatures of the north,” Twilight said, following after.

“Personally, I find that it’s much more enlightening to actually experience things than to read about them.”

Twilight said nothing, but nodded in agreement. Ever since Princess Celestia had forced her to get out and make friends, she had learned far more about the magic of harmony than if she had stayed holed up in her study reading about it. But, as she knew things were now, anything she ever learned about magic was worthless.

The creature stopped suddenly and looked around herself.

“Oh, dear. I’m not sure if this is the way. I’m so very sorry. But, I’m afraid I’ve gotten us more lost than we were before,” she said.

“I told you already. I’m not lost,” Twilight said.

“Are you sure? Because, I once heard that anything stated so earnestly in repetition is often a lie.”

Twilight wanted to rebuke the creature’s claim. To say that she truly was not lost. But, the words stopped in her throat, making her choke quietly on her own voice.

“Or, at least it means the speaker is misled,” the creature said. “I suppose it depends on who is being fooled.”

“I’m not fooling anypony. I’m really not lost. I...I just don’t have anywhere to be,” Twilight answered.

“That can’t possibly be true. Everyone has a place they belong. Have you simply lost your way to that place?” her friend answered.

“No. I know exactly where I belong,” Twilight answered.

“Then, why aren’t you there?”

It was a question that struck Twilight’s mind like a dagger. She knew that where she thought she needed to be was not it. Without her magic, she was no help to anypony anywhere. Wherever she went, she would be stymied by her own lack of the talent she had spent years developing and honing, until she was the very best among her peers. Everything had been for nothing.

“Where is it that you need to be?” Twilight asked, changing the subject.

“Me?” the creature asked. “My employer told me that I needed to find somebody. An alicorn.”

In that moment, Twilight wanted to open her mouth and ask if it was herself who the creature was looking for. But, there was something stopping her. A small, lingering sense of foreboding that reminded her of the last strange creature who she had wholly trusted.

“Uh...Wh-Who, exactly?” Twilight asked.

The many shoulders of the creature shrugged.

“He didn’t say. What he did tell me was that I’d know her when I found her, because she would be surrounded by her friends,” she answered.

Twilight’s mind was wiped blank by that last statement. She had thought it before, but now it was driven home hard. As she was now, Twilight Sparkle was hardly recognizable from the mare she once was. Even if she had returned home, nopony would know who she was anymore. No matter how she tried to muster the strength to call forth the mere phantasm of her former self, it wouldn’t come.

Out of nothing more than simple formality, or because she simply didn’t want to dwell on her thoughts, Twilight asked another question.

“What is it you want with the alicorn?” she asked.

“I’m supposed to kill her.”

The blank in Twilight’s mind was replaced by a surge of fear. With the filter between her brain and her mouth dislodged, she spoke her sudden discovery aloud.

“You’re an assassin,” Twilight said, trying not to shout or stutter.

“I am,” the creature answered.

Twilight jumped, when all of a sudden her companion stopped and turned to face her.

“Do I frighten you?”

Twilight hesitated to answer. Her mind was screaming ‘yes’ over and over, drowning out any rational thought she had left. And her body was trembling all over, though she could feel none of it. Not even her own cautious backward steps were felt.

The world seemed to move all on its own to Twilight, as the creature started walking toward her for every step the young alicorn took back.

“I know full well that I send shivers down the spine of everyone who sees me. Even yourself. But, no matter how scared you are, I’m even more so,” the creature said.

Mixing with Twilight’s fear was the sudden urge to know what the creature was talking about.

“You’re one of the few who has willingly accompanied me, and stayed by my side. It’s so very seldom that I meet a creature like you. And now that you know what I am, I’m afraid I may lose you,” the creature continued.

A quiet splash and a sudden chill snapped Twilight from her stupor, making her realize that her back hoof had just touched into the ice cold water of the river.

“Please, tell me that you won’t leave me. Please,” the creature pleaded, stopping before Twilight.

Weighing her will to live against her intense fears, Twilight analyzed her options. She could run away. But, the only places to go were the freezing cold river, or the wolf-infested woods. She could have confronted the creature and revealed her identity as the Princess of Friendship. But, she already knew that she was in no state to defend herself from any attacker. By process of elimination, there was only one logical way to answer and live.

“It’s alright. I won’t leave you,” Twilight said.

“Do you promise?” the creature asked, wholly in earnest.

“Yes. I promise that I’ll always be your friend.”

It was difficult to tell with her fangs in the way, but Twilight thought that the creature was smiling. And seeing it made her skin crawl as if a thousand spiders had washed over her.

“You’ve made me so very happy,” the creature said. “Come. There’s much that I have to do. And, perhaps on the way, we’ll find that place where you belong.”

Twilight’s fear kept her from answering. Deep within herself, she knew that she could never return to where she belonged.

Wordlessly, she followed the creature again, just as flakes of snow began to fall.

In another part of the frozen land, the snow swirled violently.

High in a tree, a snowy owl sat perched on a branch, braced against the howling winds.

One particularly strong gust of wind forced it to grip its branch harder, and hoot indignantly at the direction the gust came from. And as if in retaliation, the wind blew back harder than before, blowing the snow from the branches around the owl.

The owl ruffled its feathers, shaking the snow from its body. And with a huff, it flew off to find a place more sheltered from the wind.

It didn’t fly, so much as ride the breeze, steering through the many trunks and branches that made up its home. Until it found what it was looking for.

There was a very large tree. One where the branches and nettles were so thick that the owl had to burrow its way in.

It was the perfect place. The wind was mostly screened from entry, and the dark wood of the tree had retained much of its heat from the warmer seasons. And with a contented hoot, it started settling down to sleep.

The other creatures of the tree did the same. A family of squirrels lay nestled in a hollow. And countless insects laid within the many pine cones, out of the cold.

But, down at the bottom there was another creature, who was wide awake. Sitting at the base, leaning against the trunk was the silhouette of a hugely fat cat.

The end of his cigar burned brightly, dimly illuminating the cruel features of his face. He had been waiting so long, so patiently for who he knew was to come. And with a long, slow exhale, black smoke and white breath gently wafted along the breeze as it left his mouth.

He gently patted the blunt side of the axe he held into this palm, and stroked the blade with his thumb.

There was a gentle tinkering sound to his side, and the magical light that had guided him to where he was now drifted ahead of him short way, until it dispersed.

Nothing happened. But, the cat was not about to take his eyes from where the light disappeared, he waited. And after several seconds, another light appeared. One that he saw glinting between the trees that bordered the snowy path below.

Another puff on his cigar revealed the cat’s wicked grin.

He stood up and ruffled the snow from his jacket. And without further ado, he moved beside the tree he had been leaning against, revealing the spot where he had chopped through it.

The cat raised his axe up and watched as two dark shapes followed after the glittering light. In moments, he would swing one last time and put an end to those who would defy him and Yen Sid.

Down on the trail, Mickey and Rarity followed after the light, shivering with every step they took.

“G-G-Gosh! What I’d give for a shirt right n-now!” Mickey chattered, clutching his arms close to himself and rubbing furiously to warm up.

“A nice, f-f-fluffy c-c-cardigan! With a m-m-matching scarf! And mittens! Oh, what I’d g-g-give for mittens!” Rarity added.

It was hard going. The only thing that kept them from hypothermia was their ability to keep walking. And even that was becoming a trial in and of itself.

From the very moment they walked into the northern lands, they had hoped that they would find somewhere that had none too much snow. Unfortunately, it was no such place that their magical light had led them. And the whirlwind of snow showed no signs of letting up.

A faint scuffling noise caught Mickey’s attention. There in the nearby bushes was a hugely fat, pure white rabbit, which was barely visible against the snow. And a quick glance revealed that it was trying to burrow into the ground to escape the cold.

Reasoning that it would be warm enough underground, Mickey thought the rabbit wouldn’t miss its coat.

Reaching down, he took the fur off of the rabbit as if he were removing a jacket from its shoulders.

The rabbit felt a sudden chill when the wind hit its pink bare skin. Whipping around, it saw the mouse about to put on its own fur.

With an indignant squeak, the rabbit took its fur back and slipped it back on as easily as if it were an actual garment. And after unleashing a string of angry squeaks, it bounded off into the bushes.

“What a sorehead! C-C-Can’t even help out f-fellow rodent!” Mickey said.

“You sh-shouldn’t have s-s-s-simply taken its coat anyway,” Rarity said, wishing she had a nice, fluffy coat of her own. Then again, if her coat were so long, it would have been more difficult to groom.

The fashionista’s eyes scanned the landscape for something to keep warm. For a long time, the only thing that either of them had seen was snow and trees. And from the look of things, that was all she had to work with.

With nothing else to use, Rarity decided it would be better than wearing nothing in the snow. If not by much.

“M-M-M-Mickey. I’ve an id-d-ea,” she said, as she walked over to a small, slender pine.

“Wh-Whatcha g-g-g-got?” Mickey asked, following Rarity.

The two arrived at the tiny tree, and the mouse watched as Rarity put her hooves on the thin trunk.

“Help me sh-sh-shake this,” she said.

Not knowing what she planned, but having no ideas of his own, Mickey went along with the ludicrous idea.

They both started shaking the little tree as hard as they could. Globs of snow fell to the ground around them, and single red bird flew from the branches. Aside from that, nothing came of Rarity’s plan after they stopped.

“So, n-now what?” Micky asked.

His question was answered when all of the needles fell off of the tree and dropped onto himself and Rarity. By their own magic, the pine needles arranged themselves into a jacket for each of them.

“Not b-b-bad. But, I d-don’t know how well it’s g-gonna work,” Mickey said, scratching his neck.

“I kn-kn-know. B-B-But, I didn’t want to s-spend more time than I needed in the cold d-d-designing g-g-garments for us,” Rarity answered.

“It’s not th-that. This sh-shirt itches like c-c-crazy!” Mickey said, still scratching.

“I’m af-f-fraid there’s no helping that.”

The needles they wore were only slightly better than bare skin. The little warmth that they offered was almost completely offset by how itchy it all was. And they hoped for their sake that they weren’t far from someplace that they could find proper winter clothing.

Suddenly, carried on the howling wind there came the sound of a single, loud chop.

“Hey! S-Someone’s ch-ch-choppin’ wood!” Mickey said, recognizing the sound.

“Oh, p-p-p-please be firewood! I desperately need...a...fire…” Rarity said, trailing off as a new sound followed the chop.

The unmistakable creak of solid wood breaking under its own weight thundered through the forest. And the sight of many birds flying over the canopy revealed the direction it was coming from.

Other trees bent out of the way, as a singular, gigantic tree fell toward Mickey and Rarity, ready to crush them both.

No thoughts were in their minds as they both shot to either side of the path they were on.

The tree landed between them, catching them in its thick branches.

Further up the slope, Pete nodded to himself and crushed the stub of his cigar on the ragged, gnarled tree stump. Having known his nemesis for so long, he knew that something so simple wouldn’t eliminate him. He was going to have to ensure the completion of his objective himself.

And with a huff, the heavy lurched down the slope to where the tree landed.

Though not seriously injured, Mickey and Rarity both found themselves tangled up in the many twigs and nettles that once housed many woodland creatures.

Inside the branches, Mickey was beset by a very irate owl, who pecked unendingly at his head.

“Ow--Stop--Knock it off!!” he shouted, trying to shoo the angry bird.

The owl never stopped pecking him, even as he climbed up and popped out from among the branches.

The mouse could take no more. Snapping off a small branch, he swung at the owl.

“Beat it, ya buzzard!” Mickey said, swatting the bird away.

Another rustling sounded from the branches near him, and Rarity clambered into the open.

“Oh my goodness!!!--Oh my--!!” Rarity gasped, not quite believing she was alive at all.

“It’s alright,” Mickey said, though quite shaken himself.

He waded through the branches to retrieve Rarity. And the moment that he moved, a large axe sliced through the branches precisely where Mickey had once been, leaving a cut as clean as a freshly trimmed hedge.

The axe hit a tree, nearly cracking it in two on impact.

Rarity yelped, grabbed Mickey and fell over backwards just as a hail of bullets was fired at them.

There was no mistaking the sound of those shots. Somebody was trying to kill them. Somebody who had been trying to do so since Ponyville.

The mouse and fashionista fought their way back out of the branches, and ran as fast as they could into the forest.

Pete quickly followed after and fired his tommy gun into the trees. Unfortunately for him, the trees were so thick that his quarry was too well protected from his bullets.

He wouldn’t give up. He would simply use some other means of hunting them down and destroying them.

Pete started rifling through his pockets, picking out the perfect instrument of destruction.

A truncheon? It didn’t have enough reach.

A crossbow? He needed something that could get through the trees.

A flamethrower? That could work. But, it would likely put him in danger, if his fire went wild.

Then, he found it. Pete beamed as he pulled a snow shovel from his pocket. That was how the mouse would meet his end. And his little pony friend too.

Pete took a new cigar from his pocket, and lit it with a short burst from his flamethrower. Once that was done, he placed the scoop end of his shovel to the ground and took off into the thick treeline.

Mickey and Rarity wove their way through the trees, keeping their best to stay within one another’s sight, and out of Pete’s.

For Pete, he didn’t need them to be in his sight to get them.

There came a rumbling sound from somewhere up the slope.

Mickey dared to glance over her shoulder, and saw a wall of white rumbling toward them.

At the back of the snowy wall, Pete grunted and heaved as he plowed the massive payload in his shovel. When he came to a tree, he simply pushed it aside. When he came to a rock or a bush, he simply plowed it into this handmade avalanche.

He was going to bury them himself. And the only drawback was that he wasn’t going to be able to savor it, for how quick it was going to be.

Rarity could feel the rumbling cold against the tip of her tail, and tried to run faster.

She was not a marathon runner, or a downhill winter sports enthusiast. She was a seamstress. An artist. A fashionista. However, there was one thing that she greatly enjoyed during the snowy season. Something she had seen Mickey himself do down a dirt slope toward the mine where they met Copper and that foul badger.

It was how she was going to escape. But, how to do it?

Ahead of her was a bush with broad fronds.

That was her key.

Back at the mine, when she attempted what she was about to do, she nearly lost her life. Now, she was going to save herself and Mickey.

The wall of snow was upon her, and Rarity jumped forth into the bush. No sooner did she burst out the other side was she wearing an ice dress and skates made from the fronds, and wore an elegant fur hat atop her head.

The hat turned out to be a raccoon, who bailed from Rarity’s head the moment it perceived the avalanche behind it, and quickly climbed up the nearest tree.

Rarity veered to the side and caught sight of Mickey running up a sloping stone.

“Mickey!!” she shouted.

The mouse heard her call, and leapt from the rock.

Snow burst upward when it hit the rocks, threatening to envelop them from above.

Mickey caught Rarity around her neck and sped away with her down the slope.

The escape was harrowing, dodging trees and keeping ahead of the avalanche Pete was pushing on. But, Rarity was on top of everything.

Every tree was effortlessly glided around as smoothly as a river flowing around a rock. And Mickey knew she was showing off when she spun and started skating backward down the slope.

Through the parts in the crest of the avalanche, they could see Pete chugging along like a snow plow, trying to keep up. And Rarity blew a kiss to him, wishing him the best of luck in his endeavor.

“Try to put one over me, eh, dollface?!” Pete thought to himself. “See how ya like dis!!”

He charged forward, blowing smoke out of his mouth with the sound of a steam whistle. His pace quickened, and he shoved his avalanche onward to overtake his quarry.

“Uh, Rarity! Heh...That snow’s gettin’ awful close!” Mickey nervously said, hanging from Rarity’s side.

“So it is,” Rarity said. “How are you at ice dancing?”

“What are you--”

Mickey had no chance to finish, when all of a sudden he was hoisted and thrown into the air.

He flipped twice, while Rarity jumped and executed a flawless triple axle and landed in an angel pose atop the rolling snow.

Mickey landed on her back, mirroring her pose. And the routine wasn’t over.

The mouse felt Rarity’s back slide from beneath his feet, before she caught him and carried him as she glided across the top of the avalanche.

From the back, Pete saw a bizarre sight. There was Mickey popping up into view, flipping and spinning around then dropping out of sight again, before reappearing.

Rarity skated to the very top of the crest and flaunted another angel pose, with Mickey balancing atop her horn by one single finger.

“Dag-blasted wiseguy!!” Pete shouted, before he heaved his snow shovel upward.

The entire avalanche he had created was scooped up and thrown into the sky, along with Mickey and Rarity.

High up, Rarity reached out her hoof, which Mickey readily grabbed onto.

Placing her hooves on an airborne mass of snow, Rarity started skating along its surface.

They spiraled around to the top of the giant mass of snow, until it resembled a scoop of ice cream.

The snow dropped from the sky, taking them with it.

If the snow was ice cream, they were the cherry on top when it landed.

“Hot dog!! Rarity, that was the best darn figure skatin’ I ever saw! Ten out o’ ten performance! Gold medals all around!” Mickey said.

“Actually, it was ice dancing. And it’s scored on a scale of one to six,” Rarity corrected. “Still, I thank you for your praise,” she continued, giving a dainty curtsy with her leafy skirt.

The moment she finished, her entire costume fell apart, and Mickey’s pine needle jacket blew away on the wind.

They were without any protection from the elements again. And Pete was sure to follow them, no matter how far they flew from him. The sheer thrill of the experience warmed them both from within. But, without proper shelter from the cold, they knew they would not last.

“Mickey. Look over there,” Rarity said.

Mickey looked, and saw what she did. There was a glimmering light moving through the woods toward them. The very same as the one they were following since Ponyville. Only, it wasn’t the one they had been following.

This light was larger. A deeper shade of blue. And bounced from tree to tree as if it were using the branches to navigate through the woods.

The closer it came, they saw how truly different it was. Instead of the simple, glittering mass, this light was in the distinct shape of a squirrel. Bushy tail, buck teeth and all. And it was being followed.

Through the nearby trees of the clearing they had landed in, a gigantic silhouette moved through the trees.

A sudden sense of foreboding shot through Mickey and Rarity in the moment when the glimmering squirrel stopped before them.

“Saa!” the figure in the trees shouted.

There came the loud crunching of hooves through the snow, and through the treeline came not Pete, and not a pony, but a moose. Twice as tall as Rarity, three times as broad from the tip of each antler, and wearing a heavy parka, the moose ran over to them.

Not hoping for another fight after the encounter with Pete, Mickey and Rarity prepared to run off into the forest. But, the moose instead slowed to a stop before them.

“Ai su liki-vich? Ilivaik rukiarn-git kakma annik,” the moose said.

A glance was exchanged between the two friends. Whatever the moose was saying, it didn’t seem like he was hostile toward them. In fact, he seemed surprised that he had met anyone at all in the snowstorm.

“Uh, hi there, fella,” Mickey said. “Any chance ya know where to find a fireplace?”

“And some snow boots?” Rarity added.

“Upaktugaa. Ilivaik paisiatuk-niirak,” said the moose, before turning away, followed by his glimmering companion.

Mickey and Rarity could only watch when the moose turned away from them. Not sure what he had said, they did not know what to do, or how to react.

The moose looked back over his shoulder and motioned for them to follow him.

“Upaktugaa! Kiikaa-git nayuutarik kamma a’annik!” he said, more emphatically.

There was no confusion about what he was saying.

With little recourse, Mickey and Rarity decided that it was best to follow after the moose and his squirrel friend. Wherever he was leading them, they hoped to find shelter, and the answers to why they were guided to such a place.

Author's Note

Look Natasha! Is moose and squirrel!

Take a gander at the latest cartoon reference to sneak in. That moose accompanied by his own magical light was something that I knew I wanted to do when I decided where Mickey and Rarity were going, and what creatures would inhabit that kingdom.

However, I decided to make the magical light in the shape of a squirrel for two reasons. The first was that it aligns with the native Canadian belief of animal totems. The second was that by making it a squirrel, I could sneak in a reference to Rocky and Bullwinkle.

This time around, the setting is inspired by the Canadian wilderness. Particularly the forests of Alberta and Saskatchawan. So, sorry to anybody who is expecting the Crystal Empire to appear in this story arch, but it ain’t.

I’ve never been to Canada, but my brother went there a few years back. He says it’s great. According to him, the stereotype of the nice Canadian is completely true. But, he thinks the one thing that American’s should adopt from Canada above all else is the sheer number of donut shops. He may have been exaggerating, but my brother said that in all of the places he visited in Canada, there must have been at least two donut shops on every street.

On the other hand, he said that the thing Americans should not adopt is their pizza, which is made with cheddar cheese. I tried making my own pizza like this. It wasn’t bad. I can imagine it would taste fine if the right sauce was used.

Although, he did like the way they made pizza in Quebec, which is done by putting the toppings beneath the cheese, instead of on top.

One chapter into the story arch, and we’re already getting into some serious stuff. We’ve met the villain, and we’ve met the friend. This time around, I figure it’s Linda Hunt voicing the villain, just because she has such an awesome voice. That’s kind of how I pick the voices I hear for each character. I think of somebody with a very strong, very distinctive voice that I think fits the character. Like when I thought of Bebe Neuwirth for Souris, Dennis Hopper for DiMosco or Lance Henriksen for the badger.

As for the moose, these are the creatures of humanoid intelligence who inhabit this land. I imagine that there are a few other species too, such as sasquatches and elks. But, we’ll see if any of them appear.

In case any of you are having a hard time trying to translate what the moose is saying, it’s because he’s speaking a dead language. Specifically, he’s speaking Inupiat. I was so excited when I found an Inupiat to English dictionary in my local library system. There is none that I can find online, and I thought that the language for this kingdom was going to have to be French again. (To fit in with the Canadian-inspired setting, of course).

I’d like to take a moment to apologize for my butchering of the Inupiat language. You see, while many words are translated, there is no table that explains how grammar in Inupiat works. That was a bummer for me.

I’m also going to try and refrain from butchering too much of Inuit culture. You see, the natives of Canada and Alaska have done a very good job of keeping them to themselves, using only orations to pass on their culture and traditions to others among their tribes. Makes things a little difficult for me. I know that this is only a fantasy world that is based on real world cultures, but I do like to try to add a little authenticity. Mostly out of respect for other cultures.

One part of the native cultures that was on display here was the creatures that Twilight saw. Each one of them is an actual being from Native Canadian folklore. However, in the lore they are all described as vicious killers, as opposed to this story where they react more like real wolves would. Another part of the culture is animal totems acting as a sort of guide.

Now, to another topic. A little while back somebody mentioned to me that the new characters in each story arch muddles them a bit. Anybody else feel that way? I figured that dividing this story into different arches would help to prevent that from happening. Let me know how you feel about that.

That’s all for me here. I’m asking you all again to rock on \m/

Chapter 56: Found Out

Chapter 56

Found Out

A light drizzle of snowflakes drifted from the sky, landing sparsely on the ground, or whatever branch they could find.

One flake landed on the very tip of Twilight’s ear. And with a simple flick, it went drifting to the ground.

For a very long time Twilight had said nothing. Partly it was because she feared revealing her identity to the creature who accompanied her. Partly, it was because she felt if she said anything more, she would be struck with another bout of guilt, doubts and despair.

Ahead of her, her companion stopped walking again. For what felt like the thousandth time, the larger creature slowed to a halt and looked around herself. She looked up. She looked down. She looked side to side. But, as it always had been since they met, the creature sighed and shook her head.

“This will never do,” she said, before turning slowly to Twilight. “I’m afraid that at this rate we may never find who I’m looking for.”

There was no fighting it. Being so close to her enemy, Twilight had to know how truly close she was to facing her.

“Um...Do you...Do you know who it is you’re looking for exactly?” the young alicorn asked, trying not to sound too eager or frightened.

The momentary silence was fatal to Twilight, who bit the inside of her mouth in anticipation of the answer. Seeing herself reflected in the many eyes of the creature who accompanied her, she tried composing herself to look more curious than anxious.

“No,” the creature answered. “All I was told was that I’d soon find her when I went looking for her. And how to identify her.”

“That she’d be with her friends…” Twilight said.

“Where are yours?” the creature asked.

“Huh?”

“Your friends? It seems very strange to me that you would be all alone on the side of a mountain when I found you. Did they leave you behind?”

“No--I...I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I see,” the creature said. “There are times when I don’t wish to think about my friends. But, we always make up in the end.”

“I don’t want to make up with her!” Twilight snapped.

Hearing her own words, Twilight felt her nerves bristle slightly under her skin. She felt it mingle with a slight pang of fear when the creature curiously looked her over.

“Your friend. Do you hate her?” the creature asked.

It was a notion that had never crossed Twilight’s mind. The reason that she had left Rarity at all was that she was so ashamed of herself for not being able to offer anything useful to their shared quest, and would only slow any progress to be made down. At least, that was the reason she had conceived for herself.

If she really thought about it, Twilight was more ashamed by Rarity’s quick mastery of a subject she herself had spent years perfecting. A subject that Rarity has pushed to the back of her mind in favor of making pretty dresses.

Except, Twilight knew that Rarity’s dresses were only pretty because of the excess of glitter and diamonds. It was the only reason that anypony liked them at all. If it wasn’t for the screen of glamor that she put on her work, everypony would realize that Rarity’s artistry was only average at best.

Worst of all, it was Rarity who was better able to relate to ponies and strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, as if they were already friends. And only by throwing a few flattering compliments. It was this trait that she had used to steal Nopony from her before she could even try to get close to him.

A terrible feeling flooded Twilight’s mind. Something that twisted her image of Rarity to a far cry of the friend she once was.

Try as she did to fight it, her rage couldn’t hold back her tears as her throat clenched.

“Yes...I hate her!” Twilight managed to choke out. “Everything she does comes so easy to her! She doesn’t even have to try to do what I’ve worked my whole life on! All she’s ever been is a pompous, prissy hack who’s appealed to everypony’s shallowest instincts! She just puts a diamond on a dress and tells whoever’s wearing it that they look like a princess, and everypony loves her because of it! She’s never done anything worthwhile! Never made a real contribution to friendship or to magic! She’s--She’s…”

Gradually, Twilight stopped talking. She felt her tears streaming down her face, hot like fire and at once chilled by the wind. Her clouds of breath came in jittering spurts from her shuddering chest. And for a moment, the lingering doubt if she had meant a word she had said entered Twilight’s mind.

“If we were to find your friend, would you like for me to kill her?” asked the creature.

With a gasp, fear snapped back into Twilight’s mind when she remembered what her companion was assigned to do.

“What!!?--I--No…” she stammered.

“No?” the creature repeated. “But, she sounds so terrible. Why would you want to keep her when she has grieved you so?”

“Because, I…” Twilight paused, thinking of a reason why. If anything, it came down to one simple thing. “Because, we’ve already been through so much together. I can’t let anything bad happen to her, no matter how much I-- How much I don’t like her.”

“Perhaps that will be the key to letting her back into your life one day. I was taught that sometimes a friendship is not worth keeping. But, from the sound of you, I would say that you have a good chance of reconciling with your friend,” the creature answered.

Somewhere within Twilight, she had hoped for such a thing. But, as things were then, she still didn’t wish to talk to Rarity at all.

What was more was that what the creature said was almost like something she would have learned from Princess Celestia. If only on one of her bad days.

“Thanks,” Twilight said, at a loss for much else to say. But, the thoughts of friendship lessons sparked another question for her. “Um, where did you learn about friendship?”

“From my dear friend, Yen Sid.”

For the first time since she had heard that name, Twilight felt a shiver of fear. She had known so far that Yen Sid was powerful, cruel and tyrannical. But, she never thought him capable of friendship.

“Are you alright? You seem surprised,” the creature said.

Twilight realized then how her face must have looked, and didn’t even glance back to her companion’s eyes to try and recompose herself.

“No! I’m just, er...confused. Who is Yen Sid, actually?” she asked, genuinely curious this time.

“Ah, Yen Sid,” the creature said, her eyes widening with admiration. “He is by and large the most magically gifted being I have ever known.”

As if some arbitrary direction had been decided upon, they started walking deeper into the forest.

“Alicorns are really powerful too. In fact, I got my cutie mark for my magical talent,” Twilight said, wanting to rebut, but suddenly realizing that she may have said too much.

“Alicorns may be able to move the sun and moon, yes. But for Yen Sid, the universe is a mere plaything. A tool to be used to make a more harmonious world. In fact, what took your greatest mage his entire life to discover, and left for future generations to unravel was discovered in a matter of years by him. He, who once he is able to reach his full potential, will be able to remake this world in a way he sees fit.”

What the creature had said conjured many questions for Twilight. But, to start, she asked what seemed the most prudent.

“What do you mean by ‘reach his full potential?’ Does that mean he can get stronger than he is now?” Twilight asked, swiping a low-hanging branch out of her way.

“In a sense, I suppose. To be more precise, he has not yet entered this world completely.”

“You mean he’s not here yet?” Twilight said, pushing more low branches aside.

“He is. He exists in many worlds at once. But, to completely enter one, he must first spread his own magic into it.”

“And...It’s your job to help spread magic like his...?” Twilight asked, dreading how.

The branches came thicker, and Twilight began to lose sight of her companion.

“Of course it is. I have my job to do, and my friends all have theirs. In our own way, we each contribute something to Yen Sid’s cause of spreading his magic,” the creature answered, as she rapidly disappeared.

“How powerful can he be if he needs to steal magic?” Twilight said, recalling a few enemies she encountered who had tried the same.

“Very, very powerful. Have you noticed how the sun and moon are still operating perfectly? Even though the alicorns moving them have been dealt with?” the creature asked.

Twilight froze.

“D-Dealt with?” she said, every nerve in her body suddenly shaking.

“Yes. Those two were surprisingly easy to do away with. I suppose being a ruling goddess for thousands of years makes one soft. After all, I’ve heard how they’ve already been deposed many times before, only to be saved by their own subjects.”

“B...But, why did they have to be-- There must have been another way--” Twilight said, feeling her mouth dry out, stopping her own tongue.

She hurried after the creature, catching only glimpses of her through the thick brush.

“I’m afraid not. You see, the Equestrian princesses were nothing more than an inconvenience that only existed to be overtaken by evil, whenever it reared its head. In order to create a more harmonious balance of a world, they had to be eliminated,” said the voice of the creature from somewhere ahead.

Twilight wanted to argue, but couldn’t find any words. The creature ahead had disappeared, and she ran more quickly to catch up.

What Souris had told her when they were alone on the rooftop came back to her. Twilight recalled how the lady-bat had said that whenever the kingdom was in trouble, Equestrian royalty was helpless to stop it. Why did two of the most powerful beings in the world need to rely on the limited power of six simple mares?

The brush seemed to be pushing back against her, trying to stop her from catching up to her companion. Until finally she lost sight of the creature, and ran blindly forward. And through the thick foliage, she began to see what she knew wasn’t there.

She saw more of the pure white with the diamond-adorned flank as before. And around it swirled a flurry of snow, before it flew away as a white bird.

It was taunting her. The creature of pure white with the diamond markings was showing how quickly it had mastered such power to control whatever it wished, however it wished. And suddenly, it was everywhere.

Wherever Twilight looked, there was the diamond-marked creature, showing its talent. Mocking her.

Shadows fell. And Twilight didn’t feel she could push past them. Then, through the darkness, she saw something. A pair of warm, red eyes shone through the shadows. And even though Twilight couldn’t see what they belonged to, she knew whatever it was was beckoning her forward.

Rather than stay in the shadows, the young alicorn ran forth, pushing past the foliage that threatened to smother her.

She was growing closer to the eyes. And with a burst, she emerged from the dense brush into a grove of trees. But, the trees were unlike any she had ever seen.

Each one had all of its branches, but the trunks were masterfully carved into the shapes of many animals. The shapes were all stacked atop one another. A rabbit atop a bear. A fox atop a whale. Sometimes, she saw a moose or what looked like some sort of large ape among them. And other times, there was some sort of skeletal creature among them. And almost all of them had a bird at the very top.

“Oh no...I haven’t lost you too, have I?” came the voice of Twilight’s companion from somewhere.

“Hello? Where are you?” Twilight called out.

“I’m here,” said the disembodied voice.

“Where?”

“Find me.”

A strong feeling of unease and apprehension consumed Twilight. Somehow, she knew she had been figured out. She knew that the creature discovered her identity.

If she could escape, she would be safe. But, if only she knew her pursuer’s whereabouts.

She would have to play the game and find the creature. And so, Twilight walked further into the totem forest.

The blizzard continued to blow, feeling more intense now than ever.

A small, glimmering squirrel moved from branch to branch, drifting more than it was actually jumping.

Every so often, it turned around to see if its companions were following. And whenever it did, it saw the three figures following it.

Mickey and Rarity walked beneath the widespread antlers of their moose companion, trying in vain to escape the heavy snowfall.

For as large as he was, the moose had no problem navigating through the thick trees. With only subtle movements of his head and neck, he was able to easily walk past any of the trunks that surrounded him.

Rarity found herself constantly looking up, warily watching the many icicles that hung from the branches above. For the way they shook in the wind, she felt as if at any moment they could come tumbling down and pierce through them all.

Only, it was not the wind that did so.

The moose’s antlers brushed against the trunk of one tree as he was walking by.

The slight tremor ran upward through the trunk and into the lowest branches, which shook slightly harder. Just enough to loosen their anchorage on the tree.

The glimmering squirrel ahead flashed slightly brighter, and the moose looked up.

Rarity yelped and dove for cover beneath her large guide.

Seeing the danger, Mickey followed suit.

The moose lowered his head, just as a shower of sharpened ice fell upon them.

From beneath their shelter, Mickey and Rarity huddled as close as they could to one another, hoping that somehow their larger companion was not injured too badly.

Beyond the safety beneath the moose, a particularly large icicle fell flat to the ground, as if it had rolled off of the moose’s back.

The downpour of ice stopped, and the only sound was of the blowing.

“Ukkichtuk-sak-pich?” asked the moose.

Rarity turned her head, and almost gasped when she saw the moose’s face peering through his own front legs to see his smaller companions.

Seeing he was safe, Mickey and Rarity cautiously crawled out from beneath the moose, who shook the remaining shards of ice from his body.

As it turned out, his parka was thicker than they had once believed. Or his hide was simply so tough. Whichever it was, the moose seemed perfectly unharmed.

The glimmering squirrel drifted back to them, and landed next to Mickey.

“Er… Th-Thank you f-f-for sheltering us,” Rarity chattered, slightly shaken from the incident.

“Yeah. D-D-Don’t know what we would o’ d-d-done if you weren’t here to block all that,” Mickey added. He turned to the squirrel. “And thanks for the warnin’, little fella.”

“Yaruk,” the moose answered.

Even though Mickey didn’t understand a word the moose had said, he thought for certain it was something along the lines of ‘you’re welcome.’

The moose huffed and glanced up at the remaining, tiny icicles above.

“Sa’savak-tiga-ukaktiitaga a’ahkiyyini sila-pallik,” he said, before guiding Mickey and Rarity from beneath the tree. “Kaunaksriruk-kak. Ukua kusrulugak navianaktuk-piangit Ati-kannuk. Aglaan avinnak a’tuttukpak mikiruk ilivaik, tukuktaa.”

The squirrel continued to guide them through the forest, keeping them on track to who knew where. All the while, Mickey and Rarity continued glancing upward at the hanging icicles.

No such peril found them again. And the trek was uneventful as they reached a welcoming sight.

“A town!” Mickey cried, glad to be anywhere that resembled civilization.

It was indeed a small town of large, wooden buildings. Each building rose several feet off of the ground on a foundation of many thick logs.

Rarity noted how much larger they were than the homes she knew back in Ponyville. Then again, there in the northern lands, they had to be built to accommodate the much larger mooses and whatever other creatures inhabited them.

In the middle of the town was a grand tree, carved with many markings, grooves and images of many creatures. Some were recognized as animals. Others looked like weather and magical phenomena. Others still were likely the creatures that inhabited the kingdom.

But, for the sheer amount of creatures seen on the tree’s giant trunk, the town itself was surprisingly empty.

“G-Gosh. Where do ya th-think everyone’s g-g-gone?” Mickey asked, as they walked through the town.

“P-P-Perhaps they’ve all t-taken shelter f-from the storm,” Rarity answered.

“Then how c-c-come there aren’t any l-lights on?”

The mouse was right. Rarity looked around and saw that there was not one single light to be seen inside any of the buildings. Perhaps they were all asleep at the moment. Or, perhaps they had gone out. All at once.

As Rarity looked about, she saw ahead one house that had a light on the inside. A familiar flickering, orange light that warmed her as if she were right there next to it. And to her delight, the glimmering squirrel was scampering toward it.

The squirrel climbed up the railguard of a small flight of stairs and stopped before a very tall, very wide doorway.

Mickey and Rarity both went running for the porch, ready to warm themselves in front of the fire.

Upon reaching the first step, they found that it was much larger than it looked from a distance. Rarity had to raise her knees nearly up to her chin. And the shorter Mickey practically had to climb up.

Partway up, a patch of snow had settled, turning the steps into slick frost. And with a violent wobble, Rarity fell flat on her face, and Mickey went tumbling back to the bottom step.

The mouse was not about to be deterred from warmth. Taking two of the pickets from the railguard, Mickey placed them on the soles of each of his shoes and lashed them there with his shoelaces.

Placing his palms on the ground, he pushed up and was standing atop two improvised stilts.

Now he was ready to climb.

Putting his first foot on the step, he easily cleared it with his superior height. And carefully keeping his balance, he was able to climb upward.

Rarity watched as the stilted Mickey reached the step she was holding onto, and tried to skip it toward the next one.

Careful as he was, Mickey was not able to keep his balance and slipped when he nearly skipped the step, ending up doing a painful split.

From the top of the rail, the glimmering squirrel laughed a hearty, chattering laugh.

“Put a--s-sock in it--B-Bucky!” Mickey strained.

The squirrel did as it was told, and put its own tail in its mouth. Even then, it continued to laugh at the others’ misfortune.

“S-Such a rude little animal! H-How I wish Fluttershy was here! She’d s-s-sort you out,” Rarity said, trying to crawl up the steps.

The sound of heavy hooves clattered on the wood behind them.

“Apaiksuk. Uvagut uunaktut-kaluak ukpigu-gupta nayuutiruk,” the moose said, as he easily ascended the stairs.

Neither Rarity nor Mickey was ready when the moose reached his head down and scooped them both up to ride on his antlers.

The glimmering squirrel jumped from the railing to the antler that Rarity rode on.

Rarity watched as it looked her over, wondering what it could possibly be thinking.

After only a few moments, it scampered over to Mickey.

“H-How ‘bout lendin’ a paw next time, instead of just s-s-sittin’ pretty?” Mickey chattered.

The squirrel squeaked something, just as a heavy cloth door passed over them all. And in an instant, the welcoming sensation of warmth washed over them all.

The inside of the house was only sparsely decorated with only a few pieces of (rather large) furniture placed about. But, the greatest thing in the entire room was the crackling fire in a pit in the middle of the room.

With a delighted yelp, Rarity was the first off of the moose’s antlers and rushed to the fireside, quickly followed by Mickey.

The two of them practically danced circles around the flames, warming themselves on every side.

Around the fire were what looked like blankets, spread out across the floor as if to welcome the newcomers to their warm touch.

Mickey flopped onto his face, bunching up the blankets, which had been heated by the fire. He bundled the blanket up into his face, taking in every ounce of warmth it had to offer. And with a delighted sigh, he rolled himself up into it, like a caterpillar into a cocoon.

Just as he was getting comfortable, Mickey felt himself unrolled from the blanket. When he stood up, he saw the moose replacing the blanket back onto the floor.

“Pisangichikpin. Uvuna’nayak nakuaruk ilvich tugvaaga-tyak upkuak. A’upuat allaappu kattak,” the moose said, as he smoothed out what turned out to be a rug that Mickey had taken.

The moment after he was done replacing his rug, the moose revealed something else that he was carrying.

“Winter clothes!” Rarity said, with wide-eyed glee. Partly from acquiring warm clothing. Partly from being able to see the styles of clothing from yet another land. “Thank you! Thank you so much, dear moose! May we have them now?”

“Tigugaa. Ilavinik parkaviak,” the moose said, grinning at Rarity’s eagerness.

And with a thump, Rarity found herself buried beneath a gigantic parka.

Mickey could not help but giggle at the sight of only the fashionista’s ankles sticking out from one side of the giant coat.

“And what’s so funny?” Rarity asked, poking her head out from one end.

“Heh. Nothin’. What can I say but ‘it’s you?’” Mickey chuckled.

“A-kak ilavinik-tak ilvich-tuuk?” the moose said, as he dropped another parka on top of Mickey, who collapsed under its weight.

It was Rarity’s turn to giggle, as Mickey tried to escape the cavernous insides of the parka.

“Gosh. I wish Copper’s old man didn’t take back that mining gear. I’d just dig my way out,” Mickey’s voice echoed from within.

Seconds later, he reappeared from the open top of the parka, with the glimmering squirrel sitting on top of his head.

“Made it!” he said.

The squirrel bent over and looked Mickey straight in the eye.

“Augh!” Mickey yelped and fell over backwards.

The squirrel jumped from Mickey’s head to the antlers of the moose, who laughed heartily at the antics of his sparkling friend.

“Suulikpa-liuk-aimagvik. Ittuk karsruktuk-vigi-annik,” he said. “A’atta-kak-savatuk itkanaiksuk, kakma-niak.”

“Er...yes. Thank you for letting us be here,” Rarity said, not at all sure of what was just said to her.

“Yeah. And thanks for the spare coats,” Mickey added, indicating the giant garments, which were crumpled up onto the floor. “I guess ya had some to go around, since we seem to be the only folks here.”

Mickey had only meant it as a joke, but it seemed that somehow his words reached the moose, who responded with a low sigh.

“Where exactly is everypony else?” Rarity asked, now curious to the whereabouts of the other townsmooses.

As if to respond, the glimmering squirrel hopped from the moose’s antlers, to the table, to the floor, where it landed before the two guests.

Mickey wondered what stunt the smarmy rodent was going to try and pull this time, when the moose slowly turned to leave.

“A’lik-tak,” was all he said, as he walked toward the door.

The squirrel turned to see its larger companion walking away, then turned back to face the guests.

Something in the way the squirrel was looking at them suggested something to Mickey and Rarity. As if it wished it had words to let them know what had happened to the town.

“A’lik-tak,” the moose repeated.

And the squirrel scampered after, and jumped to the top of a wooden carving that was set beside the moose.

“I guess we’ll just stay here, then,” Mickey said. It occurred to him then that as a guest in the moose’s house, he ought to at least let him know who was staying there. “I’m Mickey, by the way. Mickey Mouse,” he said, pointing to himself.

“And I’m Rarity,” Rarity added, pointing to herself.

The moose smirked, and pointed to himself.

“Nagruk-pak.”

And that was all he said, before disappearing out the door with his squirrel companion.

A blast of cold air shot in and was immediately snuffed out by the heavy cloth snapping back over the doorway.

All was still and quiet in the house all of a sudden. The only sound was the crackling fire in the middle of the room.

Mickey laid back and saw the smoke rise slowly to the ceiling, where it drifted out of a small vent. The vent itself swirled with more of the same glimmer that they had seen from the squirrel, and mingled gently with the smoke.

For moments after, Mickey watched the mesmerizing display, until he felt his eyelids grow heavy. And gently leaning back, he drifted to sleep on the warm rug.

Rarity watched Mickey momentarily, and then looked to the two parkas that had been left for them. At the other end of the room, there was a table with small cutting tools on it, along with thick cords.

Though she had no idea how to use the unusual tools, it was obvious that the parkas were too big for either of them to effectively wear.

So, taking the large garments, Rarity walked over to the table and started examining the instruments she was to use.

To start, she looked for something that resembled scissors. Only, there was no such thing on the table. Instead, what she found was a single curved blade with a handle that ran parallel to it.

Doubting a moose like Nagruk-pak used magic to wield such a thing, Rarity took the tool in her hooves and gave the very tip of one parka’s hem an exploratory slice.

The tool cut right through it as cleanly as freshly sharpened shears.

Seeing that it was as easy and effective to use as her own familiar toolset, Rarity set to work modifying the clothes for herself and Mickey.

With every cut, she envisioned new ideas for how to design them. She could see just how they were going to turn out even before she was finished. And once she was done, she was going to have yet another style and toolset mastered for her career as an artist. A notion that made a smile bloom across her face as she busily worked.

Twilight continued her way through the forest of totems, watching, listening for any sign of her pursuer.

No such thing was heard, as if the creature had suddenly muted any noise she was able to make by moving.

Wind blew and the trees rustled.

Whether or not the sounds of movement were actually heard, Twilight didn’t stay to wonder. She instead ran as fast as she could to escape what she thought was the source of it.

No matter where she went, she could hear the sound following her. Soon, she was going to join Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

There was a clearing ahead of her. And through the trees on the opposite side of the clearing, she saw a single long, spindly leg move.

Taking no chances to be seen, Twilight hid behind the nearest tree and waited, listening for where the leg’s owner was to move.

“Oh, dear. How can this be?” the voice of the creature lamented.

Though scared, Twilight thought she could hear genuine remorse and sorrow in the creature’s words, and cautiously peered around.

There was the creature, now in plain view.

Twilight could see her with her face in her hands, swaying miserably on the snowy ground.

“I’m so sorry…” the creature said.

As much as she wished to run away and leave her assassin far behind, Twilight felt herself drawn to the creature. As if by some compulsion that she couldn’t define, the young alicorn stepped into view and slowly walked forward.

Once she was in it, the clearing was much larger than she was led to believe. Many creatures could have congregated within, if they so wished. On one side, there was nothing but trees. On the other, a grand painted mural of the many creatures of the land working together. But, Twilight wasn’t focused on any of that.

She walked slowly, trying to make as little sound as possible. But, one of the many eyes of the creature glimpsed at her.

Both paused, saying nothing.

Twilight felt her spine shiver as she locked eyes with the creature. Her instincts told her to run. But, something else told her to stay.

“You know who I am? Don’t you? You know that I’m the alicorn that you had to…” she asked, trailing off.

“Yes,” the creature quietly answered. “Yes. I’m sorry for lying to you. But, I’ve known who you are since the moment we met.”

Twilight’s breath quickened with her heartbeat. She was once again fighting the urge to run away. But, that quiet nag in the back of her mind kept her rooted to the spot.

“If you knew, why didn’t you k...do your job then?” Twilight asked.

“Because, I saw that you were so much like myself,” the creature answered. “You were alone with none of your friends about you. I saw you, and knew that you of all creatures needed a friend as much as I did.”

The feeling of waning fear was palpable for Twilight. She could feel it replaced by a cautious curiosity. And with that curiosity came her desire to learn more of a creature in need.

“Why did you need a friend so badly?” she asked.

“Because, my own friends are dying off,” the creature answered. “Even my dear, close friend from Avalon is gone. I fear that soon I will be alone.”

The mention of Avalon sent a wave of guilt through Twilight. And from the inference she could make about the identity of the creature’s employer, Twilight thought she knew who the friend from Avalon may have been.

Slowly, she approached the creature, and stopped mere hooves in front of her.

“You don’t have to be alone. When I said that I’d never leave you? Well...we can still stay together. Can’t we?” Twilight asked.

The eyes of the creature widened momentarily, then slowly drooped. Twilight could tell a horrible dilemma was tearing her apart from the inside. Just the same as had been happening to herself.

Twilight held her breath, anticipating the answer.

“No…” the creature said. “You’ve been so wonderful to me, being there when I needed you the most. But, I’m afraid that I can’t compromise my friendship with Yen Sid. Nor the others who have passed on.”

“But--Bu--” Twilight could find no words. In that moment, she felt herself growing smaller as the eight-legged, fanged monstrosity rose up before her.

“I’m so very, very sorry,” the creature said, rearing up to her full height.

Twilight slowly backed away.

“Run away,” the creature said, baring her fangs.

Twilight’s pace remained.

“I said to run!!”

With blinding speed, the creature lashed forward, driving her fangs into the snow in front of Twilight.

Snapped from her stupor, Twilight turned tail and ran through the forest as quickly as her legs would carry her.

Once she reached the treeline of the clearing she looked over her shoulder.

The creature had gone. Disappeared completely.

Twilight was now on her own. Without magic. Without friends. Without a chance.

Author's Note

Run, Twilight! Get as far from that unstable psycho as fast as you can!!

So, I think it goes without saying that Twilight’s in trouble. More so than she’s been thus far on the magical quest. She’s on the run without so much as an inkling of how to use the magic that Rarity has so quickly mastered, and has the villain who took out the Royal Sisters on her tail.

On the upside, she was able to push past another shadow that tried to stop her. Just like Souris had said.

Speaking of Souris, Twilight sure seems to be thinking about her a lot lately. Maybe there was some truth in what Souris had said about them being able to become friends. Man...If only Twilight had decided to side with evil, huh?

Parts of this chapter were inspired by pictures that my brother took on his trip to Canada. Among them the forest of totem poles. There wasn’t an actual forest where totems were carved right into the trees. What my brother actually photographed was a clearing that had several totem poles placed in the middle. I just took a creative liberty and amped it up to a whole forest where the trees themselves were carved into totems.

Another part was the giant painted mural. Another picture my brother showed me were the many paintings that were drawn by the northern native tribes. Some of them going back thousands of years. One in particular was what looked like a life-sized painting of a mammoth (maybe it wasn’t, but it was huge). So, once again I took a liberty and made the mural take up the whole cliff face.

There’s cool stuff up in Canada. I may take a trip up there myself one day. If I wasn’t already planning another trip, that is.

That remark made about the princesses being nothing more than an inconvenient plot device is something that I find to be at least half true. I do fully realize that they are a central part of the fantasy world’s lore. But, at the same time, I just don’t buy that some of the most powerful creatures in the world are repeatedly deposed and defeated time and time again. How powerful can they be, compared to the subjects who have served them for millenia?

Personally, I feel like if the princesses were made immaterial and abstract in nature, it would lend a little more believability to some of the major two-parters in the show. But, that’s just the opinion of a lowly bozo like myself.

One of the hardest things about this story arch so far is trying to convey the meaning of Nagruk-pak’s words. Like, you can’t just go on the internet and find a translator app that lets you interpret what he says. As such, I find myself having to work a little harder to try and let you all know what he is saying.

Even then, the language is pretty butchered, since there’s no grammar table for me to work with. So, even if one of you readers speaks Inupiat, you may not understand what he’s saying anyway. Like, Nagruk-pak’s name is supposed to mean ‘Big Horn.’ But, I’m not sure how grammatically correct it is.

Some of the things he says though are pretty easy to interpret. Like, Mickey wasn’t too far from correct in thinking ‘yaruk’ means ‘you’re welcome.’ It actually means ‘accepting of thanks.’ It’s said after somebody who speaks Inupiat says to you ‘kuyanak,’ which basically means thank you.

By the way, there are not 20 words in Inupiat for snow. There are about 51 that I counted in the book I checked out. For different kinds of snow, different snowy weather conditions, and for the animals that live in the snow.

Another word that was spoken in this chapter was ‘ahkiyyini.’ An ahkiyyini is a spirit that takes the form of a giant skeleton, who plays musical instruments that are made from bones. Usually their own bones. When they play various natural effects happen. Sometimes rain or snow. Sometimes sun. Sometimes grass grows. Sometimes calmly flowing rivers flow more rapidly. Et cetera and vice versa.

Anyway, it’s the ahkiyyini who are the skeletal creatures we keep seeing in all the imagery. Along with sasquatches being those apes. Perhaps when a moose or sasquatch passes on, they become an ahkiyyini?

That’s it for me here. You lovely readers enjoy your days. Rock on as always \m/

Chapter 57: Illusion

Chapter 57

Illusion

Canterlot was not the city it once was. The once populous streets were now bereft of life. The homes and businesses were all barren and empty.

In the very back of the city, Canterlot Palace sparkled from within. As if every star in the sky had been placed within the palace walls, the entire castle glowed brilliantly, sending off a cascade of starlit sparks that trailed down the mountainside like a river. At that moment, a new cluster of starlight arrived.

It flew hurriedly toward the front gate, which opened automatically for it and shut with a bang. When it approached them, the doors to the castle opened widely to allow it entry. And when the light passed, they closed themselves.

Deep in the darkened throne room, the many clusters of starlight swirled about, filling the room with their gentle glow. And in moments, the lights dimmed as a dark hand reached out for them.

Yen Sid allowed the starlit magic to swirl around his hand and trickle through his fingers like water. He could touch it now. Feel it coursing through his body. His goal was nearly complete. Soon, he would enter yet another world and remake it in his harmonious vision. And he would feed off the magic it would create in turn for all it was worth.

The moment when he was finally made whole in that world could not come soon enough. He would take it over, and he would move on to the next one. Which to choose, he could not decide. The possibilities were limitless. And in time, they would all be his.

A malevolent grin inched onto his featureless face. There was a way to enter the world more quickly. And he knew who was going to help him.

Yen Sid raised his arms.

The clusters of starlight swirled about, obeying his command.

With a wave and a flourish, Yen Sid formed the magic over his head to consolidate to a single mass. And with an upward thrust of his arm, a geyser of starlight shot upward.

Light erupted from the top of Canterlot Palace, and a steady stream of the stolen magic rapidly drifted northward to find its intended recipient.

In a tiny clearing in the forest, a pile of snow and broken brush sat.

The mound had grown some, for the blizzard that had been blowing through. But, not enough to hide it from those who were looking.

A fat, peg-legged silhouette stomped through the treeline, snow shovel in hand.

Pete puffed on his cigar and knelt down to observe the mound of snow. The only real difference about it was the amount of broken branches and loose nettles within it, along with the sheer size of it.

It was definitely a chunk of the avalanche he had tossed Mickey and Rarity away with. Finding the way they went from there would be difficult. But, aid would soon be on its way.

The sky above lit up with streaks of light, creating a silvery parody of the northern lights that Pete knew from back home.

Somebody else was looking for the mouse. And Pete knew now where to find him.

“Dis job’s just got easy,” the heavy said to himself, as he followed the direction the lights were heading.

The fire in Nagruk-pak’s house crackled gently, hardly dwindling at all for the many hours it must have been burning.

High above it, the vent in the ceiling swirled with glittering magical specks. The smoke at the top of the room funneled toward it, and out into the open. Beyond the vent, the flakes of snow and bitter wind were abated by only the swirling of magic.

All else was still and quiet in the house. As still as the mouse who was sleeping on the thick rugs that surrounded the fire pit.

Nearly from the moment he arrived, Mickey had been sleeping as soundly as a log, relishing the warmth of the fire that spread through his diminutive form. For longer than he could recount, he had been battling against the evil forces of a land that wasn’t his own. He was a long way from his friends. From his home. And most of all from Minnie. Now, for reasons he couldn’t fathom, Twilight had gone as well. Wherever she was, he hoped that she would soon find her way back to them. And he would take those cares and worries with him into his dream world.

Nearby, Rarity was busy at work trying to conceptualize a design for the clothes that had been provided for herself and Mickey.

With no art board or pencil to work with, she had no way of visualizing her designs. It wasn’t the first time that the fashionista had worked without being able to put her ideas on paper. She had done it many times before, and had always come up with something. Though not always particularly dazzling, her end product was always impressive.

This time, Rarity found herself at something of a loss.

The style of the parkas of the northern lands were far different than what she was familiar with. And though she could see an image in her mind of what she intended to make, she found herself doubting the end result. It always came out similar to something that she had made before. And with what she had at her disposal, she couldn’t create such a masterpiece.

Rarity sighed and slumped over the table. Perhaps she was simply looking at it from a wrong angle. After all, the table she was at was made for a moose, and she had to stand on her back legs just to be able to reach over the top.

Taking the nearby chair at the table, Rarity climbed atop the seat and stood on it to see what perhaps may have been different.

From her new vantage point, the fashionista could see her workspace in full. To be sure, there was nothing egregiously wrong with anything she had done so far. Every cut to that point was perfect and precise. Every stitch was placed according to plan. But, something still seemed off about it.

For a moment, Rarity lamented not having any of her usual materials and accessories to work with. She knew that if she had any of that, she would have been able to finish up the project she was working on ages ago. As it was, she would simply have to settle for what she had: furs, reeds, feathers, stems, sinews, and many other assorted sundry items.

Rarity flashed back to her trip to Avalon, where she had seen a llama making gorgeous jewelry from items that were just as plain and unattractive. Somehow, the llama had taken what was easily overlooked and turned it into something Rarity herself couldn’t look away from.

“How did she do it?” Rarity quietly wondered to herself.

She tried to recall the designs that were made with black onyx, brass, copper, polished wood, and even carved nuts.

In her mind, Rarity formed all sorts of creations with the items the jeweler had created. Instead of coming up with the beautiful accessories that she had seen, Rarity could only come up with some silly assortment of things that she would have only made as a joke. At one point, she imagined Nagruk-pak’s squirrel friend scampering over and eating anything made from the tagua nuts.

Rarity chuckled to herself over the image, but quickly cleared it from her mind. She was in a rut. And having understood her own creative process for so many years, she knew she was nowhere close to overcoming it.

What had started as a project Rarity was ready and willing to see through from beginning to end was now at a stall. And with a quiet sigh, she conceded that she would have to complete it at some later point.

The sound of the blizzard outside made her hope that she would be able to see past it before they eventually had to leave the house.

A single particle of starlit magic drifted from above and landed next to Rarity’s hoof, where it bounced softly.

“Hm?” she said, glancing up to find where it had fallen from.

As if the snow outside had changed from one form to another, a gentle cloud of silvery, shimmering starlight drifted in through the vent in the ceiling, mingling with the magic that kept the blizzard at bay.

It filled the room, lingering in the air like stars in the sky. Among them, Rarity thought she could make out familiar shapes. There was a gown that she would have seen worn at a grand ball. Then there was a diamond the size of her hoof.

Despite the wondrous scene, Rarity felt a lingering sense of apprehension. Somehow, the presence of the magic reminded her of the moment that her own had been stolen from her. With that much of the sparkling magic present, who knew what it may take from her next.

A soft sound made her ears twitch. From somewhere nearby, there was something thumping with a steady, constant rhythm. One that Rarity could feel steadily synchronize with her heartbeat.

Looking to the source, she found it to be the very same sparkle of magic that had first drifted next to her hoof when she was working. It was still bouncing up and down in a consistent and familiar way that made her feel less afraid.

Reaching out, Rarity placed her hoof over the bouncing spark of magic and watched it move between her outstretched appendage and the surface of the table. And in a moment, she started moving her hoof as if she were the one making it to bounce.

Her apprehension was replaced with a simple sense of joy. She recalled how she had seen a certain street performer do the very same thing, and thought about how much skill and coordination it took to do even something so simple. Now that she was doing it, even if she actually wasn’t, she felt like she could have done anything.

Rarity moved her hoof beneath the bouncing magic, where it suddenly stopped bouncing. She observed its shape, thinking that if it only had a little more mass that it would be a replica of one of the juggling balls her performer had used so dexterously.

The magic in the room began to take more defined shapes to awe and regale. But, they were all unnoticed by the room’s only wakeful occupant.

Rarity was much too preoccupied with her small sparkle of magic, remembering how she had seen a juggling ball held in a hoof, then how it was rolled from one side to the other. Perhaps if she tried it herself…

With a simple tilt of her hoof, the sparkle of magic slid right off and bounced from the tabletop to the floor.

It was too much to think that she would get it on her first try. Still, the idea of acquiring such a skill made a certain part of Rarity’s mind tingle with delight. The same part of her that was drawn to a stallion who was so unlike herself, but at once so very similar.

The sudden feeling of a hoof brushing through her mane sent shivers down Rarity’s spine. And with no thoughts at all, she turned to see who had done it.

Nopony was there. Just the same as it had been after the destruction of Avalon, it was only her imagination. But, there was one other sound she was not imagining.

The sound of bouncing once again made Rarity’s ears twitch. And this time when she looked to the source, she saw that the room had been filled with many wondrous shapes, all made from the drifting magic that had filled the room.

Elegant gowns with no wearers, yet danced about like they were at a grand ball. Sparkling jewels that looked more radiant than anything Rarity had ever seen floated through the air. Musical notes from some unknown melody drifted across the room, filling the air with a silent song she could only hear in her mind as she read them.

And from somewhere in the room, something was bouncing toward her.

Rarity looked down and saw a single speck of the starlight magic bouncing back toward her direction. Whether it was the one she had dropped, or a completely different one, she didn’t know. All she could tell was that somepony had tossed it to her. Somepony who was skilled enough to make it bound toward her without disturbing anything else in the room, and keep perfect rhythm and harmony with the rest of the melody that was drifting about the room.

Her heart quickened. Her eyes sparkled.

Somepony was calling to her. And she knew who.

Climbing down from the chair, the fashionista gazed deeply into the crowd of dancers and drifting magic.

The musical notes passed by her again, filling her mind with the melody they conveyed. And by the time they were gone, she could hear the rhythmic bouncing more clearly than ever, as if it were right in front of her.

Looking to the speck of magic in her hoof, a thought entered her mind. She tossed the speck toward the sounds, bouncing it off of the floor as she did.

And the speck bounced back to her.

With an astonished gasp, Rarity caught the starlit magic and looked to where it had come from.

There before her, many of the specks of magic were twirling through the air and bouncing to the floor, as if caught and thrown by an invisible juggler.

It was too incredible to believe. Slowly, a tiny smile inched onto her face. And her breath faltered as she dared to speak the name of the unseen performer.

“N...Nopony…?” she softly asked.

As if some magic word had been spoken, a mass of the sparkling magic jumped into the air, swirled about and landed directly in front of Rarity.

Though it was only a nebulous cluster of sparkling starlight, Rarity thought she could see many acrobatic twists and turns in the movement. And staring into the cluster of magic, she thought she could see something more.

If those specks of magic moved there. And another stream moved to another spot, Rarity thought she could make out the simple, plain, earnest face of a stallion who was staring back at her.

He was just how Rarity had remembered. He wasn’t tall, or handsome. And he certainly conveyed no wisdom from his looks alone.

Reaching out, Rarity carefully placed her hoof into the amorphous cloud of magic and slowly drifted it around.

It was like being able to touch him all over again. Even though she knew he wasn’t actually there, she could feel the soft fabric of his jacket. And all the ridges of his collar. Finally, her hoof was taking in the warmth of his face.

The last time she had ever felt such a thing was when she and Nopony had to release the founders of Avalon and end its glorious dream. And the inhabitants along with it.

“It can’t be you...Can it?” Rarity asked, partly to herself.

As if to answer, a speck of starlit magic set on her hoof, rolled down her arm and toward her chest.

In that moment, Rarity felt something that wasn’t there touch her chest, and watched in amazement as the speck of magic rolled off of her body and up toward the mass of magic, as if an invisible arm were there.

She dared to believe it. That there truly was somepony there. She wanted to hold him. She wanted to throw herself into his hooves. More than anything, she wished she could lie with him by the fire and fall asleep against him.

As it was, her wishes would go unfulfilled. No matter how she wanted it to be, Rarity knew she could never have him again. Not until she closed her eyes and dreamt of him.

As if the haze of mixed feelings had clouded her image, the magic before Rarity slowly dispersed and drifted back into the mass. And with it, the dancing clothes, the floating jewelry and the musical notes.

It had all been a fantasy. Nothing more. But, it didn’t matter to Rarity. She didn’t need to see the gowns and jewels to know what they looked like. Nor did she need to see Nopony to know every detail of his form. Any idea or notion of him was the best she could ever have thought up. Just as Nopony had told her before he disappeared from her life: she didn’t need pretty diamonds or the most radiant fabrics to make something glamorous and special. Just as it had been with the lonely street performer who had caught her eye, it was the very heart of a thing that needed to be brought forth the most.

As if many specks of the drifting magic illuminated her mind, Rarity suddenly knew what she had to do.

Climbing back atop the chair at the table, the fashionista returned to modifying the enormous parkas that had been left for her and Mickey. Taking the tools in her hooves, she worked with twice the vigor as before, having a clear picture of exactly what she wanted to make.

Behind her, another shape was forming among the sparkling magic. One unlike the others. Tall, stern and cold. And it was forming directly above Mickey’s sleeping form.

As if he had simply blinked and changed the world, Mickey found himself standing in a cold, dark room.

“Hello? Anyone there?” Mickey called, as he cautiously stepped forth through the room.

No answer came. And that was all the more unsettling than if Pete himself would have replied. More unsettling still was that even though Mickey didn’t know where he was, he felt as if he had been there a thousand times before.

A table that he encountered, he had expected it to be exactly there. Looking at the spines of the books on the shelves, he knew their titles before he finished reading them. One more step and he kicked over a bucket that he knew to be full of water. The bucket itself was empty. But the image of water spilling all over the floor stuck firmly in the mouse’s mind. And with that, he imagined more water to fill the room. And more, until he was riding the torrential tides and fighting the whirling vortexes.

“No way! This can’t really be the place!” Mickey thought.

After a brief look around, he saw the one thing that confirmed his suspicions. A single, perfectly non-descript broom was leaned against a corner, silent and unused. The very item that had caused him so much trouble when he was only an apprentice learning the ways of magic. It was definitely the place where he had trained and fostered as a sorcerer’s apprentice. He was standing smack dab in the middle of Yen Sid’s workshop.

“Hot dog!” Mickey cheered.

For the first time in a long while, he felt there was hope. If anyone could help to find Twilight, defeat Pete and his cronies, and restore magic to the land, it was Yen Sid.

He ran through the workshop, knowing the way he was going by heart. Every stone beneath his feet was etched into his memory. Every motion he made was done as if automated.

When he left the room, the torchlight behind him cast his shadow against the facing wall, engorging it to an enormous size, which shrank as the mouse ran toward the stairs nearby.

Up those steps, the answer to all of his problems was to be found. In moments, all would be well.

Just under the sound of his own hurried steps, Mickey heard another step. He paused, and another step sounded.

It was coming from the stairs.

As excited as he was, the mouse was at once anxious to see his former master, who he had not seen in many, many years. Even if he recognized Mickey, would he even help? And there was still the lingering doubt of what Pete had been telling him since he had arrived in Equestria. How Yen Sid was the mastermind behind the woes of the world, and how it was he who orchestrated all of its misfortunes.

Steeling his resolve, Mickey kept his faith firm. There was no way Yen Sid, for any reason, would do such a thing.

A silvery light shone from the top of the steps. And with it came specks of glimmering magic.

This was it.

A shadow appeared in the midst of the light, which seemed to stretch longer and longer until it engulfed Mickey in its darkness.

Finally, a figure was seen descending the staircase. Tall. Slender. Wizened. And a stern scowl that Mickey knew all too well.

Mickey’s words failed him. He could find nothing to say to greet his former master.

“Well? Speak. Or have you nothing to say to your instructor?” Yen Sid said.

That had done it. Any doubt Mickey had left upon hearing his mentor’s voice. And before he knew what he was doing, he rushed forward and threw his arms around Yen Sid’s knees.

“Aw, gosh am I glad to see ya!” said the mouse.

“Yes. Yes,” Yen Sid dismissively said, as he gently removed himself from Mickey’s grasp and walked past him.

Mickey knew he should have expected such a thing. Yen Sid never was one to connect with another. After the less-than-warm greeting, he followed after.

“Yen Sid, ya gotta listen to me. Me an’ my friends are in real big trouble,” he said.

“I know,” Yen Sid answered.

“Uh…’Course ya do,” Mickey nervously chuckled. “But, just hear me out. I got a friend missin’! An’ there’s a whole world out there that’s under attack!”

“I know,” Yen Sid repeated, as he nonchalantly opened a cabinet and collected the empty beakers and flasks from within.

Mickey stammered for a moment. Yen Sid always had his ways of knowing. And he never showed much emotion to anything beyond his own work. A twinge of doubt entered his mind. But, he knew in his heart that the old wizard would help.

Yen Sid placed the many containers onto the table and arranged them in no particular order.

A stool slid up beside him, and Mickey climbed atop it to better speak with his mentor.

“Please, Yen Sid. I know I haven’t exactly seen ya as much as I should. But, I need your help! Everyone--Everypony does!” the mouse pleaded.

“Fret not. I’m already working my magic toward the solution,” Yen Sid answered.

Mickey almost smiled. It was exactly what Yen Sid would have done since the magic mirror called himself, Donald and Goofy to Equestria. Catch wind of an imposter, then he would have been working on a solution to the problem.

He watched Yen Sid pinch the air and gently pull as if he were unraveling a thread.

A thin strand of silvery magic drifted through the air, following his fingers to the opening of the first beaker, where it filled itself halfway up.

A different meaning to Yen Sid’s words occurred to Mickey. Exactly how was Yen Sid ‘working his magic?’

“So...ya already got a plan to save Equestria?” the mouse asked.

“Save it. Yes,” Yen Sid replied, as he swirled his opposite palm round and round, as though he were rolling an unseen ball there. “Save it. Improve it. Make it last forever.”

In his empty palm a different kind of magic appeared. One that was solid in form, amorphous in shape, slightly translucent, and pink in color. This magic, Yen Sid placed in another empty beaker.

“I guess it’s great yer on top o’ things,” Mickey said, anxiously looking at the beaker of foreign magic. “Er...Is that…”

“Equestrian magic,” Yen Sid finished.

Mickey stayed silent as his former master’s brow furrowed, knowing that if he disturbed Yen Sid in his moment of focus, he would likely be thrown out.

With a wave of his arms, the two magics rose from their beakers and arced into the empty third.

A wisp of what looked like smoke drifted upward as the two magics swirled together inside of the third beaker.

The more Mickey watched, the more he could see the wisp of smoke rising higher. And under Yen Sid’s guidance, it started to take a more defined shape.

At first, it looked like some kind of animal. A dog or a cat, Mickey thought. Then, it started changing to something else. A pony. But, not just any pony. One with a horn that protruded from its forehead. And Mickey marveled further when he saw it sprout wings from its sides.

On its face, two lights blinked open and stared at Mickey. And though it had no words, the mouse got the distinct impression it was begging him for help. Calling out to him, just the same as he and his friends were called to Equestria.

“Mm-hmmm...Yes...This is perfect,” Yen Sid muttered.

Mickey glanced down to the beaker, and saw that something had changed. The two magics were becoming one. Whatever was left of the pink Equestrian magic was now reduced to nothing but a silvery mass that was barely distinguishable from the glittering, starlit magic. What was once a curious and intriguing shape had become a blobbish offshoot of what had overwhelmed it.

A thin smile crossed Yen Sid’s face, and the magic within the beaker billowed upward, engulfing the image of the alicorn.

The lights of the image’s eyes brightly illuminated, then faded altogether. And then it was gone.

Yen Sid waved his arms in a coordinated, mathematical fashion, changing the very shape of the image to anything that suited his whimsy. All the while with his thin, satisfied smile.

Mickey could bear no more, and jumped onto the table.

“Enough!” he snapped, kicking the beaker of magic into a wall, where it shattered.

He locked eyes with Yen Sid, trying his best to deny what he had seen.

“Something troubles you?” Yen Sid asked, as if he honestly didn’t know why Mickey reacted the way he had.

“Why are ya doin’ this?” Mickey choked, barely able to come to grips.

“You mean my life’s work?” Yen Sid answered shortly.

“I mean makin’ the world a worse place! Stealin’ everyone’s magic! Ruinin’ their lives! People out there are dyin’ because o’ what yer doin’!!”

Instead of remorse, Yen Sid stared at Mickey the very same way he always had when they were master and apprentice. The way that made Mickey feel as if he had broken some rule, and would make Yen Sid drop him as a student. Even then when he was a master of magic, Mickey still felt that way somewhere deep within himself.

“Mickey,” Yen Sid slowly began, “Do you remember my other students?”

“Huh?”

“My other students. Your predecessors. What do you remember about them?”

It was a strange question to be asked. But, Mickey thought on it as best he could. Until the answer came to him.

“Not much,” he said.

“Precisely,” Yen Sid answered. “There was a time when I thought I was in possession of pupils who would one day surpass me in greatness and power. As it was, none of them did. Julius simply didn’t have what it takes. And Oswald was stolen from me. But you--”

Mickey trembled slightly when Yen Sid stood to his full height.

“You were the only one who I knew would last.”

“What do ya mean?” Mickey asked, trying not to shiver.

“Did you wonder why I kept you on as my apprentice, even after you flooded my workshop? It was because I saw something greater in you than I ever had in my other students. Something that would teach and preserve my magical greatness to all who crossed him. And by extension, preserve me,” Yen Sid said.

“Bu--Preserved? Ya don’t need that. Nobody will ever forget the lessons ya taught. Especially when they’re all teachin’ folks too,” Mickey reasoned.

“I’m afraid it’s not so simple,” said the wizard. “Though you are well learned, you still do not understand the fragility of magic. When it wanes, so will I. And with me will go you, your friends, your beloved Minnie. Everything you have ever seen or heard about. Every place you’ve ever been to. Anybody who you have passed by and never gave a second glance. Without our magic, it will all disappear.”

“So ya spread yer magic everywhere else? So they can all go down with the ship!?” Mickey said, gradually clenching his fists.

“The chances of other realms failing grow slimmer by the moment, as soon as I touch them with my influence. Without me, they would fade away in a matter of time. And even if we were to disappear, we would still be able to live on in those other worlds,” said Yen Sid, glaring more harshly.

“And ruin what makes them them!?” Mickey snapped, pointing to the silvery sludge that the Equestrian magic had become. “Why should ya ruin what makes ‘em special!? Is it because they’re doin’ it wrong!? Or ‘cause yer scared they might get more powerful than you someday?!!”

Yen Sid’s face froze completely after hearing Mickey’s words. And it was this silence that made Mickey think he was right.

“None can be more powerful than I,” Yen Sid said in a low voice. “Nobody had discovered the secrets of magic before me. And nobody has since. I alone truly understand the fabric and machinations of the arcane. With it, I have created a unified balance of harmony in every realm I have since conquered. And you, Mickey Mouse--” he said, pointing a long, gnarled finger at Mickey, who inched backward from it. “--You are going to help me spread my magic throughout this world.”

Mickey wracked his brain for a way to counter. But, it was no use. For as long as he had known Yen Sid, the old wizard was always right. About everything. Even so, the mouse made his choice.

“No,” Mickey said, trying to sound bold. “I got too many friends who are countin’ on me to help them save their world.”

“With what magic?” Yen Sid complacently asked.

“There’s more than one way to use magic! Even what you got! And me an’ my pals are gonna keep goin’, until you’re gone from their world!”

“That,” Yen Sid said with utter finality, “Will be the undoing of all you work toward.”

Mickey could stand it no longer. He picked up a beaker and threw it straight at his former master’s head.

Before the beaker left his fingertips, Yen Sid folded his hands, making silvery, shimmering light burst from them.

Mickey found himself at the end of his throw, and leaned hard into it. And suddenly, he was standing on a precipice and facing a towering flame.

He flailed his arms around, trying not to fall into the fire. And in a moment, he was pulled backwards by his tail.

“Mickey!? What on Equestria’s gotten into you?” Rarity asked.

The scenery suddenly snapped to Mickey’s attention.

He was back in Nagruk-pak’s house, facing the fire pit. Nothing was out of place. Nothing seemed abnormal or out of the ordinary.

“Nothin’. Guess I lost my head there for a sec’,” Mickey answered.

“Please, see that you don’t lose it from now on. I don’t know if I can bear losing somepony else.”

The look on Rarity’s face made Mickey realize just how much the magical quest had affected her to that point. What she had seen. What she had experienced. Most of all, who she had lost.

“Here,” Rarity said, passing folded clothes to the mouse, “I fixed the clothes that were given to us. So, they’d be easier to wear.”

“Thanks. Goodness knows we need winter clothes,” Mickey said, accepting them from Rarity. “Hang on.”

He lifted the rug out from beneath his feet and set it on end, using it as a screen to hide from view.

Rarity used the opportunity to change herself, and quickly put on her modified clothing. The moment she finished, she saw a hood briefly rise over the top of the screen from the other side of the rug, before it slid back to the floor as neatly as if it were on a conveyor.

Mickey’s was simple. Modified into a smaller jacket and pants, with a matching pair of boots and thick, heavy mittens. What made it stand out from the parka Nagruk-pak had worn was the patterns that had been stitched into it with the thick cords that Rarity had used to stitch it together. Whatever excess there was had been put to use by what looked like a range of mountains with a rising sun and moon peering over them.

Rarity’s was equally simple, but just as distinct. She had made a very fluffy coat and four boots that reached nearly up to her body. And they were all fringed with fluffier material that swayed whenever she moved.

“Ya did good, Rarity. Ain’t nothin’ that can chill us now,” Mickey said.

“I have a third one as well,” Rarity said, revealing a third set of clothes. “For Twilight. When we find her.”

For as hopeful as she sounded, both mouse and pony knew it was forced. Any chance of finding Twilight was next to nil. Even if they had been guided by their magic light.

A gentle tinkering noise made their ears twitch.

Looking to the window by the door, they saw a small, shimmering light drifting through the haze of snow.

Quick as they could, they both ran to the window and looked outside, hoping to see something following the light.

It was not what they had hoped.

The glimmering squirrel that accompanied Nagruk-pak drifted across the ground, glided up the steps in front of the house, and passed right through the door. Once it was inside, it stopped and looked at Mickey and Rarity both.

After a moment of staring, it started toward the door, looked back at them and left through the door again.

The message was clear without words. The squirrel wanted them to follow it. Why? They hoped that it was going to guide them to where they needed to be. Or where they hoped to be.

The moment they stepped outside, another light was seen. One that was orange-red and the size of a large coin. Behind the light was the dark shadow of a larger shape.

There came a clicking noise from the shape.

“Move!” Mickey shouted.

He and Rarity dove off of the front porch, when a hail of bullets perforated the woodwork where they were just standing.

Of all the times, of all the places, why did he have to show up?

If the squirrel was taking them where they thought, there was little point in staying to fight. Instead, Mickey and Rarity opted to try and sneak away.

But, Pete would not be deterred so easily.

He drove the blade of his snow shovel into the ground and cranked hard on the handle.

A wave of snow rose up as if the ground beneath it were rippling outward.

Everything beneath the ripple of snow jumped up. Even the trees, totems and buildings.

Mickey and Rarity were taken off of their feet, and in an instant found themselves in the air, then falling flat into the snow.

The squirrel chattered at them, urging them to get up and follow it. And as it tried to help them, it loosed a frightened squeak and darted up a wall.

The source of its distress was obvious. There was Pete plowing toward them with his snow shovel deep in the snow, ready to entomb his opponents in ice before the night was done.

Author's Note

Just as things are looking up, Pete rears his fat head. Looks like before our heroes can resume their search for Twilight, they’ll have to contend with one very persistent enemy.

I took things down a notch for this chapter, just because I thought we needed a bit of a rest from all of the excitement and suspense that’s been going on lately. That, and I know that we haven’t seen Yen Sid since the beginning of this story. So, I thought it would be nice to have him featured in a chapter.

And I’m just going to say that I know some of you readers saw that part where the northern lights are mentioned and thought to yourselves, ‘Actually, it’s called aurora borealis.’ I’m sure everyone knows that. The reason we don’t use it is because aurora borealis is a horrible mouthful of a word that sounds not at all wondrous or personable. Or, if we’re going to live in a world where things are called by their proper name, why don’t you just sit down and let me tell you about my pet felis domesticus and gallus gallus domesticus?

Another kind of jab at Disney in this chapter was right at the very beginning where Ye sid is trying to feed off of the magic that will permeate and generate from the land when he spreads his influence. You readers already know how Yen Sid taking over Equestria is sort of a metaphor for the real life Disney Studios taking over Jim Henson Studios, Marvel Comics, Lucasfilm and all those other things. Well, that opening kind of takes the metaphor a bit further.

Way back in the day, Disney began as a studio that innovated and enthralled by coming up with new things that they came up with themselves (I know that a lot of their work was based on existing fairy tales. But, it was always made with their own special Disney-fied twist). These days, Disney is almost completely dependent on the success of things like the MCU, Star Wars and Pixar. That and the live-action remakes of their own classic animated films. Yen Sid feeding off of the magic that Equestria would in turn produce after his own magic takes it over is like Disney feeding off of the success of Marvel, Pixar and all that other stuff.

I think if Walt Disney were alive today, he’d barely recognize the studio he helped found. I don’t know whether or not he’d be happy with what it’s become, but I think he’d be surprised by what happened to it.

That part where Mickey’s shadow appears on the wall next to the staircase that Yen Sid comes from is lifted directly from ‘Fantasia.’ Anybody who hasn’t seen that movie surely knows about ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,’ at the very least. Personally, I’d love to see a full-length movie that’s based on that segment. Along with a full-length feature of ‘Mickey and the Beanstalk.’ But, those are just pipe dreams. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have to write my own fan fics about them. But, that won’t be for a while.

Other references to cartoon history in this chapter were Yen Sid’s other students. Julius the Cat was one of Walt Disney’s very earliest creations. A character who he dreamed up as a teenager, and featured in some comics he had drawn for a newspaper. After that, he was one of the lead characters in the ‘Alice Comedies.’ The very same cartoons where Pete made his debut.

And of course, we all know Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Yen Sid talks about how Oswald was stolen from him. This is true. When Mr. Disney wanted to quit working for Universal Animation Studios, he wanted to take Oswald with him. Instead, Universal said that they owned Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and everything attached to him. (Let this be a lesson to any of you potential creators to own the trademarks, copyrights and licenses of your own work).

Sweet dreams for Rarity, huh? That was just something that I wanted to throw in there for you readers who liked the idea of Rarity being able to keep Nopony. Sorry, guys, but I really did feel that the story was more impactful and meaningful if Rarity lost him.

Not so sweet dreams for Mickey, though. There he is face to face with his mentor/teacher/creative idol. And he’s hardly the wizard Mickey once knew.

Speaking of creative idols, why don’t we share who it is we look up to on a creative level. I’ve got dozens of influences. But, there are only four people who I can say that I really idolize. For me, they are (in no particular order of importance) Don Bluth, Walt Disney, Stan Lee and Jim Henson. These are the guys whose work I’ve marveled at since I was very young. I noticed their names in almost all of my favorite cartoons and comics, and I thought that I had wanted to produce work like they did.

It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized that I could never do things exactly the way that they do. I would just have to develop my own style, while keeping the lessons I learned from them in mind.

I’d really love to hear who it is that you readers look up to. Feel free to share.

Oh, and speaking of growing up, it’s my birthday once again. In the spirit of such, I’m going to leave you with this most appropriate Mickey Mouse short. I’d love if you all rocked on with me on this day \m/

Chapter 59: A New Way

Chapter 59

A New Way

The moose village was far behind them now, and Mickey and Rarity were gliding their way through the snowy forest, as the blizzard raged around them.

As expertly as ever, Rarity wove her way through the trees, never once missing a beat.

Mickey held tightly around Rarity’s neck. The ride was almost completely smooth, with the occasional bump when Rarity had to jump over a rock, or a log, or a stump. At one point, she had to skate along the face of a large boulder in order to cross over a small gap. All the while never losing sight of the squirrel or the direction it was taking them.

The squirrel’s ever-shimmering body was only just visible through the haze of the blizzard. Periodically, it would stop to see if the others were following, but would just as quickly continue on its way.

Ahead, Mickey saw that the squirrel had landed on a branch and jumped ahead, gliding much farther than it had ever before. And in a moment, the nature of this strange behavior became apparent.

Rarity suddenly jolted, making Mickey hold more tightly to her. Looking down, he saw that she was jumping over a partly frozen river that was flowing rapidly.

Before he could voice any objection, Mickey jumped from the impact of landing atop an ice floe.

Feeling as if it were perfectly natural for her, Rarity glided along the length of the floe, until she reached the edge and jumped to the next one. Mid-air, she performed a flawless spin and landed facing backwards on the next one.

Mickey looked over his own shoulder, and saw that they were rapidly approaching the edge of the floe.

Quickly spinning himself around Rarity’s middle, the mouse reached down and scooped up a handful of snow, and packed it into a snowball.

They arrived at the very edge of the floe. And as if Rarity had eyes in the back of her head, she kicked up her back legs and jumped off.

Mickey threw his snowball directly underneath them, and a portion of the river’s surface froze, creating another icy platform for them to land upon.

And with a dainty tap, Rarity landed on the floe, righting herself forward. She skated down the length of the ice, just as it was drifting against the shoreline.

There wasn’t even a bump when Rarity skated from the frozen river to the snowy shore. The only turbulence after that was when Rarity gently spun around and drifted to a halt on a snow-covered path that ran through the trees.

“*Phew…* I think it’s time I took a rest,” Rarity exhaled.

“An’ how,” Mickey agreed. “Just don’t take too long. You-know-who’s bound to be on our tails.” He illustrated their pursuer by placing his knee atop a tiny sapling, mimicking a peg-leg.

If it were any other enemy, Rarity would have thought the distance they had traveled, the blizzard that was raging, the gap they had crossed, the many trees and the flowing river would all have stopped, or at least slowed them down. But, not Pete. A simple thug like him was proving to be far more resourceful and persistent than almost any other threat she and her friends had faced. If anything, Rarity expected Pete had already made a toboggan out of a piece of bark he ripped off of a tree and was toppling every tree in the forest as he followed after them

Above them, the glimmering squirrel climbed down the trunk of the nearest tree and chattered at them both. And in the next moment, it drifted to the ground and ran across the snow through the trees. After a short distance, it turned around and motioned for them to follow, before it ran further on.

“Perhaps, on second thought, I’ll simply walk onward,” Rarity said, deciding against staying to rest.

Mickey didn’t say anything as he and Rarity followed after the squirrel. Though he thought Rarity needed a proper rest after her swift trek through the forest, he too knew that Pete was sure to be following them closely behind.

It was difficult to tell, but the further the squirrel led them, the more it seemed like it was taking them off of the path. The trees had grown more densely together than before, and any trace of a trail between them had all but disappeared.

“Where do you suppose he’s leading us?” Rarity asked, keeping her eyes on the squirrel.

“Beats me. I just hope it’s somewhere safer than here,” Mickey replied, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of Pete.

Looking at the squirrel, Rarity was reminded of their own twinkling guide who had led them onward since they left Ponyville. Something that had always taken them precisely where they were needed to be at the exact right time. And in that moment, a sudden thought occurred to Rarity.

“Do you suppose--” she hesitated a moment, unsure if it were even a remote possibility. “Perhaps this squirrel may lead us to Twilight?”

“Oh, gosh, wouldn’t that be somethin’? I just hope wherever she is, she’s somewhere safe,” Mickey said, pulling his hood more tightly over his head.

Rarity hoped the same. And at the same time wondered why Twilight would leave them in the first place. It was not as if she had any reason to do so. If anything, Twilight should have been more determined than any of them to remove Yen Sid’s influence from their world. Let alone been excited to learn about a new kind of magic.

It was then that Rarity froze completely. From the time they had left the mines to the point when Avalon met its horrible end, she hadn’t seen Twilight use any magic like Mickey’s as adeptly as herself.

Yet, Rarity knew that wasn’t all. She knew full well that Twilight was trying to win Nopony’s affections, and remembered how she had thought herself the victor when the simple-minded performer chose herself over Twilight. If they had been able to see one another again after their successful outing, Rarity was going to have gloated about it to Twilight. Who wouldn’t after beating royalty to a stallion?

Worst of all, it occurred to her what had happened in the aftermath of Avalon’s demise. While her own heart was broken from losing the stallion she hoped to keep, it would have been all the worse for Twilight. Twilight, who always shouldered the responsibility of the safety and well-being of others above all else. And losing an entire city… All because of Rarity and Nopony’s desperate action.

“She left because of me…” Rarity whispered to herself, her words issuing with a narrow plume of breath.

“Rarity.”

The fashionista jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to find Mickey when she looked to its owner.

“Come on. We got somewhere to be,” Mickey said, gently goading Rarity along.

“Mickey. Do you suppose--” Rarity cut herself off.

“Suppose what?” Mickey wondered.

“Er...Nothing.”

Swallowing her fears that Twilight truly hated her, Rarity continued onward.

“Alright. But, let’s not linger anymore. No tellin’ what might find us out here,” Mickey said.

Right on cue, when Mickey and Rarity turned their gaze ahead, they found themselves facing the most horrific, monstrous face they had ever seen.

Both yelped and jumped backwards into the snow.

Mickey quickly grabbed a snowball and hurled it at the face, encasing it in ice.

From above the frozen face, the glimmering squirrel climbed down from the branches that were overheard. It scolded in chattering gibberish, indicating the frozen face, before it picked up a frost-covered pine cone and started chiseling the ice away.

It took a moment for them to realize, but the face they had seen was merely a totem pole carved directly into the trunk of a tree.

“Gosh. Sorry about that, little fella,” Mickey said, taking a small stone to assist the squirrel.

With one well-placed hit, the ice around the totem pole fell off, melding back into the snow.

It was then that Mickey and Rarity both realized that they were surrounded by many other totem poles, all depicting many different animals and creatures of the kingdom.

Once the initial shock passed, Rarity in particular marveled at the artistry of the totems. What she first perceived as monstrous depictions of natural creatures, she began to realize were more of an interpretation of them. The way the colors blended together upon the exaggerated features brought to her mind something that went deeper than simple artwork. It was something that came from the heart and soul of the creatures who had carved them.

That wasn’t all that she noticed. The more Rarity looked, the more she saw that the creatures on the totems were not randomly placed. They were holding one another up. Each one supporting the others. The one at the bottom standing firm. The one at the top holding the rest aloft. And everything in between keeping the balance of things. The same as all friends and family did.

“Great Celestia and Luna…” Rarity exhaled.

“Hey, Rarity. Come an’ get a look at this,” Mickey called.

Rarity trotted over to where Mickey was indicating, and found that he was at the edge of a clearing, which was faced with a large cliff.

The size of the cliff was impressive. But, it was what adorned the rocky face that awed them.

A mural presented itself to them, resplendent with many colors that made up the image.

Immediately, mooses were recognized, tilling the soil and digging river beds with their antlers, eating the plants that grew, painting murals with the other creatures and chopping wood.

Among them were sasquatches, taller than even the mooses, and working just as industriously. Fishing from the rivers that were dug, planting trees and flowers, building mountains by stacking boulders and clearing paths that others could follow through the wilds.

The strangest things that were seen were other creatures that looked like skeletal mooses and sasquatches. Though worn to bone and garbed in shabby clothes, they too contributed to the image by filling the riverbeds with water, making plants grow, changing the direction of the wind and even making caterpillars transform into butterflies.

Accompanying each creature was an animal of some sort. Rabbits, eagles, bear cubs, lizards, owls, snakes, foxes, and animals that neither Mickey or Rarity could name were seen with the creatures in the mural. And each one was seemingly offering help in its own way as well.

Out of all the animals, the one that stood out most of all was the largest eagle they had ever seen. Its gaze was cast down, as if it were protectively watching all of the smaller creatures within. And its wings spread out to hold all the creatures safely in their span.

Beyond its wings, other creatures were seen. Monstrous things and feral animals that all vied to get past and attack the others within. But, under the protection of the eagle, every one of the good creatures was safe.

“Isn’t that somethin’?” Mickey quietly said. “It’s amazing what can be done by gettin’ along an’ makin’ friends.”

But, Rarity had a different take. Upon taking a closer look at the image, and taking into account what she had noticed from the totems, a different meaning of the mural occurred to her.

“No,” she began, “It’s not just about making friends.”

“How do ya mean?”

“Don’t you see. The rivers are dug for water to be placed and for fish to live by one group of creatures, and they’re eaten by different creatures. Then, the plants are all planted and cultivated for other creatures to eat, and to create homes for the animals to live there. And then other creatures make all the changes in the world that we see. Things like the wind blowing, or the stars coming out. Even the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly is caused by them! Don’t you see? It’s all about them helping one another by keeping the balance of their kingdom!”

“Hot dog! I bet yer right,” Mickey said, after glancing back to the mural. “How’d ya spot somethin’ like that?”

“Well, it takes the keen eye of an artist to notice such things,” Rarity said, falsely modest.

“Heh. I guess there’s more than one way to keep things going smooth, even if these guys in the picture aren’t makin’ friends with each other,” Mickey said.

However offhanded the mouse had meant his statement, it struck a strong chord with Rarity. Her lips had moved only in the slightest, and no sound issued from them. But, the revelation was clear to herself.

“There’s more than one way to achieve harmony…”

The sudden feeling of many bells softly ringing in her head overcame her. It was the answer to something. But, not anything that she could decipher.

If only Twilight were there to see it. She would have known what to do.

In an instant, the wind howled loudly and blew harder across the clearing.

Mickey and Rarity both had to brace against the blizzard, as it threatened to take them both off of their feet.

The chattering of the squirrel was heard just over the wind, and they both saw that their tiny guide was motioning for them to follow it.

Hoping now more than ever that the squirrel was leading them to their lost friend, Rarity was the first to follow after, with Mickey closely in tow.

Wherever Twilight was, they hoped she was somewhere safer than the heart of a blizzard.

The temperature dropped to an all time low as the winds of the blizzard roared through the forest.

The long branches of the enormous trees that grew in that area were blown bare of snow. And all of the animals who lived within had gone to find more sheltered dwellings, until the storm blew itself out.

A haze of mist had been blown up from the snowy ground, clouding everything from view and melding everything into the whiteness all around. Everything, but a single spot of lavender, which trudged slowly onward.

Twilight breathed heavily through her chattering teeth, the frigid air feeling as if it were freezing her from the inside out every time she inhaled. It was the only part of herself that she could feel anymore. Everything else had been numbed by the cold. And a growing sense of lethargy was slowly overtaking her.

It would not be long now. There was no stopping what was coming for her next. She was alone. Stranded in the frozen wilderness in the middle of a blizzard, with no friends to help and no magic to help herself. Unless some miracle occurred, she knew that the elements would defeat her.

Just then, the miracle she needed happened.

Something landed on her nose. Something that was soft, fluffy, and warm.

Twilight brushed the thing from her nose, and held it securely in her hooves. It was some sort of cottony fluff that had drifted through the snowstorm. And it was joined by another that shot past her, and another that set itself against her forehead.

Looking around, Twilight saw what was happening. The trees around her were all covered not with snow and frost, but with downy fluff, like cottonweed.

It was the only chance she had.

Hobbling as best she could through the deep snow, Twilight fell against the lee side of the tree, trying to take in the warmth of its downy fluff.

No such thing happened. But, she wouldn’t give up.

Desperately scraping her hooves against the bark, Twilight gathered up as much of the fluff as she could and hugged it tightly against herself.

It did little good to insulate her from the cold. But as Twilight closed her eyes, she thought she could feel something. A warmth that was filling her from the inside and spreading through her entire being. Wrapping around her neck, as if to gently hold her and lull her to sleep.

She knew what was coming for her. And it wouldn’t be long until it all ended.

As she slipped away, Twilight’s throat began choking as a single tear rolled from her eye and froze against her cheek.

Everything had been for naught. Her quest was a failure. And the last thought she ever had of Rarity was how much she hated her. Even as the Princess of Friendship, she was a failure.

Would the others succeed without her? Would they ever find what was left of herself in the snowy wilds? What would Princess Celestia have said if she could see how her prize student failed in such an important undertaking?

All these questions and more rattled in Twilight’s head. And she knew they would never be answered.

She wanted one last look at the world, before she left it. Summoning all of her remaining constitution, Twilight cracked her eyes open to gaze at the frozen world that was going to envelop her. Except, it wasn’t the world that she saw.

A long, knitted fabric was passed before her eyes, held in what she thought almost looked like a white hoof.

“You shouldn’t be out in the cold like this, dear. Alicorn or not, no creature is immune to exposure and hypothermia,” said the owner of the hoof.

It took a moment, but Twilight soon realized that a deep blue, knitted scarf was being gently tied around her neck. Stranger still, even though the blizzard was blowing as hard as ever, there was no sound. The snow flew. The trees rattled. Yet not a sound of any of it was heard.

In the next moment, she noticed that it wasn’t a hoof that was holding the scarf. Rather, it was the fluffy cuff on the sleeve of a white winter jacket. Protruding from the sleeve was a slender hand with short claws at the end of each finger.

Looking up to see who was tying the scarf, Twilight found herself staring into a pair of familiar warm, red eyes, set beneath a pair of gigantic ears.

For the first time in a long while, Twilight felt like she wanted to smile. But at once, she lowered her gaze from the lady-bat.

“Why won’t you look at me?” Souris asked.

Twilight was silent.

“You don’t believe in me. Is that it?”

Twilight knew that there was no point lying. She slowly nodded.

“That may well be part of your problem,” Souris said, gently cinching up the knot of Twilight’s scarf.

Twilight looked up, feeling Souris’s fingers gently brushing the snow from her mane and from behind her ears.

“What problem?” Twilight asked.

Souris stopped what she was doing for a moment and smiled knowingly.

“Twilight, a smart mare like you doesn’t need to ask questions that you already know the answer to,” she said.

The young alicorn sighed. After keeping it in for so long, she felt she had finally met somepony who she could divulge the terrible truth to.

“I can’t do it. I’ve tried and I’ve tried to understand anything. But...I just can’t.”

“Can’t do what, dear?” Souris asked.

Twilight was silent again.

“I realize this is difficult for you to say. But, you need to say it. Unless you--”

“I can’t use magic!” Twilight blurted out.

Her outburst echoed through the silent forest, carrying on the soundless blizzard to every known corner of the woods.

In spite of Twilight’s shout, Souris didn’t so much as twitch an ear. Instead, she gently took hold of Twilight’s hoof and sent a surge of warmth into it.

“And? Why do you think that is?” she patiently asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight repeated. “I’ve been trying to figure it out since Mickey and his friends came to Ponyville. At first, I thought it was a little bit like the magic earth ponies and pegasi use. But--”

“Twilight,” Souris said, cutting Twilight off, “I’m not asking how you think magic like mine works. I want to know why you think it is that you can’t use it as effectively as your friends.”

Twilight’s throat clenched at the idea that all of her friends were more adept at using magic than herself. And how even her enemies were better mages than she was. And the point was driven home when Souris collected the cottony fluff from the tree bark, worked it briefly between her palms and transformed it into a ball of blue and silver yarn.

Silently, Twilight watched as the lady-bat took an end of the yarn in her claws and started working them like knitting needles to knit a mitten around her hoof.

“I...don’t understand how it works,” Twilight said.

“Mm-hm. Go on,” Souris gently prompted, as she finished up the first mitten and started work on the second.

For just a moment, Twilight thought about how to articulate the meaning of her statement.

“All the magic I’ve ever known has had some kind of logic behind it,” she answered.

And for just another moment, she thought she saw Souris scowling at her answer, before the lady-bat leaned over her shoulder to collect more cotton. Ignoring her feeling of unease, Twilight continued her answer.

“There’s always a way that magic affects things, and ways to harness it to make it take effect. Everything I’ve seen--” Twilight stopped a moment when she saw Souris start knitting mittens over her wings with nothing but her bare claws. “--None of it makes any sense. I can’t think of anything that I’ve ever read that says you can use magic just because.”

“Is that it?” Souris said, not so much asking as affirming. “You consider yourself a logic-minded mare, don’t you? Then, think about this: applying logic to this study has already failed you. In which case, the only logical thing left to do is to apply what you deem nonsense.”

A jumble of words were forming in Twilight’s mind, trying to find the right ones to question and correct Souris’s statement. But, her befuddlement was too great to handle, keeping her silent and allowing Souris to continue.

“You told me before that you only know the one type of magic that you’ve been using since you were a filly, correct?” Souris said

Twilight nodded.

“Then, I think that it’s safe to say that your horizons are as narrow as your focus.”

Instead of any intelligible answer, Twilight weakly stammered, trying to find the words to rebuke what Souris had said. After only a second, she slowed to silence.

“There’s nothing else for it,” Souris said, finishing up the mitten on Twilight’s other wing, “Until you learn to broaden your mind, you’ll never progress beyond more than where you are now.”

“But, I used it before,” Twilight said.

“Oh?” Souris asked, as she started knitting a thick sweater around Twilight’s middle. “You never told me that. Exactly how did you do it?”

Twilight thought back to her time in the mines, facing off against Pete, the badger and the Master Metal. How when she reached out to a layer of rock that was next to herself, and used it as a shield against her attacker.

Try as she did, she couldn’t recollect what was going through her mind at that time.

“I wish I knew,” she answered.

“Perhaps you saw what you had available, understood its form and function, and thought of a new way to use it?” Souris suggested.

Again, Twilight remained silent, not quite understanding what was said.

“Or, maybe there was someone close to you who you knew you needed to protect? You might have even simply thought it would be more interesting if you put your personal twist on whatever you were doing,” Souris continued.

“But, how does any of that make magic?” Twilight said, fighting to not shout.

She was silenced by the tips of Souris’s fingers gently placed over her lips, before the lady-bat reached up for more fluff from the tree bark.

“You already know that magic boils down to one crucial point, correct?” Souris said. “Think about what that is.”

Twilight didn’t even need to think on it.

“It’s harmony. Isn’t it?” she said, suddenly not sure of anything she knew.

“Exactly,” Souris said, knitting the sleeves onto Twilight’s sweater. “Now, tell me how that happens.”

“It’s when friendships are made and kept between creatures across the land. It’s what happens when everypony gets along and accepts each other for their differences. And...and…”

Twilight trailed off when she saw Souris’s face gradually change to a frown.

“And? Go on, dear,” Souris prompted.

“And...that’s all I know,” Twilight admitted.

Souris finished the sleeves and stroked Twilight’s mane, gently folding back her ears as she did.

“You see now, don’t you?” Souris said, as she started knitting a hat around Twilight’s head.

Twilight felt more helpless and lost than she had before. A whole world of possibilities had been staring her practically in the face for years, and she never knew what was in front of her.

“But, what can I do? How many other ways can there be to achieve harmony?” Twilight said, her throat quivering.

“I’m afraid I can’t help you on that point,” Souris sighed. “I realize that may not sound helpful. But, that’s something that you have to find out for yourself.”

“What if I never do?” Twilight said, unable to fight back the tears that leaked from her eyes, which quickly froze on her cheeks.

“Then, you’ll be doomed to stay as you are now. Forever,” Souris answered, gently scraping away the frozen tears with her free hand. “But, you won’t, Twilight. I know you won’t, because you’re searching for your answer. All I can tell you about how to find it is that you must ask the right questions of yourself. What is it that you do? And why?”

Again, Twilight thought she knew the answer immediately. But, again hesitated with her answer.

“My cutie mark says that magic is my talent,” she said.

“Your cutie mark is only that: a mark. But, did you ever think about why it was there? Or what put you on the path to acquiring it? These are the things you need to start thinking about if you’re ever going to hope to master any magic like my own.”

With one last flourish of her wrist, Souris finished the last thread on Twilight’s hat.

“Do you remember what I said before? About seeing your convictions through to the end, and pushing past the doubts and fears you have?”

“Yes,” Twilight answered.

“This is exactly the same,” Souris said, placing her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “Don’t stop now when you’re already so close to discovering what you must. Finish what you started. For your friends.”

Her friends. No matter how terrible Twilight thought she had it, she realized everything would be all the worse for all of them if she gave up on the magical quest. And at the same moment, she realized she had more friends than she once thought. Mickey and his two friends who he had brought to Equestria with him. Copper and his father, and all of the other workers who were rescued from the mines were counting on her to keep monsters like the badger from coming back. And though Avalon was nothing more than a ruined memory, somepony had to keep creatures like Souris from doing the same to other cities.

Warmth began to fill Twilight. Not from her new winter clothes, or from Souris’s touch. Something that was coming from within herself that made her forget completely about the cold around her.

Souris reached a hand down and gathered up a handful of snow. Her hand crackled with its usual silvery bolts of magic, and she conjured an icy mirror from the fallen flakes.

“So? What do we think?” the lady-bat asked.

Twilight looked in the mirror and saw her reflection. There she was, dressed in a blue sweater with silver stars and snowflakes, each one different from the others around it. The mittens around her hooves and wings were equally blue, and each with a silver lining around the cuffs. The hat atop her head had been flecked with spots of silver against the blue, making her feel as if she were wearing the night sky.

“It’s wonderful,” Twilight simply said.

Souris only answered with a smile, and tapped the mirror with her claw, making it dissolve into a flurry of snowflakes, which all blew away on the wind.

“Souris...Thank you. For everything,” Twilight said.

Souris answered by gently pulling Twilight closer and wrapping her arms around her in a soft embrace.

Twilight returned the embrace, settling into Souris’s arms, resting her head on her shoulder. Suddenly she felt the soft, leathery hold of Souris’s wings wrapping around her, filling her with their warmth.

Deep in the back of her mind, Twilight recalled the last time she ever encountered Souris. The monster who had willfully destroyed a city and ended many lives was now offering her guidance to mastering her own self-imposed handicap. It pained her to think about it, but the conversation they had before Souris’s demise seemed to bear more and more truth to it the more that Twilight thought about it.

She had to know.

“Souris,” Twilight began, “Um...If I was able to save you...Even if you’d never join my side...Could...could we have been friends?”

Twilight felt the embrace of Souris’s wings tighten ever so slightly, and watched a smile bloom across her face.

“I already told you, Twilight: you don’t need to ask questions that you already know the answer to,” Souris answered.

The warmth of Souris’s touch surged through Twilight again, making her smile brightly as she settled back into the shared embrace.

For many moments, Twilight said nothing. She knew now what she needed. And needed nopony to help her find it.

“Twilight,” Souris began. “You need to wake up now.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“You need to wake up. Or you’re going to die.”

“But--”

“Wake up, NOW!!”

In a flash, Souris’s face reverted to the same demonic visageTwilight had seen when she had revealed her true self. And in a flash, the world went black.

Air filled Twilight’s lungs when she gasped deeply and sharply.

In an instant, the world came back into focus, and Souris was gone.

The winds of the blizzard howled loudly, drowning out every other noise but the whipping of the branches overhead.

Looking down, Twilight saw that she was half-buried in the snow that was still falling all around herself. Without a thought she stood up, shaking the icy flakes from her body. After shaking vigorously and ruffling her wings, Twilight started running her hoof through her mane. And the very moment she had, a knitted cap fell from her head. One that was deep blue, with silver specks, and a hole for her horn to protrude.

Twilight held the hat in her hoof, staring in wide-eyed disbelief.

She then noticed the mitten that covered her hoof, and saw that her other hooves and her wings were mittened as well. Around her neck was a blue scarf with silver tassels. And around her middle, she was wearing a blue knit sweater with patterns of silver stars and snowflakes.

“Souris…”

It may have been Twilight’s imagination. But, for a split moment, she thought she saw two red specks among the snowflakes fly right past herself, and drift up the snowbank. And against the wind.

Twilight didn’t stop to think or wonder what she had seen. Wherever she was going, she knew it was going to be where she would eventually finish her quest. For her friends. Every single one of them.

Author's Note

Man...Twilight was right there and she missed what could easily have been her breakthrough. That mural. All those totems. So to say, she couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

Luckily, our alicorn friend finally got some help. Whether or not it’s the help that she needed remains to be seen. But, Souris seems to have put Twilight on the right path to rediscovering what kind of magic lies within herself.

What Souris says about Twilight asking what it is she does and why is inspired by a quote by Mark Twain. Way back in the day, Mr. Twain said ‘The two most important days of your life are the day you’re born, and the day you find out why.’ Of course, Twilight is going to have to do some seriously deep digging to find out those answers.

In any case, our favorite alicorn may discover the secret to using new kinds of magic soon.

Just another word about Souris. The interaction she and Twilight had in this chapter was something that I wanted to see happen in the actual show. I was hoping that season nine would have some real head-spinning take on everything we knew up to that point, and show Twilight becoming friends with someone she knew to be evil. Instead, we got Discord doing more of his chaos thing. Come on, writers! Kids are more intelligent than you think they are!

And now, a word about Rarity. It seems like she’s also experiencing a bit of doubt in her her mind. Right now, her biggest fear is that Twilight hates her. She’s right. But, she doesn’t know that. Will these two friends make up? We’ll see, eventually.

Moving on, the chapter also seems to have exhibited another question: just how many ways are there to achieve harmony? And which ones have we seen in this story so far? And what is that crucial factor that everyone must discover on their own to master magic like the kind Souris and Mickey use?

As usual, I’m not going to tell, because that defeats the purpose of continuing this story. But, some of you eagle-eyed readers may well have discovered the factor. In fact, some of you have been on the right track since you started theorizing, I’d wager.

Last, but certainly not least, we’ll talk about a bit of culture we saw in this chapter.

I think it’s safe to say that you might have guessed the animals seen on the mural and Nagruk-pak’s squirrel friend are totems. If any of you saw the movie Brother Bear, then you know that each animal represents a virtue that a person embodies and would do well to live their life by. And surprisingly, Brother Bear got a lot of the totems right. Like how the eagle means leadership and guidance, or the bear means love, family and compassion.

In Inuit culture, the squirrel represents things like foresight, responsibility and resourcefulness. Maybe that has something to do with how the entire moose village is empty, with the one exception of Nagruk-pak.

Another thing is all those terrible monsters trying to get past the protection of the mighty eagle. As you may have guessed, that eagle is the ruling deity of this kingdom. And he’s the one keeping back all the monsters and dangerous animals from harming the good creatures.

You also notice how this kingdom is based on Native American culture. So, I think that the beasties here come from Native American lore. Things like skin-walkers, deer women, stone giants, chenoo and lake dragons. There might also be variants of the familiar Equestrian windigo and pukwudgie here. Although, I think this kingdom’s versions would be more similar to the folklore material, where windigos are called wetiko, and were once a moose or any other sentient creature of this kingdom that committed a horrible sin and were turned into an emaciated, giant version of themselves as punishment.

Pukwudgies too, I think would be more like bipedal porcupines and be called puk-wujie. Once friends of the other creatures. Now bitter and violent.

I don’t know if we’ll get too deep into the lore of this kingdom, but it’s just something that I’ve been thinking about.

That’s it for me here. Now, to rock on as you wait for the next chapter \m/

Chapter 60: The Spider's Parlour

Chapter 60: The Spider’s Parlour

In a deep part of the forest where the trees grew thick, Twilight Sparkle continued her journey onward.

She had nothing to guide her. No magical light. No friends. Only a gut feeling and a vague, general direction that Souris had pointed out to her.

What she would find, she didn’t know. But Twilight knew she had to keep going. No matter what presented itself to her.

Her hoof caught a root and made her stumble slightly.

The mitten on her rear left hoof had slipped loose, and was dangerously close to falling off. Taking a moment to sit down and reset her mitten, Twilight looked around to see exactly where she was.

The forest was so dense now that it seemed liable to swallow anything within it. The trees were packed so closely together, Twilight wondered how (or if) any animals were able to live there.

The root that she had stumbled over was only one of countless others that protruded above the ground. Even with the heavy snowfall, the roots of the trees grew above the snow. She could see that they were all long and large, tangling around one another and mounting one on top of the other. Some of the trees had even succumbed to the clutter and grew with their trunks jutted out to awkward angles.

It was a place nopony would dare get lost in. But, for the feeling at the core of her very being, Twilight knew that she had to trek onward.

“Do it for everypony,” Twilight quietly told herself, before she disappeared into the treeline.

There were no landmarks to tell her where she was going. Everything within the densely packed trees looked almost identical, except for the direction which the trees grew.

Twilight squeezed her way between two of the trees, and found her hooves resting upon a trunk that angled up into the air. Walking along its length, her mind began to wonder about how the trees could have grown in such a way. Or what magical force it was that allowed them to do it.

When her path was blocked by the branches of the tree, Twilight jumped to a nearby root, down to another, then to the ground. There, she found herself facing a wall of tangled roots.

Without any magic to simply shrink the roots, or part them, the young alicorn was left with one option.

Reaching up, she started to climb the first of the mighty roots. Her strength was still recovering from her close brush with death, and the climb was made all the harder by the snow and frost that covered the roots.

Twilight was suddenly reminded of when she was a filly at Canterlot Palace. How every step on the staircases had seemed so large to her, and the time she had trying to pull herself up each and every one of them to be on time for her lessons.

Back in those days, she had tried using a separated curtain rod as supports to aid her in those indoor hikes. But, it all ended when she was scolded by one of the palace guards who caught her doing so.

In that moment, when she was faced with those frigid steps, she wished she had something to help her out.

Just as her hoof was gripping the next step up, the wind blew something that bumped her hoof.

Peering up, Twilight saw that it was an icicle. Likely fallen from one of the tree branches. Recalling the curtain rod that she had used as a filly, Twilight had doubts that such a thing would help her at all in that particular instance. But, it was all that she had to work with.

Taking the icicle between her hooves, Twilight struck it to the next highest root. When it didn’t break, she used it to assist in pulling herself upward. And just the same as it had been when she was a filly rushing to class, she found that she was able to practically glide up to the next step.

From the deepest parts of her mind, the feeling from the first time she figured out that solution crept forth, filling Twilight with a sense of warmth and accomplishment that normally came from solving a friendship problem, or acing an exam, or mastering a new and particularly advanced spell.

It was a feeling that Twilight had all but forgotten. Something that had always raised her spirits, even during her lowest points. It was always that which kept her going through even the hardest times of her life, from something as grandiose as defeating evil, to something as mundane as her study sessions.

“Study…” Twilight thought, pulling herself further up the roots.

What Souris had told her to do was little more than a homework assignment. Just like Princess Celestia would have assigned her as a filly. Only this time, books and study wouldn’t help her. She would have to look deeper for something less tangible.

“Souris asked me: what is it that I do, and why do I do it?”

She already knew those answers. Magic was what she did. And friendships too. And she did them because it was what she was good at. From those simple, easy answers, more questions formed in her mind.

“What made me pursue magic?”

The rainboom? That had only been a catalyst that made her and others realize her potential. At any given time, she could have quit to pursue other paths that her life could have taken her. Instead, she chose to continue with magic.

“What was it I wanted to do? What made me pull down that curtain rod, just so I’d get to class more quickly? Why did I want to be there so badly, even before I studied with Princess Celestia?”

A simple love of magic was the obvious answer. But, if Souris were anything like Princess Celestia, she wouldn’t accept something so simple.

“Why did I love magic so much? What made me so interested in how it worked? What enthralled me to the point I wanted to learn as much about it as I could?”

She climbed to the next step, and the answer came back to her clear as a bell.

Before she ever started school, there had been something that stuck out clearly in her mind. The day that she read in a book how to perform a spell where she would be able to draw with her horn. After days of practice, she was finally able to use her horn to draw to her heart’s content on anything she pleased. Much to the displeasure of her parents, who put a stop to their daughter’s drawing on any solid surface that was in front of her..

Even if her parents had stopped her from drawing on the walls, Twilight felt as if a door opened for her. From an act so simple as using her horn as a crayon, she felt as if she had conquered the world.

“Did I just want to have fun? To conjure as I pleased?”

As a filly, whenever she conjured as she pleased, she was often corrected and shown the right way to do anything. Even when her own experimentations led to new things that she had never read about in any textbooks.

“Was it just the whimsy that I loved? Not ever knowing what I could do with what I knew, then finding out for myself?”

She climbed the next step, and meditated momentarily on that point. Back then, instead of ever working solely on logic, she was driven by every whim, notion and fancy that entered her mind, and tried to make it a reality.

A small, warm scoff escaped Twilight’s throat at the memory of how misguided and unrealistic she felt she had been. That everything she had once thought was pure nonsense.

Then again, there she was using an icicle of all things to assist in her climb.

For a moment, Twilight thought that it was just like Souris had said: applying logic failed her. Now, she was relying on nonsense to solve her problems.

Was this the right track? Was she finally on her way to discovering the kind of magic that could never be taken away?

Twilight sighed, wishing Souris were there to guide her. And for a moment, she regretted not taking the lady-bat’s offer to study under her.

In all that time, Twilight had been staring out into space through the trees. And she saw something that made her gasp.

Somewhere further off through the trees, just visible through the blizzard, a long, spindly leg disappeared behind a crooked trunk.

Twilight’s relief and enlightenment was replaced with gradually rising panic. Not wanting to risk what would happen if she climbed back down, she hurriedly jammed the icicle into the next step and pulled herself upward.

Her muscles were still recovering. And a dull throb of pain slowly spread through her body.

She rushed up to the next step, and the pain in her body intensified.

Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight saw another leg disappear behind a tree. Closer now than before.

Twilight jumped and hooked the icicle she held to the topmost step.

Her body was stretched along the remaining steps, making it so only the tips of her rear hooves were touching anything solid.

Mustering her strength, Twilight pulled her aching form up, getting her knees onto the next step.

There was the sound of a step. One that was all too close by.

Fear overtook Twilight. She dropped the icicle, and jumped up to the final step, pulling herself up and rolled once along the top of the surface.

When she stopped rolling, Twilight tried to stand. Except that the moment she put weight on her hoof, it slipped into the space between two roots.

She pulled her hoof out easily enough, but lost her mitten in the process.

Looking down, Twilight saw her mitten on the ground below.

The ease of pulling her hoof loose sparked what she felt was the most brilliant idea she had since she had left Ponyville.

She reached down, putting her hooves on either one of the two roots. And with a painful burst of strength, she pushed them apart enough for herself to slip between them.

Before she could judge how close the steps of the creature sounded, she disappeared between the roots, which snapped shut behind her.

After collecting her mitten, Twilight looked around and saw that what she had hoped for was correct. The many roots of the trees were interwoven overhead, creating a ceiling that almost completely blocked out the rest of the world.

Most surprisingly, Twilight noticed how warm it was underneath there. With only a few vapors from the blizzard seeping through the cracks, she suspected that most of the heat from the warmer seasons was trapped beneath the roots of the trees.

Any other time, she would have taken the opportunity for a good, long rest. Unfortunately, the roots Twilight had pulled apart to reach that place started sagging above her head.

With a quiet gasp, she started crawling through the understory, dodging and squeezing her way through the roots that grew to the ground.

Above her, she could see the roots sagging slowly, as if a gentle weight was deliberately applied to each one. And it happened directly above her, no matter which way she turned.

She continued crawling her way through the winding passages of the roots, always keeping her eyes turned up, hoping the creature wouldn’t notice her through the cracks of the roots, however miniscule they were.

Gradually, for no reason Twilight could discern, the roots above her ceased to depress and the sounds of the creature’s weight upon them faded to silence.

It was all the more unnerving for Twilight not to know the reason for the sudden cessation. The creature was frightening, unstable and borderline insane. But, she was not unintelligent. There was a reason for doing what she was. And Twilight dreaded its purpose.

For many moments, the young alicorn laid perfectly still. The only sounds she could hear were the wind howling above and her heart pounding in her ears.

So focused was Twilight that she didn’t notice the long, skinny fingers that were slipping down through the cracks in the roots.

The tip of one finger brushed the tip of Twilight’s horn.

Twilight stifled a scream and crouched to the ground as flat as she could, leaving only mere centimeters between her horn and the creature’s fingers.

Moments later, Twilight noticed the creature’s thumb wrap around the root. And she slowly backed away for the inevitable moment her opponent would rip the root away and crane the rest of her nightmarish arms into the gaping hole.

No such thing happened, as Twilight looked up and saw only a glimpse of the creature passing by overhead. Strangely, she seemed to be walking along the sides of the tree trunks.

After the creature had gone from sight, Twilight slowly resumed crawling through the understory of roots.

In the dim light that was allowed beneath the roots, Twilight saw that the roots were growing too densely for her to pass. She would either have to backtrack and find a new way, or she would have to stay, until the creature left. And who knew how long the creature would patrol the area.

A blast of cold air struck her from the side, making her jump back from it. What she had expected to be the creature pulling back a root to get in was instead an opening created by one of the trees that had grown at an odd angle.

There was little else to go, and the magical quest would never end if Twilight stayed where she was. And so, risking another encounter with the creature, the young alicorn set forth toward the exit.

Though protected by her winter clothes, the cold air chilled her more deeply than ever before, banishing any of the warmth she had felt from the shelter of the roots.

Cautiously, Twilight peered out. There was no sign of the creature, no matter which way she looked.

Unsettled by her opponent’s sudden disappearance, Twilight silently squeezed her way out of the roots. Once she was in the open, she stopped herself midway through her first step.

A shimmering, gossamer strand of silk hung taut in the air before her eyes. Barely visible, Twilight followed its length, and saw that it was connected to another. And another. And infinitely more silken strings.

One look, and Twilight knew their purpose. She was trapped by a thousand tripwires that ran all around her, waiting to alert the creature to her whereabouts.

She wouldn’t spend the rest of her life trapped in a hole like a rabbit on the run. Swallowing her fears, she focused on her conviction to finish what she set out to do, and carefully walked onward.

Every step she took was made deliberately and slowly, mentally marking the position of every thread she had passed by. One touch of the threads. One broken strand. One wrong move, and it would all be over.

Twilight’s eyes strained to register any sign of the strings. Any sight of a telltale shimmer that vibrated in the winds, and she knew which way to twist and turn her body to avoid detection.

Her already aching muscles strained to support her body, as she contorted herself to avoid giving herself away.

Nearly too late, she noticed how her horn was about to touch one of the threads, just as the phantom strand lent itself to visibility in the blowing wind.

Glancing down, she saw that there was another thread directly below her chin. And Twilight knew that there was another thread less than twelve inches behind her head. Possibly closer, if it had been blown by the wind.

In that moment, Twilight froze completely. Her hooves stopped between other threads that had been strung low to the ground, and her entire head was entrapped. Any move she made, even a flick of her tail, would alert the creature to where she was.

There was nothing else for it. She would have to break one of the strings in order to escape. Only, there would be no escape for her, once the creature knew where she was.

She nervously scuffed her hoof, trying to think of a way to survive.

Twilight had to restrain herself to keep from jumping when she felt a waft of warm air engulf her hoof.

Looking down, she saw a space where the roots were spaced ever so slightly apart and the heat from the understory was gently billowing upward.

Quick as a snap, Twilight hoped that what entered her mind was some semblance of a plan or idea, and not just the desperate grasping of a mare in mortal danger.

Clenching her eyes shut, the thought of finishing her quest firmly in her mind, Twilight thrust herself forth, breaking through the threads.

There was no telling how quickly the creature was upon the broken threads. One moment, there was nothing. The next, there she was, eight legs and all. But, Twilight had gone.

In the densely packed trees, there were many places for prey to hide. But, the creature knew where hers had gone.

The webbing in one particular direction had broken as well, creating a trail to follow.

The creature climbed the trunks of the trees, above her web of tripwires and followed the broken strands around the nearest tree.

Every step, she knew she was climbing closer. The trail was even clearer as the breaks were seen closer to the particular tree trunk. That was where Twilight would die.

The creature stealthily set herself on the trunk and reached her hands around both sides, slowly, silently hovering them toward her prey. And with lightning speed, she lashed forth, collecting a handful of bark.

She quickly swiveled around the tree, and saw that Twilight was no longer there.

The creature knew that the mare who had rescued the ruling goddesses on countless occasions wouldn’t go easy. But, she was proving to be far trickier than once thought.

Glancing around, the creature investigated for any more places where the threads had been broken. And indeed there were.

She knew that Twilight was still running from her. And though finding her in the midst of the closely-packed trees would prove difficult, it was only inevitable. Twilight Sparkle would never leave the woods alive.

The hunt continued.

The creature carefully crawled along the trunks of the trees, so as not to make a sound that would give her away over the blizzard.

Where Twilight had run to was at times obvious. The tears in the threads were perfectly evident. Other times, the creature had to circle around a trunk in order to find where the next break had happened.

With every broken thread, she knew that she was growing closer to her prey.

It was when she could no longer find a broken piece of webbing that she paused her pursuit. There was nowhere that Twilight could have gone. And it was inconceivable to think that Twilight had deliberately slowed herself down, so as to avoid touching anymore of the threads. Then again, it would be easy to lose anyone in such a densely wooded area.

Finding Twilight was now made all the more difficult. But, it was not a problem for anyone such as the creature.

She climbed nearly up to the branches of the trees and started climbing around the many trunks, caring no more for stealth or silence. If Twilight was moving more slowly to avoid detection, she would be easily caught up.

The creature wove her way in and out of the trees, finding no trace of where Twilight had gone.

Just as she began to think Twilight had somehow gone from the forest, the creature noticed something. Nearby, one of her threads was shaking violently. And not from the wind. Somebody, as though stepping very carefully, had touched one of her tripwires.

As though some force had possessed her, the creature started clambering through the trees, knowing precisely where and which way to follow the thread. And then another one next to her started to twang.

It shouldn’t have been. She knew which thread led to where, and from what direction it would have to originate from. And it was in a completely different spot than where she was first headed.

Ignoring the vibrating webbing, the creature continued on her way. And then more of the webbing in front of her started to shake.

Though from the same direction, it led to a different part of the forest that had been rigged. As if suddenly more creatures had joined in the search for Twilight.

Who or whatever they were, they would have to wait. The Princess of Friendship was the one Yen Sid ordered eliminated. It was her who was the top priority.

All of a sudden, every single thread that was around the creature began to shake as if the entire forest had been invaded by an army of unknown intruders.

She looked around herself, trying to find any explanation. Knowing nothing would be accomplished by staying put, the creature continued following the thread, until she reached a point where it intersected with two more threads.

The intersected threads were all shaking violently. And with a rudimentary look around, the creature saw that all of the threads that were around her were shaking as well.

What had begun as irksome confusion was becoming infuriating indignance. Somehow, the alicorn on the run had managed to trick her. And it was becoming all the worse. The creature had memorized the layout of the densely wooded area by way of her tripwires. Now, when they were all going at once, she was rapidly growing disoriented.

The trips were of no more use. Lashing out, the creature tore them down in a desperate hope of singling out the one that would lead to Twilight.

She ripped them from the trees, pulling bark, roots and branches out in her mad fury, nearly injuring herself as she was practically boxed in by the trunks.

When the strands of webbing had gone from around her, the creature followed the one remaining line that she had missed. As she crawled along the trunks, she felt something under her frontmost hand. Something soft and fuzzy that didn’t feel at all like something that belonged in those woods.

Looking under her palm, the creature discovered a long, woolen strand of deep blue yarn. One that was tied around a tree root and led further through the trees.

Intrigued by the find, the creature followed its length. Until it stopped in a space between the trees.

There, the creature saw not one, not two, but three pieces of yarn that were tied at one end by the nearby roots, and tied all together at the other end in a central knot. Most curiously, the central knot was floating above the ground, gently hitting all of the creature’s tripwires that were around it as it waved around, as if pulled taut by an invisible fourth string.

The creature lashed out a hand and caught the knot of yarn, when she felt what was moving it. A warm waft of air was jetting up from a gap in the roots, allowing the knot to levitate on its slack strings and shake all of the webbing around it.

With a frustrated growl, the creature yanked the yarn loose, ending the trick.

She stopped. Waited for any sign of movement from any one of the other tripwires.

Nothing happened. Nothing but the normal swaying in the wind.

“Tricky...Tricky indeed,” the creature muttered.

Further off through the woods, Twilight Sparkle had run clear of the webbing traps. Her body was tired, but her mind was whirling with how she had successfully pulled off her escape plan. She even felt liable to laugh at her victory, if not for the fear that it would attract the creature to her.

Though she had to sacrifice the hat that had been so generously gifted to her, she knew that Souris would have been proud of her ingenuity in the situation. An idea that made Twilight feel all the more accomplished.

And things were only looking up when the trees started to thin out, revealing an easier path to mark through the trees.

Soon before her, the trees ended. And as if her luck had suddenly run out, they ended at the foot of a mountain.

Not feeling she was strong enough to climb a mountain, Twilight looked back to the dense woods. The creature would surely still be looking for her. And there were no visible openings beneath the roots for her to crawl beneath.

Taking the option that would more likely ensure her survival, Twilight walked toward the mountain.

She trekked through the overgrowth of dead, frozen greenery, and saw through the frosty vegetation that there was a path hidden beneath it. One that led up to the side of the mountain.

As she walked along the path toward the mountain, she found something else just at the very foot. A wooden statue of a grand eagle, who was set into the foothills. The statue itself was overgrown with dead foliage, and its wood was splintered and cracked by the elements. One thing was for certain, the path she walked was not one that had been taken in a very long time.

The going was sure to be just as difficult from that point onward. But, with little recourse, Twilight began her hike up the mountainside.

“Just like the filly who wanted to get to class so badly,” Twilight quietly told herself, before disappearing into the snowstorm up the mountain.

Author's Note

We all know at this point that the creature in question is actually a spider, hence the title of this chapter. I just never refer to her as such, because it makes her seem scarier if I only offer up a few vague descriptions of her.

Here’s something a little less vague. Arachnophobes, beware:

Probably not as frightening as you thought. No worries.

We got to see a little bit of Twilight’s past in this chapter. I know a lot of it isn’t canon, but that’s what the Alternate Universe tag is for. I know that I use that tag as an excuse for a lot of the canon-breaking things that I do, but it’s easier for me personally to not strictly follow any set of rules. Even my own, which I shared with you all earlier in this story.

Speaking of which, that list has grown some since the last time you read it. For anyone who actually cared to know what it said, I’ll happily PM you the new and improved version.

You might notice how in Twilight’s past, there were people who were stifling her creativity. Her parents stopping her from drawing on walls. Those guards who scolded her for using a curtain rod to climb the stairs. Perhaps this has something to do with her not being able to perform magic as well as Rarity?

Maybe Twilight would have been better off if the adults in her life let her channel that kind of stuff to a more appropriate outlet. Say, a coloring book.

One thing that Twilight wonders is that she started magic by using it as she pleased. For anybody who does not know, this is an important part of making yourself distinct. If you’re an artist, draw as you please. If you’re a writer, write as you please. But for Pete’s sake, know how to do it well. Nothing spoils a good concept like a bad execution. I say this as an editor for some truly bad stories.

I know this story of mine is no masterpiece that will be looked back on as a shining example of literature, but at least I’m doing my best to make it in a way that is bearable to read and continue reading.

One thing that’s changed since the beginning of writing this chapter was that we were going to see what Rarity and Mickey were up to. In the end, I decided to separate that into another chapter. Which is conveniently coming up next.

Keep an eye out for that. Rock on, all \m/

Chapter 61: Hope Lost

Chapter 61

Hope Lost

In a hidden place, a tree grew tall and proud.

Far from any other tree in its twinkling grotto, it stood alone. And in its solitude, it lorded over its domain.

Patches of grass and flowers abounded, sprouting happily among the roots, poking through the chill, white blanket that covered nearly everything there.

It was there beneath the overreaching branches of the sylvan guardian that all cold was abated. The trunk of the tree kissed with frost, and the branches decorated by icicles stood still and green. Even in the wind, which blew the surrounding snowflakes round and about, the leaves and twigs of the tree stood stock still.

All was a far cry from the forest beyond its sanctuary. There, all was calm and peaceful, with hardly any notion of chaos or calamity. But, even that place was not completely free of trouble.

Beneath the roots of the tree, the lone, singular guardian of that place sat as still as the branches that hung above.

As alone and as solitary as the very tree he was tending to, he watched his charge, eyes fixed completely on the storied history that had planted itself there and grew to the branches overhead.

The guardian sighed quietly, lonely and still. Waiting for the moment that he would be able to complete his objective. And before long, he turned to leave from beneath roots. The moment he took his first step, a twinkle of light shone in the roots next to him, giving the guardian a moment of pause. Shutting the light out, he continued on his way.

Soon, the twinkle of light was joined by many others. And the more that joined, the more difficult the guardian found they were to ignore.

Held within each light, he could feel the hopes, dreams, cares, hearts and souls of the kingdom’s inhabitants, and the millions of others who lived before them. It was they who he kept vigil over. They who he stayed for.

Just as it had been only one time so long ago, it was now his task to do what needed to be done. But, for all of his preparation, his fortitude and his will, he knew he could not carry out the objective that he himself had undertaken.

The more he walked, the more he could feel the lights begging him to come back. As if many voices were at once calling out to him, urging him to fulfill his chosen duty.

Flakes of snow wafted in from the opening in the tree’s roots, and the guardian emerged into the grotto. He turned to watch the tree, and saw the twinkles of light were flowing from the roots, up the trunk, and into the outstretched branches above.

His objective turned over and over in his mind, trying to think of another way to make things work. But as it was, he could not escape the terrible outcomes. And as it was every other time he tried to follow through, his convictions waned.

The lights in the tree twinkled brighter, beckoning the guardian forth.

Among the lights, another appeared from around the back of the tree trunk. One that looked nearly identical to all the others, but felt purely and wholly malicious.

The guardian stared at the evil, shimmering light, knowing that it was waiting for him to finish his task. Just as it had stolen their magic before, it was now ready to take what was left in the kingdom.

Amidst the standoff between the two, the lights of the tree twinkled more desperately, egging the guardian on. And as they did, the cluster of shimmering light flashed dimly.

The guardian knew it was prodding him to do what it wanted. What his friends all wanted. But, if things went awry. If he should fail...

He could bear no more. Averting his gaze, the lone caretaker of the hidden grove slowly walked away, and disappeared into a nearby cave.

As the guardian left, the lights of the tree all dwindled one after another. Soon, they had all dimmed. All but two, which watched after the guardian like a pair of unblinking eyes.

They knew all too well the trouble that weighed on his mind. A burden that no creature should have to bear, but was necessary to the survival of all who lived in the kingdom. In time, they knew that he would do what was right. Just as it always had been for as long as they knew him.

And with that, the final two lights faded away. And the tree waited for the moment when it and the others would be saved.

Only, it wouldn’t be all of the others.

A small, singular twinkle of light drifted up from the tree and floated away, out of the grotto. Where it was going, none could say. But wherever it landed, it would only become something more terrible and ferocious than what it was once before.

Beyond the hidden grotto, Twilight Sparkle continued her arduous hike up the side of the mountain.

The overgrowth of dead, frozen vegetation had ended, making the journey that much less prickly. Once or twice, Twilight had to stop to keep the dry twigs from pulling apart any more of her winter clothes. Already, she had to sacrifice her hat, and wasn’t about to face the cold in nothing but her bare coat again. For all she knew, Souris wouldn’t be there to save her life a second time.

Once again, the thought of Souris made Twilight’s mind quiver with inquiry. Why would Souris, an agent of the evil Yen Sid, ever bother to try and make friends with anypony who opposed her?

Even though Twilight felt she was growing closer to her enemy, she couldn’t shake the doubts that clung to her mind. Her first thought was that Souris had some sort of endgame in mind. A long con that would benefit her the most in the end.

“No. She’d never betray her friends for her own gain,” Twilight thought, recalling how Souris fully intended to deliver the powerful magic she had stolen to Yen Sid.

Loyalty. It was a trait that she had never known evil to have.

Twilight thought back to when she nearly fell to her death in Avalon. How Souris, at great risk to herself, rescued her from that fall. And then again when exposure to the elements nearly consumed her.

“That’s kindness,” Twilight thought. “Honesty, when she was instructing me. Generosity, when she offered to instruct me at all. And her view on the world around her. Magic.”

And for all Twilight knew, there was a silly side to Souris that she hadn’t yet shown.

All things considered, Twilight began to think that Souris truly meant it when she said that they could have been friends, had they both survived the cataclysm. And no matter how many times she thought about it, the thought still made her head wobble. In all her years, no creature who displayed so many traits of harmony and friendship would have opposed her.

She lightly kicked a buildup of snow that was on the path before her.

“It’s not supposed to be this way. Nopony like her should be evil,” Twilight muttered aloud.

Then again, there was only the one kind of evil that she knew. Those who disregarded friendship, and hurt others that way.

“What other way is there?” Twilight thought. “What other way…?”

As if the outline of a picture appeared in her mind, Twilight started trying to fill in the blanks with all that she had since learned.

Twilight’s next step slipped, and she saw that the path before herself was no more. Whether it had been a landslide, an avalanche, an earthquake or whatever, the path ended. And in its place was a jagged, uneven slope that went as far up the mountain as Twilight could see through the blizzard.

The sight of the ruined path made her heart sink. The arduous journey through the snowy lands had long since taken its toll on her body and mind. And even though she was sure she could trust that she was directed correctly by Souris, Twilight wasn’t sure if that was the best way up the mountain.

Through the haze of the blizzard, Twilight noticed a small shimmer of light. At first she thought that it may have been the speckle of red that had guided her to where she was now. But, as it drifted closer, she could see that it was actually a single dot of silver light, which shone like a single star among the many snowflakes. Just as quickly as it appeared, it blew past her down the mountainside, somewhere to the ground below.

As if an ember had fallen into a pan of oil, Twilight felt a surge of resolve flow through her being. Something was nearby. Something she knew that would lead her to the answers she sought.

The end of the trail wasn’t going to stop her. Just like Souris had said, she needed to see it through to the end. And with the same painful steps as trying to climb the roots, Twilight began climbing up the broken mountainside, ready and eager to decipher the secret meanings of what she knew.

The twinkle of light drifted rapidly along through the blizzard, maliciously darting about between the trees of the forest. And in moments, it landed upon the snow.

There was a flash of light. In the instant it disappeared, something else had taken its place. Something large, vicious and cruel, with no regard to friend or foe. And it was going to spread its cruelty across the frozen land.

Somewhere else in the forest, a glimmering squirrel stopped moving.

Behind it, a mouse stopped short of stepping on it. Behind the mouse, a unicorn bumped into him, knocking him over, and making the squirrel jump clear of being squashed.

“Oh! Mickey, I’m so sorry!” Rarity said.

Mickey raised his head from the ground, shook the snow from his ears and stood back up.

“Heh. Nothin’ to worry about. These clothes Nagruk-pak gave us are just the thing to keep out the cold. Hardly felt a thing,” Mickey answered. He turned to address the squirrel, “What’s the holdup? Crossin’ traffic, or somethin’?”

The squirrel didn’t answer. Nor did it make any indication that it acknowledged Mickey had spoken to it. Instead, it turned its eyes and its ears to the haze of the blizzard.

Something that shouldn’t have been there was lurking nearby. A terrible thing that was only born from terrible thoughts and deeds that the squirrel never thought it would see in their peaceful corner of the kingdom. If it was there, the situation would only grow more dire.

The squirrel had hoped it wouldn’t be too late. It hoped that if it could show the visitors what was happening, it could have prevented such a tragedy from happening. Hope was running out. And the coldness was reaching more than just the trees. If nothing was done quickly, more souls would be lost.

With an urgent chatter, the squirrel scurried forth and nearly disappeared into the blizzard.

“Hey! Wait up! We gotta stick together out here!” Mickey called, as he hurried after.

“Mickey! Wait a moment!” Rarity beckoned when she too tried to follow, but found the laces on one of her boots had loosened.

She stopped a moment to fix the problem, keeping her eyes trained ahead on Mickey, who was gradually disappearing into the blizzard. Not wanting to be left behind to get lost and freeze, or worse be found by Pete, Rarity hastened her effort.

The wind blew more harshly, and a cold like none she had felt since arriving in the frigid north stung right through her winter clothes.

There was a sudden crash, and Rarity jumped. A sound of ripping, cracking branches snapped her gaze to its direction.

At first, she thought it was merely the wind tearing down the weaker branches of the trees. But the noise remained consistent, coming from the same direction and never letting up.

Then, she saw it.

Something was coming toward her from the trees. Something that must have been very large, from the noise it was making.

“Oh no! Pete!” Rarity thought.

A large silhouette appeared through the trees. One that looked far too large to be allowed. And the next step closer it took, Rarity could see the span of a great set of jagged antlers. Then the glint of a blue-black eye, like a chip of ice. And finally a wildly grinning mouth full of fangs.

Rarity didn’t know what she was seeing. Only that it was evil and that she needed to escape it.

Haphazardly cinching the knot on her lace, the fashionista began a full on sprint through the snow, and quickly jumped to land on the skates on her soles.

The moment Rarity landed she began pumping her legs, skating as swiftly as when she was escaping from Pete.

Beneath herself, Rarity could feel her legs dipping and rising as she glided over the snow. Something was wrong. The snow hadn’t been so uneven before. Some power was trying to slow her down and pull her back to the grinning maw of the beast behind her.

Rarity blinked a moment and an iota of panic receded from her mind. She had simply been skating through Mickey’s footprints that were ahead of her. And she knew that in moments she would catch up to her friend and have half a chance of escaping her monstrous pursuer.

The sound of whipping branches spurred the fashionista onward, sending her skating faster through the forest.

Keeping her eyes to the ground, Rarity tried to focus on Mickey’s footprints, which were growing increasingly difficult to follow. Whether by trick of the light or by the rapid snowfall, the tracks seemed to disappear almost as soon as they came into view.

The broad surface of a boulder entered Rarity’s sight, forcing her to swerve sharply out of the way.

She recovered with a graceful spin, and regained her momentum by pushing off of a nearby tree. To her dismay, she had lost sight of Mickey’s tracks and glimpsed the glaring, icy-black eyes rushing toward her.

Rarity took off with a burst of speed, feeling every muscle in her body put to work. She didn’t know which direction to find Mickey’s tracks. But, she knew that anywhere away from the beast was preferable to being eaten.

Quickly, she had to duck her head and pass through a root that arched above the ground. Then had to rapidly tap her skates to the ground to avoid the multitude of roots that were lain before herself.

A silhouette appeared ahead. Something was climbing over the roots, and Rarity was going to crash right into it.

She lowered her head and braced for impact against the silhouette.

“HEY!!” the silhouette shouted, as it jumped into the air and landed on Rarity’s back. “Watch the horn, will ya!!”

The high, falsetto voice identified the silhouette immediately. She was back with her friend and now stood a chance to survive.

Mickey ducked when a low-hanging branch nearly swept him from Rarity’s back.

“Slow down! Yer gonna get us killed!” the mouse shouted.

The way the woods were growing thicker yet again, Rarity thought Mickey was right. Any other time, she would have complied. But, not when an unknown terror was hot on her hooves.

“Where’s the squirrel? Did you see?” Rarity asked.

“Up ahead! Thattaway!” Mickey said, pointing to the branches ahead.

Rarity could see the glowing outline of the squirrel through the blizzard. Glancing back to the ground, she could see the roots of the trees cropping up through the snow.

“You need to make a path for me!” she said.

“How?” Mickey asked.

“I don’t know! Use your imagination!”

Of course. Simplest of all solutions. The very thing that had seen them through to that point in their quest.

Raising his arms, Mickey cupped his hands together, caught a handful of snowflakes and condensed them into a snowball.

Mickey quickly took aim and threw his snowball where the nearest roots met the ground.

A tiny ramp of snow appeared where the snowball impacted, and allowed Rarity to jump up and over a number of the roots. Right toward the trunk of another tree.

Mickey reached up and compacted a handful of snow from the lowest branches into a ball and threw it at the trunk.

Rarity saw the opportunity the moment it appeared and raised her hooves to skate along the side of the tree and back to the ground.

The moment they landed, something from the trees swung at them, forcing Rarity to duck and spin out of the way.

Mickey scooped up another handful of snow and tossed it at the tree they were sliding toward, allowing Rarity to recover by ramping up the side and landing back on her hooves.

“What in the heck was that!?” Mickey shouted.

Rarity didn’t know. It looked like a branch, but at the same time not a branch. Fearing that their monstrous pursuer had some power that she didn’t know, she continued speeding her way through the forest, and quickly caught sight of the distant glimmer of light.

The squirrel was further off to her left. The same direction that they had just been attacked.

There was nothing for it. If they were ever going to reach wherever they were headed, they would have to face the thing that was out to get them.

The harsh environment and the bitter cold were taking their toll on the fashionista. She could feel her body fighting her, begging for the rest that she relished so in Nagruk-pak’s house. But, there would be no end to the magical quest if she quit.

Hoping against hope that she would avoid any more monstrous encounters, Rarity began skating toward the squirrel.

Mickey was barely able to keep up with the pace Rarity was going. Every amount of snow he gathered was almost immediately thrown to allow a surface for Rarity to skate on.

A root that rose nearly up to Rarity’s nose appeared through the haze.

Mickey just barely had gathered half a handful of snow and threw a tiny snowball at the root, coating it in frost.

With a tiny hop, Rarity landed on top of the frosted root and rode quickly along its length, before ramping up and into the tree branches.

The icicles of the trees nipped and fell out of their way as soon as they were touched. Mickey cinched up his hood to keep out the shards of ice, while Rarity could only lower her head and squint her eyes.

Through her narrowed vision, something caught her eye. A glint of blue-black ice set just above a row of icicles, like a set of razor-sharp fangs.

It was inconceivable. Rarity knew her pursuer was big, but never thought it could crane up so high into the branches. Unless there was some other power at work.

There was no time to think on it. Rarity fumbled for a hoofhold, but could only knock the flimsy branches out of her way as the fangs came toward her.

She felt the blade of her skates touch something solid, just as she thought she was right near the eye of the beast. And with no thought, she jumped as soon as she felt the landing at the very same moment the fangs nearly clamped around her hoof.

After what felt like an eternity in the air, Rarity felt herself land on something solid that was not the ground. Something that was covered in snow with patches of coarse, brown hair protruding like dead grass.

The surface beneath her began to shake, making Rarity struggle to remain upright.

Trying not to think about what she was riding on, the fashionista skated forward with another burst of speed, and soon found herself freefalling through the branches.

When the branches ended, she saw the ground rapidly approaching.

She stretched her legs to the nearest tree and felt her skates just barely brush the bark.

With barely a solid hoofhold, Rarity kicked off and righted herself mere centimeters before she hit the ground.

The world turned to a blur for Rarity, who focused solely on making good her escape.

The light through the blizzard was low to the ground. And the closer Rarity came, the more clearly she could see the squirrel waiting for them by the mouth of a narrow cave. Not so much a cave, but a crack between the rocks. And Rarity was heading right for it.

Rarity turned her legs sharply, skidding to a halt. Too quickly, as the sudden stop sent her and Mickey rolling into the cave’s entrance.

“Gosh! What a ride,” Mickey said, removing his hood and shaking his head.

Rarity wasn’t listening. She quickly rose to her hooves and peered out of the entrance of the cave.

The sight of a small clearing met her eye, and no sight of the monster that had chased her. Until she glanced at the treeline beyond.

A layer of icicles hanging from the trees shifted slightly, somehow in a way that didn’t seem caused by the wind. Icicles arranged like a wicked smile, which chilled Rarity to her marrow.

No matter how long she stared, nothing moved forth from where she looked. Whatever it was, if it was there, it didn’t follow.

“Rarity?”

Rarity jumped slightly, and noticed Mickey standing next to herself.

“What’s goin’ on? Yer shakin’ bad,” the mouse said.

It was only then that Rarity noticed how her knees were trembling, yet Mickey was as composed as ever. Had he not seen the thing that she had just saved them from? Not even for an instant. Reasoning that Mickey had kept his head down and his mind elsewhere for most of their escape, Rarity let it pass.

“It...It’s nothing. Only a tad overexcited,” Rarity said.

No matter how she tried to hide it, Mickey was able to see through the thinly veiled facade. Before he could ask further into the matter, the squirrel chattered at them once more and beckoned them further through the narrow passage.

Steadying herself, Rarity was the first to follow after, shortly followed by Mickey.

The way was lit by the light of the squirrel’s body, revealing the walls of the passage they followed.

For the blizzard outside, it was nothing compared to the cold of the cave. Within the narrow cranny, the air sat steady and still, swallowing up anything that passed through it in a frigid embrace.

Rarity pulled her coat more tightly to herself to abate the chill air. But, to no avail.

A quiet sigh wisped from her throat, her breath lingering as a cloud of white that dispersed the moment she passed through it.

Up ahead, the light of the squirrel’s body revealed something new. There on the walls, a mark revealed itself. More than just a simple coloration of the stones, it was painted upon the walls in a deliberate pattern. A long, broad line that was joined by many others, which formed their own particular patterns.

Looking to her side, Rarity saw how Mickey was looking at the markings too.

He looked over to Rarity and their eyes met. Neither said anything, but the feeling that they were approaching something incredible was almost palpable.

Taking a step closer to each other, they walked onward, ready to face whatever waited for them. Rarity especially hoped it wasn’t another beast.

The squirrel led them on, and an archway appeared before them. Not like the rest of the passage, it had been carved with exquisite detail and painted with the image of a grand eagle’s face, which benevolently stared down at all who wished to enter.

Two quick hops, and the squirrel passed through the archway. Once it entered the next cavern, it stopped and waited for the others to follow.

Feeling no apprehension, Mickey and Rarity both entered the room and stopped when they stood within the glow that emanated from their guide.

Now was the time. The squirrel lowered its head and the light from its body glowed brighter than before, illuminating the entire chamber that they were in.

Every kingdom had its stories to tell. From across the eons, struggles and triumphs, good times and bad, beginnings and endings were always told. And in that one room, every one of them from the snowy lands sprang forth.

The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling were painted with images that were too numerous to comprehend all at once.

As if drawn by some power within the paintings, Mickey and Rarity separated to discover all they could within that one room.

Rarity found herself drawn to a picture of a running river. Along its length, she saw many a happy creature going about their business. From catching and breeding fish, to using water in their daily life then refilling it with rain, everything was as harmoniously balanced as the kingdom could have been.

Among the creatures, Rarity noticed something else. Another creature, not at all like the others was seen. Ones that were short and covered in spines, like two-legged porcupines were seen.

Shortly after, the creatures were divided. The mooses, sasquatches and their skeletal ilk were on one side of the river, and the porcupine folk had moved to the opposite shore. There, they had a more monstrous appearance, far different from when they were seen with their friends on the other side of the river.

Passing by, Rarity found she had been led to a wall, where a great tree was painted. A large, vast, grand tree, whose branches spread as far as the wings of the great eagle who sat atop it.

From within the roots of the tree, Rarity could see all manner of creatures crawling forth. The animals and the citizens of the kingdom were all seen coming forth, as though birthed from some unseen force of magic. And in a state of silent awe, the fashionista remained with her eyes set firmly on the painting of the tree.

Mickey walked his way along the wall, finding many a wonder himself.

A sasquatch warrior entered the forest on his own, confronting the biggest wolf that Mickey had ever seen. Around it were smaller wolves, which looked even more unusual than the giant. And they were all guarding a massive stockpile of food. Just after that, there were images of the other citizens of the kingdom taking back the food that Mickey guessed rightfully belonged to them.

The mouse’s mind whirled with possibilities about what had happened on that day. Every version he imagined sounded to him like a story well worth telling.

Moving along, he looked for another story to learn, and found something he had not expected.

In such an ancient place, he never thought to encounter fresh paint on the walls. But, there it was. Not even yet dry, the paint shimmered in the light, revealing another story to be told.

Mickey walked along the length of the wall and discovered a shockingly familiar sight. The creatures of the kingdom were running scared from a shining light that hung high in the air. Beneath the light was the creature that had presumably sent it.

It’s shape and form was that of a huge, saber-toothed cat with wild, glaring eyes. Any other onlooker would have called it a monster. But for Mickey, there was no mistaking its immense girth or its peg-leg.

Yen Sid’s reach truly seemed endless. No matter how remote or far-flung the corner of the world, there were his minions to terrorize the populace.

There would be no stopping. For as much as he wished to be back at home in Mouseton spending his anniversary with Minnie, there was a greater threat that loomed over the land he was now in. A land he feared he may not be able to help to save, if it truly meant facing against the very man who taught him how to use any kind of magic.

Mickey idled along the wall, mulling his thoughts when he found another opening. One that led further onward through the caverns.

“Hey, where’s this tunnel go?” he asked the squirrel in the middle of the room.

Rarity’s attention was drawn to Mickey’s voice, and saw as the squirrel scampered on toward the opening that Mickey had found. Curious to the discovery, Rarity too followed.

The three of them all walked toward the tunnel’s opening, and passed through to the narrow passage beyond.

There were no more of the paintings along the way. But as they progressed, a new feeling gradually overtook them.

The air ahead was growing warm. As if some great fire were burning in the distance, a gentle warmth started to fill their very being. And to add to the mounting curiosities, a single snowflake was seen drifting before them.

Mickey reached a finger out and touched the floating ice crystal. It was as real as anything they had seen up to that point. By some magic, the warm air had no effect on the drifting snowflakes.

Around a bend in the path, the tunnel opened up to reveal a sight that left the strangers in the kingdom speechless.

When Rarity had seen the painting of the tree, she had never imagined the real thing would be so resplendent. So wondrous. So fantabulous. And with not a single diamond or speck of gold or silver adorning it, she knew that she was looking at the single most spectacular artifact in the entire kingdom.

For Mickey, one look brought him right back to the very moment he and his friends entered Equestria. There before him was yet another very old, very alive, very afraid guardian who waited to put its trust in another to save its kingdom.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

The sudden, low voice made the visitors from Equestria jump and face the owner.

“Nagruk-pak!” Mickey exclaimed. “But, how--Why didn’t--”

“Since when do you speak pony?” Rarity finished.

“I’ve never spoken a word of pony a day in my life,” Nagruk-pak gently chuckled. “It’s simply the nature of this place. Here, all things know one another. The hawk does not hunt the mouse. The warmth does not banish the snow. And should a blade of grass be eaten, another will immediately take its place. Such is the blessing bestowed upon us in this kingdom.”

Rarity smiled slightly at his words, and glanced at the snowflakes that swirled about. Among them she noticed a single speck of silver light and watched as it drifted to the branches that hung protectively overhead.

Within the branches, she was able to see dozens more of the specks of light appear like twinkling stars. And from them, she could feel the very essence of all living beings.

“Nagruk-pak, what is all of this?” Rarity asked.

The moose sighed heavily and maintained his silence. But one look from his squirrel companion, and his resolve softened.

“It’s my responsibility,” he said. “In our times of gravest danger, we of the kingdom return to the protection of Taataviak, the father of our land.”

“Gosh. So, all those little twinkles up there...” Mickey said, looking up to the specks of light.

“Yes,” Nagruk-pak affirmed. “Each one is the spirit of a creature like us. Some of them are my closest friends. Others are from far off places that I’ve never been to. But, all of them seek refuge from the evil that plagues us.”

“So, how come you’re not up there with them? Don’t ya wanna be with your friends?” Mickey wondered.

“It’s not so simple, my tiny friend. There always needs to be a keeper. A creature to take care of everything while the others are gone. As it is, I volunteered to look after things in my village while all the others left this world,” Nagruk-pak explained.

“It must be a terribly lonely thing,” Rarity said. “To stay behind, while everypony else is spirited away to another place.”

“It is,” Nagruk-pak said, barely nodding his enormous head. “But, it’s not loneliness that I fear. It’s what may happen to all creatures here in this tree, should I send them away to Taataviak. That they would be stolen from me, and never returned.”

“By who?” Mickey asked.

“By him.”

Looking to where Nagruk-pak pointed, Mickey and Rarity saw what he meant.

A light, similar to the others but wholly different, was seen hovering beneath the branches. And from around the trunk stepped a single peg-leg.

Mickey and Rarity both readied themselves to attack as Pete’s bulky frame slowly walked into view.

The heavy kept his eyes on his enemies, his snow shovel slung over his shoulder and the stub of a cigar in his mouth.

“‘Bout time ya got here,” Pete said, removing his stub and grinding it against the trunk of the tree, “I was just about to go lookin’ for ya’s. Not dat I’d worry about ya bein’ out dere in dis weather.” He turned his gaze to Nagruk-pak. “‘Course, it ain’t just de weather we gotta worry ‘bout here, ain’t it?”

Nagruk-pak watched in defeated terror as another speck of light drifted up and away from the hidden grotto.

Pete too was watching, and smirked malevolently at the sight.

“So, who do ya t’ink dat was? One o’ yer pals? Yer ol’ granny? Or maybe ya really oughta wonder what it’s gonna turn into next?” Pete said. “Whaddaya t’ink? I seen one o’ these monkeys made o’ snow dat came from dis tree. Or maybe it’s another one o’ dem smilin’ giants. Heh-heh-heh.”

“What’s he talkin’ about?” Mickey asked Nagruk-pak, whose jaw was clenched so tight that it seemed liable to shatter.

Rarity’s mind immediately went back to the near fatal encounter she and Mickey had just escaped from. Something so horrible to have come from something so beautiful and benevolent, it was like entering a whole new world of terrors.

“How many more are ya gonna let go?” Pete asked. “Can ya live with one more on yer conscience? Or two? How ‘bout a whole dozen?”

The light that had accompanied Pete drifted down from the branches, and was quickly enclosed by the heavy’s enormous fist.

“Or, ya can just let ‘em outta dere an’ leave ‘em wit’ me,” Pete said, as trickles of silver trailed from between his fingers.

“He’s not gonna,” Mickey said.

“Say again?” Pete replied.

“These folks are goin’ on to where they need to go. An’ you’re goin’ back to Yen Sid empty handed. I’ll make sure o’ that.”

“As will I,” Rarity added, taking her stand beside Mickey.

“Heh. Well, I ain’t sayin' no to a fight,” Pete said. He struck a match on the tree, lit another cigar, then readied his snow shovel to attack. “Here I come! Ready or not!”

Snow and rock slipped away beneath the hooves of Twilight Sparkle, who continued her way up the side of the mountain.

Her breath had long since left her, and her legs were rapidly growing useless. But, she wouldn’t be deterred. She was going to see through her convictions to the end. As a promise to herself and to all of her friends, she wouldn’t give up.

The sound of tumbling rocks carried from behind herself. Without even looking, she knew what had made them. Once again, the creature had found her. And once again, she was going to be fighting for her life.

Scrambling more quickly up the hill, Twilight steeled her body from the pain wrought on by her struggle, prepared to do anything she needed to get where she was going.

Author's Note

You all know what’s coming next. Time for a showdown.

And what have we found here? It looks like there’s more than one tree of harmony in the world. Just the same as there’s more than one way to achieve harmony. I don’t know what the rest of you think, but I thought that it was kind of a cool concept. Personally, I always thought that there would be more than just the one in Equestria. Of course, we never really saw much of what was beyond Equestria during the show’s run. And I still say that there should have been Spanish-speaking llamas on the actual show.

The creature that attacked in this chapter is what’s called a chenoo. In Native American folklore (I forget which tribe), a chenoo is a monster that was once a person. How somebody becomes a chenoo is when their heart turns cold. This can happen when they lose hope, if they’re consumed by greed, if they betray somebody else, leave somebody for dead, or a whole bunch of other despicable actions. Basically, the moment you stop caring about others, you turn into a chenoo.

There’s not much that describes a chenoo. Only that they are giant in size, have wicked sharp claws and teeth, and are always smiling maliciously. As such, the beast here is described as having moose-like features, since room for creative liberty is allowed in this instance.

I’m not too familiar with Native American lore myself, but in doing my research I noticed that there is the recurring factor that a lot of the evil creatures and spirits they believed in back in those days were once humans. And after some terrible atrocity is committed, they become monsters. Says a bit about humanity itself, in my dismissible opinion.

Thus far, it seems like Twilight is really delving deeper into her exploration of using a new kind of magic. Perhaps she’ll realize that there is more than one way of achieving harmony sometime soon?

You probably already noticed this, but if you look back on earlier chapters you’ll see that in almost every non-Equestrian kingdom we visit that there is some way the inhabitants achieve harmony. I already spotted you a few of them, like the theows in Blaiddru displaying earnestness and industriousness. But if you think about it, you might be able to think of some others.

I have to say that this whole story arch turned out quite different than how it was planned out way back when I first started writing this story. What was going to happen was that Twilight was going to start losing hope about her quest, and was going to start turning into one of the monsters that the citizens of this kingdom become when they reach abject levels of negative imbalances to the harmony of the land. The showdown would have involved Mickey and Rarity trying to change her back.

That changed, because it would mean that Twilight would no longer be threatened by the creature who had been sent to kill her.

Another thing that you’ve probably noticed is that this kingdom has not been named yet. That’s because I can think of no way incorporate a moose-related pun into any existing Inupiat word. So, that’s on me. If any of you can think of a good name, I beg you to share it with me.

One last note is about the name of the ruling deity of this place. You may have already guessed that the ruling deity is the eagle that appears in so much of the artwork around this place. And you would have guessed right. Taataviak is not an actual word, but it is based on the Inupiat word for ‘father.’ The ‘-iak’ suffix is only added because it sounds like it could be used to end this word in a natural way.’

That’s all folks. I got to rock my way out of here now. Be good \m/

Chapter 62: Lost Then Found

A small, insignificant rock teetered on the edge of a precipice at the top of the mountain.

Against the wind, the rock sat anchored only by its own weight. And in the next instant, its only defense failed it.

Under the continued assault of the wind, the single rock fell from its perch and went tumbling down the side of the mountain. Every time it touched a solid surface didn’t offer it a chance to settle. Instead, it only sent the rock bouncing higher and faster down the mountain, until it was so far from the top that it disappeared into the haze of the storm.

On its journey to the bottom, it bounded over the head of a creature that had never been seen on the mountainside before. A young, lavender-colored alicorn, who was climbing for her life against the winds of the storm and the broken ground beneath herself.

Twilight scrambled her hooves frantically up the slope, scraping more frost and rocks away in her mad hurry to reach the top.

She didn’t know why, but she needed to get to the summit. That was where Souris intended for her to go, and nothing would stop Twilight from going there.

Her eyes were focused completely ahead, almost able to cut through the fog with her vision alone. Every other sense Twilight possessed was focused behind herself.

Though she never heard it coming, Twilight veered to the side at the very moment a long strand of webbing struck the mountain just where she was.

The webbing went taut and pulled a cluster of loose rocks from the mountainside, pelting Twilight with a shower of pebbles.

Twilight shrugged off the pebbles and hurried her way up the slope.

She jumped forth when a strand of webbing shot suddenly beneath herself.

Reaching out, Twilight grabbed onto and scrambled up to the topside of a large, jagged boulder. At least, what she thought was a boulder.

Its surface was solid, but less dense than rock. And before Twilight could register what the markings on it were, the webbing that had stuck to it was pulled backwards.

Whatever it had been was pulled free of the ruined remains of the mountain.

Twilight kept her balance atop the object she stood upon, then jumped free when one of the boulders that had once buried it nearly bowled her over.

Without stopping, she ducked beneath another boulder, which bounced over her head.

In the moment she glanced up, Twilight just barely saw another strand of webbing attach itself to the boulder above herself.

Diving to the side, the young alicorn avoided being smashed by the boulder, which left a deep indent on the ground next to her.

The very moment the webbing on the boulder started to retract, Twilight continued her way up the mountain.

There was no end in sight. The blizzard hid everything more than twenty hooves in front of herself. And the moment she was able to see anything else, it was only more of the broken mountainside.

Twilight yelped when a sudden, loud crash landed next to her.

With only a cursory glance, there was the boulder that had nearly crushed Twilight.

Another crash, and Twilight stopped short just before another boulder landed on the trail in front of her.

The webbing that was attached to the boulder cracked like a whip, and the boulder jumped into the air.

Twilight dashed under where the boulder had just been, and only heard it smash behind her mere milliseconds after she passed.

Another boulder swung at her from the side. There would be no dodging this one. The only thing that saved Twilight was that the webbing attached to it was stretched too far, making it strike the mountainside next to her.

Other boulders were knocked loose, revealing the last thing that Twilight expected to see buried in the rubble of the mountain. The top part of a wooden door frame was peering out between the jagged boulders.

Where it led, Twilight thought it was better than where she was.

Multiple boulders were whipped into the air by the webs that held them.

All at once, the boulders crashed down. And in the same instant, Twilight wriggled into the relative safety of her chosen nook.

The doorway was crushed behind her, caving in what seemed to be the only entrance or exit to that place.

The place beyond the door was too dark for Twilight to make out much of the details. Only that the snow from outside seemed to have crept in through any nook and cranny that it could find between the rubble that buried the building. That and everything in there was much larger than it looked like it should have been. And that was all she had time to register, when the entire structure started to rumble.

Crash after crash of slamming boulders sounded overhead.

With no time to waste, Twilight ran deeper into the buried building. She scrambled around an overlarge chair, and collapsed when one of the ceiling fixtures fell loose and landed on top of her.

Saved from much of the impact by the large furniture next to her, Twilight heard another crash and hurried away. She didn’t see where the boulder landed. Only that it was all too near herself. And that there was no webbing attached to this one.

Another crash of breaking floorboards sounded behind Twilight, and was immediately followed by another one like a second great weight landing on top of the first one.

The sound of splitting wood sounded overhead.

Twilight glanced up and saw slivers of light rapidly reveal themselves. In a moment, she realized the light was shining through the rubble that had all but buried the building she was in, and started desperately looking for cover.

She didn’t even have to crouch as she rushed beneath an enormous table. And nearly no time passed when another crash was heard above.

The whole room shook again, and more of the ceiling fixtures broke apart as a downpour of boulders fell from above.

All around herself Twilight saw the giant rocks rain from above, watching them indent the floor under their weight. In that moment, she felt foolish for taking cover beneath a wooden table. As large as it was, it would surely not hold up long against an avalanche crashing down on it.

As if to drive the point home, Twilight yelped when the table above her head reverberated with a dry, cracking sound. At one end, one of the legs bowed out at the top where it connected with the tabletop.

More boulders fell around her, and the other legs of the table cracked and bent under the weight that fell upon them.

Twilight lowered her body, fearing that she was never going to reach the top of the mountain alive.

The table suddenly crashed down.

Twilight winced, awaiting a swift end.

The weight of the table pressed down on the young alicorn, pinning her in place for her final curtain. Then stopped.

Cautiously, Twilight opened her eyes and saw that the legs of the table had stopped bowing out just as the top of the table was about to crush her.

The onslaught of boulders had stopped too, leaving an eerie calm about the room. A calm that Twilight knew wouldn’t last.

Quickly and carefully as she could, Twilight wriggled out from beneath the broken table, and clambered over the boulders that were in her way.

The last boulder that Twilight climbed over gave way beneath her hooves. And with a sickening crunch from the floor, it rolled backwards slightly.

The sudden blunt force of landing on the floor struck Twilight all over. And when she reached her hoof to stand up, she felt the sharp, prickling sensation of cracked wood. Like a long rift that ran from one end of the room to the next.

Another rumble shook the room, and Twilight felt the crack in the floor grow wider. At the other end of the room, she heard the same cracking sound as before come from the floorboards.

One more thunderous slam of the creature swinging her boulders, and the floor beneath Twilight angled backwards.

She gasped sharply and quickly started running through the room.

Somewhere behind herself, another boulder crashed down from the ceiling and struck the floor, shaking anything that was loose out of place.

A terrible happenstance, as the furniture in the room started sliding down the angled floor.

With two avalanches of heavy objects rolling toward her, Twilight braved the danger before herself and rushed forth.

Minding her hooves more now than she ever did, Twilight wove her way through the spinning legs of an oversized chair that slid toward her. When the chair passed, a loud bang and the crunch of wood signalled a boulder dropping upon it.

She jumped and climbed over the arm of a very large couch, and ran along the cushions as the whole thing slid beneath her hooves.

With every passed segment, the couch was crushed by a dropping boulder.

Twilight pumped her legs harder, and the fatigue that had ailed her for so long threatened to overtake her.

Hearing the boulders grow closer, the young alicorn leapt from the couch to the floor, just as the cushion she was running on was smashed.

The ceiling overhead crashed again, and the room tilted more violently.

Decorative masks that hung on the wall wobbled and shook off of their hooks, sending them all dropping to the floor. Most of them clattered flat on their backs, while others among them landed on their edges and rolled along the floor.

In the dim light that illuminated the room, Twilight could see the masks rolling toward her. She dodged to the side of one, then between two more, feeling as if she were suddenly surrounded by the grotesquely distorted faces of some unknown creatures.

For a brief moment, Twilight noticed that one of the masks was made with an optical illusion. If it rolled onto one end, it was the smiling face of some creature. If it rolled to the other end, it was the same creature, only it was suddenly frowning.

Before Twilight could think even an iota on the matter, she stepped on one of the masks that had fallen flat on its front and slipped forward violently.

There was no floor where she landed. Instead, it was a deep pit that had been cut into the floor, which smelled strongly of old ash. After lifting her head, Twilight coughed and spat out a glob of blackened snow, just as the room shook again.

The entire room creaked and groaned like the bellow of a wounded animal.

Even though she wasn’t moving, the room around Twilight was. Somehow, the edge of the pit was sliding closer to her by the moment.

The teetering boulder in the opening at the ceiling fell loose, and plummeted toward the pit.

Spotting an opening in the broken wood at the base of the pit, Twilight crawled through it as her only means of escape.

She scrambled through the hole, kicking up a flurry of blackened snow. The tip of her tail just passed through as the boulder landed, sealing her into the underbelly of the building.

It was darker now than Twilight had ever known it before. The only thing that she was aware of was the motion of the floor over her head, the constant rumbling of falling boulders and the breaking of the floor with each impact.

The floor shattered right next to her, and Twilight screamed when the very edge of the broken floor scraped roughly against her leg.

Pain shot through her, and spurred her through the treacherous foundation.

Twilight clenched her eyes shut, anticipating the moment she would feel the incredible weight crashing down upon herself as she groped around for a way out.

There was a sudden blunt force that struck her face, and Twilight realized that she had crawled face first into a foundational column.

Her eyes opened just in time to see a boulder smash down in front of herself, and destroy a chunk of the floor around it.

Taking the chance to escape, she crawled out of the building’s foundation and back up to the ground floor, where the avalanche had stopped again.

Twilight knew that it would be only a matter of seconds before the creature outside swung more of her boulders at the rubble that buried the building. She would need to escape if she was ever going to finish what she had set out to do.

The nearby stairs proved her only option, as they were the first thing she stumbled over when the building shook again.

Beneath her, the floor at the base of the stairs started to crack.

The moment Twilight set her hoof on the bottom step, the entire staircase lurched and creaked slightly from the wall.

Twilight wobbled with the stairs and nearly fell over the side, before she regained her hoofing and clambered her way up.

Climbing the enormous stairs brought back to mind when she was ascending the stack of tree roots back in the forest. With that, Twilight reached over and started yanking one of the supports on the bannister by the stairs. But for her waning strength, she could only make it jiggle back and forth.

Another slam of boulders from above, and the whole building shook once again.

The stairs rocked harshly from the wall, sending Twilight fumbling forward. She pushed the support free and caught it just before it fell to the floor below. After regaining her balance, she used the broken support to start ascending the stairs more quickly.

The boulders dropped like the snow in the blizzard outside. As a result, the floor started to completely give way. With the floor, the walls too started coming apart.

Twilight stumbled on the steps again, and cut her shoulder on the broken part of her support. Trying not to think about how severe the wound may have been, she powered her way upward.

The broken walls began to lean, and the fixtures that attached the stairs to the wall started to pull loose.

A sudden sense of momentum overtook Twilight, and she saw herself moving laterally across from the second floor destination.

Quickly, she started climbing the stairs with a clutch of fear spurring her onward.

The second floor was growing closer, but at once was getting further.

Twilight planted the support on the step after the next from herself and jumped for all she was worth.

Closing her eyes mid-air, the young alicorn was overcome with the sense that she was pole vaulting like a professional athlete. Like some of the ponies she had seen Applejack compete against.

After a fraction of a second that felt like it had lasted minutes, Twilight opened her eyes and saw that she was landing only a few steps from the top of the stairs.

The shaking from the avalanching boulders made the support slip from where it was planted, and escaped from Twilight’s grip. There would be no more quick climbing. Now, as the stairs were on the verge of falling to the floor below, Twilight began madly scrambling her way up the remaining steps.

She climbed the first one.

The stairs leaned further off of the wall.

She climbed the next. She was almost there.

The stairs creaked loudly and the fixtures that held them started snapping apart.

She climbed the next step. One more and Twilight would be at the second floor.

The stairs began falling away from the wall.

Twilight threw herself forward and grabbed onto the second floor. Despite her best efforts to maintain a grip, she could feel her hooves slipping as the falling stairs dragged her along.

Kicking her back hooves madly, Twilight tried to pull her waist up to the next floor, but was continually dragged downward.

Twilight bucked her rear hooves up and wormed herself forward. Her rear hoof was struck by the bannister on the stairs as it was falling past her and splintered apart when it was crushed by the falling rocks.

She was on higher ground, but was in no less danger.

The boulders above continued to annihilate the floor, and spread their damage to the walls around them.

The walls started to split as a gigantic crack ran up the length of the one nearest to Twilight. It continued its way up to the ceiling, revealing more boulders that were just seen through the hairline fracture.

Instead of running away, Twilight dashed toward the crack in the wall and started pushing against it with all her might.

The combined forces of Twilight’s meager push and the weight of the boulders overhead made the crack start to widen. And it continued to grow, until Twilight could hear the sickening crunching sound coming from above.

She backed further away when the ceiling gave out and the rocks and snow came cascading in.

The force of the weight was too much for the broken half of the building to take. The loudest crunch yet sounded off and the building broke in two. From her perch on the second floor, Twilight watched as the broken part of the building slid down the mountainside with a payload of boulders.

Taking no more chances inside of there, the young alicorn crawled out through a window, which had been cleared of its obstructions by the avalanche she had created and landed in the snow that had all but buried the first floor up to there.

Down the mountain, the creature became aware of an incredible rumble and grew suddenly wary when the ground beneath herself started to shake. In the next moment, her multiple eyes popped wide when she saw what was causing it to happen.

Releasing the webbing she was using to swing her boulders, the creature jumped onto the top of the first approaching boulder and practically vaulted off the top of it, planting her next hand onto the next boulder and vaulting again.

A steady, precarious rhythm was attained. Each step was placed at an equal or inverse position in step with the rolling rocks. With every unsteady step, the creature could feel her limbs spreading slightly further apart.

With a desperate leap, she found herself nearly at the end of the avalanche. Her many eyes caught sight of one last boulder bounding toward herself.

The creature shot a string of webbing to the ground before her and cracked it upward just as the boulder reached her.

The boulder caught the momentum of the webbing and rode along the silken length as if it were riding a rail. In a moment, it arched harmlessly behind the creature and followed after all of its companions that tumbled down the mountain before it.

There was no time for a sigh of relief. Through the haze of the blizzard, the creature saw the most terrifying sight of all. Somehow her alicorn prey had managed to push a building down the slope of the mountain to crush her.

Just as the front of the building loomed overhead, the creature shot a strand of webbing up near the top of it and pulled hard.

The building started to tilt forward, and the creature jumped upward through the window at the top of the building’s front at the very moment that it was crashing down on her head.

The creature slipped through the window without even touching the frame, and gripped hard to the wall that was slamming to the ground.

There was an earth-shattering tremor when the building landed, and the creature narrowly dodged a table that was falling down from the rapidly tilting floor.

She reached up and began climbing the floor as it was suddenly a sheer vertical surface.

At the top of the surface, the creature tried to jump out of the building, but instead fell to the floor when the moving room shook after hitting another bump on its descent.

Righting herself in the air, the creature started rushing along the wall beneath herself, dodging the broken stairs and the rolling boulders that had piled up along the floor.

At the far end of the room, the boulders fell one by one, revealing the broken floor.

Jumping over a boulder, the creature spat a line of webbing at the broken floor and yanked hard.

With a spectacular shower of flying splinters, rolling rocks and flurrying snow, the wooden floor burst apart in a gaping hole large enough for the creature to pass through, just as the moving room slid past herself.

She landed in the snow outside, just as one last boulder rolled past her right side. Looking back, the creature saw the remnants of the broken building tumbling down the mountain, just before they disappeared down the slope. Looking ahead, she saw the rest of the building set into the broken mountain.

Not wanting to chance a trap that had been set for her, the creature instead chose to circumnavigate around the rest of the building and continue her pursuit of Twilight. There was only one direction Twilight could be going after all. It was only a matter of time until she caught up.

A fact that Twilight was well aware of.

Fiercely pounding her hooves on the mountainside, she hoped that at least one bould large enough to deter the creature would fall. No such luck came. But, the solid ground beneath her made the climb all that much easier.

As hard as she tried to squint through the storm, Twilight could see no end to the mountain. For the time, she would have to press on and never let her guard down for even a second.

The ground practically trembled as Pete drove his shovel into the snow. Balancing atop his peg-leg, he kicked the broadside of his weapon as hard as he could.

A swell of snow rose up like a wave at high tide, curling at its crest and crashing down on all beneath it.

Rarity quickly pulled Mickey onto her back and skated toward the frozen swell. Just as before, she tried to slip over the top of Pete’s wave of snow. Only this time, the wave started to crash on the end she was riding.

Swerving quickly, she steered into the barrel, keeping pace just ahead of the crushing snow.

She was skating closer to the wall at the edge of the grove. Before Rarity could change direction, she was struck by Pete bursting through the wave of snow, knocking both herself and Mickey away.

Mickey rolled back and hit the rocky wall hard, where a buildup of snow dropped on top of him. Dazed but determined, the little mouse poked his head out from under the snow pile and chucked a snowball at Pete with his one free arm.

Pete was already advancing on Mickey, blocked with his snow shovel and charged to smash the mouse.

His charge was halted by Nagruk-pak, who caught the heavy in his enormous antlers and pushed him back.

Pete blocked most of the hit with his shovel, freed himself from the grapple and blocked a subsequent headbutt.

The two giant fighters traded blows, striking, blocking, parrying and dodging hit after hit.

Pete held his snow shovel vertically and blocked a swing of his opponent’s antlers. Pivoting his weapon like a lever, he blocked a swing of the other antler.

Levering the handle backward, Pete raised the scoop of his shovel and struck the moose in the chin. Before his opponent was even done recoiling, Pete struck Nagruk-pak on the head with a downward blow.

Before he could continue his assault, Pete was intercepted by a wake of snow that pushed him and Nagruk-pak away from one another.

After passing between the two, Rarity swerved with a graceful spin and shot back toward Pete.

The heavy struck his shovel to the ground to intercept Rarity, who skated up the handle and recovered with a flawless somersault. Upon landing, she began her offensive, flanking to the side and sweeping low with her usual perfect skater’s form.

Pete found himself hard pressed to keep up with Rarity, who was circling him like a matador circled a bull. Every strike from the fashionista was barely noticed before it was blocked or parried.

For Rarity, she could feel the power behind every move Pete made. From the moment she had the misfortune of meeting him, she knew the strength he possessed, but only now realized the force of it now that she was facing him head on.

There was no string of pearls for her to use to fight at a distance. Some way of outmaneuvering Pete was needed.

A swing from Pete’s shovel forced her to duck and slide out of the way. Before her momentum ever started to wane, she found her opportunity.

Pete’s whole body spun from the force of his attack.

Without stopping, Rarity flattened her body nearly to the ground and twisted herself in a way that allowed her to slip between Pete’s mismatched legs.

By the time Pete spun himself back, Rarity was nowhere in sight. He never knew what hit him when the fashionista jumped up and kicked him twice in the back of the head.

Upon landing, Rarity couldn’t help but wave as though she were performing for a crowd. A mistake on her part, when the broadside of Pete’s shovel struck her entire front and sent her sprawling away.

Nagruk-pak resumed his assault with a bull rush, which was stopped by Pete raising his shovel.

The moose pushed Pete back the way a football player pushed a tackle dummy. Before they even stopped, Pete lifted his one good leg and struck his heel backward to deter an attack from Rarity.

As the three fought, Mickey was being helped to dig his way out of his snowy encasement by the glimmering squirrel.

“Come on, fella! The others need us!” Mickey said, pushing away as much snow as he could.

The squirrel chattered indignantly and started more vigorously digging the snow from around Mickey’s buried shoulder.

With a strong pull the mouse strained to free his trapped arm. After a moment where it felt as if his arm might pull off, the squirrel was knocked away by Mickey's arm popping out of the snow.

“Don’t just sit around! I gotta help my pals!” Mickey said, digging himself free with both hands.

The squirrel growled and shook the snow off of its body, before jumping back to assist Mickey.

The snow was heavy and the going was slow. Feeling as if the snow were solidifying around himself, Mickey tried to pull his waist free.

Instead of the desired result, the mouse went toppling forward and rolled down the little mound that buried him.

Seeing an opportunity, the squirrel pushed Mickey forward, encasing the tumbling mouse in a rapidly growing sphere of snow. With the increased size came increased weight and velocity, which sent Mickey rolling toward the battle that was taking place.

Pete had just locked his shovel with Nagruk-pak’s antlers, then heaved the moose around to block an attack by Rarity from his side.

Keeping a shaking hold on his shovel with one hand, Pete reached his other hand into his pocket.

Rarity was already back upon him, but quickly changed her attack to a dodge when the heavy quickly drew his hand out, revealing a fist clad in brass knuckles.

With Rarity out of his way, Pete socked Nagruk-pak a mean uppercut, knocking the moose back.

Both opponents were now at bay. Pete lifted his shovel to charge for another attack, but didn’t expect what he saw next.

“What de Sam Hill!!!?” he shouted just before a snowball the size of a refrigerator bowled him over.

All sense of direction was lost as the heavy went rolling across the grotto. The world suddenly shook when the snowball impacted the side of the tree, freeing both Pete and Mickey from its frigid confines.

Mickey sat bolt upright, snowballs armed in each hand. Before he had a chance to throw, Pete’s shovel came crashing down on his head.

When Pete lifted his shovel, there was no sight of the mouse. Just a deep hole in the snow that was left from the giant snowball.

The mystery of Mickey’s whereabouts was solved when Pete was struck twice from behind in the shoulder.

Mickey popped out of the snow like a daisy and continued his attack, partially freezing Pete’s shoulder with his attack.

Pete broke his shoulder free of the ice and swung backwards.

And like a game of whack-a-mouse, Mickey disappeared back beneath the snow before he was struck.

Pete batted away a snowball assault that came from his side, and missed when he swung at Mickey again.

Mickey popped up behind Pete and had to immediately retreat into the snow again, for Pete’s shovel was already bearing down upon him.

The game had already grown tiresome. Pete realized that if he couldn’t hit Mickey below the snow, he would have to smoke him out.

The end of Pete’s cigar glowed brightly and burned to nearly half its length as the heavy breathed deeply. Putting his face to the hole that Mickey had retreated into, he blew with all his force, sending a gust of choking blackness into the snowy ground.

Geysers of smoke shot up all around. With them, Mickey was blown up into the air by the sudden burst.

Pete caught Mickey on the scoop of his shovel and started flipping the mouse around like he was an egg in a hot frying pan.

The abuse ended when Mickey was flipped up high enough that he could grab a handful of snow off of the branches of the tree and throw a snowball at Pete.

The snowball was easily blocked.

As Pete wound up to hit Mickey with a home-run swing, he was suddenly thrown off balance by Rarity skating past him, kicking up a blinding cover of snow.

Pete spun around on his peg-leg, and was knocked back by Nagruk-pak charging him.

The whole grotto seemed to shake, as Pete was pinned against the trunk of the tree, which dropped nearly all of the snow in its branches to the ground.

Pete fought the moose off with another swing of his shovel, and struck Rarity away next.

Mickey threw an armful of snow into the air and caught the perfectly formed snowballs it had formed into mid-air, throwing them rapidly at Pete.

Raising his shovel, Pete batted away the oncoming snowballs with the skill of a major league hitter.

Each of the errant snowballs flew wildly after they were hit. One hit Nagruk-pak’s right antler, encasing it in ice. Rarity had to duck under one, and spin out of the way of another, nearly freezing her rear legs when another snowball whizzed past mere centimeters where she stopped.

Mickey threw his last two snowballs, and took the full brunt as one struck him in the chest and froze him in a block of ice that left only his hands, feet and head free. The second snowball hit him in the same spot and sent him flying back into a wall, where the block of ice encasing him shattered.

The moment that Mickey was free, he watched how Pete stopped Rarity with his shovel, slapped her around like a hockey puck and struck her with a slapshot that sent her flying into Nagruk-pak’s face.

Moose and unicorn tumbled over one another. And as he lay on his back, Nagruk-pak saw a horrible sight. More of the kingdom’s souls were drifting away from the tree, doomed to become more monstrosities of the wild.

“Heh! So, how many o’ dose to ya think were from yer village?” Pete gloated. “Ya still got time ta finish yer business here. Den, ya can let me finish mine, an’ everyt’ing’s settled, eh?”

Nagruk-pak picked himself up from the ground, lowered his antlers and violently scuffed his hoof through the snow beneath him.

“I won’t let you have Taataviak!!” he shouted, before charging forward.

Pete smiled maliciously at the moose’s anger, stepped to the side and swung at Nagruk-pak’s front legs.

Nagruk-pak easily jumped over the attack and bucked his rear legs behind himself.

Pete was pushed back from the force of the blow and dodged out of the way of Rarity lunging at him.

Mickey saw how the fight was going, and tried to think of a way to help fight back. Pelting Pete directly was no good. He’d simply knock the snowballs away. And even when they hit home, Pete was strong enough to break his way out of any ice that trapped him.

A chattering noise above himself brought Mickey’s attention upward. There was the glimmering squirrel again, sitting upon the end of one of the far-reaching branches of the tree.

Before Mickey could have a chance to wonder what it was trying to tell him, the squirrel broke off a tiny icicle from the branch it was on and dropped it between the mouse’s splayed legs.

“Hey!” Mickey shouted.

Any reprehension he had left him at that moment as he suddenly recalled an incident from earlier in the forest.

“Thanks for the idea, pal!” Mickey hurriedly thanked the squirrel, as he ran back into the fray.

Little progress was being made in the battle against Pete, who had seemed to fall into a rhythm of fending off his two attackers. He would fend off one of them, and without missing a beat he was able to turn about and attack the other, no matter how they tried to surprise him.

As if moving to the beat of a metronome Pete struck Rarity, blocked Nagruk-pak, shoved the moose aside, blocked Rarity, scooped her up with a load of snow and flipped her like a flapjack.

Rarity landed face first on the ground, and a mound of snow landed on her flank in the shape of a poorly made snowmare.

Pulling herself up, she saw Nagruk-pak continue his assault on the heavy, swinging his hooves and his antlers almost as furiously as the blizzard beyond the grotto. The next thing she saw as she skated back to the battle was Mickey hurling snowballs as hard as he could at the branches above them all. And with every impact, large, heavy icicles appeared on the bottomside of each branch.

The memory of the near-fatal accident flashed into Rarity’s mind, inspiring a new idea. All she needed now was a way to reach the branches.

Mickey, it seemed, already had the same idea. He threw a snowball at the ground ten hooves from where Rarity already was, making a small but steep ramp appear in the snowy ground.

Everything was set. Rarity skated forth with a burst of speed and jumped off of the ramp, which collapsed into a heap the moment after the fashionista was airborne.

Tucking her hooves to her body, Rarity landed on one of the lowest branches and skated along its frosty length.

Glancing down, she saw the battle was going on further to her side, and jumped to another branch to better position herself.

Pete swung his shovel with enough force to have cut down a row of small trees.

Nagruk-pak retreated just beyond the reach of the shovel, keeping back as much as he could.

Pete drove the scoop of the shovel into the ground and kicked the back of it, sending up a mound of snow that almost covered Nagruk-pak, blinding the moose.

With his opponent blinded, Pete raised his weapon to attack once more and finish him off.

An icicle suddenly dropped in front of Pete, making the heavy stumble back from the finishing blow he was about to deal.

“What de--!!??” Pete shouted, as more icicles continued to fall before his retreating steps.

He felt a cold chill down his back. Not from fear, but from the icicle that had lodged itself down the back of his shirt and underneath the beltline of his pants.

Pete howled with pain and fury, falling to the ground and rolling like a dog with a bad itch to get the icicle out of his shirt. All the while, icicles continued to fall around him, narrowly missing their fat target as he rolled around.

Mickey threw another snowball, leading the path that Pete was rolling and making a cluster of icicles hang there. Promptly after, Rarity skated across to the branch it was on, shifting her weight to shake them loose.

The icicles dropped in front of Pete, who rolled in another direction to dodge them, only to stop and change direction again when more icicles nearly impaled him.

The process was repeated, until the heavy was surrounded by icicles, lying on his back in a frozen enclosure.

This was it. Mickey threw as many snowballs as fast as he could at the branches directly above Pete. After each impact, the snow accumulated into the largest icicle any of them had ever seen.

The glimmering squirrel climbed up Nagruk-pak’s leg and marveled with the moose at the sight of the icicle. In all their years of living in the frozen kingdom of the northern lands, never had they seen such a mighty icicle before.

From his prone position, Pete saw Rarity skate into view and stop on the branch above him. For just one moment, they looked at each other. Rarity shot a suggestive glance to the giant icicle, then to Pete, whose eyes went wide at the sudden realization that he was going to become an extra large kebab.

Rarity bounced up and down on the branch, loosening the icicle from its hold on the tree.

All around, the glitters of light in the tree started to twinkle more brightly, cheering on Rarity’s steady progress.

Pete’s mind raced furiously for an escape.

The icicle was nearly loose.

Pete’s eyes crossed and focused upon his half-burnt cigar.

Rarity stopped bouncing and gave the icicle one dainty tap with her hoof.

That had done it.

With a sickening crack, the icicle began to drop toward Pete, ready to put an end to his and Mickey’s rivalry once and for all.

But for what happened, Mickey felt he should have known that such a rivalry could never end so easily.

Pete puffed rapidly on his cigar, heating up the end of it to nearly blistering temperatures.

When the icicle reached nearly inches of Pete’s face, it started to melt, and the resulting flow of water fountained out to either side of the heavy, harmlessly splashing the snow beside him.

Many things happened at once in that instant. Pete arched his back and broke the icicle that harried him so.

Mickey tried to throw more snowballs to entrap Pete.

Nagruk-pak charged, was grabbed by his antlers and thrown headfirst into the tree.

The glimmering squirrel was thrown free of his larger friend’s antlers and flew past Rarity, who was shaken loose from her perch above.

Pete moved to attack, but was stopped by a snowball encasing his peg-leg in a small block of ice.

Not that it helped much to stop him, since he only broke free after kicking Nagruk-pak squarely in the jaw with it.

Two more snowballs from Mickey were blocked, and Rarity’s advance was redirected to crash into the tree trunk.

Before Rarity could recover, Pete pinned her to the ground with the broad side of his shovel.

Looking up, Rarity saw Pete standing over her. The heavy reached into his jacket and produced a keg of dynamite. And he began applying the fuse to his cigar.

Whatever was to happen next, Rarity knew that it could only end with herself being blown to pieces.

Before the fuse even started to spark, the glimmering squirrel jumped onto Pete’s face, gnawing and scratching at anything it could get a hold of.

Pete screamed loudly and dropped both his cigar and the keg of dynamite he was holding. He thrashed around trying to claw the squirrel from his face.

Everywhere Pete’s hands went, the squirrel was always one step ahead of him, finding new places to attack.

Enough was enough. As the squirrel scratched the top of his head and chewed on his ears, Pete lifted his shovel and brought it down hard on his cranium. The blow was enough to make him dizzy and slightly disoriented, but it forced the squirrel to jump clear of him.

The lights in the tree all shone brightly. Some even jumped up and down at the display. And they twinkled brighter still as Mickey, Rarity, Nagruk-pak and the squirrel all started coming down hard on Pete.

Though still loopy, Pete was able to clumsily deflect his opponent’s attacks two at a time. Fists, feet and shovel danced tirelessly between the oncoming assault, holding them back.

From the corner of his eye, Pete saw his own cluster of light resting against the tree trunk. The sight of it reinforced his vigor. If he could hold out just a bit longer, he would wear the will of the moose down. And once he caved, the power of the tree would belong to Yen Sid.

Bellowing like a foghorn, Pete scooped up a shovelful of snow and struck Nagruk-pak with his entire payload.

Blinded by the snow, Nagruk-pak was helpless to defend himself as Pete rolled him around, encasing him in more snow.

Any snowball thrown by Mickey was blocked by the rolling moose, who was only layered with more snow with each hit.

Mickey packed a snowball into each hand and charged to meet Pete head on.

Pete placed the scoop of his shovel beneath Mickey’s next step and lifted the mouse quickly into the air. Easily dodging the two thrown snowballs by tilting his head, the heavy slammed Mickey down on top of Nagruk-pak’s snowball.

The squirrel dove to attack next, and smashed face first into Pete’s waiting shovel, when it was slapped on top of the snow that encased Mickey.

Looking very much like a haphazard snowman, the three fighters were effectively incapacitated, and had no way of blocking, dodging, countering, or anything to defend themselves as Pete drew his tommy gun from his jacket.

Pete raised the barrel, and squeezed the trigger. And at the very moment enough pressure was applied to fire, Rarity skated in and kicked Pete’s wrists so that he fired straight into the air.

The branches parted like a school of fish avoiding a predator, allowing the bullets to harmlessly pass between them all. Among the branches, the specks of light began shining less so.

Rarity pushed her trapped friends out of the way of another burst of gunfire, and spun beneath a volley of bullets intended for herself.

She dug her hoof into the snow and kicked a flurry of slush at Pete, who blocked with his arm and fired into the ground inches beside Rarity.

Keeping her distance, Rarity danced around the onslaught of lead, knowing that the first missed step was going to be her last.

She twirled around, kicking up a cloud of snow that washed over Pete.

Pete quickly burst out of the snow that threatened to freeze himself and shot wildly around, hoping to hit Rarity.

Sensing danger behind himself, the heavy whipped around and aimed his tommy gun directly against Rarity’s forehead.

There was no time to move. And Rarity knew that this was where she was going to join Nopony.

*click*

“Eh?!” Pete practically shouted.

The empty click of Pete’s firearm had never sounded so welcome. Renewed with only the kind of fervor that comes from narrowly escaping death, Rarity jumped and did a full backflip, kicking Pete once with each of her legs.

Pete staggered backward and almost stumbled over one of the tree’s roots. Enough for Rarity to jump again, and strike with a pose that would have won medals in a proper skating competition.

Before the next hit struck, Pete blocked with his shovel and countered with a wide swing.

Rarity spun beneath, jumped over the next swing and landed on the scoop.

Pete raised his shovel to throw Rarity.

Rarity slid down the shovel’s handle and dropped to the ground behind her opponent.

Pete swatted his shovel behind himself.

Rarity skated beyond his reach and advanced.

Her strike was blocked and was forced into a spin.

Pete lunged to drive Rarity into the ground like a railroad spike.

Taking advantage of her situation, Rarity spun into Pete’s attack, used his momentum to lift him over her head, and with a crack that she hoped wasn’t her back deposited him on the ground behind herself.

Flashbacks of attempting to get Souris’s jewel back from Nopony entered Pete’s mind. How the nimble performer eluded him by bouncing about like a fish out of water. Rarity was proving to be as much of a pain, the way she was skating toward him again and jumped over another swing.

The two were locked in a back and forth struggle. One where neither seemed to get the upper hand. But, if Pete knew anything about fighting dirty (and he did) it was that physical harm was only the shallowest way to overpower an opponent. To truly conquer them, one had to get under their skin with the deepest possible mental cut.

“Ya dainty, little tea cozy! Ya ain’t got no place bein’ here! Why don’t ya go back to yer little fabric shop? Oh, dat’s right. Ya ain’t got a shop no more!!” the heavy growled, swatting his shovel violently.

“You impudent thug!” Rarity shouted, dodging each blow, “Who are you to tell me my place!?” She attempted to counter, and was blocked. “After what you did to me, my shop and my customers, I have more right than most to see that you’re dealt with!”

Pete shoved Rarity back, who lost her footing and fell onto her side. He drove the edge of his shovel down, but missed when the fashionista recovered.

Instead of grumbling or cursing when he missed, Pete instead started laughing maliciously.

“And just what--is so--funny!?” Rarity said, speaking between each kick.

“Dis is just how yer boyfriend bought de farm! He got way in over his head an’ bit it! Just like all dose other folks ya didn’t save!” Pete guffawed, dodging each attack.

Rarity’s blood boiled at such a flippant recount of the end of Avalon. All the worse was how she remembered holding Nopony’s limp body in her hooves, before he ended the nightmare that threatened to consume the city at the cost of his own life.

She charged as fast as she could and jumped into the air to attack.

Pete easily dodged and swatted Rarity back to the ground.

In an instant, Rarity was back on her hooves and charging again.

“Don’t--you--EVER--speak of Nopony again!!” she shouted.

Pete’s smile widened when he saw the enraged tears welling up in Rarity’s eyes.

“So, de bum had a name, did he?” he asked, blocking Rarity’s onslaught of attacks. He caught one of Rarity’s hooves on the handle of his shovel and looked her squarely in the eye. “I never thought even I’d say somethin’ dis mean, but I’m glad dat loser’s pushin’ up daisies. He’d be twice as annoyin’ if he was gushin’ over ya while we was dukin’ it out!”

Between the heavy’s cruel words and foul breath, Rarity was at her breaking point.

She burst her hooves free from Pete’s block and attacked with a fury that welled up from the darkest parts of her being. Every horrible manestyle, annoying customer and clashing color was nothing compared to what she felt at that moment.

All the while, Pete laughed maliciously. Though he was barely able to keep up with Rarity’s assault, she was exactly where he wanted her.

“Stop laughing!!” Rarity shrieked, mid-attack. “STOP!!”

Pete did no such thing, relishing every moment of Rarity’s blind rage.

When he saw his opening, he thrusted his shovel into Rarity’s stomach and slammed her to the ground. But, he wasn’t finished with her.

He started spinning around, pushing Rarity through the snow.

Rarity tumbled around, feeling very much as if she were put through some horrid spin cycle, bumping herself all over against the ground and the occasional tree root that was hidden by the snow.

The cycle ended when Pete stopped and charged forward with Rarity in his shovel. Rapidly, the fashionista was rolled up into a giant snowball and was hurled at her other entrapped friends. The moment she landed, the snow around them all dispersed, burying them all under a mound of cold.

Up above, the twinkling lights all started dwindling one after the other.

Nagruk-pak raised his head from the mound of snow, his squirrel friend sitting in his antlers, and gasped in horror at the sight of dozens of hopeless souls drifting away, doomed to become chenoo, wetiko, or worse.

Mickey’s head emerged from the snow. Next to him, he saw Rarity’s tail protruding from the snow, tugged on it and pulled her free.

Looking up, they saw the same horrible sight. So many souls set adrift, never to return to their true form. Looking to Nagruk-pak, Mickey could see the moose filled with fear and desperation, teetering on the brink of joining those who had removed themselves from the balance of the kingdom.

“There’s only one way we’re gonna stop this,” Mickey said.

Nagruk-pak twitched his ears in Mickey’s direction.

“We’re gonna have to do what Pete wants.”

“You mean--” Nagruk-pak stammered. “No. I can’t do that to them! If that bulging cat ever collected them as he did our magic--.”

“Don’t worry about it. I been gettin’ one over him longer than you know. An’ I’m sure as heck gonna do it again! Do what ya gotta with that tree. Me an’ Rarity’ll handle Pete!”

Though she said nothing, Rarity fully agreed. After what Pete had said to her, she was ready to make him pay ten fold for every moment of grief he had caused every creature whose path he had crossed.

Nagruk-pak watched as his smaller friends rushed back into the fight, and began their assault again. He looked back up to the tree, and saw more of the kingdom’s souls drifting away. They knew the fight wouldn’t end. And if it did, it wouldn’t be their protectors who won. They were never going to reach the safety of Taataviak, and would be doomed to weather the horrors that had befallen their kingdom. That is, before they became the horrors themselves.

The glimmering squirrel hopped from the moose’s antlers and scampered toward the tree’s roots. It did not even stop to turn and look back at him, as it disappeared beneath from view beneath the tree.

The squirrel, Nagruk-pak’s friend who was set to guide him since he came of age, was now goading him toward the one thing he wanted to do less than anything in the world. But, he knew that there was no fighting it. He already knew what would happen if he did nothing. Weighed against what may happen next, the moose followed after his friend.

Before he followed beneath the tree, he stopped when he saw Pete’s cluster of magic hovering above the entrance. It glittered maliciously, daring Nagruk-pak to fulfill his duty, so that it might steal away everything and everyone in the kingdom.

Putting the light out of his mind, Nagruk-pak dashed down the sloping entrance at the roots of the tree.

He slowed to a cautious trot beneath the roots, then to a curious saunter. There, at the heart of the tree lived the souls who called out more clearly to him than any of the others. Though silent, every one of them was like a voice in his head, calling desperately to be sent to the safety beyond their material world. Among them, to his greatest relief, he could feel the presence of family and of his closest friends, Isigak-pak and Sauinik-pak, calling to him, begging him to fulfill his responsibility.

Nagruk-pak didn’t need the chattering of his squirrel friend to guide him where he needed to go. Upon the root at the very heart of the tree, the squirrel sat shining more brightly than it had before. And soon, it closed its eyes and lowered its head.

Apprehension clutched Nagruk-pak. Things were proceeding more quickly than he was ready for. And before he even had a chance to try and prepare himself for what was to come, the squirrel raised its head and opened its eyes.

Something had changed from the moments before. No longer were they the mischievous, beady eyes of a squirrel, but the admonishing, piercing gaze of an eagle. And in those eyes, Nagruk-pak saw nothing but disappointment and dismay.

“T...Taataviak…?” the moose began.

The squirrel was silent.

Nagruk-pak swallowed his apprehension and continued on.

“Taataviak...I implore you: take the subjects of your kingdom into your care.”

The squirrel was silent, and its disappointed gaze deepened.

“I realize now that I’ve waited too long to send them to you. But, there’s nothing I can do for the souls lost! Take the rest now, while there is still time!”

Nagruk-pak’s plea didn’t move Taataviak, who still gazed at the moose with his disappointed stare.

“Please! You must! I can’t bear the thought of losing any more!” Nagruk-pak pleaded. “I know full well this is all my fault! I volunteered as the one to stay behind, but I couldn’t follow through! You’ve seen what has been happening! What would you have done!?”

The gaze of the squirrel intensified, no longer disappointed, but admonishing and furious. And all around, the sanctuary of roots glowed with the same fury as the being who inhabited it.

No words were spoken, but Nagruk-pak knew what was being said. The fault was his alone to bear. No blame could be placed or shared upon another. And if he was going to be true to the path his totem guided him by, he knew he would have to accept it.

“Taataviak...If nothing else, don’t let any more suffer for my irresponsibility,” the moose said. “For as long as they are under your care, I’ll dedicate myself wholly and completely to the balance of this kingdom. Especially if there ever is a chance I may restore the lost to your ways! Please, Taataviak!”

The squirrel’s face didn’t change. It only continued to stare at Nagruk-pak, who stared right back, awaiting some kind of reply.

A blinding light emanated from the squirrel’s body, momentarily making Nagruk-pak avert his eyes. When the light grew so bright that it blinded him, the moose began his retreat from within the roots of the tree and reemerged into the open grotto.

Mickey and Rarity’s battle against Pete was still going on. And just as it was before, not one of them was showing any signs of giving up. But, as if to sense something, their fight gradually slowed to a halt.

Dim light began glowing from within the roots of the tree, and seeped out like a mist from across a lake. Rapidly, it grew brighter and brighter, until it nearly blinded all of them. As if to burst, the light from the tree suddenly erupted upward into the sky, illuminating the kingdom for miles around.

The onlookers stared in awe at the sight, stopped cold by the sheer gravity of the situation. Until a malicious smile crawled across Pete’s face. This was what he was waiting for. Magic with body and form had revealed itself. And among that, the form of the ruling deity of the land.

Through the veil of light, Pete’s cluster of starlit magic revealed itself. Though it was swallowed up by the light of the tree, Mickey and Rarity knew what it was doing.

Mickey’s mind returned to the moment he, Donald and Goofy arrived in Equestria. In the hidden place where Equestria’s Tree of Harmony met its end, how he and his friends felt as if something as alive and aware as they were had passed away.

Fury filled the mouse, who quickly packed up a snowball and hurled it at the evil magic light.

Before his snowball even reached it, the light that had guided him to Ponyville, the last remnant of the Equestrian Tree of Harmony, darted forth and crashed into Pete’s devilish magic.

The two lights fought back and forth, trying to overpower one another.

Pete growled and scooped up a shovel full of snow and wound back to throw it with the force of a siege catapult.

Rarity immediately saw the danger and struck Pete’s shovel mid-swing, taking the blow for herself.

Another setback. Pete raised his shovel to thrust into Rarity’s middle, before he was countered by Mickey.

Mouse, fashionista and heavy battled on. But, Pete knew that it was he who was already the victor.

He batted away his two opponents and hurled his shovel at the two magical lights.

The shovel caught the light from Equestria and carried it across the grotto, where it smashed into a wall and dispersed into stardust.

With nothing left to inhibit it, the light of Yen Sid’s magic began to grow brighter. And like a cyclone drawing water from a pond, it started absorbing the magic that came from the tree.

This was it. The battle was over. And Pete had won.

From the side of the mountain, a burst of light cut through the blizzard like a knife.

Twilight could see it now. She was closer to the mountaintop than she ever knew, and hurried upward. She didn’t even care to listen for the approaching steps of the creature. When she was so close to achieving her goal, she couldn’t let anything stop her.

Clumsy steps hindered by the loose ground beneath her hooves didn’t slow her for a second. The end goal was in sight. And there would be her answers to discovering the magic that had eluded her.

The closer she came to the mountaintop, the more wary she felt. It was all too reminiscent of when Souris revealed her true self and began sacrificing the creatures of Avalon to Yen Sid’s goal. As she looked on, she half expected to see the monstrous, multi-winged form flap into view, ready to thank her for unwittingly playing a part in another of the lady-bat’s schemes.

Her fears of being manipulated again clashed with the seemingly genuine declaration of friendship Souris had shared. With her fears came one of the lessons that Souris had taught her. How her own doubts were holding her back, and that she had to push past them to ever progress.

Putting her trust in Souris’s guidance, Twilight climbed over the last ridge to the mountaintop.

It was like being at the edge of a viciously erupting volcano, and there she was standing at the caldera. Gazing over the side of the caldera, Twilight was blinded by the eruption of light that flowed from below. Whatever it was, whatever it meant, there was no time for Twilight to ever meditate on the matter. With nowhere left to go, she stopped completely. And she waited.

The leaves of the Tree of Harmony withered away to brown, and the souls within its branches clung desperately to their sanctuary. Yet no matter how they tried, they were still dragged slowly toward the light that threatened to steal them away.

Pete charged and was hit by a snowball. Any ice that encased him was broken when he shoved into Mickey, who fell under the heavy’s blow.

Rarity advanced to attack and was struck in the face, then knocked aside.

Nagruk-pak looked on, knowing there was nothing he could do to turn the tide of the lost battle. But, if nothing else, he would not stand by to later tell any creature he met that he did nothing.

The moose lowered his head and aimed his antlers at Pete, before charging forward.

Pete had just collected his shovel from the ground, blocked both his opponents, lifted them with his weapon, spun them like a propeller and threw them both away, before he was struck from behind and slammed into a rocky wall.

Before Nagruk-pak could continue, Pete elbowed the moose away and spat out a mouthful of rocks. He then placed his shovel to the ground and charged forward, making another wave of snow that was meant to swallow his opponents.

Nagruk-pak burst through the wave and tackled Pete to the ground. Pinning the heavy under his own hefty weight, he started punching Pete repeatedly in the face.

Pete kicked the moose in the back with his one foot and sent him rolling over his head. He was the first on his feet, before he was attacked by Mickey, then by Rarity.

Even as he fought, Pete was keeping an eye on the tree. His magical light was drawing in the magic of the kingdom. Just a little longer.

At the top of the mountain, Twilight waited.

The sounds of footsteps approached her from behind, then slowed to a complete stop.

There was nowhere to run. Since she had begun facing her opponent, Twilight Sparkle was finally without an escape.

Nothing happened. As if the creature had come to a halt behind her, only silence permeated the world around them both.

“Turn around,” said the voice of the creature.

Twilight slowly shifted her eyes to her side, but saw nothing. Not even the tattered sleeve of the creature’s jacket next to her.

“I don’t want to kill you when you’re completely helpless. Turn around. And face your end head on,” the creature’s voice continued.

Twilight knew that even if she didn’t, the creature would pounce upon her and end her life anyway.

“Please. I want you to at least go down fighting. Make your end one that will be remembered by your friends,” the creature pleaded.

Her friends. If they ever knew what Twilight had been through, and how she was to meet her end, they would never think of her the same again. Not as a mare who would turn on a creature who had considered her a friend. If she was to meet her demise, she was going to meet it as the Princess of Friendship. And she would uphold it on her own terms.

“No,” Twilight said. “I won’t do it.”

“What do you mean?” the creature asked.

Twilight slowly turned to face her opponent. What she saw was not a malicious, angry beast who wished her dead. It was a sorrowful, remorseful gaze that the creature returned to her.

“I’m not going to fight you,” Twilight answered.

“I don’t think you realize the gravity of your situation. I’m going to kill you now. And you won’t do anything to stop it?” the creature said.

“I--” Twilight’s throat clenched, stifling her voice. Swallowing her fears, she continued, “I know what situation I’m in...But, as somepony who could have been your friend, I won’t fight you.”

The creature stared silently, as if to assess what Twilight had said.

“That’s an admirable sentiment,” the creature slowly said, “But, I’m afraid that I have my obligations to fulfill to my other friends.”

In the instant that the creature crouched to pounce, Twilight’s mind snapped to the one thing she could think to delay her own demise.

“Do you think that this is what Souris would have wanted?” Twilight blurted out.

The creature stopped instantly, and her eyes shot wide.

“You knew Souris?” she asked.

This was it. Twilight had the creature’s rapt attention, and was ready to defend herself in the only way she had left.

“We met in Avalon,” Twilight explained. “She wanted to teach me how to use magic like you and she did. But, she did so much more for me. She taught me that good or bad, anypony can value their friends. That’s why I wanted her to be my friend. That’s why I tried to save her. Before she--”

Twilight stopped her words when she realized who the creature may well blame for her friend’s death.

“Is that why you tried to save me before?” the creature asked.

Twilight thought back to what may have been her easiest chance to survive her fight. When the creature would surely have fallen to her death, and left Twilight to her life of solitude.

“I did it because…” Twilight paused a moment, unsure if what she was saying was entirely true. “Yes. Because I needed you. The same way that I needed Souris.”

In the blazing light around them, Twilight could see a gleam of remorse in the creature’s many eyes. And for a brief moment, she thought she may have reached her enemy.

Then, the creature stepped closer.

The battle in the grotto was not faring well.

Rarity was hit hard and sent sprawling away against the tree trunk.

Lifting her head, her vision had gone slightly blurred, and her eye ached fiercely. For once, she was glad that she didn’t have a mirror, for no amount of shadow or mascara would hide the hideous black eye she surely had.

A strong, acrid smell like a bushfire mixed with halitosis reached her nose, nearly making the fashionista gag. Looking to the source, she saw the still-lit stub of Pete’s cigar, next to his dropped keg of dynamite.

The image of Mickey throwing his snowballs at Pete stood out in her mind, and she suddenly knew what to do.

She tucked the explosive into one of her pockets and (trying not to vomit) carried the cigar by its broad side in her teeth.

Quickly as she could, she skated back toward the battle. But, not to Pete. Instead, she skated toward Mickey, who was trying to find an opening to attack Pete while Nagruk-pak clashed with the heavy.

“Throw as many snowballs as you can at him!” Rarity said, skating quickly around Mickey.

“What do ya think I’m doin’!?” Mickey indignantly asked.

“I mean really do it! I have a plan!”

Rarity skated away without explaining.

Pete once again locked his snow shovel with Nagruk-pak’s antlers and looked up to his magic light. The first soul was inching toward it, and was sure to be followed by more.

From the branches of the tree, yet another light appeared. One with a distinct shape and form of a squirrel, which jumped on Pete’s evil magic and held fast to it.

Slowly, the souls of the tree started drifting back to their sanctuary.

“HEY! Get offa dere, ya little sneak!!” Pete shouted, before he readied to throw his shovel like a javelin at the squirrel.

His attempt was stopped by his arm getting hit by a snowball and frozen.

Pete growled again and broke his arm free, only to be struck with another snowball.

“Ya ain’t stoppin’ me dat easy, runt!!”

Before Pete could break free again, Rarity skated by him, looking like nothing but a white and purple blur as she kicked up a wake of snow that covered the heavy.

Sputtering as he tried to clear away the blinding snow, Pete was hit by more and more snowballs, getting more and more frozen with each hit.

The more layers of ice put on him, the less Pete was able to move. Soon, he was covered up in a cylinder of white, which Rarity spiraled up to the top with her skates. Once she was on top, she jumped off with a quintuple axel that would have wowed any crowd.

The cylinder of snow dropped away, and there was Pete, frozen in an ice sculpture of an overlarge ball gown.

His mouth was open wide, frozen in a shout of protest as his eyes darted about. The only thing he was able to move at the moment.

Huffing and puffing, Rarity stopped before Pete and was joined by Mickey and Nagruk-pak.

“That,” Rarity puffed, “Was for blowing up my shop.”

Pete grumbled something, but was unheard.

“And that--” Rarity said.

Mickey and Nagruk-pak looked to where she pointed. Even Pete swiveled his eyes downward and saw a keg of dynamite beneath his mismatched feet, its fuse melting the ice around it as it sizzled down.

“--That is for Nopony!!” Rarity finished.

In the light that erupted from the tree, something else appeared. Something large with wings that settled atop the branches, and gathered up all of the souls within. But it was unseen by anyone present.

Mickey, Rarity and Nagruk-pak all ran as far as they could and dove into the snow, before hastily constructing a shoddy igloo around themselves.

Pete rocked back and forth in his icy entrapment, but couldn’t break himself free. He could only watch in frozen horror as the fuse on the dynamite sizzled into nothingness.

A great pair of wings flapped once, and the presence in the tree shot skyward. Along with it, another bright light appeared, and sent another presence into the sky.

The dynamite beneath Pete exploded with a tremendous bang that shattered the ice around him, blew a small crater into the ground, shook the branches of the tree, and shot the heavy into the sky like a roman candle.

Only, he didn’t fly directly upward.

The higher Pete flew, the more he could see the edge of the mountain caldera growing closer to his face. And with a feeling like he was hit in the face by a truck, he broke through the rocky lip of the mountain.

The ground beneath Twilight and the creature exploded as something screaming shot up between them and sent them falling into the crater below.

At first, they saw only the blinding, silvery light. In the next moment, the ground hundreds of feet below was rapidly approaching.

This was it. Twilight knew that Souris would not save her again. And that she would never learn the answers she so desperately sought.

In a moment, she would hit the ground and it would all be over.

But suddenly, she felt the sharp jolt of deceleration, and found herself suspended a mere hoof from impact.

At first, Twilight thought for certain she had actually hit the ground, and was about to ascend to join the Royal Sisters. She then felt herself sway slightly to the side and looked up. There, stuck to her rear hoof was a long strand of webbing which anchored higher up the side of the grotto they were in.

Reaching up, Twilight undid the webbing and dropped to the snowy ground.

She raised her head and saw nothing. Nothing but snow, and a grand tree in the middle of the grotto. When she stood, Twilight found herself no worse for wear. Only exhausted from her battle against the creature.

The creature!

Twilight cautiously looked around, and saw no trace of her opponent. Until she saw a crumpled leg protruding from beneath the snow.

Throwing away all caution, Twilight limped over to the fallen creature and found her lying broken in the snow.

It was a sight too horrible for Twilight to comprehend. Never once had she seen anything so horrifying, so sad, yet be unable to look away from.

A leg of the creature twitched, and Twilight felt her heart pound a little harder.

Slowly, the creature turned her head to face Twilight, who stood motionless.

“Are you...hurt…?” the creature labored to say.

Twilight shook her head and thought she saw the creature smile.

“Why…” Twilight asked, unable to finish her own sentence.

The creature’s smile seemed to grow.

“Because...you would have done the same...Twilight Sparkle...Princess of Friendship…” she said.

Twilight recalled how when she saved the creature’s life before, she was repaid by nearly being killed. Now, as her enemy laid before herself, she couldn’t bring it about herself to hate her. Instead, she did the one thing she could think to do as the Princess of Friendship.

“What...What’s your name?” she asked.

The creature breathed deeply and sighed, “...My name...is...Aranea…”

Her eyes started to droop. Time was running out. But, Twilight had to know for certain. If she hadn’t saved the creature, Aranea, before, would she still have done the same?

But, it was too late. The creature laid still and silent before Twilight, and was quickly buried by the falling snow.

Behind her, at the other end of the grotto, Rarity was the first to emerge from cover. At first, she couldn’t believe her eyes. And without knowing it, she called her friend’s name.

“Twilight!!”

The young alicorn jumped the sound of the familiar voice and turned to see Rarity trotting painfully toward her.

Mickey emerged from the broken igloo next.

“Twilight?!” he said, before following after.

Nagruk-pak rose up and shook the snow from his back. He saw Mickey running toward the two mares, but slowed to a stop.

When Rarity reached Twilight, the two stared at one another for what seemed eternity. As Twilight looked, she could only think what trials the others had put up with without her help. In Rarity’s disheveled and bruised face, she could see a multitude of troubles, worry, sadness, grief and dilemma.

And at once, Twilight recalled what she had said to Aranea. How she hated Rarity so, and never wanted to see her again. It was enough to make her walk away again. And this time, never return. But something kept her standing, staring at Rarity without a word.

“Twilight...You--”

Twilight’s throat clenched.

“You’re...ears must be cold.”

It was true. After sacrificing her hat to make her escape, Twilight’s ears had become totally numb against the weather.

Rarity reached into her own coat and produced the clothes that she had made for Twilight back in Nagruk-pak’s house.

“Here. You may want this,” Rarity unsurely said, as she presented the hat that was set atop the bundle of clothes.

As she stared at the hat, something broke within Twilight. A single gesture of generosity that washed away everything she had felt before.

After holding it in for so long, her tears burst forth.

Rarity reached out and cradled Twilight in her hooves, who sobbed into her friend’s shoulder.

Mickey sat against the tree trunk, letting the mares have their moment together. Glancing up, the mouse saw that all of the twinkles of light that had once been in the tree branches were gone. And with that, he knew that his work in the frozen north was done.

Nagruk-pak slowly walked over to Mickey, his eyes set upon the branches above.

“It’s done,” the moose simply said.

“Yeah,” Mickey replied.

“They’ve all gone to the care of Taataviak.”

“Mm-hm,” Mickey said, not completely understanding.

“This means that it all falls to me and the others who have stayed behind to keep the kingdom running.”

“It’s a heavy thing, that kind of responsibility,” Mickey said.

“Yes. But, I suppose that so long as we persevere, we can see it through.”

Mickey sighed quietly at the moose’s words. Perseverance. The very thing that allowed him to see through the most difficult times with his friends. At any time during any of his adventures with Goofy and Donald, they could have called it quits. There were times that even one of them had given up their endeavors. But, through belief in themselves and (sometimes forcible) persuasion, they were able to see anything through to the end.

The magical light from Equestria tinkered above and settled on Mickey’s nose. Then, it drifted over to Twilight and Rarity.

“Guess that’s our cue to go,” Mickey said, partly to himself.

He stood up and walked over to the mares, who were locked in a silent embrace.

Twilight glanced over and saw the mouse looking sheepishly at her.

“Nice seein’ ya again, Twilight,” was all he could think to say.

In spite of herself, Twilight managed a smile. She was back where she belonged.

The magical light started glowing more brightly, until it engulfed the three.

“What is this?” Rarity wondered.

“I think we’re goin’ somewhere,” Mickey said, as he and the others were magically lifted off of the ground. Before going, he turned one last time to Nagruk-pak. “Bye, big guy. Take care while we’re gone.”

“Farewell, little friends. Stay safe for the rest of your journey,” the moose answered.

And with one last blink of light, Mickey, Rarity and Twilight disappeared, and the magical light drifted up and away.

Nagruk-pak stood staring up at them, until his squirrel friend scampered up his leg and settled into one of his antlers.

“Let’s go. You and I have a lot of work to do around here.”

Author's Note

Heavy that. Looks like there’s somewhat good news in the works here. Twilight has reunited with her friends and made up with Rarity over a blistering hatred Rarity did not know existed.

Big surprise for Nagruk-pak later on, when he finds the corpse of a two-hundred pound spider in his little grotto, eh?

A lot of you are probably getting the feeling that this was the last leg of Twilight’s group’s journey on the magical quest. And a lot of you would be right. As of now, we are going to start working toward a convergence between the groups and the lessons that they have learned during their travels. What that will entail is a secret for now.

As usual there were some references to other media to be found here. Who spotted the ‘Mulan’ reference? I thought it seemed like a funny idea to put it in there.

This wasn’t really a reference, but the part where Pete is almost killed by an icicle was inspired by Peanuts. At one point in the comics, Snoopy was trapped in his doghouse by what must have been the great-grandaddy of all icicles, which also nearly killed him in the end, much as it did for Pete here. Luckily, with the help of Charlie Brown and Linus, Snoopy got out of that situation okay.

The name of the creature is also a reference to other media. In this case, her name is the same as one of the baby spiders from Charlotte’s Web. To me, it just seemed a bit on the nose to have named the creature ‘Charlotte.’

Another usual from me is just a bit of culture. In this case, the names of Nagruk-pak’s friends. We already know that Nagruk-pak’s name means ‘Big Horn.’ Here, we’ve learned the names of his friends: Isigak-pak and Sauinik-pak. Respectively, they are ‘Big Foot’ and ‘Big Bone.’ You might be able to guess what species those two are based on their names.

I know that you readers are pretty perceptive. I’ve already told you that the different character groups represent different facets of the creative process. Twilight, Rarity and Mickey are imagination and inspiration. Fluttershy, Donald, Applejack and Uncle Scrooge are motivation and determination. Goofy, Dash and Pinkie are cooperation and teamwork.

But, what about Spike’s group? There must be some greater reason for him and his friends to be on their part of the magical quest. What is it that’s missing from this creative formula? What recurring theme have we seen in their adventures? I’ll spot you a hint: it’s been winking you practically in the face since Minnie arrived in the Manor Serpente. Then again when Spike wandered into Taffy’s workshop. I know how vague and ambiguous that is, but if you spot certain similarities you might get it.

Speaking of Spike and his friends, we’re going to be following them on their last leg of the magical quest in the next chapter. As usual, excitement, suspense, intrigue and adventure will abound, because that’s what most of you are here for. The rest of you probably started reading this story hoping that it was a clopfic.

I joke of course. Rock on \m/

Chapter 63: Onward and Forward

Chapter 63: Forward and Onward

Deep in the jungles of South Zebrica, a marvelous thing that happened once every year was occurring.

At the heart of the jungle, the rays of the afternoon sun shone through the lush, green canopy, illuminating the jungle beneath it.

For that one time of the year, the sun was in just the right position to reach that little world that was hidden by the jungle greenery. And it was in the one spot where a small wonder of the world occurred.

Set in the forest floor, untouched by the hooves of the zebra or antelope, were the makers of the little miracle. Smooth and unassuming, the crystals sat dormant in the ground, protruding sometimes two or three hooves above the soil. And when the rays of light touched them, it happened.

Their prismatic forms collected every bit of light that touched them, and spread it out among the rest of the hidden place. Like a miniature sun, the crystals illuminated the little world around them.

From their long slumber, the leaves of the many plants, ferns, grasses and trees perked up and absorbed every ounce of light that they could. Color returned to the flowers, which faced the light to bask in as much of its warmth that they could reach.

One stone that had been lying on the forest floor began to wobble gently. From beneath it, a narrow, whiskered snout peered out, followed by a pair of soft, curious eyes. The mouse that they were attached to crawled out next and gazed in awe at the wondrous sight.

A broad smile on its tiny face, it poked its head back beneath its rocky home and squeaked an announcement. And a moment later, its friend, the lizard, peered out next.

It was true. The sun had returned to their home.

The lizard crawled out from beneath the rock and dashed toward the glorious light, making quite a ruckus as he went. His claws pattered noisily across the rocks and rustled loudly through the leaf litter.

Along his path, more of the residents of the forest floor awoke, wondering what the noise was about.

During its trek, the lizard stepped on the tail of one of his neighbors. The golden thorn viper, who only ever wanted to be left alone, wrapped his tail around the lizard, hoisted him into the air and glared contemptuously.

The lizard simply pointed ahead to the light that had returned to their grove, and all animosity was forgotten. The viper put the lizard down and set off to spread the news.

The mouse rang the petals of a row of bell drop flowers, creating a musical tone that awakened others who were nearby. Ever inquisitive, the parrot was the first to rise from her nest to investigate the sounds. But her curiosity was answered immediately when she saw the sun in her home.

Squawking to awake her husband, the two nearly left before they noticed their unhatched eggs. Standing over their clutch, the two parrots shook themselves until enough feathers fell to keep the eggs warm.

The resulting, happy clamor was enough to wake even the mole from his sleep beneath the ground. And just as he burrowed above the surface to tell everyone to keep it down, he noticed the wonderful change in their home and joined the others in gathering around.

Even visitors from beyond the home of the grove arrived to join the occasion. Chattering monkeys filled the branches, shoving aside a row of fancy, colorful birds to get a better view. A wild sow and her litter of piglets marched in, treading carefully to not step on any smaller residents.

They had all gathered to watch and wait. Moments passed, and more visitors arrived over time, hoping that they were not too late.

Then finally, it happened.

The sun from the crystals touched the trunks of the trees, where the ibhuqu flowers grew. These ibhuqu flowers had sat dormant, their silver petals tightly shut against any and all outside intrusion. Until now.

The petal of one flower twitched, and the spectators all watched in rapt silence.

Slowly, the petals unfolded themselves, revealing the flower in its argent glory. And it was only one of the many others that followed after.

One by one, the ibhuqu flowers awakened, stretching their petals as if to shrug off the long dormancy they had undergone.

A little breeze blew through the grove, its subtle chill contrasting the warmth of the rays of light, and mingling through the silvern flowers on the trees.

It had happened. The ibhuqu flowers were once more among the waking world, ready to spread their bounty upon the world.

From the canopy above, hundreds of butterflies descended to the scene, fluttering about, brushing the edges of leaves and faces of other animals with their gentle wings as they completed their tasks.

Each little bug went from flower to flower, sometimes two or three at a time. It was then that the creatures all were reminded how the flowers got their name.

In the language of the speaking creatures of South Zebrica, ibhuqu meant ‘dust.’ And from within the silver flowers came the finest, most concentrated pollen in the whole of the jungle.

Most of the animals covered their faces when the pollen fell, while some of the youngsters jumped and frolicked through the veil that descended upon them. In time, the glittering powder had blanketed the forest floor.

After shaking the pollen from their fur, ruffling it from their feathers or wiping it from their scales, the animals all awaited the bounty that was to fall upon them.

Beneath the pollen of the ibhuqu, the plant life began absorbing the veil that had fallen upon them all. Within seconds, they began growing larger, greener and healthier than they had in all their days since the last time the flowers had bloomed.

The animals rejoiced. Food was now plentiful for days on end. Properly stored and rationed, they could survive months off of what was available.

Two monkeys discovered a berry bush that had grown in size and chattered over one particularly large berry. In the end, their quarrel wound up squeezing any juice that it had into both of their faces.

Old viper basked in the warmth of the sun, as he let the lost juices of the berry drip and trickle down into his open mouth. Next to him, a bird landed on one of the crystals, and was pecking up the seeds of the ibhuqu to carry home to its nest in a more distant part of the jungle.

The seeds were carefully tucked beneath its feathers, and its beak was full to capacity. It was ready to leave. And so, clutching up its feet, it flapped its wings and took off through the narrow windows of light that opened up above.

The bird flew above the treetops, unaware that it had taken a tiny, broken part of one of the crystals with it in one of its clutching feet.

The bird’s flight took it long from the happy little grove in the forest. And without its knowledge, the tiny shard of crystal dropped from its grip and fell from the sky, catching every bit of sunlight it could on its way down, before it disappeared in the shadows of the canopy beneath it.

On a nearby ridge, another, larger mouse with a large bow between her ears stood watching.

“My goodness. What could that have been?” Minnie wondered, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

Next to her, the magical light that had been guiding her and the other seemed to shrug and drifted onward down the ridge.

Looking ahead to see where they were going, Minnie noticed that the ground before her view had all but disappeared. Instead, there was a deep canyon that stretched out as far as her eyes could see. The canyon itself was impressive enough. But any of its wonders were hidden beneath the towering foliage of innumerable trees that grew from the unseen bottom.

From where she stood, Minnie could see that many other bridges were strewn along the sides of the canyon, just as the one nearest to her was. And they all led into enormous trees of the deep abyss.

The little light tinkered, shimmered a moment and started drifting along the length of the bridge.

Already, Minnie knew perfectly well that the next place that she and the others were needed was within that dark world under the trees. And just as it had been in the Manor Serpente and in the ruins beneath Blaiddru, she knew that danger was sure to await them all. What it would be, or when the would meet it, Minnie was positive that some terrible minion of the overlord that had been dogging her since she and Pluto arrived in Equestria would be waiting for her. This time, she would have to be ready for it.

A wheezing, panting noise reached her ears, and Minnie turned to see Pluto trudging up the slope to meet her on the ridge.

The hound dog huffed and puffed loudly, catching his breath after the long, long hike to get up to the ridge. That was not to mention the many rides that they had to take to even reach the Zebrican continent in the first place, then the many more rides and walks to get to South Zebrica.

“Now, Pluto, it wasn’t all that bad. The fresh air is probably doing you a world of good,” Minnie said, having by now gotten used to having to walk most everywhere in a world without automobiles. However, she wished that she didn’t insist on wearing heels for all occasions.

Pluto exhaled long and loud, before dropping to the ground. What did Minnie mean ‘fresh air?’ He always got plenty of fresh air back home playing with Mickey in the backyard. And going on hunting trips with him, helping him during the many jobs he would work, or even just going into town to visit the grocer.

Thinking of Mickey made Pluto think of home. Where there was less danger of being hurt, maimed, mauled, eaten, or just plain killed. He also began to think of where his best friend could have possibly gone to. According to Spike when they first met, Mickey was somewhere in that strange world. But, for all their traveling, their paths had not crossed. And somewhere deep inside of him, Pluto wondered if he would ever see Mickey again.

“Pluto,” Minnie said, interjecting the hound dog’s thoughts, “Where’s Spike?”

It seemed like a silly question to ask. Spike was always near them, or riding on Pluto’s back. But, when the hound dog looked side to side, behind and beneath himself, he saw that Minnie was right. Spike had somehow gone away from them.

With all of the foliage around themselves, Pluto knew that the little dragon’s scent would have been distorted. But, for a hound dog of his skill and pedigree, he would have no problem tracking Spike down. In fact, he did not even have to sniff once.

Pointing as best he could back the way they had come, there sat Spike on the trail behind them, sitting against the trunk of a tree.

“Spike?” Minnie asked, walking back to check on him.

After Minnie passed, Pluto’s fatigued body gave way, and he fell forward from his pointing position.

Spike sat silently beneath the tree, his backpack laid beside him. From the time that he and the others had left Blaiddru, he would periodically remove Caru’s red coat from his pack and simply stare at it. And he would wonder.

What really was the purpose of him being goaded into the magical quest by the light of the Tree of Harmony? Why did it choose him, and not some other, more capable pony? What was it trying to lead him and the others to? And most of all, were the lives lost truly worth carrying on?

Since he had begun, he had watched not one, not two, but three creatures pass away in horrific detail. The Massster, who had sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his enemies. The doctor, whose madness led to Spike making the most difficult choice of his life. And Caru.

Caru, who more than anything was the greatest loss to him. In such a short time, Spike felt as if he had made a friend who was just like him. Somepony who was different than the others around themselves, who never truly felt as if they fit in. An outsider in a world that was not theirs. Even if they were not the same species, Spike knew that Caru had felt the same, being the one doll among flesh and blood theows.

Spike’s heart sank when he realized just how unintentionally cruel he had been to Caru. Ever since they had met, up until the moment he had left Blaiddru with the others, he had thought of Caru only as a doll. Perhaps more than anything else, Caru had wished to be like all the other theows in her village. To be a real theow, who could grow up and experience everything that living could offer. But, it was never to be.

“Spike?” Minnie’s gentle voice came. “Honey, are you alright?”

Spike did not answer. Instead, he lowered his gaze from Minnie’s.

It was not a reaction Minnie did not expect. Ever since they had left Blaiddru, Spike had barely said a word to her or to Pluto. And she knew exactly why. Every time that she saw the little dragon holding that red coat, she thought about how much she wished to take him back to his own home. To be away from all the danger and turmoil that was clearly taking its toll on his young mind.

Having lived a life where she was often in peril, Minnie knew what such things did to a person, especially when they were so young. But, she had never lost anyone who was precious to her during those times.

Gently, she lifted Spike up and carried him up the path over the ridge.

“Come along. Let’s try to finish this,” Minnie said.

She passed by Pluto, who was still laid flat on the path.

“Let’s go, Pluto. No time to lollygag,” said Minnie.

Lollygagging? That would have been a luxury. But, as it seemed, it was a luxury that Pluto could not afford. And so, puffing up his chest and standing up straight, the hound dog got up and followed after.

The moment that he encountered the long suspension bridge, Pluto was hesitant to continue. After listening to Mickey read aloud his adventure novels enough times, he knew that these bridges were always fraught with danger. Still, if he did not go on, Mickey would never forgive him for staying behind while Minnie walked toward certain peril. Ever mindful of his duty, Pluto walked onward.

At the very moment his paw touched the first plank of the bridge, Pluto was suddenly felt something land on top of his head and jump off.

Pluto’s face had hit the ground and gotten a snout full of dust. It was just the kind of thing that he would expect from one of the neighborhood cats back home, who loved to torment him so. Once he was done shaking and snorting the dust out of his nose, the hound dog looked up to view his attacker.

What he saw was not some ornery cat, or even a fierce jungle predator. There, sitting on one of the posts that secured the bridge to the ground was a creature the likes of which he had never seen before.

It looked like a monkey. But, at the same time, it was unlike any monkey he had ever seen on a trip to the zoo, or to some tropical paradise. This thing had a very round face, with two equally round, mischievous eyes. Its deep blue fur was glossy, and reflected many bands of sunlight across its coat. Most notable of all was its tail. Out of all the tails Pluto had seen on any animal, this one beat them all by a mile. It was at least three times as long as the animal itself, and swished about as if it had a life of its own, bobbing, dipping and undulating, until it curled around the post that its owner sat upon.

Pluto looked curiously at the animal, and wondered if he should chase it now or some other time. His canine instincts told him that now was the time to chase it down and make sure to send it a message not to mess with him again. But, his chase was to be postponed.

“KEE-KEE!!”

The unfamiliar noise drew Pluto’s curiosity, but it made the smaller animal flinch slightly.

From the trees at the side of the path that Pluto and the others were just on, there was a flash of green fur and another animal appeared. Pluto could see that it was the same species as the little one that had just jumped on him. Just one that was larger and more mature than the first. Slightly shorter than himself, and half his own length. At least, its body was shorter than his own. The newcomer’s tail was much, much longer in proportion to the smaller one. Easily five times as long as its own body. Only, this one did not swish its tail so playfully.

“Ukee-kee-ku-ka-ko-kee!” the animal said, swiveling its tail around to the front of it.

From the impossibly long tail, two more of the smaller creatures hung upside down, their own tails wrapped tightly around the larger animal’s.

The animal pointed a finger to an empty space between the two smaller animals.

The look of shame on the little, blue monkey’s face reminded Pluto of the one he would make when his own mother would scold him for trying to explore beyond the yard where he was born. And the faces his own quinpuplets would make when Fifi scolded them for the very same.

Shame in its little face, the smaller animal unwrapped its tail from the post and scampered over to its mother’s waiting tail.

The mother lowered her tail and the baby swung its own tail around the same way a climber swung a grappling hook. And with a gentle toss, the baby’s tail looped around its mother’s and clung tightly, before winching up and pulling its owner off the ground. After a second, the blue baby was suspended between its green and black siblings.

With her babies all securely on her tail, the mother animal walked toward the bridge to begin her trek across. But, she did not take the topside.

The many ropes beneath the bridge appeared to serve not only as a support for the structure, but as a secondary bridge for the animals that possessed the opposable digits and prehensile extremities to make the trip.

Just before the animal’s tail disappeared over the ledge, the blue baby stuck its tongue out at Pluto.

Pluto was appalled by such a display of disrespect. So much that his instinct to chase it kicked right in.

“RRRRAAFFRAFFRAFFRAFFRAFFRAFFRAFFRAFF!!!

Pluto ran onto the bridge, barking, growling and pawing at the little animal through the planks. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to get through the wooden slats to give it what for.

In spite of the shaking, the mother animal kept her firm hold on the ropes beneath the bridge.

It was a different story for the other two passengers on the bridge.

The bridge rocked back and forth on its ropes, making Minnie and Spike wobble violently.

In one hand, Minnie tightly held onto Spike. With her other, she gripped the ropes on the bridge.

“Pluto! Whatever you’re doing back there, cut it out!” Minnie angrily admonished, trying not to look over the side of the bridge.

Naturally, Pluto did not listen. He plowed past Minnie and Spike, nearly shoving them off the bridge as he went.

“Pluto!!!” Minnie shouted.

Pluto was still not listening. His hound dog instincts spurred him on to catch his young quarry..

Beneath the bridge, the blue monkey continued mocking Pluto, making faces and daring him to come and get it.

As it happened, Pluto’s questing snout discovered the one loose plank along the bridge. In an instant, he was able to flip the plank up and poke his muzzle through the open space, barking fiercely at the technicolor monkeys beneath the bridge.

The hound dog’s sudden intrusion faltered the mother monkey’s grip, making her loose one hand from the ropes. And when Pluto jumped upon the planks, her other hand and both feet slipped, leaving the mother to hang only by the tip of her tail that was not occupied by offspring.

Pluto gasped sharply at the sight. His intention was only to scare and intimidate the little monkey, not to send it plummeting into a bottomless pit. Seeing the simians’ predicament, he lowered his head down to grasp them in his teeth, but came up short.

Further back on the bridge, Spike and Minnie both saw what was unfolding before them.

“Oh, Pluto! Now you’ve done it!” Minnie said.

Spike flashed back to Blaiddru. Caru’s last moments, cradled in her mother’s hooves, singing for everypony. The last notes of Caru’s song echoed in Spike’s mind, and he wriggled free of Minnie’s grip. Once he was on the bridge, he sprinted toward the trouble.

“Spike!” Minnie called, before regaining her balance on the wobbling bridge and following after him.

The first thing that Spike did upon arriving was lower his tail down through the planks of the bridge.

Dangling like a pendulum, the mother monkey looked up to see that Spike had lowered his tail. Not knowing whether or not he was a predator in cahoots with the crazed dog, but knowing that her offspring were in immediate danger, she carefully uncoiled as much of her tail as she dared from the ropes and reached it up to grab Spike’s. Try as she did, she came up far too short.

Spike did the only thing he could think to do to extend his reach, and climbed down the plank, holding on only by his claws.

“Spike! What are you doing!?” Minnie shrieked, as she arrived to pull Spike up.

No matter how she tried, Spike resisted being pulled back up. Instead, he kept trying to lower himself closer to the mother monkey’s tail.

Still, the two tails could not reach one another.

Pluto started trying to take charge by reaching his own tail down in place of Spike’s. Surely his own larger size would allow for better reach. Unfortunately, his canine agility was meant for running. Not for climbing.

Before any of them realized what had happened, Pluto’s back paws slipped from the bridge, and he went sliding through the open hole between the planks.

It was only his quick reflexes that allowed him to catch hold with his front paws. His claws dug deep into the wood of the bridge, and scraped away the topmost layer of wood as he slid down.

Minnie reached out one hand to grab onto Pluto, and caught the hound dog’s paw before he fell.

Desperately clinging to her friends, Minnie tried to pull them back up. Pluto tried to accommodate, but Spike insisted on reaching for the mother monkey.

The weight of them had become too much. Minnie fell forward, until her waist went over the side. Now, she was only anchored by her hips to the topside of the bridge, dangling Spike and Pluto both over a seemingly bottomless chasm.

“I want you boys to know: I’m not having fun!” Minnie scolded.

Pluto’s back paws pedaled furiously to get back up. But Spike was now well within the reach of the mother monkey’s tail.

Their two tails twisted around one another, tightly entwining. Finally, the monkeys found salvation. And it was what led to everyone’s calamity.

The moment their tails were twisted, the mother monkey loosed her hold from the ropes beneath the bridge. With the extra weight pulling on her, Minnie was pulled through the open slat and started falling downward into the abyss.

Before they fell past the point of no return, Pluto reached his neck out and chomped his teeth around one of the ropes, stopping their deadly descent.

The bridge shook under the weight of them all, and the ropes started to fray. And with a series of terrifying snaps, the ropes started coming undone.

In one fell swoop, the entire bridge broke in two, right at the point where Pluto had removed the one loose plank.

The screams of the terrified passengers on the broken bridge were drowned out by the whoosh of air that whirled around them, as they swung across the remainder of the chasm at breakneck speed.

A loud crunching, crashing sound was heard as the passengers and their hazardous ride disappeared into the thicket of tree trunks, leaves, vines and flowers. And at once, all noises stopped.

At the end of the bridge, a pair of great, yellow eyes peered out from the shadows beneath the foliage.

The owner of the eyes puffed irately and looked down to the lower levels of the trees.

“Great,” she said, “Now, I have to get my fur dirty.”

With the ease and agility of the shadows that surrounded her, she slipped her way down below.

Author's Note

Welcome one and all to South Zebrica!

As I’m sure that you’ve realized, this new setting is inspired by the wildlands of South Africa, which is riddled with mountainous ridges and deep canyons. So, it only seemed natural that this story arch would take place within one of those canyons. But, to give it a bit of a fantastical twist, things like the abyssal depth, giant trees and magical ibhuqu flowers were added.

For anybody who does not know (maybe some of you do), ‘ibhuqu’ is the Zulu word for ‘dust.’ And before you start to anticipate it, I want to say now that I don’t think that we’ll be seeing any speaking creatures of Zebrica in this story arch. Because I don’t want to have to learn a completely new language and have to put it in rhyming stanzas. (This is Zecora’s fault you know, having to speak in rhyme. What were the writers thinking)?

Oh, sure. You could say, ‘But Wing, why not take advantage of the Alt. Universe tag like you always do?’ Or, ‘You know, English is a major language in South Africa too.’ Both very good points. However, this is my story and I say that the native creatures of South Zebrica speak Zulu.

Lots of references were made to other Mickey and Pluto cartoons and comics in here. Things like the vague references to jungle adventures and stuff like that. The only real specific reference here is to a cartoon short called ‘Pluto’s Quinpuplets,’ wherein we see that Pluto and Fifi the Peke have had a litter of five puppies. This short goes to show that being a dad is tough, no matter what species you are.

There’s something that occurred to me that I’m certain is of no concern to anybody, but I feel like I should address it. Of all the references to the two media that are crossed over in this story, most of them are coming from the Mickey side, rather than the Pony side. I promise you all, this is not because I am in any way biased. This is simply because I have been a fan of Disney for a lot longer than I have of My Little Pony. Because of this, I have a whole backlog of knowledge of the history and media of Disney that vastly outweighs anything I know about My Little Pony of any generation. So, I hope that clears up any doubts about this issue (which I’m pretty sure didn’t exist anyway).

Anyway, one of the biggest references here is with the friends who we have just met. These strange little monkeys are inspired very heavily by The Marsupilami. I’ve been a fan of the Marsupilami comics since I was very young. And only about a month ago, I learned that the Marsupilami was made into a cartoon by Disney. That cartoon is very, very different from the comics (namely that the Marsupilami speaks English and can be understood by humans), but it was alright. Personally, I prefer him to just say ‘houbah!’

That being said, I think it’s pretty obvious to say that this monkey is not based on any real species. And so, I shall call them ukeekees. At first, I thought that name sounded familiar. But, after a web search, the name ukeekee has not been used anywhere else before. If I’m wrong, could somebody tell me? Because I totally feel like I’ve heard ukeekee before.

Moving on, not only did we meet the new friends in this chapter, we’ve met the villain. She is going to be revealed in the coming chapters. But, I can already hear her voice when she says just those few words at the tail end of the chapter. And the voice I hear for her is Rosario Dawson.

That’s it for me. I’m out of here. So, rock on, my happy readers \m/

Chapter 64: Crash Landed

The jungle quietly collected itself after the sudden clamor.

Just within the treeline that grew from the abyss, the branches grew tightly packed and clustered together, and their leaves grew wide and sturdy. It was atop these arboreal platforms that scraps of broken bridge lay strewn. The passengers previously on it were nowhere to be seen.

Somewhere within the darkened mass of the giant trees, a mouse opened her eyes.

For a moment, she had forgotten where she was, or how she had even got there. After a moment of thinking she began to piece together all of the different circumstances.

She had been walking on a bridge to cross a deep chasm. When suddenly partway across, the bridge broke.

“Did I fall all the way to the bottom?” Minnie dazedly wondered to herself, when she couldn’t see the sky above.

No. Of course not. If she had fallen all the way to the bottom of that abyss, she knew that she could not have possibly survived.

“What happened just now?” the mouse thought.

She was walking across the bridge. Her friends had gotten into trouble--

Minnie’s senses snapped back to her in an instant. Her friends had been with her, and now they were nowhere in sight.

“Spike!? Pluto!?” she called out.

She did not wait for an answer as she painfully got to her feet. There were no serious injuries to herself. Nothing was bleeding, nothing was broken. All that there was was the feeling of having been dropped on one side from a great height. A feeling that made her lurch as soon as she put weight on one side of her, but quickly got over and was able to hobble around to look for her friends. Except that there was barely any room to hobble to.

For some reason that she could not understand, there was a wall of something tall and white in front of herself, which prevented her from running anywhere. Pressing her hands on the smooth, strangely silken wall, Minnie found that it went on and on as she followed it to one side. And soon, she felt as if she had gone in a full circle around wherever she had ended up.

“Help! Somebody get me out of here!” Minnie called.

Far off, a dark ear twitched. And the shadowy being attached to it followed the direction of the noise. Guided by the noise and the ghostly glow of her eyes, she lurked deeper into the jungle.

Minnie was banging her palms against the strange walls, trying in vain to fight her way out.

“Ribbit!”

The familiar sound of a croaking frog drew Minnie’s attention behind herself. There, sitting on what looked like a sort of tapered, yellow cylinder was a very large, very green frog. The frog simply sat, doing nothing but stare Minnie down with its bulging, red eyes.

“Ribbit!” it said again.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. Do you live here?” Minnie asked.

The frog twitched an eye down, then back up to Minnie.

The mouse looked down, and saw that she was standing in a very shallow pool of water. A fact that she had not at all been aware of previously. In the pool, dozens of tadpoles the size of half-dollars swam curiously around her ankles. One of them even tried to touch the tip of Minnie’s shoe with its mouth, but backed away when it tasted nothing like food.

“I’m not intruding on feeding time? Am I?” Minnie asked.

“Ribbit!”

“Then, could you show me some way out of here?”

The frog said nothing, but stared blankly at Minnie. Then, very jerkily and mechanically, as if it were too big to support its own weight, the frog started to turn around. It hopped and turned a little. Then, it hopped and turned a little more. Finally, after the sixth or seventh time of this routine, the frog jumped high straight upward.

Minnie watched, thinking that not even a frog that big could jump high enough to escape the high walls that surrounded them.

The frog came back down on the platform it had been resting on. And the platform compressed beneath the frog, then sprang back upward with incredible force.

The frog was shot higher up than it had jumped. And with that, it was able to land atop the next highest tapered cylinder.

“Goodness!” Minnie gasped at the sight.

Around her ankles, the tadpoles applauded the display by clapping one another’s tail fins together.

That was it. However she had ended up wherever she was, Minnie had found her way out.

Ever mindful of the little tadpoles around her feet, Minnie waded her way through the water toward the tapered cylinder and climbed on top of it. Once on top, she stood up and gently applied her weight downward. The cylinder gently jostled down and up, and Minnie could feel the latent energy that was just waiting to burst forth.

Jumping up, Minnie pressed as much of her weight down as she could, and the cylinder compressed under her weight, then sprang sharply up.

Minnie felt herself rocketing through the air, and landed safely on the next highest cylinder with the frog.

“Oh--! That was--That was like flying!” Minnie said.

“Ribbit!” the frog answered, before it jumped off and splashed back into the water below.

“Thanks for the help!” Minnie called after, before she jumped on the cylinder and shot up to the next one.

The next landing was slightly more unsteady, as Minnie found the platform she landed upon to bend at the middle under her weight.

Arching her back and windmilling her arms, the mouse was able to keep atop her foothold, as it sank beneath her weight. Before she slipped off of the edge, she was able to go springing upward, when she landed on the next highest cylinder.

This one bent so much under her weight that Minnie had to stand on the opposite edge from the direction of the bend. When it bent so far over that Minnie was nearly standing on the other side, something like a green vine was lowered down to her.

“Kee-kee!”

Looking up, Minnie saw that it was not a vine, but the tail of the mother monkey who had fallen with them on the bridge.

The monkey nudged her tail closer to Minnie, who reached out and took hold of it.

Once the mouse had securely gripped, the mother monkey started reeling her tail up like a fishing line.

As she went up, Minnie looked down and saw that she was being lifted out of the inside of a gigantic flower. One that had grown to be far larger than anything that was natural. After a few more moments of going upward, Minnie was level with the branch that the mother monkey sat upon, and gently swung her way to a safe landing.

“Kee-ko-kee,” the mother said, after pulling her tail from the branch.

“Um...Yes. Thank you,” Minnie answered, not at all sure of what was said to her, if anything at all.

A brief look around herself, and Minnie thought that she could not have landed so far into the treeline. All around her, evidence of the crash was seen from the broken planks and frayed ropes.

From behind the mother monkey, a tiny, green head peered out. After a moment of curious staring, the baby monkey scampered from its hiding place to examine Minnie more closely.

“Well, hello there,” Minnie said, reaching out a hand to pat the baby on its head.

Before her hand ever reached its mark, the green baby darted back to the safety of its mother's presence.

Minnie was taken slightly aback by the baby’s sudden retreat. But for the moment, she could not worry about that. Somewhere, her friends were lost in the jungle and it was up to her to find them.

“Thanks again for your help. But, I have to find my friends,” Minnie said.

She walked along the branches, and found that the tightly packed clusters of leaves and twigs supported her weight perfectly. Before she was able to take two steps, she heard the following steps of the mother monkey.

“Kee-kee,” the mother said.

“Yes?” Minnie asked.

The mother monkey said and did nothing.

Minnie was about to walk away again when the mother took a step closer.

“Koo-kee-ko-ko.”

For whatever reason, Minnie was starting to believe that the mother monkey was trying to stop her. And the more that she looked at the mother’s face, the more that she recognized the look of fear and desperation.

“What’s wrong?” Minnie asked.

The mother monkey looked down to her baby, who was still staring warily at Minnie.

It was then that the mouse realized exactly what was happening.

“Oh! Your babies!”

Somehow during the crash, the mother had been separated from all but one of her children. And Minnie knew that she was experiencing the absolute worst fear of any parent. For herself, it was almost the same as losing Spike and Pluto. Deciding that she could more easily find her own lost friends with somebody else helping her, Minnie made up her mind.

“Alright. I’ll help you look for your children. If you help me look for my own friends,” Minnie said.

“Kee-kee,” the mother monkey said, before she hitched her baby’s tail around her own and started walking across the branches, and brushing a broken piece of bridge out of the way.

Somewhere else in the jungle, the crash from before was still letting itself be known. All of the scraps of the broken bridge laid strewn about among the broken twigs and fallen leaves that mounted up on the packed branches.

Against one of the tree trunks, a pile of fallen leaves started to shake. Then, it huffed and a golden orange snout poked through. Shortly after the snout, the rest of Pluto followed it, and rose to his paws from the leaves.

The hound dog shook his whole body, removing any debris that had clung to his fur. Then, he snorted and chuffed, blowing out anything that would block his nose and inhibit his sense of smell. And what smells he encountered.

The whole place smelled like a freshly mowed lawn, with many hints of too many other scents for Pluto to immediately identify. Some were close by, while others were very faint, coming from somewhere deep within the darkness where the giant trees grew. Among the smells, he tried to pick out any that were familiar.

Pluto sniffed the air, and walked across the tightly packed branches, finding them to be as solid as any ground he had walked on before.

After only a few steps, he started to get traces of a scent that he recognized. Faint hints of perfume, mixed with garden soil and pastry dough, along with a slight waft of peroxide and clean linens. Turning his head around and around until it twisted, Pluto tried finding the direction that the scent was the strongest. When he found it, he jumped up and his whole body untwisted itself, allowing him to follow the smell.

Keeping his nose to the air, the hound dog followed the smell across the leafy platform, right up to the edge, and jumped across the small gap that led to the next. The next platform was just as solid as the first, letting him perfectly land without losing a beat.

The next platform was equally disheveled by the crash he and the others had experienced, littered with broken planks, frayed ropes and whole sections of the bridge that had come apart.

Pluto was so engrossed in his search that he did not notice that he was now walking along a broken piece of rope that was suspended between two other leafy platforms. Without even realizing it, he walked across the rope with the ease and balance of a circus tightrope performer.

As he walked across, a line of tropical birds were watching his performance. As they watched, they scuttled along the branch that they were roosted on, perfectly mimicking his progress along the rope. Until the first bird in line bumped against the tree trunk, and all the subsequent birds after bumped into one another.

A loud cacophony of angry squawking reached Pluto’s ears when he reached the other side of the rope, but he did not pay it any mind.

Keeping his nose to its task, the hound dog followed the scent toward the tree trunk, and did not even notice that he was climbing up a broken part of the bridge like a ladder as he went on.

At the top, Pluto was on another large branch and walked along its length to another cluster of tightly packed twigs and leaves. Only, they were not quite as solid as the ones he had previously encountered.

The first step onto the platform and Pluto’s paw went right through it, sinking him up to his shoulder.

Yanking his paw out, Pluto snapped out of his hunt for the scent and saw what had almost happened.

Looking at where he had just stepped, the hound dog saw that the leaves where he was going were not as tightly packed as the ones he had previously been walking upon. These leaves were much looser, and stuck out in all directions, as opposed to the almost uniformly flat leaf beds he was walking on earlier.

Carefully shuffling along the branch, Pluto found another part of the same platform of leaves that looked the way it had before, when walking through trees was safe. He cautiously placed one paw on the leaves and pressed it down.

It stayed firm.

Pluto gradually applied more of his weight to his paw, and found that it was still as solid as he had known it to be. With that, he resumed following the scent of his friends, while carefully watching for any more precarious pitfalls.

Just beneath his nose, a cluster of leaves started to twitch. Pluto twitched at the unexpected movement, and carefully observed the anomaly. Curious to the nature of it, he started to paw some of the leaves away from the top.

He had just taken enough away to allow what was underneath to reveal itself. One of the baby monkeys poked its little blue head above the leafy cover and looked around until it saw Pluto.

So, it was the punk kid again, was it. Pluto had half a mind to chase it back into the hole that it had just crawled out of. But, a sudden thought occurred to him.

For a moment, Pluto thought that he may have been following a red herring and sniffed the little monkey’s head to be sure.

When he did, the monkey sniffed him right back and leaned in close to take in the hound dog’s full scent.

Pluto recoiled from being sniffed so earnestly, but what he had found was that the little monkey was not at all carrying the scent that he was following.

With his nose to the air, Pluto resumed his search. After only a few steps, he stopped when he felt a sudden weight snag his tail.

Looking over his shoulder, Pluto saw that the little monkey was now hanging from his tail by its own long, prehensile tail.

Of all the outrageous presumptions. There was Pluto trying to find his missing friends after they had all plummeted into the forest, and the little punk who provoked him was trying to bum a ride.

Pluto bared his teeth and growled at his tiny passenger, ready to chase him off of his own tail.

The little monkey did nothing but stare back, silently pleading to be allowed to ride.

One look, and Pluto slowly stopped baring his teeth. Moments after, his growling waned. There, riding on his tail was a creature far too young to survive on its own. Far from its mother and its siblings, it stood no chance in the wilderness of the jungle.

And so, without any of the nagging from his conscience, Pluto decided that as the only adult around it was his responsibility to deliver the little monkey to his mother.

The little monkey cheered and clapped his hands and feet together.

Huffing indignantly and rolling his eyes, the hound dog set back to work sniffing the air for the direction of Minnie’s scent.

Author's Note

We found Minnie. We found Pluto. We found the mother monkey and two of her babies. Where could Spike and the last baby be?

Originally, this chapter was going to be a lot longer than it is, but I feel like if I had added all of the story and details that I wanted to cram into here then this chapter might have turned out to be eight or nine-thousand words long. And I usually only try to make the showdown chapters that long. Instead, we are treated to a simple development where the characters get separated after the crash into the jungle.

There were some challenges with writing this chapter, namely Minnie’s interaction with the monkeys and the latter half that focuses on Pluto. The reason for this challenge is that most of the characters featured in this chapter do not speak. In the end, I think I did alright with them.

On that note, there’s something that I want to relay to you all that I’ve heard some other authors talking about. I’ve never found it to be a very big problem, but apparently a lot of authors have trouble writing for characters who never speak.

Anyway, this is what works for me and maybe it could work for some of you, what I like to do is relay a non-verbal character through their actions and through narrating their inner feelings. This is a lot like how those old Pink Panther cartoons worked, where there was absolutely no dialogue, but we get a feel for Pink’s personality by the way he walks, how he interacts with people and objects and through the occasional thought bubble that pops up next to his head.

Another example that I like is Garfield’s canine pal, Odie. Even though Odie never says a word, we know full well his personality and thought processes. Also, being non-verbal makes him a goldmine for visual and physical gags.

Harpo Marx is another good example, but you get my point by now.

Back to talking about the story, how about Minnie channeling Fluttershy for a moment there. The way she handled that frog would have made our favorite yellow pegasus proud. Sure, she never met Fluttershy before, but it seems very much like something Minnie would actually do. But, the moment of reunion is coming, so maybe Minnie and Fluttershy will become friends then.

Briefly mentioned in this chapter is Pluto’s conscience. Anybody who has watched the old Mickey Mouse or Pluto shorts knows that whenever Pluto has a choice to make, he is always hounded by an angel and a devil that appear on his shoulders. The reason that I only referenced them was that I didn’t want to have to write in rhyme again. You don’t know this about me, but I don’t have a head for poetic prose.

I mean really. How do lyricists do it?

That’s it for me here. Let’s all rock on to the next incoming chapter \m/

Chapter 65: In the Balance

A loud, deep, rapid sniffing filled the air of the jungle. From around a tree trunk, Pluto appeared with his nose turned upward, sniffing deeply for traces of Minnie’s scent.

For as long as he had been searching, the hound dog began to think that Minnie could not possibly have gone so far into the jungle after their crash landing. Then again, he was still finding pieces of the broken bridge, even though he had traveled a long way from the crash site.

He bumped his nose against a broken piece of wooden plank and began sniffing it intently. The smells of wood, weather and dirt were all present on the plank. But, it was nothing that would lead him in the direction of his missing friends.

Nothing was turning out the way that Pluto wanted it. First, the bridge broke. Then he was separated from his friends. Now, he was stuck with some uppity little punk, who insisted on finding new ways to irritate him every second.

Sniffing deeply, Pluto’s bloodhound nose was registering scents that had passed even days ago. But, none of them seemed to lead to where he wanted. Then, his ears registered a new noise.

Somebody was sniffing along with him. A short, quick, rapid succession of sniffs that sounded so near. And yet, Pluto could not place exactly where the sounds were coming from.

He turned right, the sounds came from the left. He turned left, and the sounds came from the right.

Pluto used a paw to lift his ears, so that he could better detect the source of the noise. But no matter how he tried, the source eluded him.

Perhaps if he tried sniffing the source of the noise out.

Putting his nose back to the air, the hound dog sniffed as well as he could, carefully discerning each particle of every aroma that entered his nose. All he could get were the normal jungle scents of greenery, flowers and tree bark. The smells of small animals hiding in the brush were also quite prevalent. All around, pieces of the broken bridge were still catching his nose, but that was no good. The only other scent he could discern clearly was the little monkey who was bumming a ride off of him--

Hold on a second.

Pluto bared his teeth and whipped his head around to look at his tail. There, the little, blue monkey had its own nose turned up to the air and was sniffing over and over, same as Pluto.

“Grrrrr-Raff!!” Pluto shortly barked at the monkey.

The baby monkey quickly stopped sniffing and resumed idley hanging from Pluto’s tail. Pluto gave one last warning growl and the monkey innocently waved at him. And with that, the hound dog resumed his search for his friends.

The faint traces of Minnie’s scent were not fading, but they were growing no stronger. For a moment, Pluto wondered if there had been something that he had missed. Some crucial detail that he had overlooked during his search for his friends.

He thought he might be able to hear them from somewhere far off, and lifted one of his ears again.

“KEE-KEE-KEE!!!”

The high-pitched call pierced Pluto’s unprotected ears like a needle, sending an unpleasant vibration through his entire body.

“KEE-KEE!! UKO-KO-KEE!!!”

The little monkey was propped up into the air by its own tail and blaring like an air raid siren.

When Pluto recovered from the shock, he immediately started chasing after his own tail to catch the baby monkey and give him what for.

It was a game that Pluto had done to amuse himself ever since he was a puppy. And it always amused Mickey when he sat down to watch Pluto’s canine antics. This time, it was personal. The second Pluto caught his tail, he was going to give the passenger riding it a lesson he would never forget.

The little monkey jostled up and down, starting to feel slightly queasy from the unwanted ride he was being given.

The chase came to an abrupt stop when Pluto’s paws nearly went over the edge of the leafy platform that they were on. As quickly as anything, the hound dog backed up to safety and quickly growled a warning to the little monkey.

“KEE-KO-KO-UKA!!”

The call echoed somewhere in the distance, answering the shout of the little monkey. Any feeling of ill will between Pluto and his young charge faded in that moment. The sound was coming from the direction that Minnie’s scent was the strongest. Where the mother monkey was, there Minnie would be, along with Spike. Pluto would find his friends, and he would be rid of the little, blue pain in his tail. Except reaching them would prove difficult.

They had arrived at the edge of the platform, quite unintentionally. And in the direction that they were trying to go, the jump to the next platform was further than Pluto had to jump before.

Inching to the edge, Pluto looked down into the dark depths that waited below. If he failed his next jump, he would have been falling for who knew how long, until he hit the bottom. If there was a bottom.

Behind himself, Pluto felt his weight shifting toward the edge. Barely noticeable at first, until his front paw slipped over the side of the platform, making him scramble back away from the side.

Looking back, Pluto saw that the baby monkey had been trying to swing himself closer to the edge from his tail. The baby smiled innocently. He was just trying to see over the side. How was he supposed to know that moving to look might have sent them screaming into the abyss?

Pluto growled another warning and started looking for another way to cross the gap. There were no other nearby branches to jump to. No vines to cross, or outcroppings to follow. No way to circle around, until they reached the other platform. It was simply a straight shot, but with no way to clear it.

It was a problem that needed some thought. And so, Pluto sat plop on his haunches, sending a tremor through his tail that shook the little monkey loose.

The little monkey lifted his face up and spat out a mouthful of leaves. After being dropped so unceremoniously, he was not about to be left in the dust by his only means of transportation.

He crawled over to Pluto’s tail and tried to grab for it with his own, only for the hound dog’s tail to swish out of the way. He tried again, and again Pluto’s tail swished aside.

The little monkey was taken completely by surprise when Pluto’s tail wagged up and hit him in the nose. After the sudden shock had worn off, he watched and observed the movements of the hound dog’s tail.

It wagged up and down rapidly, preventing any means of grabbing for it. So, the little monkey gave up and sulked on the leafy platform, waiting for the time when Pluto came up with the solution to cross over to the other side.

But, it was the baby who found the solution first.

All around them, the answer to their problem was lying broken and strewn about. And chattering quietly and contemplatively to himself, the little monkey scampered over to collect the needed items.

At the edge of the platform, Pluto sat and meditated a way across. He thought he might climb the trunk of the nearest tree and take a leap of faith from there. Except even if he landed from that height, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t end up the world’s flattest hound dog.

His thoughts were interrupted by something landing lightly on his head. After shaking it off, Pluto found that it was a length of rope from the broken bridge. And it wriggled again after it landed.

Startled by the sudden movement, Pluto nearly fell over the side of the platform again. After collecting himself, he saw the little monkey scamper over and take hold of the rope near the end closest to the edge.

It would be a cinch. The blue baby had done this many times before with his own tail, so doing it with a rope would surely be no problem at all. He twirled the rope around, throwing his whole arm into the motion. After building up a proper momentum, he tossed the rope as best he could to the other side. Unfortunately, his child strength failed him, and the rope barely got five feet from them.

Pluto rolled his eyes at the effort. Though his intentions were in the right, there was no way the blue punk was going to be able to make the throw. Pluto, on the other paw, had worked with Mickey, Donald and Goofy on ships, on ranches and on the sides of buildings. All of which required ropework. So, putting his knowledge of such things to use, the hound dog put his paws and jaws to work, until a great, round knot was tied at the end of the rope.

Once the knot was tied, the blue monkey balled up his fingers into a fist and held it up beside the knot. There was some resemblance between the two, and the monkey chattered happily at the discovery, running circles in childish joy.

Young minds were always easily amused, Pluto noted, before he started swinging his rope and let it fly from his jaws.

The knot flew through the air, carrying its length behind it. It sailed all the way to the other side, and caught itself between two outcropping branches.

Pluto had just finished securing the knot at his end of the gap when the little monkey trotted over with another rope. The process was repeated and now two ropes were spread a little less than two feet apart from one another.

The last part of the puzzle was delivered when the little monkey pushed over as many bits of plank as he could. Pluto took the first plank and placed it directly across the two ropes, then turned to pick up another.

The plank was broken already, and so it was discarded. The next plank was also broken. The next was broken lengthwise, and offered hardly any foothold. One was hardly more than a splinter. Finally at the bottom of the pile, there was another intact plank.

That was it. They had two frayed ropes and two proper planks to use. A rudimentary look around proved that there were no other usable pieces of wood. And it would waste too much time to go back and look for more.

There was a weight on Pluto’s tail, and he saw that the little monkey had already set himself up for a ride.

The young passenger chirped inquisitively, looking ahead at the pitiful bridge they had built.

It was now or never. If they wanted to find their friends again, they would have to brave the danger before them.

Taking the second plank in his teeth, Pluto placed it ahead of the first. Then, he positioned his front paws on the front plank, and his back paws on the rear.

The ropes sagged slightly beneath his weight, but held securely to their anchors. And so, the perilous progression began.

Pluto scooted the front plank beneath his paws forward, followed by the back plank. Slowly and carefully, he inched along the length of the ropes, taking care not to look too far down.

Things were progressing very smoothly, if not slowly. Until they reached the middle of the gap. There, the weight of the passengers started to spread the ropes further apart.

Beneath them, the passengers could feel the ropes sliding out from beneath them. Sweat dripped down Pluto’s forehead as he whimpered quietly, trying his best to keep the ropes underneath the board.

Winching himself down with his tail, the little monkey grabbed one of the ropes and pulled it closer to the middle of the planks. But, it was still uneven. The little monkey reached a rear paw to the opposite rope, stretching as far as he could to grasp it. And just when he felt his little leg was going to pull loose, he could feel his toes touch the rough, hempen cord. Finally, he was able to grab the rope and pulled as best he could toward the middle.

Pluto felt the ropes steadily shift to beneath them. Looking between his legs, he saw the little monkey straining to keep ahold of the two ropes.

The little monkey turned his head and offered a reassuring, if not forced, smile. And with that, Pluto looked ahead and carefully started shuffling forward again.

Progress was slower than ever now. Pluto made perfectly sure that he was going to give his young charge the time that he needed to maintain his grip on the ropes.

Behind him, the little monkey was shimmying along, always with his hands and feet on the ropes and his tail tightly wound around Pluto’s.

The little monkey breathed in cadence with every fourth grip, keeping his pace with each rhythmic movement.

They were getting closer to the other side. The little monkey could feel the ropes resisting his pull less and less under his aching limbs. After a few more feet had passed, he thought that maybe it would be safe to loosen his grip on one of the ropes.

At the front, Pluto could feel the rope sliding out from beneath the planks again. Looking between his legs again, he saw the blue punk slacking off on his duty to keep them from falling.

Pluto yelped at the monkey, who looked up from his work. Momentarily distracted, the little monkey let the rope slide completely from his grip.

The rope snapped outward, forcing everything and everyone upon it to fall.

Pluto only just managed to hook his two right paws around the rope that did not move. As he swung down, he caught the falling wooden plank in his teeth.

Behind him, the little monkey stretched down as far as he could and grabbed the other plank.

Pluto’s momentum made him swing around the rope, and he was just able to catch the swinging left rope with his other paw and place the plank in his teeth upon them. At the rear, the little monkey lowered himself down and placed the other plank behind them.

There they were. Pluto’s whole body arched up, his rear paws stuck in the air, while the little monkey hung from his tail.

It was not a pretty predicament. But, the other platform looked so close.

Not about to give up, Pluto grasped the rope on either side with his paws and scooted forward on the plank in his teeth. Next, he scooted his tail slightly closer to his front. Behind him, the little monkey kept hold of the second plank to keep Pluto’s undulating body stable.

Like an oversized inchworm, the two were scooting their way across the gap. And soon, the edge was upon them.

Pluto was a mere foot from the edge of the platform. He could practically feel the grass beneath his paws and reached for it. But, the closer he came, he started to slide back. And when he tried to hurry forward, he felt the ropes wobble.

Now that they were so close, their own weight was making the ropes slope backwards, preventing them from reaching their destination. They had come so far, and after overcoming so many snags, they were at a standstill.

The little monkey was not about to give up. Though young, he was still an experienced jumper. And with jumping there came other skills and abilities.

He looked at the distance they had to go, then to Pluto’s arching body. What he had to work with was more than enough.

The little monkey carefully started springing on his arms, gradually getting more and more forceful. Before Pluto had a chance to admonish him again, the monkey jumped up and over, flipping the hound dogs haunches straight up.

Pluto’s equilibrium wobbled front and back, but the blue monkey held on. And for what little weight his young body held, the monkey continually resisted Pluto’s attempts to wobble backward to the rope.

Enough was enough. The little monkey opened his mouth and chomped hard on Pluto’s tail.

“BOOOOOWWW!!!”

Pluto yelped loudly and jerked forward. His front paws let go of the ropes completely, but his back landed on the platform.

Once he had landed on the platform, the little monkey grabbed Pluto’s tail in his front paws and started pulling as hard as his baby strength could manage.

For the first time since they had started across the ropes Pluto was gazing directly down in the depths of the jungle. A surge of fear shot through him, spurring his back legs into action. Quicker than he ever knew he could, the hound dog crawled onto the solid surface until his entire backside felt the prickles of the twigs beneath himself.

All seemed well, and Pluto’s middle expanded to full breadth as he filled his lungs to capacity. Before the sigh ever left him, all the air in his system was punched out of him by repeated tiny jumps.

Joyful chatters filled the jungle around them, as the little monkey jumped up and down. Gradually, his celebration stopped when he felt Pluto have less and less spring with each bounce. When the spring let out altogether, he peered over Pluto’s nose to look the hound dog in the eye.

“Eek-ee-kee?” the monkey asked.

Pluto answered by snorting in the baby’s face, making the little punk roll off of him. Once the monkey was off, Pluto stood back up and shook the leaves from his fur.

It took him no time to notice the scent he had been following was stronger now than it was before. They had gone in the right direction, and were now back on track to getting where they needed to be.

Before him, Pluto watched the blue punk stand up on his tail and start calling loudly out to the jungle again.

“KEE-KEE!!

They stopped and listened again. And in a moment, the answer came back.

“OOK-KEE-KEE-KO-KO!!”

The smell was stronger, but the call of the mother monkey was no nearer than it was before.

There was still a ways to go, until they both got to where they wanted. Wasting no time to get going, Pluto lowered his tail for the little monkey to tie his tail around, and the two were off.

As they walked across the platform, a ray of sunlight caught something in the wedge of two branches. Something that shimmered like a cluster of twinkling starlight.

Curious to the nature of it, the little monkey climbed up the tree trunk and investigated the find.

“UK-KEE-KEE!!” called the mother monkey to the jungle.

She listened intently for the reply, as did her green child. And somewhere in the distance, the weak reply.

“Ko-kee!”

Somehow, something seemed off about the call. She could not put any of her fingers on it, but something about the call made the mother feel uneasy.

Still, the call had come from somewhere, and the only thing to do was to follow it.

The overlarge flower pod on the branch behind the monkeys compressed and recoiled suddenly. In another moment, the mouse who had jumped on it landed behind the two monkeys.

“I swear, from now on I’m going to wear more sensible clothes before I go walking through magic mirrors,” Minnie said, as she fixed her skirt and replaced the shoe she nearly lost.

After fixing her clothes, she noticed the mother monkey beckoning her in the direction they were facing.

“This way?” Minnie asked.

The mother monkey trotted onward with her baby in tow, and Minnie following after.

Minnie followed them around the bend of a tree trunk and promptly walked into a hanging segment of bridge.

“Oh--!” Minnie yelped, when her nose hit the planks. “Honestly. How bad could that crash have been?”

Before she was able to walk around the hanging bridge, she saw the mother monkey pacing frantically at the edge of the leafy platform they were on.

Beyond the point they were at, there was a semblance of civilization. Round huts were built onto the leafy platforms that grew from the trees, and were connected by several rope bridges.

“A town!” Minnie exclaimed.

Any kind of help from anybody would have been appreciated. Except that the gap between them and the little treetop town was too wide for Minnie to cross. Likely, it was even so for the mother monkey.

Fortunately, they had exactly the thing that they needed to cross the gap.

Taking the dangling end of the broken bridge in her hands, Minnie cracked it like a rug, sending a wave through the entire structure. When the wave reached the top end, the part that was snagged came loose and rolled up into a manageable, portable bundle.

Now that she had the means to cross, the mouse readily employed it. And just the same as unrolling a blanket for a camping trip, the bridge unfurled its full length across the gap. At the far end, the ropes of the bridge wedged between the planks that surrounded the foundation of the nearest hut, and the end of the bridge nearest was securely tied into the branches beneath the leafy ground.

The mother monkey went first, carefully walking along as her green child nervously watched the ropes that held the end of the bridge. After they safely reached the other side, Minnie followed suit.

Under her weight, the bridge gently rocked back and forth.

Minnie froze completely, waiting for a sign that this part of the bridge may break as well. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.

Every step she took afterward, Minnie was looking at the bridge, careful not to get her heels caught between the planks.

In another moment, the planks of the hut’s foundation appeared into view and Minnie found herself safely on the other side.

“I guess I had nothing to worry about,” she almost giggled.

There was a sudden clattering of wood, and the farthest end of the bridge came undone, slapping hard against the branches of the tree they were at.

Glancing back, but not daring to look over the ledge, Minnie saw what had almost become of herself.

The mother monkey curiously looked over the edge to see what had happened, while her child hung as far back as he could.

“Goodness!” Minnie quietly gasped to herself.

It was then that she noticed something quite off. Even though it was the middle of the day, the town was deathly quiet. All that was heard were the ambient sounds of rustling leaves and the calls of distant birds.

“Hello!” Minnie called out.

No answer came.

“KEE-KEE!!” the mother monkey called.

“Kee-kee!” came the reply.

The answer sounded closer than ever now.

The green baby clapped his hands and feet together, and chattered excitedly. Soon, he was going to be rejoined by his siblings, and they could be a family again.

Far off, another pair of dark, round ears registered the call and hurried toward the direction.

The pursuer wove her way through the trees, effortlessly slipping this way and that as she chased down her quarry.

She jumped across a gap and landed on a lower branch. Her claws dug deep into the wood, before she hopped to the next branch, quickly closing in on her prey.

Author's Note

This is a pretty predicament. The closer they get to finding one another, the closer their hunter gets to finding them all at once.

A while back, one of you readers commented that certain parts of this story really did feel like a video game. What with parts that seemed like a quick time event, or timed events. I never really thought of those chapters as being video game-like, but I guess it’s only fitting, considering the nature of this crossover. This time, however, inspiration was taken directly from games.

So far, the entire segments with Pluto and his blue companion were inspired by old time platformers. Specifically: Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Mega Man and of course The Magical Quest.

I remember that there was somebody else who commented a while back about how they could easily imagine Minnie’s battle against The Massster having 16-bit graphics, with prop clouds and hills for platforms and a giant snake looming in the background. I hope all of you could picture a 2D, 16-bit Pluto jumping across those tree branches. Because I sure did.

For anybody who doesn’t get that part where the blue monkey is so happy about the knot, it’s because the knot that Pluto ties is called a ‘monkey fist.’ And the way that Pluto uses it to add weight and anchorage to the rope is the way people actually do it.

One of the references that I like to add to my stories was kind of easy to miss here, but it was where the treetop town was mentioned. Treetop town was one of the levels from the original Donkey Kong Country. Anybody know of any good Donkey Kong stories? I’d gladly read them if there are any worth reading.

Normally, I spout off about whatever’s on my mind at this part. But, I don’t have anything particularly interesting to share this time. Sorry, all. But, I will advise you to keep safe out there.

That’s all for me. What waits for us in the next chapter? More lives in the balance. Literally? Figuratively? You’ll see in a little while. Rock on \m/

Chapter 66: Unwanted Help

Higher and higher up the tree the little, blue monkey went, determined to discover the source of the twinkle.

Down on his platform of leaves, Pluto looked warily up at the baby’s progress. He himself had worked some jobs that required him to be up high, and knew the dangers that came with ascent. Namely: falling.

Taking no chances for the baby monkey’s safety, the hound dog started climbing up the vines that wrapped around the tree trunk.

For Pluto, the ascent was just as hazardous as the jury-rigged bridge they just had to cross. Now, he was starting to feel the terror of falling all over again. Even if there was a solid bed of leaves just beneath him.

His paws fumbled about for a place to anchor to. And when he was finally able to reach a suitable spot, he would find himself stretching his limbs even further for the next one.

As for the blue monkey, he was having far less trouble than his canine caretaker. His little paws and long tail were expertly wrapping around anything that was within their reach. And with almost no effort at all, he was able to climb well up the side of the tree.

The little twinkle of light was shining more brightly than before, beckoning the blue monkey onward. Every moment that the light was beyond his reach, the little monkey grew more excited. What new and marvelous thing the source of the light could be?

He was nearly at it, when all of a sudden he ran out of things to climb. The vines did not wind that far up, and the bark was too smooth to grip with his baby-sized paws.

Looking up, the blue monkey saw the twinkling light as radiant and intriguing as ever. Whatever it was, he would not be satisfied until he was able to investigate it.

From below, something set itself on the baby’s back paws and elevated him upward. When the sudden ascent stopped nearly twelve inches up, the little monkey glanced down and saw that he was standing on the very tip of Pluto’s snout.

Pluto’s paws stretched wide around the tree, gripping tightly to keep his hold. And with a reassuring (though strained) smile, he ushered his young companion on.

The blue monkey chattered his thanks and turned back to look at the wedge between the branches where the light had been coming from.

The twinkling light had gone. The baby looked left and right for the source of the light, but was unable to see anything that could have made it.

His childish curiosity got the better of him, and he climbed up into the wedge of the branches to try and find what was there, wrapping his tail around Pluto’s snout for support.

Pluto snorted and twitched his snout after getting a nose full of fur and shook the little monkey slightly.

Paying no mind to the jostle he had been given, the little, blue monkey curiously poked around the leaf litter that was collected in the wedge of branches. There was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. Fallen leaves, the occasional twig, a caterpillar (which was promptly eaten by the baby), but nothing that could have made a twinkling light.

The only other thing up there was a perfectly clear rock. A rock unlike any that the little monkey had ever seen. First, he tried gently chewing on it, but could not sink his teeth into the surface. He tried banging it against the branches, hoping that something good could be found within its hard outer surface. But, no matter how he tried, he could not break the stone. Then again, maybe there was nothing inside.

He held it up in front of his eye, and saw the tree warped and compounded through it.

The little monkey jumped at the revelation and looked thoughtfully at the rock. He looked through it again and held his tiny paw in front of it. As if he had grown ten more arms, there were his many hands waving back at him.

With a growing sense of glee, the little monkey lowered the stone and looked at his own hand. Then at his hand through the stone again. He giggled gleefully at all of the wonderful ways that he could make his many hands kaleidoscopically interact with one another. He made them all shake each other as if to greet. He made them all dance. Somehow, he even got them to perform like a three ring circus.

The strain of gripping the tree was starting to get to Pluto. His four legs began to shake. Shortly after, he could feel one of the toes on his front legs pop loose. He crossed his next toe over the one that had popped loose to press it back down. When he did, the toe next to that came undone.

On his other three paws, Pluto could feel his toes loosing themselves from the tree one by one. Soon, he began to lurch backward ever so slightly.

The blue monkey was so engrossed in his game that he hardly noticed the gentle tensile pressure that was pulling on him. Just as he was doing hand puppets and watching his hands arrange into different animals, he yelped as he was suddenly yanked from the wedge in the branches.

Monkey and hound dog went plummeting back down to the leafy platform below, where they landed with a crunch.

The blue monkey shook his head lucid, then pulled his shiny rock from the leaves. It was a moment of celebration for him. Not only had he climbed the biggest tree he had ever attempted, but he had a pretty prize to show for it. He danced a little dance, and when he finished with a spin, he noticed that Pluto was not moving.

There in the leaves the hound dog lay, his four legs spread out in all directions, jaw slacked, and eyes wide open and gazing blankly upward.

“Kee-kee? Koo-kee-kee-kook-eek-ee?” the blue monkey asked, as he peered into Pluto’s dead eyes.

“Uuuhhhhh…” Pluto weakly whimpered in reply.

“Ku-ku-ka,” the monkey replied, jostling Pluto’s snout.

Pluto gave no response.

The little monkey paused and thought for a moment. Something had to be done to get his canine companion moving again. He started by waving his little paw in front of Pluto’s eyes. Next, he put his tail to Pluto’s mouth and began motorboating his lips up and down. But, to no avail. Finally, he began tapping Pluto’s forehead with the shiny rock he had retrieved.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. But when the rock caught a gleam of sunlight that was shining through the canopy, there was a sudden glint of light that flashed before Pluto’s eyes.

Clarity and lucidity shot through Pluto’s brain, and he jolted to his paws like a cat with a bad case of fleas. And like a cat with fleas, he began scratching himself silly to get the twigs out of his fur.

“Kee-kee! Kee-kee!” the little monkey celebrated, then got Pluto’s attention by tugging on the hound dog’s ear.

Pluto stopped gnawing his back and saw the little monkey chattering excitedly and pointing at the shiny rock he now had. As far as Pluto could tell, the rock had done nothing special to have snapped him out of his semi-catatonic state. Merely the bright flash of light hurt his eyes to the point that he was able to become aware of other things. The same result could easily have been achieved if the blue punk had bitten his tail. But, Pluto allowed the little monkey his victory and allowed him to anchor onto his tail again.

As they walked further on into the jungle, the little monkey held his shiny prize close. Now when he found his family, he would have something to show to them. Oh, how jealous his siblings were going to be.

Somewhere in the treetop village, a young monkey was separated from its family. And after the call that its mother sounded, the mother monkey became more determined than ever to find her lost child.

Minnie began aiding the search by looking around the nearest hut for any sign of life. Peering through a window, she saw that inside was a small room with a bedroll on the floor and a small desk. On the walls, garishly striped masks stared toward the center of the room, keeping watch over the dusty furniture that remained.

From below, Minnie felt a small hand tug on her skirt. Looking down, she saw the mother monkey, who started gently nudging her leg.

“Oh. Excuse me,” Minnie said, as she stepped to the side.

The mother monkey chattered a reply, then hopped through the windowsill to start looking for her missing child.

“Wait!” Minnie called after, as she crawled through the window next.

Shortly after she got her foot on the sill, the heel of her shoe caught on it and made her fall forward.

“Oh! Darn these high heels!” Minnie grumbled.

But, the answer to her fashion woes were staring right in front of her.

Beside the bedroll on the floor, covered in dust were a set of folded safari khakis. Next to them, a pair of trail boots.

It was the perfect find. Judging from how they were covered in as much dust as everything else in the hut, there would be nobody who was going to miss them. To get started, she began by removing her cumbersome high heels.

In the next room, the mother monkey searched for the source of the call she had heard just before. Though it sounded so near, she doubted that it was going to be found in that particular hut.

On the end of her tail, she felt her green child bobbing up and down. Recognizing it as a sign that he was trying to get her attention, the mother turned to face her baby.

The green monkey was pointing toward a spot on the wooden floor. A sickly red spot that was slightly smeared across the floor. One that looked much fresher than any blemish of grime that had become prevalent in that hut.

Worry welled up in the mother, who frantically called out again.

“KEE-KEE!!!”

Just as Minnie was putting on her pith helmet, she heard the call returned.

“Kee-kee…”

From the next room, Minnie heard a sudden pattering of the mother monkey hurrying out of the hut.

“Hold on! I’m coming!” she called, as she hurried out of the room.

Unknown to herself, she was being watched from the branch across from the hut. The very same where she had crossed over into the treetop village.

Just as the pursuer saw the top of Minnie’s ears disappear from view, she backed up and crouched low.

Like a coiled spring that had just been released, the pursuer ran and leapt across the gap as easily as anything. And with a loud clatter, she dug her claws into the wooden planks of the bridge that had just fallen loose. After waiting a moment for the bridge to settle, she began stealthily climbing up.

Minnie heard the noise of the planks outside, and stopped to look behind herself just as she was leaving the room. Seeing nothing beyond, she dismissed it as the rest of the bridge simply coming loose and hurried into the next room.

What she saw there was a sight she had not expected. Where there was likely a door at one time was a great, big hole broken through the wall, as if something enormous had broken through.

The call of the missing baby sounded again. So, with one last look at the jagged, broken opening, Minnie reasoned that whatever had made it had long since gone and exited the hut.

She was back on the circular platform that was built around the hut, and saw that in the place of any roads were wooden planks set on the clusters of leaves and twigs that made up the solid platforms. Across the gaps were more of the rope bridges that Minnie was rapidly growing wary of. More worrying still were the broken planks that looked as if something enormously heavy had walked on them, and the deep scratches on the wooden planks beneath her boots.

Somewhere nearby, the call of the mother monkey sounded off, and Minnie followed it across one of the bridges.

“Miss Monkey!? Where are you?” Minnie called out.

Behind herself, the tail end of a yellow-eyed shadow crawled beneath the underside of the platform the hut was on.

As she crossed, Minnie was careful to watch her footing. Though the boots she wore made her footing more stable across the planks, the way the planks were crookedly strewn about were a touch disconcerting to herself.

Minnie steadily made her way across, unaware of what was lurking beneath.

As slowly and steadily as Minnie on the topside, the yellow-eyed shadow crept along the underside of the planks. For every spot where Minnie’s weight was centered, the pursuer was careful to balance it out, ever mindful not to give herself away.

She was growing closer to Minnie. Closing the gap between them with every coordinated step.

On the top of the bridge, Minnie lost her footing and started wobbling around.

“Rgh! A million mice in the world, and I get the one klutz!” the pursuer thought to herself, and started speeding up toward the other end of the bridge.

Minnie’s head was tilted back, so she did not notice when something passed beneath her through the planks. As it passed, the weight of the bridge began to center in front of Minnie, who started slowly leaning herself toward her center of gravity. After freezing mid-teeter, the mouse was finally able to lean her foot down to solid ground.

“Thank goodness,” Minnie sighed to herself, before continuing across.

At the end of the bridge where the branches clustered together, a pair of yellow eyes peered out from within. Minnie was growing closer to her. All she had to do now was reach out and take her the moment that the mouse was close enough.

Minnie nearly reached the other side, when she noticed how the last few planks were broken. Too far for her to step across. She was going to have to jump for it.

She took a step back, mindful not to put her feet on any broken planks. And with a burst of energy, she leapt forth.

The feeling of momentary weightlessness surged through Minnie as she reached the height of her jump. So much that she did not even feel the waft of air from a clawed hand that just barely missed grabbing her ankle.

Minnie’s boots landed on the planks outside the next hut with a solid thud. As if she had sent some kind of signal, her landing was answered with a loud, “KEE-KEE!”

“Miss Monkey? Is that you?” Minnie called.

“Minnie!?”

The answer nearly stopped Minnie’s heart. Following her ears, she entered the nearest hut and found herself in a room with two chairs and a rug of dried plants. Then, from around the doorway at the end of the room appeared a diminutive, purple-scaled, green-eyed figure.

“Spike!” Minnie shouted. She rushed across the room and threw her arms around the little dragon, lifting him off of the ground. “I’m so sorry I lost you, Spike! I’ll never let you out of my sight again!”

Gradually, Minnie put Spike down on the floor. While he looked perfectly happy to see her again, something about the dragon’s smile troubled her. Then, his smile faded to a worried frown.

“Minnie. There’s something you should see over here,” he said.

Taking Minnie by the hand, Spike led her through the doorway to the next room. There, all manner of medical tools and salves were placed on the many shelves that were present. At least on the shelves that had not broken. Everything else seemed like it had been on the floor for many months, if not years.

It was on the table in the corner that Minnie saw something that made her gasp out loud. The mother monkey was cradling something very small in her arms, holding it like it was the most fragile thing in the world. For all of the bandages that it was wrapped up in, Minnie could hardly tell what it was, until she noticed a long, black, broken tail protruding from the mother’s arms.

“Spike! That’s…” Minnie stopped herself when she saw the way the mother monkey was looking at her injured child. “Oh, Miss Monkey! I’m so sorry.”

“Chee-kee-kee?” said the green baby, as he looked over his mother’s shoulder at his sibling.

The mother did not answer in any intelligible way, other than a quiet moan.

“She’s hurt really bad, Minnie,” Spike said. “I found her like that after the bridge broke. I thought I could find help when I found this village, but there just isn’t anypony around here. If she doesn’t get help soon--”

The injured baby’s labored breaths filled the room suddenly. So quiet, but at the same time so pervasive.

Looking at the mother monkey’s face, Minnie was immediately reminded of their last moments in Blaiddru. When Taffy was faced with the reality of losing what was most precious to her. Now, just the same as it had been before, Minnie decided that it would be best to leave the family to their grieving.

It was hard to tell from all of the bandages that Spike had applied, but it looked to Minnie as if all that was really injured were the child’s arm and tail. Still, what had happened was grievous enough to make Minnie want to leave the family to their reunion.

“We should let them be. Come on, Spike. Let’s give them a minute,” Minnie said, before she turned to lead Spike from the room.

For a brief moment, Spike resisted Minnie’s gentle pull, then relented and allowed himself to go.

Before they left the room, the mother monkey used her tail to lower herself from the table and trotted carefully over to her companions.

“Ko-ko,” she said.

“We’re not leaving. We’re just--” Minnie tried to explain.

“Kee-kee-kee-ko,” the mother said, as she gently tugged on Minnie’s arm with her tail.

With her tail still loosely holding to Minnie, the mother monkey walked to a hole that had been broken through the wall and gave a gentle tug on the mouse’s wrist.

“I think she wants us to go with her,” Minnie said.

“Do you think she knows a way to help her baby?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.”

Minnie and Spike both followed after the mother monkey, whose tail was quickly occupied by her green child the moment it was released from Minnie’s wrist.

As they exited, Spike took a brief moment to look at the hole that they were exiting through.

“What do you think made this hole?” he wondered.

“I couldn’t begin to guess,” Minnie replied. “But, whatever it was, I’m sure it’s long--GONE!!”

The second that Minnie turned to the side, her first step took her plunging over a broken part of the platform, which was built atop a patch of loosely packed leaves. And as soon as her foot touched down, the weight of her missed step took her right through.

“Minnie!” Spike shouted, before he started hastily climbing through the loose debris.

Though dense and pointed, the many twigs were no match for Spike’s thick scales. He climbed down through the platform, calling Minnie’s name.

“Minnie!” Spike shouted again.

“Down here!” Minnie answered.

Though only a few feet, it felt like several hundred had been passed by the time Spike was able to move past the inside of the leafy platform. He held fast to the lowest branch and looked down, where he saw Minnie holding onto a lower branch.

“S-Stay there! I’m coming down!” Spike stammered, as he tried to regain his bearings after a sudden bout of vertigo. Keeping his gaze from wandering downward, he started climbing toward Minnie.

From where she was hanging, Minnie could see Spike’s progress perfectly. Every time he moved one of his limbs, her heart missed a beat. No matter how hard she tried, she could only picture what would happen if he somehow missed his footing while he was moving toward her.

For Spike, it was all he could think about as well. No matter how easily he was able to get his claws onto something, he could never shake the idea that he may slip on his next move.

“Kee-kee!” the mother monkey called out from another branch she had walked to.

“Find something to help us!” Minnie called out.

Upon Minnie’s request, the mother monkey set her green baby down and gently passed his injured sister to his care, before she started searching for a means to assist.

Spike’s grunting diverted Minnie’s attention back to him, where she saw the little dragon stretching his arm out to grab his next hold.

“Be careful! I don’t think you should go that way!” Minnie called up.

“I know! But, it’s the quickest way down!” Spike replied.

He reached his claw out, just barely able to brush the next hold.

“Go back and try another way!” Minnie said.

“I can do it! Just a little further!”

Spike could feel the tip of his claw anchor to the next hold. Throwing caution to the wind, he let go of what he was holding then and leaned his whole body into his reach.

Minnie yelped when she saw Spike’s whole body turn, then swing as he clambered to grab ahold.

“I’m okay!” Spike shouted down, now directly above Minnie. “I can get down now! I just need to--find something!”

He climbed down nearly two hooves, when he found what he needed. A small branch that grew from the trunk. Though small and stubby, it was just what was called for.

Opening his mouth, Spike carefully extended his tongue to wrap around the branch. Once that was secured, he started slowly lowering himself until he reached his limit.

“Mi-ee? Ca’ oo reath me?” he asked.

Minnie reached up for Spike’s tail, but found that she was unable to reach.

“I can’t. You’re too high up,” she replied.

Spike tried to find a way to lower himself more, but only strained his tongue and jaw when he did. There had been no other branches to secure himself to. Somehow, he was going to have to come up with a new way.

“KEE-KEE!” came the mother monkey’s urgent call.

“Have you found something?” Minnie asked.

When she looked, she saw that the mother monkey had not found anything to help. Instead, she was pointing urgently in one direction.

“Whuh issit?” Spike asked.

Their question was answered in a most peculiar way. A rope bridge, planks and all suddenly unrolled low enough for both Minnie and Spike to grab on to. A cursory look, and Minnie thought it may have been the one that she had used to cross into the tree top village. Though it had been modified if it was, the way that two metal hooks were secured to the ropes at the end.

Looking up, she saw who had provided her salvation.

A lithe black panther laid across the edge of the wooden platform above, clad in a tank top and cargo shorts. Strapped to her back was a backpack, which though small looked loaded to capacity. For several seconds, she sat silently, fixing her great, yellow stare on Minnie.

“So, grab on,” she finally said.

Minnie remained silent and motionless. Though the ticket to her and Spike’s salvation was literally staring her in the face, a familiar feeling of unease was coursing through herself.

“Don’t hang around, girl. You and your kiddo gotta get out o’ there, don’t ya?” the panther said.

“What will you do if we do?” Minnie asked.

“How’s that?” the panther replied.

“Wha’ ‘ill you do to uth ith we do cli’ up there?” Spike answered for Minnie.

“Sorry, can’t understand ya. Ya got kinda a lisp,” the panther chuckled.

“What will you do to us if we climb up there?” Minnie repeated for Spike.

“Pfft,” the panther scoffed, rolling her eyes, “Ya judge everyone tryin’ to help you this harshly? You guys got real trust issues.”

“It’s hard to trust much anyone, after meeting the people we did,” Minnie said.

“Yeah. Afther the--” Spike tried to answer, before his aching tongue began to slip loose. He grabbed the nearby ladder for support and retracted his tongue back into his mouth. “--After the giant, killer snake and the brainwashed theows, how do we know you won’t try anything funny? For all we know, you’re the one who broke the bridge and busted up the village,” Spike accused.

“Kid, what are you talkin’ about? Ya think I’m big enough to make a hole like the one in the wall over there? That thing musta been beefier than a herd o’ cows. Besides that, didn’t you see all the dust? Nobody’s been here in a long time. So, that makes you two even luckier that I just happened to be in the neighborhood, offerin’ my help to bail you out of trouble.” The panther looked directly at Minnie, “So, how ‘bout it, girl? Your dragon pal’s already grabbed on. That makes me about half done with you guys, before I go on with my life.”

“How do we know you won’t knock the bridge over?” Minnie asked.

“You’re just gonna have to take my word,” the panther replied with a shrug.

Spike thought a moment, then answered, “Stand against the wall while we climb up.”

“No can do, little man. Somebody’s gotta make sure these hooks stay secure. Who else is gonna do that? Your little monkey friends? Ya got one too small, one way over there, an’ one that’s broken. You’re gonna have to get past these hangups, an’ trust me already,” the panther said.

Minnie looked pensively at the improvised ladder. At the moment, it was her easiest (if not only) way out of her predicament. On the other hand, she could not be sure if the panther talking to her was in league with the likes of the doctor or The Massster.

She reached out a hand and grabbed the bottommost plank.

“That’s the stuff,” the panther said. She then noticed how Minnie was still holding onto the branch that she was hanging from. With an exasperated sigh, she continued. “Look, girl, I got me a lot o’ stuff to do. I got things to find, things to guard, things to deliver, an’ a whole bunch o’ other stuff. An’ none o’ that involves you two. So if ya really want, I’ll pack up my bridge an’ go. Good luck gettin’ an offer as good as mine from anyone else ‘round here. Oh, wait: there ain’t anyone else ‘round here.”

Minnie tightened her fingers around the plank she held.

“Spike,” she quietly said, “Hold onto the bridge as tightly as you can.”

No matter what the reason Minnie had told him, Spike obeyed and dug his claws into the wooden planks.

At the top of the platform, the panther was doing the same. Her patience with Minnie and Spike had run out, and just as she was about to start hauling the bridge up with the two of them, Minnie executed her plan.

Holding the bottommost plank firmly, she snapped her arm back and cracked the whole bridge like a rug, just the same as she did to enter the village.

An arch traveled along the length of the bridge like an ocean wave. Spike held tighter still as the wave undulated beneath him and passed upward.

At the top, the wave unhooked the bridge from the platform above, and slapped the panther in the face, before it dropped down.

“Kee-kee-kee-kee!!” the mother monkey shouted when she saw Minnie and Spike suddenly fall, then rushed to collect her children.

The panther growled to herself, quickly rubbing her sore jaw and nose before collecting herself. Once the shock of pain had passed, she jumped right over the edge of the platform, and freefell toward her opponents.

Minnie cracked the bridge again in mid-air, making the hooks at the far end snag into the tree trunk in front of them.

The hooks gripped well enough, but the weight of its two passengers dragged it down, creating deep grooves in the wooden surface of the tree.

Spike dug his claws into the tree next, slowing them down enough that they nearly stopped.

Before they lost their inertia, a black, yellow-eyed shape fell past them, nearly missing Minnie as it went.

The panther grabbed a stub of a branch and swung around it, before digging her claws into the tree trunk and climbing swiftly toward Minnie and Spike.

Seeing the danger below, Minnie cracked the bridge again.

The bridge loosed from the tree, allowing Minnie to swing it over to hook onto the next tree trunk.

Spike stopped the impact by straightening his tail against the trunk and using it to absorb most of the shock. He felt it in his back and tail mostly, but was otherwise unhurt.

Thanks to Spike, Minnie was able to land with nothing more than a sudden stop and quickly swung to the side.

The panther leapt to the next tree, swung from a small branch and landed against the trunk of Minnie and Spike’s neighboring tree.

Minnie unhooked the bridge and swung it to the next nearest tree branch. As she and Spike swung around the next tree, Spike looked over his shoulder and saw the panther climbing along a tree trunk as if she were running. The moment she reached the end of the curve in the tree’s trunk, she jumped to the tree that they were swinging around.

Whether by quick thinking or by panic, Spike prematurely released the bridge from its anchor and let them nearly drop down into the abyss.

Only nearly, as they were suddenly stopped in mid-drop.

Glancing up, the bridge’s passengers saw the mother monkey grasping the topmost plank of the bridge with her excessively long tail. And at the end of their swing, she released them.

The hooks at the top of the bridge snagged into the edge of a leafy platform. With her companions safe, the mother monkey started using her three free appendages and her tail to hurriedly, yet carefully, climb downward.

The injured child in her arm whimpered quietly from the bumpy descent, but she knew that she could not slow down. A predator was after them.

Now riding on his mother’s shoulders, the green baby hung tightly, trying not to look down. A sudden thump at the next landing made him recoil and involuntarily look to where they were going. For as long as he had been growing up, his mother had always taught him to run away from anything with teeth bigger than his own. Now, they were running right toward one of those things.

Minnie tried to release the hooks of the bridge from the platform, but they were stuck too deeply into the tangle of twigs.

Nothing could be done by the time that the panther landed surprisingly lightly upon the leafy platform. The moment she landed, she began hauling up the broken bridge.

Minnie and Spike tried to swing free, but there was no escaping the panther’s grip this time. And the nearest safe landing was the platform that they were being pulled toward.

Spike lashed out his tongue and pulled them closer to the tree trunk. With one strong pull, he was able to get close enough to allow Minnie to dig the hooks at the bottom of the bridge into the bark.

Their ascent halted. The panther strained her arms to pull the bridge up, and felt it coming up ever so gradually.

The hooks in the bark were dragging up, leaving trails of curled wood in their wake. In a matter of moments, the passengers would be faced with their pursuer and at the mercy of whatever terrible thing she had in store for them.

The panther was about to yank with all her might, when all of a sudden she felt a painful weight on her shoulders.

The mother monkey screeched loudly as she scratched at the panther’s head.

The panther let go of the bridge and swung her claws at the monkeys, who jumped away before they were hit.

That had done it. The weight of the dropping bridge loosed it from its anchor on the platform and fell against the tree trunk. At the top, the weight of Spike and Minnie was too much for the hooks that held them, and went sprawling downward.

At the bottom, the momentum of the swinging bridge had dug them lightly into the tree bark, and allowed the passengers to swing down and dig the hooks on their end back into the tree. On impact, the hooks at the top fell loose, and the process repeated over and over, until they disappeared into the darkness below.

“Kee-kee-kee!!!” called the mother monkey, who followed after. She jumped to one leafy platform, to a stunted branch, then against the tree trunk, before she began her descent into the dark.

Higher up, the panther watched. Instead of a frustrated scowl, she instead smirked.

“Think you got away from me? You’re on my turf now, girly,” she said to herself, before she too jumped into the abyss.

Author's Note

Things look a little dark for the next chapter, don’t they? Not entirely, though. I don’t think we’ll be getting into that territory just yet.

This was one of the most fun chapters that I’ve written in a while. For me, at least. The action scene at the end with the broken bridge being used to get through the trees was great fun to plan out.

We’ve also seen Minnie get her costume this time around. As most of you may know, the safari costume was something from the second Magical Quest game. However, in that game you were able to use a hook to climb vertical surfaces, swing from anchors and go ziplining around. So, since the other characters (with the exception of Mickey) got their climbing outfits, I decided that Minnie would get her’s about now.

That scene with the monkey playing with the rock was just my inner animator welling up. I’m now one year deep in my bachelor’s program, so you guys might be seeing my name in the credits of something you watch someday.

Some of you are probably wondering about how a little baby monkey who grew up in the jungle could have known about dance numbers and circuses while he was playing with that rock. Well, I have your answer: quit picking those nits and enjoy the scene. This whole story is inspired by cartoons, for pony’s sake.

In this chapter, we’ve also met the villain for this arch. Sure, we’ve seen her before, but now we’ve met her in person. And boy is she different from what I originally had in mind. Back before I started writing even the prologue and I was figuring out the villains, the panther was going to be an aardvark. The reason for being an aardvark was that I wanted some kind of jungle animal for the jungle setting. If it was going to be an aardvark, then she was also going to become one great, big tribute to Cerebus.

As a tribute to Cerebus, she was going to be rude, lewd, greedy and generally dislikable. Except that she was going to hate men, as opposed to Cerebus hating women. The reason that she was changed to a panther was that I thought it would be cool to have another feline character who could face Minnie in the kind of way that Pete opposes Mickey.

Just speaking of Cerebus, I have to ask something: aardvarks seem to hold a prominent place in Canadian media. Cerebus, The Raccoons, Arthur. Why are aardvarks so popular in Canada? The best I can guess is that it’s the same reason that mice are so popular in the US.

Now, here’s something that I’ve noticed about this story that’s happened since the last chapter. Apparently, some of the downvotes have gone away and have been replaced by upvotes. It makes me wonder if this means that you readers have finally forgiven me for what happened back in Avalon. Please, readers? Please!?

Alright, I’m done begging. In all seriousness, I do implore you to rock on \m/

Chapter 67: Deep Dark

In the leafy middle of the trees, the sun had not yet been blotted out by the darkness. There, the animals lived cautiously, ever mindful of the dangers that could have presented themselves.

At the end of a twig, there was a leaf with a crescent-shaped hole that went from the edge, nearly to the middle. Soon, the twig jiggled as a little beetle walked to the end and stepped into the crescent-shaped hole.

Just as it had been coming to that branch day after day, it came again to munch out another layer out of the leaf.

Life had been good. For almost a week, it had been living on that branch and eating the leaves that grew there. Day after day, it would walk out and carve its distinct path through whatever leaf it was eating. But, a distinct path will often lead others to your presence.

Without an inkling of awareness, a beak reached down and plucked the little bug up. And in not even a blink, it was swallowed.

The bird that ate the beetle hopped onto the branch, licking its chops and rubbing its belly. It was a rare treat to be able to eat a beetle that was so fat, and non-venomous to boot. If only it had been paying more attention than the beetle.

Another set of jaws snapped over the bird, swallowing it whole. The snake that snacked on the bird wiped its mouth with its tail, and quickly slithered along its way. A fortunate thing, for what happened next.

The end of a bridge slapped against the tree trunk, smashing the twig with the eaten leaves on it. The next moment, the other end of the bridge fell from above, carrying its screaming passengers and slapped against the trunk again. And the process repeated itself, until they came to a hard landing on one of the leafy platforms.

The bridge lay crumpled upon the condensed branches, its passengers nowhere to be seen. A breeze picked up and blew through the branches, just as a purple claw reached out from underneath the planks.

“Ugh…Two crash landings is two too many,” Spike groaned, as he crawled out from beneath the bridge. “Minnie?”

“Over here,” Minnie answered, as she emerged from the other end of the bridge. Once she was out, she shook out a few leaves that had gotten into her ears. “It’s a shame that this bridge doesn’t come with airbags.”

“KEE-KEEK!” came a familiar shout from up above.

Looking up, Spike and Minnie saw the branches of a neighboring tree shaking. A dark shape jumped from one branch, then down to the next.

As they got nearer to the bottom, a high shriek of pain cut through the jungle, sending a nearby flock of birds flying higher up into the canopy.

The second that he heard the shriek, Spike ran to the edge of the platform he was on, and stopped abruptly when he found that there was no easy way across.

Minnie gathered up the bridge and flung it across the gap. The hooks at either end of the bridge anchored securely to their holds, allowing Spike and Minnie both to cross.

Once they crossed, Minnie took the bridge again and flung it up against the tree trunk. The hooks dug into the bark, and Minnie quickly climbed the planks and was able to peer up over the edge of the nearest platform.

The mother monkey sat there with her tail curled around herself. Her green child was scampering back and forth, trying to get a look at his sibling.

In the mother’s arms, the black monkey wailed loudly in a way that reminded Minnie all too well of an injured child.

The mother tried to settle her baby down by gently rocking her back and forth. And while the baby’s crying subsided, she still whimpered and moaned.

“Miss Monkey,” Minnie gently called, offering her hand to the mother.

The mother quietly chattered something that Minnie could not hear as she wrapped her tail around Minnie’s wrist. And with a soft pull, the mother monkey lifted herself to her feet and carefully walked over to Minnie.

Minnie took hold of the mother’s hand and helped her climb onto her back. After the mother, the green child looked warily at Minnie.

“Ko-ko,” the mother beckoned.

Still wary, the green baby cautiously walked to its mother, never taking his eyes from Minnie. Once he arrived, he tried wrapping his tail around his mother’s, only for his mother’s tail to recoil slightly from his own.

“Ka-kee-kee,” the mother said, indicating how she used her tail as a makeshift sling for her daughter’s injured arm. She pointed to Minnie’s shoulder next and said, “Ku-kee-ko-ko.”

The green monkey looked anxiously at Minnie’s shoulder.

“Ko-ko!” the mother repeated more firmly.

That had done it. The green baby scampered over to Minnie’s shoulder, practically hiding behind it as he clung to her.

“Is everyone ready?” Minnie asked.

The mother monkey nodded.

Then, as carefully as she could, Minnie started climbing down the improvised ladder she had made.

On the platform below, Spike kept watch for any missed step. Once or twice he winced when he heard the wooden planks clack against the tree trunk. After several seconds, Minnie was back on solid ground. The green child quickly jumped off and waited for his mother to climb down. The moment that his mother was on the leafy platform, he dashed to the safety of her presence.

The black monkey was breathing hard, her mouth twitching with pain after every breath.

“Kee-kee-ko-ku,” the mother said, as she carefully began pulling away the bandages that were wrapped around her daughter’s arm.

As he watched, Spike winced at the spectacle. He had seen the damage done to the black monkey when he had found her after the bridge broke. Seeing it again, the image of Caru’s broken and mangled body as she sang her last song flashed into Spike’s mind, and he snapped his gaze away.

“Spike? Is everything alright?” Minnie asked.

Spike did not answer immediately, but slowly turned to face Minnie.

“Minnie? The baby...Is she going to…” he hesitantly asked.

He did not have to finish for Minnie to know what he was going to say. She answered by kneeling down to Spikes level to speak with him eye to eye.

“Oh, Spike. No. I don’t think she’s going to die. But, she does need help soon. If she doesn’t get her arm fixed, she may not be the same ever again,” Minnie answered.

“But, where can we go to get help?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know. But, if there are other villages like the one we were just at, ones that aren’t abandoned, we may be able to help her.”

“Kee-ku-ku,” the mother monkey said.

Minnie and Spike both turned to face the mother.

“Kee-ku-ku,” she repeated, as she picked up a fistful of dry leaves, crumbled them in her fist and started sprinkling them over her injured baby.

In the breeze, the crumbled leaves blew away from the baby, forcing the mother to shift herself so that her child was on the lee of the wind.

“Wait. I have something that might help,” Spike said, as he took off his backpack and reached inside for what he needed.

After a moment of searching around, Spike withdrew a bottle that he had taken from the shelves of the doctor’s hut. Once he had, he hurried over to the injured monkey.

Minnie followed after, but stopped a moment when the crumbled leaves that had caught the breeze blew past her nose. And as they drifted by, she noticed something else. Another thing on the breeze was something silvery, and nearly translucent. In fact, she would not have noticed it at all, had it not caught a tiny ray of sun and twinkled dimly. Whatever it had been, she could not wonder.

Nearby, the black monkey was wailing again as Spike tried to get near her.

“Hold still! I’m just trying to help!” Spike said.

His words did nothing to calm the injured baby, who cried louder still. As a result, the green baby was growing more and more anxious from his sister’s condition.

“Maybe I should give it a try,” Minnie suggested.

“Okay. But, do you think you can get her to stop moving?” Spike asked, giving the bottle to Minnie.

“I think so. If my training as a nurse has done any good,” Minnie answered.

The mother monkey did her best to calm her crying child, as she pulled away more and more of the bandages that wrapped around her baby’s arm and tail. While that was happening, Minnie uncorked the bottle she had taken from Spike and began trying to calm the young patient.

From the moment that the bottle was uncorked, the strong-smelling vapors burst out like an invisible cloud, and right into the faces of everyone present.

Minnie gagged and covered her nose, as she set to her work to help the baby monkey.

Somewhere in the dark of the jungle, a nose pointed into the air and inhaled deeply, over and over again.

Pluto had managed to balance himself on his hind legs, steadied by his front paws atop a mound of leaves. His nose was now a beacon for any scent that was traveling on the wind. The smell that he had been following before was now billowing all around from the breeze that was blowing through. With the scent now scattered and muddled through the air, the hound dog was finding it more difficult to pinpoint the direction to follow.

“Ee-ku-kee,” said the blue monkey.

Pluto paid the baby no mind other than a short huff, before focusing his concentration back onto the scent.

The blue baby watched Pluto sniffing the air. He did not know much about scents and tracking, but he could see that his hound dog companion was having difficulty trying to track the scent that he wanted. Looking to Pluto’s upturned nose, he began to think about his own experiences in the jungle thus far into his young life.

Whenever one wanted to see further, they had to go up further. So, if one were to smell further…

Pluto jolted slightly when he felt the weight of the blue monkey climbing up his back. He tried to growl, but only choked when the little punk grabbed onto this collar. He turned his gaze up to face the monkey, but was met with the monkey’s little paws balancing atop his nose.

Once he was settled atop his perch, the little monkey wrapped the end of his tail around Pluto’s snout and extended the rest of his tail upward, setting himself up like a living antenna.

Clutching his shiny crystal closely to him, the little monkey started sniffing deeply all around. For what it was worth, all that he could smell was the leaves around him, and the faint smells of some kind of flower.

Pluto teetered beneath the monkey, getting nothing but another nose full of monkey fur. He tried shaking his head side to side, but that only made the baby wrap his tail tighter around Pluto’s snout.

“Arf-Arf! Rrrrr!” Pluto growled.

“Kee-ka-o-kee-kee,” the baby replied.

He resumed sniffing the air, getting nothing but the same scents as before. As Pluto tottered around below, a ray of sunlight caught the little monkey’s eyes, making him shield the light from view. Looking down, the blue monkey looked at the crystal he held in his arms. Perhaps, if he could not smell what they were looking for, he might be able to see it.

The moment that the little monkey raised his arms to catch the sun in his crystal, Pluto tottered again, taking them further from the ray of light.

“Kee-ka-keekee!” the blue monkey chattered, pointing toward the light.

Pluto would have none of it. The sooner the little punk was off of his nose, the sooner he could focus on finding Minnie’s scent again.

The blue monkey shifted his weight forward, tugging Pluto’s nose with his tail. Slowly but surely, Pluto started to inch in the direction the monkey desired.

They were getting closer. And the little, blue monkey reached out his arms, hovering it ever closer to the beam of light.

Closer still.

Closer.

The edge of the light caught a corner of the prismatic crystal. And the moment it did, neither dog nor monkey could have anticipated what would have happened next.

All around them, the air suddenly was alight with thousands of glittering particles, as if all of a sudden Spike’s guiding light had grown large enough to swallow him.

Pluto yelped and wobbled around. Atop his nose, the little monkey chattered noisily. All he had wanted was to see the darkened world around him. Now, he was seeing everything undergo a shocking transformation.

The leaves on the nearby trees grew as large as frying pans. The branches creaked loudly as they knotted and curled around one another. The foliage beneath them mounded upward, as if something very large were burrowing out from beneath it.

As if the ground were suddenly pulled out from beneath him, Pluto slipped and fell down the rising mound.

The little monkey clutched his crystal to his chest as he rolled down. He reached his tail out to catch hold of anything that he could anchor to. But, the foliage had not stopped growing, leaving his to keep tumbling along.

Pluto reached the end of the platform and caught the edge with his paw. Before he could ever try to pull himself back up, the blue monkey rolled into his snout and sent them both over the side.

As they fell, Pluto tried in vain to flap his four legs like wings. He tried sucking in as much air as he could to lighten his frame. When that didn’t work, he tried blowing all of his air out to resist his momentum.

Naturally, nothing worked. And just as he thought that he would fall to his demise, he jerked to a halt.

Looking up, Pluto saw his tail entwined with the blue monkey’s tail, who was hanging by three of his paws from a thin branch. In his fourth paw, he held his coveted crystal.

“O-kee-kee-kakak!” the monkey chattered, pointing proudly to his crystal, then to the overgrowth of foliage above them. “Kee-ku-ku! Kee-ku-ku!”

Pluto huffed. He was growing weary of that crystal. After risking his neck to help his curious simian charge acquire it, it was now the cause of their current misfortune. That is, if what the blue punk was touting about it was true. After all, who ever heard of a crystal making plants grow?

The little monkey was still happily chattering as he held his crystal for Pluto to see it. But as he lowered it, his grip loosened slightly. Too much, as his crystal went sliding out of his fingers.

“AK! AK!” the monkey shouted, as he fumbled to retrieve his prize.

His fingertips were just curled around the edges when he felt his other paws slipping.

“Uh-oh…” the monkey muttered, just before his paws slipped one after the other from their grip around the branch.

Pluto howled loudly as he fell into the darkness below. Until he landed face first onto something that was nearly invisible in the dark. When he landed, he got a snout full of leaves and other greenery.

The ground beneath him sagged violently under his weight, the eased back. Midway through the ebb of the leafy platform, the blue monkey landed on his back.

“Grrrrrr…”

A threatening growl rose from within the pile of leaves. With it rose Pluto’s head from the green, his teeth bared and his eyes narrowed to furious slits.

“Kee-kee!” the blue monkey chattered.

Pluto whipped his head to the punk’s direction.

“Kee-ku-kukee!” the monkey said, showing his empty paws to Pluto, before he started overturning the many leaves around them.

Pluto rolled his eyes. If there were ever a great loss to be had during the magical quest thus far, this was not one of them. There would always be another rock to find just like it. Well, hopefully not exactly. If every stone in the jungle made plants burst into mad growth spurts, he would have gladly faced the fiercest jungle predator over the plants.

The ground suddenly dropped down.

Pluto and the monkey both gripped the ground, as if their very lives depended on it.

When the ground shifted, they briefly saw the view of a clearing in the branches. Littered around were many dissimilar items that neither had much of a chance to look at. Partly from the darkness. Mostly from the ground rising steadily back up.

Before either could catch themselves, the ground suddenly dropped back down again, making them both slide nearly over the edge.

Reaching his four legs out, Pluto dug each of his paws into the leafy ground and stopped just short of going over. His young companion was not so fortunate.

The little monkey rolled end over end, unable to grip onto anything as he tumbled along and barreled over the edge.

Pluto nearly gave himself whiplash, as fast and far as he stretched out his neck. Still, he had caught the little monkey in his jaws. Fortunately so, else he ended up in the jaws of what waited below them.

Inches below the little monkey, something else waited. Some horrible, aberrant thing that spawned from the horrible depths of the canyon. All that was seen was its back, scaled like a nightmarish reptile’s. But, as it rose up, the corner of its face was seen. Its wide mouth spread as it rose up, revealing double rows of wickedly sharp fangs.

As the beast rose, so did the leafy platform. Standing erect, the beast was revealed to be some seven feet tall, with long, muscular arms reached out to grasp a vine in each hand.
“Kee-kee,” the little monkey whispered to Pluto.

“Hrm?” the hound dog replied.

The beast pulled on the two vines, and the platform lowered again. Across from them, another platform lowered.

“Ee-kee-kee-keekee,” the monkey whispered, pointing toward the ground past the beast.

Pluto squinted to see through the dark. It was difficult to tell, but among the dull, green leaves was one instance of light on the ground. Whatever light there was had been dimly on the prismatic surface of the monkey’s crystal. And like some sort of beacon, it twinkled gently at them.

It looked so near, yet was so far away. And the way that the little monkey was looking at it, Pluto knew what was going through his mind.

Shaking his head, the hound dog tried to dissuade his young charge. Getting it under other circumstances was one thing. But, when there was the mutated offspring of a gorilla and a crocodile between them and a shiny liability, all bets were off.

The beast loosened its pull, and the platform raised again.

“Kee-ko-ko,” the little monkey said.

“Uh-uh,” Pluto replied.

“Kee-ko-ko-kee-kee.”

“Grrrrrrrrr!”

“Kee-kee-kee!”

The platform lowered again. Across from where they were, the little monkey saw another leafy platform lower at the same time as theirs. Taking no heed from the hound dog, the monkey whipped his tail to wrap around the twigs of the neighboring platform and wiggled loose from Pluto’s teeth.

Try as Pluto did to keep the monkey from going, he just barely missed catching him again when the leafy platform trembled.

The little monkey had already climbed onto the neighboring platform, leaving Pluto behind. Against every ounce of his better judgement, Pluto climbed back atop his own platform and carefully made his way to the next.

Just as Pluto outstretched his paw to the next platform, the two platforms began to separate again.

Pluto reached out and grabbed the edge of the opposite platform. A mistake, as the two platforms continued to separate, and stretch the hound dog’s body out.

Just as Pluto felt as if he could take now more, he was able to resist their pull and stop them from separating.

The beast grunted quizzically and gave the vines in its hands a sharp tug each.

Unprepared for the sudden slack, Pluto’s body compressed like an accordion, before his rear half dropped from the platform.

Down below, the beast felt a sudden weight drop onto the platform on its left side.

“Hrhm?” it grunted.

Any intruder in its hollow was fair game. And if this one was as big as it seemed, it would serve nicely as a meal.

It yanked the vine in its right hand, lowering the left platform enough for it to see the very top.

Nothing was there. Not even another leaf fallen from a higher branch.

The beast exhaled gutturally, and turned away, letting go of the vines as it left.

Beneath the platform, Pluto clung to the underside, frozen completely motionless. Now that the beast had passed, he was now free to tremble in terror. And he did just that, as his eyes darted around for the blue punk.

As he surveyed the area, Pluto could see more of what was there. The entire place was littered with things he had known not to be found in a forest of any kind. Wooden boxes were stacked up, each one with a gaping, splintered hole through one or more sides. Spilled from the boxes were scraps of half-eaten foods. Mostly meat. Spear shafts were lodged deep into nearby tree trunks, likely halfway up their length from their appearance. What looked like some article of clothing had been suspended by a vine, cinched up and stuffed with what looked like a thousand rocks. And it was this apparatus that the beast approached next.

Balling up its fists and baring its many teeth, the beast exhaled a low sigh, seemingly expanding the already formidable muscles of its body, before it thrusted its fist into the bag.

A loud, churning crunch sounded from inside the bag, joined by another as the beast followed up with a second punch. Down by the beast’s heel, Pluto spotted the lost crystal.

Somewhere on his periphery, Pluto spotted something moving. There, climbing down the spear shafts that were stuck in the tree was the little monkey.

Pluto waved his paw, trying to silently dissuade the monkey. Instead, the little monkey only waved back, before resuming his advance toward the crystal.

There was only one thing for it. Pluto dropped from his hiding place, hitting the ground only just as the beast landed another mighty punch on its homemade punching bag.

Quickly and quietly as he could, Pluto scrambled behind one of the broken crates. He watched the little monkey’s progress, seeing him steadily climb toward the crystal by the beast.

Something needed to be done quickly. For as uncautious as the little punk was being, he was as likely to get caught as a fly did on flypaper.

Carefully, Pluto peered out of his hiding spot, looking for a diversion to make. Nearest to himself, he saw a stack of masks with frightening, staring faces painted on them. From the look of them, the stacks were placed against a thick bunch of branches to be pushed back (most likely tackled) as far back as they could go. If something could just be done to them…

Pluto reached a paw out and started trying to push the masks back. Only, his limited canine strength could only do so much with one paw. After hearing the beast whale harder on his punching bag, Pluto moved slightly further out of cover to put his plan into play. He put both front paws upon the mask, and started pushing with all his might.

The mass of branches behind the stack of masks started to compress. Every so steadily, he was able to push them back, deeper and deeper.

A loud crashing sound rang through the hollow and Pluto glanced over his shoulder to see what was happening.

The beast was drawing back from a powerful right hook, which left an indent in the bag that looked like a fender bender.

“Aaahhrrrr!” the beast growled, as it shook the feeling back into its hand.

The little monkey was growing closer. He was out in the open, with nowhere to escape to if he was noticed.

It was now or never. Pluto heaved against the masks as hard as he could, until he could feel them pushing back just as hard. Wasting no time, the hound dog jumped to the side. But, not quickly enough.

The mass of branches sprang back into place, catching Pluto as the masks came shooting forward.

The beast bellowed loudly as it spun around and struck the punching bag with its tail. It only just perceived something yellowish-orange rocketing past it when it saw the volley of large, wooden masks incoming.

Opening its jaws, the beast caught the first mask and deflected two others. Once the danger passed, the beast chomped down hard on the mask in its mouth, splintering it.

Something was in the beast’s hollow. And it was going to get rid of it by any means necessary. And so, cracking its knuckles and baring its teeth, it stomped off in the direction that the orange projectile flew.

Beneath its notice, the little monkey dodged just in time to avoid being stepped on. And it pulled its tail out of the way for good measure. Unfortunately, as the beast walked away, it absent-mindedly kicked the crystal away.

The little monkey clenched his teeth as the crystal rolled across the ground, going dangerously near the edge of the platform.

The crystal rolled to a stop, teetering just on the edge. But with every step of the beast, the platform shook ever so slightly, threatening to send the crystal down into the irretrievable depths of the chasm.

Up in the tree, the little monkey could just see Pluto’s face peering through the greenery. Over and over, Pluto twitched his head toward the beast, who was growing closer by the second.

The little monkey looked the Pluto, to the beast, then to his crystal. After a moment, he scampered toward the crystal.

Pluto would have gasped at his rotten circumstances. Apparently his own life was worth less than some trinket. And it was about to be worth even less.

A huge, four fingered hand burst through the foliage, groping blindly around for any intruders.

Pluto pressed his whole body against the trunk behind himself, sucking in as much of his gut as he could to keep it where it was inside of him.

The little monkey hurried toward the edge of the platform, and watched in horror as his crystal leaned closer and closer over the edge.

His own hasty steps only facilitated the problem. And he watched as his crystal tipped right over the side.

He dove.

Pluto pushed his body up the trunk, avoiding another wild grasp

The crystal was falling toward the abyss.

The monkey reached out his paws.

The crystal fumbled and slipped from his fingers.

He fell past the crystal, reached with his back paws and missed again.

Grabbing the bottom of the platform with his back paws, the little monkey watched the crystal fall right before his eyes.

In a last ditch effort, he lashed out his tail and coiled it up into a funnel.

The crystal landed on the outer edge of the monkey’s tail.

The little monkey shifted his tail ever so slightly, centering the crystal to the inside of the funnel. When the crystal started to roll down his tail, he cinched it up in his tail’s coils and lifted it over the edge of the platform.

Pluto’s back paws walked up the side of the trunk, propped up by his front paws. One after the other, he lifted his front paws as the beast groped blindly around.

Suddenly, the beast’s hand lashed out, forcing Pluto to retract his nose from being grabbed. Faced with the monster’s clenched fist, Pluto carefully tried to climb backwards up the trunk. Until the beast’s hand receded from his hiding spot.

Whatever had happened, his life was momentarily spared. Now, he had to collect the little monkey and be on their way.

A gleam of light caught his eye. One that was very faint, but there nonetheless. Peering through the foliage, Pluto had to squint to see what was happening. A long, blue tail was poking up over the edge of the platform, holding in its grasp the very crystal that had gotten them into that awful mess. And the beast was stomping right toward it.

Pluto fearfully nibbled his claws. If nothing was done, soon the little monkey would be eaten. It was then that he looked again to the crystal. It had gotten them into that mess, and it was going to get them out. As quickly as his paws would allow, the hound dog scrambled through the branches.

Tremors reverberated through the platform. And from where he was hanging, the little monkey felt them getting closer. He retracted his tail and began to climb along the outer edge of the platform. But was stopped suddenly when he felt something clench around his tail like a vice.

The little monkey screeched and chattered, grasping the branches to pull itself free. It was all in vain, as his baby strength was no match for the beefcake of a beast who held him. And with a sudden yank, the little monkey was pulled up.

The crystal was slipping from his grasp, and the little monkey tightened his tail around it. Now suspended in the air, he turned to face his captor. First, all he saw was a great pair of glaring red eyes. Next, he saw too many teeth as the beast snarled malevolently.

Pluto scrambled clumsily through the branches, stumbling over almost everything in his way. And for the first time in his life, he wished that he had been born a cat. Even if it meant having to clean himself with his tongue, he would have given anything to reach where he needed to be in time.

Light was shining in from above. If only he could just get it down to where they were.

He jumped to the next branch, catching only a glimpse of the scene below. There was no more time. Unless something was done, the little monkey would be a bite-sized snack for the beast.

Reaching the end of the branch he was on, Pluto jumped upward and grabbed hold of the lowest branch in his teeth. The branch bent slightly, allowing in slivers of sunlight. As hard as he could, Pluto started bobbing up and down, letting in only marginally more sun.

The beast stared at the little morsel in its hand, contemplating whether to crush it in its fist, or swallow it alive.

The little monkey continued chattering and screeching, trying his best to escape the monstrous grip. He knew that he was nowhere near strong enough to break free. For all he could tell, it was the end of him. There he would go, never again to see his mother or siblings again. Worst of all, they would never know what had happened to him.

The beast lifted the monkey to its eye level and began to open its mouth.

In his panicked state, the little monkey could see flashes of light all around himself, revealing the world and hiding it again. Then, as if a light had turned on in his mind, he realized that the lights were not in his mind. Thinking quickly, he did the one thing that he could think to do.

“Kee-ku-ku!”

The beast closed its mouth and stared quizzically at the monkey.

“Kee-ku-ku! Kee-ku-ku!” the little monkey repeated.

“Eeh-uu-khuuu…” the beast answered in a long, guttural exhale.

“Uh-huh!”

The beast turned its head and started sniffing. Something was there that had not been before. Though faint, its scent was perfectly distinct as something that only came along in a very long while. The reason that it shunned the light. And with the scent, it noticed something else. A distinct, constant disturbance of the leaves, different from the wind. A fine, barely noticeable silvery mist descended upon them, directing the beast’s gaze upward.

Pluto was practically bounding up and down on the branch, bending it further with every heave and allowing in more light.

The rays just touched the beast’s eyes, forcing it to block the light with its free hand.

Blinded, the beast could not see the little monkey raise his tail and catch the sun in his coveted crystal.

Another bright flash filled the hollow like water filling a basin. And just as it was before, the world around them came alive.

The leafy platform began to rise and fall like the tide. Leaves grew several times their natural size. Branches wrapped around each other as their twigs sprouted wildly. Vines danced around like strings controlling a marionette.

The beast bellowed loudly as its own home turned against it. Everything that was once familiar was now a hazard. The ground shifted out from beneath the beast, making it fall over the edge of the platform. Reaching out, it grabbed onto the platform, which undulated violently in its grip.

In the beast’s other hand, the little monkey could feel itself coming loose. He wriggled free, even as the beast tried to grip the platform with the hand that held him.

Pluto swung back and forth from his branch like a pendulum. And like the device from Poe, he was lowering with each swing.

He was getting closer to his young companion. The little monkey reached out a paw for Pluto, who in turn reached out his own paw.

The branch swung by.

Pluto missed.

The branch swung back.

Pluto missed again.

The beast was slipping from the platform.

The branch swung back.

Pluto let go with his front paws and gripped with his back legs, further lowering himself.

The little monkey reached up and grabbed Pluto around his neck, clutching to his collar.

In one swift motion, the last of the little monkey slipped free from the beast’s grip. By the time the end of his tail appeared, still clutching his crystal, the beast disappeared into the abyss. For a moment, its mouth full of fangs was visible, then at once swallowed by the dark.

Were Pluto born a climbing creature, he may have been able to hold onto the swinging branch with his rear legs. Alas, he was a mere hound dog, whose legs slipped from their hold, sending the two down into the dark after the beast.

Another rough landing, as the two landed on another leafy platform, bounced to another, rolled across the length of a branch, slid down an incline, shot through a hollow log and finally came to a rough halt on yet another leafy platform.

Pluto huffed quietly. Never again was he going to the jungle. Not even on a safari with Mickey.

“Kee-kee!” came the little monkey’s voice, before Pluto felt him climb atop his head and saw him hover the crystal before his eyes.

It was then that Pluto noticed how very dark the world around them now was. Were it not for the dot of light that the crystal reflected, he would not have seen it at all. And after lifting his ears, he noticed that the world around them was now much quieter, but filled with several times the chatter of the upper levels of the jungle, as if there were a hundred silent symphonies going on at once.

His eyes and his ears would do him no good. But as a hound, Pluto’s greatest asset was his nose.

From his prostrate position, Pluto sniffed the air. He sniffed deeply, and his eyes widened. The scent he had been following was stronger than ever now.

“Kee?” the little monkey asked.

Pluto did not answer. Instead, he reached his tail over his head and wrapped it around his young passenger’s tail. Once the little monkey was back in his regular position, Pluto put his nose to the air and carefully stepped onward.

Author's Note

Pity about that bug at the beginning of the chapter. Hopefully, it wasn’t related to Fluttershy’s friend from Kamelut.

So, we’ve gone a bit deeper into the abyss and found a few things that aren’t particularly pleasant. As we go deeper, we may just find a few other nasty surprises.

Minnie mentioning her time as a nurse is something from the old cartoons. I forget which one it was, but Minnie was a battlefield nurse in it. Then, there was another cartoon where she was training to be a nurse, and was using Pluto and Figaro as her practice patients. To me, it seemed appropriate for Minnie to call upon her skills as a nurse in this particular chapter.

That monster from this chapter is based on two very different sources. The first is the mbwun from the book The Relic. In that book, the monster is a weird mix of a crocodile and a gorilla, who eats the hypothalamus out of human brains. Naturally, the brain-eating was left out of this story for obvious reasons. The other thing that the monster was based on was (drumroll please) myself.

Thankfully, I don’t have scales or fangs. But I am a tall, muscular bodybuilder. You might think it odd for a wild animal to be into weight training, but it’s not so farfetched. Apparently gorillas in the wild will push around large boulders for seemingly no reason, besides for maintaining physical fitness. Isn’t that nuts? So I just thought to myself, ‘If gorillas do it, why can’t this nasty beast?’ I just took the idea a bit further and made a whole weight room in the jungle.

What is this beast exactly? I don’t know. Maybe some kind of jungle dragon. I forget what culture it is, but some ancient tribes of Africa had legends about man-eating dragon men. Knowing that, I just thought that having the beast in this chapter didn’t seem so very out of place.

For anyone confused by the beast lowering one platform by pulling on the right vine, this is because the vines are crossed, so that it can get a lateral workout, if it so chooses. I don’t know the names of these machines, but you probably can picture the ones that I’m talking about. I personally don’t own a machine like this. The only equipment that I have are a bench with a barbell, a dumbbell rack and a homemade punching bag. Trust me, you can get close to a full workout with just that minimal stuff. It’s easier on your money too. There are some things that are easier with machines, but I’ll stick to what I have for now.

Speaking of machines, for anybody who is confused about the device from Poe that was mentioned, it’s a reference to the story The Pit and the Pendulum. In it, a man is faced with a death machine that threatens to slice him in half very, very slowly. In this case, the simile is used in a bit more of an innocuous context.

I feel like I should apologize for not putting this chapter out sooner. The problem that I ran into wasn’t the usual, such as thinking out a story or plot direction, or exploring different outcomes of different situations. This time, it was just because of the first part of the chapter. Every time I wrote about that little baby monkey’s condition, I just lost heart. Sure, this story has had some stuff that seriously pushes what’s allowed in an E-rated story (Theronicus Rex’s demise comes to mind). But, come on! We’re talking about a baby who’s in some critical condition here. I know it’s all fiction, but I can’t help but think what it would be like if something as horrible happened to the children in my own life.

That’s about all there is for now. Next, we’ll be checking in on Spike and Minnie, who may also be running into a spot of trouble. Will they too venture into the darkness below? Only one way to find out. I bid you, rock on \m/

Chapter 68: Deeper Dark

The bounty of the ibhuqu flowers was cherished by all. From the moment the sun appeared in the little clearing at the heart of the jungle, all feelings of animosity and predation were forgotten. The ant dined with the aardvark. The mice were ferried up to the trees by the talons of eagles, where they could feast upon the bounty.

In one corner of the grove, a family of spiders yanked down their web to allow passage to a swarm of flies. Upon entering the grove, they buzzed directly over to the open ibhuqu and the leftover fruits that were lying about.

Truly, there was no happier part of the jungle that day.

Up in the branches, a family of monkeys stamped on top of a hanging fruit, until it fell from its branch. The fruit bounced off of the nearest branch, landed and rolled along the undulations of a python’s body, and had bites taken out of it by any animal that was in its path, until it was nothing but an overly large pit. Once that was all that was left, the python flipped its tail up, sending the pit into the air, then dropped to the ground and was embedded into the soil by a troop of ants.

All was well in the world. Their own little patch of heaven. And it was all theirs. But as it is with all good things, this happy time had to have an end.

It started when a bird realized that it could no longer see the little worm that was crawling around the outside of an enormous fig. The bird pipped an alert to any animal around it who could hear, and they all turned to face the source of the sudden darkness.

High above, the sun was moving away from the little window in the canopy. In only a short time, the light would be gone from their home.

Silence filled the little grove. Any joy that had been felt was fading slowly with the sun.

Gentle rustling sounded through the underbrush. After what sounded like some struggle, a harried-looking porcupine emerged. His breaths were shallow and his quills were stuck full of twigs and leaves. And for all his hurrying, he was dismayed by what he found.

The light grew dimmer by the moment in the grove. For too long, he and all the others lived in the darkness of the abyss. Too long they had waited for the light to return. Now that it was going, despair settled in. Even with the bounty of the ibhuqu, it would be another year before they were ever going to see much of anything again.

As it was, the animals all huddled slightly closer to the middle of the grove and resumed their feast.

In the middle of it all, the crystals reflected the light, which seemed to flicker like a dying candle. It wouldn’t be long now. It was just a matter of time.

Nearly nothing could be seen beyond the light of the grove. Only vague outlines of anything that could have been a branch, or a trunk, or a flower, or anything else that didn’t move. Anything that did move was seen for only a second, before it was swallowed up by the dark again. Or by anything else that was lurking in the darkness.

A gentle breeze swished through the leaves of one of the platforms. One moment, its general shape was seen. The next, it disappeared completely.

From the dark beyond the branch another shape appeared. One that unrolled like a carpet and secured itself to the one visible branch. Moments after, the thing began to shake and other figures began to cross it. The first was small, simian and held a delicate bundle in her arms. On her tremendously long tail was her offspring. After the little family came a diminutive reptilian form, who stopped briefly on the bridge. He turned around, his green, slit-pupiled eyes catching what little sun there was.

“Careful when you cross. I don’t think the hooks snagged too deep on this branch,” said the little figure.

“Thank you for the warning. Make sure that they don’t slip while I’m crossing,” said the round-eared figure as she carefully crossed.

What Spike said was perfectly apparent. The moment that Minnie was at the middle of her portable bridge, she found her weight made the bridge wobble slightly.

“Years of yoga and aerobics. And look where it’s gotten me,” Minnie thought to herself, cursing her own weightier frame.

At the other end of the bridge, Spike and the family of monkeys all waited until Minnie safely crossed over. Once they were all across, the mother monkey wrapped the end of her tail around Minnie’s wrist, and Minnie took Spike’s claw in her hand. A gentle tug signalled that the mother monkey’s tail had gone taut, and Minnie and Spike both followed after her.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know. I would say that we’re going someplace to help the baby girl. But, I can’t imagine anything like a doctor or a vet being this deep in the jungle,” Minnie replied.

Spike began thinking about all that he had learned of other nations and kingdoms from studying with Twilight for all those years. Anything that he had ever learned about the jungles of Zebrica or the wildlife that lived there. Only then did Spike realize that he knew practically nothing about Zebrica. After all, he was as scared as everypony else when a Zebrican immigrant came to Ponyville.

A small twinge of despair settled into the little dragon’s mind when he realized just how little he actually knew about anything. Growing up with Twilight, there was only her and the books that she would study. Always about magic, history, politics, science, prophecy and other academics. Never a thing about the other creatures of the world. Never once learning to understand anypony else.

Of the two of them, Spike had always been the more sociable. It was always him who was sent out to get any supplies that Twilight needed (mostly more books), and who was talking with the other ponies of Canterlot. But up until the move to Ponyville, that was all he had known. Nothing from those days would have prepared him for the danger he would face, the culture shock of going to another country, or the heartache of losing a friend. What more could he have learned if he had a different life? How much more could he have known to have possibly helped the others he met on his travels when they needed him?

As he mulled over these thoughts in his head, Spike nearly walked into Minnie’s back, when the mouse suddenly stopped.

“Hold on, Spike. We need to go up now,” Minnie said.

In the nearly non-existent light, Spike saw just the outline of the bundled up bridge as Minnie threw it upward to another branch. Once the bridge was secure, Minnie let go of Spike’s claw and lifted him up to the bottommost plank.

Minnie needed to squint in order to see Spike’s progress up the improvised ladder. She heard the rustling of leaves, and moments after could no longer see Spike at all.

“Spike? Are you at the top yet?” Minnie called.

A moment more of rustling, and the answer came.

“Okay. I’m up now,” Spike’s voice called.

“Good. And here I come,” Minnie replied.

She jumped up and grabbed the bottommost plank before making her own ascent. As she climbed, Minnie was aware of all of the creatures that were moving about herself. Every shadow seemed to be several times larger than what it actually was, and every noise was somehow amplified by the vast emptiness of the dark.

The cool, smooth sensation of leaves tickled against her arms. The cover of branches that Spike had disappeared past was upon her, signalling her approach to the top.

“I think I’m almost to the top. How much further through these leaves?” Minnie asked.

“It’s about ten or eleven more steps up. You should be at the top then,” Spike replied.

“Thank goodness. It feels like climbing through a feather pillow,” Minnie said.

Her ascent stopped abruptly when something snagged onto her collar. When she tried pulling past, Minnie felt something small and sharp dig into her shoulder.

“Hold on. I think I’ve caught on a twig,” Minnie said.

She reached over her shoulder and snaked her hand through the many other leaves and twigs. But for all of her effort, Minnie could not seem to grab the one that had caught her.

“Uk-ka-kak-kee-oo?” said the mother monkey.

“I’m trying--But this branch doesn’t seem to want to let me go,” Minnie replied.

Instead of trying to reach for the branch itself, Minnie put her hand on her own shoulder to find what was holding her back. And she found it. A small, sharp digit in her left shoulder, stuck into her collar. Upon finding it, she plucked it out and resumed her climb back up. When another twig next to it stuck into her collar.

Reaching back, Minnie removed the hindrance, and another grabbed on.

“Rrrm..” Minnie growled to herself.

“Is everything okay?” Spike called.

“No. This branch is starting to get on my nerves!”

This time, Minnie whipped her hand over her shoulder to jerk the branch off and fling it away. Except, it was not a branch that she grabbed on to. Whatever it was, it was too broad to be any branch that was that far off the tree. And the texture was nothing like bark or leaves. Whatever she had grabbed was covered in some sort of fuzz. Lichen, or moss. Or whatever else grew on trees.

With a slight gasp, Minnie tried to pull herself free from the thing, and suddenly realized what was happening when the thing grasped tighter.

“Oh!!” Minnie yelped.

“What’s going on!?” Spike called.

Minnie flung the other end of the bridge up and around to the branch where the first end was secured. And with a shake of her body, Minnie unhooked the first end and flipped herself around.

The bridge was between her and the branches. Minnie righted herself and peered through the planks. For just one moment, she thought that she saw a yellow gleam in the leaves, before they were obscured by another shadow. And then it was gone.

“Spike, I need you to follow the monkeys the rest of the way! Someone else is here!” Minnie shouted.

To Minnie’s surprise, no answer came. And when she squinted, she could not make out his silhouette, nor any others on the branch.

From somewhere to the side, something moved into view. At first, Minnie thought it was the mother monkey. It took less than a second to realize that the form was much too large. Though she saw no movement from the shape, Minnie heard the sound of something sharp piercing the topmost plank.

There was a sudden pull on the bridge, and Minnie felt herself sharply ascend. Not wanting to face who or what was up on the branch, she climbed hurriedly down the planks, until she was at the bottom.

Dangling from the bottommost plank, Minnie knew she had nowhere else to run. Her assailant was pulling her slowly up, and there was no telling how far down it was to the next foothold.

Before the bridge was yanked again, Minnie cracked her body and sent a wave through the length of the bridge, all the way up to the top where the unseen assailant was swept off their feet and let go.

Minnie yelped as she went freefalling through the darkness, and spun her body to spread the bridge out beneath herself.

By some stroke of luck, the bridge caught itself on two anchor points, allowing Minnie to land on its length.

At the opposite end of the bridge, something else landed hard on the planks. Not about to find out what it was, Minnie unhooked the end of the bridge nearest to herself and swung down, hooking her end of the bridge into a tree trunk as she did.

The unseen assailant swung down and hooked their end of the bridge onto some lower point, and ran up the planks.

Minnie quickly unhooked her end and swung through a cluster of loose leaves. Sensing danger ahead, she stuck her feet out in front of herself and felt her soles plant on the trunk of a tree.

Keeping her momentum going, the mouse ran up the trunk and jumped onto another leafy platform.

In her hands, Minnie felt the other end of the bridge unhook from its opposite end and swing in the same direction that she just had. Gripping the bridge, she began shaking it violently and swinging it in the first direction she could think.

But, she had needed not to.

A sudden weight was released from the bridge, which went careening to the side under Minnie’s swing, until it hit another tree trunk.

Not wasting a second, Minnie jumped and swung away, just as a shadow pounced the exact spot where she was.

Minnie felt as if she were swinging for far longer than she should have been, and soon felt her momentum going upward.

Stretching her body out as far as it could go, Minnie just barely felt her heels touch down onto the edge of another leafy platform. But, her heels nearly slipped off when she felt a weight upon her bridge. And it was growing closer.

There was nothing else to do. Minnie let go of her wooden bridge, just as she was about to fall off of her platform. She didn’t even wait to hear the clatter of wood against wood and scrambled to haul herself up by the tips of her fingers.

She was alone now. No friends. No way through the jungle. No clue of where to go next. Instead of worrying about any of those crucial details, Minnie charged onward, hoping not to meet her invisible attacker.

Not five steps onward, Minnie nearly felt her boots plant on a branch before she lost her footing and fell on her face. Her head was suspended over the side, facing her with an infinite void of darkness beyond.

Somewhere down in the dark, so faint that Minnie thought she imagined it, a light shone from somewhere. Though dim, the presence that abated the dark was the most welcoming sight she had seen since entering the jungle.

The branch vibrated as something made the platform behind her shake. Whether it was desperation or temporary insanity, Minnie’s next move was to slide over the edge of the branch and trust herself to the void.

Minnie became totally unaware of herself. The branches whipping her arms. The leaves brushing her face. The roar of the wind in her ears. The rustling of the jungle. Nothing was felt or heard. She was not even aware if her eyes were closed, or if she was staring straight into the darkness.

Her hands reached out in front of her on their own. And without her knowledge, her fingers clasped around an outreaching branch.

She swung around and around, then let go.

The mouse sailed upward and onward, until she was caught on some vines. As soon as she hit them, Minnie’s weight pulled them loose and swung her through the forest.

As she sailed, Minnie twisted and turned like a gymnast, until she was released from the vines. It was not a far drop when she next landed on an enormous flower petal and slid down its side to another leafy platform.

It took a moment, but Minnie was able to collect herself. Spike and the family of monkeys were still nowhere to be seen. But, neither was the mystery assailant. What was seen was the small patch of light Minnie had seen earlier. There was no mistaking it now. Something was definitely there. Something that she knew she had to reach.

Before her first step forward was completed, Minnie saw a shadow against the distant light. And it was swinging toward herself from somewhere above.

She reached out her hands to catch the shadow, and was puzzled to find that it was the bridge that she had discarded only moments before.

Just as it had been before, Minnie felt a weight on the bridge, and it was sliding down rapidly toward her.

As if by a reflex, Minnie tossed the end of the bridge up and made it roll itself into a tight bundle.

The passenger on the bridge jumped off, before it was caught in the planks, and the bridge unhooked itself when it reached the end of its length.

Minnie caught the bunched up bridge as she ran and immediately unfurled it to swing closer to the light.

In and out of view the light came as Minnie passed tree after tree. And in every unknown shadow she passed, the mouse felt her heart jump. Attackers were everywhere, waiting to pounce. If only they would just.

On the very edge of her vision, one shadow was keeping perfect pace with her. What it was, or how it was doing it, Minnie did not worry. What did worry her was that it was getting closer to her.

The shadow was upon her, and Minnie swerved herself around to the other side of the bridge just as something nearly slashed at her side. Through the planks, the mouse just saw a gleam of a yellow light, before it disappeared.

A sudden impact on her back knocked the wind out of Minnie. Somehow, she managed to keep her grip on the bridge, and limply secured the end that she held to the trunk of the tree that she just hit.

Keeping the plank just in front of herself in her grip, Minnie unhooked the far end of the bridge and let its length slide through her palms, allowing her to slide down the length as easily as rappelling down a rope.

She reached the bottom of the bridge. And the moment that she was dangling from the last plank, the mouse felt something solid beneath her boots. Something like a large wooden slope that slanted gently downward. In the dim light that shone closer now than ever, Minnie saw that there were other slopes just like that nearby.

“Roots!” Minnie exclaimed. Finally, after so long, she had reached the ground.

From the wavering light in the distance, Minnie saw something else that made her heart leap. Silver specks of light were dancing about, bobbing up and down as if to beckon forth any wayward souls from the dark.

So often had Minnie seen the very same, and felt the same within herself. Wasting no time, she darted forward toward the light.

Any danger that she had faced was sidelined in her mind. She knew that whatever was out there would still try to attack her. But, in the presence of such a concentration of her own magic, she knew she would be safe. All she had to do now was to reach the haven.

As Minnie was running, the jungle seemed to come alive as the trees one moment blocked the view of her goal, and suddenly shifted aside to show it closer than ever. And the closer she got, the more concentrated the silver specks of stardust became.

One last gigantic root stood in her way. Without stopping, Minnie threw one end of her bridge over the side of it, and when she felt it anchor she climbed immediately over.

She landed on the ground just as the bridge rolled up behind her, and caught it before it fell. Putting her arm through one of the ropes on the side, Minnie gaped in awe of what she saw before herself.

More animals than she could name were gathered in that faintly lit grove. All of them were eating fruits that looked too big to exist. Most of all, Minnie noticed the faint light that they all seemed to be gathering around.

Before Minnie could investigate the source of the light, a sudden rustling in the bushes sounded somewhere to her side.

Surprised, but otherwise undaunted, Minnie readied to run or fight. Whatever was coming, she knew it could be nothing good.

“Keeko-kee-kee!”

Minnie lowered her guard when she saw her simian friend trot through the foliage, breathing heavily and glancing worriedly around. Behind her, her impossibly long tail still waited in the greenery. Cradled in her arms was her injured daughter. After a moment, the mother monkey’s face changed when she saw Minnie.

“Kee!” the mother exclaimed. She looked behind herself and reeled in her tail. “Kee-ko-koo-koo-ak-kee!”

As her tail reeled in, her green son was seen hanging from his mother’s tail. When the end of her tail was pulled into view, there was Spike holding onto the very tip. Though his scales were filthy and his face looked like it had been scratched, his demeanor immediately brightened the moment he saw Minnie in the grove.

“Minnie!” he greeted. “Where’d you go?”

“I don’t know. There you were on the branch one moment. Then the next, you and the monkeys were gone,” Minnie answered.

“It was so weird. All of a sudden, the mom grabbed me around my wrist and pulled me through the jungle with her. What happened to you?” Spike said.

For a moment, Minnie was silent. She debated whether or not to tell him that the panther they had met was now most likely hot on their trail, but didn’t want to worry him any more than was needed.

“I was...just a bit delayed,” Minnie said.

Before Spike could ask what she meant, he and Minnie both noticed something.

The mother monkey was walking slowly through the group of animals, who were all parting for her to walk past them. Once they had cleared a path, the strangers in the kingdom saw many crystals jutting out of the ground, the largest of which was almost as tall as Minnie was.

Though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, Spike thought that he had seen something like those crystals before. Something he had seen before that had been around longer than even the Royal Sisters could remember. Whatever they were, the mother monkey laid her injured child down before the crystals.

The green child scampered around his mother’s side to look at his sibling.

The black monkey was breathing heavily. Her cries had stopped and she looked up at her mother, who was gathering up handfuls of something from the ground.

“Kee-kee-ukee,” she said, showing the handful to her green child.

The green monkey looked at the handful and started darting around to collect more of what his mother told him.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Minnie wondered, though she didn’t expect any definitive answer.

“Kee-ku-ku!” the mother said to Minnie and Spike.

“What?” Spike asked.

“Kee-ku-ku! Kee-ku-ku!” the mother chattered over and over, showing what was in her hands to her friends.

Though the light was dim, a closer look and Minnie and Spike both saw that it was a tiny handful of the silver specks that had been floating around.

“Do you think she wants--?” Minnie asked.

“C’mon! Let’s get some more!” Spike said, hastily trotting off to collect more of the glittering dust.

Minnie barely had time to tell him to slow down, before the little dragon began scavenging for the dust. So, making her own way through the crowd of animals, Minnie began catching the silvery specks in her pith helmet.

On his own end of things, Spike was trying to gather as much of the specks as he could. But no matter how he tried, he could not get his claws around them.

His efforts took him nearly to the edge of the grove, where he suddenly found himself showered in the silvery dust. Looking up, Spike saw two small jungle cats batting a flower with their paws. From the flower came more of the silver specks. Not about to pass up the opportunity to collect so much at once, the dragon opened up his backpack and collected as much as he could, before the cats stopped shaking the pollen from the flower.

Once they had all collected as much as they could, Spike, Minnie and the monkeys returned to the injured baby by the crystals.

“I’ve got what you wanted,” Minnie said, presenting her glimmering pith helmet.

“Me too. Is this enough?” Spike said, presenting his backpack.

“Kee-kee! Uk-ko-ko-keek-ee!” the mother said, gesturing her friends closer.

She looked down to her injured baby, who looked back up at her. It was now or never. The mother began sprinkling the silver pollen over her baby. Following her exemple, the green baby started sprinkling his own handful of pollen over his sister, who sniffled slightly when a tiny bit of pollen got into her nose.

Minnie too was sprinkling the pollen that she had collected over the monkey. Though she had no idea what they were doing, she felt as if somehow these animals knew what they were doing.

Spike sprinkled pinch after pinch of pollen onto the little monkey, until he realized that he was not getting as much of it as he had collected out. Reaching into his backpack, Spike pulled out one of the sandwich bags full of gems that he had packed, and brushed off the pollen that had collected onto that. Next, he produced the ‘Power Ponies’ comic he had brought with him and gently flipped the pages over the monkey, spreading the pollen that had collected between its pages over her. After that, he produced the brown shoes that he collected in the Manor Serpente and tapped the heels to pour out any pollen that had gotten into them.

He hesitated a moment when he took out Caru’s red coat, and briefly recalled her last moments in Blaiddru. Shuddering momentarily at the memory, Spike began gently shaking the coat over the monkey, hoping that somehow it would prevent a second life from ending.

As she was sprinkling the last of her own pollen, Minnie glanced up and saw the red coat juxtaposed to the brown shoes. Her mind conjured up a silly little image of Spike wearing both, looking rather silly in the clothes that were too big for him. In fact, if he were a little bit taller, Spike might have looked like Mickey during his days as a student. All of a sudden, it hit her like she had swung through the jungle right into the side of the biggest tree.

“Spike, where did you get those clothes?” Minnie asked.

“Huh? I found them,” Spike said.

“But, where? How? Those belonged to--”

Before she could finish, the mother monkey chattered something unintelligible. All attention was drawn to the scene before the crystals.

Everything went quiet. Not even the wind was heard in the distance, as the entire grove stopped to watch.

The green baby tugged on his mother’s fur, squeaking quietly as he watched his motionless sister. His mother didn’t even look at him as she gently pulled him closer and embraced him in her tail.

Spike’s eyes never left the young monkey, even as he scooted closer to Minnie’s side and put his hand in her’s.

For many moments, all life in the grove had ceased. The sun above was growing further away from its little window in the canopy. With it, the light from the crystals was leaving too. And before the crystals, seen by what little light was left, the little monkey’s breath had stopped altogether.

The green baby pointed to his sister and looked up to his mother. The only answer to any questions his young mind may have concocted was a sorrowful gaze from the mother monkey, as tears welled up in her eyes.

Minnie felt Spike sink into her side, and heard his quiet sobbing. She knelt down and pulled him into her shoulder, cradling him there. After all their travels together, everything was taking its toll on Spike. How she wished for some way to get him back home, where he would be safe from the danger and grief that he constantly faced.

Just then, another light shone in the grove, illuminating the world around them ever so slightly.

Minnie looked up, and her face morphed to an awed stare.

“Spike. Look,” she whispered.

Spike looked up and saw what she did.

From the crystals, a single, focused beam of light was shining on the silvery form of the baby monkey.

The baby’s whole body seemed to glow from within as the light spread over her. Nearby, the green baby chattered excitedly and tried to bounce up and down, only to be stopped by his mother, who watched on.

Soon, all the light in the grove dimmed to almost nothingness, and the light from the crystals dwindled away.

The black monkey was silent and still beneath the crystals. An eternity passed, until the mother monkey cautiously walked up, followed timidly by her son.

The mother looked over her daughter, hoping for the best but not daring to discover otherwise.

The green baby reached down with his tail, scooped up a pinch of ibhuqu pollen and sprinkled it over his sister’s nose.

“Kee!” the mother scolded, as she pushed away her son’s tail.

*Sniff*

Any agitation the mother felt left her in an instant. Her gaze snapped immediately to her daughter, who laid as still as ever.

“Ah-choo!” the black back sneezed, blowing dust across the grove.

“KEE!! EE-KO-KAKAK-KEE-KEE!!” the mother chattered excitedly, taking her daughter in her arms and holding her close.

All around the grove, nearly unseen, the other animals cheered as loudly as the mother.

Spike and Minnie cheered too. After all the perils that they faced to get where they were, they managed to save a life in the balance.

The celebration ended suddenly when a cluster of silvery starlight violently plummeted from above and enveloped the crystals, illuminating the grove in an ominous, dim glow.

“What’s happening!?” Spike said, clinging to Minnie.

They had seen it before. The Massster had used similar magic before, and there it was now. And the caster of the magic made herself apparent.

Dropping in from above and landing with nary a sound was the same panther who nearly captured them back in the abandoned village. Against the glow of the cluster of magic, her yellow eyes sparkled malevolently as they locked onto Minnie.

“Funny meeting you here, girl. You’re not after my goods too, are ya?” she asked.

“What are you doing here? Get away from those crystals!” Minnie demanded.

“Get away? Girl, I know people who’d be real interested to see what these rocks can do. You saw what happens when they mix their voodoo with these flowers. Think about what that could mean for magic like what you an’ me got,” the panther said, cocking her head toward the ibhuqu flowers.

“These ‘rocks’ are what’s making life so good for everything living here! You can’t just take that away from them!” Spike asserted.

“I think that’s all the more reason I should,” the panther said. “You ever wonder what it is that makes magic like that in your world? I don’t. But, I got friends who do, an’ can find out. So, it doesn’t matter how stubborn these things are to go. I’m takin’ these rocks out o’ here, whether you like it or not, lizard boy.”

“Then, we’ll just have to make you leave without them!” Minnie said, readying to attack.

Beside her, the family of monkeys chattered angrily, the mother jumping up and down with her teeth bared.

The panther smirked at the sight before her. There were her opponents, a mouse with a portable bridge, a pint-sized dragon and a family of lower lifeforms.

“Works for me. My pal’s got business with you anyway, girl,” the panther said, pointing to Minnie.

There was no time to ask what she had meant, before Minnie needed to shield herself with her bundled up bridge.

The panther’s claws glanced off of the planks as she pounced on Minnie, then disappeared into the shadows beyond the grove.

Many of the animals had run for cover, leaving Minnie, Spike and the family of monkeys alone to face their opponent together. Somewhere in the shadows, the panther waited to strike again.

There was a rustling of leaves, and a rush of shadows. The fight was on.

Author's Note

Here we are, just before the showdown. Now stuck in the dark, our heroes have to fight a nearly invisible opponent. That should be fun to write.

These odd little crystals that we’ve seen in this arch. Could they be somehow related to the Tree of Harmony? Perhaps, this is what a Tree of Harmony looks like before it grows into a big tree? Perhaps this is South Zebrica’s Tree of Harmony, similar to what we saw in the snowy kingdom of mooses? Perhaps this deep abyss in the jungle is a lot like Equestria’s Everfree Forest? Perhaps. But, I don’t think we’ll be answering any of those questions. Feel free to ponder over them.

At the beginning, Spike touches on something that is kind of an important issue to myself. That is the development of a person’s social and emotional intelligence. For anybody who is unfamiliar, your social intelligence is your ability to pick up on social cues, understand the feelings and behaviors of others and how to behave in public. And your emotional intelligence is your ability to regulate your emotions and react appropriately to a given situation or circumstance. A very good example of this that I’m sure everyone reading this is familiar with is Twilight Sparkle at the very beginning of the show.

At the start, Twilight was an awkward, anxious mare who needed nothing but her studies. Time goes by and she becomes a well-rounded person who graduates to royalty. This is because by actually interacting with others and learning her own self worth, she learns to be a better person.

I’m not exactly unfamiliar with this myself. I was never as bad as Twilight, but I have volunteered for support groups for people who have stunted SQ’s or EQ’s. And I tell you, the way that Twilight is portrayed is very similar to the real thing. People like this tend to seclude themselves, use the internet not as a tool but as an escape from reality (similar to Twilight with her studies), and then use this escape as an unintentional fuel for their neuroses (except that Twilight was onto something when she was predicting the return of Nightmare Moon). There’s a lot more to it, since everybody is different from the person next to them, but this tends to be the basic commonality between almost all of these cases of people with low or stunted social and emotional intelligence.

I want to add that a lot of these people like to self-diagnose. For anybody doing this, I implore you not to. Even if you are a mental health professional, you are the worst person to have diagnose yourself.

To end this little speech of mine, I want to say that if any of you see yourselves in this profiling, there is help out there.

Sorry, I usually make it a point not to use the work I do as a soapbox, but it is kind of an important issue to me.

Something that I totally spaced on a few chapters ago was a little bit of behind the scenes stuff with Minnie’s costume. Originally, Minnie was going to be carrying a machete that she was going to use to cut her way through the thick jungle foliage. As soon as I thought of it, I decided that it wasn’t quite ‘Disney’ enough. So, the machete was replaced by a pair of gardening shears. And for a while I thought that was it. Then, it occurred to me that using shears wouldn’t exactly help with navigating through the treetops.

After some deliberation, I realized that the broken bridge from the first chapter offered plenty of resources for somebody with the imagination to use them (such as Minnie). So, Minnie was given a portable ladder/bridge to use for getting through the jungle and fighting her own newly discovered feline adversary.

As is customary, a reference to another cartoon snuck in. This time, it was at the very beginning of this chapter where the ant and the aardvark are mentioned, referencing the old Friz Freling cartoon ‘The Ant and the Aardvark.’ I recommend it to those who like those old Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons. Personally, I’m still rooting for the day Wile E. finally catches that smarmy bird. Then again, if he does there will be no more cartoons. Bummer.

If this arch seems like it was kind of rushed, it’s because it was. Not that I don’t like Spike, Minnie and Pluto. I just really want to follow up on Applejack and all of them.

A quick recap, the last time we saw Applejack, Fluttershy, Donald and Uncle Scrooge, they were caught up in a high speed pursuit of the leader of an evil conglomerate. During the showdown with the evil CEO, Uncle Scrooge found that age was finally catching up with him and his health started to fail. On top of all that, Applejack took a bullet to her apple-bucking leg when she was rescuing her friends. After a harrowing escape from the battle, the four friends are now on their way to some unknown destination.

But, we won’t be getting to them until we finish up this showdown. And I know that you all have as much fun with them as I do. So, let’s all rock on to that tasty jam \m/

Prologue: Through the Looking Glass

Prologue

Through the Looking Glass

A door opened, and a bell rang.

"Come on, fellers! This place is only open a few more minutes!" said Mickey Mouse.

The day had been long, and the sun was setting. For most of the day, Mickey and his friends had been searching for something. A gift to commemorate the day he and Minnie first met one another on that plane ride so long ago. Something that would show her how much she ever meant to him.

So far, nothing had inspired such a feeling, and the day wore on quicker than Mickey or his friends could have thought. Now, the shops were all closing, and the last stop of the day would have to be the antique shop they had just entered.

Quickly as they could, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto all split up to find the perfect gift.

"How the heck did we get talked into this, Goofy?" Donald asked, as he perused the shelves for something of interest.

"Well, I jus' did it 'cuz Mickey asked me to," Goofy answered.

"What do you mean 'because he asked?' What favors did Mickey do for you!?"

"Nuthin'. I jus' figgered that bein' his pal duzn't mean ya have tuh ask favors."

"Pfft! Sounds like a bunch of malarkey," Donald said, as he crossed his arms.

Pluto sniffed through the store for a gift. Following his nose, the hound passed by all manner of unusual scents that had never before encountered. Old and wooden, like something passed from an age long before.

One shelf had several funny-looking figurines with different, unusual faces. Pluto mimicked every one of their faces: a rabbit with droopy jowls, wearing a chef's hat; a pop-eyed fish with a puckered mouth, holding a fishing rod; a caterpillar with a wide grin, flying a kite; a wizened old owl, dressed as a priest. He then moved to the next shelf.

The next shelf had several oddly shaped vases, which contorted Pluto's reflection on each surface.

The hound turned his head from side to side and moved forward and backward, watching how each of the different dogs on the surface of the glass moved with him.

He bared his teeth at them, and watched them all bare their teeth back, giving the hound a good jump.

That was unacceptable. Pluto was not a dog to take threats lightly. He put on his fiercest face, and watched how all the different distorted dogs made the same face, now made fiercer and more frightening by their misshapen faces.

"BOOOOOOW!!"

With a yelp, Pluto ran away from the scary dogs, and bumped into a small table. The contents of the table all fell on top of Pluto: a feather duster on his head, a pair of coke bottle glasses over his eyes, a black, monogrammed cloth on his upper lip, and a set of wooden dentures in his mouth, all put together to make him look like a dead ringer for Groucho Marx.

In another part of the store, Mickey was looking at the various dolls and figurines that were on display. One of them had to look even remotely like the kind that Minnie collected. Except that none of them did.

But, if the arms on that doll were put on the body of that doll, and replaced with the head of another doll, and the ears of another doll were put here, and the clothes it wore were swapped with a few of the fabrics that were lying around.

Mickey looked around, making sure that the shop owner wasn’t looking. When he saw that he was in the clear, he busily started making his Frankenstein amalgamation of doll parts.

"Ha ha! Voila!" Mickey said triumphantly, as he crafted a new doll that looked just like Minnie. But, only if Minnie looked creepy and porcelain-y. "Nuts! So close!"

"Have you found anything to your liking, young fella," the elderly shop owner asked.

Quick as he could, Mickey hid the disfigured doll behind his back.

"Nothin' yet, sir," Mickey said.

He glanced to the side, and quickly swept the disembodied doll parts into the open drawer of the dresser they were on, closing it just as quickly.

"Oh. Well, maybe your friends over there have found something?" the shop owner asked.

"Maybe. Hey, Donald? Goofy? You fellers find anything yet?" Mickey called.

"Does Minnie like Polynesian tiki dolls?" Donald asked, holding up one of the wickedly smiling figurines.

"Nope. Nothin' like that. Keep lookin'."

"Hmph. I'm gonna be at this all day tomorrow too, I bet," Donald grumbled.

Something hanging on the wall caught his eye: a hannya mask with sharp teeth and red markings. One look to the side revealed Goofy's back, as the goof played with some antique toys.

A devious thought occurred to the duck. He took the mask off the wall, and crept up behind his friend.

"A-hyuck! Folks sure musta had a lotta fun back then," Goofy said, as he watched a gigantic top spin wildly around a clockwork band.

"Hey, Goofy."

Goofy turned, when he recognized his temperamental friend's voice.

"Uh, yeah, Donal-WO-OW!!!"

The goof jumped high when he saw the fanged, red visage before himself, and landed on the highest shelf among some puppets, getting tangled in their strings.

"Wak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Feeling a little tied up, Goofy?" Donald guffawed.

He turned around to put the mask back, only to come face to face with a bug-eyed, wooden-toothed monstrosity that Pluto had made himself into.

"WAK!!"

Donald jumped up to the same shelf as Goofy, getting caught in the strings as well.

Down on the floor, Pluto shook off all of his adornments, and barked at the dangling duck.

"Oh, ya think you're hot stuff, do ya, pooch? Come up here and get what's comin' to ya!" Donald said, swinging his fists wildly, and getting more tangled up.

"A-yuh-huh-huh-huh-huck! He got ya good, pal," Goofy said, as he slowly untangled himself.

"Aw, put a sock in it,” Donald grumbled.

The shopkeeper assisted the two danglers by gently spinning them with a broom handle.

"Don't you young folk worry yourselves none. I'll get you down in a jiffy. Maybe half a jiffy," he said.

Half a jiffy it was, as when only a few strings were undone, Goofy and Donald swung down from the shelf, knocking over some more merchandise.

From where he was, Mickey dove over a display of lamps, slid across the floor, and caught the priceless antiques before they all broke.

More items fell, and Mickey had to throw what he held into the air to catch what else was falling.

The mouse ended up juggling what he tried to save with the merchandise he had thrown into the air. Mickey ran backwards, catching whatever there was that needed to be saved.

He stepped on the top that was still spinning from when Goofy was playing with it, and bumped into a mannequin that was wearing a tuxedo.

With an incredible tumble, Mickey somehow ended up wearing the mannequin's clothes, came to a stop against a tall piece of merchandise covered in a white sheet, and everything else landed harmlessly around him.

Pillows and cushions landed first, followed by all the dolls and figurines landing on them, all facing Mickey. A painting of a woman in a white dress landed next to him, and behind him fell the figurine of a bird dressed as a priest. For the final touch, a ring landed in Mickey's open palm, nearest to the painting of the woman.

"Gawrsh. She's a real keeper, ain't she, Mick?" Goofy said, as he removed the final bit of string from his foot.

Mickey looked around himself, and realized the impromptu wedding ceremony he had set up.

"Ha ha. Well, whaddaya know?" he said.

Mickey quickly took off the tuxedo so that he was back in his red shorts, and folded it neatly to hand to the shopkeeper.

"You looked mighty dapper in that tux, m'boy. Feel like buying it?" the old man asked.

"I could use a new outfit for a night on the town. But not just yet. I'm here lookin' for somethin' for my girlfriend," Mickey answered.

"Then you better do it quick, sonny. I'm about ready to close up shop here.”

"You got it, sir. I'm gonna find Minnie's gift, or die tryin'," Mickey declared, before his foot caught on the white sheet behind him, and sent him tumbling to the floor.

"You're off to a good start dyin’, Mouse," Donald said.

Mickey untangled himself from the sheet, and marveled at what he had uncovered.

"Saaaay. Would ya take a look at this little number," he said.

Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and the shopkeeper all gathered around the most gorgeous full-body mirror they had seen. Polished brass and wood, carved into the shapes of galloping equines bordered the silver glass. The image seemed so clear and inviting that it seemed as though they were looking into another room through the surface of the mirror.

"Well, well. Looks like something caught your eye after all, eh son?" the shopkeeper chuckled. "You said you were shopping for your girlfriend? Well, then you may be in luck, 'cause this mirror's something special. It's part of a set of two: one for you, and the other for your true love. It's said that when you look into a mirror like this one, it shows you not yourself, but where you're meant to be in a time of calamity, so that you can always be there for one another when you're truly needed."

"Oh boy! That's exactly what I'm lookin' for! How much for the set?" Mickey asked.

"Sorry, but the other mirror was bought earlier today. Big fella, who I could tell had no love at all in his life. Why he wanted the mirror, I can't say. But, since the set's incomplete, I can let this go for half price at $1,200.

"Darn. Aw, it's just as well. Me and Minnie live in the same house anyway," Mickey said, as he took out his checkbook.

"Heh. Young folks. Just can't wait to get hitched these days," the shopkeeper said.

The mirror was paid for, and wrapped accordingly for travel, before Mickey and his friends all carried it out to the car.

"Would've been nice to have a mirror for both of us," Mickey said. "I wonder who bought the other one."

"Who cares? That other guy probably thought a mirror's a mirror," Donald said.

"I don't think so. Fer twelve-hunnerd bucks, he coulda gotta whole ennertainment set. So, why jus' a mirror?" Goofy wondered.

"Who knows? Maybe a collector?" Mickey suggested.

"Arf!" Pluto finished.

"This is the way, ain't it?"

"Yup. Just where de boss said so."

In a faraway land, further beyond where most could travel, two figures lurked through woods of unimaginable darkness. They had been walking to their destination as they had been instructed. Only they were walking for longer than they felt they should have.

"I'm gettin' real tired o' this! You sure we're headin' the right way?" said the smaller figure.

"I just said it was. So, quit yer bellyachin', ya big blowhard!" replied the larger of the two.

"Where do you get off callin' anyone a blowhard, ya fat tubba butter!? You're actin' like your the one in charge when ya don't have a clue where to go!"

"De boss said dissaway! An' if we don't listen to him, you know what's gonna happen to us!"

"Grrr! I was better off chasin' pigs back home!" the smaller figure said, clenching his fists.

"Stick with it, ya glutton. When we're in charge, ya can have all de pigs ya can eat," the larger figure said.

"Yeah. An' chickens, an' cows, an' I always wondered what pony tastes like."

"An' as fer me: I'm gonna be de richest, baddest, most feared king dis place's ever seen!"

"My own personal smokehouse!"

"A bank where every bill's mine!"

"A marinatin' pan the size of a swimmin' hole!"

"A big, ol' mansion wit' a loyal house staff!"

"They better be loyal. Or I'm eatin' 'em!"

They both shared a hearty laugh over their future plans, knowing that it was all nearly within their grasp.

There came a cave, where the two stopped.

This was what they were told of, and the two exchanged a glance. They were nearly at their destination.

They entered the cave, which grew brighter and brighter with every step they took inside. Soon, the source of the light became apparent.

There before them was a radiant tree of diamonds of all colors. A harmonious resplendence that shimmered and shone to give hope to all in the darkest of times.

But, not this time.

"Gah-ha-ha! This is it! Ya still got that thing the boss gave ya?" the smaller asked.

"Right here,” the larger replied.

The larger of the two reached into this pocket, and produced something like a small, twinkling light. He threw the light toward the tree, and it darted around like a tiny comet, trailing sparkles of stardust behind it.

The light on the miniature comet became brighter, but its light was not like the tree's. It was malevolent, and cruel with its shine. Almost as if it meant to swallow up all the hope-giving light of the tree before it.

As though to scream, the diamonds that dangled from the tree all began to shiver at once in a loud din that rang through the cave, until its light began to dim.

And dim.

And dim until it was all but gone.

"Wah-ha-ha-ha! Hey, dis thing really works!" said the larger of the two.

"An’ now that we took care o' this, let's go to the next stop!" the other said, as he jumped about in malicious glee.

"Things are only gonna look up fer us from here on out. Long as we keep dis up, dere ain't no way we can be stopped!"

The two figures left the hidden grove, leaving the tree behind to fade away. But, with the last of its power, the tree called out. It didn’t know to where, and it didn’t know to who, but it called for help. If only there would be an answer.

"Minnie! Minnie, I'm home! I got somethin' for ya!" Mickey called into the house, as he and his friends hauled the mirror in.

No answer came.

"Minnie? Where the heck could she be right now?" Mickey wondered

"Hopefully, she's looking for more help with this thing," Donald grunted.

"Aw, it's not so bad, Donald. Just--oof--Just take it in nice and easy..." Mickey strained under the weight of the mirror.

"Easy!? This stupid thing weighs a ton!" Donald fumed.

"Gawrsh, I don't think it's so heavy," Goofy said.

"That's because you got a grip in the middle! All the weight's here at the base!" the duck fumed.

"Look, Donald: if ya wanna switch, just do it," Mickey said impatiently.

"Alright. I will!" Donald put his end of the mirror down, and switched places with Goofy. "Move aside, Goof. I'll show ya how a real man--WAK!!"

Donald hadn't anticipated Goofy's superior height to be a factor. When the goof lifted the base of the mirror, Donald, and Pluto who was holding the other side, were lifted off the ground. Pluto let go, but Donald held fast.

"Hey! Put me down! Put me down!" Donald shouted.

Mickey and Goofy both shook the mirror, dropping Donald to the floor. His hat, however, landed in the nearby fish bowl.

"Hmph. That's better," the duck said.

Pluto retrieved Donald's hat, and offered it to him.

"What're you lookin' at, mutt?" Donald asked.

Donald snatched his hat away, and put it on, only to be drenched in all the water that was contained within.

"Okay, Goof: keep it comin'. We're almost there," Mickey said.

He, Goofy and Pluto continued down the hall, while Donald sulked with his arms crossed, before he joined his friends.

"Right in here. That's it," Mickey said.

They stopped in his and Minnie's bedroom, where they set up the mirror and untied its sheet.

It was perfect. Minnie had been looking for a full body mirror for almost a month, and now she had one with such romantic affiliations as seeing where you're meant to be when you're needed by another.

"Okay. I just need to spruce it up a bit. Come on, Pluto. Help me look for the polish," Mickey bade his dog.

"Arf-Arf!" Pluto answered.

Mickey and Pluto left, leaving Donald and Goofy to look at the mirror.

"Welp, I'm glad that's over with. Now, I can get back to business as usual," Donald said.

"Sure is a purdy mirror, though," Goofy added.

Goofy looked at his reflection, and fixed his hair. He even plucked a stray one that didn't look quite right. And perfect. Except for that little, twinkling sparkle just between his eyes.

"Huh?" the goof said.

Goofy turned his head from side to side, finding that the sparkle seemed to rest on the tip of his bulbous nose.

The goof crossed his eyes to look at his nose, but found no such thing there.

He moved his whole upper body from side to side, and realized that the twinkle was staying exactly in place.

"A-hyuck. Fer a secon', I thought I wuz goin' crazy," Goofy said, as he motioned toward the mirror's surface.

Goofy licked his thumb, and rubbed it against the glass, trying to smudge out the twinkle, only for it to remain.

"Hm..."

Goofy smudged even harder, only for the friction to wear right through his white glove.

"Sum'n wrong here," Goofy grumbled.

In the mirror image before him, more twinkling lights appeared, and the image of himself in Mickey's bedroom disappeared completely. Instead, Goofy saw something that shouldn't have been. A cave, where a crystal tree dimly glowed in the darkness, twinkling diamonds adorning its branches in the place of leaves.

"Sum'n really wrong here!" Goofy exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Donald asked, as he stepped next to his friend and saw what was on the mirror. "Wak! Goofy! What did you do? That--That... Mama pajama! That must be worth a fortune!"

"Just wait 'til I get done fixin' it up," Mickey said, as he merrily skipped into the room. "Whatcha guys lookin' at--" Mickey dropped the rag he was holding, and Pluto's mouth opened so he dropped the bottle of polish he held. "What in the heck happened to the mirror?" Mickey wondered.

"Help..."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"You all heard that, didn't ya?" Mickey asked.

His friends all nodded.

"Help us..."

Whether it was from curiosity or from a lack of caution, Mickey reached out to touch the mirror, only to see it ripple like water under his touch.

Whatever had made Mickey reach out for the mirror made him take a small step forward, and his entire hand was engulfed by the rippling glass. Then, he took another step.

"Mickey! Whatever you're thinking: don't do it!" Donald said.

"If yer gonna go, how do ya know ya won't come back?" Goofy added.

Mickey didn't heed his friend's words, and continued to walk forward.

He was grabbed on either side by his friends.

"Oh, no you don't! Nothing good can come of this!" Donald said.

"Don't leave us, Mickey! We love you!" Goofy added.

No matter how they protested, Mickey was determined to discover the mystery of the mirror, and walked right through the looking glass, pulling his friends along with him.

Pluto remained in the room, barking madly at Mickey as he left, and continued to bark at the rippling image of the tree after he had disappeared.

The image of the tree began to fade, and everything reverted back to Pluto looking at his own reflection in Mickey's bedroom.

Perplexed, Pluto stepped behind the mirror, expecting to find Mickey on the other side.

No such luck was to be had, and the pooch started sniffing around the base of the mirror, searching for any clues to his pal's whereabouts.

With an unnatural lightness, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all felt their feet touch the rocky ground. All three looked around themselves, and saw that they were in the place that they had seen on the glass of the mirror.

"Aw, look what ya did now, Mouse!" Donald said.

"Donald. Look," Mickey said, as he pointed ahead.

Donald did as instructed, and his rage was replaced with greed when he saw the crystal tree before him. Though that feeling quickly passed as well.

Goofy slowly approached the tree, sensing something was very out of place with it.

The dangling diamonds on the tree swayed slowly and heavily back and forth, as though a living being were taking deep, ragged breaths.

Goofy felt a chill through his body, like he was in the presence of somebody who had only moments left to live.

After a moment of hesitating, Goofy reached out, and touched his hand to the tree trunk, feeling a sudden warmth. Even though somebody (he didn't know who) would be gone soon, he knew that everything would be alright. Why? He didn't know why, but that was the feeling he had gotten.

Mickey and Donald approached on either side of their friend, and reached to touch the tree as well. They couldn't explain it, but they felt the same way. Donald even fought back a single tear that threatened to escape his eye.

With one last sway, the diamonds on the tree all gently rustled at once, and fell silent after.

A single diamond dropped from the branches, and fell into Mickey's hands. A parting gift from a friend they never knew.

"Gawrsh...Did we jus' see somethin' *gulp*...buy the farm?" Goofy asked.

"I don't know. I think so... Oh, jeez! This is too weird for me!" Donald said.

As his friends tried to come to grips with what had happened, Mickey looked thoughtfully at the diamond in his hand.

The twinkling light from within the jewel slowly floated in front of him, and drifted toward the exit to the cave, passing between his friends, and lighting up all the tiny stones that were embedded in the walls.

"I think we should follow it," Mickey said, with only a hint of apprehension.

"Follow it? What for?" Goofy wondered.

"I think it might have somethin' to do with what the old man said earlier. Maybe, we're here 'cause we're needed here. Maybe there's somethin' here that only we can take care of. I don't know about you fellers, but I feel like since it's us that were called, it's us who's gotta take care of what's happenin'. Who's with me? Goofy?"

"Sure. So long's no more trees croak."

"Donald?"

"I just hope I live to regret it."

"Okay, fellers. Let's get to it," Mickey said

And the three friends began their magical quest, not knowing what they were to face, or where they would find themselves. Only knowing that if they didn't, nobody would.

Author's Note

There we go. The prologue's all finished. How'd you like it, folks?

As the title implies, this will be based off of those old 'Magical Quest' video games from the SNES days. The first place that they arrive will in fact be a reference to the first level of one of those games. Which one? That's a surprise for later.

The personalities of each character were taken from the older cartoons and the comic strips that were written by Floyd Gottfredson back in the 1930's and 40's. This may come as a bit of a shock to fans of newer Mickey media, who see the universe it's set in as somewhat more wholesome.

For anyone who is worried about Pluto being left behind, don't you worry about him, he's going to be involved in a later point, somewhat similar to what happened with Jon Arbuckle in Garfield: Friendship is a Big, Fat, Hairy Deal. How? I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll find out a way, as this story is only a side project for what I'm currently focusing on.

That said, I hope you all look forward to the coming chapters. And as I always bid my beloved audience: rock on \m/

Chapter 8: The Mansion of Madness

Chapter 8

The Mansion of Madness

Deep in the heart of the mansion, The Massster slithered into his personal chambers.

His room was large, dark, and ornately decorated with every treasure imaginable, from golden goblets inlaid with jewels to a bust made completely of amber, which was wearing a crystal tiara. The taxidermy-ed remains of a young dragon who had crossed him sat on a platform against a wall.

The snake dragged in his entire body, his excessive length undulating about the enormous room, sliding over chests loaded with fine linens, weaving through whatever statues were set about, climbing around portraits on the wall.

At the back of the room, set on a pedestal was a large diamond with a reflective surface. The Massster coiled up the front of his body before the jewel.

From the diamond, a shadow seeped out, which covered the entire room and swallowed everything that was to be found within. Then, there was a glimmer of starlight.

Slowly, the dots of twinkling magic filled the room and began swirling about, their light illuminating the sparkling treasures and the glinting eyes of the snake.

On the surface of the diamond, a shadowy form appeared. Nothing was to be seen of it at first, until its eyes opened with a stern glare. Though they were miles apart, The Massster felt as if he were being watched by the other as though they were in the very same room.

"I presume that you have news to tell me," said the image on the jewel.

"Indeed I do, good ssorcerer," The Massster answered. "It sseemss that only momentss ago did I receive a new guesst on my property. A young moussse. By the name of Minerva."

The shadow on the diamond said nothing. Not even his expression changed at the news.

"Are you ssurprissed? I don't undersstand how, ssince you ended up leaving her in the charge of that oafish cat to begin with. You're lucky that I wass able to find her sso quickly," the snake said.

"Hmmm...I'll have to have a talk with Pete later about keeping care of his charge," the shadow replied.

"And what shall I do with my guesst?"

"Simply keep her from any harm."

The Massster was surprised to hear this. How was someone such as he expected to be tasked with such a minuscule, insignificant objective?

"Iss that all? Admittedly, she iss a very graciouss guesst. But, what importance iss she that you would keep her here in my manor?" he asked.

"I don't intend to keep her in your manor."

Several of the dots of sparkling magic began to glow as they swirled about the room. One by one, the glowing magics started to compress and merge with one another, creating a larger mass of starlight.

"Use this to transport her to my castle. There is where she will be put to use as the key to Mickey's downfall."

The Massster didn't know what exactly the shadow was talking about. The name 'Mickey' was completely unknown to himself. But, he did have a shade of an idea of what role Minnie was to play, and a devious smile crawled onto his face.

"Dirty fool, good ssorcerer. Using one's love as a bargaining chip for your conquesst. Hahahahaaaa! I love it!" he deviously chuckled.

"Send her to me as soon as you can. And do not contact me again until you do. Afterward, simply continue keeping my treasure safe for me."

The image on the diamond faded, and the shadows in the room receded back into the massive jewel, along with the starlit magic. All but the cluster that was left in the snake's possession.

The Massster smirked after his master had left.

"Treasure? That'ss hardly the word for a grubby pair of bootss fit for naught but the refusse chute," he chuckled.

The snake looked at the magic before him, wishing that he didn't have to send Minnie away so soon. She was the first and only guest that he ever had at his mansion since he moved in, and was delighted by her company. Even though he regretted that she wouldn't be able to see the theater production that he and his staff had set up, he had no choice in the matter.

The door at the other end of the room cracked open with a quiet creak.

"Massster?" asked the voice of the maid.

Quick as lightning, The Massster's body uncoiled and undulated through the room so that he flung the door open to face his visitor.

The maid yelped and jumped backwards from the sudden movement, dropping the basket of laundry she had on her back.

"What reasson have you to dissturb me in my ssanctum ssanctorum?" the snake snapped.

The maid shivered for a moment, before she managed a shaky smile.

"The grounds crew! They think they've found the animal that's been living on the property!"

"Have they?" The Massster asked, suddenly intrigued. He began to pick up the fallen laundry with his teeth and put it all in the basket. "Thiss iss good newss. Pleasse, forgive my outbursst. Where precisssely hass it been sseen?"

"By the hedges. On the east side of the mansion."

"Very good. Very, very good. I shall ssee to the matter thussly. In the meantime, continue your job. After all, if you don't do the laundry, nobody will. Not ssince the other maids have been let go," The Massster responded, flickering his tongue and slightly baring his fangs.

"Of course, Massster," the maid answered, readily taking the hint to get back to work.

"Very good," The Massster repeated, after placing the basket on the mare's back.

The snake slithered away down the hall to his destination. Yen Sid would have to wait for his delivery, since he now had a chance to make his new home, his domain, nay, his kingdom, perfect in every way possible.

In the guest room at the other end of the mansion, Minnie was busily changing her clothes behind a privacy screen.

"Now tell me: what in the world is going on in this place?" Minnie asked, as she accepted the dress that Loving Care had draped over the screen, and observed the fine, red material that shimmered even in the low light. However, she noticed it was designed for a four-legged wearer. But, nothing a few modifications couldn't fix.

The mouse busily went about folding the dress as though it were a piece of origami. And using the supplies from a nearby sewing basket, Minnie was able to create something completely new, fit for a two-legged wearer.

Were her view not blocked, Minnie would have seen Loving Care look carefully around the room and press her ears against the walls, listening intently for any sounds beyond. When it seemed all was clear, she began to explain the situation.

"Alright. Minnie, please don't be too alarmed: but, The Massster doesn't intend on letting you leave," she said.

"What!?" Minnie nearly stepped out to confront Loving Care, only to remember she was undressed. "Why in the world is he trying to keep me here!?"

"Because that's what he does with everypony here. Anypony who he fancies gets taken in and kept here. I was only here to apply for a job, and suddenly I'm a prisoner of my employer."

"Why, that rotten snake in the grass! How come you haven't just left? That's exactly what I plan to do," Minnie said, observing herself in the mirror. There needed to be some accessories to go with it. Using what was lying around, she further improved her look.

"It's because The Massster doesn't let us leave! He's everywhere at once!" Loving Care answered.

Minnie listened intently as she took a gold ring off a curtain rod, using it now as a bracelet.

"No matter where you go in this house, some part of him is slithering by! And I could swear that he has eyes and ears on his entire length! Everything that you say and do: he knows it! And..."

Minnie had taken the bow off of her head and fastened it around her neck, then took a decorative stone from the sewing box to pin on the center, creating a makeshift choker and broach.

"Is something wrong?" Minnie wondered, noticing that Loving Care hadn't spoken for several seconds.

Loving Care still did not answer right away. She reflected in her mind the reasons that she could not leave, and it broke her heart to think about it.

One last touch, and Minnie grabbed the edge of her white gloves and pulled them up past her elbows. Her ensemble complete, Minnie stepped out from behind the screen to see Loving Care with her head hung in despair.

"Loving Care? Are you feeling alright?"

Loving Care nodded.

"I'm fine. But I...I can't leave. Not until I find my dog. He's my oldest friend. I've had him since I was a foal, and...I don't think he has much time left."

Minnie gasped at the news, gently placing her hand on Loving Care's hoof.

"I wanted him to live here with me, but The Massster hates animals, and he chased him away into the forest. What kind of monster would pick on an elderly animal, only because he wanted somepony for their skills as a hoofmaid..."

Before she could start crying, Loving Care felt Minnie's hands on her shoulders.

"I know how you feel. Right now, two of my friends are out there in the forest. One of them is too young to be on his own, and the other one is my boyfriend's dog."

"Oh, the poor things!" Loving Care said.

"It's why I have to leave. Those two need me to look after them, and I can't stay here and allow them to get into trouble. Especially with that snake slithering around."

A thought occurred to Loving Care. With it came a feeling that she had almost forgotten since she moved into the mansion.

"Maybe, we could find them together."

"You bet we can," Minnie readily agreed. "You and I can leave this place and find our friends!"

"And then keep walking and never look back!"

Loving Care almost stopped herself from speaking too loudly, but she didn't care. This was what she had been waiting for: a way out of her situation to fulfill her friend's needs.

A sudden determination filled her in that moment, all from nothing more than meeting a new friend in that horrible place. As such, she decided to offer her talents to her new friend before they left.

"A hat," was all Loving Care said.

"Excuse me?" Minnie asked.

"You'll need a hat if you're going to pull off that outfit properly."

Minnie smiled at the sentiment, as Loving Care went to a wardrobe that was filled to the brim with hats. One look, and the hoofmaid threw one of them to Minnie: a red cloche cap that matched perfectly with the rest of the dress.

"Well, look at me," Minnie said, after taking a brief look in a mirror. "You really are the best at helping others."

Loving Care giggled quietly, and offered Minnie a folding fan to further complete the look.

Now, they were ready to leave this place, and if The Massster didn't like it, he could sit on a tack. At least, that's what they would have liked to tell him.

Once they opened the door, Minnie and Loving Care both gasped at the sight of the snake's scaly, blue body slithering past their doorway.

"H-How long do you think he was listening?" Minnie whispered.

"I don't know! For at least fifty feet," Loving Care answered.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we'd better leave this place quickly, before we find out if he heard us!"

Slowly, they both tried to make their way past the slithering torso, only to press themselves against the wall when it suddenly undulated towards them.

The outside of the Manor Serpente was still and quiet. No noise was to be heard from anywhere on the property. No wind even rustled the leaves of the dead, barren trees that surrounded the property.

It made skulking about the property all the more unnerving for Pluto and Spike. Every step they took was amplified a hundredfold by the crunch of the dead grass and the shifting of the dry, coarse soil.

Spike crept low, imitating the low-slung crawl of Pluto. Thus far, it kept him from being seen by anypony else who may have been patrolling about the mansion grounds. Then again, they hadn't seen anypony else since the two groundskeepers that passed by about a minute ago. It almost made the dragon feel as if he could walk upright the rest of the way without worry. Maybe that's exactly what he would do?

Cautiously, Spike started to rise to his feet.

There was a loud crunching noise behind him, making him drop flat onto his face.

Looking behind, he saw that Pluto had stepped on a dead leaf that had fallen from one of the trees.

"Sh! Quiet! We don't want that snake to find us!" Spike admonished.

Pluto shook the dead leaf from his paw and continued to crawl after Spike.

The dragon jumped when another crunch sounded behind him.

"Knock it off, Pluto!"

But that was the thing: Pluto hadn't stepped on any leaves at that moment. A brief examination of his paws and the ground beneath them proved that.

Suspicious, the hound dog started sniffing the air. Nothing but the smell of dead plants reached him. It was so overpowering that he had to close his eyes to better examine the world around him through his nose.

Nothing new was smelled. Only the expected dry leaves, wilted flowers, dead trees, grimy stones, unwashed animal fur, dusty thorns--

Animal fur?

It was faint, but Pluto thought he could smell another animal somewhere nearby. Somewhere away from where Spike was going to find Minnie.

True to his nature as a scent hound, Pluto began sniffing out the curious scent to discover its source.

Following his keen nose, the hound dog veered away from the dragon toward the direction the scent was the strongest. It was a peculiar thing, Pluto thought, for there to be the scent of any animal other than himself on the property, given the presence of The Massster patrolling the area. But, there must have been some reason for it to risk such danger.

He followed his nose through the patches of dead flowers, which dropped to the ground as he touched them; through the tall, untrimmed, dead grass, which turned to dust; over the grubby cobblestone patio, which left pawprints and a trail from his snout.

His diversion finally took him to the brown hedges on the border of the property, which were in the shadows of the branches of the old trees.

Pluto sniffed his snout into the roots of the hedges. Here was where the scents were the strongest. The scents of the dead plants mingling with the earth were overpowering, perfect for hiding from an inferior nose.

The scents of the other animal were strongest in here as well, but the stale air and dust were getting to Pluto's sensitive nose. He snorted, and shook his head to clear his snout, taking down many of the leaves from the plants. When he was done, he was greeted by a welcome sight.

There, only inches from his nose was another dog like him. A different breed (a corgi mixed with some kind of terrier, if he had to guess), but a dog nonetheless. One that was quite old and extremely filthy.

Pluto tilted his head to the side as he observed the other dog.

The other dog didn't do much, other than stare.

This seemed to be the source of the curious scent, but Pluto had to be sure. He hovered his snout all around the other dog, taking in all the smells that had been collected in its fur. With a snort, he realized that this was on the money.

"Pluto!" Spike called from behind, before running up beside the hound dog. "What are you doing over here? We need to get inside the mansion."

The older dog let out a low groan, getting Spike's attention.

"Oh. Hey there, old guy. What're you doing here?" Spike asked, patting the dog's head.

Being a dog, he couldn't answer properly, so instead of trying to convey his intent, the old dog began to hobble toward the manor.

"Wait! Stop!" Spike said, he and Pluto both holding him back. "You can't go in there. It's dangerous."

The dog knew full well the danger he was approaching. He had been living on the property for weeks and had seen the way the snake had been viciously pursuing any animals off his property. Too many times, in fact, he had witnessed The Massster's cruelty. And his oldest friend was a prisoner of the tyrant. He was going to get inside, whatever it took. But, he balked when he heard a familiar hiss.

"Where is he?" Spike whispered, for fear of alerting The Massster.

Pluto perked up his ears and lifted his nose. The snake was close. Very close. There came a sound of something large and heavy being dragged over carpet. His ears led his gaze to the upper level of the house, where he saw a gigantic body undulating past an open window.

The hound dog pointed his snout upward, to indicate to the others where the snake was. Spike looked up, and saw The Massster's nose start edging out an open window.

Though determined to find his friend, the older dog was not about to face a younger, larger, stronger, fiercer predator. With a groan, he turned back into the hedges, leaving the others behind. Taking the cue to leave, Pluto picked up Spike by the scales on the back of his neck and carried him into the safety of the leaves.

"Hey!" Spike said, before being pulled into the foliage.

Just as they retreated into safety, The Massster had started slithering out of the window. The rustling noise had grabbed the snake's attention, guiding his gaze to the hedges that were still vibrating from the sudden movement.

"SSo, that'ss where you've been hiding, have you? SSo close to the lair of your enemy," The Massster said, before slithering out his window. "I'm jusst going to have to teach you what happenss to thossse who tempt fate."

Within the hedges, Spike and Pluto were following the older dog through the labyrinth of roots. Beyond their screen of leaves, they heard a noise like something large and heavy touching down to the ground, followed by the noise of slithering over dead grass.

"Come out, come out, little friendss. I've ssomething for you," The Massster called.

Everyone's pace quickened from the serpent's taunting.

Outside the hedges, the upsurge of rustling alerted The Massster to their position.

"Found you."

Among the roots, the quarry was crawling as fast as they could. At the front, the old dog suddenly disappeared somewhere downward.

Spike stopped short of the anomaly, finding that the dog had crawled into a burrow large enough for itself to hide inside. Not seeing any other option to escape, Spike dove into the hole headfirst. Only for his head to get stuck.

The dragon released a string of muffled protests, as the sound of slithering grew closer. Worried by the noise, Pluto started pushing Spike further into the hole.

There was a sudden crash, and Pluto compressed his entire body like an accordion, as The Massster's open jaws crashed past him through the bushes and took an entire plant with them. Pushing his body forward allowed the hound dog to squeeze Spike into the hole. Sucking in his gut, Pluto was able to shimmy in next.

The Massster spat out the dead plant and looked down at where he had attempted to attack his prey.

"What have we here?" he wondered, observing the hole he had uncovered.

The hole was much too small for him to crawl through, but that wouldn't stop him from chasing after the intruders. The snake stuck his nose into the opening of the burrow, then curled up his body like a corkscrew. Once he was finished, he began turning his entire body, burrowing into the hole like he was opening a bottle of fine wine. Those animals would not escape him. He was going to see to that.

Further into the tunnel, Pluto was sliding through like water, pushing Spike along with his snout. Spike had rolled up like a ball to allow for better mobility in the tunnels below, until they all ended up in a larger room.

"Thanks, Pluto," Spike said. He and Pluto then looked about themselves. "Wow. This is a nice place you have down here."

For a place that was dug out from underground, the interior walls were etched smooth and lit with a small lantern, which illuminated a small bed of leaves and twigs, a small store area was dug into one wall, which was loaded with food collected from the forest; and even a shelf that was dug out next to the bed, where a picture was set. The picture showed a pony with a pink coat and dark blue mane with her hoof around the dog.

The room began to rumble, and a hiss was heard from the tunnel behind them.

At the moment, the older dog grabbed the picture and slipped it into its collar, and grabbed the lantern in his mouth, before escaping through one of the several tunnels that were on the back wall. Spike and Pluto followed after, returning to the previous tactic that worked so well before. Spike immediately curled into a ball, while Pluto sucked in and pushed him forward.

Only seconds after they left did The Massster tunnel his way in. The sudden extra space left room for him to hit his head on a wall, making him pause briefly to shake the pain from his head. Once he was done, he rolled up his body once more and formulated a plan to intercept the others. That in mind, he burrowed through the tunnel next to the one his quarry had escaped through.

Pluto pushed Spike with all his might, sending the dragon rolling ahead, sometimes bumping into the older dog at the front and pushing him along.

The tunnels up ahead forked two ways. The one on the left started to rumble, alerting Spike and the others to The Massster's presence.

Everyone quickened their pace as the snake started coming into view up ahead.

The window of escape was shrinking by the second as they approached the safety of the right tunnel, while The Massster quickly corkscrewed in from the left.

The old dog sped ahead, closing the distance to safety.

Pluto spurred himself faster forward, pushing Spike into the other dog's haunches. The other dog's back half ended up riding on the front of the rolling dragon, as his front half busily trotted along the ground.

The snake's jaws opened again, revealing the dark pit past his pink maw.

With one last burst of speed, all three of them passed the snapping jaws into the safety of the other tunnel.

Having missed his prey, The Massster reversed by spinning his body in the counter direction and shifted his head into the other tunnel to continue the chase.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever to Spike and Pluto, when all of a sudden Spike felt himself launched upward into the air, and landed on dead grass.

He looked behind himself to see Pluto's upper body pop up from the ground like a mole, only for him to get stuck the same way he had done himself. Returning the favor the hound dog did for him, Spike welled up a mouthful of green flames to fire at the ground near Pluto's back.

"BOOOOOOWWW!!!!!!"

With a mighty yelp, Pluto leapt out of the hole, his legs flailing as if he were running for his life. Once he was on the ground, he rolled about to ease his singed fur, before growling at Spike.

"It worked, didn't it?" Spike reasoned.

Pluto was none too happy about being torched the way he was, but he was at least grateful to be back on solid ground. Even more so when he felt the soil beneath them rumbling.

Spike and Pluto wasted no time getting away from where they were, just before The Massster burst from the ground, a vast part of his length cropping up with himself.

"Run all you want, my little tresspassserss! You'll only die out of breath!" the snake taunted his prey. "That iss, unlesss I ssqueeze the remainder out of you mysself!"

Spike and Pluto rounded a corner, catching sight of the older dog digging away at the overgrowth of ivy and thorns, revealing a hidden pathway: a window to the lower areas of the house.

The old dog tried to pry open the window, but it was no good with his old, brittle paws.

The sound of slithering came closer.

Spike got an idea and wedged the tip of his tail between the window and the sill. He held out his claw to Pluto.

"Crank!" he said.

Pluto did as ordered, and took Spike's claw in his teeth, cranking his arm up and down. With every pump, Spike's tail lifted slightly, which soon popped the unused window open with a sudden burst of dirt and leaves.

The Massster appeared around the corner, setting his sights on the three intruders. He slithered toward them, opening his mouth wider than he had before, intending to swallow them all in one gulp.

His jaws struck forward and snapped shut.

What happened? He hadn't swallowed them, and they weren't anywhere else near him. There was only one place they could have gone.

The snake lowered his head so that he could peer into the room beyond the window. It was too dark for him to see inside, but he knew they were there. They had only to be sought out.

"Don't think you've esscaped me. I know exactly where you are. I will find you. And I will devour you. And you, little dragon: I've a sspecial place for you in my treasure room. Along with all the other taxidermiesss!"

The Massster slithered backwards to leave for his front door and capture them inside his house, but he stopped when he saw something on the ground. Upon inspection, it was a picture in a wooden frame, showing the dog he had been pursuing for weeks, held in the hooves of Loving Care.

A devious thought occurred to The Massster. Now, luring the dog out was going to be easier than he thought. Taking the picture on his nose, he slithered back toward the front of his mansion.

Back in the halls of the manor, Minnie and Loving Care crept carefully along. The Massster's tail had slithered out a window a long time before, but they were still wary of his presence.

"How much further to the front door?" Minnie whispered.

"Not much further. It's just down those stairs, and then it's a straight shot," Loving Care answered.

At the end of the wall they were creeping along, Minnie could see the banister of the balcony that led to the stairs. A few more steps, and she was able to peer around the corner of the wall into the mansion foyer. There was no sign of The Massster's endlessly long body, a great relief, and a boon for their escape effort.

"It's alright. He's not in the house...I don't think," Minnie said.

Had Minnie's answer sounded more affirmative, it still wouldn't have settled Loving Care's fears. The snake had a way of being in every room at once, catching every misdoing and indiscretion that happened in his home. Worst of all, he had a way of appearing exactly when it was most inopportune.

The front door of the mansion burst open with a loud bang.

"Loving Care? Oh, Loving Care? Wherever are you, my ssweet?" The Massster called from the mansion's foyer.

Minnie and Loving Care both hid back behind the corner, ducking under a table, rattling the silver dishes and vases on top of it.

"Loving Care, come out. And bring Lady Minnie with you. I've a friend who'ss dying to meet her," the snake called.

There came a noise of him slithering toward the stairs.

"He'll find us here!" Loving Care shuddered.

"No, he won't!" Minnie assured her.

"He'll find us! We're practically in the open, and there's nowhere to run to!"

"Where are thosse melodiouss whissperss coming from?" The Massster's voice called out.

The snake began shifting his gaze through the room.

"SSomewhere--HERE!!"

The Massster struck his head into the alcove on the side of the staircase.

"No? Perhapss--HERE!!"

He struck his head up the stairs, so that Minnie and Loving Care could see him.

"I know. Over here..."

They had hardly begun, and now they were going to be caught. Minnie would not have it. She was going to get them past the snake, whatever it took.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed the fan in her hand and opened it. It was too small for what she had planned. She closed the fan, wrenched it in her grip, and to Loving Care's surprise, it had grown some six inches in length. Minnie opened the fan again, now a size that she could work with.

With a flick of her wrist, Minnie sent a burst of air down to the other end of the hallway, which hit a marble bust on a pedestal, creating a loud wobbling noise.

"There we are," The Massster said, now alerted and slithering to where he heard what he thought was a hiding pony.

The snake had been taken care of for the moment. Minnie took Loving Care by the hoof and led her to the banister at the balcony.

She tried to lead her new friend to the stairs, but Loving Care remained on her spot. Looking at the snake's body on the stairs, the lady in waiting shook her head, silently conveying to Minnie that she did not want to risk bumping into The Massster's body.

Minnie understood her fears, and came up with a new plan. Still holding her friend's hoof, she led her to the banister and motioned to jump.

Loving Care shook her head again. She knew the resounding thump of their landing would definitely alert The Massster to where they were.

Taking the matter into her hands, Minnie forced them both to hop over the banister.

Loving Care didn't even gasp, mortified as to what would happen next. However, her fears were unfounded.

Minnie took her fan again, fluttering it gently as they fell, almost like one would see a butterfly doing with its wings. Somehow, someway, the gentle fluttering slowed their fall enough that they both landed silently on the polished floor, without even that sound of a footfall.

Loving Care stared at Minnie, mouth and eyes popped open. There was no way anypony without wings could have managed such a thing.

Minnie only answered by smiling, putting one hand on her hip and fanning herself.

Nothing had to be said. The front door was right there, open and waiting, so anything Loving Care had to ask could wait until they were outside.

"You go first. I'll make sure he stays busy," Minnie whispered, barely audibly.

Loving Care nodded and slowly crept across the foyer. Somehow to her, the foyer seemed to grow incredibly long. Longer than The Massster's body, which was still sticking out the front door with length to spare.

The snake's body undulated toward her, making the lady in waiting jolt to the side to avoid being touched. She froze, hoping The Massster hadn't heard her, and not even sighing when she found he didn't.

Loving Care continued toward the door, looking back to see Minnie dutifully watching if the snake may notice them. She was getting closer. Freedom was within her reach as she stepped one hoof past the front door.

"Perhapss you need ssome perssuasion to reveal yoursself?" The Massster's voice called. "Do you know that beasst that hass been gallivanting about the manor? Well, it sso happenss that I have perssonally taken care of the matter. And it tassted terrible."

"Rusty!" Loving Care gasped.

From where she hid, Minnie covered her own mouth to keep from shouting out. There was nothing else she could do as Loving Care was suddenly wrapped up in The Massster's coils.

Quick as lightning, Loving Care was carried up to the middle of the stairs as though she were caught in a slipknot. There, The Massster stuck his head from the hallway to only inches from her face.

"SStepping out for a bit of fresh air, were we? But, I haven't given you leave yet," The Massster said.

"You monster! You evil beast!" Loving Care shouted as she struggled against the snake's coils. Tears began pouring out of her eyes. "Why couldn't you have just chased him away?! He was just an old dog!!"

"Quite the contrary, dear lady. I haven't done anything to your dog...yet." He squeezed Loving Care just hard enough to stop her hooves from moving. "But you: you are going to help me to flush him out! You will bring perfection to my kingdom! And when that'ss all done, I'm going to deal with the moussse in the houssse."

Minnie remained silent in her hiding spot, wishing she could go out there and have at the snake, only to remember just how much larger and fiercer he was than herself.

The Massster slithered away with Loving Care in tow.

"I ssupposse after thiss, I'll be in the market for a new lady in waiting," Minnie heard The Massster mutter.

Minnie was stunned. The whole plan had gone awry. Her friends were missing, and now Loving Care was in danger. What could she do to help?

She saw a familiar light in her peripheral vision, and saw the cluster of starlit magic Spike had with him.

"Oh. It's you," Minnie said.

The light didn't respond, but drifted ahead of Minnie.

"Do you know how to help?"

The light nodded up and down.

Minnie didn't know what the light had planned, but she had no reason to distrust it so far. Keeping an eye to The Massster's still-slithering body, she slowly followed after the light.

Author's Note

Minnie's in some hot water now. In fact, they all are. What are a mouse, a dog, and a baby dragon to do?

We've learned a few things in this chapter. The Massster has a master of his own, as well as a responsibility to guard something of his. Minnie was never intended to leave the mansion. The beast on the property was Loving Care's loyal pet. We're having all kinds of stuff thrown at us.

Some of you may have noticed that Spike is using this unusual kind of magic that Mickey has been using. How did he master it quicker than Rarity, you ask? Simple: he's been using it on the show. Not as often as a certain bouncing mare, but enough times that it seems he has a hang of it. One example is when he uses his thick scales as a pincushion, or when he uses his tail as a jackhammer.

Also in this chapter, Minnie has gotten her first outfit. The Lady's Outfit. This may sound somewhat offbeat and/or useless, but does anyone remember how she and Mickey got janitor's uniforms in The Great Circus Mystery?

For anyone who is wondering, I don't think that Pluto will be getting any costumes of his own. If I think of anything, or if anyone has a really good suggestion, then I will definitely give him one. But for now, he'll just stick to being a hound dog.

That's about all that I have to say here. Let us all rock on \m/

Chapter 24: Chasing Inspiration

Chapter 24

Chasing Inspiration

Around the booths and buildings of the artisan’s plaza, Pete angrily clomped about, looking for his quarry. For nearly a minute, he hadn’t seen either one of them.

This was bad. As long as he didn’t have that green jewel, he would never be able to show his face to Souris and live. He would have to keep searching, and not let up until he had that jewel back. And to make sure it was never lost again, he was going to wring the neck of that brain-dead juggler until the gagging stopped.

Something moved in a nearby booth where draperies, doilies, and other household cloths were crafted. Pete looked, and saw a long length of pink drapes with white polka dots were on display. That wouldn’t have been any concern, only they were moving without wind.

The heavy slowly approached the drapes on display, and when he was close enough he lashed out like a cobra to rip them off their rod.

Nothing was behind there. And for the curtain and the rod he had broken, he incurred the wrath of the donkey who was running the booth.

“What’s the big idea, ya big, fat, curtain-rippin’ vandal! I oughta have ya tarred n’ feathered fer this!” the donkey shouted.

“Pipe down, ya ol’ jenny! It ain’t like yer gonna run outta coy-tains anytime soon!” Pete bellowed back.

The donkey’s rebuttal was a brief, but convincing one. She turned tail and bucked Pete to the other end of the next four booths.

“Hmf! Stubborn jackass!” Pete grunted, before standing up and moving on his way.

Things were not going his way at all. Souris’ jewel had gotten away from him, and now Mickey Mouse was running around looking for it too. On top of it all, Minnie Mouse was supposed to be delivered to him by his magical light, and that had never happened.

“Things’re lookin’ down, all over, ain’t dey,” Pete thought to himself.

Pete actually did look down when he felt something had snagged on his peg-leg. What he saw was the pink, polka dot curtain he had torn down from the shop, which had snagged onto his wooden leg.

“Aw, get outta here, ya no good--HWUH!!” When Pete tried shaking the curtain off of his peg-leg, he overbalanced and fell over, not realizing that the rest of the length was caught under his other foot.

“Why I oughta--!!” Pete growled, as he pulled his tommy gun on the curtain.

In an instant, an idea occurred to the heavy. He had seen the exact pattern on the curtain before worn by a certain mouse he knew.

With a devious chuckle, Pete tore off a small length of the curtain. Just enough to bring about the end of his longtime enemy.

Unknown to the heavy, he had been closer to his quarry than he thought. If only he had bothered to look up at the time when he was at the drapery shop.

“Do you think it’s safe to come down yet?” Nopony asked, as he and Rarity were suspended at the very top of the tallest display of drapes.

“Let me listen a moment,” Rarity said. She turned her ears to the streets below, and listened for the sounds of heavy feet followed by a wooden peg over the normal sounds of the plaza. “Alright. I think it’s safe now--Oh!”

At the confirmation of safety, Rarity had to hold tighter to Nopony, when the performer unrolled them both loose from the curtain they had used to escape. With a clop, their hooves touched down to the ground.

“Goodness. You must be stronger than you look to haul us both up like that,” Rarity said, still with her hooves around Nopony.

“I think so. Things like juggling, dancing, and aerial silk are a lot of work. I guess I just never realized how much,” Nopony answered.

“Clearly,” Rarity said, gently prodding her hooves on the performer’s body, feeling his surprisingly toned muscles. If only they weren't hidden beneath his baggy clothes.

Nearby, a clomping noise sounded. Both ponies snapped their attention to the source of the noise, but couldn’t find what it was. Little did they know, it was simply an elderly kappa grinding herbs with a pestle and mortar for natural medicines.

“Let’s go!” Rarity said.

“Amen to that,” Nopony agreed. “Where?”

Rarity hurried Nopony along, not caring where they went. As long as it wasn’t near Pete.

The two ponies quickly trotted away from their locus, until they felt they were a safe enough distance to stop. The place they chose to stop was on a bench in a part of the plaza that seemed dedicated to botanical gardens. All around them, flowers of all colors grew, and trellises covered with climbing plants arched over pathways where the pedestrians walked.

During their brief respite, Rarity glanced over to Nopony. They had barely begun their date and now she would have to end it prematurely. With a dangerous criminal after her, having fun and learning about one another was rather hard to do.

Nopony was idly bouncing a ball from his hoof to under the bench they were on. The ball bounced back to his hoof, and the process was repeated. He didn’t even stop as he used his free hoof to reach into his pocket and retrieve the jewel he fought so hard to possess.

Rarity watched the performer examine it in his hooves, wondering why he went to so much trouble for a single piece of jewelry. However beautiful it was, it surely wasn’t worth nearly dying over.

“Forgive me for asking, but what value is that jewel for you that you’d risk your life?” Rarity asked.

“This? I’m getting this for my dad’s birthday. He’s turning fifty in a few days, and I know this is exactly what he needs,” Nopony answered, as he added another ball to the juggling act.

“I see. Is your father a jeweler or a tailor?” Rarity asked.

“No. We make clothes,” Nopony answered, eliciting an amused smile and a roll of the eyes from Rarity. “But, that’s not what he needs it for. I need him to have it so…”

Rarity noticed the performer’s smile shrink ever so gradually, until it was barely a smirk on the corner of his mouth.

“So, what?” Rarity wondered.

“So that things can go back to the way they were,” Nopony said, before catching the bouncing balls in his hat, then flipping it onto his head.

“What do you mean?”

Nopony answered by reaching beneath his shirt and producing a gold locket. What a stallion was doing wearing a locket, Rarity didn’t have time to ask, before Nopony opened it up.

Inside, there were two pictures, each one showing a different pony. One was a stallion, who looked almost exactly like Nopony. The other was a mare who was dressed in an elegant gown, and had a vibrantly styled mane.

“That mare: that’s my mom,” Nopony said.

“She’s beautiful,” Rarity said.

“Yeah. But, take a look at that necklace she’s wearing.”

Rarity had to squint to see the necklace nopony’s mother was wearing. It took her a second until she realized it was the very same color, shape and cut as the one Nopony held in his hooves.

“Nopony, that’s--” Rarity began.

“The same as this,” Nopony finished. “That necklace was a gift dad gave to mom before I was born. And it was the only thing she took when...When she left us.”

“Oh, Nopony,” Rarity said, sliding her hoof over the stallion’s, “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent, but I hope that your gift offers your father solace for your mother’s death.”

“Death?” Nopony questioned, “My mom didn’t die. She left us.”

“...Oh,” Rarity said. For a mother to die, that was one thing. For a mother to walk out on her family, that was something else entirely.

“After she did, dad was never the same. He started acting like he was really mad at me, and never stopped. Ever since I was a colt, he acted like I wasn’t there. And the whole time, I wished I could have done something to help him. I tried everything, until I was left with nothing but wishing for him,” Nopony said.

The performer stood up on the bench, and nimbly jumped up on top of the back.

“Sometimes, I’d wish I was a gentle breeze that could blow past him, and calm his sorrow with a gentle touch,” Nopony said, as he slowly performed a graceful somersault across the back of the bench.

Rarity smiled at the performer’s antics and watched him stand tall as he balanced on one hoof.

“Sometimes, I’d wish I was a beam of sunlight,” Nopony said. He started swiveling in all directions. “I’d be what shines a light of hope and happiness on him, and show him there’s so much ahead.”

He leaned forward and gently tumbled to the seat of the bench.

Rarity reached out and caught the performer as he fell. Her heart skipped a beat when she found she was now cradling his head in her hooves.

His hat had fallen from his head, and his sunglasses had fallen into his hat, letting Rarity see his face in whole for the first time.

The first thing she noticed was how truly plain he was. He truly was no handsome noble, and his eyes didn’t sparkle like diamonds behind his dark lenses. Mostly, Rarity noticed his expression. The gentle, earnest face that conveyed both a hope and a hurt that had been borne for a long time. His was a face that never truly smiled. For every grin was not an expression of joy. Rather, it was all that was left to do when his sorrow had become second nature.

Rarity gently brushed her hoof along Nopony’s hairline as the performer released a long, quiet sigh. With the sigh, his smile faded completely.

“But, in the end, I know I’m just Nopony. I can’t be a breeze, or a sunbeam, or anything that can make my dad happy,” Nopony lamented. He held up the jewel, which he hadn’t even dropped during his performance. “That’s why I need this. I just know that if I can give my dad something really meaningful, he’ll go back to the way he was before.”

Rarity hung onto every word Nopony said to her, and suddenly recalled Mickey’s lesson of magic. There was a wish in Nopony’s heart that he desperately wanted to come true. And for as far-fetched as his plan was, his inspiration and love for his father was sure to see him through.

The fashionista leaned down and took Nopony’s sunglasses in her teeth. Holding them firmly, she placed them over Nopony’s eyes, setting them on the bridge of his nose with her muzzle.

“Rarity?” Nopony said, not quite sure what was happening.

“I don’t think you fully realize what you have,” Rarity quietly said, as she placed the plastic hooks around Nopony’s ears.

Nopony froze completely, and felt his entire body grow warm at the sound of Rarity’s whispering voice and the warmth of her breath in his ear.

“I’ve learned much since I left home on this magical quest. And I know the power of dreams, love and inspiration,” Rarity said, as she hooked Nopony’s sunglasses over his other ear. When she was finished, she hovered her mouth above the performer’s ear. “And you, Nopony, are somepony who is filled with all three.”

Dreams, love and inspiration. Words that Nopony had often heard, but held no meaning to him beyond simple words in a sentence. What was it Rarity was trying to tell him?

It seemed Rarity was going to make her message clearer when she rubbed her muzzle across Nopony’s forehead and whispered into his other ear.

“I know that you will reconcile with your father. And you will have your life back to the way you hope it to be. I know, because I believe in your dream the same as you do.”

Belief. Hope. These concepts had lost meaning to the juggler long ago. But, with the faith of a mare, he felt he was ready to rekindle what was dying within himself.

“You’re right,” Nopony said, as he sat up, “It’s going to work. This is the golden ticket I’ve been waiting years to get my hooves on.”

“And you would be wise not to waste it,” Rarity said, as she placed Nopony’s hat atop his head.

“Since I’ve never been wise, I guess I’d better do this now,” Nopony said.

The performer started to walk, but stopped shortly after the first few steps.

Rarity walked to his side.

“It will be alright. I’ll be beside you every step of the way,” the fashionista assured the performer.

“Thanks,” came the simple reply.

And the two ponies set off, ready to make the dream of a nopony come true.

“Do you always nuzzle on a first date?” Nopony wondered.

Twilight’s walk through Avalon with Souris was a strange mixture of awe-inspiring and unsettling. She had seen quite the many artistic wonders from just a simple escort. From the architecture to the artisan’s wares, everything was exquisite.

Everypony was more talented than herself. The artists, potters, sculptors, scribes and countless other artisans all made Twilight feel small in comparison.

Even the earth pony who was twirling a deck of cards in his hooves was better at magic than she was. And the point hit home especially hard when the magician disappeared in a 52-pickup flourish, and reappeared from beneath the wooden crate he was performing on.

Now that one of her most major assets had been taken away from her, all Twilight had left was her intellectual prowess. But, that would hardly do any good in her current situation.

“Are you nervous?” Souris said, without even turning to face Twilight.

“Huh? Nervous? About what?” Twilight asked.

“About modeling for my show.”

“No. I’m excited. Thrilled to be in your show,” Twilight said.

Souris smirked at the answer, still not turning to face Twilight.

“You don’t need to worry about a thing. You’ll do fine, even with your lack of creativity,” the lady-bat answered.

Twilight gasped internally at Souris’ words.

“But--How did…” It was useless to ask. Twilight simply sighed and muttered her next sentence, “Am I really that transparent?”

“Let’s just say that in a city with at least one hundred thousand ponies and one bat, you stand out even greater than I do,” Souris answered.

“But, why? What is it that makes me so different from all of them? Why can they do all of these things, and I can’t,” Twilight asked.

“You need to realize that once upon a time, none of these masters of their crafts were masters. They were just as inept and lost as you are,” Souris said.

Those words stung Twilight. She knew that she was no good with this new magic she was learning, but she never thought she was inept. Merely the idea of being inept at magic made her feel like going back to magic kindergarten and staying there.

What she thought was the cold sensation of failure settling on her shoulders and pricking her skin turned out to actually be Souris’ hand.

“Now, now. Don’t look so down. At one point or another, every artist stumbles on their way to greatness,” Souris said, her claws poking Twilight’s skin as she gently clasped the alicorn’s shoulder. “Whatever you’re looking for, I promise that I can help you find it. And you can shine brighter than any star you’ve ever seen. Once that happens, you’ll have everything you want.”

Looking up at the lady-bat, Twilight felt strangely at ease looking into her red eyes. If anypony could help her, it would surely be Souris. Twilight knew that if she was ever to be useful to her friends, to regain her talent with magic, to earn her place as Equestrian royalty, she would have to trust Souris. Perhaps Souris could even teach her the secret to winning a stallion’s heart.

It was only a short walk, when Twilight found herself before a wondrous sight.

There was a small stage set up with a runway in front, where models posed and sauntered about. After a few seconds onstage, the models would walk behind a curtain and be replaced with one or two new models.

The stage itself was a sight to behold. Even in the light of the sun, it seemed like it was lit up with special lights that made it glow and sparkle. The whole setup was a dazzling mixture of lavenders and blues, but most prominently was a color that looked a deep purple-red color. Above it all was a sign that read ‘AMARANTHINE.’ The logo that was superimposed behind the name was three triangles arranged to appear like the silhouette of a certain bat’s head.

As Twilight watched the models, she began to feel as if she were stepping into something out of her league.

When Twilight was led behind the stage area, she found herself in a busy workshop. There, models quickly changed their clothes before being ushered onstage. There were stations of tailors making the clothes, and makeup stations where the models’ makeup was done, redone and touched up. At other stations, jewelry and other accessories were given to the models to wear. And on almost everything was printed the same three triangle logo.

To Twilight, it all looked like Rarity’s greatest fantasy come true. And now, she was a part of it. Just looking at them all made Twilight dizzy. She had modeled before, but it was never anything like this. Unknown to herself, her forehead began perspiring as her eyes darted about.

“Souris, I don’t know if I can do this,” Twilight said.

“You have nothing to worry about, even if this is your first time modeling,” Souris assured her.

“It’s not. I mean, I’ve modeled clothes in a show for my friend. But, that was just on a small stage for a local show. This is huge. It’s--It’s…” Twilight trailed off as her anxieties started mounting in her mind.

“That’s doubt talking, dear. It’s true that even modeling has some very fine creative points to it. And only the best are known not only for their beauty, but their artistic use of movements and positioning. And you, my diamond in the rough, are certainly lacking in only one of those two things,” Souris said.

Twilight felt like she wanted to walk away. She couldn’t think of anything to say, let alone how to react beyond a quiet whimper.

“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll be with you every step of the way. And you will be among the greats when I’m done with you,” Souris said. “Besides, if it helps you to feel better, this is only a small stage at a local show. It shouldn’t be much different than what you’ve done before.”

It did make Twilight feel better to think that it wasn’t much different than what she had done before. She didn’t even flinch when she felt Souris’ hand touch her shoulder and lead her away.

This was the hand that would guide Twilight to her magical awakening. The cold, clawed hand that would take her to new, unstoppable heights. To be able to learn the secrets of the magic that had eluded her was the greatest, most intriguing, most seductive offer she could accept.

Twilight felt as if she were in a dream as she walked through the backstage area after Souris. She could practically feel the very magic the other creatures around her were emanating from their very beings, surrounding her, penetrating her. She thought she could even see the light of a unicorn’s magical aura in the corner of her eye, she was so lost in her thoughts. So lost was she that she bumped into Souris when the lady-bat stopped.

“Do you mind? I can’t have you losing your head now,” Souris said, as she straightened out her skirt.

“Sorry…” Twilight said, feeling another sudden surge of anxiety when she looked at Souris.

“See that you don’t do it again,” Souris answered, her tone and her face emotionless and unreadable. She reached a clawed hand out to pull away a curtain, revealing a dark room beyond. “Enter.”

Twilight looked into the darkness, and felt an inexplicable sense of unease growing in her mind. With only the slightest awareness, her hooves slowly backed her away from the entryway.

“No. I have to go in. If I’m ever going to be worth anything, I have to see this through,” Twilight thought to herself.

Fighting against her retreating hooves, Twilight walked into the darkened room. The curtain closed behind herself, and she was swallowed up by the darkness.

Inside the room, there was only a small station, which was lit by a few candles in jars. On the table at the station there were many papers, which Twilight trotted over to examine.

The papers were loaded with sketches of a single design of dress. Each one was similar to the last, but altered in some slight way. A process that Twilight had seen Rarity do many times before.

Finally, she found a design that was circled. The final draft of the design that was so sought after, and what a breathtaking design it was. Everything about it was of the highest quality, down to the stitching patterns. Such a thing that Twilight knew not even Rarity would have thought of.

Rarity, who was so obsessed with glamour, elegance, sparkles and jewels. Hardly any design she made had any substance or artistry to it. Even when she was at her best, everything Rarity made was a shallow attempt at emulating some perceived ideal of perfection.

Souris walked closer behind Twilight. Had Twilight been looking, she would have seen something about the lady-bat had changed. Somehow in a way that would have seemed monstrous. Even demonic.

“Do you like what you see?” Souris said, as she stepped in from the darkness beyond the light of the candle.

Twilight turned and saw Souris as unchanged as ever. Still with the same warm red eyes and fiendishly attractive face.

“Uh, yes. They’re really...nice,” Twilight said, at a loss for what else to say.

“Nice?” Souris said in a way that Twilight thought she offended her hostess. “‘Nice’ is good for a sunny day in the park with friends and family.”

Souris placed the tip of the claw on her index finger into the flame of a lit candle. Twilight watched in mortified awe as the lady-bat's claw pulled the flame from the wick, and rested atop her digit. Souris idly touched the flame between her claws, seeming to not care a bit for the intense heat.

“These, little princess, are divine!” Souris said.

With a wave of her arms, the flame went flying from the tip of Souris’ claws. With a burst of crackling starlight, the room was suddenly illuminated by candelabras and gas lamps.

All around her, Twilight found she was surrounded by more easels, all covered with several sketches. Each one of them was as gorgeous and artistically brilliant as the first she had seen.

“You designed all of these?” Twilight said, reaching a hoof to touch one.

The easel was suddenly enveloped by crackling starlight and pulled away from Twilight’s reach.

“Yes,” Souris answered, as she walked around the easels, visible only through the spaces between them. “Each one of them was a work of love. Each one created to inspire others to dream on. And I will use them to make you into a living dream come gloriously true.”

Twilight’s fears and anxieties of being around Souris completely faded in that moment. At Souris’ side, Twilight knew she was going to learn the secrets to truly unlock the potential of this new magic.

“So, um, do I get to pick which one to wear?” Twilight asked, as she looked over the seven clothing sketches. However, after spinning a full circle, she couldn’t find Souris.

“If six of the designs weren't already assigned to a particular model: no,” Souris said, stepping to Twilight’s side. “But, it’s just as well. The last remaining design is exactly what I would have wanted you to wear.”

Twilight looked to the sketch Souris was pointing at, and marveled at what she saw. There was a gown the likes of which Twilight had never dreamed possible. It was as elegant as a dancing breeze, as glorious as a rising sun and as delicate as a leaf that had but moments to fall from its branch.

As much as Twilight wanted it for herself, she couldn’t help but notice one particular flaw in the design of the dress.

“But, that’s for a two-legged wearer. Will that design fit me?” Twilight said.

“You don’t need to worry about any of that,” Souris said with a wave of her hand.

The sketches and easels all lit up with crackling starlight, and slid to the borders of the room.

“A great artist is one who can adapt to change. And I’m a master at making transformations. Hold still, while I take a few measurements,” Souris said.

Twilight was shocked by the sight of Souris pulling measuring tape from her empty palm, as though by sleight of hand. As the tape was placed around her neck, Twilight felt her fears replaced with eagerness. This was the magic she was going to employ, and she was going to use it to greater effect than any of her friends.

“Rarity! Nopony!” Mickey called, as he wandered through the crowd.

Ever since he separated from Twilight, the mouse had been searching high and low for his missing friend and her new squeeze. So far, no luck.

Mickey’s eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any trace of two white ponies. Everywhere, he saw ponies of all different colors, but not the ones he was looking for. It seemed that ponies with white coats were something of a rarity.

“Gosh. They could be anywhere in this place,” Mickey thought to himself.

A look to a booth full of tapestries next to him, and the mouse was struck by an inspiration.

Mickey pulled a tapestry off of its hanger, rolled it up into a cone and shouted into the narrow end.

“Rarity! Nopony! Where are ya?” Mickey called.

The rolled up tapestry was pulled out of Mickey’s hands, making the mouse spin around.

“Rongeur fou! What are you thinking, shouting to nopony with my wares!?” said the owner of the booth.

Mickey stopped spinning and fell over forward. After using one of the tent poles that supported the awning over the booth to climb to his feet, Mickey saw the owner was the same slender-legged, cloven-hoofed, tufted-tailed creature with a branched horn as the artist he met earlier. This one had a coat colored with gradients of red and yellow, and had brown hooves and a horn, bringing to Mickey’s mind an autumn leaf.

The weaver took the tapestry back to where Mickey had pulled it down from, and something began to happen. The weaver’s coat began to shine, and a breeze blew through the booth.

“Whoah!” Mickey said, as his mantle was caught in the breeze and blew him up like a parachute caught in an updraft.

The mouse quickly dropped back to the ground, and watched as the weaver steadily manipulated the blowing wind to pick up his tapestry and place it back onto its hooks for display. When the weaver’s coat stopped shining, the wind stopped completely.

“How in the heck did you just do that?” Mickey asked.

“It just comes natural to us cervequins. Ze same as your magic comes natural to you, Monsieur Tapestry-for-a-Bullhorn,” the weaver said.

“But--I mean--How can ya be doin’ that? Didn’t ya lose yer magic when Pete came to town?” Mickey said.

“I don’t know who zis Pete fellow is. And I certainly don’t know why or how our magic would be stolen from us. Is zere perhaps somezing I should know about ze matter?” the weaver asked.

Mickey tried to register what he had just heard. Pete had not yet stolen the magic these creatures possessed. If not, then what could the heavy possibly be up to?

As Mickey mulled over the new development, the design of the tapestry he had pulled down caught his eye. Now that he was able to see it in plain view, he saw the familiar design of six colors surrounding a seventh.

On the tapestry, there were seven creatures displayed. A black unicorn mare who wore gold clothes. A yellow camel who wore violet robes and a matching turban. A turquoise harpy who wore an orange shirt and trousers. A red buffalo who wore a white headdress. A white, bipedal monkey-like creature with pitch black hair, who wore a matching pitch black gown. And a green, bipedal plant creature who wore a very revealing yellow dress.

In the center of them all was a cervequin whose coat was many radiant shades of blue, and whose hooves and horn were colored light purple. Around her neck was what truly caught Mickey’s eye. A necklace which had a green stone like a verdant sun set into it.

“Hold on a sec’! What’s that?” Mickey said, pointing to the necklace on the tapestry.

“Zat? It’s just a necklace zat was worn during ze Afflatus Blessing,” the weaver said.

“Durin’ the what?” Mickey asked.

“You are clearly from out of town, so I’ll give you a brief history lesson. Ze Afflatus Blessing was ze event zat led to ze birth of Avalon,” the cervequin pointed to each of the creatures on the tapestry. “Seven creatures, all masters of ze arts, shared a dream of a place where artisans such as zemselves could grow and continue to master zeir respective crafts.”

The cervequin slowly swung his front hoof slowly across the scenery beyond his booth.

“And from one single collective moment of inspiration, zey built and created all zat you see before you. And with each generation zat passed since zeir time, it has only grown in resplendence.”

The cervequin turned to face Mickey.

“Zat, dear foreigner, is ze short version of ze Afflatus Blessing. Ze necklace you were so drawn to is nothing more zan a garment zat was worn on zat day.”

Mickey tried putting together all that he just heard. Pete had stolen no magic. And he was trying to possess a jewel that was the very same as the one a creature who founded Avalon had worn. So far, not a bit of it made sense.

“Are you feeling well? You look a little flustered,” the weaver cervequin said.

“I’m fine. I’m just thinkin’ I oughta brush up on my history lessons around here,” Mickey answered. That, and he still had to find his friends.

Mickey started walking away from the booth and continued his search. His eyes continued to scan for a pair of white ponies, when something else caught his full attention.

There, in the crowd of fine clothes with artistically intricate patterns and vibrant solid colors, Mickey spied a familiar sight. A pink, polka dot bow that appeared just barely above the others in the crowd, as though it were worn by a very short wearer.

“No way! It can’t be!” Mickey thought to himself.

For as far from home as he was, he never thought he would find his one true love wandering around.

“Hey! Over here!” Mickey called.

It seemed he was not heard, as the bow’s wearer walked further away from him.

“Wait for me!” Mickey shouted.

The mouse pushed his way through the crowd, following the phantom bow as it walked further away from him.

Soon, he had followed it to the front of a building that was on the border of the plaza where the crowd was the thinnest. When he arrived, there was no sign of anyone he knew.

“Psst! This way,” called a familiar sweet, dainty voice.

Mickey looked and saw just the edge of the bow go around the corner behind the building. This gave him pause. What reason would anyone have to go into that back alley?

Taking his mantle in his hand, Mickey cautiously followed down the alley.

When he reached the corner, Mickey pressed his back to the wall.

“Are ya still there?” Mickey quietly called around the corner.

“Yes. Mickey, don’t be alarmed, but I need your help,” said the disembodied voice.

“With what?” Mickey wondered. His caution faded slightly. If that truly was Minnie he had been following, and she truly needed help, he almost felt sorry for doubting her.

“What’s happened? Are ya hurt?” Mickey asked.

“No...but...Come around the corner. And promise you won’t yell at what you see,” came the reply.

Mickey’s caution was replaced with worry and concern. Minnie needed his help, and he was going to give it to her.

“Okay,” Mickey said, letting go of his mantle. “Here I come.”

Mickey stepped around the corner, and sure enough saw a pink bow with white polka dots. Only, that was all he saw of what he thought was Minnie. The bow was not worn on her head, but was rather held in a large, beefy hand.

“Gotcha!!!” a deep, booming voice shouted, as another hand reached out.

Mickey was suddenly hoisted off the ground by the back of his shirt, his mantle held firmly in the herculean grip, rendering his defenses useless. Once the mouse got his bearings, he saw he was now face to face with the laughing face of Peg-Leg Pete.

“Cheap move, ya fat palooka!!! Where’s Minnie!!? What’d ya--” Mickey yelled, before he punched by a mean left hook, which sent him spinning.

“Uh-uh-uhhh. Ya promised ya wouldn’t yell at what ya saw, runt. Remember?" Pete guffawed, speaking the last word with an uncanny imitation of Minnie's voice.

Mickey spun back the other way, and swung his fists at Pete. Quicker than he knew, he was cinched up inside of his own mantle like a sack.

Pete tied a rope around the top of the makeshift sack, then tied the other end to the axle of a trolley.

“You an’ me got some business to work out. ‘Til we get to our meetin’ room: enjoy de ride!” Pete said, as he stepped onto the trolley and rode it away like a scooter, dragging Mickey behind him.

After the first few feet, the trolly bent and broke under Pete’s weight, rendering the ride useless.

“Aw…! Cheap, sheet metal, piece o’ garbage,” Pete grumbled.

He would simply have to settle for carrying Mickey the old fashioned way. He untied the rope from the improvised sack and carried his unlucky cargo off.

Author's Note

How's that for a cliffhanger? Rarity is setting off to make a dream come true, Twilight's fallen under an unsavory character's spell, and Mickey's now in the clutches of evil. Next chapter's sure to be exciting.

Before I talk about next chapter, let's talk about this one. The inspiration for this chapter was just that: inspiration. That and dreams and hopes. Some of them are seemingly impossible, like Nopony's. Some of them are twisted by our own ambitions, like Twilight's. Regardless, if we truly believe in them, we are the ones who make them come true, like Mickey discovered of the genesis of Avalon.

When Pete calls the donkey at the drapery shop a jenny, it's not meant as an insult. Real life female donkeys are referred to as 'jennies,' while males are called 'jacks.' Hence the origin of the phrase 'jackass,' meaning male donkey.

Nopony's speech about wishing he was a beam of sunlight or a gentle breeze was inspired by a song I like. The song is called 'Sonnenstrahl' by the band Schandmaul, and the lyrics describe a wish to be something that can bring happiness to all. Such is Nopony's wish for his dad.

As for Souris's, the logo of her little company is meant to evoke similarities to the Mickey Mouse logo. Sort of to convey that Souris is a twisted, corrupted parody of our mousey friend. How twisted and corrupted remains to be seen.

And I didn't think of this before, until my brother verbally vomited at the pronunciation of Souris's name, but in case any of you are having trouble pronouncing her name: it's 'So-ree.' Incidentally, her name was conceived as a reversal of the french word for 'bat:' chauve souris. I recently learned that 'souris' by itself means 'mouse' in french. Fancy that. I was driving home the connection between her and Mickey, and didn't even know it.

The creatures called 'cervequins' are my own creation. Well, not entirely, since their design is based on the depiction of heraldic unicorns. The horn that branches like a tree was my own idea, though. As for their magic, I decided that it should be something natural that would be akin to druid magic or witchcraft. Sort of like Souris's magic, but less devilish.

Whether or not a cervequin will appear in later chapters, I don't know. But, I had a whole city of llamas that I think went over pretty well with you readers. Maybe we'll drop by the cervequin city soon.

When Mickey looks at the tapestry two of those creatures are characters from another story I wrote making a cameo. The colorless monkey-like creature in the pitch black gown is Courtney Belmont, and the plant creature in the revealing yellow dress is her best friend, Molly St. John. Both are here from Witchcraft is Magic. Sadly, these ladies won't be having a larger role in this story beyond their cameo. But, that doesn't mean they are through appearing as characters.

That's about all I have for this chapter. Keep on rocking on, my beloved readers \m/

Chapter 31: Tin Toy

Chapter 31

Tin Toy

The wind blew across the grassy hills in the kingdom of Blaiddru. The stones that dotted the greenery stood firm as the blades of green shivered around them. Until the sky flashed, and the stones shivered under the booming noise that followed.

In the dark room, the shadowy figure was hard at work. If she was going to properly take what she needed from the mouse, her machine had to be modified, and the restraining apparatus had to be reconstructed.

The cold stone walls of the room lit up brightly as electricity crackled about. The wires had to be rerouted for the modifications, but the figure had forgotten to turn off the power to that particular circuit.

At the moment, she was shivering and jolting as electricity coursed through her entire being.

One of her arms stretched across the room to shut off the power. With a loud click, the voltage stopped coursing, and she fell limp onto the floor. Once her rubbery form stopped smoking, she crawled to her feet.

“Oh, you! I don’t care how badly you need new parts! This job is getting done! And nuts to you!” the figure shouted.

A live wire burst from the metal casing, and lashed at the figure.

The figure dodged the wire, leaned back, stretched her arms across the room and shut off that circuit. Once the danger passed, she snapped her body back in front of her machine, and jabbed a finger at its side.

“Don’t you dare talk back to me! Now, get your gears in gear, and start cooperating! Doctor’s orders, schmuck!” the figure said.

The machine only fizzled slightly.

“Okay. Maybe I was a bit forceful. But, we really do need to get this done. That mouse is the key to this entire operation. And we really don’t want to let Yen Sid down,” the figure sighed, as she gently leaned against the side of her massive machine.

Her gaze drifted to the work she had yet to do. It would be a long, arduous task for her to do things as she was now. If the mouse ever decided to leave, the figure knew she would have a difficult time keeping her there. Even with most of the town’s population under her control, it would be a complication.

But, there was another way. A way that the figure truly disliked, but would be the quickest, most time efficient way to get things done.

“Alright. I really hate doing this, but it’s for both our benefits.” She stepped back for a running start. “Open wide! I’m going in!”

The figure charged forward, and dove headfirst into the opening of the machine. Something changed in that moment. The figure’s entire body deflated, leaving it limp and useless on the ground. Inside the machine, something new was swiftly moving. Something that quickly moved what parts had to be moved, rerouted the necessary circuits, rearranged the nodes and everything else that had to be finished.

On the top of the machine, two electrodes chattered, as though to giggle at what was going on inside of it.

The new presence inside the machine worked faster, and the machine was quickly changed. The restraining apparatus was quickly undone screw by screw and bolt by bolt. It was reshaping now, to a form that would hold the mouse steady as her heart was taken.

The chattering electrodes now thundered loudly, as if to howl with laughter.

Throughout the room, more lights turned on, and screens lit up. On one of the screens, static warped and distorted the image of an amorphous face, which cackled maniacally along with its creation.

From the sudden surge of power, the two electrodes on the table gathered magical stardust, and showed the image of the prospective specimen once more.

In a small town inhabited by the theows of the kingdom, windows rattled, shops shook, and not a single one of the hoofed wolves ran for cover as lightning flashed and thunder roared above them. In fact, not one of them acted like they heard or saw the disturbance.

The only ones who reacted were the mouse, the hound dog and the dragon from out of town.

“Oh, my! It sounds like that storm is getting closer!” Minnie said.

“Closer!? It sounds like it’s right on top of us!!” Spike said, as he hid beneath Pluto.

Pluto, in turn, hid behind Spike.

Spike quickly used his tail to jack Pluto up, and hid beneath the hound dog again.

“Alright, you two. It’s only a little storm. Nobody ever got hurt from loud weather,” Minnie chided her two companions.

“Maybe where you’re from! Things are different in Equestria!” Spike rebutted.

“But, we aren’t in Equestria anymore, remember?” Minnie said, as she pulled Spike out from beneath Pluto by his claw. She tucked a finger beneath Pluto’s collar and guided them both along. “Now, come along. We need to find out why we were brought here.”

There was no arguing with Minnie. Spike knew that the nature of the magical light would not have led them to that new land without good purpose. With that in mind, he cautiously allowed himself to be led by Minnie to the middle of town. The place where the butcher had told them of all the unusual happenings.

The town square was nothing impressive, to say the least. In fact, it reminded Spike very much of the one back home in Ponyville.

To Minnie and Pluto, it was like the first home they lived in with Mickey. Far in the rural countryside, with only a few neighbors and several small businesses. There was even a blacksmith and a well, just like that first home.

The well itself was rather plain, but what really stood out was the clocktower. The grand structure of wood and brick, with a massive clock face on all four sides at the top. Nothing strange could possibly have been gleaned from a first glance.

Pluto didn’t know what he possibly could have found there, but he put his hunting dog nose to work anyway.

He sniffed his way through the ups and downs of the square. He sniffed around the business set up in the square. He sniffed through the flower trolley.

“Diwrnod da, ci. Dych chi cael rhosyn,” the theow florist said, as she placed a tiny rose in Pluto’s collar.

Pluto didn’t understand what was said to him, or why he was given a flower. After all, he couldn’t eat a rose.

The florist went back to lovingly arranging her flowers, and Pluto went back to sniffing for anything unusual.

His search took him to another trolley, where books were sold.

“Mae'n ddrwg gen i. Nid oes ddim deganau ci'n yma. Fodd bynnag, gallwch fynd â'r cylchgrawn rhad ac am ddim hwn i'ch perchennog, os dych chi'n eisiau,” the theow running the trolley said, as he offered a magazine to Pluto.

The hound dog merely sniffed the magazine, but found nothing odd about it. He simply continued on his way.

His nose led him to the well in the square. Pluto circumnavigated the base, sniffing all the while.

He knew was on to something. With the scent of water and mud, there was something else that he couldn’t put his paw on. Whatever it was, he was going to let the others know. He jumped into the air and landed with his nose pointing at the well.

Spike was the first to notice the hound dog. He trotted over to see what he was looking at.

“What’s up, Pluto? Did you find something?” the dragon asked.

He looked to where Pluto was pointing and investigated the well.

From what he could see, there was nothing of any great importance on the outside. Curious as to the nature of what Pluto was looking at, he hopped up and looked in.

It was far too dark in the well for him to see clearly.

Something moved at the bottom.

For all appearances, it looked like the surface of the water below was simply rippling. But, there was something unusual about it. Something that made it look like water, but wasn’t.

As Spike investigated, Pluto too noticed something unusual.

At the top of the clock tower, hidden within the rafters was another odd find. A clear, gelatinous blob. The very same as the one he saw at the butcher shop.

“ARF-ARF!! RUFFRUFFRUFFRUFF!!!” Pluto barked at the blob.

The moment he started barking, the blob squeezed its way between the cracks of the woodwork, and hid itself.

Spike jumped and snapped his eyes to the barking hound dog.

“Pluto, stop barking!” Spike said.

When he looked back into the well, he found a curious sight.

Spike squinted and thought he could see a darker shape within the unusual water. One that drifted about in the dark and the murk. Not as if it were swimming, but as if it were being pushed slowly about by the water itself.

“Hello? Is somepony down there?” Spike called, as he leaned over the side of the well.

“Spike!!” Minnie said, as she pulled the dragon away from the well. “What were you thinking!? You could have fallen in!”

“I think somepony’s down there! In the well! They might be hurt!” Spike said.

That was all Minnie needed to hear to spur her to the well. When she peered over, she was joined by Spike and Pluto.

“Where? I can’t see anything,” Minnie said.

“Right there! There’s something moving!” Spike said, pointing a claw to the dark water below.

Try as she did, Minnie couldn’t see a thing.

“I don’t think there’s anyone down there,” Minnie said.

Spike squinted to see as best he could. The dark shape was gone, as if it had been pulled out of existence.

“But, it was there! I saw something down in the well!” the dragon insisted.

“It was probably just your shadow. See?” Minnie said, waving her arm over the opening of the well, and casting her shadow to the water below.

“It wasn’t my shadow! Something was in the well!” Spike said.

“Then, we’ll just have to ask one of the theows about it. And stop leaning so far! Or else there’s really going to be someone down the well!” Minnie said, as she pulled Spike back from the well again.

As Pluto looked into the well, he too noticed something odd about the water. More still, he could smell it. He knew precisely what water smelled like, and that was not water. Something had found its way into the water, and had taken residence in the well. Whatever it was, he was going to let the others know.

“ARF!! ARF!!” the hound dog barked.

Nearby, Minnie and Spike were tuning him out to talk to each other.

“You don’t need to keep pulling me away from the well! I’m not going to fall in,” Spike said.

“I’m not about to take that chance. If you fell in, who knows how badly hurt you could get. Or if you’d even survive the fall,” Minnie rebutted.

“ARF-ARF!!! ARFARFARFARF!!”

“I wasn’t going to fall in! I’m not a baby! I can handle these kinds of things!” Spike asserted.

“Oh, can you? You didn’t look like you had such a handle when Pluto and I found you in the woods,” Minnie admonished her young companion.

“That--That’s different. And you didn’t seem to have such a handle on things when that snake caught you,” Spike rebutted.

“Spike--You...If you were my son, you’d get such a time out!” Minnie said.

“Well, I’m not. And you aren’t my mom. So, stop acting like it.”

“ARFARFARFARFARF!!!”

“Pluto, will you stop barking already! There’s nothing to see in there!” Minnie said, as she pulled the hound dog away from the well.

Pluto knew there was something there. Something that needed to be discovered, and nothing would stop him from it.

Once again, the sky shattered with lights and sounds.

Pluto jumped into the air, and when he landed ran right into Spike.

The dragon flipped into the air, and grabbed onto Pluto’s tail as the hound dog ran for the nearest open door.

Minnie watched her companions run off and slam the door behind them. She sighed at herself. She fully realized how silly their argument was, and only wished to keep the young dragon safe. The next time they saw one another, she would apologize to him. Perhaps they would take another look into the well. In the meantime, she would ask the other theows about the town.

Unknown to herself, something had entered the bottom of the well. As though pushed from a hidden channel, something now drifted about the unusual waters, which were slowly rising to the top.

In one of the homes of the village, Spike and Pluto waited beneath a table.

“I think it’s gone now,” Spike said to the hound dog.

Pluto listened for any more sounds of the storm outside. Though his ears found nothing, his hypersensitive nose caught wind of another strange scent. There in the shop, there were the unmistakable scents of metal, grease, plaster, paint, and just a hint of rust. Most of all, there was the same mysterious scent as the one in the well.

Slowly, the hound dog crawled out from beneath the table, and went searching for the source.

“Pluto? What are you doing?” Spike asked.

Of course, there was no way for the hound dog to answer. Instead, he continued to sniff through the shop.

Spike too decided the shop was worth a look around, and saw exactly where he was.

All around him, the shelves were lined with tin figurines. And the counter at the front was loaded with more of the tiny toys.

Spike found a mechanical frog with a key in its back. Taking the toy in his hands, he turned the key twice and placed the frog back on the counter.

First, the toy frog’s eyes opened. Then its throat, made of layered tin and springs, bulged outward with a tinny croak. Next, its whole body shook, before it hopped forward.

Spike smiled as its mouth opened up. He was surprised when all of a sudden a short spring with a rubber ball on the tip shot out and retracted.

The frog was not the only surprise to be found. Pluto’s nose caught the mysterious scent all over the shop. During his search, he flicked a switch, which activated a toy train.

For a moment, the hound dog was distracted by the course the train took. All around the shop, tiny tracks were set, and the train passed along them all. Through a model town, across a painted river, into tiny woods. At the door, a steep track was set to arch over, and a mountain was painted over the door frame.

Pluto half expected to see another one of those strange blobs hidden in some corner as he followed the train. No such thing was to be seen, but he could still smell the strange presence.

As Pluto searched, Spike examined more of what was to be seen. With a push of a button, a tiny beehive in a miniature tree buzzed with bees. Soon after, a mechanical bear colored like honey climbed the tree and reached for the hive. When the bees attacked it, the bear slid back down the tree trunk.

It was like nothing the young dragon had ever seen. Ponyville had its toy shop, but it never had anything like this. Whoever worked in this place clearly had a love and a heart for all of their creations.

On the floor, Spike found something else. A wind-up key, which was larger than any that the other toys had. For as much as he looked, he couldn't find where the key could have fallen from. In his mind, the dragon imagined what grand toy could have a key so big, and he decided to start searching for it.

Behind him, Pluto was still sniffing for the source of the scent. His search put his muzzle between two tiny, dancing toy theows. As the toys’ dance ended, they faced one another and leaned in to kiss. Instead of kissing each other, they kissed Pluto’s snout, making the hound dog gag slightly.

After pulling his head from the toy lovers, he continued his search to the back of the shop, where Spike was still searching.

In the back, there were even more toys and figurines. Each one was at varying stages of completion. Some looked like they were one step from being finished. Others looked like they had just begun. Simple bases from which something wonderful would be built.

Among the items, Spike found a large figurine of a silver swan in a simulated lake of glass and tin. Beneath it was a solid pedestal, painted to look like a lakeshore, complete with reeds and grass. This was surely what the large key was for.

Curious and excited to see what activating the toy would yield, Spike started looking for a place to insert the key and activate the marvelous craft. However, on the opposite side, there was already a key.

As Pluto sniffed around behind him, Spike turned the key.

Music started to play, as the swan preened its silver feathers with uncanny lifelike movements. From the silver reeds behind it, two silver cygnets swam around the larger swan. The larger swan leaned its head into the simulated water, and snatched a single golden fish, which it fed to one of its babies. The other cygnet dove underwater, as if to try fishing for itself. In the end, it came up with a larger fish than what its parent caught.

The larger fish wriggled away, and the two cygnets swam out of sight through the silver reeds. Then, the music ended and the silver swan stopped moving.

Spike was amazed and amused by what he found. Whatever the key he held went to, it was sure to be the greatest thing in the entire shop.

Pluto’s search led him right to the pedestal the swan was atop, and he started sniffing it. There, the strange scent grew somehow stronger.

The hound dog knew he was getting close, and started pawing at the side panel of the pedestal.

“Hey! Don’t do that. You might break something,” Spike said, as she tried to pull Pluto away from the marvelous toy.

His limited strength was not enough to pull Pluto away. As the hound dog pawed at the panel, he began to pull it loose.

Not wanting to let any damage befall the wonder of mechanical workmanship, Spike devised a new way to get Pluto away from it. He welled up embers in his mouth, and shot a green flame to the tip of Pluto’s tail.

The hound dog yelped loudly and ran from the toy. Unfortunately, his flailing paws took the panel off, and a large part of it fell out.

“Aw! Pluto, look what you did!!” Spike said.

Pluto didn’t answer. Instead, he quenched his tail in a can of grease, which sizzled loudly.

Spike set to work trying to put the fallen part back in. To his greatest surprise, it was not a part of the machine that fell out. Instead, what he found was another mechanical toy. And this one was the most wondrous of all.

It was a small, tin theow. Its shape was exactly like those of the creatures inhabiting the village, complete with simulated fur and eerily real eyes. Its size was much smaller, though. In fact, it was shorter than Spike was, making the dragon think it was supposed to be a puppy.

It was wearing a simple, red coat, which was so large it reached all the way down to its wearer’s rear hooves, and the tip of its tail just peered out the opening in the back.

Spike curiously looked over the mechanical creature and pulled back its coat. On its back, he found a slot for a wind-up key. One that looked just the right size for the one he held.

Quickly and carefully, Spike took the coat off of the mechanical theow, folded it up and placed it in his backpack. Once that was out of the way, he put the key in the toy’s back and wound it up.

Pluto finished quenching his tail, and darted over to Spike to growl in his face. Any anger the hound dog had turned to curiosity when he mechanical theow stood up. Music played from within the creation. A simple melody like a foal’s lullaby filled the room, and the doll started dancing.

The dragon and the hound dog watched the life-sized creation dance about. Its movements were simple and limited, but they were at once wondrous. And it was all the more enchanting when it started to sing.

“Y mama blaidd yn canu,

Cân o gariad at ei phlentyn,

Mae'r lleuad yn crio am ei llais.

Golau’r lleuad yw eu cynhesrwydd,

Oherwydd yn eu calonnau mae tân”

“Chwythu gwynt. Dail yn dawnsio,

Mae'r diwedd i ddod yn fuan,

Byddan nhw'n ochneidio eu olaf,

Gyda phopeth arall”

“Dymuniad yn hongian ar seren,

Am byth, ac ar ôl,

Mae eu calon yn aros am byth”

And the doll stopped moving.

Although neither Spike nor Pluto understood a word of what the magnificent creation said, they were at once thrilled by its performance, and touched by her song. For whatever reason, they felt she was singing about something terribly sad, yet completely hopeful. Like something that would never last, but would stay forever.

Spike looked over the mechanical doll, and saw truly the work that went into making it lifelike. Everything about it seemed uncannily real. All but the panel on its side. Curious as to how such a thing was made, Spike opened up the side of the doll.

Inside were innumerable moving parts. Cogs, springs, levers, loops and catches of all shapes and sizes were seen. And in the middle of it all was one noticeably large empty space. On either end of the empty space was what looked like a receptacle for securing a component.

Spike’s mind filled in the blanks, and he produced a shape from his backpack he thought looked like it fit the empty slot. In his claws, he held the cylinder he found before and held it in front of the open space inside the doll.

From the simple eyeball measurement, he could see it would fit perfectly. It was a wonder to him why such a thing would be left so far from the machine it went to, and even more of a wonder why it was buried. Still, he had found the two components, and decided to reunite them. He placed the cylinder inside the doll.

The key on top began spinning all on its own. Inside the doll, all of the working parts started moving on their own. The panel on the side closed on its own, and the doll’s body began to tremble.

“M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-” the doll stammered.

Spike’s chest clenched. Had he somehow broken the doll?

“M-M-Mamma?” the doll said.

Spike was profoundly relieved. It was just a voice box to help the doll speak. Perhaps now, it would sing a different song.

“Thank Celestia. I’d hate to have ruined something like that,” Spike sighed.

“Ble mae mamma?” the doll asked.

With a jerking, mechanical movement, her neck swiveled around and her eyes glanced about, as though to look for something.

Pluto became unnerved by the action. To him, the doll moved with nearly lifelike motions, almost as if it had a thought process behind each action.

The mechanical theow’s gaze met the two visitors in the shop.

“Oh. Diwrnod da, ci a draig. Dych chi'n gwsmeriaidau fy mamma?” the doll said.

Spike nor Pluto could quite comprehend what was happening. If they didn’t know better, they swore the doll was talking directly to them.

“Uh...Hi?” Spike said.

“Helo. Fy enw i yw Caru,” the doll answered.

“What?”

“Caru dw i.”

“Um...your name? Is it Garry?” Spike guessed, not understanding what he was told.

“Na. Caru,” the doll answered.

“That’s what I said. Garry.”

Pluto dragged his paw down his face, making his nose twang up and down.

“Na. ‘Gah-ree,’” the doll emphatically said.

“Caru?” Spike said, finally.

“Ydw. Caru dw i,” came the answer.

It was at once unnerving and astonishing. Never before did Spike think he would come face to face with a walking, talking, singing, dancing doll. Even less did he think he’d have a conversation with one. Still, the doll had given her name, and it would be impolite for him not to return his own.

“Well, hi Caru. I’m Spike. Uh, Spike dw i. And this is Pluto. Pluto...dw i…” the dragon trailed off on his introduction.

“Pluto? Na. ‘Mae ef Pluto,’” Caru said, pointing to the dog.

Feeling as if he were being corrected, Spike pointed at Pluto and answered, “Mae ef Pluto.”

“Ydw. Dyna sut mae theowau yn siarad,” Caru giggled.

Hearing the mechanical theow giggle put Spike more at ease with her. For the friendly, warm hearted laughter she expressed, he could see she was practically as alive and real as himself. Even if she was just a toy.

Caru trotted out to the front, her tin hooves clattering against the wooden floor.

“Mamma. Mae gennych gwsmeriadau,” Caru called out.

There came no answer.

“Mamma?” the doll called again.

Spike and Pluto waited for an answer. When none came, Pluto started to sniff for the one she wanted.

There were plenty of scents in the shop, and there was still that strange one. The source of it was not Caru. And as far as Pluto could infer, it was not the one she kept calling ‘mamma.’ Still, the doll was looking for someone, and he was going to put his hound dog nose to work finding her.

He sniffed all around, picking out an isolated scent, and found it was strongest behind the counter. There were many other toys back there and a few small tools, but surely not the person Caru was looking for.

Still, the strange scent was lingering there. Pluto stood up and placed his paws on the countertop. He sniffed all of the contents atop there, and bumped off something.

Spike investigated the fallen object, and saw it was a name plate of some sort. He held the short, thin piece of metal in his claws and read the words on the front: ‘Taffy Siop Teganu.’

“Taffy…” Spike thought aloud.

It was the same name as the theow the butcher said ran off. If she was the one Caru was looking for, the doll was out of luck.

“Caru,” Spike called.

“Ydw?” Caru answered.

“Your mom? Is her name Taffy?” Spike asked, holding the nameplate and pointing to the word ‘Taffy.’

“Ydw. Taffy yw enw fy mamma,” Caru answered, pointing her tin hoof at the name.

Once more, Spike could only guess what Caru said to him, but was sure she was affirming her mother’s name.

“I don’t think she’s here anymore,” Spike said.

“Mamma dywedodd hi byddai adref yn fuan. Ble mae hi?” Caru asked.

Spike looked at the uncannily lifelike eyes of the doll, and saw nothing but worry. He tried to piece together what events had led to Taffy running away, and leaving Caru’s primary working part in the wilderness. But, for the time being, it would remain a mystery. At the moment, he would have to find Taffy to make sense of things.

Outside in the town square, Minnie was busy at work asking the various theows about what had been happening in the village.

“Excuse me,” Minnie asked a theow who was baking bread in a brick oven.

“Iawn neu beth. Beth am ddarn?...Er, sorry. I didn’t realize you were from out of town. What do you need?” the baker asked.

“I’m wondering if you know anything about all of these theows appearing in the middle of town after disappearing,” Minnie asked.

“Sorry. As far as I can tell, they’re just leaving for a bit, then the next place they’re remembered being seen is over there. It’s a small village, you know. Most folks are seen in the town square at least once a day,” the baker answered, as he pulled a loaf of bread from his oven.

“Oh. Okay. What about someone called Taffy? Do you know why she went running away earlier?” Minnie asked.

“Taffy? Can’t say that I do. But, if she ran off, you may want to check the middle of town,” the baker answered. He pushed forward the fresh loaf he had baked. “Have a piece? Two gynnygs for a slice. Ten gynns for the whole loaf.”

“Sorry. I don’t have any of your country’s money with me. But, thanks for the offer,” Minnie said, before she walked away.

“Hope you find what you need,” the baker said, before he went back to work.

In the rafters above his shop, another gelatinous blob seeped into an unreachable hiding place.

It seemed like it was the same every time. Whenever Minnie talked to any theow, they spoke in their native language first, before suddenly speaking the same as her. She asked about Taffy, and what was happening, and she was always directed toward the middle of town square.

She was about to go and ask at the next shop about the incidents, when she noticed something new. There, in the middle of town square was a theow, sprawled flat on her side. Simply lying there in the open.

“Goodness!” Minnie said, before she ran to the aid of the creature.

Unseen by herself, the theows all around her turned a blind eye to the incident.

The mouse knelt down by the theow’s side and gently jostled her.

“Are you alright?” Minnie asked.

The theow blinked her eyes open, and lifted her head. In a moment, her eyes shot wide open, and she looked around herself.

“Ble dw i? Ble yw Caru?!” the theow asked.

“What?” Minnie asked.

“Caru! Ble mae hi!?” the theow desperately asked, as she shot to her hooves.

“Slow down! What are you trying to say?” Minnie asked.

The theow stopped moving so abruptly and looked to the mouse. As if something within her changed, her entire body relaxed and her tone became steady.

“I’m sorry. You don’t speak our language, do you?” the theow asked.

“For the hundredth time today: no. What happened to you? Are you hurt?” Minnie asked, her worry growing by the second.

“Nothing happened. I just fell asleep somewhere, and woke up somewhere else. That’s all,” the theow answered.

It was the strangest thing Minnie had heard that day. After hearing everything that the other theows were saying, she thought she could guess who she was talking to.

“Are you Taffy?” the mouse asked.

“Yes. I’m Taffy. Who’s asking?” the theow wondered.

“My name’s Minnie Mouse. I was told you went running out of your shop earlier today, and you disappeared after that.”

“Oh, that. It was nothing. Just needed to get out and see the countryside for a bit,” Taffy said. For a moment, her eyes glinted, making Minnie feel the slightest apprehension. “If you want to hear about it, come to my shop. I can tell you all about this village, and what goes on here.”

It was an unusual, but lucky break for Minnie. Now, she had a chance to learn some solid details about the place they were in.

“Okay. But, can you keep it short, please. I need to find my friends around here,” Minnie said.

“Of course. This won’t take any time at all,” Taffy said, as she guided Minnie to her shop.

High up, hidden on the face of the clock tower, a gelatinous blob watched the mouse and the theow walk toward the toy shop.

In the dark room, the shadowy figure watched the events unfold on her starlit surface.

“That’s right. Keep walking,” she said, as a smile morphed onto her face.

Electricity crackled through the room, illuminating the changes to the machine. Most of all, the apparatus that would steal Minnie’s heart.

Author's Note

Something very strange is in this village. And we don't know quite what it is yet. But, we'll get some ideas of it in the next chapter. Maybe it's just this Halloween season that's making me do this kind of setup. That tends to happen around this time of year for me.

So, I think that it's safe to say that we've met the friends who will accompany Spike and the others through this story arch. How will the toy and the toy maker fit into this whole gig? We'll just have to wait and see.

As for why I chose such a thing, it's because lately I've been reading a lot of manga by Osamu Tezuka, who is one of my favorite manga writers. For those of you who don't know him, he has written 'Astro Boy,' 'Metropolis,' 'Phoenix,' 'Kimba the White Lion,' 'Princess Knight,' and my personal favorite, 'Black Jack.' Mr. Tezuka's style of storytelling is that everything has a heart and a soul. From the robots in 'Astro Boy,' to the unusual maladies in 'Black Jack.' In this case, the heart and soul goes to the work that the theows of the village do. Sort of their version of Equestria's friendship and harmony. It was just an influence carried over from those works.

A few words about Caru. Caru's name means 'love' in Welsh. And I'm sorry for the song she sings. I'm no master of the Welsh language, and heaven help me if I can write a song in any language at all. But, there it is for you to read and break your brain trying to imagine a melody to it.

As for the toy shop itself, a lot of its contents are inspired by real life toys that I've seen. The silver swan in particular is based on a real thing that is in a museum in Europe. And the honey-colored bear reaching for a beehive? That may or may not be a cameo by Winnie-the-Pooh.

And the villain of this arch? I realized that I totally forgot to suggest a voice for her. The worst part about forgetting is that I had a voice pictured as I wrote her dialogue in the last chapter. As always, you readers are allowed to picture your own voices, but the one I have firmly in my mind is Jennifer Tilly.

I bet a lot of you are thinking that's an odd choice, given that Mrs. Tilly has such a soft and gentle voice. Almost like she could be a stand in for Fluttershy. But, I have seen a lot of her movies, and she has a very wide acting range. I think she could easily play a villain like this one.

Also, we still don't know who or what she is. How long until we discover what is going on.

That's just a matter of reading the arch all the way through. Rock on for the next chapter, readers \m/

Chapter 43: Wings of Fancy

Chapter 43

Wings of Fancy

Somewhere in a hallway high above Kamelut, a duck and a pony were running hunted. The alarm had been sounded and a hundred other bugs, camels and zahaks were after them both.

Ever since the moment they arrived in the flying fortress, Applejack and Donald had been trying to find a means to escape. The armed patrol of hired goons seemed omnipresent. Wherever they ran, they were cut off by some thug or another, all determined to recapture the fugitives. Or worse.

Bursting through a door, they were suddenly in a maze of office cubicles. Where they would run to find an escape, neither knew. Only that they had to keep going, lest the band of goons catch them.

Two bugs, a camel and a zahak barged into the office space. Their quarry had already disappeared into the twists and turns of the room, so the group of four split up to search for them.

Finding the exit was more difficult than anticipated. Every turn had more corners beyond it. Every narrow passage had some obstacle or another, be it an office worker or equipment, or just another seemingly endlessly long wall.

As Donald and Applejack ran, the wall beside them became a long pane of glass. The view beyond showed truly how vast the flying fortress was. All was a vast metropolis built in the sky. Streetcars, sky trams, lifts and monorails were seen ferrying their passengers all over from street to street and building to building. Great smokestacks spewed magical exhaust from their open spouts. Most of all, railways were seen sprawling out into the horizon in every visible direction.

But, the scenery could not be appreciated. An escape still had to be accomplished.

Rounding a corner, Donald bumped into a zahak, who was carrying a stack of files. Without missing a beat, the duck snatched the files from her and teetered down the aisle, doing his best to keep the stack from falling.

Applejack ran ahead, and stopped suddenly when a bug and a zahak rounded the corner before her. She turned around, making Donald spin as she ran past him, and stopped again when a bug and a camel rounded the corner before her again.

Trapped between four enemies, there was only one option left.

The camel ran forth and charged Applejack.

The farmpony ducked and wove through the larger creature’s legs.

Donald spun out of the way, keeping the stack of files precariously balanced.

Around them, the workers in their cubicles peeked out to see what was causing the uproar in their office.

With one strong punch, Donald was sent sprawling into the wall of a cubicle, still holding his papers.

“Nothin’ to see here! Just keep workin’!” the duck said. He looked forward and saw his opponents closing in again. “Wak!!”

Thinking quickly, Donald passed the papers off to the zahak who approached him. With his hands full, the zahak could not properly attack, allowing Donald to defend himself.

He was pushed into a cubicle by a bug, where the flea working within hopped onto his desk to avoid the brawl.

Donald grabbed the worker’s swivel chair and swung it in front of himself. Charging forward, he pushed his opponent back into the hall.

Now free of the carnage, the flea hopped into the next cubicle, then hopped his way out of the danger zone.

More of the workers fled the area, alerting the others to the dangerous brawl around them. Even the window washer outside the building climbed down his own safety line to avoid trouble. On their way out, security was alerted to the incident. More thugs would be arriving, and would soon overwhelm the two fugitives.

Applejack bobbed around the other bug’s attacks, and was about to buck them both down the aisle.

The zahak passed the papers to Applejack, who could no longer buck with the papers on her back, for fear of ruining another creature’s work.

The camel kicked Applejack in her jaw, making the farmpony jolt backwards.

Without losing her focus, Applejack kept the papers balanced, and backed into the bug who was attacking Donald.

The bug caught the papers, now unable to fight for not having the heart to ruin the work of an office drone.

Donald swiveled his office chair back and forth, blocking punches from both sides. Rearing the chair back, he used the wheels to smash the toes of his zahak opponent.

As the zahak recoiled in pain, Donald saw the bug next to him about to fall over.

Quickly, the duck placed the chair for the bug to sit on and saved the stack of papers the bug held.

With a strong kick, Donald pushed the swivel chair down the aisle.

Applejack sensed the danger behind herself and jumped out of the way.

The bug she was fighting ducked into the adjacent cubicle.

The camel was hit square in the face, and teetered backwards down the aisle. Somehow, the stack of files had landed on his head, and he was doing his best to keep them balanced.

Slowing to a halt, he stopped beside the zahak who had lost the papers in the first place.

Gratefully, the worker took her papers back.

“'Asaf li'ayi azeaja. Alsalam ealaykum, sayidati aleazizat,” the camel apologized, before charging forward.

None were safe from the charging camel. Two bugs were plowed down in his way, before Donald realized the danger he was in.

He shielded himself with his swivel chair, but was simply swept up in it by the camel.

Applejack too was caught in the path of destruction, and clung tightly to Donald when the chair hit her.

The zahak was plowed out of the way when the chair’s two passengers saw that they were headed straight for the window.

Both tried to bail, but were caught up trying to climb over one another to do much of anything useful. With a loud crash, the glass pane shattered and they were sent flying over the airborne metropolis.

It was only the window washer’s platform that saved them. Reaching out, Donald and Applejack caught hold of the rope that dangled by the simple wooden workstation.

Dangling from fifty stories up, they climbed to the solid ground of the platform.

Their enemies were still waiting for them inside the building. Wasting no time, they both grabbed the rope next to themselves, and started hauling the entire contraption upward.

“Nice going, sand-sucker!! You let them escape!” one of the bugs chided the camel.

“Quit givin’ him grief! He can’t understand you! Besides, we already know where they’re going! Come on!” the other bug said.

Donald and Applejack did not stop hauling themselves up, until they reached the very zenith of the platform’s height. There, the pulley and tackle the rope was attached to began to creak under their combined weight.

Not wanting to face the plunge, Donald and Applejack leapt to the nearby balcony, just as the platform they were on broke and went falling to the ground below.

Back on solid ground, they ran through one of the open glass doors that was nearby.

The room they found themselves was greatly different from the rest of the office building. Here, there were many, many models lain about. Trains ran up and along the perimeter of the walls. Model sky trams, lifts and aircrafts hung from the ceiling. Ships of all shapes and sizes bobbed in a vast pool of simulated ocean in the floor. And on stands, podiums and shelves, all cars from all eras were put on display.

One glass case displayed a grand, old-fashioned aviator’s uniform. Bomber jacket, leather cap, goggles and all.

In the center of it all on the furthest wall was a grand desk with an even grander chair. On the wall behind the desk, a fifty foot self-portrait of Bosco DiMosco hung, depicting the magnate standing atop a mound of treasure that would have turned Uncle Scrooge green.

“Applejack, I think we’re in the wrong room…” Donald said.

“It ain’t no problem, long as DiMosco ain’t here! But, let’s make ourselves scarce anyway! Before those bugs come back!” Applejack said.

They were about to run for the exit, when something caught Applejack’s eye.

It was a blueprint. A massive blueprint that covered the wall from end to end. Drawn in white and red was a vastly enlarged world map, much like the kind Applejack had seen in books when she was in school.

What disturbed her was the drawings all over it. Long lines of railroad radiated from Kamelut. And they all had dates printed near them. For some, the dates had already passed, and were circled in green with dollar signs next to them. Others, the dates were coming near.

A terrible thought entered her mind, and she followed the railway that ran eastward. There on the map, Equestria was circled in white, and the date for completion was only weeks away.

“This is real bad, Don! He’s tryin’ to spread his business back to Equestria!” Applejack said.

“That’s not all he’s doin’. Take a look at this,” Donald said, as he presented papers that were lying near the blueprints.

Applejack’s eyes darted across the papers. From what she could tell, it was a list of business names with dates next to them. Once again, many had dates that were already passed, and were circled with green dollar signs next to them. Others were scratched out in red, which still had green dollar signs. Going down the list, she found the names of familiar businesses she knew very well indeed.

Sugarcube Corner was the first one she noticed. Following that was the Cloudsdale weather factory and the Wonderbolt Academy. Her heart nearly stopped when she found Sweet Apple Acres on that list.

“Thi--This--That dirty, son of a rented mule!! What gives him the right--How’s he even know--!!” Applejack stammered through her bursting rage.

“It’s what every businessman does. They research everything, before they acquire it,” Donald said.

“Well, he ain’t gettin’ Sweet Apple Acres!! He can keep anything else I got! But, that’s my home he’s messin’ with!!”

DiMosco’s reach was more than a business monopoly. It was world conquest. If he owned everything, ran everything, by perfectly legitimate means no less, he would be unstoppable. Now, Applejack had all the more reason to squash the fly.

“Don’t sweat it. Long as you got me, Uncle Scrooge and Fluttershy watchin’ your back, you got nothin’ to worry about,” Donald assured his friend. “Let’s get outta here, first! Those goons are probably halfway up the stairs to get us by now!”

The duck was only half right. The goons were all the way up the stairs to get them by now.

Heavy footsteps were heard clamoring up the stairs, ready to apprehend the two fugitives.

There was no escape. The window washer’s platform had broken, and the only other exit was through the door to the stairs.

Donald cursed the designer of the office. Why did someone as important, busy and elderly as DiMosco not have an elevator installed. Then again, it was probably by not using the elevator that DiMosco stayed so spry for his age.

A look to the aviator’s suit, and Donald was given an idea. Along with a new pair of wings, they were going to fly out.

“Ya gotta buck the sides of that case!” Donald said to Applejack, pointing to the glass display.

“What for!?” Applejack said.

“For savin’ our sorry keisters!”

Not one to doubt another’s plan when she was bereft of ideas, Applejack obliged.

She bucked one side of the glass case, rounded to the other, and shattered the other.

Donald caught the glass doors and gently laid them down. He grabbed the aviator’s bomber, hat, gloves and goggles, and quickly put them all on.

“Oh, no,” Applejack quietly protested, seeing where Donald’s plan was going.

The duck picked up the glass doors by their handles.

“No!” Applejack said with finality.

“If you wanna buck your way out, that’s fine with me!” Donald said, as he put his goggles over his eyes.

“Works fer me too!”

The door burst open, and Applejack took a bucking stance against the horde that had entered.

“Will you come on!!!?” Donald said, as he grabbed Applejack by her tail and dragged her out to the balcony.

Using his glass wings, Donald scooped Applejack onto his back and forced her to hold on, as he jumped over the side.

Doing his best to keep steady, the duck managed to glide as though Fluttershy were his passenger.

“Will ya stop wobblin’ already!” Applejack said.

“Hey! I’m glidin’ on glass here! I’d say I’m doing pretty darn good with what I got!!” Donald rebutted.

A zahak on the balcony took a pistol from his robes. With careful aim, he fired a single shot, which shattered one of the glass wings.

Kudos and congratulations were shared by the goons on the balcony, who all watched as their quarry started spiraling downward like a struck plane. Once they saw where they landed, they would scrape up what was left with a spatula.

“We’re hit! Mayday! Mayday!!” Donald shouted, as the sound of a sputtering engine was heard over his shouts.

Applejack and Donald both screamed as they tried to regain control of their flight trajectory. But with one wing, it was a futile attempt.

They rolled and spiraled through the air, keeping their best from crashing into any buildings, cables or public transportations.

Donald swerved around another sky tram. When one danger passed, another presented itself in the form of a silver, sparkling cloud of exhaust.

Though not at all noxious or obstructive to breathing, the glittering fog made it hard for either Applejack or Donald to see where they were going. And it was that which kept them from seeing that they were flying right into the mouth of the smokestack where the exhaust was coming from.

With a loud crash, Donald’s other wing was shattered, and he and Applejack went tumbling down to the bowels of the flying fortress.

End over end they tumbled through the dark corridor, growing closer to the glowing reactor below themselves.

Applejack propped her legs against the sides of the smokestack, her hooves trailing sparks as she slid downward.

The sides of the shaft were growing broader, making it more difficult to stop.

The farmpony stretched her limbs as far as they would go, and felt herself slowing down. It seemed she was going to avoid an unpleasant death.

Donald landed on her back, and dislodged her hooves, sending them both down to the reactor.

“CRUMB-MUNCHIN’, SON OF A GANDER!!” Applejack shouted, as they fell downward.

“OH YEAH!! SO’S YOUR OLD MAN!!!” Donald rebutted.

Curses and blows were exchanged during the descent, until they noticed the ground growing brighter beneath them.

They screamed when they saw the reactor was upon them.

Donald took Applejack’s hooves in his hands. They both stretched their arms as far as they could, and bucked their legs backward.

Webbed feet and hooves scraped against the walls, slowly lowering their momentum.

Just as they stopped, Donald felt his toes just peek over the edge of the smokestack’s vent and lost his footing.

The duck swung his feet forward, forcing himself and Applejack both to attempt to fly over the reactor. Both of their tails just brushed the sparkling core, and sizzled loudly. Other than that, they landed unharmed on the floor.

“It’s official. Next time Mickey needs help shoppin’ for gifts, I’m tellin’ him where to stick it,” Donald grumbled, as he painfully sat up.

Both he and Applejack noticed the magical core, and took a moment to look at it.

“That’s somethin’ you never see back home,” Donald said.

“Not here, neither. Least, not one this big,” Applejack answered. “Probably what’s keepin’ this whole city flyin’.”

“Boy, oh boy. Just think. A whole city that can fly right out of its foundation.”

“An’ try thinkin’ what a rustler like DiMosco would do with somethin’ like it.”

“I don’t think I wanna…” Donald answered. He stood up, and noticed that the metal panels beneath his feet were somewhat loose. “Let’s go down this way. I don’t wanna risk runnin’ into a bunch of overzealous maintenance teamsters at the door.”

“Way ahead o’ ya, partner,” Applejack said.

With a powerful stomp, she bent one end of the floor panel, sending it flipping into the air. With Donald still on it.

“WAAAAK!!!” Donald shouted, as he fell through the open hole in the floor.

Applejack quickly followed, and found herself and Donald both in the crawlspace where all of the pipes and wires were.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Applejack apologized.

“It’s nothin’. Just remember who gets stuck with all the bad luck,” Donald said.

They both crawled through the narrow space, barely able to move at all for the cramped conditions. They squirmed like oversized rats through a tiny maze, following only one particular metal pipe.

“Hang on a sec’,” Donald said, when he stopped suddenly.

“Find somethin’?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah. I think it’s the back of a breaker box. I’m gonna try and push it loose.”

Rather than wait for Donald to push the box out of the wall it was set into, Applejack began squirming around to face the other direction.

“Hey! What’re you doin’ back there!?” Donald said, when he felt his backside repeatedly pushed.

Once she had turned around, Applejack reared back her hooves and bucked as hard as she could.

Donald was smashed face first into the panel, which popped out of the wall, and sent him to the floor below.

Applejack followed after, crawling out backwards, and dropping nearly twenty hooves onto what seemed to be a tree branch. She fell and hit another, then another and another. After one last rough hit, she landed flank first on what felt like a patch of cactus.

“YEEOWCH!!!” the farmpony hollered, as she jolted to her hooves.

“Serves ya right,” Donald grumbled, as he readjusted his cap and goggles.

Applejack was about to rebut, until she saw what she had landed on. Not a cactus, but a patch of flowers. But, that was not all. The flowers were made out of diamonds, which had been carefully placed and arranged to simulate the appearance of flowers.

Even grander still, the diamond flowers were set into a verdant hill of emeralds, with boulders of precious stones, silver and platinum dotting them. Trees that dotted the hill were made from amber, with leaves of gold and gems of all colors.

Before them was a path made completely of golden bricks. A stream of sapphires, topaz and turquoise flowed like a real river. Looking at it, Applejack expected a fish to hop out and wink at her.

A five-tiered fountain of the purest silver spewed the finest grained gold dust from its top, which poured like sand down to the bottom.

Dotting the sides of the golden path were statues of DiMosco, crafted from pure platinum. Some showed the magnate laughing and dancing. Others showed him sitting contemplatively. Overall, they were all self-aggrandizing debaucheries of a mind twisted by the almighty dollar.

Even though there were no lights in the room, everything was illuminated by a massive gold nugget, which caught the light from the windows and reflected light onto everything like a great, golden sun.

“Dang…” Applejack exhaled. “Where in the hayseeds are we?”

“We’re in DiMosco’s money bin,” Donald said, partly in fear, and partly in awe of how much greater and grandiose the bin was than his uncle’s.

It was the worst place to be. The only safe exit was the hole in the wall that was high out of their reach. And if DiMosco was anything like his uncle, Donald knew that the proper exit would be loaded with booby traps. Wherever it was in that bejeweled landscape.

Without much other option, Donald and Applejack both began searching for a way out.

In a scrapyard only miles away, another group of friends was holed up with little hope of escape.

From his rooftop, the Harry the assassin hornet sat patiently with his sniper rifle, awaiting the moment that his targets would appear again. He had very nearly gunned down the pegasus, and was anticipating the moment one of them would try to escape through the shed’s skylight again.

For just a moment, Harry noticed a smudge of his rifle’s lense. Knowing he would need to maintain perfect vision at all times, he took his eye from the scope and retrieved a handkerchief from his shirt pocket, never once taking his eyes from the shed.

From the corner of his vision, the assassin noticed something else. More of his insect cohorts were walking down the street toward the scrap shop, led by the Big Bad Wolf. In only minutes, they would meet DiMosco in the scrapyard out back, and do whatever it was they were summoned to do.

Time was running out for the prisoners in the shed. Only one plan had been offered. And it seemed the most incredulous of all.

“Fly out…?” Fluttershy timidly asked, upon hearing Uncle Scrooge’s plan. “But...But…”

“But nothin’, lass. It’s the quickest way we’ll escape. An’ it’s the fastest way we’ll catch up to wherever Donald an’ Applejack are goin’.”

“You’d be better off walking,” Qard said. “I’ve been trying to get this contraption airborne for over fifty years. Nothing has worked.”

“Then, ye haven’t found the reason why it’s not workin’,” Uncle Scrooge replied.

“That’s where you are wrong, duck. Look at this.”

Uncle Scrooge and Fluttershy both followed Qard around to the side of his machine, where he opened up the panel on the main body.

Inside, there were many working parts. Many of which were familiar to Uncle Scrooge. Others were completely foreign to him, but he could guess how they worked within the machine. But even if he was not familiar with some of the machinery, one thing was clear to him.

“Do you see?” Qard said.

“No,” Fluttershy answered.

“There are many parts missing. Irreplaceable components lost to the desert sands.”

“What exactly makes them irreplaceable?” Uncle Scrooge asked.

“Because without them, there is no way to draw, regulate or stabilize the power drawn from the mithra stones. I’ve looked and looked through my acres of junk, but there’s nothing that can substitute!” Qard answered.

It was a problem indeed. Without those imperative components, the machine was doomed to be grounded forever.

Fluttershy knew nothing of how such a machine would work, and curiously observed the innards of the working parts.

“How does it work?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Qard wondered.

“The engine. How does it draw power from the mithra stones?”

“What good does knowing that do you?” the elderly zahak sighed.

Fluttershy was silent, as she meekly hid behind her mane. But one look at her, and Qard knew he could not leave her unobliged.

“It all has to do with friction,” Qard began. “Like two pieces of flint, if you rub mithra stones hard enough, they produce energy that can be put to another use. Then, that power has to be condensed, regulated, and distributed through the craft.” Qard leaned against his workbench and sighed again. “It was Khabuubhi who figured out all of that. He could take the sand from his fez and find five different uses for it.”

Whatever gift his friend had, Qard knew that he lacked it. He knew that that was what held back his completion of the dream they once shared. The only thing that kept him going was the motivation to see it through. But, if only that were good enough.

“Is that all that needs to be done?” Uncle Scrooge asked, after examining the engine.

DiMosco’s thugs arrived outside, equipment in hand to demolish the shed.

“It’s not as simple as it sounds. Parts like them were not easy to come by in the first place--”

“An’ yet, ye found ‘em. Didn’t ye?” the tycoon reasoned. “Ye already said that yer friend found new uses for everything, from these magic marbles, to the sand beneath our feet. I’d bet my Number One Dime he used less than conventional parts to get this bird flyin’.”

“Not so unconventional. We used parts from other machines to make that engine.”

“An’ we’re gonna do it again,” Uncle Scrooge said, with a glint in his eye.

The entire shed rattled, as if it had been struck by a heavy impact.

“But, can we hurry, please!?” Fluttershy said, as she hid beneath the flying machine.

“Aye! No sense waitin’ around for the shack to come down upon us!” Uncle Scrooge said, as he held his aching chest.

More blows rattled the shed on all sides. Many dents were punched in, warping the walls, threatening to tear the entire structure down by sheer force.

Time was not on their side. If they were to escape, everything had to be done double time.

Uncle Scrooge recalled everything he knew about aircraft mechanisms, and mixed it with the knowledge of what Qard had told him of the marvelous engine. Between the two, he thought he could make something that could scrap the engine together. With only the tools that were available in the shed, no less.

One particularly heavy blow to the shed snapped the tycoon from his thoughts.

“Listen: I’m gonna give ye some parts to put into the engine. No matter how odd it may sound, ye have to affix them to the machine,” Uncle Scrooge said. Before giving Qard or Fluttershy a chance to answer, he began issuing orders, which were only just audible over the sounds of the shed being buffeted. “I’ll need the belt sander, that hand pump, some hoses, an’ the tools to take ‘em apart!”

Nothing was said afterward. Fluttershy started to crawl out from under the flying machine, and recoiled when Qard hurriedly walked past her. Once he was by, the pegasus crawled out and began collecting the tools.

At one of the shelves, Fluttershy started collecting all of the tools she could carry.

Dutifully, the beetle in her mane climbed the shelf, and collected the last, tiniest wrench that remained. With the tool over its shoulder, it climbed back to Fluttershy, and helped carry its tiny load back to the work area.

Qard brought the requested equipment, and went searching for more.

Uncle Scrooge worked diligently and quickly, as the shed started popping at its seams.

With every part taken out, it was handed off to Qard, who was instructed how to apply it to the engine. A conveyance mechanism there. A pump shaft in another spot. Hoses leading this way and that.

One seam of the shed was burst open, and the end of a crowbar was seen prising it apart.

Fluttershy quickly pushed one of the tool shelves to clinch the crowbar against the wall it was pulling open.

Once the tool was incapacitated, the pegasus started daintily trying to take it away.

Her limited strength was no good.

The beetle crawled down her front legs to her hooves, over to the other end of the crowbar, and bit the hand that held it.

The jolt of pain was just what was needed for the thug to let go of his crowbar, making Fluttershy fall over backwards with the tool in her hooves. The beetle popped up into the air, and landed back safely in her mane.

With a grateful smile from Fluttershy, she was about to thank the little bug. Another loud clamor was heard outside, making Fluttershy yelp loudly and backpedal to the center of the shed.

“Are you almost done? Please say yes…” the pegasus beckoned.

Completion was growing near. With every passing second, a familiar feeling grew within the elderly zahak. Even with his failing health, he felt as young and alive as he did the day he joined Khabuubhi in fulfilling his dream of flight.

In his mind’s eye, he could see the shape and the form the engine was going to take. Everything he needed was under his own nose, and he never knew it. Truly, Khabuubhi’s magical gift was shared with the duck and his pegasus companion.

Something was heard climbing on the roof. Somehow, one of the creatures had managed to get on top of the shed. And they were heading straight toward the skylight.

Over the sounds of the shed being beaten open, Fluttershy thought she could hear something more clattering on the roof. Like claws on padded feet scratching the metal.

“Oh no!...Not him!...” she whimpered.

Their time was gone. It was now or never. They would fly, or they would die trying.

“Get into the pilot’s seat and start the ignition! The red knob!!” Qard shouted, as he worked more hastily on the engine.

Uncle Scrooge did as instructed, and jumped into the seat at the front of the machine. Just as Qard had said, there was a red knob, which the tycoon pulled and twisted.

There was a choking sound, and the entire machine began to shake.

The inside parts moved in perfect harmony, and the mithra stones lit up with a brilliant light as they were rapidly rubbed by the parts from the belt sander. The engine sputtered, and the propeller at the front started to spin.

Qard watched in awe. Soon, his lifelong dream would come to life. But, he could not celebrate.

A vicious growl rang through the shed, as Big Bad dropped through the skylight, cleavers drawn, claws and fangs bared.

“Aged duck an’ pony fillet!! Comin’ up!!” the glutton bellowed, as he lunged forward with his mouth agape.

Fluttershy screamed and hid beneath the machine, hoping she would not be followed down there.

Qard grabbed a bit from his drill press between his hands, and stuffed the oversized tool into Big Bad’s mouth.

The glutton would not be stopped so easily. He swung his cleavers, tearing through Qard’s robes and eliciting a shout of pain from the elderly zahak.

“Mr. Qard!!” Fluttershy shouted.

“Get in the passenger seat!! Now!” Qard ordered, as he used his drill bit to deflect the blows of Big Bad’s cleavers.

Fluttershy watched in terrified awe. She did not know if the machine was at all flightworthy, given the rushed nature of the repair. Worse still was the feeling that if anything ever happened to Qard, she would never forgive herself

The beetle hopped out of Fluttershy’s mane and into the opening of the machine’s panel. With one leg, it began closing the engine hatch, but stopped to share one last look to Fluttershy.

No magic was needed to tell the pegasus what the tiny bug was trying to say. It had nothing but appreciation for what she had done for it since they met. And if it had anything to do with anything that ever happened to her, it would see to it that the machine would fly safely.

Before Fluttershy could say her goodbyes, the beetle closed the panel and set to carefully monitoring the maintenance of the engine. Silently wishing her smallest friend the best of luck, the pegasus crawled into the passenger seat of the flying machine, and braced herself for the ride.

Qard blocked the wild blows of Big Bad, and felt his health falter again. He coughed loudly and keeled over.

Big Bad raised his cleavers, and swung them both down.

A loud, metallic scrape was heard, and Big Bad’s cleavers lodged themselves stuck in the grooves of the massive drill bit.

Qard panted as he held up his only means of defense between his face and his opponent’s blades.

All around, the shed started to pop open at its seams.

“You want to knock my shed down!?” Qard growled, as he pushed Big Bad backwards. “Then, I will happily oblige!!!”

With one last burst of strength, Alshuhum Qard pushed Big Bad across the floor, right into the front of the shed.

There was a loud crash, and the entire front wall was knocked down, revealing the world beyond its four walls.

“We did it!!” one of the bugs celebrated.

The sight of the moving plane caught everyone’s attention. As it bumped its way over the fallen wall, the goons all dodged out of the way.

“That thing’s not supposed to work just yet, isn’t it?” one of the bugs asked.

DiMosco could not believe his compound eyes. Somehow, the zahak had cracked the secret to harnessing the marvelous engine’s power at the exact time it would be most inconvenient to him.

Before he was run down, he dove aside and rolled to his feet. He was only just able to see the tail of the machine speed past him.

“Son of a--” The magnate shouted, as he tossed his hat to the ground.

He would not lose. He knew where they were flying to. And he would head them off there. Turning to his minions, he barked orders as quickly as he thought them.

“All o’ you, get to the comm stations an’ spread the word to every corner o’ home base: anything flyin’ in the air’s gettin’ shot down! I don’t care if it’s a flock o’ geese! I don’t care if it’s yer granny buzzin’ in with a thermos full o’ chicken soup!! She an’ everything else that flies is bullet bait!! While yer puttin' the word out, I wanna have an express airbus waitin' for me soon as I get to the tram station!! An’ someone find that Big Bad Blowhard, an’ tell him to haul his hairy heiney back to H.Q.!!”

“I think he’s gettin’ there quicker than us,” one of the bugs said.

DiMosco did not stay around to hear what was said. He was already rushing off to reach H.Q. and deal with the intruders.

Down on the runway, Uncle Scrooge tried over and over to get airborne. No matter how he tried, they remained grounded.

“A-Are we flying yet?” Fluttershy asked from her crouched position.

“No! I can’t get so much as a lift in altitude on this blasted thing!” Uncle Scrooge replied.

Fluttershy dared to peek up and see what was happening. They were speeding along the runway at a steady pace, with the end coming up quickly with a dropoff into the dunes.

She hoped that something would happen before they reached that point. Somehow, if the machine should decide to fly, she wished it would come soon.

Just barely audible over the engine, Fluttershy heard a scratch. Like nails on a chalkboard. Looking to the source of it, she was horrified to see a single clawed hand of The Big Bad Wolf clinging to the tailfins of the machine.

The fanged face of the glutton just began to rise over the frame of the tail, when Fluttershy reached into the pilot’s seat for Uncle Scrooge’s cane.

Keeping the cane firmly in her teeth, she leaned out of her seat much further than she ever cared to do, and started prising Big Bad’s claws loose.

One by one, the digits were pulled free. And with every claw removed, she thought she could feel the wheels of the machine rise ever so slightly.

The final claw was removed, and Big Bad started falling away from the machine.

Before he even fell a centimeter, there was a flash of metal. A cleaver in the glutton’s other hand was slammed deep into the machine’s frame, allowing him to pull himself closer than ever to his timid prey.

Fluttershy screamed at the sight, and recoiled sharply.

The moment she pulled her head back, she inadvertently uppercutted Big Bad in his nose.

“OWW!!” the glutton shouted, as he held his throbbing nose. It was only too late that he realized he was rubbing it with both hands.

End over end, Big Bad rolled through the sand, and slid to a stop.

One danger was passed, but the dropoff at the end of the runway was growing rapidly closer.

The machine started to jump as it rolled closer to the end of the runway.

“What’s happening!!?” Fluttershy panicked.

Uncle Scrooge did not answer. His mind was focused on achieving takeoff.

The wheels lifted ever so slightly off the ground, and gingerly touched back down.

“Mr. McDuck…!!?”

Fluttershy was completely ready to bail out, but the dropoff was already upon them.

There was one last jolt upward, and the machine went plummeting downward over the side.

“Yes!!” Big Bad shouted, as he victoriously slammed his fist to the ground. Now, he would only have to run to the wreckage, salvage the engine, then eat the leftover passengers.

He rose to all fours and ran as fast as he could to the edge of the dropoff, eagerly anticipating the easy, if uncooked, meal.

Wholly and completely unexpectedly, Big Bad was thrown off balance the moment he reached the dropoff. With a mighty whoosh, the aircraft shot up as if it had burst free from the sands and into the sky.

Big Bad teetered and fell down the dropoff, rolling to a stop in the dunes below. His head was buried so that only his ears poked above the sand, which caught the sounds of celebration heard over the jubilant laughter of the flying engine.

“We done it lass!! We’re up!! WE’RE FLYIN’!!!!” Uncle Scrooge shouted, as he jumped up and down in his seat.

In the innards of the machine, the beetle jumped for joy, squeaking happily on its tiny platform.

Fluttershy’s fear slowly subsided as she peered out of her seat. The town below was growing smaller, and all the creatures seemed as small as the bugs she had so carefully minded beneath her hooves. They were so high up, and without the aid of any magic she had.

It was a feeling she had all but forgotten. No balloon, no dirigible had ever given her the feeling she had in that moment. It was just as Alshuhum Qard said. She was experiencing the full joy that any flying creature ever felt. Truly, it was the greatest thing comparable to natural flight. If only Rainbow Dash was there to share it with her.

The camels and zahaks of the town all looked up in awe as the machine flew circles above them. None of them could believe what they saw. Many of them had lived their lives knowing of Qard’s dream to fly again. And there it was over their heads.

One young camel in the crowd looked in wonder and amazement. Many of his friends were zahaks, who he never thought he would be able to join in their aerial escapades. In that moment, anything seemed possible.

From his vantage point, Harry laid his rifle across his lap and watched the craft fly through the sky. Even from where he was sitting, he knew that his targets were out of range of his bullets. Instead of trying to drop them out of the sky, he simply watched, wondering what kind of future DiMosco Transit would have had if they had stolen that engine first.

Back in the broken shed, Alshuhum Qard shouted, laughed and celebrated until his arms were sore and his voice was hoarse. After his voice and his body, his health started waning once again.

He coughed loudly, and his lungs in his chest felt liable to collapse. But, he did not care. With a joyous smile, he retrieved his chair from the shed and pulled it to the front, where he could sit down and watch his dream take flight.

“I wish you could have seen me today, Khabuubhi…” the elderly zahak said, as he slowly closed his eyes. “...I flew today...I finally flew…”

His eyes closed, and his breath grew quiet.

“If only...there weren’t so much left to do…”

And with a quiet sigh, he sat silently in his chair, as his friends flew on the wings of his dream come true.

“What am I doing!?” Qard loudly wondered, as he abruptly stood from his seat. “There’s so much left to do, and I’ll never get anywhere by sleeping through it!!”

There was nothing left that seemed impossible. With one project complete, there were more to be discovered and completed. With the spirit of his departed friend within him, he looked one last time to the sky, silently thanking the new friends who had so unexpectedly come into his life.

Author's Note

What an ending there, huh? Who here thought that Qard was going to die at the end? Well, I decided against that the moment I started this story arch. After bumming you all out by bumping off Nopony and Caru, I thought I'd give you all a break on that front.

Some things about this chapter, before I share something that kind of special to me. First off, you might think that DiMosco's office seems a bit fanciful with all of those models. I actually got the idea for that from Walt Disney himself. You see, Mr. Disney was a great fan of model vehicles. He loved cars, ships and airplanes, but his favorites were trains. And he translated that love of model trains into the monorail at Disneyland. Isn't that something? I thought that maybe DiMosco got into the transportation business because of his maggot-hood love of model vehicles. Only, he turned out to be an evil megalomaniac.

The fight scene in the office building was a fun one to write, albeit brief. I wanted to think of some way that would make the fight fun, so I decided to have the characters pass off a stack of files to one another, effectively taking that one person out of the fight.

Another element that I absolutely knew I wanted in this chapter was the introduction of DiMosco's money bin. To held differentiate it, and make it seem even greater, I thought it would be cool if the entire thing was modeled as an artificial landscape. Like those landscape gardens in Asia. Because of that, Donald and Applejack are now trapped in what is probably the most secure room in the entire fortress. But, not entirely, given the one blind spot they found.

Our friends in the fortress also found out some rather unsettling information. Seems that DiMosco's plans for building his railways stretch around the world. Again, this was kind of inspired by Disney absorbing other companies.

And what about Donald? He's got a costume in this chapter. An aviator suit no less. However, he still has to get a handle on actually flying. First, he'll need the right material. I wonder what that could be.

As for the others, they helped a friend's dream come true. Between the creativity to make something unexpected, and the motivation to see it through, they all got what they wanted.

Don't ask me how the engine works with the components Uncle Scrooge added. That's just a part of the cartoonish jury rigging that goes on in this story.

To conclude, I want to share something with you all. Sometimes, I get asked about my story writing process. How do I go about writing them in a way that so many people find enjoyable. Truth is, I don't really know.

But, there was this list of rules for writing that I found in a library book many years ago. I don't remember what book, but I thought that the information that it relayed was very useful. I wrote down that list on a piece of paper, and I kept it with me. I made copies of it, and now I keep it on a thumb drive and google docs. Ever since, I've tried my best to write stories based on the rules of that list. But, I'm not sure of the result. See what you all think of it:

There are always rules to be followed when it come to writing for both stories and for characters. This allows for a world and characters to remain consistent with themselves.
There are times when the rules can be bent a little bit. This is because maintaining complete rigidity would severely limit storytelling possibilities.
At the core of fiction is the story. The story is what drives everything. Around the core is a layer of equal parts relatability and believability. Both factors help to immerse the audience into the story. Outside of that is a layer of the research and inspiration, which supplements the immersive qualities.
Work under the assumption that the audience is just as intelligent as yourself. By assuming the audience is not intelligent, you alienate a major portion of it, and greatly compromise the immersion factors of your story. By treating them as intelligent, the quality of your own work can increase greatly.
Strive for story telling quality. Even if the material is made to appeal to the lowest common denominator (i.e. sex and violence. In the case of children’s entertainment: hyperactivity and non-sequiturs), quality writing and stories are to be maintained.
Characters and stories are not just outlets for a writer’s hyperactive disorders, social dysfunctions or repressed angst. Mental and emotional restraint must be practiced, and there must be a filter between the brain and the writing instrument when writing.
Regardless of their personality, characters must act emotionally appropriately to the present tone of a situation. Unless a character is emotionally invested in any given circumstance, it takes away severely from the level of believability and relatability.
Contemporary slang words should be either used to an absolute minimum, or should be avoided altogether. By using slang of a current era, a work of fiction quickly dates itself in only a few years.

Now, I added a few of those rules myself over the years. Namely, rules 4 and 7. And that list is likely going to get larger as I come closer to completing my animation classes. Who knows. Maybe some elements of these stories will be featured in some of my future animated projects. Wouldn't that be something?

Anyway, that's the list that I work by. I wouldn't mind if any of you copied it for yourselves. See if it helps you.

That's it for me here. Much like Alshuhum Qard, I have much to do, and I can't stick around this popsicle stand. So just rock on, and keep on rocking \m/

Chapter 58: The Fox and the Rabbit

Chapter 58

The Fox and the Rabbit

Across the snowy banks of the forest, a rabbit as white as the snow around it burst forth, running for its life.

Behind it, a fox as grey as a stone dashed after its quarry.

The rabbit hadn’t seen the fox for some time, but knew that it hadn’t relented its pursuit. With a sudden turn, it veered to the side just as the fox appeared from the bushes beside it. It was only able to narrowly escape being pinned to the ground, and hopped quickly away from the jaws of the fox.

Kicking up a flurry of snow into the fox’s face, the rabbit ran away.

Though it couldn’t hear the fox through the rustling branches and the howling wind of the blizzard, the rabbit knew if it stopped for a moment that it would be ended.

It ran through the dense branches of low bushes. Though its progress was slowed, the fox would be too large to follow after too quickly.

The dry, brittle branches of the brush snapped and cracked with every motion of the rabbit. And with every motion, the branches of the plant shook harder than they ever did in the wind alone.

Before the fox could learn its whereabouts, the rabbit slowed to a shuffle.

The opening of the thicket yawned ahead, beckoning the rabbit forth. But, whether or not the fox was waiting for it was a risk it didn’t wish to immediately take.

And so the rabbit waited, shivering in the underbrush. Until the moment it knew that it would be safe from harm.

Twilight ran through the forest, neither knowing or caring where she was going.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as rapidly as her breaths.

The gradually deepening snow was slowing her hooves down. And the blizzard that she had run into chilled her to her core. Worst of all, it prevented her from seeing anything until it was almost right in front of her.

Just as things seemed their very worst, Twilight yelped when a long, spindly hand shot out toward her.

She felt the crooked fingers scratch against her face and fell against the nearest tree trunk, hearing a sharp snapping noise as she did.

It only just registered in Twilight’s mind that the thing that reached for her was a bare tree branch blowing in the wind. And the snapping was the many twigs on its ends. Regardless of the harmless encounter, Twilight regained her balance as quickly as she could and stumbled forth through the snow.

Her hooves had grown numb beneath her, swallowed by the cold with every step she took. And whether it had been happening the whole time, or whether Twilight was only just then becoming aware of it, she could feel a tiny pin prick in her legs every time she put weight on them, and her heartbeat was steadily slowing down.

The first symptoms of fatigue.

Twilight knew that if she ever stopped, her life would end. If she rested for even one moment, the creature would catch her and she would join Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

All around, the sounds of rustling grew louder. She knew her pursuer was upon her. It was only a matter of seconds until the creature dropped on her like a leopard.

With no prior action or warning, four long, spindly arms shot out of the bushes beside her.

Twilight toppled over to her side, and the eight-eyed face of the creature appeared next, fangs bared to strike.

The fangs of the creature struck downward, aimed for Twilight’s throat.

The young alicorn rolled to the side, and felt the fangs just barely miss her.

She rolled again as an arm reached for her, until she was against another tree trunk.

Two arms blocked Twilight from running, while two others reached for her.

Try as she did to run, Twilight’s tail and mane were caught. And she was lifted off the ground.

Twilight bucked frantically.

Her hoof impacted the wrist of the hand that held her tail.

The creature yelped and released her grip.

Twilight wrenched the other hand’s grip from her mane.

The moment she landed back on the ground, the creature raised three of her fists and thrusted them at Twilight, who dodged one after the other as she ran.

Twilight veered to avoid running into a tree, just as the tree was enveloped in a thick, sticky web.

Deducing the creature would attempt such a thing again, she tried to move again and tripped over a rock that was hidden by the snow.

Toppling to her side, she narrowly avoided being ensnared in another shot of webbing.

Hindered by the snow, Twilight scrambled to her hooves just as the creature skidded to a stop beside her.

She dodged another bite, and backpedaled away from each of the four arms that reached for her.

Twilight felt herself nearly trip on another rock hidden beneath the snow.

In a desperate move, she ducked beneath another grabbing arm, lifted the rock and threw it at the creature.

The creature dodged easily, and shuffled backwards from Twilight. Never taking her eyes from her prey, the creature crawled up a tree and disappeared into the snowy pines.

Twilight anxiously watched the darkened branches of the tree, trying to anticipate her opponent’s movements.

Unfortunately, the blowing wind kept her from being able to track the creature’s movements. A factor that nearly proved fatal.

Had it not been for a sudden surge of rustling, Twilight would never have heard the creature jumping from the tree behind her.

Without thinking, Twilight fell to the side, and allowed the creature to sink her fangs into the rocky ground beneath the snow.

Looking back as she ran, Twilight saw that once again the creature had disappeared without a trace. She was on the move again, looking for the next opportunity to ambush her.

Twilight could feel how her legs wanted to stop moving and collapse. She felt that at any moment she was going to simply drop from exhaustion.

Drop she did when a patch of snow gave way beneath her hooves, sending her into a tunnel that had been dug through the snow.

Twilight scrambled to reorient herself, only to be thwarted by the slippery walls of the tunnel. With every move, she only ended up back on her face.

Growing slightly dizzier with every failed attempt to stand, she instead started scuffling her hooves against the sides of the tunnel.

The going was slow, but Twilight was able to move forward.

Behind her, she could hear the opening she had fallen through collapsing.

Twilight crawled faster, feeling the chill breeze of the displaced air as the snow impacted behind her.

The exit to the tunnel was growing nearer. If she made it, she would be back in the open with the creature. If she stayed, she would be buried beneath the snow. Of the two, only one option provided her a chance to live.

She could feel the blizzard to her front, chilling the perspiration on her forehead.

The collapsing tunnel licked at her hooves and her tail, threatening to swallow her beneath it.

Breathing deeply, Twilight burst forth from the tunnel just as the entrance collapsed around her waist. After it, more snow slid down the bank and stuck her there.

Twilight wasted no energy to free herself. She writhed, wriggled and thrashed to escape.

A long, black arm reached for her from above. And it was joined by many more.

Twilight batted the arms away, fighting valiantly to not be ensnared by any one of them.

She could feel herself freeing from the tunnel. And with one missed swipe from the creature, the snow that bound her was scooped away.

Before she knew what was happening, Twilight went rolling down the snowbank and landed hard on her side. Shooting her gaze to the bank, she saw the creature clinging to a tree, staying perfectly still, eyeing her.

The creature slowly stepped one foot onto the side of the snowbank.

At the same time, Twilight rose to her wobbling hooves.

As if synchronized in perfect step, they rounded one another, slowly circling, never blinking.

Twilight knew what was happening. The creature was trying to goad her to where she couldn’t escape.

Quickly assessing the situation, Twilight guessed what would happen. The moment a tree moved between them, the creature was going to disappear again. And that would be when she made her move. To ensnare her with more webbing, or to directly plunge her fangs into her throat, Twilight knew she needed a plan for either.

Her hoof bumped something in the snow.

Glimpsing down, Twilight saw it was a fallen branch. One that looked large enough to put to some use.

She looked back up and the creature had stopped moving. Frozen, and with her many eyes locked onto Twilight.

Twilight fidgeted her hoof against the branch slightly, debating what to do next.

Behind the creature, she could see a thick patch of brush. One that looked large enough for a pony to hide in, but small enough for the creature to not be able to follow.

It was the only chance she had.

The creature stood silently, staring with fatal anticipation.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight stayed perfectly still. She wasn’t going to play the creature’s game.

The creature clenched her fists in the snow. But, the young alicorn would not budge.

In her condition, Twilight knew that she was unlikely to make any move in time. Taking advantage of the staredown, she used the brief lull to recompose herself and let go of some of the tension in her muscles.

Her knees wobbled, waiting for the moment she let go entirely.

The creature glanced to the tree that was nearly between herself and Twilight. In a few short moments, she would be able to end her grisly mission. If only her prey would move.

Twilight stood firm, staring resolutely back. She was not going to move.

A thin waft of white seeped forth from the creature’s mouth.

“Don’t make this difficult for me. Run. Fight back. Anything,” the creature pleaded.

Twilight remained still and silent.

“I see…” the creature said.

She gently lowered herself to a crouch.

Twilight pulled her hoof over the branch.

“I’ll try to make this quick.”

No movement was seen. No sound was made.

The creature was already halfway to Twilight when she started lifting her branch.

Twilight held the branch nearly raised up to her chest when she felt the heavy impact of her opponent tackle her to the ground, and go sliding through the snow.

The branch was held against Twilight’s chest, who used it to stave off the creature, who was proving difficult to keep at bay.

Between the many arms and the lashing fangs, Twilight wasn’t sure how long the simple tree branch would hold off the creature. But, that wasn’t the worst of it.

The back of Twilight’s head had gone over the side of a precipice she hadn’t previously been aware of. As if the world had suddenly dropped out of being, there she was on the edge. And she could feel that she was squirming closer.

The creature held Twilight with her free hands and reared up to drive her fangs down.

Without even knowing that she was doing it, Twilight braced against the held branch and pushed herself beneath it.

She slid along the ground, pushing herself away from the edge.

The creature’s aim was thrown off by the maneuver, and bit into the branch Twilight held.

The sudden impact of the bite stopped Twilight from moving.

She was now face to face with her enemy, staring inches away at the eight eyes.

A wet, viscous fluid dripped onto Twilight’s shoulder. Quickly glancing, she saw it was dripping from the branch, exactly where the creature had bit into it.

Yelping loudly, Twilight shoved the branch back and forth, trying to shake off her attacker.

The creature tried keeping her hold, and reached many times for Twilight, only to miss the young alicorn.

Twilight was sliding back toward the edge.

The creature kept trying to grab at her. And in a moment, her hand missed the ground and thrusted right over the precipice.

It was the opportunity Twilight was waiting for. With her opponent thrown violently off balance, she shoved the branch she held in the direction of the creature’s momentum.

With almost no effort involved, she was able to throw the creature off of herself and scramble to her hooves.

The creature tried to stand and reach for Twilight again, only to slip and fall over the edge.

Twilight watched as the creature struggled to climb back up the icy precipice. And for a moment, she thought that her enemy would slip and fall to her demise.

The very idea made Twilight almost relieved to be rid of her, and nearly turned to leave so that she would not have to watch the moment it happened. But, she had turned too slowly.

There was something about the creature that brought a horrible memory to Twilight’s mind. The last enemy she had faced, whose life was in Twilight’s very hooves. How Twilight had failed to save her, and watched how she had met her own untimely end.

The creature slipped further down, and saw a flash of purple through the blizzard shoot toward her. In the next moment, Twilight dove across the snowy ground and clasped the creature’s hand in her hooves.

Twilight pulled as hard as she could, straining her already overworked muscles beyond their normal strength.

The creature held fast, and slowly regained her grip on the frost-slicked rocks of the cliff she was climbing.

Between their two efforts, the creature began climbing back up to solid ground.

Twilight was taken completely by surprise when the creature yanked her forward. But, before she could meet her opponent’s venom-soaked fangs, she pulled herself free and ran as fast as she could toward the thicket in the opposite direction.

The creature continued to climb her way back up, slowly rising over the ledge.

Twilight was nearly at the thicket, eyes fixed squarely on the opening.

Hoping she had been fast enough, she dove forward and crawled the remaining distance to safety.

She entered the dry underbrush, feeling the many pointed branches jabbing, poking and scraping at her.

On her shoulder where the creature’s venom had dripped, Twilight felt a sudden stinging, throbbing pain. Hoping against hope that some trace of venom had not seeped into a cut she sustained, she crawled onward.

Behind her, Twilight heard the sudden rustling of the thicket being crushed, and the loud yelp of the creature.

Her plan had worked.

Relief warmed Twilight more than if she had sat by a fire. And with gradually slowing breath, she stopped moving.

Her entire body ached, and her insides felt as if they had dried completely. The winds buffeted her from all sides, chilling Twilight to her very core. But, she didn’t care.

For the time, she had earned a reprieve. And when the time came that she was able to move, she would make good her escape from the creature.

Pete was bearing down upon Mickey and Rarity, cutting a wide swath as he charged with his snow shovel.

There was no time to think, when Mickey tried to untangle himself from Rarity’s hooves.

The two struggled to move away, but it was too late.

Pete scooped up his boatload of snow and slammed it down on top of them both.

He knew that would never be enough to outright kill Mickey. And if his experiences taught him anything, Rarity was just as difficult to finish off.

“Ain’t takin’ no chances here,” Pete grumbled to himself, as he pulled a keg of dynamite from his jacket and applied the fuse to his cigar.

The fuse sizzled brightly, and Pete tossed it to the mound of snow.

Before the keg ever landed, a single, mittened hand reached up through the top of the snow and caught it.

“Eh!?” Pete exclaimed.

Mickey rose from the top of the mound, riding on Rarity’s back, the explosive clutched in his hand.

“Much as ya wised up, yer still the same ol’ Pete!” Mickey declared.

“Mickey. Do please throw that dynamite away. Preferably now!” Rarity said.

“Uh, sure. You got it,” Mickey answered, realizing then he was holding a live explosive.

He tossed the dynamite directly back to Pete.

Pete caught it in his snow shovel and chucked it high into the air, where it exploded.

The light from the explosion was blinding, forcing Pete to cover his eyes.

With his eyes shielded, there was no way for the heavy to block the onslaught of snowballs that were thrown at him.

In seconds, he was covered in snow, and frozen solid within.

“Ha! See you ya like that!” Mickey gloated.

Beneath the ice that immobilized him, Pete turned dark red as his temperature rose. And the ice around him started dripping.

Rarity scrambled from the mound of snow that partly buried herself and Mickey, and slid down the side of it.

Mickey tried to climb off of Rarity’s back, only to be nearly swept off his feet when the fashionista glided forward. He held tightly around Rarity’s neck, hopping along, guessing that she had found some way to modify the boots she was wearing to double as makeshift skates.

The ice encasing Pete melted down to his jawline, allowing him to loose a fierce growl, before he broke free.

Wasting no time, he jammed his snow shovel into the ground and heaved a massive heap of snow over his head toward his opponents.

Keeping his grip on Rarity, Mickey turned back to look to Pete, and saw that he was recoiling his arms. Glancing up, he saw why.

“High noon, Rarity!!” the mouse shouted.

Rarity looked up and yelped when she saw the payload of snow dropping on her.

She had just turned her body to stop the very moment the snow landed inches before herself.

Unable to stop her momentum, Rarity reared back and went straight up the newly formed snowbank, and executed a sloppy somersault before landing back on the ground and skating off in a different direction.

A twinkle of light let them know Nagruk-pak’s squirrel companion was sitting atop one of the totem poles in the town circle. It hopped to another pole and looked back.

It was leading them somewhere. But they knew that before they went anywhere, they had to lose Pete.

However, Pete was already on their trail.

The squirrel had to hold tightly as the pole that it sat upon lurched violently.

Pete had jammed his snow shovel beneath the base of the totem pole and heaved it right out of the ground. Keeping it balanced in his scoop, he flung it directly at Rarity and Mickey.

The glimmering squirrel clung to the top of the flying pole, and watched as the world seemed to slow down as it flew toward the mouse and unicorn duo.

“Duck!” Mickey shouted.

Rarity needed no command, as she was already spreading her four legs as wide as they could go, until her chin was almost touching the snow.

The squirrel’s silvery eyes bulged when it saw the tip of Rarity’s horn lowering to its level and quickly scrambled to the side, where it landed back in the snow.

The totem streaked overhead, shaving off mere splinters as the very tip of Rarity’s horn brushed beneath it.

When it passed, Rarity was unable to stop herself, and she and Mickey were hit hard by the broad end of Pete’s shovel.

Mickey was knocked clear of Rarity, who went spinning away from him. When the mouse got up, he saw Pete had finished lighting the fuse of another keg of dynamite, and threw it to Mickey.

Taking a handful of snow, Mickey hurled a snowball at the explosive and froze it in mid-air, before it dropped harmlessly to the ground.

Pete batted away snowball after snowball that was thrown at him, gradually freezing his weapon. But, it was this that gave him the advantage.

Jamming his shovel to the ground, Pete clenched his teeth around his cigar and bellowed like a diesel engine, spewing a plume of black smoke from his mouth.

Mickey saw then that when he was hitting Pete’s shovel, he had been widening the scoop with a layer of ice that was building up on either end. Now, he was facing down the onslaught of a lethal snow plow.

Desperately, he dove to the side, throwing two snowballs one after the other.

Both projectiles missed their mark, and he found himself buried up to his waist in the snow as Pete plowed past him.

After sliding some distance, Rarity regained control of herself just before she crashed into a wall.

Pitching her front legs up again, she attempted to once again ramp herself up the vertical surface. She could feel her momentum carrying her upward. And this time, she was ready for what came next.

Kicking off of the wall, Rarity twisted in the air turning herself around and righting her hooves beneath herself.

Before her hooves even touched the ground, Rarity felt something swelling up inside of herself. The spirit of accomplishment and ingenuity that she had experienced many times in her own workshop. Only this time, she was doing a stunt that she knew would have made a certain juggler proud of her.

Holding onto the spirit of her beloved, Rarity landed on the ground and found herself facing Pete charging directly at her.

It was nothing. With her momentum already built, the fashionista knew what she had to do.

When Pete was upon her, Rarity shifted her weight upward and easily went gliding over the top of the mound of snow that was plowed toward her.

Pete looked up, and saw Rarity waving at him as she sailed over his head, before she landed behind him and skated toward Mickey.

Veering heavily, Pete tried to turn. If only he had been looking where he was going, he would have stopped before he crashed through the very wall Rarity had avoided, leaving a hole shaped like himself where he had hit.

Mickey was still trying to pull himself free of Pete’s wake when Rarity arrived to help dig him out. Once he was free, they both saw the glimmering squirrel motioning for them to follow it, before it darted off toward the trees beyond the village.

Not wanting to stay around and wait for Pete to catch them up, Mickey climbed onto Rarity’s back, holding tightly around her neck as she skated off after the squirrel.

The house that Pete had crashed into shook and bounced. Inside, the sounds of splintering wood, crashing furniture and shattering pottery violently clamored, until the heavy himself charged through the front door, ripping off the heavy curtain that hung there.

He quickly scanned the area and saw a silvern glimmer, just as it disappeared into the trees.

Pete angrily puffed on his cigar. He knew he could chase them down and continue their fight. But, at the same time he knew that there was only one conceivable place that the squirrel would be leading them. Somewhere that he had already visited himself before Mickey and Rarity had arrived.

Deciding that it would be more prudent to meet them there, Pete stomped his way toward a shortcut he knew, just as the house behind him crumbled to its foundation.

Wind blew across the ragged tops of the dry thicket. Huddled within, shivering under the cold, Twilight Sparkle waited.

The pain in her shoulder felt numbed by the cold, but still throbbed slightly. Shifting to her side, one of the dry twigs poked into her shoulder, sending a sudden shot of pain that traveled to the side of her neck and down her front leg.

Twilight recoiled from the pain, holding her shoulder, then froze completely.

The sudden movement had to have been noticed. Somewhere, the creature was going to come for her again. Somehow, her pursuer was going to find a way to circumnavigate the brush, reach in and pull her out.

For many seconds Twilight waited to hear a sound. For anything that was beneath the rustling of the brush and the howling of the wind. A step. A crack. A sudden downfall of snow from the trees above.

Nothing was heard, and Twilight felt a twinge of relief. The pain in her shoulder slowly subsided. Beneath her hoof, Twilight felt something that shouldn’t have been there. Something that was large and hard to the touch.

Slowly, she uncovered her shoulder.

Twilight’s heart sank at the discovery. A red scratch was raked across her shoulder. Around the scratch, her shoulder had swollen up and turned a sickly dark purple. And around that, her coat was stained with the dried residue of the creature’s venomous fluid.

As carefully as she could, Twilight took snow in her hoof and breathed heavily onto it. Slowly, the snow melted away, until it was thick and slushy.

Taking the slush, she rubbed her hoof around the swollen wound.

The sudden chill against her skin sent a wave of shivers through Twilight’s entire body. Much of the pain she felt before was now gone, numbed by the slush she liberally applied. Until another sting of venom seeped into the scratch.

Gasping sharply, she swallowed the urge to yelp, and continued to more quickly rub the affected area.

In seconds, the slush dripped away. The hoof Twilight had held it in was now number than the rest of her which was contacting the snow she laid in.

The wound was cleaned. Any trace of the dried venom was gone, and the pain she felt was more subsided than ever.

Hoping the poisoning was only superficial, Twilight slowly crawled onward through the brush, ready to make good her escape.

With every movement she made, her entire body felt as if it were crying out, begging her to stop moving.

Twilight knew she couldn’t stop. If she rested for too long the cold would end her life as easily as the creature.

Every inch was overbearingly slow. But, the more she moved, the more Twilight felt her body cooperating.

She had no way of knowing how long she had been dragging herself. But after so much time had passed, she saw the exit to the brush appear before her.

That was it. Her ticket to freedom lay in front of her. Just a few hooves away, and she would hopefully be far from the creature. But, even if she were, where would she go after?

No matter where she went, Twilight knew that the creature would follow her. No matter how far, how desolate, how isolated, there would be the fanged, many-eyed face of her hunter. She had abandoned her friends, and her magic was taken away. Nopony could help her. Not even herself.

In time, Twilight was upon the exit. The wind had stopped blowing momentarily, and all was completely silent. Beyond the edge of the brush, she saw another patch of the dry bushes twitch.

She froze, waiting to see who or what had done such a thing.

In the next moment, a small, white rabbit crawled into view.

Twilight quietly sighed to herself. Only a rabbit. Nothing more.

The sight of the rabbit brought to mind something that she hadn’t thought about since she was a filly.

When she was young, Twilight had read an anthology of folk tales from around the world. Among them was a story from Trottingham about a fox and a rabbit.

One day, a rabbit who was hopping through the forest found a fox caught in a trap. The fox begged the rabbit for help, pleading to be freed.

The rabbit was moved by the fox’s plea. But, was also wary. It asked that if it freed the fox, the fox would in turn not try to eat it.

The fox gave his word to the rabbit that the moment he was freed, the two would part ways and never see one another again.

Taking the fox’s word, the rabbit undid the trap and freed the fox. And the moment that it was free, the fox rushed forth and bit into the rabbit’s back.

The rabbit asked the fox, “Why did you go back on your word?”

The fox replied, “What did you expect? You knew what I was when you saved me.”

Twilight remembered how what the fox had said perplexed her so. All her life, she was told that all creatures who were given a second chance were happy to take it. And whenever she had given others a second chance, she had found the lesson to be true.

Everything she read about that story had been a complete reverse of what she had learned. And she began to think that perhaps saving the creature from her demise had not been the wisest action. Then again, it wasn’t a fox she had saved.

Her mind was made up. She was going to face the creature and end their encounter.

Once more, the wind began to blow. And before Twilight moved, something else had.

In the branches that hung over the brush, something moved through the screen of needles and snow. Something with coarse, dark hair, which moved without a sound.

That was how the creature had been moving so silently. She was waiting for other noises to mask her own movements.

Twilight felt slightly bolder, now knowing how the trick was done, and where the creature was hiding.

In its own thicket, the rabbit watched as Twilight slowly emerged into the open.

The young alicorn looked up, carefully watching the shape in the tree.

The rabbit slowly crawled out of hiding, careful not to alert Twilight to its presence.

The dark shape in the tree suddenly lashed out, leaping from the branches.

Twilight jumped at the sight, but quickly saw that it was a grey fox which had leapt onto the rabbit.

There was a brief struggle and the fox wound up tangled in the brush, allowing the rabbit to run free.

For a moment, the fox struggled against the brush, then pulled free. Once it had, it resumed its chase after the rabbit.

Unaware was Twilight of the presence in the branches that overhung where she was.

The branches bent under its weight, trembling with the same eager anticipation as the creature within them.

From the trembling, a pine cone fell and landed in the snow near Twilight.

As if somepony had told her what was coming, Twilight heeded the falling pine cone and dove in the direction the two animals had gone. Just as she landed, four spindly arms with a net of webbing stretched between them slammed into the snow.

Twilight didn’t stay to watch as the creature dropped from the trees into the clearing in the brush. She was already running as fast as she could to escape.

The creature took her net and heaved it at Twilight.

The net spun overhead, spreading to its full breadth as it lobbed toward its equine target.

Twilight was nearly out of its range, when the net entangled her both of rear legs.

With a yelp, the young alicorn rolled and tumbled through the snow, until she stopped with her face in the ground.

She rolled to the side, just as the creature’s fangs pierced the snow where she once was.

There was nothing else for it. Twilight knew she was out of options. She would have to keep rolling side to side, until she was caught and gouged by the fangs of the creature.

She jerked her head to the side, narrowly dodging a hand that reached for her, and found that her head was now facing down an incline.

It was the only bid she had for survival. And Twilight rolled the rest of her body down the slope.

The going was rough. Every bump felt like she was being tossed up and landing on concrete and the view of the spinning world was making her nauseous. However, it was taking her further from her opponent than what she would have been able to do with her legs bound.

The creature charged after Twilight, periodically losing her in the fog of the blizzard, and catching only glimpses of her lavender coat against the white.

She caught herself when she felt her frontmost leg step over a ledge into nothingness.

Twilight had gone. And the creature knew that there was only one direction she could have disappeared to.

Carefully, she reached her hand down the face of the cliff and found a spot to grip. After, she reached her other limbs down to take hold of the rocky face.

One hand grabbed onto a rock that was covered in frost and slipped downward.

Twilight stifled a gasp as she watched in mortified shock the great, black hand that slipped into view of her shelter beneath an overhanging rock.

The hand reached down past the shelf she perched upon and was followed by another. And then another and another.

Twilight never saw the creature’s entire body, assuming that she was somewhere more to the side of the opening. And after pulling the last bit of webbing, which had shredded during her downhill descent, from her legs, Twilight cautiously peered down the side of the cliff.

She just saw the last of many legs disappear into the haze down the face of the cliff and breathed a sigh of relief. But, Twilight knew it was not to last. Unless she found some way to escape, she and the creature would be dueling forever.

Only, there was no place for her to escape to. Not to her friends. Not back home. Not to Princess Celestia.

Trying to push those thoughts from her mind, Twilight carefully walked along the stony path of the shelf, trying to find refuge in a world that was now against her.

Author's Note

I pose a conundrum to you readers. A riddle if you will.

When the world is against you, where is the safest place to hide?

If you don’t know, that’s because there’s nowhere to go. The only thing that can be done in that case is to face the world and take it on. If only Twilight had that for a friendship lesson at some point.

You know, that story about the fox and the rabbit is one of my favorite cautionary tales. A lot of you have probably heard it as well, but it might have had different characters. Sometimes it’s a frog and a scorpion. Other times it’s an old woman and a rattlesnake. Another one that I’ve read is a rabbit and a coyote.

No matter which version it is, it always goes the same. Some innocent creature sees a dangerous creature in need, helps them against their better judgement and pays the price for their foolish act. A lesson that Twilight probably would have been wise to follow.

Some of you might not understand what the fox was doing in the trees. Most people know that foxes burrow underground. Which is true. However, the Californian grey fox is able to climb up trees with the ease of a cat.

I actually had to get a couple of fox kits out of the tree in my yard recently. I called animal control. They came and got them. An hour or so later, the mother was caught, and the family was relocated. Now, those foxes are living far away from human threat and my chicken can freely roam the yard without worry. And all is well.

Not to say that the fox in this story is from California, mind you. It just has characteristics of the Californian grey fox.

So, Mickey and Rarity got themselves some new costumes. Both are things that I really wished could have been in the original Magical Quest games, but never were. I remember how in all three games, Mickey and whoever his companion is for the respective game go to a snowy area, but get no costumes for snow.

There were two ideas I distinctly remember having. One was that the characters could get snow outfits that let them throw snowballs that could freeze enemies and certain objects to create new platforms, or put out fires, or freeze water. The other was something like skis or skates to travel quickly across the snow, make big jumps or go up walls. I always imagined that if Goofy were playable and had a snow costume, he would have a tiny sled that he clumsily slid around on.

The beauty of this story is that now that I’m writing my own Magical Quest, I can bring my ideas to fruition!

This time around, Pete’s gotten himself a kind of costume of his own. I didn’t have any ideas for any characters getting snow shovels from back when I first played these games. But, the idea of Pete using a snow shovel as a weapon while he’s in the snow just kind of really stuck with me. You know, it seems like the kind of thing Pete would do. Of course, he’s not going to stop using his usual arsenal of thuggish weaponry.

That’s all for me here. Keep an eye out for the next chapter, because Twilight may just find a friendly face. Rock on \m/