PROLOGUE ~ THE BOOTH UNSEEN
Lukas
Portland, Maine ~ The Phantom's Carnival
October 29th
10:00 PM
"Alright, everybody! What do ya wanna do now?" I asked my squad. They all talked to each other, murmuring. Ryan spoke up first.
"How about the Haunted House? I heard it scares the living balls off of people!" Everybody laughed, especially me. Ryan knew just how to make his voice sound to make us pee our pants.
Matt chimed in, breathing hard to seize the laughter. His Western accent was a little rough, but he was suppressing it pretty well. "I think that's a buncha bull. Public haunted houses ain't worth jack. It's the private ones ya want ta go to."
"Well, we won't know if we don't try it!" Ray suggested with excitement. "I for one am ecstatic to go!"
"It's supposed to have really high-quality effects, but even that isn't worth spending $40 for entry!" Maris was clearly
"I'm in it to win it!" My vote was cast. It was 3-2; Haunted House a go-go was up by one. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and swung around. There she was, my girlfriend Jordan. I met her a long time ago, as with the rest of the squad. She was from Columbus, Ohio and moved here when her Dad's Studio company moved. She wagged her hand, signaling me to lean in.
She whispered in my ear. "Lukas, y-you know I'm afraid of... everything that's probably in there. What if I don't want to go?"
"Hmmm... Oh wait, what if I make your vote the double money?"
"Oh... um... well, I guess I choose no. Sorry Lukas, I'm such a stick in the mud."
"Jordan, don't say that! I love you for who you are. You are a kind, gentle soul. I don't care if you are scared of staplers!" She smiled and hugged me. "Alright, everyone! Jordan got the double vote this time. She voted no, so it's 3-4. We are not going to the Haunted House. Sorry Ray."
There was a mixed reception. Maris kissed his wallet. Ray shouted, "DANG IT!" Ryan and Matt started talking about other options.
"Oh well, if it's majority vote, I'm fine with it..." Ray grumbled, clearly not meaning what he said. "Wait... but if we aren't going to the Haunted House, then where are we going?"
"Matt and I have another idea!" Ryan exclaimed. "What if we took the path leading to the Haunted House, and scanned for any attractions of interest?"
"I like the sound of that!" Maris agreed.
"Looks like the most promisin' course of action." Matt turned to Ray who gave the idea a thumbs-up.
"Thank you, Lukas..." Jordan whispered in my ear. I winked.
***
What we found en route was... creepy to say the least. We were walking by an intersection between two buildings when something hit Maris in the face.
"OWWW... What was that?!" he groaned, gripping his nose. "Where did that even come from... Aha!" I saw something flying and grabbed out of the air it before it hit Jordan, who squealed and hid behind me. It was a carved sapphire. "Okay... why are there gems flying in people's faces?!" I ran into the direction it came from, which was obscured by darkness. "Whoever is back there bette... Woah!" I almost ran straight into a wall, but managed to steer into a gap. "Why is there a hole in the wall?
Maris walked up to see. "It looks like the natural gap between two buildings. It looks big enough to squeeze through!"
"INVESTIGATION TIME!" Ray yelled.
"Oh no... we are not..." I cut Jordan off, whispering.
"Don't worry, I'll hold your hand," I said calmly.
"...Okay, I trust you, Lukas! I'll be brave!"
"You're awesome, you know that?" I shot her a chill smile and winked. She blushed.
***
It was a tight fit, but we finally squeezed on through. I popped out first, followed by Jordan, then Ryan, Ray, Maris, and finally Matt. We all started looking around, but no one seemed to be back here. Jordan grabbed my hand and started breathing really hard. "Lukas, I'm scared. Please, can we get out of here? It's so d-dark and cryptic." She was not just shaking, but vibrating in absolute fear.
"Hold on... Stay close. We are just seeing who threw the gem," I whispered into her ear. Apparently, it wasn't quiet enough, because suddenly, a loud voice, shrill yet somehow poised, echoed through the darkness.
"Who goes there?! Who dares enter the realm, the spiritual pureness, of The Great Quizzini?!"
I signaled everyone to keep quiet and let me do the talking. "Ummm... sorry... we were just investigating something that was thrown at us from the direction of your alleyway. We'll leave, sorry to bother you," I said signaling everyone to go before she started talking again. Nobody moved, they were all frozen in fear.
"You are not going ANYWHERE! You have trespassed on my territory, so the only way to repay me..." I gulped. Whatever she was about to say, it was probably really, really bad.
Suddenly, the entire area lit up. "...is to play my quiz show, of course!"
***
"Q-quiz Show?!"
"Yes Lukas, Quiz Show. Spelling: Q-U-I-Z-SPACE-S-H-O-W. Definition: a light entertainment program in which people compete in a quiz, typically for prizes." The lady at the booth spoke. She was dressed in a fortune-tellers garb of velvety purple and gold. Somehow, even though old, her body was brimming with energy. The booth she operated in was rustic, DIY, but it looked pretty good. It also wasn't high tech, there were just simple buzzers on an eight-person curved bar table bending around a whiteboard and her table, which had a crystal ball.
"W-wait, how do you know my name, and did you throw that gem?"
"I read your spiritual energy," the Quiz Show lady explained. "I also know the names of the fine fellows behind you. There is the energetic Ray, the strong Matthew, the trendy Ryan, the tech savvy Maris, and finally, your girlfriend, the timid Jordan. You, the athletic Lukas, are the leader of this fine group of adolescents. You, however, don't think yourself as a leader, but just another friend. So does everyone else. That's right, this group of people right here... you guys have the strongest bond of any group of people I've ever scanned. I can see the atomic bonds between the six of you; physical lines have formed to link your hearts as one."
Everyone was dumbstruck and speechless. I was clutching my heart area, toothy frown adjourning my face. "Wait... HOW. DO. YOU. KNOW. ALL THAT LADY?!"
"Please don't call me lady, think of me as a friend. Yes, call me Faridah Quizzeti, otherwise known as the Great Quizzini!"
"Alright... but still Faridah Quizzeti... how do you..." she cut me off.
"I am also a fortune teller. As I have already told you, I read your spiritual energy and picked out important information regarding identity. Throwing the gem was to get your attention. I forgot to put my sign up again..."
I was thoroughly interested now. "Wow... that's pretty impressive. I... you don't seem to have anything up your sleeve. You also walked out of your booth, away from the crystal ball. Most fortune tellers rely on that to sell their act."
"Yes, the real fortune tellers can travel to China, without moving their crystal ball, and still be able to read how much extra Renminbi they are being scammed out of by greedy restaurant owners. I've done that once... the look on that guy's face when I told him he wasn't following his own menu... it was priceless."
"Well, I for one, am intrigued by the Quiz Show," Ryan stated.
"Oh yes... did I go off on a tangent again. Whoops, silly me!" Faridah stuck her tongue out and conked herself on the head with her fist. "Alright, who is playing?" Everyone except Jordan raised their hand. After looking around, she sighed deeply, lowered her head, and raised hers as well.
"Alright! Let's begin! Everyone, take a seat!"
***
"Alright, rules. There is to be no discussing of answers. You have to answer if you ring your buzzer. Your buzzer cannot be rung if I haven't finished the question. Finally, have fun and no cheating! Keep those phones in your pockets! Now... let's begin!"
I cracked my neck, stretched, took a deep breath. The Quiz Show was underway. I am gonna win this! I thought. Maris saw the look I had in my eyes and mouthed "Fight me."
The lady began penning the first question. her handwriting was beautiful, and she was still able to make words very quickly. Faridah had a lot of experience under her belt. "Alright, first question! What was Michael Jackson's first solo single?"
Ryan slammed the buzzer before anyone else even comprehended the question. "Got to Be There!"
"Correct Ryan, good job!" She marked a tally under Ryan's name with a green Expo marker. I looked at Maris with raised eyebrows, and he looked at me, then to Ryan, who was sitting there with his elbow on the table, leaning into it, and shooting a smug smile at us. Ryan always had crazy reflexes, but to combo that with a question about hit music?! It was almost if it was meant... for him...
Faridah moved on to the next question. "Which symbol is not allowed in JavaScript, except for math?" Maris buzzed.
"A hyphen is not allowed, it breaks the rules of JavaScript's syntax." JavaScript was like breathing to him.
"Wow! Impressive! I didn't know we had a fellow programmer here!" Faridah continued to surprise everyone.
She is a computer whiz too?! What?! That can't be possible... I thought to myself aggressively. Maris was equally as surprised, but he shook it off. Something was really starting to bother me about this quiz.
Faridah continued. "Where does apple pie originate from?" Ray vigorously buzzed.
"14th Century England!" Ray was proud of his answer.
"You guys are good! Alright! Let's take the difficulty up a notch, shall we?" How Ray knew that was beyond me, but he is Ray, so I'm not going to question it. Every time she asked a question, though... why was I getting so worked up about this?
"When were cattle brought to the US, and by whom?" There was a brief period where everyone was thinking. I actually had a chance... Wait! What kind of questions are these, anyway? I was now realizing what was bothering me so muc..." *Buzz* Matt had rung his buzzer loud and proud, interrupting my train of thought.
"The first cattle were brought by a Spanish expedition in 1521."
"Yes, Matthew!" Faridah was genuinely amazed at our answer streak. Or... was she? Matt is from the west, in a farming community. Of course, he would know that... Wait! She's a fortune teller, so she would know that too if she was looking at our identities!
"How many types of monotremes are there?" Everyone was dead silent. Monotreme? What the heck is a monotreme? Jordan surprised us all when she rung the buzzer. She also surprised herself and squealed, forgetting to answer the question.
"Honey, you have to answer. You rung the buzzer." Faridah pointed out after five seconds of nothing happening.
"O-oh, s-sorry. The noise scared me. I forgot how loud it was when I pressed it..." Jordan put her hands on her chest and breathed. "Alright. My answer is this. Five: the duck-billed platypus and four types of echidna."
"Oh! An animal lover!" Faridah was selling it less and less each question. Jordan was a fanatic, and as such, blushed hard at her compliment. She worked at the zoo; loved animals to death. Seriously, though, the fact that she is a fortune teller was making obvious what was going on. Alright that leaves moi. If she asks a question and I immediately know it, I'm calling this woman out for her tricks!
"Alright, final question! The score is a five-way tie! One more right, and you win! However, we have a chance for a tiebreaker here! Lukas, it's time for a comeback!" She cleared her throat. "About what speed are you going, in MPH, if you are going Mach 3 at sea level in average weather conditions."
i knew it! I thought as I slammed the buzzer. It vibrated under my sweat palms. My knowledge of movement, physics, and momentum stemmed from my many years in cross country. Coach made us learn about streamlining and optimal body movement, so I did some research. Long story short, I memorized that Mach 1 is about 760 miles per hour under normal conditions. That times any number is how one finds a certain mach. So 760 x 3 is...
"2280 miles per hour!"
Faridah gasped. "It's time for a Tiebreaker!"
"Hold on just one sec! Faridah, you've been...!"
"So you've noticed Lukas..." She said in a creepy tone; her eyes were squinted. "I know you know my tricks. That was intentional..."
My face went pale.
***
"Lukas, whatever's the matter? Whar is she talking about." Ryan asked.
"Yeah... Why are you suddenly verbally assaulting Faridah?" Maris was concerned.
Matt was really confused. "Tricks... intentional... What the heck is goin' on?"
"Faridah..." My blanched face was converted into a serious expression. I slammed both my hands down on the curved bar table; polished wood letting off a huge *SLAM*. "...What are you trying to say here?!"
"You all passed the first round. That's what I am saying."
"First round?" Ray said, scratching the back of his head with a puzzled glare.
"You mean that questions were...!" Jordan started.
"Yes, they were planned." Faridah then went into detail about the truth of her quiz show. "As you all know, I am a psychic. I have the ability to read people's minds and gain information about them through spiritual readings. Because of this, I knew about your various knowledge and built my questions around them. I do this to decipher what exactly I want on my bonus "Tiebreaker" round. This is the round that you will actually have to think, for there is a prize. I have one more hobby, and that is collecting strange, mystical prizes to give to people. Finding something that can be related to the bonus round is the hardest part, but I lucked out here. Now, as for what your final challenge is. It is a group activity that everyone must contribute towards to receive your shared prize. I noticed a common theme in your souls as well as your answers, so I have the perfect final question for you six, as well as the perfect prize!"
Everyone was silent, digesting the story of the fortune teller. Maris was the first to find words. "So, what is that theme?"
"Why don't you find out!" Faridah then started writing a huge story with six blanks.
It read:
The friendship formula is a simple thing.
However, it's effect; eternal happiness, it shall bring.
Complete _____ is the trust that makes it stick.
_____ means you will be there for each other through thin and thick.
Sometimes, good _____ will flip any frown.
Showing _____ will lift those who are feeling down.
_____ will make the world a better place.
To lasting friendships, these qualities will make the base.
However, this riddle, this formula, has one more component.
Something that will overcome any opponent.
No, matter wether the situation is hopeless, dark, or tragic.
Friends will prevail because Friendship is _____.
I read the riddle over and over again. Faridah gave us the instructions. "You need to fill in each blank, and only one per person. Then, I will give you your prize." My mind was freaking out. I knew exactly what was going on now.
"No... you can't possibly mean..." I looked around. Everyone's faces told me they were thinking the same thoughts as I was. "...This riddle... The theme you were talking about..."
"My Little Pony. That's what you saw in us."
***
"Impressive! You guys are the first to figure all this out before finishing the Quiz Show! Congrats!"
Nobody said a word to her. Everything was silent.
"Laughter." Someone said. It was Ray. Good laughter is all you need to flip any frown." He had shattered the silence. "Laughter... is the missing word for that line." Following Ray's footsteps, our minds went into overdrive. One after another, we all started saying our answer. It was pathetically easy to figure out what the blanks were.
My mouth moved by itself. I didn't know how to stop it. "Loyalty means you will be there for each other through thin and thick. The word is Loyalty."
Matt slammed his fist down "Honesty. Complete honesty is the trust that makes it stick."
"Generosity will make the world a better place. Generosity is the blank." Ryan smiled serenely.
"Ummm... Kindness is the last one. Showing kindness will lift those who are feeling down." Jordan finished.
Faridah finished writing Jordan's answer in and then turned to us. "Now! Say the whole thing!" she demanded. We all started saying it.
The friendship formula is a simple thing.
However, it's effect; eternal happiness, it shall bring.
Complete honesty is the trust that makes it stick.
Loyalty means you will be there for each other through thin and thick.
Good laughter is all you need to flip any frown.
Showing kindness will lift those who are feeling down.
Generosity will make the world a better place.
To lasting friendships, these qualities will make the base.
However, this riddle, this formula, has one more component.
Something that will overcome any opponent.
No, matter wether the situation is hopeless, dark, or tragic.
Friends will prevail because...
Maris, who had been too absorbed in the riddle to speak, suddenly said the last line.
"Friendship is Magic."
***
Faridah said nothing. She walked out of the booth and behind it. A few minutes later, she came back with a long blue box tied with down with rope. Entering the booth again, the box was given to me. Thanking us for playing, she showed us out. I was stopped before I went back through the crack again, though. Suddenly, Faridah hobbled over to me. She was crying and told me there was one more thing that needed to be said.
That's when it happened, the moment I knew that our world was going to be changed forever...
Faridah put her right hand on the box and leaned into my ear. This was the last thing the psychic in the wall ever spoke to me. It was in the darkest, saddest, most pain-inducing voice I've ever heard.
"Please... save them..."
CHAPTER 1 ~ WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!
Maris
Lukas's Attic ~ Storage
October 30th
12:20 AM
Lukas put the box in the middle of the floor, sat down, and sighed. He would not tell any of us what that crazy Quiz Show lady pulled him aside for. All he had done all the way home was cradle the box. Whenever we asked him about anything, he jerked away, trying to avoid us touching it.
Ray tried to lighten the mood. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's open it up!"
Lukas cracked a smile. "Yeah, you're right Ray! What am I doing!"
"Well, that was a quick recovery! You okay Lukas?"
"Yeah, I'm fine... Thanks." He gave me a high five.
"So... you ready to tell us what the deal is?"
"Yes... I just needed some time to think about it. I'm sorry I worried you guys so much." Lukas inhaled, then exhaled. "Faridah told me to... save them. I still have no idea what it means, but I feel it has something to do with the box. I also feel it has something to do with MLP. After all, remember what she said:"
"Finding something that can be related to the bonus round is the hardest part, but I lucked out here... I noticed a common theme in your souls as well as your answers, so I have the perfect final question for you six, as well as the perfect prize!"
"Ah, yes! So, what do you think is in there? Season 7?" Everyone's glares told Maris they disapproved of his dissing of the dead. "Jeez... sorry..."
"Anyway... let's open this sucker up!" Ryan said as he crossed his arms.
Matt reached into his pocket. "I've got my pocket knife somewhere... Gotcha! Here, cut the rope with this Lukas." He slid the knife across the floor. Lukas grasped it in his dominant hand and initiated sawing at the binding. It eventually came and snapped in two, and he opened the box. Suddenly, Lukas gasped.
"Guys... you have got to see this."
We ran over as fast as we could. Crowding around the box, we looked down. There were six different colored articles, each folded and separated by a divider.
By the colors, we all knew instantly what they were.
***
"Oh... my... god..." Jordan spat out in bursts. She clung to Lukas's shoulders as he stood up in shock.
"These are...!" Lukas was breathing heavily, putting his hand on his heart.
"There is no doubt..." I felt the contents of the box; they were fuzzy. "These articles are..." Lukas proceeded to levitate the purple fabric. Holding it in his hands, he unfolded it... and everyone nearly fainted. It was the body of a Twilight Sparkle suit. The purple hooves wobbled and swayed a tad from the momentum of swinging downward. An indigo tail with a purple and pink stripe running down the middle protruded from the butt of its furry purple flanks. On each thigh, there was a giant pink star surrounded by tons of adjacent little white ones. Finally, two majestic feathery wings lay in the closed position.
"It's like her... but more realistic. She has more of an actual pony build... It honestly looks better than the animated model in the show." I was observing the details. Twilight seemed to have natural curves, unlike the shows version, where everything was smooth and rounded. It just looked more natural, more pristine, more... wild and free.
"Maris... why are you looking at her like that? Please don't tell me you are turned on! If you start yiffing Twilight I swear to god..." Ryan facepalmed but then looked up with a playful smile. With that, everyone started laughing hysterically.
"Okay! It's official! Maris is a Class 69 furry now!" Ray snickered.
"No way! How ever did you know?!" I asked sarcastically. The spell just got worse from there.
"Ain't we all?" Cooed Matt, who was on the floor. So was Jordan, who was guffawing too hard to say anything. She covered her face with her hands, eyes wet with tears.
The laughter lasted for a few more minutes, and then finally died. "Whew!" Matt blew. "Ryan, kindly don't infect our brains with images like that... ever."
"I don't know... I'm a pretty screwed up guy!" Ryan gave an evil face of insanity.
"Alright, ladies. Enough with the animal porn! If you haven't noticed, we've got six costumes of MLP characters! So why aren't they on our bodies yet?!" Lukas then took each costume and unfolded it. I was right, they really did look different! Especially Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who's legs looked like they could literally snap a tree. Their muscles were huge! Yet, at the same time, everypony just looked amazing in 3D with all the little details noticeable. Especially... those details...
***
If I wasn't turned on before... then holy balls I was now! Right in front of us, visible when Lukas hung up the suits, were six gaping equine vaginas exposed right at eye level. "Lukas was there a reason you hung them like that?!"
"Because Rainbow Dash is hot. Do I need a better reason to explain my equine fetish?"
"Yeah, your right... you did step out of your comfort zone first. And you succeeded in getting all of us on My Little Pony... You get deserve some... "special privileges"..." I said as I made the quotation marks with my fingers.
"Not really... Jordan showed me the first episode and I was hooked. It was thanks to her." Jordan blushed at Lukas' praise.
"Guys... the conversation is getting weird again!" Ryan pointed out.
"Yeah! He's right! Let's start putting these bad boys on!" Lukas walked up to where they were hanging and pulled them off. The hangers... really weren't suited for equine shoulders. "So..." He started talking to us as he walked around, the suits folded around his arm like a waiter carries a rag. "I've decided that we are going to experiment with different suits. I know each of you has a favorite pony, but I want everyone to try a couple of different characters! Let's have some fun and do some roleplaying! Then, we can be our favorite ponies."
"We should wear them to that sick Halloween Party!" Ray blurted.
'Hey! That's a great idea, Ray!" Jordan said softly.
"I call dibs on Applejack!" Matt screamed.
"Rarity is mine!" Said Ryan.
"I will literally fight you for Rainbow Dash." Lukas bashed his right fist into his left palm.
Jordan scuffed her foot against the floor. Her hands were behind her back and she had a big blush on her face when she said, "I want Fluttershy."
"Pink FTW" Ray snapped his fingers.
"Well good, because I wanted Twilight!"
"So... that is our final rotation. I like Ray's idea. It gives us the perfect Halloween costumes... especially for that party!"
"Lukas, are you sure that's a good..."
"Come on Twilight!" Lukas punched me in the arm. "Don't be such an egghead!"
Alright, that was pretty funny. "Haha... fine. I don't care."
"Good! It's settled then! We just officially found. THE. MOST. AWESOME. HALLOWEEN. COSTUMES. EVER!" Lukas made the Rainbow Dash squee face.
"Alright! I'm done! Kill me!"
***
Lukas laid out the costumes on the rug. "Alright, everyone! Take your pick!"
We all scattered. Ryan grabbed Dash, Matt chose Twilight, I went with Fluttershy, Lukas thought for a second, then decided upon Rarity, Jordan selected Pinkie, and finally, Ray picked Applejack. The suits, while covered in very realistic fur, were made of elastic rubber that was one-size-fits-all. We rolled the body up and each prepared to step into a leg at the same time. The six of us stripped down to our boxers, Jordan into her panties and bra. Operation: Ponies was about to commence, but suddenly, strange voices echoed through our skulls.
"Maris... Do you hear me? Fluttershy isn't the right fit for you. Please put on Twilight."
"Does anyone else hear that?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, I keep hearin' "Put on Applejack, give Twilight to Maris." What in the name of the lord is goin' on here?" Matt scratched the back of his head.
"Umm... Why exactly do you want me to put on Pinkie?" Ray said to nobody in particular, seemingly oblivious to Matt's comment.
"Looks like we are all hearing things..." Lukas scratched his chin, he was listening carefully.
"W-who are you?! Get out of my head! You're scaring me!" Jordan was quickly alternating feet and clutching her head.
"Looks like your other friends have heard us too."
I'm with Jordan! Who are you?! Maris thought to the voice in his head.
"Maris... I can tell you and Lukas have the most common sense of your group. For now, though, I'm just trusting you with this information. Please don't tell anypony about this yet..."
Tell them what yet? And did you just say anypony?!
"We... are the Spirits of the Elements of Harmony. I'm Magic, and we are currently here to revive them."
Are you serious?! The Element of Magic?! YOU'RE TWILIGHT SPARKLE! WHAT THE... HOW ARE YOU REAL?! Maris looked around. The gang all had varying levels of disbelief on their faces. They must be all hearing different stories with the same topic.
"We've always been there... just... not in the way you would think. That's beside the point, though. The important topic is who puts on what suit."
I... How is this possible?! There is no such thing as talking ponies!
"Believe me, there is. It's just not very obvious how to find us. However, it doesn't matter! We are real and Equestria is in a time of crisis, suffering, and darkness. The only way to save it... is with the Elements of Harmony."
So just use them and blast... whatever Tartarus monster-thingy is wrecking Ponyville or something! Why do you need us? AND HOW ARE YOU TALKING TO ME IN MY BRAIN?!
"Maris... when I say "Elements of Harmony"... I'm not referring to the artifacts. I'm referring to... the bearers themselves. In other words, us: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity."
Wait... huh? But... does that mean...?!
"We're dead Maris... Murdered by the Darkness. We need your help to restore order... by putting on the suits."
...No... You were... murdered?!
"It was a sad day for Equestria... but with the bud of sadness, only hope can form. I'll explain more later... your friend Matthew is about to hand you me. Strip out of your boxers when you put me on. There should be heads in the box as well! See you on the other side!"
Wait! I tried to reach her again, but she was gone... for now.
"Hey, Maris! Did you hear a voice in your head too! Weird huh? Told me to put on Applejack... n' said something about the Element of Honesty. So I did! Seems like everyone else go an order too." Matt was holding out Twilight's bottom half, implying he was handing it to me. He was wearing the Applejack body piece, struggling to keep Twilight from sliding off the ball of his "hoof". "These things feel great! They are skin tight, but they're mighty fuzzy on the inside. It's like a blanket."
I took Twilight and looked around, suddenly noticing I wasn't in the storage room we had been operating in. "How did I end up here?"
"You done spaced out and walked away. Did the voice talk go 'n talk you for a long time or somethin'? We couldn't find you for like... 10 minutes."
"Umm... I don't really want to talk about it." He had been clearly communicating with Applejack herself. However, the fact that he hadn't brought up that the Mane 6 or how they were dead alarmed me. Maybe I should talk to Twilight a little more first before pondering that. I still want to know how she was talking to me as well. "Alright, Matt... I'll catch up with you in a second. Just... let me put on Twilight first."
I closed the door before he could respond.
***
Lukas's Attic ~ Guest Bedroom
October 30
1:00 AM
Every living fiber of me shook as I closed in for the kill. I was stark naked, my boxers discarded on the nearby bed. Feeling the fur of Twilight's suit... It felt so real. And the body... It looked like a live pony that had been gutted—minus the wings of course. It wasn't a pleasant thought... but it was true. I breathed and gave myself a pep talk. "Alright, Maris... you heard what Twilight said to you. Something's brewing here—I can feel it. To make matters worse; whatever it is, it looks like Twilight is only going to tell me. I can see my friends are being purposefully left in the dark by the other bearers. What could there be a reason for that?" Putting all my weight on the bed, I leaned over, pushing my hands into the mattress and breathing deeply. "Agh... Just more questions for Twilight if I ever get to communicate with her again..."
I stood up and stretched, the last little bit of tired leaving my body. No matter how cryptic of a situation this had spiraled into, I was still ecstatic about putting on my idol, Twilight Sparkle herself. Ryan wasn't kidding, I was absolutely turned on to her. The shape, the wings, the... just the feeling of her presence was enough..."
I decided it was time. I took the suit and furled it up like before with Fluttershy. My feet slowly entered the hoof socket, and I shivered when something cold was felt. Suddenly, the feeling of my foot being swallowed became an apparent issue. "What the heck?!" I screamed as I shook my foot. When nothing happened, I decided to take a look. What the problem was changed my entire perspective of these suits.
"These things have some ingenious mechanics! This is so cool!" I was repeatedly practicing taking my foot out of an oobleck-Esque substance that solidified whenever I put my foot in. You had to pull really, REALLY hard to get your feet back out, but it was so entertaining and so weird that I couldn't stop recycling the process. After departure, the substance returned to a penetrable gelatin-like mold. "This must be for stimulating what a hoof feels like! You can't feel your limbs at all when you stick them in! It's just... a bony, blocky feeling." Stepping in again, this time I rapped the pseudo hoof against the wooden flooring. When it returned a satisfying *clop*, I knew this was going to be fun. "Hope we don't wake the rest of Lukas's family... This could be hard to explain."
Continuing the process of the suiting, I stuck my other foot in the opposite rear hoof and pulled Twilight up my legs to my waist slowly. "Ohhh... this feels... so good!" The warm inner fur mimicked how having a real fur coat felt. It was just another cool thing these suits did make you feel like you were actually an equine. It rose, engulfing my body with a shiny purple cover.
As I pulled up, the suit got tighter and tighter. Eventually, I got to my waist—boy that part made me giddy just thinking about it! As I was naked, the suit was touching my bare flesh. Now, what happens when a male's genitals get covered by a fuzzy mare clit? Not much other than sheer pleasure, I can assure you. I had to stop for just a moment and plop on the bed behind me. The feeling was too great, too overwhelming for me to stand up.
I sat there moaning softly. "Ohhh..." The warm fur felt so good down there on my sensitive spots. Normally, all you get from a sensitive pubescent penis is chaffing and pain, but god almighty, this made it all so worth it.
I eventually stood back up and got a grip on myself. "Alright Maris, enough with the auto-masturbation, let's get down to business." The rest of the suit slipped cleanly over my stomach up to the base of my neck. Now all that was left was the arms. They had an identical build to the legs, even the hoof-stimulation goop. When everything was firmly in place, I truly felt the tug of the suit. It was more than just skintight, it was clamping to me. I looked down and breathed slowly at what I saw. Purple mare with large feathery wings, a giant pussy, and a star cutie mark, that's what I saw. It was adorable.
I tried walking back into the storage area, but the pseudo hooves made it a little tricky. It's not so much that they were hard to walk with, it was just that they were heavy. Eventually, I made it back to the hallway outside the area we had started in, but I tripped over a loose floorboard... only to catch myself with the forehooves. I now realized why it was so hard to walk in this thing—I had been doing it wrong the entire time. This put it in perspective. Normally, when a human tried to crawl on all fours, it's extremely straining on your back because of the difference in length of your limbs. However, something I had not noticed about Twilight's forehooves was the extra length they had compared to her legs. It was a perfect balance and took a lot of strain that would normally be there away. I lifted a hoof and put back down, in awe of what was happening. Out of all the secret mechanics that these crazy costumes had, giving the wearer the ability to not just stand, but WALK on all fours was mind-bending.
With that, I trudged very slowly to the door, taking it one step at a time. After realizing I had no other options, the cruel fate was bestowed upon me. Forced to open it with my mouth, the rusty copper handle met my tongue.
Bleh. Could use some pepper.
***
Lukas
Lukas's Attic ~ Storage Room
October 30th
1:10 AM
"Jordan... oh my god..." It was hard to breathe, looking at her in such a state. Jordan was almost completely yellow, her fuzzy body shimmered in the moonlight emanating from the window. Her soft yellow forehooves were tucked behind her back and she pawed at the floor with her right back hoof. It was heart-warming—I just wanted to snuggle her.
She walked over to me, wobbling a bit. The fake hooves were making it hard to walk, but I'm sure we'd get used to it. "Lukas, you look good in cyan." Jordan giggled. The long, pink tail flowed from her flanks of which three pink butterflies adjourned.
"Well, you look beautiful in yellow!" I put my right forehoof around her shoulder and she leaned into me.
"Look at Ray! He's all pink!" She said into my ear, brushing my face with her hair.
"Ryan is white, and Matt is orange. This is gonna be one interesting Halloween, isn't it? Come here, you fluffball!." I proceeded to hug my girlfriend with vigor, face pressed against the soft pelt of butter yellow pony fur.
"Aww... Don't leave me out!" She tackled me to the rug and started rubbing her smooth face on my cyan stomach like a cat. "That feels... so good. It's the softest substance I've ever felt..."
Matt, Ray, and Ryan just stood there, watching us caress each other. "They're so cute together..." Ryan whispered loud enough for me to here. Eventually, Jordan just rested her head on the barrel. She purred softly and drifted to sleep on her warm, soft, cyan pillow. I cuddled her, starting to feel heavy-eyed myself. Well... at least I did... But, that's when Maris walked in on all fours, spitting like a maniac.
After a brief moment of gagging, he eyeballed the current status of the room. "Ummm... am I disturbing something here?" He asked nonchalantly, noticing the yellow-blue lump on the carpet that consisted of the bodies of Jordan and I. My body shot up, looking at him strangely.
"Maris? Care to explain... how you are doing that?"
***
"Woah! This is so cool!" I was currently in a four-legged squat, booty extended. All the others were trying, and failing, to walk on all fours as well. It... wasn't as easy as you think, considering how heavy the hooves were. "Woah...OOF!" I misstepped and plunked down on the creaky floorboards, getting a chuckle from Maris.
"Don't worry man, you'll get the hang of it!" I wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his face.
"Shut up! You got to practice by yourself!" He sniggered again. This time, I joined him.
"Hey! The code has been cracked!" Ray shouted. "It's a 1-2-1-2 rotation pattern! You take your left back hoof and your right forehoof forward, then start skipping as you bring your other two hooves around in a cycle. Keep at a steady pace, and make sure you have a spring in your step or you won't have enough momentum and the whole thing falls apart. It's fun once you get it!" He started prancing around the room like a maniac.
"Go, Ray!" Jordan squealed.
I followed his instructions and joined him. It became a race. "I bet you can't beat the fastest flyer in Equestria!" If only I could have opened my wings at that moment...
***
"Ray... How much crap did you eat at the fair?! You've... got so much energy!" I gasped out, barely able to breathe. The warm suit wasn't helping. Meanwhile, Ray just kept going around and around. I could tell the pink blur was making Ryan dizzy.
He stopped briefly, prancing in place. The rapid movement of the pink hooves was creating an illusion of color. "I dunno... I just can't stop, though!" And with that, Ray took off again, causing Ryan to open the window and sit down, clutching his head.
I felt a bump on my shoulder. It was Maris tapping me on the shoulder with a purple forehoof. He started signaling me to follow him by wagging said hoof towards him. Slowly breathing, I regained my sweaty composure and complied.
Maris lead me to the box. "Lukas. You were talked to by a voice in your head too right?" I nodded affirmingly. "So then... Who was it? Did they give you a name?"
"The Spirit of the Element of Loyalty. It told me Rainbow Dash was on a mission and needed me."
"And you just believed a voice in you head?" He was shrugging his purple shoulders and making a "wut" face.
"Why not? I was generally intrigued."
"...Okay, never mind. You're the one with the special privileges. To each their own. That's not why I called you over here anyway." He then turned and opened the blue box again. "Lukas... have you tried to pick up the box again after you set it down?"
"No..." Not seeing where he was going with this.
"Let me put it this way... Did the Loyalty Spirit tell you about the heads?" Maris was pawing at the inside of the box.
"Heads?"
...
"No... Wait! You don't mean...!"
"Mmhmm..." He hummed as he finally explained through physical demonstration why he was rubbing his hoof around in the box. The top dividers' left side suddenly propped up slightly. Maris grabbed it with his mouth and quickly tossed it aside, revealing another row with the same configuration. "Heads."
I felt a rush of blood to my head. "You mean... not only are there bodies... We also get to put heads on?! Guys! Quick! Come over here!" Ray stopped on a dime... somehow, while everyone suddenly dropped whatever they were doing. While they were scrambling to come over, Maris passed me Rainbow Dash's head mask.
I looked down at it. Even though it was rubber like the other part, it still looked just like her. It was a full head mask that continued down the neck to the base of one's shoulders where the bodysuit took over. Those beautiful rose eyes, the cute grin she always wore, and her wild rainbow mane. It was all there. It was perfect. I almost started crying, but I'm glad I didn't.
After all, I might have missed the mask wink at me.
***
I almost threw it. "Holy crap! Mine just moved!"
"What? Come on Lukas! We know you're excited, but seriously?" Ryan cocked his head to the side. His elegant white Rarity mask was on his back. For some reason, though, a silvery metal replaced where Rarity's horn usually was.
"Uhh... Ryan? Rarity is missing her horn." It was starting to get really weird looking at my friends in their "all fours" positions. "Also I'm not kidding! Seriously..."
"Alright Lukas, let's just focus putting on the masks." Matt was currently trying to figure out how to get a Stetson-less Applejack mask around his head with hooves.
"I..."
"Woah!" Ray squeaked. "Pinkie just stuck her tongue playfully at me!"
"Maybe we shouldn't do this... Half our group is starting to hallucinate." Maris had a stern expression on his face. He picked up two objects out of the box, one purple and one white. Horns. Maris rolled it across the floor to Ryan. "Try putting that on the silver thing. I'm guessing these are magnetic." He looked down at his mask to start applying his horn and jumped. "HOLT CRAP! LUKAS AND RAY AREN'T JOKING!"
"Wha... *gasp*." Ryan took a step backward. His white hoof clunked against the floor.
"Eep!" Jordan galloped behind me, dropping her mask.
Matt was still staring intensely. "What the heck is goin' on! I don't see no moveme... guh..."
"Okay! Something is really wrong with... LUKAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Maris freaked out.
"Putting on the haunted mask! Duh! The only way to go is forward in my book!"
"But... It could be dangerous..."
"I'm willing to take that risk! We put on the bottom halves no problem! I haven't seen any of you, not even Jordan, rip that thing off your body yet! Admit it... You are more excited than scared." At that, I found a foothold and slipped the mask over my head. What I originally expected was darkness, but I could see perfectly!
"Lukas! Are you okay in there?!" Jordan asked.
"The eyes! They are made out of see-through material! This is sweet!"
"...Oh, wait. Haha. It was weird when you talked but your mouth didn't move..." Ryan was still a little on the edge about the masks.
"Hey! There is a mouthpiece!" I put my mouth around it. "Now is my mouth moving?" I said, the piece not muffling my speech at all.
"Woah! That's sick! It looks just like Rainbow Dash is talking!" Ray was in awe.
"Do a Dash impression!" Matt requested.
I cleared my throat. "It needs to be about 20% cooler."
Everyone clapped. "Dude! It sounded and looked just like her! You even made the movements perfectly!"
"Thanks, guys..." I felt Dash's lips moving. "Can you beat that?"
"Heck yeah, I can!" Ray threw his mask on and sang the entire Cupcakes song in Pinkie's squeaky voice.
"Dang bro!"
"You knocked it out of the ballpark!" Ryan was laughing at Ray's performance. Everyone else threw on their masks and went to town.
"Awww... You think I'm that cute huh?" Ray stuck his tongue out through the mask, making it look like Pinkie the one performing the deed.
"Cute don' do it none justice," Matt said in a perfect Apple family twang through Applejack's freckled muzzle.
"Guys..." Maris said with a warning tone. "I really don't think..."
"Darling!" Ryan flicked his head like Rarity usually did.
"YOU'RE... GOING TO LOVE ME!" Jordan's was the best. She even got the face right.
We were all cracking up so hard that the tugging on our throats went unnoticed.
***
Maris
The world was becoming a blur to me. Colors were mixing and blending; everything was fuzzy and unclear. Why won't they listen to me! I have to reach them somehow! Looking down at Twilight's head, he came up with a very "between a rock and a hard place"-Esque decision. He threw it on and in his best Twilight voice, he screamed "QUIET!"
"Wow, Maris! That was awesome!" Lukas squealed in impeccable Rainbow Dash.
"Guys! I'm not..." When I realized that I couldn't stop talking like Twilight, it hit me that something was very, VERY wrong. "Seriously! Try talking nor... AGHHHH!" My muscles all suddenly felt like they were ablaze. If the world wasn't spinning before, it definitely was now. Lightheadedness kicked in and I continued to wail in absolute pain. The feather that broke the camels back was the inconceivable pain I felt the tug on my face and skull.
"Maris! Are you okay?!" Lukas was freaking out.
"I... told you... something was wrong... with those masks..." I must have been in shock from sensory overload because I passed out. The last thing before blacking was Lukas' nervous staggers.
"Wait...W-what's wrong with my voice! I-I can't stop talking like...!"
***
Lukas
"...Rainbow Dash." Maris hit the ground with a *thud*.
"MARIS!!" My new voice had to wait. I rushed over to my unconscious friend. Suddenly, another thud was heard, followed by another. "What the?!" Turning around, the bodies of Pinkie and Rarity were sprawled over the ground. Applejack fell too. Jordan moaned in pain, doubled over, and landed on her back.
"Lukas..." Her voice implied crying was being partaken in. When she toppled, Jordan was out like a light.
"Jordan! I've got to get this mask off! Maris was right!" Sadly, tugging on it was to no avail, the neck of the mask had fused with the shoulders. "NO! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!"
I had been sealed inside of this accursed prison. There was no way out. "What... have I done..." The pain everyone had been rocked by inevitably hit me.
"Please... have mercy... on my soul... Spirit of Loyalty." I spat out those desperate words with the last of my consciousness.
Down I went.
***
Lukas's Attic ~ Storage Room
October 30th
8:30 AM
The first shades of color hit my eyes as I slowly opened them. "Ohhh... What happened..." My voice sounded a little off; kinda raspy—hopefully not because of sickness. Blinking a couple of times, the slow progress of wiping off the grime from sleep commenced. "Where am I?" I said quietly, voice still a little unstable. "Wha... Why am I... in... the... ATTIC!" The A-word turned the key in my cobwebby brain.
"I remember... the suits! Then there were the masks... and the pain... Why does my voice still sound like this?!" I could not stop sounding like Rainbow Dash and could recall having this problem before the suit wasted me. Sitting up, I attempted to get oxygen in my lungs to fix the problem. However, my attempt to erect myself did not seem to comply with my spinal cord. The uncomfortable feeling I got from back pain was a little unnerving. "Wait... I'm... still in the suit right? I'm pretty sure I was before passing out." Looking down, my thoughts were confirmed when a cyan arm met my blurry gaze.
"Okay. My body is still half-asleep. Let's get some blood pumping!" I stood up... only to crash down hard. "Oww... Ugh, I should be able to alternate between two and four legs. Our test runs last night revealed that, while in the suit the hooves were heavy, and it was recommended to walk on all fours, it wasn't impossible to stand up. Despite that, I had fallen immediately due to lack of balance, which is something that has never just... happened to me since my toddler years; even when waking up. Nevertheless, there was a matter that caught my attention more. A throbbing pain came from the area of my nasal cavity. Sore and irritated from smashing down on the floorboards, I reached to comfort it.
I received nervous readings from both limbs and promptly knew right then and there that everything had gone to hell.
***
"WHAT THE?! HOW?!" My cyan hoof was touching hard and bony matter. It was a muzzle, or, in other words, something that should NOT be there. Last night, it was just squishy rubber. "This... this is impossible!" my scratchy voice screamed as I prodded my new snout again. All that could be felt was pure organic matter and fuzz. I shouldn't even be able to feel ANYTHING, though! I'm in a Rainbow Dash costume! What the heck is going on!
Breathing, I realized I still couldn't see properly, so I reached up and caressed my eyes. The hooves were sharp and pricked a little. "Ouch... Not doing that again. Great job Lukas, you dun goofed."
Managing to blink the pain out, I focused on my jacked eyesight. "Hmmm... Rubbing doesn't seem to help..." As the thought process grew deeper, a sudden detail became obvious. "Wait... It's not blurry because of sleepiness, it's..." At that, I realized my eyes had been crossed and looking at my muzzle. Uncrossing them made my brain explode with crystal clarity. "Why is my line of vision so... wide? And... why does the Attic look so... different?" Scratching my head in thought, I felt a long stretch of hair not just on my head, but growing like on an actual head. "Okay... That's it! Information evaluation time!"
"My... line of sight... is wide. I... I have a muzzle. Hair; natural hair... is growing off the back of my head—it's long and thick as well. That sounds a lot like... Wait! No! It can't be!" Three more tests were needed to finalize my conclusion. One was positive, as I successfully snapped my neck behind me. The other two... came at the same time when I looked behind me. In the excitement, my cyan wings had snapped into an erect position. Also, I saw my rainbow tail flick involuntarily. It was confirmed... There was only one possible answer that would explain any of this. "I... I am..." Staggering over my own words, I had a hard time breathing and was beginning to feel lightheaded—not to mention extremely nauseous."...The suit... turned me into..."
"Rainbow Dash."
***
I just sat there, thinking about the situation. "Rainbow Dash..." was repeated through her voice. "I'm Rainbow Dash; fastest flyer in Equestria and member of the Wonderbolts. The awesome, oversexualized, rainbow-maned pegasus that half the brony population wants to sink their dick into. The body my brain is currently residing in... is one people would pay millions of dollars to be in for two minutes. I... can't believe it!" I squealed as legit cyan hooves touched my legit cyan ears. They were so soft and could swivel to catch more sound. "Wow... My eyesight, hearing, and smell have all been amplified!" I took a whiff with my new sniffer. "Mmmm... Mom must be making Apple Piiiie..." Drool was dripping down the side of my cute little snout. "...Oh! Crap! Mom! What if she... or ANYONE comes up here! How are we going to explain this?!... You know what Lukas! You're the leader of these merry men! You can figure this out! They will understand... hopefully!" I inhaled deeply after my self-pep talk and exhaled with equal intensity. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. First, I have to get my comrades up."
I, at that statement, realized that the direction I was facing was away from my friends. I turned around... and was met with the other members of the Mane 6 snoozing away. "Oh, balls. Great. I doubt anyone is going to take this as well as I did. Oh well! I'm going in!"
Tip-...hoofing? I guess... was the best way to describe my approach on Maris. Upon arrival, I noticed his features. He was Twilight Sparkle in every way, shape, and form. His shiny, fuzzy lavender coat was met with elegant wings of an alicorn princess that rivaled mine. A purple horn he had attached was now biologically fused with his skull. Finally, his various parts such as his tail, hooves, and even the aforementioned wings twitched ever so slightly in his sawing of the logs. "So adorable... Too bad I have to wake her."
"Wakey wakey, books and haykey..." was whispered into the depths of her ear lobe. To confirm it, I nuzzled her awake. She opened her eyelids slowly. "...Rainbow... Dash?" Maris, in her mind, was clearly still half-asleep.
After letting the situation sink in, however, she jumped high in the air with the help of her regal flight devices. Smacking the ceiling with a thud, she crashed back down. The loud noises were enough to snap everypony else out of their pain-induced slumbers. "Oh well... So much for doing this quietly. I hope this room is soundproof, or we are about to get Animal Control called on us."
I braced for impact.
