Lauren McNeigh

Lauren settled on to continue the journey as she ran to the direction Sunburst meant. She quickly found a cart infront of some mine tracks. She carefully stood on it, and then did her best to maintain her balance as it rose like a platform. When it reached the top, she sat down as the cart began to move through the mines. All the way throughout the ride, she saw some Changeling Guards and some more crystal ponies. When she caught sight of something up ahead, she jumped off the cart before it plunged down to the bottom of the pit.

When she turned around, she saw a Changeling Guard was about to attack her. But before she could raise her knife to attack it, when a sharp card cut through it and it collapsed. Lauren looked up to see it was Hazel and Hester infront of her, a deck of cards in Hazel’s hands. The cards were white completely, but they had a capital L in the center, painted red and black. More Changeling Guards arrived, but Hazel began to attack them with the cards.

Lauren was astounded to see what small cards could do to angry Changelings. I’ll never look at that game the same way ever again.

Hester than began to explain as Hazel showed how to use the weapon.

“52 Pick-Up is a game of staple humor” she said as Hazel showed how to slice. “But when the deck slices and dices…” Hazel then made the cards scatter all together, cutting all the Guards up and the deck returned to normal. “…it’s no laughing matter”

Lauren knew what that meant, and 52 Pick-Up was once her childhood’s game. Atleast she knew what it meant when Hester said that “childhood toys have become weapons for adults”. When Hazel finally regained enough sanity to keep herself conscious, she gave Lauren the deck of cards before disappearing with Hester.

Walking on, Lauren opened two doors and found the room where they were keeping the key Sunburst wanted. She used the cards and saw that they were now able to slice the Changeling in half. She got them all back as she realized that they really were now weapons. Taking the key on the desk, she continued to find Sunburst.

She walked up the nearby staircase and found a portal similar to the one from Equestria Girls. She ran through it and found a new passageway. She saw, from a distance, Sunburst standing next to another portal and going through it. When Lauren stepped out, she was surprised by a Changeling Guard, but she killed it by slicing its neck. She then used her Deck of Cards on the other two before continuing.

Walking through the path, she climbed another vine and killed another Changeling. All of them done for, she went through the portal. Upon reaching the other side, she saw Sunburst at a hot air balloon.

He smiled upon seeing her with the key. “You have retrieved the key! Thank you! Twilight’s confidence was not misplaced.”

“I certainly hope it’s not”

“Well, get inside, I’ll drive”

Lauren did as told as Sunburst started up the balloon. “Use the key to free us all from the oppression and inability to be resurrected within seconds. Any fight against the Queen is a good fight, no matter how small or little. They’ve all suffered too mu…”

“I know, Sunburst. I feel really sorry for all of them. You’re all like children to me and I hate to see their pain. But what about me getting small?”

Sunburst didn’t seem to answer at first so Lauren looked out the balloon to see the destruction in her one beautiful creation. It looked really damaged, and something made her think things were getting worse. It was Karateloo, one of the Pony Freaks, but she seemed more crazy than normal. She had a bunch of scars on various parts of her body and she was dancing like crazy. Her eyes were that of an insane lunatic as it seemed like the smile on her face was literally carved. As the air balloon passed by her, she jumped in an attempt to catch it, but missed.

“Karateloo, no!” Lauren called out as she thought one of her friends was going to die. But she was relieved to see that the filly actually flied, though she seemed to be like Derpy.

The Corruption has made the Freaks even more crazy than usual, even though she could fly now; I hope Karateloo can get to a safe landing before getting hurt.

Sunburst finally spoke when Lauren was calm. “There’s a Lab inside the fortress with the items you’ll need to make the potion for getting small”

“What items, exactly?”

“You’ll know them when you see them. Speaking of which, we better do our best not to get seen by the Changelings’ notice and…hang on!” Sunburst yanked the control to move the balloon as he panicked when the Changelings spotted them and began to use their slime balls to attack. “Too late, we’ve been seen”

Sunburst made the balloon speed up as he did his best to avoid the attacks of the guards. They finally made it to the Fortress of Doors, and Sunburst only had to tell Lauren one last thing, “Eventually, you’ll be able to break through such walls, but for now, jump!”

Lauren did so, landing on her feet as the air balloon went away. She ran to find a Changeling guard, and killed it easily. When she went inside, she found something that gave her a shock: a Siren in her Spirit form.

It looked a lot like Adagio Dazzle, but like the rest of Faust’s minions, she was brainwashed. Her eyes were pure black, as though they were pulled out of their sockets. Blood streamed down like tears on her face. She looked like she hasn’t been eating in a long time, very pale and thin. Behind her was what looked like Aria Blaze in her Siren form, suffering from the same fate as well. She looked on their chests to see that they had the same mark on the Changeling Guards: a red bottle of ink.

Lauren’s heart felt like it was gonna break at the sight. Sure, she made them evil once in the show, but still, she couldn’t bear to see that Queen Faust had brainwashed her Creation-Children. This was way too cruel to see. She then noticed it was only just Adagio and Aria who were present, but Sonata Dusk was nowhere to be seen. She could only hope that she is somewhere safe and alive.

Without warning, the corrupted Adagio unleashed a scream of ear-piercing melody. Lauren covered her ears so as to avoid it, but it hurt so much. Aria began to do the same. As much as Lauren hated it, she had to do it. She used the Cards she got earlier from Hazel and Hester and used the Throw Method that was demonstrated. She threw them many times and even used the Knife at the two brainwashed Sirens. When they were finally defeated, she watched as they screamed and burned into ash.

Lauren shed a tear for the two fallen Sirens. She killed them. She killed her Creation-Children. Why did they have to take them too? The Changelings were bad enough. This wasn’t their fault. Faust made them do it. Lauren just wanted them back. As much as they were evil before, they didn’t deserve to be mind-controlled and killed.

“Lauren” Hazel’s voice rang out.

Lauren looked up to see the young Pegasister, standing infront of her. Her eyes were filled with pity when she noticed the situation.

“I killed them” Lauren chocked through the sobs. “They’re dead”

Hazel shook her head. “Those aren’t Adagio and Aria”

“What?”

“Those are clones of them, scattered everywhere in Wonderland. Faust made them to patrol this world”

“But where are? And how did you?”

“The real ones are with Faust, weak but alive. Me and Hester knew about it since the rest of the Bronies saved Sonata from the same fate. We tried to get them back, but she made the clones chase us away”

“Sonata’s alive?” Lauren wiped a tear as her eyes began to be filled with hope.

Hazel nodded. “She’s being guarded very well at Fandom Central, along with the few others who were able help. They’re a bit weak, but whole and alive. They’re counting on you to ease their pain”

Lauren nodded. “Thank you”

Hazel gave Lauren a hug “They’re counting on you”

“We all are” Hester added before they disappeared again.

Lauren walked on when she noticed that the floor was beginning to split up literally. She ran up the nearby staircase. She ran up and down the platforms as the entire building looked like it was falling apart. Finally safe on a stable area, she ran to the next portal she found.

Having reached the other side of the area, she found that she was in another enclosed space. Walking on, she found a group of Changeling Guards and found out that she was surrounded. She ran past the Guard and found a medium sized red box, floating in midair. It had a triangle-shaped spray tip on the top. Almost on cue, Hazel and Hester appeared beside it, gesturing her to come there quickly. Lauren ran as fast as she could, narrowly escaping the Changeling’s spears.

“Time to raise some havoc!” Hester whispered to Lauren as she pounced on the spray tip and made it hit Lauren in the face.

“The dogs of war are loose!” Hazel whispered as Lauren fell on her knees from the spray.

Lauren breathed heavily from the pain as Hazel gave her a pat on the back. When the Pegasister and her Familiar noticed the spray taking effect, they backed away and disappeared. Lauren’s skin began to turn deep red. Her fingers began to turn long and bony as two demonic; bony ran horns sprouted from her head. Lauren felt the rage of losing one of her fans take over. Her anger boiled at the memory of what happened to her Creations. She let the rage overtake her as she took a deep breath and roared like a wild animal. She stood up, and her eyes shone with blood red and fury.

She turned to the Guards. They were frightened from the effect it had on her, but stood their ground. She showed no mercy as she vented her anger on them. Using her new claws, she tore them apart with their bare hands. Their bodies stood still from her slash for a second before they dropped down, showing that they were dead. She threw her knife at the Guard that was on the wall, and it collapsed dead upon impact.

Lauren took as moment to gain back her sanity as the effects of the spray lifted. She slowly felt herself going back to the way she was, and before long, she was in her Standard Equestria Girl form. Once it was gone, she took a deep breath before carrying on. She still couldn’t believe how that thing suddenly made her so unstoppable but only for a moment. She found out that it may have something to do with letting out all her anger.

She heard the familiar sound of a certain duo reappear. “What was that thing you did me?”

“Sorry that it stings at the first time” Hazel apologized.

“Doesn’t matter. What is that thing?” Lauren turned around to face the two

“We call it Rage Box. It has quite a nasty but somehow sufficient way to help somepony vent out their anger, but only shortly” Hester said.

“The least you could’ve done was give me a warning that you were gonna spray it in my eyes” Lauren indicated her now-blue-again eyes.

“If we did, you’d be defeated by the time I hopped on it”

“Hester” Hazel reprimanded her Familiar.

“Okay, fine. I’ll give you heads up next time”

“Next time?!” Lauren asked, her tone rising.

“There are more of them throughout Wonderland but they only respond to you now” Hazel said.

“Hopefully they won’t be so painful” Lauren crossed her arms.

“The first time is always the most painful” Hester said before she and Hazel disappeared again.

Lauren sighed as she walked on. She opened a door she found, which led to another door, and then another, and then another, and finally reached the other side. She found that she was in another area. This seemed to look a lot like a vortex that if you fell off, who knows where you’d go. Lauren saw than the other side was very far away and she couldn’t just jump to get there. But then she noticed some pieces of flooring coming to where she was. They reached her side and began to form a way. She went up to where they were and the floorings seem stable enough to walk on. She walked steadily on them, and had to even jump on some platforms at a few points. She finally reached her destination on the other side and went through the portal.

Hopefully, I’m not going through another thing like this again. She thought.

Her eyes went wide open when she found out that the portal led to another one like this area. This time, it had Changeling Guards with it, and clones of a brainwashed Siren Adagio and Aria.

You have got to be kidding me.