Lauren McNeigh

Lauren had no trouble beating the clone Sirens and even killing them was easier this time since she knew the real ones were somewhere else, and the third one was safe. She then threw her Knife twice as the Changeling Guard before she moved on to the lever. She was about to pull it, but then she heard a psst. She looked to see that Hester was floating, and pointing to down. Lauren saw that below, there were three other levers and Hazel was just down there too. Lauren jumped down to meet with the girl as Hester floated to her Partner’s side.

“The proper order of things is often a mystery to me, you too?” Hester asked before the duo disappeared again.

Lauren went to the levers as soon as she could. She tried to guess the order but this seemed hard. She tried to look for a way to tell, and she did. There were cutie marks on the levers. Each had a cutie mark of the Sirens on them. Lauren thought for a bit, and considered that the order may be youngest to eldest.

She then pulled on the one on the right, which had a picture of Sonata’s cutie mark, and it gave out a small soft melody. Lauren then pulled on the left with Aria’s, and it made the same. Finally, she pulled on the one in the middle, which had Adagio’s mark, and it gave the same one.

She then went back up by the staircase nearby and crossed to the other side. She killed the Changeling Guard and carried on. She had been surprised when another one was just guarding the portal and almost got her. She just used the Deck of Cards easily. She just went immediately for the portal.

Lauren reached the other side and saw what looked like a normal floor at first, but the middle tipped over and formed a huge and elaborate staircase. Lauren looked up to see that there was another portal up to where the pieces were leading, so she began to jump. She had to watch herself since the pieces went up and down at different angles. She landed and went through the portal easily as pie.

Where it leads was about to make Lauren began to feel a little bored since she can already guess that there’s another portal infront of her and a new platform. She looked up to see more brainwashed clones of Sirens. She easily beat them with the Deck of Cards. She went up to the door, but it closed with a wooden door and floated up. It went to three different sections, making three other doors with portals as well. Lauren just went for the one she was infront of.

Lauren was relieved that it was finally a change of where the portals lead. She was finally on solid ground, quite like a bridge really. She noticed the Changeling Guard who was infront of her. She immediately used the Cards as soon as it began to run up to her. All clear, she walked on to where the bridge lead. She looked to her side to see that the Lab was right there. Looking up, she realized that the Siren clones were there again.

She really made a lot; this is even just one area of Wonderland. Lauren thought as she used her Deck of Cards on the fakes.

Lauren walked on to see what looked like the door that lead inside the Lab. She was about to try and go there, but as she closed in, it looked like it was only a wall. Right upon she was surprised by the familiar sound of Hazel and Hester’s sudden appearance.

“Entering the Lab requires a real leap of logic” Hester spoke before disappearing with Hazel.

Hester and her cryptic lines.

Lauren saw that the window was open and that she had to jump to get there. When the time was ripe, she jumped and landed through the window. When she got in, what she found made her surprised and filled with pity.

There, right infront of her, was Rarifruit. She didn’t look like her normal greedy self. Her mane was all in a mess. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days. There was a muzzle strapped to her, and her eyes were nothing more than a blank stare. From the smears of her make-up, she looked like she cried. She only walked in one direction, in circles around the whole room. This was truly painful to see.

“Rarifruit, what’s wrong? Who did this to you?” Lauren asked as she approached the Freak.

She didn’t answer; she just kept walking in circles.

“Rarifruit?” Lauren tried again. When she got no answer, she held back a tear as she called out. “HAZEL AND HESTER, I KNOW YOU”RE BOTH HERE! COME AND TELL ME WHY SHE’S NOT TALKING!”

“We were hoping that you wouldn’t find her; this is painful to say” Hazel said as the duo appeared.

“I cried myself when I first saw this happen” Hester mused.

“What’s wrong with her? Why is she acting like this? How long has she been this way?”

“The corruption around here has taken a devastating effect on some of the residents who live and go here. But it’s sad to say that it was the Freaks that have taken it the hardest. The corruption was too much for even their own crazed minds can handle”

“But, I thought Freaks could handle any type of power, the Hosts inside them gave them so much and yet they were still able to stand”

“Inside, they were slowly breaking from the huge amount of power inside them” Hazel said. “And I’m afraid with this much corruption, it finally caused them to break down to complete insanity. Some like Rarifruit and Karateloo have become like those you would find in an asylum. Others who were still strong and sturdier managed to survive, just having their mind a bit in shambles”

Lauren looked at Rarifruit again before asking, “How did everyone else take it?”

“Some were locked up for their own protection. Others managed to flee and now roam Wonderland with abandon, performing their crazed acts. They only do one thing and that’s it. Rarifruit now only walks in circles; they put a muzzle on her so as to avoid her ramblings. And you’ve seen Karateloo”

Lauren looked down as she held back her tears.

“Lauren, we know it’s hard” Hester said. “We’re not so normal because of problems. We know their pain, just wished that it didn’t go this far. But there’s a way to get them back to normal”

“How?”

“Hester thinks that since it was the corruption that made them insane than ever, if you defeat Queen Faust, this may also return them back to their more controlled state”

“Then I will do it for them. Even though they were chaotic, atleast they still were their own pony”

“Great, see you around, Lauren. And don’t let the others around here get you so upset” Hester said before the duo ran down the hallway.

Lauren stole Rarifruit one last look before continuing to the door ahead. Don’t worry, Fruity. I’ll save you; I’ll save all of you.

Lauren opened the door and fought the Changeling Guards that were all over the place. She had to use a combination of the Cards and the knife. She went up the staircase and went to one area to see that there was another door. But something caught her eye: there was a glow coming from a weapon nearby. She went over to the other side to see something that, other than Hazel and Hester waiting, looked rather familiar.

It was a croquet mallet, with the head shaped like that of a griffin. The griffin is dark in color, mostly consisting of sickly greens, and has raging red, yellow and orange eyes. And it had a small red handling area. It was one of the Croquet mallets from the game she played with Queen Faust.

Lauren nearly got hit by the Guard again before it was shot with an electrified Croquet ball. She turned around to see Hazel was showing how to use it. She threw a dispensed Croquet ball in the air before it shocked the Guard. When one Guard came behind her for a surprise attack, she whacked him on the head, electrocuting him.

As Lauren watched, Hester smirked. “How did she learn to fight?”

“She’s Lieutenant in the Army right now” the Familiar then went cryptic. “Here’s a riddle: When is a croquet mallet like a Billy club?”

Hazel then whispered in Lauren’s ear as she gave her the weapon after killing all the Guards and gaining enough Essence. “I’ll tell you: Whenever you want it to be”

As Lauren descended and the duo vanished again, she looked to a side to see a door nearby. She heard a sound coming from it. Curiosity got the better of her and she opened it.

The inside was what looked like a small theatre. There were two rows of wooden pews. The carpet was red, like the rest of the building. Infront of the pews and infront of the stage was Sunburst. He looked sad as he pressed a button the remote he held with magic. He and Lauren looked up to see that four areas in the stage opened. What she saw made her bite a lip.

On one area was Pinkis Cupcake, but she looked sick; thin like Rarifruit and eyes blank. She was on all fours, howling like a dog. Her mane was all messed up, but the straight lining was visible. She had tacks on the sides of her mouth that forced her to smile.

Creepy Belle was on the other side of where her niece was, and fared no better. She had lobotomizing headgear on her, tacks on her mouth’s sides. She looked like she was suffering from severe Bipolar Disorder. She was crying and sobbing one minute and then laughing hysterically the next.

Behind Pinkis was Chrysalis Cupcake, and she was just like them. Lauren didn’t know if her mane was messed up too or was always like that. She was swatting away bugs that were either imaginary or real. When she looked like she stopped a bit, she twitched uncontrollably.

Orion was dancing with abandon in one place, and he had tacks stuck to his head. How they got there must’ve been by when she banged himself on a table of tacks and they got stuck. Lauren hoped that when this was over, she could be able to get those off him.

“How can you stand to watch this?” Lauren asked Sunburst as she approached.

“I don’t. I just check on them every now and then to see if they’re doing better. I guess not” Sunburst looked down.

“How long have you kept them here? For a show?”

“Since they went quite unstable, and we tried everything just to help them return to normal, but nothing is working”

“If Queen Faust is defeated, maybe they’ll go back to normal”

“I hope; right now, I really miss Pinkis eating everything in sight”

Both stole a look at the sight of the four Freaks for bit.

“There’s a bit more to do than you suggested, don’t you think?” Lauren asked Sunburst in an effort to stop thinking about the Freaks infront of her.

“No need for sarcasm. I admit, it’s been a while since I set foot in here because of the chaos occurring, save for when I check on the Freaks who now retreat here, but I’m here now. I’ll try to amend what I can do for now. The Library inside contains a recipe for the potion you need. Find the Book of Bizarre Potions” his’ ears perked up at the sound of Changeling Guards coming inside. He lit up his horn and said one last thing before teleporting away. “Oh no! RUN, LAUREN!”

Lauren easily defeated the Changeling Guards as she tested her new Croquet Mallet. It electrocuted them when they came in contact with the balls that were hurled at them. Lauren stole one last look at the Freaks before leaving the room.

She ran up the staircase again and opened the door. She killed the Guards inside with her Mallet. She went through the next door ahead and saw that it must be a part of the Library. She heard noises in one corner. She looked behind one of the shelves to see Magic Mare acting like a dog. She was pale and sick. Her cape was half-opened and she lost her hat. Tacks forced her to smile. Her mane was all in a mess.

Lauren looked away as continued on. She had to kill more Guard as she advanced. The Croquet Mallet was very helpful now. Especially since she killed four Guards this time. Man, Queen Faust really wants her dead. She looked up to see the book was high above. She could figure out how to get there later, but now she had to find higher ground as she killed another Guard. Lauren looked behind the defeated Guard to see a huge book floating in mid-air. It was black and the aura surrounding it was purple. She tapped it with one hand and it immediately began to move up. Lauren watched it go until it went up near the area where the book she was.

So that’s what I need to do. Find more books to make a platform.