Chaos in Equestria (aka Pinkie Pie writes the show)by DoctorJack230ChaptersPrologue – Pinkie takes over! Chapter 1 – Rainbow Dash’s 20% Cooler Day, or “I’m a WONDERBOLT?!”Chapter 2 – The Apple Mafia…or, “Bah some apples or get wrecked!”Chapter 3 - The Flutterkiin/Flutterborn, or “FUS RO yay!”Prologue – Pinkie takes over! Prologue – Pinkie takes over! Sweat dripped from the brow of the creative team at Studio B. The culprit seemed rather innocuous: writing an episode of Friendship is Magic, the latest in the My Little Pony line of TV series from Hasbro. On either side of the writers was a ton of fan mail suggesting episode ideas that were deemed plausible, odd, or downright rejected. At first, the mail had been a small and neatly organized pile. As the show began to grow in popularity and size, however, the pile grew more and more with each passing day. Fan mail mixed with hate mail that seemed to just overflow the office, not to mention their e-mail accounts and the various comments left on Lauren Faust’s deviantART page. Naturally, they were more then a might bit nervous. The show had gone through a spectacular first season, and was smack dab in the middle of a second. It was clear, however, that they were having troubles. One of the animators was in the middle of animating Pinkie Pie for a part in an episode, and was drawing her randomly popping out of yet another random object. She was fully colored soon, and was starting to be animated and shown to the staff, before the animator rose to use the bathroom. When said animator came back…Pinkie was gone! Said animator dropped her coffee in shock, and recoiled in shock when the prime party pony of Ponyville suddenly appeared beside the desk! Now, normally when one started seeing ponies on beside their desk and not on the page that they were being animated onto, they might’ve been sleep deprived or on some sort of illegal substance. This animator, along with the rest of the staff, clearly weren’t on any substances. “Out of ideas?” Pinkie asked, acting as though this was nothing at all. The animator was too stunned to reply, which prompted Pinkie to blink and grab a pencil. “Don’t worry guys, I got this all by myself! Ooh, is this all the fan mail?! I always get fan mail, but it’s never been this high!” the pink pony said, bouncing toward the mountain of fan mail with all the peppiness and exuberance of a kid walking into a candy shop. She began reading…and reading…and reading: giggling at some, and blinking in surprise at others. “Hm…well, if this is what the fans want…this is what they’ll get!” Pinkie said, as she picked up her pencil in a hoof…and began writing. She went from writing to animating quick as a flash, stopping only to gulp down a cupcake that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The creative team looked on in horror as Pinkie’s creations began to come to life on the screens…starting with a peaceful and quiet morning in a certain rainbow-maned Pegasus’ home in the clouds… Chapter 1 – Rainbow Dash’s 20% Cooler Day, or “I’m a WONDERBOLT?!”Chapter 1 – Rainbow Dash’s 20% Cooler Day, or “I’m a WONDERBOLT?!” The morning was peaceful and quiet, with Celestia’s sun beginning to rise over the horizon. The transition from night to day was often beautiful in Equestria, were one up early enough to appreciate it. Perhaps the number one student of Celestia could enjoy this more then anyone else, as everypony in all of Ponyville knew that Celestia rose the sun every morning. But, you see, our subject isn’t that particular pony right now. Don’t worry, silly ‘Twilight is best pony’ people we’ll get to her soon enough! Oh, sorry, this is Pinkie Pie; I’m taking over the story today and kiiiinda narrating! Hopefully this will turn out better then My Little Dashie, or…ugh, that one fanfic that no one will SHUT UP about involving me and Dashie! Now, where did I leave that cupcake…? I love cupcakes, you see, they’re so fluffy and warm and yummy, especially with loooads of frosting! …where was I going with this? Oh, right! Our story begins with one subject of Celestia’s that isn’t the type to get up early. Except when it’s cider season, but I ALWAYS get up earlier then everypony on that day anyway! So, Dashie was dead asleep on her bed…no, she’s not actually dead, it’s not that kind of story you silly bronies! You see, Rainbow Dash had a loooong day yesterday and apparently drank too much cider…or was it alcohol? It was something really strong, because she was singing “Fly me to the moon” while trying to fly there! She barely got to the upper clouds though, thankfully Derpy had a muffin cannon and was test firing it…but that’s for later! Back to standard third-person narration, I’ll try not to butt in as often! Rainbow Dash awoke with a start…and almost wished she hadn’t. Her head was pounding, and her vision was so blurry that, for a second, she thought she saw three Scootaloos lying next to her. Wait…why was the orange filly Pegasus laying next to her? Why was Tank snuggling between them? She resisted the urge to question everything and just weakly flapped over to the nearby bathroom. She reached in her mirror cabinet for two pills, and placed them on the cloud counter. As she looked at herself in the mirror she gasped, and promptly threw up in the toilet next to the sink. Never mind the red, haggard eyes, or the really frazzled state of her mane…she was in a Wonderbolt costume! The outfit was effectively hers, sporting the same sort of lightning patterns, but with a rainbow colored motif. This HAD to be a dream, she had to be dreaming. There was no way in Celestia’s entire good name that she had become a Wonderbolt overnight! Speaking of the night before…Dash strained herself to remember something, anything coherent of last night, but it was all a blur of laughter and drinks! She looked around her cloud home, still in a mess that she was too lazy to clean up, and noticed a few things. The first was that the numerous bottles of Applejack Daniels she’d downed last night were scattered across the room. Okay, so she drank heavily…that explained the headache… Speaking of which, she took the pills off the counter and just drank from a nearby water bottle. She looked around her room, past all the Wonderbolt paraphernalia on the walls; and by Luna, was there a TON of Wonderbolt paraphernalia on the walls! There were Wonderbolt posters, Wonderbolt four poster bed curtains, Wonderbolt plushies, even signed Wonderbolt photographs! Her eyes turned to the centerpiece of the collection, the center shrine to all the Wonderbolts and her accomplishments combined. They were, of course, tied together in one awesome display, separated by what she’d accomplished and the crowning Wonderbolt items she had; the display had a bit of a duality to it. Her best young flyer competition award, her untidy gala dress and ticket, her captain of the weather team during Winter Wrap Up uniform, her Commander Hurricane outfit from the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, the first book in the Daring Doo series…topped by a small chest containing her Element of Loyalty necklace and flight goggles. Pictures of the Wonderbolts, and her with them, dotted the other side… There was something strange right next to the Element of Loyalty box, something that wasn’t there before. She grasped at it, and almost dropped it in shock. It was a picture of her, last night, downing an Applejack Daniels bottle, alongside the happy looking Wonderbolts with all her friends holding her up as Pinkie Pie had a ‘Congratulations Rainbow Dash’ banner in the background. Dash was in full uniform, goggles hanging from her neck as the sweet alcohol seemed to just vanish down her throat. Spitfire and Soarin’ looked…happy, at least to Dash. Her friends, of course, were ecstatic for her; with Pinkie firing the party cannon in the background. She looked at the back…and froze. The Wonderbolt’s autograph, along with a welcoming message and a time schedule for the first practice, was on the back of the photo. The first practice was…in 20 minutes, in Canterlot’s empty speedway, and she HAD to be there! If there was a record for ponies who could get sober, Dash would’ve broken the record in literally 10 seconds flat. So Dash began getting her act together…via dunking her head in the sink and flushing it out with cold water. She made sure to look in top shape, with her teeth and mane looking good, and the uniform looking clean. This all took about five minutes, as she bolted out the cloud door. As she began flying at top speed toward Canterlot, she was aware of a blue blur running alongside her flight path. She flew down to the blue…thing’s location, and was surprised to see a blue hedgehog, with red running shoes and white gloves keeping up with her. “About time ya got up, Dash! Up for a rematch from yesterday?” the hedgehog asked, with a grin. Normally, Dash would’ve dropped everything and race this hedgehog all across Equestria, but she was late for her first flight as a Wonderbolt! “Sorry, I gotta pass on that race. Hey, what’s your name again?” the newly outfitted Dash asked the hedgehog, who almost seemed to stumble when she asked. “Ya don’t remember, really? We raced yesterday…ah, but if you’re late, I understand. Catch ya later!” the azure hedgehog said, as he zoomed off to parts unknown. If your mind is officially blown, then…YES, that did just happen! Dash wondered exactly what in all of Equestria happened last night as she finally reached Canterlot. Locating the speedway was rather easy…making sure she didn’t careen into the ground on the other hoof was a harder thing. She managed to, at least, skid to a stop on the ground; the rest of the Wonderbolts waiting. “S-sorry I’m late, had to sleep off that massive hangover.” the rainbow maned pegasus managed to wheeze out as she skidded to a halt. Spitfire, the Wonderbolts’ de facto leader, chuckled as Dash got herself into a respectable state. “It’s alright Dash, we’re actually surprised you were able to fly last night. If I had that much to drink I woulda been crashing into walls, let alone that you were trying to make it to the moon.” Spitfire commented, making Dash blush. Had she really drank that much? The newest Wonderbolt shook her head and looked around. Soarin, Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, Spitfire, and a couple others were present. They all looked impressive, even in the early hours of the morning. Practice was about to begin, and Dash inhaled and exhaled deeply. Alright, time to show them what all those hours of practice were about! They had barely begun to get off the ground, when screams were heard. Dash, being ever the first one in, decided to zoom over and check it out; Soarin bringing up the rear. The two came upon something incredibly horrifying, at least to Dash it was. A colt looked beat up and bruised, and that enough would be bad for her if it wasn’t for the ponies over him. “B-big Macintosh?! Apple Bloom?!” she asked in shock, not only at the two being the perps, but at the fact that they had weapons! Big Mac had a huge bat, an’ Apple Bloom had brass knuckles on her hooves. A loud shot was heard, and the two started fleeing. Dash didn’t think twice, and started chasing after them. The source of the shot was obvious as she rounded the corner and ran smack into Applejack, who was holding a shotgun. “A-AJ?! What in the hay’s going on here?!” she asked, as Applejack blinked twice at Dash. “Sorry fer this sugarcube…” the farmpony said, and the world went dark as Dash was bashed on the noggin with the butt of the rifle… ~*~ Pinkie: Ooh, a cliffhanger! I love cliffhangers, but not if they actually involve cliffs! Sorry, it’s Pinkie Pie again, we apologize for ending on a cliffhanger but don’t worry! The next chapter will clear all of it up! Till then, try buying some apples…lest you incur the wrath of The Apple Mafia! –dramatic lightning, Godfather Waltz starts playing- Pinkie: =Record Scratch= No, no Vinyl! Play the theme music! Vinyl Scratch: (offscreen) …me an’ Octy better get a chapter for this. Pinkie: Don’t worry your silly little head, you awesome DJ, you and Octavia will get a chapter. Also, we remind everypony that every one of the Mane Six WILL get a chapter…each more insane and terrifying then the last! Heck, I’m even getting a chapter, but I’m not saying anything about it! Now, fade to the ‘To Be Continued’ sign, and cut to credits! TO BE CONTINUED! My little Pony, My Little Pony, Frieeeeeennndsss~ Chapter 2 – The Apple Mafia…or, “Bah some apples or get wrecked!”Chapter 2 – The Apple Mafia…or, “Bah some apples or get wrecked!” Applejack had woken up ta weird days in her life. She’d run away from home as a filly ta pursue the fancy life, an’ subsequently ran back home once she realized what all of that entailed; namely the uptightness an’ really small portions. It also helped that Rainbow Dash performed her first Sonic Rainboom and showed her the way back to Ponyville. The apple farmer once worked herself half ta exhaustion because Big Macintosh injured himself, an’ over a stubborn bet. She helped save all of Equestria, twice in fact. She even had ta rebuild her farm after a parasprite infestation utterly devoured it all. Today, however, was probably one of, if not the, weirdest. The mornin’ rooster had crowed rather loudly, an’ the sun had rose ta start her day. The first thing she had noticed as she began ta get herself up was the loud clatterin’ downstairs. Alrighty, Big Macintosh was usually up at this time so it wasn’t unusual ta hear some form of commotion. The problem was this was accompanied by a pony screamin’…loudly. A thousand horrific images caused the orange coated mare ta leap outta her bed, grab her lasso an’ race down the stairs. The image that greeted her was better then the ones racin’ through her head, but not bah much… Applebloom had a helmet on, along with a crest with an apple being pierced by a bloody cross on the chest an’ a hot brandin’ iron in her mouth. Big Macintosh was holdin’ a colt down ta a chair, a fresh mark from the brand bein’ on his flank. “Now, yer gonna pay up ta us, or this’ll be the least of yer punishments capiche?!” The youngest Apple family member said, in a very deep growl that belied her age. Caramel was guardin’ the door an’ shinin’ an apple whilst he did so, makin’ sure that their prisoner wasn’ about ta escape. Applejack kinda recognized the prisoner; he was a dark brown colt with an hourglass cutiemark, called himself The Doctor. “What in the name of Granny Smith’s pies are y’all doin’?!” Applejack yelled, as she tackled her little sister, wrestlin’ the hot iron from her mouth an’ dunking it inta the nearby water barrel ta cool. Big Macintosh had ta divert his attention fer two minutes ta the sudden appearance an’ subsequent action of his sister, an’ that caused the Doctor ta break out of his grip then zap Caramel with some sorta glowing device after punching him outta the way. “Thank you Miss Applejack. Ditzy, allons-y!” he said, as he burst from the farmhouse, yellin’ fer Ditzy “Derpy Hooves” Doo ta fire up somethin’ called the TARDIS…. Caramel was twitching and spazzing on the ground, so Applebloom had ta wet his face with a bucket of ice water ta snap him out of it. How did this work? Well, the sonic screwdriver only stunned him of course! The Doctor doesn’t kill anypony you silly little fillies. His face was also sportin’ a slight bruise from where the Doctor punched him. Applejack found her sis, Big Mac, an’ Caramel lookin’ at her puzzled, as though this was somethin’ normal? She was utterly mortified, to put it in Rarity’s posh language. Anyway, a loud banging noise was heard as a door opened revealing Granny Smith. The senior member of the Apple family looked at this scene with a disapproving shake of the head. “Now, what’s all this then?” she asked rhetorically, in a most grave and decidedly un-Granny like tone. The aforementioned trio seemed to automatically straighten up when Granny Smith spoke, as if she was the head of some kind of organization. Applejack’s right eye twitched as she shook her head, tryin’ ta see if this was some sorta horrible nightmare. Any minute now the rooster would crow an’ she’d wake up ta the smell of nice homemade pancakes…with apple syrup! Of course, there was no such luck with that. She was still starin’ at Big Macintosh in an overcoat, Applebloom in some sorta metal armor, an’ Caramel was still sportin’ a shiner. Granny Smith had on a fancy shmancy get up, tuxedo an’ everything, with a red rose on it. “Applejack, dear, what’s wrong? Y’all get up on the wrong side of the bed, sugar? Don’t y’all remember last night?” Granny Smith asked, genuinely soundin’ like herself fer a minute. Alright, it still maintained a slight rough edge, but the general tone was still there an’ kinda creepy considerin’ the circumstances. “Las’ night…? No, ah don’t. What in tarnation does that hafta do with all this?” Applejack asked, glarin’ around at all four of them. Normally her family would immediately respond, but none did; they preferred ta stare at the floor fer some reason. After a lengthy silence, Caramel raised his head ta speak when suddenly the farmhouse began being riddled up by…carrots?! Yes, my fine fellow readers, carrots began pelting the place like so many bullets out of a Thompson Machine gun. The rest of the family hit the floor and began returning fire like it was noponies business. Granny Smith was bein’ takin’ ta safety, but poor Caramel fell over from multiple impacts. He was felled by the carrots, of course, for they were too many, too orange and full of more beta-carotene for even Caramel to handle. Of course, the carriage that had been used fer the drive-by fell back as it was fired back upon by a tree’s worth of apple seeds. “Them ugly Carrots are gonna pay fer this!” Apple Bloom shouted, rather dramatically, as she hopped into their carriage to give chase. Applejack turned ta follow as Big Macintosh made his way out, but she was stopped by Granny Smith. “Aj, hun, welcome to the family. You’ll have answers when y’all get rid of them Carrots once an’ fer all…” she said, gravely, as she handed her a shotgun. Before the confused blonde maned mare even knew what happened, she was onboard the motorized carriage; givin’ chase ta the Carrot family members. “Does somepony wanna explain ta me jus’ what in the hay is goin’ on?” she asked around as Big Macintosh readied his apple Tommy gun. Apple Bloom, helmet and armor still on, did not answer, instead choosing to focus on driving. “An’ what in the ever livin’ name of Luna an’ Celestia happened ta the rest of the family, like Apple Fritter?” she asked the two, expectin’ no response. This managed to strike a nerve, as Apple Bloom nearly swerved off the road in response. “Applejack, the firs’ rule of the family is that we don’t talk about Apple Fritter, or what happened ta her…ever.” Big Macintosh spoke fer Apple Bloom, who seemed rather enraged by the very mention of the aforementioned Fritter an’ ordered the carriage ta go faster. Of course, the poor ponies drivin’ the thing were lashed in response an’ sped up faster then a crocodile after prey. Alright, that was…disturbin’, but at least it was somethin’. Applejack had the misfortune of wonderin’ what was next as they kept chase of the carriage. As their carriage came alongside the Carrots’, there was a blinding flash of light…and the three, carriage included, found themselves in Canterlot. Huh, musta had a magic user with them. Musta been some powerful magic too, considerin’ they were in Canterlot an’ all. The other carriage was nowhere in sight. “Applejack, watch the carriage. We’ll be back.” Big Macintosh drawled, gesturin’ fer Apple Bloom ta follow him, as he grabbed a really large lookin’ bat from the back. The youngest Apple Family member nodded grimly as she laid down her pistol an’ put on brass knuckles. Applejack watched the two leave in a grim silence, clutchin’ at the apple shotgun as she looked around ta get a better idea of her surroundings. Wait a minute, why’d she even HAVE an apple shotgun? What in tarnation happened last night? Why were her family actin’ so strange? WHY WAS SHE IN THE MIDDLE OF CANTERLOT?! A loud banging noise made her jump as she was snapped out of her thoughts. She snapped up the gun just in time for, and she wasn’t making any of this up, Pinkie Pie to leap out at her wielding a knife. The gunshot fired was loud and felt like it stayed long in the air as the Pinkie Pie was blown back into the alley. She got out of the carriage and kept the gun pointed down the alleyway just in case the monster that took Pinkie’s form rose again, because that was not Pinkie Pie. She was suddenly greeted bah the sound of hooves running her way. Apple Bloom and Big Mac came around the bend, lookin’ like the devil was after them. What came around the corner shocked AJ a much as anything else today, an’ that was sayin’ somethin’. Rainbow Dash, in Wonderbolt garb no less, looked jus’ as shocked as AJ did. . “A-AJ?! What in the hay’s going on here?!” she asked. Applejack could only blink twice and begin to think about what to do. Talkin’ ta her would probably get her into trouble, but she was just as scared looking as AJ was…then again, bes’ ta not take any chances. “Sorry about this, sugarcube…” she said, as she hit Rainbow with the butt of the rifle. She took NO pleasure in that but, if the Wonderbolts were on their case, things were gonna get real ugly real fast. The hit was enough to knock her out, but she stayed with Dash as Soarin’ came around. She gave him a slightly threatening glare, narrowin’ her eyes a bit as she hopped back into the carriage and the Apples drove off as the male ‘Bolt flew Dash ta safety. Now their search for the Carrots coulda went on all day, an’ unfortunately…it did. So, as they had ta check inta a hotel, Applejack still had no answers as the day ended. Now, iffin’ somepony were ta look out the window late at night in Canterlot, one could probably see the wonderful night that Princess Luna had brought out. Since Applejack was the only one up due ta the confusion, she looked out the window and blinked as she thought she saw a dragon fly over Ponyville. She dismissed it as a hallucination brought on by the craziness of the day, and just flopped on the bed that she, Big Mac, an’ Apple Bloom shared. Of course, this was a nice moment with the three of them sharin’ a bed, with peaceful snores shared. Peace at last, for the moment. ~*~ Pinkie: So! How long with this last? What’s with the dragon? What happened to Rainbow Dash?! Stay Tuned…and cue the music! Vinyl: This chapter preview brought to you by Derpy Mail. Derpy Mail, we send your mail in the general direction that you need it to go! Octavia: …you really couldn’t have let the advertisement go, could you? Vinyl: Heh, nope. Who do you think pays our bills? Anyway, preview music! Dovahkiin Dovahkiin Naal ok zin los vahriin wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan Dovahkiin fah hin kogaan mu draal Vinyl: And cue the end credits music! My Little Pony, My Little Pony Frieeeeeennnnddds! Octavia: Ugh…this is going to be a regular thing, isn’t it? Pinkie: -giggles- Maayyyybeeee~ Stay tuned! Chapter 3 - The Flutterkiin/Flutterborn, or “FUS RO yay!”Peace, quiet, tranquil, these were synonyms for the shy yellow coated mare’s life on an average day. On an average day, she would wake up early enough to feed every animal in her tree and even those outside of it. She had almost every type of bird, small mammal, and other type of animal imaginable. Yes, Fluttershy would normally be caring for animals were this an average day. As it was, she was still caring for animals but it was far from an average day. What sort of average day, for instance, involves her in heavy armor staring a dragon down? Does an average day see her defending a herd of critters in the middle of the Everfree with no plans, no backup, and no weapons worth a damn? Would a regular day have her winning this fight with naught but shouts and stares…okay, amplified shouts and stares? What day has her doing all these epic things without a drop of fear in her body? Most importantly…where did she find the armor and newfound courage? Well, friends, it all started that very morning. Amazing how all the awesome stuff began that morning, eh? Unlike Dash or Applejack, the changes to Fluttershy’s life weren’t immediately apparent when she woke up. She still fed the chickens, fed her many animals with the generic foodstuffs she’d brought at the market in bulk, and fed Angel…even if he was being a little testy this morning. She didn’t have to stare some sense into him today, so that was a plus. That was about as normal as the day was going to get, as she discovered a helmet, a sword, and armor in a cabinet just after feeding the animals, and a plaque that read ‘When you are ready, you may possess your birthright…” and called her something that read ‘Dragonborn’. Okay, that was odd. She didn’t use a sword, she was still deathly afraid of dragons, and she couldn’t think of a practical reason to use the armor. Okay, that wasn’t entirely truthful; she did think that the armor looked useful…a lot better then the ‘armor’ she tried to bring to deal with the dragon on the mountain when she utilized her newfound courage. But who would leave her something as deadly and as unnerving as a sword to somepony like her? She couldn’t use it and had no inkling as to how to do so! The helmet would certainly help in situations that would require combat, but she couldn’t think of one at that moment. So, she simply took it all in with a tilt of the head. Was somepony pranking her? Shouldn’t ‘Dragonborn’ have referred to Spike, seeing as he was a dragon? She felt somewhat drawn to it; the more she gazed upon it and tried to imagine herself with the equipment on, the closer she got to the cabinet. Thankfully Angel managed to get her attention, pantomiming that she’d resembled a zombie pony looking at it. He even had the blank stare she had apparently donned! She merely chuckled and petted Angel as thanks, before walking out the door. Something told her she hadn’t seen the last of the equipment in the cabinet. Was this a next step in Iron Will’s training perhaps? She shook her head, trying to not think about it at all. She had shopping to do and friends to see, perhaps that would take her mind off of things? Well, as it turned out…it didn’t. Shopping proved to be fairly well at first, were one completely ignoring the changes around them. Now, Fluttershy was used to being out haggled, bamboozled, and pretty much ripped off by ponies who’d take advantage of her shy nature before…then Iron Will’s teachings came along and she gave everypony a piece of her mind. Yes, for those that are wondering, that did include that one merchant that had her failing to lower the price for that cherry and ended up selling it for about 2 bits. The point of all this is Fluttershy noted a distinct change in the market atmosphere on this particular day. The market was very lively today. Ponies were going about and buying things, chattering lively, and not really behaving like jerks at all. There was the occasional jerk here or there, but the mood was much lighter. This wasn’t entirely strange to her; the markets fluctuated at varying times of the year, sometimes vendors could be really pushy, aggressive, and evil…other times they could be nice. Today was...on the whole, one of the better days. The only problem with this was the very, very noticeable glances toward the sky in fear. They also seemed to regard Fluttershy with a tad bit of suspicion; if a tad bit meant a few fearful glances in her direction or at the least a newfound sort of respect. Ponies were parting ways for her, giving her room, not really bothering her in the slightest unless she needed help. “Um…I’m sorry but, what’s going on?” she asked the merchant as she reached him, gathering a few bits for the lettuce and cabbage that she needed. “N-nothing, Ms. Fluttershy, w-we’re ju-just ever so grateful you saved us from that dragon yesterday. Just take what you want today, free of charge!” the merchant managed to stammer out, which prompted the shy mare’s eyes to widen in disbelief. The thought of her taking on a dragon wasn’t new to the mare, she’d taken on creatures like a cockatrice, a manticore and, yes, even a dragon before but those were all in conditions where pony’s lives were in danger and she really had no true control over when it happened. Before any pony mentions Iron Will’s training, yes it did help control the stare…but that’s not a skill she’s been honing for a while. The idea of her, the shyest mare in all of Ponyville. saving everypony from a dragon wasn’t new. It was, however very surprising considering that it seemed like she did it alone. Yeah, alone…without backup and apparently she did so rather valiantly and fought hard and well; though the dragon had said it would return and it wasn’t coming alone. Evidence of the battle existed in the form of large scorch marks, ruined carts and tents, and there were even splotches of dried blood on the ground. Could this have anything to do with the…armor in the cabinet? She had felt hypnotized and conjured toward it earlier, and it had her name on it but who gave it to her? She attempted to remember last night, but couldn’t; not because of being hung over, as she didn’t drink anything alcoholic, but she just couldn’t remember! Something weird was up, but she tried to keep her day normal. She actually got her stuff for free today, though, so that was something that was good…what? She deserved it, don’t you think? In fact, ALL of us deserve some sort of reward for saving the world no less then at least 3 times from major threats and others! Wait…silly Pinkie! We got rewards, we got to party, a Star Wars style medal ceremony, AND to attend as well as plan the BEST. WEDDING. EVER! In her own kind nature, she still paid for the items but the merchants insisted she pay half-price. Even if she was a hero, she still felt like she had to pay. As she headed home, she wasn’t sure but she thought she saw Pinkie…a few of them, actually, running around the market place. That couldn’t be though, so she ignored it. She also noticed…Diamond Dogs? Diamond Dogs in Ponyville…that were casually shopping, they turned over a new leaf maybe? One of them said something about Rarity, but she didn’t catch it, as she was already on the way home when they arrived. She couldn’t help but check the graying sky though, because if all that was true then the dragon would be back. She still had that phobia about dragons. They were huge, gigantic, terrible, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp scale-having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, and could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite creatures. She did stare one down, but one dragon was a pinprick compared to a horde and it was also during an emergency situation. She could hang out with Spike, but he was a baby! Why do you think she was so desperate to avoid watching the dragon migration? There was no way she was watching creatures that could very likely swoop down and burn them alive or gobble them up! Sure she admitted she was a little fascinated by them, but not as adults! Something told her she would have to face it soon, because there was a vast plume of smoke coming from the Everfree Forest. It was larger then any other plume of smoke she’d seen before, about as large as the dragon from the cave in the mountain. She commenced her emergency actions that she had memorized in case of a dragon attack or a possible one: get the animals to safety and warn the town. The town seemed sufficiently prepped, if the loud warning sirens going off in the distance were any indication. Strangely, the sirens originated from Twilight’s library and gave her cause for alarm. Realistically, though, she knew she’d have to be the first responder in this case and that made her quiver. As she and Angel began rounding up the smaller critters to safe places, the yellow pegasus found her gaze drawn to the cabinet that she’d discovered that morning. Okay, recap of her friends for a second, her reasoning told her. She’d not seen Dash all day; except for a blur across the sky earlier that morning that she assumed was Dash being late for something. Applejack was probably bucking apples and prepping her family, so she was out. Twilight had presumably set off the alert, so she was probably dealing with the situation in town and getting everypony ready for the inevitable attack. Rarity was stockpiling her dresses and probably getting Sweetie Belle ready and she didn’t entirely like fighting anyway, so that left Pinkie. Pinkie Pie would probably try giggling it away, which would definitely help Fluttershy’s nerves a ton but not entirely when it came to the actual combat aspect. Pinkie was very random, though, so she kept an open mind on that one. That did not by any means mean that she wasn’t about to accept help or that she didn’t value her friends…as a matter of fact, she kind of wished they were there with her right now. She had no clue as to how she was going to resolve this situation, as she had apparently done yesterday. Strangely enough, she couldn’t remember last night! It was all a blur of swords and fighting and celebration… The animal taming mare sighed as she found her hoof touching the glass of the cabinet, the headless helm seeming to bore its blank eye slits into her as she blinked at her reflection. She had talked down a dragon before and dealt with a manticore, among other things, but this one would presumably be holding a grudge and not at all inclined to listen. “Okay Fluttershy, you can do this…” she said, as she opened the cabinet and began to suit up. The armor was the first thing to go on; she found it fit rather comfortably as she folded her wings into it. The shield was put on her back and the sword in its sheath on her flank. The helmet was the last thing to go, and she looked at her reflection for a second. Well, she certainly looked…nice with it all on. Was something supposed to happen or—she suddenly felt twice as aware and confident with it on as opposed to without it. Iron Will’s teachings times a hundred, without the nasty side effect of becoming a brute, that’s what it felt like. Her eyes glowed for a minute, just for a minute, and she felt…lightheaded for a brief second before shaking her head. Whatever these things were, they contained a power in them…and knowledge! She could suddenly know how to down a dragon, how to fight one effectively, how to avoid an attack, all manner of combat knowledge and skill that she was previously oblivious to! She could also see…words, mysterious words written in a language that took her a second to recognize. This was…ancient Draconian; a lost and ancient language from far beyond Equestria where the dragons once called home. It was effortlessly being translated in front of her eyes… She briefly wondered if this was all meant for Twilight, seeing as ponies had absolutely no knowledge of dragons in Ponyville and she was the resident archivist. Regardless, she turned to the words and saw quite a few that were glowing. When combined, they formed a…saying, incantation, shout? She didn’t know, but she had a few at her disposal just in case. She had not the heart to try them now, for the smoke was beginning to hover over Ponyville like a bad omen. Angel motioned her out of her trance, that there were critters that needed aid in the forest. Thus, with a bewildered but determined look toward the woods, she left her home and ran as quickly as she could to follow Angel into the forest. Angel was sprightly for a bunny that demanded dishes that looked to fatten him up, but today Fluttershy had no trouble keeping up. Whether it was her newfound and still untested power or her own drive to see Ponyville and Equestria safe, she felt determined to see this through and was going at an almost Rainbow Dash level of speed! This didn’t dispel her fears, mind you, but animals were in trouble and that’s what counted! The more she followed him in, the thicker the smoke started to grow. It started getting to the point where she couldn’t see, so she decided to try one of the word combinations. “LOK…VAH KOOR!” she ended up saying them and they came out in a loud shout that felt very unlike her and the smoke seemed to break and clear as the sky did likewise. Huh, it came out in shouts and this one completely cleared the skies around her? That one would probably put the pegasi out of business but she’d never abuse that! The pathway was much clearer now as she followed Angel toward the herd of critters. The good side to this was that she could see the animals were unharmed and running away from something. The bad? A larger than life dark scaled dragon was trying to barbecue them with fire and gobble them up for a snack! Fluttershy wasted no time in searching for a Shout that would aid her in downing the creature. She finally found one that would paralyze it, and noted it would work in conjunction with the Stare. “JOOR…ZAH FRUL!” she shouted and it whipped into the dragon and seemed to almost petrify it into inactivity, sending it crashing into the ground. It looked like a cold fire surrounded it as it was paralyzed on the ground for a few seconds at best. More than enough time for her to…kill it? Kill—no! Where did that come in? Was it the helmet, the armor…or she that was urging these thoughts on? The sword was already out of the sheath and rose to strike down the black scaled dragon and…absorb its soul? The knowledge of what she was began to take shape for Fluttershy, the most non-aggressive pony in modern Equestrian history: The Dragonborn was a defender of the weak and helpless, but used murder to accomplish its goals. The fact that its targets were vicious creatures and, from the knowledge that she had acquired from wearing the armor, corrupt and wicked individuals did little to temper her fears of the newfound power she had acquired. The sword she had equipped was already out and ready to strike, unknown to her. She had unconsciously drawn it and had been ready to strike, which scared her tremendously. As a result, she hesitated and stopped her hoof from lowering the sharp steel to bite into the black scales of the dragon. This act of mercy caused the dragon to shake out of the Shout’s effect, and glare at her as it began to rise. The dragon was glaring at her with a gaze that would normally petrify a pony. She countered with one to match it, no doubt The Stare plus the newfound power she felt was taking effect. The first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it was for those few seconds. It was ironic that the Everfree forest, the nosiest and most out of control forest in all of Equestria, was standing still for the two to duel. Then, at once, they lunged at each other. Bright gouts of green flame suddenly interrupted their duel as the dragon was tackled through the trees. It started to flee…toward Ponyville. The ally she had gotten took off after it while she looked at the animals that she had been defending. The animals were fine, thankfully. “Make sure they make it to safety. I’ll head for Ponyville.” Fluttershy said, as she hugged Angel for a safe passage. The bunny merely saluted her and began to lead the animals away from the area. Ponyville was a disaster area: sirens were screaming, ponies were running and several buildings were on fire. The black dragon began to swoop down and spurt fire on the village as ponies ran to and fro. “Get away from the village, get to the forest!” Fluttershy yelled as she ran into the village as the unknown aid kept racing at the black dragon. She saw a flash of green scales as it tried to lunge at the offending dragon. They clashed, with the black dragon pulling up after clawing her help to the ground. Fluttershy looked over her defender and nearly dropped the blade and shield when she figured out his identity. “Sp-Spike?!” She exclaimed in shock, looking him over for a moment at the deep gashes in his stomach. He had grown, seemingly overnight! He was just as tall and fearsome looking as the black scaled dragon, only his eyes were much softer and familiar. Clearly, something happened that morphed him into this size and ferocity. “Fluttershy...he is coming back.” He spoke in a gentle, deep voice that made Fluttershy snap out of her shock. Despite his large scales, fierce tail, teeth and flame he was still her friend and a wounded animal. The Dragonborn defended those that couldn’t defend themselves, right? She would do that! She grounded herself in front of Spike as the dragon began to swoop toward her, its razor sharp claws and mouth open to either burn them out of existence or leave a bloody mess on the ground. She calmed herself, seeing as it sought to swallow her whole and burn Spike and the rest of Ponyville. She found a Shout that would barrel into it with the force of a cannon’s shot, hopefully stopping its momentum. “FUS…RO…DAH!” she yelled as it got closer and the force of the dragon Shout barreled into the dragon and indeed stopped it’s momentum almost too well. In fact, it sent the dragon careening off it’s intended path and into a building behind them, utterly demolishing the building by making it practically implode. “That won’t stop it for long. Come on, let’s get you healed.” The Flutterpony said to Spike, starting to look over his wound as Zecora came racing over. “Fire and brimstone before my eyes/Fluttershy, are you in disguise?” she asked, as Fluttershy beamed at her. “N-no, not in disguise. I apparently got all this during the night, but that’s not important. Spike’s hurt, can you help me with him?” she asked, gesturing to the wounded Spike. “Dragons are not my forte, but I can make his wounds go away. I need help getting him out, for dragons are quite stout.” The zebra said before a very peculiar thing happened. Diamond Dogs, the same ones that Fluttershy saw shopping earlier, arrived on the scene and started lifting Spike. It was more like dragging him, but you get the idea! As they helped him away, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief at Spike getting medical attention. The debris from the building started to shift as the dragon got itself out. “Okay, buddy. Round 2.” She said, as she drew her sword and shield and raced at it. The sounds of its roar reached her ears, as did the roar of other dragons that would soon be there. No time like the present, she supposed. Though she could really use the help… Pinkie: That chapter was really hot! Eh, eh? Second Pinkie: -plays rimshot- Octavia: -facehoofs and groans- Just preview the next chapter. Pinkie: Alright, alright! Geez, some ponies have no sense of humor. What happens when a dragon awakens to unfamiliar surroundings? Does he go through dragon puberty, embrace his inner greed, or attempt to remain himself? Find out all these answers and more in Spike’s chapter! Pinkie: Oh, yes! I almost forgot it was Spike before Rarity…huh. Maybe this writing is getting to my head? No, that would be silly! Plus, it’s what the fans want! So, yeah, tune in next time~! Author's Note Finally, I finished this chapter! I do apologize, dear watchers and readers, but college completely wiped me of motivation to write on ANYTHING. Rest assured, the next chapter won't take a year! Yes, I am going Spike before Rarity to fit the story better. Thank you guys for the comments and putting up with my lag in chapters!
Prologue – Pinkie takes over! Prologue – Pinkie takes over! Sweat dripped from the brow of the creative team at Studio B. The culprit seemed rather innocuous: writing an episode of Friendship is Magic, the latest in the My Little Pony line of TV series from Hasbro. On either side of the writers was a ton of fan mail suggesting episode ideas that were deemed plausible, odd, or downright rejected. At first, the mail had been a small and neatly organized pile. As the show began to grow in popularity and size, however, the pile grew more and more with each passing day. Fan mail mixed with hate mail that seemed to just overflow the office, not to mention their e-mail accounts and the various comments left on Lauren Faust’s deviantART page. Naturally, they were more then a might bit nervous. The show had gone through a spectacular first season, and was smack dab in the middle of a second. It was clear, however, that they were having troubles. One of the animators was in the middle of animating Pinkie Pie for a part in an episode, and was drawing her randomly popping out of yet another random object. She was fully colored soon, and was starting to be animated and shown to the staff, before the animator rose to use the bathroom. When said animator came back…Pinkie was gone! Said animator dropped her coffee in shock, and recoiled in shock when the prime party pony of Ponyville suddenly appeared beside the desk! Now, normally when one started seeing ponies on beside their desk and not on the page that they were being animated onto, they might’ve been sleep deprived or on some sort of illegal substance. This animator, along with the rest of the staff, clearly weren’t on any substances. “Out of ideas?” Pinkie asked, acting as though this was nothing at all. The animator was too stunned to reply, which prompted Pinkie to blink and grab a pencil. “Don’t worry guys, I got this all by myself! Ooh, is this all the fan mail?! I always get fan mail, but it’s never been this high!” the pink pony said, bouncing toward the mountain of fan mail with all the peppiness and exuberance of a kid walking into a candy shop. She began reading…and reading…and reading: giggling at some, and blinking in surprise at others. “Hm…well, if this is what the fans want…this is what they’ll get!” Pinkie said, as she picked up her pencil in a hoof…and began writing. She went from writing to animating quick as a flash, stopping only to gulp down a cupcake that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The creative team looked on in horror as Pinkie’s creations began to come to life on the screens…starting with a peaceful and quiet morning in a certain rainbow-maned Pegasus’ home in the clouds…
Chapter 1 – Rainbow Dash’s 20% Cooler Day, or “I’m a WONDERBOLT?!”Chapter 1 – Rainbow Dash’s 20% Cooler Day, or “I’m a WONDERBOLT?!” The morning was peaceful and quiet, with Celestia’s sun beginning to rise over the horizon. The transition from night to day was often beautiful in Equestria, were one up early enough to appreciate it. Perhaps the number one student of Celestia could enjoy this more then anyone else, as everypony in all of Ponyville knew that Celestia rose the sun every morning. But, you see, our subject isn’t that particular pony right now. Don’t worry, silly ‘Twilight is best pony’ people we’ll get to her soon enough! Oh, sorry, this is Pinkie Pie; I’m taking over the story today and kiiiinda narrating! Hopefully this will turn out better then My Little Dashie, or…ugh, that one fanfic that no one will SHUT UP about involving me and Dashie! Now, where did I leave that cupcake…? I love cupcakes, you see, they’re so fluffy and warm and yummy, especially with loooads of frosting! …where was I going with this? Oh, right! Our story begins with one subject of Celestia’s that isn’t the type to get up early. Except when it’s cider season, but I ALWAYS get up earlier then everypony on that day anyway! So, Dashie was dead asleep on her bed…no, she’s not actually dead, it’s not that kind of story you silly bronies! You see, Rainbow Dash had a loooong day yesterday and apparently drank too much cider…or was it alcohol? It was something really strong, because she was singing “Fly me to the moon” while trying to fly there! She barely got to the upper clouds though, thankfully Derpy had a muffin cannon and was test firing it…but that’s for later! Back to standard third-person narration, I’ll try not to butt in as often! Rainbow Dash awoke with a start…and almost wished she hadn’t. Her head was pounding, and her vision was so blurry that, for a second, she thought she saw three Scootaloos lying next to her. Wait…why was the orange filly Pegasus laying next to her? Why was Tank snuggling between them? She resisted the urge to question everything and just weakly flapped over to the nearby bathroom. She reached in her mirror cabinet for two pills, and placed them on the cloud counter. As she looked at herself in the mirror she gasped, and promptly threw up in the toilet next to the sink. Never mind the red, haggard eyes, or the really frazzled state of her mane…she was in a Wonderbolt costume! The outfit was effectively hers, sporting the same sort of lightning patterns, but with a rainbow colored motif. This HAD to be a dream, she had to be dreaming. There was no way in Celestia’s entire good name that she had become a Wonderbolt overnight! Speaking of the night before…Dash strained herself to remember something, anything coherent of last night, but it was all a blur of laughter and drinks! She looked around her cloud home, still in a mess that she was too lazy to clean up, and noticed a few things. The first was that the numerous bottles of Applejack Daniels she’d downed last night were scattered across the room. Okay, so she drank heavily…that explained the headache… Speaking of which, she took the pills off the counter and just drank from a nearby water bottle. She looked around her room, past all the Wonderbolt paraphernalia on the walls; and by Luna, was there a TON of Wonderbolt paraphernalia on the walls! There were Wonderbolt posters, Wonderbolt four poster bed curtains, Wonderbolt plushies, even signed Wonderbolt photographs! Her eyes turned to the centerpiece of the collection, the center shrine to all the Wonderbolts and her accomplishments combined. They were, of course, tied together in one awesome display, separated by what she’d accomplished and the crowning Wonderbolt items she had; the display had a bit of a duality to it. Her best young flyer competition award, her untidy gala dress and ticket, her captain of the weather team during Winter Wrap Up uniform, her Commander Hurricane outfit from the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, the first book in the Daring Doo series…topped by a small chest containing her Element of Loyalty necklace and flight goggles. Pictures of the Wonderbolts, and her with them, dotted the other side… There was something strange right next to the Element of Loyalty box, something that wasn’t there before. She grasped at it, and almost dropped it in shock. It was a picture of her, last night, downing an Applejack Daniels bottle, alongside the happy looking Wonderbolts with all her friends holding her up as Pinkie Pie had a ‘Congratulations Rainbow Dash’ banner in the background. Dash was in full uniform, goggles hanging from her neck as the sweet alcohol seemed to just vanish down her throat. Spitfire and Soarin’ looked…happy, at least to Dash. Her friends, of course, were ecstatic for her; with Pinkie firing the party cannon in the background. She looked at the back…and froze. The Wonderbolt’s autograph, along with a welcoming message and a time schedule for the first practice, was on the back of the photo. The first practice was…in 20 minutes, in Canterlot’s empty speedway, and she HAD to be there! If there was a record for ponies who could get sober, Dash would’ve broken the record in literally 10 seconds flat. So Dash began getting her act together…via dunking her head in the sink and flushing it out with cold water. She made sure to look in top shape, with her teeth and mane looking good, and the uniform looking clean. This all took about five minutes, as she bolted out the cloud door. As she began flying at top speed toward Canterlot, she was aware of a blue blur running alongside her flight path. She flew down to the blue…thing’s location, and was surprised to see a blue hedgehog, with red running shoes and white gloves keeping up with her. “About time ya got up, Dash! Up for a rematch from yesterday?” the hedgehog asked, with a grin. Normally, Dash would’ve dropped everything and race this hedgehog all across Equestria, but she was late for her first flight as a Wonderbolt! “Sorry, I gotta pass on that race. Hey, what’s your name again?” the newly outfitted Dash asked the hedgehog, who almost seemed to stumble when she asked. “Ya don’t remember, really? We raced yesterday…ah, but if you’re late, I understand. Catch ya later!” the azure hedgehog said, as he zoomed off to parts unknown. If your mind is officially blown, then…YES, that did just happen! Dash wondered exactly what in all of Equestria happened last night as she finally reached Canterlot. Locating the speedway was rather easy…making sure she didn’t careen into the ground on the other hoof was a harder thing. She managed to, at least, skid to a stop on the ground; the rest of the Wonderbolts waiting. “S-sorry I’m late, had to sleep off that massive hangover.” the rainbow maned pegasus managed to wheeze out as she skidded to a halt. Spitfire, the Wonderbolts’ de facto leader, chuckled as Dash got herself into a respectable state. “It’s alright Dash, we’re actually surprised you were able to fly last night. If I had that much to drink I woulda been crashing into walls, let alone that you were trying to make it to the moon.” Spitfire commented, making Dash blush. Had she really drank that much? The newest Wonderbolt shook her head and looked around. Soarin, Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, Spitfire, and a couple others were present. They all looked impressive, even in the early hours of the morning. Practice was about to begin, and Dash inhaled and exhaled deeply. Alright, time to show them what all those hours of practice were about! They had barely begun to get off the ground, when screams were heard. Dash, being ever the first one in, decided to zoom over and check it out; Soarin bringing up the rear. The two came upon something incredibly horrifying, at least to Dash it was. A colt looked beat up and bruised, and that enough would be bad for her if it wasn’t for the ponies over him. “B-big Macintosh?! Apple Bloom?!” she asked in shock, not only at the two being the perps, but at the fact that they had weapons! Big Mac had a huge bat, an’ Apple Bloom had brass knuckles on her hooves. A loud shot was heard, and the two started fleeing. Dash didn’t think twice, and started chasing after them. The source of the shot was obvious as she rounded the corner and ran smack into Applejack, who was holding a shotgun. “A-AJ?! What in the hay’s going on here?!” she asked, as Applejack blinked twice at Dash. “Sorry fer this sugarcube…” the farmpony said, and the world went dark as Dash was bashed on the noggin with the butt of the rifle… ~*~ Pinkie: Ooh, a cliffhanger! I love cliffhangers, but not if they actually involve cliffs! Sorry, it’s Pinkie Pie again, we apologize for ending on a cliffhanger but don’t worry! The next chapter will clear all of it up! Till then, try buying some apples…lest you incur the wrath of The Apple Mafia! –dramatic lightning, Godfather Waltz starts playing- Pinkie: =Record Scratch= No, no Vinyl! Play the theme music! Vinyl Scratch: (offscreen) …me an’ Octy better get a chapter for this. Pinkie: Don’t worry your silly little head, you awesome DJ, you and Octavia will get a chapter. Also, we remind everypony that every one of the Mane Six WILL get a chapter…each more insane and terrifying then the last! Heck, I’m even getting a chapter, but I’m not saying anything about it! Now, fade to the ‘To Be Continued’ sign, and cut to credits! TO BE CONTINUED! My little Pony, My Little Pony, Frieeeeeennndsss~
Chapter 2 – The Apple Mafia…or, “Bah some apples or get wrecked!”Chapter 2 – The Apple Mafia…or, “Bah some apples or get wrecked!” Applejack had woken up ta weird days in her life. She’d run away from home as a filly ta pursue the fancy life, an’ subsequently ran back home once she realized what all of that entailed; namely the uptightness an’ really small portions. It also helped that Rainbow Dash performed her first Sonic Rainboom and showed her the way back to Ponyville. The apple farmer once worked herself half ta exhaustion because Big Macintosh injured himself, an’ over a stubborn bet. She helped save all of Equestria, twice in fact. She even had ta rebuild her farm after a parasprite infestation utterly devoured it all. Today, however, was probably one of, if not the, weirdest. The mornin’ rooster had crowed rather loudly, an’ the sun had rose ta start her day. The first thing she had noticed as she began ta get herself up was the loud clatterin’ downstairs. Alrighty, Big Macintosh was usually up at this time so it wasn’t unusual ta hear some form of commotion. The problem was this was accompanied by a pony screamin’…loudly. A thousand horrific images caused the orange coated mare ta leap outta her bed, grab her lasso an’ race down the stairs. The image that greeted her was better then the ones racin’ through her head, but not bah much… Applebloom had a helmet on, along with a crest with an apple being pierced by a bloody cross on the chest an’ a hot brandin’ iron in her mouth. Big Macintosh was holdin’ a colt down ta a chair, a fresh mark from the brand bein’ on his flank. “Now, yer gonna pay up ta us, or this’ll be the least of yer punishments capiche?!” The youngest Apple family member said, in a very deep growl that belied her age. Caramel was guardin’ the door an’ shinin’ an apple whilst he did so, makin’ sure that their prisoner wasn’ about ta escape. Applejack kinda recognized the prisoner; he was a dark brown colt with an hourglass cutiemark, called himself The Doctor. “What in the name of Granny Smith’s pies are y’all doin’?!” Applejack yelled, as she tackled her little sister, wrestlin’ the hot iron from her mouth an’ dunking it inta the nearby water barrel ta cool. Big Macintosh had ta divert his attention fer two minutes ta the sudden appearance an’ subsequent action of his sister, an’ that caused the Doctor ta break out of his grip then zap Caramel with some sorta glowing device after punching him outta the way. “Thank you Miss Applejack. Ditzy, allons-y!” he said, as he burst from the farmhouse, yellin’ fer Ditzy “Derpy Hooves” Doo ta fire up somethin’ called the TARDIS…. Caramel was twitching and spazzing on the ground, so Applebloom had ta wet his face with a bucket of ice water ta snap him out of it. How did this work? Well, the sonic screwdriver only stunned him of course! The Doctor doesn’t kill anypony you silly little fillies. His face was also sportin’ a slight bruise from where the Doctor punched him. Applejack found her sis, Big Mac, an’ Caramel lookin’ at her puzzled, as though this was somethin’ normal? She was utterly mortified, to put it in Rarity’s posh language. Anyway, a loud banging noise was heard as a door opened revealing Granny Smith. The senior member of the Apple family looked at this scene with a disapproving shake of the head. “Now, what’s all this then?” she asked rhetorically, in a most grave and decidedly un-Granny like tone. The aforementioned trio seemed to automatically straighten up when Granny Smith spoke, as if she was the head of some kind of organization. Applejack’s right eye twitched as she shook her head, tryin’ ta see if this was some sorta horrible nightmare. Any minute now the rooster would crow an’ she’d wake up ta the smell of nice homemade pancakes…with apple syrup! Of course, there was no such luck with that. She was still starin’ at Big Macintosh in an overcoat, Applebloom in some sorta metal armor, an’ Caramel was still sportin’ a shiner. Granny Smith had on a fancy shmancy get up, tuxedo an’ everything, with a red rose on it. “Applejack, dear, what’s wrong? Y’all get up on the wrong side of the bed, sugar? Don’t y’all remember last night?” Granny Smith asked, genuinely soundin’ like herself fer a minute. Alright, it still maintained a slight rough edge, but the general tone was still there an’ kinda creepy considerin’ the circumstances. “Las’ night…? No, ah don’t. What in tarnation does that hafta do with all this?” Applejack asked, glarin’ around at all four of them. Normally her family would immediately respond, but none did; they preferred ta stare at the floor fer some reason. After a lengthy silence, Caramel raised his head ta speak when suddenly the farmhouse began being riddled up by…carrots?! Yes, my fine fellow readers, carrots began pelting the place like so many bullets out of a Thompson Machine gun. The rest of the family hit the floor and began returning fire like it was noponies business. Granny Smith was bein’ takin’ ta safety, but poor Caramel fell over from multiple impacts. He was felled by the carrots, of course, for they were too many, too orange and full of more beta-carotene for even Caramel to handle. Of course, the carriage that had been used fer the drive-by fell back as it was fired back upon by a tree’s worth of apple seeds. “Them ugly Carrots are gonna pay fer this!” Apple Bloom shouted, rather dramatically, as she hopped into their carriage to give chase. Applejack turned ta follow as Big Macintosh made his way out, but she was stopped by Granny Smith. “Aj, hun, welcome to the family. You’ll have answers when y’all get rid of them Carrots once an’ fer all…” she said, gravely, as she handed her a shotgun. Before the confused blonde maned mare even knew what happened, she was onboard the motorized carriage; givin’ chase ta the Carrot family members. “Does somepony wanna explain ta me jus’ what in the hay is goin’ on?” she asked around as Big Macintosh readied his apple Tommy gun. Apple Bloom, helmet and armor still on, did not answer, instead choosing to focus on driving. “An’ what in the ever livin’ name of Luna an’ Celestia happened ta the rest of the family, like Apple Fritter?” she asked the two, expectin’ no response. This managed to strike a nerve, as Apple Bloom nearly swerved off the road in response. “Applejack, the firs’ rule of the family is that we don’t talk about Apple Fritter, or what happened ta her…ever.” Big Macintosh spoke fer Apple Bloom, who seemed rather enraged by the very mention of the aforementioned Fritter an’ ordered the carriage ta go faster. Of course, the poor ponies drivin’ the thing were lashed in response an’ sped up faster then a crocodile after prey. Alright, that was…disturbin’, but at least it was somethin’. Applejack had the misfortune of wonderin’ what was next as they kept chase of the carriage. As their carriage came alongside the Carrots’, there was a blinding flash of light…and the three, carriage included, found themselves in Canterlot. Huh, musta had a magic user with them. Musta been some powerful magic too, considerin’ they were in Canterlot an’ all. The other carriage was nowhere in sight. “Applejack, watch the carriage. We’ll be back.” Big Macintosh drawled, gesturin’ fer Apple Bloom ta follow him, as he grabbed a really large lookin’ bat from the back. The youngest Apple Family member nodded grimly as she laid down her pistol an’ put on brass knuckles. Applejack watched the two leave in a grim silence, clutchin’ at the apple shotgun as she looked around ta get a better idea of her surroundings. Wait a minute, why’d she even HAVE an apple shotgun? What in tarnation happened last night? Why were her family actin’ so strange? WHY WAS SHE IN THE MIDDLE OF CANTERLOT?! A loud banging noise made her jump as she was snapped out of her thoughts. She snapped up the gun just in time for, and she wasn’t making any of this up, Pinkie Pie to leap out at her wielding a knife. The gunshot fired was loud and felt like it stayed long in the air as the Pinkie Pie was blown back into the alley. She got out of the carriage and kept the gun pointed down the alleyway just in case the monster that took Pinkie’s form rose again, because that was not Pinkie Pie. She was suddenly greeted bah the sound of hooves running her way. Apple Bloom and Big Mac came around the bend, lookin’ like the devil was after them. What came around the corner shocked AJ a much as anything else today, an’ that was sayin’ somethin’. Rainbow Dash, in Wonderbolt garb no less, looked jus’ as shocked as AJ did. . “A-AJ?! What in the hay’s going on here?!” she asked. Applejack could only blink twice and begin to think about what to do. Talkin’ ta her would probably get her into trouble, but she was just as scared looking as AJ was…then again, bes’ ta not take any chances. “Sorry about this, sugarcube…” she said, as she hit Rainbow with the butt of the rifle. She took NO pleasure in that but, if the Wonderbolts were on their case, things were gonna get real ugly real fast. The hit was enough to knock her out, but she stayed with Dash as Soarin’ came around. She gave him a slightly threatening glare, narrowin’ her eyes a bit as she hopped back into the carriage and the Apples drove off as the male ‘Bolt flew Dash ta safety. Now their search for the Carrots coulda went on all day, an’ unfortunately…it did. So, as they had ta check inta a hotel, Applejack still had no answers as the day ended. Now, iffin’ somepony were ta look out the window late at night in Canterlot, one could probably see the wonderful night that Princess Luna had brought out. Since Applejack was the only one up due ta the confusion, she looked out the window and blinked as she thought she saw a dragon fly over Ponyville. She dismissed it as a hallucination brought on by the craziness of the day, and just flopped on the bed that she, Big Mac, an’ Apple Bloom shared. Of course, this was a nice moment with the three of them sharin’ a bed, with peaceful snores shared. Peace at last, for the moment. ~*~ Pinkie: So! How long with this last? What’s with the dragon? What happened to Rainbow Dash?! Stay Tuned…and cue the music! Vinyl: This chapter preview brought to you by Derpy Mail. Derpy Mail, we send your mail in the general direction that you need it to go! Octavia: …you really couldn’t have let the advertisement go, could you? Vinyl: Heh, nope. Who do you think pays our bills? Anyway, preview music! Dovahkiin Dovahkiin Naal ok zin los vahriin wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan Dovahkiin fah hin kogaan mu draal Vinyl: And cue the end credits music! My Little Pony, My Little Pony Frieeeeeennnnddds! Octavia: Ugh…this is going to be a regular thing, isn’t it? Pinkie: -giggles- Maayyyybeeee~ Stay tuned!
Chapter 3 - The Flutterkiin/Flutterborn, or “FUS RO yay!”Peace, quiet, tranquil, these were synonyms for the shy yellow coated mare’s life on an average day. On an average day, she would wake up early enough to feed every animal in her tree and even those outside of it. She had almost every type of bird, small mammal, and other type of animal imaginable. Yes, Fluttershy would normally be caring for animals were this an average day. As it was, she was still caring for animals but it was far from an average day. What sort of average day, for instance, involves her in heavy armor staring a dragon down? Does an average day see her defending a herd of critters in the middle of the Everfree with no plans, no backup, and no weapons worth a damn? Would a regular day have her winning this fight with naught but shouts and stares…okay, amplified shouts and stares? What day has her doing all these epic things without a drop of fear in her body? Most importantly…where did she find the armor and newfound courage? Well, friends, it all started that very morning. Amazing how all the awesome stuff began that morning, eh? Unlike Dash or Applejack, the changes to Fluttershy’s life weren’t immediately apparent when she woke up. She still fed the chickens, fed her many animals with the generic foodstuffs she’d brought at the market in bulk, and fed Angel…even if he was being a little testy this morning. She didn’t have to stare some sense into him today, so that was a plus. That was about as normal as the day was going to get, as she discovered a helmet, a sword, and armor in a cabinet just after feeding the animals, and a plaque that read ‘When you are ready, you may possess your birthright…” and called her something that read ‘Dragonborn’. Okay, that was odd. She didn’t use a sword, she was still deathly afraid of dragons, and she couldn’t think of a practical reason to use the armor. Okay, that wasn’t entirely truthful; she did think that the armor looked useful…a lot better then the ‘armor’ she tried to bring to deal with the dragon on the mountain when she utilized her newfound courage. But who would leave her something as deadly and as unnerving as a sword to somepony like her? She couldn’t use it and had no inkling as to how to do so! The helmet would certainly help in situations that would require combat, but she couldn’t think of one at that moment. So, she simply took it all in with a tilt of the head. Was somepony pranking her? Shouldn’t ‘Dragonborn’ have referred to Spike, seeing as he was a dragon? She felt somewhat drawn to it; the more she gazed upon it and tried to imagine herself with the equipment on, the closer she got to the cabinet. Thankfully Angel managed to get her attention, pantomiming that she’d resembled a zombie pony looking at it. He even had the blank stare she had apparently donned! She merely chuckled and petted Angel as thanks, before walking out the door. Something told her she hadn’t seen the last of the equipment in the cabinet. Was this a next step in Iron Will’s training perhaps? She shook her head, trying to not think about it at all. She had shopping to do and friends to see, perhaps that would take her mind off of things? Well, as it turned out…it didn’t. Shopping proved to be fairly well at first, were one completely ignoring the changes around them. Now, Fluttershy was used to being out haggled, bamboozled, and pretty much ripped off by ponies who’d take advantage of her shy nature before…then Iron Will’s teachings came along and she gave everypony a piece of her mind. Yes, for those that are wondering, that did include that one merchant that had her failing to lower the price for that cherry and ended up selling it for about 2 bits. The point of all this is Fluttershy noted a distinct change in the market atmosphere on this particular day. The market was very lively today. Ponies were going about and buying things, chattering lively, and not really behaving like jerks at all. There was the occasional jerk here or there, but the mood was much lighter. This wasn’t entirely strange to her; the markets fluctuated at varying times of the year, sometimes vendors could be really pushy, aggressive, and evil…other times they could be nice. Today was...on the whole, one of the better days. The only problem with this was the very, very noticeable glances toward the sky in fear. They also seemed to regard Fluttershy with a tad bit of suspicion; if a tad bit meant a few fearful glances in her direction or at the least a newfound sort of respect. Ponies were parting ways for her, giving her room, not really bothering her in the slightest unless she needed help. “Um…I’m sorry but, what’s going on?” she asked the merchant as she reached him, gathering a few bits for the lettuce and cabbage that she needed. “N-nothing, Ms. Fluttershy, w-we’re ju-just ever so grateful you saved us from that dragon yesterday. Just take what you want today, free of charge!” the merchant managed to stammer out, which prompted the shy mare’s eyes to widen in disbelief. The thought of her taking on a dragon wasn’t new to the mare, she’d taken on creatures like a cockatrice, a manticore and, yes, even a dragon before but those were all in conditions where pony’s lives were in danger and she really had no true control over when it happened. Before any pony mentions Iron Will’s training, yes it did help control the stare…but that’s not a skill she’s been honing for a while. The idea of her, the shyest mare in all of Ponyville. saving everypony from a dragon wasn’t new. It was, however very surprising considering that it seemed like she did it alone. Yeah, alone…without backup and apparently she did so rather valiantly and fought hard and well; though the dragon had said it would return and it wasn’t coming alone. Evidence of the battle existed in the form of large scorch marks, ruined carts and tents, and there were even splotches of dried blood on the ground. Could this have anything to do with the…armor in the cabinet? She had felt hypnotized and conjured toward it earlier, and it had her name on it but who gave it to her? She attempted to remember last night, but couldn’t; not because of being hung over, as she didn’t drink anything alcoholic, but she just couldn’t remember! Something weird was up, but she tried to keep her day normal. She actually got her stuff for free today, though, so that was something that was good…what? She deserved it, don’t you think? In fact, ALL of us deserve some sort of reward for saving the world no less then at least 3 times from major threats and others! Wait…silly Pinkie! We got rewards, we got to party, a Star Wars style medal ceremony, AND to attend as well as plan the BEST. WEDDING. EVER! In her own kind nature, she still paid for the items but the merchants insisted she pay half-price. Even if she was a hero, she still felt like she had to pay. As she headed home, she wasn’t sure but she thought she saw Pinkie…a few of them, actually, running around the market place. That couldn’t be though, so she ignored it. She also noticed…Diamond Dogs? Diamond Dogs in Ponyville…that were casually shopping, they turned over a new leaf maybe? One of them said something about Rarity, but she didn’t catch it, as she was already on the way home when they arrived. She couldn’t help but check the graying sky though, because if all that was true then the dragon would be back. She still had that phobia about dragons. They were huge, gigantic, terrible, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp scale-having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, and could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite creatures. She did stare one down, but one dragon was a pinprick compared to a horde and it was also during an emergency situation. She could hang out with Spike, but he was a baby! Why do you think she was so desperate to avoid watching the dragon migration? There was no way she was watching creatures that could very likely swoop down and burn them alive or gobble them up! Sure she admitted she was a little fascinated by them, but not as adults! Something told her she would have to face it soon, because there was a vast plume of smoke coming from the Everfree Forest. It was larger then any other plume of smoke she’d seen before, about as large as the dragon from the cave in the mountain. She commenced her emergency actions that she had memorized in case of a dragon attack or a possible one: get the animals to safety and warn the town. The town seemed sufficiently prepped, if the loud warning sirens going off in the distance were any indication. Strangely, the sirens originated from Twilight’s library and gave her cause for alarm. Realistically, though, she knew she’d have to be the first responder in this case and that made her quiver. As she and Angel began rounding up the smaller critters to safe places, the yellow pegasus found her gaze drawn to the cabinet that she’d discovered that morning. Okay, recap of her friends for a second, her reasoning told her. She’d not seen Dash all day; except for a blur across the sky earlier that morning that she assumed was Dash being late for something. Applejack was probably bucking apples and prepping her family, so she was out. Twilight had presumably set off the alert, so she was probably dealing with the situation in town and getting everypony ready for the inevitable attack. Rarity was stockpiling her dresses and probably getting Sweetie Belle ready and she didn’t entirely like fighting anyway, so that left Pinkie. Pinkie Pie would probably try giggling it away, which would definitely help Fluttershy’s nerves a ton but not entirely when it came to the actual combat aspect. Pinkie was very random, though, so she kept an open mind on that one. That did not by any means mean that she wasn’t about to accept help or that she didn’t value her friends…as a matter of fact, she kind of wished they were there with her right now. She had no clue as to how she was going to resolve this situation, as she had apparently done yesterday. Strangely enough, she couldn’t remember last night! It was all a blur of swords and fighting and celebration… The animal taming mare sighed as she found her hoof touching the glass of the cabinet, the headless helm seeming to bore its blank eye slits into her as she blinked at her reflection. She had talked down a dragon before and dealt with a manticore, among other things, but this one would presumably be holding a grudge and not at all inclined to listen. “Okay Fluttershy, you can do this…” she said, as she opened the cabinet and began to suit up. The armor was the first thing to go on; she found it fit rather comfortably as she folded her wings into it. The shield was put on her back and the sword in its sheath on her flank. The helmet was the last thing to go, and she looked at her reflection for a second. Well, she certainly looked…nice with it all on. Was something supposed to happen or—she suddenly felt twice as aware and confident with it on as opposed to without it. Iron Will’s teachings times a hundred, without the nasty side effect of becoming a brute, that’s what it felt like. Her eyes glowed for a minute, just for a minute, and she felt…lightheaded for a brief second before shaking her head. Whatever these things were, they contained a power in them…and knowledge! She could suddenly know how to down a dragon, how to fight one effectively, how to avoid an attack, all manner of combat knowledge and skill that she was previously oblivious to! She could also see…words, mysterious words written in a language that took her a second to recognize. This was…ancient Draconian; a lost and ancient language from far beyond Equestria where the dragons once called home. It was effortlessly being translated in front of her eyes… She briefly wondered if this was all meant for Twilight, seeing as ponies had absolutely no knowledge of dragons in Ponyville and she was the resident archivist. Regardless, she turned to the words and saw quite a few that were glowing. When combined, they formed a…saying, incantation, shout? She didn’t know, but she had a few at her disposal just in case. She had not the heart to try them now, for the smoke was beginning to hover over Ponyville like a bad omen. Angel motioned her out of her trance, that there were critters that needed aid in the forest. Thus, with a bewildered but determined look toward the woods, she left her home and ran as quickly as she could to follow Angel into the forest. Angel was sprightly for a bunny that demanded dishes that looked to fatten him up, but today Fluttershy had no trouble keeping up. Whether it was her newfound and still untested power or her own drive to see Ponyville and Equestria safe, she felt determined to see this through and was going at an almost Rainbow Dash level of speed! This didn’t dispel her fears, mind you, but animals were in trouble and that’s what counted! The more she followed him in, the thicker the smoke started to grow. It started getting to the point where she couldn’t see, so she decided to try one of the word combinations. “LOK…VAH KOOR!” she ended up saying them and they came out in a loud shout that felt very unlike her and the smoke seemed to break and clear as the sky did likewise. Huh, it came out in shouts and this one completely cleared the skies around her? That one would probably put the pegasi out of business but she’d never abuse that! The pathway was much clearer now as she followed Angel toward the herd of critters. The good side to this was that she could see the animals were unharmed and running away from something. The bad? A larger than life dark scaled dragon was trying to barbecue them with fire and gobble them up for a snack! Fluttershy wasted no time in searching for a Shout that would aid her in downing the creature. She finally found one that would paralyze it, and noted it would work in conjunction with the Stare. “JOOR…ZAH FRUL!” she shouted and it whipped into the dragon and seemed to almost petrify it into inactivity, sending it crashing into the ground. It looked like a cold fire surrounded it as it was paralyzed on the ground for a few seconds at best. More than enough time for her to…kill it? Kill—no! Where did that come in? Was it the helmet, the armor…or she that was urging these thoughts on? The sword was already out of the sheath and rose to strike down the black scaled dragon and…absorb its soul? The knowledge of what she was began to take shape for Fluttershy, the most non-aggressive pony in modern Equestrian history: The Dragonborn was a defender of the weak and helpless, but used murder to accomplish its goals. The fact that its targets were vicious creatures and, from the knowledge that she had acquired from wearing the armor, corrupt and wicked individuals did little to temper her fears of the newfound power she had acquired. The sword she had equipped was already out and ready to strike, unknown to her. She had unconsciously drawn it and had been ready to strike, which scared her tremendously. As a result, she hesitated and stopped her hoof from lowering the sharp steel to bite into the black scales of the dragon. This act of mercy caused the dragon to shake out of the Shout’s effect, and glare at her as it began to rise. The dragon was glaring at her with a gaze that would normally petrify a pony. She countered with one to match it, no doubt The Stare plus the newfound power she felt was taking effect. The first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it was for those few seconds. It was ironic that the Everfree forest, the nosiest and most out of control forest in all of Equestria, was standing still for the two to duel. Then, at once, they lunged at each other. Bright gouts of green flame suddenly interrupted their duel as the dragon was tackled through the trees. It started to flee…toward Ponyville. The ally she had gotten took off after it while she looked at the animals that she had been defending. The animals were fine, thankfully. “Make sure they make it to safety. I’ll head for Ponyville.” Fluttershy said, as she hugged Angel for a safe passage. The bunny merely saluted her and began to lead the animals away from the area. Ponyville was a disaster area: sirens were screaming, ponies were running and several buildings were on fire. The black dragon began to swoop down and spurt fire on the village as ponies ran to and fro. “Get away from the village, get to the forest!” Fluttershy yelled as she ran into the village as the unknown aid kept racing at the black dragon. She saw a flash of green scales as it tried to lunge at the offending dragon. They clashed, with the black dragon pulling up after clawing her help to the ground. Fluttershy looked over her defender and nearly dropped the blade and shield when she figured out his identity. “Sp-Spike?!” She exclaimed in shock, looking him over for a moment at the deep gashes in his stomach. He had grown, seemingly overnight! He was just as tall and fearsome looking as the black scaled dragon, only his eyes were much softer and familiar. Clearly, something happened that morphed him into this size and ferocity. “Fluttershy...he is coming back.” He spoke in a gentle, deep voice that made Fluttershy snap out of her shock. Despite his large scales, fierce tail, teeth and flame he was still her friend and a wounded animal. The Dragonborn defended those that couldn’t defend themselves, right? She would do that! She grounded herself in front of Spike as the dragon began to swoop toward her, its razor sharp claws and mouth open to either burn them out of existence or leave a bloody mess on the ground. She calmed herself, seeing as it sought to swallow her whole and burn Spike and the rest of Ponyville. She found a Shout that would barrel into it with the force of a cannon’s shot, hopefully stopping its momentum. “FUS…RO…DAH!” she yelled as it got closer and the force of the dragon Shout barreled into the dragon and indeed stopped it’s momentum almost too well. In fact, it sent the dragon careening off it’s intended path and into a building behind them, utterly demolishing the building by making it practically implode. “That won’t stop it for long. Come on, let’s get you healed.” The Flutterpony said to Spike, starting to look over his wound as Zecora came racing over. “Fire and brimstone before my eyes/Fluttershy, are you in disguise?” she asked, as Fluttershy beamed at her. “N-no, not in disguise. I apparently got all this during the night, but that’s not important. Spike’s hurt, can you help me with him?” she asked, gesturing to the wounded Spike. “Dragons are not my forte, but I can make his wounds go away. I need help getting him out, for dragons are quite stout.” The zebra said before a very peculiar thing happened. Diamond Dogs, the same ones that Fluttershy saw shopping earlier, arrived on the scene and started lifting Spike. It was more like dragging him, but you get the idea! As they helped him away, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief at Spike getting medical attention. The debris from the building started to shift as the dragon got itself out. “Okay, buddy. Round 2.” She said, as she drew her sword and shield and raced at it. The sounds of its roar reached her ears, as did the roar of other dragons that would soon be there. No time like the present, she supposed. Though she could really use the help… Pinkie: That chapter was really hot! Eh, eh? Second Pinkie: -plays rimshot- Octavia: -facehoofs and groans- Just preview the next chapter. Pinkie: Alright, alright! Geez, some ponies have no sense of humor. What happens when a dragon awakens to unfamiliar surroundings? Does he go through dragon puberty, embrace his inner greed, or attempt to remain himself? Find out all these answers and more in Spike’s chapter! Pinkie: Oh, yes! I almost forgot it was Spike before Rarity…huh. Maybe this writing is getting to my head? No, that would be silly! Plus, it’s what the fans want! So, yeah, tune in next time~! Author's Note Finally, I finished this chapter! I do apologize, dear watchers and readers, but college completely wiped me of motivation to write on ANYTHING. Rest assured, the next chapter won't take a year! Yes, I am going Spike before Rarity to fit the story better. Thank you guys for the comments and putting up with my lag in chapters!
