September 30th, 2019
Sunday
Cloudy

Morning

play song

The air in the dining room was heavy that morning. Both because Pinkie Pie wasn’t there, and everyone knew where she actually was. The mere thought of what Fleur was doing to Pinkie Pie upset Starlight. She prayed that Pinkie Pie would be in school tomorrow.

But with their luck, Starlight almost expected her to be absent all week.

After finishing breakfast, Starlight went into the living room and sat down on the couch. She had enough mind to lie back down and get some more sleep. She probably would have too, if her phone hadn’t rung, showing Diamond Tiara’s number.

“Heya Starlight!” Diamond Tiara chirped once Starlight answered the phone, “If you’re busy, that’s fine, but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. Spoony has a spa appointment, and I really don’t want to be home right now.”

Starlight could feel the desperation in Diamond Tiara’s voice. Since she had Apsara of the Priestess Arcana, Starlight felt like she and Diamond Tiara could really connect today.

“Sure, let’s meet up,” Starlight said.

“Oh, thank you Starlight! I’ll see you at South Street!” Diamond Tiara cheered before hanging up to get ready. Well, it certainly beat spending the entire day stressing about Pinkie Pie.

Daytime

play song

Like last time, Starlight saw Diamond Tiara waiting for her on a bench in South Street. Apparently, she spent a lot of time here on Sundays, so it was a good place to run into her on the weekends. Oddly, when Starlight asked Diamond Tiara why Sundays and not Saturdays, she just somberly told her that those days were dedicated to other obligations.

Starlight seriously wondered if her friend was okay.

Ultimately though, Starlight didn’t want to stress about it right now, and Diamond Tiara wouldn’t let her anyway. Instead, she took Diamond Tiara into that fetish store Chains and Whips Central. Starlight felt her face turn bright red walking inside, but with Diamond Tiara beside her it was okay.

“Ooooh! Look at this~” Diamond Tiara said picking up a box for what appeared to be a stripper pole. Of course she’d gravitate toward that.

“So… any reason why you’re always trying to be a stripper?” Starlight just asked outright. Diamond Tiara laughed her loud “rich girl” laugh, which Rainbow Dash called the “Ojou-Sama laugh”.

“Because I like being sexy, what else?” Diamond Tiara asked, “One of the things my deadbeat Mother gave me was thankfully my good looks. Physical beauty doesn’t last, so I figure I might as well have fun with it while I can.”

That… made sense. On one hand, it did make Diamond Tiara seem shallow, but seeing it from her perspective, why wouldn’t you try to have fun while you could?

“Daddy doesn’t get that at all,” Diamond Tiara said, twirling her finger through her hair with a somewhat somber expression, “He acts like dressing provocatively is a problem, always complaining about how “teenagers don’t have any class anymore”. I mean, he’s not entirely wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with a girl showing a little skin here and there, or wanting to be sexy. If I ever wanted a boyfriend, I’d have a better shot at getting one by being a sexy girl with a great personality than a submissive nerd who doesn’t show any skin at all. You understand what I mean, right Starlight?”

“I do,” Starlight said looking at some of the items on the shelf, “I enjoy the attention I get from the boys at school, and on some level kind of thrive on it internally.”

“See? Someone who gets it!” Diamond Tiara said happily, “I knew I wasn’t crazy!”

As expected, today was a great day for them, and Starlight really felt like they connected. At random points, she almost felt Apsara manifest next to her and speak through her. If she didn’t know that Apsara was another personality within her, Starlight would have been spooked.

By the end of the day, Starlight felt like she understood Diamond Tiara a lot better. She felt like they’d become significantly closer soon.

October 1st, 2019
Monday
Rainy

Morning

play song

As Starlight approached the train station, she saw Trixie on the platform ahead of her. Starlight called out to her as she approached.

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said with a smile, “Looks like we’ll be heading to school together after all. The train’s running a bit late,” she sighed, “I was hoping to get to school early to search for Pinkie Pie.”

“Has anyone heard anything from her?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“According to Dash, she said she’d be at school. Honestly, that’s not all I’m concerned about though. I hope Pinkie Pie is still Pinkie Pie, you know?”

Starlight understood. She knew that Pinkie Pie was still alive, but was she the one in the driver seat of her body? Starlight prayed that she was.

Daytime

play song

Pinkie Pie was in class, thank God. However, something was seriously off about her. For one, she refused to make eye contact with Starlight or anyone in her coven. She seemed to even be dodging Celestia, and the look in her eyes just seemed off.

Starlight could barely concentrate in English class, her eyes stuck on Pinkie Pie. She seemed almost like she was under a spell of some sort.

Bulk Biceps must have noticed that Starlight’s head was elsewhere, because he called on her suddenly to answer a question about proper grammar. Thankfully this was Starlight’s best subject, so she answered correctly. She felt significantly smarter after answering correctly.

After School

Once class ended, both Starlight and Trixie shot up from their desks and walked over to Pinkie Pie.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said, “How are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie looked up at them and looked like she wanted to say something. Instead, she looked to the side somberly, but then nodded to them without a word. She then rose from her desk and pushed past them walking toward the door.

“Um, maybe we could still do something for your birthday,” Trixie suggested, “I bet we could talk Fleur into-”

play song

“Fleur and I already have plans on my birthday,” Pinkie Pie spoke suddenly, “After I sign the new contract, she and I are going to celebrate together.”

“You’re signing it on your birthday?” Starlight asked, “Have you seen it yet?”

“I have,” Pinkie Pie turned to them, that odd look in her eyes returning, “It’s going to give Fleur permission to guide my career a bit more directly.”

“In other words, she’ll be making all the decisions for you,” Trixie stated.

“Fleur’s my manager. She knows best,” Pinkie Pie defended.

“Do you really believe that, or is that just Fleur talking through you?” Trixie asked.

“Fleur’s looking out for me!” Pinkie Pie shouted angrily, “She’s smarter than I am when it comes to my career! She’s actually been in the business! So why wouldn’t I let her make those decisions for me?!”

“All I’m hearing is myself concerning Blueblood,” Trixie said, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but maybe you could-”

“You’re right, you don’t know what’s going on!” Pinkie Pie said, tears falling down her cheeks, “So do me and Fleur a favor and mind your own business!”

“Pinkie Pie, wait!” Trixie called out as Pinkie Pie stormed out of the classroom, pushing Rainbow Dash aside as she ran, “Damn it!”

“Does anyone know when Pinkie Pie’s birthday is?” Starlight asked.

“I do,” Rainbow Dash said walking in, “It’s October 3rd. Why?”

“Because that’s how long we have to rescue Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “Meaning Twilight needs to find Pinkie Pie’s final entry tonight.”

“Thankfully she’s almost there,” Celestia said walking over to them, “She told me herself. I hate it when she does this, but she’s actually pulling an all nighter to search.”

“Meaning she’s probably up right now,” Starlight reasoned, “Don’t worry, guys. We’ll make it in time.”

“I seriously hope so,” Trixie said, “This is cutting it way too close for me.”

“Same,” Rainbow Dash seethed, “That bitch is walking on thin ice as far as I’m concerned.”

Starlight nodded in agreement, and then turned to Celestia, who had a look of both sorrow and frustration on her face. She seemed to almost be taking this personally.

end song

Evening

After eating dinner, everyone chose to stay up and wait for Twilight. As they sat in the living room, Trixie paced back and forth by the stairs, Rainbow Dash leaned against a wall with her arms folded, and Celestia was sitting on the couch, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Starlight herself tried to stay calm, but this was really tense.

She thought back to when she saved Trixie. Was she on a deadline then too? Did she cut it this close then too? She almost prayed not. She also planned on ensuring that the next mission they took on didn’t get this bad. At least, as much as she could.

“I got it!” they heard Twilight cheer happily, before running downstairs with a folder, “I found Pinkie Pie’s last entry!”

play song

“You did?!” Trixie cried.

“Oh, wonderful, my student!” Celestia cheered, shooting up and pulling Twilight into a tight embrace, “I knew you could do it!”

“Uhh… thanks Ms. Tia,” Twilight said blushing, as her face was a bit close to Celestia’s bosom with how she was holding her, “I always strive to give an A plus performance.”

“So, what did you find?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They key was that place, Bob’s Burgers,” Twilight said sitting on the couch next to Starlight, “Apparently, she ended up being tricked into doing a promo for them. Just to confirm,” Twilight pulled out her phone and began searching the internet, “I know it’s there, now. I just watched- aha! There it is,” she pulled up a video and showed it to Trixie, “This was the commercial, right?”

Everyone gathered around Trixie to watch the commercial. It wasn’t much, but it did show Pinkie Pie’s character quite a bit. It looked like she was cut in through CGI, and they took some of her dialogue out of context, but it was definitely her.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Trixie said, “It was only up for a few short days, but that was clearly the commercial.”

“That’s what I thought,” Twilight said putting her phone away, “Pinkie Pie didn’t want to do that commercial. In fact, according to what I found, she specifically stated she didn’t want to be in a promo for that role.”

“Then how did she end up in that commercial?” Starlight asked.

“Simple, Hollywood did what Hollywood does,” Twilight shrugged, “They went behind her back, took advantage of her age and lack of experience, and did it anyway to make more money.”

“Now I remember when that happened,” Rainbow Dash said looking to the side, “She was really upset about that, and spent the entire day crying.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if Fleur had something to do with that,” Trixie sighed.

“That’s where things get interesting,” Twilight continued, “I couldn’t find evidence that Fleur manipulated that directly, but according to Pinkie Pie’s Akashic Records, Fleur saved Pinkie Pie.”

“She saved her?” Rainbow Dash, “Bullshit.”

“I want to say that too, believe me,” Twilight said opening her folder and pulling out the document inside, “After reading this though, even I’m not sure.”

play song

Since I was little, all I’ve ever wanted was to act.

Pretending to be different characters was my escape from how bleak my world actually was.

Growing up on my family’s homeland, everything was always the same. My future wasn’t a bright one in the slightest. At most, I could expect to marry someone I didn’t love, have a few kids, grow old, and then die.

What kind of life is that? That’s not living! That’s just existing!

When I met my Godmother, Fleur de Lis, she convinced me to pursue my dream. She said “life is too short to not give it your all. Even if you fail, at least you lived.”

She was so cool to me! Mom told me that they had been friends for so long, and that if anything were to happen to her, Fleur would take care of me. I even heard Mom tell Fleur once to ensure that my dream came true.

I love both my mother and my Godmother so much.

When my Mother died, Fleur immediately took charge. She said I’d never have to worry about anything, so long as I trusted her. At first, being a professional actress was scary, but Fleur was with me the whole way, cheering me on, pushing me to always give it my all. All I had to do was trust her, and everything would be perfect.

The one time I chose to do something she and I didn’t agree on, I regretted it immediately.

It was the role of a lifetime! The Forgotten Princess was getting a movie, and they wanted me to play the starring role! She was my favorite character growing up, and I could actually bring her to life? This was straight out of a fairy tale!

Who knows? Maybe one day I could play Sailor Moon on the big screen too.

Sadly, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. I said that I didn’t want to be in a promotion. So why was I suddenly on a Bob’s Burgers commercial? I didn’t agree to that! I did that role because I wanted to, not because I wanted to make money!

I didn’t know what to do! I enjoyed doing the movie, and I loved the role, but the Studio that produced it turned me into a product anyway! How do I get out of this?! What if they make me do more commercials?! What if they turn me into a walking advertisement?!

Someone! Anyone! HELP ME!

Fleur stepped in just in time. She said that if they didn’t pull the commercial, she’d sue them for millions of dollars. She looked so amazing. In that moment, she was my hero. But she then told me that this, as sad as it is, just how the business is. I told her that I’d let her handle all of those decisions, and from now on, I’d always trust her.

In hindsight, that might not have been a wise decision either…

Fleur’s completely taken charge now. It’s okay, for the most part. I mean, she knows the business better than I do. She said that sometimes I’d have to put up with things I hate in order to stay in the business. She began pushing the bar, using her connections to get me jobs that make me a bit uncomfortable. But whenever I tell her, she asks me the same question.

"Don't you trust me, Pinkamena?”

I do, but… this isn’t the way I wanted my dream to go! I don’t want this! I feel… trapped…!

Every night, I have the same dream over and over again. In it, I’m a princess like Victoria, but Fleur’s there as my advisor. Things were perfect at first, but after a while, Fleur started making all of the decisions for me. The guards were under her control now, and would do whatever they wanted to me.

I’d beg Fleur to make them stop, but she’d just insist that this was better for the kingdom. That I was helping to keep the morale of the guards high.

Even the villagers got in on it a few times.

I’m less of a Princess, and more like a slave! No matter where I go, my voice isn’t heard! I barely even have control over my own body! And soon, once that contract is signed, I’ll completely disappear…!

My story… is over…!

end song

“That’s the final entry in her Akashic Records,” Twilight said somberly, putting the document back in the folder.

“It sounds to me like Pinkie Pie doesn’t know what to think herself,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “She’s trapped between two extremes. On one hand, Fleur is helping with her career. On the other hand though, it looks like even she can see Fleur’s taking advantage of her.”

“Give people an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” Rainbow Dash said, “Damn that Fleur, using Pinkie Pie’s lack of experience to do what she wants!”

“But what I want to know is, why?” Trixie asked, “Something about this doesn’t add up. It seemed like Fleur was genuinely helping Pinkie Pie, but based on what we’re seeing in her Dungeon.”

“Hey Leader, what’s your take on this?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Starlight folded her arms thinking about what she just heard. True, it sounded like Fleur was genuinely helping Pinkie Pie, but the idealized image Pinkie Pie saw didn’t match up with how Fleur’s Shadow seemed to carry herself. Then there was that castle, and how Pinkie Pie seemed to genuinely be treated like a prisoner there.

Almost like the Royal Advisor usurped the throne.

play song

“Fleur’s using Pinkie Pie,” Starlight stated, “Remember how her Shadow behaved in the dream. It seems like she’s trying to slowly take control of the kingdom. If that kingdom represents Pinkie Pie’s career…”

“Then it would make sense for Fleur to be doing the same thing in Pinkie Pie’s real life,” Twilight finished, “Yeah, I hate to say it, but that makes the most sense here.”

“Starlight, remember what Silver Spoon told us about Fleur?” Trixie asked, “That she was a has been who didn’t make the cut?” Starlight nodded, “What if that’s the reason Fleur’s taking control of Pinkie Pie’s career? Living vicariously through Pinkie Pie!”

“Damn, that makes way too much sense!” Rainbow Dash added, “Notice how she keeps calling Pinkie Pie “her Pinkamena”? She seems more like she’s carrying Pinkie Pie around like an accessory!”

“And that even goes along with how Fleur’s Shadow kept Pinkie Pie in chains that one time, and used that collar to keep her from speaking!” Trixie added, “She’s using her as a means to an end!”

“Pinkie Pie mentioned a contract. Do any of you know what that is?” Twilight asked. Starlight explained to Twilight what Pinkie Pie said, making the nocturnal teen’s eyes widen, “That’s bad! If she signs that in the real world, it’ll play itself out in her Dungeon as Pinkie Pie losing all control of herself! She might even die the night after!”

“We can’t let that happen!” Rainbow Dash said urgently, “Ms. Tia, can we do it now? Can we tell Pinkie Pie what’s going on in her Dungeon?!”

“Absolutely!” Celestia said, “We know the whole story now. All we need to do is give Pinkie Pie enough hope that her destiny isn’t set in stone.”

“Then tomorrow, we let Pinkie Pie know that magic is real,” Starlight said standing up, “This is only the second Dungeon I’ve ever entered, but so far I haven’t failed yet. I’m not losing Pinkie Pie to this!”

“I might not be able to do much, but I’m right there with you,” Twilight said standing up too, “When I joined the Kirijo Corporation, I swore to protect the people from Shadows with everything I have.”

“Pinkie Pie’s like me,” Trixie said, “She’s trapped in a prison of her own making. As someone who escaped hers, I’ll make her realize that she has the key to her cell.”

“I don’t have any of the experience you guys have,” Rainbow Dash said, “But I’m Pinkie Pie’s knight. It’s my duty to protect my princess no matter what. So yeah, let’s do this!”

Starlight held her hand in the middle, and all three of her teammates put their hands on top of hers. Even Twilight, shockingly enough. Like she said, she hadn’t failed yet. She wasn’t going to fail this time either.

Magic was real. It was time that Pinkie Pie learned that herself.

end song

October 2nd, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Daytime

Now came the tough part. Convincing Pinkie Pie to meet up with them. As usual, Pinkie Pie seemed to be avoiding them. In order to get to her, they’d have to talk to her directly. If they couldn’t get even a second with her, their plan was shot.

After English, Pinkie Pie shot up from her desk and rushed toward the door. Not this time, Starlight though.

“Pinkie Pie!” Starlight shouted running after her. Immediately she grabbed her arm stopping her, “Pinkie Pie, we need to talk.”

“I can’t talk right now…” Pinkie Pie said trembling, “I… I can’t be late for-”

play song

Starlight pushed Pinkie Pie up against a wall and cornered her, “Pinkie Pie, this is ridiculous! I’m your friend, but you’re acting like you’re afraid of me! Trixie and Rainbow Dash too! What’s going on, Pinkie Pie? What aren’t you saying to us?”

“I…” like before, Pinkie Pie’s voice seemed to vanish all of a sudden. Her eyes went wide for a second, but she then pressed herself against the wall, trembling. Starlight looked at Pinkie Pie intently, and saw her dream self before her, and she was wearing the collar.

It’s just like with Trixie. She literally can’t talk right now…

“Use your phone,” Starlight said softly, surprising Pinkie Pie, “You can text it to me.”

Pinkie Pie averted her eyes unsure, but she quickly pulled out her phone and began typing out a text before sending it to Starlight’s phone.

Fleur doesn’t want me around anyone at the dorm anymore!

“So that’s it,” Starlight said darkly, “It’s just as I thought,” she noticed that Pinkie Pie had started crying, her sobs silent yet intense, “Pinkie Pie, I’m your friend. You know that, right?” Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously, “Alright, I need you to do something for me. After school, come to the roof. There, I want you to tell me everything.”

“Fleur wants me to-”

“I don’t care what she wants right now. This is extremely important. I know you’re suffering from the Nightmare Epidemic, and I want to help you, but I can’t unless you do this for me.”

“B-but… I…”

“Don’t you trust me, Pinkie Pie?”

The way Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened said it all. Those words reached her. For a second, it looked like she was fighting with herself, but eventually she nodded and sent another text.

I’ll be there. Promise.

Starlight smiled at Pinkie Pie and caressed her cheek to comfort her. She then leaned in close to her ear and whispered the same words she whispered to Trixie.

end song

“The nightmare is almost over.”

Just like with Trixie, Pinkie Pie froze in a way that suggested she almost understood what she meant. Starlight chose that moment to walk off, letting herself become more of her witch self in the real world. She enjoyed letting herself out a bit more.

Starlight the student was fine and all, but she definitely preferred Starlight the witch.

Starlight said “the nightmare was almost over”, and she had been seeing Starlight quite a bit in her dreams as of late. Not just her, but Trixie and Dashie too. They were all dressed differently, more like anime characters.

And just now, for a split second, Starlight looked like she was wearing that same outfit.

Pinkie Pie placed a hand on her chest, looking down and trying to process what just happened. Did she know that using her phone would work? Ever since Fleur put that weird collar around her neck in the dream, whenever she spoke to her friends about anything concerning her situation, her voice gave out. Did Starlight know about that? Did she know that the phone would work? But in order for her to know about that, she’d have to be…

It’s not possible, is it…?

Starlight said she wanted to become a witch… and the way she dresses in my dream…

Could she… actually be…?

Pinkie Pie thought about what Starlight asked her to do. She needed answers. She needed to understand what was going on, and something told her that Starlight knew. Yeah, Fleur might not like it, but she had to make it to the roof. After tomorrow, she might not get the chance to ever seen them again on her terms.

She needed to live for one more day.

After School

In the end, Starlight felt it would be better for everyone to be there. As such, when she went up to the roof, she had Trixie and Rainbow Dash beside her. This almost felt like an intervention. In a way, it kind of was when Starlight thought about it.

“So… we’re actually doing this, huh?” Trixie asked, her back against the fence and her arms folded, “If anyone’s getting cold feet, now’s the time to bail out.”

“Fuck that,” Rainbow Dash said, sitting on the floor on Starlight’s other side, “I wanted to do this ages ago,” she looked up at Starlight, who like last time was looking out at the city, “Hey Leader, what happens if we don’t pull this off?”

“If we don’t succeed tonight, then Pinkie Pie will die,” Starlight said, trying to hide the fear in her voice, “We only get one shot at this.”

“No pressure, right?” Trixie asked, “Well, I know that with Starlight leading us, we can’t fail.”

“Yeah, I have faith in you too,” Rainbow Dash said confidently, “We can do this.”

Pinkie Pie stepped outside, closed the door behind her, and then gave all three of them a sweet smile. One that said “I made it.”

Starlight took a deep breath before turning to Pinkie Pie, “Thank you for coming, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “I’m sorry this is so odd, but we need to tell you something. First though, understand that we’re going to ask you some difficult questions. If you need to type your answers, you can, alright?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, and pulled out her phone, walking over to them.

play song

“You said earlier that Fleur doesn’t want you around us anymore,” Starlight said, “What did you mean by that?”

Pinkie Pie looked down somberly and began typing a text on her phone, sending it to all three of their phones.

Fleur hates Ms. Tia. She says that she’s a bad influence on me, and that you’re all poisoned by her.

“Seriously? She thinks Ms. Tia is a bad influence?” Trixie asked, “Um, my grade point average would like to have a word with Fleur.”

“That woman’s a saint,” Rainbow Dash said, “Yeah, she dresses odd, but anyone who doesn’t like Ms. Tia is insane.”

Pinkie Pie nodded quickly and began typing another message.

That’s what I said too! I tried telling her that Ms. Tia is a great teacher, and that all of the students adore her, but Fleur refused to hear it! She said that if I stay at the Starswirl Dorm, I’ll become poisoned too!

“You don’t think that, do you?” Starlight asked. Pinkie Pie shook her head and sent another message before breaking down completely.

I don’t! Really! I love you guys so much! I don’t want to spend my birthday with Fleur, I want to spend it with you three, my cousin, and Ms. Tia!

“They why don’t you just do that?” Rainbow Dash said, rising up and taking Pinkie Pie’s hand gently, “You’re in control, not her. Why don’t you just do what you want to do?”

Pinkie Pie averted her eyes briefly, but began typing another message.

Because I don’t make good decisions! I make terrible decisions by myself! Fleur told me not to trust the company that was producing The Forgotten Princess, but I did it anyway, and look how that turned out!

“Oh Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said wrapping her arms around Pinkie Pie, “Who told you that you made terrible decisions? Was it Fleur who drilled that into you?”

Pinkie Pie winced before typing her response.

Not in so many words, but she told me that she’d handle all of those decisions for me so I wouldn’t have to. She said that if I trust her first and foremost, I’ll be safe in the industry.

“Hence this new contract? What’s on there, anyway?” Trixie asked.

I don’t remember it all word for word, but it basically gives Fleur absolute control over my career. Where I work, how much money I get paid, and she’d be the one to handle all legal issues for me.

“But that would mean you wouldn’t get a say in what happens at all,” Starlight said, “You’d just be her doll to play with as she sees fit. You see that, don’t you?”

Pinkie Pie, like before, fought with herself internally, but then nodded before typing another text.

I see your point, Starlight. You’re right, and I know you’re right. But I… I don’t know how to explain it, but I don’t have a choice anymore. When Fleur asks me to sign that new contract, I know I’m going to.

That was it. That was their opening. She looked to both her teammates, and silently asked them if they were on the same page. Both of them nodded in agreement.

end song

“It’s because of what’s going on in that castle, right?” Starlight asked, “That collar she put on you is taking your freedom away even now, isn’t it?”

Pinkie Pie didn’t text anything. She just slowly raised her head, looking at Starlight both in awe and terror at the same time.

“What, surprised?” Trixie asked, “You’ve seen us there a few times. Back in that fortress first. We saved you from that tree monster, and again in the village. That was where we saw the collar.”

“Don’t you remember, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash held Pinkie Pie close, caressing her cheek and gazing into her eyes, “I rescued you a bunch of times by myself before I ran into these two in your dream. After that, you started seeing me dressed like a knight, right?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes began to water, but she quickly pulled out her phone and began typing on it.

How are you doing this? What are you?

play song

“That’s easy,” Starlight said, she and Trixie walking over to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, “We’re witches.”

“Through these rings, the three of us can use magic to enter peoples dreams and fight what we call “Shadows”,” Trixie and Starlight both held up their hands and showed their Channeling Rings, “Trust me, I know it’s hard to believe. Starlight did the same for me too when I had a Dungeon.”

Pinkie Pie looked down at Rainbow Dash’s hand, and gave a silent gasp when she saw her Channeling Ring. She then typed another message.

What’s a Dungeon?

“It’s what the Nightmare Epidemic really is,” Rainbow Dash explained, “The people who’ve died are trapped in their nightmares, just like you are right now. Eventually, when a person dies in their dream, they die in the real world too.”

“But you’re not going to die,” Starlight said placing a hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, “Because tonight, the three of us are going into your dream and rescuing you.”

“Magic is real, Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said, “We’ll prove it to you by putting on a show you won’t forget.”

“I told you that I was your knight, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, “Don’t worry. I’m coming to rescue you.”

Pinkie Pie looked like she wanted to believe, but she quickly shook her head and began typing another text.

No! You can’t come in there! Fleur’s expecting you to try something! She’s done something weird to the castle! And I know that if you try to save me, you’ll die Dashie! I don’t want you to die!

“I don’t want you to die either!” Rainbow Dash said, “It’s a knight’s duty to protect their Princess! If I can’t do that, if I can’t save you, then I will die! I love you too much to lose you, Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie Pie was blushing at Rainbow Dash’s words. After the longest few seconds of their lives, Pinkie Pie shocked everyone by pulling Rainbow Dash into a deep and loving kiss. At the same time, Starlight suddenly saw both of them dressed in their dream attire, which only enhanced how romantic the scene looked.

The Princess and her Knight, together once more.

“Wait for me, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said, still in her knight attire, “I’ll save you. I promise.”

It looked like Pinkie Pie wanted to say something so badly, but instead just nodded and embraced Rainbow Dash. Starlight took a deep breath to control her nerves, but felt a bit flushed as Trixie wrapped an arm around her.

“We can do this, Starlight,” she said softly, “I’ll be right there beside you.”

Starlight nodded, fighting the urge to pull Trixie in and kiss her just as deeply. Tonight was a big night. They only had one chance to win this.

They had to succeed. For both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s sake.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

That night when Starlight entered the Akashic Records, she called a meeting briefly to discuss the rescue. After all, there was one issue they still had to deal with.

“How are we going to navigate through the castle?” Trixie asked, “If we can’t get to Pinkie Pie, we’re not rescuing her.”

“I assume the castle won’t be too much of an issue this time,” Twilight said, “That place is connected to Pinkie Pie’s cognition ultimately. So since she’s not as confused anymore, the castle shouldn’t be as confusing either.”

“And if you’re wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Pray that I’m not,” was all Twilight could say to that. Starlight took a deep breath and rose from her chair.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let’s get moving. Pinkie Pie is counting on us,”

Everyone nodded and followed Starlight to the Checkpoint.

“The spells broken!” they heard one guard shout from outside of the throne room, “Guard the Princess’ chambers! Don’t let those witches get to it!”

“Looks like you were right, Twi-Twi,” Trixie said affectionately.

“Of course I was right. I know a thing or two about cognition. And again, Twilight!”

“We’re going to have to fight a few Shadows on the way,” Starlight said, “Everyone, brace yourselves. Don’t worry about staying hidden! Just plow through!”

Everyone nodded to Starlight and followed her through the castle. It didn’t take long before they were ambushed by three Shadows standing in their way.

“Don’t even think about it, witches! We won’t let you capture the Princess!” the Shadow in the middle said.

“Wait, we’re capturing Pinkie Pie?! You assholes are the ones keeping her prisoner!” Rainbow Dash said.

“We can’t waste too much time here! Remember, if Pinkie Pie wakes up before we get to her, she’s dead!” Twilight said.

“Any ideas, Twi-Twi?” Trixie asked getting a card ready.

“It’s risky, but if the three of you split up and take different paths, we’ll split them up too! I have the entire castle map on my computer, so I can guide you all to Pinkie Pie’s room!”

“Good thinking, Twilight! Everyone, split up! We’ll meet at Pinkie Pie’s room!” Starlight commanded.

“Got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash said running down the right hall.

“Be careful, Starlight,” Trixie urged squeezing Starlight’s hand.

“You too, Trixie,” Starlight said, returning the gesture before Trixie ran down the left hall. Two of the Shadows followed them, leaving Starlight with just one opponent, who revealed itself to be a humanoid Shadow with purple skin, wearing orange clothing, a scroll hanging from it’s neck, a white mask with a sharp nose and no eyes, and large black wings on its back.

“This target’s name is Koppa Tengu!” Twilight said, “After taking it out, head straight down that hall, and take a left at the next corner!”

Starlight nodded and held up her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!”

Morgana manifested next to Starlight and rushed at the winged Shadow. The two fought close quarter for a bit, until Koppa Tengu flew up in the air and charged up a Garu Spell.

Shit! Just Starlight’s luck!

When the spell hit, both Starlight and Morgana rolled in separate directions out of the way. Starlight willed Morgana to cast Bufu on the Shadow, which apparently was it’s weakness as it fell to the ground.

Starlight held her scythe behind her and pulled the trigger on it, propelling herself forward toward the Shadow. She then spun in mid air slicing through the Shadow as she flew over it, landing perfectly on her feet. She wasted no time running on ahead.

“I see her! She’s over there!” another Shadow called out. She looked down the right pathway and saw four more Shadows running toward her. No time, Starlight thought as she pressed on down the left path.

Trixie found herself back in the dining hall, which suited her just fine as the room was big and there were quite a number of Shadows chasing her. This time though, she had enough room to maneuver around them though.

She ran toward the table and held up a chair to block a Shadow knight’s sword. She pushed him off her with the chair, and quickly put the chair down, only to find herself sitting in it and using a plate to block another Shadow’s attack.

“Good thing I watched that movie last night!” Trixie said, thinking of the fight scene she saw toward the climax that also took place in the dining hall. She did what the main character did, kicking the Shadow off her and rolling backward onto the table.

Another Shadow raised its sword to attack her. She gave a slightly shrill scream before rolling out of the way just in time. She then kicked to her feet and ran toward the door, jumping over their blades and throwing just about everything she could at the Shadows chasing her. They must have been getting impatient, as two of the Shadows began writhing before shifting into Jack Frosts. They charged up their magic, throwing Bufu spells at Trixie, who jumped on the chandelier above her and hung on it, swinging toward the door.

She let go and flipped in the air, throwing two cards at the Shadows at the same time knocking them off balance. When she landed, the last Shadow stood in front of her and transformed into a Nue. She held her hands forward, and fired a barrage of cards out of her sleeves, eventually knocking it on its back.

“Once you get out of there, go right! That will take you down a short cut toward Pinkie Pie’s room!”

“Thanks! Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora and casting Maragi on the Shadows surrounding her, killing all of them instantly, “Hang on for just a little longer, Pinkie Pie! We will save you!”

Trixie ran down the hall, hoping she could reach Starlight and Rainbow Dash soon.

Rainbow Dash had managed to slice through most of her opponents before they could even take on their true forms, and thanks to Twilight’s guidance she knew she was probably the closest to Pinkie Pie’s room at the moment. Unfortunately, she got stuck in the barracks as an Apsaras as Makami held her up.

The Apsaras flew toward Rainbow Dash, and raised her leg for a drop kick. Rainbow Dash held up her sword to block the attack, but saw Makami charging up what looked like a Nuclear spell.

“Damn it! I don’t have time to play with you!” Rainbow Dash shouted pushing Apsaras off her. She managed to roll to the side away from the Frei spell, and then readied her Channeling Ring, “Come forth, Eclair Farron!”

Rainbow Dash’s Persona appeared in front of her with her blade ready. Instead of slashing at them though, she held her sword forward like a gun and began firing at the two Shadows, knocking them back to the ground. Eclair then held up her blade, casting Mazio on all of the Shadows, dispersing them. Just as she reached the door, another Shadow kicked through, turning into another Kappa Tengu.

“I said, GET OUT OF MY GODDAMN WAY!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, electricity coursing through her body. She rushed at the Shadow screaming in rage, slashed at the Shadow a few times with her broad sword, and then sliced through it, quickly sheathing her sword causing the enemy to explode behind her.

“Twilight, where am I going now?!” Rainbow Dash asked rushing down the hall.

“Hold on, I was guiding Starlight, so I need to track you down again. And… good! Just keep heading straight! Trixie and Starlight are almost there too, so you three should arrive around the same time!”

“Thanks, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said, continuing her sprint through the castle. Twilight might have hated being mission control, but she was definitely good at it.

Starlight and Trixie found each other first, and the two of them made it to Pinkie Pie’s room just as Rainbow Dash arrived.

“Good, we made it! How much time do you think we have?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.

“It’s currently twelve in the morning, so you still have time, but we need to seriously wrap this up.”

“Pinkie Pie’s in here, right?” Starlight asked.

“She is, but for some reason she’s not moving.”

“That’s concerning,” Trixie said, “Let’s hurry and get inside.”

end song

The three of them pushed through the door, which lead to a sort of fancy looking bedroom. Lying on the bed was Pinkie Pie. Her wrists were shackled together still in golden chains, she was wearing that collar around her neck, but the most concerning thing…

She was unconscious.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash ran over to her and began shaking her awake, oddly to no avail, “Pinkie Pie, we’re here! Please, wake up! Pinkie Pie!”

“Twilight, what’s going on here?” Starlight asked nervously.

“That’s clearly Pinkie Pie, but she seems to be under some sort of spell. I’m afraid that unless we can wake her up here, we can’t get her out of this Dungeon.”

play song

“What?! Why not?!” Trixie asked.

"It wouldn’t register in her mind. Right now, to her she’s in a state of dreamless sleep more than likely,” Twilight explained.

“How do we wake her up?!” Rainbow Dash asked frantically, “Please, Twilight! You have to know what to do!”

“I’m sorry, but… I don’t,” Twilight said reluctantly, “I don’t know if this has ever happened before…”

“This must be why Pinkie Pie was in that weird daze back at the dorm, and how she’s able to be controlled in the real world,” Starlight reasoned.

“DAMN YOU, FLEUR!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, “I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!”

“Rainbow Dash...” Twilight said somberly as Rainbow Dash broke down before Pinkie Pie’s bedside. Trixie lowered her hat over her eyes, and was trembling in rage herself. Starlight had no idea what to do in this situation. They were running out of time too, meaning they couldn’t afford to leave her here to find a solution. They needed to do something now, or else…

I see a chariot in your immediate path. Once you gain the aid of this chariot, the path will open to you.

Igor’s words echoed in Starlight’s mind. He said that without the aid of the chariot, they wouldn’t be able to rescue Pinkie Pie. Was this why? Sure, Pinkie Pie’s dream seemed to mirror that of a fairy tale, but… would that work in this context? She looked at both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and suddenly came to a startling realization. This wasn’t just Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. In fact, from the moment this started, it seemed that Rainbow Dash’s fate was intertwined with Pinkie Pie’s.

This was both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s Dungeon…

end song

“Dash, I know what we need to do,” Starlight said, “You need to kiss Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow Dash calmed down a bit and turned to Starlight confused, “Wait, what?”

“How is that going to-” Twilight cut herself off, “Wait a second… I see it. Yes, Starlight’s right. That probably would break the spell.”

“Igor told us that until we found The Chariot, we wouldn’t be able to rescue Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “You’re Persona is of the Chariot Arcana, and you were the one keeping Pinkie Pie safe from the beginning. Also, you’re her knight. Isn’t this how those stories usually end?”

“What have we got to lose, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked, “If what Igor said is true, then it all fits.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie, and gently caressed her cheek, “You said that you didn’t need to wait for your prince charming, because you had me,” she said softly, “Well then, time to wake up, my Princess.”

Rainbow Dash leaned in slowly, and gently pressed her lips against Pinkie Pie’s, causing a bright light to engulf both of them. A second later, Pinkie Pie’s eyes fluttered open. When she saw Rainbow Dash over her, she gasped in shock.

play song

“Rise and shine, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said smiling, helping Pinkie Pie sit up “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Pinkie Pie teared up, her eyes never leaving Rainbow Dash’s, and then fell into her embrace. Thanks to the collar she was still silenced, but her expression said it all. She was both in disbelief, but also overjoyed that they kept their promise.

“I told you the nightmare was almost over, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, she and Trixie walking over to them.

“According to the Shadows, we’re here to kidnap you,” Trixie said rubbing her nose with a huge grin, “Hope you don’t mind.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head smiling, and then rose up. She then looked down at her wrists in sadness, and then touched the collar around her neck, sighing hopelessly.

“Sadly we can’t do anything about that until we get you out of here,” Twilight said, her wisp appearing before them again, “I know it’s frustrating, but it’ll all be over soon.”

Apparently Pinkie Pie could now hear Twilight, since she looked a bit confused for a second, but then nodded in understanding.

play song

“So, how are we going to get her out of here?” Trixie asked, “She doesn’t have a Persona, so taking a Checkpoint is out, and the exit’s all the way back through the forest.”

“If we have to walk, we’re not going to make it in time,” Twilight said, “God, it’s just one obstacle after another with this Dungeon!”

Pinkie Pie looked down thoughtfully, but then smiled happily. She then pulled on Rainbow Dash’s arm to get her attention.

“You have an idea?” Rainbow Dash asked. Pinkie Pie nodded, and then began pulling Rainbow Dash toward the door in a manner that said “follow me”. “Alright, lead the way, Your Highness.”

Thankfully her ankles weren’t shackled together, so she could still run. She still had to raise her gown a bit as to not trip though as she guided Starlight’s team through the castle. The sight was something straight out of a fairy tale, which was something Starlight was really beginning to enjoy. She wasn’t sure if she’d tell everyone else this, but she this was actually kind of fun.

Pinkie Pie guided them to where the chariots were held. There they saw the same chariot that Fleur used before, a black horse with red eyes already hooked to it.

“Good thinking!” Rainbow Dash said, picking Pinkie Pie up and spinning around, “Whether here or in the real world, you’re just as resourceful!”

“Hurry! Before the Calvary shows up!” Trixie urged.

play song

“It’s a bit too late, Sorcière,” Shadow Fleur said. Before them, a black hole appeared and Shadow Fleur stepped out, “I can’t allow you to take the Princesse.”

“I’d love to see you try to stop us!” Rainbow Dash said standing before Pinke Pie in defense, “Pinkie Pie is coming with us!”

“Non non non, I’m afraid that isn’t how this story ends,” Shadow Fleur said straightening her glasses, “Pinkamena is my key to success. I can’t just let her leave the kingdom.”

“So you finally admit it,” Trixie seethed readying a card, “You were just using Pinkie Pie so you could get back in the business!”

Shadow Fleur laughed, “Oh, foolish enfant, you’re so determined to see me as the villain you can’t see the truth! I am helping Pinkamena. Helping to ensure she doesn’t fuck it up for both of us.”

“What…?” Starlight asked.

“In show business, one wrong move will cost you everything. I learned that the hard way. Even still, I supported Pinkamena in her endeavor, since I saw it as a means of making up for my mistake. Pinkamena has the makings to be a star, even bigger than I ever was,” Shadow Fleur narrowed her eyes, “Yet she treats acting and modeling like it’s a game! Giving money to charities, taking on roles that don’t take full advantage of all of her gifts, Pinkamena has no idea that she has an entire Kingdom’s worth of talent! So since she won’t make the right decisions, the only solution is for me to do the thinking for her!”

Pinkie Pie looked down in shame at her words.

“Oh fuck you!” Rainbow Dash spat, “You’re upset that Pinkie Pie doesn’t go about things like you did?! You get more pathetic every second!”

Shadow Fleur scowled at Rainbow Dash, “W-what?!”

“Ever think that maybe that’s a good thing?” Trixie asked, “No offense, but you weren’t exactly the most successful person in show business either.”

“NON!!! IT WASN’T MY FAULT!!!” Shadow Fleur screamed, tears of rage falling from her eyes, “THOSE IDIOTS WOULDN’T KNOW TALENT IF IT SLAPPED THEM IN THE FACE!!!” she gave a chilling laugh, “But with Pinkamena, I’ll show them! Once I finish grooming her into the perfect celebrity, everyone will see that I, Fleur de Lis, was truly a genius!” she held out her hand, “Now viens, Pinkamena! Leave those enfants and return to my side!”

Pinkie Pie hid behind Rainbow Dash and looked to the ground, a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Don’t you trust me, Pinkamena?” Shadow Fleur asked gently, “I’ll never lead you astray, you know that, don’t you?”

“Think about what happened at school, Pinkie Pie!” Starlight said, catching her attention, “Who are you going to trust more? The woman who put you in this situation, or the friends who came to get you out?”

Starlight’s words seemed to reach Pinkie Pie, because she responded by shaking her head at Fleur and holding onto Rainbow Dash’s arm as tightly as she could.

“Pinkamena… you can’t be serious…” Shadow Fleur said in disbelief, “You would… choose them over… me?”

“Pinkie Pie is her own person, meaning she’s free to make her own decisions!” Trixie said tightening her fist, “You’re just like Blueblood…! Taking advantage of someone else because you can’t face how disgusting you are on the inside…! I hate people like you!”

“Around you, or through you, it’s all the same to me!” Rainbow Dash said, holding her sword forward, “Either way, I’m not letting you take advantage of Pinkie Pie anymore!”

Shadow Fleur looked down, laughing softly to herself. Her chilling laugh soon became loud and maniacal, a crazed expression appeared on her face as a black aura engulfed her, “Go though me?! Oh you foolish chevalier! Don’t you remember?! I’M INTOUCHABLE!!!”

She screamed in rage as was engulfed in darkness, forcing Starlight and her friends to cover their eyes. When they looked where Fleur was, they saw a truly grotesque sight. She had become what looked like a large demonic bird, but it’s entire body was just a skeleton. It wore tattered robes, and had demonic red eyes. The gigantic bird based Shadow landed in front of them and gave a loud, enraged screech.

Pinkie Pie looked at Shadow Fleur’s terrifying new form, but then closed her eyes in fear holding onto Rainbow Dash’s jacket tightly.

“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie. I promised I’d get you out of here, and I don’t ever go back on my word,” Rainbow Dash said softly, “Leader, Trixie, you two ready for this?!”

“This is what I’ve been waiting for!” Trixie said, she and Starlight getting in their fighting stances, “Let’s end this!”

play song

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE!!!” Shadow Fleur screamed flying toward them as if to tackle them. The four of them scattered, causing her to fly into a wall, shattering it.

“We can’t actually hurt her!” Twilight cried, “Get in the chariot and get Pinkie Pie to the exit! Maybe if we get her to the door, we won’t have to worry about Fleur!”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash pulled Pinkie Pie toward the chariot and lifted her onto the seat behind the horse before sitting next to her, “Hey, could you two keep her off us?”

“I think we can manage that!” Trixie said, she and Starlight running onto the chariot and jumping on the roof. Rainbow Dash took the reins and ordered the horse to go, and it took off at high speed. Starlight was thankful this was just a dream, otherwise this wouldn’t have worked at all.

“GET BACK HERE!!!” Shadow Fleur shouted. Behind them, the castle walls exploded, and Fleur flew after their chariot. Seeing her in the distance flying after them was truly terrifying, especially with her keeping up with them as they rode through the village.

“SHIKI-OUJI!” Starlight shouted switching Personas. She willed Shiki-Ouji to hold out his arms, and he began firing at Shadow Fleur with his gun based spells. The attacks seemed to at least distract her if her bird like screech was anything to go by, but she didn’t seem to be taking any damage.

“Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora and casting Sukukaja on Starlight, and then firing Agi spells at the demonic bird. Shadow Fleur took those attacks head on, but then flew into the air above them and charged up a powerful looking spell. She spread her wings giving another loud screech, and then ground around them began exploding.

“WHOA!!!” Rainbow Dash cried trying to dodge the attacks, “You two okay back there?”

“We’re fine! What about you and Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked.

“Pinkie Pie’s okay, a bit shaken up though,” Rainbow Dash said turning to her charge, “Just hang on, okay Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, holding onto Rainbow Dash as tightly as she could.

Shadow Fleur flew down next to the chariot, and looked like she was about to start pecking at it.

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, switching back to her default Persona. She and Elenora both kicked Fleur back, and then threw Ice and Fire magic at Fleur as she flew around them. Thankfully they managed to get into the forest.

“I think you’re about a third of the way to the exit!” Twilight said, “Be careful going through the trees!”

“I’ve played enough video games with this exact same scenario to know what to do!” Rainbow Dash said, “Just keep attacking her when she gets close!”

“If I were watching this on a movie, this would be a great climax!” Trixie said summoning Elenora again, “Living it is another story though!”

She threw another barrage of fireballs at the Shadow, but she was too fast to hit, and now she was using the trees as a means of blocking their attacks.

“Leave it to me!” Starlight said, summoning Morgana and casting Sukunda on the flying Shadow, which seemed to slow her down a good deal, “That should help on two fronts!”

“I’m seeing the cabin up ahead!” Rainbow Dash called back, “That’s the halfway point!”

“You won’t get any further!” Shadow Fleur shouted, flying overhead and charging up another spell. This time large lightning bolts rained down on top of them. Rainbow Dash managed to dodge most of them, but the last one managed to hit the back of the chariot, knocking it off balance a bit. Pinkie Pie held onto Rainbow Dash for dear life, pressing herself against her actually crying.

“I know, Pinkie Pie! I’m sorry this is so terrifying, but we’re almost home free!” Rainbow Dash said, “Just hold onto me, and everything will be okay!”

Shadow Fleur flew down in front of the chariot this time, her entire body glowing as she prepared to attack them again.

“Give her everything you’ve got!” Starlight said slamming her scythe down in front of her, pointing the gun at Fleur as Morgana appeared with her chest open and her gun pointed forward, “We can’t let this hit us!”

“Right!” Trixie said holding out her hands as Elenora appeared next to Morgana with two fire balls in her hands. All four of them attacked Fleur with their projectiles, which after a second seemed to distract Fleur enough to send her flying back away from them. She then flew straight into the sky, this time vanishing.

“What’s she doing?” Trixie asked looking up?

“I don’t know, but you should be approaching the exit!” Twilight said.

“I see it!” Rainbow Dash said, spotting the white door in the distance, “See that, Pinkie Pie? That’s the way out!”

Pinkie Pie nodded and hugged Rainbow Dash’s arm lovingly. Starlight sighed in relief, as it seemed they were home free. Twilight’s sudden gasp screamed otherwise though.

“RAINBOW DASH, DODGE!!! FLEUR’S ABOUT TO ATTACK!!!”

Rainbow Dash reacted to late however, as Shadow Fleur dived downward, knocking the chariot off balance completely, sending everyone flying out of the chariot.

play song

Thankfully they all landed on the ground together, but their chariot was totaled. That wouldn’t have been a problem, except they were still a bit away from the door. Just as they were starting to get up, Shadow Fleur landed right in between them and the door, which was promptly locked in red chains just like with Trixie’s Dungeon.

“This has been cute, but playtime’s over!” Shadow Fleur said looming over them, “Pinkamena is coming back with me!”

“Like… HELL SHE IS!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed rising to her feet and summoning Eclair, “Screw you and your invincibility!”

Rainbow Dash cast Zio on Shadow Fleur, but the attack was stopped by an invisible barrier just like before. Shadow Fleur laughed arrogantly in response.

“I keep telling you, I’m intouchable!” Shadow Fleur taunted, “Try all you want, you won’t defeat me!”

“Oh shut your beak, you overgrown buzzard!” Trixie shouted, casting Agi repeatedly, also running into the same problem, “Damn it! How do we get past that barrier?!”

Starlight jumped in the air, and then shot at the ground to propel herself higher. She then summoned Morgana, and the two of them came down at the same time slashing at Shadow Fleur, only to be stopped cold by the same barrier.

“No one can stop me from doing what I want!” Shadow Fleur shouted, pushing Starlight and Morgana back with her wing, “No one, let alone a group of insignificant les enfants can oppose me!”

Shadow Fleur spread her wings again, and cast another area of affect spell, this time causing the ground to explode around them like in the village. Everyone fell back onto the ground, taking massive damage from that attack.

“It’s time I ended this story once and for all!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “Once I finish with you, I’ll make sure no one touches my Pinkamena ever again!”

“I… won’t let you…!” Rainbow Dash said, slowly rising to her feet and pointing her sword forward. Based on her expression, she was barely standing, and practically unconscious herself, “I’m… Pinkie Pie’s… knight…! You will… not keep my princess… a prisoner here… anymore!”

Pinkie Pie looked around her and saw Starlight and Trixie rise to their feet too. They summoned those flaming ghosts again (they kept calling them “Personas”?) and started attacking Shadow Fleur again, but as always it was no use. Shadow Fleur’s barrier kept their attacks from reaching her.

She tried to scream for them to stop, but the collar tightened around her throat, stopping her from speaking. Instead she had to watch as they were knocked back to the ground by another large attack from the monstrous bird before them. This time, they screamed even louder than before, and actually didn’t move for a split second.

No! You can’t be dead! Please get up!

“Don’t you remember what I told you before?” Shadow Fleur said, “The chevalier always dies at the end of the story!”

“What… stupid fairy tales… did you read…?” Trixie asked forcing herself to her feet and holding a single card ready, “Cause last time I checked… the knight lives happily ever after… with the princess…!”

“FOOLS!!! You’re all fighting a losing battle! The three of you can barely stand! What can you possibly do?!”

“Shut… your goddamn… mouth….!” Rainbow Dash breathed out rising to her feet and pointing her blade forward, “I’m… not going to… LOSE!!!”

Starlight used her scythe as a support, staggered forward, and then held her arms forward in a manner to protect Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie shook her head frantically, wishing so badly she could speak.

Please… no more! Just stop this! You can’t beat her! No one can beat her!

I… I don’t want you to die! Not for me!

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to keep knocking you down until you stay down!” Shadow Fleur said, casting another area wide spell, this time creating a large green tornado that knocked all three witches back. Pinkie Pie ran over to them, kneeling before Rainbow Dash and began shaking her frantically.

end song

No… No! NO!!!

YOU CAN’T DIE!!! PLEASE DASHIE, GET UP!!!

Please…!

Pinkie Pie broke down into heavy sobs, crying into Rainbow Dash’s chest as she heard Shadow Fleur’s heavy footsteps slowly approach them. This was exactly what she was afraid of! She was powerless to stop Fleur! Here, she was just a helpless damsel! A princess with no real strength of her own! Without someone guiding her, she couldn’t do anything!

And now, thanks to her stupid decision, her friends were about to die! It’s just like before! She never made the right decision!

play song

“Pinkamena, I don’t want to hurt you,” Shadow Fleur said softly, “Stand aside. Let me end this, and then I can return you to the castle.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head vehemently.

“Pinkamena, don’t be foolish!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “I’m trying to protect you! Don’t you see? I’m turning the Kingdom into something that can keep you safe for all eternity! Those witches are standing in your way! They’re distracting you from what’s important!”

Pinkie Pie shook her head again, gripping Rainbow Dash’s jacket tightly as she continued to sob silently, yet heavily.

“I’m not joking, Pinkamena! Get out of my way!”

“Pinkie Pie, don’t listen to her!” Twilight urged, “She can’t attack as long as you stand right there! You have so much more power than you think! Look within! It’s right there! You can end this right now!”

Pinkie Pie knew that the second she did as Fleur asked, she’d kill Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash. But what did Twilight mean by that? She could end this? But she was nothing more than a helpless damsel in distress! There was nothing she could do! She didn’t have any power!

end song

No, Pinkie Pie, that girl is right.

You have so much more power than you realize.

Pinkie Pie looked around. She heard a voice. Soft, gentle, kind of like hers, but with more strength behind her words.

Remember, there are two kinds of Princesses.

The kind that are protected by the Kingdom, and the kind that fight for the Kingdom.

What sort of Princess do you want to be, Pinkie Pie?

Pinkie Pie tried to speak again, but the collar stopped her. But maybe… if this voice was in her head, they could…

I want to protect my friends…! But I… I can’t! I’m scared!

Shh… Shh… It’s okay, honey. I understand.

I know you’re afraid. Standing alone is the most terrifying thing in the world.

But if you don’t act now, you truly will be alone.

You must be strong, Pinkie Pie! Your friends need you!

Your Knight needs you!

Pinkie Pie looked down at Rainbow Dash, and noticed that she was thankfully still breathing. All of her friends were. They were alive, but if she ran away now…

Don’t give up yet, Pinkie Pie. There is still something you can do.

Something ONLY you can do.

Something… only I can do…

As those words echoed in her mind, she felt her temperature rise, almost to a fever pitch.

If you make a mistake, that’s okay! Your friends will be there to help you!

They will lift you up, and support you like always!

But if you don’t stand up for yourself now, then you’ll lose everything that you care about!

Will you help me?

Whoever was speaking to her, they giggled. It was a pleasant sound, one that almost felt like it came from her own heart.

Of course I’ll help you. I’ll always be by your side.

Right here, always.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie felt something in her chest. Her heart felt elated. That voice, it was the voice of her heart. She was speaking… to herself! When she realized that, her temperature rose even higher, so much she felt like she’d explode. All of a sudden, she knew she could do this. She was still afraid, but she didn’t feel like the fear could stop her.

“I won’t ask you again, Pinkamana! Stand aside, NOW!” Shadow Fleur commanded.

play song

“No.”

Shadow Fleur stepped back in shock, “W-what…? How are you speaking…? My collar should-”

“You don’t have… any real power over me…!” Pinkie Pie said, rising to her feet and walking toward Fleur, “I get it now. My friends kept trying to tell me… I was the one allowing this to happen. I let you control my Kingdom, but now I’m taking both my Kingdom, and my life back!”

As she spoke, the heat melted the shackles, letting her wrists free. Pinkie Pie then reached for the collar, and gripped it so hard that it shattered, before she tossed the remains aside.

You know what to do now, Pinkie Pie!

Say the words, and become your true self!

Pinkie Pie nodded, and held up her hand saying the first thing that came to mind, “MOON PRISM POWER!!! MAKE UP!!!”

She was then engulfed in an intense flame, one that knocked Fleur far back. Behind her, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, and Trixie slowly rose to their knees and looked at Pinkie Pie in awe.

“I don’t believe it,” Twilight said relieved, “That actually worked!”

Inside the flame, all of Pinkie Pie’s clothes and undergarments burned away. The flames then gathered around her body, converging into a tight white sailor styled top with a blue collar, a red bow in front of her breasts, and a golden broach in the center of the bow. She then raised her arms above her in a cross, and the flames converged into long white gloves that were red at the ends. More flames converged around her feet, forming both red high heeled boots with a crescent moon on the front, and at the same time an extremely short blue skirt. Pinkie Pie looked up, and on her forehead a small ember appeared, growing to form a golden tiara with a crescent moon on the front. Red lipstick appeared on her lips, silver earrings shaped like crescent moons formed dangling from her ears, and around her neck appeared a red choker with the same crescent moon symbol in the center. A Channeling Ring appeared on her finger, and to end the transformation, Pinkie Pie spun around and did a powerful yet somewhat sexy pose, holding one hand to her hip and another close to her forehead.

As the flames dispersed, everyone was in awe of Pinkie Pie’s new form. What really surprised them however was what formed from the flames behind her. Her Persona took form as a humanoid white bunny rabbit, with long bunny ears that fell down behind her almost like hair. She was wearing a short, red and blue armored dress, armored red gloves and red and golden high heels. The Persona’s eyes were red, her expression was a confident smile that seemed both noble and impish at the same time, and floating behind her head was a golden crescent moon.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! I am Serenity, warrior princess of love and justice! Pinkie Pie is my friend, and I will protect her along with all those she holds dear!”

“Fleur de Lis! You hurt my friends, took advantage of my career, and tried to make me your puppet! For that I can’t forgive you! In the name of the moon,” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, doing an oddly choreographed and fancy pointing motion that her Persona mirrored perfectly behind her, “I’LL PUNISH YOU!!!”

play song

“You dare talk back to me?!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “Perhaps it’s you who needs to be punished!”

Fleur tried to peck at Pinkie Pie with her beak, but she jumped high into the air, doing an impressive back flip before landing right in front of her friends. She then held her hands together as if praying and closed her eyes.

“Serenity, please heal my friends!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. Serenity manifested behind Pinkie Pie and did a fancy one legged spin, raising her other leg like a ballerina. As she spun around, a healing wave engulfed everyone, healing their wounds.

“Hey… the pain’s going,” Trixie noted rising to her feet.

“Pinkie Pie’s Persona, is a healer?” Starlight asked in awe. Rainbow Dash rose to her feet and looked at Pinkie Pie, blushing a bit like Pinkie Pie did earlier when they kissed.

“Wow…” Rainbow Dash breathed out, “She’s so beautiful…”

“Everyone, I’ll take down her barrier!” Pinkie Pie said bracing herself, “Once it’s down, let’s bombard her with everything we have!”

Starlight nodded, “We’ll follow your lead here, Pinkie Pie!”

“Come, Serenity!” Pinkie Pie called out summoning her Persona, and this time pointing forward, “Go!”

Serenity ran toward Shadow Fleur really quickly despite wearing high heels. Shadow Fleur tried to attack the white rabbit Persona, but she was too quick, jumping and flipping out of the way. She then jumped high into the air, landing on Shadow Fleur’s back, and proceeded to stomp on the barrier continuously until it broke. As the Persona vanished, Shadow Fleur let out a pained yell and fell to the floor.

“And we couldn’t do that because…?” Trixie asked, waiting for someone to answer her.

“This is Pinkie Pie’s nightmare. She was the one who gave Fleur all of that power, so only she could take it away,” Twilight said.

“Thank you, by the way,” Pinkie Pie said to Twilight, “Your words really got to me.”

“D-don’t mention it, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, probably blushing a bit from behind her terminal.

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded, “Before she gets up!”

Everyone got their weapons ready, which for Pinkie Pie meant summoning what appeared to be a pink scepter with a crescent moon on top, and spinning it above her before pointing it forward. Everyone rushed at Shadow Fleur attacking with everything they had. For Pinkie Pie, she stayed back with Trixie, raising her scepter and casting a spell of some sort, which sent sharp white beams of light down from the sky piercing Fleur.

“What…? How is this possible…?!” Fleur asked when the attack ended, “I… I’m intouchable…!”

“Let’s test that!” Rainbow Dash shouted raising her ring and blade, “Come forth, my inner self!” Eclair Farron appeared in front of Rainbow Dash, and both of them raised their blades to the sky. Both knight and her Persona then began slashing wildly at Shadow Fleur, apparently doing massive damage and knocking her back deeper into the forest, “What was that about being “intouchable”?” Rainbow Dash asked mockingly, Pinkie Pie giggling beside her.

God everyone missed that sound.

“My turn!” Trixie shouted running forward with a full hand of cards ready. She jumped on a tree, and kicked off it jumping over Fleur, throwing all the cards down and piercing her body, doing a surprising amount of damage if her screams were any indication. She then summoned Elenora, and while she charged up Agi, Trixie turned her back to Fleur and snapped her finger. The cards still inside of her exploded into flames at the same time Elenora unleashed her spell.

“Stop this! Stop this you annoying brats!” Shadow Fleur demanded. She then charged up another spell.

“Everyone, defend!” Starlight commanded, “Pinkie Pie, get ready to heal us!”

“Got it, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie said. Everyone took defensive stances, so when Shadow Fleur cast her spell and made the ground explode around them, they weren’t hurt as bad as before. Immediately, Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and held her hands together prayerfully, “Help us, Serenity!”

Like before, Serenity appeared behind Pinkie Pie and spun around elegantly like a top, casting that mass healing spell on everyone. The name “Media” came to Starlight’s mind when she thought about it.

Fleur gave an odd screech, and what looked like a new barrier appeared around her.

“Not this time!” Pinkie Pie said, “You don’t get to be untouchable anymore!” She summoned Serenity and pointed forward like before. This time Serenity ran toward Fleur and began punching at the barrier continuously, eventually punching through the barrier, knocking Fleur to the ground again, “Starlight, use yours to finish this!”

Starlight nodded and readied her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!” she shouted, Morgana appearing beside her. The two of them rushed at Shadow Fleur and slashed her together, as always coordinating their attacks perfectly. Their combo ended this time with both of them jumping away from Shadow Fleur before charging past, forming an X as the slashed her.

“NON!!! THIS CAN’T BE!!!” Shadow Fleur cried helplessly as her empowered form dispersed, leaving her in her smaller, weaker, human form.

play song

Starlight raised her scythe and breathed out in relief, she then turned to Pinkie Pie, who was looking at her hands in awe.

“I can’t believe it…” Pinkie Pie said, “I did it. I really became a Magical Girl! Dashie, look! I became-” she cut herself off when she saw Rainbow Dash, who was looking down gripping her blade tightly, “D-Dashie…?”

“Hey, we did it,” Trixie said walking over to Rainbow Dash, “We won.”

“No,” Rainbow Dash said, voice low and filled with hatred, “I still have one more thing to do…”

“One more thing to…” Trixie asked as Rainbow Dash began walking toward Shadow Fleur, “Dash, what are you doing?”

play song

Shadow Fleur slowly rose to her knees and shook her head. When she looked up, she saw Rainbow Dash staring down at her, her expression devoid of all emotion. It was so terrifying that Shadow Fleur backed away from Rainbow Dash in fear.

“W-what are you doing…?” Shadow Fleur asked.

“Making sure you never touch Pinkie Pie again…” Rainbow Dash said, gripping her sword as electricity flowed through the blade.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Rainbow Dash, you know what’ll happen if we kill her Shadow, don’t you?!”

“Oh, I do,” Rainbow Dash seethed, voice so low and terrifying that she barely sounded human, “She tried to kill Pinkie Pie. Besides, it’s not like anyone would know, right?”

“We would know!”Trixie cried, “Dash, we came here to save Pinkie Pie, not kill Fleur!”

“I AM SAVING PINKIE PIE!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, tears falling down her cheeks, “Pinkie Pie doesn’t deserve to suffer like this…! She never hurt anyone…! But this bitch… she tried to take advantage of Pinkie Pie… and damn near killed her… all because she couldn’t face how disgusting and ugly she was…!” Rainbow Dash raised her blade, “Too bad for her, I faced myself! I know exactly what kind of person I am! And for the sake of my Princess…! For the sake of Pinkie Pie…! I’m going… TO RIP HER APART!!!”

“Je t’en prie, non…!”Shadow Fleur begged, backing up against a tree, “I… I’m sorry…! I know it was wrong…! D-don’t kill me…!”

“It’s too late for that…!” Rainbow Dash seethed walking toward Fleur, “I’m going to make sure that you never hurt Pinkie Pie… ever again…!”

“I… I’ll let her stay at the Dorm!” Shadow Fleur cried, “I’ll let Pinkie Pie handle her career how she wants to! She can even spend her birthday with you!” Rainbow Dash loomed over her, again raising her sword, “DON’T KILL ME!!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

“Starlight, we have to stop her!” Trixie cried. Starlight knew that she needed to, but for some reason… she couldn’t bring herself to. Pinkie Pie was her friend too, and she remembered how badly she wanted to kill Blueblood for what he did to Trixie.

“I…” Starlight averted her eyes, unsure of what to do right now.

Pinkie Pie on the other hand, ran over to Rainbow Dash, and just as she was about to lower her blade, embraced her tightly, stopping her.

“P-Pinkie Pie…?” Rainbow Dash asked.

play song

“Don’t do this, Dashie, please,” Pinkie Pie pleaded, “You’re not a killer.”

“She… almost killed you, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said trembling, “I can’t forgive her for that…! Because of her… I almost lost you…!” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop from breaking down, “It was just like before with my Mom! I couldn’t do anything but watch as she suffered, all the way until she died! I couldn’t even convince my Father to pay for her surgery! I swore, that I wouldn’t ever be weak like that again! And that I wouldn’t let anyone else that I loved die!”

“And you succeeded,” Pinkie Pie said turning Rainbow Dash around to face her and holding her cheeks lovingly, “I’m right here, Dashie. I’m alive, and that’s thanks to Starlight, Trixie, your other friend I still don’t know the name of-”

“Twilight, by the way.”

“And you, my beloved knight,” Pinkie Pie looked into Rainbow Dash’s eyes lovingly, shedding a few tears herself, “Don’t become a killer for my sake. Your Mother wouldn’t want that, and neither do I.”

Rainbow Dash dropped her sword, completely breaking down before everyone. Pinkie Pie held her tightly as she cried, a gesture so loving that not even Starlight could hold back her tears. She really was a loving person.

“Pinkamena… can you ever forgive me…?” Shadow Fleur asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Pinkie Pie said, “You’re still my Godmother, and I don’t believe you’re a bad person, but you did hurt me, Fleur. I don’t know how much of this you’ll remember when we wake up, but I do want to talk about a few things when I do.”

Shadow Fleur nodded, “I’ll reunite with my other self, and I’ll let her know all of this. Thank you, Pinkamena, for your mercy.”

Pinkie Pie nodded to Fleur sadly, watching as she faded away in a white light.

“W-what happened to her?” Trixie asked.

“She returned to the real Fleur,” Twilight explained, “Even if she won’t remember any of this, when Fleur wakes up she’s going to be a completely different person. You could say, Pinkie Pie healed Fleur.”

“Well what do you know?” Trixie said smiling at Pinkie Pie, “A healer in every sense of the word.”

“Pinkie Pie, I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash said once she calmed down enough, “I… I almost-”

“Shh, none of that,” Pinkie Pie said, “All is well now. Thank you so much,” she turned to everyone, “All of you, thank you for not giving up on me. Even when I gave up on myself.”

“True friends never give up on you,” Starlight said smiling.

“You guys,” Pinkie Pie smiled at them, but then began breathing heavily, “You guys are… the greatest…” and just like that, Pinkie Pie fainted.

“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash caught her just in time, smiling when she noticed that Pinkie Pie was completely out, “Poor thing tired herself out. Hey, if I take her back to the Library and remove her ring, she’ll return to her body, right?”

“Yes. Doesn’t matter if she takes it off or someone else does. She’ll wake up when she normally would,” Twilight explained.

“Good,” Rainbow Dash said, carrying Pinkie Pie bridal style as she rose to her feet, “I’m gonna make sure Pinkie Pie gets back home and then get some rest. I think, I’m gonna sleep well.”

“We’ll see you in the morning, Dash,” Trixie said. Rainbow Dash pushed the door open, and exited the Dungeon with Pinkie Pie in her arms.

Starlight looked down at her Channeling Ring, a feeling of uncertainty in her heart. She was happy that Pinkie Pie was saved, and Fleur living should have made her feel great too. But… why didn’t it? Why couldn’t she stop Rainbow Dash?

“Hey, Starlight?” Trixie asked, “Earlier, when Rainbow Dash was going to kill Fleur, were you willing to…”

“I… don’t know how to answer that,” Starlight admitted, “I know it’s wrong, but…”

Trixie walked over to Starlight and hugged her, “Let’s head back to the real world, and forget all about this horrible place, okay?”

Starlight nodded, and followed Trixie through the door. As no one was left to have the dream, the Dungeon completely broke apart, vanishing in a white light.

end song

As the door vanished, and the last two left the Akashic Records, a lone figure sat on a higher floor watching them leave. Said figure had fiery red hair, and wore a sexy red dress that was high cut on both sides.

“So, that’s the Trickster, huh?” she said folding her arms, “I don’t get it. What kind of witch uses her magic to heal people like that?”

Author's Note

Since the party is now complete, I'm going to take this time to put up basic stats for everyone's Personas (default for Starlight)

Starlight Glimmer
Persona: Morgana (based on Morgan le Fey from King Arthur)
Arcana: The Fool
Strengths: Ice and Physical Attacks
Weakness: Wind and Light

Beatrix Lulamoon
Persona: Elenora (from the book Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin)
Arcana: The Magician
Strengths: Fire and Darkness
Weakness: Ice

Rainbow Dash
Persona: Eclair Farron (based off Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII)
Arcana: The Chariot
Strengths: Electricity and Blade
Weakness: Nuclear

Pinkamena Diane Pie
Persona: Serenity (based off Sailor Moon)
Arcana: The Lovers
Strengths: Healing and Stat augmentation
Weakness: Darkness

Please support my Patreon and help in my campaign for world domination~

Current supporters:
Aero Dragon
William Smith
Kidkaboom1

Thank you, all of you for your continued support.