The symbols of Anarchyby red reaperChaptersA deadly gameWhat are monsters afraid ofSweet as a rose, deadly as a poison ivyThe claws of the penguinStop the symbolsA deadly gameIt was the early morning in the crystal empire, Celestia didn't even raise the sun yet across Equestria. Some ponies woke up, to get ready for work. Other ponies could have the pleasure of sleeping more. Shining Armor woke up from an excellent dream. With his eyes still closed, he turned to his wife's side of the bed to wake her up. "Good morning honey," Shining Armor greeted his wife, but he didn't hear a reply, "Sweetie? Sweetheart?" Shining Armor opened his eyes and he was shocked. Shining eye's expanded in terror to the sight in front of him. Next to Shining Armor was a severed head of a pink unicorn mare, wearing his wife crown. "What the hell!!" Shining shouted in terror as he jumped from his bed and ran towards his daughter room. As the worrying father arrived he was relieved to see his daughter unharmed. Shining took his daughter from her bad and he noticed a letter on the pillow. Shining took the letter read it loud. Play the game and your love will not be harmed. Cheat and use others and the one you love will be gone. The queen will be where only chance will help you win. Until the moon you will have to find or else Cadence will die. At the end of the letter Shining saw a green question mark. "Have you find anything?" Shining Armor asked his generals and the best detectives he had at the crystal empire. The royal guard was searching the palace for any clues for who kidnapped princess Cadence and where she could be. The detectives found nothing, but two guards who were shot by a tranq dart and were tied by a rope. "Your highness," an orange unicorn with a deep orange mane and called for Shining Armor. Shining smiled to the unicorn. It was Sunburst, the royal crystaller, and magic adviser. "Did you solve it?" Shining asked. Sunburst nodded and he took the letter from his bag. "Yes, the answer is ..." a ringing noise stopped Sunburst from revealing the answer. Shining Armor, Sunburst and four soldiers follow the sound through the blue crystal halls until they found the source. It was the severed head Shining found in his room, vibrating and made ringed and around him were terrified guards. As Shining Armor entered the room, the head stopped vibrating and looked at Shining Armor. "I told you, no cheating," the head said. No one could believe it. The severed head that until now did nothing but vibrating as flies flew around it talked. Its voice didn't belong to a mare, but to a stallion, "Your highness, I thought you will be more cooperative, according to the situation. But you don't take me seriously." "Who are you?!" Shining Armor demanded to know. Sunburst didn't know which was scarier. The talking severed head, or Shining Armor angry. The head didn't share the same fear as Sunburst, it laughed at the angry king, mocking him by staying calm. "You can call me Riddler," the head said, calm, "I give you a second chance. Just as I thought, you are not so smart. You couldn't tell when your wife is replaced by a head. Answer the riddle and you will find a princess." The head stopped talking and a beeping sound came out. Sunburst's horn glow in orange and the head was been seen from the inside. Sunburst saw the source of the beeping. "It's a bomb!!!" Sunburst ran to Shining Armor, "Think, you can do it, think about the riddle." Shining Armor was in stress, he wasn't very good in riddles, it was more Twilight's knowledge. The white stallion took deep breaths and thought. "Okay Shining, you can do this. Think. A place where chance help you win" "You have 50 seconds," Sunburst said to Shining Armor. "not a talent, no knowledge, no physical strength. Only chance." "Thirty seconds!" Everypony's heart was in their pants. All prayed for Celestia for help. "Without talent, knowledge or physical streangh, you will need luck-" Then it hit him like a lightning bolt "-Luck!" Shining Armor ran towards the head. "5 seconds." "A casino!" Shining shouted at the head. The beeping stopped and everypony sighed in relief. "That was close," Shining told Sunburst. "It took you long enough," the head laughed "It was a riddle from a child's book. Come to Las Pegasus, there a princess will be waiting for you." The head stopped talking and a guard took it away. As the head left the room the room, everypony was calm and happier, it was like a dark cloud finally left the blue sky. But Shining wasn't happy, he couldn't be happy until he finds Cadence. "I must go alone," Shining told his guards, "Until I return, Sunburst is in charge." Shining Armor took Sunburst aside as the other guards went back to their positions. "I trust you to keep the empire in charge until I return, I trust you." Sunburst nodded and bowed before Shining Armor. Shining went out of the castle and took an air balloon to Las Pegasus. "Okay you psycho, I am coming for you." Shining Armor arrived at the palace of luck that has been called 'Las Pegasus.' Thanks to a spell Twilight taught him, Shining could walk on the clouds without falling. The white stallion stormed into the casino and he found the casino all empty, no one but his wife. Cadence was tied to an electric chair, her mouth was taped and her eyes were red from crying. As Shining came to free his wife, the entire casino was blacked out and a familiar laugh was heard through the halls. "You didn't think it will be so easy," a voice spoke in the microphone. It was the same voice that the head used. It was the Riddler. "Did you ever heard the story of King Solomon. He was the smartest pony who lived in Equestria, I'm seeing myself as his successor. Anyway, one day, Celestia came to his kingdom to test his mind. She gave three flowers, two were fake and one was real, but the three flowers were identical. I have decided to recreate the tale with another kind of flowers." The light was turned off, leaving Shining and Cadence in the dark and the light turned on again. Shining could not believe his eyes. He saw three Cadences. "Will you find the real flower?" The Riddler asked. It was hard to tell the three apart, the three Cadences were identical from the beautiful pink and purple mane to the pink coat and the golden crown. Shining looks at each Cadence, trying to find something, something to tell them apart. but nothing. They were all identical. "Having a problem?" The Riddler asked, mocking Shining and laughing at him, "Maybe a little shock will help." The electric chairs were activated and the three alicorns cried in pain and tears came out of their eyes. It was impossible for Shining to watch, it was impossible to watch his wife being tortuerd. Finally, the maniac stopped this. Leaving the three alicorns crying as their eyes become red. Finally, Shining Armor finds a clue to tell his real wife. The eyes. The eyes of the Cadence in the left and the Cadence in the middle were slightly red, but the Cadence in the right, her eyes were really red like she cried for hours. Shining knew what to do, he ran to the right Cadence, freeing her from the chair. Cadence fell to her husband's arms, unconscious. "Well done," The Riddler's voice said, "I didn't think you will get the hint, Soon enough my friends and I will meet you and the next part of the game will continue." Shining Armor was at the hospital, next to Cadence, crying and hoping for his wife to come back to him. From the room next to Cadence, Shining heard screaming of a mare. The mare was terrified of something, her screams gave the stallion chills. In the room next to Cadence, Starlight Glimmer was tied to the bed, tears in her face and her heart beat in terror. "Scarecrow," Starlight screamed, "Scarecrow, SCARECROW!!!" What are monsters afraid ofStarlight woke up in a dark room, it was a room of an ancient castle, filled with dust, spider webs, and rusty black armors. As she tried to get back on her hooves, a headache attacked her, making her fall again. Starlight got up on her hooves a second time and she looked around the room, trying to find an exit. "What the hell is happening. One moment I was with Trixie at the spa and now.." Starlight's thought stopped as she heard the sound of hooves walking echoing between the dark stone walls. Starlight lighted her horn to see through the dark room. "Who is it?" A feminine voice asked. Starlight knew that voice. And the owner of the voice came to the moonlight that came out of the windows. It was a blue alicorn with levitating beautiful dark mane with stars inside. It was Princess of the night, Princess Luna. Starlight ran towards Luna and the princess embraced her friend in her hooves. "Starlight Glimmer, what is happening. One moment I am with my sister and next.." "Can you please keep your voice down," a male voice complained as the princess and the unicorn turned and saw Discord. The draconequus moaned and stretched his snake-like body, "I have a headache." Discord removed his head and threw it away to a garbage can and then he took a new head from a chest and assembled the new head to his body. "Now it's better," Discord sighed in relief and turned to the two equines, "Now can you please tell me, why we are here?" "Good," a creepy and cold voice talked from an unknown place, "You are all awake, now we can begin the experiment." Soon enough the entire room was filled with yellow gas and the one who kidnapped talked again, "You all have been chosen for your past deeds. Each one of you put his and her values above others. Now you all protecting those who once feared you. What do monsters afraid of, once love fuel it's heart? Are they afraid to return to their evil deeds or one who did not forgive them will harm the ones they love?" "If you wanted to learn about us, why didn't you asked us for an interview?" Luna asked in frustration and to this the voice giggled, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard him. "To actually know what a creature is thinking, you have to see it in action. The gas you breathing right now is a formula I created. will help me to understand what lies in your mind." Soon enough the gas disappeared and three doors opened. "Alright then," Starlight went through the first door and Discord and Luna went through the others. Discord found himself walking in a dark hall filled with black armors from each side. "You know, whoever you are, you just wasting your time, I have no fear. I have seen the worst of anything and you will not be one those terrible things." A creepy and horrifying laugh filled the room. "If a creature fear nothing, does it means he loves nothing? Maybe in the past, you feared nothing but now, when you have love, and if you can feel the love you will feel fear." Soon enough the entire hall was filled with darkness. Discord didn't care. But in the darkness, there was a spot of light. Discord looked at the light and what he saw was suprising. The draconequus saw a young pegasus mare, surrounded by animals. The mare had a yellow coat and pink mane, beautiful blue eyes and her cutie mark was three butterflies. "Fluttershy?" Discord asked as he slowly walked towards his friend. As Discord almost got to the light, as he was so close to embracing Fluttershy in his arms, the light turned off and took Fluttershy away. "Fluttershy!!" Discord screamed in terror and another light appeared. This time Fluttershy was held as a hostage. next to her neck was the blade of a scyhte and behind her was the one who held the scythe. It was a stallion, with a yellow coat and he was so skinny he resembled a skeleton, The stallion wore shredded brown clothes with hay poking out of them and his head was covered by a scarecrow mask and a witch's hat to his head. Without hesitation, Discord leaped towards the scarecrow-like pony and knocked him down to the ground. "You will not hurt Fluttershy!!!" "Discord?" Discord turned around, his fangs gritted and his eyes were blood like-red. Discord saw Twilight and the other ponies looking at him with horror and hatred. "What have you done?" Discord's eyes turned back from red to yellow as he looked down at the scarecrow and he saw Fluttershy covered in blood and her neck was sliced, Discord saw his hands were covered in blood and his left palm held a knife. Discord could not believe his eyes and like he was knocked down he fell next to his victim. "No!" Discord cried in terror "I couldn't, I would never harm you." Discord cried over the yellow pegasus, and looked at the knife that he held, " I am so sorry." Discord cried ash he brought the bloody knife to his neck. Luna walked down the dark halls and finally, she arrived at a familiar place. She was back at the palace, but it looked different, the walls were black, the guards wore blue armor and instead of two thrones, there was only one throne, the throne of Nightmare Moon. Then Luna saw something on the throne. no.. not something, someone. It was a stallion, so skinny that he could fool as a skeleton. The stallion wore shredded brown clothes with hay poking out of them and his head was covered by a scarecrow mask and a witch's hat to his head. "How can I call you?" Luna asked. "My name is Doctor Jonathan Crane," the figure introduces himself and smiled behind his scarecrow mask, "But you can call me by my true name. The scarecrow!" "Well Scarecrow," Luna smiled to the pony, "You failed. Every night since I cease to be Nightmare Moon, I've given nightmares for myself. I am not afraid of Nightmare Moon nor return to be Nightmare Moon." To Luna's answer, the Scarecrow laughed, his laugh echoed through the throne room and Luna's smile faded away. "But what would happen if somepony would follow the path of Nightmare Moon after all history has a name for repeating itself." Scarecrow disappeared and Luna heard a feminine laugh. Luna knew that laugh and she turned around to see a pink alicorn with purple long mane and she wore dark blue armor and black cape. It was Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's child. It was Flurry heart. "Flurry?" Luna asked as the dark pink alicorn took her place on the moon-shaped throne, "What happened to you?" "Oh dear aunt," Flurry smiled and laughed at the Princess of the night, "You have shown me the way to rule." "No!!" Luna cried, " Please do not take my mistakes as lessons. Do not follow the path I once walked through." "And that path showed me power, showed me my destiny." Luna fell on her knees, tears dropped from her eyes. That will be the end of Equestria, under the hand of those who worshiped her mistakes. Flurry heart rose from the throne and went down the stairs as she laughed, "Smile aunt. Thanks to you and your legend, I have learned my true destiny." "No," Luna got up on her feet, " I will not let it happen." Luna walked towards the evil alicorn and Flurry backed away, " I will teach you to be better than my mistakes. Long as I live no one will ever worship Nightmare Moon." Luna's horn glow in dark blue as the room started to fade. Flurry heart started to fade and the true form of the room was formed. It was an old castle, it was Celestia and Luna's old castle. Princess Luna smiled, now she knows the way out, after all, she was there when the palace was built. After some time Luna found the way out. As Luna was outside the old and dark palace, breathing deeply the night air, she heard a scream. "Starlight!" Luna screamed and went back into the dark pit and after some time she went out with Starlight on her back. "Don't worry Starlight Glimmer, you will be okay." Starlight was tied to a hospital bed, screaming the name of the one who did this to them. Luna was outside the room and the main 6 were at the Princess' side. As the other five ponies went to help Starlight, Luna took Fluttershy to the side. Twilight saw the Princess and the pegasus talk for some time and then Fluttershy fell on her knees crying. Sweet as a rose, deadly as a poison ivy"He was a great pony, even if he wasn't a pony," Fluttershy said as tears escaped her eyes. It was terrifying to speak in front of such a big crowd of ponies, it was like she was judged for a crime she didn't committed. But for Discord, she would do it, for him she would do anything, "He always-" Fluttershy closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears, "-Always showed me the funny side of life." The yellow mare's eyes failed her, the tears like an unstoppable storm, came out. Rainbow Dash came to comfort her grief friend as Princess Celestia came to say final words. "Thank you Fluttershy," Princess Celestia said as five guards carried a long brown coffin towards the crowd of ponies, all dressed in black. As the ponies moved aside to let the guards lead the dead for his rest, a rain of tears began, no dry eye was left at the crowd. "Goodbye Discord," Celestia sighed in sorrow as the guards laid the coffin down the hole and they covered it under the green. "Thank you all for coming," Twilight said, "We will continue the mourning at the castle." The crowd followed the main 6 as they went to the castle. All except the children. The children just stood in front of the Everfree forest. They were fascinated by the forest, it was like the forest call for them and they could not resist. "What's the matter sugarcube?" Applejack asked her sister, but she didn't answer, she just stood in front of the forest. When Applejack looked into the forest she saw somepony out there. As Applejack looked closer she saw it wasn't a pony but a Kirin. The Kirin sang something but Applejack could not understand it. The kirin was too far for the mare to hear, but the children heard well what the kirin said. The children, as if they had a hive mind, walked at the same time after the kirin. The little fillies and colts disappeared into the forest, living Applejack all alone. Usually, Applejack would call her friends before she would enter the Everfree forest. But this it was different, with all the psychopaths now, free. Applejack walked inside the dark and dreadful forest, with one goal in her mind: Find the children and take them home unharmed. The forest was quiet today, usually, there would be some glowing eyes looking at her, waiting to attack. But today, nothing, the birds didn't sing, the Timberwolves didn't howl and the Manticore didn't roar. Only trees and flowers, wherever Applejack turned she saw flowers and trees. After a while of walking and running inside the maze of mother nature, Applejack heard a mare singing. Come, little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of shadows. "The Kirin," Appleajack said to herself as she ran towards the voice. With every step Applejack took, the song became louder and louder. Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way, through all the pain and the sorrow. Weep not, dear children for life is this way, murdering beauty with passion. Applejack felt weird, the song got into her mind. It was like a drill was trying to break into her mind. Applejack shook her head, "Focus Applejack, focus. Applebloom needs me!" The mention of her sister helped the mare to regain her strength. Applejack ran as fast as she could, she ran and passes the trees and the flowers, not noticing that the flowers followed her movement. Finally, Applejack found the Kirin who kidnapped her sister and the other children. The Kirin had a red mane and her body was fully green, she wore a crown made of leaves and her eyes were red. The Kirin was leaning on a giant vine as the children were in cacoons, sleeping or worse. "You shouldn't have followed me," The Kirin sighed as a vine curved over Applejack's body. Applejack tried to resist but it was no use. The vine took the mare to its master. "Who are you?" Applejack asked as she struggled to breathe. The Kirin smiled and she blew a cloud of red dust from her hoof. Applejack fell to the ground unconscious. The Kirin went down from the vine and she walked into the forest as other vines grew out of the ground, taking the children with them. The claws of the penguinApplejack woke up in a hospital bed to the beeping sound of the patient monitor. As she looked to the right she saw all of her friends and famliy stood by, all except one. Applebloom. As Applejack remembered what happened, she tried to get up from the bed, but she was stopped by Twilight. "The kids!" Applejack shouted in terror, "Twilight the kids are missing1!" "We know Applejack," Twilight sighed in sorrow, "It's been weeks since we saw the kids." "No, ah mean, the kids are kidnapped!" Applejack said in frustration, "After Discord's funeral, ah saw Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scotaloo and the rest of the colts and fillies walking into The Everfree forest, following a Kirin. When I found the Kirin, she was controlling the plants and put the kids in cacoons." Everyone was shocked but according to the last weeks and after what happened to Cadence, Starlight, Luna, and Discord, it wasn't surprising anymore. What happened to Equestria, Twilight thought, not so long ago the most dangerous thing was a changeling threat of Chrysalis or a monster from Tartarus. Now there a psychoapaths and murderers, kidnapping and torturing. It is like the world has gone mad. And all of the attacks were happening only to those she and her friends... That it!! "I don't think these things were random," Twilight suddenly said, answering a question that no one asked. "What do you mean?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Think about that. The first attack was on my brother's wife. then, three of our friends. And now our children and siblings are kidnapped. They want our attention, they want something from us." There was silence in the room, everyone took their time to think about what the lavender alicorn just said and then the penny dropped. " Very impressive Twilight," a feminine voice said behind Twilight, the young alicorn turned around to see two ponies. One was a white alicorn with beautiful hair in the color of the rainbow that never stopped moving and the sun was her cutie mark. The other pony was a blue pegasus mare with blond mane and lightning as a cutie mark. "Lightning Dust?" Rainbow Dash was surprised to see her old rival here, standing next to Princess Celestia herself. "If you please come with me." The group did as Celestia told them. Applejack leaped the hospital bed and went with the others. The main 6 followed Celestia and Lightning Dust to the throne room. The guards locked the doors and stood there, guarding the doors. "What is going on?" Applejack asked Celestia, " Why are those maniacs attacking us, what do they want from us?" "That I could not answer," Celestia sighed, "But maybe, we can stop them before they will finish whatever their plan is." Celestia looked at Lightning Dust and the blue mare started to explain. "After my job as a washout was destroyed," Lightning Dust glanced at Rainbow with anger, "I was looking for a job. No one wanted to hire me, I was hopeless. One day, a pegasus who saw me at the academy told me about a business griffon that she could help his 'Delivery occupation'. The griffon's name is Oswald Cobblepot, but he goes by 'Penguin'." "A year ago I hired Lightning Dust to spy on Penguin," Celestia said, "Penguin has strong power in our government and he control crime in Equestria, I could not arrest him without proofs." Celestia finished and nodded to Lightning Dust to continue. "Last week, a Kirin appeared at his club in the unguard area of Canterlot. She was a green Kirin with a red mane and behind her were thousands of cacoons. The Kirin told Penguin that the kids are ready to be sent for Dr. Crane. When I heard it, I told Celestia immediately." "So what you need from us?" Rainbow asked, " You have the Proof you need, why not arrest Penguin?" "Cobblepot is the only one who knows where Crane resides, If he would see my guards coming he could warn Crane and the kids could be in danger. I need you to go to Penguin's club the 'Iceberg lounge' and to find any clue that will lead to the location of Crane and perhaps the other criminals." "And how will we get in?" Twilight asked, "Penguin will never let heroes and friends of the princesses enter his club." "Leave that to me." Lightning Dust smiled. The unguarded area of Canterlot was the place to find the best kind of criminals, mercenaries, smugglers, and death. The royal guards never patroled there, the streets were full of garbage, blood and, corpses. It was no pony land. The only beautiful thing in this hell was the 'Iceberg lounge'. Only the most dangerous and wanted criminals would enter the club. And those who are not invited, well, they would never leave. A group of 7 interesting looking ponies went towards the big club who looked like a picture from a magazine. "This is not going to work," Twilight insisted as she tried to hide her horn behind a big black top hat. "A little faith Twi," Pinkie told Twilight while she is fixing her mustache, "I'm sure that no one would even know that we are ourselves." As the girls stood in front a big door, with a sign said 'Do not enter, unless you are stupid'. The girls were confused, why there was no guard. "Before we go in," Lightning Dust told the main 6 and gave them instructions "Do not be yourself. Do not try to make friends do not try to solve the ponies' problem and do not-" Rainbow Dash ran towards the door and to her surprise it was unlocked, leaving a dust cloud and the group followed her inside leaving Lightning Dust alone "- Enter without me." "What kind of a crime boss leave the door unlocked and unguarded?" Twilight asked her friends as they walked in the dark room. "The crime boss who knows that no one is dumb enough to enter without an invitation," a voice echoed in the room. The light was turned on and the group found themselves surrounded from every corner by griffons, diamond dogs, dragons and stallions. Inside the circle with them, the group of frightened mares saw a small griffon, with black and white feathers and small wings. The griffon was wearing a monocle on his right eye, a black top hat and he smoked a brown cigar. Lightning Dust ran towards the griffon in panic. "Mr. Cobblepot!" Lightning Dust smiled, "I see you already met my new crew." The griffon looked at Lightning Dust was trying to keep her nerves down and he laughed. Lightning Dust sighed in relief as the group of criminals broke their circle. The main 6 walked towards the mare and the griffon and Lightning Dust introduced them to her boss. "This lavender pegasus," Lightning Dust pointed her hoof at Twilight that was disguised by a black top hat and green coat covering her cutie mark, "Is Professor Jenna Moriarty, one of the best heist planners in Equestria, she once planned a heist of Queen Chrysalis' crown." Cobblepot shook Twilight's hoof. Next, There was Fluttershy who was disguised in a hockey mask and wore a stained apron and blue, buttoned shirt, "This is Blood Lecter. She killed her own brother in the age of 6 and since then she never said any word," Lightning Dust looked at Fluttershy, "Not.. a single word." "Kassidy would like her," Cobblepot said as Lightning Dust brought Rarity who wore a black dress with black feather scarf. "You know Selina Kyle, right? So This mare is her cousin, and she goes by the name of The purple raven. She once fought an army of diamond dogs just for their diamonds." Cobblepot looked close at Rarity, something looked familiar about the white unicorn. "Why does she looked like the designer from Ponyville Rarity?" Cobblepot asked as he took a newspaper with the news on her new boutique on it. "Well..." Lightning Dust mumbled and took her time to answer, "It is because her last theft was of Rarity's diamonds, she had to go through plastic surgery just so she could have the snob mare's diamonds." Offended Rarity walked away towards the bar. " This orange mare is Mrs Clyde," Applejack, wearing a disguise of an eye patch and she wore a blue dress and her cowboy hat, "She robbed the colonies in the desert with 1 knife." Applejack smiled and walked towards Rarity. "This one is Penny wase," Pinkie came wearing nothing but a fake mustache, "She is the lawbreaker, she doesn't even obey the laws of nature." Cobblepot looked confused at Pinkie who took a box of cupcakes from her hair and ate them. "And the last one is Sarah Bolton" Lightning took Rainbow Dash, who was wearing black tuxedo and red rose was inside her vest pocket, "Not a lot of brain, but she is one tough cookie." Rainbow Dash frowned to Dust's words. "Well welcome to the Iceberg lounge, and please call me Penguin." Penguin greeted his guests as a big stallion unicorn whispered something to the griffon's ear. "Excuse me," Penguin said, "I have a business to attend, please have fun." Penguin left with the stallion to a room guarded by two minotaurs. "Okay," Twilight gathered the group, "Applejack, Fluttershy and I would search the club for anything that would lead us to the children. Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, you need to make a distraction so we could sneak in." Lightning Dust looked at Rainbow Dash and she had an idea. Rainbow Dash was thrown to the bar table, breaking bottles and glasses as Lightning Dust flew to her, ready to beat the life out of her. "What the hell!" Rainbow Dash shouted in rage as Lightning Dust landed on the bar table. "Do you really think you can steal from me and get away Ramsay?" Lightning shouted as all the criminals were looking at them, leaving their tables, to look at the fight between the two mares. "FIGHT, FIght, fight!" The crowd cheered as the two pegasi punched and kicked each other. The minotaur guards saw the fight. Usually, they would do nothing and let the criminals kill each other, but Mr. Cobblepot asked that the place would be clean for his special guests tomorrow. As the guards went to stop the fight, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy sneaked to the hall and ran to the darkness. The guards stopped the fight and the guests of the club returned to their drinks and games. "The plan worked," Lightning Dust smirked as Rainbow Dash took an ice bag from Pinkie's hair and looked at her with hatred. Lightning Dust smiled to Rainbow and she took a coin with Celestia's head on both sides, "Next time pick heads." "Very funny," Rainbow Dash said and rolled her eyes, "Where the coin from?" "My brother, he is actually the reason I tried to become a wonderbolt. He always was better than me, always said 'everything is about luck." Lightning Dust looked at Rainbow and she smiled "Drinks on me." Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack removed their disguises and walked down the hall. The hall had red walls covered in red valet, and on the walls, there were pictures and painting of famous artists. there the screaming mare, the mona Celestia and there was a picture of Penguin with a weird group. to Penguin's right, there was a stallion, who wore brown ripped clothes with a straw poking out of them and he wore a mask of a scarecrow and brown witch hat. To Penguin's left, there was a unicorn stallion, wearing a green suit with a purple tie and a green bowler. On the right side of the picture, there was the Kirin Applejack and Lightning Dust talked about. In the middle of the picture, there was a white stallion with green hair. The stallion was wearing a purple suit and a green vest, but the thing the mares noticed about was his smile. Under the picture, there was a golden line that a name was curved. The symbols of Anarchy. "These weirdoes give me the creeps," Applejack told Fluttershy, but the yellow pegasus didn't listen, she was focused on the scarecrow-like figure. The girls left the picture, trying to find something that would help them. Finally, Twilight found something. "Hey over here!" Twilight called for her friends and the three mares entered an office. On the desk, there was a big, brown book that was titled The secret of Anarchy. Twilight opened the book and she found a list of cities and names of ponies, yaks, dragons, griffons, and changelings. Applejack noticed the name of her sister on the list. twilight used her horn to cast a shrinking spell on the book and she gave this to Applejack to keep under her hat. "Let's go, we have what we need," Twilight said with a hopeful smile. "Leaving so soon?" A familiar voice asked behind The mares. It was Penguin. The mares gasped in terror as two diamond dogs knocked them out. "I don't know who is more foolish," Penguin laughed, "Celestia, who thinks I didn't know there was a mole under my beak. Or you, Lightning, to think that Celestia would protect you." The main 6 were tied to a chair as Lightning Dust was beaten by the two minotaurs. The Griffon snapped his fingers and the minotaurs stopped and a red unicorn with a green mohawk and his cutie mark was a flame. "Let's show you what's happening to moles here." The stallion's horn glows in red and he aimed at the blond mare. The main 6 wanted to keep their eyes shut but the guards didn't let them. Lightning Dust got up on her legs, spat blood and smiled to Cobblepot. "I thought you are a penguin, not a chicken!" Lightning Dust smirked. The unicorn blasts a flaming ball to her face. Lightning tried to dodge the attack, but half of her face was harmed. "HAAAAA!" Dust screamed in pain. The Penguin smiled as an earth pony without hair and was covered in scars whispered something in his ear. "What?!!!" Penguin shouted in rage as the club's door was blasted away and 100 royal guards led by Shining Armor. The guards surrounded the criminals, freed the main 6, and took the wounded pegasus. "Oswald Cobblepot, you are under arrest!" Shining Armor shouted as two guards took the small griffon. As the guards took the criminals away, Twilight hugged her brother. Rainbow Dash walked to where Dust was burned and she took the coin that fell from her. Stop the symbols"Well done girls," Celestia greeted the main 6 for their mission, "Now thanks to you, one of Equestria most dangerous criminals are behind bars, and soon enough, those 'Symbols of Anarchy' will join him." Twilight and the others cheered for their success, but Rainbow Dash didn't join to the cheers. Instead, she looked at the coin that Lightning Dust lost, all because of them. "Thank you, Princess Celestia," Twilight thanked for the compliments, "But without Lightning Dust, we would not even survive in the club. She saved our skin there." Celestia nodded in agreement and a spirit of sorrow crawled into her mind. Celestia blamed herself for what happened to Lightning Dust. Because of her, Lightning Dust is now lying in the hospital and her face was destroyed. Silence and sorrow filled the room and entered everypony's heart as they thought of Lightning Dust until the doors were opened and Princess Luna entered the room, with the book Twilight gave her. "Luna, any luck to find the locations of the criminals?" Celestia asked her little sister, who nodded with a small smile. Luna's horn glow and a map Equestria appeared with three red dots glowing above them. The main 6 walked towards the map. "Thanks to Penguin's book, we have found the locations of the three criminals. The kirin-" Luna said as her horn glow again as the image of the Kirin who kidnapped the children of Equestria appeared."- has been called by Cobblepot as Poison Ivy. The book said that she is at Peaks of Peril." Celestia turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, "I counting on you to find Ivy and bring her here to answer for justice." Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded and Princess Luna's horn glows again and a picture of a white unicorn stallion wearing a green suit, a purple tie, and a green bowler "Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler. Cobblepot's book said he lives here in Canterlot." "Rarity and Twilight, I want you to take care of Riddler, I believe you two could solve the case." Celestia giggled at her own pun. Twilight and Rarity nodded as Luna brought the last picture, It was a stallion wearing a scarecrow mask and brown ripped clothes wit straws poking outside of them. "Dr. Jonatha Crane, aka The Scarecrow, Cobblepot's book indicates that he lives in Starlight's old village. The book also indicates that Crane hired the Shadow bolts as his henchmen, that's how he succeeded to kidnap me, Starlight and Discord. It would hard to get in without him knowing." "If only you had a pony who knows every way in and out of the village," a feminine voice said and everyone turned their faces from the map to see Starlight Glimmer standing there. The main 6 ran towards their friend who returned from the hospital. "Starlight, are you sure you can go against him again?" Luna asked, "Last time he exposed you to his toxins you were screaming his name for months." "Princess Luna," Starlight smirked, "Scarecrow is a pony who feeds on fear. Creaturs who feed on emotions are my sepcialty." "Well, you're not going alone," Fluttershy said to Starlight and there something different in her voice, she was enthusiastic to volunteer to this terrifying mission. "And so do I," Pinkie smiled, "No one will terrorize my friends. Who he think he is? Nightmare Moon?" Pinkie looked back at Princess Luna who did not found her last comment amusing. "Very well." Starlight nodded and the group was separated, all expect Twilight who asked Luna one question. "Have you found anything about the white stallion that was in the picture?" "I am sorry Twilight, but there is no other member in the group. Maybe he was just a pawn they killed." "I don't know," Twilight rubbed her chin with her hoof, "There is something about this clown." Applejack and Rainbow Dash climbed the mountains until they arrived at the Peaks of Peril. The forest gave Applejack a bad memory from the last time she faced that Kirin, but she shook this feeling out of her head as she and Rainbow Dash entered the forest. As Applejack walked and tried to move between the bushes and vines, she noticed Rainbow Dash holding a coin in her wings. "What's that?" Applejack asked as she took the coin from Rainbow's wings. It was a coin with Celestia's face on both sides. One side of the coin was damaged and on of the faces of Celestia was destroyed. "Hey! Give me that!" Rainbow rebuked Applejack and took the coin back, "It belongs to Lightning Dust. She lost it when, You know." Applejack put a hoof on her face and nodded. "I feel bad for Lightning Dust. If I have shown kindness, maybe she wouldn't end up in a hospital with half of her face burned off." "Sugarcube," Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder, "It's not too late you know, Lightning is still alive, and you still can make amends with her." Rainbow Dash cheered up and the two continued to walk in the forest, looking for Poison Ivy. After a while, the two mares heard a feminine voice singing. The two mares walked closer and they saw the redheaded green Kirin, singing to her plants. I have waited for the day, to Send the greedy wolves away. Now the woods are in my salvation, Get along in my protection. We will stand forever free. As Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked slowly, trying to get closer to Ivy, their legs were caught by vines and the ponies were brought to Ivy. Ivy didn't even pay attention to the intruders and she kept singing to her children. They have come into our domain, Here to seal our land in shame. But we held it for generations, This is just a complication The vines held tight the ponies as Poison Ivy leaned on a giant vine as it carried her above the mars. We will stand forever free! "You know if," Rainbow Dash told Poison Ivy, "If you weren't a psycho mare who kidnapping children, you could have been a good singer." For her remark, Rainbow's vine held her stronger, making it hard for the mare to breath. "We know yah sent the kids to Scarecrow Ivy, why?" Applejack asked as Ivy's vine got closer to her. "It is painful to know that your family is in danger, isn't it Applejack?" Poison Ivy asked with a sinister smile, "Joker did not tell any of us whats the plan, the only one who knows about this is Scarecrow. I do not care for the plan, as long as ponies will suffer for what they have done to my children." "How do yah know ma name?" Applejack asked as she gritted her teeth, "And who is this Joker?" "So many questions are not good for a mare," Poison Ivy smiled as the vine crawled up towards Applejack neck. "And so is not paying attention to the blue pegasus," A voice said behind Poison Ivy. Ivy turned around to see Rainbow Dash flying in the air. Ivy looked down to the ground and she saw the vine that strangled Rainbow Dash on the ground dying. "How?" Poison asked as she went down to her dying child. "Daring Do's Jungle rule number one, never go to the jungle without a knife." Rainbow Dash freed Applejack and the two walked towards Ivy who was crying on her child. "You calling yourselves heroes, but you do not care for others, you will pay for that-" Ivy stopped talking as she was knocked down by a golden horseshoe. "Applejack's villains' number one, always take a horseshoe to a villain fight," Applejack smiled, proud of her comeback. "Really, always bring a horseshoe to a villain fight?" Rainbow Dash asked Applejack and raised an eyebrow. "It's better from yours," Applejack smirked, "'And so is not paying attention to the blue pegasus.'" "Are you sure this is the place?" Rarity asked Twilight as they stood in front of an old antique shop. "That's the address Princess Luna gave me, so I guess it is," Twilight shrugged. "Maybe she got the wrong address?" Rarity suggested. Twilight gasped, she could not believe the words. "Did you... Did you just said that the Princess got something wrong?" "Well," Rarity proclaimed, "This place doesn't scream riddles." "Let's just get in," Twilight sighed, "After all it could be a false appearance." Rarity nodded and the two entered the shop. The shop was filled with old clocks, rusty armors, and puppets. Rarity was disgusted by the dusted stuff, but Twilight fascinated by the antiques. The purple alicorn ran from one side of the store to another, like a child in a toy store. Meanwhile, Rarity walked to the old mare who stood behind the service desk. It was an old unicorn mare, her coat was pale purple and her mane was white and short. "Excuse me?" Rarity asked for the old mare's attention, "We are looking for Mr. Edward Nygma. Do you know where to find him?" "Mr. E. Nygma?" The old mare asked Rarity and the white mare nodded, "Then follow me." Rarity called for Twilight and the two mares followed the mare to the back of the store. The old mare stopped in front of the wall and she just stood there looking at nothing. "Excuse me, Mam," Twilight asked the old mare, "But why are standing here?" The mare started to laugh as her horn glow in purple and the old mare transformed into a young white unicorn stallion, wearing a green suit and a purple tie. It was Riddler "And I thought you are the smartest mare in Canterlot, Princess," Riddler smirked as the room started to disassembleds and reassembled into a metal cage. The Riddler laughed as the mares were surrounded by metal walls. "Let's play a game shall we?" Riddler smiled as sharp spikes extracted from the walls and the walls started to move towards each other, ready to pin the ponies. "Riddle me this now: You can wear me anywhere you go, to shows, to parties, to dinners, and even in bed, but not in funerals. What am I?" The walls got closer and closer as the mares tried to understand the riddle. "You understand that you will die here with us right?" Twilight asked Riddler. "I am not even here, you have been talking with an illusion." The Riddler smiled as he faded away. "Okay Twilight you can do this," Twilight tried to encourage herself, "Something you can wear me anywhere, parties, shows, dinners, and bed, but not in funerals. Maybe a dress?" "Oh darling," Rarity sighed, "No one is wearing a dress in bed, no it must be something else." "Are you sure?" Twilight asked, "I mean, maybe ponies do not wear a dress in bed but maybe other cre-" Rarity put her hoof on Twilight's mouth. "No one." It took a lot of time to find the answer and time wasn't something the two had. The walls got closer and closer, Twilight and Rarity stood next to each other. "Think what you can wear everywhere except funerals," Twilight closed her eyes and focused. "Maybe it's not a cloth, you can wear expression, but what expression you cannot wear in a funeral, maybe something that shows happiness, it's not so nice to show a smile in a..." She got it! "A smile!" The walls started to back away and a door was opened. Twilight and Rarity walked into the next room. The room was lighted in green lightbulbs and the children were held in electric chairs. There were colts and fillies, baby changelings and young griffons and hippogriffs and all of them were terrified. Among the children, Rarity spotted her little sister. "Sweetie Belle! Are you okay?" Rarity asked, but before the young unicorn could answer, the chairs were activated and the children were electrocuted. Twilight and Rarity suffered to hear the scream of the children. "Here is part two of the game," Riddler appeared above the children, behind a glass window, "This one is a more physical game. The platforms you are standing will send electric attacks every 10 minutes, you have to get to the children within 30 minutes without dying. Starting in 3...2...1." The platforms glow in green and the mares fell to the floor as they crawled in pain. "2 more of this and maybe you will not stand again." The platforms' green light was fading and the mares had no choice, but to play this mad game. Twilight and Rarity walked towards the second line of platforms, as the green light slowly returned to the platforms, they were still far away from the kids, at least 5 lines of platforms, and before they could move towards the third line, a giant spinning saw blade was moving from right to left. Between the lines, there were 4 blades "16 minutes," Riddler reminded that time does not wait. The mares looked at the blades spinning around. Twilight counted every time that a blade touched the wall. "3...2...1," Twilight looked at Rarity, "Now!" The mares ran towards the third line, and the platform was fully green. The electric waves flow through the mares' body as they screamed in agony. The green light faded and Rarity fell on the floor and she started to cry. "I'm afraid Twi." "Do you trust me?" Twilight asked and she offered a hoof to Rarity. Rarity smiled and she got up on her legs. "On my count," "3..." The lights started to return to the platforms, but the mares did not care. "2..." The blades' sound was loud and terrifying, but the mares did not care. "1!" The mares ran, avoiding the blades who almost split their bodies and trying to stay as little as possible on the green platforms. The sting of the shocks was felt in their legs, but they kept running. They leaped from one platform to another. Finally, the mares arrived at the last platform. Rarity looked at her sister and she didn't notice to the green platforms. "Rarity!" Twilight pushed the white unicorn out of the platform and she receieved the shocks. "Twilight!" Rarity ran towards her friend who screamed in pain and she pulled her to the cold floor. Twilight was unconscious. "Oh, the princess is not here to help you now," Riddler mocked Rarity as a time bomb came from the floor with 19 red wires and a cutter, "You have 10 minutes before the bomb will set you free from you pathetic, miserable life." On the bomb was written another riddle. You could not stand the look of me, but you need me to live, You don't like it when I leave, but when, but when people ask you will donate me. The riddle was weird, what kind of thing would people donate if they don't like to leave. What kind of red thing would be needed to... Rarity knew the answer. Now it's just to tell which one of the wires red wires is red-blood wire. Anypony would panic because to anypony, the wires would look the same. But Rarity knew the differences between the shades of red. Within 20 seconds she cut the wire in the middle, the timer stopped and the children were free from their chairs. "How?!!" Riddler asked in rage, "You cheated!" The screams of Riddler woke Twilight. "No," Rarity smirked, "I just know how red-blood look like." While Riddler was furious in his room, behind the glass, Twilight got enough strength to teleport inside the room and she took Riddler by surprise and took him to Rarity and the kids. "Why didn't you do this before?" Rarity asked Twilight. "Because," Twilight answered, "If I would teleport, Riddler would probably hurt the children." Rarity understood and she ran towards her sister. "Sweetie Belle," Twilight asked the little unicorn who was in shock, "Where are Applebloom and Scootaloo?" "I don't know," Sweetie Belle answered, "The only thing I heard is that half of the kids would be sent to Scarecrow." Starlight led Pinkie and Fluttershy through a dark tunnel under Ponyville. It was an old tunnel that was used mine diamonds back in the days. But now, it was an underground road between the villages of Equestria. Starlight used it to find new members to her happy town, and now she is gonna save her happy town. Pinkie, as usual, was energetic and was ready to bust some bad ponies. But Fluttershy was acting kind of odd. She immediately volunteered to go hunt the Scarecrow, and she had a flame in her eyes, a flame Starlight saw only once in her life, and that was when her village was destroyed and everypony abandoned her. As Fluttershy walked, Starlight went over to her. "Hey Fluttershy," Starlight approached the yellow pegasus, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Fluttershy tried to fake a smile, but it didn't fool Starlight and the fake smile faded, "It's just, I have always believed that no pony is that evil, even the worst of ponies. But now all of this, how can a pony do such a thing? Kidnapping, murder, and torture? I'm starting to think that-" Fluttershy stopped talking as Starlight put a hoof on her shoulder and two hugged each other. "It's okay. Maybe We will help them and we will show them, you know that friendship is magic." "Maybe," Fluttershy smiled and Starlight continued to lead the way to the old village, "And maybe we show them justice." The group finally arrived at Starlight's old village, and it was far beyond their mind could even imagine. Corpses and skeletons surrounded the town as vultures ate whatever left of the ponies' corpses. The trees were filled with crows and vultures. The three mares could not process what they have seen. It was a picture of a nightmare. Three ponies came with a wagon filled with fresh corpses. That gave Starlight an idea. "Follow my lead," Starlight whispered and the two mares nodded. The three mares walked on the tips of their hooves and they hide behind a bush as the three ponies threw the bodies and tried to get rid of the vultures. The three ponies were Shadowbolts, like Luna said. As the three Shadowbolts finally finished their task and they were ready to go, Starlight made a noise, one so loud they would have to notice, and so they did. The three Shadowbolts went to the bush, to see if it was a squirrel again and they were pulled into the bush. After a few minutes, the three mares came out of the bush, now dressed as Shadowbolts. "Now we can walk into the Scarecrow's lair without anyone would notice." Starlight smiled, happy with her own plan. "Ah, Starlight?" Pinkie asked and she pointed on her back, "We don't have wings." "Don't we?" Starlight smirked and Pinkie was confused. "We don't." Starlight sighed and explained, "I will cast a spell that will give the illusion we have wings." "Ohhhhhh," Pinkie understood, "But we still won't have wings." Starlight rolled her eyes and her horn glow in blue as a blue circle surrounded her and Pinkie and wings grew out of their bodies. "Alright now you look like Pegasus," Fluttershy approved their look, "But Starlight," Fluttershy pointed her hoof at Starlight's horn. "Oh yeah," Starlight smiled in embarrass as her horn glow again and it suddenly disappeared, "Now we look like pegasi." The three mares walked towards the town. As they walked through the abandoned town, the mares heard blood-curdling screams came out of the houses. After a while of walking in this dark and depressing village, the mares heard again the screams and this time they went to check the source. Pinkie looked inside a house via the window and what she saw was just sick. There was a griffon child sitting in the corner and his eyes were bleeding and the griffon's claws were covered in blood. Starlight looked at another house were two changelings were kneeling on the floor, crying that they were sorry to the floor and their eyes were red of tears. Fluttershy looked from another house, and she saw a blue earth pony stallion, sitting in the middle and he was laughing, just laughing as he was surrounded by two dead mares. The three mares returned to each other and they saw a grey Shadowbolt with black mane waving for them to come. "Did you get rid of the failed test subjects?" The Shadowbolt asked them and the three nodded, "Good, Scarecrow wants everybolt to be at his lab right now, let's go." Starlight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy followed the Shadowbolt into Starlight's old house where at least 1,000 Shadowbolts stood. The three mares walked and moved within the crowd and they stood in front of Scarecrow's lab. The door of the laboratory was opened and the scarecrow came out of the lab, holding his scythe. "Tonight is the night!" Scarecrow shouted and the shadowbolts cheered, "I gave each of your leaders the locations, wait until my signal and only when I will send the signal, you will spread the fear gas. Any questions?" One shadow bolt walked to Scarecrow. "Yeah, when will you pay us?" The shadow bolt asked. Scarecrow raised the scythe and cut the Pegasus' head. "You will get your payment when I will finish the experiment, Soon enough you will happy you joined me. Are there any other questions?" The shadowbolts say nothing, "Good, now go and place the chemicals!" The shadowbolts did as Scarecrow told them. Soon enough, only Starlight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were left alone. "Ahhh Scarecrow, sir," Starlight tried to hide her voice, "What about the children?" "You look familiar," Scarecrow walked closer to Starlight, "you three, come with me." The three mares followed the Scarecrow into his lab. Starlight saw her old house, now changed completely. The entire room was filled with desks, and bottles filled with liquids in many colors. On the walls, there were pieces of newspapers. Starlight looked at one of the news. A mad professor was kicked out of Canterlot university after experiment his unethical experiment. "They called me mad for searching beyond the limits of morals," Scarecrow told Starlight as he removed his mask, revealing a yellow earth pony with a brown, dirty mane. "Please feel at home. Remove your masks please." The three mares looked at each other with fear, "Please, you think I do not know when my own ponies are replaced. My crows told me when you replaced the bolts." Starlight removed her mask and so did Pinkie and Fluttershy. "If you knew that we were imposters, why didn't you ordered your bolts to kill us?" Pinkie asked as she almost drank a pink bottle, but Fluttershy stopped her. "Because..." Scarecrow put back his mask on and a yellow gas was spread in the room, "I wanted to test the new formula." The gas spread across the room. The mares coughed, Starlight and Fluttershy covered their mouth, but Pinkie did not do this in time and she was exposed. Starlight held Pinkie who fell to the floor, screaming, as Fluttershy saw Scarecrow escaping through the basement. Fluttershy flew to the basement where surrounded darkness. "You know, I read your and your friends book," Scarecrow voice echoed in the basement, " I wonder why you do not stand more for yourself, I know you can do this, but you don't want to. Perhaps is because you are afraid of other's opinions. No, you did stand for a villain." "Discord is a better pony than you will ever be," Fluttershy spoke in rage. "It is the same fear your friend had, you are afraid to lose control, you are afraid to hurt those you love the most." "And what's wrong with that?" "Nothing, but you must face your fears!!" Scarecrow leaped at the yellow Pegasus and he tried to attack her with his scythe, but Fluttershy dodged the attacks, and she kicked the stallion in his face, knocking him down. Fluttershy took the unconscious criminal upstairs and she saw Starlight and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie now looked okay. "How did you do it?" Fluttershy asked Starlight as she took the keys for the houses from Scarecrow. "The pink bottle, it is an antidote," Starlight said. "Okay then, let's free the kids." After she returned back to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash went to the hospital to talk with Lightning Dust. When she arrived at Dust's room, she saw a pegasus mare, her face was covered in white bandages. "Hey Lightning," Rainbow waved to her friend, "It's Rainbow, how are you?" The mare did not answer, she just laughed. "What's so funny?" The mare did not answer, she just continued to laugh. "Come on, I have a sense of humor." And the mare still did not answer. The laughs grew stronger and stronger, filling the room with their psychotic sound until they stopped. The monitor confirmed the time of death. Rainbow Dash called for a nurse and the nurse checked the pulse, nothing. The nurse started to cut the bandages and the face that lied behind the bandages was a blue face with a green mane and a terrifying smile. Lightning Dust was held in an old, wooden chair as a mysterious figure talked to her. Her face was still covered in stained bandages like they weren't been replaced since the hospital wrapped them on her. "So there were three ponies in a pub. The bartender asked them what they want to drink, and they asked for water. The bartender didn't understand, why would ponies come to a pub and don't want to drink, and they told him 'We are not here for the drinks we are here for the show.' Then-" Before the figure could finish the joke, a stallion wearing a clown mask bursted through the door. "Boss, we have a-" Before the stallion could finish the sentence, he was stabbed by a knife that was thrown by the figure. "I am so sorry for my stallion's behavior," The figured apologized, "They don't have any manners. Now where was I, oh yeah," The figure walked towards Lightning Dust and his face was revealed. It was an earth pony stallion with a green short mane and a red line on his lips, "I was about to tell you the punch line. HAAHAHAHHAHA!!" Author's Note I have decided to do one more chapter the grand finale.
A deadly gameIt was the early morning in the crystal empire, Celestia didn't even raise the sun yet across Equestria. Some ponies woke up, to get ready for work. Other ponies could have the pleasure of sleeping more. Shining Armor woke up from an excellent dream. With his eyes still closed, he turned to his wife's side of the bed to wake her up. "Good morning honey," Shining Armor greeted his wife, but he didn't hear a reply, "Sweetie? Sweetheart?" Shining Armor opened his eyes and he was shocked. Shining eye's expanded in terror to the sight in front of him. Next to Shining Armor was a severed head of a pink unicorn mare, wearing his wife crown. "What the hell!!" Shining shouted in terror as he jumped from his bed and ran towards his daughter room. As the worrying father arrived he was relieved to see his daughter unharmed. Shining took his daughter from her bad and he noticed a letter on the pillow. Shining took the letter read it loud. Play the game and your love will not be harmed. Cheat and use others and the one you love will be gone. The queen will be where only chance will help you win. Until the moon you will have to find or else Cadence will die. At the end of the letter Shining saw a green question mark. "Have you find anything?" Shining Armor asked his generals and the best detectives he had at the crystal empire. The royal guard was searching the palace for any clues for who kidnapped princess Cadence and where she could be. The detectives found nothing, but two guards who were shot by a tranq dart and were tied by a rope. "Your highness," an orange unicorn with a deep orange mane and called for Shining Armor. Shining smiled to the unicorn. It was Sunburst, the royal crystaller, and magic adviser. "Did you solve it?" Shining asked. Sunburst nodded and he took the letter from his bag. "Yes, the answer is ..." a ringing noise stopped Sunburst from revealing the answer. Shining Armor, Sunburst and four soldiers follow the sound through the blue crystal halls until they found the source. It was the severed head Shining found in his room, vibrating and made ringed and around him were terrified guards. As Shining Armor entered the room, the head stopped vibrating and looked at Shining Armor. "I told you, no cheating," the head said. No one could believe it. The severed head that until now did nothing but vibrating as flies flew around it talked. Its voice didn't belong to a mare, but to a stallion, "Your highness, I thought you will be more cooperative, according to the situation. But you don't take me seriously." "Who are you?!" Shining Armor demanded to know. Sunburst didn't know which was scarier. The talking severed head, or Shining Armor angry. The head didn't share the same fear as Sunburst, it laughed at the angry king, mocking him by staying calm. "You can call me Riddler," the head said, calm, "I give you a second chance. Just as I thought, you are not so smart. You couldn't tell when your wife is replaced by a head. Answer the riddle and you will find a princess." The head stopped talking and a beeping sound came out. Sunburst's horn glow in orange and the head was been seen from the inside. Sunburst saw the source of the beeping. "It's a bomb!!!" Sunburst ran to Shining Armor, "Think, you can do it, think about the riddle." Shining Armor was in stress, he wasn't very good in riddles, it was more Twilight's knowledge. The white stallion took deep breaths and thought. "Okay Shining, you can do this. Think. A place where chance help you win" "You have 50 seconds," Sunburst said to Shining Armor. "not a talent, no knowledge, no physical strength. Only chance." "Thirty seconds!" Everypony's heart was in their pants. All prayed for Celestia for help. "Without talent, knowledge or physical streangh, you will need luck-" Then it hit him like a lightning bolt "-Luck!" Shining Armor ran towards the head. "5 seconds." "A casino!" Shining shouted at the head. The beeping stopped and everypony sighed in relief. "That was close," Shining told Sunburst. "It took you long enough," the head laughed "It was a riddle from a child's book. Come to Las Pegasus, there a princess will be waiting for you." The head stopped talking and a guard took it away. As the head left the room the room, everypony was calm and happier, it was like a dark cloud finally left the blue sky. But Shining wasn't happy, he couldn't be happy until he finds Cadence. "I must go alone," Shining told his guards, "Until I return, Sunburst is in charge." Shining Armor took Sunburst aside as the other guards went back to their positions. "I trust you to keep the empire in charge until I return, I trust you." Sunburst nodded and bowed before Shining Armor. Shining went out of the castle and took an air balloon to Las Pegasus. "Okay you psycho, I am coming for you." Shining Armor arrived at the palace of luck that has been called 'Las Pegasus.' Thanks to a spell Twilight taught him, Shining could walk on the clouds without falling. The white stallion stormed into the casino and he found the casino all empty, no one but his wife. Cadence was tied to an electric chair, her mouth was taped and her eyes were red from crying. As Shining came to free his wife, the entire casino was blacked out and a familiar laugh was heard through the halls. "You didn't think it will be so easy," a voice spoke in the microphone. It was the same voice that the head used. It was the Riddler. "Did you ever heard the story of King Solomon. He was the smartest pony who lived in Equestria, I'm seeing myself as his successor. Anyway, one day, Celestia came to his kingdom to test his mind. She gave three flowers, two were fake and one was real, but the three flowers were identical. I have decided to recreate the tale with another kind of flowers." The light was turned off, leaving Shining and Cadence in the dark and the light turned on again. Shining could not believe his eyes. He saw three Cadences. "Will you find the real flower?" The Riddler asked. It was hard to tell the three apart, the three Cadences were identical from the beautiful pink and purple mane to the pink coat and the golden crown. Shining looks at each Cadence, trying to find something, something to tell them apart. but nothing. They were all identical. "Having a problem?" The Riddler asked, mocking Shining and laughing at him, "Maybe a little shock will help." The electric chairs were activated and the three alicorns cried in pain and tears came out of their eyes. It was impossible for Shining to watch, it was impossible to watch his wife being tortuerd. Finally, the maniac stopped this. Leaving the three alicorns crying as their eyes become red. Finally, Shining Armor finds a clue to tell his real wife. The eyes. The eyes of the Cadence in the left and the Cadence in the middle were slightly red, but the Cadence in the right, her eyes were really red like she cried for hours. Shining knew what to do, he ran to the right Cadence, freeing her from the chair. Cadence fell to her husband's arms, unconscious. "Well done," The Riddler's voice said, "I didn't think you will get the hint, Soon enough my friends and I will meet you and the next part of the game will continue." Shining Armor was at the hospital, next to Cadence, crying and hoping for his wife to come back to him. From the room next to Cadence, Shining heard screaming of a mare. The mare was terrified of something, her screams gave the stallion chills. In the room next to Cadence, Starlight Glimmer was tied to the bed, tears in her face and her heart beat in terror. "Scarecrow," Starlight screamed, "Scarecrow, SCARECROW!!!"
What are monsters afraid ofStarlight woke up in a dark room, it was a room of an ancient castle, filled with dust, spider webs, and rusty black armors. As she tried to get back on her hooves, a headache attacked her, making her fall again. Starlight got up on her hooves a second time and she looked around the room, trying to find an exit. "What the hell is happening. One moment I was with Trixie at the spa and now.." Starlight's thought stopped as she heard the sound of hooves walking echoing between the dark stone walls. Starlight lighted her horn to see through the dark room. "Who is it?" A feminine voice asked. Starlight knew that voice. And the owner of the voice came to the moonlight that came out of the windows. It was a blue alicorn with levitating beautiful dark mane with stars inside. It was Princess of the night, Princess Luna. Starlight ran towards Luna and the princess embraced her friend in her hooves. "Starlight Glimmer, what is happening. One moment I am with my sister and next.." "Can you please keep your voice down," a male voice complained as the princess and the unicorn turned and saw Discord. The draconequus moaned and stretched his snake-like body, "I have a headache." Discord removed his head and threw it away to a garbage can and then he took a new head from a chest and assembled the new head to his body. "Now it's better," Discord sighed in relief and turned to the two equines, "Now can you please tell me, why we are here?" "Good," a creepy and cold voice talked from an unknown place, "You are all awake, now we can begin the experiment." Soon enough the entire room was filled with yellow gas and the one who kidnapped talked again, "You all have been chosen for your past deeds. Each one of you put his and her values above others. Now you all protecting those who once feared you. What do monsters afraid of, once love fuel it's heart? Are they afraid to return to their evil deeds or one who did not forgive them will harm the ones they love?" "If you wanted to learn about us, why didn't you asked us for an interview?" Luna asked in frustration and to this the voice giggled, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard him. "To actually know what a creature is thinking, you have to see it in action. The gas you breathing right now is a formula I created. will help me to understand what lies in your mind." Soon enough the gas disappeared and three doors opened. "Alright then," Starlight went through the first door and Discord and Luna went through the others. Discord found himself walking in a dark hall filled with black armors from each side. "You know, whoever you are, you just wasting your time, I have no fear. I have seen the worst of anything and you will not be one those terrible things." A creepy and horrifying laugh filled the room. "If a creature fear nothing, does it means he loves nothing? Maybe in the past, you feared nothing but now, when you have love, and if you can feel the love you will feel fear." Soon enough the entire hall was filled with darkness. Discord didn't care. But in the darkness, there was a spot of light. Discord looked at the light and what he saw was suprising. The draconequus saw a young pegasus mare, surrounded by animals. The mare had a yellow coat and pink mane, beautiful blue eyes and her cutie mark was three butterflies. "Fluttershy?" Discord asked as he slowly walked towards his friend. As Discord almost got to the light, as he was so close to embracing Fluttershy in his arms, the light turned off and took Fluttershy away. "Fluttershy!!" Discord screamed in terror and another light appeared. This time Fluttershy was held as a hostage. next to her neck was the blade of a scyhte and behind her was the one who held the scythe. It was a stallion, with a yellow coat and he was so skinny he resembled a skeleton, The stallion wore shredded brown clothes with hay poking out of them and his head was covered by a scarecrow mask and a witch's hat to his head. Without hesitation, Discord leaped towards the scarecrow-like pony and knocked him down to the ground. "You will not hurt Fluttershy!!!" "Discord?" Discord turned around, his fangs gritted and his eyes were blood like-red. Discord saw Twilight and the other ponies looking at him with horror and hatred. "What have you done?" Discord's eyes turned back from red to yellow as he looked down at the scarecrow and he saw Fluttershy covered in blood and her neck was sliced, Discord saw his hands were covered in blood and his left palm held a knife. Discord could not believe his eyes and like he was knocked down he fell next to his victim. "No!" Discord cried in terror "I couldn't, I would never harm you." Discord cried over the yellow pegasus, and looked at the knife that he held, " I am so sorry." Discord cried ash he brought the bloody knife to his neck. Luna walked down the dark halls and finally, she arrived at a familiar place. She was back at the palace, but it looked different, the walls were black, the guards wore blue armor and instead of two thrones, there was only one throne, the throne of Nightmare Moon. Then Luna saw something on the throne. no.. not something, someone. It was a stallion, so skinny that he could fool as a skeleton. The stallion wore shredded brown clothes with hay poking out of them and his head was covered by a scarecrow mask and a witch's hat to his head. "How can I call you?" Luna asked. "My name is Doctor Jonathan Crane," the figure introduces himself and smiled behind his scarecrow mask, "But you can call me by my true name. The scarecrow!" "Well Scarecrow," Luna smiled to the pony, "You failed. Every night since I cease to be Nightmare Moon, I've given nightmares for myself. I am not afraid of Nightmare Moon nor return to be Nightmare Moon." To Luna's answer, the Scarecrow laughed, his laugh echoed through the throne room and Luna's smile faded away. "But what would happen if somepony would follow the path of Nightmare Moon after all history has a name for repeating itself." Scarecrow disappeared and Luna heard a feminine laugh. Luna knew that laugh and she turned around to see a pink alicorn with purple long mane and she wore dark blue armor and black cape. It was Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's child. It was Flurry heart. "Flurry?" Luna asked as the dark pink alicorn took her place on the moon-shaped throne, "What happened to you?" "Oh dear aunt," Flurry smiled and laughed at the Princess of the night, "You have shown me the way to rule." "No!!" Luna cried, " Please do not take my mistakes as lessons. Do not follow the path I once walked through." "And that path showed me power, showed me my destiny." Luna fell on her knees, tears dropped from her eyes. That will be the end of Equestria, under the hand of those who worshiped her mistakes. Flurry heart rose from the throne and went down the stairs as she laughed, "Smile aunt. Thanks to you and your legend, I have learned my true destiny." "No," Luna got up on her feet, " I will not let it happen." Luna walked towards the evil alicorn and Flurry backed away, " I will teach you to be better than my mistakes. Long as I live no one will ever worship Nightmare Moon." Luna's horn glow in dark blue as the room started to fade. Flurry heart started to fade and the true form of the room was formed. It was an old castle, it was Celestia and Luna's old castle. Princess Luna smiled, now she knows the way out, after all, she was there when the palace was built. After some time Luna found the way out. As Luna was outside the old and dark palace, breathing deeply the night air, she heard a scream. "Starlight!" Luna screamed and went back into the dark pit and after some time she went out with Starlight on her back. "Don't worry Starlight Glimmer, you will be okay." Starlight was tied to a hospital bed, screaming the name of the one who did this to them. Luna was outside the room and the main 6 were at the Princess' side. As the other five ponies went to help Starlight, Luna took Fluttershy to the side. Twilight saw the Princess and the pegasus talk for some time and then Fluttershy fell on her knees crying.
Sweet as a rose, deadly as a poison ivy"He was a great pony, even if he wasn't a pony," Fluttershy said as tears escaped her eyes. It was terrifying to speak in front of such a big crowd of ponies, it was like she was judged for a crime she didn't committed. But for Discord, she would do it, for him she would do anything, "He always-" Fluttershy closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears, "-Always showed me the funny side of life." The yellow mare's eyes failed her, the tears like an unstoppable storm, came out. Rainbow Dash came to comfort her grief friend as Princess Celestia came to say final words. "Thank you Fluttershy," Princess Celestia said as five guards carried a long brown coffin towards the crowd of ponies, all dressed in black. As the ponies moved aside to let the guards lead the dead for his rest, a rain of tears began, no dry eye was left at the crowd. "Goodbye Discord," Celestia sighed in sorrow as the guards laid the coffin down the hole and they covered it under the green. "Thank you all for coming," Twilight said, "We will continue the mourning at the castle." The crowd followed the main 6 as they went to the castle. All except the children. The children just stood in front of the Everfree forest. They were fascinated by the forest, it was like the forest call for them and they could not resist. "What's the matter sugarcube?" Applejack asked her sister, but she didn't answer, she just stood in front of the forest. When Applejack looked into the forest she saw somepony out there. As Applejack looked closer she saw it wasn't a pony but a Kirin. The Kirin sang something but Applejack could not understand it. The kirin was too far for the mare to hear, but the children heard well what the kirin said. The children, as if they had a hive mind, walked at the same time after the kirin. The little fillies and colts disappeared into the forest, living Applejack all alone. Usually, Applejack would call her friends before she would enter the Everfree forest. But this it was different, with all the psychopaths now, free. Applejack walked inside the dark and dreadful forest, with one goal in her mind: Find the children and take them home unharmed. The forest was quiet today, usually, there would be some glowing eyes looking at her, waiting to attack. But today, nothing, the birds didn't sing, the Timberwolves didn't howl and the Manticore didn't roar. Only trees and flowers, wherever Applejack turned she saw flowers and trees. After a while of walking and running inside the maze of mother nature, Applejack heard a mare singing. Come, little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of shadows. "The Kirin," Appleajack said to herself as she ran towards the voice. With every step Applejack took, the song became louder and louder. Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way, through all the pain and the sorrow. Weep not, dear children for life is this way, murdering beauty with passion. Applejack felt weird, the song got into her mind. It was like a drill was trying to break into her mind. Applejack shook her head, "Focus Applejack, focus. Applebloom needs me!" The mention of her sister helped the mare to regain her strength. Applejack ran as fast as she could, she ran and passes the trees and the flowers, not noticing that the flowers followed her movement. Finally, Applejack found the Kirin who kidnapped her sister and the other children. The Kirin had a red mane and her body was fully green, she wore a crown made of leaves and her eyes were red. The Kirin was leaning on a giant vine as the children were in cacoons, sleeping or worse. "You shouldn't have followed me," The Kirin sighed as a vine curved over Applejack's body. Applejack tried to resist but it was no use. The vine took the mare to its master. "Who are you?" Applejack asked as she struggled to breathe. The Kirin smiled and she blew a cloud of red dust from her hoof. Applejack fell to the ground unconscious. The Kirin went down from the vine and she walked into the forest as other vines grew out of the ground, taking the children with them.
The claws of the penguinApplejack woke up in a hospital bed to the beeping sound of the patient monitor. As she looked to the right she saw all of her friends and famliy stood by, all except one. Applebloom. As Applejack remembered what happened, she tried to get up from the bed, but she was stopped by Twilight. "The kids!" Applejack shouted in terror, "Twilight the kids are missing1!" "We know Applejack," Twilight sighed in sorrow, "It's been weeks since we saw the kids." "No, ah mean, the kids are kidnapped!" Applejack said in frustration, "After Discord's funeral, ah saw Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scotaloo and the rest of the colts and fillies walking into The Everfree forest, following a Kirin. When I found the Kirin, she was controlling the plants and put the kids in cacoons." Everyone was shocked but according to the last weeks and after what happened to Cadence, Starlight, Luna, and Discord, it wasn't surprising anymore. What happened to Equestria, Twilight thought, not so long ago the most dangerous thing was a changeling threat of Chrysalis or a monster from Tartarus. Now there a psychoapaths and murderers, kidnapping and torturing. It is like the world has gone mad. And all of the attacks were happening only to those she and her friends... That it!! "I don't think these things were random," Twilight suddenly said, answering a question that no one asked. "What do you mean?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Think about that. The first attack was on my brother's wife. then, three of our friends. And now our children and siblings are kidnapped. They want our attention, they want something from us." There was silence in the room, everyone took their time to think about what the lavender alicorn just said and then the penny dropped. " Very impressive Twilight," a feminine voice said behind Twilight, the young alicorn turned around to see two ponies. One was a white alicorn with beautiful hair in the color of the rainbow that never stopped moving and the sun was her cutie mark. The other pony was a blue pegasus mare with blond mane and lightning as a cutie mark. "Lightning Dust?" Rainbow Dash was surprised to see her old rival here, standing next to Princess Celestia herself. "If you please come with me." The group did as Celestia told them. Applejack leaped the hospital bed and went with the others. The main 6 followed Celestia and Lightning Dust to the throne room. The guards locked the doors and stood there, guarding the doors. "What is going on?" Applejack asked Celestia, " Why are those maniacs attacking us, what do they want from us?" "That I could not answer," Celestia sighed, "But maybe, we can stop them before they will finish whatever their plan is." Celestia looked at Lightning Dust and the blue mare started to explain. "After my job as a washout was destroyed," Lightning Dust glanced at Rainbow with anger, "I was looking for a job. No one wanted to hire me, I was hopeless. One day, a pegasus who saw me at the academy told me about a business griffon that she could help his 'Delivery occupation'. The griffon's name is Oswald Cobblepot, but he goes by 'Penguin'." "A year ago I hired Lightning Dust to spy on Penguin," Celestia said, "Penguin has strong power in our government and he control crime in Equestria, I could not arrest him without proofs." Celestia finished and nodded to Lightning Dust to continue. "Last week, a Kirin appeared at his club in the unguard area of Canterlot. She was a green Kirin with a red mane and behind her were thousands of cacoons. The Kirin told Penguin that the kids are ready to be sent for Dr. Crane. When I heard it, I told Celestia immediately." "So what you need from us?" Rainbow asked, " You have the Proof you need, why not arrest Penguin?" "Cobblepot is the only one who knows where Crane resides, If he would see my guards coming he could warn Crane and the kids could be in danger. I need you to go to Penguin's club the 'Iceberg lounge' and to find any clue that will lead to the location of Crane and perhaps the other criminals." "And how will we get in?" Twilight asked, "Penguin will never let heroes and friends of the princesses enter his club." "Leave that to me." Lightning Dust smiled. The unguarded area of Canterlot was the place to find the best kind of criminals, mercenaries, smugglers, and death. The royal guards never patroled there, the streets were full of garbage, blood and, corpses. It was no pony land. The only beautiful thing in this hell was the 'Iceberg lounge'. Only the most dangerous and wanted criminals would enter the club. And those who are not invited, well, they would never leave. A group of 7 interesting looking ponies went towards the big club who looked like a picture from a magazine. "This is not going to work," Twilight insisted as she tried to hide her horn behind a big black top hat. "A little faith Twi," Pinkie told Twilight while she is fixing her mustache, "I'm sure that no one would even know that we are ourselves." As the girls stood in front a big door, with a sign said 'Do not enter, unless you are stupid'. The girls were confused, why there was no guard. "Before we go in," Lightning Dust told the main 6 and gave them instructions "Do not be yourself. Do not try to make friends do not try to solve the ponies' problem and do not-" Rainbow Dash ran towards the door and to her surprise it was unlocked, leaving a dust cloud and the group followed her inside leaving Lightning Dust alone "- Enter without me." "What kind of a crime boss leave the door unlocked and unguarded?" Twilight asked her friends as they walked in the dark room. "The crime boss who knows that no one is dumb enough to enter without an invitation," a voice echoed in the room. The light was turned on and the group found themselves surrounded from every corner by griffons, diamond dogs, dragons and stallions. Inside the circle with them, the group of frightened mares saw a small griffon, with black and white feathers and small wings. The griffon was wearing a monocle on his right eye, a black top hat and he smoked a brown cigar. Lightning Dust ran towards the griffon in panic. "Mr. Cobblepot!" Lightning Dust smiled, "I see you already met my new crew." The griffon looked at Lightning Dust was trying to keep her nerves down and he laughed. Lightning Dust sighed in relief as the group of criminals broke their circle. The main 6 walked towards the mare and the griffon and Lightning Dust introduced them to her boss. "This lavender pegasus," Lightning Dust pointed her hoof at Twilight that was disguised by a black top hat and green coat covering her cutie mark, "Is Professor Jenna Moriarty, one of the best heist planners in Equestria, she once planned a heist of Queen Chrysalis' crown." Cobblepot shook Twilight's hoof. Next, There was Fluttershy who was disguised in a hockey mask and wore a stained apron and blue, buttoned shirt, "This is Blood Lecter. She killed her own brother in the age of 6 and since then she never said any word," Lightning Dust looked at Fluttershy, "Not.. a single word." "Kassidy would like her," Cobblepot said as Lightning Dust brought Rarity who wore a black dress with black feather scarf. "You know Selina Kyle, right? So This mare is her cousin, and she goes by the name of The purple raven. She once fought an army of diamond dogs just for their diamonds." Cobblepot looked close at Rarity, something looked familiar about the white unicorn. "Why does she looked like the designer from Ponyville Rarity?" Cobblepot asked as he took a newspaper with the news on her new boutique on it. "Well..." Lightning Dust mumbled and took her time to answer, "It is because her last theft was of Rarity's diamonds, she had to go through plastic surgery just so she could have the snob mare's diamonds." Offended Rarity walked away towards the bar. " This orange mare is Mrs Clyde," Applejack, wearing a disguise of an eye patch and she wore a blue dress and her cowboy hat, "She robbed the colonies in the desert with 1 knife." Applejack smiled and walked towards Rarity. "This one is Penny wase," Pinkie came wearing nothing but a fake mustache, "She is the lawbreaker, she doesn't even obey the laws of nature." Cobblepot looked confused at Pinkie who took a box of cupcakes from her hair and ate them. "And the last one is Sarah Bolton" Lightning took Rainbow Dash, who was wearing black tuxedo and red rose was inside her vest pocket, "Not a lot of brain, but she is one tough cookie." Rainbow Dash frowned to Dust's words. "Well welcome to the Iceberg lounge, and please call me Penguin." Penguin greeted his guests as a big stallion unicorn whispered something to the griffon's ear. "Excuse me," Penguin said, "I have a business to attend, please have fun." Penguin left with the stallion to a room guarded by two minotaurs. "Okay," Twilight gathered the group, "Applejack, Fluttershy and I would search the club for anything that would lead us to the children. Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, you need to make a distraction so we could sneak in." Lightning Dust looked at Rainbow Dash and she had an idea. Rainbow Dash was thrown to the bar table, breaking bottles and glasses as Lightning Dust flew to her, ready to beat the life out of her. "What the hell!" Rainbow Dash shouted in rage as Lightning Dust landed on the bar table. "Do you really think you can steal from me and get away Ramsay?" Lightning shouted as all the criminals were looking at them, leaving their tables, to look at the fight between the two mares. "FIGHT, FIght, fight!" The crowd cheered as the two pegasi punched and kicked each other. The minotaur guards saw the fight. Usually, they would do nothing and let the criminals kill each other, but Mr. Cobblepot asked that the place would be clean for his special guests tomorrow. As the guards went to stop the fight, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy sneaked to the hall and ran to the darkness. The guards stopped the fight and the guests of the club returned to their drinks and games. "The plan worked," Lightning Dust smirked as Rainbow Dash took an ice bag from Pinkie's hair and looked at her with hatred. Lightning Dust smiled to Rainbow and she took a coin with Celestia's head on both sides, "Next time pick heads." "Very funny," Rainbow Dash said and rolled her eyes, "Where the coin from?" "My brother, he is actually the reason I tried to become a wonderbolt. He always was better than me, always said 'everything is about luck." Lightning Dust looked at Rainbow and she smiled "Drinks on me." Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack removed their disguises and walked down the hall. The hall had red walls covered in red valet, and on the walls, there were pictures and painting of famous artists. there the screaming mare, the mona Celestia and there was a picture of Penguin with a weird group. to Penguin's right, there was a stallion, who wore brown ripped clothes with a straw poking out of them and he wore a mask of a scarecrow and brown witch hat. To Penguin's left, there was a unicorn stallion, wearing a green suit with a purple tie and a green bowler. On the right side of the picture, there was the Kirin Applejack and Lightning Dust talked about. In the middle of the picture, there was a white stallion with green hair. The stallion was wearing a purple suit and a green vest, but the thing the mares noticed about was his smile. Under the picture, there was a golden line that a name was curved. The symbols of Anarchy. "These weirdoes give me the creeps," Applejack told Fluttershy, but the yellow pegasus didn't listen, she was focused on the scarecrow-like figure. The girls left the picture, trying to find something that would help them. Finally, Twilight found something. "Hey over here!" Twilight called for her friends and the three mares entered an office. On the desk, there was a big, brown book that was titled The secret of Anarchy. Twilight opened the book and she found a list of cities and names of ponies, yaks, dragons, griffons, and changelings. Applejack noticed the name of her sister on the list. twilight used her horn to cast a shrinking spell on the book and she gave this to Applejack to keep under her hat. "Let's go, we have what we need," Twilight said with a hopeful smile. "Leaving so soon?" A familiar voice asked behind The mares. It was Penguin. The mares gasped in terror as two diamond dogs knocked them out. "I don't know who is more foolish," Penguin laughed, "Celestia, who thinks I didn't know there was a mole under my beak. Or you, Lightning, to think that Celestia would protect you." The main 6 were tied to a chair as Lightning Dust was beaten by the two minotaurs. The Griffon snapped his fingers and the minotaurs stopped and a red unicorn with a green mohawk and his cutie mark was a flame. "Let's show you what's happening to moles here." The stallion's horn glows in red and he aimed at the blond mare. The main 6 wanted to keep their eyes shut but the guards didn't let them. Lightning Dust got up on her legs, spat blood and smiled to Cobblepot. "I thought you are a penguin, not a chicken!" Lightning Dust smirked. The unicorn blasts a flaming ball to her face. Lightning tried to dodge the attack, but half of her face was harmed. "HAAAAA!" Dust screamed in pain. The Penguin smiled as an earth pony without hair and was covered in scars whispered something in his ear. "What?!!!" Penguin shouted in rage as the club's door was blasted away and 100 royal guards led by Shining Armor. The guards surrounded the criminals, freed the main 6, and took the wounded pegasus. "Oswald Cobblepot, you are under arrest!" Shining Armor shouted as two guards took the small griffon. As the guards took the criminals away, Twilight hugged her brother. Rainbow Dash walked to where Dust was burned and she took the coin that fell from her.
Stop the symbols"Well done girls," Celestia greeted the main 6 for their mission, "Now thanks to you, one of Equestria most dangerous criminals are behind bars, and soon enough, those 'Symbols of Anarchy' will join him." Twilight and the others cheered for their success, but Rainbow Dash didn't join to the cheers. Instead, she looked at the coin that Lightning Dust lost, all because of them. "Thank you, Princess Celestia," Twilight thanked for the compliments, "But without Lightning Dust, we would not even survive in the club. She saved our skin there." Celestia nodded in agreement and a spirit of sorrow crawled into her mind. Celestia blamed herself for what happened to Lightning Dust. Because of her, Lightning Dust is now lying in the hospital and her face was destroyed. Silence and sorrow filled the room and entered everypony's heart as they thought of Lightning Dust until the doors were opened and Princess Luna entered the room, with the book Twilight gave her. "Luna, any luck to find the locations of the criminals?" Celestia asked her little sister, who nodded with a small smile. Luna's horn glow and a map Equestria appeared with three red dots glowing above them. The main 6 walked towards the map. "Thanks to Penguin's book, we have found the locations of the three criminals. The kirin-" Luna said as her horn glow again as the image of the Kirin who kidnapped the children of Equestria appeared."- has been called by Cobblepot as Poison Ivy. The book said that she is at Peaks of Peril." Celestia turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, "I counting on you to find Ivy and bring her here to answer for justice." Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded and Princess Luna's horn glows again and a picture of a white unicorn stallion wearing a green suit, a purple tie, and a green bowler "Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler. Cobblepot's book said he lives here in Canterlot." "Rarity and Twilight, I want you to take care of Riddler, I believe you two could solve the case." Celestia giggled at her own pun. Twilight and Rarity nodded as Luna brought the last picture, It was a stallion wearing a scarecrow mask and brown ripped clothes wit straws poking outside of them. "Dr. Jonatha Crane, aka The Scarecrow, Cobblepot's book indicates that he lives in Starlight's old village. The book also indicates that Crane hired the Shadow bolts as his henchmen, that's how he succeeded to kidnap me, Starlight and Discord. It would hard to get in without him knowing." "If only you had a pony who knows every way in and out of the village," a feminine voice said and everyone turned their faces from the map to see Starlight Glimmer standing there. The main 6 ran towards their friend who returned from the hospital. "Starlight, are you sure you can go against him again?" Luna asked, "Last time he exposed you to his toxins you were screaming his name for months." "Princess Luna," Starlight smirked, "Scarecrow is a pony who feeds on fear. Creaturs who feed on emotions are my sepcialty." "Well, you're not going alone," Fluttershy said to Starlight and there something different in her voice, she was enthusiastic to volunteer to this terrifying mission. "And so do I," Pinkie smiled, "No one will terrorize my friends. Who he think he is? Nightmare Moon?" Pinkie looked back at Princess Luna who did not found her last comment amusing. "Very well." Starlight nodded and the group was separated, all expect Twilight who asked Luna one question. "Have you found anything about the white stallion that was in the picture?" "I am sorry Twilight, but there is no other member in the group. Maybe he was just a pawn they killed." "I don't know," Twilight rubbed her chin with her hoof, "There is something about this clown." Applejack and Rainbow Dash climbed the mountains until they arrived at the Peaks of Peril. The forest gave Applejack a bad memory from the last time she faced that Kirin, but she shook this feeling out of her head as she and Rainbow Dash entered the forest. As Applejack walked and tried to move between the bushes and vines, she noticed Rainbow Dash holding a coin in her wings. "What's that?" Applejack asked as she took the coin from Rainbow's wings. It was a coin with Celestia's face on both sides. One side of the coin was damaged and on of the faces of Celestia was destroyed. "Hey! Give me that!" Rainbow rebuked Applejack and took the coin back, "It belongs to Lightning Dust. She lost it when, You know." Applejack put a hoof on her face and nodded. "I feel bad for Lightning Dust. If I have shown kindness, maybe she wouldn't end up in a hospital with half of her face burned off." "Sugarcube," Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder, "It's not too late you know, Lightning is still alive, and you still can make amends with her." Rainbow Dash cheered up and the two continued to walk in the forest, looking for Poison Ivy. After a while, the two mares heard a feminine voice singing. The two mares walked closer and they saw the redheaded green Kirin, singing to her plants. I have waited for the day, to Send the greedy wolves away. Now the woods are in my salvation, Get along in my protection. We will stand forever free. As Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked slowly, trying to get closer to Ivy, their legs were caught by vines and the ponies were brought to Ivy. Ivy didn't even pay attention to the intruders and she kept singing to her children. They have come into our domain, Here to seal our land in shame. But we held it for generations, This is just a complication The vines held tight the ponies as Poison Ivy leaned on a giant vine as it carried her above the mars. We will stand forever free! "You know if," Rainbow Dash told Poison Ivy, "If you weren't a psycho mare who kidnapping children, you could have been a good singer." For her remark, Rainbow's vine held her stronger, making it hard for the mare to breath. "We know yah sent the kids to Scarecrow Ivy, why?" Applejack asked as Ivy's vine got closer to her. "It is painful to know that your family is in danger, isn't it Applejack?" Poison Ivy asked with a sinister smile, "Joker did not tell any of us whats the plan, the only one who knows about this is Scarecrow. I do not care for the plan, as long as ponies will suffer for what they have done to my children." "How do yah know ma name?" Applejack asked as she gritted her teeth, "And who is this Joker?" "So many questions are not good for a mare," Poison Ivy smiled as the vine crawled up towards Applejack neck. "And so is not paying attention to the blue pegasus," A voice said behind Poison Ivy. Ivy turned around to see Rainbow Dash flying in the air. Ivy looked down to the ground and she saw the vine that strangled Rainbow Dash on the ground dying. "How?" Poison asked as she went down to her dying child. "Daring Do's Jungle rule number one, never go to the jungle without a knife." Rainbow Dash freed Applejack and the two walked towards Ivy who was crying on her child. "You calling yourselves heroes, but you do not care for others, you will pay for that-" Ivy stopped talking as she was knocked down by a golden horseshoe. "Applejack's villains' number one, always take a horseshoe to a villain fight," Applejack smiled, proud of her comeback. "Really, always bring a horseshoe to a villain fight?" Rainbow Dash asked Applejack and raised an eyebrow. "It's better from yours," Applejack smirked, "'And so is not paying attention to the blue pegasus.'" "Are you sure this is the place?" Rarity asked Twilight as they stood in front of an old antique shop. "That's the address Princess Luna gave me, so I guess it is," Twilight shrugged. "Maybe she got the wrong address?" Rarity suggested. Twilight gasped, she could not believe the words. "Did you... Did you just said that the Princess got something wrong?" "Well," Rarity proclaimed, "This place doesn't scream riddles." "Let's just get in," Twilight sighed, "After all it could be a false appearance." Rarity nodded and the two entered the shop. The shop was filled with old clocks, rusty armors, and puppets. Rarity was disgusted by the dusted stuff, but Twilight fascinated by the antiques. The purple alicorn ran from one side of the store to another, like a child in a toy store. Meanwhile, Rarity walked to the old mare who stood behind the service desk. It was an old unicorn mare, her coat was pale purple and her mane was white and short. "Excuse me?" Rarity asked for the old mare's attention, "We are looking for Mr. Edward Nygma. Do you know where to find him?" "Mr. E. Nygma?" The old mare asked Rarity and the white mare nodded, "Then follow me." Rarity called for Twilight and the two mares followed the mare to the back of the store. The old mare stopped in front of the wall and she just stood there looking at nothing. "Excuse me, Mam," Twilight asked the old mare, "But why are standing here?" The mare started to laugh as her horn glow in purple and the old mare transformed into a young white unicorn stallion, wearing a green suit and a purple tie. It was Riddler "And I thought you are the smartest mare in Canterlot, Princess," Riddler smirked as the room started to disassembleds and reassembled into a metal cage. The Riddler laughed as the mares were surrounded by metal walls. "Let's play a game shall we?" Riddler smiled as sharp spikes extracted from the walls and the walls started to move towards each other, ready to pin the ponies. "Riddle me this now: You can wear me anywhere you go, to shows, to parties, to dinners, and even in bed, but not in funerals. What am I?" The walls got closer and closer as the mares tried to understand the riddle. "You understand that you will die here with us right?" Twilight asked Riddler. "I am not even here, you have been talking with an illusion." The Riddler smiled as he faded away. "Okay Twilight you can do this," Twilight tried to encourage herself, "Something you can wear me anywhere, parties, shows, dinners, and bed, but not in funerals. Maybe a dress?" "Oh darling," Rarity sighed, "No one is wearing a dress in bed, no it must be something else." "Are you sure?" Twilight asked, "I mean, maybe ponies do not wear a dress in bed but maybe other cre-" Rarity put her hoof on Twilight's mouth. "No one." It took a lot of time to find the answer and time wasn't something the two had. The walls got closer and closer, Twilight and Rarity stood next to each other. "Think what you can wear everywhere except funerals," Twilight closed her eyes and focused. "Maybe it's not a cloth, you can wear expression, but what expression you cannot wear in a funeral, maybe something that shows happiness, it's not so nice to show a smile in a..." She got it! "A smile!" The walls started to back away and a door was opened. Twilight and Rarity walked into the next room. The room was lighted in green lightbulbs and the children were held in electric chairs. There were colts and fillies, baby changelings and young griffons and hippogriffs and all of them were terrified. Among the children, Rarity spotted her little sister. "Sweetie Belle! Are you okay?" Rarity asked, but before the young unicorn could answer, the chairs were activated and the children were electrocuted. Twilight and Rarity suffered to hear the scream of the children. "Here is part two of the game," Riddler appeared above the children, behind a glass window, "This one is a more physical game. The platforms you are standing will send electric attacks every 10 minutes, you have to get to the children within 30 minutes without dying. Starting in 3...2...1." The platforms glow in green and the mares fell to the floor as they crawled in pain. "2 more of this and maybe you will not stand again." The platforms' green light was fading and the mares had no choice, but to play this mad game. Twilight and Rarity walked towards the second line of platforms, as the green light slowly returned to the platforms, they were still far away from the kids, at least 5 lines of platforms, and before they could move towards the third line, a giant spinning saw blade was moving from right to left. Between the lines, there were 4 blades "16 minutes," Riddler reminded that time does not wait. The mares looked at the blades spinning around. Twilight counted every time that a blade touched the wall. "3...2...1," Twilight looked at Rarity, "Now!" The mares ran towards the third line, and the platform was fully green. The electric waves flow through the mares' body as they screamed in agony. The green light faded and Rarity fell on the floor and she started to cry. "I'm afraid Twi." "Do you trust me?" Twilight asked and she offered a hoof to Rarity. Rarity smiled and she got up on her legs. "On my count," "3..." The lights started to return to the platforms, but the mares did not care. "2..." The blades' sound was loud and terrifying, but the mares did not care. "1!" The mares ran, avoiding the blades who almost split their bodies and trying to stay as little as possible on the green platforms. The sting of the shocks was felt in their legs, but they kept running. They leaped from one platform to another. Finally, the mares arrived at the last platform. Rarity looked at her sister and she didn't notice to the green platforms. "Rarity!" Twilight pushed the white unicorn out of the platform and she receieved the shocks. "Twilight!" Rarity ran towards her friend who screamed in pain and she pulled her to the cold floor. Twilight was unconscious. "Oh, the princess is not here to help you now," Riddler mocked Rarity as a time bomb came from the floor with 19 red wires and a cutter, "You have 10 minutes before the bomb will set you free from you pathetic, miserable life." On the bomb was written another riddle. You could not stand the look of me, but you need me to live, You don't like it when I leave, but when, but when people ask you will donate me. The riddle was weird, what kind of thing would people donate if they don't like to leave. What kind of red thing would be needed to... Rarity knew the answer. Now it's just to tell which one of the wires red wires is red-blood wire. Anypony would panic because to anypony, the wires would look the same. But Rarity knew the differences between the shades of red. Within 20 seconds she cut the wire in the middle, the timer stopped and the children were free from their chairs. "How?!!" Riddler asked in rage, "You cheated!" The screams of Riddler woke Twilight. "No," Rarity smirked, "I just know how red-blood look like." While Riddler was furious in his room, behind the glass, Twilight got enough strength to teleport inside the room and she took Riddler by surprise and took him to Rarity and the kids. "Why didn't you do this before?" Rarity asked Twilight. "Because," Twilight answered, "If I would teleport, Riddler would probably hurt the children." Rarity understood and she ran towards her sister. "Sweetie Belle," Twilight asked the little unicorn who was in shock, "Where are Applebloom and Scootaloo?" "I don't know," Sweetie Belle answered, "The only thing I heard is that half of the kids would be sent to Scarecrow." Starlight led Pinkie and Fluttershy through a dark tunnel under Ponyville. It was an old tunnel that was used mine diamonds back in the days. But now, it was an underground road between the villages of Equestria. Starlight used it to find new members to her happy town, and now she is gonna save her happy town. Pinkie, as usual, was energetic and was ready to bust some bad ponies. But Fluttershy was acting kind of odd. She immediately volunteered to go hunt the Scarecrow, and she had a flame in her eyes, a flame Starlight saw only once in her life, and that was when her village was destroyed and everypony abandoned her. As Fluttershy walked, Starlight went over to her. "Hey Fluttershy," Starlight approached the yellow pegasus, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Fluttershy tried to fake a smile, but it didn't fool Starlight and the fake smile faded, "It's just, I have always believed that no pony is that evil, even the worst of ponies. But now all of this, how can a pony do such a thing? Kidnapping, murder, and torture? I'm starting to think that-" Fluttershy stopped talking as Starlight put a hoof on her shoulder and two hugged each other. "It's okay. Maybe We will help them and we will show them, you know that friendship is magic." "Maybe," Fluttershy smiled and Starlight continued to lead the way to the old village, "And maybe we show them justice." The group finally arrived at Starlight's old village, and it was far beyond their mind could even imagine. Corpses and skeletons surrounded the town as vultures ate whatever left of the ponies' corpses. The trees were filled with crows and vultures. The three mares could not process what they have seen. It was a picture of a nightmare. Three ponies came with a wagon filled with fresh corpses. That gave Starlight an idea. "Follow my lead," Starlight whispered and the two mares nodded. The three mares walked on the tips of their hooves and they hide behind a bush as the three ponies threw the bodies and tried to get rid of the vultures. The three ponies were Shadowbolts, like Luna said. As the three Shadowbolts finally finished their task and they were ready to go, Starlight made a noise, one so loud they would have to notice, and so they did. The three Shadowbolts went to the bush, to see if it was a squirrel again and they were pulled into the bush. After a few minutes, the three mares came out of the bush, now dressed as Shadowbolts. "Now we can walk into the Scarecrow's lair without anyone would notice." Starlight smiled, happy with her own plan. "Ah, Starlight?" Pinkie asked and she pointed on her back, "We don't have wings." "Don't we?" Starlight smirked and Pinkie was confused. "We don't." Starlight sighed and explained, "I will cast a spell that will give the illusion we have wings." "Ohhhhhh," Pinkie understood, "But we still won't have wings." Starlight rolled her eyes and her horn glow in blue as a blue circle surrounded her and Pinkie and wings grew out of their bodies. "Alright now you look like Pegasus," Fluttershy approved their look, "But Starlight," Fluttershy pointed her hoof at Starlight's horn. "Oh yeah," Starlight smiled in embarrass as her horn glow again and it suddenly disappeared, "Now we look like pegasi." The three mares walked towards the town. As they walked through the abandoned town, the mares heard blood-curdling screams came out of the houses. After a while of walking in this dark and depressing village, the mares heard again the screams and this time they went to check the source. Pinkie looked inside a house via the window and what she saw was just sick. There was a griffon child sitting in the corner and his eyes were bleeding and the griffon's claws were covered in blood. Starlight looked at another house were two changelings were kneeling on the floor, crying that they were sorry to the floor and their eyes were red of tears. Fluttershy looked from another house, and she saw a blue earth pony stallion, sitting in the middle and he was laughing, just laughing as he was surrounded by two dead mares. The three mares returned to each other and they saw a grey Shadowbolt with black mane waving for them to come. "Did you get rid of the failed test subjects?" The Shadowbolt asked them and the three nodded, "Good, Scarecrow wants everybolt to be at his lab right now, let's go." Starlight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy followed the Shadowbolt into Starlight's old house where at least 1,000 Shadowbolts stood. The three mares walked and moved within the crowd and they stood in front of Scarecrow's lab. The door of the laboratory was opened and the scarecrow came out of the lab, holding his scythe. "Tonight is the night!" Scarecrow shouted and the shadowbolts cheered, "I gave each of your leaders the locations, wait until my signal and only when I will send the signal, you will spread the fear gas. Any questions?" One shadow bolt walked to Scarecrow. "Yeah, when will you pay us?" The shadow bolt asked. Scarecrow raised the scythe and cut the Pegasus' head. "You will get your payment when I will finish the experiment, Soon enough you will happy you joined me. Are there any other questions?" The shadowbolts say nothing, "Good, now go and place the chemicals!" The shadowbolts did as Scarecrow told them. Soon enough, only Starlight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were left alone. "Ahhh Scarecrow, sir," Starlight tried to hide her voice, "What about the children?" "You look familiar," Scarecrow walked closer to Starlight, "you three, come with me." The three mares followed the Scarecrow into his lab. Starlight saw her old house, now changed completely. The entire room was filled with desks, and bottles filled with liquids in many colors. On the walls, there were pieces of newspapers. Starlight looked at one of the news. A mad professor was kicked out of Canterlot university after experiment his unethical experiment. "They called me mad for searching beyond the limits of morals," Scarecrow told Starlight as he removed his mask, revealing a yellow earth pony with a brown, dirty mane. "Please feel at home. Remove your masks please." The three mares looked at each other with fear, "Please, you think I do not know when my own ponies are replaced. My crows told me when you replaced the bolts." Starlight removed her mask and so did Pinkie and Fluttershy. "If you knew that we were imposters, why didn't you ordered your bolts to kill us?" Pinkie asked as she almost drank a pink bottle, but Fluttershy stopped her. "Because..." Scarecrow put back his mask on and a yellow gas was spread in the room, "I wanted to test the new formula." The gas spread across the room. The mares coughed, Starlight and Fluttershy covered their mouth, but Pinkie did not do this in time and she was exposed. Starlight held Pinkie who fell to the floor, screaming, as Fluttershy saw Scarecrow escaping through the basement. Fluttershy flew to the basement where surrounded darkness. "You know, I read your and your friends book," Scarecrow voice echoed in the basement, " I wonder why you do not stand more for yourself, I know you can do this, but you don't want to. Perhaps is because you are afraid of other's opinions. No, you did stand for a villain." "Discord is a better pony than you will ever be," Fluttershy spoke in rage. "It is the same fear your friend had, you are afraid to lose control, you are afraid to hurt those you love the most." "And what's wrong with that?" "Nothing, but you must face your fears!!" Scarecrow leaped at the yellow Pegasus and he tried to attack her with his scythe, but Fluttershy dodged the attacks, and she kicked the stallion in his face, knocking him down. Fluttershy took the unconscious criminal upstairs and she saw Starlight and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie now looked okay. "How did you do it?" Fluttershy asked Starlight as she took the keys for the houses from Scarecrow. "The pink bottle, it is an antidote," Starlight said. "Okay then, let's free the kids." After she returned back to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash went to the hospital to talk with Lightning Dust. When she arrived at Dust's room, she saw a pegasus mare, her face was covered in white bandages. "Hey Lightning," Rainbow waved to her friend, "It's Rainbow, how are you?" The mare did not answer, she just laughed. "What's so funny?" The mare did not answer, she just continued to laugh. "Come on, I have a sense of humor." And the mare still did not answer. The laughs grew stronger and stronger, filling the room with their psychotic sound until they stopped. The monitor confirmed the time of death. Rainbow Dash called for a nurse and the nurse checked the pulse, nothing. The nurse started to cut the bandages and the face that lied behind the bandages was a blue face with a green mane and a terrifying smile. Lightning Dust was held in an old, wooden chair as a mysterious figure talked to her. Her face was still covered in stained bandages like they weren't been replaced since the hospital wrapped them on her. "So there were three ponies in a pub. The bartender asked them what they want to drink, and they asked for water. The bartender didn't understand, why would ponies come to a pub and don't want to drink, and they told him 'We are not here for the drinks we are here for the show.' Then-" Before the figure could finish the joke, a stallion wearing a clown mask bursted through the door. "Boss, we have a-" Before the stallion could finish the sentence, he was stabbed by a knife that was thrown by the figure. "I am so sorry for my stallion's behavior," The figured apologized, "They don't have any manners. Now where was I, oh yeah," The figure walked towards Lightning Dust and his face was revealed. It was an earth pony stallion with a green short mane and a red line on his lips, "I was about to tell you the punch line. HAAHAHAHHAHA!!" Author's Note I have decided to do one more chapter the grand finale.
