Sassy Saddles, the manager of the famous boutique Canterlot Carousel, smiled happily as she waved goodbye to one of the numerous customers who entered during this lovely morning. The business was successful and attracted many, new ponies came every day. She was certain Rarity would be proud; the mare had taught her a lot after all! She walked to the cash register and put the few bits she earned by selling a dress to the previous customer.
Suddenly, she heard the ring of a bell, signaling someone entered the boutique. She turned around, ready to greet the newcomer, thinking it was a customer; however, she quickly realised it was only a mailpony due to his uniform.
“Hi, is this Sassy Saddles?” The mailpony asked after reciting the name of the recipient on the envelope he was holding.
“Yes; I wasn’t expecting any letter today,” She answered as the mailpony gave her the envelope. “Thank you,” She said as he exited her boutique. She looked at the envelope and noticed the name of the sender wasn’t scribbled on it. She shrugged, then opened it, unfolding the letter inside.
Dear Miss Sassy Saddles,
We are honored to announce you that you’ve been invited to the greatest party ever organized! We are expecting you to show us the beautiful dresses and suits of your boutique! Other fashion designers will come too and share their work
The party will be held in Baltimare at 11 pm in two days. The address is on the back of this letter.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pony
A party? Fashion designers? Sassy Saddles clapped her hooves in excitement; this was an excellent opportunity to show her talents and the goods of her boutique! Moreover, Rarity was surely invited too! She’d see her again that way. Although to consider it the greatest party ever organised was maybe too much… This Mr. Pony had to be extremely confident! Baltimare was quite far from Canterlot, so she’d had to take the first train tomorrow. She clapped her hooves again, still very much excited.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville near the castle of Friendship. A blue unicorn by the name of Trixie relaxed in her wagon. She put on a show recently and collected a good number of bit. Regrettably, there was always one pony criticising her tricks since the princesses were so much better at magic than she was! Yeah, right! She bet she could defeat all of them on her own. She didn’t try to because she was tired and didn’t have time. She had better things to do. Moreover, she could count on Starlight to shut these ponies up. Although most of the time they left her show willingly…
Anyway, it didn’t matter! She merely wanted to rest and forget about this! She used her magic to hold a drink of orange juice, then took a sip and closed her eyes. She was finally read to take a nap.
Unfortunately, her tranquility was interrupted when she heard knocking on her door. She grunted and ignored it; whoever it was would go away eventually. However, the knocking continued, and it was even louder than before. Trixie sighed and stood up before walking to the door and opening it with a frown. The one knocking was a mailpony, judging by his looks.
“I’m sorry for bothering you, miss. I have a letter for you and there was nothing where I could put it. It was hard to find you since you don’t really have an address and…” The mailpony said while Trixie’s frown deepened, not caring about him or his stories. She ripped the envelope out of his hooves and started opening it. She thought the mailpony was gone since she only heard silence. However, when she looked up, she perceived him staring and smiling at her.
“What are you waiting for? Get lost! Trixie doesn’t have time to spend with you!” She said as the mailpony sighed, looked down, then walked away. The blue unicorn rolled her eyes before going back inside her wagon. She unfolded the letter and read its content.
Dear Miss Trixie Lulamoon,
The greatest party ever organised will be held in Baltimare, so it is only fitting for a great and powerful unicorn such as you, to be invited. We also hope you will put on a magic show for our guests. Of course, your participation will be rewarded with bits.
The party will be held in two days at 11 pm. The address is on the back of the letter.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pony
“Aha! I see somepony has finally recognised Trixie’s greatness! This Mr. Pony knows how to talk to a lady magician such as myself,” Trixie thought aloud proudly as she smirked.
That was enough to bring her mood and confidence back up. She didn’t waste any more time and embarked on her trip to Baltimare. Of course, she didn’t forget to bring her wagon and put on her usual costume. This party could be a good advertisement for her, besides being a adequate proof of her being the most magical unicorn in Equestria. Alright, she lost to Twilight; however, Twilight technically wasn’t a unicorn anymore, so it didn’t count… right?
While Trixie readied herself for the trip she was taking; far from Ponyville, in the Hayseed Swamp, an earth pony was preparing potions.
The mage Meadowbrook was the healer of the village and one of the six pillars of Equestria. Six heroes that defended the land for many years. She stopped saving the world long ago, but still made potions for those who required it.
She hummed happily as she threw diverse plants in the cauldron at center of her home and barely noticed the thin paper that went through her mail slot. She raised an eyebrow since very rare people ever wrote letters to her. It was mostly because the friends she had before getting trapped into the limbo were all dead since then. Her only friends were the other pillars and the princesses. She opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.
Dear Miss Meadowbrook,
I am organizing a party in three days at Baltimare; however, our guest of honor is severely ill and won’t be cured in time. I have heard of your great deeds and your talent for potion making. It is with great respect that I beg you to come in two days at 11 pm to cure him. The address is written on the back.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pony
Well, now she understood why she received a letter. She never heard of any Mr. Pony, and it was quite an odd name now that she thought about it; however, she could never refuse to help anyone. Moreover, Baltimare wasn’t far from here. Mr. Pony didn’t specify what illness stroke this guest, and she could take only two saddlebags with her. That meant she had to bring only the most useful supplies she had, and hope the potions she could make with them would be enough to cure this mysterious guest.
Three different ponies, whose destinies were never meant to cross paths, will now meet in the most unusual circumstances. The three of them started their trip at a different time and manner. Sassy Saddles used the train while Trixie and Meadowbrook chose to walk.
Two days later, when Trixie finally arrived at the address indicated on her letter; she saw Sassy Saddles and Meadowbrook waiting in front of the building’s door. She only recognised the latter; who didn’t know of the pillars of Equestria?
“Is this where the party is being held?” Trixie asked to make sure she wasn’t at the wrong place.
“It looks like it; however, it seems one of us got the incorrect date. Meadowbrook’s letter here said the party would start tomorrow,” Sassy explained as she pointed at Meadowbrook.
“It must be a mistake… Anyway, I hitherto know who you are. One of the pillars of Equestria! As for you… Trixie has ne'er seen you anywhere,” Trixie answered as she looked at Sassy Saddles.
“I’m Sassy Saddles! Nice to meet you! Miss...” Sassy Saddles replied, trying to put a name on Trixie’s face.
“I’m certain you’ve heard of me,” Trixie said smugly as she bulged her chest. Meanwhile, Sassy Saddles looked at Meadowbrook in confusion as the latter shrugged.
“I’m sorry, but I have no idea of who you are,” Sassy Saddles answered with an apologetic smile.
“Me either,” Meadowbrook added while scratching the back of her head.
“Trixie Lulamoon? The great and powerful? Doesn’t it ring any bell?” Trixie replied as she stomped the ground in annoyance. However, the two other mares simply shrugged. The magician sighed, not trying any further. “So… why are we waiting here?”
“When I arrived, the owner of this house told me to wait,” Meadowbrook answered as she pointed at the house.
“Mr. Pony? Did you see him?” Trixie asked while raising an eyebrow, wondering what he might be like.
“Not really. He was speaking with those speakers,” Meadowbrook looked at two speakers sticked to the wall above the door.
Before any of them could ask any more questions, a voice escaped the speakers.
“Welcome! I am happy you accepted my invitation! You are the first ones to arrive. You may come in,” Mr. Pony said with his castling voice as the door opened on its own.
The three mares looked at each other in silence, not moving, before Trixie spoke.
“Not creepy at all…” She muttered as she walked in while Meadowbrook and Sassy followed behind.
When they penetrated the house, all they saw was deep darkness. They couldn’t see the size of the room they were in nor the whole shape of it. They almost thought it was a surprise party and the many guests inside were ready to flip on the lights and jump out of their hiding place. However, the front door suddenly closed on its own, startling the three mares. Before they could do anything, they felt their feet leave the floor as if it disappeared. They screamed in fear while they felt themselves fall to what they thought would be their death.
They opened their eyes several seconds later, and the first thing they saw was a bright light. Totally opposed to the room they entered earlier. This room was big enough to fit a dozen of ponies, and it was white and empty.
“Where are we?” Sassy asked as she looked around.
“A place too bright by the looks of it,” Trixie answered in annoyance as she shielded her eyes from the light.
“I’m afraid it looks like we were made prisoners,” Meadowbrook replied more seriously before they heard a loud chuckle.
They looked around to uncover its origin, then finally saw a speaker with a camera on one of the walls.
“Greetings! I am ‘Mr. Pony’ and I welcome you at the real event of this day: my game!” Mr. Pony announced before laughing again. However, it didn’t last long since he started coughing ten seconds later. The ponies raised an eyebrow.
“I-I’m happy to learn it’s not a kidnapping, but a game! He merely desires us to play with him! That’s so charming!” Sassy clapped her hooves as she smiled.
“I know Trixie has many fans, but this is too much! I won’t partake in your disgusting game. You pig!” Trixie shouted as she huffed.
“Girls… I think you both got it wrong,” Meadowbrook whispered.
“Actually, it is a kidnapping. Moreover, my game won’t be fun nor… what you thought about. Honestly, it’s disgusting even for me!” Mr. Pony replied with revulsion in his voice. “It’s a game for survival! You win, you go scot free. If you lose… well, it’s pretty self-explanatory; you die,” Mr. Pony explained in a serious tone.
“D-Die?! I don’t want my life to end here!” Sassy screamed as her lower lip trembled; she was ready to cry..
“You can’t do this to me! Do you know who I am? I’m sure you do. I’m Trixie! Just making sure you are aware of that… Anyway, release me!” Trixie yelled in anger as she stomped the white and cold floor.
“You won’t get away with this! Somepony will wonder where we are and find us!” Meadowbrook threatened, being used to dangerous situations; she didn’t panic as much as Trixie and Sassy.
“Did you tell someone you were coming here?” Mr. Pony asked calmly through the speakers.
“Well… I didn’t,” Meadowbrook admitted before looking at the two remaining mares.
“Don’t look at me! We’ve already established I was a jerk, I have one friend and that’s it! Nopony knows I’m here,” Trixie answered before Meadowbrook could even ask.
The pillar sighed, then looked at Sassy, hoping to find relief. Regrettably, Sassy shook her head.
“I stand my point: you’re going to die, and nobody will save you… unless you win my game! Yay!” Mr. Pony said excitedly as the three mares heard clapping through the speakers.
“I guess we don’t have a choice… What is your game about, exactly?” Meadowbrook asked after sighing a second time. Trixie and Sassy calmed themselves and listened carefully.
“My game consists of multiple tests you’ll undergo,” Seeing the grimaces and frown the mare made, Mr. Pony reassured them quickly. “Don’t worry, there aren’t many. However, some are deadly… very deadly. The only way to get out of here is to succeed at all my tests,” He explained as a way suddenly opened itself, leading to another room.
The three ponies were at first hesitant, but knew they had no other way of escaping. All they could do was to participate in this game of his. They hoped it wouldn’t be too hard as they stepped inside the second room. The first things they saw were pressure plates placed upon the ground. They could see a door at the other side of the plates, meaning they would have to walk through them. Too bad they had no pegasus among their group. Moreover, it looked like the plates had symbols on them. There were three symbols: a fingered hand, an earth pony, and a bunny. These were unusual and even Meadowbrook didn’t know what logic she should use to pass this test.
“Welcome to the first test!” Mr. Pony exclaimed from a speaker. “As you surely guessed, you will have to find the correct symbol out of those three, and only step on the pressure plates with that same symbol painted on them,” He explained.
“That seems easy enough,” Trixie thought aloud as she looked at the pressure plates. Something that trivial wasn’t enough to stop her.
“Excuse me, but what will happen if we step on the wrong plate?” Sassy asked hesitantly.
“Nothing too serious,” Mr. Pony chuckled. “Arrows will come out of the walls and impale whoever is on the plates, then flamethrower will be fired from the ceiling, and finally… A giant compressor will crush what is left of you!” He laughed evilly as the three mares widened their eyes. Not expecting something so brutal. “Anyway, good luck!”
Meadowbrook rubbed her chin while looking at the plates. There was no correlation between the different symbols. How could she find any logic in that? Nothing was indicating what would be the appropriate answer!
“Trixie has an idea!” Trixie said as she raised her hoof.
“You do?” Sassy asked, surprised she already found something.
Meadowbrook raised an eyebrow. From what she had seen of the magician, she wasn’t the kindest among them… nor the brightest. Maybe the mage was wrong about her.
“There are two wrong answers and one correct, right?” Trixie asked as they nodded. “Then I suggest two of us sacrifice ourselves to lead the remaining one to the right path… I volunteer Sassy!” She pointed at the taller unicorn, who grunted in response.
Nevermind.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea… We should think, something'll help us. Moreover, we have all the time we need find the logic in there,” Meadowbrook said, trying to calm the both of them.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you: you have only ten minutes. After that, this room will become a furnace, and you’ll be cooked alive. Good luck!” Mr. Pony suddenly said, interrupting their conversation. The speakers returned to being silent once more.
“Great! At least, now I know how much I have left!” Trixie yelled with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“Ten minutes isn’t enough! I had so much to live for!” Sassy cried before collapsing on the floor and burying her face in her hooves.
“Let’s calm down, girls! We’ll find a way out of this; we just have to stop panicking,” Meadowbrook tried to console them; however, Trixie rolled her eyes while Sassy continued crying. Seeing they won’t listen to her, Meadowbrook deadpanned and decided to study the pressure plates instead.
Trixie lied on the floor, ignoring Sassy’s cries. She wasn’t one to give up easily; however, this situation seemed like a lost cause. She didn’t want to lose her life, that was obvious. She still wanted to develop new friendships, one of them being with Twilight. She remebered when was ready to get rid of her and rule Ponyville once after all, and wanted to be sure she was fully forgiven for that event. Moreover, she hadn’t even realised her dreams yet. She still had to surpass the princesses in term of power and everything else.
She wondered who would be saddened by her fate. She hoped Starlight would cry. Now that she thought about it, she still could come back as a ghost and haunt them, just to see their reaction. It would be priceless and would show Trixie could defeat even Death! She hummed quietly as she thought about it.
Meadowbrook looked more closely at the pressure plates, examining the drawings on them carefully. Bunnies and earth ponies could technically go together since some kept them as pets or had good relationships with them. However, a hand? That had nothing to do with ponies or bunnies; creatures with hands weren’t really ordinary…
“I think I know,” Meadowbrook spoke up, attracting Trixie and Sassy’s attention back to her.
“Really?!” Sassy asked excitedly, tears disappearing all of a sudden.
“I think we should step on the hands only,”
“The what?” Trixie raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What are hands?” Sassy asked while scratching the back of her head.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve both seen Tirek, didn’t you?” Meadowbrook asked as both mares nodded, clearly recalling how Tirek stole their magic and how much helpless they felt. “I’m certain you noticed he doesn’t use his hooves to grab things, but his upper limbs. Those are hands. However, he has only four fingers on each one as opposed to this drawing where there are five fingers,”
“But why would that be the right answer?” Sassy asked.
“Well, earth ponies and bunnies are you see quite often; it’s extremely common in Equestria. Unlike hands, most ponies don’t even know what they are. The hand just stands out to me, so I think that’s what we’re supposed to walk on,” Meadowbrook explained while Trixie stared at the pressure plates, thinking it made sense.
“Trixie will go first! She came to the same conclusion earlier, but waited to see if you’d find the solution on your own!” Trixie proclaimed as she walked forward. She was now one step away from the first pressure plate with a hand on it.
“Are you sure you want to try it?” Sassy asked behind her.
“Naturally!” Trixie answered before looking down. She breathed out, then stepped on the plate. She realised with relief it didn’t do anything. She waved at the two mares behind her as they followed the leading magician. Following the plates wasn’t hard, even when they had to jump across some of them to continue. They quickly arrived at the end of the room, in front of the door.
“Congratulations! You’ve succeeded the first test!” Mr. Pony congratulated as they heard clapping. “Do you know why the good answer was the hand?”
“Well…” Meadowbrook started, ready to explain it; however, she was abruptly interrupted by their kidnapper.
“It’s quite simple: bunnies are stupid, small and useless. Earth ponies suck! Hands rule! It's simple as that!” Mr. Pony explained while the three mares deadpanned. “Don’t think it’s over yet. That was just the first test; the next ones would be way harder,” He added as the door opened.
“Is he retarded?” Trixie whispered to Sassy and Meadowbrook as they stepped inside the next test room.
This one was just like the other; however, there were no pressure plates this time. All they could see was a flat stone, with words inscribed on it, glued to the wall. The three mares walked to the stone, but didn’t even start to read what was written as Mr. Pony spoke again.
“What you see on that stone is a riddle. You must find the answer before the time’s out,” He announced before getting quiet.
After a few seconds, Trixie decided to speak.
“So? What’s our time limit? Are we going to get cooked alive if we fail?” She asked grumbly in annoyance.
“I am wondering that as well,” Meadowbrook added.
“I hope you’d ask that. You see, the time limit depends on the circumstances. As for the danger here?” Mr. Pony chuckled, trying to sound as evil as possible. “I’m sure you know Baltimare is at the seaside. This next room was designed accordingly! I’ll activate a button that will let water flow inside, if you don’t find the answer to the riddle in time, you’ll be drowned!” He laughed as his prisoners gasped.
“Water will ruin my dress!” Sassy cried in horror before Trixie and Meadowbrook sent her a deadpan look. She smiled and scratched her head sheepishly. “Sorry, I mean: That’s horrible! How could you throw such a fate at us?! You monster!” She screamed at the speaker above the door.
“Anyway, I’ll leave you ten seconds to read the riddle, then I’ll push the button. Good luck!”
“Well… This riddle shouldn’t be that complicated…” Sassy said as she read the riddle.
What begins when things end and ends all things that begin?
It wasn’t a long riddle, but Sassy had no idea what it could be. She was never good with riddles.
“What does that even mean?” Trixie said aloud as she scratched her head.
“I’m sure if we put our mind into it, we’ll quickly find the answer,” Meadowbrook said, trying to prevent them from panicking a billionth time in the last hour.
Suddenly, four big holes opened on the ceiling at the borders of the room, letting huge flows of water enter the room. The mares gasped in shock as they were not expecting the water to flow in so quickly.
“Are you really giving us enough time to solve that stupid riddle?!” Trixie screamed as the water already rose to half of her legs’ height.
“Don’t worry! I’ll find an answer to it, and we’ll be fine,” Meadowbrook reassured the young unicorn with a smil. Then she widened her eyes as she realised something. “My saddlebags! If they get wet, everything inside will be ruined!” She yelled as she placed the saddlebags on her head.
“The water’s rising too fast! How can we think of anything in this situation?!” Sassy complained while her dress was now ruined.
She was right, they could hardly think of anything else than the water flooding the room. How could they even put their mind into a riddle while their lives were in danger? Meadowbrook clearly memorized the riddle and thought deeply about it while she was protecting her saddlebags from the water. What begins when things end? It didn't’ make sense!
They were quickly forced to swim for their heads to say above the water level; however, they were quickly approaching the ceiling.
“W-We’re going to die! It’s over!” Sassy cried in panic.
“It’s okay! We’ll find a way out!” Meadowbrook tried reassuring her, but no avail. Moreover, she was panicking too. The path to freedom was slowly closing in for her.
“I’m pretty sure all of us noticed I was pessimistic about this! It’s the end boohoo!” She cried, desperate about the situation.
“Death! Death! Death!” Trixie screamed repeatedly.
Suddenly, the water stopped flowing in. The door opened, letting the water out of the room as the three of them touched the floor again. Sassy coughed water before breathing in and out.
“I wasn’t expecting you to solve that! It’s a hard one!” Mr. Pony congratulated Trixie. “It’s one of the best riddles I invented. I swear I didn’t take it from internet!” He said quickly before opening the door to the next room. “Anyway, on to the next test!”
“Bless you… We’re alive thanks to you…” Sassy thanked Trixie as she panted. She ran to hug her savior.
“How did you find the answer?” Meadowbrook asked, surprised by Trixie’s seemingly newfound intelligence.
“I-I just thought a lot about it recently. Anyway, let’s go; we still have those stupid tests to pass,” Trixie answered as the mares walked inside the next room.
As usual, the room was nearly identical to the previous one, except for one thing: there was an old earth pony in front of the next door. The prisoners widened their eyes as they saw another pony with them. They felt relief; more allies were always a good thing after all. They wondered who was that pony since none of them has seen him before. He had a grey mane and a brown coat. His cutie mark was a plank. Sassy ran to him first before Trixie and Meadowbrook followed behind.
“I’m so happy to see somepony else in there! Did you get kidnapped the same way we did? For how long have you been here?” Sassy asked, too fast for the old pony to answer. Luckily, Meadowbrook intervened and stopped her.
“Let breath to him, Sassy! He must be terrified!” Meadowbrook said while the old pony shook in his boots. Judging by how much he was sweating, the mage was right. Meadowbrook turned her attention back to the old timer. “Are you alright? Don’t worry, we are in the same mess. We’ll get out of here,”
The old pony remained silent, keeping his scared look.
“I think she is talking to you,” Trixie raised an eyebrow as the senior didn’t answer to any of them.
“He can’t talk until you succeed this test,” Mr. Pony said while chuckling.
“So what deadly threat awaits us now?” Trixie asked in annoyance and in a deadpan tone.
“Nothing,”
“Nothing? What do you mean nothing?” Trixie asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t tell me… you’re letting us go?!” Sassy exclaimed while clapping her hooves.
Mr. Pony laughed and laughed… for about five minutes. During which he coughed a few times.
“That was a good one,” He finally said as Sassy looked down. Her smile vanishing. “Anyway, nothing will try killing you; however, you won’t leave this room until you’ve succeeded the test. That means you could stay here forever and starve to death,” He developed, making the ponies’ ears drop.
“You enjoy torturing us, don’t you? Monster!” Meadowbrook insulted; her anger has been rising since they’ve come here, and it would explode if nothing was done.
“Hurry up and tell us what our next test is! I bet it has something to do with this old bag of bones here,” Trixie interjected while pointing at the old pony who frowned in response.
“Yes, you are right. See, the test is simple… You have to guess his name!” Mr. Pony chirped proudly.
“Really?” Trixie inquired doubtedly.
“Yep! Unless you guess his name, he can’t talk to you and you can’t leave this room! Good luck!” He declared. The mares were just about to open their mouths to speak to the old pony when the speakers released Mr. Pony’s voice again. “Finally, I can release the Kraken I’ve been keeping. I know I shouldn’t have eaten so much earlier,”
Sassy’s face turned to green while Trixie deadpanned before frowning in disgust. Meadowbrook simply coughed in her hoof, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Why are they looking at the cameras?” Mr. Pony puzzled before realisation hit him. “I forgot to turn off the mic, didn’t I?” He inquired as he grumbled. “That’ the third time this week, damn it!” He yelled as his voice was turned off.
Trixie sighed before facehoofing, getting heavily annoyed and anger. She almost forgot she was kidnapped by a maniac and murderer.
“So… How are we supposed to guess his name?” Sassy questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“Most of the time, a pony’s name matches his cutie mark or his appearance. We’ll have to find it this way,” Meadowbrook stated as she looked at the scared old pony.
Sassy widened her eyes as she realised what Meadowbrook meant. She rubbed her chin in thought.
“But that doesn’t make any sense! We can’t know what our cutie mark will be! So how…” She started questioning in doubt before getting interrupted by Trixie.
“It’s magic. There is no other explanation,” She responded with a yawn.
“But…”
“Magic!”
Sassy decided not to ask further questions, understanding it would be useless and they never would be answered.
“Is your name… Brown Plank?” Meadowbrook questioned hopefully. However, the pony shook his head, signaling it wasn’t. “Grey Mane?” No. “Big Plank?” He shook his head as he frowned in disgust while Meadowbrook scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
Trixie narrowed her eyes as she stared at the old pony, trying to find a clue about his name. Sassy decided to try to, but with a different solution. She walked beside Meadowbrook.
“So… is your name A…?” She started hesitantly while looking at the pony. He remained silent, but slightly shook his head. “Of course it doesn’t start with A! I meant… B?” Suddenly, the old pony coughed before smiling. Sassy beamed in joy and fulfillment. “Right! Is it Ba…? Then Bc…”
Trixie rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long test. Meanwhile, Meadowbrook simply sat on the floor, patiently waiting for Sassy to find the old pony’s name.
3 hours later
Trixie slowly opened her eyes before shielding them from the blinding light. She looked around and wiped the drool off her face. It looked like Meadowbrook was still watching Sassy trying to guess the old bag’s name…
“Wait… We still haven't guessed it yet?!” Trixie groaned; she felt ready to snap!
“I got it!” Sassy yelled out with her bloodshot eyes. Trixie and Meadowbrook jumped on their legs, hope overcoming them. “Is your name Brahamtrisloterafilckenezie?” Sassy asked with a crazy smile.
“Yes! Yes! That’s my name! You got it right!” The old pony screamed in reply as he cried in joy and relief.
Trixie and Meadowbrook couldn’t help but hug and jump on their new friend. They honestly doubted they could to pass this stupid test, but they did it!
“I can’t believe you succeeded! Thanks Luna! I don’t know how you even achieved that! Trixie thought she was to die of boredom!” Trixie beamed.
Sassy would have almost find it cute if Trixie hadn’t implied she was stupid. That was how the manager understood the magician’s words anyway.
“You surprise me again. I didn’t expect you to guess his name. You did well,” Mr. Pony congratulated them. “Now…”
“Thanks Celestia! Can I finally go home now?!” The old pony pleaded; however, one second later, a hatch opened under his feet. He screamed as he felt the floor under his hooves disappear; he fell to the bottom of the dark hole while screaming for help.
“Shut up, I’m talking,” Mr. Pony scolded while his prisoners gasped in horror.
“You… You murdered him. You monster!” Sassy screamed before slapping a hoof on her mouth, in shock.
“You won’t get away with this!” Meadowbrook added scornfully.
“That was cliché,” Mr. Pony replied before clearing his throat. “Anyway, he’s fine. Don’t worry about him,” He reassured the three ponies.
“Oh, my Celestia! How did I survive that fall?!” The old pony’s voice came from the still open hatch. “I broke my back! I can’t move! That hurts so much! Please, kill me! Stop this agony! Have mercy and end my suffering! W-Where is my foreleg? I lost it! It hu…” His cries of agony and suffering were interrupted by the closing hatch.
“Now, go to the next room. You know what’ll happen if you don’t!” Mr. Pony hummed cheerfully.
“Am I the only one too scared to move?” Sassy fretted, holding back her tears. She just lost a friend! It was normal to cry after all. Those three hours during which she spoke to this old senior were a magical bonding time that gave her the opportunity to meet somepony new and make him a friend.
“Trixie isn’t scared of anything!” Trixie announced proudly in arrogance.
“We should go. I’m sure it must have been horrifying for you both but our only way of escaping is right ahead,” Meadowbrook whispered before walking ahead.
“What’s that yellow water, Trixie?” Sassy raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Nothing! Let’s go!” Trixie insisted as she ran up to the mage.
They entered the next room and could finally see a real difference compared to the other rooms. This was black and there was something very special scattered all over the floor: black gems. Meadowbrook widened her eyes as she realised what it was.
“Welcome to this new test! Will you live or will you die? That’s up to you! And me; mostly me actually!” Mr. Pony chuckled before clearing his throat. “So… the door leading to the next test is locked, but unlike the previous ones: there is a keyhole! Among those gems, one matches the keyhole and can open the door,” He explained while Trixie gritted her teeth. It would have been simple if there wasn’t multiple huge piles of gems all over the room! It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. “I’m sure some of you know -I’m talking about you Meadowbrook- those gems are unique to Baltimare! They are dangerous; usually, one poses no problem; however, surrounded by that much will kill you in a hour, unless you escape in time. Good luck! Mr. Pony out!”
“I think I hate this city! How many things can kill you here?!” Trixie fumed before walking to the door to look at the keyhole. It was a circle, meaning their gems had to be near perfectly round or have a round tip. “Great! Good luck finding a gem of that shape!” She complained before going to the nearest pile of gems.
“I guess it’s better to split up if we want to have more luck,” Meadowbrook admitted as she started looking for the matching gem too.
Unsurprisingly, it had been even harder than they thought it’d be. Not only the matching shape was near impossible to find; the gems were also making them lose their strength. Soon, they’d die.
Half an hour later, Meadowbrook was still desperately looking for the gem; however, she could barely move her hooves. Even inspecting the gems’ shapes was hard since her vision was getting blurry. She might have been holding the gem they were looking for without even knowing it.
As for Trixie, she was in a better shape. However, she was getting sick of this test, figuratively and literally. Her health was worsening and her mental state wasn’t any better. She felt ready to snap and try to blast this whole complex to dust. Although she wasn’t powerful enough to do that, she still could dream, couldn’t she? The gems weren’t the only thing that annoyed her; the second one was Sassy. Trixie didn’t know if it were the gems’ fault or if it was just because of the pressure, but the manager was going insane. She had been crying while kicking the door for about ten minutes.
The magician knew it was hopeless to try and open it that way, but Sassy didn’t think the same. It was understandable since she was desperate and terrified; however, if they were to die, Trixie would want to die in silence, peace and tranquility. It was easier said than done.
“Please! Let us out of here!” Sassy cried with bloodshot eyes. When she received no response, she growled before ramming into the door. It didn’t even move.
Trixie rolled her eyes and decided to finally try and calm her ally, like any friend would do. She’d ask Twilight just to be sure. She walked behind the fashionista and coughed in her hoof, signaling her presence.
“Don’t you want to look for the key? The more we are, the faster we’ll find it! Come on, move!” Trixie scolded while frowning. When she thought about it, it sounded a lot better in her head.
Sassy turned around and looked at the experimented magician, then her eyes fell on Trixie’s horn. She looked back at the keyhole, then her horn. Suddenly, a crazy smile spread across her face as she could finally see a glimpse of freedom.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Trixie fretted as she stepped back. Sassy jumped on her before she could do anything else and used a newfound strength to lift the smaller unicorn. Trixie didn’t have enough time to register what was happening as Sassy rammed her body onto the door. The magician winced in pain when her horn entered, perfectly matching, the keyhole.
Sassy didn’t hesitate to turn around Trixie’s body until she heard a ‘click’ coming from the door. Finally, it started opening. The boutique manager dropped the magician on the floor as she beamed in joy and hope. It took only a few seconds for the door to open, and as soon as it did; Sassy jumped inside the next room before kissing the white floor.
“Yes! Yes! Finally! I’m finally away from those gems!” She screamed in ecstasy before fainting while her two partners walked in.
The door closed behind them, letting them be free of the gems’ poisonous power. However, Meadowbrook and Trixie weren’t as ecstatic as Sassy. The unicorn was holding her head because of the pain which went through her body when she was hammered in a keyhole. As for Meadowbrook, she was slowly but surely getting better now that she was away from the Baltimare’s gems.
“I didn’t expect something like this would work,” Meadowbrook muttered weakly.
“I swear if she hadn’t saved us, I would have ripped her horn off and shoved it up her a-” Trixie started in a scowl before getting abruptly interrupted by Mr. Pony’s speakers.
“You succeeded again! I’m really impressed! As you would have guessed, the matching gem was hidden just under the keyhole! The place where you would have never thought it’d be! At least that’s what I thought,” Mr. Pony explained as Trixie’s right eye twitched.
She was containing herself to avoid snapping and losing what was left of her sanity. She started doubting this kidnapper had any brain cells. How could someone be this stupid?! And how could they miss that damn gem when it was so close the keyhole?!
Sassy finally stood up, opening her eyes and looking around. It was like waking up from a dream; unfortunately, it seemed everything she went through wasn’t a dream.
“What happened?” She asked, wondering how they got out of the previous room.
Meadowbrook didn’t bother explaining. It was obvious the mare had lost her mind earlier (maybe because of the gems?) and she sure didn’t intend to tell her how she used a unicorn’s horn to open a door.
“Another test? How did you build such a big facility under Baltimare?!” Trixie puzzled.
“Is it magic?” Sassy added hesitantly.
“No, it’s plot,” Mr. Pony answered simply, while Trixie facehoofed. “Anyway, this a rare feat and… wait, it isn’t actually... More than half of the ponies who went through those tests arrived here!” He declared. “You’re not special at all! You suck!” He added loudly while Trixie fumed. Meadowbrook and Sassy tried somehow calming her down. “I see you look angry; that’s good. You’ll need to be ferocious for what’s coming next!”
“"Tell us what the next test is about so we can finish your vile game!” Meadowbrook shouted as Mr. Pony laughed.
“Don’t be hasty, you will know pain soon enough…” He chuckled darkly. “Well, technically, you learned it pretty well since the start of this. However, it’s not the end of the chapter and that means, it’s not the end for you yet!” He added while the mares raised their eyebrows in curiosity. “It is simple, there's a metal thingie on the next door. If it is heated enough, then the door will open. Meanwhile, the floor will withdraw inside the wall, letting anything inside this room fall to its death. On very deadly spikes! Let me show you!” He laughed as the floor started moving.
Trixie, Meadowbrook and Sassy ran to the other end of the room, where the piece of metal was. They gasped in horror when they saw what was under the very ground they were walking on. Skulls and skeletons impaled and broken by a forest of iron spikes. Sassy stepped back, covering her eyes, as Meadowbrook put a hoof in front of her mouth.
“So many…” Trixie muttered in shock.
“That’s right! They’re dead! You got that?! They’re not moving anymore because life left them! Those are corpses! They were living beings before, but now they aren’t! Because they’re busy being dead and rotting! Hell yeah!” Mr. Pony laughed as evilly as he could. “You have one hour,” He said, his voice suddenly sounding serious, before going silent.
Meadowbrook scoped the room, hoping to find something that would help them, but it was in vain. There was nothing?!
“How are we supposed to heat that thing up?” She thought aloud in a panicked tone.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Sassy and I are unicorns, we can use our magic,” Trixie answered as she pointed at herself and Sassy.
“Are you sure you can’t do it alone? Magic isn’t really my speciality…” Sassy mumbled unsurely at herself.
“Then… I may have something that’ll help you,” Meadowbrook added before looking inside one of her saddlebags. A few seconds later, she pulled out a vial filled with a green liquid. “It’s a potion I use for healing, but it’s flammable. If I place some on that piece of metal, and you use your magic to heat, it’ll burn and give a great boost. I’m unsure what temperature is required, but I think combining all these factors will be enough!” Meadowbrook explained while pouring a the liquid on their target.
“Well, I guess it’s up to us now. Trixie could probably do it on her own, but help is always appreciated,” Trixie said as she walked to the door. She quickly spun around when she noticed Sassy wasn’t beside her. “What are you waiting for? We don’t have much time!”
“Actually… I don’t know any spell to heat something…” Sassy answered hesitantly while scratching the back of her head.
“Why did I have to be in such a situation with a weak unicorn?” Trixie muttered under her breath before coughing in her hoof. “I guess Trixie doesn’t have a choice; she’ll have to teach you. Be honored! However, we don’t have much time; we must hurry,”
Unfortunately, teaching Sassy a spell wasn’t as easy as it sounded. She was never interested in magic, so she didn’t understand most of the concepts Trixie had to teach her. Moreover, the magician was the perfect example of a bad teacher. Everything she said was vague and hard to understand. She also put herself on a pedestal at every opportunity.
25 minutes later
“Finally! You get it right!” Trixie exclaimed in annoyance. An annoyance she didn’t bother to hide. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were bad at this!”
“Well, I’m sorry if I’ve never taken interest into it! I, at least, did my best!” Sassy huffed, angered and hurt by Trixie again today.
“I’m sure you did. It’s not like our lives depend on it, and you wasted us half an hour! No problem at all! The floor has just moved halfway through the room!” Trixie replied sarcastically before grumbling.
“Girls let’s not waste any more time. We have a door to open,” Meadowbrook interjected before they could start an argument.
Trixie simply turned away and lit her horn while Sassy glared at her. The two unicorns stepped in front of their target and casted the spell. The metal could be seen getting redder as Trixie and Sassy sweated and struggled to put all their magic power into it. However, it wasn’t even enough to burn the potion Meadowbrook put on the metal. The mage felt this was going to be long.
How right she was. They failed multiple times and had to interrupt their spell to take a break, only to try again several seconds later. 15 minutes passed and the edge to the pit full of spikes was getting closer to them.
“We-We can’t do it! It’s too hard!” Trixie stumbled on the floor, breathless and weak.
“Come on! We can’t give up now!” Sassy encouraged her. However, her fellow unicorn spun around and glared at her.
“I used all my magic power to compensate for your lack of it! So shut up and let me rest!” Trixie screamed before sitting down again.
“E-Excuse me?! What do you mean ‘lack of it’?”
“It’s pretty clear. You suck at magic, and I’m doing all the work!” Trixie replied as she stood up and stomped the floor. “And I’m still not strong enough to do it! So yeah; we’re gonna die! Thanks for nothing”
“Not everypony wants to be experimented in magic! I chose another path, which suited me more! Fashion! Something that is clearly your weakness!” Sassy retorted as she looked at Trixie’s clothing.
“What?! My cloak and my hat are great!” Trixie huffed while blushing.
“Oh, if by great you mean: a horrible and hideous cosplay of a fusion between Princess Luna and Starswirl the Bearded. Then yeah! It’s great! Absolutely fantastic!” Sassy groaned as she pushed her horn against Trixie’s.
“Trixie is going to beat your big, stupid a-”
“That’s enough!” Meadowbrook interrupted as she split them apart. “Can’t you see the situation we’re in?! We have to work as a team or else we’ll never get out of here!” She scolded as the two unicorns both looked away while crossing their forelegs. “Together we can be stronger. Yes, Sassy, you’re ungood with magic. And Trixie, you possess terrible tastes in clothing,”
“Hey!”
“Let’s put our differences aside! Let’s win and beat Mr. whatever his name is!” She encouraged them.
The unicorns looked at each other, unsure, then sighed.
“I guess we can try again. However, she can’t improve enough in less than ten minutes! Nopony can!” Trixie lamented while Sassy nodded, agreeing with her.
“Maybe because your explications weren’t good enough?” Meadowbrook suggested as Trixie whistled innocently. “Try giving her some helpful advice. I’m sure you have it in you,”
Trixie looked away, biting her upper lip, then sighed.
“Okay, I’ll try,” She said as she closed her eyes to look deep inside her. She knew one pony able to teach magic better than anyone. What would Twilight do? She focused and went inside the deepest part of her mind to find her teaching side; the Twilight side.
Inside her mind were multiple Trixies, each representing a different part of Trixie’s personality and wearing different clothes. However, they all had one thing in common: they were all bragging. Fortunately, it didn’t last long as they heard loud steps coming closer to them. The mindscape Trixies stopped their bickering when they noticed the newcomer. It was Twilight wearing a general uniform.
“The fun is over now, you bunch of lazy slugs!” Mind Twilight shouted at them as they raised an eyebrow. “Get in line and start working! No, slacking or else you’ll have my horn up you know where!” She screamed as all the Trixies ran around, getting in line in front of her.
“Sir Yes Sir!” They yelled in reply as they made a salute.
Out of Trixie’s mind, Meadowbrook and Sassy widened their eyes and kept their mouth wide agape. Strangely, Trixie had changed a lot. Her haircut was the same as Twilight’s, and her face was too!
“I’m Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!” Trixie shouted with a smile.
“Her face and her voice changed!” Meadowbrook screamed while stepping back as her mind went fuzzy. “You went to deep into your mind! Go back! Go back!”
“Don’t worry! I’ll help you with your spell! That’s what friends do!” Trixie yelled at Sassy, ignoring Meadowbrook and unfolding her wings.
“When did she grow wings?!” Meadowbrook screamed, ready to faint. “Are we in a cartoon?!”
“Now, Sassy, close your eyes and focus your inner energy. Let it flow through you. However, the most important thing you must remember is your friends! The magic of friendship, the strongest magic of all, will get us out of here!” Trixie exclaimed confidently as Sassy nodded hesitantly.
The unicorn closed her eyes and focused as much as she could, feeling the magic flowing through her. Trixie (Or Twilight?) was right! She couldn’t fail now! She still had so much to live for! And friends to see again! Not only her friends outside, but also the one she made here! She couldn’t let down Meadowbrook, Trixie and Brahamtrisloterafilckenezie! If she couldn’t do that spell… they’d all die!
As she thought about all of this, her horn started glowing in a bright light while Trixie’s horn did the same. The metal they were trying to heat for so long got redder and redder as time passed until the potion Meadowbrook poured on it finally started burning! However, they haven't stopped their spell yet since the door wasn’t opening.
How hot this thing had to be to open up?! Just as that thought crossed their minds, the door finally bulged. After a few seconds, it opened up! Trixie and Sassy stopped their spell and dove under the opening door as Meadowbrook followed closely behind them. As soon as they entered the next room, they breathed out in relief when they sensed the feeling of dread and death had gone away.
“You did it!” Meadowbrook rejoiced as she hugged Sassy and the now back to normal Trixie.
“It was thanks to Trixie,” Sassy panted as she pointed at the magician.
“You can bow to me later,” Trixie said while wiping sweat off her forehead. “Hey! We won again! Just tell us what’s next, so we can finish this!” Trixie shouted before hearing clapping.
“That was really cool! Friendship and all! Great job!” Mr. Pony congratulated.
“We don’t need your praises! Just tell us what the next test is about! I hope there isn’t too much left,” Trixie complained.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon! You almost passed all the tests,” Mr. Pony reassured.
235 tests and 3 days later
The three mares entered the room and were shocked to see this one wasn’t illuminated like the ones before. It was filled with shadows with a single light above a tall throne on which sat a bipedal creature entirely dressed in black and wearing a cape. It also had a black and red mask with a demon drawn on it.
Trixie took off the dragon skull she was wearing as a helmet. Meadowbrook threw away the shield and swords on her back. And Sassy tore apart the horrible wedding dress she was wearing. It looked like they finally made it to the end. They could be free!
The creature -most likely Mr. Pony- stood up.
“You made it! This is a big surprise! I’m impressed,” Mr. Pony laughed as he clapped.
“Yeah, awesome. Can we go now?” Trixie asked in a dead tone.
“Not so fast! First: how does my cape look?” Mr. Pony asked as he spun around, showing off his cape.
“Well… I think it suits you well, Mr. Pony! Especially with the scary looking mask,” Sassy smiled.
“Right? I knew it was worth buying it!” He said proudly. “By the way, my name isn’t Mr. Pony! It’s in fact: Destroyer! How’s that, huh? Cool, right? Yes, I lied to you, tricked you in believing this was my na-”
“We passed all your tests! Now, let us go!” Meadowbrook ordered, having enough of this masquerade.
“Hahahaha Hahahaha! No,” Destroyer said bluntly. “My name wasn’t the only thing I was lying about. The reason you are here is for me to steal all your magic! You’ll die, by the way,” He explained as he laughed evilly.
Meadowbrook facehoofed. She didn’t know why she wasn’t expecting something like this.
“To trick us during this time and build all of this to steal our magic… He must be a genius!” Sassy gasped as she brought her hooves to her mouth.
“Ge-what now? W-What that’s word?” Destroyer asked aloud as Sassy deadpanned.
“Wait! I don’t understand what was the point of all these tests if you just wanted to steal our magic?” Trixie inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“To test if your are powerful and if your magic will be worth anything in my hands,”
“I’m pretty sure taking anypony’s magic would have been more efficient, but okay. I get some of the tests… But why in Tartarus did we have a singing contest? A fashion show? And the weirdest one: a soccer game? Why?” Trixie questioned while Meadowbrook and Sassy remained silent, expecting answers too.
“...” Destroyer stared at them, his mask hiding his facial expression. “As I was saying-”
“Answer the darn question!” Trixie screamed in anger and frustration.
“I still wonder why you chose the three of us specifically,” Sassy puzzled.
Destroyer cleared his throat, expecting this question.
“I have heard many stories about you! Trixie, it is known that you are great and powerful! More than any other unicorn or alicorn,” He explained as Trixie smirked in arrogance. Meadowbrook rolled her eyes. “As for you Meadowbrook… Well... There’s ‘mage’ in your name, so I thought it was pretty obvious I would want to steal your magic,” He chuckled, while Meadowbrook facehoofed.
“That’s not-” She started in annoyance.
“And you Sassy Saddles,” He said, looking at the unicorn. She gulped, wondering what could possibly the reason be for her kidnapping. “Actually, I mistook you for that other unicorn fashion designer: Rarity. So I guess you’re free to go while I steal their magic and murder them in cold blood,” He explained as a door beside the throne slided upward, opening the way to freedom. However, before Sassy could say or do anything, the door suddenly closed. “Ha! I tricked you again! You really thought I’d let anyone go?! I was joking about the mistake thing, by the way… I mean… I wouldn’t get wrong like that… And… You know what? I’ll just finish all of this,” He said as he pressed a button on his throne.
Suddenly, the floor started shaking, making the ponies lose their balance. Suddenly, a huge golem of metal fell from the ceiling, in front of the three mares. It had large hands with claws, a single red eye on the middle of its face. It had a mouth and an orb of glass in his chest.
“W-What is that thing?” Sassy stuttered as she stepped back.
“That’s the robot I’ll use to steal your magic! Now, do it!” Destroyer screamed in reply as the robot ran to Sassy.
The unicorn was petrified in fear and couldn’t move a muscle as the robot was coming closer. Fortunately, Trixie jumped on her, pushing her out of the way. However, it grabbed Sassy’s savior in a strong grip, making her scream in pain as it opened its mouth and started absorbing her magic. A blue matter came out of the magician’s body, slowly going to the robot.
“Let her go!” Meadowbrook shouted as she jumped on the robot’s head, forcefully closing it mouth.
The robot raised his free hand in an attempt to grab its attacker; however, Sassy finally decided to react! She let out a warcry as she jumped on his hand before using her magic to weaken its hold over Trixie’s body.
“Hahaha! You are pathetic! You think you can beat it? Try as much as you can! This thing could crush an alicorn!” Destroyer laughed, holding his stomach.
“Come on… I can do it!” She shouted as the robot’s fingers snapped in half, releasing Trixie.
“What?! How did you do that?!” Destroyer shouted as he stood up.
“The magic of Friendship!” Sassy replied as jumped off the robot’s arm while Meadowbrook barely dodged its swing.
“Magic of what? Robot! Kill them!” Destroyer ordered before looking down in thought. “I mean… Steal their magic, then kill them!”
The robot jumped and raised its hands above its head to squash the mage behind it. Meadowbrook, avoided easily since she had been used to being in fights.
“How do we beat it?” Meadowbrook asked, joining Trixie and Sassy.
“I have no idea… I thought I was going to lose my magic right here…” Trixie muttered in fright, remembering the weakness she felt when she encountered the centaur Tirek.
“I guess we use everything we know!” Sassy replied as she lit her horn.
The robot punched the floor, then ran to the three ponies as its right foot got pink. Meadowbrook widened her eyes as she realised what Sassy was trying to do. She opened her saddlebag and threw one of her potions at the robot’s leg just as he passed in front of them. They dodged just in time; however, it was enough to break Sassy’s concentration. The earth pony nodded at the more experienced unicorn, signaling her what they were planning.
Understanding quickly, Trixie lit her horn too. The robot spun around, ready to rush at them; however, flames escaped from its right foot.
“You think a little fire can stop it?! Ah! Good luck with that! You suck!” Destroyer laughed in arrogance.
“Shut it!” Trixie replied, turning around and setting his cape aflame.
“My cape! I’m on fire!” He screamed as he took off the burning clothes, throwing them on the floor. “Alright… I’m safe…” He panted.
Trixie would have wished to continue and burn his head off; however, she had to move out of the way to avoid the robot again. She hated admitting it, but Destroyer was right: fire wouldn’t be enough to stop that mechanical beast.
The robot growled before punching the floor, making it shake like crazy. Unfortunately, it was enough for Meadowbrook to lose her balance and fall on the floor. Trixie ran to help her; however, the robot punched her away before grabbing the mage. It opened its mouth and started absorbing her magic. Trixie and Sassy gritted their teeth, ready to jump in.
“Wait!” Meadowbrook shouted, stopping them. “Shoot… magic… when I tell you!” She screamed in pain as the robot pressed its grip on her. Fortunately, her hooves were free, allowing her to grab something in her saddlebags. And took out seeds! “Now!” She shouted as she threw the seeds in the robot’s direction.
The unicorns didn’t delay any longer and casted whatever spell they had on the seeds. Which later penetrated in the robot’s mouth and other openings of its body. Suddenly, the metal being released its grip on the mage and dropped her on the floor. As huge vines came out of its body, tightening around it and crushing everything. The robot broke down and collapsed in a loud screech.
“No!! You broke it! Do you know how much did it cost me?!” Destroyer screamed, punching his throne. Suddenly, he calmed down. “Well… actually, I bought it on Ebay, so it wasn’t that expensive. Anyway, how did you break it with stupid seeds?! I call bullsh-”
“They’re special seeds that grow at an exponential rate when in contact with magic,” Meadowbrook explained proudly as she dusted herself off.
“Expo-what?! Don’t be a smartass!” Destroyer yelled in reply.
“We defeated your toy, passed your tests. You lost and we won! So you will let us get out of here or else!” Trixie threatened as Destroyer laughed.
“It’s not over! Let me show you the truth,” He chuckled as he took off his mask before throwing it on the floor. He slowly walked down the steps of his throne, revealing his face. He had a white furless skin, blue eyes and brown short hair. “I… am a human!” He revealed while laughing. “I came in this world through a magic portal, then learned everything that the world had to offer! I soon discovered the existence of magic and used the portal back to my world to get supplies, the same ones that trapped you here! Including the robot! My goal was to steal magic and become the ruler of Equestria!” He laughed evilly for several seconds before coughing.
However, their reactions weren’t what he was expecting. They were all raising eyebrows in confusion and interest. Destroyer deadpanned, disappointed.
“Okay, what’s the deal? Why aren’t you shocked, scared or something?!” He questioned.
“What is a human exactly?” Sassy inquired while scratching the back of her head.
“Really?! You don’t know?! I heard Twilight Sparkle went into a world similar to mine and met them! How do you not know the existence of humans yet?!” He screamed in frustration.
“I’m not that close to the Princess, so I didn’t know about it…” Sassy answered hesitantly.
“I’m not friendly with any of the princesses. They’re showing-off too much,” Trixie added in a huff.
“I’ve been dead for over a thousand years,” Meadowbrook said simply.
Destroyer sighed and looked down in defeat.
“So what can humans do exactly?” Sassy asked in curiosity.
“Well…” Destroyer started hesitantly.
“Can they do magic?”
“Or create potions?”
“Not really… Maybe witches did that, but…” Destroyer answered while scratching his neck.
“They can fly then!” Sassy guessed as if she was playing a game.
“Fly? Technically…” Destroyer started before coughing a ‘no’ in his hand.
“Do they have any special physical characteristics?” Meadowbrook puzzled.
“No, we can’t do any of that! We are… smart, I think?” Destroyer answered as he thought about it.
“So wait… basically, you are earth ponies, but with less magic and strength?” Trixie raised an eyebrow.
“That’s pretty much it,” He answered.
Trixie looked at her friends, the smirked as she realised what this meant. Soon, they did the same when they came to the same realisation.
“So you’re telling me you are defenseless and magicless. You don’t have any weapon to protect you in case you are attacked,” Trixie smirked in victory.
“Yeah… You’re right,” He admitted, sweating. He looked at the three smirking ponies coming closer to him. Oh oh. “Wait! No! No! Ah! Not the face! Not the face! Not down there too! Boohoo! I want my mommy!”
His cries of pain, suffering and horror resonated through the facility he had built. When those sounds ended ten minutes later, the three mares knew they were finally free.
“So I guess this story is over…” Meadowbrook said in relief.
“Yes… I suppose we should go in our own separate ways now…” Sassy added with a smile.
“There must be a lesson to all of this, but honestly… I sure won’t try finding what it is,” Trixie said as she stretched out. “Wanna grab drinks on the way out?” She asked as they walked to the exit.
“It’d be lovely!”
“Count me in!”
Meanwhile, Destroyer whimpered on the cold floor of his throne room. Desperately waiting for help or mercy. Maybe he should just give up on this whole “ruling Equestria” thing. He missed his favorite shows anyway.
Author's Note
