Ponies In Reverse

by WatchTower1992

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Thriller, Adventure, Main 6
Length: 3427

A new villain, Horseback Archer, has resurfaced from Tartarus and is bent on destroying Equestria and annihilating the Mane Six.

Horseback Archer, an evil centaur whom the Mane Six never even faced, much less defeated, calls on his right-hoof stallion, Watch Tower, who reverses the flow of time, transforming everypony into colts and fillies, and thus, rendering the Mane Six without their Cutie Marks, and therefore, powerless to face Horseback Archer. This catastrophe will spell final doom for the Mane Six as everypony always knew them. This story is a fan-made transitional sequel to Friendship Is Magic; therefore, it takes place right after the events of episode 926, The Last Problem. The title of this fanfic comes from episode 333 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Rangers In Reverse, which inspired this fanfic in part.

Published 2020-01-05 10:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-01-13 16:35:08 UTC

4. Meanwhile, In Canterlot…

At Canterlot Castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the newly-crowned singular ruler of Equestria, started to feel weak and dizzy.

“Oh, my dear, sweet Celestia!” she cried out in dull pain. “What in Equestria is going on here?!”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” called out a booming, reverberating voice.

“Please!” moaned the princess, now in even more pain. “Quit shouting!”

The voice, which came from the castle ceiling, said, much more quietly this time, “My most sincere and profuse apologies, Princess.”

“Would you mind telling me what your name is, please?” asked the princess of whoever possessed the voice.

As if on cue, the possessor of the voice revealed herself as a giant, pitch-black alicorn, who had seven white six-pointed stars as her Cutie Mark, golden eyes, and silver hair for her mane and tail.

“It is I, the eternal ruler of the universe, Queen Sideria!” answered the giant black alicorn.

“Your Majesty! Are you—a goddess?!” asked Twilight Sparkle, both in humility and in shock.

“Indeed, I am,” answered Queen Sideria.

5. A Brief History Of The Regal Sisters

“I am the sole parent—and therefore, the virgin mother—of Princesses Luna and Celestia,” said Queen Sideria to Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Around 5 million years ago, I gave birth to Princess Celestia, and exactly 1 million years later, I gave birth to Princess Luna,” continued Sideria.

“However,” she added, “I did not want to appear in the flesh before anypony, lest he or she cower in fear and flee from me. That is why I delegated the reign of Equestria to my two regal daughters.”

“So that’s why nopony knows that you even exist!” said Twilight Sparkle, finally getting to know Sideria as well as Celestia and Luna’s backstory.

“Nopony except you, Princess,” answered Sideria, “and you must keep my existence a secret.”

“I promise, your Majesty,” swore Twilight Sparkle.

1. Introduction

Deep in the volcano-like pits of Tartarus, there lived a mighty black centaur named Horseback Archer, and this is what he said:

“Thousands of years ago, in a battle with the alicorn princess known as Twilight Sparkle, I was responsible for the demise of an entire civilization of ponies. To rid Equestria of the princess and all her allies, I waged a war that plunged the land into centuries of darkness and banished her to a place called Tartarus.”

As it turns out, he was right—but not for long!

2. It’s About Time

Horseback Archer summoned his right-hoof stallion, Watch Tower.

Watch Tower was a tall, black alicorn stallion, with gold- and silver-colored hair for his mane and tail and a clock tower as his Cutie Mark.

“You rang, sir?” he replied to Horseback Archer.

“No, you rang!” retorted Horseback Archer.

“Man, time sure does fly down here,” muttered Watch Tower, “even for a time-manipulating alicorn like me!”

“By the way, Watch Tower,” added Horseback Archer, “that ‘ringing’ was my doing! Whenever I summon you, your ears will ring—like an alarm clock!”

“How very appropriate,” groaned Watch Tower at Horseback Archer’s comment.

“It’s about time I got my freedom back,” said Horseback to Watch, “but I can’t get out of this place myself!”

“How do you suggest I release you, sir?” inquired Watch of Horseback.

“Easy,” answered Horseback, and proceeded to explain.

“You were born here. I was not. Therefore, you can escape this place any time you want. Once you’re out of here, all you need to do is reverse the flow of time.”

“And then?” asked Watch.

“I will be un-banished from Tartarus!” concluded Horseback.

“Well, sir, as I always say, there’s no time like the present to take Equestria back to the past!” exclaimed Watch, and laughed maniacally.

3. Turning The Clock Back

Watch Tower ascended into Equestria from Tartarus and cast the following spell:

“By the power of darkness, Equestria I curse, by stopping time and making it reverse!”

Unaffected by his own spell, Watch Tower stood back and waited for the gates of Tartarus to re-open (more accurately, un-close), keeping a close eye on his boss, Horseback Archer.

Then, all throughout Equestria, alicorns, unicorns, pegasi, and Earth ponies alike screamed in fear as the sky turned pitch black, signaling the reversal of time throughout the land.

7. Dear Queen Sideria…

Following Queen Sideria’s orders, Princess Twilight Sparkle summoned her best friends in the whole of Equestria, and the six of them met in the Castle of the Two Sisters.

“Girls, please wait outside for me,” she told her friends, and they all obeyed her, saluting her with their right front hooves.

While Twilight was inside the castle, praying to Queen Sideria, Fluttershy, who noticed that Spike was not with them, was worried about him.

“Erm, Applejack?” she whispered, tapping Applejack on the shoulder with her hoof.

“Yep?” answered Applejack.

“I hope Spike will be OK,” said Fluttershy. “I’ve known him for a long time, and I’m worried that some evil pony is out to hurt him!”

Rarity, having overheard what Fluttershy said, gasped in horror at that thought.

“Spike is a grown-up dragon now!” said Rainbow Dash. “He can take care of himself! Besides, he stood up to evildoers before, so he can do it again! Right, Pinkie Pie?”

“Right as chocolate milk rain, Rainbow Dash!” cheered Pinkie Pie.

Now, Fluttershy felt only a little less worried for Spike’s sake, but at least she knew that just as she had her friends, Spike had his.

8. A Warning From The Princess

Twilight Sparkle exited the Castle of the Two Sisters and rejoined the rest of the Mane Six.

“Everypony, listen up,” she told them, and all of them listened.

“Watch Tower is a formidable alicorn demon who can change the flow of time at will,” she warned them.

“Not one of us—including me—has any idea of how powerful he is,” she continued, “but his power is immense—more so than that of any other creature we ever encountered before.”

“Whatever you do,” she added, “stay close to me at all times, and never go anywhere you can’t see me. Understood?”

All of her friends nodded in obedience, saying, “Yes, ma’am. Understood.”

At last, the Mane Six headed for the Forbidden Jungle, where Watch Tower was guarding the Gates of Tartarus.

9. Watching And Towering Over Everypony

Deep in the Forbidden Jungle, Watch Tower spotted the Mane Six, who had just teleported in.

“Well, lookie here!” he bellowed. “Six pesky ponies, thinking they can simply sneak past me! They are dead wrong—and soon, they’ll be just plain dead!”

“HUWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!” he laughed, maniacally.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy heard his laugh and trembled in silence—it had scared her speechless!

Pinkie Pie, who also heard the evil laugh, stammered, quite loudly, “I-I-I d-d-don’t l-l-like th-th-that l-l-laugh!”

“I hear you, Pinkie,” answered Applejack in fright. “I’m a-quakin’ in my hooves!”

Even Rainbow Dash got quite a scare from the laugh. “OK, so I am afraid of something after all!” she cried, looking blatantly afraid for the first time in a long time.

10. A Preemptive Strike

“Watch Tower!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, finally coming face to face with the evil black alicorn. “Surrender now, or prepare to fight all of us!”

Then, she turned to Rarity and told her, “Prepare for magic power transmission!”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” cried Rarity, and raised her horn high in the air.

Twilight, in a purple beam of light, charged Rarity up with some of her magic.

Once Rarity’s charging was complete, she fired a rainbow-colored beam of light that branched out in four directions to infuse Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack with some of the magic power she received from Twilight.

Twilight recharged Rarity periodically—so that Rarity could continue to charge the other four ponies—until everypony had enough magic power to activate her Rainbow Power, which none of the Mane Six had ever used since the battle with Lord Tirek.

Finally, everypony activated her Rainbow Power and prepared to attack Watch Tower.

“All right, girls,” called out Twilight, “let’s do this!”

“Right!” called out the rest of the Mane Six.

The Mane Six fired color-coded beams of magic at Watch Tower…

Author's Note

Yes, this chapter is a cliffhanger.

12. Blank Flanks—The Horror!

“…and hello to your powerless past!”

“HUWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!” laughed Watch Tower, as high on power as a Timberwolf on Parasprite dust.

Twilight Sparkle looked around at her friends and saw that all of their Cutie Marks were gone!

“OH, NO!” she screamed in horror, her scream now as high-pitched as Pinkie Pie’s scream as a mare!

As for Pinkie Pie herself, however, she was no longer a mare, but a school-age filly, just like Twilight!

Pinkie Pie screamed in horror as well, but what made her scream was seeing Twilight without her wings or her Cutie Mark!

Then, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, also transformed into school-age fillies, all joined in the horrific screaming, prompted—once again—by witnessing the loss of their Cutie Marks.

Watch Tower chuckled maniacally and said to himself, “Ah—the screams of terrorized fillies and colts! Music to my ears!”

Author's Note

Yes, I know—Watch Tower is sadistic, but I made him that way on purpose. A character cannot be a villain without showing schadenfreude, and Watch Tower has plenty of schadenfreude. By the way, the next chapter will focus on the Mane Six as they attempt to flee to safety.

13. Desperately Seeking Safety

“Of all the things that could happen,” sobbed Rarity, “this is the—!”

“Don’t say it, Rarity!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “DO—NOT—DARE!”

“Rainbow’s right, everypony,” affirmed Applejack. “There’s no use cryin’ like a filly now.”

“But we are fillies!” countered Pinkie Pie.

“That’s not what I meant, Pinkie!” corrected Applejack. “Now, look. We gotta find a grown-up pony we can trust—somepony responsible. Y’all hear me?”

Everypony nodded in obedience to Applejack.

“We can’t go visit Princess Luna or Princess Celestia,” piped up Twilight Sparkle. “For all we know, they could be trapped—or worse!”

“Zecora’s not an option, either,” added Fluttershy. “What if she’s a helpless filly, too?”

“Ooh, ooh—what about Mr. and Mrs. Cake?” suggested Pinkie Pie.

“I doubt that they’re old enough anymore, Pinkie,” answered Twilight.

“Wait a sec!” called out Applejack. “Granny Smith! Perhaps she’s still old enough to look after us!”

“Applejack!” cried Rarity. “You’re a genius!”

“Aw, shucks, Rarity,” answered Applejack. “I was just tellin’ the truth.”

“I’m glad you still represent the Element of Honesty, Applejack,” said Twilight.

“Let’s hurry, everypony!” called Applejack, and everypony headed for Sweet Apple Acres.

14. Sweet Apple Acres Code Adam

At Sweet Apple Acres, Big McIntosh was helping Granny Smith make some signs.

Fillies and colts had gone missing, including Apple Bloom, about whom Granny Smith and Big Mac worried the most.

“Any sign of Apple Bloom yet?” asked Granny Smith of Big Mac.

“Nnnope,” answered Big Mac.

“Keep puttin’ up them signs, Big Mac!” ordered Granny Smith.

“Eeyup,” answered Big Mac.

Just then, the Mane Six noticed the MISSING signs at Sweet Apple Acres and galloped to Sweet Apple Homestead, where Granny Smith was taking care of the farm.

“What in tarnation?!” hollered Granny Smith in shock upon seeing the Mane Six as young fillies.

“Hey, Granny!” cried Applejack, delighted to see that her grandmare was still alive. “You look about 10 years younger than you used to!”

“You look a lot younger yourself!” answered Granny Smith, returning the compliment.

“These here fillies are my best friends, Granny,” said Applejack, and introduced each one to her grandmare.

“Has any of you seen my other grandfilly, Apple Bloom?” asked Granny Smith.

“No, I’m afraid not,” said Applejack. “Not recently, anyway.”

“I sure hope she comes back in one piece,” said Granny Smith, starting to cry. “I reeeeeally miss her.”

“Well, until she does,” offered Applejack, “how’s about my friends here help you out on the farm?”

“That would be good as Golden Delicious!” answered Granny Smith, accepting Applejack’s offer. “Seven sets of helpin’ hooves are better than one, you know!”

With that, the Mane Six helped Granny Smith make more MISSING signs.

16. Fast Backward!

“Dang it!” shouted Watch Tower. “Those ponies found a grown mare and a safe refuge!”

He was steamed that the Mane Six had eluded his grasp, and he hoped that Horseback Archer, his superior, hadn’t forgotten about his plot to free him from Tartarus.

“Only three thousand years to go,” muttered Watch Tower sarcastically; he was utterly impatient.

“All right,” he said to himself, “this is my last attempt; it better work!”

Watch Tower fired his horn up one last time and put his time reversal spell on full blast.

Author's Note

This is it—the moment for which all of you waited for so long. In the very next chapter, all of Tartarus will break loose—at long last!

18. Total Annihilation!

“Spare me your excuses, Horseback Archer!” shouted Queen Sideria—with only her face visible—from high in the sky.

Watch Tower spoke up to defend Horseback Archer. “I’m the one you should banish,” he told Sideria. “After all, were it not for me, my boss never would’ve escaped from Tartarus!”

“Very well, Watch Tower,” answered Sideria. “You may substitute for Horseback Archer.”

With that, Watch Tower went back into Tartarus, and Sideria slammed the Gates of Tartarus shut.

“As for you, Horseback Archer,” she continued, “I shall now annihilate you!”

“Not if I annihilate you first!” shouted Horseback Archer in defiance.

“FIELD OF CONTAINMENT!” called out Queen Sideria, thus enclosing all of Equestria in a magic force field that delimited its boundaries accurately.

“TOTAL ANNIHILATION!” called out Horseback Archer, but he was too late; all he managed to annihilate was the land of Equestria and everypony and everything in it, including himself.

Sideria’s Field Of Containment had saved the entire universe at the expense of Equestria, which was now gone forever (forever and ever, amen).

Author's Note

I’m terribly sorry to have rushed this story. I am not very creative at all; however, I am at least honest enough to confess as much.

Don’t grieve for anypony who died in this fanfic; there will be a sequel.

Here is the legal disclaimer that I promised; it begins on the very next line:
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and all characters, trademarks, etc. pertaining thereto are property of Hasbro. My Little Pony toys ©2010-2021 by Hasbro; My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic ©2010-2021 by Hasbro; all rights reserved; all credit granted wherever due.

6. A Call To Action

“Are you familiar with Lord Tirek, Princess?” asked Queen Sideria of Twilight Sparkle.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” answered Twilight. “I defeated him once with the help of my five best friends: Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.”

Sideria, using her horn, projected a video of Horseback Archer for Twilight Sparkle to watch.

“This is Tirek’s grandfather, Horseback Archer,” explained Sideria. “He is planning to escape from Tartarus as we speak!”

Twilight gasped in horror at the monstrosity of a centaur that was Horseback Archer.

Now, Sideria’s projection showed Watch Tower.

“And this,” she continued, “is Watch Tower, his loyal henchpony, who can alter the flow of time.”

Then, Sideria ended her video projection.

“I will protect Princesses Celestia and Luna,” she told Twilight, “for I am their mother. Meanwhile, you must go round up your friends and lead them to where Watch Tower is laying siege to Equestria.”

“But Your Majesty, how will my friends know where Watch Tower even is?” asked Twilight, very concerned about the situation.

“Gather your friends and meet somewhere in secret,” commanded Sideria, “and then, you may pray to me. To answer your prayer, I will guide you to Watch Tower’s location.”

“I’m ready, Your Majesty!” answered Twilight with confidence. “You can count on me!”

11. Our Pony Power Has No Effect!

…but their attack dealt 0 damage to Watch Tower!

“FOOLS!” he taunted after another evil laugh. “Your Rainbow Power is no match for my hyper-charged magic self-healing shield!”

“This can’t be good, y’all!” cried Applejack. “We gotta use brute force on ’im! Maybe that’ll teach ’im a lesson!”

“I—am—so—in!” cried Rainbow Dash.

While Rainbow Dash and Applejack slammed into Watch Tower and bucked him, respectively, his aforementioned magic shield dealt heavy damage to the (relatively) puny ponies, thus both injuring them and exhausting them.

“Oh, no!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “Not only is it that magic won’t faze him; it’s that plain old pony muscle power won’t faze him, either!”

“Good guess, Pinkie Squirt!” commented Watch Tower. “I have zero weaknesses!”

Turning his head to examine Pinkie Pie’s Cutie Mark, he added, “I also bet that you have the very weakness I seek!”

Fluttershy, having finally plucked up enough courage to speak again, shouted (at the top of her own voice), “How dare you call our Cutie Marks a weakness?! Shame on you, you big bully!”

Watch Tower just laughed at Fluttershy, answering, “Your weakness will become my strength!”

Then, he charged his mighty horn up, thus preparing himself to amplify his time-reversing spell.

As he cast the spell again, he announced to all the Mane Six, “Time to say good-bye to your powerful present…”

Author's Note

Here’s another cliffhanger! Will I make it to three cliffhangers in a row? Let’s see!

15. Dear Queen Sideria (Again)…

After a whole afternoon of hard work, it was time for supper at Sweet Apple Acres.

Granny Smith had prepared a well-deserved apple-based feast for everypony including herself.

Everypony bowed her or his head in silence as Granny Smith recited the following prayer as a grace:

“Dear Queen Sideria, we humbly give Thee thanks for the gifts wherewith Thou hast blessed us, that we may live and grow in communion with Thee all the days of our lives.”

“Amen,” said everypony in unison, and chowed down.

After the bountiful feast, Twilight Sparkle asked Granny Smith, “May I speak to you in private, please?”

“Sure thing, young’n,” answered Granny Smith.

“How did you know about Queen Sideria?!” asked Twilight in utter amazement.

“I’ve known Queen Sideria since I was a little filly—no older than you are now,” answered Granny Smith.

“My family read to me from the Pony Bible,” she continued, “and that book has a whole collection of stories about who She is and what She did for us.”

After hearing Granny Smith’s explanation, Twilight was calm again.

“I only brought that up because I saw Her in pony at Canterlot Castle,” explained Twilight. “She told me to keep Her existence a secret from everypony else, but since you also know that She exists, you need to keep the secret safe, too.”

“So, do you promise never to tell anypony anything about Queen Sideria?” she asked solemnly.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye!” swore Granny Smith, doing the hoof motions of the Pinkie Promise.

Twilight prayed to Queen Sideria again:

“Dear Queen Sideria, only one pony except me knows that Thou existest. She has sworn an oath to keep Thine existence a secret from everypony else, that someday, all of Equestria be delivered from evil. I hereby give Thee my witness to that oath. Amen.”

Author's Note

I am an atheist, but it was my idea to add a goddess (Queen Sideria, to be more specific) to the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic universe—and yes, Granny Smith does pray to Queen Sideria (at least in this fanfic).

17. All Tartarus Breaks Loose!

“RRRAAAAAAAAARRR!”

Horseback Archer was out of Tartarus and free to roam all of Equestria now.

“Watch Tower,” he said, “I thank you for making my escape from Tartarus possible.”

“Any time, sir,” answered Watch Tower. “Any time you wish.”

“Now, where are those good-for-nothing goody-four-horseshoes of ponies?!” demanded Horseback.

“They’re all gone, sir,” lamented Watch.

“WHAT?!” shouted Horseback. “How could you let that happen?!”

“I was merely following your orders, sir,” explained Watch. “You wanted me to free you from Tartarus by turning time back. I had to make ten thousand years become undone, which is how long ago you’d been banished to Tartarus since you released me.”

“HORSEBACK ARCHER! WATCH TOWER!” shouted Queen Sideria in a booming voice that echoed throughout Equestria.

“UH-OH!” shouted Watch Tower and Horseback Archer simultaneously; they were about to get their just desserts.

Author's Note

This is the second-to-last chapter. In the 18th and final chapter, Equestria will be annihilated. Furthermore, I promise to include a legal disclaimer in the author’s note for that chapter.