Cinematic Adventures: Carrie

Twilight Sparkle, with the rest of the Equestrian heroes (Including Derick Collins), walked slowly toward the Church of Eden’s Gate, exercising extreme caution as they remembered very clearly of their last experience in this place. They took note of all the barrels of Bliss still flowing from the top, along with the same green mist. The two white oak doors slowly opened as Joseph, John, Jacob, and Faith emerged from inside. And to their surprise, Jacob led a handcuffed Carrie, forcing her to kneel on the ground.

They hadn’t expected to see the girl alive, especially as it appeared she had died when her house collapsed. But as it seemed, Eden’s Gate had secretly removed her before the house’s total destruction. The poor girl was still dressed in her baby blue night dress, now tattered, bloodied, and torn from her home’s destruction. All the girls felt bad seeing Carrie in this state, especially Fluttershy who had grown very close to the poor young girl within their time spent together. Joseph stepped forward with his arms extended, almost welcoming, and everyone looked upon the seven deadly sins which he had carved into his body that were now scars.

“This is where it all began,” He stated slowly. “Seems only fitting this is where it ends. The sacrificial lamb finally come to slaughter.”

He turned toward Derick Collins, who stood at their side, and Joseph couldn’t help but smirk.

“I see another traitor has joined your foolish cause,” Joseph observed. “And not just any traitor… but my own flesh and blood.”

This caused everyone to gasp in the shock. The girls and Spike turned toward Derick, who seemed as quickly stunned as they did.

“He’s… your father?” Twilight asked shocked.

“You lied to us the whole time?” Fluttershy asked, feeling betrayed.

“That’s how he was able to get those cuffs off!” Rarity realized. “Only Joseph’s ‘blood’ could take them off… Derick’s blood… the blood of a Seed.”

Derick shot glances back and forth between the Equestrians and Eden’s Gate.

“No… it’s not true!” Derick responded. “My parents’ names are Thomas and Edna Collins. They raised me since I was a baby!”

“Oh, I’m afraid it is true,” Joseph said. “You are my own flesh and blood, my only son.”

“You’re insane!” Derick shot back. “You killed your own baby! You said so yourself!”

“I assure you my boy, I am completely sane,” Joseph responded. “You see, many years ago God graced me with another opportunity to be a father. Your mother Megan, well she was never truly my great love as my first wife had been. But she was all too willing to give me a child I sought.”

The more the man spoke, the more pissed off Derick grew. To think everything he’d ever known his whole life were based off a lie.

“When you were born, God spoke to me once more and explained that you had a destiny,” Joseph continued. “Just as he himself had to sacrifice his own son to purge the world of its sinners, so too did I. He told me I did not have to kill you as I had your sister before you. I entrusted you to the care of two of my most trusted followers. They were to raise you as their own, to condition you for your role to play in the Great Collapse.”

Derick had finally had enough. Just as he was about to rush forward, to attack the Father directly, Spike and the girls held him back.

“You son of a bitch!” He yelled. “You killed your first child and abandoned your second. You don’t deserve to be called a father, much less ‘the Father’!”

Joseph merely chuckled at the boy’s fiery temper.

“I was merely following God’s plan my son,” He spoke. “I was, however, given the opportunity to name you before handing you away. So I leave you with one final parting gift before the end. Your true name… Ethan.”

Twilight merely shook her head before voicing defiance.

“Joseph Seed, stop this madness at once!” She demanded. “Release Carrie now, disband your cult, and no harm will come to any of you. Refuse then my friends and I will be forced to do whatever we must to save our friend and the town from your hold.”

Twilight readied her magic, as did Rarity. Applejack and Rainbow Dash cracked their knuckles, prepped to fight. Pinkie pulled her huge party cannon out from her hair, ready to fire. Fluttershy preferred to avoid violence as much as possible, seeing as how there’d already been so much throughout the entire adventure.

Seeing the girls ready to fight, Joseph merely uttered a low chuckle as he snapped his finger. In a blink of an eye, Jacob procured his pistol from his side holster and aimed smack dab against the back of Carrie’s head. The girls looked in horror, noting the tears flowing down Carrie’s cheeks. They soon turned their attention toward Jacob, ready to defend their friend.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you my child,” Joseph interrupted. “Even with all the power you possess, that bullet will steal leave that gun faster than you can stop it. I’d suggest you stand down now, or more innocent blood will be spilt.”

Twilight looked toward the mad preacher with fire in her eyes, while he smirked toward her. Just then, Fluttershy raced in front of her.

“Please Twilight, just do what he says,” She begged. “There’s already been enough tragedy and heartbreak tonight.”

Her friend’s words resonated in Twilight’s head, as she gazed back and forth between the Seed family and Carrie. She wanted so desperately to help their friend, but also knew Jacon could very easily pull the trigger before she could even twitch to do magic. Sighing to herself, she let her hands fall to her sides as she looked back toward her friends.

“Stand down, girls…” She said.

“Are you kidding me?!” Rainbow asked. “We’re doing what this nut ball says?”

“Come on Twi!” Applejack spoke. “We can’t just—”

“I said stand down!” Twilight repeated, assertively.

The girls looked back and forth between each other till one by one, they lowered their arms to their sides. Twilight turned back towards the Seeds, attempting another approach.

“All right Joseph, we won’t fight,” She announced. “But I am appealing to your heart and soul I know you still have. Just let Carrie go, we’ll leave, and we won’t bother you anymore.”

Joseph Seed laughed lightly as he took a step forward, once again extending his arms out and looked upon the heavens above.

“When the lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw unto the altar the souls of the martyrs, slain because of the word of God.”

Lowering his gaze toward Twilight’s, he stepped forward till he stood before her and stared at her with a blank stare of which truly disturbed her.

“You made martyrs out of me and my family,” He growled softly. “Now I am prepared to do the same to yours.”

Stepping behind Twilight, she slowly turned her gaze to follow him and gasped in shock. Her friends now stood in the clutches of a group of Bliss-controlled cultists, all their guns right at their heads.

“Get the hay off me you doped-up jerk!” Rainbow ordered loudly.

The cultist holding her slammed his gun right into her face causing her to gasp in pain before going completely still.

“Yer not helping Dash,” Applejack spoke.

“Wowie wow! Wow!” Pinkie said excitedly. “This reminds me of the times playing cops and robbers with the little foals in Ponyville. Except this time we’re in actual danger… we’re in actual danger!”

The cultist holding her aimed his gun at the sky and fired a round which echoed loudly through the trees. Pinkie and the others instantly clammed up as the cultist aimed the gun back toward her head. Rarity and Fluttershy both had tears running down their faces. Twilight herself was on the verge of crying herself. Joseph stepped towards her again, staring her down.

“But God is watching us,” He said. “And he will judge us based on what we choose at this moment.”

Joseph slowly circled around Twilight, who just stared in shock toward her captive friends.

“I told you we were living in a world on the brink,” He spoke. “Where every slight… every injustice… every choice reveals our sins. And where have those sins led us? Where have those sins led you?”

He stopped in front of her again, as he gestured toward her captive friends.

“Your friends have been taken and tortured… and it is your fault. Countless people killed and it is your fault. This very town is on fire… and it’s your fault.”

The last part he growled before stepping back and held his hands out again.

“Was it worth it? Was it?”

He stood right in front of her, leaning in so he could whisper.

“When are you going to learn that not ‘every’ problem can be solved with magic?”

He walked around her again and she turned as he stepped beside his family once more.

“When you first came here, I offered you the chance to walk away. You chose not to. In the face of God, I am offering you that choice one last time.”

He stepped forward a bit more.

“Restrain your magic, take your friends, leave me and my flock, and go in peace.”

Even under restraint by an armed cultist, Rainbow tried to remain tough.

“Yeah right crazy flake!” She growled. “Like we’d ever trust anything you say? When we get out of this, we’re kicking the living daylights out of you!”

“Are you insane Rainbow?” Rarity gasped. “We’re on the verge of being killed here!”

“Whatever ya decide Twi, we’re with ya,” Applejack said.

Twilight kept her gaze on Joseph Seed, as he once more looked up toward the heavens.

“Remember… God is watching.”

So many thoughts coursed through Twilight’s head in a single moment. Finally, she allowed the tears she held to flow freely. There had been so much pain, so much suffering caused since the beginning of this journey. She truly didn’t want any more.

“We’ll go…” Twilight said softly.

“WHAT?!” Her friends yelled.

“What’s gotten into you Twilight?” Rainbow asked, shocked. “You’re not seriously accepting this, are you? What about those people in town?”

Twilight slowly looked upon her friends, so they could see the tears free-falling down her face.

“And what happens to them if we stay?” She questioned. “As much as I hate to say it, he does have a point. Until we got here, they hadn’t done any real harm to anyone. No one was killed or tortured until we stepped hoof in this place. I won’t allow a single ounce of further blood fall because of me.”

Wiping the tears from her face, Twilight turned back toward Joseph.

“We will leave you in peace Mr. Seed,” Twilight declared, defeated. “And we will never return.”

Hearing her finally utter those words, Joseph actually smiled as he looked back toward his family who also smiled in victory. Joseph extended his arms again and looked upon God once more.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged.”

He then extended his arms out and gently grabbed Twilight by the shoulders as he smiled upon her.

“Condemn not, and you will not be condemned.”

Twilight too looked up, as she and Joseph stared right into each other’s eyes.

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

They both leaned forward and closed their eyes as they pressed their foreheads together, almost a sign of understanding and forgiveness. When Joseph finally stood upright again, he smiled upon Twilight as he walked toward Carrie and undid the bonds upon her wrists before looking into her eyes.

“Take your friends my child and go.”

The cultists released the other girls and Carrie quickly shot up bolting toward them, embracing them all in a hug. Twilight walked up to them as well.

“Let’s go girls,” She said.

Rainbow drew away from the hug, staring upon her with wide eyes.

“Twilight, you can’t really…”

“Enough Rainbow!” She snapped. “Sometimes its best to leave well enough alone.”

Twilight started walking before the rest of the girls, who in turn began to follow behind her. Then, Twilight stopped mid-stride as she looked toward the ground.

“Then again…”

She reached into her bag, pulled out her crown with her element on it, and placed it on her head. Then she quickly hurled the bag towards the others, who quickly grabbed their element neckless and placed them on, much to Carrie’s confusion.

“Sometimes…” Twilight continued. “You’ve got to do the right thing.”

Twilight and the girls quickly turned heel and fired their elements, which when combined together formed a powerful rainbow blast which lunged toward the Eden’s Gate members. They all cried out in shock, as the blast impacted them and slowly they disintegrated before their very eyes. When the blinding lights finally cleared, the heroes looked up to see that the Seed family and their cult of heretics had vanished completely.

Everyone stared at the now empty church and compound, as they all stood in shock due to the evening’s events. Carrie just sobbed as she once more clung to Derick, who clung desperately to her as well.

“I though I’d lost you forever,” Derick said.

“I’m so sorry…” Carrie sobbed. “I should’ve never thought you’d betray me.”

“It’s okay Carrie,” Derrick assured her. “Joseph and Eden’s Gate fooled everyone. They masterminded the entire disaster in their corrupted minds and did everything in their power to make you believe they were right and all of us were against you.”

Carrie eventually backed up and looked out toward the forest which led back to Chamberlain.

“I have nothing anymore,” She sobbed. “No home to return to, and everyone will want me dead. What am I supposed to do now; where do I go from here?”

Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six, including Spike, looked toward each other as if silently communicating the very same idea amongst themselves. They turned back toward Carrie, all of them smiling.

“You could always come back to our home with us,” Twilight suggested.

Carrie slowly turned back toward her new friends before she looked down sadly and shook her head.

“I don’t belong anywhere,” She said sadly. “Everyone was right… I am just a freak.”

“No you’re not Carrie,” Twilight responded. “You’ve just been made to believe that no one ever cared about you. But I promise you this… wecare about you.”

“There are so many times we could’ve just turned around and forget all this,” Rainbow added. “But we don’t roll that way.”

“We chose to stay and help ya,” Applejack nodded.

Once more, a stray tear fell off Carrie’s face.

“Why?” She asked.

Fluttershy walked toward Carrie and gently lifted her head so she could look into her eyes.

“Because we love you Carrie White,” She said. “We’re your friends, now and forever. We will never, ever abandon you.”

Carrie let a few more tears fall and threw her arms around Fluttershy, who hugged her back. The rest of the Mane Six and Spike joined in as well. Derick stood off to the side smiling until Applejack looked over at him and gestured for him to join.

“Come on sugar cube, y’all get on in here too!” She chuckled.

“Really?” Derick asked. “Even after finding out I’m the son of the man who tried to kill you all and destroy this town?”

“Ya may be be related by blood, but y’all ain’t nothing like that scoundrel,” Applejack assured. “Ya did yer darndest tah givin’ Carrie a sense ah belonging and that’s somethin’ to be happy ‘bout.”

Derick smiled before joining the group hug. Eventually, as everyone pulled away, they felt the wind pick up and turned to see the portal back to Equestria open up. Both Carrie and Derick looked shocked while the Mane Six and Spike smiled.

“Looks like its time to go,” Twilight smiled.

“I-I-I don’t understand,” Carrie said confused.

The Mane Six and Spike turned around toward the two confused teenagers.

“You see Carrie, remember when we mentioned our hometown earlier?” Rarity asked.

To which Carrie simply nodded her head.

“Well, as it turns out, it’s a little more complicated than that,” Spike smiled.

Twilight waved her hands and her magical purple aura enveloped them all. Soon they reverted back to their original pony and dragon forms. Both Carrie and Derick watched with wide eyes, shocked to see their friends assuming these bipedal Equine forms.

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie shouted with glee. “We’re ponies!”

“Ahem!” Spike cleared his throat.

“And a dragon!” Pinkie reiterated quickly.

“You see, we come from a magical land called Equestria,” Twilight explained. “Where all manner of creatures live in peace and harmony. Though its mainly comprised of the three pony tribes: Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns.”

“Except Twilight here,” Rainbow gestured to her friend. “She’s an alicorn and a pretty awesome one at that. Oh, did I forget to mention she’s a princess?”

This was way too much for Carrie and Derick to take in at once. They both just stared at the group in confusion.

“Perhaps it would be easier to explain once we return,” Rarity said.

“Wait you want us to come back to your world with you?” Derick asked.

To which the Mane Six and Spike nodded in agreement.

“It’s a great opportunity to start a fresh new life,” Twilight told them. “Where you can be free to be whoever you want to be. What do you guys say?”

Derick and Carrie both eyed each other for a moment, smiling as they joined their hands together. They knew that so long as they were together, with friends by their side, nothing could go wrong.

“It sounds perfect,” Carrie smiled.

The Mane Six and Spike all smiled as well before everyone stood side by side, facing the portal back to Equestria. For Carrie, this was a chance to leave everything behind and start a brand new life. In a new land, with her friends… and her boyfriend. They all walked forward, entering the portal one-by-one, leaving Chamberlain and their past behind them… forever.

<>

Coming through the other side of the portal, the Mane Six and Spike (Along with Carrie and Derrick) emerged through Discord’s theatre. Soon as they stepped through, there a gathered group of creatures stood applauding for their safe return. The first to greet them were the princesses, Celestia and Luna.

“Welcome back all of you,” Celestia greeted kindly. “I’d like to offer my most sincere congratulations on another job well done.”

“I don’t know if I would congratulate us princess,” Twilight spoke honestly. “We didn’t save everyone like we usually do. Many people died under our watch.”

“My dearest Twilight, you place far too much on your shoulders,” Celestia responded. “Even as princess, you cannot save ‘everyone’. Your job is to protect as many as you can, and we’ve certainly seen you do this on your mission. As well did the rest of you, and for that I am most proud of you all.”

The Mane Six and Spike merely bowed before the Princess of the Sun in respect. It was then they heard a gasp of shock and turned to find out why. There they noticed that Carrie and Derick had taken on pony forms of their own. Derick took the form of a peach-colored Pegasus with spiky brown hair and a guitar cutie mark. Carrie turned into an Earth pony with a glowing blonde mane and a cutie mark of a winged cross with a halo over it.

They both looked at their new forms, completely shocked.

“What’s happened to us?” Carrie asked surprised.

Celestia only chuckled in response as she walked in front of them.

“It would seem when you both came through the portal, you took on your pony forms immediately,” Celestia told them.

Both Carrie and Derick looked up in awe toward the sun princess, who stared toward them with a smile.

“It is a tremendous pleasure to meet you both,” She greeted. “I am Princess Celestia.”

Both Carrie and Derick awkwardly bowed before her presence, to which Celestia giggled with delight.

“Please, no need for formalities,” She assured them.

“Forgive me princess, but if I may ask,” Carrie spoke up. “Where are me and Derick supposed to live?”

Celestia smiled as se turned toward Fluttershy, who gave a tiny nod of the head. Fluttershy walked forward with a smile of her very own.

“If you want Carrie, you could always live with me,” She offered sweetly. “I have extra space to spare, and we could make you a lovely room.”

“You really mean that Fluttershy?” Carrie asked.

“Of course I do Carrie,” Fluttershy nodded. “We’re Super Shy Friends Forever. I’m more than happy to let you live with me.”

Carrie held back a few more tears, as she threw her new hooves around Fluttershy and they both hugged once more. Applejack walked up alongside Derick and smiled at him.

“If yer lookin’ fer a place tah call yer own, ya can always bunk with me and mah family,” She offered. “Sweet Apple Acres is a beautiful piece ah land and Fluttershy just lives down the way. Ya can always go and visit Carrie whenever ya want to.”

“I’d like that,” Derick nodded.

“Hope ya don’t mind helpin’ out round the farm.”

“Are you kidding?” Derick scoffed. “I’ve been a working man since I was five.”

“Well ah guess its settled then,” Applejack smiled. “Welcome to the Apple family.”

Applejack stuck her hoof out with a grin and Derick stuck out his own for a hoof shake. That’s when Pinkie Pop popped out of nowhere from a cloud of confetti.

“Ooh, this is so super-duper exciting!” She exclaimed excitedly. “Two more new ponies in Ponyville to throw parties for. Also Derick, I know your last name is originally Seed, but will you go by Apple now? *GASP!* ‘Apple Seed’? I just got that now! Hah, ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”

Pinkie Pie fell over laughing at her unintentional joke, and everyone started to laugh as well. This adventure may have been one for misery and misfortune indeed. But in the end, one girl finally got exactly what she needed. A new place to start anew, someone to call her own, and a new group of friends who accepted her as she truly was.

<>

Sometime later…

Sue Snell stood at a court hearing surrounding the events of the prom. The head commissioner, Stuart Murphy, had her on the spot anxious to hear her side of the story. Sue knew this would come eventually, but she had no other choice.

“Miss Snell, we’re trying to determine the exact role Carrie White played in the tragedy on prom night,” Murphy explained. “You would agree that you were under an enormous amount of stress. Isn’t it possible that what you saw was a natural act?”

“Most of my friends died that night,” Sue answered. “But my boyfriend and I know what we saw~”

<>

Sue and Tommy walked through a cemetery in the rain. Since leaving the hospital, Tommy’s head was bandaged and would need some time to recover. Flowers and wreaths hung around several gravestones they passed. Sue carried one white rose and looked toward one grave in particular.

“You want an explanation? Carrie had some sort of power, but she was just like me, like any of you. She had hopes and she had fears. And we pushed her.”

Eventually, Sue saw just what she was searching for. With Tommy beside her, she approached the gravestone of Carrie White herself. Only it was defaced with red graffiti which read, ‘CARRIE WHITE BURNS IN HELL!’. They never did find a body when the fire department started digging through the rubble, but since Carrie was nowhere to be found Sue and Tommy agreed it would be better if the world thought she was dead.

“And you can only push someone so far before they break…”

Sue left the flower by the grave and looked down for a moment as she clutched a hand to her belly. If what Carrie said was true, that she was expecting a child (A daughter), she considered this her second chance. She was not there for Carrie White when she truly needed help, but not another girl will be needing her, and she would not ruin this chance again. Only she wouldn’t be alone, as Tommy clasped a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to him with a small smile. Eventually, they left the grave behind them not truly knowing what happened to Carrie or their friends or even the cult. But wherever Carrie may be, they will always hope that the poor unfortunate child had finally found peace, a better place beyond their own. And that for the first time in her life… there would be eternal happiness just for a girl named Carrie.

Epilogue

In another section of Equestria, in the now abandoned ‘Our Town’, there was a rumbling sound. A strong wind picked up in the area sending several leaves floating off the ground. Cracks formed along the stones of the empty homes, as faint screaming was heard. A bright light soon enveloped the entire landscape and when it cleared, the Seed family and what remained of their followers stood in its wake. They looked around in confusion before Joseph smiled wickedly.

“Even in our hour of defeat, God grants us salvation!” He spoke.

He walked toward the front of his flock to address them.

“The politicians have been silenced!” He spoke. “Corporations have been erased. The world has been cleansed by God’s righteous fire. But most of all… it means I was right. The collapse has come and the world as we know it is over!”

“You have no idea…”

Hearing a new voice, the Eden’s Gate cult turned and saw Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, Tirek, Andromedis, Demittria, and the Dazzlings standing beside them with sadistic joy etched on their faces. From behind them stepped none other than the Mysterious Benefactor.

“What harbingers of doom greets us upon our arrival in the plains of ethereal?” Joseph asked.

“Who we are is of little importance at this moment,” The Benefactor answered. “What matters is that we all share the same purpose. To cleanse the world of the decay rotting away our very way of life.”

The Benefactor walked alongside Joseph Seed and addressed the rest of the gathered crowd.

“For far too long we struggled to achieve these ends on our own,” The Benefactor continued. “Hence why we have chosen to join forces to exterminate the rabble that calls this land their own. For when this world is ours, we shall shape it into any image we choose and rule as we see fit.

“Now you may look and believe that ‘we’ started this Dark Order… but you’d be wrong. We answer to a much higher power, one that is the very incarnation of darkness itself. For too long, he has been locked away but now… he has risen again.”

The Benefactor stepped aside from their position as a strange black ooze-like substance rose from the Earth. The ooze began to take the form of its own until a figure clothed in an black hooded robe and wearing a dark mask stood before them all. They also saw that the figure held some sort of glowing golden staff in its hand.

Upon seeing the dark figure, Joseph immediately knew who it was.

“You are the one!” He stated loudly. “The message from God sent down to warn us of the Great Collapse.”

Joseph bowed in the presence of the dark figure as too did his brothers, sister, and the remainder of his followers. The Legion of Doom, the Sith Emperor, Demittria, and the Dazzlings also bowed in the figure’s presence, as did the Benefactor. The figure merely stayed frozen in place before speaking out in a deep demonic voice.

“After thousands of years banished to the darkness, the Dark One rises once more!” The figure declared.

The Dark One held out the staff and a feeling of immense power could be felt by the entire gathering.

“Look upon and tremble before the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus!” The Dark One announced. “The ancient artifact of which allowed me to walk the earth for thousands of years, collecting as much dark magic my soul could hold. Now with the combined power of the staff itself and the darkness, nothing will stand in the way of evil ever again.”

The Dark One slammed the hilt of the staff onto the ground, as a beam of light shot from the tip and rose high into the heavens. This created a powerful rift in the heavens itself, as the sky swirled like a whirlpool and assault the very foundation of reality itself.

Darkness has risen.

The End…?