Torch in the Dark

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 1
Chapter 4

Chapter 2

In Pinkie Pie's kitchen, she stands in a meditative state beside her oven with a souffle baking inside, softly chanting something to herself. "…Zephyr Breeze, Zipporwhill…" she snaps out of her meditation and opens the oven, removing a fresh, hot souffle. "Done! Now to get this to Rarity on time!" she sets a timer for seven minutes and rushes to the door. "Outta the way!" She kicks the door open.

Outside, she's not met by cold white snow, but a smog-filled black void. "W-what's going on? Where am I?" She slowly fills with dread as she takes in her situation, then realizing the souffle's gone, or rather it was never there.

"That's right… I saved a talking dog, the building collapsed, then…" her eyes widen in horror. "No… no, no, no! This can't be happening! This… is just a nightmare!" she panicked. "Yeah! I'll wake up safe in bed, and none of that ever happened!"

"Pinkie…" a distorted voice called out.

Within the smoke, high above where Pinkie Pie stood are angry white eyes, recognizing them as the last thing she saw before Sugarcube Corner collapsed on her. "W-who are you?"

"I… am…" the entity began speaking, but is drowned out by whispers before its next clear words. "…darkness… and…"

"D-darkness…?" if she wasn't horrified before, she is now. "Darkness and… what?" Pinkie Pie asked for elaboration from the entity.

Instead of a response, a massive black hand emerges from the smog towards her. She would've run, but she was too frozen in fear to move. The last thing she sees is the entity's palm, and the last thing she felt was intense crushing pain.

"Aaah!" she shot up from her bed with a violent scream. She finds herself waking up on a hospital bed beside a window view of the night skyline, and sees her friends surrounding her, including Flash Sentry holding his camera drone and a bandaged Spike, all staring tearfully. "E…veryone… wh-what…?" she trembled sitting there.

"Pinkie…" Fluttershy gasped as she covers her mouth in disbelief.

"You're alive!" Rarity goes to hug Pinkie Pie, followed by Applejack, then Rainbow Dash, then the rest of her friends all at once; Flash Sentry and Spike last.

"Wait!" Twilight Sparkle realized before they all break up. "Your bones are still broken! We shouldn't be doing this so soon."

"What happened? Did we save everyone? Where am I?" Pinkie Pie asked them.

"Fortunately, with the help of the fire department, we evacuated everyone out of the way safely." Fluttershy assured.

"For the most part." Rainbow Dash added.

"Many were injured in the attack, and are being treated at his very hospital." Rarity added. "Though none of their injures can compare to, uh…" she hesitated as she stares at Pinkie Pie's body.

"That's good to hear." Pinkie Pie said in relief.

"While you were out cold, they told me everything. It sounded terrifying and horrible…" Spike added. "For once, I'm really glad I was asleep for this adventure."

"Since I'm in a hospital bed, I guess I got caught in the chaos. I'm sure I'll be fine." Pinkie Pie said.

"Pinkie… how should I put this?" Applejack nervously took off her hat, putting it to her chest.

"The dragon crushed you while you were trapped in Sugarcube Corner with the other thing's head…" Flash Sentry answered quickly. "…If it had one."

"Crushed?!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she tries to get out of bed before Sunset Shimmer carefully stops her, placing her hands on Pinkie Pie's shoulders.

"Take it easy. The doctors said you broke every bone in your body." Sunset Shimmer advised.

"They didn't think you'd make it. In fact, you… you…" Rainbow Dash added, hesitantly trying to say her next words. "…flatlined just now."

"But I feel fine. My bones don't feel broken. Look." Pinkie Pie gets out of bed.

"Pinkie, no!" Rarity tries to stop her, but was too late when Pinkie Pie's feet meet the floor.

Everybody was expecting her to crumple, but she's completely intact. Pinkie Pie starts dancing, starting with flossing, then hitting the woah, ending with the shoot, shifting weight onto one leg yet not skipping a beat despite her supposed broken bones. "See? Can someone with broken bones do that?"

"I can't believe it… you completely healed!" Twilight Sparkle observed in disbelief.

"And considering she just croaked a few seconds ago, it's double-unbelievable!" Spike added.

"Please don't remind us, Spike." Rarity told him uncomfortably.

"That's weird, even for our standards." Sunset Shimmer commented.

"Equestrian standards or just you guys?" Flash Sentry asked.

"Both."

"We can probably chalk it up to the Magic of Friendship. It does wonders to the body." Rainbow Dash joked as she flexes her arms.

"With how little we really know about our magic, it's entirely plausible. Perhaps just us being here for you caused you to heal from your injuries instantaneously." Twilight Sparkle postulated.

"Wait, the dragon and the other thing…" Pinkie Pie remembered. "Where'd they go? Did you guys beat them without me?"

"Actually, the dragon beat the thing and flew away. We haven't seen it since." Fluttershy answered.

"And the other thing? The eyes?" Pinkie Pie asked, suddenly receiving rapid glimpses of the moment she almost died. "Ooof, ow…" she clutched her head.

"We're not sure where it went." Applejack answered.

"After the smoke cleared, we couldn't find a trace of it." Twilight Sparkle answered.

"What was it, anyway? Something from Equestria?" Spike wondered.

"Earlier this morning, Princess Twilight wrote to me about an adventure to the Dragon Lands to stop a rampaging dragon. It ended in failure, with the dragon and his daughter, who tried to stop him, escaping into a mysterious portal to another world." Sunset Shimmer informed everyone. "She didn't know for sure they'd end up here, but warned me just in case."

"So there's two dragons?" Spike noted.

"Here's hopin' the other won't give us too much trouble if it shows up." Applejack commented.

"And the eyes?" Fluttershy asked Sunset Shimmer.

"Not sure. I've never seen anything like it."

"I guess we know what we're doing for the holidays." Spike anticipates their latest adventure.

"And here I was worrying about what to put up for our holiday slumber party." Rarity bemoaned.

"Once I'm discharged, we'll go out and do some sleuthing!" Pinkie Pie said as she jumps back to sit on her bed. The moment her bottom touches the mattress, she finds something surprisingly hard and immediately leaps off. "Ow! Did they put a brick here, or something?" She pulls the blanket off to reveal a black pistol, causing everyone to step away. "What the heck is this doing here?!"

"I thought the doctors got rid of that thing!" Applejack shouted.

"Wait, what?!" Pinkie Pie turned to her.

"When the firefighters pulled you out, you were holding onto it!" Twilight Sparkle pointed to the weapon.

"Despite your broken bone-ness, you gripped it pretty tight." Fluttershy added. "The doctors spend an hour trying to remove it without hurting you."

"How'd it end up in this room?" Rarity wondered before turning to Rainbow Dash with an angry scowl.

"It wasn't me; I swear! I was here the whole time." Rainbow Dash refuted. "It's gotta be Flash!" she pointed to Flash Sentry shielding himself with his camera drone.

"Lil or regular?" Flash Sentry asked with an awkward smile. The drone activates, hovers in front of him, then bumps his head.

"Get rid of it, get rid of it!" Spike hurried.

Pinkie Pie grabs the pistol, then suddenly freezes the moment she touches the cold steel. "Trigger…" a voice whispered in Pinkie Pie's ear.

"Did someone say something?" Pinkie Pie turned to her friends.

"No, we didn't! Hurry an' hide it!" Applejack hurried.

"Pull the trigger…"

"There it is again." Pinkie Pie gasped.

As bad luck would have it, the doorknob at the door turns. She scrambles to hide the pistol until the door opens, revealing a worried Maud Pie. "Pinkie…?" she sees her sister shut a drawer, not knowing the pistol is hidden inside. She dashes to her sister and gives her a hug. "When the doctors called me about you, I came as fast as I could." Maud Pie said as she looks into her sister's eyes. "I thought the worst happened after seeing the news, but I'm glad you're not hurt. I wouldn't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"Worry, I guess. That's what sisters do for each other." Pinkie Pie shrugged.

"Why don't you give me your usual smile?" Maud Pie suggested.

"Smile… Smile…" the voice echoed in Pinkie Pie's head, and she pushes her sister away.

"Pinkie?" Maud Pie said in surprise, seeing her sister's irises shrinking, frozen in fear.

"Smile! Smile! Smile!" the voice roared in Pinkie Pie's head, causing her to panic.

"Pinkie, are you okay, dear?" Rarity asked her, causing the voice to stop.

"Ehehe…" Pinkie Pie gave a nervous chuckle. "I guess I'm still recovering."

Maud Pie gives her a concerned look when they hear the door creak open.

Entering the room is a slim, copper-skinned man wearing a black suit-and-tie, sunglasses to hide his face and a trilby with locks of black and red sticking out the back; typical of a mysterious agent. "Ahem, Rainbooms?"

"Black suit and sunglasses?" Rainbow Dash smiled seeing him. "Things are 'boutta get interesting."

"We're in the middle of something." Fluttershy responded.

The man turns his head back to the hall. "In here." marching into the room are similarly-dressed men that surround the friends.

"Who are you people?!" Twilight Sparkle darts her head from agent-to-agent.

They watch as the agents rummage through their backpacks they left on the floor before confiscating them. Pinkie Pie meanwhile anxiously stares at the drawer where she hid the pistol as agents repeatedly pass by, hoping they won't find it.

One agent grabs Flash Sentry's drone, but the young man pulls back tightly. "Hands off my camera!" he tries to pull the drone away until the agent instead removes the mounted camera and runs off. "You'll regret messing with Lil Flash!" he cursed them before another agent runs by and snatches his drone, then another swipes his metal briefcase.

Two agents corner Spike, and when he tries to run between their legs, he's grabbed and placed inside a dog carrier. "Barkbarkbarkbarkbark!"

"Hey!" Fluttershy stepped up. "Don't you dare—"

The two agents quickly turn their head to Fluttershy, staring down at her with unfeeling, unmoving gazes. She's frozen stiff, allowing them to walk away with Spike.

"It's imperative that you come with us immediately." The lead agent informed them.

"Should we follow them? I'm getting real bad vibes from them." Pinkie Pie asked Twilight Sparkle.

"If we start a fight trying to resist, people could get hurt in this hospital because of us." Twilight Sparkle answered. Then she looks at the agents guarding the pet carrier containing the terrified, whimpering Spike. "And they have Spike… I don't want anything bad happen to him because of our mistake."

"Let's be careful. We don't know what they really want with us." Sunset Shimmer added, eyeing the lead agent blocking the door.

"Pinkie, are you in trouble?" Maud Pie asked Pinkie Pie, sounding very much concerned.

"I'll be fine, Maud. Just wait for me at home. I'll be back before you know it." Pinkie Pie told her as Twilight Sparkle walks past, approaching the man.

"We'll come with, but you better promise to not hurt my friends." Twilight Sparkle told the agent.

"You have my word." The man nodded before opening the door for them. The agents finish searching the room and escort the girls and Flash Sentry out of the room.

Maud Pie tries to follow them, but is stopped by the lead agent. "Don't worry, miss. Your sister and her friends are in good hands." he assured before walking away with the team.

He closes the door behind the group, leaving Maud Pie alone in the room, worrying about her sister more than when she first arrived.

They're all transported in a fleet of black S.U.V.s to the east side of the city, down to the loading area of a "Hayes' Pizza".

"A pizzeria?" Pinkie Pie raised her eyebrow as everyone leaves the vehicles.

"It's their front. Super-secret organizations in movies have underground bases under public places like malls and restaurants." Rainbow Dash postulated.

"We sure ain't here for dinner." Applejack added.

From the S.U.V. carrying the confiscated items and Spike, a blinding flash sends agents inside tumbling onto the pavement. "My eyes!" one agent screamed as Lil Flash rolls off his hands.

"Friendly fire!" Spike shouted as he rubs his eyes.

"Told ya not to mess with him." Flash Sentry gave the agents a smug look before being escorted with the girls through the back door.

The pizzeria was typical of any other; brown-tiled walls and Italian livery, but devoid of customers and staff, having been evacuated earlier. "This way." The lead agent leads them to the walk-in fridge.

"This must be their disguised elevator!" Rainbow Dash said before the agents shove everyone into the fridge with the lead agent last, closing the door shut.

They stand in an overcrowded refrigerated room, smelling strongly of ingredients. "I'd say it's too disguised." Rarity pinches her nose from the overwhelming smell.

The lead agent pushes aside an olive oil can to reveal a keypad which he inputs a code into. Afterwards, the high-schoolers feel the floor beneath shift and descend, just like an elevator. They were shocked and surprised, but Rainbow Dash smiles the whole way down.

Meanwhile, a troubled Pinkie Pie is frozen in thought. What was that voice? Why did it speak when she touched the pistol? "Did… nobody say anything when I grabbed the… thing?"

"Your bones might be fixed, but is your head okay?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"You were unusually quiet in the car." Flash Sentry added.

"Are you upset about the holiday souffle?" Rarity puts her hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder, who faces her with a lost look. "Oh, don't fret, Pinkie. You'll make an even better souffle next year, I just know it." she assured.

Pinkie Pie gives a slight smile, putting her hand on Rarity's.

With a ding, the elevator stops and the door opens, revealing a massive chrome room with rows of desks, hundreds of agents roaming the floor, and above all is signage reading "We're Everywhere and We're Nowhere".

They walk down the floor, agents staring at them as they pass by. They stop at a massive monitor tended by technicians where a tall man observes locations across the city. "Agent Furlong, the Rainbooms have arrived." The lead agent announced.

The tall man turns to the teens, revealing a bristled old man with salt-and-pepper hair and bushy eyebrows, wearing a fierce, but rigid pair of eyes. "Thank you, Agent Bravo. I'll take it from here." He robotically thanked the agent.

Sunset Shimmer steps forward, but is stopped by Agent Bravo keeping distance between her and Furlong. "Who are you people? What do you want from us?"

Then, Rainbow Dash gets in her way to speak to Furlong. "About time you men in black showed up! I've been waiting for you guys since the Fall Formal forever ago!" she complained before Fluttershy pulls her away.

"I'm Agent Furlong, leader of the Secret Magic Intelligence League of Earth, or S.M.I.L.E. for short." The man blankly introduces himself.

"S.M.I.L.E.?" Rainbow Dash snickered. "You even got a dumb acronym!" she almost giggled when she stops to look at Pinkie Pie shivering beside her.

"Smile… Smile…" the voice rang through Pinkie Pie's skull, causing her distress.

"Pinkie, are you okay?" Rarity asked.

"Smile… Smile… Smile…" the echoing voices overlap, causing her to clutch her head and hyperventilate. She then collapses for Rarity to catch her.

"Is your friend alright?" Furlong raised his eyebrows.

"She's still recovering from the dragon attack." Twilight Sparkle answered.

The voices suddenly cease, and Pinkie Pie slowly looks up to the agents and her friends, giving an awkward smile. "I'll be fine."

Furlong clears his throat. "If we're done with pleasantries, let's—"

"This is the part where you say you've been watching us for a while, and you show us creepy spy cam footage of us, right?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

Furlong sighs. "Yes, we know who you are."

Then, the giant screen switches to a mosaic of spy recordings, news reports, and amateur footage of many of the girls' adventures. It displayed everything from the climax of the Battle of the Bands to an incident where six monsters ran amok in the streets in the weeks leading to Halloween. "This is everything we've done… the Friendship Games, Camp Everfree, Equestria Land… everything." Twilight Sparkle observed.

"Our organization was founded in response to the magical occurrence at your school's Fall Formal, anticipating future incidents of similar nature."

"So, you know about Equestria?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"We understand very little about Equestria, but the exploration of another world is none of our concern. Investigating magic that seeps from there into ours is." Furlong responded.

"Why contact us now? Not during the Friendship Games, or Equestria Land's grand opening?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Thanks to your efforts, most incidents you partook in were self-contained to one area, namely your school." Furlong cups his hands together. "We had no reason to interfere… until now." He shows news footage of the dragon attacking the town, which Fluttershy hides from behind Rainbow Dash.

The news report focuses on the then-arriving eyes staring at the dragon. Pinkie Pie locks eyes on the eyes for a moment before being snapped out by its unearthly scream.

"Due to this incident, the board decided to offer our intel and resources in order to continue your efforts." Furlong informed them.

"We were just about to investigate the dragon ourselves." Sunset Shimmer added.

"Then you're in luck: we have a lead that might interest you." Furlong informed them.

The heroes follow Furlong into a laboratory containing remants of the girls' previous adventures, from the contained remnants of the Dazzlings' gems, live specimens of killer plants, and preserved remains of Gaea Everfree's thorny brambles. "We research magic from analysing magical artifacts and residues left behind in your wake with purpose-built instruments and programs." Furlong informed them. "Unfortunately, most of the desired materials were swept-up by a then-unknown third party." He eyes Twilight Sparkle behind him.

"Sorry, I didn't consider anyone else to be following this trail." Twilight Sparkle giggled nervously.

They come to a large tinted glass box containing a growling presence. "Here is our lead." Furlong nods to Bravo attending the box.

Bravo nods back, then types at a computer hooked up to the box. The black tint blinks off, revealing the contents of the cell: the talking blue dog.

Pinkie Pie recognizes the dog and steps forth. "I know that dog! It talks just like Spike!"

"What?!" Spike said in surprise, still carried inside the carrier by an agent.

"Get me outta here, two-legged bald things!" the other dog demanded.

"Another talking dog?" Twilight Sparkle turned to Pinkie Pie.

"You didn't know? After I saved her from Sugarcube Corner, I sent her to you to save me. Isn't that how you found me?" Pinkie Pie explained.

"Bon Bon showed up an' told us you were trapped. We didn't see no dog." Applejack answered.

"Alongside the dragon, this dog was first detected manifesting on Canterlot Beach." Agent Furlong said. "We tried talking to it, but it insisted speaking to Twilight Sparkle."

"That's me." Twilight Sparkle stepped forward to the box. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." She introduces herself to the dog.

The dog looks at her funny. "You don't look like Twilight Sparkle. Then again, I'm not good with faces." She said in doubt. "Wait!" she covers her eyes with her paws. "Say something dumb, smart, whatever a pony would say!"

Twilight Sparkle raises an eyebrow. "The Klein bottle is an example of a non-orientable surface; it's a two-dimensional manifold against which—"

"Twilight!" the dog takes her paws off her eyes, wagging her tail. "It really is you!"

"You know the princess?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Sure do. She's a friend of mine that I met a while ago." the dog hesitated her words.

"What's your name?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"I'm Princess Ember, Dragon Lord of the Dragon Lands." Ember proudly introduces herself.

"A dragon? Like the other Twilight's Spike!" Fluttershy observed.

"I've heard of you." Sunset Shimmer told Ember. "The princess wrote to me in my magic journal, and mentioned you being pulled into the portal with another dragon."

"That dragon is Torch: the Dragon Lord before me…" Ember explained, lowering her head, taking a depressed tone. "…and my father…"

"What's he doing in our world? Why's he trashing the place?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He woke up one day and started attacking the Dragon Lands. We dragons tried everything from fighting to actually talking, but when nothing worked, I called Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends to help out." Ember explained. "After a long day of rescue plans, we snapped him back to reality, and learned a parasite was responsible for his mindless rampage. Unfortunately, it took back control before we could kill it."

"So, he's not in control of his actions!" Fluttershy noted.

"Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, he was sucked in by a portal that just… appeared." Ember continued. "I tried freeing him, but I was pulled in with him and ended up in this weird world as a dog of all things."

"Speakin' of, why's he still a dragon, but you's a dog?" Applejack wondered.

"I'm dunno, but I blame that parasite!" Ember growled. "When I get my claws on that spiked bugger…"

"Do you know anything about the other thing? The big white eyes?" Pinkie Pie asked Ember desperately. "Ow." She squeaked as she received a sharp pain in her head.

Hearing this, Ember's furious flame douses, taking horrified eyes matching Pinkie Pie's own. "I… don't like talking about it."

"When the eyes manifested, it exhibited similar energy readings to Torch and Ember's arrival, so we assume it's also from Equestria." Furlong explained. "Appearing thirdly, we classified this entity as The Third."

"So this isn't a dragon-slaying adventure…" Rainbow Dash realized. "This is a rescue mission!"

"Ember, leave it to us! We promise to get your dad back to his senses." Twilight Sparkle declared.

"You better." Ember scowled. "The other Twilight promised me that, yet here I am."

Rainbow Dash turns to Furlong. "So, did your spy satellites track down the dragon?"

"Indeed they have. Torch flew southwest after his rampage, last detected above Everfree Forest Reserve." He answered. "On your go, we'll mobilize to Everfree."

"There are a lotta lives at stake here, not just our friends and families in Canterlot, but Torch's as well. Once again, the lives at two worlds depend on us." Sunset Shimmer told her friends before putting her hand flat-out to them. "So, everyone ready to save the holiday?"

"Yup!" Applejack stacks her hand on top of Rainbow Dash.

"Anything to help a cute doggy." Fluttershy agreed.

"I always have the time to lend a hand." Rarity stacked hers.

"Justice never takes a holiday, apparently." Twilight Sparkle added hers.

"No question!" Rainbow Dash puts her hand forth.

After prying Lil Flash off an agent, Flash Sentry does too. "Just another adventure for the record."

A purple paw stacks on, and they see Bravo lifting Spike's carrier to allow him to do so. "Uh, thanks." Spike eyed Bravo.

They then turn to Pinkie Pie drifting off in her own misery. "Pinkie?" Rarity called.

Pinkie Pie turns back to them, and tops the stack with a nervous smile. "Uh-huh, yeah…" she mustered what little enthusiasm remained.

"Go…" Rainbow Dash started.

"…Rainbooms!" they yelled as they throw hands up. Pinkie Pie was the least enthusiastic, and turned away afterwards, gaining her friends' concern.

As they murmur about the dejected Pinkie Pie, a distanced Bravo stares at her, and cracks a smirk.

To be continued...

Chapter 3

At a S.M.I.L.E. motor pool, our heroes take inventory of their belongings, preparing for the long mission ahead. “Last-minute check before rollout. Everyone still has bedrolls and such for the slumber party. What else?” Twilight Sparkle addressed her friends.

“Running sneakers in case I need a boost!” Rainbow Dash presented spare sneakers.

“Snacks when we’re hungry!” Applejack presented her homemade apple snacks.

“Critter food if we run into hungry woodland creatures.” Fluttershy produced a medium-sized kibble bag.

“My magic journal for when we get a message from the princess.” Sunset Shimmer pulled out her journal. “I’ve dropped a message that we found Ember, and still waiting for a response.”

“Magic scanner to track down Torch.” Twilight Sparkle presented a high-tech modified radar gun.

“My love and support.” Spike said for everyone to chuckle.

Flash Sentry puts down his briefcase and opens it, then tiers of camera equipment nested in foam shelves folds out. “Fifty-millimetre lens, seventy-to-two-hundred-millimetre lens…” he searches the contents, making sure everything is where it should be. “…supercharged batteries, Twilight’s Spider-Pod…”

“Mister Sentry?” Flash Sentry turns around and sees a young light yellow-skinned woman wearing a black pantsuit with sunglasses and a trilby with locks of blue and pink sticking out the front, carrying his purple drone. “Your drone.”

“Thanks!” he gladly receives the drone and puts it at the bottom of the briefcase. “Say, you look familiar.” He turns back to the agent, but finds she disappeared.

“Mysterious-figure-types love disappearing offscreen. Probs part of their formal training.” Rainbow Dash commented.

“What about you, Rare? Got yer makeup kit or…” Applejack asked Rarity, who is staring at Pinkie Pie moodily sitting on a far-off bench, hair looking less-puffed.

“Has anyone else noticed Pinkie Pie acting unusual?” Rarity asked.

“She almost looked like Twilight for the first few days at Camp Everfree.” Sunset Shimmer leaned against said person.

“Right down to distancing herself from us.” Twilight Sparkle added.

“She especially wasn’t the same after touching that… weapon.” Fluttershy hesitated.

“It sucks to see her like this. She’s always so happy and smiling. It’s weird to see her be the way she is now.” Rainbow Dash observed. “Usually, she’d be the one to get hyped about the spy stuff happening around us. I’ve been tryna fill her shoes by doing that… but it doesn’t feel the same.”

“Rarity, why don’t you talk to Pinkie Pie? Try to cheer her up.” Twilight Sparkle suggested.

“I’ll try my best. After all, she deserves it after all the days she’s brightened for us.” Rarity accepted.

As she sat there in solitude, Pinkie Pie can’t help but think of the eyes, the pistol, and the voice in her head. Even when she tries thinking about something else, her mind loops back to those things over, and over, and over, and o—

“Pinkie.” She snaps out of it and sees Rarity standing above her. “How’re you feeling?”

“Fantastic! Just fantastic!” Pinkie Pie forces a smile.

“Pinkie, we all know something’s bothering you since you woke up, and I know it isn’t the souffle.” Rarity sat beside her. “You can be honest with us. We’re your friends.”

Pinkie Pie sighs. “We’ve never had to face anything like what happened today: the carnage… the dragon… and… and I’m… just so scared… I mean, I actually flatlined! How can you get over that?!”

“Don’t you usually laugh off everything, no matter how scary?”

“I do, but…” Pinkie Pie hesitates, deciding on her next words. “…it doesn’t feel like I’m all here, y’know? Like something’s eating away at my happiness…” then Rarity suddenly hugs and brings her closer.

“Whatever it is, it’ll overstuff itself because you’re a big banquet of joy!” Rarity spoke with a babying tone, causing Pinkie Pie to crack a tiny smile.

“Rarity, stop it!” Pinkie Pie giggled before Rarity releases her.

“Feeling better now?”

“Yeah… I really needed that giggle.”

“Just remember: don’t focus on what’s bothering you, focus on your friends who have your back.” Rarity responded. “Ready for our next adventure?”

“Ready.” Pinkie Pie nodded.

They walk back to their friends, who greet Pinkie Pie with smiles. “Got everything, Pinkie? Candy? Streamers?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“All here and more!” Pinkie Pie showed off a sprinkles shaker and loose streamers from her backpack.

“Ahem.” Furlong and Bravo suddenly appeared behind everyone, surprising them. “Are you ready to mobilize?”

“Yes, sir.” Twilight Sparkle nodded respectfully.

“What’s our ride? A super-stealthy spy car? A mobile command centre disguised as a freezer truck? Oh! Oh! A military-grade twin-rotor copter?!” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. Bravo points to one of the many standard S.U.V.s like the ones that transported them to S.M.I.L.E. “Is it at least bulletproof?” Pinkie Pie asked in disappointment.

“Now that’s the Pinkie Pie we know and love.” Flash Sentry smiled as he takes her picture.

“It’ll only take you as far as the campgrounds. There’s no road access through the forest, so the rest of the journey is on foot.” Furlong told them before Bravo unlocks the vehicle. “Bravo will accompany you, and is your direct contact with headquarters should you require anything.”

“Um, before we go, how is Ember doing?” Fluttershy asked before an agent approaches them with Ember inside a carrier.

“Because Ember understands more of the situation with Torch than us, she’ll accompany you for the mission.” Furlong explained.

“When can I get outta this thing? I’m starting to hate boxes.” Ember asked before Bravo lets her out. “Thanks. You’ll be mauled less-painfully later.”

Bravo hops into the driver’s seat and starts the engine as the team get in one-by-one. “Shotgun!” Rainbow Dash hops onto front passenger seat beside Bravo.

At the back row, Flash Sentry and his equipment sit to the right, followed by Sunset Shimmer in the centre and Applejack on the left.

In the middle row, Ember sat on Fluttershy’s lap on the left-most seat, while Rarity and Pinkie Pie cram into the centre seat, then Twilight Sparkle with Spike on her lap sitting at the right. “Oof, sorry about the tight squeeze, Pinkie.” Rarity apologized.

“No big. At least I’m sandwiched between friends and not hard rubble. Hehe.” Pinkie Pie happily chuckled.

“The heck is this thing? I don’t think ponies have this.” Ember wondered as she looks around the vehicle’s interior.

“This is a car. We use them to travel between places fast.” Fluttershy explained.

“We dragons fly to get around. We don’t need fancy metal boxes.” Ember grunted.

Bravo sees Furlong approach his window, and rolls it down. “Keep a close eye on them.” He instructed Bravo, who nods.

Then Furlong looks at the girls. “Remember: if you do not neutralize Torch before he appears again, S.M.I.L.E. will take matters in our own hands.”

“Smile…” Pinkie Pie hears the voice again, and starts to panic. “Smi—”

“Pinkie.” Rarity turned her head towards her. “Focus on me. It’s alright.” She spoke in a hushed tone.

Pinkie Pie soon calms back down and takes a deep breath. “It’ll be alright… it’ll be alright…”

“There we go. It’s all better now.” Rarity assuredly pats her on the back.

“We’ll be back before the fat man falls down yer chimney!” Applejack assured proudly when the S.U.V. starts to move.

From the garage, they travel down a length of metal and industrial lights before emerging from a disused train tunnel, meeting the night sky looming over the city. “It’s a long ride to Everfree, so let’s play some tunes!” Rainbow Dash reaches for the radio when Bravo slaps her hand away. “Buzzkill.”

“So…” Ember eyes everyone beside her. “What are you things? You’re not ponies, but you sure act like ‘em.”

“We’re humans.” Sunset Shimmer answered.

“We’re descended from apes, evolved over the course of millions of years to become the beings you see now.” Twilight Sparkle elaborated.

“Apes? I heard from some dragons that they’re delicious.” Ember spoke, spooking Fluttershy.

“You… e-eat apes?” Fluttershy trembled in fear for Ember to laugh at her.

“No, of course we don’t! Dragons eat gems!” Ember cackled.

“That wasn’t nice, Ember. The last dragon we met was so kind. I was hoping you’d be more like him.” Fluttershy scolded her.

“Don’t get too hung up over it, it’s just a joke.” Ember chuckled. “Do humans have wings and horns like ponies do?”

“Nope. None at all.” Applejack answered.

“Except us.” Rainbow Dash answered. “We got Geodes that give us pegasus wings and pony ears whenever we need a magical boost!”

“Say, what’re your names? Somehow, y’all kinda sound and look familiar.” Ember asked them.

“You already know me as Twilight Sparkle.”

“And I’m Spike: her faithful partner in crime.”

“I knew the little guy sounded familiar.” Ember smiled. “I knew the other Spike. Brave little dragon, he saved my life once and became Dragon Lord for five minutes, but don’t tell anyone.”

“Me? Dragon Lord?!” Spike widened his eyes.

“He didn’t do much. Just tell some loser dragon to embarrass himself before handing the title to me. Said the work didn’t suit him.”

“I’m Fluttershy. It’s a pleasure meeting another friendly dragon.”

“Rarity, at your service.”

“Applejack.”

“Rainbow Dash’s my name, speed’s my game!”

“I’m Pinkie Pie.” she gave a slow wave.

“And I’m Sunset Shimmer; Princess Twilight’s friendship student.”

“Like Starlight?”

“You know her, too? She’s a great pony, isn’t she?”

“When I can tell her apart from Twilight, yep.” Ember smirked.

“I’m Flash Sentry.” he leans forward from his seat. “I take pictures of the girls’ adventures with Lil Flash here.” he presented his camera.

“No way, you’re Flash Sentry? I remember you! You were awesome!”

“I am?” Flash Sentry responded in surprise.

“Yeah! You took down my dad the first time ‘round!” Ember answered. “You zipped and zapped all over the sky to lure him into a thundercloud, knocking him out with all the lightning!”

“Other me did all that? He must be amazing!”

“He also told us about the parasite infecting my dad. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t know who’s face to pound in!” Ember growled.

“Wow… the first time I hear about other me and he’s being a big hero.” Flash Sentry said in awe.

“As if you weren’t one yourself before, mister giant robot pilot.” Sunset Shimmer playfully nudges him.

“Yeah, but I’m sticking with being the camera guy. If I get inside another high-tech battle suit, it’ll be too soon.” then he and Sunset Shimmer giggle.

“I’m glad I’m with creatures that I’m already kinda friends with thanks to meeting the yous in Equestria.” Ember said in relief.

“That makes it easier for us to get along.” Fluttershy said.

“What else can you tell us about dragons?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We’re real jerks. We’re one of those ‘we’re better than everyone else and everyone else sucks’ kinda creatures. Gosh, I honestly can’t stand it!”

Throughout the trip, Ember regales everyone with stories of home, enraptured by fantastical descriptions of this strange land. “Thorax and I made up and became really good friends, officiated by Miss Princess of Friendship herself.” She concluded one such tale.

“Other me did all that?! He’s amazing!” Spike exclaimed excitedly.

“But at the end of the day, he’s still the same worrywart we love.” Ember giggled.

“You’re an alright dragon, Ember.” Pinkie Pie said.

“Thanks… Pinkie Pie, right? I wasn’t sure if you were you the most, since you aren’t smiling a lot.” Ember questioned her.

“I’ve been through a lot, with the city getting wrecked, and getting practically kidnapped, and all.” Pinkie Pie nervously chuckled.

“I haven’t thanked you for saving me earlier. So… thanks.”

“You’re very welcome, Ember.” Pinkie Pie petted Ember.

“We’re here!” Rainbow Dash pointed to Camp Everfree’s approaching gate.

“I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since last we were here.” Rarity commented.

“I wish I’d taken up photography back then.” Flash Sentry snaps a picture of the gate as they pass through.

“It almost felt like yesterday we got these Geodes and our powers.” Sunset Shimmer said, looking at her Geode.

“I texted Timber earlier, so he and Gloriosa should expect us.” Twilight Sparkle announced.

They exit the S.U.V. at the courtyard, reminiscing at the camp’s features and attractions. “That’s the rock-climbing wall where Rarity n’ I discovered our powers!” Applejack pointed to a snow-frosted monolith.

“And the mess hall where we first discovered Pinkie’s powers.” Fluttershy pointed to the mess hall.

Pinkie Pie reminisces at the canoe dock overlooking a frozen lake. “Hey!” Rainbow Dash suddenly jumped her. “That’s the dock you blew up! Rebuilding that the second time was a hassle.”

“Yeesh, I said I was sorry.” Pinkie Pie giggled.

From the counsellors’ office, two familiar figures emerge and wave at the heroes. “Twilight!” Timber Spruce ran towards her.

“Timber!” Twilight Sparkle is soon hugged tightly by Timber Spruce.

“We were just leaving to visit relatives.” Gloriosa Daisy informed them as they group up. “So… a dragon really attacked Canterlot?”

“Yep. Just like the fairy tales.” Applejack nodded.

As they talk, Timber Spruce stares suspiciously at Bravo putting on a black parka and backpack from the S.U.V. “Who’s that? A new friend?”

“He’s a secr—” Pinkie Pie was suddenly silenced by Bravo nudging her.

“He’s our driver.” Rarity covered for her with a nervous smile.

“Did you see where the dragon went?” Fluttershy asked when Ember jumps out of her arms.

“Where’s my dad?!”

“Another talking dog?” Timber Spruce raised his eyebrow.

“She’s Ember, and she—” Spike spoke before—

“We don’t have all day! Where’d my dad go?!”

“Long story short: that dragon that attacked Canterlot is her dad and we’re trying to find and stop him.” Sunset Shimmer explained.

“Her… dad…?” Timber Spruce repeated in doubt, staring at the growling Doberman.

“We didn’t see him, but a few hours ago we felt what we thought was a low-altitude plane fly over camp that way.” Gloriosa Daisy answered, pointing towards the forest.

“There’s one more thing you need to know.” Timber Spruce added. “Recently, we heard weird noises in the forest.”

“Weird noises?” Twilight Sparkle repeated curiously.

“It sounded like beeping and—” then Gloriosa Daisy grabs Timber Spruce’s hand.

“Come along, Timber! We can’t keep uncle waiting!” Gloriosa then drags him to a parked station wagon. “We know you got this!” Gloriosa Daisy gave the team thumbs-up before driving away from the camp.

“Weird sounds? He probably heard a cryptid.” Rainbow Dash commented.

“C-cryptid?” Fluttershy shuddered.

“Y’know, weird creatures unknown to science, like Bigfoot.” Applejack explained.

“Back in Equestria, we just called them wildlife.” Sunset Shimmer giggled.

“If it’s evil, we got the stuff to beat it down.” Applejack cracked her knuckles.

“Especially with little miss action movie explosion here.” Rainbow Dash puts her arm around Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. “If bad guys come our way, they’ll get an explosive dose of sugar!”

“Yeah! Explosions!” Pinkie Pie pumps her fist energetically.

Twilight Sparkle points her scanner to the forest, then turns to Bravo doing the same with a modified smartphone. “I’m picking up high concentrations of Equestrian portal magic in this direction, as the satellites extrapolated.” She informed her friends.

“I’m coming, dad!” Ember dashes towards the forest. Before she could even hit the trees, Fluttershy catches her. “Hey, leggo me! We can’t waste time!”

“Ember, it’s too dark to properly navigate, especially through this weather.” Twilight Sparkle advised as she looks up, seeing snow blowing on them harder. “In fact, if we even continue, we could get trapped in a snowstorm.”

“We have to find shelter for the night.” Fluttershy added.

“But where can we stay? I don’t think the tents’ll survive this weather.” Pinkie Pie wondered.

“I got an idea. Everyone, follow me!” Sunset Shimmer ran into the forest.

“Couldn’t you tell us where we’re going first?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sunset Shimmer responded before disappearing into the trees, and her friends have no choice but to follow.

Pinkie Pie was about to follow when something fell out of her jacket. “Oops.” When she bends down to pick it up, she retracts her hand and cups it over her mouth when she realizes what it is.

It's the pistol.

“W-what…? How…? How’d it get here?” Pinkie Pie reaches to pick it up.

“Pull the trigger…”

“Ah!” she squeaked as she drops it onto the snow.

“Pinkie, is everything okay?” Rarity turned to her, not seeing the pistol.

“Yup! Just dropped my phone!” Pinkie Pie responded.

“Oh, I thought you tripped.” Rarity sighed in relief. “Can be I be of help?”

“No!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I mean, no, I got it.” she assuredly showed her phone to Rarity.

“Then let’s not dally.”

Rarity turns around and Pinkie Pie quickly grabs “Pull—” the pistol and pockets it before anyone notices.

“Hey, wait up!” Pinkie Pie called to them before joining them in the forest.

Sunset Shimmer leads them into a large cave with ruby-encrusted pillars glimmering brilliantly, a stalagmite pedestal blanketed by snow sprinkling from a hole in the ceiling, and a rock outcrop at the back big enough to be a stage.

“This is where we found the magic Geodes!” Twilight Sparkle realized.

“And where we arranged the Crystal Gala to save the camp!” Fluttershy added.

“Never thought we’d ever be back here.” Pinkie Pie noted.

“Made some fond memories here.” Applejack tipped her hat.

“It’s roomy, good shelter against the snow, and it’s already pretty cozy.” Sunset Shimmer summarized.

“Not the most perfect place for a slumber party, but it’ll do.” Rarity commented.

“Let’s make ourselves at home!” Rainbow Dash rallied.

Soon, everyone does their part to set up camp; Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy starts fire, Applejack hands out snacks, Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle perform maintenance on Lil Flash and the equipment, then Rainbow Dash, and Bravo return with kindling. “If this mission goes as planned, are we gonna do more? Could we travel across the globe, or maybe space?” Rainbow Dash bugged Bravo incessantly.

Bravo doesn’t answer as he places a bundle beside Sunset Shimmer before walking away.

Rainbow Dash furrows her eyebrows and tosses her sticks into the fire, surprising Fluttershy with a sudden burst of flame. “C’mon, at least say something!” Rainbow Dash groaned before Sunset Shimmer elbows her thigh.

As everyone was hard at work, the dogs sit by and watch them. “Humans consider sleeping together a party?” Ember asked Spike.

“It’s less sleeping and more hanging out late at night.” Spike explained.

“Doing what?”

“Games, gossiping… friend stuff.”

“Can’t you do that when you’re awake?” Ember responded in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie is sitting in a corner away from her friends, looking at the pistol in her hands. “Trigger…”

“Pinkie?” Rarity approaches her from behind, and she hides the pistol in her jacket. “How’re you feeling?”

“Never better…” Pinkie Pie groaned dejectedly.

Doubting her, Rarity goes in front of Pinkie Pie, looking at her moody face. “You were so excited just now. Why don’t you cheer up and give me your signature smile?”

“Smile…” Pinkie Pie winces painfully and stands up.

“I-I’m sorry, I just wanna be alone.” Pinkie Pie hurriedly runs to the back of the old stone stage.

“Oh dear, not again.” Rarity looked concerned as Twilight Sparkle notices Pinkie Pie fleeing from Rarity.

“Trigger…”

Behind the stage, Pinkie Pie rolls up into a ball as the sinister voice echoes in her mind.

“Trigger…”

She takes the pistol from her jacket and looks at it, but it gets even worse.

“Trigger… pull the tr—”

“Please, just stop it… stop…” Pinkie Pie cried. “Stop…”

“Pinkie Pie…” a pitying voice called to her. Pinkie Pie lifts her head to see Twilight Sparkle approaching her. She hides the pistol under her jacket before Twilight Sparkle sat beside her. “How’re you doing?”

“I’m…” Pinkie Pie sighs. “…I’m not great. I haven’t been since we left the hospital.” She curls back up, knees meeting her nose.

“Pinkie, don’t distance yourself from your friends. If there really is something really, really disturbing you to your core, you have eight loving friends to talk to.” Twilight Sparkle advised.

Pinkie Pie lifts her head to look Twilight Sparkle in her sincere, understanding eyes. “Have…” she stuttered. “Have you ever had voices in your head?”

“Pinkie… where are you going with this?” Twilight Sparkle asked in increasing concern.

“I’ve had this weird voice in my head since I woke up, and it turns on whenever someone mentions…” Pinkie Pie began explaining before a long pause. “…the thing you do with your mouth when you’re happy.”

“You mean sm—” Twilight Sparkle was about to speak when Pinkie Pie puts her finger on her lips.

“No, don’t say it!” Pinkie Pie pleaded in a hushed tone. “When… when it happens, it keeps on repeating it in my head over and over and over… and it’s just… too much for me.”

“So that’s why…” Twilight Sparkle realized, remembering her seemingly-random panic attacks.

“Not only that…” Pinkie Pie pulls out the pistol from her jacket, alarming Twilight Sparkle.

“What—” she’s hushed again. “I thought you left it in the hospital!” She spoke quieter.

“I did! But it just fell outta my clothes before we entered the forest.” Pinkie Pie explained. “Not only that, but every time I touch it, the same voice tells me to—”

“Pull the trigger…”

Pinkie Pie winces in fear. “P-pull the t-trigger…” Twilight Sparkle quickly takes the pistol from Pinkie Pie, and the voice ceases to her relief. “Was… was this what you went through last time at camp, when you were scared of Midnight Sparkle returning?”

“I was scared that she’d somehow come back and hurt everyone I love, but it was because of that love I was able to overcome that fear.” Twilight Sparkle recalled. “I don’t fully understand what’s happening to you with the voices and the gun, but whatever force is responsible for this, we’ll solve it together.” She held out her hand to Pinkie Pie. “You were part of the light that pulled me out of the darkness. Now, let me be yours.” Twilight Sparkle extends her hand.

Pinkie Pie looks up with a slight smile before taking her hand and standing up. “Thank you, Twilight. This really means a lot.”

“We’re friends. It’s the least I can do.” Twilight Sparkle responded. “C’mon, let’s tell the others about this. Don’t worry, they’ll understand.”

They walk back to the main camp where they see their friends continuing their activities. “Uh, hey, guys…” Pinkie Pie addressed her friends. “There’s something I need to tell everyone.”

“Pinkie, is everything alright?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“Remember know how I got traumatized from being buried under that building? That wasn’t even half of what’s been going on with me.” Pinkie Pie recalled as she rubs her arm. “I’ve been keeping a secret from everyone because I was so scared it’d hurt you… but I’m telling you now.” Pinkie Pie gathered as much confidence as she could. “Before we left Camp Everfree, I—”

Suddenly, a strange sound echoes throughout the cave: an otherworldly mix of rapid beeping at three-second intervals, distorted croaking, and static fluctuations.

Everyone stops what they were doing and turns to the cave entrance where the strange sound emanates, spotting a tall, imposing silhouette standing outside in the blizzard, lit up by orange lights on its face and chest.

“Beeping… this must be what Timber warned us about.” Twilight Sparkle realized as she and her friends back away.

“Y-you mean a c-cryptid?” Fluttershy shuddered.

Bravo reaches for his piece when Rainbow Dash pulls him away from the action. “Hey, like Gloriosa said: we got this.” Rainbow Dash assured with a pat on his back.

The shape enters the cave, revealing a tall, black roach-like humanoid with glowing orange, gelatinous strip for a face, two larger orange bulbs on its chest, and around its neck is a metal collar dotted with white diodes.

“Ember, is that the parasite?” Spike asked Ember nervously.

“I know what the parasite looks like, and I know it’s not that!” Ember answered fearfully.

To be continued…

Chapter 5

They continue following Torch's trail through the Everfree Forest Reserve, blanketed by an even heavier snow layer than yesterday; Twilight Sparkle and Bravo leading with their scanners, both respectively accompanied by Spike and Ember. "The portal magic traces left by Torch has begun to disperse." She reported to her friends as she looks at her scanner, seeing sparce scatters of red pixels in the sky. "Fortunately, there's enough traces to follow, but according to my calculations, we have at least a day before it fully disperses and we lose his trail."

As they walk, Rainbow Dash impatiently fidgets from the relatively slower pace than she's used to. "This is taking forever! Can't I just scout ahead of us and find Torch myself?"

"Can you find your way back to us? Everfree is an awfully big forest." Sunset Shimmer asked with a doubtful side-eye.

Realizing she's right, Rainbow Dash crosses her arms. "No." she grumbled.

"Then let's stick together. If we get separated, we might become bug monster food." Sunset Shimmer declared.

"If it does show up, it'll have to deal with my photography skills! Pew! Pew!" Flash Sentry flicks his finger-guns as Lil Flash orbits around him.

"Sounds like all that hero talk from Ember got you all hyped up." Sunset Shimmer teased him.

"Don't go too trigger-happy. You spent two supercharged batteries on the bug and only have one left, and we're miles away from my lab to recharge." Twilight Sparkle advised.

At the back of the group, Rarity closely watches a docile Pinkie Pie. "So… are you okay?" she asked.

"Rarity, that's the fifteenth time you've asked." Pinkie Pie replied.

"Just making sure. I'm scared The Third might do something even more dangerous to you after what you told us." Rarity replied.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm worried too. What does The Third have in store for me? Twilight and Sunset said it's feeding on my happiness to get its power back. It was, like, ten stories high when it appeared! What if when it gets enough juice outta me, it'll burst outta me and step on you guys?!" she panicked.

"We're not going to let that happen. We've dealt with evil before, and we'll do it again." Rarity assured before putting her hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder. "Remember, we're with you, now and always."

Pinkie Pie smiles at her and looks to her friends leading her, seeing Rainbow Dash mess with Flash Sentry and Lil Flash at the front. "Thanks, Rarity. That's one worry off my shoulders." She smiled back to Rarity. "I'm still worried about a whole buncha things, like the gun, Torch, and the bug thing that attacked us. Speaking of…" she turns to Sunset Shimmer laughing with Flash Sentry in front of her. "Sunset, any word from the princess?"

"Not yet, Pinkie." Sunset Shimmer turned her head around. "Not sure what's keeping her. She wrote back almost immediately when I told her we found Ember."

"She's a busy princess. I'm sure she's held up by a lotta royal duties now." Flash Sentry said.

"Probably holding some fancy banquet for a certain hero pony." Rainbow Dash snickered as she nudges Flash Sentry's arm.

"A banquet's small potatoes compared to what we're goin' through. Maybe she's too caught-up fighting some invasion." Applejack added.

"Or she could just be sleeping in." Fluttershy suggested.

"Bravo, any reports from H.Q.?" Twilight Sparkle asked Bravo.

"We have not found a solid link between the pistol and The Third aside from matching portal magic readings, nor have we found its origin." Bravo answered.

"You still have it, right? It didn't teleport anywhere?" Pinkie Pie asked worriedly.

In response, Bravo takes the evidence bag from his parka, showing everyone it's still there.

"Oh, oh thank goodness." Pinkie Pie sighed.

"But what about the Bug?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Genetic results of the Bug gathered from biometric scans doesn't match known species, nor does it match creatures from known mythologies. They still believe it's from Equestria because nothing says otherwise." Bravo answered.

"It's gotta be an alien. It sounded like space sounds, like from those electromagnetic-whatever videos Twilight showed us once." Rainbow Dash said.

"I know what you mean, Rainbow Dash. But the fact that it's covered in the specific magic used to open portals between here and Equestria, it must be from there." Twilight Sparkle refuted.

"It could be an alien from Equestria's space." Rainbow Dash postulated before looking at Sunset Shimmer. "Equestria's got aliens, right?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes.

"I'm still wondering why." Ember said.

"Why what?" Spike asked.

"Why this is even happening. The parasite taking over my dad, and the portal that brought us here. So much is happening so fast, we haven't even gotten a clue about anything."

"Ember, you said you saw The Third on your way here through the portal, right?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"I wasn't comfortable talking about it before…" Ember looks back to Pinkie Pie at the back. "…but I'll say it now." She declared. "When the portal opened, my dad didn't just fly through it, he was grabbed by these creepy gooey black tentacles coming from the portal. When we passed through, this black cloud or goo or whatever wrapped itself around my dad, and it was laughing all the way. It was like nothing I've ever seen before, or could even dream up of." Ember explained.

"The Third." Sunset Shimmer added.

"It was too much for me, and I passed out for the rest of the trip. Next thing I knew, I turned into a dog." Ember concluded.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Spike asked her.

"I didn't know if I could trust you. I couldn't just tell anyone anything unless they're friends." Ember explained.

"Ember… found it… between… worlds…" Sunset Shimmer muttered to herself as she adds a new note into the journal before closing it. "Thanks, Ember. Hopefully, your account will give the princess more clues to figure out what The Third is."

They encounter a rope bridge over a wide ravine, overlooking a frozen creek several miles below. "I've seen enough movies with rope bridges, and they never make it in one piece by the end." Pinkie Pie commented.

"Timber and I went through here a few months ago. It should be stable." Twilight Sparkle assured.

"On a date?" Spike asked teasingly.

"Well, uh, I…" Twilight Sparkle stammered as blush colours her face. "By definition: yeah… it was a date…"

"Then we'll have no problems crossing!" Rainbow Dash went ahead with Applejack, passing by Bravo.

"Last one there's a bad apple!" Applejack shouted back.

"Oh, wait for me!" Fluttershy follows them cautiously, her hands inching along the rope rails.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer pick up the dogs and carry them carefully over the bridge, followed by Flash Sentry and Lil Flash.

Rarity was next to cross with Pinkie Pie behind her. The moment Pinkie Pie touches her fifth pace, she hears Bravo behind her clearing his throat. "Pinkie Pie, may I have a word?"

"What does he want?" Rarity wondered.

"I dunno, but I bet it's important." Pinkie Pie furrows her eyebrows seriously. "Go ahead. I'll be with you soon." She told Rarity.

"See you on the other side." Rarity smiled before advancing without Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie goes back and looks up to the tall man waiting for her. "You needed me? Did the lab send back results yet?"

"It's just… hehehe…" He lets out an ominous chuckle, alarming Pinkie Pie to see this stoic monolithic man suddenly show such emotions. "…I've been waiting a looong time for this, Pinkie Pie."

"Uh… waiting for what?" she asked nervously.

"I didn't know when was the right time. I thought of doing it at H.Q., but you were a little outta it. I could've done it at the cave, but the Bug just haaad to interrupt us." Bravo explained, sounding more eccentric than the cold façade he displayed before. "But now that we're alone… there's nothing stopping me now!" he declared as he reaches into his parka.

Pinkie Pie braces herself when Bravo pulls out something she didn't even anticipate, especially from this man of all people: a Rainbooms C.D. album. "That's our debut album: Shine Like Rainbows!" she recognized the cover photo of the girls in their Battle of the Bands costumes.

"I'm your biggest fan!" Bravo squeaked excitedly. "You wouldn't believe how excited I was to be assigned to guard The Rainbooms, let alone their drummer! It's a dream come true!"

"Oh, you want my autograph? Is that it?" Pinkie Pie asked in relief.

"Totes!" Bravo nodded ecstatically.

"Well, anything for a fan." Pinkie Pie agreed as Bravo hands her a pen. "So, Bravo… if that is your real name."

"Bravo's my codename." He removes his glasses, revealing teal irises. "My real name's Juggler."

"Juggler…" Pinkie Pie takes the album writes her autograph at the back of the cover.

To Juggler

Here's to more smiles to brighten your day.

-Pinkie Pie

"Careful with it, it's probs worth a bajillion bucks!" She winked as she returns it to Juggler.

"I will! Thank you so much!" Juggler bowed to her.

"C'mon, let's not keep them waiting." Pinkie Pie went back onto the bridge, Juggler following close behind. "For a second there I thought you'd do something really bad."

"Believe me, if we wanted you gone, they'd done it a long time ago." Juggler chuckled.

As Pinkie Pie uncomfortably chuckles along, they stop when both pick up a familiar, eerie beeping echoing from behind them.

On the other side of the ravine where the rest of the group wait for Pinkie Pie and Juggler, they see blips of orange in the distance. Twilight Sparkle takes binoculars from her backpack and spies the Bug, now with purple burns on its left chest, going for a full sprint towards the bridge. "The Bug's back!" Twilight Sparkle pointed before Flash Sentry takes the binoculars and looks through it.

"And with a vengeance!"

"Run, Pinkie!" Rarity shouted.

Pinkie Pie hears her friend call to her, and does her best to carefully and quickly rush across the bridge with Juggler pushing her along as the Bug closes in on them, its croaking growing louder and louder. The Bug steps onto the bridge and skitters along, quickly catching up to Pinkie Pie and Juggler.

"We're not gonna—" Pinkie Pie screamed, then in a split-second, Rainbow Dash rushes over and drags them to the other side where she hands them over to Fluttershy and Rarity. "—make it." Pinkie Pie continued, now realizing she and Juggler are now in safe hands.

"Applejack, need some help here!" Rainbow Dash tries to pull out the posts anchoring the bridge to their side.

As the Bug approaches the halfway point, Applejack pulls out the posts and throws their end of the bridge down the ravine, sending the Bug falling into the frozen river below.

"Pinkie, Bravo, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked them.

As Juggler gathers himself, Pinkie Pie suddenly hugs him tight. "We're alive! Haha! We're alive!" she manically screamed in relief, alarming everyone.

"We'll take that as a yes." Sunset Shimmer smiled.

Fluttershy walks over to the edge of the ravine and takes a look down where the Bug fell. "Is it gone?"

"I hope so. I never wanna see its non-face ever again." Pinkie Pie said as she gets up with Juggler, who dusts snow off himself.

"Let's keep moving. That's one obstacle outta our way." Ember called to them.

"Hey, are you okay?" Pinkie Pie asked Juggler as her friends resume the trail.

"I am." Juggler nodded as he straightens his parka. "Now that I have signed merch." He gave her a slight smile as he slips out his album from his parka.

"Good to know. I don't want a fan of all people to get hurt because of us." Pinkie Pie pats his shoulder before going ahead to follow her friends, leaving Juggler to admire his signed album.

Without warning, without sound, the Bug suddenly manifests behind the distracted Juggler, who turns around and is met by a violent smack, sending him hurtling into a tree with enough force to fell it, complete with a violent crunch.

Upon hearing this violent sound, everyone turns around to see the creature standing there, emitting the same unnerving beeping and accursed croaking. "It's back!" Fluttershy whimpered.

"I thought Applejack sent it down the ravine!" Spike faces Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"We did! We saw it with our own eyes!" Applejack responded.

"Flash, get the battery!" Sunset Shimmer commanded hurriedly.

"But we've only got one shot left! We can't afford to miss!" Flash Sentry responded.

"Then we'll make sure it stays still!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack rush in to wrestle the monster, standing its ground against them as it firmly plants its feet into the snow.

As the two combat the Bug, Pinkie Pie turns her head to Juggler lying under the tree. To think he was alright a few seconds, and now he's not moving causes her to hyperventilate and panic, huffing and puffing all the air out of her lungs. That could be her next if she didn't do anything.

"Trigger…" with the voice breaking the camel's back that is her fragile mind, she goes blank, but something else takes place, and her friends are none the wiser. "Control… finally…"

As the rest watch Rainbow Dash bicycle kick the Bug, Sunset Shimmer feels a vibration in her backpack and takes out her journal. "The princess! She's finally writing back!" she announced to her friends gathering around her.

"And it had to be now?" Ember groaned as Sunset Shimmer opens the book.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

I apologize for the late reply, and hope I haven't reached you at a bad time.

I have assessed all the evidence you have provided me, and while I do not recognize the insectoid creature you encountered last night, I do have information on the entity you called "The Third."

From the drawing you provided alone, I already know what it is. It was a great evil that my friends and I, along with the Pillars of Equestria imprisoned in limbo where we thought it'd never hurt anypony ever again.

The entity currently possessing Pinkie Pie is the Pony of Shadows.

"The… Pony of Shadows…?" Sunset Shimmer quaked in fear as she turns to the shell-shocked Pinkie Pie still staring at Juggler.

"What's the Pony of Shadows?" Twilight Sparkle asked worriedly.

"A being of pure darkness, of pure evil, bringing fear wherever it roams. In other words: Equestria's bogeyman." Sunset Shimmer turned to her, with horror in her eyes.

"P-pure evil…?" Fluttershy shivered.

"And it's right next to us…" Ember backs away from Pinkie Pie.

"Just when we thought things couldn't get worse…" Flash Sentry shook his head.

"Pull the trigger…" the voice speaks again, and Pinkie Pie feels something hard manifesting in her jacket, which she clutches.

"She's writing again!" Rarity pointed to the journal as more words are written into it.

In our last encounter, the Pony of Shadows possessed a stallion whose heart was vulnerable to darkness, like what it's doing to Pinkie Pie. I reached out to him with the offer of friendship, and only with his acceptance he was freed from the Pony of Shadows' control.

I am unfamiliar of this weapon you described, but if it has any connection to the Pony of Shadows, I urge that you keep it away from Pinkie Pie until you separate her from it.

As her friends, I have no doubt you will accomplish this task.

Good luck,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Sunset Shimmer slams the book shut and hurriedly faces Pinkie Pie vacantly staring at Juggler's body. "Pinkie, we have to get you outta here!" she vigorously shakes her.

Pinkie Pie stiffly turns her head to Sunset Shimmer, displaying her glazed irises. She opens her jacket, silently pulling out the gun as her friends back away. "Pinkie Pie, don't do this!" Twilight Sparkle pleaded.

"Don't let the Pony of Shadows take over! Just focus on your friends!" Ember shouted.

"Friend…" Pinkie Pie whispered, but her voice wasn't the only one speaking. "Your friend… my friend, too…" she cracks a devious smile.

Rarity grabs Pinkie Pie's arm in an attempt to stop her. "Pinkie, don't listen to it! It only wants to control you!" she pleaded before being pushed down into the snow. "Smile… smile…" Pinkie Pie blankly mutters to herself.

After a valiantly wrestling the Bug, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are tossed to the snow where they turn their attention to Pinkie Pie holding out her gun. "Pinkie?!" Rainbow Dash shouted before the Bug stomps her face into the snow.

"There… I… see… him…" Pinkie Pie whispers as a mass of smoke gathers in her left palm to form a black magazine which she slides into the gun. "Power…"

"Pinkie! Stop this now!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"Pull…" Pinkie Pie pointed the gun at the Bug.

"We can find another way to defeat the Bug!" Sunset Shimmer pleaded.

"The…"

"Pinkie, stay with us!" Rarity cried.

"Trigger."

Giving into the intrusive thoughts, Pinkie Pie pulls the trigger, and a wave of dark energy burst from her hands, pushing her friends off their feet, but the Bug stood its ground.

As Rarity picks herself up, she sees the most horrific thing she'll ever see in her entire life: a black mass slowly overtaking Pinkie Pie, creeping from her hands where she held the gun. "Pinkie!"

Hearing her voice, Pinkie Pie shakes her head, snapping out of a trance and realizing what's happening. "Aaah! What's happening to me?!" she screamed as the black mass steadily creeps to her body, feeling like an invisible fire burning her skin.

"Pinkie, you can fight it! Don't let the darkness take over!" Rarity yelled.

As the darkness absorbed most of her body, Pinkie Pie extends her arm towards Rarity, but freezes in place when her head is overtaken.

"Pinkie… no…" Rarity whimpered.

After the darkness obscures Pinkie Pie's vision, she finds herself in the black void from her dreams. It doesn't feel like she's sleeping, nor anything she's felt before; an out of body state making her brain confused in a spin. "What did you do to me?!" Pinkie Pie screamed when she sees white light beaming from behind. She expects to see the eyes, but instead a screen displaying a point-of-view of Rarity crying. She extends her hand towards Rarity, but is stopped when giant fingers pinch her wrist. "What are you doing to me?!" she screamed to the eyes floating beside her.

"Seizing… victory…"

"Lemme go!" Pinkie Pie screams as she pulls herself free. "I won't let you hurt my friends! That bug's done enough to Juggler!"

"Sit back… watch…" the eyes pull her away from the viewpoint and takes her place.

"Rarity! Everyone! Run!" she screams at the screen.

Everyone watches as Pinkie Pie's blackened body morphs into a taller, muscular form; wing-like spikes bursting from her shoulders, and a horn-like crest emerges from her forehead. The figure stiffly turns to the Bug and opens its sharp, glowing white eyes. The white forest falls silent, save for the sound of the Bug's ghostly beeping.

"Graaah!" the entity that was Pinkie Pie lets out a booming roar sounding like a combination of its own, human-like roar imposed over Pinkie Pie's own guttural shriek.

"That's no Pony of Shadows…" Flash Sentry muttered in horror.

"A… Man of Shadows…" Sunset Shimmer muttered.

They all could only watch as the thing that used to be Pinkie Pie sprout a pair of gigantic scissor blades from its right hand to swing at the Bug, only for it to teleport away. Without a target, the Man of Shadows' blades instead cuts a line of trees, sending some falling into the ravine. In its anger, it flails furiously, levelling more trees around it.

Through this destruction, Pinkie Pie's friends flee the scene unscathed, gathering at a brush far from the Man of Shadows, but as close as possible to observe it. "I… I don't believe it… Pinkie Pie's become a monster…" Applejack muttered in disbelief.

"Again…" Rainbow Dash added solemnly.

"This happened before?!" Ember asked in surprise.

"It's a long story." Spike sighed tiredly.

"And it's no different from last time!" Rarity exclaimed. "We've overcome every challenge thrown at us because we did it together as friends, and this is no different! Crystal giants, Halloween monsters, an evil substitute teacher, we've out-done them all!"

"Like the princess said: she rescued the Pony of Shadow's last host by reaching to him as a friend, and we'll do the same!" Sunset Shimmer agreed.

"But what if the other thing, the Man of Shadows, hears us instead?" Flash Sentry asked worriedly.

"That's a risk we'll take if it means getting our friend back!" Rarity responded confidently before emerging from her hiding place. She rushes out to face the two monsters fighting, cupping her hands and breathing in deep. "Pinkie!" she shouted.

After slashing one across the Bug's chest, the Man of Shadows stops and turns to Rarity.

"I know you can hear me! The darkness may be strong, but you're stronger!" Rarity shouted as Twilight Sparkle comes to her side.

"I've fought through the darkness, and here I am out the other side! If I can do it, so can you!"

Then, the rest of her friends emerge to face the Man of Shadows, all cheering for Pinkie Pie to fight against the parasite.

The Man of Shadows stares at them, lowering its scissor-arm as if calming down.

"My friends…" Pinkie Pie muttered as she approaches the screen, feeling their warmth through its cold surface. Then with a determined look, she turns back to the eyes. "You heard them! This is my body, not yours!" she defied the eyes before turning to the screen. "Captain Pinkie's on deck!"

Suddenly, the Bug teleports behind her and attempts a chokehold, but is instead flipped over onto its back. The Man of Shadows thrusts its blades down to impale the Bug, but it rolls out of the way, the dark entity's blade impaling the snow instead. As it tries to pull the blade out, the Bug launches a fireball at it, but the Man of Shadows rakes a pile of dirt and snow towards it, buffering its blast before rushing through the smoke.

The Bug launches another fireball at the Man of Shadows, but it bats it back, blasting the Bug into a tree. With one rush, the Man of Shadows thrusts its scissor blades at the Bug's neck, but stops short of the metal collar.

Within its mindscape, Pinkie Pie was stopped from pushing the blade further by the massive hand. "Stop…"

They see the Bug slinking away from them, feeling its free neck with its claws, emitting a softer croak before escaping into the treeline. "You… spared it…?" Pinkie Pie noted in confusion before the Man of Shadows sharply turns to her friends. "W-wait, stop!" Pinkie Pie pleaded before the fingers start to pull her away from the screen and the eyes takes back control.

"I… say… hello… friends…"

"Don't hurt them!" Pinkie Pie screams before pulling herself free and rushing towards the screen.

Pinkie Pie's friends backs away from the slowly-encroaching dark entity menacingly lifting up its scissor blades. "Stay back!" Rarity manifests a diamond wall in front of them, reflecting the Man of Shadows' face. Behind the cover, Flash Sentry hurriedly changes Lil Flash's camera battery with another marked with a warning label.

Before it could act further, the Man of Shadows stops when it sees its own reflection, retracting its blades into hands and runs its fingers along its smooth face. "No… No!" it screamed in horror before fleeing into the forest at breakneck speed.

"We must follow it! Pinkie Pie's still under its control!" Rarity recommended as she lowers her shields.

"We got another problem." Spike goes over to Juggler's motionless body lying under the tree.

To be continued…

Chapter 6

Pinkie Pie opens her eyes, finding herself not in the dark void of dreams, but a tunnel lined with swirling colours, standing on a black metallic surface floating in this strange space. “Where am I? Am I dreaming?” She muttered to herself when the metal surface she stands on shakes with a familiar, quaking roar. She turns around to see a massive dragon’s head arching from the edge, roaring its lungs out. She gets a better look, recognizing the dragon as Torch, now realizing she’s standing upon his armour and his body wrapped in black tendrils, jerking and shaking in a futile effort to escape. She was silent staring at the beast, never having been this close to him before.

“Dad!” a woman’s voice echoes.

Pinkie Pie looks around for this new voice, and after taking a few steps she sees a human-sized blue dragon bound by tendrils onto Torch’s body, also trying to free herself. She takes a good look at her, recognizing certain features, such as the specific shade of her scales, and her fire-red eyes. “Ember… is that Ember…?” Pinkie Pie wondered.

“Hahahaha…”

Pinkie Pie heard a new voice, one very close to her, very much so. From behind, a black mass forms from the tendrils, coalescing into a massive black face with burning white eyes, an arched unicorn horn, and a fanged mouth smiling sinisterly: the Pony of Shadows. “No… no way…” Pinkie Pie muttered, taken aback by the entity.

Ember also locks her eyes on the thing, pupils shrinking from terror. “W-what the heck is that?!”

The Pony of Shadows quickly darts its face towards Ember, shining its white eyes at her light flashlights. “I am darkness, dragon.” The Pony of Shadows simply introduces itself before a haughty cackle.

“You… you’ve picked the wrong dragons to mess with!” Ember defiantly spat back.

“Oh, on the contrary… I picked the right one. Your father, that is.” The Pony of Shadows answered as more tendrils crawl onto Ember, wrapping her in a black cocoon.

“Aaah!” Ember screamed in pain as the tendrils tighten before closing her mouth shut, followed by the rest of her head bound in darkness.

“This… this must be the thing’s memories before it came to my world…” Pinkie Pie realized. “It’s all so terrifying… I can see why Ember didn’t wanna talk about it.”

Then, Torch spews out a column of fire, narrowly missing the Pony of Shadows’ head. “Careful now, Torch. I need you in one piece if I’m to enact revenge on the Pillars and Twilight Sparkle.” He advised Torch tauntingly before tentacles clamp his mouth shut. Then, it looks right at Pinkie Pie. “You… what are you?”

“M-m-me?” Pinkie Pie points to herself before hearing a harmonious chorus of twinkling sounds behind, followed by a flash of even brighter light. She turns around, and sees a pair of massive white hands covered in sparkling stars coming at her, grabbing the part of Torch’s armour she’s standing on and crushing her.

“Ah!” Pinkie Pie awakens, finding herself sat under a pine tree, battered, bruised, and her clothes torn. “W-what happened?” Pinkie Pie wondered before her memory flows back, remembering the brief moment the darkness overtook her and transformed her into the Man of Shadows, causing her to cease up and cry. “I… I can’t believe it… I wasn’t… I wasn’t strong enough… I just let it…” Pinkie Pie broke into a crying mess before a spectral image of the Man of Shadows suddenly appears before her. As scared as she is now, she’s equally as furious to see it again. “You… why can I see you now?!”

“I… stronger… I… return… power… thank… you…” the Man of Shadows answered, a chorus of soft whispers muttering behind its speech.

“You’ve got some explaining to do, mister Man of Shadows, Pony of Shadows, whatever I heard Sunset call you!” she curses at it, still blubbering as she quickly wipes away her tears.

“Man…?” the Man of Shadows stares as she sits up, backing away slightly.

“That… that thing you turned me into was just you all powered-up after snacking on my happiness, magic, or whatever, wasn’t it?! Is that why I can see you now?!”

“Darkness… weak… smile… strong… I… use… smile… you… give… smile…” it whispers back in response. “You… strong… we… strong…”

“I dunno what your deal is, but when my friends find me, you’re gonna taste the rainbow for sure!” she pointed at the face defiantly before having a horrible thought, and her fury shrinks into depression. “If… my friends find me… after I almost attacked them…” she muttered doubtfully, lowering her arm and looking away.

“Friends…” the face hissed. “You… nice… friends… I… want… meet… them…”

Rightfully angered, Pinkie Pie searches her jacket to find the pistol responsible for her horrible transformation, gripping it angrily before throwing it into the snow. “I’ve had it with you! You come to my world and possess me, make me miserable by sucking out all my magic, turn me into a big black monster, and most of all you scared my friends half to death!” She screamed at the face before raising her foot over the gun. “I’ve had enough!” she plunges her foot down to stomp the gun, but some force stops her before her sole can make contact. She tries pushing through, but instead falls off balance and lands on her butt.

“Smile… smile…” the face hovers above hers.

“What for? So you can suck out what little happiness I have left?” Pinkie Pie groans in defeat as she curls up into a ball.

“Pinkie…” it whispered before dodging a snowball.

“Leave me alone!” Pinkie Pie shouted before throwing another snowball, this one passing right through the eyes. She turns away and flops onto her side, planting herself in three inches of snow. “Leave me alone…”

“Pinkie… Pie… smile… smile…” the voice whispered into her ear as she tightens up, trying to ignore it when she feels a poke on her side.

“Smile… is… power…”

She again tries to ignore it when she feels another poke.

“Pinkie—”

“I said leave me alo—!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she gets up with a snowball primed, but instead of the shadowy face, she sees Rarity coming in for a hug. Over Rarity’s shoulder, she sees Twilight Sparkle waving to her with Spike at her side.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie, I’m so glad you’re alive!” Rarity sobbed in relief as her arms wrap around Pinkie Pie.

“Rarity… Twilight… Spike… where’re the others?” Pinkie Pie asked them. “They probably don’t wanna see me after I turned into… that thing…” she moaned as her eyes shamefully wander away from them.

“Are you kidding? They’re all worried for you since the Man of Shadows took you away.” Spike responded.

“We all agreed we wouldn’t go further into the forest without you, so some of us split up to look for you.” Twilight Sparkle responded.

“Now that we’ve found you, let’s get you back to the others.” Rarity picks up Pinkie Pie, but is surprised when she’s suddenly pushed away.

“Please, don’t come any closer. The thing… the Man of Shadows… it might come outta me again.” Pinkie Pie pleaded as she backs into the tree.

“That’s a risk we took to find you.” Twilight Sparkle said. “You’re not the only, nor the first of us to turn into a monster.”

“We didn’t know if you were still that awful creature or returned to normal, but as your friends, we searched for you, regardless.” Rarity added.

“After all we’ve been through, it’s pretty unbelievable for you to think we’d ever leave you behind just because ‘The Darkness’ got to you. What kinda friends do you think we are?” Spike said teasingly.

Then, Rarity gives her hand to Pinkie Pie. “So, will you come back with us, Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity’s hand and was about to give hers, when she sees in the distance an illusion of the Man of Shadows standing behind a tree, staring at her.

“Friends… power… more… you… more… us…” its voice rang through her head, as if it’s whispering right into her ear.

Pinkie Pie stares in horror at the Man of Shadows, but is assured when her eyes wander to her friends, and she silently takes Rarity’s hand. “Okay… let’s go.” Pinkie Pie nodded hesitantly.

Her friends smile as they take Pinkie Pie away by her hand, stepping over an empty three-inch tall gun-shaped hole. As Pinkie Pie follows them through the thick snow sheet carpeting the forest floor, they pass by the tree where the Man of Shadows’ illusion hides behind. It tracks its eyes at Pinkie Pie, and she does back, only more horrified as her body quivers and shakes. Unexpectedly, the Man of Shadows puts its fingers on its face where its mouth would be, tracing a smile on its face. Pinkie Pie looks away and focuses on her friends, hurriedly pushing them along to escape his sight.

They walk through the forest without incident, arriving at a barebones campsite beside a frozen pond; Sunset Shimmer and Applejack tending to something on the ground beside a campfire surrounded by a circle of exposed, warm ground. “Hey, everyone! We’re back!” Spike announced their arrival.

“We found Pinkie Pie!” Rarity added for the two others to rush over and hug Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie!” Sunset Shimmer hugged her tightly.

“I knew we’d find ya, sugarcube!”

“Woah, woah, be careful. She’s in shock after what happened.” Twilight Sparkle cautioned as she separates them from Pinkie Pie.

As Pinkie Pie looks back at her friends, she sees past Sunset Shimmer’s shoulders an unconscious, bandaged-up Juggler lying beside the campfire on a bedroll. “Juggler!” she shouted out before dashing to him.

“Juggler?” Rarity joins her friends in confusion.

Pinkie Pie kneels beside him and looks at his face, visibly bruised, scraped, covered in bandages and band-aids. “Is he okay? I thought he was a goner!” she asked her friends.

“He’s alive, but he had a mighty nasty break.” Applejack assured. “He’s been out cold fer two hours now.”

“Two hours?! Is that how long I’ve been gone?!” Pinkie Pie panicked.

“Why’d you call him Juggler?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she and Spike approach her.

“Well, uh, funny thing that happened before we attacked.” Pinkie Pie stammered before turning to Rarity. “Remember when he called me for something before crossing the bridge? Turns out he wanted my autograph.”

“An autograph?” Rarity repeated in surprise.

“That explains this.” Sunset Shimmer presented the cracked remains of the Shine Like Rainbows album.

“Oh…” Pinkie Pie takes the album and looks at the disc fragmented and crushed. “Oh no…” she opens it, only for the plastic cover to fall apart, leaving the crumpled autographed cover jacket.

“We found it on the ground where the Bug attacked him.” Twilight Sparkle told her.

“We never figured him for a fan. That just makes me feel even worse for the guy.” Sunset Shimmer sadly looked to the man in black and blue.

“Feller probably looked up to us so much. Now look where we’ve gotten him.” Applejack commented.

“Juggler…” Pinkie Pie puts her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” she started crying again, and feels a cold hand on her shoulder. She knew who it was, but was too grief-stricken that she didn’t even look to confirm. Suddenly, Juggler jerks and sputter, and she pulls her hand away.

Everyone gathers around Juggler as he coughs himself awake and clutches his bruised scalp. “Aw… gah… where am I? What happened?” Juggler lifts up his arm only to feel a sharp pain.

Sunset Shimmer comes to his side to console him. “Take it easy, Agent Bravo. You’re hurt really bad.”

“We crossed the bridge, and the Bug…”

“Turns out it can teleport and attacked you by surprise. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” Twilight Sparkle explained.

Pinkie Pie quickly sat next to Juggler with a regretful look. “Juggler, I’m so sorry that this happened to you! We didn’t know it could do that and—”

“Save it.” Juggler snuck an assuring chuckle. “I’ve been through worse. It’s all part of the job, after all.”

Pinkie Pie smiles at Juggler, trying to muster up some courage and joy left. As she looks at him, she hears a long, furious, sustained screaming, and when she turns to her left, she’s sideswiped by a blue blur and knocked onto her back. She opens her eyes and looks up to see Ember snarling above her, pinning her down as she bares her teeth. “Ember, wait, it's just me! It’s just me!”

“That’s the problem!” Ember snarled before being lifted away by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, thank goodness you’re here!” Pinkie Pie hyperventilated in relief as she sits up.

“That should be our line!” Rainbow Dash chuckled before Ember kicks her in the chin.

As Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy restrain Ember, Flash Sentry and Lil Flash arrive just in time. “Hey, Pinkie’s back!” he said in relief before joining everyone.

“Ember, what was that for?!” Pinkie Pie asked her as she stands up.

“I only joined the search party to make sure you don’t come back!” Ember answered before jumping out of Fluttershy’s arms and growling at Pinkie Pie.

“Huh?”

“We… kinda had an argument before we went off to find you.” Fluttershy began explaining.

“It was pretty unanimous that we wanted to find you, even Lil Flash.” Flash Sentry thumbed to his drone, who tilts as if nodding.

“Buuut Ember had another idea.” Spike glances to Ember.

“I told them that bringing you back with the Man of Shadows still inside you will bring us nothing but trouble!” Ember growled. “It could smite us in one blow if we’re not careful, or worse!”

“And we said it don’t matter. We’ll find Pinkie even if it kills us, and by my count we still got all our heads on our shoulders.” Applejack smugly looks back to Ember.

“You mean…” Juggler coughed. “…The Third emerged from Pinkie?” he turns to Pinkie Pie, who looks away shamefully.

“It happened after the Bug knocked you out. With Pinkie Pie’s fragile mental state, seeing that happen to you must’ve triggered some reaction that caused the Man of Shadows’ consciousness to emerge.” Twilight Sparkle explained.

“Pinkie, do you still have the gun?” Sunset Shimmer asked her.

Pinkie Pie reaches into her jacket, and as feared, “Trigger…” it has indeed returned, and she presents it to everyone, holding it by the barrel.

“After the Man of Shadows consciousness surfaced, it pulled the trigger on the gun, and brought its body to take over Pinkie Pie.” Sunset Shimmer continued.

“Now the gun makes much more sense.” Rainbow Dash realized. “What better to bring out a creature of violence and fear than a weapon of violence and fear?”

“It’s almost poetic, in a scary, super-villainous way.” Applejack added.

“I… don’t remember that. I think I blacked out after Juggler was hurt, and only woke up when all those black stuff crawled up on me. It’s all a haze.” Pinkie Pie said as she hands the gun over to Twilight Sparkle, clutching her head stressfully.

“You should’ve seen it! It was all black and muscle-y, and had this giant scissor-hand!” Flash Sentry described to Juggler excitedly.

“It was smaller than when it first showed up in the city, but still taller than us, ‘bout a foot taller than my brother.” Applejack added.

“Man of Shadows? Is that what you’re calling it?” Juggler asked.

“While Rainbow Dash and Applejack were fending off the Bug, I received a response from the princess in my journal.” Sunset Shimmer reported. “According to her, the Pony of Shadows was a being of pure darkness and pure evil that she and her friends imprisoned in Limbo; the space between this world and Equestria.”

“It was the same entity that ensnared Torch during his transit between worlds, what your organization called The Third.” Twilight Sparkle continued.

“And since it became a man-monster, we figured it isn’t a pony anymore.” Sunset Shimmer added.

“It swung its blades everywhere to get the Bug, but only cut down all the trees around us! We were lucky enough to escape!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“The worst part is that even though something else was controlling my body, it made me watch everything it was doing.” Pinkie Pie added woefully.

“But despite all that, we didn’t give up on Pinkie. We all came together and cheered her on to fight the darkness!” Rarity said confidently.

“And I heard them.” Pinkie Pie smiled to Rarity. “I heard them and managed to take back control of my body, even if for a while.” Pinkie Pie smiled to the rest of her friends.

“But you didn’t finish off the Bug.” Ember told Pinkie Pie sternly. “You were tossing it around like a frisbee, and just when you had it by the neck, you just let it go!”

“That’s when… it… took back control.” Pinkie Pie answered with a sigh. “The Man of Shadows stopped me before I can finish it off, then it turned on my friends. I tried taking over again, but I was dragged back into the darkness.” She continued.

“But… you did take back control again, didn’t you?” Rarity asked. “When I put up my shields, it looked so horrified to see itself that it ran away. That was you looking at the Man of Shadows, yes?”

“I… I can’t remember, I don’t remember anything after that.” Pinkie Pie said.

“I should count myself lucky to not be awake for all that.” Juggler commented.

“Why’d the Man of Shadows spare the Bug, anyway?” Flash Sentry wondered.

“The Bug is probably the Pony of Shadows’s minion of darkness. It attacked in the cave us to help its master, or something. That’s why it stopped when Pinkie Pie pulled out that wicked weapon on it.” Ember suggested.

“No… not… mine… I… don’t… know…” Pinkie Pie darts her eyes to the side to see the Man of Shadows appearing beside her in a puff of smoke. She sees it looking at her friends, breathing heavily with groaning huffs and puffs.

“There’s something else you all need to know.” Pinkie Pie told her friends as she lowers her hands, then sighs. “When I woke up, I started seeing the Man of Shadows for real, like a ghost only I can see.” She explained, turning to her side where the Man of Shadows is standing.

“Is it here now?” Juggler asked.

“Yes, but I don’t think it can hurt or touch you.” Pinkie Pie nodded before turning to her side. “It’s right here.” she points up to her side, and her friends all back away.

“Just as I feared. It’s getting more powerful. That transformation was just the beginning.” Ember noted.

“The first thing it said when I woke up was that the darkness was weak and the power of friendship was strong.” Pinkie Pie continued.

“What does that even mean?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“It must’ve learned from its defeat at the hands of my counterpart. It knew that the Magic of Friendship was more powerful than the darkness it so relied on, so it could be trying to harness it by absorbing Pinkie’s Geode magic!” Twilight Sparkle speculated.

“Ye… yes…” Pinkie Pie looks at the Man of Shadows, who appears to hesitantly nod.

“Look, we’ve already found Pinkie Pie. Let’s get back to findin’ Torch so we can save the world together.” Applejack hurried them.

“Yes… find… Torch… free…” the voice whispered again.

“G-guys, I don’t think—"

“What if that exactly what it wants us to do?” Ember postulated. “If power’s what this Pony of Shadows is looking for, then if we take Pinkie Pie to my dad, we’re giving it greater power! If a Man of Shadows wasn’t terrifyingly powerful already, imagine a Dragon of Shadows!”

“We spent so much time looking for Pinkie. We can’t leave her behind!” Rarity argued.

“And besides, we’ll take care of it with the Magic of Friendship!” Rainbow Dash added.

“I’m afraid with Pinkie Pie’s Geode out of commission, we won’t be able to use it at full power.” Twilight Sparkle declined.

“Then we’ll find another way. You don’t always use the Magic of Friendship to solve your problems, right?” Flash Sentry encouraged.

“No.” Pinkie Pie said for her friends to turn to her, surprised. The Man of Shadows does too, getting its face uncomfortably close to her face. “Ember’s right. If there is a risk that it’ll move from me to Torch… then I’m staying here where it can’t hurt anyone.”

“But, Pinkie… we can’t leave you here alone.” Rarity refused.

“She won’t be alone.” Juggler spoke up. “I might not be in the best condition, but I can stay here and watch her for you. If the Man of Shadows emerges, I’ll phone you.” he presents his black smartphone to them.

“If it really is feeding off the Magic of Friendship, then the closer you all are to me, the more magic it can feed on, and the more it feeds on, the more powerful it can become.” Pinkie Pie spoke softly as she turns away from her friends. “You all should go find Torch and save the world without me. We can take care of the Man of Shadows after.”

“No! Go… with… them…!”

“I’m sure we can think of a plan to remove the Man of Shadows before we reach Torch!” Rarity proposed.

“I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.” Twilight Sparkle points her scanner up, picking up sparce magic readings. “The trail’s going cold. We gotta move now or we won’t find Torch at all.”

“Go.” Pinkie Pie said. “I’ll be okay here with Juggler.”

“No… go…!”

Her friends stand by with sorry looks on their faces, even Ember, who was the first to be against her following them. “You heard her. Let’s go find my dad.” She hesitantly said before turning around.

“Take… Pinkie… take… me!” the Man of Shadows goes to grab them, but they were all unaware as its arms phase through them.

One-by-one, her friends turn around and follow Ember into the forest, looking back sorrowfully until Rarity was the only one left standing before Pinkie Pie, facing her dear friend’s back. Pinkie Pie looks over her shoulder to Rarity, seeing the Man of Shadows trying to grab her friends, only for its claws to pass through them. “No! Come… back… take… her…! Take… me…!”

Rarity’s lips trembled before she speaks. “Pinkie… what happened to—”

“I said go!” Pinkie Pie screamed desperately at such a high volume, shocking Rarity with a severely frustrated and tired tone.

Without another word, Rarity backs away before turning and running away from Pinkie Pie. The Man of Shadows tries to bear-hug her, but she phases through, joining her friends. As she does, she wipes away the tears in her eyes. “No! Come… back!” the Man of Shadows desperately calls to them before turning to Pinkie Pie.

“I may be losing to you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you win.” Pinkie Pie said to her foe with her back to him.

“Big… mistake… Pinkie…”

Pinkie Pie turns around to the Man of Shadows and gives him a weak, but valiant smile. “I’m not letting a creep like you take whatever you want. So… ha… ha…” Pinkie Pie tries to let out a rebellious laugh, but instead tears run down her face. “Ha…” she squeaks out one before falling to her knees and crying before the Man of Shadows, who fades away.

Juggler watches remorsefully as Pinkie Pie sits motionlessly, letting teardrops fall from her face onto the snow through muffled whimpers and sniffles. Then, he picks up a quiet crackle in his ear, swearing it to be the Bug. He scans his surroundings, but the sound had already disappeared. “I’m not taking any chances.” He puts his hand in his jacket, and clicks something.

To be continued…

Chapter 7

The rest of the group venture through Everfree Forest without Pinkie Pie and Juggler. They all had the same regretful look after leaving Pinkie Pie behind, even Ember, despite being the one who suggested they should leave her behind in the first place. They didn't even say anything the entire way, that was until Ember said something.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I was so scared—"

"You don't have to apologize, Ember. We know you don't have anything against Pinkie." Spike responded.

"Even Pinkie thought this had to happen." Twilight Sparkle said. "The Man of Shadows is becoming too powerful, powerful enough to hijack her body."

"There must be a way to remove it. Princess Twilight said she freed the Pony of Shadows' last host by offering friendship, but we've done nothing but exactly that for Pinkie Pie." Sunset Shimmer added.

"It could be adapting by using her Geode magic to protect itself from our attempts." Twilight Sparkle speculated.

"Last time Pinkie Pie turned into a monster, the situation was so much easier." Flash Sentry sighed.

"Rainbow Dash mentioned that earlier, about her turning into a monster again. You guys never elaborated on that situation." Ember commented.

"It happened a few months ago before Halloween." Fluttershy began explaining.

"What's Halloween?" Ember asked.

"It's the time of year when kids dress up as monsters and go door-to-door to get candy from houses decorated with everything spooky. We're a little too old for that, but our school arranged a costume party to celebrate." Fluttershy explained.

"We agreed to brainstorm costumes to wear at the party. But on the day we were supposed to meet, we woke up and turned into monsters ourselves!" Rarity continued.

"Except Spike, Flash and I, for some reason." Sunset Shimmer added.

"Some of us still were right in the noggin, but some kinda lost it." Applejack said.

"Pinkie Pie…" Rarity muttered.

"Pinkie turned into a pink robot horse that can turn things into jigsaw puzzles, and was crazy obsessed with keeping everyone in line at a party, so much that she even turned her sister into a puzzle!" Rainbow Dash recalled.

"How'd you wrangle her down?" Ember asked for the others to look all solemn.

"Pinkie… destroyed me." Rarity answered softly.

"Excuse me, what?!" Ember blurted in surprise.

"She drove her javelin through Rarity and she blew up. It was because of that Pinkie Pie snapped out of it, realizing she just destroyed her friend over a party." Sunset Shimmer explained.

"Then after that, Rarity just… respawned; reappeared like nothing happened." Flash Sentry continued.

"I still wasn't sure what kind of monster I turned into. I felt, cold, robotic, I had a skull for a head and the ability to not only restore myself as mentioned, but to also freeze time." Rarity described.

"How'd you turn back to normal?" Ember asked.

"When we found Twilight, she also turned out to be crazy, then brainwashed Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie into fighting the rest o' us." Applejack continued.

"I was especially hard to get through. Whatever dark force infected me completely replaced all the goodness in me, turning me into a sinister witch who took pleasure in making people miserable." Twilight Sparkle recalled, then glances over to Spike. "It even made me kick Spike. I'd never do anything like that!"

"And hard. My ribs were never the same since that day." Spike added.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I battled Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy on the streets until I used my time-freezing powers. I put us all in a circle holding hands, and that was when the Geodes activated and used their powers to turn us back to normal." Rarity concluded.

"To this day, we never found out what caused our sudden transformations to happen." Twilight Sparkle concluded.

"And so far, there haven't been any adverse long-term effects, and we pretty much already moved on from the incident." Sunset Shimmer added.

"That sounds terrible! I'm sorry Pinkie Pie has to go through becoming a monster again." Ember said.

"That's the thing: aside from Twilight, we all had our heads in the right place, even Pinkie Pie after we rescued her. No inner voices, no hallucinations, just regular ol' Pinkie Pie but she can turn into a monster robot." Applejack added.

"That day, we thought that not even a horrific transformation into a monster would falter Pinkie Pie's smile." Fluttershy said, slightly smiling from the thought of Pinkie Pie's smile. "…but we were wrong…" she dropped her smile

Then, Rarity stops in her tracks, and her friends stop to turn to her. "I'm going back for Pinkie Pie!"

"What?! We just talked about all the dangers she'll bring! Even Pinkie Pie agreed to be left behind!" Ember blurted.

"And we're already so far from the camp already! You might even get lost!" Twilight Sparkle blurted.

"What happened to taking risks? We certainly took one when we went off to find her! It just doesn't feel right leaving her behind!" Rarity explained. "You can all go ahead, but I'm not gonna leave our friend behind."

"Rarity, wait!" Flash Sentry reaches out to her as she runs away.

Before she even touches her first pace, familiar, trilling beeps echo through the trees, and everyone freezes in place. Rarity fearfully darts her head around to look for the source, when none other than the Bug teleports in front of her. "Th-th-th…"

"Bug!" Fluttershy screamed.

"Run!" Spike screamed for everyone to sprint away from the Bug.

The Bug watches them as it stays still, as if giving them a head-start before teleporting away. As they all sprint through the forest, they see multiple glimpses of the Bug in the surrounding treeline, on the ground or atop branches, blinking in and out as they progress down the path. "It's over here!" Rainbow Dash pointed to her right.

"Here, too!" Ember looked at her left.

"It's everywhere!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

They run for their lives, not knowing when or how they'll stop, hoping they'll escape from the Bug's pursuit.

Meanwhile at camp, Pinkie Pie and Juggler quietly sit around the campfire, unaware of the danger her friends are in. Juggler sat with one leg arched to support his arm sticking into his jacket, and the other outstretched towards the fire. Pinkie is curled up into a ball, wallowing in her own misery as a dark aura loom over her: the Man of Shadows. She stays quiet, hoping the entity won't do anything to her, which has apparently worked so far, as it's done nothing but stand over her. It could've hijacked her body and chased after them like an animal, but it hasn't… yet.

Juggler gives her a pitying look and opens his mouth. "I'm sorry about asking for an autograph at a bad time." He said, trying to get a response out of her, at least giving her a clue she's in friendlier company.

"It's good." Pinkie Pie mumbled before falling silent.

"I… I really liked Coinky-Dink World. It's a really nice song." He added.

"Please, just shut up. This isn't a backstage meet-and-greet." Pinkie Pie grumbled before realizing what she said, looking up to Juggler's shocked face. "Jugger, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I… I'm not in the mood to talk now."

"Sorry, it just sucks to see you like this when you're so… y'know, happy."

"Well, I'm trying not to disturb the Man of Shadows back there. Might hijack me at any moment." She thumbs behind her. "Why's a secret agent like you so interested in some indie girl band, anyway?"

"I wasn't always a secret agent. I used to be in search and rescue, and I had a friend who joined same time I did. We were inseparable, throwing ourselves into danger together to save people. For a long time, I couldn't imagine a life without him." Juggler explained, smiling the whole way. "Then he got a promotion." He suddenly took on a sombre tone.

Pinkie Pie suddenly got invested in his story, and stretches her legs out.

"I got jealous, dangerously jealous. Thinking back, he was always the better, more relentless rescuer. Since then, we fought more and more, I've even sabotaged and undermined him, and just got angrier when he overcame those, too. Eventually… I left." He recalled, sounding very, very sorry. "After that, I felt… empty… so empty. I didn't know what it was that was making me feel that way… until I attended a certain Battle of the Bands."

"You mean… that one?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"That one." Juggler nodded. "It was a public event, so I might as well have shown up, see something exciting. Like the rest of the audience, those Sirens put me under their spell, and I started thinking back to him… how he upstaged me… left me behind…" he grits his teeth, getting frustrated at the thought before exhaling calmly. "Then the second act showed up."

"Us…"

"When you and your friends played, I was still thinking of him, but I realized he didn't leave me behind… I did… and I felt empty because I abandoned the one person who made me think I mattered for once in my life. I felt like everything mattered again." Juggler started smiling, really wide, creepily wide. "After that night, I went back to the old station… but he was gone. He quit and nobody knew where he went." He scrunches his lips for a moment before taking out the crumpled album jacket from his parka. "But I didn't leave that night with nothing. I left it with something else filling that hole: a love for your music." He smiles to her.

"Y'know… this is the first time a fan told me I changed their life. This was… nice." Pinkie Pie said with a small smile. "What did you say your friend's name was?"

"His name's Crimson Horizon. If there's one thing people remembers him by, it's this harmonica tune that he always plays. It's gotten to the point where I get a headache whenever I hear it."

"Wait a minute… Juggler… a harmonica…" Pinkie Pie whispered to herself before opening her eyes wide, remembering something. "Does he wear a dark leather jacket and a cowboy hat like Applejack's?"

Juggler sat up attentively. "Yeah… yeah, he wears that when we hang out!" he said in surprise. "You… met him?"

"I remember a while ago some dude came up to us asking if we've seen a guy named Juggler, and handed us a picture of you. I just started piecing together some stuff when you told me your name and showed your face, and I swore I've seen you before." Pinkie Pie continued. "It looks like your friend wants to reconnect, too."

"After all this time… he really wants to see me again…?" Juggler muttered to himself before smiling. "So it's not too late for me…"

"It's never too late for friends to make up." Pinkie Pie said. "Before meeting Princess Twilight, Rarity and I weren't on the best of terms. After the Fall Formal, I wanted to make it up to her with a holiday souffle. It didn't go as planned, but she appreciated it anyway. It didn't matter that I gave her a sub-par souffle, only that a friend who loves her poured all her love and friendship into it."

"You think I should reconnect with Crimson?" Juggler asked.

"Totes." Pinkie Pie nodded, then sees the Man of Shadows beside her nodding too. She doesn't know why, only staring off into what Juggler perceives is the distance.

"Well, it's about time we bury the hatchet, and have a coffee at dawn like old times." Juggler declared before a happy chuckle. "Look at me: I'm pushing thirty, obsesses over an indie high school band, and their drummer's giving me an epiphany."

"That's the Magic of Friendship for ya. It's not all rainbow lasers and pony ears." Pinkie Pie chuckled back.

Then, the Man of Shadows slinks beside her, growling and huffing. "Friendship… good… more…" it breathed into her ear.

As Pinkie Pie reacts with a cold sweat and a shiver to match, the Man of Shadows suddenly turns around and growls at the frozen pond behind them.

"Is there something wrong?" Juggler asked, noticing Pinkie Pie's distress.

"The Man of Shadows is looking at something. I'm not sure what." Pinkie Pie answered, staring at the frozen pond with her companion.

Cautiously, Juggler gets up and clutches whatever's in his parka and slowly approaches the ice. The ice starts to crack and bulge upwards as something breaches from underwater. With hefty knocks that crack the ice with each it, muffled garbles emanate from the crevices. Pinkie Pie gets up and hides behind Juggler, and sees the Man of Shadows doing the same, putting its cold hands on her shoulders. This only elevated her fear factor.

Then, a robotic golden three-fingered hand punches itself out of the ice before another. The hands grip the ice and pull out from under the water a golden robot with a bulky humanoid frame, constructed with tubing as flexible joints, smooth cylindrical plating on its arms and legs, panels on its chest glowing like colourful aurora, and a head resembling an old-fashioned radio with knobs, a light strip blinking the same aurora-like glow, and a pair of rotating antennae mounted on the sides, not to mention a silver strip below its head resembling the collar the Bug once wore. It steps out of the pond, emitting a low electronic hum not too dissimilar to the Bug's. "A robot?!" Juggler shouted as he pulls out his own pistol.

"Maybe it's friendly this time?" Pinkie Pie suggested, nervously hiding behind Juggler.

"Murder…" A deep, distorted voice grumbled to their horror. "…Kill…" it raises its arms to the sides of its head and the knobs crackle with sparks flying.

"Down! Now!" the Man of Shadows shouted, pushing Pinkie Pie, who falls over onto Juggler to the ground.

The Robot fires an electrical beam from its knobs, striking the ground behind them, kicking up a dirt and snow rain. "Murder. Kill." Failing to eliminate its targets, it slowly marches towards them, hands menacingly raised.

"Run!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she picks up Juggler, then runs away. As they run, the Robot tramples on their campfire, extinguishing it before stopping in place. Its panels shift and loosen with steam hissing out of the joints, allowing it to sprint after them.

Pinkie Pie and Juggler sprint through the snowy forest as the alien garble follows them from behind. "First a bug, now a robot?! This doesn't make any sense!" Pinkie Pie screamed.

"So even magical girls like you have a sense of normal, huh?!" Juggler commented before narrowly dodging an electrical beam from behind.

Pinkie Pie looks behind and sees the Robot stiffly sprinting with its arms swinging back and forth like a steam train's rods as lightning blasts from its face. Appearing beside Pinkie Pie's face suddenly is the Man of Shadows floating along with her. "Pull the trigger! Pull the Trigger!"

"No! I'm not gonna let you take over my body again! Even to fight an evil robot!" Pinkie Pie audibly refused.

Juggler turns around and fires his pistol at the machine, but the bullets are deflected by an invisible force field, flashing a yellow on impact. "This is useless." Juggler said before pocketing his pistol.

"Juggler, what do we do?!" Pinkie Pie cried.

"Split up!"

"Split up?!"

"If we split, it'll be forced to follow one of us. The one not being followed should find your friends! They can't be that far!"

"But… what if I have to find them? If I get close, the Man of Shadows might hurt them, or worse!"

"Do you have a better idea?!"

Pinkie Pie stays silent, looking into Juggler's desperate eyes. "Oh, fine. Let's split!"

Juggler nods before he ducks left, then Pinkie to the right. The Robot turns to both of them before suddenly stopping as they escape. Then, its plating loosens further with even more steam releasing, separating itself into four drone craft: its legs, a saucer from its abdomen, its chest, and its head with arms hanging below. The legs and saucer pursue Jugger, and the rest towards Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie was already a good distance away from where she lost the Robot, almost thinking it lost interest. That was until she hears the Robot's message. "Murder. Kill."

She turns around to see the chest, and head and arms pursue her, blasting another beam at her. "It flies now?!" she screamed before dodging the electrical blast. "That's half of the Robot, that means the other half's after Juggler! So much for that plan!"

"Trigger! Trigger! Trigger!" the Man of Shadows screamed into her ear.

"What did I just say?! You can't make me!" Pinkie Pie rebelled. "Even if it means leading a killer robot to them, I gotta find my friends!" with whatever energy she has left, she runs and runs and runs, miraculously outpacing the Robot's drones. While running, she sees glimpses of the Man of Shadows that she passes by scattered along her path. "Focus, Pinkie. Focus on your friends, not the Man of Shadows…" she chanted to herself softly.

"Aaah!" she hears distant, familiar screams.

"Woah, I must be focusing a little too hard." She said to herself before hearing it again.

"Aaah!" this scream is different; very shrill, and more sustained.

"Wait, that's Rarity! That means they must be near!" Pinkie Pie realized before dodging another blast. Unfortunately, she trips and skids on the ground before quickly turning over to see the drones hovering above her.

"Murder. Kill." The head charges another beam as Pinkie Pie gets up and ducks behind a tree. The drone strikes the tree at the base, causing it to lean towards it. Just before hearing a loud thud behind her, Pinkie Pie flees without looking back.

She reaches the edge of the forest, pushing away branches and bramble to find herself at the shores of a frozen lake.

Without the trees to buffer the snow, Pinkie Pie's vision is blurred by the heavier snowfall in this open space. She knew she couldn't stop, not when the drones could still be after her. She kept running along the shoreline blindly until she bumps into something… or rather, someone.

"Pinkie?" a dainty voice spoke up.

Pinkie Pie sits up from the snow, and sees blurred figures standing around her. When her eyes adjust, she recognizes them as her friends, with Rarity standing directly in front of her, looking very relieved. "Everyone… Rarity…" then, Rarity picks up Pinkie Pie and hugs her tight.

"Pinkie, am I glad to see you!" Rarity cooed.

"Wait, what're you doing all the way here? I thought Bravo was supposed to watch you." Rainbow Dash asked.

"Me… Juggler…" Pinkie Pie panted tiredly. "We were chased!"

"You too?" Fluttershy shivered.

"Huh?" Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow.

"The Bug found us again!" Spike informed her.

"We've been running from it, and I think we lost it." Flash Sentry added.

"The thing was relentless! We couldn't even stop to catch our breath!" Ember added.

"That was until we left the forest and ended up here." Sunset Shimmer continued.

"We didn't let our guard down, though. It could still appear at any moment!" Rainbow Dash added.

"You said you were chased." Rarity noted. "Was it the Bug? Did it try to get you, too?"

"No, it wasn't it. It was… a robot!" Pinkie Pie answered.

"A robot?!" her friends repeated in disbelief.

"What's a robot?" Ember asked.

"A robot is… well, it's a little complicated to describe." Spike told her. "At least, they're like Lil Flash up there." He looks up to the drone flying beside Flash Sentry.

"It was almost seven feet tall! It was gold, had a T.V. screen for a body, and a radio for its head!" Pinkie Pie described manically. "And I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure it kept saying 'Murder. Kill. Murder. Kill.'" She imitates the Robot's stiff stature. "Then it split into flying drones and chased us!"

"First an alien bug, and now a robot? Where are these things coming from?" Twilight Sparkle wondered.

"Ya said Juggler's with you. Where's he now?" Applejack asked.

"He's… oh… oh please don't tell me it got him! He must be lost in the forest!"

"Then we must go back for him!" Rarity declared as she stomps back towards the forest, but stops when a ghastly croak echoes through the air. With a split-second trill, the Bug teleports behind everyone, and they turn their attention to it with Rarity holding up her shields.

"It's back!" Fluttershy panicked.

They run the other direction back where Pinkie Pie came from, but four shapes emerge from the thicket and assemble into the Robot goosestepping towards them. "Murder. Kill."

"Is that the robot that's chasing you?" Applejack asked her.

"Yes! Yes, it is!" Pinkie Pie answered as she hugs Rarity tight.

In an effort to protect everyone, Rarity extends her shields into a dome covering her friends, and Flash Sentry readies a yellow-marked battery. Before he could insert it, Sunset Shimmer puts her hand on his briefly. "One shot, Flash. Make it count."

"Yeah… got it…" he nervously puts in the battery. "No pressure." he then holds up Lil Flash and darts between the Bug and the Robot, anticipating who'll strike first.

The Robot charges up another beam, evidenced by yellow sparks crackling from its face, and everyone under the dome braces themselves when the electrical beam blasts from the robot's face towards the dome. Pinkie Pie spots the Bug disappearing, and grows paranoid, again dreading the moment it appears again.

However, none could anticipate the Bug appearing a second later in front of the beam, holding out its claws to catch the arcs and channel the energy into its arms. Everyone was simply in awe as the Bug absorbs all the energy from the beam before the Robot stops and takes a step back, as if surprised. The Bug’s arms were crackling and surging with the same energy that composed the beam, and sends it back to the Robot by thrusting its arms forth, rocking an explosion that knocks the Robot off its feet. Afterwards, the Bug tiredly collapses onto its side into the snow.

Rarity breaks off the dome to let everyone gather around the Bug. “Did… it just save us?” Spike wondered.

“Even though it just tried to destroy us a few hours ago?” Ember added.

“Don’t stop now, let’s get to safety before the Robot comes back!” Pinkie Pie hurried them.

“Wait, I hear somethin’.” Applejack said as the brush rustles again. They all get into the defensive as Fluttershy sits the Bug up. They wait for the Robot to come at them again, but instead Juggler emerges, covered in dirt and branches.

“Juggler!” Pinkie Pie yelled in relief, waving back to him.

“Pinkie! Everyone!” Juggler waved back to them. He runs towards them happily, but fails to react when the Robot dashes up behind him. When Juggler turns around it was too late, as the Robot punched him out cold onto the snow with its heavy fists.

“No!” everyone screamed in terror.

“Murder.” The Robot picks up Juggler’s barely-conscious body to its face and blasts him point-blank with its electrical beam, launching his body to crash into the lake, breaking a hole into the foot-thick ice sheet. “Kill.” it sets its sights on the group and menacingly marches towards them.

“It… it ki—” Rainbow Dash stammered at the lake before catching a fainting Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie stares at the Juggler-shaped hole in the ice, her heart racing into a panic. “Juggler… no… Juggler…”

“Pinkie… don’t…”

As darkness clouds her eyes, Pinkie Pie grits her teeth and aggressively reaches into her jacket, pulling the pistol on the Robot. “Juggleeer!” she screams furiously before inserting a dark magazine into the pistol.

Before anyone could stop her, she fires a shot and blankets the shore in darkness.

To be continued…

Chapter 8

After Pinkie Pie pulled the trigger on the pistol, her friends were sent flying alongside the Bug. Rarity picks herself up, and to her horror, sees the Man of Shadows clawing at its own face. “Juggler… Juggler…” it cries with Pinkie Pie’s voice.

“Pinkie! No!” Rarity shouted before Twilight Sparkle pulls her away.

“Graaah!” the Man of Shadows roars as it brings out its scissor blades before charging at the Robot.

The Robot stands still as the scissors slash away, but were ineffective against its sparking shields. The Man of Shadows kept going and going, but couldn’t budge this immovable object.

Pinkie Pie’s friends gather at a fishing shack; Flash Sentry hobbles over with the Bug’s arm rested over his shoulder. He sits it on a bench beside the fainted Fluttershy put down by Rainbow Dash, who awakens to react with shock. “There, there… you’re safe now.” Flash Sentry cautiously extends his hands as he backs away from the Bug.

“Juggler… I don’t believe it…” Rainbow Dash stammered.

“Pinkie seeing that happen to him must’ve caused the Man of Shadows to emerge more violent than before!” Twilight Sparkle noted.

“And the Bug saved us. Why?” Spike stares at the Bug as Sunset Shimmer approaches the creature.

She takes the Bug’s pincers, and her Geode power kicks in, illuminating her eyes.

She sees a dark room, maybe an office, and the only person there is a silhouette of a girl. The only visible part of the girl was her pleated white skirt and grey-striped stockings. This image twists and turns in a psychedelic way. Then, a soft voice shouts “Help me!”

“I heard a girl’s voice. This isn’t a monster, it’s a person!” Sunset Shimmer reported.

“Just like Halloween…” Rarity commented.

“We can forget that now. Pinkie Pie needs our help!” Ember pointed to the Man of Shadows uselessly attacking the Robot.

“The Robot hasn’t budged an inch. How’ll she beat it?” Applejack wondered.

The Bug croaks and waddles towards the fight.

“I think it’s trying to help.” Twilight Sparkle postulated. “The Robot appears to have a personal force field. When the Bug absorbed the laser and reflected it back, it dealt heavy damage to it. I think that’s the only thing that can penetrate those shields.”

“We just gon’ sit here n’ watch, then?” Applejack wondered.

Twilight Sparkle looks at the frozen lake where Juggler crashed. “If there’s a chance we can save Juggler, we gotta take it.” She declared. “Fluttershy, try asking whatever fish are down there if they’ve seen him.”

“I’ll do my best.” Fluttershy nodded.

“Flash, both of you.” Twilight Sparkle addressed Flash Sentry and Lil Flash. “Use Lil Flash’s infrared setting. His temperature’s dropping fast, so hurry.”

“Aye-aye, Twi.” Flash Sentry saluted before detaching Lil Flash from the drone.

“Rarity, cut the ice with your shields when we find something.”

“Gladly.” Rarity nodded.

“When we locate him, I’ll use my telekinesis to fish him out.” Twilight Sparkle concluded. “We’ve no time to waste. Let’s save Juggler!”

The Man of Shadows uselessly wails on the Robot, sending sparks flying from its blades and the shields. “You… killed… Juggler… Juggleeer!” the Man of Shadows screamed desperately.

“No… stop…” another voice whispered in its head.

Tired of the monotony, the Robot pushes it back with a beam concentrated on its chest. The Man of Shadows puts up its arms, but is pushed back with such force that its feet rake through the snow and dirt before being stopped by something. It turns to find the Bug has caught it, but ungratefully slashes it aside before the Bug teleports away. The Robot marches towards the Man of Shadows, but the Bug teleports behind the Robot before launching a fireball from its face.

The Robot absorbs the blow with its shields before sending a beam attack as anticipated. The Bug catches the beam and balls it up before sending it back. Unfortunately, the Robot splits up and the beam instead hits the Man of Shadows behind it. It’s knocked down, but not out, so it stands up and hones its blades before letting out a primal scream. “You’ll both pay…” Pinkie Pie’s voice muttered, focusing on the Bug evading the Robot.

Inside the Man of Shadows’ mind, Pinkie Pie stands in the darkness clutching onto her frazzled hair, wearing a crazed look on her face that exudes nothing but fury. “You hurt Juggler… and you’re gonna pay!” she screamed as she raises her arm, wrapped in a facsimile of the dark scissors. When she takes a step forward, she’s pulled away by a scaled-down Man of Shadows.

“No… stop… don’t…” it begged her before Pinkie Pie pushes him off.

“Why?! Isn’t this what you wanted?! You wanted me to pull the trigger, so I did that! Aren’t you happy?!” she manically screamed. “So why don’t you sit back and watch?” she snarls assertively, mirroring its earlier words before turning back to the screen. Suddenly, she is pulled away by the Man of Shadows onto the floor.

“No! Stay! Down!”

“Raaah!” Pinkie Pie roared as she gets up and tackles the Man of Shadows.

“I’m doing this for Juggler! I’m not letting those two off that easily!” she screamed before overpowering the Man of Shadows, punching him square in the face. When she thought it was down, it comes back to slam her onto the pitch-black floor, struggling against her crazy strength.

The Man of Shadows jerks and rolls around in the cold snow as the two minds within fight for control. From the shore, the Rainbooms and Flash Sentry continue to search for Juggler when Rarity notices the Man of Shadows’ unusual behaviour. “Everyone, look. Something’s happening to Pinkie.” She alerted them; Applejack first to notice.

“If I’m to take a guess, Pinkie’s probably fightin’ the good fight.” Applejack noted.

The Man of Shadows gets up with a roar and sprints back into battle. As the Bug wrestles the Robot uselessly, its opponent pushes it away to double karate chop its neck. The Bug let out a coughing croak before getting up to be met by the Man of Shadows’ quick slash.

“Murder. Kill.” with the Man of Shadows’ back turned, the Robot one-twos it in the back to knock it down as it charges up another beam. Suddenly, it’s trapped in a holographic blue box generated by the Bug, still weakly lying in the snow holding out its pincers. It closes its pincers, shrinking the box to compact the Robot into a harmless position.

Just when it was about to stand up, the Bug is pinned down by the Man of Shadows’ scissor blades clamping it down by the neck. “Revenge for Juggler… finally…”

The Bug could do nothing but stare at the Man of Shadows as the blades pull towards each other. Then, the Man of Shadows’ other hand grabs the scissor blades by the wrist and tries to pull out, as if another mind tries to stop it. The left arm successfully pulls the blades out of the ground, but is attacked by the blades slashing it. “No! Let me have this! Let me have this!” Pinkie Pie’s distorted voice screamed as the Man of Shadows’ hand grips onto its face.

“Stop… you… out… of… control…”

The Robot breaks free from its prison and fires a beam at them, but the Bug absorbs it once more to deliver it back. The Robot again disassembles into its four drone components, but the Bug quickly teleports behind to hug it tight, keeping all the components together. The beam successfully strikes the Robot, collapsing it to its knees while leaving the Bug unharmed.

The Bug teleports in front of the Robot and forms a fireball in front of its face, instantly melting the snow around it before throwing it to the Robot. Without time to react, the Robot is caught in a great explosion that heats the impact area and instantly evaporates the snow. From the ensuing fire, drones escape the scene into the sky, burned, dented, and missing an arm.

As the Bug takes a breather, it’s caught by surprise by the Man of Shadows forcing its blades onto it. The Bug dodges and generates a transparent shield between the scissor blades to pry it open. It jumps away in time when the blades slice through the shields and snap closed into a single straight blade, with which the Man of Shadows tries to stab and slash the Bug. The Man of Shadows can’t even touch the Bug as it teleports away every time. Recognizing the futility, it retracts its blades and holds out its hands to its sides, casting dark flames in its palms.

It circles its hands above its head, forming a massive ball of pure darkness that quickly condenses into the size of a baseball. It throws this ball like a professional pitcher, shooting a beam of dark energy from its palm at the Bug. The Bug catches the dark beam in its pincers, but the attack was too powerful and explodes at its feet, knocking it away. The Bug lies in the snow, weak again when the Man of Shadows approaches it with its blades, eager to finish it off. “You hurt Juggler… I’ll destroy you!”

As it raises its blades, Rarity suddenly rushes to and hugs the Man of Shadows tightly. “Pinkie Pie, don’t do this! Please, come back to us! This isn’t you!” she pleaded.

The Man of Shadows growls as it looks down on her. “Revenge… need… revenge…”

“Pinkie, you’re not like this! Whatever the Man of Shadows did to you, you have to fight it!” Rarity cried before burying her face in the creature’s chest, desperately hugging tight in hopes to get her friend back. “I just want you back… we… want you back…”

The Man of Shadows stood there for a moment with its blades raised before retracting them and motions its hand to gently grasp the top of Rarity’s head, lightly petting her. Its black skin evaporates and wisps away by the cold wind, unravelling into Pinkie Pie slumping her head over Rarity’s shoulder. Pinkie Pie looked more dishevelled, tired, and with a listless, miserable look on her face. “I’m… I’m so sorry…” she cried, harder than even Rarity.

Soon, some of her friends come to her side, and she backs away from them. “Pinkie, it’s okay. We’re not gonna do anything to you.” Sunset Shimmer assured.

“We forgive ya fer everything that happened. It ain’t yer fault. It was the Man of Shadows making ya do all those horrible things.” Applejack assured.

“If the Man of Shadows shows its face again, we can deal with him!” Rainbow Dash confidently guaranteed.

“No, it wasn’t the Man of Shadows….” Pinkie Pie’s lips tremble. “It was me! It didn’t tell me to pull the trigger! I pulled it myself!” she shrieked. “When that Robot threw Juggler away like trash, I was so angry, all I wanted to do is lash out! That anger, that violence, all of that was me!” she confesses as she falls to her knees. “He was gonna make up with his friend… now he’s… he’s dead!” Prostrating herself before her friends, her tears drip from her eyes profusely, letting out the most pathetic whimper anyone’s ever heard. “I’m… I’m a monster…”

Rarity steps forward and crouches to help her up. “You’re not a mons—” then Pinkie Pie slaps her hand away.

“Get away from me…” Pinkie Pie backs away from her friends. “Get away from me!” she screamed as she sprints back into the darkness of the forest.

“Pinkie, come back!” Rarity called out.

“This is bad. It’s like she’s completely lost her mind!” Sunset Shimmer realized.

“But we can’t lose her again! Not to the Man of Shadows, and not to madness!” Rainbow Dash added.

“We gotta follow her, remind her we’re with her.” Applejack suggested.

Rarity then bravely steps up. “I’ll go—” but the Bug gently pulls her aside before following Pinkie Pie’s tracks.

Pinkie Pie aimlessly zig-zags through the woods and over rocks before tumbling into the snow. She lays there for a good while before sitting up. “Ember was right. I never should’ve come to this adventure.” She muttered to herself.

Then, a shadow looms over her; the Man of Shadows stands before her. “You… okay…?”

“Why…? Why’d you stop me?”

“Your… emotions… out… of… control…” the Man of Shadows answered.

“I thought you wanted me to go nuts on my friends?” Pinkie Pie groaned before slumping over into the snow. “Whatever. I’m gonna lie here until the elements take me. Anything to stop them from getting hurt again.”

“You… friends… better… together…”

“Whaddya know about friendship?! You’re just a parasite!” she gets up just to yell at it.

“You… with… friends… you… feel… complete…” the Man of Shadows muttered, and Pinkie Pie was just in awe of what it has to say. “With… friends… every… day… brighter… with them… in… life…” It doesn’t sound like the monstrous echo in her mind, but as if it was a mere thought in her psyche. “Every… time… fall… friends… get… you… back… up… that… is… friendship…”

She gives it a confused look at what it said. “Are… you actually trying to cheer me up?”

The Man of Shadows nods.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the incarnation of darkness and evil? Pretty sure incarnations of darkness and evil don’t give pep talks.”

“I…” The Man of Shadows confusingly rubbing the side of its head. “I… can’t… remember… trying… to… remember…”

“Remember what?”

“I… remember… smiles… I… remember… friendship… I… remember…”

“How do you even know these things?”

“I… can’t… remember… why… I… can’t… remember…” the Man of Shadows muttered. “Please… find… your… friends… they… need… you…”

“No, I can’t go back to them. I… I might go ballistic on them again and get them hurt.” She said before pulling out the pistol. “Pun not intended. Man, what’s the deal with this thing, anyway?”

“Ha… ha… ha…” the Man of Shadows chortled softly. “You… still… got… it…”

“Yeah… I guess I do.” Pinkie Pie smiled slightly.

“Don’t… smile… for… me… smile… for… your… friends… for… Juggler…”

“For Juggler…” Pinkie Pie repeated, remembering her chat with Juggler and his smile. Then, she hears familiar beeping trilling through the trees, and sees pulsating orange lights darting between the foliage. Emerging from the trees is the Bug striding towards Pinkie Pie, who fearfully backs away into a tree. “Y-you! I-I-I’m sorry for trying to destroy you, please don’t hurt me!” she pleaded as she covers her face with her arms.

The Bug reaches for her and grabs her shoulders, helping her up and wiping snow off her.

“You’re not gonna hurt me?”

The Bug shakes its head.

“Now that I think about it, you even tried to help me fight the Robot… but I attacked you. You still forgive me for doing that?”

The Bug nods, then points to the way it came.

Pinkie Pie looks into the forest, confused at first, but realizing what it meant. “My friends… They’ve been with me the whole time… and I keep pushing them away.”

The Bug gently tugs her hand, beckoning her to follow.

“Now… or… never…” the Man of Shadows whispered.

“So, you’re not just a monster after all.” Pinkie Pie said with a smile up at the Bug’s face. “I guess you really aren’t what you seem.” She says this, and realizing something, she looks back to the Man of Shadows staring as she walks away.

“Smile… smile…” the Man of Shadows happily traces a smile on its face.

At the lake, her friends quietly sit at the shack as Twilight Sparkle stiffly stood at the shore, sadly looking at something in her hand. Rarity was especially dejected out of all of them, her head almost lowered to the snow below her feet. Applejack tries to comfort her by stroking her hair. “She’ll come back. I know she will.” Applejack assured.

“If the Bug can be trusted.” Ember commented.

“It’s gotta be. It saved us, beat the Robot, and you ever noticed that it never tried to attack the Man of Shadows just now? It knew Pinkie was in there.” Spike summarised.

“Whoever this thing used to be, they must be a really kind person, or pony if they did come from Equestria.” Sunset Shimmer commented.

“Why the change of heart, though?” Spike wondered.

“Maybe it was controlled by some spell or wild urge, and was freed when the Man of Shadows attacked it.” Flash Sentry suggested.

“Just like Halloween with Pinkie Pie and I.” Fluttershy added before picking up a familiar sound behind her.

She peeks around the corner of the shack, seeing a black shape shamble towards them, lit by large orange bulbs and emitting haunting trills and croaks. As the Bug comes into view, so does Pinkie Pie following it closely behind, her hair looking like it’s starting to puff back up.

“Pinkie! It’s found Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash shouted, to which Rarity immediately raises her head and goes around the corner.

The Bug approaches the shack with Pinkie Pie, and the first thing Rarity does when she meets her is hug her very tightly, and is returned with Pinkie Pie gently hugging her. “Pinkie, please don’t ever run off like that again!” Rarity wept with tears of joy.

“You should probably should just put a leash on me from now on.” Pinkie Pie joked, to which her friends looked surprised, the relieved kind of surprised.

“First joke o’ yers I’ve heard in a while.” Applejack noted in surprise.

“I’ve decided to lighten up a little. Get back in the groove, y’know?” Pinkie Pie shrugged.

“But what about the Man of Shadows? He’s still feeding off your happiness and magic, isn’t he?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Well, like Rarity said before we left: it’ll overstuff itself because I’m a big banquet of joy! I’ve got enough happiness in me to go around that I could fill a bottomless pit!” Pinkie Pie responded proudly.

“Now that’s the Pinkie Pie we know and love… again!” Flash Sentry pumped his fist awkwardly.

Ember comes up to Pinkie Pie looking very sorry. “I’m sorry for pouncing you and saying all of that mean stuff. It wasn’t anything personal. It’s kind of a dragon thing.”

“It’s cool. I’m not one to keep grudges.” Pinkie Pie said before turning to the scarred battlefield. “That one doesn’t count. Totally over that now.”

“I’m okay with you following us to my dad. Like Rainbow Dash—” Ember then turns to Rainbow Dash quickly. “You’re Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow.

“Like she said: we’ll deal with the Man of Shadows if he tries anything. I should’ve trusted you on that by now.” Ember confided.

Rarity turns to the Bug. “Thanks for bringing back our friend, miss Bug. You don’t know how much this means for us.”

The Bug nods and croaks.

“Hey.” Pinkie Pie extended her hand to the Bug. “No hard feelings for tryna destroy you?”

The Bug looks at her and takes her hand, shaking it firmly.

“So…” Pinkie Pie turns to her friends with a confused look. “What’s the deal with the Bug being all friendly now?”

“Remember Halloween?” Twilight Sparkle recalled.

“How could I not?” Pinkie Pie answered with a shell-shocked face.

“It was brief, but when I used my Geode powers, I heard a girl’s voice. It must’ve been under the same curse that turned you six into monsters in Halloween.” Sunset Shimmer explained.

“What about the Robot?” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Then, the Bug gets down and carves out the snow with its pincers. “What’s it doing?” Applejack wondered as she observes the Bug performing this strange act.

“I think it’s writing something.” Twilight Sparkle noted, seeing letters in the pattern its digging out.

The Bug stands up when it finished, and shows them what it wrote.

SHE IS MY FRIEND

“The Robot’s someone turned into a monster just like you.” Sunset Shimmer asked, to which the Bug nods very sadly.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to get you two back to normal. That’s a Pinkie Pie promise!” Pinkie Pie assured the Bug. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” she gestured all of these excitedly.

“Um, Pinkie…” Fluttershy approaches her. “I don’t mean to bring down the mood, but while you fought the Robot, we tried our best to recover Juggler from the lake.”

“I’m sorry… but we couldn’t find him.” Flash Sentry added. “Fluttershy said the trout couldn’t see him, and I only picked up a warm reading for a few seconds on Lil Flash before everything went blue.”

“We all tried out best to find him. All we could find is this.” Twilight Sparkle then shows Pinkie Pie something wrapped in frozen purple paper.

Pinkie Pie takes it and unwraps the paper, revealing Juggler’s agency phone, and that the paper is the album jacket, recognizable from her barely-legible autograph on the inside.

“This was his spy phone. What’ll we tell Furlong now?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

Pinkie Pie tears up, but when she looks at her autograph, she wipes off the first tear that rolls out the corner of her eye.

To Juggler

Here’s to more smiles to brighten your day.

-Pinkie Pie

“Tell him he smiled ‘til the end.” She says this and her friends turn their attention to her. “He told me how our music brought him happiness in his darkest day. Even though he’s gone, we should press on for him, and keep smiling while doing it. We’ve got a whole world of fans like him to save, after all.”

“Smi—”

“Hey, don’t you start that again!” Pinkie Pie asserted herself on the voice by slapping the side of her head, gaining confused looks from her friends.

“You’ve got guts telling the Man of Shadows off like that.” Rainbow Dash told her.

“Guts… guts…”

“Oh brother.” Pinkie Pie groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I think I found another trigger word: guts.” Pinkie Pie slaps her head again, and the voice stops.

“She’s right. We have to keep moving if we’re to make sure Juggler remains the last casualty of this misadventure.” Rarity added.

“We might’ve lost one friend, but we’ve gained another.” Sunset Shimmer looks at the Bug, who looks at them back.

“Actually, I have more bad news.” Twilight Sparkle points her scanner to the sky to find a completely blank readout. “Because we spent so much time running from the Bug, we’ve wasted so much time that the trail’s gone cold.”

“And to think it probably only wanted to apologize.” Sunset Shimmer puts her hand on the Bug’s shoulder.

“How will we get back on the trail now?” Spike wondered.

The Bug abruptly waddles away from them down the shore. After a few metres, it turns and waves at them to follow.

“Of course! All signs so far point to some connection between it and Torch: the portal magic, appearing in Everfree; It must’ve been guarding Torch!” Sunset Shimmer realized.

“What’re we standing ‘round here for? Let’s follow that Bug!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed before running after the Bug. Relived to see Pinkie Pie happy again, her friends smile and follow, though Flash Sentry lags behind packing his camera equipment.

“Wait up!” Flash Sentry shouted as he mounts Lil Flash on his drone.

Elsewhere in the forest, a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a jacket fluttering in the wind carries a large, black mass on their shoulders, about the size of a man. The figure plays on their harmonica a haunting, yet sadly beautiful tune as they walk through the trees. As they play, a black-sleeved arm, twitching and frostbitten, droops off the mass, causing the figure to briefly stop. When the figure turns its head to the mass, it stops twitching. The figure tucks the arm back in, picks up the tune where they left off and resumes walking.

To be continued…

Chapter 9

The Rainbooms resume the trail along a mountain ridge overlooking the snow-capped forest below, following the now-friendly Bug to where Torch could be hiding. “I don’t think we’ve introduced ourselves. My name’s Sunset Shimmer, by the way.” She introduces herself to the Bug.

“I’m Pinkie Pie! I almost destroyed you about fifteen minutes ago!” she introduces herself giddily. “There’s a creepy voice in my head called the Man of Shadows, and we’re trying to pull him outta there. Ya don’t happen to know a neat trick to help with that, do ya?”

The Bug shakes its head.

“I’m Rarity. I see we have similar defensive powersets.” Rarity said as she produces a diamond shield.

The Bug croaks and produces one as well as it walks.

“Rainbow Dash’s the name, and speed’s my game. Sorry for saying you looked too slow. In my eyes, everyone looks slow to me.” Rainbow Dash nudges its arm and passes a chuckle to Applejack.

Then the Bug gives a slightly harder nudge back, to her surprise.

“Hehe.” Applejack chuckled. “I’m Applejack. Just a simple farm girl with simple dreams.”

“Hi… I’m… I’m Fluttershy. It’s nice to meet you, miss Bug.” Fluttershy introduces herself. “Are you still hungry? If not critter snacks, Applejack might have an apple-nut bar.”

The Bug wags its pincer as if politely refusing.

“I’m Spike, and this is Ember. I’m just a dog that happens to talk, but Ember here’s a dragon princess from another world!”

“Hi. Nice to meet you, Bug-thing.” Ember added.

The Bug looks at them, giving them a confused head-cock.

“I’m Flash Sentry, and this is Lil Flash.” Flash Sentry thumbs to his drone. “We take pictures for the record. With the kinda adventures these girls go on, you’d wanna make the memories last.” He explained. Then he looks at Twilight Sparkle beside him, tapping at Juggler’s spy phone. “Ahem. Twi?”

“Huh? Oh!” Twilight Sparkle read the situation and lowers the phone. “Hi, I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s always a pleasure to meet a species foreign to known science such as yourself.” She introduces herself to the Bug.

The Bug croaks and nods.

Pinkie Pie again comes to the Bug’s side. “In case you don’t know, we’re on a quest to rescue Torch, y’know, that dragon you probs already know. There’s been a few hiccups along the way, like you attacking us last night, me getting possessed by an otherworldly being from the dark recesses of Equestrian history, the subsequent emotional breakdown that deconstructed my psyche and reconstructs it over and over again…” she gets increasingly aggravated as she grasps her face.

Her friends looked concerned for her breakdown. “Pinkie…?” Rarity puts her hand on her shoulder.

Pinkie Pie calms down and whips back into her happy self. “But it’s no biggie. That’s all in the past.”

“So, uh, do you have a name?” Sunset Shimmer nervously asked the Bug after witnessing Pinkie Pie’s mood whiplash.

The Bug places its larger pincer to its facial organ, as if shushing.

“Keeping it a secret?”

The Bug nods.

“You don’t have to keep secrets from us. We’re just trying to help.” Sunset Shimmer then takes the Bug’s hand to access its mind. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get past anything beyond her earlier vision, so she leaves its mindscape.

“Why… why can’t I see anything beyond that?” she wondered.

“Maybe it’s the trauma of turning into a monster stopping you from reading her mind.” Fluttershy suggested to Sunset Shimmer.

“Or maybe she’s been a monster too long, and she’s stuck like this.” Rarity added.

“Wait! Charades! Since you can’t talk, we can play Charades to find out what happened to you!” Pinkie Pie suggested to the Bug.

“It’s a good idea as any right now.” Applejack commented.

“Not just a good idea, a Pinkie Pie idea!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

The Bug starts the Charade by changing its walking stance to mimic jogging.

“You were out walking?” Fluttershy guessed.

“No, power-walking?” Rainbow Dash added.

“At the gym! You were at the gym!” Pinkie Pie kept on guessing.

As they play with the Bug, Sunset Shimmer smiles at seeing Pinkie Pie finally have some fun again. She’s felt like the adventure has been a downer the whole day, and was almost about to get worse thanks to Juggler’s demise, but was glad a familiar sunshine of happiness beams to her friends again.

After some gestures, the Bug stacks its closed fist on the other and puts them to its right, as if holding something.

“Yer holdin’ a rope?” Applejack guesses.

“It suddenly rained and you pulled out an umbrella?” Flash Sentry guesses.

“Oh! Oh! You were ambushed by a samurai?” Pinkie Pie guesses with a dramatic hiss.

“A samurai? In this day and age?” Rainbow Dash scoffed.

To their surprise, the Bug nods.

“Yes! I got another one!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“S’always the weird answers she gets right.” Applejack chuckled.

“We don’t have samurai in Equestria, so the Bug must’ve been human, not a pony.” Sunset Shimmer postulated, which the Bug agrees.

“Okay, then what happened?” Pinkie Pie asked the Bug.

It clasps its pincers around its neck, as if choking itself.

“The samurai started choking you!” Rainbow Dash guesses.

“No, ya started choking the samurai!” Applejack guesses.

Pinkie Pie thinks back to the fight against the Bug, remembering the Man of Shadows stopped her from finishing it off the moment its collar was destroyed. “No! A collar! It put a collar on you!”

The Bug nods at the last one.

“A collar… wait, lemme find that photo.” Flash Sentry searches through Lil Flash’s photograph reel. He cycles through the photos he took throughout the adventure, and finds one from last night when the Bug first attacked. He compares it to the Bug now, seeing it lacked the band it has in the photo. “There! A collar!”

“A mind-control collar, perhaps?” Fluttershy suggested.

“That’s why it went nuts on us!” Pinkie Pie realized.

“Ember, what if your dad’s wearing a big-sized version of these collars?” Spike suggested.

“Could be. The other Flash Sentry said that he found weird red lights in my dad’s armour when he accidentally flew inside, and that seeing them made him feel… compliant, is what he said.” Ember reported.

“So there really is a connection between Torch and these other two monsters. This parasite must be this samurai that the Bug mentioned.” Twilight Sparkle said while tapping at the spy phone.

“What’s a samurai?” Ember asked them.

“They’re awesome ancient warriors with cool armour and a really sharp blade called a katana. They’re the definition of old-school cool!” Rainbow Dash described.

“I didn’t get a good look at this parasite samurai, just an orange claw and glowing blue eyes. Other Flash did say it had a sword when it attacked him.” Ember continued.

“So let’s get this straight: a samurai kidnaps and turns two girls into monsters, travels to Equestria to brainwash a giant dragon, then goes to our world to unleash it upon the unsuspecting populace!” Pinkie Pie summarised.

“Whatever plan this evil parasite samurai has, bet he didn’t count on one of his own going off-script.” Applejack boasted.

“At least things are starting to make sense, even if it makes the situation all the more concerning.” Rarity commented.

“You’re telling me. How am I supposed to write all this down to the princess?” Sunset Shimmer added. “I just hope we won’t encounter any more speedbumps, ambushes, and weird surprises. I don’t think I can take much more.”

Throughout the stroll, Pinkie Pie notices Twilight Sparkle has been keeping to herself with Juggler’s phone. She peeks over her shoulder and sees a jumble of code scrolling across the screen. “Whatchu doin’?”

“Gah!” Twilight Sparkle yelped, throwing up the phone in the air before it fumbles in her hands as she catches it. “Oh, I’m just trying to access Juggler’s phone. The encryption is incredible! I’m hoping I don’t trigger a self-destruct failsafe.”

“Can I try?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Pinkie, I appreciate your newfound enthusiasm after all the tribulations we went through, but fiddling with military-grade hardware is—” Pinkie Pie suddenly grabs the phone and starts tapping at it.

“Juuust gimme a sec.” Pinkie Pie chirped.

Twilight Sparkle tries to get it back, but is held back by Pinkie Pie’s arm playing keep-away. “Pinkie, wai—” then Pinkie Pie hands it back, showing her the unlocked home screen; a photo of Juggler in a dojo posing with a sword.

“There you go! One unlocked, non-self-destructed spy phone.” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

“What? How’d you do it?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“I took a guess at the password.” Pinkie Pie shrugged.

“What was it?” Twilight Sparkle asked when Pinkie Pie suddenly starts dancing.

“It's a zip-zap-toe-tap Coinky-Dink World!” she sung a little bit. “One word, all lowercase, no punctuation.” She added.

“How’d you guess that?”

“It was my third guess. My first was my name; uppercase for both Ps: not it. Then I thought it was Shine Like Rainbows, no spaces, uppercase for each first letter: not it. Then I remember he said he liked my new single and put that in, and it worked!” Pinkie Pie quickly explained.

“Your sense of intuition is impeccable as ever.” Twilight Sparkle giggled. “If we had that since the beginning, we’d have half of these mysteries solved the moment we stepped out of the car.”

“Considering we already do in the last three minutes, you're welcome.” Pinkie Pie boasted.

Turning away from Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle goes to the contacts and calls Furlong, putting it up to her ear. After the dial tone, it picks up. “This is Furlong. Come in, Agent Bravo. Another report already? It’s only been half an hour since your previous report.”

“This is Twilight Sparkle, Agent Furlong.”

“Sparkle? How’d you access this device?”

“Make no mistake, your encryption is incredible. Even I had trouble cracking it. Pinkie Pie was taking guesses at the password.”

“Why are you calling me? Where’s Bravo?”

“That’s… why I called you. Bravo is… no longer with us.” Twilight Sparkle broke the news with a softened tone. “He was smiling ‘til the end.”

“Oh… I see.” Furlong sounded slightly surprised. “He was one of our best. It’s a shame to hear this about him.”

“My condolences to you, Furlong.”

“Thank you, Sparkle. Bravo will be dearly missed by S.M.I.L.E.” Furlong said. “Would… would you report what happened to him? His last report left with you separating with Pinkie Pie.”

“Okay…” Twilight Sparkle sighed. “Well, we were on our way to find Torch… without Pinkie Pie.” She started her story solemnly.

As Pinkie Pie looks on, an apparition of the Man of Shadows appears walking beside her. She tries her best not to react to it as to not spook everyone. “Keep… it… up…” it looks at her with double thumbs-up.

“Hey, keep it down.” Pinkie Pie whispers to the Man of Shadows, which Fluttershy picks up on. “You don’t have to backseat my thoughts.”

“Pinkie, did you say something?”

“Uh, nothing, Fluttershy. Just humming.” Pinkie Pie awkwardly smiles, attempting to cover her behaviour.

“Trying… to… help… smile… smile…” the Man of Shadows added, tracing a smile on its face before Pinkie Pie fans the Man of Shadows away into black smoke.

As she does this, her friends look at her awkwardly, even the Bug stopped to look at her. “Hehe. Just got gunk on my gloves.” Pinkie Pie chuckled weirdly.

Twilight Sparkle interrupted herself from her call to look at Pinkie Pie. When the trail picks up, she puts the phone back on her ear. “…And that’s where we are now.” She concluded with Furlong. “By the way, what’s happening in Canterlot?”

“The military mobilized in case Torch comes back. Not my call, if you’re thinking that. Considering your track record, I have my full confidence in you girls.”

“Thank you, Furlong.”

“If that is all, you’re dismissed. Canterlot hopes you come home safe. Furlong out.” Furlong drops the call, and Twilight Sparkle pockets the phone.

After walking for what felt like an hour across rivers, through more woods, and through snowed-over plains, the Bug suddenly stops when they reach the top of a rocky valley. “Hey, why’d you stop?” Rainbow Dash asked the Bug.

The Bug extends its pincer forward, pointing to whatever’s below the valley.

The rest of the group follow her to see below them a rock quarry with a giant cave where Torch is sleeping soundly, sticking the front half of his body out of the cave. Surrounding the entrance are freshly-dug gravel and sparkly gem bits.

“We’ve finally found him.” Twilight Sparkle said in awe.

“It looks like he’s all tuckered out.” Applejack said in awe as she tips her hat.

“Yeah, after rampaging all over our city.” Rainbow Dash groaned.

“He kinda looks cute like this, all snoring smoke outta his nose.” Pinkie Pie cooed.

“Dragons usually take that as an insult.” Ember commented to Pinkie Pie.

“He looks so much scarier from up here.” Fluttershy shivered.

“I think he’s here to fill his tank. I can see gems down there.” Ember noted as she narrows her eyes.

“You were serious about eating gems? I thought you were messing with us again.” Flash Sentry commented.

“So, what’s the plan?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Thanks to the Bug divulging important information on its abduction, combined with the pony Flash Sentry’s account, we now know that whatever’s controlling Torch is inside his armour, so that’s our main target.” Twilight Sparkle began.

“Again, you’re very much welcome.” Pinkie Pie proudly nodded.

“Dad forged it from really durable metal, but there are two buckles at the sides you can unlatch.” Ember pointed out to the straps under Torch’s armpits fastened by golden plates.

“The Robot and this samurai parasite could be near, guarding Torch.” Sunset Shimmer advised.

“That means we have to split up into two groups: one to combat whatever gets in our way, and another to carefully remove the latches on Torch’s armour on both sides.” Twilight Sparkle continued.

“I’m up for some robot-smashing!” Rainbow Dash volunteered excitedly.

“With the Bug in our party, you should have a better chance of fighting off the Robot.” Twilight Sparkle added.

“And how do we deal with the samurai?” Pinkie Pie shrugs.

“Did everyone forget who’s the captain of the fencing club?” Sunset Shimmer stepped up proudly. “Rarity, blade me.” On command, Rarity produces a fencing sabre out of diamonds and floats it over to Sunset Shimmer, who proceeded to pose with it. “About time I put my skills to good use.”

“Oh, if only I was a dragon. I’d take ‘em both on!” Ember roared.

“So that’s three of us busy. Who’s strippin’ Torch?” Pinkie Pie wondered.

“With them covering us, at least two others will sneak in and unlock both straps. I volunteer first, using my telekinesis to unlock one of them.” Twilight Sparkle continued. “Anyone else willing to get up-close and personal with a dragon?”

“I’d much prefer keeping watch of Spike and Ember. Dogs can only do so much.” Fluttershy said as she backs off.

“If I had a nickel for every time I heard that…” Spike groaned as he rolls his eyes.

“Them latches look mighty big n’ heavy. Luckily for you, I can handle big n’ heavy.” Applejack volunteered.

“I’ll go.” Flash Sentry raised his hand. “If the other me can get that close to a dragon, so can I.”

“Me too! I’ll do whatever I can to help!” Pinkie Pie excitedly waves her hand.

Her friends look at her worriedly, darting their eyes amongst each other as they murmur, confusing Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, we’re not sure you should go down there.” Fluttershy said.

“I know I said you could come along, but this should be as far as you go.” Ember told Pinkie Pie.

“I can do this! I won’t let the Man of Shadows take over again.” Pinkie Pie insisted. “In fact…” Pinkie Pie turns to the Man of Shadows standing at the edge of the cliff, then her friends, pulling out her pistol by the barrel and presents it to her scared friends. “…When I pulled the trigger myself and started fighting, it was like I was in charge. Even the Man of Shadows tried stopping me, like it wanted to take back control, and it never did!”

“Your transformation was caused by the trauma of losing Juggler. You may not have lost control to the Man of Shadows, but you lost control of your emotions. Imagine what would happen if you were to see us hurt bad down there.” Twilight Sparkle refuted. “The darkness isn’t something to be taken lightly, nor something one can control.”

“But what if the Man of Shadows isn’t who we think he is? We found out that the Bug’s really just some poor girl who turned into a monster. What if the Man of Shadows isn’t just this creeping darkness?” Pinkie Pie wondered. “Before the Bug found me, I was talking to the Man of Shadows alone in the forest, and—”

“You… talked to him?” Twilight Sparkle said in surprise.

“Yeah, and he sounded… concerned. He kept going on and on about how important my friends are and to keep smi…” Pinkie Pie stops herself to prevent another headache. “Not only that… I don’t think it even knows it what is. It said it can’t remember stuff, like it has amnesia.”

“It could be a trick! We have plenty of experience with villains who lie and manipulate people to do whatever they want.” Rainbow Dash argued. “Sunset, Cinch, Gloriosa, I can go on!”

“It’s just saying what you wanna hear just so it can get close to Ember’s dad!” Spike added.

“It could even be mind-controlling you Dazzlings-style with weird magical suggestion stuff!” Flash Sentry added.

“No, wait, I just realized something…” Sunset Shimmer butted in. “The Bug. Pinkie Pie said herself that the Man of Shadows stopped her from finishing off the Bug the first time, instead removing the collar. We thought it was his minion, but then we learned she’s a normal girl under there. Thanks to it, an innocent life was saved.” She explained as she looks at the Bug.

“And just now, Pinkie said the Man of Shadows tried to stop her rampage. It might just be looking out for her… for some reason.” Rarity added.

“And there we thought she was tryna stop it, when’s the other way ‘round.” Applejack concluded.

“See? He’s not as bad as we thought! I dunno why, but it’s really gotten friendly suddenly. I think all that Magic of Friendship is starting to rub off on him.” Pinkie Pie shrugged.

“Regardless of the true nature of the Man of Shadows, we can’t risk another scare like what happened just now.” Twilight Sparkle concluded. “I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie, but you must stay with Fluttershy, Spike, and Ember up here where you’ll be safe.”

“And I.” Rarity came to Pinkie Pie’s side. “I take it back. Everyone can go ahead without me. If Pinkie Pie needs company, I’d be more than happy to give her just that.”

“Really?” Pinkie Pie said to her.

“Really.” Rarity nodded. “Also, it wouldn’t be a good idea to leave Fluttershy defenceless against a monster ready to pop out of its cage.” Rarity looks at Fluttershy hugging the dogs tightly for comfort as she shivers in fear.

“Fluttershy, could you let go?” Spike asked as Fluttershy tightly wraps her arms around his ribs.

“I never thought hugs can get this constrictive!” Ember groaned as she too is hugged tightly by Fluttershy.

“Do you really think you can handle me if I ever freak out and pull the trigger?” Pinkie Pie asked Rarity seriously.

“It’ll be as easy as a hug.” Rarity giggled before hugging Pinkie Pie tight. As Pinkie Pie enjoys this embrace with giggles, she’s spooked to find the Man of Shadows also hugging them, too.

“Don’t worry about sittin’ back. You’ve helped us plenty already.” Applejack assured Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, I promise, once we deal with Torch, we’ll find a way to free you from the Man of Shadows.” Twilight Sparkle assured Pinkie Pie.

“And maybe get to the bottom of what he really is, if not the Pony of Shadows under a different name.” Sunset Shimmer added.

“If that’s all our roles sorted, then let’s roll out!” Rainbow Dash rallied with a fist pump.

“Yeah, we’ve wasted enough time already! Let’s go save ourselves a dragon!” Flash Sentry pumps his fists.

“Good luck, guys.” Pinkie Pie told them as she gives them a slow wave.

The group quickly rushes down the hill, leaving the rest behind. As Pinkie Pie and Rarity sit down at the edge, they realize someone’s missing, and they turn around to see Fluttershy and the dogs sitting a few metres away from them. “Just a precaution!” she softly yelled.

“In case we need a head-start to run away!” Spike added.

“I’ll still bite the Man of Shadows if he shows up!” Ember shouted.

“It’s just us two, then.” Rarity giggled.

“Make that three.” Pinkie Pie added, pointing to the Man of Shadows sitting beside Rarity.

“Oh, um, yes.” Rarity fearfully looks at her empty side, and the Man of Shadows looks back.

“Nice… to… meet…you… Rarity…” the Man of Shadows goes for a handshake.

“It said hi.” Pinkie Pie interpreted to Rarity.

“Um, hello.” Rarity stammered to the empty space beside her. Then, she quickly turns to Pinkie Pie. “So… he talks to you often?”

“Yeah.” Pinkie Pie said plainly. “It’s so weird now. First it kept screaming in my head so much I thought I’d explode, now it’s telling me nice things, like we’re better together as friends, and to find you guys, and keep… keep smiling.”

“Smile… smile…” the Man of Shadows traces a smile on his face.

“Very curious indeed. From what little I read from the princess’ message in the journal; it was not at all like that when she fought it.” Rarity commented.

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity’s side where the Man of Shadow sits quietly, looking down at Torch. When it turns its head to her, she quickly turns away.

“Pinkie…”

Pinkie Pie again turns to the space beside Rarity to find the Man of Shadows gone, but turns to her right to find it’s sitting directly next to her, getting spooked by its sudden appearance.

“Pinkie… I… am… sorry…”

“Sorry… for what?”

“I… am… sorry… for… everything… possessing… you… the… nightmares… scaring… friends… I… didn’t… mean… it…”

“What’s he saying?” Rarity asked.

“He’s trying to apologize for everything. I think he’s actually genuine about it.” Pinkie Pie interpreted to Rarity. “What do you think about all this?” she asked Rarity.

“Try… accepting his apology?” Rarity suggested.

“You saying I should make friends with the darkness?”

“We do have a habit of forgiving most villains we meet.” Rarity chuckled.

Pinkie Pie chuckled along. “If you really mean it, apology accepted. Just, don’t try any of that from now on.”

“Pinkie… thank… you…” the Man of Shadows nodded in acknowledgement. He extends his hand for a handshake. “Friends…?”

“Uh, yeah… sure.” Pinkie Pie nodded uncertainly as she motions to shake his hand, though to Rarity it appears she’s shaking the air.

“How… to… get… friends’… trust…?”

Remembering how the Bug not only saved her friends, but found her in the forest, Pinkie Pie thought of something. “Maybe… do something nice?”

“Something… nice…?”

“Yeah, a helping hand goes farther than you can dream, after all.” Pinkie Pie added.

“Look, There! There they are!” she pointed to the quarry where they see six figures run across the gravel.

“You go, girls! Be the heroes you know you are!” Pinkie Pie cheered on like her usual self.

“Hero…?” the Man of Shadows pondered. He sees Pinkie Pie standing up and waving thumbs-up at her friends, so he slowly curls his fingers and extends his thumbs. He looks down and extend the thumbs-up to them. “Go… hero…”

To be continued…

Chapter 10

The six heroes plus drone close in on Torch’s schnoz, stopping before the smoke seeping from his nostrils. “No doubt the Robot and this parasite samurai will show themselves. When they do, combat team will keep them busy, and the rest of us will stand by until we get an opening.” Twilight Sparkle advised.

“Got it!” her friends acknowledged.

Within the smoke, they hear the sound of metal scraping through gravel. Emerging from the smoke is a tall man wearing copper armour reminiscent of a spiky desert lizard branded with a crescent gash on the chest, with a helmet bearing teal eyes, a curved forehead horn, and a hateful scowl, dragging a katana along the gravel.

“The samurai…” Rainbow Dash hissed.

“Last I checked, samurai armour doesn’t look like that … if it is armour.” Flash Sentry noted, pointing out how lifelike, yet stiff the face is.

Upon first sight, the Bug backs away from the Samurai.

“You must be the Samurai the Bug warned us about.” Twilight Sparkle greeted the Samurai.

“An’ perhaps the varmint who casted a monster spell on us last Halloween?” Applejack added.

“[We finally meet, my little cuties. And you’ve brought back my toy. How thoughtful.]” the Samurai spoke Japanese with a suave young man’s voice.

“Uh, anyone know Japanese?” Sunset Shimmer asked her friends.

She gains confused looks from her friends, but a pincer-raise from the Bug.

“Not much help since ya can’t talk.” Applejack told her, to which the Bug lowers her pincer.

Twilight Sparkle steps up towards the Samurai with a fierce look. “We don’t understand what you’re saying, but we’re here for Torch. He doesn’t belong to you.”

“[I want my toy back. She’s my precious collector’s item.]” the Samurai points to the Bug.

“Did he say collector’s item?” Flash Sentry repeated.

“He must see Torch and the Bug as toys.” Twilight Sparkle realized.

“’Cept he ain’t his toy, that’s Ember’s pa.” Applejack added.

“Step outta the way, Samurai, or we’ll make you!” Sunset Shimmer threatened with her sabre thrusted.

“[I don’t like your tone.]” the Samurai takes from his belt a red chakram with a blue, winged edge-grip. When he raises it, four shadowy shapes swoop in to deliver an explosive tossing the heroes off their feet.

As they pick each other up, the shapes stack up to form the Robot, armed with an arm-mounted artillery cannon. “Murder. Kill.”

“She’s got a gun!” Rainbow Dash pointed.

“[Like the upgrade? You were playing so rough with her before, I had to find replacement pieces.]”

“C’mon, let’s pony up!” Sunset Shimmer rallied her friends as she clutches her Geode.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack do the same, shining brightly with magic as they gain pony ears, their hair extends into long ponytails, and Rainbow Dash sprouts Pegasus wings from her back. They pose epically before the Samurai, and Flash Sentry joins with an impromptu boxing stance.

“[Ah! Horse ears! So cuuute!]” the Samurai cooed, sounding creepily obsessive.

“Rainbow, Bug, take on the Robot, and watch out for its new gun.” Twilight Sparkle instructed them. She spots a silver band below the Robot’s head, believing it’s the mind-control collar. “And aim for the device below its head.”

Sunset Shimmer focuses on crescent gash, deducing it to be his weak point. “I’ll take the Samurai. I know just where to strike.”

“’Til we get an openin’, we’re right behind ya!” Applejack said as she stands with Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, and Lil Flash.

“[Attack!]” the Samurai commanded the Robot as the heroes rush at them.

“Murder. Kill.” The Robot aims at Rainbow Dash, but she quickly kicks its behind, allowing the Bug to teleport and elbow its screen-chest before scratching its face with her pincers.

“Looks like you busted her shields last time. Doesn’t look so tough now!” Rainbow Dash confidently told the Bug.

The Robot aims its cannon at the Bug, but Rainbow Dash pries it away. Seeing an opening, the Bug goes for another pincer slash, but the Robot kicks it away before pulling its cannon back from Rainbow Dash, slinging her away with great force. Before she can hit the gravel, the Bug teleports and catches her.

“Thanks.” Rainbow Dash nodded before dodging an incoming shell. “Now, where were we?” she confidently pops her neck before rushing at it.

“En garde!” Sunset Shimmer and the Samurai exchange swings, engaging in a rapid clash of blades, sending sparks and sparkles flying across the gravel with each slash.

“[You think you can fight with that toothpick?]” he cackled before forcing her sabre down to kick her in the chest, sending her stumbling backwards. “[How cute.]” he mocked as he clutches his chin.

When Sunset Shimmer returns a thrust towards his chest, the Samurai goes for the defensive, blocking her thrust and spinning around to parry it away.

As the fight rages on, the unbuckling team gets ready for an opening. When Sunset Shimmer successfully pushes the Samurai into a rock away from a straight path to Torch, they dash past her.

The Samurai spots them while effortlessly deflecting Sunset Shimmer’s swings and thrusts. “Oh?” he cooed before turning his attention to Sunset Shimmer. “[Do you want to know something funny? I’ve been holding back.]” he said teasingly as his katana emanates with dark aura.

Sunset Shimmer is slashed away with such great force her diamond sabre shatters and she’s launched towards the Bug, slamming both into a rock wall on the other side of the quarry.

“Sun—!” Twilight Sparkle cried before she and the team are pushed aside by the turbulence of a speedy copper blur. The force was so powerful she and Applejack pony-down and Lil Flash is blown off-course.

When Rainbow Dash assesses this situation, the copper blur dashes to her side as the Samurai, quickly tackling her to the ground. He grabs her neck and holds her up as she struggles to get herself free. “Gak! Let… go… me!”

“[Pink girl, come out if you value your friends’ lives!]”

From the clifftop, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the dogs couldn’t help but watch as the Samurai decimate their friends almost instantly. “I can’t believe it…” Rarity stammered.

“They… lost…” Spike muttered in disbelief.

“All that noise and they didn’t even wake my dad.” Ember mumbled in terrified awe.

“Sitting here doing nothing won’t get us anywhere!” Pinkie Pie stood up. She opens her jacket and takes the pistol. “I gotta save my friends!” Rarity stops her, cupping her hands over the slide.

“No! There must be another way! Anything but using that wretched weapon!” Rarity pleaded to Pinkie Pie.

Suddenly, an explosive round hits the cliffside, crumbling the rock and causing everyone to plummet to their doom. “Aaah!” Fluttershy screamed as she freezes in pure shock.

“No, not like this!” Spike shrieked.

“Hold on, Spike!” Ember hugs onto Spike suddenly.

“Rarity!” Pinkie Pie reaches to Rarity screaming and hugs her tight. She feels the air suddenly slow down around her, and opens her eyes to see sheer darkness surrounding her and Rarity, as if trapped in a bubble. It then pops, revealing she’s sitting safely on the gravel, as is everyone else.

“What… happened?” Rarity wondered.

Then, she sees the Man of Shadows forming from smoke beside her. “Did… did you save us?” Pinkie Pie asked the Man of Shadows.

“I… think… I… did…” the Man of Shadows answered, sounding confused at itself.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity look around, seeing their injured friends scattered all over the battlefield; Rainbow Dash lying face-flat in the gravel, the unbuckling team knocked out with the drone lying broken on Flash Sentry’s body, and Sunset Shimmer is buried beneath the Bug’s body in front of the impact crater in the wall.

“[Hello there, child of light.]” Pinkie Pie turns to this voice to see the Samurai and the Robot march towards them, throwing Rainbow Dash aside onto the gravel like a broken doll.

“Those eyes… it’s the parasite!” Ember realized.

“[Oh? You must be the little dragon. You look different. Did you get a haircut?]” the Samurai wiggles his fingers tauntingly at Ember.

Ember growls and tries to get at him, but Fluttershy holds her back for her safety.

“You…” Pinkie Pie hissed at the Samurai as she steps forward. “You’re behind all of this. Kidnapping Torch, turning those girls into monsters, and destroying the city!”

“[Did you like them? Those are precious toys from my collection. Hopefully, if we make this quick, Torch shall join them!]” the Samurai pointed at her, cackling.

Seeing him laugh at his misdeeds, Pinkie Pie picks up her pistol from the ground. As she motions to aim at the Samurai, Rarity stops in front of her. “If you do, you can’t be stopped! Not even the Man of Shadows can keep you down!”

Pinkie Pie gives Rarity an assuring hand to her shoulder. “Rarity… I’ve been trying to tell everyone something. I realized why I lose control. It’s because when I see my friends hurt, or even losing them like Juggler, I wanted nothing but to hurt whoever was responsible, and those bad vibes react with the darkness.” She explained sadly. “But when I focus on the friends I still have, my hate turns into the determination to protect them.” She gave a smile. “I won’t give into the darkness again, and instead I’ll light the hope we’ll all smile again tomorrow.”

“Light… the… hope…” Upon hearing those words, the Man of Shadows hands Pinkie Pie a dark magazine. “Super… beyond…”

“Like you said: the darkness may be strong, but I’m stronger.” Pinkie Pie told Rarity. “I’ll hold off the Samurai while you, Fluttershy, Spike and Ember save everyone. Got it?”

Rarity looks unsure, until she looks into Pinkie Pie’s sincere eyes, and acquiesces with a sigh. “Go get him, and good luck.” Rarity told her before taking Fluttershy and the dogs away.

Pinkie Pie focuses an intense gaze at the Samurai as she stretches her limbs and pops her joints. “Watch out, samurai. I’m gonna blast ya back to the feudal ages!” she declared as she points her pistol.

“[Oya! Time for real fun!]” the Samurai poses his katana in reverse-grip in front of his chest.

Giving a smirk, Pinkie Pie directs her pistol into the air. “Bang!” she pulls the trigger, unleashing a dark force that shapes her body into a tall, muscular form with large, determined white eyes, and no longer bearing dark wings on its shoulders. Additionally, a diamond-shaped crack in its chest lets out light from inside its body. “This isn’t the power of darkness…” the Man of Shadows drones with Pinkie Pie’s voice as it clutches the light emanating from its chest. “…This is the power of smiles!”

“[It seems the light has begun to pierce the darkness.]” the Samurai hones his blade before pointing it at the Man of Shadows. “[Get the humans. I’ll have fun with this one.]” he commanded the Robot.

“Murder. Kill.” The Robot affirmatively marches towards the others as the Samurai rushes the Man of Shadows.

In response to the incoming threat, the Man of Shadows’ arm transforms into a blade. “Man of Shadows, let’s save my… our friends.” Pinkie Pie called to the other voice.

“Let’s… do… something… nice…” The Samurai runs to them and they clash their blades, producing a shockwave on impact that tosses up the surrounding gravel. They trade blows with their swords, each spreading sparks and shockwaves with every hit.

As they fight, Pinkie Pie notices the gash on the Samurai’s chest. “That must be his weak spot.” She noted before the Samurai takes advantage of her distraction and swings from under. The Man of Shadows jumps high, flipping over behind the Samurai to slash his back.

“[Impressive. You surely are not the amateur I thought you were.]” the Samurai groans as he regains his footing.

“Kitto… kitto… a… ki… to…” the Man of Shadows’ voice spoke again.

“What’d you say?” Pinkie Pie asked the voice before catching another incoming slash.

As Rarity, Fluttershy, and the dogs search for their fallen friends, they first pick up Rainbow Dash not far from the battle. “Are you okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked her.

“Guh! I never knew he’s as fast as me! Gak!” Rainbow Dash coughed as she caresses her neck.

“Can you walk?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, he didn’t go for my legs.”

They move on to recover the unbuckling team, who are thankfully faring much better. “Twilight, you’re okay!” Spike perked up as Twilight Sparkle catches him in her arms.

“Glad you’re okay, too, Spike.”

“Applejack, how are you doing?” Rarity asked her.

“Think he sprained my arm!” Applejack groaned in pain.

As Flash Sentry gets up, he finds his drone sitting on his chest. “Lil Flash, you alright?” he asked the drone.

In response, the drone’s rotors spin up.

As they stand up, they see the Man of Shadows awakened to fight the Samurai. “Pinkie… How could this happen again?” Twilight Sparkle said in horror.

“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie’s working together with the Man of Shadows to protect us.” Fluttershy assured her.

“It even saved us from a fall.” Spike added.

“If it were evil, it’d just save itself and Pinkie, but it protected us too.” Ember continued.

“Maybe she was right. Maybe it isn’t some great darkness inside her.” Rarity commented.

“Huh, like a good party, Pinkie’s full o’ surprises.” Applejack smiled.

They hear a whistle through the air, and see an artillery shell shooting towards them. When they brace themselves, a black shadow suddenly casts over them. They open their eyes to see the Bug shielding them with her back, carrying an injured Sunset Shimmer. Behind the Bug, the Robot marches towards them, artillery cannon extended. “Murder. Kill.”

The Bug turns around and flings a fireball at the Robot, buying time to drop off Sunset Shimmer to her friends. “Sunset, are you hurt?” Twilight Sparkle asked her.

“What’s it look like?” Sunset Shimmer sarcastically responded before coughing. “That slash really caught me off-guard.”

As the Robot stands, the Bug tackles and teleports it away. The friends didn’t know where they went, until they hear explosions further up the valley. “Let’s get to safety. I trust Pinkie Pie can handle the Samurai herself.” Rarity advised her friends dashing to safety.

“Remember to record all this, Lil Flash!” Flash Sentry told his drone as he points it to the fight while fleeing.

As the two warriors duel, the Man of Shadows focuses solely on the gash in the Samurai’s chest, but his opponent uses its reduced awareness to his advantage by sweeping its feet before roundhouse-kicking it away. “[Come on! Prove you don’t fight like a child with a toy sword!]”

“You… na… Yu… na…”

“Say that again?” Pinkie Pie whispered to the Man of Shadows before a crescent slash fly at them. The Man of Shadows puts up its arm to block, but is instead forcibly pushed into a wall. When it pulls itself out of the wall, it finds a small crack under its forearm seeping with light. “Hey, we use a gun to transform. Why don’t we use that?” Pinkie Pie asked the Man of Shadows.

“Run… bolt…”

“I can’t run away now!”

“No… run… bolt…” The arm blade splits open wide into an arrow formation.

“The heck’s this?” Pinkie Pie motions the new weapon to her face.

“Raaah!” the Samurai charges his blade and flings three purple crescents.

The Man of Shadows defensively holds out its new weapon, but unexpectedly shoots bolts of darkness from the median, destroying the crescents. “Oooh… bolt! I get it!” Pinkie Pie realized. “You’re outta luck, Samurai! You know what they say about bringing a sword to a gunfight, or whatever this thing is!” Pinkie Pie threatened the Samurai with her arrow-arm.

“[Heh. I thought your heart lost its sparkle, but here you are fighting at full ignition!]” the Samurai laughs.

“Heart… kira… kira… Heart… ki…” the Man of Shadows again repeated. “Ig… ni… tion… Ig… nis…”

“What’re you saying? Is this like the smile thing again? ‘Cuz I’m sooo over that!” Pinkie Pie asked the voice in annoyance. When another crescent comes, the Man of Shadows jumps over, soaring high over the Samurai. As it leaps above his head, it rains down dark bolts.

The Samurai effortlessly deflects each and every incoming projectile, but leaves an opening for the Man of Shadows to slash him with its double blades. After shaking off that attack, the Samurai charges his blade and slashes at the Man of Shadows, but with its newfound speed it deflects every incoming attack before blasting the Samurai a mile away. “Not so fast now, are ya?”

“[This power… this speed… you’re closer to showing me that light from far beyond! Hahahaha! Wait until you grow huge again!]” the Samurai cackled manically.

“Ka… na… ta…” the Man of Shadows repeated certain words from the Samurai. “De… kai… De… ka…”

“[Let’s test your power!]” the Samurai raises his katana above his head, filling it with so much dark aura it extends to incredible size and length.

“Woah, mama!” Pinkie Pie looks at the size of the monstrous sword as it slashes down.

“Catch!” When the blade falls towards them, the Man of Shadows’ weapon catches it as a pincer. The Samurai tries to force it down further, but the Man of Shadows grips the blade tight and lifts the Samurai up into the air, swinging him around and around before throwing him into the sky.

“Now for the finishing move!” Pinkie Pie declared.

As the Samurai falls, the Man of Shadows looks at the light seeping from its cracked arm. “I… know… one…” It retracts the blades, then pumps its fists to its sides. Facing up, it crosses its hands at the wrist, then slowly sweeps them outwards, gathering light particles into the crack in its chest. Finally, it raises the crack in its forearm above its head, then crosses its left hand to its elbow, unleashing a beam of light from the crack that strikes the Samurai’s chest.

“[Yes! More! Mooore!]” the Samurai cackled as the beam wraps around his body before exploding, flinging his normal-sized katana into the gravel.

“Ooh, ooh! This is the part where I do a cool catchphrase!” Pinkie Pie giddily skipped. “What about: time’s up! Ooh! Or maybe: now that takes the cake! Or! Or! That’s how the cookie crumbles!” she acted out different poses.

“What… about…” the Man of Shadows turns away from the fireball and puts its fingers on its lips. “Smile… smile…!”

“Eh, what the heck? Smile, smile!” Pinkie Pie played along.

Having watched the fight from a safe distance, Pinkie Pie’s friends cheer as flaming debris showers the quarry. “Now that’s camera-worthy!” Flash Sentry said in awe as he holds up Lil Flash.

“That was incredible!” Spike said in awe.

“And to think it ever had a hard time contending with Torch!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“Do you always get into fights this heavy?” Ember asked Applejack.

“Wish we did. Rough-housin’ does wonders fer the body.” Applejack shook her head until she hears a crick in her neck. “Yow!”

“I’m glad its on our side.” Rarity smiled at the Man of Shadows.

Then, when the Man of Shadows quickly turns to them, they jolt back in fear.

“…Right?” Fluttershy shivered.

Slowly, the Man of Shadows walks towards them, and all but Rarity backs off. When Rarity and the Man of Shadows meet, the dark warrior looks at her with its big white eyes. “I… did… something… nice…”

“Pinkie… are you there?” Rarity called.

The Man of Shadows grabs its chin and pulls it back like a hoodie, revealing Pinkie Pie’s smiling face. “I just made a speech about not losing my cool and protecting my friends. ‘Course I’m still here!” Pinkie Pie answered, cheerful as ever.

Twilight Sparkle approaches her cautiously. “I can’t believe it… not only you’ve overcome the darkness, but you’re using it for good!” she said in awe.

“I just had to realize this power isn’t to destroy my enemies, but to protect my dearest friends.” Pinkie Pie nodded. “It’s all thanks to the voice in my head I found a way to control this power.” She knocks the side of her head.

Then, the Man of Shadows suddenly shrouds Pinkie Pie’s face. “And… your… smiles…” it spoke as it traces a smile on its face, creeping-out everyone. “Smile… smile…”

The Man of Shadows snaps out of it and Pinkie Pie pulls back its face. “Oh, don’t worry about him. We’re cool.”

“I guess Pinkie was right. Maybe it isn’t just a creeping darkness inside her.” Sunset Shimmer said before going into thought. “But… what is it then, really?”

“You fought like a real superhero out there!” Rainbow Dash energetically praised Pinkie Pie. “No, super’s just not enough to describe what we saw! It was ultra-mazing, man!

“Ul… tra… Man…” the Man of Shadows repeated.

“Enough heart-to-heart. With the parasite’s outta the picture, let’s free my dad!” Ember hurried.

As they turn to the colossal dragon snoring in the cave, a copper claw takes the katana from the gravel; the Samurai stands there untouched and spinning his katana like nothing happened. “I thought we beat him!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“[Did you think that’s enough to take me down?! That power… that light… it’s what I’ve been waiting for!]” the Samurai before pointing his chakram at Torch. As it emanates a red glow, Torch awakens and lifts his head towards the friends, peering at them with a red glint in his eyes.

“Dad! It’s me, Ember! You gotta snap outta it!” Ember shouted to Torch.

Torch ignores her and opens his giant maw as an orange spark flickers at the back of his throat. “Everyone, behind me!” Rarity cautioned her friends before putting up her hands to create a diamond dome around everyone.

Everyone watches as the fire flows around the dome, yet feels none of the heat. Through the orange wisps, Sunset Shimmer spots the Samurai running towards Torch’s cave. “He’s getting away!” Sunset Shimmer pointed to him just before the fire ceases and is replaced by strong winds.

Torch pulls himself out of the cave and spreads his massive wings, flapping them in preparation for flight. “Pinkie, do something!” Rarity yelled to the Man of Shadows.

“Way ahead of ya!” she nodded before pulling down the Man of Shadows’ face and speeds towards the great dragon. With speed comparable to Rainbow Dash, the Man of Shadows resists the winds and zips around his massive clawed feet, quickly jumping onto his cuirass’ right buckle. As it sprouts an arm blade to sever it, a dark blast grazes its shoulder.

It looks up and sees the Samurai peeking from inside the armour, sticking out a claw engulfed in dark aura. “[Oi, no free rides!]”

“There you are!” the Man of Shadows reforms its arrow-arm and aims at him, but Torch starts to move erratically, smashing his body against the cave walls with the Man of Shadows and Pinkie Pie taking the brunt. “T-that all you got?!” despite this, they still held on tight after all the shaking, but failed to react to the incoming spade-tail smacking them out of the cave, just as it starts to collapse.

“[Now for the final part of your quality assurance: a durability test!]” the Samurai cackled before disappearing into Torch’s armour as he tauntingly wiggles his fingers at them.

Just as the Man of Shadows lies on the gravel, it was too late to find Torch’s foot directly above him. Failing to react in time, Torch crushes him underfoot before letting out a beastly roar. After the cave collapses behind him, Torch takes off north, back to Canterlot.

Everyone couldn’t believe it when the cave collapses into a pile of rubble, with no sign of Pinkie Pie or the Man of Shadows anywhere.

“Pinkie!” Rarity screamed.

“Get back here with my dad, parasite!” Ember screamed to the air.

“Did… we just lose…?” Spike whimpered.

To be continued…

Chapter 11

“I hope dad didn’t stomp on her too hard!”

“There she is!”

“Pinkie!”

“Is she okay? Is she breathing?!”

“She is, just barely.”

“Let’s carry her outta there!”

“Lay that sleeping bag. Get her comfortable.”

“Pinkie, darling, wake up! Can you hear us?”

“Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes flutter open and finds herself lying on a sleeping bag in the quarry, seeing her friends surrounding her before Rarity hugs her tight. “Rarity…” she muttered weakly as she looks at her. “…Did we win…?”

“We didn’t…” Rarity said solemnly before a smile. “…But at least you’re alive.”

“You don’t look hurt at all! It’s like being the Man of Shadows acted as a protective barrier for you.” Fluttershy noted.

Pinkie Pie squeezes her fingers and stretches her arm, finding no discomfort or pain. “You’re right. I don’t feel anything at all, just like back at the hospital.”

Ember quickly comes to Pinkie Pie’s side. “Pinkie, that parasite took my dad and flew away!”

“No doubt going for round two on Canterlot.” Applejack added.

“I still can’t believe after that epic battle that ended with you shooting the Samurai with a huge laser, all it took for him to beat you was making Torch step on you!” Rainbow Dash grumbled in exasperation, evidently most frustrated of this outcome.

“Where’s the Bug?” Pinkie Pie asked them as she looks around.

“She disappeared to fight the Robot on her own, and we haven’t seen them since. I dunno if she’ll come back.” Sunset Shimmer answered.

“We must hurry back to Canterlot. I’ll call Furlong for an airlift.” Twilight Sparkle suggested as she takes out Juggler’s phone.

“By the time anyone reaches us, there probably won’t be a Canterlot to go back to.” Flash Sentry rebutted.

Pinkie Pie groans. “Great. After everything we’ve done to get to Torch, he comes back to finish off Canterlot anyway. What else can go wrong?”

“Can… go…” the voice echoes. “Can… go…”

“Gah, it’s saying something again!” Pinkie Pie held the side of her head as she receives the message.

“Wait, I can hear it too!” Rarity said.

“And me!” Fluttershy added.

“I think we can all hear it now!” Twilight Sparkle realized.

“I… Ken… go…” Suddenly, Pinkie Pie’s jacket pocket starts to bulge as if something is trying to escape her clothes. She unzips and the gun flies out, zig-zagging around everyone like a boomerang. “I… remember… my… truth…” It stops between everyone and spins in place before an apparition of the Man of Shadows manifests in place. “I… am… darkness…” the Man of Shadows clutches the crack in its chest. “…And… light.” it tears itself in half, bringing a flash of bright light that blinds everyone.

“Dimension Load!”

When they regain their vision, they’re no longer in the quarry, but floating in a swirling rainbow vortex. “This is what I saw when I entered the portal!” Ember remembered when Torch hurtles overhead through the vortex, covered in the Pony of Shadow’s darkness.

“Careful now, Torch. I need you in one piece if I’m to enact revenge on the Pillars and Twilight Sparkle.” The Pony of Shadows taunted Torch before clamping his mouth shut, and Twilight Sparkle to wince in fear. Then, he turns towards the group. “Who… are you?”

“Is he talking to us?” Fluttershy whimpered as she backs away.

“I’m the light of hope!” shouted a massive man of shining light flying above them. He grabs onto Torch and tears the tendrils, then slashes away larger attacking tentacles with a sword of light.

“How dare you! None shall foil my plans for revenge!”

“As long as my light shines bright, I won’t let darkness prevail!” the man of light screamed before forcibly pulling the Pony of Shadows off Torch. The man of light manhandles the slithering darkness, trying to put as much distance between it and Torch, but is stabbed in the chest by a dark spike. Injured but not down, the man of light throws the Pony of Shadows through the vortex wall.

“Nooo!” the Pony of Shadows screamed before dissipating.

“No… the darkness… not again…” the man of light clutches his chest as darkness infects his body, consuming him, falling into the horizon alongside Torch.

With a flash, everyone returns to the quarry, stunned from what they witnessed. “That must’ve been a memory!” Sunset Shimmer realized.

“I remember now, I saw that in a dream. I thought it was the Pony of Shadows’ memory, but it was from that other thing!” Pinkie Pie recalled.

Then, a man of light manifests before them; the same from the memory. “If not the Pony of Shadows, who are you?” Twilight Sparkle asked the figure.

“I am Trigger, an Ultraman; a hero of light from a far-off universe, protecting dear smiles wherever I roam.”

“You mean you’re an alien?!” Applejack questioned.

“Trigger, like a gun… you’ve been saying your name all along!” Pinkie Pie realized.

“Exactly. That gun, the Sparklence, is a torch in the dark, and I am its light.”

“What’re you doing here?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“The Ultramen were investigating a disturbance in Equestria, and I discovered Torch as the source. In an attempt to rescue him during transit to this world, I was unfortunately hindered by the Pony of Shadows.”

“Why did you possess Pinkie in the first place?” Twilight Sparkle asked Trigger.

“When Torch defeated me, I accidentally caused her demise. Filled with regret, I merged my essence with hers for a chance that we both might live, and I found like me, she values the smiles of her friends… But something went wrong.”

“It was that darkness, wasn’t it?” Fluttershy asked Trigger.

“Although I fought against darkness before, this fight was difficult. The darkness corrupted my body, but my mind and memories took the greatest toll. I acted on habits I didn’t understand, parroting words for some reason resonated with me, meddling with unknown magic, all while subconsciously trying to regain my light.” He explained solemnly.

“All that spooky stuff you did was because you’re confused?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Again, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone, I wanted to help with what little senses I had left.” Trigger nodded sadly. “Thanks to watching your fight for friendship; I eventually remembered myself, and reminded me of my own friends back home whose smiles I fight for!”

“Now that you’re at full power, can you take us to Canterlot and save my dad?!” Ember begged him.

Trigger dissolves into two small light orbs levitating to Pinkie Pie. “As long as Pinkie Pie’s willing to pull the trigger again.”

The moment she touches them, the light disperses to reveal a futuristic white blaster and a purple pen-drive illustrated with an image of Trigger painted in stained glass. “Woah, these look waaay cooler now!”

“With my Sparklence and Hyper Key, you can let the burning will to fight rise, shoot through the winds of fate, and cut through this battle.” Trigger offered her. “Will you light your courage and be the one to pull the trigger?”

Rarity takes Pinkie Pie’s hand. “Whatever happens next, please come back to us in one piece.”

“Course I will. After all, I still owe you a fluffy souffle when this is over.” Pinkie Pie chuckled, and Rarity chuckles with her. “Let’s do it, let’s save the world!”

She inserts the Hyper Key into the Sparklence’s grip. “Boot Up! Zeperion!” a disembodied macho voice announced from the blaster.

“Cool! It’s got voice activation!” Rainbow Dash beamed.

“The Sparklence was designed by a friend to help bring out my inner light. And yeah, it’s pretty cool!” Trigger agreed excitedly.

Then, Pinkie Pie raises it up and was about to pull the trigger, when-

“Waaait!”

“What? I was gonna pull the trigger.”

“No, there’s more steps to unlock my true power. Just follow what I say.” Trigger requested. “Now, open it like a paper fan.”

Pinkie Pie pulls the muzzle backwards, transforming the Sparklence into a Y-shaped device with a shining diamond in the middle. “A torch…”

“Then, repeat after me: Build the future, the light of hope!”

“Build the future, the light of hope!” Pinkie Pie chanted as she raises the device.

“Finally, and I hate to steal from a friend…” Trigger said in hesitation. “Chant my name! Ultraman Trigger!”

“Ultraman Trigger!” Pinkie Pie pulls the torch’s trigger, engulfing everyone in a ball of blindingly bright white light.

“Ultraman Trigger! Multi Type!”

Back in Canterlot, military tanks and jets try and fail to penetrate Torch’s armour and thick scales as he rampages some blocks away from a hospital. Staff, patients, and visitors proceed to evacuation, Maud Pie among them. When a quake hits, she passes a room where an injured Scootaloo with a foot cast trips on the floor, helped up by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

“Thanks, guys.” Scootaloo nodded to her friends.

“You kids, we need to get out of here.” Maud Pie calls to them in her usual monotonous tone.

Another boom comes, and they look out the window to see Torch sending a flaming fighter jet crashing towards the hospital. Suddenly- “Shyeah!” -a giant, sparkling hand catches the jet.

“What the…” Maud Pie said in awe before opening the window to get a better look at their saviour.

Standing before them is a giant with silver, blue, and white patterns painting its body, wearing a golden chestplate powered by a blue diamond, bearing a stoic alien visage with glowing white eyes, a blue diamond in its forehead, and a fin-like crest. In its left hand is the now-extinguished fighter jet, and in the right a glowing purple orb.

“What is it?” Scootaloo wondered.

“Looks like one’a them big-head grey aliens, only bigger!” Applebloom added.

“Whatever it is, it saved us.” Sweetie Belle said as the giant puts down the jet and the sparkling orb in the empty parking lot.

When it turns to the hospital, beaming its eyes into Scootaloo’s room, it waves at them, then places its index fingers on its chiselled lips and traces a smile. Maud Pie stares at it, sensing familiarity from the giant.

“Maud, we gotta go!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“Huh? Oh, okay.” Maud Pie acknowledged before they rush out of the room.

Inside its mind, Pinkie Pie stands in a space of shimmering diamond reflections, a far cry from the black void she stands in whenever she became the Man of Shadows. “Holy moly! I’m larger than life!” she skipped giddily, excited to see her new form.

“I know! It’s so cool, right?” Trigger’s disembodied voice echoes through the glittering space. “I remember my first time rising! I was in a Martian pyramid—” he said excitedly before interrupting himself. “No, now’s not the time to reminisce. Now’s the time for action!”

“Yeah! Action!” Pinkie Pie quickly takes an improvised karate stance.

Torch finished burning a building when he looks at Ultraman Trigger mimicking Pinkie Pie’s karate pose, and roars before galloping towards the giant. When the two giants meet, Ultraman Trigger grabs Torch’s horns to sumo-push him away from the hospital.

At the parking lot, the glowing orb bursts into sparkles, releasing Pinkie Pie’s friends onto the asphalt. “We’re back home!” Rarity realized before everyone looks up to Ultraman Trigger fighting Torch.

“So that’s an Ultraman…” Sunset Shimmer muttered in awe.

“What’re we doing standing around for? We can still help!” Rainbow Dash rallied.

“What can we do? We’re small, and Torch is so big!” Fluttershy wondered.

“The latches.” Ember told them “While she’s keeping him down, we can work removing those latches again.”

“‘Fraid I’ll have to tap out.” Applejack said as she holds her arms. “Samurai did in my haymakers. I’m no condition fer heavy liftin’.”

“Then it’s just me and Twilight.” Flash Sentry said before Lil Flash vibrates. “And Lil Flash. Sorry.”

Twilight Sparkle looks at the boulevard where Ultraman Trigger fights Torch, seeing the roofs of the surrounding buildings align with the height of Torch’s armour latches. “I can see buildings where we can position ourselves level with the latches. If Pinkie Pie can hold him down between those buildings, Flash and I can remove them simultaneously.”

“Don’t tarry then, let’s save ourselves a dragon!” Rarity rallies her friends before they rush towards Ultraman Trigger’s feet.

In an attempt to push back, Torch breathes fire on Ultraman Trigger’s chest, but the good titan braves the flame as if air was blowing instead. Torch tries to shake him off like a stubborn bull, and headbutts him, disorienting him for a minute before slashing him with his sharp claws.

“I’m gonna need some serious power to beat Torch!”

“If it’s Power you need, then it’s Power you’ll receive!” Sparkles gather before Pinkie Pie to produce a red Hyper Key. “Hora!”

Pinkie Pie removes the previous Hyper Key and inserts the new one. “Boot Up! Deracium!”

On cue, a tall Ultraman Trigger manifests behind Pinkie Pie. “Repeat as I say! Seize the victory, the light of strength! Ultraman Trigger!”

“Seize the victory, the light of strength!” Pinkie Pie repeated as she sweeps the Sparklence across before raising it. “Ultraman Trigger!” she pulls the trigger and is showered in red light.

“Ultraman Trigger! Power Type!”

Torch started to swing another hook, when Ultraman Trigger’s patterns change to red, and his gold armour splits into shoulder straps. He thrusts a mean ultra-powered punch at Torch’s face, sending him tumbling along the road. Ultraman Trigger looks at his hands, then flexes his muscles.

Everyone splits into two buildings between Ultraman Trigger; Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, and Ember joins Twilight Sparkle in the apartment on his right. Rarity, Applejack, and Sunset Shimmer joins Flash Sentry ascend a grocer’s roof access. When Twilight Sparkle’s team reaches the roof, they find Ultraman Trigger flexing his new form.

“Was he always red?” Fluttershy wondered.

“She got a power-up! Awesome!” Rainbow Dash grinned excitedly.

“Pinkie!” Twilight Sparkle shouts to Ultraman Trigger, who stops posing. “Hold Torch at this boulevard! We can still do something about the buckles!”

“Yeah!” Ultraman Trigger gives her a thumbs-up before Torch tackles him.

Torch pins himself on top of Ultraman Trigger and snaps his teeth at him. Ultraman Trigger manages to force his jaws open, but sees sparks building at the back of his throat. Thinking quick, Ultraman Trigger kicks Torch’s stomach to flip him onto his back. When the dragon gets back on his feet, Ultraman Trigger jumps onto his back and grabs his horns to ride him like an angry bull.

“Yeehaw! Ride ‘im, Pinkie! Ride ‘im like the wind!” Applejack whooped.

“Flash, will this take long?” Sunset Shimmer asked Flash Sentry as he opens his camera case.

“Not at all.” Flash Sentry said after putting up a tripod. He inserts the supercharged battery into Lil Flash and screws it into the tripod. “What’s the melting point of gold again? Was it nineteen or eighteen-fifty degrees?” he wondered as he fiddles with the buttons.

“Nineteen-forty-eight degrees.” His own, though computerized, voice answered from the camera.

“Oh, thanks Lil Flash.” Flash Sentry casually responded. “Armed!” he yelled to Twilight Sparkle across the street.

Ultraman Trigger leads Torch between the two buildings, but the wings slap him silly in the face before extending its orange membranes to quickly take off into the sky. Torch performs an aileron roll while accelerating higher into the sky, attempting to shake off Ultraman Trigger. The titan holds Torch’s horns tight, but as the spin increases, he starts getting dizzier until he slips off his back and falls down towards Canterlot below, hundreds of miles in the sky.

“Aaah!” Pinkie Pie screamed as she feels herself falling inside the inner space. “Trigger, whadda we do?!”

“I have just the thing here!” Sparkles again gather before Pinkie Pie, producing a blue Hyper Key.

She grabs and inserts it into the Sparklence. “Boot Up! Runboldt!”

“Wait a minute, Runboldt? I remember that from—”

“Repeat after me! Dominate the sky, the light of speed! Ultraman Trigger!”

“Dominatetheskythelightofspeed!” Pinkie Pie quickly chanted. “Ultraman Trigger!” she yelled before blue light covers her.

“Ultraman Trigger! Sky Type!” as Ultraman Trigger falls through a cloud, blue light flashes within.

Expecting him to emerge, Torch stares at the cloud until something pokes his shoulder. He turns around to see Ultraman Trigger, now with an entirely-blue body, popping out of a cloud beside him to clock him in the jaw.

After popping his dislocated jaw back into position, Torch darts away and Ultraman Trigger gives chase, leaving behind a trail of blue sparkles as he flies. They zip and dart between clouds at incredible speeds as Ultraman Trigger catches up to Torch. When he nears the dragon, Ultraman Trigger tackles Torch and attempts to grab his wings to control him. Retaliating, Torch chomps down onto his arm hard, and no matter what Ultraman Trigger tries, the slightest movement only causes the bite force to exert more pressure.

Suddenly, a massive artillery shell strikes Torch’s back from below, causing both to tumble out of the sky; Torch still clamping onto Ultraman Trigger’s arm. Ultraman Trigger forcefully pulls his arm from Torch’s mouth, but is quickly slashed across the face, knocking him off-course. Torch spreads his wings and glides away from Ultraman Trigger crashing down towards the city.

At the boulevard, everyone sees the swooping shape of Torch gliding down steadily, but Ultraman Trigger spins out of control. “She’s falling!” Rarity pointed.

“Is she blue now?” Flash Sentry wondered as he narrows his eyes, then Sunset Shimmer passes him to reach the edge of the roof.

“Twilight! Catch her!” Sunset Shimmer shouted to the building across.

Twilight Sparkle raises her hands to cast her telekinesis on Ultraman Trigger, but his massive size proved difficult to carry, and she instantly tires herself out from trying. “This is bad! At the rate she’s falling, the shockwave could take out the block!”

As they brace themselves for impact, orange lights on a black wall suddenly casts onto them, followed by a heavy, but harmless thud. When they look back, they see the Bug, now the size of Ultraman Trigger, carrying him in her arms.

“The Bug! She’s alive!” Rainbow Dash said in relief.

“And she’s huge now!” Ember exclaimed.

“Could she have always done that?” Spike wondered.

Ultraman Trigger looks at the Bug when she sets him down, giving him a pincer-up. He responds in kind with a tight hug, to which the Bug responds with a surprised croak. The Bug suddenly puts up a shield in front of them, blocking an incoming fireball.

Torch comes galloping toward them and slashes at the shield, soon lifting it up and tossing it aside before punching the Bug’s chest. Ultraman Trigger comes to her aid by grabbing her shoulders and swinging his body for a roundhouse-kick at Torch’s face. When Torch snaps his jaws at them, he’s suddenly pulled back at great force, passing by the vantage buildings.

On Torch’s tail end, an enlarged Robot is tugging his tail with her left hand, waving at Ultraman Trigger with her cannon-arm. Ultraman Trigger gestures the Bug to follow his lead, and together they hug shut Torch’s face like crocodile wranglers. Torch spreads his wings in defence to smack them, so Ultraman Trigger climbs onto his back and pulls them back to stop them from moving.

On the buildings parallel to Torch, Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle come face-to-face with the golden latches. “Now, Flash!” Twilight Sparkle shouted as she casts telekinesis on her latch.

“Smile, Torch! You’re on camera!” On the grocer’s roof, Flash Sentry presses the shutter release on Lil Flash, triggering the lens to blast a purple laser beam to melt the golden latch.

With both latches removed, Ultraman Trigger hops off Torch’s back and joins the Bug to tug on the cuirass collar, attempting to force it off. On the other end, the Robot throws aside its cannon to an adjacent avenue and uses both hands to pull Torch’s tail harder. With the Robot pulling Torch’s tail and the other two pulling his armour in the opposite direction, they separate the dragon from his shell. A moment after the cuirass and the dragon are separated, Torch dissolves into white sparkles, and left lying on the road is a dark blue fluffball.

“They did it!” Spike cheered.

“Let’s see if my dad’s okay!” Ember said before running down the roof access.

Flash Sentry’s team leaves the grocer through the front door, passing under a fallen pauldron leaning over them. As they do, Sunset Shimmer is unknowingly showered in sparkles.

When they meet the fluffball, they find a dark blue mastiff getting up. “What…? Where am I?” Torch dizzily wondered.

“Dad!” Ember leaps to hug Torch.

“Ember? Is that you? Why’re you a dog?” Torch asked her, then turns his attention to the humans. “Giants!” he growled.

“Dad, no! They’re humans, creatures from the world we’re stuck in. The parasite took you from Equestria to another world, and these humans helped rescue you.”

“I remember… Those ponies, that portal, everything after is a blur.” Torch scratches his head when he finds his claw is a paw.

“I’m Flash Sentry, and welcome to our world.” Flash Sentry greeted.

“Flash Sentry? You look different, but sound the same.” Torch noted.

“You met the pony me. I’m the me me.”

“No doubt you were responsible for saving me. Perhaps I was too judgemental on the other you, thinking he’d never achieve such a feat again.”

“I’m flattered, but it was Pinkie Pie who mainly helped.” Flash Sentry points to Ultraman Trigger standing miles behind them, waving at Torch.

“And the rest of us, too. It was a team effort.” Rarity added.

“Even that unicorn?” Torch pointed behind them.

“What unicorn?” Sunset Shimmer wondered when her friends look at her in surprise. “What?” she looks at her body and finds herself in her original unicorn pony form. “What?! Why am I a pony?!”

“Huh, always wondered what you ponies looked like. Kinda cute.” Rainbow Dash giggled.

“We passed under a part of Torch’s armour. I think it didn’t just control him, but maintained his dragon form in our world!” Sunset Shimmer postulated before in a flash, she quickly reverts back to human form. “Thank Celestia, it’s temporary!”

“Aw, I wished you’d stay a pony longer. You looked so cute.” Fluttershy commented.

“Mental note: salvage Torch’s armour later for research.” Twilight Sparkle said to herself.

“Thank you, humans, for saving my dad. I dunno what I would’ve done without you.” Ember thanked them.

“No sweat. It’s kinda what we do.” Rainbow Dash smiled.

Ultraman Trigger stands above them with the Bug and the Robot, giving a victorious chuckle.

“Everyone’s smiling again, thanks to you, Pinkie.” Trigger thanked Pinkie Pie.

“I couldn’t’ve done it without you, Trigger.” Pinkie Pie smiled. “You really are a warrior of smiles, after all.”

“Iyaaadaaa!” The Samurai stumbles out of the armour angrily. “[You were supposed to kill him, not save him! Greater Wyrm is a super-rare card, and I wanted it!]” he unleashed a childish tantrum before extending his chakram. “[With this, comes your end mark!]” he shouted as he presents two cards illustrated with the Bug and the Robot.

“Cards?” Flash Sentry raised an eyebrow.

“King Joe-chan.” The Samurai inserts the Robot’s card into the ring.

“King Joe!” a demonic voice announced before the card flies into the Robot, absorbing it into her body and causing her great pain.

“Zetton-chan.” The Samurai inserts the Bug’s card into the ring.

“Zetton!” the voice announced as the card flies into the Bug’s body, causing her to smack Ultraman Trigger away with enough force to knock the blue out of him.

“[Let me borrow…]” the Samurai chants as he raises the chakram. “[The power of darkness!]” A red flash bursts from the chakram, blinding everyone who sees it.

When they regain their vision, they find standing in the place of the Bug and the Robot a hybrid resembling the Bug wearing the Robot’s armour. “Chou Gattai! Pedanium Zetton!” the Samurai’s voice boomed from the hybrid.

To be continued…

Chapter 12

"I can't believe it, those two monsters fused together!" Twilight Sparkle looks up at the colossal cyborg.

"I saw the Samurai pulling out cards. That's how he controls those monsters!" Sunset Shimmer speculated.

"Ain't he a sore loser!" Rainbow Dash cursed.

"Pedanium Meteor!" The fusion launches a dark fireball at everyone, but Ultraman Trigger gets in the way and shields his friends with his back, taking the pain for himself.

"Go!" Ultraman Trigger shouted.

"C'mon, let's run while we still can!" Applejack hurried her friends. Everyone quickly flees the scene as Ultraman Trigger stands up to face the freaky fusion.

"Trigger, what the heck is that thing?!" Pinkie Pie panicked.

"Zetton… King Joe… they're infamous kaiju weapons!" Trigger realized.

"Kaiju? As in Japanese movie monsters?! You knew what they were all this time?" Pinkie Pie questioned.

"I've only heard of Zetton from other Ultramen, and I fought a modified replica of King Joe once. I've never seen the real deals!" Trigger answered. "This is bad. They're tough opponents for Ultramen, and a fusion of these two makes them twice as dangerous, maybe more!"

"Don't suppose you got any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"Just one more. Circle Arms, to me!"

As Pedanium Zetton approaches, emitting a combination of both monsters' ambient trills and beeps- "Circle Arms!" -a bright light jets from the sky at Mach speed, slashing Pedanium Zetton's shoulder and flies into Ultraman Trigger's hand, revealing a broad purple-bladed sword with a circular red handguard orbiting the purple-marbled grip. "Power Claw!" The blade opens like scissors before Ultraman Trigger performs a ballerina spin, landing hit after hit on the cyborg. After stumbling backwards, Pedanium Zetton shows no damage.

"[You thought that would hurt me? A combination of Zetton bio-engineering and indestructible Pedanium makes an unstoppable monster!]" the Samurai mocks within Pedanium Zetton. "Pedanium Spark!" The cyborg sends red lightning bolts from lightning-shaped shoulder growths at the spinning Ultraman Trigger's feet, tripping him to crash onto an office building.

"Ow!" Ultraman Trigger stands to face the cyborg, but it disappears. Knowing Zetton can teleport, Ultraman Trigger looks around in anticipation for its reappearance.

When he hears a subtle chime behind- "Sky Arrow!" -he opens the Circle Arms at 180°, pulls back spectral bowstrings and shoots an energy arrow at the manifesting Pedanium Zetton. The arrow was fast, but Pedanium Zetton was faster, pulling a red barrier that shatters the shot.

Atop a parking complex, everyone watches Ultraman Trigger sizing up Pedanium Zetton. "Go get 'em, Pinkie!" Rarity whooped.

"Yeah, beat those cards outta him!" Flash Sentry shouted.

"If you have the power to best a dragon, you have the power to best anything!" Torch shouted with a volume overpowering everyone's.

Ultraman Trigger rushes at Pedanium Zetton with his Sky Arrow blades, but Pedanium Zetton miraculously dodges and slashes Ultraman Trigger's face with its electrically-charged pincers, knocking him down. When Ultraman Trigger was about to stand up, Pedanium Zetton forces itself on him and grabs his neck, choking him as its claws dig deep. "[Eh? I thought you were tougher than this! After all, you ruined my chance to roll a card I so desperately wanted!]" the Samurai taunted as his grip becomes tighter and tighter. As it chokes him, the light in his chest starts blinking red, emitting pinging beeps.

Internally, Pinkie Pie is choked down by an invisible force, cupping her hands on her neck. "Trigger… that… sound?"

"My body loses energy rapidly on Earth! When that happens, the Colour Timer on my chest makes that sound! We're running out of time!" Trigger hurriedly explained. "Pinkie Pie, stand up!"

With whatever power Ultraman Trigger has left, he kicks Pedanium Zetton off and sends them both rolling along opposite sides of an intersection. They quickly stand up and recover to face off one last time, the sound of the Colour Timer's beeping filling the air. Ultraman Trigger pumps his fists to the side, and seeing this, Pinkie Pie's friends recognize this move from the Samurai's fight.

"It's the laser beam! She's gonna do the laser beam!" Rainbow Dash cheers excitedly.

Ultraman Trigger crosses his arms at the wrist before sweeping them away, attracting light particles into the Colour Timer. "Zeperion…" With this light gathered, Ultraman Trigger raises his right forearm at Pedanium Zetton and slams his left hand on the elbow, unleashing a white light beam at the monster. "Beeeaaam!"

Pedanium Zetton catches the beam in its pincers, balling up all the light into a massive orb to absorb into its body.

Ultraman Trigger was simply shocked to see this, and fearfully backs away.

"Hehehe…" the Samurai chuckles as red and yellow surges flow through his body, then extends its pincers. "Pedanium Flare!" it unleashes a dark beam surging with red lightning that evaporates surrounding snow and strikes Ultraman Trigger's Colour Timer.

Ultraman Trigger tries to stand his ground against this great attack, but when it ceases, he stands motionless. Pedanium Zetton stares at the still Ultraman Trigger until the light in his eyes flicker off before he falls onto his back, all colours drained from his body.

"She… they…" Rainbow Dash simply stunned seeing this defeat.

"Nooo!" Fluttershy cried.

"Pinkie! You can't die! Get up!" Rarity yelled.

"Yeah, what'll happen to the town, the world?!" Sunset Shimmer screamed.

"This rodeo ain't over!" Applejack roared.

"The world still needs you, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"Pinkie Pie! Trigger! Stand up!" they all shrieked.

"[Hahaha! Victory is mine!]" Pedanium Zetton's malicious laugh flood the streets before it's hit in the back by tank artillery. "[Insects!]" It growls at the tanks before picking up the Robot's discarded cannon. "Pedanium Striker!" it unleashes bullet hail on the tanks, tearing them up and the streets they were on.

As Pedanium Zetton is distracted, Rarity creates a diamond bridge leading to Ultraman Trigger's chest, and her friends join her to gather around the Colour Timer. "Pinkie, are you in there!? Can you hear me?! It's me, Rarity!" she screamed as she puts her hands on the dead Colour Timer.

"This can't be the end for Pinkie, can it?" Fluttershy wondered.

"That fusion monster is the most powerful enemy we've faced so far. I'm not sure Pinkie can recover from this." Twilight Sparkle said.

"But she can't croak after all this time! We're this close to savin' the world!" Applejack added.

"She's been through worse the past twenty-four hours! This should be nothing… right?" Rainbow Dash said with some doubt.

"No… no, this can't be it!" Sunset Shimmer said in horror.

"Pinkiiieee! Get up!" Rarity cries on the Colour Timer, letting tears drip onto its facets. She mournfully rests her face on the Colour Timer, letting tears flow onto the crystalline surface. When her tears pool into a facet, the crystal emanates a soft glow. As Pinkie Pie's friends watch the glow, it flashes a bright blue light to zap the Rainbooms inside Ultraman Trigger, leaving behind Flash Sentry, Spike, Ember and Torch.

"Where'd they go?" Ember wondered.

"Something tells me something magical is about to happen." Flash Sentry said with a smile.

"What does that mean?" Torch asked Flash Sentry.

"It means a lightshow's about to start." Spike gave a hopeful, proud look to Torch.

Next thing the Rainbooms knew, they're standing in a dark void. "W-where are we?" Fluttershy whimpered.

"This was in Pinkie Pie's nightmare. We're inside Trigger!" Sunset Shimmer realized.

"Girls? Are you there?"

They turn to the darkness and see a dishevelled Pinkie Pie dragging along Trigger; his body dimmed like a low-battery lantern. "Pinkie, you're okay!" Rarity called to her.

"I can't say the same for Trigger." Pinkie Pie puts him down before her friends. "He took the hit for me, then everything went dark."

"There must be some way we can help." Twilight Sparkle thought.

"Why don't we use our Geodes?" Sunset Shimmer suggested. "Trigger used Pinkie's to restore himself before. Maybe if we use all of ours, it'll jumpstart him!"

"All of ours? Isn't Pinkie's Geode still outta magic?" Rainbow Dash wondered.

"Before Trigger went down, he gave me this." Pinkie Pie presents them a translucent figment of her Geode. "It's the last piece of magic from my Geode. I think it's his way of apologizing for taking it away."

"Is it enough?" Rarity asked.

"One way to find out." Pinkie Pie puts the figment in her real Geode, giving it a smidgen of colour. Then, everyone holds hands in a circle gathered around Trigger. "Let's light him up, ladies!" Pinkie Pie declares, and their Geodes' magic beams strike Trigger's chest one-by-one, illuminating him in a rainbow of colours.

When Trigger's eyes light up, he sits up and stares at them. "Pinkie, everyone… you saved me."

"And now we're even." Pinkie Pie smiles.

"Trigger, we gotta do something about the monster!" Applejack hurried.

"I'm not sure what I can do. If I—" suddenly, a rainbow-patterned Hyper Key emerges from his chest and flies into Pinkie Pie's hand.

"What's this?" Pinkie Pie wondered.

"I think this Hyper Key contains our magic!" Rarity speculated.

"Maybe this is just what we need to defeat Pedanium Zetton." Trigger added.

Pinkie Pie inserts the Hyper Key into the Sparklence. "Boot Up! Equestrium!"

"What do I say for this?" Pinkie Pie asked Trigger.

"Up to you. It's your magic, after all." Trigger answered.

"Up to us, eh?" Pinkie Pie side-eyes her friends. "Everyone, follow my lead."

"We're right behind you, Pinkie." Rarity nodded.

Pinkie Pie raises the Sparklence. "Unite our smiles, light of friendship!" they all shouted.

"Ultraman Trigger!" Pinkie Pie pulls the trigger, showering everyone in rainbow sparkles.

"Ultraman Trigger! Friendship Type!"

After Pedanium Zetton decimates another fleet of tanks, rainbow lights shoot from Ultraman Trigger's chest. "Let's book it!" Flash Sentry shouted before jumps off Ultraman Trigger's chest with the dogs.

The rainbow lights swirl around Ultraman Trigger as he magically tilts up and restore his colours, filling his silver skin with multicoloured streaks, surrounding his Colour Timer with the Rainbooms' seven Geodes. "[Impossible! How did you restore your power?!]" Pedanium Zetton screamed in bewilderment.

"In this world, there's a magic that triumphs over all, a magic used by a whole lotta people as one: the Magic of Friendship!" Pinkie Pie's voice shouted.

"[Shut up!]" Pedanium Zetton angrily tosses a building at Ultraman Trigger.

"Magic!" Ultraman Trigger punches Twilight Sparkle's Geode and telekinetically catches the building.

"Pedanium Striker!"

Pedanium Zetton rapid-fires at Ultraman Trigger, who punches Rarity's Geode- "Generosity!" –bringing a massive diamond shield to block the attack. Bullets strike the shield to no affect, and when Ultraman Trigger approaches, he chops the cannon in half with the edge.

"Pedanium Spark!"

After kicking Ultraman Trigger miles away, Pedanium Zetton unleashes a red lightning storm. Ultraman Trigger punches Rainbow Dash and Applejack's Geodes- "Loyalty! Honesty!" -dashing between the arcs to punch Pedanium Zetton's face.

When Pedanium Zetton stumbles, it teleports in the air behind Ultraman Trigger. "Kindness!" Ultraman Trigger punches Fluttershy's Geode, bringing flocks of geese to peck Pedanium Zetton's face.

"[Aaah! Birds! Birds! I can't see!]"

"Empathy!" Turning to Pedanium Zetton, Ultraman Trigger slams it back down before gripping its antennae.

With Sunset Shimmer's power, Ultraman Trigger enters the mind of Pedanium Zetton, viewing a void of red vortexes, and suffering in the middle of it all is Zetton and King Joe, both clutching their heads painfully. "I know you're both in there!" Sunset Shimmer's voice echoes through this space. "Even after everything, we're still here for you, all of us! We're keeping that promise to help cure you, but you need to help us first. All you need to do is fight for control!"

The monsters look to each other and stand strong, letting out loud roars shaking their prison.

"Laughter!" Ultraman Trigger winds back a free hand for a magical pie to manifest in their hand, then slams it into Pedanium Zetton's face, exploding into fireworks and confetti.

Pedanium Zetton growls, but seizes as the monsters within resist. "[No! obey me!]"

"It's over, Samurai! As long as we're here, as long as friendship and smiles exist, we'll blast evil away!" Pinkie Pie declared. "We're gonna defeat you with Laughter!"

"Honesty!"

"Kindness!"

"Empathy!"

"Generosity!"

"Loyalty!"

"Magic!"

"And this Trigger they found!" Trigger declares as a Sparklence blaster manifests in Ultraman Trigger's hand aimed at Pedanium Zetton, gathering light particles into the barrel, charging it with rainbow magic.

"Equestrium Beeeaaam!" everyone's voices shout before pulling the trigger, unleashing a rainbow laser striking Pedanium Zetton's chest.

Pedanium Zetton tries to absorb the beam, but the power was too much. "[Nooo! You're breaking my toys!]" Pedanium Zetton whines before exploding, ending its threat.

"What was that? I've never seen such power before!" Torch wondered as he, Flash Sentry, Spike, and Ember watch from a street corner.

Flash Sentry snaps a picture of Ultraman Trigger posing victoriously by the explosion. "That's the Magic of Friendship at work." He smiled at Ultraman Trigger.

Ultraman Trigger dissipates into eight light orbs flying down to the street, materializing the Rainbooms, now ponied-up, wearing black trousers, and white uniform jackets with stripes down the centre in their signature colours, grey collar and shoulders, long black sleeves, and Geodes pinned on their left breast. "Woo! Yeah! We did it!" Pinkie Pie cheered before Rarity hugs her from behind.

"Huh, this is new." Fluttershy hummed as she looks at her uniform.

Twilight Sparkle looks at her right shoulder, seeing the text "GUTS-Select" embroidered. "GUTS-Select? What's that?" she wondered.

"A bit too official to my tastes." Applejack noted as she zips her jacket open to air it out.

"I like it! They make us look like super-sleek super spies!" Rainbow Dash commented positively as she karate-kicks the air.

"New digs aside, we were amazing in there! It's like we're piloting a giant robot!" Sunset Shimmer added.

"I wouldn't mind if we went fer 'nother go!" Applejack added.

"Actually, I think I had enough excitement for this holiday." Fluttershy peeped.

"Oh, I agree. I so wished to spend this holiday relaxing, but what can you do when duty calls?" Rarity shrugs.

As they converse, Flash Sentry and the dogs arrive and rush to the Rainbooms' side. Before meeting them, Flash Sentry looks down and finds the cards the Samurai used to create Pedanium Zetton. "Cards… just like last time." He whispered to himself as he discreetly picks them up.

"Thank you, Rainbooms." Trigger appears to the heroes. "Now that my power has returned, I want to properly introduce myself." he bursts into a flash, causing everyone to shield their eyes. When they lower their arms, they see before them a silver-skinned young man with black bowl-cut hair and a kind face, wearing the same uniform the Rainbooms are, but with a red stripe, a triangular badge reading "GUTS-Select", and the Sparklence holstered on his right hip.

"My name is Manaka Kengo, space explorer of the Terrestrial Peacable Union's defence force GUTS-Select. I'm from Earth, just in another universe." The man happily introduces himself to the surprised crowd. "It's a pleasure to protect the smiles with you!"

"You turned into a real boy!" Pinkie Pie pointed in surprise.

"Boy? Oh, I'm flattered, but I'm actually thirty-two." Kengo giggled.

"This isn't an alien disguise, is it?" Flash Sentry asked Kengo cautiously.

"This is my truth: I'm both darkness and light, Ultraman and human. I was destined by an ultra-ancient legacy to become the hope for all mankind: Ultraman Trigger." Kengo confirmed.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Manaka Kengo." Pinkie Pie extends her hand, but Kengo instead hugs her really tight.

"Same to you, Pinkie." He said before letting go.

"Wow, you're a tight hugger." Pinkie Pie commented as she rubs her shoulders.

"Well, you should already know that the first time we met. Hehe." Kengo chuckled.

"First time we- ooh… it's the crushing thing, wasn't it?" Pinkie Pie realized.

"Yeah, sorry. Forgot my own strength then." Kengo nervously chuckled.

"Eh, bygones be bygones." Pinkie Pie softly giggles before getting a phone call from Maud Pie. "Hey, Maud. Wassup?"

"Thank goodness. Did your friends come back from your adventure? I assume that giant is your doing."

Pinkie Pie turns to Kengo smiling at her. "Let's just say, we made a new friend today."

"And… how are you feeling?"

"All smiles!"

"That's good to hear. In case you want to meet, we're evacuated to the amphitheatre west of school. I can't wait to see you."

"I'll see you soon, sis. Love you!" Pinkie Pie ends the call.

Further down the street, three dark orbs crash into the road, and two dissolve away to reveal two young women wearing purple Japanese school uniforms with pleated black skirts; one with dark grey skin, yellow eyes, and a black hime-cut, and another with golden skin, blue eyes, and long, messy light brown hair.

"Ojou…" the grey-skinned woman called to the golden woman.

"What… happened?" the golden woman wondered when they look up at the Rainbooms.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sunset Shimmer called to them.

"We are, thanks to you." the grey-skinned woman said with a voice as soft as Fluttershy's.

"We made a Pinkie Pie promise after all! And Pinkie Pie promises are never to be broken!" Pinkie Pie said.

"What're your names?" Twilight Sparkle asked them as she helps them up.

"I'm Clara! I was the killer robot. Nice to meet'cha!" The golden woman introduces herself with Pinkie Pie energy before gesturing to her friend. "This is my friend, Ze—"

The third ball bursts to reveal the third occupant of Pedanium Zetto; everyone assuming to be the Samurai. "Everyone, stand back!" Kengo cautioned them as they back away.

The Samurai stands without his armour, and his face is a familiar one, down to the smart black suit and red-streaked hair: Juggler. "Ugh, what time is it?" he tiredly rubs his eyes.

"Juggler? You're behind this all along?!" Pinkie Pie said in surprise. "We trusted you! I gave you an autograph!"

"Who are you? How do you know my n—" he asked them when a crackling golden portal manifests behind them. When the portal opens, the cards Flash Sentry held are pulled inside like a vacuum.

"The golden field…" Kengo muttered in horror.

"No… not again." the woman that was Zetton muttered in horror.

"I'm not going ba—" the Samurai screamed before a massive gilded hand reaches from the portal and grabs Clara, her friend, and the Samurai in a tight grip.

"Hey, let 'em go! This is our win!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

When Kengo fires a blast from his Sparklence, the portal shoots a single bullet to toss it out of his hand. "[This is not the end, little cuties! I'll return with more toys, and leave with even more!]" a woman's voice cackled as the golden hand retracts into the portal.

"No! Not the shelf! Don't put us back!" Clara tearfully pleaded before the portal closes.

Everyone was just in shock again, having failed to save more lives. "I… I thought this'd be a happy ending… we just saved them." Sunset Shimmer winces.

"But at least you saved one life, and that's enough." Spike gestures to Torch.

"You all are the bravest creatures I ever had the pleasure of meeting, not even the biggest dragons have the courage you bear." Torch told them. "I have no doubt that if you meet that parasite again, you can save those two."

"Thanks, Torch. I really needed that." Pinkie Pie pets him.

"Please stop that." Torch demanded before Pinkie Pie reaches the back of his neck. "No, wait, actually don't. Keep it there." Torch insisted as he starts stamping his foot.

Then, Furlong arrives at the scene in a black S.U.V. "Afternoon, Rainbooms. Thanks for taking care of the dragon problem. I see he won't be an issue now." He greeted them as he leaves the vehicle. "When you didn't report after he attacked town, we assumed the worst." He told them before looking at Kengo. "Who's this?"

"A new friend of ours." Pinkie Pie slings her arm around Kengo's shoulder.

Twilight Sparkle steps up to face Furlong with a concerned look. "Furlong, about Juggler, he—"

"Agent Bravo was recovered at eleven-hundred hours, one hour before Torch attacked Canterlot." Furlong informed them.

"But… huh?" Pinkie Pie was just confused.

"A cowboy dropped off Agent Bravo at Hayes'. He suffered from hypothermia and frostbite, but he'll survive. When embedded agents attempted to question the stranger, he left without another word."

"A cowboy… Crimson…" Pinkie Pie realized, and with that she smiles, knowing Juggler's friend did care after all.

"Now that your mission's over, I'll take Bravo's phone back." He extends his hand to Twilight Sparkle, who gladly returns the device. "As always, the city of Canterlot owes you a great debt." Furlong said before returning to his S.U.V.

"Hey, are we gonna get any more missions after this? Like going into space, or something?" Rainbow Dash caught up to Furlong as he sits in the driver's seat.

"Perhaps in the future, but for now enjoy your holiday. You deserve it." He smiled before closing the door and driving away.

"So, if that wasn't Juggler, then who was that?" Applejack wondered.

"Another version of him, perhaps, captured by the true mastermind of this scheme." Kengo deduces.

"Ultraman Decker! Miracle Type!" Suddenly, a young man's voice echoes from the sky, and a nebula cloud spontaneously manifests high above, raining down blue light ribbons. Every ruin, every wrecked road, and every debris it touches reverses to the state before their destruction, fixing the city instantly, finishing off with reconstructing Sugarcube Corner where Ultraman Trigger first fell on Pinkie Pie, triggering this string of events.

"Did you do that?" Rarity asked Kengo.

"No, but I have a good idea of did." Kengo answered as he smiles at the nebula.

When the nebula retracts, another Ultraman descends, one with a blue body, a nebula-printed chestplate and a massive forehead horn containing a nebula pattern. "Kengo-san!"

"Kanata!" Kengo shouted as the other Ultraman lands before them.

"Kengo, you know him?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Rainbooms, this is Ultraman Decker, my junior back home. His real name is Asumi Kanata." Kengo introduced them to him.

"It means to look to tomorrow, into the beyond!" Ultraman Decker energetically extends his fist to them.

"He's a human like me, chosen by the light to fight for the Earth." Kengo added.

"Nice to meet you, mister Decker!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Kengo, please come home with me! Everyone's so worried for you! Yuna, Akito, even Ignis and Haruki were looking for you!"

Kengo looks at his new friends, then back to Ultraman Decker. "Tell them I'll return soon. I wanna stay here to get to know my new friends. I owe them that much after everything that happened."

"I see, but I can't go back empty-handed, y'know?"

Kengo looks at Ember and Torch. "Take these two back to their world. After everything they've been through, they need rest."

"Will do!" Ultraman Decker gave a thumbs-up before laying his hand flat before them.

"I guess this is goodbye." Ember told Spike.

"If you see the other me, tell him I said hi." Spike requested.

"Sure thing, little pal." Ember pets Spike.

"Farewell, humans. I bid you good luck on your future adventures." Torch addresses them. The dogs jump atop Ultraman Decker's hand before he closes it, then flies up high beyond the horizon.

After waving goodbye, the Rainbooms turn to Kengo. "So, we were gonna have a sleepover at Rarity's. Wanna hang out?" Pinkie Pie offered.

"I'll make hot cocoa for everyone!" Rarity offered.

"That'd be great! Thank you!" Kengo bows gratefully. "We can exchange adventures with each other! It'll be so exciting!"

"Let's take one more photo to cap off this adventure!" Flash Sentry suggested. He puts down the tripod and screws on Lil Flash before putting it on a timer, then rushes to his friends all grouping together.

"Ready? One, two…" Kengo counted down.

"Smile, smile!" they all shouted before the flash goes off, capturing their smiles.

THE END

Chapter 1

It’s a calm late-afternoon winter in Canterlot City; the town is sprinkled with cold snow and the people are out and about in their warm clothes, playing in the snow, enjoying the company of friends and family, and shopping in anticipation for the upcoming holiday, eager to gift to their loved ones! The same goes for our seven heroines, who are all making the most of the season. With school out for the holidays, they’re getting ready for a big holiday slumber party at Rarity’s house, so let’s see what they’re all doing to prepare for weeks of winter fun.

Starting with Rarity, she’s in her bedroom frantically rummaging through a decorations box. “What should I put up? Lights? Streamers? Balloons?”

“Rarity, what’s with all the noise?” Sweetie Belle welcomes herself into Rarity’s bedroom.

“I’ve taken it upon myself to host a holiday slumber party for my friends, but I’m afraid I’m more experienced in slumbering for than slumbering with.” Rarity answered. “I thought of balloons, streamers, and holiday lights! They’re what Pinkie would put up in her slumber parties!”

“You’re too worried about the party part. This is your room, not Pinkie’s.” Sweetie Belle advised. “She puts up all that because she thinks that’s what makes people comfy. You should think what would make people comfy in your own way.”

Rarity looks around her room, appreciating how neat and nice it already is. “Maybe all it needs is a little dusting, is all.” She said as Sweetie Belle gets something from under her bed.

“Starting with cleaning up your depression-eating ice cream tubs?” she presented an empty ice cream tub she picked up.

“It’s just one, right?” Rarity shrugged.

Sweetie Belle lifts the duvet hanging off the bed to reveal multitudes of ice cream tubs.

“Hehehe…” Rarity chuckled awkwardly.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack is in her bedroom packing things into a backpack, from clothes to toiletries to apple-related snacks. “Applebloom, have ya seen ‘nother tube’a toothpaste anywhere?” Applejack called out to her younger sister.

Applebloom runs into her room with a tube of toothpaste. “Here, sis.” She handed it to Applejack.

“Thanks, Applebloom.” Applejack thanked her before zipping up her backpack.

“Hope ya have a great time at Rarity’s slumber party.” Applebloom rocked back and forth, looking at her sister standing up.

“Course I will, lil sis. Ya best be good while I’m gone.” Applejack opens her wardrobe to find a winter coat. “Don’t do anything like T.P. folks’ homes, shave a stray cat…” she listed off. “…impersonate one’a my friends online to spread nasty rumours all because yer jealous’a me spendin’ more time with my friends than with you.” she said with unusual specificity and a more hurried pace.

“Now, why would I do that?” Applebloom chuckled.

“Jus’ jokin’, of course ya won’t do anything like that.” Applejack said as she puts on her coat. “You’re too sweet to be that nasty.” she ruffled Applebloom’s hair affectionately. Applejack takes her backpack and walks out of her room.

At Rainbow Dash’s house, she and Fluttershy are in the backyard overlooking a small dirt mound. “You think he’s doing okay under there?” Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy with a concerned look.

“Tank is just fine. His hibernation is going smoothly. I’m sure he’s having sweet dreams.” Fluttershy assured.

“Dreaming of him and me, I bet.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “I hope nothing happens to him while we’re gone.”

“Rainbow, he’s in your backyard. He won’t be disturbed here.” Fluttershy assured.

“Maybe I should dig him up and bring him with us! It’s only for a week, he won’t know the difference!” Rainbow Dash suggested hurriedly. She goes over to grab a shovel when Fluttershy stops her.

“Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy said sternly. “I understand your love for Tank, but you must let nature take its course.”

“Oh, alright.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “If I could do it, I’d cancel winter just to spend more time with him.”

“Knowing you, you’d do just that.” Fluttershy said before they both chuckle at the thought.

They walk to the gate where Fluttershy walks out first, but Rainbow Dash stops to turn her head back to Tank’s mound. “Happy Holidays, Tank.” Rainbow Dash said before walking away.

At Sunset Shimmer’s apartment, Twilight Sparkle is attaching an advanced device to the top of a terrarium that is home to Ray, Sunset Shimmer’s leopard gecko. “With this automatic feeder, you won’t have to worry about missing meals while you’re away.” Twilight Sparkle assured Sunset Shimmer.

“Thanks for doing this, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer thanked her.

“Consider it an early holiday gift from me to you and Ray.” Twilight Sparkle smiled.

“Does it work?” Sunset Shimmer looked at the device.

“Sure does. She made one for me, and works like a charm.” Spike said, sitting on the couch. “Too bad it doesn’t give the same company Twilight does.” He sighed with a lowered head before Twilight Sparkle picks him up.

“Don’t worry, Spike, you’re coming to the slumber party with us.”

“C’mon, let’s pick up the cocoa at Sugarcube Corner, then we’ll go to Rarity’s.” Sunset Shimmer called Twilight Sparkle as they exit the apartment.

“Should we be concerned about that latest letter from the princess?” Twilight Sparkle asked before closing the door behind them.

After they leave the apartment, Ray goes to drink water from his bowl, but backs off when it ripples from a subtle vibration shaking the room.

At Pinkie Pie’s house she- “Outta the way!” -bursts out the front door holding a fresh, steaming souffle in a hot ramekin. She passes by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy waving at her, but speeds past them without saying hi. “I’ve got six minutes be—” Pinkie Pie looked to her watch before bumping into someone.

The souffle tumbles in her hands before catching it, then sighs in relief. “Sorry, are you okay?” a familiar boy’s voice asked. Pinkie Pie sees Flash Sentry holding a metal briefcase, accompanied by a purple digital camera mounted on a purple drone hovering beside him.

“Flash, hi!” Pinkie Pie greeted him hurriedly. “Sorry, but I gotta get this to Rarity quick!” she runs past him, but he catches up and jogs alongside her with his drone.

“What’s with the souffle?” Flash Sentry asked Pinkie Pie as he runs beside her.

“Rarity and I started a tradition last year where I’d bake her a souffle for the holidays.” Pinkie Pie explained as the drone flies past her. “Last year, it deflated before I could give it to her, but that’s just a fluke! I’ll definitely bring it to her this year!”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” Flash Sentry said as the drone flies in front of Flash with the display facing him. “Hah, nice one, Lil Flash.” He chuckled to his camera as if it made a joke.

“What’d he say?” Pinkie Pie asked before shaking her head. “Nevermind, I gotta get to Rarity!” she picks up speed, rushing past Flash Sentry.

“See ya, Pinkie!” Flash Sentry waves goodbye.

She sharply turns a corner, shaving snow off the pavement and onto the road. She looks around the neighbourhood and sees Rarity with Applejack walking along a far-off street. “There she is!” she pointed. “Rarity, Rarity!” she flapped her free hand to Rarity.

From the distance, Rarity sees Pinkie and waves back.

When Pinkie Pie is about to dash to Rarity, the ground quakes and stops in her tracks. “What the—” she hears an explosion in the city. She turns her head to downtown’s skyline and sees columns of smoke. As she watches in terror, the souffle in her hands deflates.

“Pinkie, are you okay?” Applejack asked as she and Rarity run up to her.

“You felt that too, didn’t you?” Rarity asked her.

“I did.” Pinkie Pie answered solemnly as Flash Sentry and his camera drone catch up to them.

“What’s going on? Is there trouble?” Flash Sentry asked them before Rainbow Dash bumps past him, Fluttershy not too far behind.

“I heard an explosion! That means danger!” Rainbow Dash said. “C’mon, let’s check it out!” she rushes towards the smoke.

“Well, this is one heckuva way to meet each other today.” Applejack said before following Rainbow Dash.

“Let’s all be careful now.” Fluttershy peeped before the rest of the girls follow them.

“C’mon, Lil Flash. Let’s take some pictures for the record!” Flash Sentry told his camera drone before they too follow the girls.

The girls and Flash Sentry arrive downtown to see buildings smashed, on fire, and collapsing while people flee the scene. “What do you think is happening?” Fluttershy asked her friends as Rainbow Dash steps forward.

“If any supervillain or Equestrian magical doohickey can hear me, you better back off!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Yeah! ‘Cuz we’re here!” Pinkie Pie added. “We’re the—!" Pinkie Pie shouted before realizing they don’t have a group name. “What do we call ourselves?”

“Rainbooms, duh!” Rainbow Dash responded.

“I prefer we reserve that moniker for musical performances.” Rarity suggested.

“Doesn’t matter what we’re called! So long as we take ‘em down together!” Applejack exclaimed.

Then, they hear coughing coming from the advancing dust cloud. “Hey, who’s there?” Rainbow Dash called out. “It’s not safe here!”

Scrambling out of the dust cloud is Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle carrying an unconscious Spike in her arms. “Are you all okay?” Pinkie Pie asked them worriedly.

“Sunset and I are, but Spike…” Twilight Sparkle looks at the injured Spike in her arms.

“We were on the way to meet you all, but then this happened!” Sunset Shimmer looks to the surrounding ruins.

“Something exploded, and we were caught in the shockwave. We were lucky enough to walk it off, but Spike…” Twilight Sparkle added.

Fluttershy puts her hand to Spike’s body, and finds him still breathing. “We have to get him help.” She suggested as she cradles Spike in her arms

“Did you see whatever or whoever did this?” Pinkie Pie asked them.

“No, but we did hear something, something strange.” Sunset Shimmer answered.

“Strange how?” Flash Sentry asked her. Suddenly, a loud whoosh is heard above them, spooking Fluttershy as the unmistakable shadows of a squadron of jets pass over them.

“Uh, is that the military?” Applejack wondered.

“Considering how often the government intervenes in this town…” Twilight Sparkle said.

“…Which is never….” Sunset Shimmer added.

“…This is serious.” Pinkie Pie concluded.

As they stood there, the ground quakes again, followed by another column of fire lighting up the skies beyond the dust cloud. They cower as the sound of aerial combat fills the air, striking something the little people can’t see.

Then, overpowering every sound audible to the human ear, a bloodcurdling roar booms across the land, freezing the friends in place. Striding through the smoke and parting it with its presence is a massive dragon roaring into the air. Its body is tiled with medium-blue scales, protected by a massive ebony cuirass, battle-worn orange wings, and a fearsome face with burning orange irises, a mouthful of uneven teeth, and low-hanging orange horns. “That’s it! That’s the sound we heard!” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed.

“Is that a—?" Fluttershy muttered.

“Dragon!” Pinkie Pie screamed as she points to it.

The dragon breathes fire into the air before swinging its head down onto the city, setting it ablaze. “Princess Twilight wrote to me warning about a dragon escaping into another world.” Sunset Shimmer commented. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be this world.”

“We can take it on! We’ve fought bigger and badder things!” Pinkie Pie said confidently.

“Pinkie, we’ve got bigger problems!” Twilight Sparkle pointed to another street, seeing people trapped as the city falls apart. “There’s people that need our help!”

“Let’s help ‘em out! The military’s got the dragon handled.” Rainbow Dash responded.

“Let’s pony up!” Sunset Shimmer declared as they all clutch their Geode necklaces.

Rainbow Dash eyes Flash Sentry beside them. “Make sure to get my good side this time, Flash.” She smirked at him.

As Lil Flash positions for a shot, the girls levitate above the snow and unleash their magic, granting them longer ponytails, pony ears, and wings to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle.

“Fluttershy, take Spike and lead everyone as far away from the dragon as possible.” Twilight Sparkle instructed.

“Good luck, girls.” Fluttershy said before running off with Spike.

“Watch out, dragon! When we’re done saving everyone, you’re next!” Pinkie Pie declared before joining her friends to save the people.

“If anyone’s watching us right now, you better not switch channels!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before they all rush in with Flash Sentry and Lil Flash following close behind them.

The dragon swings its head around to spread its dragon’s fire everywhere it can, setting buildings in the vicinity aflame. At an apartment caught in the fire, the residents evacuate when Twilight Sparkle and Applejack arrive, observing the growing fire. “Applejack, break that fire hydrant open!” Twilight Sparkle points to the fire hydrant at the street corner.

“Say no more!” with a hat tip and karate-chop, Applejack lops off a fire hydrant cap, letting water gush out.

Twilight Sparkle telekinetically bends the water to spray the apartment and extinguish the fire. Her job wouldn’t be over as fire engulfs more buildings. Applejack meanwhile escorts the former residents of these apartments before Twilight Sparkle extinguishes the fires. Unfortunately for the single telekinetic, with every building set on fire, two more burst aflame. “Gosh, where’s the fire department? I can’t take out all these fires all by myself!” She stressed to herself.

At a crumbling florist, customers evacuate with Wallflower Blush among them. She was the last to leave, when the doorway abruptly collapses on her, trapping her by the legs. “Oh, of all the days to get crocuses, it had to be today!” She tries to pull herself out of the wreckage when she hears cracking above her, seeing the floor above crumbling.

She braces herself when- “Gotcha!” -Rainbow Dash picks her up and carries her before it could fall on her.

She still wasn’t used to people helping her, and was stuck staring until Rainbow Dash sets her down beside other evacuees and Sunset Shimmer comes to her side. “You okay, Wallflower?” she asked.

“Yeah, thanks to you two.”

“Did you really think we’d forget you?” Sunset Shimmer chuckled.

“I was hoping not.” Wallflower Blush smiled before she and the evacuees are lead away as the florist crumples into rubbles.

At Carousel Boutique, Prim Hemline and shoppers rush to the exit when the ceiling above the door collapses, trapping them inside. “Someone, help us!” the owner shouted.

Fortunately, Rarity and Pinkie Pie come just in time to their aid. “Hold on, everyone!” Pinkie Pie shouted to everyone inside.

“This is much too heavy for us, and our strongwoman’s occupied.” Rarity assessed the damage before them.

“I got an idea.” Pinkie Pie takes a caramel from her pocket. “Fire in the hole!” She throws it at the debris, blowing a hole through it.

Quickly, Rarity throws diamond shields to expand it. “Single file, don’t shove!” she said to the evacuees as they exit the building before it collapses. “Quick thinking, Pinkie.” She turned to her.

“I try.” Pinkie Pie responded proudly.

They hear a camera snap and turn to see Flash Sentry taking their picture with Lil Flash. “Good job, girls!”

Then, the rest of their friends join the three, tired and sweating from the rescues. “We haven’t evacuated everyone, and only just now emergency services arrived.” Twilight Sparkle announced.

Then, a flaming jet hurtles overhead, followed by another, and another. The smoke clears briefly to show the dragon decimated the entire squadron, letting out a victorious, quaking roar. “Emergency services can take over rescues. Let’s take down that dragon!” Rainbow Dash pointed to the dragon.

The dragon breathes fire on the town, and only its eyes burn through the thick smog. “I hope our magic’s powerful enough.” Rarity’s confidence falters.

“If not us, what could take it down?” Twilight Sparkle wondered.

Then, a mysterious alien sound blares, followed by faint rainbow streaks swirling within the smoke cloud. The streaks fade, and in its place are a pair of what can only be described as a pair of glowing white angry eyes beaming through the darkness like fog lights. The entity who the eyes belong to lets out a distorted roar, almost sounding like a man screaming. In response, the dragon roars back.

The eight stares in disbelief of the newly-arrived entity, snapped out of it by Flash Sentry unconsciously snapping a picture of it. “What the heck is that?!” Pinkie Pie screamed.

The dragon gallops towards the entity, only to be smacked violently by whatever appendages it has. “Whatever it is, it’s buying us time to finish saving everyone.” Sunset Shimmer commented.

“Let’s get back to saving everyone, then we can worry about the dragon and…” Twilight Sparkle looks to the white eyes battling the dragon. “…that thing.”

They scatter through the streets to save whomever they can find. Flash Sentry goes to follow them, but is dragged away by Fluttershy. “I think that’s enough photos today, Flash.” She advised.

As Pinkie Pie searches through rubble for trapped people, she hears a faint dog’s whine coming from the nearby evacuated Sugarcube Corner. She enters the café and sees a scared blue Doberman sitting inside.

“Hey, there, little fella.” Pinkie Pie approaches the dog, who responds with growling as it takes a defensive stance. “I wish Fluttershy were here. Animals are her thing.” She said to herself.

Smoke advances and fills the street, flooding into Sugarcube Corner. As it seeps inside the building, Pinkie Pie and the dog cough before she covers her mouth and nose with her scarf. With the dog briefly distracted from its coughing fit, she grabs and carries it. “Hey, put me down!” the dog growled with a young woman’s voice.

“You talk?!” Pinkie Pie said in surprise before the dog jumps out of her arms.

“I don’t- *COUGH* -have time for this!” the dog growled. “I gotta rescue my dad!” the dog runs for the exit when the building quakes and she stops in place.

Outside, the dragon and the entity’s battle advance upon the smoky street corner where the café sits. With an unearthly scream, the mysterious eyes are knocked down by the dragon, causing a quake that destabilizes the café, allowing debris to fall around Pinkie Pie and the dog, trapping them inside the building.

“Curses, we’re trapped.” The dog groaned. “If I weren’t a dog, I’d blow us outta this place.”

“That’s it, talking dog!” Pinkie Pie realized. She searches her pockets for candy to prime, but when she finds none on her clothes, she digs around her hair and produces Rarity’s deflated souffle. “I may not have gotten this to Rarity on time, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting it go to waste.” She winds up the souffle, aiming it at the blocked entrance. She tosses the dish, blowing open a small hole, not big enough for a person.

“Did that cake blow up? What kinda magic is that?!” the dog said.

Unfortunately, the small explosion wracked the already unstable building further, causing the ceiling to collapse onto the kitchen. In a panic, Pinkie Pie turns to the dog, who was still uncomfortable around her. “Hey, I don’t know why you’re talking and I have questions, but I gotta save you.” she then points to the hole in the debris. “I can’t fit through, but I know you can.”

“What about you, strange, two-legged thing?” the dog asked before Pinkie Pie hurriedly grabs her and carries her to the hole.

“When you get to safety, call for Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie Pie requested.

“Wait, Twilight Sparkle? I—” Pinkie Pie pushes the dog out of the hole and onto the street.

“Get me help and I’ll be fine!” Pinkie Pie shouted through the hole before the pile collapses, closing off the exit. The last thing she sees is the dog running away before she’s trapped in the dark. “It’s… getting really hard to breathe in here.” Pinkie Pie panted before a violent cough.

Meanwhile, the seven friends gather at another street to report to each other. “I think that’s everyone evacuated from this block.” Fluttershy reported.

“Can confirm. I did two fly-bys to make sure everyone’s out.” Rainbow Dash added.

“And the fire department took care of most of the fire, but they can’t get anywhere near the dragon.” Twilight Sparkle added.

“Man, when are those two gonna give up?” Flash Sentry said as he and Lil Flash turn to the giants fighting.

“Um, where’s Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy wondered.

“Twilight Sparkle!” a voice shouted, gaining Twilight Sparkle’s attention.

“Huh?” Twilight Sparkle turns around to the smoky street behind her.

Within the smoke, the dog runs towards them, seeing faint outlines of the group. Before the talking dog enters their sight, someone suddenly shoves her into a medium-sized dog carrier. “Hey! C’mon, lemme go!” the shadowy figure locks up the carrier and picks it up. “You’re messing with the wrong Dragon Lord, buddy!” the figure escapes with the dog into a nearby alley, disappearing out of sight.

Just after the dog is spirited away, emerging from the smoke and running towards the heroes is Bon Bon, a schoolmate of theirs. “Over here!” she called out to them.

“Bon Bon, are you alright?” Rarity asked her.

“We found your friend Lyra just now. She was looking all over for you!” Twilight Sparkle informed her.

“Lyra’s okay! Finally, some good news.” Bon Bon said in relief before remembering something. “Oh, I just saw Pinkie Pie save someone from Sugarcube Corner, but got trapped inside when it collapsed!” Bon Bon pointed to the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

“Thanks. We’ll take it from here!” Sunset Shimmer said before she and her friends dash to Sugarcube Corner, leaving Bon Bon behind.

“Hold on, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “We’re coming!”

As Pinkie Pie sits inside the ruined café, she hears voices outside and looks through a small crack to see her friends coming for her. “Guys, I’m in here!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Before they could take another step, the dragon breathes a wall of fire between them and the café, stopping them in place. “No!” Sunset Shimmer shouted.

As the dragon spews flame from within the smoke cloud, dark arms grab its wings, pulling it away from them, tossing it aside with a loud thud. The girls look up to see the white eyes floating above the café, then suddenly lowers, as if the entity collapsed to its knees, if it has any.

As it kneels, its eyes shine through the cracks of the ruined Sugarcube Corner, beaming upon Pinkie Pie’s face. She looks up, and she swears it knows she’s there, looking at her.

The entity roars in pain before a pair of burning red eyes appear behind it. With a swipe of its claws, the dragon violently pushes the entity down, crushing the café beneath it. “Pinkie!” everyone shouted out in terror as the eyes crash onto the street, beaming its eyes right at them. The dragon lets out another beastly roar as the entity’s eyes fade away. Afterwards, it spreads its wings, sweeping away smoke as it flies away.

The smoke clears away, revealing the defeated entity disappeared, leaving only a pile of bricks. “No, no, no… this can’t be happening!” Twilight Sparkle panicked as everyone rushes to the wreck. They all dig through the debris, Flash Sentry included, rushing as fast as they can to find their friend.

It was when Rarity shovels bricks with her diamond shield she becomes speechless to what she unearthed. “Pinkie…” she whimpered as her friends come to her, horrified and shocked at what she found.

Absolutely nobody had any words as they look into the wreck, until Fluttershy breaks down and collapses into tears.

Lil Flash curiously hovers over to the hole, but Flash Sentry catches it, solemnly turning it away from the wreck.

“Pinkie…” Rarity winced. “…I’m so sorry…”

To be continued…

Chapter 4

As the girls ready themselves for a fight, Fluttershy instead calmly approaches the Bug. "Fluttershy, what're you doing?!" Applejack worriedly called to her.

"Get back here!" Rainbow Dash reaches for her.

"Maybe it doesn't wanna hurt us. It could be sheltering from the snow, too." Fluttershy reasoned as she approaches the strange creature. "Hi, are you lost?" she asked it softly, but it doesn't answer, save from its otherworldly beeping. "Perhaps you're hungry? I have a bag of snacks for creatures big and small." she presented her critter food bag.

The Bug violently smacks the bag away before raising its claws to attack Fluttershy, triggering Rainbow Dash to speedily carry her away. "Not friendly!" she shouted to her friends.

"Rarity, shields, please!" Sunset Shimmer commanded.

As they back away, Rarity erects a diamond wall to isolate the Bug to the entrance. "That should hold it!"

Flash Sentry snaps a picture of the Bug pounding against its prison. "But what is it?"

Bravo and Twilight Sparkle scan the Bug, seeing red pixels covering it on their displays. "It's covered in portal magic. It could be Equestrian." Twilight Sparkle reported.

"I've never seen anything like that back in Equestria, then again I only learned about Changelings an hour ago." Sunset Shimmer commented.

The Bug pounds at the wall uselessly before backing away. Its face glows brighter, emitting a heat so intense everyone behind the wall can feel it. With this heat, it forms a fireball that melts a hole through the shields, narrowly missing Rarity by a few inches before explosively crashing into the back wall. "I thought diamonds were unbreakable!" Rarity exclaimed.

"That fireball capped temperature readings on my scanner!" Twilight Sparkle yelled in surprise, seeing her scanner pick up 999°F. "It went way over the melting point of diamond!"

"Defences fell, so let's go on the offensive!" Rainbow Dash commanded. "A.J., grab a rock and—"

"On it!" Applejack picks up a boulder and tosses it at the Bug.

The insectoid winds back its forelimbs and punches the boulder into gravel upon impact with its claws, demonstrating great strength betraying its lanky frame.

"It doesn't look so fast." Rainbow Dash notes its girthy physique as she stretches her arms. "A fist clocking in at Mach 1 should do it!" she crouches at a four-point start, aiming for the Bug. She slingshots herself as a rainbow streak, winding up a mean right punch, but when she comes face-to-weird-orange-glowy-thing, it erects a clear prism-shaped shield around itself, and she smacks right into it. "Ow."

"It has shields, too?!" Rarity yelped in surprise.

As Rainbow Dash picks herself up, the Bug's shield dissipates and it looks down on her. Before it could do anything to her, she hobbles to her friends and collapses on Fluttershy. "Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

"I play soccer. My face gets dates with all sortsa surfaces all the time." Rainbow Dash assured with a smirk.

As the Bug slowly, menacingly waddles towards them, Twilight Sparkle presses her Geode and activates her telekinesis, picking up the gravel that the Bug left behind. With sounds of cracking and clattering overhead, she moves the entire pile back to the Bug, encasing it head-to-toe with gravel. The Bug thrashes about as it tries shaking the gravel off, but Twilight Sparkle doubles down and clenches her hands into fists, causing the gravel to rub against the Bug faster and faster, degrading into sand. With a great amount of pressure Twilight Sparkle applies to the sand, she compacts it into a sandstone tomb for the Bug as it ceases movement, and its wicked wheezing and beeping peters out. When all was done, her legs tremble and she collapse into Sunset Shimmer's arms.

"Good job, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer congratulated.

As everyone was relieved to see the Bug stop, the stone tomb glows red-hot as steam and smoke spew from cracks, and from those cracks, a haunting noise quietly emanated. From the tomb's face, a fireball shoots out and explodes, blowing a hole wide open to show its pulsating facial organ. With violent jerks of its arms and legs, it breaks out of its stony prison in a matter of seconds, shaking off the rest of the sand peppering its exoskeleton before hobbling towards them.

"What now?!" Pinkie Pie panicked before Rainbow Dash comes to vigorously shake her.

"Pinkie, you know what to do! Movie explosion time! One that'll make Canter Zoom proud!" Rainbow Dash hurriedly demanded.

Pinkie Pie pushes her away before hurriedly searching her pockets, then searches her backpack, producing a sprinkles shaker. "Bombs away!" she tosses a handful of sprinkles at the approaching Bug towards its face, scattering and sticking the candy onto its chest and shoulders. Everyone covers their ears for a boom, but nothing happens, even the Bug is confused and wipes off the sprinkles before resuming its slow pursuit.

"It didn't do anything!" Sunset Shimmer shouted.

"It's just a fluke! Go again, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash encouraged.

Pinkie again scatters sprinkles, but they only decorate the bug like a sinister sundae. With her shaker empty, she rifles through her pockets to grab caramel pieces, gumdrops, and a single piece of sour candy wrapped in clear plastic with a nuclear bomb sticker. She tosses them at the Bug, uselessly covering it in harmless candy. "Nuke incoming!" when she finally flings the sour candy like a baseball, it only bounces off the Bug's dark exoskeleton before being squashed underfoot. Out of candy, Pinkie Pie could do nothing but stare at her impending doom, shocked that her powers failed her in this extremely dire moment.

"Why aren't her powers working?!" Twilight Sparkle wondered panickily.

"Pull the trigger…" the voice in Pinkie Pie's head whispered, and at the same time, she clutches a hard mass that suddenly manifested inside her jacket. "Pull the trigger…"

"Pinkie Pie!" Flash Sentry shouted as he inserts a battery marked with a yellow warning label into Lil Flash. "Get out of the way, I'll—"

Wracked with pressure, she pulls out the pistol and points it at the Bug. "Don't move! I'll shoot!" Pinkie Pie threatened the Bug.

Everyone stares in horror, even the Bug as it stopped moving the moment she pulled it out. Twilight Sparkle searches her pocket for the gun she thought she confiscated, finding no trace of it.

"What's Pinkie holding? Everyone's so freaked-out about it." Ember asked Spike.

"That's a gun. This isn't gonna be pretty." Spike answered, scared more than ever.

"Is that the same one from the hospital?" Fluttershy wondered.

"But she left it behind, didn't she?" Applejack added.

"That's what we were about to tell everyone. On top of her unusual behaviour, this gun somehow found its way back to her, and it's somehow affecting her mental state!" Twilight Sparkle explained hurriedly.

Seeing no action from Pinkie Pie, the Bug daringly takes another step forward. "H-hey, hey! I m-meant it!" Pinkie Pie threatened as her fear rises.

"Pull the trigger…" The Bug stared blankly with its facial organ, letting out its strange garble. "Pull the trigger…" Pinkie Pie shivers as she breaks into a cold sweat. "Pull the trigger…" finally giving in, she puts her finger on the trigger, slowly pulling it back.

"Trigger…"

Before she could fire, her eyes roll back into her head and faints, collapsing onto the floor. "Pinkie!" her friends shouted as Rarity and Twilight Sparkle come to her aid.

When they pick her up, the creature raises its appendages to attack them, but was too slow as the two girls already ran away carrying Pinkie Pie. She was barely conscious while being carried away to safety, dropping her pistol in the chaos.

The last thing Pinkie Pie sees before everything goes dark is a flash of purple light illuminating the cave, accompanied by low-frequency booming.

"Pinkie, you're happy again!" Sunset Shimmer hugged her tightly.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Pinkie Pie responded in her usual happy self. "Sorry, but I gotta get this to Rarity fast!" she runs out the door.

"Wait!" Sunset Shimmer tries to grab her collar. The moment Pinkie Pie steps out the door, she and Sunset Shimmer find themselves standing in a dark, smoke-filled void. "Pinkie, where are we?"

"I…" Pinkie Pie stammered in confusion, finding the souffle gone from her hands. "I remember…" Pinkie Pie muttered, her hair slowly losing colour and flattening.

"Remember what?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"The gun… the Bug… the voices… I couldn't take it…" she whimpered as she becomes increasingly distressed.

"Pinkie, it's gonna be okay." Sunset Shimmer assured Pinkie Pie as she turns her towards her face. "I'm here to save you, so tell—" she looks down at Pinkie Pie's hands and backs away shocked.

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Pinkie Pie asked for Sunset Shimmer to silently point at her hands.

Pinkie Pie raises her right hand, and sees herself holding the pistol. "Ah!" she squeaked before throwing it into the void.

"Pinkie…"

"Sunset… did you hear that?"

"The voice… just like what Twilight told me… it's real…" Sunset Shimmer muttered, terrified of the prospect of something else there with them.

Rising from the smoke are bright white eyes, which both girls recognize as the entity that appeared to combat Torch; designated as The Third. "Wh-who…?" Pinkie Pie whimpered when she freezes, suddenly remembering this has happened before.

"Pinkie!" Sunset Shimmer shakes her back to lucidity. "What is that thing?!" she panicked, looking over her shoulder at the eyes.

"I…" The Third's voice boomed before a cacophony of hushed whispers. "…darkness… and…"

Pinkie Pie pushes Sunset Shimmer aside to face The Third as whispers continue filling their ears. "And what?! Tell me! What?!" she demanded answers with a fury she's never unleashed before. "What are you doing to me?!"

Pinkie Pie raises her hand to point at the eyes, but sees the pistol back in her hands again. "Trigger… pull the trigger…"

"Pinkie, put it down!" Sunset Shimmer shouted.

"I…" Pinkie Pie tries to release her grip, but her hand refuses to let go. "…I can't."

Then, Sunset Shimmer faces The Third for Pinkie Pie. "What are you doing to Pinkie?! Leave her alone!" she demanded.

Instead of a response, The Third extends its massive hand from the smoke, crushing the two girls with a loud crunch.

"Aaah!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she shoots up from her bedroll, drenched in cold sweat, and surrounded by her friends fearfully looking at her. She turns to her right and sees a crying Sunset Shimmer clutching her hand.

"Sunset, what are you doing?" Pinkie Pie asked before Twilight Sparkle and Spike comes to comfort Sunset Shimmer.

"Pinkie, I didn't know you had to go through that… I'm sorry…" Rarity goes in for a hug and started crying too.

"I told them everything about your condition." Twilight Sparkle explained to Pinkie Pie sombrely.

"We knew it was bad… just not this bad." Applejack said as she took off her hat.

"I couldn't even imagine how you felt through all that…" Fluttershy whimpered.

"I… don't even know what to say." Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her neck.

"It sounded like something outta a horror movie." Spike shuddered.

"Saying this as a dragon: hearing what Twilight said was… intense." Ember's eyes were wide open in shock.

"And for it to happen to you of all people… man…" Flash Sentry sighed.

"After driving the bug monster away, we rushed to find what's happening to you." Twilight Sparkle continued.

"I used my empathy powers to look into your mind, and maybe try to wake you up. I… I didn't think I'd see what I saw…" Sunset Shimmer explained.

"Bravo and I studied both your Geode and that weapon. The results… weren't good." Twilight Sparkle continued. "Pinkie, I dunno how to break this to you, but… your Geode's magic's gone."

"G-gone? How?" Pinkie Pie stammered.

"It's completely drained of Equestrian magic. It's why you couldn't use your sugar bombs." Twilight Sparkle explained.

Then Bravo kneels beside Pinkie Pie's left, looking concerned as he presents the gun inside an evidence bag. "Unknown manufacturer and model, no serial number, unidentifiable calibre, and thankfully unchambered." He began explaining. "It's a complete mystery to me, but one thing's for certain: it's covered in portal magic."

"It doesn't make sense. As far as we know, it's not connected to Torch, or The Third." Twilight Sparkle noted in confusion.

"That's what you think. I saw things in Pinkie's dream that should almost answer everything…" Sunset Shimmer started writing into her journal. She wipes her tears, then breathes in deeply, gathering all the confidence she needs. "I was at Pinkie Pie's house. She just took out a souffle outta the oven, said it was for Rarity." She recounted to both her friends and the journal. "When Pinkie Pie left her house, everything went dark, like we stepped into black void. Pinkie and I were so scared… then she pulled out the gun."

"It made it into her dreams, too?" Applejack scratched her head.

"Guns are that scary, huh?" Ember commented.

"Like I said: you have no idea." Spike replied.

"After she threw it away, the eyes appeared behind us… The Third." Sunset Shimmer continued, shocking her friends. "It wasn't like a vision or an illusion, it felt like it was in the same room as us… like it was real."

"I remember now…" Pinkie Pie muttered, drawing her friends' attention. "It talked, and it sounded like the voices I kept hearing all the time."

"What'd it say?" Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie Pie droops her head. "It said it was… darkness, and… was about to say something else." She began explaining. "I was so tired, so angry, I wanted answers out of it so bad… then the gun came back." She fell silent for another moment. "Then, it said to pull…" she covered her face with her hands. "Pull the trigger. It wanted me to pull the trigger…" she cries into her hands, tears dripping from her palms.

"The Third never left after Torch beat it, it's been inside Pinkie the whole time!" Rainbow Dash realized.

"Y-you mean s-she's p-p-possessed?" Fluttershy shivered, taken aback to the revelation.

"It's been haunting my brain… and it's what's been making me bummed-out." Pinkie Pie clutches her head.

"Bummed-out's an understatement, Pinkie. You're straight-up depressed." Flash Sentry added.

"That must be why her Geode no longer works: it's connected to her happiness, and without that, it became inactive." Twilight Sparkle speculated.

"Or The Third could be feeding off her magic to heal itself." Sunset Shimmer added.

"It's… stopping me from being happy? Is that why it torments me whenever I hear the word sm—" Pinkie Pie wondered before covering her mouth, preventing another panic attack.

"But where does the gun fit into all of this?" Rarity wondered.

"Just like Vignette Valencia's phone, Juniper's mirror, and Twilight's watering can, it could be another object enchanted by its dark magic." Sunset Shimmer suggested.

"In light of recent events, I'll have to call backup." Bravo takes out his phone, but then Rainbow Dash stops him.

"Hey, what'd I say? We. Got. This." She assured adamantly. "Why don'cha go and keep guard and make sure the Bug doesn't come back. Tell Furlong what happened, sure, but tell him we're all the backup we need."

"I'm not sure I wanna sleep. I don't wanna see those eyes ever again." Pinkie Pie whimpered.

As she says this, everyone encircles her with their bedrolls. "Then you won't have to do it alone." Twilight Sparkle nodded.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Rainbow Dash confidently declared.

"Dream demons be darned! Nothin'll stop us from helpin' a friend!" Applejack energetically declared.

"We'll brave anything for you." Fluttershy told Pinkie Pie.

"Just sleep tight. We're here for you." Rarity assuredly held Pinkie Pie's hand.

Pinkie Pie smiles, happy and relieved to know her friends are doing all this to cheer her up. "Thank you, and… goodnight… everyone." She lies on her bedroll and shuts her eyes, falling asleep with her friends.

Sunset Shimmer was the last awake, having written closing regards into her journal following a sketch of The Third's eyes. "Hope the princess has some answers when we wake up." She yawns before lying beside Twilight Sparkle.

"So, this is what a slumber party really is about." Ember stares at the circle of bodies before her.

"Like I said: It's not just about the games you play, or all the juicy gossip shared between everyone. It's about the company you share, and sleeping together to grow even closer together as friends." Spike lectured.

"The only other dragon I used to sleep with was my dad. I hope we find him tomorrow." Ember commented as Spike hops onto a dog bed put down for him and Ember.

"For now, you have me." He pats the space beside him, gesturing Ember to sleep with him.

Ember smiles and goes over to Spike, lying down beside him, filling up much of the bed, almost pushing him to the outer edge.

"Comfy?" Spike asked.

"I've slept on rocks. Literally anything's comfier." Ember chuckled.

"Heheh. Goodnight." Spike chuckled back before lowering his head and closing his eyes.

Ember looks down on Spike, then puts her leg around his body, hugging him as she lies her head down.

Bravo stood by the cave entrance, staring at the resting Pinkie Pie. "There's always next time." He looks out to the midnight blizzard, seeing a faint orange glow in the horizon.

Pinkie Pie's eyes open wide, finding herself in the dark void again. "Looks like we're skipping the souffle now, huh?" she nervously chuckled when familiar lights rise behind her. She turns around and expectedly sees The Third ominously looking down upon her as before. "You… you don't scare me anymore! I have friends behind me!" Pinkie Pie shouted defiantly.

"Friends…" The Third muttered.

"Yeah, I got friends, a buncha them! If you're evil and try anything funny, we'll blast you with rainbow lasers!" she shouted.

"Friends… make… smile…" The Third's voice echoes. "...Smile… make… power…"

"So, you are feeding off my magic to get your powers back!" she shouted, suddenly silencing The Third's echoing murmurs. "I want answers! Who are you, why are you tormenting me like this?!"

"I… am…" The Third is drowned out by whispers. "Dark—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're darkness, I got that! Can't you say anything else?!"

The Third silently stares down at Pinkie Pie before speaking again. "You… power… control..."

As expected, The Third thrusts its hands from the smoke and crushes her between its palms. Unexpectedly, Pinkie Pie forces the hands away from her with strength like Applejack's. "Yeah! You bet I'm in control! This is my dreamscape, not yours!" she throws the hands back into the darkness where they came from. "So why don't you take a hike and leave me alone?! If you think you can scare me, then you've got another thing coming!"

Pinkie Pie stares back furiously at The Third, then it starts to let out a booming cackle, scaring her. Along with its hearty laugh, it starts to clap at her, briefly pointing at her with its big finger before back to clapping.

"What's so funny?"

"You… funny…"

It snaps its fingers, and with that, the dream ends.

Pinkie Pie silently opens her eyes wide, seeing a ray of sunshine beaming across her face. She sits up from her bedroll, finding sunshine beaming through the cave entrance and her friends already up and packing up. "Hey, Pinkie's awake!" Spike and Ember pounce on Pinkie Pie's face, alerting everyone.

"Oh, morning, everyone." She smiled meekly, noticing Rarity just woke up leaning beside her with Spike sitting on her chest.

"Good morning, Pinkie Pie." Rarity greeted her as she rubs her eye and Spike leaps off her. "You didn't scream this time. Did something new happen in your dream?" she asked curiously.

"You don't look so spooked anymore. Did you finally tell those oversized lightbulbs to buzz off?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie as she sat beside her.

"When it showed up in my dream, I told it that I've got a whole buncha friends to support me, and if it's evil, we'll blast it with our magic rainbow lasers!" Pinkie Pie boasted, speaking more confidently and cheerfully. "Then, it called me powerful, and something about being in control, I think."

"Then what happened? Did you dream up some dream us' and kick its butt?" Flash Sentry asked.

"When it tried crushing me with its giant hands, I channelled my inner Applejack and stopped it with super strength, then threw them back into the darkness!" Pinkie Pie answered, her hype escalating.

"Sounds like it got yer message loud n' clear! Atta girl!" Applejack whooped with a hat-whirl.

"It's a relief to hear you're standing up to this bully… whatever it is." Rarity let a sigh of relief.

"But after I did that, it just… laughed at me." Pinkie Pie added. "It started clapping, pointing at me, and then it called me funny. That's when the dream ended."

"Now it actually sounded like it was… amused." Twilight Sparkle noted, bewildered by this new development.

"Take it from a former supervillain: we love it when heroes think they got the upper hand. No doubt when it said that, it means it has bigger plans in store for you." Sunset Shimmer commented.

"B-bigger plans?" Pinkie Pie stammered.

"Don't sweat over it too much." Rainbow Dash puts her arm over Pinkie Pie's shoulder. "Like you said: if it tries anything, we'll blast it with magic rainbow lasers! They haven't failed us yet!"

"And the fact you've even stood up to it like this is a step in the right direction." Twilight Sparkle assured.

"Even if she's getting it under control, we still have a load of questions." Flash Sentry commented as he docks Lil Flash into a drone. "What is The Third? Why'd it attack Torch? Is it connected to that bug monster?" he presented a variety of questions, all of which concern his friends.

"Speaking of, how'd you beat the bug monster?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"Let's just say it's camera-shy from now on." Flash Sentry gave a confident look as he patted Lil Flash hovering beside him.

"I haven't gotten a reply from the princess, but I hope she has answers soon." Sunset Shimmer presented her journal.

"Our scientists haven't found anything conclusive yet, either." Bravo approaches them, his parka frosted with a thick sheet of snow.

"Dude, you okay? Feeling a little nippy there?" Rainbow Dash asked him.

"I've been through worse." Bravo responded as he brushes the ice and snow off him.

"The weather's calmed down this morning. It should be safe to trek." Applejack thumbed to the cave entrance.

"Oh, lemme get ready. I don't wanna weigh you guys down more than I already have." Pinkie Pie got up from her bedroll. As she gets up, she feels around her jacket for something, but is soon relieved when the only thing she finds is her phone. "Whew, thought it came back." She wiped her brow before rolling up her bedroll.

As she packs her belongings into her backpack, Bravo continued staring at Pinkie Pie from afar. "Today's the day… today's the day you'll get her." he said to himself as he reaches into his parka, grabbing the evidence bag containing Pinkie Pie's gun. He takes a good, long look at the mysterious weapon before pocketing it.

To be continued…