Full Friendship's Magic #3 (The Inner monster)

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Seeing her friends’ sincere looks, Rainbow Dash let out a deep sigh and nodded. Meanwhile, back on the ground floor, Twilight paced back and forth, deep in thought, while Rarity and Fluttershy patiently waited for their other friends to return.

Fluttershy glanced around the room and noticed something was off. “Pinkie Pie is missing. . .” she murmured, concern creeping into her voice. Quietly, she slipped away from the group to search for the pink mare.

Fluttershy ascended the stairs and noticed Pinkie Pie’s door slightly ajar. Peeking inside, she froze. Pinkie Pie was climbing over the windowsill, clearly intent on sneaking out.

“Pi-Pinkie! Where are you going?” Fluttershy gasped, rushing inside.

“I’m going out there to talk to Pizza Pie,” Pinkie Pie declared resolutely, her mane slightly deflated from worry.

Fluttershy darted forward and grabbed Pinkie’s tail. “B-But Twilight said to stay here until she comes up with a plan-”

“I’m tired of waiting for Twilight’s plan!” Pinkie interrupted, struggling to pull her tail free. “It didn’t work the first time, and Cousin isn’t going to stop unless I talk to her. So let go!”

“No!” Fluttershy’s voice, though trembling, held firm. “It’s too dangerous, Pinkie Pie, especially by yourself. We all agreed that we’re going to bring your cousin back together.”

“I said let go, Fluttershy!” Pinkie snapped, pulling harder.

“What happened to ‘friends for life’?” Fluttershy’s voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. “What you’re doing is reckless. You don’t care what happens to you. . . Do you?”

Pinkie froze, taken aback by Fluttershy’s rare boldness.

“Rainbow Dash was right,” Fluttershy continued, her tears now flowing freely. “You just want things to go your way. You only care about your own happiness!”

Pinkie Pie’s anger faltered, and she turned slowly to face her friend. Fluttershy’s tears struck her like a blow, and Pinkie’s shoulders slumped. She climbed back inside, collapsing onto the floor. “How could I let this happen, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Pinkie. . . Sometimes, things just happen.”

Pinkie stared at the floor, tears pooling in her eyes. “I know, but why did I let it happen? How could I?” She turned to the window, staring out at the horizon. “She isn’t the type of pony to mess with magic. . . You girls warned me about it, but I didn’t listen. . .”

“No,” Fluttershy insisted, shaking her head. “You were just trying to support your cousin’s change. We can’t blame you for that. Besides, it’s our fault for doubting her too.”

Tears spilled onto Pinkie’s hooves as she sobbed. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. . . I’m so sorry for everything...”

The sound of galloping hooves echoed from the stairs as the rest of their friends rushed into the room. They found Pinkie Pie in tears, with Fluttershy comforting her. The group exchanged worried glances before stepping forward to join the pink mare.

“There, there, Pinkie,” Rarity said softly, patting her back. “We won’t give up on dear Pizza Pie. She’s our friend, and she needs our help.”

“I agree,” Twilight added, her voice steady. “We’ve already made a promise to bring her back, no matter what it takes.”

“Girls. . .” Pinkie whispered, her voice trembling.

“You said it, Twilight,” Applejack said as she entered with Rainbow Dash. “And it’s gonna take all of us to do just that, right, Rainbow?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated, glancing at Pinkie Pie. Her guilt was written all over her face. “I. . . I want to say something. . .” She scratched her head nervously. “About earlier. . . what I said. . . I didn’t mean any of it—”

Before she could finish, Pinkie Pie threw her hooves around her in a tight hug. “I know. And I’m sorry for what I said too.”

Rainbow gave a sheepish smile. “Hey, don’t sweat it, okay? I told Applejack it didn’t bother mE.”

Pinkie giggled, wiping her tears. “But are you sure, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Rainbow grinned. “And again, I’m sorry for everything I said. So. . . are we cool?-Oof!”

Pinkie hugged her tighter. “Cool as an ice cream sundae.”

The others smiled as the two patched things up. They gathered for a group hug, but a loud stomping noise from outside shattered the moment.

Rainbow Dash pulled back. “Now that’s out of the way. . . Do we have a plan to stop Pizza Pie yet?”

“Not yet,” Twilight admitted, pacing again. “Magic won’t work against her. She can absorb it at least, that’s what I suspect. . .”

“So what now? We go without magic?” Applejack asked, peering out the window.

“That won’t be enough,” Rarity said, shaking her head. “Oh, Twilight, what about those changeling shards from your brother’s competition?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, then dimmed as she facehoofed. “They were confiscated by the princesses in Canterlot... Even if we had them, we wouldn’t be able to use our magic.”

“What can we use?” Rainbow asked, growing impatient.

“I know!” Fluttershy piped up. “What about the Smooze?”

“The Smooze?” Rarity grimaced. “Please tell me you don’t mean the one from the Gala...”

“I do,” Fluttershy admitted, blushing. “Discord left some of it at my cottage, and he never came to pick it up.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “The Smooze! Of course! It blocks magic and can immobilize anything it touches. Fluttershy, you’re brilliant!”

Fluttershy blushed. “Oh... Thank you. But how will we get it close to her?”

“With this!” Pinkie declared, rolling in her party cannon. “We can load it in here and fire it at her, like a surprise slime prank!”

“Great thinking, Pinkie,” Twilight said, nodding. “But we need to hit her from multiple angles. Can you bake the Smooze into cakes to trick her?”

“You can count on me!” Pinkie saluted. “A dozen Smooze pies, coming right up!”

“I’ll help her bake,” Applejack offered. “It’ll go faster if we work together.”

“Perfect!” Twilight said. “Me, Fluttershy, and Rainbow will fetch the Smooze. Rarity and Applejack, help Pinkie bake. Let’s move!”

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Starlight, Trixie, and Discord approached Ponyville, the trio growing uneasy as the sky shifted to a strange hue. Their unease deepened when a massive crystal wall loomed before them, stretching out of sight and cutting off the village from view. Discord stopped his conjured chariot, snapping it out of existence with a puff of smoke.

Trixie stepped forward, tapping the crystalline barrier with a hoof. “This wasn’t here when we left.”

“You don’t say?” Discord quipped, rolling his eyes.

Starlight studied the structure, her brow furrowed. “This seems new. . . but why would someone put this here?”

Trixie huffed and turned to Discord. “Well, whatever it’s for, Trixie cannot stand this eyesore. You! Use your chaos magic to get rid of it.”

Discord scoffed, folding his arms. “Excuse me? I am the spirit of chaos, not your personal servant. Whatever happened to being partners, hmm?”

“As your partner, Trixie demands you remove this wall.”

“Demanding, are we? Perhaps this is why you didn’t get that job at Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship.”

Trixie gasped. “I thought we agreed never to speak of-”

“Enough! Knock it off, you two,” Starlight interjected, her voice sharp. She glanced around warily. “Did you hear that?”

The bickering ceased, and the trio fell silent. A deep, rhythmic stomping echoed from the other side of the wall. Starlight nodded toward Discord, who cracked his knuckles dramatically. With a theatrical flourish, he conjured a door into the wall.

“After you,” Discord said, bowing as he opened the door. The two mares stepped through cautiously, with Discord following behind.

Ponyville lay in ruins. Broken houses and uprooted trees were scattered across the desolate streets. Craters marred the ground, and not a single sign of life stirred. The air felt heavy, charged with an unnatural stillness.

Starlight took the lead, her eyes darting around. “What happened here?”

Discord floated lazily above, his expression uncharacteristically grim. “I remember Ponyville being a bit more. . . colorful. This is peculiar.”

Trixie trailed behind, her voice trembling. “W-What do you think happened, Starlight? And. . . c-could you slow down?”

Starlight silenced her with a firm hoof. “I don’t know, but it looks like something drove everypony out of town. We should be cautious.”

“So. . . does that mean it’s just us and. . . whatever caused this?” Trixie stammered.

“Most likely,” Starlight replied, her voice steady despite the ominous surroundings. She turned to Discord. “Can you scout ahead? See if you spot anyone?”

Discord saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain Starlight.” He plucked out his own eye, which morphed into a telescope. Peering through it, he surveyed the ruins. “Hmm. . . rubble, rubble. . . more rubble. . . and oh, what a waste of cinnamon nuts.”

“Do you think it could be an Ursa Major?” Trixie asked, her voice tinged with fear.

Starlight glanced at her. “Ursa Major? You mean the one you. . . faced during your first visit to Ponyville?”

“Uh. . . yeah. Intense times, heh-heh. . .” Trixie gave a nervous smile. “About that story. . .”

“What about it?”

While the two unicorns were preoccupied, the Draconequus caught sight of something in the distance. His eyes narrowed, and he zoomed in for a closer look. "(Hmmmm. . . Wait. . . Is that who I think it is. . . ?)"

"Wa-Wait. So you're telling me that the story about you facing an Ursa Major was just a lie?"

"Technically, it was just an Ursa Minor that Twilight fended off. . . but-"

Starlight facehoofed in embarrassment. "No wonder Twilight laughed at me when I told them that story. You lied to me about the whole thing! And Twilight knew about it? Why didn't she tell me?"
“Ladies, ladies,” Discord interrupted, waving a claw dismissively. “As much as I’d love to hear more about Trixie’s factual inaccuracies, I think I’ve found our culprit.” He detached his telescope eye and handed it to Starlight. “Take a look.”

Starlight peered through the telescope, her breath catching. “A pony? Wait… I recognize that mane. Isn’t that…?”

“Let me see!” Trixie grabbed the telescope and squinted through it. “Hey, isn’t that the pony who slipped on the punch bowl?”

“Pinkie Pie’s cousin,” Starlight murmured. Her voice wavered. “But… what happened to her?”

Discord’s tone turned sardonic. “Of all the ponies to start another crisis, it had to be one of Pinkie Pie’s relatives. Really, these girls can’t catch a break.”

“That’s strange,” Trixie said, tilting her head. “She wasn’t a unicorn before.”

“Unicorn?” Starlight and Discord exclaimed simultaneously.

Discord reclaimed the telescope, reattaching it to his face. His expression grew more serious as he studied the pony in question. “Since when does that bootleg Pinkie Pie have a horn? Surely she didn’t gain it with a simple spell…”

“What are you muttering about?” Starlight pressed.

Discord blinked and shrugged. “I can’t confirm anything from here. We’ll need to get closer to figure this out.”

“Hey! Trixie saw what Trixie saw,” the sapphire unicorn snapped. “It was a horn. You’d have to be blind not to see it.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Starlight said firmly. “We’ll investigate, but we keep our distance. Understood?”

The trio nodded. With a flash of Starlight’s magic, they teleported closer to the scene. As they moved cautiously toward the center of town, the distant figure of Pizza Pie, now radiating a menacing red aura, turned her attention toward Sugarcube Corner.

Inside the bakery, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity worked tirelessly, half-finished cakes and trays of dough filling the space. Their other friends had just returned, carrying a large vat of leftover Smooze. Unaware of the approaching danger, they continued their frantic efforts, the sweet aroma of baked goods masking the tension looming outside.

“We got the stuff, Applejack,” said Rainbow Dash, pushing the gallon of Smooze toward her.

“Bout time too. We’re almost done with the third batch,” replied Applejack, pointing at the growing pile of dough. “Hope this is enough, Twilight.”

“It’s more than enough.” Twilight nodded. “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, help Applejack mix the Smooze with the dough. I’ll assist Rarity with the baking, and Pinkie, you-wait, Pinkie?” Twilight glanced around, realizing the pink mare was missing. “Where's Pinkie Pie?”

“Um. . . she was here a minute ago. . .” Fluttershy murmured, looking uncertain.

“I’m here!” Pinkie Pie’s voice rang out as she bounded into the room, dragging her party cannon and a bulging sack behind her. “I brought extra balloon packs we can mix with the Smooze!” She upended the sack onto the floor, the unused balloons spilling everywhere. “It’ll be like waterballoons, but stickier!”

“Great thinking,” Twilight smiled approvingly. “Set them all up Pinkie Pie, and as for the rest of us let’s start baking.”

The ponies split up, each taking a chunk of the Smooze to their stations, putting their ambitious plan into motion.

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Outside, behind the ruins of a collapsed house, Discord, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie observed the chaos. Starlight peeked cautiously around the wall, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the figure in the distance. The massive, raging form of Pizza Pie radiated red-tinged magic, a far cry from the cheerful pony they once knew.

“That’s Pizza Pie, all right,” Starlight confirmed grimly. “But she’s completely changed—like she’s a unicorn now.”

“See!” Trixie declared, pointing triumphantly at Discord. “The Great and Perceptive Trixie is always right!”

“Yes, yes,” Discord said dismissively, crossing his arms. “No need to gloat. (But that magic. . . it feels familiar, far too familiar. . .),” he muttered under his breath.

Starlight glanced at Discord, noting his sudden shift in demeanor. Her suspicions piqued, she asked carefully, “Discord, do you know what caused this? What turned Pizza Pie into. . . this?”

“Unfortunately, I have no idea,” Discord replied with a theatrical shrug. “But if I had to guess? It might be some cliché magic spell gone horribly wrong.”

“Cliché’ doesn’t explain how she flipped this entire town upside down,” Trixie said, gesturing toward the wreckage. “Though Trixie would be mad too if she were humiliated at a gathering.”

“What kind of spell could transform a pony into a unicorn? And one this destructive?” Starlight pressed.

“It could be anything.” Discord rubbed his chin, a flicker of unease in his eyes. “(But if I’m correct . . how? How could that resurface after all these centuries? I gave up searching, it was lost, no trace- unless. . .)”

“Discord? Hey!-” Trixie waved her hat in front of his face. “Equestria to Discord! Are you still with us?”

“Wha-Huh?” Discord blinked and looked down. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Of course, it’s me! How long are you going to stand there like an idiot?” Trixie snapped. “You've been acting weird since we got here.”

"Well, excuse me for having my suspicions," Discord replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Clearly, you don't see the gravity of the situation if you're going to act so spiteful."

"Trixie is not being spiteful!" Trixie said, fuming with anger.

Starlight stepped between them, cutting off their bickering. “Trixie, you’re not helping.”

“I agree with Starlight.” Discord smirked. “But honestly, you’ve been nothing but ungrateful for my assistance. Maybe I should have pulled a prank or two-”

“Aha!” Trixie interrupted, pointing an accusatory hoof. “Trixie knew it! You can’t resist causing chaos!”

“Shh! Guys, keep it down!” Starlight hissed.

"Ah, I was planning to, but then I decided to help instead. For Starlight’s sake. Besides, your acts wouldn’t make much of an impact with any of our help anyway."

"Guys, stop-"

"Well, excuse me! If Trixie’s not a power-crazed, mismatched, chaotic jerk with magic big enough to match your ego! Ugh… Trixie is still baffled how Fluttershy puts up with your attitude. She must be spineless to even think about saying no to you-"

Discord angrily yanked Trixie by the cape and pulled her face-to-face with him. "Say another word about Fluttershy, and I’ll throw you into the shadows realm-"

With her friends ignoring her and arguing, the lilac pony lost her composure and shouted, "I said… QUIET!"

Starlight’s voice echoed across the area, carelessly exposing their location. The raging Pizza Pie froze, her glowing eyes snapping toward their direction. Panicking, they quickly hid behind the wall.

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The ponies from Sugarcube Corner heard the commotion, and one of their friends peered out the window to investigate.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, her brow furrowed. "Fluttershy, do you see anypony outside?"

"Um. . . no, Twilight. I don’t see anypony except Pizza Pie walking away."

"She’s probably trying to figure out where that scream came from, whoever it was. . ." Applejack mused. "Are you done over there, Rarity?"

"Patience, dear." Rarity and Rainbow Dash pushed a wagon full of freshly baked Smoozed cakes out of the kitchen. "The cakes are all done, Twilight."

"And so are the Smooze balloons!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, pushing another wagon filled with balloons.

Twilight inspected the wagons, nodding in approval. "That’s plenty. Now gather around, girls." She projected a visual image on the table. "The plan is just like last time. We each carry a saddle of balloons with us, then we split up and attack her from different angles. Aim at her hooves, tail, and horn until she’s completely immobilized. Once we have her, Pinkie Pie can finish by firing the cakes from her party cannon until Pizza Pie is completely covered. Lastly, Rarity and I will encase her in crystal, locking her in place along with the Smooze inside. . . So, is everypony ready?"

The ponies nodded enthusiastically and shouted, "Ready!" They placed their hooves in the center, stacking them one atop the other, with Twilight being the last to join in.

"Now, I don’t know if this plan will work, or if it’s even the right thing to do. But remember, she’s still the Pizza Pie we met, and our friends’ long-time cousin."

They turned to Pinkie Pie, who smiled despite the tears running down her face, feeling the full support of her friends. Her two friends patted her back as she wiped her face, hyping herself up for their plan.

"So, for the sake of Ponyville, let’s give it our all and do whatever it takes to bring her back."

Then, Pinkie Pie suddenly broke the tension with her usual humor. "Oh my gosh, I just realized... Her birthday is next week!"

". . ."

"Seriously?! Right after that speech-"

Twilight cut off Rainbow Dash, her tone firm. "Alright, let’s go."

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Just outside, the two unicorns and the Draconequus remained hidden behind the wall, listening as hoofsteps drew closer. Trixie nervously peeked out and gasped, her eyes meeting two glowing red ones locking onto her. She quickly ducked back behind the wall.

"She definitely saw us! What do we do, Starlight? What do we do?!" she shrieked, shaking the lilac pony in a panic.

Starlight pushed Trixie away, staggering slightly as she regained her balance. "Will you stop?! I told you two to be quiet, and now she’s on to us!"

"Hmph! Like that even matters," Discord interjected, cracking his fingers confidently. "You ladies stay here while I take care of this. (This way, I can confirm if my assumptions are true.)"

"This isn’t a good time to show off, Discord," Starlight snapped, stepping in front of him. "We need to analyze this situation before engaging."

Discord rolled his eyes dramatically. "Ugh. . . now you sound just like Princess Twilight. But if you insist, very well. Let’s analyze her magic—up close, shall we?" His grin turned menacing.

"Hey, what about me?" Trixie cut in.

"Trixie, it’s too dangerous! We don’t even know what Pizza Pie is capable of—"

"Nonsense, Starlight," Trixie interrupted, puffing out her chest. "Trixie is more than capable of facing any danger. Well, except for that Ursa Minor incident but still, the three of us can handle one power-crazed pony."

Discord hesitated before sighing. "Fine, I guess you can help. But you’re the sidekick this time."

"Si-si-sidekick?!" Trixie sputtered, her pride clearly wounded.

Before their argument could continue, a magic beam blasted through the wall between them, sending dust and debris flying. They froze as the smoke cleared, revealing the raging Pizza Pie standing menacingly close. Her fiery glare bore into them as the three teleported to safety, reappearing outside the wall to face the threat head-on.

"Stay together," Starlight instructed, her voice steady despite the tension. "It’s three of us against just her. Let’s be cautious and handle this carefu-"

A sudden, shrill battle cry cut through the air, catching them off guard. They glanced around but saw no one until, with a flash of light, Twilight and her friends teleported into the fray. Armed with balloons and cakes, they descended from above, diving straight toward the raging Pizza Pie, ready to face her for a second time.

"Twilight?! . . . Everypony?! . . . What the hay is going on?!" Starlight shouted in bewilderment.

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~ To be continued