Ponycraft: The Maw of Insanity

“Hey, Ruby. I'm hoooooooome!” Yelled Berry Punch as she came into the house with Cannon behind her. Two heads popped up from behind the couch. Carees and Ruby looked at Berry with the same surprised, embarrassed face.

“Judging by how Cuddles is laying on the floor... I know what went on here. Dammit it's only 3:00, too. Can you guys just not wait?” Berry asked, clearly acting impatient.

“Wow... I didn't even notice him there. That poor, miserable creature.” Ruby went over to pet the twitching raptor.

“Hey, uhh... Rubes... can we maybe go to the park a little later? Just you an' me?”

“Why not now?” Ruby asked. Not the response Berry was expecting.

“Uhh... I dunno. I thought maybe you were... ehem... busy.” Berry gave Ruby a sarcastic face.

Ruby played it off. “Ahah! No, it's fine. What? Ya need to talk 'bout something?”

Berry nodded. “Uhh... yeah... just somethin' a lil' personal, between you and me. That's all.”

“Well, come on, then! Let's go! Oh, I'll be back in a bit, sweetheart!” Ruby yelled to Carees.

Berry turned to Cannonbolt. “See ya, Cannon. Be back in a bit!”

The two mares walked out the door and starting walking toward the park. Ruby spoke up. She was in a ridiculously good mood and Berry hated to ruin it.

“Listen, Rubes... I know you love Kreese, girl. I really do. I see it every day. But I'm kinda feeling... neglected. Sorry if that sounds snobbish.”

Ruby's face turned to a begging eyes frown. “I'm... neglecting you? In what way?”

“Just... I come home, say hello, but I'm always interrupting something, and you always want to continue it. I am forced to be with Cannonbolt. Not that it's a bad thing, he's the love of my life, but... I starting to feel... alone. We aren't doing anything together anymore.” Berry looked down with a huge frown.

“Berry, we're in this adventure together, not alone. Carees and Cannonbolt are two new stallions with a feeling I've never experienced before... I'm just trying to learn.”

“But that's just it! You want to learn more and more, so you experiment more and more... I don't even remember the last time we went to Punch Cavern together. As a matter of fact... I don't remember the last time we laughed together...” Berry was on the verge of crying.

“A-am I experimenting too much? Tell me.” Ruby insisted.

“Yes! I find no time anymore to be with my best friend. Sometimes I think you've forgot about me because of your relationship.”

“Berry... remember what I chose back when I had the nightmare? I chose a thousand deaths. Why? Because I believe and you and love you as my friend.”

Berry had a tear run down her cheek as she stopped. “That doesn't mean I still feel ignored! I had a nightmare last night... in that nightmare... I wished you and Kreese never got together. In fact, I wished Kreese didn't exist at all.”

Ruby stopped. “You WHAT!? But he's your friend, as Cannon is mine!”

Berry bawled out. “I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! My stupid brain did it! I didn't want to think that!”

Ruby crossed her arms. “If you never wanted to, your brain wouldn't have done it.”

Berry pleaded Ruby. “Please! I'm sorry! I just... I just... I just want to feel loved by ponies. I'm just a selfish bitch. I deserve to be neglected...”

Ruby turned around. “You just can't wish somepony never existed! Let alone my boyfriend!”

Berry fell to the ground. “I can't do anything to make that statement up. I'm not gonna try... I'm just an evil, insane pony...”

Ruby just remembered what Algalon had told her. She didn't want this moment to come so fast. “...I forgive you.”

Berry looked up, tears streaming down her. “You... you do?”

Ruby sighed. “Yes... yes I do. C'mere, give me a hug.”

Berry pulled herself up and raced toward Ruby and gave her a big, warm hug. “Oh, I'm so sorry.” Shw whispered  into Ruby's ear.

“It's alright, Berr, it's alright.”

That hug sank into Ruby. She really felt that Berry meant this hug as an apology, and she accepted it. After about 2 minutes of blind hugging, the wind started to blow hard in the park.

“Hey, what's with the wind? It shouldn't be windy today.” Berry said, breaking the hug.

“I don't know. This is strange, I don't sense anything bad though.”

A ringing sound started to pierce their ears as the leaves of the park started to circle in a mysterious spot. The other ponies covered their ears and others came to see what the ruckus was about.

“What's going on!?” Yelled Berry.

“I don't-- wait! I know that sound from somewhere!”

A wa-wa type sound affect started to join in. Ruby knew exactly what was going on now. She grew a huge smile.

“I don't believe it!!” She yelled.

Out of thin air, an odd metal ship appeared out of the twisting nether. It was the appearance of something totally familiar to Ruby, but Berry and everyone in the park were clueless. The ship had a big round nose. It landed and made a “meep” sound. Ruby rushed up to it, Berry carefully following.

“Ruby... what the hell is this thing?”

“It's... It's...!!!!”

“It's what!?”

The bottom of the ship opened and a ramp came out. Two brown shoes were seen at the top. What was it?

“Is that you, Dr. Andonuts!?” Ruby was jumping up and down.

“Oh, my! Giygas! Is that you, young one?”

Ruby's smile grew even greater. The strange thing started to walk down the ramp. When it had reached the bottom, it looked strange to everypony. The being had white hair, a white mustache, walked on 2 feet, and was wearing a white lab coat. It also had hands!

“Giygas, sweetheart, what bizarre world have you been transported to? Are these beings... horses? I set the phase distorter to find you and here you are! Come out, little peanuts! It's okay!”

“World Safe? ME comE OUT NoW! Zoom!”

Suddenly, from out of the odd ship, little tan creatures came out of the ship. They were almost identical to the ship's looks.

“Mr. Saturn! How are you guys doing!? It's been forever!”

“Good Do! Boing! BUd dEFEaT Pork-Fork, Good? Zoom!”

“Yep! Porky's done! But we got another HUGE problem! Bigger problem than Porky! We got the god of insanity to deal with now! Oh my pardon, Dr.! This is the mare that stuck with me all the way in order to defeat Porky! Meet Berry Punch!”

“Oh! So you are horses! How smashing! I am Doctor Albert Andonuts! A pleasure to meet Giygas's friends any day!”

“Yep! Nice to meet cha, too! She goes by Ruby now, by the way.”

“A name change? Might I ask why?” Dr. Andonuts rubbed his beard.

“Because Giygas sounds stupid in this world! Well, anyway, Dr. Andonuts, what brings you to me?”

Dr. Andonuts held up his finger. “Ah, I'm glad you asked that, my dear. I have come to give you something to enhance your power, if you so need it.”

Berry was expressionless on the outside. But she was thinking in her mind. Star-Dammit! AGAIN!? Why does she always get the cool things!? Buck her!

Berry's eyes widened as she realized what she just thought. She thought about smacking herself, but resisted.

Dr. Andonuts had pulled out a bracelet for her to wear.

Ruby flinched. “Oh, hang a sec.” Ruby faced the crowd of curious ponies. “It's okay! He's from where I was from! He's friendly!”

The crowd of ponies edged closer. “So whatcha got there, doctor?” Ruby said.

“This, my dear, is a bracelet of truth. I've invented not too long ago, and thought you might need it. You obviously do not possess your true power in this form, so I'm giving you this bracelet. Put it on, and it will transform you back into your original self. Do not worry, you won't be out of control.”

Ruby stuttered. “M-my old self? My Giegue form!? Can I try it on?”

The doctor handed her the device. “Certainly, my dear... Ruby.”

Berry got nervous. Her old form? So I get to see what she really looks like? Sweet! She thought.

Slowly, Ruby put on the bracelet and darkness surrounded her. It enveloped her whole body.

“Stand back so you do not get caught in it!” Dr. Andonuts yelled. A bright light flashed them. When it cleared up, they couldn't believe what they saw. They all stared opened mouthed at the being they saw before them.

Ruby looked up at Dr. Andonuts. “Well, did it work?”

“Have a look for yourself.” Dr. Andonuts said as the Mr. Saturns brought down a mirror. She almost didn't believe what she saw in the mirror. It had been so long.

Ruby gasped. “I... I don't believe it!”