Wall of forms

The oppressive darkness seemed to stretch endlessly as Gekido dragged Twilight relentlessly through its suffocating depths. Finally, they reached an obstruction - a grotesque wall pulsated with an unnerving rhythm, its surface a macabre tapestry of muscle and bone. Twilight's horror grew as she realized the wall was not merely a structure, but a prison for countless victims, their forms grotesquely merged with the sickening flesh.

Among the trapped souls, Twilight recognized several familiar figures, all of which were from Lord X’s book:

• A young human boy, clad in a red jumpsuit, his face contorted in a silent scream.
• A green robot, its limbs barely held together by damaged magnets, sparks erratically spitting from its exposed wires.
• A dolphin, its once playful expression replaced by a chilling rictus, stars on its head seeming to weep.
• A star-shaped alien, its ethereal glow extinguished, replaced by the ashen hue of death.
• A blue hedgehog, his once vibrant quills matted with blood, his body a gruesome testament to unimaginable torment.
• A yellow rabbit, a red gemstone still embedded in its forehead, its eyes vacant and soulless.

With a contemptuous sneer, Gekido hurled Twilight towards the monstrous wall. The yielding flesh enveloped her legs, imprisoning her within its nightmarish embrace. "Enjoy the show, Princess," Gekido's voice dripped with malice, "Your precious world will soon bow before our master's twisted vision!" His laughter echoed through the darkness as he vanished, leaving Twilight trapped in a horrifying tableau.

Despair threatened to consume Twilight as she surveyed her fellow prisoners. Most had been cruelly blinded, their eyes gouged out in a grotesque mockery of sight. The blue hedgehog's once lively form was now a hollow shell, his innards exposed in a horrifying display of brutality. The star-shaped alien was nothing more than a charred husk, its life force extinguished. The dolphin's fate was equally horrifying, its jaws ripped away, its ribcage exposed in a macabre parody of a smile. The human boy's jaw hung at an unnatural angle, his silent screams forever etched on his face. The yellow rabbit's mouth gaped in a soundless howl, its eyes replaced by empty sockets.

Amidst the despair, a flicker of hope emerged. The green robot, though ravaged by rust and its armor shattered, twitched and stirred. Its voice, a digital rasp laced with static, broke the oppressive silence. "Where... am I?" it questioned, its words barely coherent.

Twilight's heart leaped with a mixture of surprise and hope. "Hey!" she called out, her voice echoing in the chamber of horrors, "What is this place?"

The robot's head turned, its single eye glowing with a faint luminescence. "Who... are you?" it queried, its voice a symphony of glitches and static.

A prayer requested

Lord X, a formidable and ominous presence, materialized once again in the realm of Equestria. This time, however, he was accompanied by a chilling entourage – three of his loyal guardians. Kofuku, the Guardian of Joy, stood at his side, his appearance a grotesque mockery of Pinkie Pie, resembling a terrifying clown with a malevolent grin. Yokubo, the Guardian of Desire, mirrored Rainbow Dash's form but with an unsettling twist – his fur was a stark, chilling white, and his eyes glowed with an insatiable hunger. Lastly, there was Kyofu, the Guardian of Fear, who had assumed the guise of Applejack, but his body was a canvas of horrifying mouths that whispered ceaselessly, their voices laced with terror.

Lord X addressed his guardians, his voice a chilling command, "Remember our purpose." They nodded in unison, their eyes reflecting their unwavering devotion. With that, they dispersed, leaving Lord X alone to enact his sinister plans. However, before he could move, his gaze fell upon Kito, the Guardian of Prayer. Kito had not returned to his side as commanded and instead seemed to have attracted a group of three young fillies who were kneeling before him in supplication. Curiosity piqued, Lord X decided to observe this unexpected development, his mind racing with possibilities.

The three fillies, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, were shrouded in black cloaks emblazoned with an ominous X medallion. Their faces were hidden in the shadows, their voices barely above a whisper as they chanted their prayers. Scootaloo, the most eager of the three, approached the statue of Kito and placed a white, twitching bundle at its base. "My lord... or lady," she pleaded, her voice trembling, "please accept this sacrifice in exchange for a good harvest."

Apple Bloom stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with a disturbing fervor. She handed Scootaloo a gardening trowel, her voice barely audible, "So many souls, so little time." Scootaloo's grip tightened on the trowel, her whisper echoing in the eerie silence, "Indeed." With a chilling finality, she slammed the trowel down onto the writhing bundle, a sickening crunch echoing through the air.

Lord X observed this macabre scene with a mixture of intrigue and satisfaction. It seemed his influence had spread further than he had anticipated, corrupting even the youngest inhabitants of Equestria. A chilling smile spread across his face as he contemplated the chaos and despair he would unleash upon this once-peaceful land. The reign of terror had only just begun.

The sacrifice of a little critter left a smile on Lord X’s face; Kito was able to put the cutie mark crusaders to worship them “very clever, Guardian of Prayer” Lord X said to himself before lighting up his horn.

A good harvest?

Inside the cozy farmhouse on Sweet Apple Acres, Granny Smith, an elderly mare with a lime green coat and gray mane, was feeling disheartened. The harvest season was not looking promising; those pesky critters had been feasting on the apples, leaving little for the family to collect. But, unbeknownst to her, the tide was about to turn.

As Granny Smith busied herself preparing dinner, the kitchen door swung open, revealing Applejack and Big Macintosh. "Hey Granny," Applejack began, her brow furrowed with confusion, "Didn't you say we weren't going to have a good harvest this year?"

Granny Smith turned to face her granddaughter, a hint of resignation in her voice. "I was certain about it, Applejack..." she started, but her words trailed off as her eyes fell upon a sight that made her pause. Three, maybe even four, overflowing baskets of apples were being carried into the kitchen. A wave of astonishment washed over her, and she quickly amended her previous statement, "...I guess I was mistaken."

The sheer quantity of apples was a delightful surprise. Granny Smith couldn't help but smile, her initial misjudgment forgotten. "Big Mac and I are just as surprised as you are, Granny!" Applejack admitted, her voice laced with excitement.

"Eeyup," Big Mac added, his deep voice rumbling through the kitchen.

The unexpected bounty brought a renewed sense of joy to Granny Smith. "Well, in that case, we'll have more than enough apples for when Nightmare Night rolls into Ponyville!" she beamed, her spirits lifted. Turning to her grandson, she continued, "Dinner is almost ready, Big Mac. Can y'all call Apple Bloom and her little friends to come wash their hooves for dinner?"

Big Macintosh nodded in response and ambled out the door, leaving Granny Smith and Applejack to marvel at the unexpected turn of events. The kitchen, once filled with a sense of disappointment, now buzzed with anticipation for the upcoming festivities and the knowledge that, despite the initial setbacks, the harvest would be a bountiful one after all.

Game 2: Hide & Seek

Applejack, taking a break from her farm chores, was approached by her younger sister, Apple Bloom. "Hey sis, could I ask ya somethin'?" Apple Bloom inquired, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Applejack turned to face her, a warm smile gracing her features. "Sure thing, sis, what did y'all want to ask me?"

Before Apple Bloom could voice her request, Scootaloo, ever the energetic one, burst in, "Could you play Hide & Seek with us?!" she exclaimed, her wings fluttering excitedly. Applejack chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Well… I suppose I have time for a quick game," she agreed, indulging her younger sister and her friends.

As Applejack turned around to cover her eyes and began counting, the Cutie Mark Crusaders scurried off, giggling as they searched for the perfect hiding spots. However, the tranquility of the game was shattered when Applejack heard a voice behind her. "Playing hide & seek, are we?" it rasped, the tone sending a shiver down her spine. Despite the distorted sound, Applejack recognized the voice as Twilight Sparkle's. But then, another voice, a chilling imitation of her own, echoed through the air. "She didn't even invite us to play, now that's just hurtful!" it huffed, the resentment palpable.

Applejack's instincts kicked in. She ducked down and delivered a swift kick behind her, aiming to neutralize the threat. Her hooves connected with something solid, sending it flying through the air. "Did I even buck someone? I know that I'm strong but not that strong," Applejack wondered, a flicker of worry crossing her face.

To her horror, she saw not Twilight Sparkle, but a twisted, grotesque version of her friend, and standing beside it, a similarly distorted version of herself. "Mind if we play?" the twisted Twilight asked, a malevolent grin stretching across its face. The twisted Applejack reattached its head, which had been knocked off by the kick, and spoke in a chilling echo of Applejack's own voice. "You have 30 seconds to hide, let's see if you're a better hider than Allan," it said, its tone dripping with menace.

Applejack's heart pounded in her chest as she took in the scene. The once-peaceful apple orchard was now ablaze, flames licking at the trees and casting an eerie glow over the farm. "No!" she cried out, her voice filled with anguish. Her worst fears were confirmed - her little sister and her friends were likely hiding somewhere in the burning orchard. Panic surged through her as she realized she had to find them and get them to safety before it was too late.

Applejack, heart pounding, raced through the once-familiar orchard, now a grotesque mockery of its former self. The gnarled trees had transformed into unsettling organic masses, their bark replaced with pulsating flesh and their fruit rotting and infested with gnashing teeth. The once-sweet scent of apples was replaced with the stench of decay.

Applejack's mind reeled. This couldn't be Sweet Apple Acres. Was she even in Equestria anymore? The sight of the other Applejack and Twilight – twisted, sinister versions of her friends – only deepened the mystery. What were they? And what had happened to her home?

A chilling voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Well, somepony is taking the hide and seek part, really seriously," it cackled, fading into the distance. Applejack, using the distraction, darted to find a new hiding spot.

She stumbled upon one of the orchard's wells. Normally, they were deep, but this one was shallow, as if designed to prevent falls. Before she could jump in, a chilling sight stopped her: a young colt was trapped, his hind legs ensnared in a hole in the ground.

"It's okay, I'm gonna get you out!" Applejack cried, rushing to his aid. But as she pulled, something held the colt's legs fast. His screams pierced the air as an unseen force below began to shred his flesh.

Applejack recoiled in horror, only to lose her footing and tumble into the well. At that moment, the twisted Twilight and Applejack emerged from the shadows.

The colt's screams abruptly ceased. "This pony is actually playing by the rules; impressive, ain't that right Master X?" the distorted Applejack sneered.

"Indeed," a deeper voice replied. "But don't forget, Kyofu; Yokubo informed me that to claim this world, we need the Elements of Harmony. Appearing as their bearers should give us the advantage we need."

Kyofu, the twisted Applejack, tilted her head. "What about the creatures Kito learned about from that Hornhead 'Princess Twilight'? Changelings, she called them?"

"For now, my focus is on the Elements," Lord X declared. "If our information is correct, the Princess of Friendship wields the Element of Magic. That leaves five more to go."

Applejack, trapped in the well, could only listen in terror. The orchard was a prison, her friends were monsters, and a dark force was after the Elements of Harmony. She had to escape, warn the others, and find a way to stop this nightmare before it consumed Equestria.

"Allow us to deal with the remaining element bearers, Master X? I can smell this one's fear, and it's near!" Kyofu's voice, filled with manic eagerness, sent a shiver down Applejack's spine.

"Very well," Lord X responded, his voice laced with an eerie calm. "See to it that you catch her. Do not harm the pony. We need all the element bearers alive, for now." With that, Lord X vanished, leaving an unsettling silence in his wake.

Applejack's gaze fell to her hooves, and she realized with a start that she was standing in water. The well she had been near twisted and warped, transforming into a flooded hallway that stretched into a seemingly endless tower. Water cascaded from the top, creating a sense of claustrophobia and dread.

Turning to flee, Applejack found her path blocked by Kyofu, a malevolent grin spreading across his face. "What's the matter?" he taunted, his voice a chilling imitation of Applejack's own. "Don't tell me you're afraid to resurface for air!"

Panic surged through Applejack, and she bolted in the opposite direction, desperately trying to put distance between herself and the monstrous figure that wore her image. Kyofu's body contorted and twisted, his legs splitting apart and elongating, suction cups forming on their flesh. With a flourish, he cast aside his cloak, revealing a grotesque sight: mouths covered his body, each one whispering threats and obscenities.

"Ready or not," Kyofu's voice boomed, echoing through the waterlogged tower, "here I come!"

Applejack knew she was in a fight for her life, not only for herself but for all of Equestria. Bracing herself, she prepared to face the horrifying creature that stood before her, determined to escape his clutches and warn her friends of the impending danger.

Applejack's heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled up the crumbling stairs, each step a desperate gamble against the rising tide. The once-familiar tower now felt like a monstrous trap, its stone walls slick with the encroaching flood. The air hung heavy with the stench of decay, and the only sounds were the sickening squelch of waterlogged wood and the guttural moans of the reanimated corpses that lurched from the shadows.

Every floor brought a new wave of terror. Rotting ponies, their eyes vacant and limbs contorted, reached for her with grasping hooves. Grotesque griffons, feathers matted with grime, snapped their beaks with a sickening hunger. Even the corpses of dragons and hippogriffs, their scales dull and flesh putrid, thrashed against the walls, widening the cracks and hastening the tower's collapse.

The floodwaters surged higher with each passing moment, a relentless tide that carried with it the detritus of the tower's demise. Broken furniture, shattered glass, and the skeletal remains of long-forgotten creatures swirled in the murky depths, creating a macabre tableau of death and decay.

And then there was Kyofu, his monstrous form a grotesque mockery of life. His new tendril-like legs propelled him upwards with terrifying speed, each movement a testament to his unnatural power. His eyes, glowing with an unholy light, fixated on Applejack with a predatory intensity.

"I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!" His voice, a raspy growl that echoed through the crumbling tower, sent a fresh wave of terror through Applejack. She knew that she was running out of time, that the tower was doomed, and that Kyofu was closing in. But even in the face of such overwhelming odds, she refused to give up. She would fight to the bitter end, even if it meant facing her own demise.

Applejack, fueled by a desperate surge of adrenaline, propelled herself forward with every ounce of strength she could muster. Her breath came in ragged gasps, each stride a testament to her unwavering determination. A glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes as she spotted a potential escape route, a beacon of salvation amidst the encroaching darkness.

But the path to freedom was rapidly closing. The exit, a shrinking sliver of light, taunted her with its fleeting promise. With a desperate lunge, Applejack slid under the descending door, her heart pounding in her chest. The heavy barrier slammed shut behind her, its unforgiving edge catching the back of her hoof with bone-jarring force.

The impact was devastating. Applejack's hoof was severed cleanly, the agonizing pain too intense for even a whimper. Her voice caught in her throat, silenced by the overwhelming shock. As if summoned by her despair, Kyofu materialized before her, his ominous presence casting a chilling pall over the already dim corridor.

Applejack, trapped and helpless, found herself cornered with nowhere to run. The last vestiges of hope dwindled as the remaining light in the hallway flickered and died, leaving her shrouded in suffocating darkness. Despair washed over her, and with a heavy heart, she resigned herself to her grim fate.

Found you!

The barn was filled with the rustling of hay and the soft murmurs of hidden ponies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, masters of hide-and-seek in their own right, had chosen their spots carefully. Apple Bloom, ever the practical one, nestled close to the ground, her eyes scanning the entrance for any signs of approaching hooves. Scootaloo, always up for a challenge, balanced precariously atop Sweetie Belle, their combined height giving them a better view.

Despite their efforts, Applejack, with her years of experience and intimate knowledge of the barn's nooks and crannies, easily discovered their hiding spot. "Found ya'll!" she declared, her voice booming through the barn. The Crusaders, startled and disappointed, emerged from their hiding places. Sweetie Belle, her voice tinged with disbelief, asked, "How did you know we were hiding here?" Applejack chuckled, a twinkle in her eye. "Sugarcube," she drawled, "I knew all the best hiding spots in this barn when Big Mac and I played hide-and-seek. You'll have to try harder than that to fool an old farm pony like me!"

Meanwhile, in the orchard, a scene of a far more sinister nature was unfolding. Applejack lay helpless beside an old well, her limbs bound tightly with rope, a gag stifling any cries for help. The air crackled with an ominous energy as Lord X materialized before her, his form shimmering with dark power. His voice, a chilling echo of Twilight Sparkle's, yet twisted and corrupted, sent shivers down Applejack's spine. "I hope you don't mind letting the Guardian of Fear take your place for a while," he purred, his tone dripping with malice. "I have a book to retrieve and a world to shape." With a final, chilling glance at the captured pony, Lord X's magic surged, enveloping Applejack in a dark vortex. In an instant, they vanished, leaving behind only the eerie silence of the orchard and the chilling promise of a world plunged into darkness.

Author's Note

list of victims on the wall:

Alex Kidd (Deceased).
Vectorman (Online).
Ecco the Dolphin (Deceased).
Ristar (Deceased).
Sonic the Hedgehog (Deceased).
Carbuncle (Deceased).

The forms Lord X's Guardians take on:

Kito: a Twilight Sparkle statue.
Ken'o: Starlight Glimmer.
Kofuku: Pinkie Pie.
Gekido: Rarity.
Zetsubo: Fluttershy.
Kyofu: Applejack.
Yokubo: Rainbow Dash.

The Flooding Tower chase was inspired by Mr. Pixel's Sonic.EXE: One More Time Repixeled Abandoned Zone (Same with the Hide & Seek Segment).

Who's Next:

• Fluttershy
  
• Rainbow Dash
  
• Scootaloo
  
• Apple Bloom
  
• Big Macintosh
  
• Pinkie Pie
  
• Rarity
  
• Sweetie Belle