“Okay, now I'm starting to get really worried. I can't figure out what our problem is, and I think it's getting worse. Something is wrestling control of reality away from us, and I have no way of fixing it. In lesser hands, this could be incredibly dangerous. You probably don't understand this, but I work very hard to keep those abilities in check and make sure Equestria doesn't get completely destroyed by the chaos. I'm not nearly that cruel.”

“So...are we going to finish this story or is this more important?”

“Please, I am a professional. I'm not going to let a possible threat to all reality and existence keep me from making fun of two virgins in high school.”

“Are you sure? That sounds like a perfect reason to take a break. Should I get my friends together to do something?”

“That's not really going to be possible, considering Twilight is in another dimension. Unless you've got a plan that doesn't involve the Elements of Harmony.”

“Did...did you plan this? Did you put her in another dimension just so there wouldn't be a power to stop you?”

“You jump to conclusions, Lyra. I've got no desire to conquer Equestria anymore, and I thought we established this wasn't my power doing this. I just don't know how to fix it, so it's for the best we don't concern ourselves. Let's get back to the story we're following.”

“Uh...okay. Sure.”

“Do you really think so? I think stopping the threat is clearly our highest priority here.”

“NOT LISTENING TO YOU! LALALALA!”

“Explain to me why we're in a bakery, when we could be doing more important things to prepare?” Bristle was not pleased that their group was sitting in Sugarcube Corner.

Twilight questioned him. “What sort of 'more important things' would you suggest?”

“We're going to be fighting later today, I would suggest picking up some weapons. We could be a badass party! I could wield a katana, one of you could use dual pistols, there'd be a martial artist expert, and we'll need a dedicated healer, I nominate Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy looked like she might have been considering the offer when Rainbow interjected. “I thought our plan was to just win support and humiliate Sunset Shimmer, I don't remember anything about fighting, and I'm 100% certain 'murder' is not necessary.”

Bristle took a sip of his drink. “I like to be prepared. Besides, give me one good reason I shouldn't just walk around with a katana in a sheath on my back at all times.”

Rarity took the duty of responding to that one. “It could have something with that being illegal.”

“Yes, but it's badass. Besides, I have to settle with a sword, because Beam Katanas don't actually exist. It's like a lightsaber, but enemies still bleed when they're bisected. A much more visceral experience.”

Now Fluttershy was scared, slowly sinking under the table. The rest of their friends were looking at Bristle like he was insane, and he didn't say anything to dispel their fears. He just took a long, slow sip from his juice.

“Give him credit, he's got a good head on his shoulders. A bloodthirsty one, but a good one nonetheless.”

“Okay, fine, I get it. No weapons. Then you guys better be prepared to punch her out if it comes to that. I hope you've got some muscles.”

Twilight reached down next to her chair, at which point her eyes widened and she began frantically patting the floor beneath her. “I...I forgot my bag at the school.”

Bristle stopped drinking to blankly glare at her. “This is the same bag that has Spike in it? You left a bag with your fucking dog in it. I hope you realize what a horrible caretaker you are.”

“Hey, there's a lot of things happening right now! He just...slipped my mind. It's not like he's been making an effort to make himself known!”

Bristle slowly breathed in to express his disbelief in the situation as Fluttershy attempted to reason with Twilight. “But, he's a living animal, a poor defenseless dog, you can't just 'forget' him.” She honestly couldn't comprehend it. Twilight didn't feel like arguing, so she simply ignored her and left.

“Are we supposed to like any of these protagonists? I really don't want to hate any of them, but Spike's not contributing to the plot, Bristle is completely psychotic, and Twilight clearly doesn't care about Spike one bit.”

“I believe that last point is called 'consistency'. I don't think I've ever seen Twilight treat Spike properly in Ponyville. He's a fucking baby dragon! With hands!”

“He doesn't mind. He sees her like a mother, and she cares for him the same way.”

“Yet last time, he was the one comforting her. Brilliant mother-son relationship.”

“Nice of you to finally remember me here. It was getting lonely here.”

“I'm very sorry, Spike. I got caught up in the action, and you didn't do anything to make yourself known. Now, would you care to explain why I found you in the middle of peeing on the floor?”

“I've been stuck without any kind of bathroom for the entire day, I had to go badly, and I didn't know when you were going to come back. Besides, being a dog, I've got the freedom to do these kinds of things now.”

“No, the only reason dogs aren't to blame for things like that are because normal dogs don't have the capacity to consider the consequences of their actions. You don't have that luxury.”

“Well, it's still your fault for leaving me here. I would have left and come after you, but...I can't open doors anymore. It sucks not having hands.”

“Oh no, what a nightmare.”

“I'm really sorry about leaving you behind, Spike. You know how big of a culture shock this is for both of us, so you accidentally slipped my mind. I feel so bad about that, you know you mean a lot to me, this was just an incredibly unfortunate circumstance.”

“Oh, cut it out with the sappy shit.”

Twilight and Spike turned to the source of the sound, which was Sunset Shimmer leaning in the doorframe. “And what do you think makes you're so special, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight clutched Spike close to her chest, where he pressed up against her boobs. He felt a little weird about being so intimately close with someone who was basically his mom, but he would take what he could get. “What do you mean, 'why do I think I'm special'?”

Sunset slammed her fist against the frame. “You know what I mean! You get to be Celestia's prized pupil! You get to be the Element of Magic! Everything good happens to you, but what do I get? Banishment! Hatred! Being stricken from history! I'm just as good as you, so where's my reward?”

Twilight stammered at the outburst. “C-Celestia told me you had done s-some horrible things to warrant your exile...”

“I had ambition! I had ideas! Exploration requires stepping outside boundaries, but apparently I went too far!”

Spike showed more courage than Twilight by breaking free from her grip and directly confronting Sunset from a safe distance. “I know Celestia. The only other time she's exiled anypony was Nightmare Moon. She wouldn't do something so drastic unless it was absolutely necessary!”

Sunset sarcastically chuckled. “Oh yes, that's what the records say. You think Celestia wants you to know about her failings, that she would leave those visible? She's banished ponies plenty of times before, and then removed them from memory. I went exploring into that a little too much for her liking, and that's why I'm here. You know those stone statues in her garden, where Discord was kept? Do you think he was the only living one turned into stone?”

“Oh, those assholes? Yeah, I got to talk to those statues. They're dicks.”

“Wait, you're confirming that they're living?”

“Yeah, but they deserve their prison. You know that really cute one, the smiling mare? Genocidal maniac.”

Twilight didn't know how to react. She didn't want to believe that her mentor, her second mother, would ever do something like that. But...there was something about how Sunset was presenting it that made her question her teachings. Could it be true? Was Celestia guilty of something this evil?

Sunset walked closer, ignoring Spike's growls. She gently ran her fingers across Twilight's chin, pulling her head up to make eye contact. Sunset grinned. “And now, it all comes down to this. Tonight, I get my revenge, on you, Celestia, and all of Equestria. Do you know what an Element of Harmony is capable of? All I need to do is get that crown, and I don't care how. I'm prepared to kill for this opportunity.”

Sunset turned back the way she came, looking back when she reached the door. “Good luck tonight, Princess Twilight Sparkle. May the best mare win.”

“...and that's why we could also beat Sunset through a children's card game.”

Everyone else at the table was bored by Bristle's suggestions when Twilight came back. Applejack took the opportunity to end the current conversation. “Oh good, you're back, Twi. Ya got your dog?”

Twilight ignored the question, instead quietly sitting back down in her seat. She was in a haze, as if all of her senses were turned off. Rainbow wasn’t letting that stop her from getting a response. “Twilight, answer! What’s wrong with you? You’ve got the face of someone who’s seen some shit.”

Twilight moved back into reality, but only barely. “I…I’m sorry to say this, but I think we should be listening to Bristle’s ideas.”

Every one of them, including Bristle, was completely taken aback by her agreeing with his plans. “WHAT?”

“I met Sunset Shimmer again while I was at the school. She outright said that she’s willing to kill for that crown. If we’re going to stop her, we have to be prepared for what she’s going to throw at us.”

Fluttershy was not on board with this line of planning. “But…but killing? That’s just too wrong. Why is she even willing to go so far? It’s just a title and a cheap crown!”

Twilight was suspiciously silent to that question, not willing to out herself as an Equestrian Princess. All of her progress in gaining trust would be instantly lost if she claimed that was the case. Thankfully for her, Bristle derailed the conversation. “I know that having a motive is very important in murder proceedings, but that’s why we’re not the ace attorneys. For tonight, we’re just ordinary bounty hunters. And any good bounty hunter’s gonna need an arsenal. So, where can we get weapons at this hour in such short notice?”

The five girls looked at each other, none of them sure how to respond to a question like that, while Twilight remained out of the reality around her. Finally, Rainbow decided to bring Bristle back to the reality around all of them. “There’s no way we could possibly get any kind of lethal weapon by tonight, at least not legally. But how much is the law mattering, anyway? We’re only going to murder someone for a high school title.”

Bristle looked at Rainbow like she was insane. “Of course we don’t want to break the law! At least, not before tonight. Can’t risk getting arrested, and letting Sunset win by technicality. No, we’ll just have to improvise. Do any of you have anything long and sharp?”

Rarity joined the conversation, though not with an answer. “I’m siding with Fluttershy’s concerns. I know Sunset is a heartless girl, but there’s no way some crown is worth a life to her. There has to be something important about this, and it coincides with the arrival of you two. Which also reminds me, we know almost nothing about you or where you came from. Something about this seems highly off.”

Twilight wasn’t going to take keeping her intentions a secret any longer, if it was going to cost her a plan. Either way, telling or keeping secrets, she was going to lose her respect. “Alright, I’ll tell you everything, but we need to be somewhere more private. I get the feeling once all’s said, we’ll be stuck working alone.” Twilight preemptively hung her head in shame.

Pinkie Pie did what she did best, by cheering Twilight up. “Don’t worry, Twilight, you know I’d never abandon you! We’ll go get our dresses, and you can tell Mama Pinkie all about it there!”

Everyone complacently agreed, except for Bristle, who fist pumped and silently celebrated, “yes, trying on dresses!”

“Ah, so he’s a transvestite. That would explain his interest in being a princess earlier.”

“Fuck you, Discord, he’s just a man without conformity to gender roles! He doesn’t abide by societal standards about what a man is supposed to be, and he’s not afraid to make his point known! He’s an inspiration to us all, and a true testament of bravery! I wish that I could have had his strength when I told my parents about my interests…”

“This is getting a little too real. Back to the fun stuff, please!”

“…and then she yells, ‘WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE FINGERS?’”

“Shut your damn trap.”

The team was in the dress shop, where Rarity was excitedly picking out clothes for her friends that would match and accentuate their looks and personalities. Everyone else was trying to coax Twilight into revealing all.

“So, here’s what I need to tell you. I’m not asking you to believe me, in fact, I don’t expect you to. The best I can ask is that you keep this confession a secret, at least for tonight. I don’t care what you think, we’re still going to finish our job.”

Applejack patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. We won’t tell anyone. So, why is Sunset Shimmer such a problem?”

Twilight breathed in, ready to speak, and Pinkie interrupted before she could even say anything. “Ooh, let me guess! You’re actually a pony from another dimension, and a princess at that! Sunset Shimmer was the previous student of your princess mentor, until you replaced her! In an act of jealousy, she stole your crown and escaped here through a portal! And then mmpmpmhpm…”

Rainbow stopped her rambling by covering her mouth. “Pinkie, think before you talk. Do you have any idea what you’re saying? It’s GAH! Did you just lick my hand?” She pulled her hand back and looked at it, while Pinkie licked her lips.

Twilight scratched the back of her neck. “How did you come up with that?” Her lies were pretty see-through.

Pinkie beamed. “You’re not the only one with psychic powers, you know!”

Bristle raised his hand. “And what would you guess about me?”

“Well…you’re a omnipresent being who can manipulate anyone by his whim, and was sentenced to this reality for angering a different deity.”

“I didn’t know I was so good at guessing games!”

Bristle stroked his chin in thought, and then shrugged. “Eh, you’re close enough. There’s a few details you’re missing, but it’s basically correct.”

The other four girls not involved all questioned what the hell he was talking about, and even Twilight had a few questions. When Bristle said nothing to change his statement, they had no choice but to begrudgingly accept it, even if they weren’t ready to believe it. At that point, they turned their attention back to Twilight, where Rarity asked the question they were all asking. “And, was Pinkie’s guess about you correct?”

Twilight now rubbed her upper arm. “Y-yeah, she got it. Back in my home, Equestria, I had 5 friends, and they were pony versions of you girls.” She continued to explain about the adventures of the Elements of Harmony, what the Elements were, and the timeline of events that led to Sunset’s theft of the crown.

Once the story had finished, everyone was shocked. Should they believe such a ridiculous story? After all, she hadn’t done anything yet to lead them to believe she would be lying. Was that all part of her master plan? Applejack wasn’t convinced. “I’m sorry, Twi, you’re a nice gal and all, but that story’s kinda hard to believe. Unless you’ve got some sort of proof, that is.”

Twilight racked her brain trying to think of some kind of evidence that would be impossible to fake. Thankfully, Spike came to the rescue. “Well, how does the fact that she has a talking dog sound?”

“Oh, yeah. I can’t blame Twilight for her actions earlier, Spike has so little impact on the story that I forget he’s here all the time.”

“He’s a useless character, that’s for sure.”

Spike’s speech shut everyone up. After all, talking dogs are not a usual sight. And as to be expected, Fluttershy was speechless in an excited way. “A…a…a talking dog?!” She wasted no time getting down on her knees to reach his level, with the added benefit of making looking up her skirt impossibly easy. And she was facing away from Bristle, who slowly and happily nodded at his fortune.

Of course, Fluttershy didn’t notice the perversion, being far too busy talking to Spike. “So what kind of things do dogs talk about? Is it just about chasing things and eating, or do they talk about things more complex?”

“Well…I wouldn’t really know. Back in Equestria, I was a fearsome dragon. Spike Spiegel Sparkle’s my full name.”

Twilight groaned. “No, Spike, that’s not your middle name. I never gave you that name.”

“But it’s a cool name. It invokes a serious sense of awesomeness.”

“No, you’re only a little baby dragon. You had a nightmare a few days ago and snuggled close to me in my bed.”

“No! Stop talking about that!” Everyone laughed while Fluttershy found it adorable and hugged him tight. “Okay, fine, maybe I’m not feared. But isn’t something out of the ordinary? Isn’t this enough proof that we were telling the truth?”

Pinkie Pie happily and heavily nodded. “Yep, you’re in the clear! So, what’s our plan now? Ooh, doesn’t this dress look great?” She held up a dress, which admittedly did fit her style and would look good on her. So, showing all the modesty one would expect, Pinkie stripped down right in front of everyone to try it on.

Bristle leaned back to get the widest view of the scene. He muttered under his breath, “She’s wearing underwear today, at least. This is why I like dress shopping.”

“Oh. Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Peeping on half-naked girls. Okay, that’s completely understandable.”

“So I just poured my heart out for nothing. Great.”

“Wow, I look good half-naked.”

“Pinkie, you’re always fully naked. This is a step down from what you’re used to.”

“Not necessarily. Remember, tits. They make one very important difference. Except hers aren’t really all that big.”

“You’re a fucking weirdo, Lyra.”

“Yeah, Bon Bon says the same thing.”

Night had fallen, and students were parading into the school again for the Fall Formal. Everyone was dressed very fancy, girls in frilly dresses and men in dark tuxedos. An air of class filled the surrounding area as the teens were ready for a night away from work and just have fun on a night they'd never forget.

“Oh, foreshadowing. Professional.”

Rolling up to the party by walking up was the Equestria Girls, each of the girls wearing a dress that looked very natural on them through colors and accessories, which Twilight noted looked similar to their Equestrian counterpart's Gala dresses. Meanwhile. Bristle had a dark gray coat, white button-up shirt, and an 8-bit tie. Spike just had a bow tie.

Even though they had a solid understanding of what sort of fight they might have to deal with, they were all still woefully unprepared. The best they could manage was a few knives, given to Bristle, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, who provided them in the first place. The weapons were concealed within their attire, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Of course, they were all hoping they could get the crown and out with having to fight or kill Sunset. Their friends might have believed them, but it wouldn't be feasible to justify their actions to an entire school. But they knew it was inevitable, with how determined Sunset was to get that crown.

As they made their way up the main stairs, a car horn blared behind them, belonging to Flash Sentry. Twilight was excited to see him, but Bristle still had his doubts, strengthened by Flash's car. It was a black sports car, with his emblem emblazoned on the hood. Bristle leant in close to Twilight and whispered, “Do you still not believe my claims that this dude is a total douchebag?”

“I'm siding with him. Having your personal symbol forever displayed on your sports car is one of the most assholish things you could do.”

Twilight chose to ignore his comment, moving back down to greet her date. Everyone else just continued their way into the gymnasium to join the party. And sure enough, it was a party. Flashing colored lights, a DJ, and high schoolers dancing whatever dances high schoolers dance. Bristle patted Pinkie on the shoulder. “You done good, Pinkie.”

In the mood to make the most out of the night, Bristle got to thinking. Was there something he should do in a situation like this? The answer came to him, in the form of a shy girl who arrived with them. He gently grabbed Fluttershy's hand. “Would you care for a dance, Fluttershy?”

She didn't know how she could go about answering the question, but she knew her basic answer. She nodded and walked with him to the dance floor.

The night was going about smoothly. Or, as smoothly as it could go when Bristle knew nothing about dancing, in an endearing sort of way. He saw Sunset, lurking in the darkened sidelines, planning something, but she hadn't acted yet.

Hours had passed, and the moment they were unfortunately anticipating had arrived. Principal Celestia had taken the stage as the music faded. “Thank you for coming to the Fall Formal, everyone. The night has been fun, and it's now time to announce the votes for Fall Formal Princess!” She pulled an index card out of her pocket. “Normally, this isn't something that should have to be said, but my sister felt it deserved mention. One ballot was an unofficial write-in for Pat Buchanan. We're not sure why it happened, but that vote will not be counted.”

The hall was quiet, which made Bristle loudly screaming “Shit! My vote was wasted!” all the more noticeable. And more funny.

Celestia cleared her throat. “Now then, also unusual but worth mentioning, Flame Bristle, one of the actual choices, has amassed zero votes.”

Fluttershy turned to Bristle. “You didn't vote for yourself?”

“No, that's cheating. I wanted to play fair. By voting for someone completely unrelated. It might have made more sense at the time.”

“No need to explain yourself, it's a completely understandable pick.”

Celestia kept speaking. “With that, we're left with the two contestants who actually stood a chance. It was a struggle between reigning champion Sunset Shimmer, and newcomer Twilight Sparkle. Things were heated, but the students have chosen. This year's Fall Formal Princess is...”

Before she could finish, Sunset smacked the microphone out of her hands and took the stage. “Thank you for the introduction, Principal, but it doesn't matter who wins. Either way, I'm taking that crown.”

Twilight emerged in the front of the crowd to confront her. “You've been used to getting your way since you arrived here, but things will be a little different this time. We're prepared to fight for that crown!”

Anyone not involved with the plan was very confused, but Sunset laughed. “I knew you would still have fighting spirit, Twilight Sparkle. That's why I made sure I had an ace up my sleeve.” She reached into her bag, and pulled out Spike, bound and gagged.

“Moral of the story's a real good one. It's 'don't be unlucky and be a dog'. That's a good one.”

Twilight was now pissed at the thought of Sunset hurting her friend. “What are you going to do with him?”

Fluttershy backed her up. “What kind of a monster would do something to a poor, innocent dog?”

Sunset reached into her jacket and pulled out a knife, nearly identical to the ones the other group was carrying. She held it up against Spike's throat. “Leave, Twilight Sparkle. Let me have this crown and this world, and your pet will leave with you. If you try to fight, well...it's only a quick slice to end it all.”

“HOLY SHIT, WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!”

“That's going way too far!”

“I didn't know this was going to happen! That's insane and wrong! I would never allow it! She's got to be the source of the psychic interference! All so she could get away with this!”

Twilight didn't hesitate in giving up the fight. Sunset grinned, but that faded when she looked into the crowd. “You made the smart decision, Sparkle, but your friends do not seem so kind. They've still got fight in their eyes. That's something that has to be changed.”

True to Sunset's word, it only took one quick slice. Everything seemed to go dark for Twilight, lost in anguish. Her friends were falling into the same abyss. Anyone else was horrified. Sunset effortlessly took the crown and placed it on her head, where it began to glow with power. No one stepped up to stop her with what she had done, and with the power she had now, no one ever would. Even the three commentators watching were speechless, losing focus. Everything was over.

…

…

…

“Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough.”

With those words, a loud shatter echoed across reality. The veil of darkness was lifted, focus was returning. Now that everyone was no longer blind, they saw one sight; Flame Bristle, holding a shotgun with one hand, pointed at Sunset. He fired, a blast loud enough to deafen anyone close, but it didn't happen. They were protected against the sound. Unfortunately, Sunset used her new strength to make a shield, absorbing the shell.

In a quick second, Bristle changed. The shotgun he held and the clothes he wore were lost into the void, replaced by more fitting attire. He donned a blue tunic, a white band lifting the hair from his eyes, and a chain whip in his right hand. He now spoke in a powerful voice. “Sunset. Die now, and leave this world! You'll never belong here!”

Sunset Shimmer couldn't care what he was doing, she was drinking in the energy an Element of Magic could provide. “Oh, but this world invited me. Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute.”

Bristle stepped forward one step. “Tribute? You're a thief! You steal men's souls, their freedom, and make them your slaves!”

She laughed, a dark tone and echo in her voice. “Freedom is always sacrificed to faith, as could be said of all religions. Or are you truly here by choice?”

Bristle knew he didn't choose to become a part of this mess, but he managed to keep going. “It was not my decision to be here, but one of fate. I was destined to set things right! Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!”

“What is a man, or a pony? They're not honorable, they're ruthless and traitors! They're nothing but miserable little piles of secrets and lies! But this little talk has gone on for too long already. Have at you!” She held her arms out from her sides and screamed, a golden aura surrounding her. It reached a climax, as she exploded with energy, her hair growing longer and a shining gold.

Bristle was ready for one hell of a fight. He whipped the air to taunt her.

“What the fuck is happening now?!”

“I'm putting a stop to it now! Time Stopper!”

Time froze for a second, before Bristle shattered the spell. “I'm not your slave anymore, Discord! I'm the author of this story, and it will end as I see fit!” He waved his arm, removing everyone else from the room, out of harm's way.

“He's become self-aware. He's realized his true power.”

“Which makes him the source of our problems. Things went badly, Discord?”

“Hell no! I sent him here just to get laid, but he instead gained omnipotence! I'm so proud of him.”

Sunset held her arms behind her, a blue ball of energy forming between them. “Your life is forfeit, Flame Bristle! Kamehameha!” The beam shot out, a long and deadly attack.

Bristle didn't react with fear. He threw his whip upwards, latching it onto the rafters and pulling him up, out of the way. Once the beam was gone, he dropped back to the floor, where he rose a foot into the air again and threw his arms out, screaming “Hydro Storm!” It called forth a torrential rain within the room, striking Sunset multiple times and sending her recoiling.

With an opening, Bristle jumped onto the stage and threw a bottle of Holy Water onto Sunset. The constant striking of the water kept her stunlocked, where he could continually whip her into submission, only interrupted by another Holy Water to keep her trapped.

With a combo like that, it didn't take long for Sunset Shimmer to fall. With one final strike, the whip forcefully removed the crown from her head, draining Sunset of her newfound powers. While she was recovering, Bristle grabbed Spike's body and levitated it into the air, sending a white flow of energy into the corpse, and the bloody slit on his neck healed. When he looked unharmed, he was gently placed on the floor, where he woke up at the same time Sunset did.

Now that things had gone well in the end, Bristle brought everyone back into the room, and they were all understandably very confused. But Twilight recovered, grabbing the now-alive Spike in her arms and holding him tight. Sunset stayed on the floor, crying. “I'm so sorry, Twilight! I was corrupted by anger, jealousy, and the promise of power!”

Bristle held his whip up end her begging, but Twilight stopped him. “You'll be returning to Equestria to face trial against Princess Celestia for your crimes, including theft, treason, and...attempted murder.”

Sunset nodded. “I understand, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She stood up and held out her hand, allowing Twilight to grab it and lead her to the portal back.

Bristle picked up her crown and placed it back on Twilight's head. “A princess needs her crown, Twilight.” Twilight smiled and led Sunset to the statue in front of the school, where their friends followed.

Twilight stuck her hand against the stone, confirming the portal still worked. Once she was sure, she turned back to her friends. “Well girls, this is goodbye. You've all been a massive help, and I can't thank you enough for everything you did.”

Pinkie Pie was crying. “But...you'll come back to see us, right?”

Twilight's head lowered. “I'm sorry, but the portal doesn't stay open. I won't be able to come back.”

The girls all sobbed quietly, before Bristle happily put his arms around their shoulders. “Excuse me, did you forget what kind of man I am? I'm the author here, reality bends to my will! If I say that portal will open, it will open. Just give me the word.”

Twilight hugged him. “Thank you too. For everything.” She waved goodbye as the native Equestrians walked through the portal.

With them gone, things were suddenly going to go back to normal. Fluttershy turned to Bristle, who she realized was still here. “So...why didn't you go back with them?”

“I'm fairly certain I'm not an Equestrian. I don't really have a home to return to. So, I just need a reason why staying here would be a good idea.”

Fluttershy grinned and reached over to him, undoing the ties on his tunic. “Oh, I can think of a pretty good reason.”

“Well, that concludes that. This has been one wild ride, but unlike a certain Mr. Bones, this one ended. I'd like to thank my constant cohost and lovely marefriend, Pinkie Pie. And Lyra Heartstrings, for putting up with us through this.”

Just as he finished, the door into the room opened, and on the other side was a blue earth stallion, wearing a yellow scarf. Discord recognized him from an alternate adventure. “Yo, Blues! How you been doing? Life in Ponyville okay? Your brother doing fine after his victory against me?”

He was confused. “Um...my name is Noteworthy. I'm just here to pick up my cousin.”

Discord wasn't falling for it. “Yeah, right. If you're not Blues, why do you look exactly like him? You're even wearing the same scarf!”

“Of course I'm wearing a scarf! It's March! It's cold out there!”

“Alright, whatever. Have fun, Lyra. See you some other time?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Lyra got up and left with her cousin.

That just left Discord and Pinkie. “So...what should we do now?”

“Have sex?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Bristle and Fluttershy were together in bed, in the afterglow of some amazing screwing. Things were going just great for both of them, culminating in this. Of course, what else would you expect from the man who could do what he wanted?

And then he made a billion dollars.

Author's Note

Story might not be over yet. If Rainbow Rocks gives me material, I can continue this. But as it is, I like this ending. It's the Mega Man Zero 3 to this series, a Rainbow Rocks would be Zero 4. It'll still be good, end on a good note, but it won't be as strong of a finale, thematically.