ACT 2
It didn't take long for Katarina to find the other three again. She found them at the same summoning chambers they were in earlier. She had decided to go back there since she left her precious blades there when they were chased by a certain Noxian she knows. But when she got there, Lux was trying to calm Ashe's hyperventilating while Vi ran in circles as she ranted about her other gauntlet, which is now missing like the Avarosan bow and her blades.
"I'm sure we'll find it," Lux reassured Ashe, who seem to be making little progress in calming down.
"First, I turn into some sort of pony… Second, I got my hair cut off by the Hand of Noxus, who is actually obsessed with ponies…! And now…!" Ashe practically dug her face in the ground as her hands covered the top of her cowl. "The Avarosan bow is missing!"
"It's not that bad." Lux tried comforting.
"Not that bad!?" Vi interjected. "My other gauntlet is missing! OF COURSE IT'S BAD!"
"It's obvious you won't be upset, brat." Katarina sneered. "Your staff is glued on your head."
"If it makes you guys feel any better," Lux perked up. "I'll help in finding your weapons!"
Ashe sighed as she straightened up, tossing the bangs of her now short white mane out of her face. "I guess wallowing in self-pity won't do anything."
Katarina sarcastically scoffed. "No shit, Your Highness."
Ashe shot Katarina a warning look, which the assassin ignored.
"Where do we even start?" Vi asked.
"Hey, aren't you a police officer? Shouldn't you know about the things we need to do in these kinds of situations?" Lux questioned in confusion.
"Well, yeah, but that's Cupcake's forte, not mine." Vi stroked the tip of the gauntlet on her head. "My job is to fight, punch, pummel and beat crooks up."
"That's all the same." Ashe and Lux chorused blankly.
Vi nodded. "Exactly."
Rolling her eyes, Katarina stomped one of her front hooves, which captured the trio's attention. "Let's go, then. We need to find my blades before Cassiopeia does something with it."
"Oh, please," Lux spoke as the four of them trotted out of the summoning chambers, their manes bouncing cutely above their heads as they did. "What can your sister do to your blades?"
Katarina scowled. "She once bedazzled it when she stole it from my room."
"Taric must have been envious of your blades."
"Oh, believe me, he chased me around the Institute for a whole day just to get a good look at them." Katarina muttered, unconsciously puffing her cheeks out, which made her live up to her pony name, Plumpy Strawberry.
"Hey, isn't that your sissy over there?" Vi pointed ahead of them, and there she is. Cassiopeia stood at the end of the hall, looking around for a few times as if someone is out to get her.
Her sister.
"CASS!" Katarina called out in a shout.
The four of them galloped towards the Serpent's Embrace. Cassiopeia, who only noticed them when they were just a meter away from her, looked down at them with surprise and amusement gleaming in her eyes.
"And you four are?"
"It's me! Katarina!" The assassin cutely stomped a hoof on the floor, making an angry face which came out looking like a pouty one.
Cassiopeia quirked an eyebrow.
"Where are my blades?" Katarina questioned, glaring at her sister.
Just like that, Cassiopeia's attitude transformed.
"Oh, your blades?" The half-serpent asked a bit nervously.
"Yeah! Where are they? I swear…-!"
"Oh, well, I saw Draven exiting the garbage disposal area going 'Mwahahaha!'" As Cassiopeia said this, she made a gesture of rubbing her hands together like a villain plotting for their next devious plan. "But you know, that could be anything."
Katarina's eyes widened. "What!? That bastard…-!"
"I'm sure if you go now, you may still catch him."
"Not a moment to lose!" Katarina galloped down the hall leading to the designated area. "DRAVEN! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Lux and Ashe followed immediately. Vi though…
The pinkette looked up to the green haired Noxian.
"Draven has nothing to do with Katarina's blades, huh?"
"Nope."
…..
…..
…..
Vi raised a hoof and grinned.
"Pound it."
Cassiopeia smirked and lightly punched Vi's hoof.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Katarina bucked the door off its hinges and down the floor, instantly dashing inside the garbage room, where there's junk-filled carts and sealed black garbage bags. Lux and Ashe stood behind her, not noticing that Vi only joined them after a few moments.
"Search for my blades!" Katarina ordered before jumping into one of the carts.
"Why should we help you?" Ashe questioned, sitting on her hind legs and crossing her front hooves in front of her.
"Because," Katarina poked her head out and glared at the archer. "If you want my assistance in finding your stupid bow, you have to help me find my own weapons first."
"Scavenger Hunt!" Lux squealed excitedly, also joining Katarina into the large cart.
Ashe huffed, but nonetheless, she also dived into the cart where the two pony champions are already rummaging through. Vi followed next, making a big splash of trash when she jumped in.
After the eighth cart that they searched, Katarina pointed to another. "It must be on that one!"
Vi groaned loudly. "That's the ninth time you said that!"
"It's really hard, you know." Lux whined with a pout.
"That's because the carts here are almost as big as Cho'Gath!" Ashe cried out, tossing her front hooves up in the air. "And we're just as small as Teemo himself!"
"But!" Lux raised a hoof. "We're cuter! Oh, and less Satanic."
"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MAKE US FEEL BETTER!?" The three chorused against the mage.
Lux raised her hooves in surrender. "Alright, alright, no need to gang up on me."
"PINKIE PIE! APPLEJACK! PLUMPY STRAWBERRY! SNOWFLAKE!"
"Hide!" Lux managed to squeak out before the four of them dove under all the trash in the current cart they're in. The horn on Lux's head glowed, giving them dim light under the dark, and not to mention stinky, coverage of the garbage.
"How are we supposed to find our weapons if there's a pony-obsessed lunatic named Darius on the loose?" Vi questioned the others.
"We just have to be cautious." Ashe stated.
Katarina grunted. "I'm sure that pony lover won't find us here."
Just like that, the cart was turned upside down and the four ponies came pouring out along with the garbage they hid in. The cart was tossed away, revealing the main subject of the conversation.
The Sinister Blade pointed a hoof at the Noxian in front of them, a look of utter horror and disbelief on her face. "How the fuck did you even know we were here!?"
"I always know when there's a pony nearby." Darius answered before taking out four dog collars and leashes from under his cape. Each and every one of it designed to match the four pony champions.
Vi got off of her back and stood on her hind hooves, her fore hooves challenging the man in front of them for a fistfight. "Listen here, you pony-loving Noxian! We're not coming back with you and that's final!"
The smile on Darius' face disappeared.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Darius walked down the hall, with three ponies begrudgingly walking behind him and one pink pony being dragged on her butt while she gnawed on her leash once again.
"It's no use, Vi." Ashe sighed, knowing Vi's gnawing attempts is futile. "You've been biting that leash of yours for a whole hour."
"NO! He may have played dress up on me! He may have literally put me in a dress! But he will never take away my freedom!"
Darius lightly tugged on Vi's leash, causing her to stumble for a second and nearly planting her own face on the floor.
"He just did." Katarina muttered.
After their one hour walk around the Institute gardens, which they were slightly thankful that it was deserted that time, they were brought back to Darius' room. They would have been thankful if there was someone that could have helped them but would also be embarrassed with their current forms. Once again, they found themselves sitting on Darius' bed.
"What, are you going to shave all of Ashe's mane now?" Vi sarcastically asked, which made the Freljord Queen look at her with a horrified look.
"I'm actually going to do the opposite, Pinkie Pie."
Vi fumed at the name, steam coming of the gauntlet attached to her.
Darius turned and faced them, holding a bottle identical to a health potion. This bottle contained a sparkling black liquid, which made the four ponies take a step back. Darius uncorked the bottle and approached the bed before suddenly grabbing Ashe. The archer immediately started squirming in his clutches.
"Now, now. Hold still, Snowflake."
"No! NO! I don't want to…-!"
The Noxian brute interrupted Ashe by practically shoving the battle inside her mouth, making Ashe choke down the vile-tasting liquid. When the bottle was empty of its contents, Darius threw it into the nearest trash bin before placing Ashe back down the bed beside Lux.
Ashe made a disgusted face. "Ack! What kind of liquid did you make me drink!?"
"Be patient, Snowflake. LeBlanc said that the results will show in three…"
"Wait a sec. LeBlanc?" Katarina flashed a confused expression as she interrupted Darius.
"Results?" Lux and Vi asked in unison.
FLASH!
Ashe was engulfed in a bright white light for a few seconds before it dimmed and faded completely, revealing Ashe and her white mane all fixed and back to its normal length.
"There you go!" Darius clasped his hands together.
"I…" Ashe turned to the nearest mirror attached to the wall. "My hair! It's…! It's back!"
The relieved smile on Ashe's face made Darius beam. Without warning, Darius took the four of them into his arms and gave them a bear hug.
"All four of you are absolutely adorable!"
"Ach! Choking…! Not…! Breathing…!" Katarina sputtered out, losing her breath.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Darius loosened his hug, scowling at the door. "Who is it?"
"Hey, Darius! It's your handsome brother, Draaaven!"
The Hand of Noxus rolled his eyes before settling his four ponies back down the bed. "Now, stay there, my little pretties."
An idea then popped into Vi's mind, steam releasing from the sides of her gauntlet in excitement.
"Hey!" She slung her front hooves over the three's shoulders as much as she can, huddling them up in a circle. "I got an idea!"
Darius opened the door and Draven walked in, looking around the room and instantly spotting the four ponies on the bed, all of them frozen with different expressions.
The pink one had a big grin on its face, head held high and a happy look in its blue eyes.
The blue one has a smile on its lips and a few strands of its mane covering one eye, posture straight and looking quite regal for a harmless little pony.
The red one, which Draven noticed that has an awfully familiar scar, has a scowl on and its posture looking as if it's about to pounce on the person in front of it.
Lastly, the yellow one has a wide and open smile, one hoof raised and bent, bright blue eyes sparkling beautifully.
"I see you added a few new ponies to your collection." Draven said, walking up to his bed.
Darius scoffed. "Those aren't just toys, Draven. They are real ponies! Alive and breathing."
"Right…" Draven leaned down and poked the yellow one in the eye, which emitted a squishy sound.
Nothing happened.
"You sure they're alive?"
"Of course! Why would I lie?"
Draven audited the other three before turning his gaze back to the yellow one, also scanning its appearance.
"Darius, my brother," He slung an arm around Darius' shoulders. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Darius frowned. "What do you mean?"
"These toys look like a few familiar champions I know." He nodded his head to the yellow one. "That one looks like that Demacian mage. You know, the brat. I think her name was Lux."
He picked the pink one up with one hand. "This little pinky right here looks almost like Vi. You know, the partner of that hot and sexy Sheriff. This even has her face-tattoo."
Draven then took the blue one and faced his brother. "And this is like a pony version of that sexy Freljordian Queen. Ashe, right? The one who has a huge and great ass. This one looks just like her. The cape and cowl really gave it away."
Without any warning, the Glorious Executioner threw the pink one over his shoulder, causing it to crash onto the yellow one.
But again, nothing happened.
He grabbed the red one with his newly free hand, showing the red pony to his older brother. "Especially this one! This looks like Katarina! You even got her scar right!"
Draven managed to laugh for a few seconds before Darius suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt. In just a heartbeat, Darius' face was inches away from Draven's, glaring murderously into his eyes.
"WHY did you throw PINKIE PIE!?"
The younger Noxian raised his hands in surrender, dropping the blue and the red pony on the floor in the process.
"DON'T DROP SNOWFLAKE AND PLUMPY STRAWBERRY! YOU'LL HURT THEM!"
Draven glanced at the two 'toys' on the floor. The pair didn't even flinch on the carpeted ground. In fact, the two ponies remained in their frozen state. Slowly, and cautiously, Draven pushed Darius away and started escorting him out of the room.
"Listen, Darius, I think you need to see a healer. Maybe all the magic from the Rift has gotten way into your head. Let ole' Draaaven bring you to Soraka, or maybe Akali. I heard she's wearing her Nurse uniform…"
"Wait…! My ponies!"
"They'll be fine!" Draven managed to pull Darius out of the room, slamming the door close afterwards.
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
"AHHHH! IT HURTS!" Lux screeched, shoving Vi off of her with sudden 'inpony' strength. She clutched her right eye, which is the one Draven had poked, with a hoof, jumping all around the room as she cried.
Vi got on her hooves and huffed. She can't really get mad at Lux. At least she only got thrown to the bed. Although, the respect she had for Lux somewhat increased, since the mage didn't even flinch the slightest when her eye was poked.
Katarina released a groan, rubbing her right side with a hoof. "He could have at least dropped us on the bed."
"At least he didn't poke your eye." Ashe muttered, getting up from the floor and glancing at Lux.
"I'm more concerned on the fact that Draven called Cupcake 'hot and sexy Sheriff'." Vi said, peeking over the edge of the bed. "I mean, yeah, she is, but she's my sexy sheriff. I am sooo going to beat him to a pulp!"
Ashe shivered when she thought of the little… 'compliments' Draven said about them.
"Well, for once, I'm thankful that he came." Katarina muttered. "Now we have some time to find our escape."
"Can't we just break the door down?" Vi jumped off the bed and trotted towards the door. "Maybe I can do it."
Lux, who has recovered from her crying, stood behind Vi, aiming her horn at the door. "I'll break that door down!"
As Lux's horn started glowing, Ashe and Katarina instantly jumped away from its firing range, leaving a clueless Vi out on the open.
"Wait! Lux!" Ashe called out from under the bed. "The High Summoners placed magical barriers on the doors of the chambers!"
The words of warning the blue pony fell on deaf ears.
Katarina poked her snout out from their hiding place. "Get out of the way!"
But it was too late.
The glow on Lux's horn became brighter and next thing they knew, a beam shot out. Vi spun around just in time to get hit on the face by the bright beam. The beam was useless on the door though. The wood merely glowed with a few markings of the barrier the High Summoners had casted on it.
Lux's horn dimmed until it glowed no more, giving the two ponies hiding under the bed the chance to see again. As Ashe and Katarina crawled out of the bed, their eyes landed on Vi's unconscious pony self on the floor. Lux made a horrified face, her hooves dramatically against her lips.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" The mage chanted over and over again in panic. "Is she dead? Did I kill her?"
"Listen, you idiot!" Katarina gave Lux a slap on the back of her head with a hoof of hers. "We could have avoided all this if you decided to look for other exits!"
"The window!" Ashe grunted out, trying to lift up Vi's unconscious pony body with her own. Katarina turned towards the only window in the room. A smirk instantly curved up her lips.
"There's our exit!"
After moving a few chests and chairs, they finally managed to climb up to reach the window sill. Looking over the edge, Lux shivered as a harsh breeze blew at them.
"Piece of cake." The red pony said arrogantly.
"Piece of cake?" Lux squeaked, making Vi's left hoof almost slip from her shoulders. "We're at least five floors from the ground! We'll die if we jump!"
"I'll use my shunpo when I get close to the ground."
"What about us, then?" Ashe questioned, adjusting Vi's right hoof on her shoulder.
Katarina smirked at them. "Who cares about you three anyway?"
"Hey! I thought we were in this together!" Lux said with wide eyes.
"No one said anything like that." Katarina scoffed. "Besides, did you forget? I'm a Noxian. I don't care about a little Demacian pipsqueak like you, this little Highness and pinky punk over there."
Ashe passed Vi's full weight onto Lux and stepped a hoof closer towards Katarina. "If you're so brave, why don't you jump?"
Katarina turned her nose up. "I will."
Looking down at the ground, Katarina closed her eyes and started preparing herself mentally…
Ashe abruptly shoved her with a hoof over the edge.
"AAAHHH!" Came Katarina's screams.
"Lux, listen," Ashe's cape was thrown back as two blue wings stuck out and flapped from under the material.
"You have wings!" Lux blurted out, looking at the pair of wings with a surprised and amazed gleam in her eyes.
"I need you to wait here. I'll bring Vi down first."
As soon as Lux nodded, Ashe flew up and took hold of the sides of the gauntlet attached to Vi. She moved out of the safety of the floor, but before she could even let out a breath, both her and Vi plunged downward.
Apparently, she didn't anticipate the heavy weight of the gauntlet.
They even passed Katarina's flailing pony self.
Lux watched at the window sill with a mixture of awe, panic and wonder.
BAM!
Ashe opened her eyes and found the gauntlet's knuckles buried into the dirt. Thankfully, Vi, who was upside down, remained unharmed. "That didn't go as planned."
"AAAAHHH!"
Raising her head, she found Katarina still screaming. She knew the red pony won't be able to use her shunpo in that state of panic. Silently, she cursed her conscience before she shot up, wings flapping rapidly. As soon as Katarina was in hoof's reach, she instantly gripped one of the assassin's hoof as much as her own hoof can.
"Stop flailing!" She grunted out, resisting the urge to just drop the Noxian.
Katarina froze and looked down, noticing that she's just a few meters away from the ground. With a glare directed at Ashe, she shunpo'd out of the archer's grasp and appeared on the ground.
"Didn't need your help to even begin with." Katarina muttered, lightly stomping a hoof on the dirt.
Ashe rolled her eyes at the words she heard. But then, a voice entered her hearing.
"Ashe!"
Without any warning, Lux fell on her, making them both crash on the dirt ungracefully. Lux sat on top of her with a big smile on her face, unscathed. Ashe, who is practically sprawled on the dirt, blew some of her white mane away from her face.
"You could have waited for me." She murmured.
"Don't wanna!" Lux jumped off of her. "Cassiopeia was outside the room. I was afraid she was going to break the door down or something."
"Ohh…" Vi groaned, finally regaining her consciousness. Despite the pony Enforcer getting her consciousness back, her gauntlet is still somewhat lunged into the dirt. When she realized her position, hooves not touching the ground and all that, she looked at the three other ponies from the corner of her eyes. "Why am I like this?"
"Long story short, we jumped out of a window!" Lux stated with a bright smile.
Before any of them could even utter any retort or reply to the mage's words, they heard footsteps come from their right. Turning to the origin of the sounds, they found Garen and Caitlyn running up to them.
"Finally! We found you!" Caitlyn said before her gaze landed on Vi's pony self. "Umm, Vi?"
"Cupcake!" Vi's eyes practically shined with tears of joy. "Help me out here!"
Walking around the other three ponies, Caitlyn lifted Vi's gauntlet off the dirt and set the pink pony on her four hooves.
"Are you all wearing dresses?" Garen asked, looking between the four pony champions in front of them. Well, Ashe is still wearing her cape and cowl since Darius still hasn't changed her clothes due to the little incident earlier with her mane getting cut.
"Not another word out of you, Demacian." Katarina threatened, pointing a hoof to try and threaten the large man in front of him.
"Well," Garen crossed his arms. "It's not like I'm concerned about you. I'm more concerned about my sister."
"Hmph!" Lux turned her head and pony form away, stomping a hoof on the ground. "Don't talk to me, brother. I am still upset with you."
Garen's face morphed into a shocked expression. He kneeled on one knee beside Lux. "Please, little sparkle. Forgive me for… selling you out like that. It's just that…-!"
Lux whipped around and cutely glared at her brother. "Sold me out? Talk about giving me away! You abandoned me! Left me! Just like a Noxian!"
"Hmph." Katarina crossed her front hooves in front of her as she leaned back on her hind hooves. "Should I be offended?"
Garen shot a brief glare at Katarina. "This matter doesn't involve you, Noxian."
Katarina rolled her eyes. "Of course it doesn't. Noxians don't involve themselves in meaningless matters.
The Might of Demacia turned back to Lux. "Please, I did not mean it. I promise, I will never let anything like that happen to you again."
Lux turned away and trotted towards Ashe, hiding behind the Freljordian to keep her brother away from her.
"Hey, wait a second," Katarina trotted up to the Frost Archer. "You've had wings this whole time and you didn't think of mentioning it!?"
"It would have been useless anyway." Ashe calmly retorted.
"Useless? HOW!?"
"I could have escaped, yes," Ashe brushed some of her mane out of the way. "But that means I would have left you three in Darius' clutches."
Lux's eyes filled with tears. The yellow pony suddenly wrapped her front hooves around Ashe's neck. Tears then burst out of Lux's eyes like a fountain. "Waaahhh! You could have left us! But you didn't!"
Ashe sweat-dropped. "Umm, yes, that's what I did say…-"
"Why were you so loyal to people that would have left you!? I would have!"
"W-what?" Ashe stuttered in shock with Lux's words.
"No!" Lux straightened up and stomped a hoof on the ground, tears stopping and now possessing a determined look on her face. "From now on, I see you as my sibling! Not Garen!"
Garen's jaw dropped. "H-Hey, Sparkle! Don't talk like tha…-"
Lux glared at Garen as she hugged Ashe. "Ashe is my new older sibling and that's final! Now, shoo, stranger!"
Garen's whole body turned into stone once again, cracking as it did. "M-My… own sister… called me… a stranger…"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes at the scene before her.
"Listen, everyone," The Sheriff called their attention. "I've discussed the situation with Heimerdinger. He said he may be able to revert you four back to your normal selves."
"Finally!" Katarina cut in, which caused Ashe to give her a disapproving look for rudely interrupting.
"We can go now if you…" Caitlyn glanced at their cute little pony bodies. "…champions want."
"Let's go, then!" Vi straightened her posture. "I want to be out of this horse body as soon as possible!"
"Actually, it's a pony body, not a horse." Lux corrected.
"Who cares, Lux!?"
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Heimerdinger typed on a holographic keyboard while the four pony champions stood on the platform, where a bunch of contraptions are currently pointed at, while Caitlyn stood beside the Yordle scientist and Garen sulked behind the two Piltovians.
"Wait a minute, are you saying that you found this stupid Queen's bow and this little punk's other gauntlet but you didn't find my blades?" Katarina questioned, disregarding the glares Ashe and Vi shot her.
Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, but we did see your sister Cassiopeia leaving the summoning chamber with your blades. I expect she has it for safe-keeping."
"Safe-keeping my ass!"
Ashe rolled her eyes. "Must you use such language?"
"I can say whatever I want, Pony-sty!"
"That doesn't even make any sense." Lux and Vi chorused.
"Of course it does! I combined the word 'Pony' and 'Majesty'! Therefore, it…-!" Katarina suddenly stopped herself when she realized how idiotic she sounded and what it made her look.
"You know what! It doesn't matter!" She pointed a hoof at Heimerdinger. "Hey, you! Little rodent, hurry up with that machine of yours!"
Heimerdinger arranged his goggles, unoffended with Katarina's indirect insult. "The machine will activate in three… two… one…"
SLAM!
All eyes turned to the door, and there, they found a menacing-looking Darius, holding his deadly axe. His own eyes landed on his four beloved ponies, who, in his eyes, seem to be being experimented on by three 'scoundrels'. He immediately charged forward and swung his axe at the three champions at the side.
"GET AWAY FROM MY PONIES!"
Garen snapped out of his sulking self and quickly grabbed his sword, managing to deflect Darius' axe before it could destroy Heimerdinger's machine. Caitlyn fired a net at the Noxian, but it was surprisingly dodged with ease.
BAM!
SPACK!
CRASH!
Darius had managed to knock Garen out, also accidentally stepped on Heimerdinger, and just now, he had just thrown Caitlyn through a wooden crate at the side of the room. The four were about to gallop out of the room, but Darius skidded in front of them, blocking their only exit.
"Now, where do you think you're going, Snowflake?"
Ashe, who stood in front of the others, slowly backed away. Hoof by hoof, they stepped back until they were cornered against the indestructible wall of Heimerdinger's lab.
"Vi! Do something!" Lux cried out in fear.
Vi, who was ramming her gauntlet over and over again at the wall, looked close to tears. "I'm trying! I'm trying!"
When Darius' shadow loomed over their little pony selves, they all hunched their shoulders and shrunk back.
Two words were uttered by the Sinister Blade.
"We're dead."
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Author's Note: Editing done! :D There's only one reference here in this chapter, which I'll list down below. The list will also include a reference I forgot to mention in the previous chapter.
References in this chapter:
- Cassiopeia laughing maniacally (from Family Guy, Bryan to Stewie)
- Vi's "Poem" (from one of Markiplier's videos)
