Hiya, Everypony! Once more, for those of you keeping up with the story, thank you so much! I have many plans, but first, to finish this one, of course! If you DO wanna hear them, all ya gotta do is PM me and ask. I will have to ask you not to ruin it for others, otherwise, It wont be fun for others to read anymore! Once more, Thank you all for reading my Fanfic! And for all my fans with Love (And Tolerance)...

Keep On Rockin'!~

P.S. I am gonna go out on a limb here and ask the audience what you think should happen in the next trials! If I like it enough, I'll incorporate it into the story. I will also give credit to the original owner's idea, of course! Thanks in Advance!

Chapter 11: The Trial of Laughter and Bravery...

Graham soon returned to the lobby, and sat down. "Man this is hard work..." He said as he sighed. His stomach grumbled as he groaned. "I could use a snack right about now..."

He soon had thoughts about his friends outside waiting for him. A vision of everypony at a table with all sorts of food that he could eat. Outside, Twilight picked up on his thoughts and giggled.

"What y'all laughin' at sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she looked over.

"He's hungry." She said as Applejack gave a confused look at her friend.

"Of course he's hungry, why's it so funny all of a sudden? Did ah miss sumthin'?" Applejack asked once more. Twilight shook her head.

"You see, when Graham and I shared our first love together, we gained more than just a bond. We can share each other's thoughts."

"I get that, but what was so darn funny?"

She soon explained the vision of everypony and Graham at a table outside, everypony smiled at the warm thought.

"Maybe we should do something like that for him." Rarity pipped up.

"Oh! I know! I'll bring the party outside! It'll be so much fun!" Pinkie kept spazzing over the thought and bouncing around. Everypony agreed that's what they would do.

"Then it's decided, we'll host him a party right outside for everypony to be a part of, it'll be a great thing to do to get all the others to get used to him being here." Twilight smiled.

A few moments, and Spike opened the door, he was sweating all over and sat down next to Twilight.

"Did I miss anything?" The little Dragon panted.

"Not a thing, You're just in time for his third trial." She said. Spike smiled, with another gem in hand and turned his attention to the image.

They soon watched as he jumped into the other portal.

Twilight wanted to tell him to be careful, but Celestia stopped her thought from going out.

"We shall not impede, Twilight, remember, dear student, this is for him to do alone."

Twilight frowned but nodded.

"Twilight Sparkle, he will be fine." Luna said as she focused on the magical hole showing them Graham's Journey, as did the other ponies, each wishing him good luck in their thoughts.

Graham soon found himself in a Forest, a deep dark, spooky forest. The fog clouded the area, and noises were heard in the dark. Graham shivered from the feelings of being watched, but he soon found himself traveling onwards, into the unknown.

He heard laughter, and started jogging after the source. He hustled as he found a clearing in the trees. He saw what looked like another human.

"Are you another me...?" He asked, but it only stopped laughing. It slowly turned...

It looked like him, only it was grey, its eyes glowed red, while the rest of the eye were pure black. Its hair was black as well, while its clothes were tattered, the flames were purple and on its skin, black stripes like those of a tiger were visible. It only laughed as it stood. The flames on his shirt changed from Red to White once more...

"We finally meet, my loathsome copy..."

"W-What...What do you represent...?"

"The true you..."

"Y-You're wrong..."

It only laughed with an insane cackle as it stepped forward, Graham took a step back. "You have NO Idea, Boy...I am everything you've been hiding from..."

Graham was in shock at its face. It was dripping blood out of its mouth, and he saw a lifeless body to what looked to be a pony behind it. its chest was ripped out, and its organs were chewed and gnashed upon.

"Graham...Get outta there..." Josh only whispered.

Graham soon backed up, as if he heard Josh's warning. He soon turned tail and ran away, the creature running quickly behind him. "You can never run from your true self, boy! You'll never escape me!"

The fear that he had running in his mind hit Twilight's mind harder than a kick from Applejack's hind legs. Twilight soon held her head as she screamed like that of being in pain.

"Twi, what's wrong?"

"I-It's his fears...they're so strong!"

"I knew that Mind thing was gonna have setbacks!" Applejack said as the other ponies gathered around, hoping Twilight would be fine. Twilight soon stopped twitching and slowly stood. She panted as each pony kept asking if she was alright.

"I-I'm fine now...His emotions are running wild..He's frightened..." She said with a small pant as she sat down to catch her breath.

"It is one of the very few cons of Mind connection. With the good, comes the bad. That being fears are shared...Once more, the two share everything." Her horn glowed and Twilight couldn't feel Graham's mind wandering anymore.

"For now, we shall disconnect you until the trials are over, so you will not have these spams again, am I clear?"

Twilight couldn't say no to her own princess, so she agreed.

"I know that with your bond, you both share each other's pains. But right now, we cant afford having you getting hurt. Graham will most likely want to see you in one piece when he makes it out. We cant let you get hurt."

"I...I..." Twilight said. Celestia looked at her.

"I want...I want our connection back Princess..."

"Why, Twilight, do you want to have it back..."

"When we shared our minds, we both took a vow that we would be there for each other, and I want to be with him, even in his own trials. We both agreed to be there, even during the harshest of times. I want to help him, and if that means feeling pains, or anything that comes with it, I will gladly take it all. I love him, Princess, and I'll do anything to show that love, like he promised me in his dreams last night..."

Josh looked at her and spoke up. "I say let her have it back, princess. She really cares for my friend, and I think I speak for everypony here, that all of us are here for him. We're his friends, and we would do everything to protect each other. And If Twilight wants to help him through the fear, I say, we let her! Hell, remember what they did for me after my OWN private hell!".

Princes Celestia looked at Josh and the rest as they nodded, then to her student. She felt

Twilight's love towards the human. Celestia stared for a minute, and her horn glowed to have Twilight feel Graham's Presence once more.

"You've won me over, My Faithful Twilight. If you feel as though you can handle the pain, then may it be so. I think Graham will need all the help he can get. Being a hero isn't about doing things alone. It's about doing things together with your closest friends. I guess I, too can learn something from my own student and her friends." Celestia smiled.

Twilight then sent a thought towards Graham's Mind.

"Graham..."

He stopped and heard her voice. The other ponies looked at the hole, as he responded.

Twilight motioned Pinkie to come close. Pinkie ran over.

"Pinkie, you're the element of laughter, you've handled fear before, and I need you to do it again. My magic can get the word across if you can say something to help."

Pinkie with a straight face only nodded as she spoke while Twilight's Horn glowed a bright light.

"Graham! This is Pinkie, you gotta stop running!"

"Pinkie..?"

"Graham, I'm gonna sing a song for you, I sang this when we were in Everfree forest a while back, when Nightmare Moon tried to scare us."

"I-I don't think right now's a good time, Pinkie..."

The laughter could only be heard as Graham ran towards a hiding spot.

"Graham...Listen up!"

Graham stopped shivering to hear her voice sing in a giggly tone, a melody started playing from nowhere, as the cackles of the evil clone came a bit closer...

"When I was a little filly and the sun was going dooooooown.

The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frooooooooown.

I'd hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at aaaaalllllll.

She said, Pinkie you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears, you'll see that they can't hurt you just laugh to make them disappeeeeear."

Graham soon started feeling stronger, as if all his worries were disappearing. The flames on his shirt started to change colors from white to a grey. He started to stand up from his hiding place. The Clone started inching closer.

"There you are...kekekekeke..." The Clone said with a smirk. Graham kept listening, ignoring the creature.

"She said, Pinkie, you've gotta stand up tall

Learn to face your fears

You'll see that they can't hurt you

Just laugh and make them disappear."

Graham soon started to smile at the Ghoul standing in front of him, it had a confused look upon its wretched face. His shirt once more changed from grey to a dark pink...

"So giggle at the ghosty,

Guffaw at the grossly,

Crack up at the creepy,

Woof it up with the weepy.

Chortle at the cooky.

Snortle at the spooky. "

Graham soon walked up to it and started chuckling. The pink on his flames grew brighter. The Monster started to back away.

"Just laugh and make them disappear!"

Graham just smiled and let out a louder laugh from his throat at the Ghoul standing in front of him, it had a confused look upon its wretched face. The area around him started changing its tone from creepy to bright and colorful ever so slowly, but surely.

"Come on, everypony! Sing with me!" Pinkie asked happily as everyone, even the princesses, started to sing to her tune.

"So giggle at the ghosty,

Guffaw at the grossly,

Crack up at the creepy,

Woof it up with the weepy,

Chortle at the cooky,

Snortle at the spooky."

Graham's laughter eventually became louder than before. The Pink became even more noticeable. The Monster started backing up ever so slowly with a hint of fear on its face.

"W-What are you doing...? Aren't you scared...?"

"One more time now!" Pinkie Pie instructed to the others as they all nodded happily.

"...Soooo giggle at the ghosty,

Guffaw at the grossly,

Crack up at the creepy,

Woof it up with the weepy,

Chortle at the cooky,

Snortle at the spooky."

Everyone stopped after this so Pinkie pie could finish her song with her solo...

"And to tell that big ol' scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he's scary than he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna HAHHAHAAHAHA... laaaauuuuuuugh!"

Graham soon had himself laughing warm and heartily as the Monster soon became completely scared itself as he stepped forward. The flames on his shirt became a full bright pink as he laughed himself away. "I ain't afraid of you anymore, No more running for me! And now, it's payback time, Motherfucker!"

"N-No! Wait! I don't deserve this!"

Graham grabbed the clone's neck and then was about to punch it, but then had a better idea. The smile once more crept on his face again as his hand glowed a bright light. The monster hissed as it soon started to disintegrate from the feet up.

"N-Nooo! What is thiiis!"

"My payback, you clown."

The monster screamed as it vanished. "Sin's not done here! Sin shall vanquish you!"

"Yeah, yeah, and I look forward to kicking his face in. Until then, bye bye~"

The monster completely vanished, and the forest started to change from a terrifying scene to a bright and beautiful one. The other ponies cheered for Graham, and also for Pinkie.

"Pinkie! Ya did it!" Meowth cheered.

"Aw, it was nothing, he needed a little help! I'm glad I got to help our friend!" Pinkie smiled.

Graham smiled as the portal to the lobby soon opened. "Pinkie! I thank you so much! I really needed that! You were right! Running away doesn't solve a thing! Remind me to hug ya, ya crazy girl!"

Graham soon ran towards the portal, towards the lobby. With another fist pump, the portal behind him closed. "Yeah, boy!" He said aloud as he soon stepped towards the next portal.

Twilight sparkle soon sent another message towards Graham's thoughts.

"Graham, we're all here for you now. I felt your pain, as Celestia tried to take our connection away, but we all stood up, and now we can communicate again!"

"That's great honey! I look forward to coming back into your open hooves again, Twilight. And I want everypony up there to know, that I am not givin' up! As long as you guys are up there, cheering me on, I'm gonna keep moving forward!"

The others cheered and Twilight Sparkle smiled. "I love you, my strong man..."

With those words, his pink flames flashed slowly, to show that he had lovely thoughts. "I love you too, my sweet mare..."

He smiled as he neared the portal he found open. Before he walked in, he saw a Apple tree with big delicious apple upon its branches.

"Oh! Apples!" He said as Applejack laughed.

"Remind me to bake him a big ol' Apple Pie Just for 'im, would ya, Twi?"

"I'd be glad to, Applejack!" She replied as Graham grabbed a few big fruits and munched on them.

"Moist and delicious, these Apples make me strong!" Graham said and laughed. He finished up a few more as he looked at the portal. He smirked.

"Ready or not, Here I Go!"

He soon ran into the next portal, back to the lobby, to await his next trial. What could it be? We can only wait...

TO BE CONTINUED...