"Let me get this straight," said Silver Rush. "You and your friends got sucked into one of my comics and fought the Mane-iac?"
The welcome party had finally died down now, and the only ones left in the castle were Spike, the Mane Six, and Silver Rush.
"That's exactly what happened," said Pinkie Pie. "We got tons of cupcakes there, too! Well, I did, but that's because I was fast enough."
"How did it happen again?" said Silver. "Last I checked the Power Ponies were a figment of my imagination."
"Spike got the comic book from the House of Enchanted Comics in Canterlot," said Rainbow Dash.
"Again, I didn't know they were actually enchanted," said Spike.
"Neither did I," responded Silver Rush. "The name of the store sounds familiar, but I had no idea there was any way to visit Maretropolis. If I did, I would've gone there already!"
"Wait, you want to get sucked into one of your own comics?" said Applejack.
"Of course!" said Silver. "I have always dreamed of fantastic worlds that I wanted to visit but never could. To meet the Power Ponies would be a dream come true!"
"Hmm...," mumbled Rarity.
"What is it?" said Twilight.
"I was wondering, if we had one of those comic books, could there be some spell that might let us travel back there?" Rarity asked.
"And have to fight the Mane-iac again?" said Fluttershy. "No thank you."
"If there was a way, I'd go back in a heartbeat," said Rainbow Dash. "It's super powers for crying out loud!"
"Twilight, what do you think?" said Silver.
Twilight Sparkle pondered this for a moment. "I'll admit, it was fun for a while. What do you girls think?" The rest of the Mane Six thought for a moment as well. They all knew the risks, but they figured if they stopped the Mane-iac once, they could do it again.
"We're in," they all agreed.
"Spike, do you have a Power Ponies comic somewhere?" Twilight asked. Spike immediately ran to his room and came back a moment later with a small magazine with a bold-print title. The colorful cover art showing the Power Ponies staring down the Mane-iac.
"Perfect," said Twilight. "Now let's see; maybe some sort of portal spell, perhaps?" She pondered for a few more moments. "Alright, I think I've got something. Every pony, stay clear." Every pony took a step back as Twilight started to cast the spell. Green and purple energy began to radiate from her horn, and suddenly a beam of light struck the comic, levitating it into the air. There was a bright flash, and the next thing everyone knew the comic was on the floor in front of them. Nothing had changed.
"Is that it?" said Rainbow Dash.
"I don't understand," said Twilight. "That spell should've opened the portal to Maretropolis." But then they realized something had changed. They looked at each other and realized they were in their super hero outfits. The Masked Matterhorn, Mistress Mare-volous, Saddle Rager, Fili-second, Zapp, Radiance, and Hum Drum. They were all there, but they were still in the castle. Every pony walked up to the comic and gasped. All the characters from the front cover were missing, including Mane-iac.
"Not good," said Silver Rush. He was followed by ferocious cackling from the far end of the room, and all looked up to see Mane-iac. Her deadly green mane sparked and glowed with energy, and her red and green eyes gave away the madness in her mind.
"Not sure exactly where I am," said Mane-iac with a grin, "but that really doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is my plan." The ponies tried to rush her, but they were immediately pinned to the wall by locks of hair.
"Pathetic," she said. "Now, if you ponies will excuse me, I have a town to take over." The Mane-iac howled like this was hilarious and burst out the doors into the night.
Every pony got to their feet/hooves, shocked by how quickly these events unfolded. "Spike," said Silver Rush, "what number issue is that comic?"
"Issue 312," said Spike.
"Didn't you read it all the way through?!"
"I haven't had the time. Why?"
"That's the issue where Mane-iac becomes even more powerful to where the Power Ponies can't beat her!"
"Good thing we're not the Power Ponies, then," said Pinkie Pie.
"Even if you aren't actually the Power Ponies," said Silver, "she can still counter all your powers."
"Well who would we be if we didn't try and stop her?" said Rarity.
"I'm not sure I can do this," said Fluttershy.
"Just remember what she did to that firefly," said Applejack.
"Looks like its time to Power Pony up then," said Spike. Then him and the Mane Six rushed out the front gate after Mane-iac.
"What have I done?" said Silver Rush to himself. He could hear the sound of battle outside. It didn't sound good for the Mane Six, and he couldn't do a thing about it. "Why did I bring up the Power Ponies? Why did I ask Twilight to cast that spell? Why did I write that stupid comic?!" He slammed his scroll case on the table and it popped open, sending notes and sketches flying. He sighed and started picking papers back up and spotted something.
It was the notes Silver had for the issue after 312, the issue where he'd started getting writer's block. He was never able to finish it, which meant the outcome of the battle out there in the streets hadn't been decided yet. He had an idea, but whether it would work or not he didn't know.
"Celestia, please let this work," Silver said. "Please let this work." He started pulling out sheets of paper, bottles of ink, and frantically began writing and sticking pages into the comic book. He only hoped it wasn't too late.
Meanwhile the fight outside wasn't going so well. Twilight was firing rays of ice at Mane-iac, but they seemed to just bounce off of her mane. Applejack was trying to string up Mane-iac, but she kept breaking free of the lasso. Pinkie Pie tried to confuse her, but Mane-iac seemed to be moving just as fast. Fluttershy, remembering that Mane-iac had hurt a simple firefly, managed to get angry enough to go into berserk mode, and yet Mane-iac was going hoof to hoof with her. Rarity tried to create a cage, but Mane-iac shattered it like glass. Rainbow Dash even threw an entire tornado at her, and Mane-iac just threw it right back at her. She knew their moves, their abilities, their weaknesses, and how to use them against the Power Ponies.
"Enough of this," said Mane-iac. Suddenly her mane seemed to grow to five times its size, wrapping up and entangling the Mane 6. The more they became entangled, the more their powers seemed to fade, almost as if she were draining them. She cackled maniacally again.
"Did you really think that you silly ponies could stop me?!" Mane-iac yelled. "As you grow weaker, I only grow stronger! And after I defeat you, nothing will stand in my way!"
"Except me," said a new voice.
Mane-iac paused in her gloating and turned to face the voice. The voice came from a single pony sporting a black trench coat and dark glasses with grey hair and a teal mane.
"Silver Rush?" said the Mane 6.
"Call me Maelstrom," he said.
"Oh, how thoughtful!" said Mane-iac. "Standing up for your friends. How noble! Too bad you will have to suffer the same fate." She lashed out with her mane again, but Silver was ready. He suddenly moved and closed the gap, moving as if he were made of pure electricity. Mane-iac was knocked back by the sheer force of Silver's advance, knocking the rest of the Power Ponies free.
"Silver," said Twilight, "how did you…"
"I'll explain later," said Silver / Maelstrom. He rushed forward again, blinking across the street like a bolt of lightning. Mane-iac met his strike, grabbing Maelstrom's hoof with one of the locks of her mane. But upon his touch, Maelstrom sent volts of electricity down her spine, momentarily stunning her.
"Quick, get the comic book!" Maelstrom yelled back to the Power Ponies.
"What? Why?" said Applejack.
"Just trust me!" Maelstrom yelled. He then grabbed Mane-iac and they both went flying upward into the sky. Storm clouds formed around them. Lightning cracked. Thunder boomed. Both were taking a beating. Then Maelstrom, still holding Mane-iac in a headlock, sailed back down towards the earth. Right towards the open comic book placed by the Power Ponies below. Maelstrom and Mane-iac both careened towards the ground, towards the comic, and at the very last second Maelstrom let go of Mane-iac, pushing himself away from the book and her towards it. He smashed into the ground several feet away and Mane-iac sailed headfirst back into the comic book. There was a brilliant flash of light, and she was gone.
Immediately the ponies' costumes disappeared, and they changed back to the Mane 6. Their attention immediately turned from the book to Silver Rush, who was badly injured and struggling to stand upright.
"So… did we win?" Silver said. And he then passed out.
When he awoke, Silver Rush was lying in a hospital bed. At first he didn't open his eyes simply because he wanted to rest, but as he began to hear voices around him, he slowly began to open them. To his surprise, the Mane 6 were there.
"Thank Celestia you're alright," said Rarity. "How do you feel?"
"Kinda like I fell thirty feet on my head," said Silver Rush.
"You ain't far off," said Applejack. Suddenly Pinkie Pie burst in with confetti and balloons.
"Defeat of Mane-iac Party!" she yelled. "Woooooooo!"
"Speaking of Mane-iac," said Twilight, "how in Equestria did you get electricity powers?"
"The same way you all got your powers," said Silver Rush. "Do you still have the comic book?" At this Spike ran forward, carrying the magazine in his claws. "I knew that everything I'd written in that comic book would come to pass," said Silver. "So the only way to keep those events from happening was to change them."
Silver opened the magazine, showing the papers he'd frantically stuffed inside. Pages of sketches and notes, full drawings of battle scenes, and one picture of the character he'd transformed into in that fight; Maelstrom.
"How did you do all this?" asked Fluttershy. "I thought you came to Ponyville because you had writer's block."
"Apparently I write better under pressure," responded Silver. They all laughed and smiled at this. "But seriously, though. In those short moments I felt something that I had only felt once before. Back all those years ago when I first got my cutie mark. Something incredibly heroic." His expression was solemn now. "I couldn't let you all suffer for a mistake I made."
"Its not your fault," said Twilight. "You had no idea that Mane-iac would jump out of the book."
"But it was me who convinced every pony to go along with the idea," said Silver. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"There's no need," said Rainbow Dash, flying over to place a hoof on his shoulder. "Besides, those were some pretty sick moves you pulled on Mane-iac. That was awesome!"
Silver smiled at this. "Thank you," he said. "You know, I just might try to find a place somewhere in Ponyville. I'll try not to let this happen again." Every pony met in a group hug, and Silver knew that he'd found what he was looking for. Not inspiration, but friends.
"Alright, alright," said the doctor. "Silver Rush needs to rest. You can come back tomorrow and visit, but for now the best thing for him is to relax."
At the doctor's request the Mane 6 departed, leaving Silver Rush to his thoughts. But then he noticed on the nightstand the journal, a small book with a bound leather cover, that the ponies brought in for him. As he reached for it, though, a spark shot from his hoof, discharging on the bedside lamp. This startled him greatly and he immediately retracted his hoof. Then the realization kicked in.
"Is it possible?" Silver said to himself. An idea was forming in his mind. He looked at the journal again. A vessel of opportunity, calling to him like a siren's song. He knew what to do and how to do it. All that was left was to put it into words.
End of Part 3