• Chapter Twenty-five: Waking Up •

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"What should we do with it?"

"Let's eat it! This thing'll last us a year!"

"We're vegetarian... remember?"

"Oh... right."

Snow Flutter helplessly watched, as the dwarves began to tie up the unconscious Discord. "Guys..."

"We should burn him anyway. We don't want a horrible thing like this hurting Snow Flutter again."

"Guys..." Snow Flutter cringed, as one of the dwarves grabbed ahold of a lighter.

"Right on it!" Cheese Sandwich lowered the match to Discord.

"Guys!" Snow Flutter screamed, jumping forward in the nick of time. The white tuft at the edge of Discord's tail had already caught a small flame, and was beginning to singe. Snow Flutter jumped onto the tail over and over again until the spark was gone, and the white fluff had slightly blackened.

The dwarves watched in befuddlement. "So... you don't want us to burn him?" Fancypants looked slightly upset.

"No! This is my friend!"

"You say what now?" Flash Sentry showed no belief in his eyes.

"Yes. This is actually my best friend." Snow Flutter stood protectively in front of the draconequus.

"Um... Snow Flutter... a lot of events have happened in the past five seconds, and you might be coping with a bit of stress, which leads to mental blanks. You don't know what you are saying-" Soarin began.

"No, I do!" Snow Flutter spat, the 'shy' part of her original name, crucified.

Shining Armour exchanged glances with his fellow dwarves. "This monster was just attacking you. You're telling us that it is actually a friend?"

"He's not a monster! And he wasn't attacking me! He was trying to protect me, although I didn't want him to," Snow Flutter hissed.

"Care explain?" Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow.

Snow Flutter sighed. "This is Discord."

"Oh my holy mother of-"

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"-Celestia's name, this is a draconequus? Snow Flutter, for crying out-"

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"-loud in public. Discord's not even a pony! This is ridiculous! How could you-"

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"-believe that this is even with the law! Oh what am I saying... we don't even obey the law! But I cannot believe that you-"

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"-and him can't be together! Am I forcing a relationship..? I never thought I'd do-"

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"-something when we're gone? Do you chat? Do you leave the house? Have you-"

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"-ever... ever. I can't stand this! It's repulsive! Snow Flutter is insane! This creature is even more-"

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"-lucky that we caught you when we did! You have no idea what you'd gotten-"

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"-into something horrible! She'll never see the-"

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"-light on you. No we are going to ban you-"

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"-from each day you have been seeing-"

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"-discord means? Discord means disorder... disharmony... Snow Flutter you aren't-"

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"-meant. I meant that it's just wrong on so many levels... I can't even look-"

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"-like all the ice creams in the world. They'll melt away, causing the worst day ever! Ice cream doesn't deserve this! My pet chicken Boneless 2 told me so!" Cheese Sandwich finished his say on the matter, after all the rest of the dwarves had presented their opinions. It had gone for three and a half hours.

All was silent, as Snow Flutter raised an eyebrow. "Done yet?"

"Yes..." all the dwarves muttered in unison.

"Okay, now that you have presented your says, am I free to express my opinion?" Snow Flutter narrowed her teal eyes.

"Go ahead," Shining Armour sighed, settling down.

Snow Flutter cleared her throat before she began to speak. "Need I remind you everything he's done for me? He saved me from Chrysalis... if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here now. Y'know, he used to work for Chrysalis? He betrayed his peace with all the changelings in Equestria... he saved my life. Chrysalis now hates him, but he is still risking everything he earns for me. Just because some come in many different forms, doesn't mean they're less beautiful than others. The heart within, is what makes one fair. That's what I have to battle against Chrysalis. Nothing else. Discord doesn't stand for his name... no, he hates his name for some reason... I don't know why though. Sure, he sometimes causes trouble... and prefers chaos over sanity, but if you look at everything in this world... it is way more chaotic than Discord's form itself. Let me use you as examples." Snow Flutter narrowed her eyes, and pointed to each in turn. "You are grumpy... unnaturally sleepy... have a strange sense for being bashful... you sneeze a lot, so much you might as well have feather flu... you're happiness gets incredibly annoying, need I say... and you're dopey, depressed over the tragic events of your past." Snow Flutter's eye twitched. "You are all pathetically chaotic, all the way through, and you call Discord disoriented? What sort of sick world is this? Judging others by how they appeal? It is a revolting thing to do, counting the faults in the appearance over the faults in personality." She glared at the dwarves, who were trembling. "Appearance, eh? Since when was last time you all looked in the mirror? You are all rearranged... you look like Chrysalis threw you in a bag and cruelly meddled with every last inch of your bodies." Snow Flutter dipped her head, and gave the dwarves apologetic glances. "Sorry... I will fight for what I believe in."

"Definitely a crush," Cheese Sandwich whispered loudly to his friends, but went quiet when Snow Flutter and the other dwarves glared daggers at him.

All was silent, as the dwarves recovered from Snow Flutter's outburst. A pin drop could be heard from a mile away. Finally, Shining Armour stepped forward. "You've earned my respect. Anyone else agree on this final judgement?"

The dwarves were silent, until finally, Flash Sentry stepped forward. "I'm still unsure, but if *sneeze* Discord is what you say he is to be, then I agree."

"Same. I am sure we can make amends with this creature," Soarin nodded, turning to the rest of the dwarves.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh gave an approving shake of the head.

"He'd better be nice!" Cheese Sandwich leered, before smiling. "And sure, why not?"

"Never thought I'd see you get angry to a single living soul. The day you did, I always thought was the day that I'd actually see a creature which looked as unbelievable as that. I guess today is the day," Fancypants concluded.

Snow Flutter nodded contentedly. "Thank you."

"Now let's go wake up the draco-thing!" Cheese Sandwich hopped up and down, peering over Snow Flutter's shoulder, to see nothing there. "Hey! Where'd he go?"

Snow Flutter and the other five dwarves stared around, to see nothing there, whatsoever.

"I swear there was an unconscious, mutated creature lying there a second ago," Fancypants mumbled, earning a slap from Snow Flutter at the word 'mutated.'

"Where'd he go?" Big Macintosh stared at the blank space.

Snow Flutter shrugged. "He must have woken up, and realised where he was. He is kind of afraid of all of you, so he must have teleported away while he still had the chance." Snow Flutter stiffened, and tears began to well in her eyes. "This means I am probably never going to see him again..." The butter-yellow pegasi collapsed into a miserable heap.

"Wait... what's going on?" Soarin glanced from side to side in confusion.

Whilst sobbing, Snow Flutter explained how Discord had wanted to stay away from her, in order to protect her.

The dwarves exchanged sorrowful glances.

"I am so sorry Snow Flutter..." Shining Armour hesitated. "I am sorry for you..?"

The other dwarves exchanged confused glances.

"Wait... we're sorry for... her?" Fancypants gasped.

Snow Flutter tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

The dwarves quickly left the room, and huddled around each other.

Snow Flutter rolled her eyes. "How come they always do that?"

In the other room, the dwarf's eyes were wide.

"So... we really are sorry for her..?" Cheese Sandwich tilted his head. "We're not sorry for ourselves for loosing our chance to becoming actual ponies as it is?"

Shining Armour bit his lip. "I never thought that we'd think this way. Over the time we've known her... we thought that we were just going to use her to become normal ponies again..."

"But now we have gained an actual friend..." Flash Sentry gaped. "We've gained a friend!"

"Somepony actually is our friend... and we're her friend..!" Cheese Sandwich let out an ecstatic cry.

"But now we are closer than ever to losing her..." Soarin peered at the ground in depression.

…

Clink... clink... clink... The sound was shallow, and it was only audible for the pony responsible. The night-blue alicorn tapped at the wall again, watching a tiny grain of stone flick away. She looked at her hooves, swollen with infection and throbbing. Gashes of red, black and purple blood trickled from the pulsing sides and dribbled onto the stone floor. Luna cringed, before tapping at the wall again, and a painful spasm jolted through her hoof. Her brain was pleading her to stop, but her heart was etching her onwards.

"Luna... please stop," a white alicorn sat in the other dungeon, looking at Luna desperately. "You're making this unbearable to watch... it is useless."

The alicorn with the starry mane peered up. "It's never useless! Once I have escaped, I will bring reinforcements and we shall free you and Cadance from this prison."

Celestia's eyes glistened with despair. "Luna, stop! Now!"

Luna turned around and glared at the white alicorn with disbelief. "Oh, so I see how it is! You're now going to order me to stop, because you're the older and better sister! Is that right?"

Celestia desperately shook her head. "No Luna... I just love you, and I... don't want you to hurt yourself... I'm sorry."

Luna's tensed muscles relaxed, and she lowered her head. "It's okay. I... I guess I am just so worked up, because I am sick of these changelings keeping us hostage... and how they're treating us. Every day Cadance is growing weaker... we are close to losing her. How could Equestria cope without their Princess of Love?"

Celestia let out a small smile. "You're not worried about all the ponies losing their Princes of Love, are you? You're worried about losing a friend... you love her, don't you?"

Luna turned towards the sleeping pink alicorn, letting out frail breathes. "At first I was skeptical of having a third prinses, let alone alicorn... but she has proven herself, and I have grown to admire her. But she is still so young... I should be the one dying, not her."

Celestia gave her sister a dubious glance. "No, you shouldn't... and neither should Cadance. Neither of you deserve this fate... it is just unfortunate out of the three of us, it is her..." Celestia paused, as she looked up, and saw the sleek form making it's way through the dungeons.

Chrysalis approached the three alicorns' prisons, and stopped abruptly. "Greetings, princesses."

Celestia peered at the ground, and Luna let out a hostile snarl, spitting at Chrysalis's hooves.

"Welcome to you two too," Chrysalis sarcastically wavered the reactions off, and approached the centre cage, where a sleeping Cadance lay curled up. Chrysalis's horn began to power up.

"Please don't!" Luna interrupted. "She hasn't slept in a while... she needs her rest."

Chrysalis snorted. "And do I look like I care?" Chrysalis sent a magic aura around Cadance's head, and gave her a sudden, tussling headache.

Cadance's eyes flickered open, and she hooved at her head in agony. She feebly peered up, and twitched her light purple eyes to Chrysalis's variegated, opal ones. "What do you want?"

Chrysalis glanced at her polished hoof. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to inform you three that your last hope is lost!"

Celestia closed her pale-magenta eyes. "You're bluffing. You don't even know what you're talking about."

The changeling queen's horn buzzed to life, giving Celestia a sharp prick. "I know everything, don't go dissing me. Your little Snow Flutter's met her doom now!"

The three alicorn's eyes widened.

"What are you going to do to her?" Luna menaced forward, so her face was in the bars. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

Chrysalis's eyes widened, innocently. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Nightmare Moon."

"Don't you even think of call me that," Luna thundered. "You know well that I am reformed, and your bickers are only lies! Pure lies!"

Chrysalis smirked. "Most of them are, aren't they? One of them was the part where I said that I wouldn't even dream of hurting her."

"Be merciful... she's still a filly," Cadance softly spoke.

"Mercy isn't one of my character traits!" Chrysalis sneered. "By the morning she is going to be dead, and you three can't do anything about it!" Chrysalis stormed away, a trail of her dust still lingering.

…

The air was cold, as it whisked over the pale-golden filly's nose. She batted at the breeze, sprawled out, and curled into a little ball. "Ouch!" She felt bars underneath her, and she looked down to the ground, to see she was hovering above it, the bars the only thing keeping her in the air. Her xanthous eyes widened, her pupils small, as she got up onto her hooves. She saw three other foals sprawled out in the trolley with her... each in a different corner. One was a light-apricot pegasi, with small wings, the feathers splayed around. Her cerise mane was short, and curled at the top. The next pony, was a pale-bluish-grey pegasi colt with a grey-sapphire-blue mane. The final pony, was a topaz earth pony filly, with a short fuchsia mane. Apple Bloom peered around her surroundings, to see that she was far outside of the castle they had recently been in. She sneezed, as she felt a small water droplet land on her nose. It began to rain. Apple Bloom slowly brushed the dust off of her fur, and remembered Sweetie Belle. She sighed, tears from her eyes adding to the pouring rain, as she began to sing.

"What have ah done wrong..?

One we've had to release.

It has been so long...

Since we were all together... in peace..."

Scootaloo's pale-lilac eyes flickered open, and she caught her friend's last sentence. Scootaloo ruffled her water-laden wings like a bird, and began to sing another verse.

"Five has turned to four...

What is next? Three, two, one...

Can we take it anymore?

Do we defend, attack... or run?"

Rumble glanced at Scootaloo in awe, before he slowly got onto his hooves, and preened his feathers, singing his own verse.

"Well fate, you've failed us now...

I don't think we can take it...

We just don't know how.

If this is a game... why can't we quit?"

Babs Seed opened her mint-green eyes, as they began to water... not from the rain. She sat onto her hindquarters, and leaned against the bars.

"Our independence, has gone...

How much longer can we keep our fearful stance?

Sweetie Belle's whom we mourn...

Just fate... please give us a chance."

The four Crusaders peered at the ground for a second, before a large droplet landed in the centre of the trolley, making the four jump.

"Maybe we should get out..." Scootaloo looked to the others in heartache.

"Agreed..." Apple Bloom shifted her weight, but the trolley squeaked in the mud, and began to slowly slide down a slope.

Babs Seed's eyes widened, as she saw a drop ahead of them... it went down about ten metres. "Please tell me this is not happening..."

"It's happening," Apple Bloom whimpered. The dip was coming closer and closer, as the trolley continued to slip through the mud. The bars of the trolley were too high for them to climb over. It was as if they were locked in a cage. Apple Bloom, Babs Seed and Scootaloo ran into the middle of the trolley, and hugged each other closely, shivering at the approaching fall.

"If this is the last time I ever see you girls... can I have your bed Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo questioned in fear.

"Irrelevant!" Apple Bloom hissed, as the trolley teetered on the edge. "You're going to die too!"

Scootaloo scratched her chin. "Oh... right."

"Goodbye..." Babs Seed whispered, as the trolley rocked on the edge.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cringed, as it creaked forward, basically more than halfway over the edge now. They gritted their teeth, beads of sweat dripping from them, only adding to the rain. The trolley wobbled back safely, and they all let out sighs of relief. The trolley was halfway over the edge, but staying put.

"Whew! That was tense," Apple Bloom breathed.

"You spoke too soon..." Scootaloo uttered, staring at the sky above them, grey as a dove's feather with clouds.

Apple Bloom followed her gaze, and stared as a poison joke flower, began to slowly float down from the sky.

"What did we ever do to you?" Babs Seed wailed, as the flower landed square on the side of the trolley, causing it to sway, and topple over the edge.

The three fillies were screaming their lungs out, as the ground grew nearer and nearer... the light flashed in their eyes, as they prepared to meet the stars. Metres turned to centimetres... to millimetres... the ground was practically underneath them now. Suddenly, there was a jolt, just before the trolley hit the ground.

"What?" Scootaloo gaped, peering up, and meeting eyes with Rumble's, who was gently lowering the trolley to the ground, vigorously flapping his wings.

Rumble gave a tired smile. "Did you think I'd leave you hanging?" He smirked at his pun.

Scootaloo smiled, tears of joy reeling from her eyes. "No... oh my Celestia! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" As soon as the three fillies had been lowered to the ground, and had exited the trolley, Scootaloo ran up, and threw her hooves around Rumble. "You saved our lives!"

Rumble smirked. "Say it, heroine!"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, blushing. "Okay- fine! This is the first and last time though! You're my... hero."

"I know," Rumble grinned, before descending to the ground. "That was exhausting! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to carry three fillies and a trolley at the same time?"

Scootaloo shuddered, as thoughts flashed into her mind. "I'd rather not ask."

Apple Bloom let out a deep breathe, before turning to the other three Crusaders. "We should go now..."

"Woah, woah... we're not even going to save Sweetie Belle first?" Scootaloo spun around in confusion.

"We don't have the strength to do that... it's cold, and we haven't formulated a plan... besides... ah don't think she needs rescuing..." Apple Bloom avoided her friends' gazes.

"What do you mean?" Babs Seed gasped. "We can't just let that stranger walk away with her!"

"Yeah... he was really weird too... the way he knew Sweetie Belle like that..." Rumble murmured.

Apple Bloom sighed. "Sweetie Belle is smart, and cunning. She knows what she is doin'... besides, she made a deal to save our lives. We can't go back on that deal."

"But-" Scootaloo interjected.

"Do you think she'd want us saving her? Or do you think she'd want to do something solitary for once to prove herself?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow to the three ponies, who lowered their heads. "Ah thought so. Now come... ah don't think standing in the cold will help our conditions. We should leave before any of us get the flu."

The four Crusaders reluctantly trudged into the undergrowth, towards their faraway home.

…

Sweetie Belle yawned, and sighed. She hadn't got this good a sleep on a while. She nuzzled into the blankets, which were soft and cozy... her bed at home wasn't like this. She opened her eyes abruptly, and peered around the room. "Oh my Celestia, that wasn't a dream..." She began to panic, furiously, getting up, and turning around in shock. "New bed... new room... new everything! Why did I agree to this? Oh my, what if I never see my friends again? What if they forget me? What if I'm forced to live here for the rest of my life?" She knelt to the ground, and stared at the heavens above... or her roof. "I don't want to live here for the rest of my life!" She stared around, examining the room... it was larger than her old room, and the walls were painted a classy, gorgeous yellow. The velvet carpet sunk underneath her hooves, and it was a lavender colour. Her bed was a massive queen bed... the blankets were violet and burgundy silk. A vail suspended over the bed, hung up neatly, and a chandelier dangled below the ceiling. Inside the room was a massive timber wardrobe, and a desk. Sweetie Belle cautiously hopped onto the floor, and tiptoed up to the large door on one side of the room. She pressed her ear to the side of the door, listening for any sounds, before opening it, and hopping our of the room. "Okay... now I need to come up with an escape plan..." she tottered through the halls anxiously. "I need to see my friends..."

"Sweetie Belle! You're awake! Yay!" Suddenly there was the sound of galloping, and Sweetie Belle was sent to the ground in a tornado of excitement.

"Oh, great..." Sweetie Belle muttered under her breathe, before meeting the amber eyes of the pony in the shadows. "Hi..."

"Hi Sweetie Belle!" the pony chirped, hopping off of her, and gliding down the corridor. "I am so happy you're awake! I have been waiting forever... literally. I mean, I haven't seen you forever since I was cursed..."

"Do I know you?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "And... cursed?"

The pony sighed, slouching over. "That was part of the curse that was inflicted on me. Nopony recognises me anymore... I recognise you though!"

Sweetie Belle bit her lip. "What is your name..? I might recognise you then... I mean, your voice sounds familiar..."

The pony backed away. "I don't want to tell you..."

"Why not?" Sweetie Belle winced slightly.

"Because I don't think you'd appreciate who I am now..." the pony sighed, before becoming hyper again. "So whatcha' wanna' do?"

Sweetie Belle glanced to the ground. "Well I am kind of hungry..."

The pony smiled optimistically. "Say no more, Miss Belle! Food will be right on its way!" He began to dash down the hallway, before Sweetie Belle paused him.

"Wait..! If you don't want me to know your real name, then what do I call you?" She glanced at him hopefully.

He paused. "Wow... I really don't know. How about you just call me your friend? Sounds simple enough!"

"But... a name..!" Sweetie Belle protested.

He shrugged. "Call me anything you want, I'll still respond!" Then, he rushed through one of the halls to get breakfast ready.

Sweetie Belle breathed heavily, before trudging back to her room and resting on the bed. "Scratch the escape plan... what am I supposed to do now?" She paused, as she heard him cantering up, and swinging the door open.

"Do you want pancakes?"

"Sure," she smiled slightly as he skittered away again. When he was gone, she went serious. "He seems so excited that I am here... I'd feel so bad if I just left him..." She stopped herself, shaking her head. "No- I shouldn't feel bad. He's basically kidnapped me- I will not tolerate such behaviour- he is only a beast for separating me from my friends." She narrowed her eyes. "But I swear I have heard his voice before... and his eyes seem so familiar..."

"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Sweetie Belle- do you want maple syrup with your pancakes?" The pony appeared at the doorway again, grinning from ear to ear.

Sweetie Belle slowly nodded. "Okay... sure..." She got off of her bed. "I may as well come... you'll eventually wear yourself out from running from the kitchen to my room back and forth."

"Okay!" The pony squealed. "Follow me!" He blitzed forward, towards one of the doors on the left side of the hallway.

Sweetie Belle managed to keep up with him, as she arrived in the large kitchen. Pancakes were cooking on the fry pan, steam sizzling into the sky. The pale-grey unicorn filly breathed in the warm air, and sighed, before she opened the fridge on one side of the room, and levitated some blueberries into the air. "These will go nicely with the pancakes!"

The pony grinned. "I remember your sister liked blueberries too! You are just like her now... but prettier..."

Sweetie Belle hid her blush, and replaced it with a disturbed expression. "How well did you know me back in the past?"

The pony shrugged as he got some ice cream from the freezer. "Pretty well, I guess. You were one of the only fillies who was nice to me!"

Sweetie Belle took the information in, as she helped the pony take the pancakes out of the pan, and topple them onto some plates. "Did I know you? Or did you just know me?"

"Oh, you knew me," the pony smiled, as he scooped the ice cream onto the pancakes. "Yes, you knew my name, and who I was..."

Sweetie Belle arranged the blueberries onto the ice cream, imagining how fussy her sister would have been at the very moment, centring the blueberries, delicately onto the plate. "I wish I knew who you were... say, how were you cursed?"

The pony shrugged, as he grabbed the two plates, taking them to the dining room and setting them down on the table. "I don't know really... after you left, I got really sad, even without those evil Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon ponies. Then, when the taxes began to rise, changeling attacks became more frequent."

Sweetie Belle began to eat her pancake as she listened to the colt's explanation.

"Chrysalis came one time... me and a friend were hiding in a bin... literally. Is that the second time I have said literally today? Oh well! Back to the subject, Chrysalis somehow found us, and was furious that we had hidden from her, when we should have been celebrating. She used our happiness against us..." he sighed. "She took what we loved away from us. For instance... my friend loved her mother more than anything... so Chrysalis took her away from her family to never see them again. For me, Chrysalis found that I loved my friends a lot... so she cursed me. None of my friends recognised me anymore... and I am afraid to reveal who I am, because Chrysalis added a small... addition to my life."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "And what is that?"

"It's more... an addiction." He shook his head, and began to wail, wrapping his hooves around Sweetie Belle, and crying into her shoulder. "Okay, fine! My obsession is with video games! Alright? And I feel like I am turning into one... seriously!"

Sweetie Belle glanced from side to side uncomfortably, before patting the crying colt on the shoulder. "There, there... it's alright. Calm down."

The pony wiped the tears from his eyes. "Alright..."

"So... you're actually... becoming a video game?" Sweetie Belle gave a bewildered expression. "How does that even work?"

"Well... I always feel the need to play them... and when I do play them, it's difficult to stop... and sometimes I have these weird defaults... syntax errors or something, as I begin to repeat words," he sighed. "I had one yesterday when I dropped sleeping gas on you and your friends."

"You did what?" Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes. "No wonder everything just blacked out!"

"Don't be angry," the pony trembled. "Your friends were about to attack me, and it was the first thing that popped into my twisted mind... wait, did I say my mind was twisted?"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "I wish my friends had saved me. You're practically keeping me hostage."

The pony backed away. "But I have been just so lonely..."

"So you kidnap a pony?" Sweetie Belle uttered. "I really want to leave."

"Well I don't want you to!" The pony jeered.

Sweetie Belle's mint green eyes pierced into him. "Well the whole world doesn't revolve around you. I am going now!"

The pony quickly fumbled for a gadget, before pressing a button, and gas began to filter out. He quickly popped on a moustache, as Sweetie Belle muttered, "not this again..." Then she dropped to the ground and fell asleep.