EG: High School Chronicles - Story #15 - Part 5

“Metamorphite??” both Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer said together.

Twilight then said, “I’ve read about that stone before.”

Sunset Shimmer added, “I read about it once too, back when I was still living in Equestria… but I thought that type of stone was just a myth!”

Mantisio then said, “A myth?? That’s funny considering that you two, myself, and your little purple dog there too ALL come from a world that THIS world’s human beings would consider to be ‘just a myth’.”

“Just get to the point already,” said Sunset Shimmer, starting to get very annoyed.

“Yeah, why ARE you and Karaoke really doing all of this??” Arrow Swift asked.

“And no lies at all, if you know what’s good for you!” said Drumbeat.

“Totally!” said Brawly Beats, “After all, we got some kickbutt magic chicks in the hizzouse, dude!”

“Cheers to THAT, mate,” said Ringo.

Mantisio laughed as he said, “Ahh… you humans… always trying to be so fearless and clever, even in the worst of situations… Well… if you must know… it all started back when I was working for Queen Chrysalis… back then, I was one of her most promising Changelings… I was unique because unlike most Changelings, I always wanted to study magical abilities OUTSIDE of our own… Outside of the hive… After all, why simply just feed off the pure energies of love and happiness others feel for each other when there are other forms of magical power out there just waiting for us Changelings to take control of?! Chyrsalis actually admired me for my ideals most of the time. In fact, who knows? If I had played my cards right… I probably would have become her own personal apprentice… or maybe even… her own personal ‘consort’ if you know what I mean… ”

“Eww, bad guy love!” said Rainbow Dash, as she then acted like she was gagging and about to throw up.
Spike agreed with her on how gross this was, as he said, “Aww, sick!”

Mantisio then looked at Spike saying, “OH… so, you’re little dog there CAN talk, eh Princess? Good.”

Mantisio then quickly used his Metamorphite necklace to drain out Spike’s own life energy.
“No!” said Twilight, as Spike collapsed to the ground, desperately trying to stay awake and NOT become knocked out next.

“Leave Spike alone!” Sunset Shimmer said to Mantisio.
He replied to her, “I’m sorry, but what can I say? I don’t like being interrupted.  Plus, the reason why I didn’t energy-drain Rainbow Dash here is because, well… heh heh heh… I want ALL of you Rainboom girls to be awake for mine and Karaoke’s background story here… Now where was I?? Oh, right. I was definitely on my way to becoming someone that Chrysalis could consider to be a real equal to her… until that fateful day in Equestria… when the Changeling’s plan to take over Equestria by infiltrating Canterlot through the royal wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance went completely sour at the last minute… THAT happy couple’s ‘Power of Love’ created a magical wave-force that sent all of us Changelings packing, including Queen Chrysalis herself! And me? Well… all of us Changelings were completely banished from Equestria on that fateful day, ME getting quite possibly the worst of it all, as I myself ended up being flung all the way to the Pony World’s arctic regions in the far north! I spent so many weeks there in the freezing cold with nobody in sight to help me out! I was almost on the verge of actually freezing to death when fate actually smiled upon me instead… I came across a huge secret deposit of pure Metamorphite Ore. Its invigorating energy was able to keep me alive just long enough for me to realize something very important… My entire life may have been ruined by the Happy Couple of Canterlot on that fateful wedding day of theirs… but it was my own fault as well for blindly following Chrysalis to our own banishment from Equestria! If I had just spread out my own insect wings and flew on my own from her arrogant path, I wouldn’t be where I was: cold, alone, and desperately hungry! So, I made a decision… from that day forward, I would serve only myself from now on! And again, fate smiled upon me for making such an obviously wise decision… because pretty soon, I found myself in what I recognized from old legends to be… the Crystal Empire… but of course, at the time, it was under attack from that monster called ‘King Sombra.’  But just as well, I saw that the very same group of ‘Heroic Ponies’ who defeated practically my entire Changeling species was just about to defeat that dark king as well. So, I stuck around and watched as they saved the Crystal Empire together. Afterwards, I used my newfound Metamorphite’s power to do something incredible to myself… You see, Metamorphite is a powerful, magical stone that grants only Changelings the power to take the shape and form of not just anypony we come across… but anypony we can think of and ANYTHING we can imagine! In other words, instead of making ourselves look like somepony that already does exist, we Changelings can use Metamorphite’s magical power to make ourselves look like somepony originally created from scratch! Somepony that literally NOBODY knows if they actually exist or not.”

Pinkie Pie said, “OH, I get it! Like how fans of a franchise can create a completely original character of their very own for a piece of fan fiction that they’re writing! * squee * ”

“Uh… yeah, something like that,” said Mantisio, “Anyway, the Metamorphite’s power WAS able to protect me from the purely good energies of the Crystal Empire, thus making my completely original persona… my disguise… almost perfect. ALMOST, because Metamorphite’s magic is only temporary… it lasts for only about a couple of months at the most, and apparently even less than THAT when used in a crystal kingdom surging with nothing but purely good magic… so, I really needed to come up with a plan to get out of the Crystal Empire and head back to Canterlot. Since the Crystal Empire is completely surrounded by a powerful arctic blizzard AND the Empire itself is protected from that harsh weather thanks to its own magical energy barrier, there’s only one way in and out of that crystal city… the train. But train tickets cost money, and I had none. And me working someplace in the Empire to make enough money to buy a train ticket? Yeah… I don’t think so.”

“Well, THAT is just plain lazy of you,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“Shut up,” Mantisio plainly replied, “Anyway, it wasn’t too long until I stumbled across something VERY interesting happening one night… something that seemed to be happening inside of the Crystal Castle… something that YOU were causing, Sunset Shimmer… Can you guess what it was??”

“Something I caused…??” asked Sunset Shimmer, shocked to hear this and tried to think, then realized what it was, “…The night I returned to Equestria just to steal Twilight’s magic crown, her Element of Harmony!”

“Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding!” said Mantisio, “We have a winner!”
Pinkie Pie responded, “Oooh! What did she win? What did she win?!”

Mantisio simply replied, “Quiet, you!”
“Wait, ‘Quiet You’?” Pinkie Pie asked, “That movie stunk!”

Princess Twilight asked Mantisio, “You were there the night that I first met Sunset Shimmer back in Equestria?!”

“Indeed I was,” said Mantisio, “I had to be VERY stealthy, of course… and it paid off, because for the third time in a row, fate gave me one heck of a golden prize… an opportunity to use that magic mirror that was apparently a portal to another world… and when Princess Luna said that it was an alternate realm, I figured that meant it was a world that nobody knew or understood… and THAT realm’s people probably didn’t even know or understood our own magic world… so, I figured… Why try to rule a world filled with magical goody two-shoes that’ll most definitely defeat me… when I can just rule a world that’s most definitely defenseless against someone like ME?!?!”

“But how did you even get through the portal in the first place?!” Princess Twilight asked, “At the time, my Pony World friends were watching over the portal while Spike and I were gone and trying to take care of the business going on in this Human World!”

“True,” said Mantisio, “But they couldn’t watch the portal forever… so, I stealthily bided my time, just waiting for an opportunity, though I did know that I only had an open window – or open mirror, in this case – with a time limit of only 3 days before it would close for good… and then, fate smiled upon me for a fourth time! On the second night, only one Pony was awake watching the portal while everypony else was sleeping… Princess Luna… and getting past her would NOT be easy… until she, apparently, had to go use the bathroom for a really quick minute. I guess that, just as apparently, all the coffee she drinks to stay awake every night REALLY went right through her and… well, you know.”

Princess Twilight simply said, “…All of THAT… is kinda disturbing.”

“Wow, what are the odds?? O.o; ” Pinkie Pie added.

“I know, right?!” Mantisio replied, actually agreeing with Pinkie this time instead of telling her to hush up, “Anyway, when Luna left the room that the magic portal was in, I knew that THAT was my one and only chance. So, I made it count for me by quickly flying right into and through the portal before anypony could hear, see, or notice me. If anything, they would have thought it was just a pesky bug buzzing through the air one minute and gone the next.”

Sunset Shimmer said, “OH, you’re a pesky bug alright! So much so, that nobody really thinks much of you, do they? ”

THAT actually bothered Mantisio, as he curled up his fists beside him saying, “OH… very clever, girly… but you should know at this point that because of YOU back then, I was practically able to just buzz on through from our old world to this one! But admittedly, when I did first make it to this Human World, I quickly realized that it had almost ZERO magical energy in it… I couldn’t really use my Changeling powers anymore, but I did at least have the power of my Metamorphite Pendant to help me. So, I used its power to create for myself the form and look you saw earlier today and yesterday, before changing back into the insect-like humanoid creature you all see before you… But even more unfortunately, my Metamorphite Pendant was nearly out of magical energy. I studied this Human World as best as I could and as quickly as I could through what you humans call ‘The Internet’ on a ‘smartphone’ that a diamond tiara-wearing little brat threw away because she was ready to replace the ‘6 Gigabyte Model’ with the ‘6.5 Gigabyte Model’… or some crazy nonsense like that.”

Brawly Beats then said, “Dude, do you mean to tell us that you actually went and used a discarded smartphone that you got out of the trash?”
Pinkie Pie added, “And that it was from the little girl, Diamond Tiara??”
Drumbeat and Flash then said together, “Creepy weaksauce, dude… Jinx! Double Jinx! Triple Jinx!”

“Enough!!” said Mantisio, “Anyway… I soon discovered that this world actually DID have magic… or rather, YOUR magic, my little Rainbooms! And ever since that night when you first fought Sunset Shimmer in her ‘She-Demon Form’ I believe, I’ve been keeping stealthy tabs on you all and what you can do… and did so even more after your little fiascos with those Siren sisters called ‘The Dazzlings’ AND that ‘Friendship Games’ thing!”

Sunset Shimmer said angrily, “You mean you’ve been stalking us!!!”

“Oh, ‘stalking’ is such a horrible term to use…” said Mantisio, “I honestly and personally prefer… ‘tactical reconnaissance’.”
Arrow Swift asked, “Tactical reconnaissance?? Who do you think you are? G.I. Jodie?? ”
Ringo replied, “HA!! Good one, mate! ^^ ”

“Ha ha, very funny…” said Mantisio, “But you know… during my reconnaissance, I also investigated Flash Sentry, and I found out that he and Karaoke Pop here have a really interesting history… so, I used my Metamorphite’s power to change myself into what you humans would call a ‘publicity agent of the music industry’. And when I managed to actually arrange a meeting with Karaoke AND she hired me because of my background history that I fooled her into thinking was real… I learned that she had a real thing for you, Flash Sentry… and when I showed her ALL of the videos and images I had on you and what was happening at Canterlot High School and why… after I told her the entire history of myself, that school, the magical forces it was attracting because of the Rainbooms, AND the magical connection between Earth and Equestria… it was quite overwhelming for her… mostly the fact that YOU, Flash Sentry, were in danger of getting yourself seriously hurt because of such powerful forces that cannot be explained nor controlled by anyone in this world of humanity. And if you getting hurt wasn’t going to happen, then being stolen away from Karaoke Pop by Miss ‘Princess of Friendship’ here WOULD most definitely happen.”

“Wait a minute…” said Flash, “Karaoke, you really DID know what kind of monster Mantisio here really is and you agreed to this crazy plan of his anyway?! Why?!”

Karaoke Pop replied, “Because I love you, Flash Sentry, I refuse to allow any so-called ‘magical princess of friendship’ take you away from me!”

THAT certainly shocked everyone, as Pinkie Pie quietly said under her breath, “…draaamaaa…”

“Indeed,” said Rarity, “I myself might be a drama queen, Miss Karaoke Pop… but THIS is just insane!”

“Karaoke…” said Flash, “I truly am sorry if I or my friends made you feel insecure or whatever on anything, but if you really felt that way, you should’ve just talked to me about ALL of it! My friends and I could’ve helped you!”

“Flash is right, Karaoke!” said Twilight, “What you’re doing isn’t right! And honestly AND quite frankly, what you’re doing isn’t out of love for Flash! What you’re doing is just you being obsessed with him!”

Flash agreed, “Yeah! I mean, HELLO, there’s a complete difference between the two! DUH.”

Karaoke Pop simply laughed a bit maniacally as she said, “OH, really Flash?? And like YOU are one to talk when it comes to you and BOTH of your precious Twilight girls?! And you know what, Flash Sentry?! Out of everyone here that knows that magic really does exist… YOU are the worst… you KNOW what kind of powers these Rainboom girls here have, and you also know just what kind of horrible problems and threats they attract, and yet you continue to hang around these… these freaks! THESE MONSTERS!!!”

“Freaks?! Monsters?!” Flash replied, “How dare you, Karaoke… These girls may not be all that perfect, but quite frankly, they have saved our entire planet more than enough times for us to be thankful for! And quite frankly, the only REAL monsters I see around here are the very two that are standing right in front of us AND have us all locked up in cages!”

“You really have no idea, do you…?” Karaoke Pop asked Flash coldly.

“About what?” said Flash.

“Don’t you get it, Flash?!” said Karaoke, “Based on EVERYTHING that Mantisio told me and showed me, these Rainboom girls defeat the very monsters that they end up attracting! Their ‘powerful magic of friendship’ bit is basically a double-edged sword that we human beings get affected by most of all! And it’s really all Sunset Shimmer’s fault! Sure, it might have played out for the best when they ended up drawing out the Dazzlings from hiding AND defeated those very freaky sisters, but it also showed that Equestria and Earth’s connection with each other is NOT really all for the better. It’s completely imperfect and dangerous, and they can’t hide the truth of magic’s existence from us human beings forever! And ultimately of all, the one thing they have proven most of all is THIS… Not only are we human beings NOT alone in this vast universe of ours, but compared to Equestrians and the magic they always use, create, and attract on a regular basis… we human beings are completely and HILARIOUSLY no match for their power at all!!!”

Everyone was seeing Karaoke Pop’s point, but then Sunset Shimmer sighed saying, “Look, Karaoke… I’m not gonna lie… you DO have at least some truth behind what you’re saying… but we Rainbooms… we Equestrians… are NOT the bad guys. It’s screwed up living beings and creatures like Mantisio in both this world and Equestria that are the REAL problem! If we Rainbooms have made you feel like you’re nothing, Karaoke Pop, then we truly are sorry… that was NEVER our intent… it is NEVER our intent at all, EVER. But what you’re doing with Mantisio is only hurting your own cause and the beliefs that it is based on, and you know it, don’t you?! You want to prove to Flash Sentry that you AREN’T below us Rainbooms? That human beings CAN be equally powerful as Equestrians can be, regardless of whether or not magic is involved? Then let us out of these cages, help you, and stop Mantisio right now before it’s too late!”

“Sunset is right, Karaoke,” said Flash, “Please… do the right thing and end this madness already… do it for me… < : ( ”

Karaoke sighed and said, “I truly am sorry, everyone… especially to you, Flash… but it IS too late… and if you can’t see things MY way, Flash… then I guess we’ll just have to make you… I agreed to go along with Mantisio’s plans in hopes that you WOULD understand how I truly feel, Flash Sentry… how I have always felt these past 7 long, painful years… COMPLETELY ALONE WITHOUT YOU IN MY LIFE, AND NEVER BEING ABLE TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SO MUCH AS VISIT YOU FACE TO FACE!!! The music world I wanted to put myself in isn’t all that great! It’s always filled with greedy, arrogant people who decide almost everything for me without so much as taking into consideration how I feel! I can’t quit nor escape because of me signing a stupid contract that won’t end until I turn 21! But don’t you see??? With Mantisio’s power, we can change the world for the better! We can turn Earth and Equestria into a pair of worlds where the only magic and laws allowed to exist are HIS own! And then, I’ll be free from the music world, and you and I can be together forever, Flash!”

Needless to say, Karaoke Pop was sounding, looking, and acting like she was in crazy denial; not EXACTLY the kind of insane looks you would expect to see completely from a real full-on stalker, mind you, since this IS basically supposed to be a story based off of a kids’ franchise. BUT it was pretty dang close enough to just that, and definitely close enough to freak Flash and all of his friends out BIG TIME.

Flash then looked at Karaoke Pop with a look of cold disappointment on his face as he said to her, “…No, Karaoke… NO… You aren’t my friend anymore… Not if you’re going to actually let yourself be like THIS… and you know what? Normally, I have heard time and again that I myself am NOT the sharpest tool in the shed… but I think it’s safe enough to say that YOU are completely clueless if you think that ANYTHING you are doing right now is okay to do… It ISN’T okay, Karaoke Pop… IT’S COMPLETELY INSANE, YOU SICK FREAK OF NATURE!!!”

THAT really surprised Karaoke Pop. Not to mention everyone else, including both Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer most of all.

Karaoke Pop just looked at Flash with a shocked look on her face, as tears started to drop from her eyes.

Mantisio was actually just as surprised as everyone, but then he said, “Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… WOW… Ouch.  Sorry, Karaoke Pop, but hey… like you said: you human beings aren’t exactly all that great compared to Equestrians. Granted, the two individual dominant species of both of their own worlds have at least SOME similarities, but I can definitely give you one prime example of what separates them: you human beings… you constantly treat each other like dirt after letting your own emotions get the better of you, you disrespect the very own rules and laws you set for yourselves across this globe, you harm the living creatures of this planet’s own environments and ecosystems… you do ALL of those things more frequently than anyone in the Pony World ever could… and you know what the very ironic thing about ALL of that really is??? YOU DON’T EVEN NEED REAL, ACTUAL MAGIC TO DO ANY OF THAT CORRUPTED BULLSNOT!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Sunset Shimmer gripped her cage’s bars very tightly as she said, “I don’t know who the heck you think you really are, Mantisio… but while both Equestrians and especially humans aren’t exactly perfect… you have ZERO right manipulating any of us or mistreating us, as if YOU are the most important creature in the universe…”

Noble Wind then finally spoke up as he added, “She’s right you know, Manty-bro… I mean, seriously, I’m pretty sure you REALLY shouldn’t underestimate us human beings anymore than you should underestimate, uh… those ‘Equestrians’, right??”

“Right, Noble,” said Princess Twilight, standing tall and strong with her fellow Rainbooms as she said, “So, Mantisio… I’m warning you… No, we Rainbooms – both human AND Equestrian in human form – are ALL warning you right now… free us from these cages, leave Karaoke Pop alone already, and just agree to return to Equestria with me to face full trial for your horrible crimes to both Earth and Equestria… or prepare to face complete and total defeat.”

“Very noble of you all to declare,” said Mantisio, “But completely foolish and pointless. I mean, ha ha, HOW exactly are you going to defeat me, my little Rainbooms? As I remember, you usually can only use your magic powers on creatures like me if you either have your musical instruments to play on OR you bring out said powers through just being yourselves, WHICH quite frankly, you barely have any real idea or proper control over as is. You don’t have your musical instruments with you here, now do you? No? Well, there you go. You CAN’T ‘Pony Up’ to defeat me at all here. And even if by some chance you COULD and use your magic powers of pure goodness on me, the dark magic of my Metamorphite Pendant would most definitely just cancel it all out.”

Noble Wind stated, “But I thought you said that Metamorpho-whatever stuff had almost no magical power left. In fact, based on your background story, I’m guessing you used up nearly ALL of its remaining power after you disguised yourself as an agent in order to get to Karaoke Pop.”

“All very true and correct,” said Mantisio, “Except for one important thing that I MIGHT have… INTENTIONALLY neglected to mention until now…  Metamorphite also has the power to recharge itself by absorbing the very life-force of a Changeling’s victims. Of course, it needs a small amount of the Changeling’s own life-force in order to be activated in the very first place, but that’s the beauty of it: by giving away just 1% of my own life energy to the Metamorphite, it can be activated to absorb at least 2.5% of the life energy of one victim at a time, then I can absorb 1% of THAT life energy back into myself! Of course, by those numbers, you can imagine the number of people and Equestrians I’ve knocked out in the recharging process over these past many Moons… but it has ALL been worth it, because it has ALL led up to THIS very moment!”

“Which is…?” asked Drumbeat.

“Simple,” said Mantisio, “Tonight… by using my Metamorphite’s energy-draining magic at full power, I’ll absorb ALL of the life energy from everyone in both Canterlot Town AND Crystal City, including the small traces of ‘the magic of friendship’ that are lying around both huge locations, thanks to you Rainboom girls almost constantly exposing said locations to your magical powers. And after that, I’ll be able to use the Metamorphite at its maximum power to transform myself into THE beastly Changeling I was always meant to become, only in humanoid form! With THAT kind of power, along with the Metamorphite’s energy-draining magic, I’ll be able to easily rule both Earth and Equestria in just a matter of weeks! I’ll be the prime example of what an inter-dimensional conqueror of at least two worlds is all about!”

Sunset Shimmer then said to Mantisio, “But by all of THAT logic… you could end up killing thousands of innocents!”

Karaoke Pop was quite surprised to hear THAT, “Wait, what??”

Mantisio then said to Sunset, “What you say IS true, but hey… think of it this way: thousands will perish in order for millions to prosper… under MY RULE… and at the very end of this grand conquest I have planned, who knows?? Maybe even Queen Chrysalis herself will want to become MY consort. ”

Princess Twilight then said, “So, wait a minute… is THAT really what this has all been about, Mantisio?? Everything you have done these past many Moons, all of it leading up to NOW… it’s all just so you can be not only more powerful than Chrysalis, but also have her LOVE you???”

“Hmmm…” said Mantisio, actually thinking it all over before saying, “You know, now that I’m actually thinking it all over… Yeah… YEAH, I guess it IS just that! But just to politically correct, Princess Twilight… love isn’t really in the nature of a Changeling, as far as I’m concerned… so, to be honest, I want to create my own kind of dictatorship all on my own, while at the same time… well… I don’t really want Chrysalis to love me over it… I want her to be OBSESSED with me over it.  > : ) ”

Needless to say, Mantisio had just reached a whole new level of disgustingly low.

Karaoke Pop then went and straight up slapped Mantisio right across the left side of his scaly face!

THAT took everyone by surprise, as Karaoke Pop panted out of anger before saying, “…Mantisio… I may have been stupid and insane enough to agree to your plans… but YOU are just PSYCHOTIC!!! When I agreed to your plan, you once said to me… no, you practically SWORE to me that while some people might get hurt, NOBODY was going to get killed, and that Flash and I really would most definitely be together forever if it was in the cards of fate for me!”

Mantisio felt the part of his face that Karaoke just slapped before saying to her, “True… but really, Karaoke… YOU are just as psychotic as I am for actually believing that I WASN’T an evil monster right down to the core… But you actually DID believe I wasn’t that at all, didn’t you? Heh heh heh… Really, Karaoke, you’re just another cliché diva who’s let the life of super-stardom get the best of you… from your mind all the way to your very heart and soul… and THOSE kinds of people practically always get themselves involved with monstrous people… people who can easily take control over them… people… LIKE ME!!!”

Mantisio then used his Metamorphite necklace to absorb the light-blue life energy from Karaoke Pop’s body and kept doing that even when Karaoke fell to the floor completely unconscious.

“Karaoke, no!” said Flash, “What are you doing to her?!”
“Uh, DUH, draining her of her own life energy,” said Mantisio, “Besides, it’s only fitting that I do the energy-draining process like THIS since she has officially outlived her use for me… emphasis on ‘outlived’… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh, and I know you all want to use your magic powers on me, Rainbooms, but I also neglected to mention one more thing: the cages you’re all in, the bars are actually coated with Metamorphite in its liquid state of matter, thus cancelling out any good magic you have with its own natural dark magic. You can’t use your powers now, nor ever, and I want you ALL to witness me turning Karaoke Pop here into my first fully drained victim, which you SHOULD actually be thanking me for: I mean, she deceived you all out of pure hate and fear, just as much as I did to ALL of you simply out of being power-hungry. As far I can tell, you should be THANKING me for giving Karaoke Pop the punishment that a weak, selfish little girl like her deserves! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Needles to say, what was happening to Karaoke Pop right now was pretty horrible and painful to watch… BUT even if everything that Mantisio was saying WAS true, that didn’t mean the Main Seven were going to just stand by and let someone die on their watch – not without a fight!

“She may have played us, but that doesn't mean she deserves THIS!” said Applejack angrily.

“Yeah, you're a lot more than 20% worse than she is, Mantisio!” said Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, really?? And what exactly are YOU girls going to do about it?” asked Mantisio, “Oh, correction: what exactly CAN you do??? You're locked up in cages that'll cancel out your magic powers the very moment you try to Pony Up, provided that you actually can at all since you don’t really know nor fully understand crud about your own magic!”

Everyone looked at each other upset and not sure what to do.

But here’s the thing I myself neglected to mention earlier: Sunset Shimmer was in the same cage that Officer Kurt Marshall was, and after quickly yet thoroughly glimpsing at Kurt’s utility belt – the belt of tools that an officer of the law always needed – it was then and there that Sunset got an idea that just might work… and for those of you thinking what you’re thinking, just bare with us on this and keep reading: I promise you all that what happens next is just fine.

She sat right beside Officer Kurt’s unconscious body, and then she said to Mantisio, “If you want to energy-drain someone, you overgrown insect… drain me! After all, I’m the most magical and lively person in this room!”

THAT actually caught Mantisio’s attention, as he then stopped draining the life energy out of Karaoke, leaving her feeling very weak and it actually looked like she had slightly wrinkled skin now, meaning she actually loss some of her youth.

Mantisio then said to Sunset Shimmer, as he slowly approached her, “I’m listening…”

Princess Twilight asked Sunset, “Sunset Shimmer, what’re you doing?”

Sunset then said to Mantisio, “I mean, you said that you’ve been keeping tabs on us Rainbooms since the moment you first arrived in this Human World, right? Well, haven’t you figured it out yet? I myself have the magic powers of both a unicorn from Equestria AND most recently, a demi-alicorn being! You DID see me turn into that last one back at the Friendship Games, right? So, it only makes sense that the one person you should be draining the magic from most of all is me.”

“Hmm, interesting point… but why should I believe YOU??” said Mantisio, as he was fairly close to Sunset and Kurt’s cage.

“Because…” said Sunset Shimmer, “Oh, wait, you shouldn’t. Just like I don’t believe you’re all that smart or powerful, Mister ‘Chrysalis Consort Reject’. ”

THAT burn really burned Mantisio up, as he used his Metamorphite’s power to now start absorbing the life energy out of Sunset Shimmer, making her feel weaker by the second.
He approached her closer yet slowly, as he said evilly, “So, Sunset… who’s the smart and powerful one NOW???”

Sunset Shimmer smiled as she said to Mantisio right in the eye, “Still NOT YOU, jerkwad…”
Just then, Sunset Shimmer revealed at that very instant that she had Officer Kurt’s handheld taser, and she used it on Mantisio’s Metamorphite necklace, causing its magic turquoise-colored stone to crack and causing him to be quite shocked – LITERALLY.

“No!!” said Mantisio, as the light-blue energy that had been stored up in the Metamorphite stone started to leak out and return to the bodies of both Officer Kurt and Karaoke Pop.

“Guess you don’t know humans as much as you assume you do,” said Sunset Shimmer, “Otherwise, you would most definitely know that a police officer almost always carries a taser device to take down crooks like YOU. But wait, there’s more!”

Sunset Shimmer then used the taser on her cage’s iron bars, thus charging them temporarily AND causing the liquidized Metamorphite that the bars were coated with to separate from them and become light-blue colored gas.

Sunset Shimmer then said, “You’ve gotta love a little scientific method called ‘Electrolysis’, which can cause periodic elements combined in a compound to separate from each other through electrical currents. For example, hitting these IRON bars coated with liquidized METAMORPHITE with a strong enough electrical current like I did just now causes the Metamorphite in said liquid form to separate from the iron bars while at the same time becomes so ionized that it changes from liquid to gas. My cage’s iron bars can’t cancel out my magic now. So, onto my friends now!”

Sunset Shimmer tossed the taser device over to Princess Twilight, who electrified her cage’s bars and getting rid of the Metamorphite coating also, while saying, “This is brilliant, Sunset Shimmer!”

“No!” said Mantisio, who was trying to get the taser away from Twilight, but then got a little shocked by the electrified bars.

“Time for a little game of Keep Away,” said Princess Twilight, “Though, ironically, it’s not my favorite game in the multi-verse. Trust me. >_<; ” ***

*** First one to get what Twilight here is talking about gets a cookie. ^_^


Twilight and her fellow Rainbooms passed and used the taser device on their cages’ bars, evaporating the Metamorphite coating on them, and Mantisio couldn’t do anything between trying to keep his Metamorphite necklace from cracking into a hundred pieces and trying to get the handheld taser away from the girls without shocking himself.

And once the Rainbooms’ cages were all completely free of the evil coating, I think we all know what time it was…

“Time ta Pony-on-Up, y'all!” said Applejack, as she and the others got ready to bring out their inner-magic.

They started to tell Mantisio off by full-on representin’ their Elements of Harmony, starting with Applejack, “Mantisio… you lied ‘n’ manipulated Karaoke Pop just fer yer own selfish reasons. Y’all didn’t do what ya did as some ‘righteous attempt’ ta make Earth a better place… Ya didn’t even do what y’all did out of desperation ta make the painful bullsnot this world can just plain throw at ya fer whatever reason reduced in the slightest! There was ZERO good intentions behind yer actions! And you know it! So, quite frankly… and quite HONESTLY… I won’t let you get away with such deception!”

Applejack was glowing orange and her Pony Hair-Tail and Ears were popping out, while Fluttershy glowed yellow and said while her own Pony-like features and wings popped out, “Mantisio… I’m sorry, but… You are not KIND at all… you don’t even care about anyone but yourself, and for that, you WILL learn your lesson!”

Pinkie Pie glowed pink as she started to Pony Up next while saying, “Mantisio, you are nothing but a big, stupid meany-pants! You may have gotten pretty far in your evil masterplan, Mister ‘Bug-Eyed Mastermind’… but in the end, we Rainbooms are going to get the last LAUGH!!”

Rarity glowed white and Pony’d Up as well as she said, “Needless to say, Mister Mantisio… and quite frankly… you truly are ugly on the inside as you are on the out. And your most disgusting feature is the fact that you betrayed Karaoke’s trust in you and did so ever since the very moment you and her first met each other. Not very GENEROUS of you at all, darling, and for that you will pay!”

Rainbow Dash was glowing sky-blue as she Pony’d Up almost immediately while saying, “We human beings may not be perfect, Mantisio… but when we really put our hearts, minds, and spirits into something, especially when we’re working together and actually being 100% LOYAL to each other, we CAN change ourselves and sometimes eventually even the world itself… ALL for the better!”

Karaoke Pop was just barely awake when she was seeing what she was seeing, but needless to say that it was all still an amazing sight for her to behold as she said, “Whoa…”

“Incredible…” said Arrow Swift.
“Yeah…” said Drumbeat.
Noble Wind added, “Now THIS is what I call ‘noble’, baby. ”
“And it’s just about to get REALLY good now,” said Brawly Beats.
“Indeed it is, mate,” said Ringo.

Princess Twilight had fully Pony’d Up herself while glowing with a magenta-colored light all around her and spoke while her alicorn wings spread out beautifully, “Mantisio… if you really had spent more time actually paying attention to everything that Equestrians and Humans share in common – both the good and the bad things – you would realize one important thing… REAL power doesn’t come from taking it away from others or trying to rule on top of them… REAL POWER comes from building a real connection with people you can really relate to, respect, admire, learn from, and help. THAT, my little Changeling monster, is the powerful force known as the MAGIC of friendship, and you’re about to learn how truly powerful it can be… Right, Sunset Shimmer?”

Princess Twilight and the other Rainbooms all quickly transferred their powerful magic to Sunset Shimmer, as Flash Sentry said, “Oh, HECK YEAH, I can tell where THIS is going! ”

Sunset Shimmer herself was already Pony’d Up, but the additional magic from her friends made her glow with even brighter colors of yellow, orange, and red… as she transformed into the one, the only, the lovely… Daydream Shimmer!

“Whoa.... AMAZING!! * O//3//O * ” both Crafty Arts and Sugar Sweet said in unison, really surprised yet also loving what they were seeing as Daydream Shimmer used her fully powered up magic to bust herself out of her own cage and fly up high in the air.

Crafty Arts quickly brought her sketchpad and pencils out of her backpack, which she apparently brought along with her and got caged up with her, then she started drawing what she was seeing: Daydream Shimmer ready to save the day!

Finally, with one powerful blast of magical energy, Sunset Shimmer struck Mantisio down hard with it, as the overwhelming magic not only engulfed him but also completely destroyed his Metamorphite necklace.

“NOOOOOO!!!” Mantisio yelled out, as all of the light-blue colored life energy he had been collecting and storing up in his necklace for who-knows-how-long returned to everyone he had stolen it all from, including Karaoke Pop, Officer Kurt Marshall, Sunset Shimmer, and Flash Sentry.

But something else happened to Mantisio…

…as the life energy Mantisio had stolen from his victims over the past few Moons returned to them all… Mantisio himself was… growing older at an alarmingly fast rate.

THAT definitely surprised everyone, as Noble Wind said, “What the heck is happening?!”

Princess Twilight replied, “My guess is that Mantisio’s evil actions are catching up to him… He spent so much time using Metamorphite to steal the life energy of others, while also shortening his own life in the process before getting it restored during each energy theft he pulled off. Now that Mantisio’s Metamorphite necklace is destroyed AND all of the life energy he stole is being returned to its rightful owners… ALL of those times that Mantisio shortened his own life… they’re starting to take full effect on him, thus making his life what it really is… a short life where he is as weak and helpless as he made his own victims feel.”

“Whoa…” said Noble Wind, “I guess it’s true what my Dad always said… Live long enough, and you’ll have seen everything.”

“Yeah,” said Sunset Shimmer, “Unfortunately yet clearly… Mantisio probably doesn’t have much to live for now, nor does he have that long to live now, which is pretty much what he deserves after everything horrible that he has done… It’s kind of sad, really. ”

“Yeah…” said Flash, “I almost feel sorry for the guy… Almost… Anyway, Sunset Shimmer… you and the Rainbooms were great as always. ”

“Thanks, Flash,” Sunset Shimmer said with a small smile.

“No problem,” said Flash.

“Yeah, you were amazing, Sunset!” said Arrow Swift, “But, uh… seeing as how your magic apparently has the power to do just about anything… AND considering that you pretty much just saved the day… ya think you could now please use said powerful magic to, uh… let us out of these dang cages already? ”

“No! I need her to stay in that pose!” Crafty Arts said angrily, still drawing on her sketchpad.

“Uh, Crafty? I can always pose for you later, you know ” Sunset Shimmer replied sheepishly.
Crafty replied quite adorably, “~Not when you’re looking so dang gorgeous right now! <8///3 ”
Pinkie Pie stated, “Awww, Crafty’s like a little you, Rarity! ^3^ ”

Arrow Swift added, “Yeah, I think you’re right, Pinkie. It’s cute. ^_^ ”

Rarity blushed out of flattery, while also looking at Arrow Swift with diamond-blue colored, heart-shaped pupils in her eyes over the fact that the green young man was basically and supposedly finding Rarity cute… much to Spike’s displeasure, of course.

Crafty kept drawing, every few minutes looking at Sunset while she was still in her Daydream Shimmer form before Crafty looked back to her sketchpad.

Mantisio, however, just cackled like the evil old man he was now… that he let himself become now.

Everyone looked over to Mantisio, not sure why he was laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Sunset Shimmer asked him, as she used her magic to free everyone from their cages.

Mantisio continued cackling weakly, until the newly old villain replied, “What’s funny is YOU people… You may have defeated me… but what are you going to do when Officer Kurt there wakes up? Lie to him about how this was all just a big, bad dream that didn’t really happen??? OH… if you did that, then you’d be pretty hypocritical with your ‘friendship is magic’ philosophy, now wouldn’t you? I mean, LYING TO AN OFFICIAL OFFICER OF THE LAW…??? You think you can live with THAT on your conscience for the rest of your lives…? And if you tell him what REALLY happened and why… well… even if by some chance he would believe you… THAT would be it, wouldn’t it? The end of keeping THE secret hidden from everyone else on Earth… your secret would be out, my little Equestria Girls… that magic IS real… and it would most definitely be exposed to the entire Human World we’re all living in right now… and, well… You girls… ALL of you high school students, for that matter… You honestly didn’t think you could hide the big secret about magic being real from the entire Human World forever… DID YOU???”

“So…” said Sunset Shimmer, “What you’re saying is that even though we won… that we beat you… we’ve most definitely lost all chance of keeping magic’s existence a secret from other human beings in this world… forever… am I wrong?”

“We really DO have a winner here, folks! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!” Mantisio laughed out loud evilly, before coughing pretty badly since he was now an old man.

Everyone looked at each other worried, not sure what to do. After all, Mantisio may have been evil, but he was making a very serious and very accurate point.

“You might be right about that, Mantisio,” said Princess Twilight, “But it does NOT change the fact that what you did… what you’ve been doing these past many Moons… was and has been nothing but pure evil AND you'll be put in jail for your crimes!”

“That’s right,” said Sunset Shimmer, as she transformed back into her normal human form and helped Karaoke Pop up to her feet, “You might not be going to prison in Equestria since we DO have to present you to Officer Kurt to have you arrested by him, an official officer of the law… all in order to prove to him that we don’t really have much to hide… and couldn’t really hide it even if we tried to… but if anything, you’ll definitely be going to prison in THIS human world, Mantisio, and you’ll be locked up for the rest of your remaining life-span that you have arrogantly shortened!”

“Yeah, what they said!” Flash added, as he woke Officer Kurt Marshall up, snapping him out of the whole ‘being out cold from a majorly bad energy-drain’ thing.

Officer Kurt woke up and got up on his feet saying, “Oy… I feel like I got hit by aaaaAAHHH!!! O.O; ”

Kurt saw that Mantisio, the evil criminal behind all of the craziness that had just happened, was lying down on the ground… looking not only very ugly, but also very, very, VERY old.

Kurt then said, “Uh… Kids? Mind telling me what I missed exactly? ”

Noble Wind replied, “With all due respect, Officer Marshall, you wouldn’t believe us even if we told you… BUT we have to tell you anyway, now don’t we? ”