Birthday Horoscope (Scorpio): You are going to die today.

Early Morning

Today is Pinkie Pie's birthday.

When Pinkie comes downstairs, everybody is already waiting.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PINKIE!" we all shout.

Her eyes sparkle and her mouth stretches into a huge grin. "You guys...thank you soooo much!" She runs around the room hugging everybody.

"Ah made all yer favorites fer breakfast, sugarcube," Applejack says. "Plop 'er down an' eat up!"

We all sit at the table, and Applejack serves Pinkie first, heaping huge amounts of food on her plate.

"So, Pinkie," Twilight says, "you're taking this afternoon off work, right? We're kinda planning you a party..."

Pinkie gasps. "Wow! How'd you manage to plan a party without me catching on? Usually I can sense a party coming a week away!" Her eyes well up with tears. "Of course I'll come right home after school!"

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. Spike seems agitated.

"I'm skipping tennis today," I declare. "We don't have a match this week, so I can afford to miss a practice."

"Good idea," Twilight says. "Pinkie could be attacked while we're split up. We should both walk her home."

Lunch

On the way to lunch, I run into Trixie in the hall. "Ready for this afternoon?" I ask.

Trixie grins. "The Great and Powerful TRRRRRRRIXIE will dazzle and delight you and your friends!"

"Great," I say. "Get over to Applewood Dorm as soon as you can after school."

After School

After the last bell, I message the coach over Canterbook to tell her I'll be missing practice today, then I head for the front entrance, messaging both Twilight and Pinkie Pie to meet me there.

A few minutes later, they both walk up to me. "I'm ready to party!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

We walk back to the dorm. We're halfway there when Cadance's SUV passes us by. When we arrive, Cadance, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Luna are all piling out of the SUV.

"Oh, there you are!" Cadance says. "Would you two keep Pinkie occupied while we set up in the lounge?"

"Sure," Twilight says.

The three of us head up to Twilight's room, where we watch one of Pinkie's favorite shows and play with Spike. I get a text from Trixie saying she's on her way. After about an hour, Rarity texts Twilight to tell her we're ready.

I run up to my room to grab my present for Pinkie, then follow the girls downstairs.

The lounge and dining room are decorated with streamers and balloons and banners. Twilight and I add our presents to the pile of colorfully-wrapped packages on the coffee table. In the dining room, there's a big fancy cake on the table, pale yellow and creamy-looking, with pink decorator icing and candy flowers around the edges. I look around, but I don't see Trixie...

"The Cakes went all out on your birthday cake," Cadance says. "They said it's the..." She frowns, tapping her chin. "Mascarpone...meringue...something..."

Pinkie gasps loudly. "The Mascarpone Marzipan Meringue Madness? But...but that's the secret recipe they've been working on for six months!"

"Well, they wanted to try it out on you, since you've been such a big help to them," Cadance says. "Now, everybody get some pizza and take it to the lounge, because Flash has arranged something special for us."

"Oh?" Pinkie asks, looking at me.

"You'll see."

Once we're all seated, there's an explosion of glittery blue smoke in the middle of the room.

"Watch and be AMAZED!"

The smoke fades to reveal Trixie, dressed in a dark blue corset, a violet tuxedo jacket, fishnets, and dark blue high heels, complete with a white shirt collar and dark blue bowtie...as well as a big pointy wizard's hat covered in sparkly moons and stars.

"The GREAT and POWERFUL TRRRRRRRRRRRRRIXIE! ...is here."

Pinkie blinks. "Ooooh, a magic show?"

"Indeed," Trixie says, tossing her hair. With a flourish, she produces a bright blue balloon from nowhere and blows it up. She hands it to Pinkie. Pinkie reaches out to take it...

The balloon pops, and a dove flies out of it, fluttering around Pinkie's head before flying back to Trixie. She sweeps her hat off her head; the dove flies into it. She turns her hat upside down, and a shower of confetti and glitter falls out. "Voila," Trixie says.

"Wow!" Pinkie cries, clapping. I look around the room. The others are watching with varying degrees of amusement and curiosity. A few of them actually seem impressed.

While we eat pizza, Trixie performs a variety of small-scale illusions and card tricks. She's pretty good, and everyone is impressed.

After nearly an hour of this, Trixie disappears in another cloud of smoke, then walks into the room wearing normal clothes a few minutes later. We all give her a round of applause.

"Thank you for that amazing magic show, Trixie!" Pinkie says.

"You're actually kinda cool with that magic stuff," Rainbow says.

"Yes, it was most enjoyable," Rarity agrees.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Trixie says.

"Who's ready for cake?" Cadance asks.

"Ooh! I am! I am!" Pinkie cheers. We all laugh, then head to the dining room. Pinkie blows out her candles while we sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Then Cadance cuts the cake. Pinkie takes the first bite of the cake, and her face lights up. "Ooooooooh," she moans. "This is soooooo gooooooooooooood."

We all sample the oddly-named cake. It's...there are no words. I don't even know how to describe this cake. All I know is, it's the richest, most interesting cake I've ever tasted.

Luna, for her part, looks like she wants to melt into a gushy puddle. "I've never had anything like this," she says. "You said this is a secret recipe?"

"Uh-huh!" Pinkie says. "They're competing in the Best Bakers Bonanza in February. This cake is going to be their entry."

"They'll win!" Luna declares. We all laugh.

Once we're done with the cake, all of us head to the lounge except Trixie, who helps herself to some of the remaining pizza. Pinkie starts opening her presents. The first thing she opens is from her parents. It's a tiny hammer with a sharp spike on the back. She rolls her eyes. "Figures."

"That's a geologist's hammer, right?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah," Pinkie says. "My parents are always giving me rock stuff. I just roll with it." The next package she picks up is a fairly large sealed bag. "This one's from Maud." It makes a lot of noise as she hefts it into her lap and opens it. She smiles. "Rock candy!"

"That stuff is terrible for your teeth," Luna says.

"Oh, I know, but...it's kind of a family tradition," Pinkie says. "Besides, Maud and I came up with our own really special rock candy recipe. We're the only two people in the whole world that know the secret!"

The next present she picks up is mine. She opens it, then stares at it, as though she can't believe her eyes. "Is this...?" She peels all the wrapping off, turning it over in her hands and studying it from every angle.

"Is that the right one?" I ask.

Pinkie launches herself at me and ensnares me in a rib-cracking hug. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" she says.

"You're welcome," I gasp out. "Need...air..."

Pinkie lets go, then kisses me all over my face several times. She darts back over to her seat and picks up the cookbook, looking it over and flipping through it. "You didn't need to spend so much on me," she says. "And don't say you didn't, I know how much this cost."

"I wanted to," I say.

Luna is gaping openly at the book. "That...is a very expensive cookbook," she says. She looks at me curiously. "How does a high school student with no part-time job afford...?"

"My folks...are pretty generous with money," I say.

Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. "Twilight, you okay with your boyfriend spending that kind of money on another girl?"

"How do you think I found out which cookbook she wanted?" I ask.

Pinkie's head snaps up. "Wait. That's why you asked me about that?" she asks Twilight.

Twilight smiles and nods. "Mm-hmm."

Pinkie tackles Twilight and hugs her too. "You guys...are the bestest friends EVER!"

"You've still got quite a few presents to open," Cadance says.

Pinkie pops back over to her seat and picks up a small package wrapped in midnight-blue paper.

"I had very little time to shop for a present for you," Luna says. "I hope you enjoy it."

Pinkie unwraps what turns out to be three extra-large dark chocolate bars. "Ooooh, fancy," she says. "Thank you!"

The next present, which is from Cadance, is wrapped in pearl pink paper. It turns out to be a pink heart-shaped makeup compact. Rarity gives Pinkie two pairs of sparkly leggings, one in medium pink and the other in dark purple, and a pair of pink platform shoes with ribbons. Twilight got Pinkie a set of sparkly glitter pens and a five-year schedule planner. Fluttershy's present is a charm bracelet. Applejack's is a bag of apple flavored hard candies, a case of fizzy apple cider, and two big bags of apple chips.

There's only one present left: a wide, long box wrapped in blue paper. "This has been such an awesome birthday!" Pinkie says. "I wonder what Dashie got me?"

She reaches for the package. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash yelps. "Uhhh, Pinkie? Maybe you should open that later..." She turns red. "I kinda didn't expect—"

It's too late. The wrapping paper is off, revealing a black box. Pinkie takes the lid off and looks inside. Her eyes grow huge, and her jaw drops. She blushes dark red. "Uhh...yeah..." She gives Rainbow Dash an odd look. "Umm...wow, Dashie...I really don't know what to say..."

"What is it?" Rarity says. "You must show us!"

"It must be somethin' fancy," Applejack says.

"Or expensive," Fluttershy says.

"Come, let us all see!" Luna says.

"Uhhh..." Pinkie looks panicked. "I—"

Cadance walks over and lifts the lid, peeking inside. She lets out a startled yelp. "Whoa!" She looks at Rainbow Dash. "What in the world...?"

Rainbow blushes furiously. "L-look, i-it's..." She trails off.

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

Cadance has the same panicked look as Pinkie now. "Umm..."

Luna walks over, peers into the box, and raises an eyebrow. "I was not aware the two of you had such an intimate relationship."

"It's NOT LIKE THAT!" Rainbow Dash howls.

"Really?" Luna asks. She reaches into the box and pulls out what's inside.

Twilight gasps. Fluttershy squeaks. Rarity stares, cheeks red.

It's a huge dildo.

Pinkie snatches it back from Luna and stuffs it back in the box, then puts the lid back on it. "ThanksDashieI'lljustgoputthisupinmyroomnow!" she says, zooming upstairs.

We all stare at Rainbow Dash.

"Look, her room's right next to mine, okay?" she says. "I hear...stuff..."

Pinkie comes back down, a wide-eyed, overly-large smile on her face. "Umm...thank you, Rainbow Dash. Seriously."

"You needn't be so flustered, Pinkie Pie," Luna says. "It's perfectly normal for girls your age to own certain...toys. Although admittedly, being given such a thing by a friend for your birthday...it's not unheard of, but..."

Cadance, Twilight, and I do our best to salvage the party after that, and before long, the whole messy business of Rainbow Dash's present is largely forgotten in the midst of music and party games and fun. Trixie hangs around for about another hour before cleaning up the mess left over from her magic act and heading home. It's late in the evening by the time we all start cleaning up. Twilight offers to help Pinkie take her presents up to her room. She gives me a meaningful look, and I follow them.

Evening

Pinkie's room is very...pink.

Twilight and Pinkie are sitting on the bed. I pull out the desk chair and sit across from them.

Pinkie smiles at us. "You guys are great," she says. "Thank you again, so much, for that book." She picks up the cookbook and cuddles it. "You really shouldn't have..." Tears start to spill from her eyes.

"Pinkie? Are you alright?"

Pinkie sets the book aside and starts to wail. "I'm a terrible person!" she cries.

"No you're not," I say. "You're a wonderful person!"

"Yeah, you were one of my first real friends!" Twilight says.

"But..." Pinkie sniffles. "I..." She swallows, then grabs a tissue and blows her nose. "This whole time, I've been so jealous of you two!" She breaks into sobs.

We both blink. "Jealous?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie nods, snot pouring from her nose. "I...I wanted...so many times...to try and steal Flash from you..." She sniffles. "Especially...especially since Maud said...she was moving away...and I've just...been so upset lately..." She launches herself at me, clutching me in a death grip and getting tears and snot all over my shirt. "I just wanted to throw you down and...and...because..." She sags into me. "I don't know," she says. "I just...I'm just..."

I hug her awkwardly, looking at Twilight. Twilight, for her part, is shellshocked.

"And I just keep thinking...if I'd just been first, I coulda had you..." Pinkie rambles on. "But you two are such a cute, sweet couple, I...and then...you're both my friends, and I..." She throws back her head and wails loudly. "I'm just so horrible and I don't deserve friends like you!" Her hair deflates with a balloon-like sound and falls flat.

"I-it's okay, Pinkie," Twilight says, hugging her and wiping her eyes. "We're not mad at you, and we both care about you."

"Yeah, Pinkie," I say. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had." I move over to sit next to her and take her hand. "Settle down...it's okay..."

Pinkie sniffles again. "Y-you guys...I don't deserve friends like you..."

"We're the ones who don't deserve you," Twilight says. "You go out of your way to make everybody around you happy...you don't do it for yourself, you do it just because..." She smiles. "There aren't many people who'd do the things you do for other people." She blushes. "And...I guess...I can understand why you'd be...jealous..." She looks at me and ducks her gaze. "But...it's okay. Really."

Pinkie wipes her eyes. "R-really?" She sniffles.

There's a knock on the door. Cadance peeks in. "Is everything okay in here?" she asks.

"We're fine," Twilight says. "Pinkie's just a little emotional right now."

"Okay," Cadance says, giving Pinkie a worried look before closing the door.

Twilight gets up and goes over to Pinkie's closet. She rummages around inside and pulls out a board game. "Hey, how about we all play Mouse in the House?" she suggests. "We can watch some TV and have fun...just the three of us!"

Pinkie noisily blows her nose. "I..."

Twilight sets up the board, putting the four purple mouse tokens on her own start square, the four pink ones on the one nearest Pinkie, and the four blue ones on mine. "You go first, Pinkie," she says as she shuffles a deck of small, cheaply-made yellow cards and puts them on the Mystery Cheese square. "I'll be the Cat this turn," she adds as she places a big black cat token in the House. While she's doing this, I find Pinkie's remote and turn on the television.

Pinkie smiles. "O-okay," she says. She grabs the dice that Twilight hands her and rolls them.

Mouse in the House is a simple game. Each player has four mouse tokens that they have to move from the Start square to the House in the middle of the board. Each player takes turns moving the Cat. If the Cat lands on a square with any mice on it, those mice go back to Start, and if a mouse lands on a square with the Cat on it, the same thing happens. There are also spaces marked "Mystery Cheese", where you draw a card that either tells you to roll again or skip a turn, or moves you forward or backward, or sends the Cat right to your space.

Playing the game distracts Pinkie and calms her down, and having fun with us seems to return her to her usual happy, cheerful self, even though her eyes are a little bloodshot. It also kills a lot of time, as each game we play takes a good forty minutes or so.

We're on our sixth game when I glance at my phone. It's ten minutes to midnight. Twilight catches me checking the time, and checks it herself. "We'll finish this game, then we should all get to bed," Twilight says.

"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun, but I'm getting kinda tired," Pinkie says. "And it's almost midnight." She smiles. "You guys are the best, you know?"

Pinkie wins the last game. Twilight takes her time putting the game pieces away. It's 11:59...

Zodiac

"NO!" I yell.

Pinkie gasps and looks around, eyes wide. "Whaaa...what's going on?"

Twilight looks terrified. "But...but I don't understand! We never let her out of our sight! We've stayed right here with her this whole time!"

"Could somebody else be the target?" I ask.

"No!" Twilight says, shaking her head. "Pinkie's the ONLY CHS student whose birthday is today!"

"Then how?" I ask.

"I don't know!" Twilight says.

"What're you two talking about?" Pinkie asks.

The texts start to crawl around the room, and Pinkie yelps.

Freak

LOL what a loon

She's so silly and obnoxious

"Ignore it, Pinkie!" I yell, pulling out my phone again. Twilight pulls hers out as well. "We need to get up to the third floor and get our weapons!"

"Right," Twilight agrees.

"Weapons?" Pinkie asks. "What?"

"Pinkie," I say, grabbing her shoulders. "Listen to me. You need to stay with me and Twilight. No matter what happens, don't wander off on your own. It's dangerous."

Pinkie swallows. "O-okay," she says. She watches the texts roaming around the room. "What's with all the glowy writing?"

"We'll explain later," Twilight says. "For now, just...just ignore it..."

You didn't think you could really save her, did you?

This one catches my attention. And Twilight's.

You're so stupid. You don't even know what you're dealing with here. Just die already!

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Twilight screams. "Stop screwing around with us!"

Yeah, right. With Scorpio hanging around waiting to kill that little pink bimbo? Not gonna happen.

"HEY! I am NOT a BIMBO!" Pinkie shouts indignantly.

"Dammit, Sunset Shimmer! What's your problem?" I ask.

...

ROFLMAO. Oh my GOD you're retarded.

"We know it's you, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight says.

LOL...just hurry up and die...

//Flash! Twilight! What happened?//

"Cadance!"

Pinkie blinks. "Huh? Nurse Cadance?" She looks around the room, then up at the ceiling.

//Is Pinkie safe?//

"She's with us," I say. "We're still in her room. Our plan failed."

//But...I don't understand...//

"We don't either," Twilight says.

//I'm up on the third floor. Your weapons are ready and I left the door open. There aren't any Shadows inside the dorm, but I'm detecting Scorpio. Hurry!//

"We're on our way!" I grab Pinkie's hand and haul her to her feet. "Let's go, Twilight!"

"Right!"

"Hey, waaaaaait!"

Twilight runs out ahead of me, her phone at the ready. I drag Pinkie behind me as we head for the stairs. She pulls her hand free from mine, but stays behind me. "What's going on, you guys?" she asks.

"Something's about to try to kill you," I say. "We're gonna stop it."

"Kill me?!" Pinkie shrieks. "But...but why? And what happened to the dorm?"

"We're not really in the dorm anymore," Twilight says. "We're in a parallel space called Zodiac. It's connected to Canterbook somehow. There are dangerous creatures here. One of them tried to kill Flash on his birthday, and another one tried to kill me on mine. Now the next one's coming for you."

As we reach the top of the stairs, Pinkie stares at us. "Is that why both of you got sick on your birthdays?"

"Yeah," I say. "But don't worry, we'll protect you." We head down the hall to the one open door. Inside, Cadance is kneeling beside the bed; Aphrodite hovers serenely above her, glowing brightly enough to illuminate the entire room.

Pinkie stares up at Aphrodite. "Who's THAT?"

//Nevermind that right now,// Cadance says. //I'm picking up a few Shadows starting to gather downstairs. Scorpio is outside the dorm...just like it was with Virgo. I'll be fine up here, but you three need to get out of the dorm before those Shadows block the way out.//

"Shouldn't we leave Pinkie here with you?"

//Don't risk it.//

"Are you sure you'll be—?"

//HURRY!//

Twilight and I grab our weapons. Twilight hands Pinkie one of the backpacks we carry. "There's first-aid supplies in there," she says. "Just in case."

Pinkie nods. "Got it," she says.

With me leading the way, the three of us head downstairs. There are several Shadows writhing around in the lounge and the hall. We run for the front doors, throwing them open and bolting out into the stagnant night air. Behind us, the Shadows merge to form a barricade.

Pinkie looks up at the sky, eyes wide. "Okay...this is just too weird," she says.

hahahahaha...look at you...you're so brave...

//Scorpio's closing in! Get ready!//

We hear a whirring, grinding, clanking sound. Pinkie screams as a massive Shadow drops out of the sky right in front of us.

It's a giant scorpion, covered in rusted armor plates. Its claws are serrated; the sign of Scorpio is engraved into its right claw. Its tail, curled up over its head, drips hissing acidic venom onto its armored back. Burning yellow eyes glare out of its black, malformed head.

I pull up the Chariot Arcana on my Persona app. "ARA MITAMA!"

Rakunda

Ara Mitama appears in midair, bobbing up and down agitatedly. Scorpio's armor blurs.

Twilight taps her phone. "ATHENA!"

Zio

Athena appears. A bolt of lightning lances into Scorpio, but does no visible damage.

//Its armor is too strong!// Cadance says. //Give me a minute, I'll try to find a weakness...//

Poison Skewer

Scorpio's tail lashes out, striking at Pinkie. I push her out of the way and hack at the stinger with my axe. It just barely misses me and bites into the ground. Ropy black flesh is just visible between the armor segments of the tail...

I switch Personas. "CHIRON!"

Cleave

Chiron appears, rearing as he smashes his fiery axe into the exposed Shadow. Scorpio roars, flailing with its tail. I'm hit and knocked off my feet; Pinkie helps me up as Scorpio retracts its tail.

"FLASH! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I grunt, leaning on my axe. "Just got the wind knocked out of me."

Zio

Twilight summons Athena again, firing a jolt of electricity straight into Scorpio's stinger.

Agi

Scorpio twitches, then belches a fireball at Twilight. She scrambles out of the way, falling to the ground. Scorpio's tail lashes out again...

Poison Skewer

It pierces Twilight's shoulder, and she screams.

"TWILIGHT!" I yell.

Strike Attack

I leap forward and hack away at Scorpio's tail with my axe. It wrenches the stinger free and takes a swipe at me, but only catches my shirt tail.

Twilight groans and fumbles for her phone. "Persona," she rasps.

Posumudi

Athena appears; a cool, soothing wave of green light washes over Twilight. She stands up, gingerly testing her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Pinkie asks.

"I...I think so," Twilight says. "It...it poisoned me, but Athena can...can cure poison..."

//I'm sorry! I can't find any weaknesses!//

"I have an idea," Pinkie says.

I turn to her. "You do?"

"Yeah," she says, staring at Scorpio. "I don't really understand what's going on here, but you keep trying to attack it alone...you should maybe try to fight it together, at the same time."

Twilight looks at Pinkie, then at me. The look on her face is almost comical: 'Why didn't we think of that?'

"Yeah!" Pinkie says, suddenly excited. "You should better have your big purple Greek lady ride your big robo-horsey-guy and like, charge that thing!"

"Can we even do that?" Twilight asks.

"It's worth a try!" I say. "PERSONA!"

Chiron appears, axe at the ready.

"PERSONA!" Twilight echos; Athena appears before her.

I reach out and take Twilight's hand, intertwining our fingers. We look at each other and nod.

Cavalry Charge

Athena leaps atop Chiron, who rears and charges. A corona of flames and lightning builds up around them, crackling and scorching. Chiron charges right at Scorpio's head; it raises its claws to protect itself, but Chiron and Athena knock them away with their weapons. The electrified fireball surrounding them explodes as Chiron makes contact; Athena leaps straight up into the air, flips upside-down, and delivers a spinning spear thrust to the back of the armored Shadow. Lightning explodes out from between the armor plates, and Athena leaps clear, landing on Chiron as he turns and rushes back toward us. The two Personas fade from view as they ride.

Scorpio's tail thrashes about weakly as ichor gushes from its head and back. With a terrifying screech, it begins to melt, its armor chipping and flaking away like so much rust.

"Whoa," Twilight says. She staggers, clutching her head. "That was..."

I'm feeling very light-headed myself, and I lean into Twilight for support, even as she leans against me. "Let's...never do that again..."

"Are you guys alright?" Pinkie asks, eyes wide.

"That...took a lot out of us," I say.

Pinkie looks back over her shoulder. "I think you got it," she says. We look past her, and see that Scorpio is little more than a patch of black mist and some thin red haze.

"Let's...get back upstairs," Twilight says. "I need...to pass out..."

I frown. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Pinkie asks.

I look down at my phone. I try to exit Zodiac. Nothing happens.

"We should be able to leave Zodiac," I say. "Why can't we...?"

//Flash? Twilight? Are you alright?//

"We're fine, just...a little exhausted," I say. "Why can't we leave Zodiac?"

//I don't know! I'm not reading any trace of Scorpio...you definitely destroyed it, but...// Cadance gasps suddenly. //There's somebody else there with you!//

"What?"

Twilight gasps. "Look!"

The three of us turn to see a black shape approaching us through the misty remnants of Scorpio.

The shape is vaguely feminine, but wrapped from head to toe in black cloth and leather. She's wearing a hood that covers her face; in the darkness of Zodiac, it's impossible to even try to make out who she is. She has a phone in her gloved hand.

A text message winks into existence in front of her.

I thought for sure Scorpio would kill you.

"You thought wrong, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight says.

...wow, you ARE stupid. How the hell are you even valedictorian?

"We know it's you!" I say.

You don't know a goddamn thing.

But I know you can't do that little attack again. You're both too worn out.

That's why I'm going to finish you off myself.

Twilight and I tense up, watching her warily.

She touches the screen of her phone...

...and with a loud, shattering sound, shards of red light fly away from the screen.

"That...is pretty freaky," Pinkie says, eyes wide. "And really skanky." She gasps. "It's freakanky!"

The thing hanging in midair in front of us looks, for the most part, like a pale-skinned woman wearing a long-sleeved black leather jacket with a matching thong and knee-high boots which end in strange, curved talons. Her arms and hands, completely encased in leather, have unnatural joints and end in long, sharp claws. She has what look like speakers over her breasts, and sharp, angular shoulderpads. Her head looks like it's made of metal, with an expressionless steel face and a long steel spike where a nose should be. Her head rests on a ball joint, and numerous thick black cables snake out of the back of it, ending in various plugs and connectors. A halo of holographic Canterbook screens circles her head.

"Another Shadow?" Twilight asks nervously, clutching her rapier.

//Hold on, I'm scanning...// Cadance gasps. //That isn't a Shadow! It's a Persona!//

"A Persona?!"

Magarula

The Persona extends her hands, and a terrible wind buffets us. I can't stay on my feet; I feel like my head is about to split open.

"FLASH!" Twilight cries. She summons Athena; I feel the gentle touch of her healing magic wash over me. Then, Athena gathers a lightning bolt, which she fires at the enemy Persona...

The cables trailing from her head suck up the attack, which courses up into her head. The Canterbook screens floating around her head glow more brightly.

//Electric attacks are no good!// Cadance cries.

"JACK FROST!"

Bufu

Jack Frost appears, blowing a torrent of ice at the Persona. She recoils, the screens around her head spinning faster.

Tentarafoo

Her speakers let out a sharp, throbbing bass pulse, and Jack Frost is blown away in a jagged mass of pixels. The Persona app on my phone goes dark.

"Not this again!"

Magarula

Another powerful blast of wind buffets all of us. I feel like I'm about to black out.

Pinkie pushes herself to her feet. "Stop...stop hurting my friends!"

She pulls out her phone. "You want me? COME GET ME! PERSONA!"

She slams her hand on the screen of her phone...

In a whirl of color, Pinkie's Persona appears. She looks a lot like Pinkie herself, except with silvery skin and hair that looks like a raging bonfire of pink and gold. She's wearing a blue, pink, and red belly dancer costume and, for some reason, a single roller skate. Her blue eyes are huge and happy, and she wears a big, bright smile. A torrent of rainbow-colored liquid flows from a golden pitcher she holds in her right hand, crossing behind her and pouring up into an upside-down goblet in her left hand. Streamers and balloons explode out of her hair, flying up into the night.

"H-how?" I ask.

"I've been watching you guys fight," Pinkie says. "I more or less figured it out."

Spring of Life

Her Persona spins on her skate, pouring some of her rainbow liquid over me and Twilight. I feel my headache ebbing, my fatigue fading slightly. I look over at Twilight, and she looks like she's feeling a little better too.

Patra

The Persona app reappears on my phone as I stand up.

Pinkie glares at the enemy Persona. "This is my party," she says.

Slam Dance

Pinkie's Persona dashes across the ground on her one skate, arms spread out behind her. As she approaches the enemy Persona, the enemy's cables snake out, attempting to ensnare her. Pinkie's Persona dodges and weaves between the cables, then dances between the enemy's claws as she attempts to shred her to pieces. Pinkie's Persona spins around, leaping into the air and slamming into her with a hip. The enemy Persona is knocked to the ground. Behind her, the girl who summoned her falls down as well, clutching her head.

//This is your chance!// Cadance cries.

Twilight, Pinkie, and I run forward. We're just a few feet away...

This all ends tonight...

The enemy Persona abruptly vanishes, and a wall of Shadows forms between us and our enemy.

She picks herself up.

Screw this. There's still nine more Hunter Shadows. There's no possible way you cunts can kill them all.

She abruptly vanishes.

The Zodiac app on my phone begins to flash white. "Looks like we can go now," I say.

Pinkie and Twilight nod, and we exit Zodiac.

As the normal world returns around us, Pinkie lets out a cheer. "Yay! I'm in on a big secret! With my bestest of bestest friends!" She throws her arms around us. "Best. Birthday. EVER!"

Then she faints. Twilight and I look at one another, roll our eyes, and haul her back into the dorm, where we find Cadance waiting for us, looking worried.

Once we've taken Pinkie to her room, we each return to our own rooms. I barely have the strength to fall into bed before I pass out...