Zodiac

"Silver Spoon," I say, feeling a cold pit of dread in my stomach. "The other one's attacking Silver Spoon."

"Oh no," Pinkie moans.

"What makes you think it's going after her?" Rainbow asks.

"Because today's her birthday too," I say. "And if I were Sunset Shimmer, Silver Spoon is who I'd send the other Gemini after." I glance at Fluttershy. "Right?"

"Flash is right," Fluttershy says with certainty. "She's Apple Bloom's friend, she's friends with Flash...she's the perfect target."

"So what do we do?" Twilight asks, shifting her feet as she looks at the monster advancing lurchingly toward us.

I frown and pull out my phone. "I'm going after Sil," I say as I slide the Emperor Arcana onto the screen. "OPTIMUS PRIME!"

With a thunderous roar, Optimus rolls into view, engine revving and smokestacks billowing. I climb up into the cab. "The rest of you protect Apple Bloom!"

"WAIT!" Twilight cries. "You can't go alone!" She climbs up and gets in with me. "I'm coming with you!"

"But the others need you here!"

"And what if something happens to you?" Twilight asks. "We can't do this without you! I can't do this without you."

"Twilight's right!" Pinkie says suddenly from beside me. "I'm coming too!"

"Girls..."

//They're absolutely right, Flash,// Cadance says. //We have eight Persona users here who can fight. It makes sense to split into two teams of four each.//

"I agree," Fluttershy says. "I'll stay here and lead this team."

"You'll lead?" Rarity asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's mah sister whut's in danger here," Applejack says. "If anybody should lead, it's me."

"Excuse me, but who has the most experience with Zodiac here?" Fluttershy retorts.

Rarity sighs. "Fair point."

Applejack frowns, but nods. "Alright. You're...you're right."

"Rainbow Dash, you should go with Flash's team," Fluttershy says. "Your Persona and mine both use wind skills, so it's pointless for both of us to be on the same team when they might need you over there."

Rainbow nods and jumps up into Optimus. "Let's get goin'!" she says.

"Cadance, you'll have to be my GPS," I say as Optimus' engine roars in anticipation. "I have no idea where Silver Spoon lives."

//No problem,// Cadance says. //Although you might want to try calling her. If her phone is in Zodiac, it should work.//

"Right, the phones work here. I keep forgetting that..." I slide out my contacts and dial Silver Spoon.

Her phone rings twice before she answers. "H-hello? F-Flash?"

"Sil, are you alright?"

"I...I..."

"More importantly, are you safe inside? You didn't leave the house or anything, did you?"

"I...I'm in the pool. Or I was. The water got all cold and icky and turned red...like blood..." There's a pause. "Flash? I can't find my mom and dad, and there's...there's..."

"Text messages floating around in the sky and none of them are saying nice things, I know," I say. "Listen. If you can get inside, you need to—"

"I can't!" Sil cries. "The doors won't open!" She pauses. "Oh my GOD..."

"Sil? Are...are you alright?"

Silver Spoon screams.

"RUN!" I yell into the phone. "Just...just stay as far away from it as you can! I'm on my way!"

Optimus tears off down the road. With Cadance's help, and thankful that the streets are completely empty, we arrive at Silver Spoon's house relatively quickly, praying all the while that she's safe and unharmed.

There's a huge, pulsating barrier around the yard.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Pinkie moans as we see the barrier.

"We break though," I say, revving Prime's engine. Into the phone, I say, "Sil? We're coming in. Watch out!"

And with that, I floor it. Optimus Prime barrels into the barrier and crashes through it, busting through into a spacious yard with a large patio and a swimming pool. The water is still and blood-red.

As soon as we're through, Optimus starts to fade away. The four of us drop to the ground; I stumble and land on my hands and knees, gasping for air. My head is killing me...

Sil runs past, wearing a bathing suit and screaming her head off. "HELP!" she cries.

The other Gemini lurches into view from behind the poolhouse. We all stare at it in horror.

For the most part, it looks like the one we saw back at the karaoke box, all spindly limbs and faceless head and grey skin. However, this Shadow's torso is inverted: its disjointed "legs" end in spindly-fingered hands upon which it walks, while its disjointed "arms" move in splits-like patterns and end in misshapen feet. At the top of its body is an erect, veiny, translucent penis which ends in an androgynous, hairless head with loose flesh hanging off a face which has soulless black eyes and an open mouth contorted in pain.

"Oh...my...God," Twilight says softly, a revolted look on her face.

"I need an adult," Pinkie whimpers.

As I stand up, Silver Spoon clings tightly to me. "What...what IS that thing?" she whimpers.

"Stay back," I say. "We're here to protect you. Just...just get someplace safe."

"Are you okay to fight?" Twilight asks me with a worried frown. "Busting that barrier took a lot out of you. Not to mention sustaining your Persona long enough to get us here."

"Just...just give me a second," I say.

"No worries," Rainbow says confidently, cracking her knuckles. "We'll take care of this dickhead!" She pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!"

Garudyne

A glowing green tornado whips up around Gemini, flinging it up into the air before slamming it back down. It quickly pushes itself up with its foot-hands, then flips itself over to stand on its hand-feet. Its penis-like head bobbles around for a minute.

"I don't want my Euphy touching that thing," Pinkie says with a sick grimace. "PERSONA!"

Matarukaja

Euphoria appears; a surge of strength flows through me. I can see the others looking similarly invigorated.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Twilight cries.

Ziodyne

Her Persona appears, calling down a thick, blinding column of lightning which slams directly into Gemini's head. It thrashes and jerks.

I stare at Twilight. "Seriously?"

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me.

Summon

Gemini lurches forward, lowering its head toward us. It twitches and makes a loud horking sound, then spits three slimy white globs onto the ground in front of us.

"EWWW!" Pinkie complains.

"Oh, that's just sick!" Rainbow says, pulling a face.

Off behind us, I can hear Silver Spoon throwing up...

Gemini's...well, cum...wriggles on the ground; each blob increases in size before growing a pair of formless, gelatinous legs, as well as arms that end in three-fingered hands. Mouths full of broad, flat, chattering teeth open up on the front of each cumblob.

Now Twilight's throwing up.

"Okay, time to kill this with fire," I say. "GAMERA!"

Maragidyne

Gamera flies in from overhead, expelling waves of scorching flames which sweep over Gemini and its...children. Gemini crumples into a defensive crouch, covering its head with its foot-hands and trembling. One of the cumbabies runs forward and leaps at Pinkie. Before she can react, it latches onto her with its chattering teeth.

Soul Leech

"EEK! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!"

"PINKIE!" Twilight cries.

Slash Attack

She rushes over, sword at the ready, and starts hacking away at the thing.

Bufula

One of the other cumbabies exhales a column of sharp icicles at her; she screams as she's sent flying, rolling across the ground and landing in Sil's puke.

"Eep!" Sil yelps.

"TWILIGHT!"

The same cumbaby leaps at me next, mouth open and teeth glistening; I block with my axe, smashing it back at its brother, then rush over to help Twilight stand. "You okay?" I ask.

Twilight grimaces. "I...think so," she says. "Could've done without the trip through your little loli friend's breakfast, though..."

"...'little loli friend'?"

"SERIOUSLY GET THIS THING OFF ME!" Pinkie screeches. The cumbaby latched to her chest is resisting every attempt to remove it.

Mudoon

Gemini itself rears back and whips its head forward; a ball of darkness hurls itself at Rainbow Dash. She stiffens up, jerking twice, and falls to the ground dead.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight cries. "Pinkie, you've gotta—"

"I CAN'T MOVE!"

"I've got Rainbow, you try to help Pinkie." I slide Lovers onto my phone. "SERENITY!"

Samarecarm

Serenity descends above Rainbow, hands folded in prayer and eyes closed. A soft silver-white light envelops Rainbow, who rises to her feet on a gentle wind. Her eyes blink open; she groans in frustration and anger.

"Oh, this is so not cool! PERSONA!"

Sonic Rainboom

Nike appears and strums a resounding power chord, unleashing her most powerful attack; a shockwave of sound and color spreads out, sending Gemini and its cumbabies tumbling end-over-end. The one that had latched onto Pinkie falls off and curls into a shivering ball.

Strike Attack

Pinkie frowns and kicks it like a soccer ball, then snaps out her whip several times, bisecting it. It lets out a high-pitched scream as it breaks down and dissolves into black mist.

Unification

The remaining two cumbabies huddle close together and start to melt into each other, merging into a larger, uglier cumbaby. It shrieks at us; I feel gravity dragging down on me...

Masukunda

//Careful! I'm sensing a field that's slowing you down! Watch out, your enemy's attacks won't miss!//

"Like they were missing before," Rainbow mutters.

"We need to put this thing down fast," Twilight says. "PERSONA!"

Maziodyne

Athena appears again, unleashing a lightning storm which strikes Gemini and the mega-cumbaby repeatedly. Gemini staggers and returns to its defensive crouch; the mega-cumbaby retaliates by blasting Twilight with icicle breath again, but much stronger this time.

Bufudyne

She falls to the ground in agony, curling into a ball.

"TWI-TWI!" Pinkie shrieks. "Okay, I've had ENOUGH OF THIS! EUPHORIA!"

Orgy of Death

Euphoria appears and hip-checks the cumbaby, then cartwheels over to Gemini and slams feet-first into the base of its cock-head, sending it flying. It lands on its back and thrashes around madly.

I check on Twilight. She lets out a shaky breath. "I'm...I'm okay," she says. "Just...just winded. Take that thing down!"

I pull Twilight to her feet, then turn to glare at Gemini and its disgusting spawn. "Right." I slide the Hanged Man Arcana onto my phone. "MAGUS!"

Maragidyne

A sudden wind howls as Magus appears in a spinning black vortex, gripping his scythe tightly. He scowls at the Shadows and raises a hand. Rings of scorching hellfire surround Gemini and the cumbaby, exploding upward into a towering inferno.

When the fire gutters out, the cumbaby is gone, and Gemini is twitching helplessly on the ground. It looks up at us and lets out a plaintive cry of pain and fear.

"PERSONA."

Ziodyne

Athena appears directly above Gemini, jams her spear into its chest, and pumps gigawatt after gigawatt of lightning right into its disgusting body. Gemini screams and writhes on the ground. Its mouth opens wide, and a spray of inky blood gushes into the sky as its body breaks down into motes of darkness that spatter all over the ground, melting into nothingness.

Twilight exhales shakily. "Well," she says. "That's that."

"Man, that was fucked up," Rainbow says. She turns to Silver Spoon. "Hey kid, you alright?"

Sil looks at all of us, eyes wide. She's shaking. "What...what are you people?" she asks.

"Didn't you get the memo? We're superheroes!" Rainbow says cockily, grinning.

I walk over to Sil. "Are you okay?" I ask. "Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head. "No, just...just really...really confused and freaked out." She looks at where Gemini was and shudders. "That...that was...what was that?"

"A nightmare," I say. I frown. "Where are your glasses? You didn't lose them or break them or—"

"I was swimming," Sil says. "I never wear my glasses in the pool. I'm just a little farsighted." She looks at Twilight and frowns. "What was that about a 'little loli friend'?"

Twilight blushes. "Sorry, I—"

Silver Spoon abruptly vanishes.

Pinkie gasps. "She's GONE!"

"Cadance? Silver Spoon just disappeared."

//I think that's normal. Hang on.// A pause. //Yeah, Fluttershy says that'll happen with Apple Bloom too once they finish up over here.//

"We're headed back then," I say. "The others need our help—"

"Oh, I think they can manage," a new voice intrudes.

We all turn to watch Sunset Shimmer casually stroll through the hole Optimus Prime made in the barrier, wearing the outfit she wore to the dance last night.

"Now, the real question is," she says, licking her lips.

She holds out her hand. In a burst of fiery code, a dual-bladed naginata with a gold-and-black shaft and gleaming, wickedly curved blood-red blades appears in her hand; she spins it in front of her like an expert.

"Who's going to help you?"