[Black Racers]

“An’ that’s how we defeated our sworn nemesis and her goons and restored peace to Equestria. The end.”
>Rainbow Dash, sitting across from you in the Ponyville spa’s lobby, looks at you with disbelief and disgust
>”Was it really that gross? I don’t remember it being that gross.”
“It was exactly that gross, no more, no less. You were there, remember?”
>”Well yeah, but-“
>At that moment, Pinkie Pie comes bounding in from outside, slamming the door onto the wall as she throws it open
>”Are you guys telling STORIES without me!? You know how much I love stories AJ!”
“Well Ah’m not sure what you want me to do about it Pinkie, ya just missed the end of it.”
>Her eyes bulge out of their sockets
>Uh oh, you know that look
>”Well you’d better be ready to tell it AGAIN! I wanna hear EVERY detail!”
>”Seriously Pinkie?”
“Pinkie, you were a part a’ all this! Why d’you wanna-“
>”BECAUSE! JUST TELL ME THE STORY!”
>”Yes darling, story time with Applejack sounds like a fine idea.”
>The rest of your friends file in behind Pinkie, all of them eager to soak in the spa
>”I-I wouldn’t mind hearing whatever this story is…”
>”I think it’d be a great idea too, Applejack! Let’s all sit down in the spa and listen to your tale!”
>Twilight looks down at Spike, who’s probably been dragged here against his will
>”Uh, sure. I wouldn’t mind hearing it, I guess.”
>These gals…
“It’s a tale y’all were part of, y’know. You were all there with me to experience it.”
>”WE KNOW ALREADY, JUST HURRY UP AND LET’S GO SO WE CAN HEAR THE STORY!”
>As if on cue, Lotus and Aloe open the door into the rest of the building and invite you all into the spa
>”Please follow us, we’ll get you situated so you can luxuriate in the best hot bath Ponyville has to offer.”
>They lead the 8 of you down several twisting corridors until you reach the best room in the building
>Dominated by a massive hot tub to soak in the heat and relieve the stress of the day, this is the place you come to when you have enough time away from the farm
>And it’s SO worth it
>As the girls file into the tub behind you and Spike takes a seat on the rim, swinging his feet in the warm water, you lean back and settle into the comfortable bottom of the tub
>And then something snakes its way up the inside of your throat
>You take a deep breath to get everyone’s attention on you, and then Anonymous’ hand bursts out of your mouth
>It’s got skin on it this time, thank Celestia, but the nails are missing so he didn’t scrape your esophagus on the way out
>How thoughtful
>A mouth opens up on the palm, complete with a full set of human teeth and a tongue, and the hand turns to face you
>”Do you wanna start or should I?”
>Dash, as usual, twitches uncomfortably before settling back down
>The rest just look a little happy
>”HEY ANON, HOW YOU BEEN?”
>”PRETTY GOOD PINKIE, HOW ‘BOUT YOURSELF?”
>”ME? I’M DOING GREAT, AND JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS-“
>”AWESOME PINKIE BUT IT’S STORY TIME NOW SO SHHHHH!”
>Pinkie returns to a resting state, staring calmly at the hand sticking out of your mouth like a large green pool noodle
>Anon’s hand turns to you
>”You wanna start or should I?”
>With a thought you push the arm to the side, giving yourself enough room to speak with a large impediment
“Ah shink ‘at it oughta ‘e me who shars.”
>”Would you mind repeating that? I didn’t understand you the first time.”
>You level a glare at the hand; he knows darn well what you meant
>”Haha, just kidding. Alright ladies (and Spike) it’s story time.”
>Anon’s hand retracts into your throat, merging with your flesh to become part of your body again
“Phew. Alright, so it all started wayyyy back about 4 months ago, when we were given Stands by Princess Celestia to combat the wave a’ Stand users that had been popping up around Equestria…”

>4 MONTHS AGO
“So you will all be given the power to combat these “Stand users” that have been plaguing Equestria as of late. I am offering you this opportunity to back out now, because once you have Stands your future battles will be unavoidable.”
>You and the girls, along with Spike and Anonymous, were called to Canterlot on a matter of national security after a series of terrorist attacks on various cities around Equestria, including Baltimare, Manehatten, and even the Crystal Empire
>Through extreme pressure on her intelligence unit and a bit of luck, Princess Celestia was able to discover the existence of Stands, which were apparently like super-powered ghost bodyguards
>Anon said that he’d read about something similar in a comic book back on Earth, so you all copied the name over to the new threat
>A week ago, Celestia had figured out how to reverse engineer the magic that gave the terrorists their Stand powers, and had offered to apply that magic to the 8 of you
>Anon, Spike, and Rainbow had practically leapt at the opportunity to get superpowers, and the rest of the group wasn’t too far behind them
>Even Fluttershy was eager to help out however she could
>The only reticent one was Twilight
>She wasn’t really sure having a Stand would be a good or helpful thing
>But she’d accepted the offer like the rest of the group because she knew it’d help in the long run
>”Very well then. My little ponies, and dragon and human, thank you for serving your country.”
>Celestia had charged up a big beam of magic, and then you were out like a light

>Bwuh?
>Where are you?
>”Ah, she’s awake. Can you hear me? How are you feeling?”
>You’re in a hospital bed somewhere, probably in the castle, and there’s an earth pony nurse talking to you
“Uh, yeah, Ah’m okay. Just a little tired.”
>The nurse cracks a smile
>”Don’t know how you could be, you and your friends have been out for a day!”
>Your shocked look doesn’t even phase her, and she quickly moves to reassure you
>”It’s nothing to worry about. Getting knocked out for a day is an unfortunate side effect of Celestia’s Stand endowment spell. I’m going to run a few tests real quickly, alright? Tell me, can you see anything in this room besides the two of us?”
“Uh…”
>There’s some sort of heat haze behind her, like when you’d work the farm on hot summer days and see the air rippling over the hot roads, and it’s becoming a little more distinct the longer you stare at it
>She takes notice of your squinting and staring, and nods to herself
>”Alright, it seems like you can see my Stand, [Audio, Video, Disco]. How distinct is it? Some patients can see less than others when they first awaken.”
“It looks kinda like a mirage. Like the air is rippling behind ya.”
>She nods her head
>”Oh! I uh, completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m Blue Cross, and I’ll be your attending nurse for the duration of your stay here! In case you’re wondering where “here” is, don’t worry, it’ll be explained in a bit.”
>She bends her head to grab a pencil from her scrubs and jots something down on the clipboard at the foot of your bed
“What exactly does your Stand do?”
>Blue Cross stares at you with surprise
>…It’s making you a little uncomfortable
>”Oh, sorry. It’s just that nopony’s ever asked me that before. It’s a bit like a nurse; holds things for me mostly.”
“Celestia told us that each Stand has its own unique powers though, so what’s your power?”
>She glances down and away from you
>”I… It can heal any wound or injury at the cost of some of my lifespan. Small cuts and burns cost maybe half a minute, but larger stuff like broken legs or whole-body third-degree burns… That costs me years. My Stand tells me what everything costs before I pay for it, and it has a counter on the front that tells me how many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds I have to live. I’ve already extrapolated the date of my own death from that information. In the process of helping others I’ve already shaved roughly 12 and a half years off of my life. It’s… really scary.”
>Blue Cross hangs her head, and you beckon her over
“C’mere.”
>She walks up to the bed, still downtrodden, and squeaks a little in surprise when you wrap your hooves around her
“It’s alright. Ah may not know how it feels to give up mah time like you have, but your heart’s in the right place, and Ah’m sure that if you could use your power forever you would. Yer a good pony sugarcube, Ah can tell.”
The nurse sniffles a little into your back before breaking the hug and giving you a small smile
>”Thank you, Applejack. It’s very nice to hear that from somepony.”
>She takes a moment to compose herself, inhaling and exhaling
>”Alright, let’s do a little more testing. I’m going to touch you with my Stand, and I want you to try and use your own to push it away. Ready?”
>You nod, uncertain, but her Stand is starting to take shape behind her
>A hoof with a red cross on the back, wing motifs running along its chest, and…
>That’s just weird
>A staff with snakes entwined around it for a head
>On its chest is a counter with each individual slot marked as years, months, weeks, and so on, just like she said
>The rest is still indistinct, but it’s slowly fading into view
>[Audio, Video, Disco] reaches out with its hoof and touches your shoulder, holding it there
>”Now I need you to concentrate, miss Applejack. Reach inside yourself for the new part of your soul, and draw it out.”
>The heck’s that mean? New part of your soul?
>You close your eyes anyway, searching deep inside for “something new”
>And to your surprise, you find it
>There’s something that wasn’t here before
>Or maybe it was always here but you just didn’t know it
>It feels pretty familiar, kinda like an old friend
>So you reach out and try to touch it
>There’s a slight rustling in the room, but not the rustling of clothing
>More like the rustling of-
>Leaves?
>You open your eyes to see a tree branch sticking through your torso, swaying slightly in an invisible breeze
>Another branch is sprouting from your shoulder, wrapped gently around [Audio, Video, Disco]’s hoof
>The odd thing is that they look like palm trees but they have branches like an evergreen
>Blue Cross smiles at you from the foot of the bed
>”Well done, miss Applejack. This is your Stand.”
“Mah Stand?”
>She nods
>”Yep, this is the power that has manifested from your soul. Now you just need to figure out what it does.”
“How am Ah gonna do that?”
>”Well, when you’re feeling well enough to walk, we’ll begin training you to deal with threats, and as part of that training, you’ll be put through a series of tests that have a high chance of drawing out the latent power of your Stand, and giving us an idea of what you can do with it.”
>She slings the clipboard onto her back and turns to leave the room
>”For now though, you should rest. I’ll inform the princess that you’ve recovered enough to speak with her, and she’ll be in shortly. I’ll see you later, Miss Applejack.”
“Just Applejack is fine with me.”
>Blue Cross stops for a second, thinking it over
>”Alright then Applejack, I’ll see you later.”
>She gives you one last smile and closes the door, and you lay your head back on the pillow, staring at the tree growing out of your chest.
>A name echoes on the fringes of your consciousness
“[Miami Disco]?”
>That’s the last thing you hear before you fade out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAM6mG6BWjw
———————————————————
STAND NAME: [MIAMI DISCO]
STAND MASTER: APPLEJACK

POWER: D
SPEED: C
RANGE: B
DURABILITY: B
PRECISION: D
POTENTIAL: A

APPEARANCE: A palm tree that grows from Applejack’s body in the style of a standard evergreen tree, boughs, branches, and all.
ABILITY: We don’t know yet it’s a fukken tree lol
———————————————————

>”-ck?”
>What?
>”-plejack?”
>Is someone calling for you?
>”Applejack? Ah good, you’re finally awake.”
>Whoa nelly, it’s Princess Celestia
>She greets you with a smile like a warm spring day
>”Glad to see you’re up and aware my little pony. You’ve been asleep for about 3 hours.”
>Dang it, you wanted to be out and about right now
>”I can tell you’d rather be walking around the hospital wing, so why don’t we go take a look around. It’ll be good for you to stretch your legs anyway.”
>You throw the covers off without a second thought, leaping up to join the princess
>As you follow her out of your room, she turns to you
>”Why don’t we go see your friends? I think Anonymous and Twilight are in training right now, and we can see about sitting in on that. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good to me princess. I wanna see what my friends can do with their powers, maybe figure out what mine does while I watch.”
>”So you’ve already manifested your Stand? Good, that saves us a little time down the road. Come this way, the training hall is down here.”
>Celestia leads you out of your room and through a section of the castle you’ve never seen before. Along the way she makes light conversation
>”I am sorry that my spell knocked you out for a day. I had no idea there would be aftereffects based on the kind of magic it was.”
>You shrug
“Eh, what can ya do? What’s done is done and you didn’t know, so don’t worry about it. Ah’m just glad we all made it through in one piece. Ah’m assuming we did, anyway.”
>The princess covers her mouth with a hoof, hiding a grin
>”Well you might be surprised when you see Fluttershy, then. Her Stand is pretty bizarre, even compared to what I’ve seen so far.”
>Furrowing your brow, you ponder what princess Celestia just said
>As you ponder, the princess leads you towards a room where you can hear the distinct sounds of combat
>”Ah, we’re here. Prepare yourself for some really weird sights, Applejack.”
>Taking a deep breath, you nod
“Ah’m ready, princess.”
>Celestia opens the door with her magic and ushers you in ahead of her, and the first thing you notice isn’t the huge arena or the giant striped pony hovering behind Twilight, but the fact that there are big tumorous growths on every surface in the middle of the room
>Some of them have eyes, and as you walk farther into the room half of them turn to look at you
>Anonymous, without even turning to acknowledge your presence, waves over his shoulder
>”Hey AJ, finally awake? Glad to see ya.”
>”Applejack! You’re okay!”
>Though, Twilight’s got other ideas
>Breaking away from the battle, Twilight rushes over and engulfs you in a big crushing hug
>Freeing a hoof, you hug her right back
“Takes a lot more’n magic to keep me down Twi. Glad you’re alright too.”
>Anon walks over to you and the growths disappear from the room
>”I guess we’re done early then? How’s it going AJ? Manifest your Stand yet?”
>You focus for a second, then make a tree grow out of your back in response
“Yep! Thing is, Ah don’t know what it does yet. Was kinda hopin’ to find out when Ah got here.”
>He grins in response
>”Hell, I’d love to help with that. We could go right now if you wanted to. I’m sure me and my Stand [Paris] would be able to sort out what yours does in no time. I can scope out anything with the growths I make, including taste and smell.”
>When you scrunch your face in disgust, he rears back and laughs a booming belly laugh
>”Ah man, the look on your face is priceless. Wish I could take a picture.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMoRL46x8F8
———————————————————
STAND NAME: [PARIS]
STAND MASTER: ANONYMOUS

POWER: E
SPEED: D
RANGE: A
DURABILITY: D
PRECISION: B
POTENTIAL: E

APPEARANCE: Takes the form of ethereal handprints that Anon can choose to leave behind on any surface he makes contact with, including his own body. After a minute, these handprints will grow globs of flesh in them that can grow any sensory organs Anon chooses. Each of these organs gives him real-time feedback and can allow him to spy on the battlefield from any direction in any location.
———————————————————

>As you walk towards the center of the arena with Anon, you turn to Twilight again
“Hey Twi, what’s your Stand do?”
>Before she has a chance to explain, a guardspony bursts through the door and runs up to Princess Celestia
>”Princess! We’ve just received a worrying report! You need to come with me to the war room immediately!”
>The princess’ face hardens
>”Very well, I’ll head there right away. You three enjoy yourselves for today. If you need a guide or information, track down any of the ponies working in this area. Have a good day!”
>With that odd and worrying exchange, Celestia walks out of the training room, leaving you standing between Anonymous and Twilight
>”C’mon AJ, I wanna see your Stand in action! Let’s go!”
>You trot to the center of the arena across from Anon, watching as he slaps his palms onto the floor and grins at you
>”We’re gonna start with something basic. I’ll throw a soft punch at you and you try to block it with your Stand, aight?”
>You nod assent and steel yourself, calling your Stand into existence around you
“[MIAMI DISCO]!”
>The boughs of the tree shield you from Anon’s first punch, but the second comes in from the right, smacking into your exposed side
>”Not bad AJ, not bad. It really feels like I’m punching wood. But what can it really do?”
>Throwing another quick jab, Anon dashes to the side and tries to hit you in the leg
>You quickly grow another branch where he’s going to hit-
>And the far wall explodes into the room, showering all three of you with debris
>Three masked ponies, a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony, step through the hole
>”You three, get down on your knees!”
>The pegasus commands you with a booming tone of authority, before pointing a crossbow at you
>”I SAID GET DOWN!”
>Anon looks Twilight in the eyes and nods before getting onto his knees and putting his hands behind his head
>You follow suit, but Twilight suddenly rushes towards the invaders!
>”[DEEP COVER]!”
>The striped pony from earlier shows up, rearing back for an attack, but as it collides with the unicorn its hoof and Twilight’s corresponding leg break!
>”AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
>The earth pony smirks
>”This is the power of my Stand, [HELMETS]! Whatever I touch becomes invincible!”
>The pegasus advances on Twilight with the crossbow
>”Boss, what should I do? Take her down?”
>The unicorn shakes her head
>”No need for senseless loss of life. Knock her out. The other two are why we came here anyway.”
>”Gotcha.”
>The pegasus rears up and delivers a swift rabbit punch to Twilight’s forehead, laying her out on the ground
>Smiling, the unicorn and earth pony begin running towards you and Anon
>Crap, you can’t hit her or you’re gonna end up with broken limbs, and you probably can’t hit the earth pony either
>Anon, for his part, tries to lash out when they get within striking distance, but his arm breaks when it makes contact with the unicorn’s face, and she doesn’t even react
>”Well damn, I was hoping to do this the other way around, but you’re resistant, human. I’m going to have to break you of that trait.”
>The unicorn mare looks over to you and you swear you can see her smiling through her mask
>”Applejack, right? Element of Honesty, if I remember correctly. You’re gonna be my new experiment. Behold the power of my Stand, [HYDROGEN]!”
>A striated pony with multiplication and addition signs on its hooves appears from behind the unicorn, gilded lab coat blowing in the same unseen breeze as your trees
>It hits anon with the addition hoof multiple times, and you swear you hear bones cracking, but what happens next scares you beyond belief
>Anon’s body bursts into fragments of pure light
>The fragments spin up and hover around the unicorn, who quickly closes the distance and strikes you in your exposed side with the same hoof, and you float into the air
>The fragments begin to surge into you, at first one by one, then more and more, and then they stop being light and turn into something far more horrible
>Anon’s flesh and bones pierce directly into your body, invading your bloodstream and musculature
>The leaves on [MIAMI DISCO]’s branches begin to lose their color and fall off, creating a miniature autumn around your body
>You can feel his flesh entwine with yours, feel the snapping and crunching of rearranging bones, the squish and squelch of overlapping sinews, and hear the heightened pumping of your hearts together as one
>The scent of blood and bile overwhelms you, and even as the remains of Anon’s body are pushed into yours you lean over and vomit, nearly passing out on the floor
>The unicorn stands over you looking pretty damn pleased with herself
>”She’s not dead, that’s a start. I think it’s time to get the hell outta here. We got what we came for and Celestia’s likely to be here any second.”
>As she turns to leave, time seems to slow down
>Not one minute ago you were learning how to use your Stand effectively, and now you’re on the cusp of death with your friend seemingly used to torture you in his own death throes
>And there’s something new inside of you
>A rising hatred, an anguish you’ve never known
>Kill her
>Kill her
>KILL her
>What’re you standing around for Applejack just stand up
>STANDUP
>C’MON SHE’S GETTING AWAY
>Dammit
>DAMMIT
>She’s gonna get away and we’ll have no way to stop her
>SHE CAN’T ESCAPE SHE CAN’T
>GET OVER THERE AND FUCKING
>KILL
>HER
>You stand up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tx8lphVLro
>The agony from an instant ago is gone, replaced by cold fury and pure hatred
>Kill her
>Unsteadily, you stumble forward, and end up almost leaping into her
>When did you get so fast?
>It’s the pegasus again
>He’s going to shoot you
>Let him try
>The bolt enters your leg, and you feel it snap in two before being pushed out through the skin
>As it clatters to the floor, you feel something twitching around in your stomach
>You open your mouth to vomit again
>I’m gonna kill them all AJ
>Make them bleed
>BLEED
>A hand completely lacking skin bursts forth from your mouth, extending out far beyond your body in a rubbery fashion, and grasps the pegasus by the face
>LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE THIS YOU BASTARD
>The hand throws him against the nearest wall, cracking it from the force of the impact
>He slumps there, embedded in the mountain rock
>One down, two more SHITSTAINS to go
>You turn to the unicorn and earth pony, sending the hand after the two of them
>The unicorn sidesteps the blow and summons her Stand, but before she has a chance to do anything the hand has already wrapped itself, snake-like, around the earth pony’s throat
>The hand drags the pony in front of you, using it like a shield
>Let’s see you break through this, bitch
>Why are you thinking like that?
>Anon, you’ve got to avenge Anon
>AVENGE
>The earth pony’s Stand manifests, a pair of hooves attached to the torso of a gem-encrusted stallion, and punches the arm
>It breaks immediately, a pain you feel deep in your stomach as the arm flops uselessly to the floor beside you
>It’s useless, he should just LIE DOWN AND DIE
>A second and third arm take shape from the flesh in your throat, breaking open your jaw to accommodate their bulk
>The pain is indescribable
>PAIN HELPS YOU FOCUS
>One arm slams its fist into the stallion’s head
>The other grabs him by the tail, flipping him over
>It raises the stallion above your head, swinging him around and around and launching him towards the unicorn
>They tumble head over hooves into a lump on the floor
>The collision doesn’t concuss either of them though, and in a flash they’re back on their feet and scrambling out of the wall
>The unicorn turns to you, Stand at the ready, and speaks
>”You’ve become a better experiment than I’d ever hoped you would be, Applejack. Give my regards to princess Celestia and get stronger for the next time we meet. Toodles!”
>Her horn sparks and they’re gone and GOD DAMNIT AJ WE HAD THEM WE COULD’VE DONE IT I NEVER GOT To… to…
>You slump over, arms retracting into your mouth, and fall onto your side
>Anon… Anon is dead and gone
>AJ, I’m sorry
>I’m so sorry
>As the darkness closes in once more, a name floats up from the abyss of your soul
“[Black Racers]…”
>The sound of hooves and the clanking of regalia echoes in your ears
>And then you’re gone

———————————————————
SPECIAL TYPE: FUSION STAND
FUSION STAND NAME: [BLACK RACERS]
STAND MASTERS: APPLEJACK/ANONYMOUS

POWER: B
SPEED: D
RANGE: C
DURABILITY: E
PRECISION: E-C, DEPENDS ON USER
POTENTIAL: B

APPEARANCE: Whatever flesh constructs the users create.
ABILITY: Allows the user to control their own flesh and bone. Though it sounds simple, the user(s) can manifest their ability in all sorts of surprising ways. It even allows them to grow new body parts, though in a limited capacity. Perhaps it can be used to manifest a certain someone?
———————————————————

>You are Applejack, you think
>It’s hard to tell with the extreme pain you’re in right now
>”-going to be okay!? Tell me!!”
>”We don’t know princess! She’s in extreme pain and is suffering from severe blood loss and a massive sudden gain in muscle mass! We’re not even sure she’ll survive the next few minutes!”
>It hurts
>”Prepare transfusion! Measure breathing and apply healing spells where needed! Apply cold and magic packs to relieve the swelling!”
>It won’t stop hurting
>Someone’s here
>What…? Who…?
“Ahhhhh…nahhhhhhh…”
>”Get some more unicorns over here, we need to pick her up! Where’s the damn transfusion!?”
>This pain is too much to bear!
>You can’t do it!
>…
>No.
>You have to do it!
>You have to live!
>A question floats up from the inky well of your mind
>What is it you want?
>…
>What DO you want?
>For the pain to stop, for Celestia’s sake!
>What else? There has to be something less immediate.
>What else…?
>!
>Through the haze of agony something shines brightly in your future, something red-hot and powerful, and you grasp onto it with all the might you can muster
>Your anger
>It burns deep and bright through your flesh, crying out for justice, searing away your confusion, and focusing your attention away from the pain
>You’re gonna hogtie that bitch and truss her like a sow for what she did to you and your friends
>She’s made your existence pure Tartarus and you’ll give that feeling back to her tenfold when you meet her again
>You want answers; why’d they target you? Why you and Anon and not Twilight or Celestia? Why’d they just leave? Why is any of this happening?
>Why?
>Another feeling wells up inside you, foul and destructive and cruel
>You want revenge
>You want to hurt that stupid smug unicorn as much as she’s hurting you right now
>You want to get her back for what she’s done to Anon
>You want to k-
>”Condition stabilizing, she’s gonna be okay! Get me some more sedatives!”
>”Are you sure, sir? We’ve given her enough morphine to euthanize a manticore!”
>”Just shut up and do it! We need to put her under to give her time to recover!”
>No, you can’t fall asleep just yet!
>You need to stay awake!
>You need to find her and ki-
>”Administering sedatives! She’ll be under soon!”
>N-no…
>Something shifts inside you and you feel yourself fall once more into the depths of unconsciousness

>A steady beeping rouses you from the depths of your slumber
>It looks like you’re back in the hospital wing
>Sun streams through the window like the hay that blows in the breeze outside of Sweet Apple Acres
>Sweet Apple…
>Your throat twitches
>“Oh shit, does your family know you’re okay?”
>WHATWHOSAIDTHAT
>”What the fuck.”
>Who’s there?!
>A quick glance around the room shows that you’re completely alone, unless this is some insidious Stand attack!
>”It’s not a damn Stand attack AJ, I’m right here!”
>Who’s here!?
>”IT’S ANON! IT’S ME, AJ!”
>All the wind comes out of your sails
>Anon?
>Anon’s dead…
>”I’m not dead either, goddamn!”
>Finally you realize where his voice is coming from
>It’s coming from you
>”Yeah, there we go. I’m speaking with your mouth.”
>That is…
>It’s…
>You can’t even think of a proper way to describe this situation right now!
>”Have your famous Countryisms failed you?”
>You don’t even understand how he’s alive right now, much less what sort of farm life-related idiom to spout!
>”I can hear your thoughts, in case you haven’t noticed. We’re certainly in an… unusual situation.”
>There’s a little tension in his voice, and it leaks over into your thoughts
>How is he so calm about this?
>”I’m actually not calm at all, I’m just kind of suppressing my feelings. It won’t do anyone any good if I freak out right now.”
>The tension gives way to an edge of hysteria, like when Winona traps herself in the barn for too long
>How in the name of Tartarus is he still alive?
“Wh-what the hay happened yesterday?”
>After hearing him speak for so long it’s kind of odd to hear your own voice
>”…We became one when that unicorn bitch fused us together. We’re a gestalt now, and we’re probably going to stay that way for a long time.”
>You and Anon are… one being?
>”Yeah. Formerly two wholes, now we’re each one half of a whole. You’ve got the better end of the deal, no doubt. Retained your original form with only a ‘minor’ addition in the form of a hand in your throat, which is where I make my current residence. In short, I’m inside you now, permanently.”
>The statement heats your cheeks faster than a squirrel on a barbecue in the height of summer
“Ain’t no need to say something that crude.”
>”No, there really isn’t. This is… fucked.”
>His unusually short replies are pretty out of character for him, so this must be affecting him more than you thought
>”Hit the nail on the head, AJ. I’m trying really hard not to think about all the stuff I won’t ever be able to do normally again. Stuff like walk around or drink some cider with my own mouth or jack off on a warm summer evening with the windows open and my underwear on my head-“
>WHAT
“WHAT?”
>An inkling of humor flashes through your brain, and is replaced by sorrow
>”Damn it, who am I kidding. This is fucked, I’m fucked, and if we can’t get our shit together not only will you be fucked, but so will Equestria. It’s not like being in awkward or uncomfortable situations is unusual for me, most of my life has been an awkward or uncomfortable situation, but this has to be the top of the list.”
>Things look kind of bleak right now, but there has to be something positive you can make out of the disastrous events of yesterday, or at least something you can distract yourself with
>”Like what? Our impending doom and horrible future? The bizarre and uncomfortable nature of our new existence? The taste you have in stallion ass?”
>The heat returns to your face and you quickly banish the thought
“NO! Ah meant somethin’ like celebratin’ the fact you’re still alive! I thought you were dead!”
>”So did I. When you awoke, I did too, and as soon as I heard you thinking I realized something was way off. Then I realized that I couldn’t move my eyes or my arms or legs or anything, and I panicked. Then I spoke. And then the events of yesterday just came back to me all at once and goddamn it, I’m fucking pissed.”
>Traces of anger flit through your mind
>”I’d like nothing more than to give that bitch what she deserves, you know? Kick the shit outta her and teach her a lesson.”
“Ah want that too, but how ‘bout we take a step back for a sec and figure out what our new Stand can really do? It’ll help when we get into our next fight.”
>”A look at our combined Stand, huh? I guess that’d be a good way to take our minds off of things, but as far as I’m aware we’ve already seen what it can do.”
“That don’t mean it can’t do more. Besides, whatever the hay that was yesterday wasn’t me. Was it you?”
>”I think so. It was pretty badass, wasn’t it? Okay, one Stand test comin’ up.”
“Wait, Stand test? Can ya even remember the name of our new Stand?”
>”…No?”
“Fer Celestia’s sake, it’s ｢BLACK RACERS｣!”
>On cue, a skinless hand bursts up and out of your throat, and suddenly you can’t breathe
>(Never thought you’d die with a big thick rod of meat jammed down your throat, huh? Thanks for reminding me by the way, you really have a lot of trouble figuring out when someone’s messing with you.)
>Holy shit, you can hear his thoughts too
>(Holy shit you can hear my thoughts too)
>You’re gonna kill him when you get out of this
>(You’ll need to live now to kill me later, smartass)
>Wait, how in Tartarus did you not suffocate the last time this happened?
>(Oh um, hang on. Some plants photosynthesize, right? How about we… aerosynthesize? Absorb air through our skin? Wait, that’s not quite the same thing…)
>That’s not a real word!
>(Well fine, just breathe through your nose)
>Oh, duh
>You pull yourself back from the brink of suffocation by taking as deep a breath as you can through your nose
>(Now, let’s see what this thing can do)
>You try to flex the arm, but find that you can only adjust it a bit at a time
>(Wait, seriously? You can’t-)
>Hoofsteps resound through the halls outside
>(Oh shit, I gotta get back in, I GOTTA GET BACK IN!)
>Concentrating fiercely, the fleshy appendage slowly slides back down your throat in a way that you’re sure Anon will parade around your head later
>As the last of it recedes, Twilight inches the door open and gasps
>”Applejack, you’re awake!”
>As the rest of your friends parade in and congratulate you on your recovery, Princess Celestia pokes her head in through the door and smiles with all the warmth of the sun when she sees that you’re awake
>”Ah Applejack, I’m pleased to see that you’ve recovered. You were out for a little longer than two days so I’m glad to see you doing so well, especially after the tragic disappearance of Anonymous. He may be gone, but-“
>”What am I, Milky Way?”
>Your friends look around the room as you quickly try to hide your shame
>One of the guards outside yells “my job!” and storms off down the hallway
>”Seriously, I don’t get a ‘hey Anon, you’re not dead!’ or a ‘way to go with those terrorists yesterday Anon! You da man!’ I’m not a fucking corpse over here, people! [spoiler]And I’m not fucking a corpse either![/spoiler]”
>Everypony’s staring straight at you in shock, even the princess
>You do your best to hide the look of absolute mortification on your face
>”Wow Applejack, that’s kind of messed up. I mean, our bestest human friend just died and you’re doing impressions of him?”
>”I’m actually Anon, Pinkie!”
>”Pffft, no you’re not silly! You’re Applejack pretending to be Anon!”
>”Alrighty then! Hey y’all, I’m Applejack and I have a new Stand! It’s called ｢BLACK RACERS｣!”
>The skinless hand bursts out of your mouth once again, much to the horror of everypony in the room
>Stands are drawn immediately
>Twilight’s ｢Deep Cover｣ appears behind her, pieces of tree bark wrap themselves around Fluttershy’s body, a bejeweled muscular pony poses with Rarity, Pinkie has pulled a coconut(?) cream pie out of her mane, and Rainbow’s wiry Stand makes a crimson blade out of thin air
>Everyone’s mouths are agape in horror as the hand extends towards the princess
>As the fleshy monstrosity creeps closer to Celestia’s nose, she scrunches it instinctively, and the hand stops
>”Aw man, it’s just so cute when you guys do that scrunch thing! Melts my heart every time. Also, quite the entourage we’ve got here.”
>How’d he speak without moving your mouth?
>Celestia backs away from the arm, which contorts around towards you like a boneless chicken
>In the center of its palm is something that could charitably be called a mouth, something with muscular lips and teeth and sweet Celestia, it’s even got a tongue
>”Hey AJ, I figured out how to talk without using your mouth! Check me out, now you’ve got arms!”
>The hand wiggles around and gives you what Anon calls a thumbs up
>”Anyway guys, yeah. I’m not dead! But yesterday Applejack and I kinda got fused into one new life form, and that sorta fused our Stands together too, so that’s cool. We call our new power…”
>He pulls the hand back over to your head and loops its arm around your shoulders a couple times before resting the heel of his hand on your mane
>”｢Black Racers｣!”
>Everypony just stares back at you, completely speechless
>Fluttershy and Rarity in particular look like losing their cookies, and even Pinkie is kind of grossed out
>Twilight seems more curious about Anon than anything, and has teleported in a quill and parchment to jot down notes
>Dash though, she’s quivering like a whipped dog in the corner, completely terrified of the utterly bizarre occurrence in front of her
>This is absolutely disgusting
“Ghh hff mmph!”
>”Sorry, what was that?”
>There’s quite a smug tone in his voice
>(All the better to torture you with my dear)
“Ghhh-“
>”Oh Applejack, you can’t talk right now can you? Let’s fix that.”
>Like a retracting tape measure, the arm quickly finds its way back into your mouth, with Anon giving a final “seeya!” before his hand disappears down your throat
>”A-Applejack, what in the name of Tartarus just happened?”
>Hoo boy
“It’s just like he said princess, Anon and I were fused together by the no good bi- uh, unicorn who attacked us yesterday. Ah know it looks like we’re taking it well, but the truth is it’s pretty hard on us both. Ah lost most of a good friend and he lost… everything. His body, his ability to move, his own Stand. Ah’m not just fightin’ for Equestria and my friends, but Ah s’pose now Ah’m fighting to get him back to normal.”
>Celestia regards you with an air of sadness
>(Damn AJ. It’s true but it hurts to hear it said out loud. And thanks)
>”Well then, we have quite a bit of work to do. Anonymous, I am overjoyed to hear that we have not lost you, though if I may be so bold your current form is rather… unsettling.”
>”’S alright princess, I know I’m disgusting now. Maybe we can use that to our advantage out there, right AJ?”
“If we have to, we will. I’m dead set on helping my friends, and that means returning Anon to normal as soon as possible! Where can we help out?”
>”Yeah! Just let us know where the asskicking and face punching is gonna happen, princess! We’ll have you back to normal and out of Applejack in no time Anon!”
>The blush you currently sport would put your brother’s crimson coat to shame
>One by one Dash and the others pipe up and voice their desires to help, even Fluttershy and Twilight
>Celestia looks surprised
>”My little ponies, are you sure you don’t want to train for just a little longer? I have other agents in the field who can combat these opponents for now. You don’t need to leave just yet.”
>“But princess Celestia, didn’t you yourself say that the best way to learn the limits of our Stands was through actual field combat? We’ve trained against each other enough to have a general idea of our powers, but if we don’t get out there and do some real damage now, the enemy forces will likely bolster their ranks or improve their troops!”
>(Damn, that’s a really good argument)
>After a moment of silence, Celestia smiles gently and shakes her head
>”I was foolish to think I could keep you here any longer. If the lot of you are ready, we shall proceed with the briefing and then send you out. Come find me in the war room in two hours, all of you.”
>Her face hardens briefly
>”We have much to discuss.”
>With that, the solar princess exits the room, leaving your friends to prod you and Anon with questions about your battle with the enemy
>”What was it like?”
>”Are you okay Anon?”
>Was there anypony else in there?”
>”Did you stick that pegasus halfway through the wall?”
>”What exactly happened to you two?”
>”I’m so glad you’re doing mostly alright, Anon!”
>”How’s it feel to finally be inside a mare, Anon?”
>The pair of you do your best to answer their questions and Anon smacks Dash on the nose for that last one, causing her to jump back like a drenched cat
>Blue Cross comes in after a bit, shoos your friends away, and runs a few tests before proclaiming you fit as a fiddle
>”Oh, one second you two. I have a little something for you here…”
>Reaching into one of her saddlebags, she produces a file that she hoofs onto the bed
>”This is everything we were able to find out about your altered biology. You should find this especially interesting, Anon, since it’s mostly about you. Charts, x-rays, a couple surgery pictures, and some other data. Peruse it at your leisure and take it with you around the castle.”
“Thanks Miss Cross. Ah’m sure this’ll come in real “handy”, right Anon?”
>[Black Racers] bursts out of your throat in response, saluting your nurse and hefting the file with ease
>(Let’s crack this fucker open in the library and get to reading. I want to know everything I can about how we’re different now)

>(This is some pretty nasty shit.)
>The two of you are perusing your newly compiled medical file in a deep dark corner of the castle’s library
>It’s honestly rather fascinating, but half of the time you don’t even know what you’re looking at, just that it’s really really gross
>(How mature of you, AJ.)
“Shut up.”
>(Yeah, yeah. Man, check this out!)
>You look around to make sure nopony is watching you and Anon’s hand slides out of your mouth again, pointing to a certain grouping of x-rays and pictures they took of your examination
>One x-ray shows your head and neck from the side, with several large black patches visible around the edge of your throat marked “errant growths”
>Another is of you from the front, with the same black patches scattered around the same area
>”I think that’s about where I make my home now. When I’m not sticking out of your face, anyway.”
>The actual pictures though, that’s where the true horror is
>”Holy shit…”
>It’s would be impossible to recognize the misshapen lump of flesh on the operating table as you if not for the orange fur and the hat to one side
>The caption reads, “patient severely swollen all over her body, possible effect of a Stand attack?”
>The pictures that follow are even more gruesome, starting with one showing your swollen face
>The caption reads: “Patient’s face swollen almost beyond recognition, with skin distended almost entirely off of the muscle and bone.”
>Aside from 3 or 4 recessed areas that correspond to your eyes and nose, your mouth is still clearly visible as the only identifying feature, but something’s off about it
>”Yeah, I see it too. Too many teeth.”
>That’s true, but something else is wrong
>Taking a closer look at the photo, you notice that the extra teeth split off from your own at an angle, and follow that line up your head
>”What the hell is that?”
>Not sure, but it ain’t good
>Underneath that picture was…!
>"Oh god!”
>It’s a photo of your head, split open along the right side, muscle and blood vessels exposed
>But it’s not just your head in there
>(Th-that’s…!)
>A bulbous skull with a flattened face juts out from your own at an angle, teeth and all
>(Is this what that bitch’s Stand did to us?!)
>”Midway through examination, sudden outgrowth of oddly-shaped skull from patient’s skull, split off at an angle. Most likely result of a Stand attack.”
>Midway through?
>Anon twists around to face you
>”So this happened while they were working on us? You just swelled up and grew my skull out of your own?”
>I guess? After all it can’t be any crazier than being fused together or realizing we’re telepathic all of a sudden.
>”I kinda see what you mean. It’s most likely more of that Stand’s effect, like making sure we ‘fit together’ properly or something.”
>It takes a second before the bit drops
>”Wait, what?”
“Hmm mph hmm mmh-“
>Oh, right
>How the hay else do you think we can talk to each other like this? Are we two separate minds sharing thoughts, or are we two personalities sharing one brain? Either way it’s a weird thing, don’t you think?
>”…Huh. I didn’t really even notice, but I guess that’s something else that’s new about us. Not much we can do about it though.”
>You’re taking this surprisingly well
>”It’s like I said, freaking out about it won’t help anyone. Let’s see what else there is in here.”
>The next picture is even worse
>Your skin is peeled back, bone and muscle in plain view
>On your own skeleton are some sort of growths poking out in random directions, and in all shapes and sizes
>”Skin Scrying spell revealed outgrowths of bone all over patient’s skeleton, operations commenced to remove them.”
>That’s disgusting!
>”AJ, holy fuck!”
>This next picture-!
>A blood-red arc accompanies a sudden rush of air, and the picture Anon was holding flutters to the ground in two pieces
>Wh-what the hay was that?
>The shadows of Canterlot Castle’s Grand Library hold all manner of enemies to your suddenly cautious brain, and Anon’s mental tension isn’t helping
>”Wh-who’s there?! Show yourself!”
>He readies up by clenching his fist, and you drop into a fighting stance while spinning on the spot
>A crimson glow splits the library’s darkness, held aloft by a familiar-looking Stand
>”Finally found you.”
>Atop one of the shelves stands Rainbow Dash, illuminated by the glow of her Stand’s blade
>”I’ve been doing some thinking, and I realized that there’s no way you were telling the truth back there in the hospital room. Whatever this thing is that’s attached itself to you and is pretending to be Anon, it’s gotta be an enemy Stand.”
>”That’s not true Rainbow! I’m really-“
>”Shut up! I didn’t come here to listen to you pretend to be my friend, I came to cut. You. OUT! [INNER ANIMAL]!”
>Faster than you can follow, Dash’s Stand rips through the air towards you
>”WHOA!”
>Anon’s hand extends and suddenly you’re flying toward one of the bookshelves!
>CRUNCH
>The stone floor behind you explodes upwards in a shower of gravel as Dash’s Stand slams onto it!
>(Is she fucking serious?!)
>”Even if you dodge my attacks, you can’t escape from me! I’m too fast for either of you!”
>Her signature rainbow streak fills your vision as you tumble back from the speed of her flight, and Rainbow plants herself in from of you
>(AJ we’re between a rock and a hard place!)
>A little more of [BLACK RACERS] slips out of your mouth and Anon cranes his hand backwards
>Something shifts, and suddenly you can see behind yourself
>What in Tartarus did you just do?
>(Thought about keeping an eye on her Stand, and I grew one. You focus on her.)
>”Applejack listen to me. That… that THING is not Anon. He’s dead! We never even found his body!”
>That’s a lie! He’s right here!
>(Dash…)
>Sorrow flits through your mind and you shift [BLACK RACERS] out of the way with a hoof enough for you to speak
“Rainbow ‘isshen ah me! Anon’s shill alive, din you shee da pishures?”
>She glances over at the folder on the table
>”Those photos of you looking all bloated? Those don’t prove anything.”
“No look, pleashe! Jush take a-!”
>The picture that [INNER ANIMAL] cleaved in two is writhing violently on the ground, twisting upon itself in the shape of a helix
>(Is that her power?)
>”Y’know, I don’t enjoy this. I can tell that you haven’t accepted the truth yet, that me trying to remove that parasite from inside you is hurting you. But I figure if I rip that thing out you’ll come to realize the truth for yourself. I’m doing this for you, AJ.”
>The ground her Stand struck is also starting to twist, forming a spiral of stone
>”Do you see that, ‘Anon’? That’s what’s going to happen to you, and then Applejack will be freed from your stupid mind control!”
>”…Okay then, Red Leader. Finish me off.”
>Dash jerks back like a scared cat, something unreadable on her face
>”H-how do you know that nickname?”
>Confidence pushes through your shared tension
>”Like I said, it’s me. You weren’t there but I was turned into energy and forcibly bonded with AJ. I didn’t want this either Dash, but it happened and we’re all stuck with it. So come on, drop this thing and lets just go back to being friends and saving Equestria.”
>The hysterical edge creeps back into his voice and the existential crisis he’s holding back begins to press in on your thoughts
>”Please Dash, do it for me!”
You give Rainbow your best pleading look
>(God, I hope she backs down. I fucking hate this.)
>Far away you hear the creak and slam of the library door opening
>”Okay, I’ll drop it.”
>Phew, thank Celest-
>”My sword, that is.”
>In the blink of an eye, [INNER ANIMAL] leaps up and brings its blade down on [BLACK RACERS], carving a large slash deep into the muscle
>SKLATCH
>”AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”
>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
>(GOD FUCKING DAMMIT)
>As the muscle begins to twist and your blood splatters on the cold floor, Rainbow steps closer with her Stand and raises the blade one more time
>”Go straight to Tartarus you fucking piece of shi- HURKKK!”
>You just bucked her in the gut
>Your own dear friend
>Golly, but you feel like a heap of shit right now
>Anon uses the momentum of your sudden turn to slingshot his hand directly towards her face!
>”DAAAAAAAASH!”
>You jerk your head back, but it’s not enough!
>And then suddenly Celestia is there
>A golden glow surrounds the three of you, and the princess levitates you off the ground
>”May I ask why the three of you are fighting in my library?”
>”P-princess! It’s Anon, he’s gotta be lying about being part of Applejack! He’s some sort of enemy Stand!”
>Hang on just a sec
>(I heard it too.)
>”Hey Red Leader, if you want to think of me as some kind of enemy Stand so badly then why’d you refer to me as ‘he’? Shouldn’t I be an ‘it’?”
>Celestia gives you all dirty looks and turns to face Rainbow, who cowers in fear
>”That is true Rainbow Dash. If you’re so dead set on killing what you perceive as a Stand, why didn’t you call Anon ‘it’? Could it be that you really want to believe he’s your friend, but you’re having trouble reconciling his new form with the Anon you used to know?”
>”N-no, that’s not Anon! It’s a trick, and he’s gonna turn around and stab us all in the back when he’s ordered to!”
>The princess looks you both in the eyes, cringing a bit at Anon
>”Anonymous, is that you in there? Are you under the influence of an enemy Stand?”
>”Nope. I’m just mad as hell and in a lot of pain. Presumably losing a lot of blood too.”
>Princess Celestia looks at him for a moment longer before returning her attention to Rainbow
>”I see no reason to distrust him, Rainbow Dash. Until such a time that we have reason to suspect him of colluding with the enemy, I believe it is best to give Anonymous our trust. He is a friend after all, he just looks different. Now please undo your attack and head to the war room.”
>Celestia lets Rainbow out of her levitation and the pegasus flies over to the pair of you
>”I’m doing this because she asked. And just so you know I’ll be keeping a very close eye on you from now on Anon. I still don’t trust you.”
>[INNER ANIMAL] swings its sword through the wound it made, leaving the flesh alone but removing the torsion
>A rainbow streak zips out of the library, ruffling the princess’ feathers
>Celestia turns to you with pain in her eyes
>”It breaks my heart to know that my little ponies distrust each other in these dark times. I am sorry for the way Rainbow Dash has treated you both. We must not allow our enemy to sow the seeds of distrust among us, for that will be our downfall. I’ll take the two of you to the infirmary, we need to operate on that as soon as possible.”
>She sets you down on the cold red floor
>”And for the record, I still deeply trust you both.”
>Her horn glows, and the three of you appear in an operating room
>”We need a doctor now!”
>The pony on duty takes one look at you and recoils in disgust
>”With all due respect and urgency princess, I cannot work on something like that! Get Stern Scalpel to do it!”
>As he leaves the room your heart drops into your stomach, and Celestia’s expression tells you she feels the same way
>”I-he-what? Alright, you two stay here. I’m going to retrieve Dr. Stern and then have words with this rude fellow.”
>She teleports out and leaves you with a couple of nurses, one of which is Blue Cross
>”Applejack, Anonymous, I’m so sorry about doctor Steady! He’s usually much more… inoffensive.”
>She looks at the ground in guilt
>”A-anyway, we’ll get you fixed up right as rain now! The princess should be back any second.”
>(I’m gonna scare the shit outta that guy next time we see him.)
>Agreed. I just wish we didn’t scare ponies so much.
>(Not much we can do about it, I doubt anyone would take kindly to seeing a skinless abomination burst out of their friend.)
>Now hold on just a sec-
>”Hey Applejack, can you show me what we’re supposed to operate on?”
“Hm? Uh yeah, ishh righ’… uh.”
>It’s gone.
>There is no longer any wound or blemish on [BLACK RACERS]
>”Where the hell’d it go? That was a gnarly-ass cut and it just up and vanished!
>"Perhaps your new morphology has given you greatly enhanced regenerative capabilities. Oh wow, this is interesting!"
>Anon seems put off by her demeanor
>"Hey, Ms. uh... Blue Cross, right? Aren't you kinda... scared of me?"
>She smiles at him
>"Oh Anon, if you want the truth I'm honestly really grossed out. However, I am fascinated by your unique biology and your relationship with each other. I know it's Stand-influenced but the two of you are a medical miracle, since most forced-combination procedures invariably end with the host body rejecting the foreign tissue. And I've certainly never held a conversation with a skinless arm before!"
>He is very confused by her statement
>"Uh, thanks for not running away I guess?"
>"You're welcome! And really, I'm not totally put off by the whole thing, it's just that it's kinda hard to talk with something that has no skin. You're still an interesting conversational partner, if that's what you were getting at."
>A little relief pokes through his confusion
>"W-well thanks again f-for not running away even though you want to."
>She giggles
>"I wouldn't run away from the two of you if my life depended on it. I am charged with keeping you in good health, and so long as you stick around the castle that's what I'll do!"
>I s'pose we oughta head for the war room if we're doing okay.
>(Yeah, let's go.)
>"Uh, it was nice to see you again Blue Cross, but if we're all good I think we should head to the war room. Let Celestia know where we've gone if she comes back."
>Your nurse just smiles and nods
>"Of course, of course. You two be careful now!"
>[BLACK RACERS] retracts into your mouth as you set off to meet the princess
>(That was fucking weird, and I have met some weird-ass people back home.)
>At least we walked away from it mostly unharmed. 'Cept for the whole Dash not trusting us thing.
>(...Let's just leave that alone for a bit, okay?)
>I dunno, I kinda want you to explain the whole "red leader" thing.
>(...You 'member what I told you about Star Wars?)
>Yup, the movie in space with the jet-thingies and the empire.
>(Yeah, so in that movie there's a group of fliers called Red Squadron, and they're the ones who help blow up the giant evil spaceship at the end. They all fly really fast, like mindblowingly fast, and I was explaining the movie to Dash one day when she said, "Man, I bet I could've flown with those guys!")
>Nostalgia and sadness drift across your thoughts
>(So she jumped up, did a whole bunch of tricks across the sky, and slammed back down saying "Red Leader, standing by!" and I couldn't help but laugh. She's had the nickname ever since but she wanted me to keep it just between us. So that's where that came from.)
>Oh. I'm so sorry Anon.
>(Yeah. Hey, we're here.)
>The door to the war room is ancient, carved from the wood of a great oak and adorned with all manner of filigree, gemstone inlays, and gold plating
>At least, that's what the commemorative plaque next to it says
>"Miss Applejack? Mr. Anonymous?"
>[BLACK RACERS] bursts out of your mouth and salutes the soldiers standing guard, who both flinch
>"Reporting for duty boys!"
>Then it retracts
>Guard #1 regains his composure quickly
>"Please, enter the war room. Everyone's waiting."
>They push the door open and the two of you step through