A/N: Ha! Boom baby! This is a special chapter that came to me during the middle of the night. Like all my good ideas do. Anyway, here's a special shout out to betsybugaboo!

*throws confetti*

She managed to name every reference in the last chapter! Plus, just as a favor to her, I put in some of the things she requested. Or he. I'm not sure, now that I think about it. But anyway, this is for you, if you're reading!

There's a lot more references in this one, but there's no challenge this time. Just enjoy this, plus...a special plot twist at the end...*evil cackle*

Oh, and all you people, ROMANO'S BACK! And a special appearance from the country's mother, who was mentioned last chapter. Oh, and some Arthur/Twilight Sparkle fluffiness this time, since they haven't really done anything as of yet. I really gotta find somepony for Applejack...she's kind of alone here. Now I feel bad.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing here.

---

A lone Pegasus walked, the only speck of color in the endless expanse of white he was stuck in. His hooves clopped on the floor uneasily, and his amber/gold eyes were staring down intently at the floor and path in front of him. Now, the problem was he wasn't sure where the floor was. There was nothing but the color white, everywhere. Like the time when those damn Pictonians came.

But, with no answers, no idea what's going on, and nothing better to do, Lovino walked aimlessly, tiring as he walked on. He had been walking for hours, days maybe. This place didn't have any time to it. But he was too tired and confused.

This wasn't what normally happened to him when he died. Granted, he could never remember what does happen, but it wasn't this. All this white was unnerving him. But he was getting so tired, and didn't have any energy left for…anything. It wasn't long before his legs began to burn and feel like rubber, but he determinedly pushed forwards. He had to figure out what was going on.

But he had no luck. Though he tried with all his power to continue, he couldn't move anymore. He was standing shakily, all four of his legs trembling violently. He was panting with the effort of just standing up, even his wings shaking. He shook his head weakly, needing to move forward. He didn't know why, but he had to keep walking.

He groaned in pain as he lifted a hoof, gingerly placing it on the 'ground' in front of him. But his ankle suddenly wobbled violently, and he tipped to the side, falling. He groaned in frustration, feeling like crying again. Why couldn't he walk? He had only been here five minutes…right? No, was it longer? Damn, now even his brain was fizzing out.

Even though there was nothing but white here, he could have sworn he saw a figure walking towards him. But his eyelids wouldn't stay open, and he tried, he really did, to keep them open. Soon, the sound of gentle hooves clopping towards him reached his ears, and he struggled to lift his head up and see what was happening.

He could barely get his head a centimeter off the ground before he fell again, moaning in despair. He closed his eyes and curled up, still shaking, and not wanting anyone to see him in such a weak and pathetic state. Those hoofsteps got closer and closer, and they eventually stopped right next to his head.

"You must get up, my son…your time has not yet come." A warm, motherly voice said to him, and Lovino twitched. That voice…he loved that voice. It sounded like the rustle of dead leaves, the whistling of grass, rain, the crunch of ice and snow, the howls of wind and the crackling of fire.

"M…Mamma…?" He asked hoarsely, not opening his eyes. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, much less his mother. He felt his lip begin to tremble, but he bit it harshly. No crying. A warmth nuzzled his neck, rolling him onto his stomach. Then, the warmth curled up next to him, draping an arm and a wing around his body, warming him to the core. For the first time, he felt…safe. But that only made him want to cry more.

"My son…you cannot die now." She said, her voice echoing. He turned his head and buried it in her chest, feeling the first couple tears leak out of his eyes.

"W-Why not…? There's nothing for me….back there. I'm not wanted. I'm not useful." He whispered, his voice breaking on the last word. He heard his mother sigh, and then she ran a hoof through his mane, carefully avoiding his curl.

"You are wrong, my child. Your destiny is the greatest one of all." She told him, hearing him sob and curl into her body, so little and weak next to her.

"B-But if its…if it's my destiny, it's Feli's too. I-I don't want to be part of this if he's there…" He muttered, clenching his eyes shut tight. If Feli was there, he wouldn't have a destiny. Feli would. He didn't exist, as far as people were concerned, when Feli was around. His mamma sighed once more, smiling into his mane.

"No, my Lovino. You have the greatest destiny. You, and only you. Feliciano will have a big role to play as well, but you, my son, will be the one to stand above them all." She said sagely, and Lovino sniffled, looking up at her with huge, tearful eyes.

"R-Really?" He whispered, and she nodded, smiling faintly.

"Yes. I do not lie. You will save them. Now, you must go. There is a party tonight, and I do not think you will want to miss this." She said wisely, and Lovino buried his face in her fur once more, tightening his grip around her middle.

"I don't want to go back, mamma…They'll only make fun of me for being weak and stupid…." He moaned, and she laughed, startling him.

"Once they realize who you are, Lovino, they will banish all of those thoughts from their minds." She told him, and suddenly, she was gone. Lovino's eyes snapped open, his arms clutching at empty air. Then, without warning and not exactly sure how without a floor to begin with, he fell.

---

"China! China China China China!" Ludwig pleaded, hanging onto to the older unicorn's leg, and giving Yao just about the weirdest set of puppy eyes he'd ever seen. Thank goodness he was red, otherwise it'd be pretty damn hard to hide the blush that covered Yao's cheeks. It had been at least two hours now, and Ludwig's tornado wasn't going anywhere. If anything, it seemed to have gotten worse.

"What, aru?!" Yao finally snapped, seeing that he wasn't going to shake Ludwig off.

"Can I please have some of your Hello Kitty cookies? Pretty please!" Ludwig begged, and Yao stammered in confusion.

"H-How did you…?! Never mind. Here, now go away." He grumbled, using his magic to materialize the cookies from nowhere and tossing them unceremoniously at Ludwig, who caught them all expertly. Then he began to throw them at Kyle (Australia), shouting "Catch them in your pouch, Kangaroo Man!"

"Surprisingly, this isn't getting old." Alistair smirked, watching Kyle slam his hoof into Ludwig's face. Soon, flying koala bears and cookies filled the air, causing everypony to duck and dive for cover. Yao carefully picked his way through the mess, flopping on the ground tiredly next to Alistair.

"He's going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow, though." He commented, trying to catch his breath. Being the babysitter of the nations, he had somehow been tasked with the chore of keeping an eye on Ludwig. It was very, very tiring. And Yao was old. This didn't mix well.

"Yao! I captured a witch! Can I burn it?!" Ludwig shouted from the other side of the room, and Yao looked over to see Ludwig proudly sitting on top of Kyle, who was cursing in every language he knew. James (New Zealand) took the honor of answering.

"He's not a witch…" He sighed, trying to hide his smile. This was hilarious. Even if his big brother was getting hurt.

"Wait, what, he's not?! He must be a witch! He turned me into a newt!" Ludwig shouted, making everypony stare at him in awe and disbelief. In the case of the English colonies, they fell over, roaring with laughter; even Alistair was pounding the ground with his hooves. Seeing Yao's skeptical and worried look, Ludwig sat up straighter, shrugging.

"I got better…!" He muttered, getting off of Kyle, who stood up and walked away like nothing happened, grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly, Ludwig's eyes widened, and he started shouting.

"KIKU! OMG, Kiku! I've got it!" He screamed, grabbing the white unicorn roughly and shaking him by the shoulders. Kiku, not used to physical contact or hyperactivity, looked desperately at Yao for help, mouthing 'Help me!' Yao grinned viciously, shaking his head and mouthing back 'Play along!'

"You…You got what, Ludwig?" Kiku asked, trying to not run away at his friend's scary new behavior.

"Ludwig? I'm not Ludwig! I'm Thor! But back to the point…" He lowered his head, ignoring the Nordic's laughter. He looked Kiku in the eyes very seriously. "I've figured out how we're going to beat the Allies!" He announced proudly in a hushed whisper, but everypony heard him clearly.

"How?" Kiku asked, sounding incredibly tired and bored.

"We're going to steal the source of their power and then we're going to use it against them!" He shouted, and Kiku winced from the noise. "Their power comes from…their leather shoes!" He announced, and Kiku face-hoofed.

"No, it does not." He tried to reason, but Ludwig pointed a hoof in his direction, glaring at him powerfully.

"OBJECTION!" He shouted, and Yao decided he had enough. He groaned and used his magic, making Ludwig levitate in the air. Ludwig saw this and started to scream about witches and scales and ducks. Yao just sighed and teleported Ludwig to a locked, quiet room without a window, where he could burn this off.

"Aw, there went my entertainment." Kyle groaned sarcastically, shaking his head in mock mourning. Alistair hung his head as well.

"He shall be missed." He sighed, and Francis walked in, Rarity right at his side like usual. She was levitating a folded up stack of clothes with her magic.

"Arthur!" Francis called, and the green unicorn looked up in surprise. He had been watching Ludwig with everypony, but he sort of zoned out to the chaos at the end. He had been too occupied worrying about Dmitri. Would he stay away from them? Would he come back? Would they suddenly get news reports of ponies found dead, all the blood drained out of them and two holes in their necks?

"Yes, Francis?" He asked, standing up and shaking away those thoughts. Rarity levitated the clothes over to Arthur, who took them with his magic.

"Mademoiselle Rarity designed these for Alfred. I made sure they weren't too flamboyant; he needs something familiar right now." Francis explained, and Arthur wasn't too sure whether or not to take that last part as an insult. But, not wanting to get into a fight, he said nothing but walked out of the castle.

---

It didn't take him long to find Alfred. He was lying down on his side in front of a large stone, which had his children's names carved into it. What surprised Arthur was that Alfred had his arms around Rainbow Dash, who was lying next to him, blushing furiously.

"Hey, you two." Arthur teased, sneaking up behind them. Rainbow Dash screamed and jumped five feet into the air, and Alfred jumped to his feet, shouting about the Dust Bowl. Unfortunately, the sudden movement made the sheet fall to the ground, forgotten. Arthur stood triumphant, a smirk on his face.

"Don't you do that again!" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily, holding a hoof to the side of her face so that she wouldn't see Alfred, who didn't even notice that his makeshift-skirt was gone and continued to scream and karate chop the air. Arthur's smirk just grew, and he used his magic to toss the pile of clothes at Alfred's face.

"Dude! I know that smell…" Alfred stopped, sniffing around fervently. Then his eyes widened and he burst into a wide smile. "That's the smell of my bomber jacket, isn't it?!" He shouted, grinning as he picked out his jacket from the pile. "Thanks, Artie!" He shouted, sliding it on and wrapping himself up in the leather and fur.

"Just shut up and get dressed." Arthur commanded, and Alfred rolled his eyes, but nonetheless did as told. Rainbow Dash turned around with Arthur so that they wouldn't see anything, and Dash leaned over to Arthur, whispering to him.

"I never realized how many scars he's got…" She whispered, and Arthur nodded, glancing back at Alfred. Indeed, the teenager's body was covered in burns, scars, and what looked suspiciously like bullet holes. "I-I saw his hand. He had something carved in it. It said 'Never forget'. What does that mean?" She whispered, and Arthur's eyes widened.

"Read the book." He sighed, pushing the Book forward with a hoof. Rainbow Dash picked it up with her mouth, her eyes wide with curiosity. Exactly what was in this book? She needed to know, and soon. The suspense was killing her.

"Alright! Let's go!" Alfred shouted, turning back around, fully dressed.

"Great! Dinner's ready!" Pinkie Pie shouted happily, bouncing out of nowhere, making Alfred scream like a little girl. In another flash, Pinkie disappeared, leaving two somewhat startled ponies and a very, very terrified Alfred. Arthur then frowned, realizing what Pinkie said.

"Dinner? I wonder who cooked it?" He asked thoughtfully, and Alfred chuckled.

"I'm just glad it wasn't you…" He muttered, and Rainbow Dash snorted with laughter. Arthur glared at Alfred, his ears slowly lowering to lay back against his head.

"What was that?! My cooking is wonderful!" Arthur snarled, and Alfred raised his hands in surrender, his lips curling up in a smile.

"If you say so dude!" He laughed, sticking his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket as he began to walk towards the castle. However, he was walking in the wrong direction, and then slammed face-first into a tree. Arthur's eyes widened, his horn lighting up.

"Oh, yes. You'll probably want these." He said, producing Alfred's glasses from nowhere. He levitated them over to Alfred's face, but Alfred was too excited about getting his glasses back. He leaned forward, and his glasses poked him in the eye.

"Ow! Damn it Arthur, you hurt Minnesota!" Alfred shouted, holding his left eye as it started to water and sting painfully. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Idiot…just sit still!" Arthur scolded, and Alfred stuck out his bottom lip in a mock pout. Arthur placed the glasses back in position on Alfred's face, yanking them back every time Alfred twitched. "There." He sighed as Alfred adjusted his glasses, beaming. "Was it really so hard to sit still?"

"Yes!" Alfred shouted, waving his arms in the air. Arthur rolled his eyes again but led the walk back to the castle. Rainbow Dash and Alfred followed him, bickering the entire time about who was faster now that they were different species.

Walking inside, they joined the small wave of countries that were headed off to the dining room, which was big enough to house all the countries that were in this castle, plus a lot more. The entire population of Ponyville could easily fit inside. Needless to say, the Mane Six (besides Pinkie) were a little intimidated by this. The princesses were accustomed to this, and said nothing.

Alistair had a chair at the end of the table, plus Celestia to his right and Luna to his left. Arthur and Twilight had seats next to each other; Twilight was trying her absolute best not to blush, but Arthur wasn't noticing, to her immense relief. Mathieu and Fluttershy were also next to each other, and they extended a wing to each other, blushing heavily at all the wolf-whistles and winks they were getting. For once, Mathieu wished he was invisible again.

Francis and Rarity were also seated next to each other. They had scooted their chairs closer together, so that they could hold hooves. It wasn't uncommon to see Francis with a lady, and it was equally common to see Rarity with a stallion at her side as well. Nobody teased them, since it was pretty normal.

Ivan and Pinkie were also sitting by each other…which led to a lot of stares. Ivan? In love? It just wasn't a comprehensible thought. Many of them were concerned for Pinkie's well-being, so they kept a watchful eye on Ivan. And the more they stared, the more uncomfortable Ivan felt. W-Was he doing something wrong? They were all looking at him like he was going to stab somepony…he'd have to ask Twilight at some point. Did friends sit next to each other like this?

Al and Rainbow Dash also sat side by side, but there was a slight problem. Since Alfred was too big to fit in his chair now, he opted instead to sit on the floor so that he wouldn't be so tall. The whole time he kept asking himself, was this what it was like to be Ivan?

Applejack was seated by the Kirkland's, next to Patrick once more. She was grateful for him comforting her after her nightmare, and felt like hanging out with him some more. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, even if he was a bit blunt, but at least he was honest.

Twilight glanced around the table, smiling at how happy everypony seemed to be, sitting here together like this. The table was shaped like a giant U, with Alistair right in the middle where the two curves began. Looking closely, she spotted something odd about the table. Near the outside edge, there was a ditch filled with sawdust, running the entire length of the table.

"Arthur, what's this?" She asked curiously, sticking a hoof in it and sweeping it side to side, spilling sawdust onto the table. Arthur looked at it, and smiled brightly.

"I don't know how Miss Pinkie managed it, but she's set up a Treasure Hunt Table. (A/N: I dunno what these were actually called, so roll with it) Alfred had a bunch of these parties when he was a young teenager! Basically, it's a five course meal, and in between courses, the waiters would come in and place treasures in the sand. You have one minute to dig through and find as much treasure as possible!" He laughed. "Oh, Alistair and I would have the biggest fights over who found what first. It was tragic."

"What kind of treasures?" Spike asked warily, in his seat next to Twilight. He knew what happened last time he got too greedy, and had no wish to repeat the experience. Especially not here, with so many ponies who didn't know about that. That would be really awkward to explain.

"Oh, gemstones, jewelry, gold, cash, anything that could be considered 'treasure' in the monetary sense. One woman found a necklace, made from diamonds and gold. It was worth at least three million dollars." Arthur replied, grinning at the sawdust in front of him.

Down at the other end of the table, Alfred was beginning to question something. How the heck was he going to get hamburgers now?! Nopony in Equestria ate meat! And Fluttershy would have a heart-attack if he ate a burger in front of her. His brain came to one conclusion. As long as he was here, he couldn't eat any. Damn.

The meal began quickly, with Pinkie Pie running out of her seat with a giant grin plastered across her face. Everypony stopped talking to see where she went, and she soon returned, with a large platter balanced perfectly on her head. In her mouth, she was holding several strings, which were in turn tied to several carts. The carts were groaning and creaking under the sheer weight of all the food they carried.

"Eat up, everypony!" She shouted, and Mathias grinned, getting out of his chair and heading over to the carts. He too, somehow, had his plate balanced on his head.

"P-Pinkie! Did you cook all this?" Ivan asked her, startled at the amount of food before him. She shook her head, her mane flying everywhere.

"Nope! Yao, Francis and Sadiq helped me~!" She giggled, and Ivan frowned.

"But they were all watching Ludwig, were they not?" He asked confusedly, and she rolled her eyes.

"I took them to the mirror pool! And with his magic, Yao sent the copies back!" She smiled, picking up Ivan's plate and placing it on his head. "Now come on! The food will all be gone by the time we get there!"

Alfred sat on the floor, criss-cross like Aiyana taught him. Strangely enough, he found a plate full of hamburgers on one of the carts.

"Pinkie, where'd you get the meat from?" He asked, and all the Mane Six gasped and looked at her. Fluttershy began to shake uncontrollably in terror. Pinkie Pie raised her eyebrows at him.

"Those aren't meatburgers, silly!" She scolded.

"Then what is it?" Alfred frowned, poking at the hamburger on his plate.

"Its something Yao showed me! Tofu, he said." Pinkie explained, and Alfred yelped, backing away from the innocent looking hamburgers on his plate.

"Ew! Tofu is so gross!" He whined, and Arthur reached over to smack him upside the head. The unicorns were using their magic to levitate their food, and the Pegasi were holding it with their hooves, hovering their way to the carts.

"Just try it, wanker. Remember that time I had to force feed you into eating haggis?" Arthur said, and Alfred frowned.

"But I still didn't like it…" He protested.

"Just eat it! Pinkie went to all this trouble to make you a burger, so eat it!"

Alfred humphed and crossed his arms, engaging himself in a fierce showdown with his hamburger. Pinkie Pie did work hard to make this for him…but it just wasn't the same. Should he be nice or save his stomach…? Ah well…at least it wouldn't be as bad as Arthur's scones…

Tentatively, he picked it up and took a bite, chewing it slowly. Then his face lit up like a TV screen, and he devoured it within the next two seconds. He then went to get some more, taking all of them off the cart at once.

Twilight, feeling thirsty, took her cup and went to go get a beverage from the cart that was stocked full of pitchers. Some of them she recognized, and others she did not. What she could see was coffee, water, apple juice and orange juice, fruit punch, and tea. However, there were a couple more, but they were all weird colors.

"What's this?" She asked Mathieu, who had joined her at the beverage cart. She prodded a pitcher full of a greenish-yellow liquid, one that was bubbling strangely. Mathieu looked at it for a second, then his eyes widened.

"That's Mountain Dew. Do not, under any circumstances, let Pinkie have a taste of that." He warned her quietly, taking some for himself. Twilight frowned.

"Mountain Dew? Dew is condensed water from cold night air. It doesn't look like water…" She noted, watching Mathieu take a drink of the substance. He smiled at her knowingly, and his eyes seemed to sparkle.

"It's just what it's called; its not actually dew. If it was, it probably wouldn't be as delicious. It's actually a brand of soda pop." He explained, and then he sighed seeing her confused look. "It's basically carbonated water, with different flavors and colors mixed into it. Add a bit of caffeine, and it's a perfect start to a day." He said, taking another sip of his.

"What about this one?" She asked, pointing to a pitcher of some electric blue substance.

"That's Gatorade. A popular energy drink with plenty of electrolytes; its something you drink for a temporary boost of energy." He told her, and she nodded. Carefully, she took her cup and filled it with Mountain Dew, curious as to what this tasted like. Seeing her actions, Mathieu felt compelled to warn her.

"Careful, Twilight. Don't drink too much or you'll start getting really hyper. Two cups full should be fine." He warned, walking back to Fluttershy. Twilight watched him go, then turned back to her Mountain Dew with a suspicious look in her eyes. She then headed back to her seat, careful not to spill any.

She sat down, staring at her cup intensely. What would this taste like? She always loved to try new things, and foods were on that list. And if Mathieu said it was good, she had to believe him. Very cautiously, she rose the cup to her mouth and took a small sip.

She froze, her eyes beginning to water despite the smile creeping onto her face. Whoa! It was like lightning in her mouth! So sour, but so good! She hastily drank more, licking her lips in satisfaction once she had drunk enough. Mathieu saw her and raised his cup over to her in a silent toast, and she did the same, smiling happily. These people sure had some odd foods.

Dinner went by smoothly, until Pinkie blew a whistle. Everypony winced and covered their ears, glaring at her.

"You have three minutes!" She shouted, and Alfred immediately dove over the table, his hands scrambling around in the sawdust and throwing it everywhere. Seeing what he was doing, Rainbow Dash did the same, skittering around frantically. Then Arthur got into it, and soon, everypony was bent over the table, cursing and shouting at one another. Cadence and Luna had even joined in. Celestia sat in her throne calmly, sipping her tea and watching this all with a raised eyebrow and smirk on her face.

"Got one!" S. Korea screamed, flying high above everypony else and waving around a stunning, fist-sized clump of sapphire. Well, then everything went to heck. Countries started fighting each other over who found what; the smarter ones kept their victories to themselves to avoid the brawling. Alfred, being stronger, bigger, and with the distinct advantage of fingers, found his emerald almost immediately after S. Korea found his gem.

Arthur, seriously confused as to how it got there, found the Koh-I-Noor. How the heck did this get here?! Francis found an amethyst the size of a computer mouse, and gave it to Rarity, who swooned. Mathieu quietly gave Fluttershy his rose quartz, and she handed him her Lapiz Lazuli, both of them blushing furiously.

Celestia decided that now was the time to make her move. She grinned, her horn lighting up as she magically searched for the largest gemstone. Smiling triumphantly, she levitated it to herself, and several ponies glared at her for it.

"Troll-estia strikes again…!" Feliks muttered, his voice muffled by the gold necklace he had in his mouth.

By the time all of this was done, everypony was smiling and absolutely covered in sawdust. Mathias strode forward, grinning from ear to ear.

"That was awesome! We never get to do stuff like this!" He shouted, shaking Pinkie's hoof furiously and positively beaming at her.

"Everypony, to the sparring hall! I've set up a surprise!" Pinkie commanded, winking at everypony. There was suddenly a mad rush out the door; anything Pinkie set up had to be good. All but two ponies stayed behind. Celestia felt that she should as well, but knew that the situation would be handled.

Arthur was the last one out the door. He was about to shut it, when he heard a quiet sniffle from the table he left. Turning his head curiously, he saw a small, violet figure wiping her eyes. Worry immediately blossomed in his chest.

"Miss Twilight? Are you alright?" He asked, turning back around and walking towards her, his hooves echoing in the now-empty room. Twilight shakily nodded, stifling a cry.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." She lied, her voice thick. Arthur frowned, his large eyebrows crumpled in worry.

"No, you are not. What's the matter?" He asked, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her a bit closer. Twilight hiccupped, wiping her eyes again.

"I-It's stupid really…I just feel bad because I didn't find anything…" She whispered, looking down at her hooves. Arthur felt like face-hoofing. That's what had her upset? But he quickly recovered, seeing that this was important to her.

"It's alright, Twilight. Sometimes, even though we do work hard, we don't always get the things we worked for." He said gently, levitating a napkin over to her and wiping her eyes himself. "And sometimes we do. But getting all upset over it won't do any good, now will it?" Twilight shook her head, hanging it miserably.

Arthur bit his lip, his face heating up just a bit. Oh, if Francis ever found out that Arthur was alone with Twilight, he would never hear the end of it. Nevertheless, Arthur sighed but levitated his diamond to her.

"Here. You can have mine, Twilight." He said quietly, drawing a little circle into the ground with his hoof. Twilight's head shot back up almost immediately, her eyes widening as she saw his diamond.

"No, I couldn't possibly! It's yours, you found it first! I couldn't take that from you!" She protested, and Arthur smiled a bit at her.

"It's alright. I want you to have it." He told her, levitating it closer. Twilight slowly looked at it, her eyes widening.

"R-Really…?" She asked, taking it with her hooves tentatively. Arthur nodded, smiling as he rolled his eyes.

"Of course! I have no need for jewels or money. I've got all the riches in the world…right here." He said quietly, poking her on the muzzle. Twilight blushed furiously, levitating the diamond to her side.

"O…Okay." She whispered, trying to hide her face. Arthur grinned, walking away as he pecked her on the cheek. Without another word, he left her alone in the dining hall, face red and thoughts running rampant. D-Did he just…? No, she must have been imagining things.

"Ahh!" She heard him shout from just outside the doors. She teleported the diamond to her room at the Ponyville Library, and ran out to find him. It didn't take very long.

He was just outside the doors, slowly being lifted into the air as he was enveloped in a golden/green light. Twilight's eyes widened in shock. This was just like what happened to Ivan when he found the Element of Hope! Was Arthur a new Element too?!

When the light died down and Arthur was back on the floor, his Cutie Mark had changed. Instead of the skull and crossbones with the twin wands, there was a roaring lion's head. And like Ivan, Arthur now had a crown, with an emerald in the center in the shape of a ring. Twilight hesitantly walked forward, watching as Arthur checked himself out.

"A-Arthur…you're…" She stammered, and he looked up at her slowly, his emerald eyes almost glowing.

"The Element of Determination."

---

"Oh…my…God…" Alfred swallowed, staring around in pure awe at Pinkie's surprise. Everypony's expressions matched his; slack jawed, buggy eyed.

Nopony knew how, but Pinkie had somehow transformed the entire sparring hall into a giant dance floor. Neon lights were strung from the ceiling, and several platforms hung from it as well; the Pegasi had their own dance floors, high above everypony else. Speakers were set up all over the walls, and the floor was glowing and pulsing with light.

DJ-PON-3 was at the end of the hall, her full rig set up. She was waving enthusiastically at everypony, a sly grin on her face. Along the opposite side from her rig were a number of small, circular tables, filled with snack foods, and the distinct smell of alcohol.

"Do you like it?" Pinkie asked, hopping over excitedly. It took a few moments, but eventually everypony nodded slowly, slow grins spreading across their faces. Of course, there were the few wallflowers in the crowd, but they still couldn't help but smile.

What Mathias said was true. Since they were nations, they didn't get to do stuff like this very often. They didn't get to go out and dance and party. This was a much needed break.

"Right! Then let's go!" Alfred cheered, giving the thumbs up to the DJ, who waved at him and set up the track. He led the charge onto the dance floor as familiar music began to blast from the speakers, the bass shaking their very bones to the core. The Mane Six loved it. It was bizarre, but incredible.

Alfred hummed along as the few first beats began to play, and the countries who knew this song grinned. This was gonna be awesome.

---

PONY ROCK ANTHEM

---

A parody of a parody. Normal is Alfred singing, Italicized is Vinyl singing, bold is Pinkie singing, and underlined is everyone. The original is by Shadyvox on YT.

---

Pony Rock! Yea! WHOO! Let's go!

Scratch and Alfred's in the club tonight!

Oh yeah, we're gonna have a good time!

So grab somepony, don't be shy!

It's our job to make you feel alright!

Let's raise the roof, tonight's the night!

We're gonna party till the morning light!

The house is hot, the beat is tight!

We just wanna see ya….

SHAKE IT!

The name's Alfred Jones and I wanna see you shake it

I'm the host of this party and I'm glad you could make it

I've got the music that booms, show me what you got

Now do your thing girls and flaunt that plot!

On the dance floor is where we're living

You keep moving to the beat and the beat I'll keep delivering

Now that's a promise, we're gonna commit

Hey Vinyl Scratch, spin that shit!

---

Then, to everypony's surprise, even Vinyl began to sing. Jamming out over in her booth, she started hoof-pumping, lifting up her glasses with the biggest smile on her face. She didn't know these ponies, but Pinkie Pie said they were cool. Plus, there was that weird pink monkey thing, but it could sing and boy, could it dance!

---

Ayo, what's up? I'm the other half-half of this duo

Got my bass cannon set to max-max-max, its gonna blow!

It's pony rock! (Pony rock!) Yeah, so get them tails'a bouncing and

Get them hooves up in the air cause we are announcing, it is!

Scratch and Alfred's in the club tonight!

Oh yeah, we're gonna have a good time!

So grab somepony, don't be shy!

It's our job to make you feel alright!

Let's raise the roof, tonight's the night!

We're gonna party till the morning light!

The house is hot, the beat is tight!

We just wanna see ya….

SHAKE IT!

….

Everyday I'm partying!

---

"Hey Pinkie, no fair, this was my song!" Alfred whined, not stopping his dance. Pinkie jumped into the air in an explosion of confetti and sheer craziness, joining in on the song.

---

Pu-Pu-Put the lights on me, it's time for the only true party pony

It's Pinkie Pie here, and I know you all missed me

But hey wait! There's room for three~!

Let's grab some balloons! (The pretty ones!)

Let's turn up the bass! (It's getting louder now!)

Gummy's here with me! (He's rocking out!)

Now it's a party!

Get up, get down, put your hooves up to the sound!

Jump up, stomp down, everypony hit the ground!

Get up, get down, put your hooves up to the ground!

Jump up, stomp down, everypony hit the ground!

Everypony hit the ground

Everypony hit the ground

Get up, get down

Get up, get down

Put your hooves up to the sound!

Put your hooves up to the sound!

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Everypony's in the club tonight!

We're gonna keep on having a good time!

We got some help from Pinkie Pie with Vinyl Scratch and Alfred-fred-fred Jones!

Whoa~!

Whoa~!

Whoa~!

Whoa~!

Everyday we're partying!

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up

Put your hooves up!

---

"Awesome!" Alfred snickered, finishing the song with an explosion of fireworks that shook the whole castle. At some point, a big blue box appeared in the dance floor, and a familiar background pony poked his head out.

"Oh! Sorry, let me move my box! You'll need the space! I only came for the dancing." He grinned, then the box disappeared and reappeared in the corner. Arthur, already drunk as hell, was soon engaged in deep conversation with him about evil counterparts.

"Mine's absolutely bonkers! Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap! All day long! Tha's all 'e does, all day long…! Plus, why aren' there any banannnaass a' this partay? You shoul' always bring a banana to a party…! *sob* I miss Rose…" The background pony slurred, soon drunk as well. Arthur snorted.

"Ha! Mine w-wears a bowtie…and he…he makes cupcakes! Cupcakes…outta people! God, I don't know wha' to do with him!" He sobbed, hanging off the other pony and swinging the bottle around wildly. The background pony looked mildly offended.

"Hey man…bowties are cool…! *hic*" He argued, then he frowned. "Why did I say that while I'm still in my tenth regeneration and therefore don't wear a bowtie yet? And how did I know that? And why do I feel like I said that merely so that the authoress could have the satisfaction of putting that in her story?"

Before he could continue, he was promptly smothered by a pillow, courtesy of a somewhat-drunk Wales.

"Don't mess with the fourth wall! It's been abused enough in this story!" He scolded.

"But you just did it!" Arthur protested, and another pillow was shoved in his face.

"What zhe hell iz wrong with jou people?!" Gilbert shouted, throwing the double doors open. "How could you have a party without me?!" Without warning, he was suddenly flying tackle hugged by several Aryan nations, including Hungary, Switzerland, and very VERY drunk Austria. Now that Prussia arrived, the sheer level of awesomeness at this party went off the charts, and the fourth wall lay in shambles due to the explosion. Soon, the party was swarmed by ponies that came from different dimensions. Here's a short list.

Zuko, a pony that looked suspiciously like Spongebob, Eric Cartman, a flying green-haired fairy with serious ADD, Calvin, Hobbes, two or three smurfs, a singing chipmunk, Bugs Bunny, Harry Potter, James Bond, Iron Man, Naruto, a couple Espada, a brown-haired stallion that was laughing manically while clutching a black notebook, and a Pikachu.

Yeah, and to add even more randomness, the authoress showed up. Along with Pewdiepie, Cry, Phyllis, Mothman, all eleven Doctors, four Adipose, Dobby (When Arthur saw him, he burst into tears), Jeff the Killer, Barack Obama, Greg Heffley, Percy, all of the Beatles, a mute in a ridiculous green outfit that was having a heated argument with another stallion who had a giant key in his mouth, Envy, a stallion wearing a suit of armor, Edward Elric, Roy, and Slenderman.

And Simba.

At another point, Ludwig walked in, completely normal. Though he still did have the occasional… 'Disco Pogo' moment, shall we call them. These involved doing keg stands, randomly dancing, and chasing 'the witch' around in circles.

To almost everypony's surprise…Ivan was a good dancer. Very, very weird.

The party lasted all into the night, with Luna even providing a star-show for the history text books. Those ponies who had no idea about the party spoke of the bizarre sounds that almost sounded like music coming from the Everfree Forest, and the way the stars and moon danced.

The Mane Six enjoyed every moment of it. It was the best party Pinkie Pie could have ever, ever thrown, a perfect blend of Earth and pony. Eventually, towards the end, some of the younger nations were sent to bed *cough Sealand cough*

And the older ones spent more time sitting at the tables and chatting instead of dancing. And the ones who did dance requested slower, more easy-paced songs, slow dancing with loved ones. Except for S. Korea. He somehow got everypony to do Gangnam Style.

However, he was now slouched over the table, sobbing his eyes out and clutching a bottle of alcohol in his hooves.

"Why is my Cutie Mark about balance?! I'm not even the full country! I want North! I want us to kiss and make up and then we could all be a family again even though it'd kinda be awkward with him there but we'd all eventually get over it so then we could dance together and dancing originated in Korea but it was actually North not me and I'm a liar…!" He sobbed, hanging on tightly to a completely sober Hong Kong, who just grimaced and dealt with it.

Over at another table, Gilbert and Ludwig were talking, chatting idly. Gilbert was trying to convince Ludwig to request the song 'German Sparkle Party', but Ludwig wasn't having any of it. Feliciano was sitting next to him, his head in his forelegs on the table.

"Come on West! It'd be awesome!" Gilbert complained, and Ludwig stiffly shook his head.

"Nein. Austria is drunk enough; we do not need to make him sing." He said gruffly, gesturing a hoof towards the pianist, who was passed out on one of the tables. A still-conscious but drunk Switzerland was snickering as he drew a mustache and other such things on Roderich's face while he slept.

"Ve…Germany, I don't feel very good…" Feliciano whimpered, curling his forelegs around his stomach. Ludwig shot him an irritated glace, clapping a hoof on Feliciano's shoulder.

"You just had too much to drink, Italy. It'll pass." Ludwig told him, trying to sound comforting. It didn't work too well. Feliciano mumbled something, and Ludwig took it as an 'okay'. Before long, he went back to arguing with his brother over the German Sparkle Party song.

"Seriously West?! I even brought my party pants!" Gilbert shouted angrily, pulling the sparkly, tight, black pants from nowhere and shaking them in Ludwig's face. Ludwig sighed, taking a long swig from his mug of beer.

"Gilbert, you are a griffon. You don't wear pants." He explained.

"What about my rubber boots?"

"Nein! You don't wear-!" Ludwig was interrupted by a weak hoof tugging on his foreleg. He sighed, shrugging it off stiffly. "Italy, you'll be fine. You just need to-"

"Ludwig."

Germany nearly dropped his mug in surprise. Italy almost never called him by his human name…he only did that during war. Ludwig was always 'Germany' or 'big scary potato man' or 'Doitsu'. The German hesitantly turned to look at Feli, a worried frown on his face.

As soon as he locked eyes with Feliciano, he knew something was wrong. Feliciano's eyes were welling up with tears; a frightening fact by itself, seeing as how his eyes were OPEN. His bottom lip was quivering badly, despite Feli biting it desperately. He was curled in on himself, and he was shaking very, very badly, as though he was scared.

"Ludwig, I mean it. I really, really don't feel good…" Feli moaned, curling himself up into an even tighter ball. Ludwig frowned again, ignoring his brother's whining.

"Does your stomach hurt? Or do you think something is wrong with your country?" He asked, uncurling Italy to have a better look at his stomach, which was what seemed to be hurting him the most. It looked fine, at least. There was no bruising, swelling, or rash, as far as he could see.

"I-It feels more like…like I'm being squished…" Feli cried softly, a tear falling down his cheek. "I-It hurts really bad...!" Suddenly, his amber gold eyes turned to a blazing violet.

"Ego Solaris Imperium."

Italy said, his voice deep and echoing and not at all like him.

"I-Italy?" Ludwig asked, a bit frightened of this. Feliciano moaned in pain as his eyes turned back to their normal color. He slid out of his chair, holding his stomach tightly with one of his forelegs.

"I-I'm going….I'm going back to my…to my room…" Feliciano said softly. He then began to walk towards the door, which was on the other side of the crowd of dancing and drunken ponies. (The Mane Six were wise, and only drank water or Mountain Dew. They heard of the things alcohol could do to a pony. Rarity had a small glassful, but she was the oldest.) Ludwig watched Italy go for a few moments, then hopped out of his own seat to follow him.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD RIDE ANGEL BUNNY TO MIDGET SCHOOL?!" Edward screamed, throwing himself at Roy Mustang the unicorn. Roy snapped at him frantically, but to his dismay remembered he had no fingers. Instead his horn reacted violently, blowing a hole in the roof the size of the Magic School Bus.

Feliciano could barely walk his way through this mess. Granted, a handful of countries in the room couldn't walk very well either – blame the alcohol. Feli bumped into a large handful of ponies on his way out, and some of them looked like they were going to fight him for it. Ludwig, however, distracted them in time.

"Hey, watch out sir!" A chocolate brown stallion whined at Italy, rubbing his shoulder. His smooth, husky voice made him instantly recognizable; as did the blank, white mask on his face. Ludwig didn't have to grab this one's attention. A scruffy, dirty blonde unicorn stallion dragged the other stallion away.

"Don't worry about it, Cry!"

"Felix Kjellberg!" Sweden suddenly roared, thundering through the crowd at the blonde stallion, who grinned and laughed sheepishly. His horn lit up, and a portal appeared in the air in front of him.

"Cry! We got to go!" He commanded, and the brown one nodded, jumping in first.

"For the new world!" He shouted as he fell, and the blonde one went next.

"I love you, Cry~!"

Feliciano watched them go, and shook his head as though to clear it. He was starting to sway back and forth where he stood, his ears flickering in every direction from the blasting music. Ludwig watched Italy continue his trek, with his head and wings held low. The longest feathers of Feli's wings were brushing against the floor as he walked.

Finally, Feliciano made it past the doors, though he did have to deny a Jellybaby a couple times. He tried to continue on, with Ludwig silently watching behind him, worry dancing in his eyes. Then, suddenly, Feliciano collapsed.

Ego in vento et igni

Tempastate et flamma

Erimus resurget ex favilla

Nos autem regni tuorum concident

Feliciano chanted, his eyes that same chilling violet color. The sheer intensity of the color was enough to rival Ivan's, and it was terrifying. Ludwig went forward, sticking his head underneath Italy's stomach and hoisting the Pegasus onto his back.

"I'm going to take you to the infirmary. Feliciano, do you understand what I'm saying?" Ludwig asked clearly and slowly. Feliciano's head twitched in what might have been a shake of the head.

"N-No….en…entrance…hall…." He whispered, shivering violently as Ludwig turned his head back to look at him.

"Why would you need to go there?" Ludwig asked incredulously. Feliciano's head snapped up, his eyes purple once more.

"You will obey me, pitiful human." He snarled, then his eyes faded back to amber as he slumped over once more. Ludwig stood there, petrified for a moment, then he began to walk. Okay, entrance hall it was then. The entire walk back, the music from the dance pounding through the castle walls, Feli kept mumbling things in Latin.

Quod in caelo clamatis

Gehennam alto

Ludwig remained silent, listening to this with keen ears. He knew a bit of Latin, and he was confused by what Italy was saying. Something about…hellfire and the sky? He'd heard of soothsayers before, but he'd never believed them. Was Feliciano prophesizing their future or something?

Once they reached the hall, with the flags and beautiful glass stained windows, Feliciano weakly clambered off of Ludwig's back. With great difficulty, he walked towards the globe in the center, his eyes burning.

Cum Caelestibus, salutari nostro

Pro nobis dissident semper

Then he began to speak in English.

I am the wind and the fire

The storm and the blaze

We shall rise from the ashes

Of the kingdom we raise

We shall scream down from the sky

Hellfire on high

With Celestia, our savior

The odds are ever in our favor

Our nightmares will become our fuel

Our judgment swift and punishment cruel

The children shall scream under our steel

The terror and pain they shall feel

We'll wipe them out, every last one

And our enemies will know the might of the sun.

Feliciano's body began to morph and change, glowing with unearthly, amethyst light. Ludwig took a couple of steps backwards in fear. Was Italy turning into his 2p self? Whatever this was, it could not be good for anypony. Then, another light appeared in the room; this one a gentle, golden light. Another voice began to speak.

I am the water and the light

The stars and the flight

The shadows and the dark shall rule all

The kingdom of the sun shall fall

We hide in the dark, our mother's gift

The soft light of her spirit's swift

Reveal the truth and make it real

The treasures of Olympus ours to steal

We are the children of the night

And you will join us in the one, true light

The golden light floated down to the floor, dimming to reveal something truly strange. A black alicorn stallion, soft blue flames sprouting from the back of his hooves. The feathers on his wings began at black, then faded to blue, and then to white, blurring and waving like smoke. His mane and tail were blue, with streaks of navy blue and powder blue at the tips. His eyes were a stunning, piercing gold, and his Cutie Mark was a white crescent moon on its side, with wings sprouting from the sides of the moon and a star-tipped wand sprouting from the middle, in the center of the two curves.

Then the violet light became another alicorn stallion, this one a stunning white that almost glowed in the darkness. His eyes were that same violet fire, and his wings turned from white, to orange, and then to black, smoking just like the other alicorn's. Orange flames came from the back of his legs. His mane and tail were orange, with the tips a mixture of red and yellow, like fire. His Cutie Mark was another bizarre emblem, which involved a sun, folded wings, and a black tower.

But the one thing that made these two utterly terrifying was the two curls sticking out from their heads. The white one had his on the left side of his head, and the other had it from the right. Like Romano.

"Mein Gott…who are you?!" Ludwig shouted, glaring angrily at the two. Their gaze both locked onto him, and he froze in absolute terror. The power radiating off of these two…was just overwhelming. Ludwig could barely move; the air itself seemed to be crushing him and rumbling like thunder.

"I am the Solar Empire." The one that used to be Feliciano said.

"I am the New Lunar Republic." Said the one who used to be Romano.

"You will obey."

---

A/N: Mwahahahahahaha! Plot twist~! I'll be posting some more stuff to my Deviantart soon of more Countries/Ponies, so head on over there if you want a look. Or not. It's up to you, really.

Anyways...Yeah. A lot of random cameos. Even by me. *heh*

Review please, and as always...

Hasta la pasta~!