Chapter 4: The Carnivorous Gilda

 

Megan and her friends arrive at an area where a waterfall is at and where rocks are falling. As they look up, the gang saw Spike running through a passageway in the waterfall.

"Spike," Megan calls out to Spike. "Well we found him, so that's a plus, right?"

"Come on, let's follow him." Sweetie said as the group moves onward.

"I wonder if we can find my daddy in Equestria." Nyx said thoughtfully and in concern.

"I'm sure your father is safe and sound." Luna assures Nyx with a smile. "My daughter's son can take care of himself and his friends."

"Celestia has a son?" Megan asks Luna in surprise. "When did this happen?"

"It's complicated, but let's say it involves adoption. Let's leave it at that."

The roup goes up to the left, jumping over the chasm and saw a rock sign that was blurred out. Fred looks puzzled as he ask, "What the Tartarus is this supposed to be about?"

"Falling rocks?" Ed respond sin a very stupid matter.

The group moves up the rocky path until they jump over a waterfall. Soon they confronted a creature called the Toggle that pushes a boulder down the path that the heroes were going to take.

"Wait, you hear 'dat?" Apple Bloom asks her friends in concern, hearing a noise.

"Sounds like a boulder coming." Sweetie said in concern. The group saw a boulder coming down. "And I hate it when I'm right."

"Better wait until that boulder is gone." Megan suggests to her friends. Once the boulder went down and pass, the group jumps over. They continue onward until they themselves reach the high ledge.

"Everyone, jump," Rainbow exclaims. The gang jumps over and grabs the ledge while the flyers just flew up to it.

Now the gang turns around, jumping to another part of the path until they reach another waterfall where another Troggle is at, pushing another boulder at them; Lorcan calls out, "Get back!"

The heroes rush back with the boulder chasing them back to the ledge. Rarity exclaims, "I thought those Troggles were nice!"

"I guess someone must've forced them to do evil!" Sweetie exclaims to her sister. The gang jumps back to the ledge that they were on, spotting the boulder rolling by. "Close one."

"Come on, we gotta keep going." Megan said with a frown.

The group goes back and they continue passing the waterfall. The heroes continue doing so until they found the Troggle preparing to throw another boulder. The Changelings yell in horror, "Run!"

"Wait!"

Luckily, the gang saw that the boulder wasn't coming their way or right to them, making them all sigh in relief. Nyx comments, "That was a close one."

Just then, two ladybugs appear, attacking them while causing Luna to yell out, "Duck!" The gang ducks to avoid getting them by the bugs. Luna and Lorcan slash the two, killing the ladybugs. "And here I thought ladybugs were innocent creatures."

"Apparently not," Lorcan exclaims with a frown. "Everyone jump down!"

"Are yew mad?" Apple Bloom asks Lorcan in alarm. The Dragon pauses as he holds up a claw as if to indicate how mad he is. "Of course, dumb question."

The gang jumps down to the next part of the path, following it while flying or doing long jumps. Soon they came up to three Troggles.

"Die!" Megan snaps as she uses her knife to slash the Troggles, killing them. "You ask for it when you attacked us, buckers!"

"Whoa, big language," Scootaloo exclaims in amazement. "Cool!"

"A river stream," Rarity said, glancing at a river. Just then, she notices something. "And I see somepony shivering. Is that...?"

The heroes head over to the river stream, jumping over it while following the path. As they go over to the figure, they themselves saw a strange statue.

"Is that Megan?" Rainbow asks in amazement. Sure enough, there's a statue of Megan and her friends of Ponyland/Dream Valley of years ago. "She must've been famous!"

"Indeed. It was made in tribute of her helping Ponyland and Dream Valley many centuries ago." Luna said pleased. "Of course, years passed so little to her, a lot to us."

"That explains the years change." Megan said thoughtfully. The ponies saw a pony crying in sadness. It is a female gray-coated Pegasus pony with a yellow mane and bubbles for a cutie mark. Her name is Derpy Hooves. "What's going on? Did someone die or have you lost your family?"

"Derpy; what's wrong?" Rarity asks Derpy in concern before looking to Megan. "She's a friend of ours, mixed up at time but still..."

Derpy sniffs a bit while saying, "Uh, hey guys. My daughter Dinky Doo is gone! That mean griffin Gilda took her!"

"Ugh! Gilda, that bitch," Rainbow asks in shock and anger by the mention of the name. "What did she do now?!"

"I take it Rainbow knows her." Megan said to the other ponies in concern.

"They used to be best friends until Gilda is revealed to be a big jerk." Scootaloo explains to Megan in concern.

"Gilda kidnapped Dinky and tries to grab me, she wanted have both of us for lunch literally." Derpy sobs a bit. "I guess nobility must be served."

"Oh dear," Megan said to Derpy in pity. The poor Pegasus pony's daughter been grabbed and is about to made into lunch by that griffin.

Lorcan of course rolls his eyes while snapping, "Oh come on, stop crying! That deal isn't a big one! Just get another kid, you idiot!"

"Lorcan," Some of the group exclaims, a bit annoyed by the Dragon's insensitivity.

"What?!"

"You are really cold blooded for a Dragon." Derpy said to Lorcan with a frown. "I was almost soup!"

"He's a jerk, what did you expect?" Ed remarks to Derpy, making the Dragon growls at him. "Oops."

"Anyway, it's very tragic, I'm sure." Fred said to Derpy quickly. "Listen, we're pressing time so have you seen a Dragon named Spike around her?"

"Oh yeah, I remember him." Derpy said thoughtfully, her eyes move around a bit. "Small Dragon with green scales, got a crush on Rarity, loves gem, always freaking out to avoid being tardy though I thought it was Twilight. Yeah, he's a most peculiar little guy."

"That's Spike!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders exclaims happily.

"He's very dear to all of us." Megan said to Derpy in agreement. "We must find him so you can help us; perhaps that can be fine."

"Hmmm, not sure; But I betcha the Moochick can help." Derpy said thoughtfully. "The gnome may be absent minded but he knows everything there is to know."

"The Moochick? That little gnome guy?"

"You betcha!"

"And where is that weirdo hanging his hookah nowadays?" Rainbow asks Derpy impatiently.

"I doubt the Moochick smokes, Rainbow." Rarity said to Rainbow with a frown.

"Ever since the madness began, the Moochick has been in hiding." Derpy explains to the group, "Can't give you the secret. And I couldn't risk telling you...at least, not without something in return."

"So you want us to save Dinky in return for telling us where the Moochick is, correct? Risk nothing, gain nothing."

"Yes, I guess we could help you." Megan said with a nod. She will do anything to find Spike and help others.

"Goodie! The Moochick's whereabouts for my daughter's safe return," Derpy exclaims happily to the group. "I must warn you. Gilda won't give her up easily."

"In that case, she will have to do so unwillingly." Nyx said with a deep frown. "Time we teach that evil griffin!"

"Right, I knew you guys are brave. One thing I have to warn you. Gilda treats everything as prey as per her griffin way."

"I knew that she would." Rainbow said with a sigh.

The group looks up to see a leaf falling to the water. Derpy jumps on it, departing from them while riding off. Another leaf falls down near the heroes.

"Time for us to go leaf riding," Megan said to her friends with a nod.

"Right, let's get going." Luna said as everyone got onto the leaf. "Make sure you hang on."

As the group row on, more ladybugs flew up. Fred gasps, "Crap, ladybugs! Don't let them hit us!"

"Uh oh," Apple Bloom yelps as she points to the river, seeing some piranhas in the water, "Piranhas!"

"Better not fall in or we're lunch!" Sweetie exclaims in alarm at the sight of those piranhas.

The gang saw some roots up ahead. Rarity calls out, "Everyone, to the roots." The gang jumps onto the root as the leaf pass below them. They all ran, fighting off the ladybugs to make it to the end. "Now jump again!"

The gang jumps onto the leaf as they reach the left side of the river. Luna calls out, "More of those Troggles." She and Megan quickly got rid of the Troggles quickly. Soon more ladybugs appear above the gang, "All right."

Luna and Rainbow flew around, causing the ladybugs to crash into each other and falling right onto the leaf unconsciously. As the two flyers came back, the heroes jump onto the first leaf, then to another before heading to the next moving leaf.

"Here we go again." Scootaloo mumbles.

The gang saw some Meta Essence, Megan jumps off the leaf to get it before coming back. Now they continue the ride while going through the tunnel. Soon the heroes came across a waterfall from below.

"Jump," The Changelings exclaims as they jump right off before the big waterfall in time.

"Let's climb down." Megan suggests. The gang then climbs down, seeing some ladybugs which they all kill quickly. Next they rode the next leaf down before reaching another waterfall.

"Jump," Rainbow exclaims as the gang jumps off to the small rocky part to the left, some of them use the hanging vines to get across safely.

The gang heads back up to where they saw Derpy before, following the rocky up. Soon Megan and her friends saw her riding another leaf. Lorcan said, "Come on."

The gang jump to the next leaf, riding onward...until they saw Derpy falling into the waterfall. Fred yelps, "Guys, I think we should jump before..."

Too late, everyone fall over the waterfall, screaming like mad.

 

---------------

 

A while later, everyone groans and woke up. Fred asks Ed stupidly, "Ed, you dead?"

"No, if we are, we would be in Tartarus." Ed said to his pal with a shrug.

The gang saw a path nearby. Nyx said, "There's a path. This way," The group heads through the path, seeing two Troggles. "Yikes!"

"I will handle them!" Rainbow exclaims, flying around and getting rid of the Troggles. The group moves on, reaching another set of Troggles. "Oh man!"

"Time we take them out." Megan said as the group quickly took out off the Troggles. Soon the group saw some leaves. "Here we go."

The group jumps to the first leaf, then to the second before reaching the big foot. They continue following the path on the right side until the gang got up onto the hill where two Troggles are at, attacking.

"Die!" Lorcan exclaims as he jumps and kicks the Troggles right at Luna who blast them.

Once the leaf stopped, the gang jumps onto the land, heading into the only possible direction, jumping over the leaf and onto the next part of land.

"Wow, look a big essence." Megan said, spotting a big essence. Just then a mushroom begins to wake up, "Uh oh."

"Got him," Luna said as she flies to the mushroom and kills it. Just then, a lot of Troggles and a plant monster appear, roaring, "Uh oh."

A blue laser beam blasts the enemies. Megan look surprised as she ask her friends, "What was that?"

"What's that? Wasn't me." Nyx said puzzled. She didn't fire the attack.

"Me either." Rainbow said puzzled as well.

"Then who..." Apple Bloom begins to ask in concern. If it wasn't any of the group, then who fire the attack?

"I did." A voice spoke. Suddenly a red Alicorn with spiky dark blue mane and tail, green eyes, and blue wings, his Cutie mark is the Autobot insignia appear. The new pony landed in front of them. "My name is Alpha Prime. And I am here to help."

"Weird looking Alicorn," Fred comments as Megan took the big essence while regenerating.

"But big help anyway, thank you." Megan said with a smile.

"Come on, let us be going." Alpha Prime said as the group heads over the hill, seeing a pair of Troggles in the distance. "They're mine."

Alpha Prime aims controlling, shooting each of the Troggles in the head, killing them. The gang moves on, jumping onto the hill then spots another plant monster next to the Meta essence.

"My turn," Lorcan remarks as she got close to the plant, waking it up. The Dragon shoots out a flame that burns the monster up. Megan finish the plant off but using her knife.

Another Troggle appears then yelps to find himself out numbered. The minion ran for it, but Ed charge at the guy and hit him, knocking the minion out.

"Well, can't kill all of these bastards, right?" Troggle ask with a shrug to his allies.

Megan grabs the essence as they head down the water to their left, jumping onto the leaf and rode it. Three more ladybugs came their way as the heroes attack and kill them. Soon, they spot smoke coming from a fire as well as two Troggles.

"That must be Gilda's home." Megan said in observation then spots a sign nearby. "'Gilda's Place: Come in and I will eat you'; Yes, definitely the place."

"Then let us be off then." Luna said as she and the others jump off the lead. The alicorn and Rarity kill off the Troggles while heading over to the house, ready for a confrontation with Gilda. Alpha Prime flew up ahead to see if there's any bad guys to deal with on the way to the place.

Rainbow Dash frowns while speaking, "I don't trust him. He could a spy for all we know."

"I'm sure he's not a spy." Megan assures Rainbow but is a bit concerned herself.
"But I can't help but think he's hiding something from us."

"I'm back. I've scouted the area and its all clear." Alpha Prime said upon his return. He looks around and saw the looks on the heroes' faces, "Something wrong?"

"All right we want the truth." Rainbow demands to Alpha Prime more than she asked. "Why are you helping us?"

"I guess it's time I come clean. Celestia is my mother."

"You're Celestia's son too?" Megan asks, surprised to hear that Celestia has another sun that the girl has no knowledge about until now.

Alpha Prime nods as he continues, "And Optimus Prime is my father."

"Optimus is an Autobot." Scootaloo said in shock. "If he's your dad and Celestia your mom, then how..."

"Let just say magic was involved and leave it at that. About a month ago, Nyx contacted Cybertron and told us about Celestia who had gone insane. My father and my of his friend went to Equestria to reason with her. But they didn't come back."

"Right, so I guess that means that Alpha Prime's my uncle." Nyx said with a nod.

"You might say that." Alpha Prime said as the group arrives at a house. Just then, they spot a pony nearby. "Who's that?"

"Berry Punch," Rarity asks in surprise upon seeign Berry Punch.

"Psst, over here," Berry Punch calls over to the ponies quietly.

"Don't I know you?" Megan ask Berry Punch puzzled and curiously.

"'Dat's Berry Punch, another friend o' ours," Apple Bloom explains to Megan. "She got a bit o'...a problem."

"I do not!" Berry Punch snaps to Apple Bloom in annoyance before clearing her throat. "Berry Punch is here at your service. Call me Berry...or not. Got any wine?"

"Afraid not," Megan said to Berry Punch with a shrug, "Only my wits."

"Then you got nothing! Wits are useless here; everything is down-side up!"

"Say what now?" Ed asks a bit confused and dumbstruck by the answer.

"We're here to see that bitch Gilda." Rainbow said to Berry Punch with a frown.

"Impossible! Gilda only sees those who don't wanna see her!" Berry Punch exclaims to the group, alarmed by that explanation.

"Doesn't sound right," Alpha Prime said with a frown by that explanation.

"Sounds perfect; Gilda is hiding from Celestia who wants her dead."

"Her head," The Cutie Mark Crusaders ask Berry Punch in concern.

"Yeah, that too," Berry Punch remarks with a deep frown. "Anyway, Gilda ruined my home, build this monstrosity and gone insane as Ursa Minor mash, just as tasteless."

"Ick," Nyx exclaims in disgust.

"Well never mind. We will be dead soon enough. You sure you don't have any wine?"

"We're here to get back Dinky Doo." Luna explains to Berry Punch clearly. "Gilda has kidnapped the filly to eat and we're here to save her."

"Right, we won't leave until we get Dinky out of there." Megan said to Berry Punch sternly.

"Won't you, eh? Stick your hoof in her eye, of course." Berry Punch said with a smile to the group. "Well, allow me to help. I owe her a bad turn myself. Follow me."

"Right, we can use all the help we can get here." Alpha Prime said as everyone goes over to the door. Suddenly it begins to pound like mad, making Berry Punch gulps in fear.

"Err, on second thought...you're on your own; AAAAAAH!!!"

Berry screams as she run off in terror. Suddenly the door opens as the gang were pulled into the place, screaming.

 

-----------------

 

"Coward," Lorcan growls as the gang find themselves in Gilda's home. They saw a path to the room up ahead, "This way."

Megan's group goes down the path together and looks around. Then they saw something on the table. The girl asks, "What's this?"

Alpha Prime picks up an item and read the tag, reading, "'Jackbomb: an explosive Jack-in-the box, with a secondary firing mode that makes it one Tartarus of a flamethrower.' Nice."

Megan takes the Jackbomb from Alpha Prime; it's probably useful, right? Suddenly the ground shook as the floors are pulled back, making the heroes yelp. Suddenly something came out of the fireplace with a screech. It's a griffin with golden eyes with a gray light purple around them eyes, a coat of moderate orange amber with darker wings and a white head. Her name is Gilda.

"Gilda," Most of the ponies exclaims upon recognizing the griffin.

"Help," A voice yells out. The foals gasps as they saw a gray unicorn being tied down to a table nearby, it's Dinky. "Help me! Gilda wants to eat me!"

"We're coming, hang on!" Sweetie exclaims to Dinky in alarm.

Gilda, holding pepper in one claw, sneezes then smirks evilly as she spoke, "Hey, come over here, lame-os! Oh yes, properly season. You all would make a handsome dish."

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Rainbow snaps to Gilda in disgust.

"I'm gonna enjoy eating rainbows!"

"And the reward for the 'worst joke' goes to...Gilda the Griffin." Lorcan jokes a bit, making Gilda growls furiously to him.

"Look, we are not edible and won't be eaten." Rarity said to Gilda sternly, "Especially by a brute like you who kidnapped ponies to eat them!"

"Eh, not a full meal, but a light snack," Gilda remarks with an evil chuckle.

"Well, we will have Dinky back now, you disgusting ogre of a griffin." Megan snaps while crossing her arms at Gilda.

"You will take her over my dead body!"

"Oh, we will try to accommodate you then."

Gilda screeches as she attacks, slashing while snapping, "Hold still, lame-os!"

Megan throws the bomb onto the ground while exclaiming, "Everyone, duck!" The heroes dodges, much to Gilda's confusion.

"What the..." Gilda was cut off as the bomb blew up, covering the griffin in soot. She shook it while screeching, "Damn it! You will die for this!"

Gilda flies at the group while attacking with attacking with pepper. Rainbow flew up and hits her former friend while snapping, "Take this lame-o!" The pony yelps as the villainess grabs her. "Hey!"

"You should've dropped the ponies when you had the chance, Rainbow Crash! Now you're going into my stomach!"

Suddenly Gilda screech as a laser hits her, causing the griffin to drop Rainbow. She growls at Alpha Prime, the only who fired, as he snaps, "No pony gets eaten today!"

"I will make you my main course!" Gilda exclaims insanely to Alpha Prime. "Time for you to..."

"Oh shut the hay up!" Rainbow snaps as she kicks the pepper shake right out of Gilda's possession, it lands on her huge beak, sending pepper all over.

"No, no! What have you done?! This is too much pepper, man! I'm gonna..."

Gilda then begins sneezing hard like mad. The ponies look shocked and disgust as her head begins to get bigger. Megan yells out, "Everyone, duck!"

The gang quickly ducks down. Gilda made one final sneeze until her head explodes. The headless corpse fell to the ground dead, much to the disgust of everyone.

"Ewww..." Everyone said in disgust at Gilda's remains.

"Well...at least Gilda is taken out." Rainbow said with a sigh.

Rarity and Luna meanwhile came over and untie Dinky saving her. The filly giggles while saying, "Thank you, Rarity, Luna!"

"It's our pleasure, child." Luna said with a smile as Dinky hugs her a bit. Just then, Derpy came into the room with Berry punch. The Alicorn floats the foal over to her mother, saying, "Your daughter, Miss Hooves."

"Dinky," Derpy exclaims happily as she takes her daughter, hugging her in relief.

"Well, I would have the Bushwoolies clean this mess up." Berry Punch said, a bit disgusted by the remains of Gilda.

"My daughter is in safe condition!"

"I believe thanks are in order." Megan explains to Derpy with a nod. The human is right; the Pegasus pony should thank the heroes for saving Dinky.

"Thank you for getting Dinky back." Derpy said as Dinky waves to Megan and her friends.

"Better and you're welcome."

"Ahem, we kept our part of bargain, Derpy." Scootaloo reminds Derpy of the deal earlier. "We got Dinky back. Now help us find the Moochick."

"Sure, fair enough!" Derpy exclaims with a nod as she begins to fly up with Dinky on her back. "I will take you on a trip. Just follow me and try to catch up. You'll muddle through."

"Not all of us can fly, Derpy." Sweetie explains to Derpy in concern.

"It's okay. Just climb onto us, non-flyers." Alpha Prime said to the non-flying ones with a smile.

Derpy opens up a part of the roof and flew up. The ones who can't fly got onto the ones who can and follows the Pegasus pony through a portal and right into the sky. They flew through after Derpy, using the clouds to catch up.

Megan and her friends go through dangerous areas, dodging dangerous birds but reach their destination. Unknown to them, something is about to happen that will signals the lost of someone very important to them as well as someone to leave them in another way.

 

Author's note
Gilda is gone and Dinky is saved. Now Derpy is leading the group where the Moochick is at. In the next chapter, Megan and her friends reunite with Spike...but disaster strikes that spell the end of one of them and cause another to leave. Read, review and suggest.

 

Alpha Prime is the OC son of Celestia and Optimus Prime (from Transformers). He belongs to nobodies.