My Little Pony: Cross-Time Crisis

by rcmero

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Original Character, Other, Adventure, Crossover
Length: 16418

A new villain with the power to control time and space scatters the Mane 6 throughout space-time, sending each of them into six separate universes.

"In life, reality is made up of a continuous string of choices, and the consequences of those choices. Every time a choice is made, the option not selected branches off and exists as its own reality: a parallel world."
-- Secret Report 19, The World Ends with You

Twilight Sparkle thought she had seen enough of alternate universes when she switched bodies with her human self a few months ago. But when Starswirl the Bearded warns Princess Celestia of a new villain with the power to control both time and space, the Mane 6 are in for a wacky adventure throughout all of space-time.

Despite being a crossover with other Hasbro properties, this is unrelated to the Hasbroverse. Character and story tags may change as I progress in the story.

Episode 1 has been slightly revised. Apart from including the suggestions by the original author (No1MporXant), I also moved the back-story segment into the chapter proper. I advise you to reread it.

TRIGGER WARNING: Alicorn OC, FlashLight, Major Character Death. All these are in a separate universe to the canon one, so don't you worry your pretty little head over anything.

WDTP: S4\NC (the fic was fully written before S5 aired, so it is not considered canon in the sense that it could happen during this timeframe, but it will not be referenced within it. Chapter 2 is the only exception in a sense, but I explain it better there.)

Published 2014-07-02 19:30:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-11-25 18:08:03 UTC

Episode 1: The Rise of Anarchy (revised)

Author's Note

NOTICE (a lot of people are finding this story from the previous one, therefore from Google): It bears repeating that this is not fully my own work. Go back to the story page and click the tiny link on the cover art to find the original story, which this is based on. If you are upset this story hasn't been updated in months (I'm a terrible procastinator, I know), then I'm happy to inform you this story is fully complete and can be read at the previously mentioned location.

Episode 1: The Rise of Anarchy (revised)

Canterlot. Morning. Celestia is looking down towards her kingdom. Everything is calm and peaceful.

But all good things have to come to an end.

All of a sudden a time-space hole appears inside the castle, from it comes out Starswirl the Bearded. “Hello, Celestia,” he greets.

“Starswirl the Bearded. What a surprise to see you.”

Starswirl raises a hoof. “Please Celestia, I did not come for a courtesy visit. I have come to give you a warning. An old foe of yours will soon be returning. A foe you thought you would never see again. A foe who almost ruined your life when you were still very young.”

“No… you don't mean… him?”

“Yes, my princess. Him.”

We cut to outer space, on a huge asteroid, with a rocky structure that looks like a castle. Since this castle has been uninhabited for over 1200 years, the castle became covered in so much dust and dirt, that it pretty much became fossilized.

Inside the castle a wormhole opens up, and out from it comes out the Count.

"Hmm... I see a lot has happened since I left... time for some renovations.”

Then he makes his horn glow, and we can see his face in the light, as he then gives an evil snicker.

We cut to Ponyville. One moment everything seems alright, when all of a sudden, many bizarre things start happening: random things warping from one place to another, freezing in time, slowing down, speeding up, running backwards, reverting back to how they were at one point in time, worm-holes opening up bring things from different places far away or from earlier periods of time, etc. The Mane 6 try to resolve these problems but with very little success.

Suddenly, when all hope seems lost, Spike burps out a message from Celestia, demanding that our heroes go recover the Elements of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony then meet her back in Canterlot immediately. They hesitate for a short while, but then run straight for the Everfree Forest to gather the elements.

Having gathered the Elements of Harmony and placed them in their respective places, which Twilight was wise enough to save, the Mane 6 arrive in Canterlot Castle, where Princess Celestia is waiting for them.

Twilight wastes no time and immediately asks the Princess what the problem is.

Princess Celestia quickly responds. “You see, a few hours ago I was visited by Starswirl the Bearded, who informed me that an old foe of mine has returned. Somepony I thought I had seen the last of over 1200 years ago. Somepony even Discord feared and respected.

“His name is Count Anarchy, a 2000 year old royal alicorn with the power to control time and space.”

“Is this Anarchy guy the one responsible for the crazy stuff in Ponyville?” asks Rainbow Dash.

“He is just trying to get my attention,” Celestia responds.

Suddenly a new voice is heard. “Did it vork?” A new pony is seen in the center of the group.

Celestia immediately recognizes him. “Anarchy!”

Rainbow Dash wastes no time and immediately jumps to attack the Count. However, she passes right through him like he was an hologram.

Rainbow Dash looks back towards the Count. “What… just happened?” she asks, confused.

Twilight proceeds to examine the Count. When she tries to feel him she then realizes what he is and says "A holo-magic projection?"

Anarchy responds. "Indeed. Vhy should I risk my neck coming to you, vhen my poverful magic allows me to project an image of myself to deliver a message to you?" Anarchy approaches Celestia and says "Ah... Princess Celestia. As radiant as I remember you.” Small snicker. “But I suppose you have those age spells I taught you to thank for that."

"Age spells... what?" asks Twilight.

Anarchy turns to Twilight and responds. "But of course. You didn't think that I could remain this handsome for 2000 years all on my own, did you? I learned that by continuously casting Age Spells on vunself vun can allow them to remain young and vital forever." Anarchy turns back to Celestia and says "And it vas I who taught Celestia that trick so she vould never lose any of her beauty to time."

Princess Luna interrupts. "You keep your filthy hooves away from my sister, you demented jerk!"

"Ah yes, Princess Luna. The meddlesome little sister. As concerned for your big sister as ever. But it vasn't always that vay, for you vunce betrayed your sister, becoming the villainous Nightmare Moon and attempting to dethrone her."

"That was a long time ago.” Luna raises her right front leg to point at Anarchy and says “I am no longer Nightma-" Anarchy suddenly interrupts her by using his powers to revert Luna's leg to that of Nightmare Moon's. “-a-a-a-A-A-AAH!" Luna suddenly falls back in horror in what she saw.

Reverting Luna’s leg back to normal, to Luna’s relief, Anarchy continues. "Vith the proper manipulation of time, I can revert anything back to how it vunce vas at vun point in time, even revert you back into Nightmare Moon. So I'd vatch vhat I say around me if I vere you."

"Enough Anarchy, what do you want?" asks Princess Celestia.

With a snicker, Anarchy replies. “Vhy to rekindle an old flame ve used to share, my sveet Tia.”

"Forget it Annie, what happened between us burned out long ago."

"Oh so serious and strict, you vere much more fun back when ve used to date.”

“Date?” asks Rarity. “You used to date him?”

“Yes… he’s my ex-coltfriend,” Celestia agrees.

“Ex-coltfriend?!” the girls shout at the same time.

"Yes, ve vere qvite the couple, until the day she broke up vith me. Then her and her sister exiled me into a void in time and space for 1200 years, vhere I had nothing to do but practice my povers.

“And as you can plainly see, I have become much more poverful than I vas since then. Vith just a mere thought I can cause unspeakable mayhem and havoc.

“But I am still a reasonable Count who doesn't hold too much of a grudge. So tell you vhat, I shall spare Eqvestria of all of this craziness, if you, Tia, vill agree to marry me."

“Marry you?!” everypony shouts.

"SHE DOES NOT ACCEPT!” Luna shouts to Anarchy. “DO YOU HEAR ME?, Tia Does Not Acce-" Just for fun Anarchy reverts Luna's head back to the head of Nightmare Moon as she continues. "Acce-The Night Shall Rule For All Eterna-" then he reverts her head back to normal, and Luna feels her head to make sure it's normal again while saying "Eterna-ah-ah-ah! Stop doing that!"

"At any rate,” Celestia speaks up, “Luna is right. I would never marry someone like you."

"I understand. Marriage is a very difficult decision to make. So tell you vhat, I shall give you more time to think it over. But know that the longer you delay…” Small snicker. “Vell... there's no telling vhat could happen to your precious Eqvestria."

All of a sudden the Anarchy holo-figure disappears.

Rainbow Dash asks Celestia: "So let me get this straight. The guy causing all of this trouble is your ex-coltfriend?"

"How could you ever date someone like him?" asks Rarity.

"I was going through a phase, back when I was still young and foolish. But I quickly got over it when I realized what Annie was really like." Celestia then creates a magic display screen, which quickly starts displaying Anarchy’s backstory.

I guess I should start from the beginning. Count Anarchy's birth name is Count Anakin, but he was nicknamed Annie by his parents and those close to him. He was born over two thousand years ago in a royal empire that existed during the rule of Discord.

Anakin was always a rebellious young colt who didn't like being told what to do, but he was always obligated to do so because of his royal status and duties.

Like other royal alicorns, Anakin had powerful magic. But he was unique from other alicorns, for he had the power to willingly control both space and time, a power that most ponies only dared to dream of. When Anakin realized this unique power he had, his cutie mark appeared. It was a picture of a circle with a letter A in the center. Many of his servants believed that it was an omen that he was destined for greatness. But nopony told him that it would be great good or not.

One day, when Anakin was a teenager, Discord decided to spread his chaos on to Anakin's parent's empire. Now, of course, Anakin was afraid and hid himself in fear when Discord came, but when Anakin realized what his powers could really do, he summoned the courage to fight back.

He flew around the castle using his time magic to revert everything back to what it was before Discord changed it, and his space magic to warp things back to normal as well as use wormholes to help him get around faster.

When Discord realized what Anakin was doing, he decided to take more drastic measures. He then revealed that he had Anakin's parents on the roof, in a rope net, hanging over a giant pot of boiling oil. When Anakin learned of this it really ticked him off.

He came to the roof to confront Discord, with Discord on one side of the roof and Anakin on the other side. Anakin then made his horn start glowing and slowly began walking towards Discord.

Suddenly Discord grabbed the rope holding Anakin's parents and said: "Not so fast, young Anakin! Come any closer and Mumsy and Popsy take a very unpleasant bath!"

But Anakin didn't stop. Instead, he kept his horn glowing and kept walking slowly towards Discord while saying "Go ahead, and vhile your distracted by that, I'll blast that stupid grin off your face!"

Anakin's parents were shocked by what he just said, but not half as shocked as Discord, who replied: "What are you saying? You're supposed to surrender! You know, lay yourself down to save your parents, that's what the good guys do!"

"It is unvise to stereotype, Discord,” Anakin replied. “It's not good for your health. Mother, Father, I love you and it's nothing personal, but right now all I vant is to make Discord here pay for vhat he's done!"

Discord then got upset and said "What is wrong with you? For crying out loud, you're a royal alicorn! Don't you have any rules you're supposed to follow for a situation like this? SERIOUSLY?!"

Anakin then replied "You fool! I do not follow the rules, I make the rules! And rule number vun is do not tick me off!"

Discord then got so upset that he spat out "Fine then, have it your way!" while firing a huge magic blast towards Anakin.

Suddenly Anakin cast his spell and stopped time for everyone but himself. Then, while everyone was frozen in time, he wormhole warped his parents to safety and opened a wormhole in front of Discord and another behind him.

Unfreezing time, Discord's blast went through the wormhole in front of him, then came out through the wormhole behind him, causing Discord to get hit by his own magic blast.

Discord was then flung towards Anakin. Anakin then took his hoof and punched Discord right in the face with such great force that Discord is hurled backwards. Anakin then warped to where Discord was headed. He then gave Discord a powerful uppercut, causing Discord to be sent into the sky.

Anakin then warped to where Discord would be. After that, he took both his front hooves together and did a hammer move on Discord so hard that Discord was shot back to the ground at great speed, heading towards a wide open plain.

Discord hit the ground so hard that it formed a huge crater. As Discord tried to regain consciousness, Anakin warped right on top of him, pinning both of Discord's arms to the ground with his front legs. Anakin then made an angry face and had his horn glow brightly as though he was getting ready to finish Discord off.

“Have mercy, Count Anakin! I will do anything if you let me live!”

Anakin made his horn stop glowing. He then made an evil looking smile and started snickering. "The mighty and poverful Discord... grovelling at my hooves...” Quick snickering. “To be honest, Discy, I don't care vhat happens to the rest of the vorld. As long as vhatever's mine is unharmed.

“So I'll tell you vhat, I'll let you live and let you continue your chaotic vays, so long as you leave me, my property and those who are close to me alone.

“In other vords, do vhatever you vant, just leave me out of it. Or else!” Anakin then shot a magic beam right beside Discord's head, missing his head purposely as a warning. “Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes sir! And thank you ever so much for sparing me, Count Anakin!"

"Oh, and another thing: do not call me Anakin anymore. From now on, I vish to be addressed as Count Anarchy." And from that day forward, the royal alicorn named Count Anakin became known far and wide as Count Anarchy.

As time moved on, Count Anarchy's power grew and evolved beyond one's wildest imagination. His power over time and space became legendary throughout the world. He actually invented some of the greatest magic spells in history. Why, even a younger Starswirl the Bearded came to learn of Anarchy's time-space manipulation magic.

Through proper manipulation of time, he was even capable of controlling the aging process. He could make things older or younger with just a mere cast of a spell. He had created the age spell.

After inventing the age spell, he kept using it on himself so he could remain young and vital, while his parents grew old and feeble, and later died of old age. Anarchy then took complete control of both their castle and empire, and kept ruling over it for centuries.

Due to his unique power, Anarchy believed he didn't have to follow anypony else's rules but his own. But because he let Discord go free to keep causing chaos, many beings from all over the lands kept coming to his empire, because Count Anarchy is the only one Discord respects enough to leave alone.

This made Anarchy so frustrated with having so many beings coming to him just to get away from Discord that Anarchy went so far as to use his space-control powers to warp his entire empire into outer space, and place it on a nearby asteroid large enough to support it's own atmosphere.

He only brought along those who would be the most loyal to him. That way, Anarchy could have his whole empire in an extremely secluded place.

The only way to return to Earth was with Anarchy's wormhole spells or a powerful teleportation spell. That way, Anarchy could go around the world and remain in his home, without having to worry about the needs of others, especially with Discord still causing chaos for everyone except for Count Anarchy and those closest to him.

When Anarchy was around eight hundred years old, which would have been over twelve thousand years ago, he came into my life.

During this time, I was in my late teens, while my sister was still in her early teens. At the time, I was going through a rebellious phase where I was interested in the bad-colts, and there was no badder colt then Count Anarchy.

Yes, I actually fell in love with this guy not knowing what he was really like. In addition, Anarchy felt a mutual attraction towards me.

This made Luna very concerned about her big sister, and she thought that I was making a big mistake. But I thought that Luna was just being overprotective and should not worry.

Soon we were dating. We even went so far as to call each other by Tia and Annie.

Because I became Anarchy's marefriend, Anarchy told Discord to leave me and her kingdom, friends and family out of his chaotic business. Naturally Discord did exactly what Anarchy said and left me alone for having Anarchy as her coltfriend.

As we dated, we traveled far and wide. Anarchy soon took me to his castle on the asteroid in space. I liked how Anarchy only did whatever he wanted without worrying what anypony else thought about it.

Later Anarchy taught me how to do the age spell so I could keep that beautiful face of mine no matter how old I got.

Luna was very worried about me and didn't trust Anarchy at all. She even went so far as to go visit Discord to learn why he respects Count Anarchy. Of course, Discord couldn't harm her due to the fact that she's my little sister, so he decided to spill the beans about what happened between him and Anarchy that made Discord fear and respect him.

Later, Luna interrupted our date to conjure a magic screen, and show us what Discord had revealed to her.

When I learned what Anarchy did to have Discord respect him so much, I was appalled by how far he went just to get what he wanted. We then had a long, rough argument and I told him that he's not just bad, he's psychotic, and that I had no idea what I ever saw in the likes of him.

When I decided I was going to break up with him, Anarchy told me I was being foolish, that it's only because of him that Discord left me out of his chaotic ways, and that without him in my life there would be nothing to prevent Discord from tormenting me and everypony close to me. I then claimed that the only thing that was foolish of me was bringing Anarchy into my life.

I then decided to leave and take Luna with me back home. But Anarchy decided that if I was not with him, then I was against him.

Suddenly he attacked me. I tried to fight back, but Anarchy's power surpassed my own and he injured me. Luna stepped in and said "You leave my big sister alone, you creep!"

Luna tried to fight back, but Anarchy overpowered her as well.

I then told Luna "It's no use! He's too powerful for either of us to take alone... but maybe... if we work together... as true sisters... we may stand a chance."

Luna agreed and we combined our magic beams together, while Anarchy fired a magic beam of his own. When the conflicting beams hit, they appear to be evenly matched.

As they kept firing, Luna said "He's too strong!"

But I said "Don't give up, we can beat him…” I then held Luna's hoof and said “Together!"

The love we had for each other allowed us both to pour on the power to our magic beams, pushing Anarchy's beam back. Anarchy struggled to keep his beam up, but ultimately his beam is overwhelmed by ours, and our beam hit Anarchy right in the horn.

This caused his own powers to be turned against him, forming a wormhole right behind him and sucking Count Anarchy into a void in time and space, banishing him from his home dimension.

We then gathered everypony from Anarchy's castle and teleported them all back to Earth.

After that whole ordeal we have never been a closer set pair of sisters. Unfortunately, with Count Anarchy gone, there was nothing to hold Discord back, and he really got jiggy with the chaos.

Eventually, we discovered the Elements of Harmony, and used them to turn Discord to stone. Long afterwards, Luna's jealousy over me overwhelmed her, causing her to become the host of the Nightmare Force, turning her into Nightmare Moon. I then used the Elements of Harmony to seal my sister in the moon, single-hoofedly ruling over Equestria afterwards for over 1000 years, using the age spells to keep myself young and vital.

Both of us had thought we had seen the last of Count Anarchy, but we were wrong… so very wrong.

“As I said, Count Anarchy’s castle is located on an asteroid not far from Earth,” Celestia finishes. “The only way to reach it is either through his wormholes or a powerful teleportation spell.”

Suddenly a guard bursts in telling Celestia that Ponyville is currently under attack from a large pack of timberwolves.

“Both myself and Luna shall remain here to try and keep things under control. You go to stop Anarchy with the Elements of Harmony.”

Just then Starswirl the Bearded appears to give the ponies a friendly warning. "Count Anarchy is crazy enough to try anything, and he has more than enough power to back it up. So do not underestimate him for even a split second, or it may be the last one you'll ever have." Starswirl then disappears into a different point of the multiverse.

The mane 6 put on their elements and the Princess sisters work together to teleport the ponies to Anarchy’s castle.

We cut to the outside of Anarchy’s castle. Twilight realizes that Spike had secretly tucked away into the group. “Spike, what are you doing here? This is dangerous!”

“Hey, if we’re gonna face this guy, then I wanna be with my girls!” Spike responds.

“Fair enough. Hop on, Spike.” Spike then climbs onto Twilight’s back.

Suddenly Anarchy’s voice is heard from inside the castle. "Ah, Tia's little pets, I've been expecting you girls.” The doors open as the voice says “Come in."

“This is obviously a trap,” Rainbow Dash speaks up. She then notices the others going in. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” she says as she gets in as well.

With Count Anarchy's powers he's manipulating everything inside the castle turning it into a veritable maze, he can make the rooms move around, make different doors lead to the exact same room the ponies are already in, make rooms side-ways or upside-down, and so on.

But however, the others easily manage the maze easily. Sure, it was tougher than Discord’s manipulation of the hedge maze, but it was easy.

The girls finally make it towards the Count’s throne room. He is actually impressed that they made it this far.

Our heroes then attempt to use their Elements on Anarchy, but before they get the chance, he warps the Elements right off the ponies and right into his possession. Levitating the Elements, he speaks up. "Ah the Elements of Harmony, qvite a unique set of artifacts if I do say so myself."

"Hey that's not fair!" Pinkie interjects.

"Not fair?” Snicker. “Ve obviously have never been introduced. I am Count Anarchy. I do not follow the rules, I make the rules!"

"Come on girls,” Rainbow Dash speaks up. “We don't need the Elements to take him down! We can beat him as long as we stick together! Are you with me?"

“Right!” the others agree as they all jump on him. But Anarchy warps out of the way before they even have the chance, then he warps right behind them and says "Insolent Vhelps!” His eyes are glowing yellow and he starts floating as he says “You still do not realize just vhat it is you are dealing vith!"

Suddenly the walls and ceiling of the throne room start breaking apart into pieces, and start floating around them all as Count Anarchy shows our heroes just what he is truly capable of. While still floating in the air, Anarchy makes six small black disc-like objects orbit around him as he says "I can take every single vun of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate universes!"

The black discs then fly right behind our heroes and expand into six black holes leading into six different dimensions. Once the discs expand, they create huge vacuum-like suction effects.

Our heroes all dig in their hooves, struggling to keep themselves from getting sucked into the black holes. Spike loses his footing and is caught in the suction, but he grabs onto Rarity's tail holding on as though his very life depended on it.

Anarchy places his hooves back on the ground and says "I hope you've all enjoyed living in this vorld...” He raises his front hooves and makes them glow while saying) “...because it is the last time any of you vill ever see it…” He stomps his glowing hooves on the ground while saying “...AGAIN!"

Once he stomped on the ground, it created a huge energy shock-wave with an energy field. When the shock-wave hit the ponies, they were all knocked right off their hooves, causing them all to get caught in the suction.

We then see each member of the Mane 6 getting sucked into a different black hole, meaning each one of them is being sent into a different parallel world, and since Spike was hanging on to Rarity's tail, whatever world she's heading to, he's going along with her. Finally we see Twilight being sucked into her black hole, getting sent through a swirling dimensional vortex.

When the holes seal shut, Anarchy places the room back to normal as if nothing had happened, then he falls to his knees in exhaustion. Despite how powerful he is, he still has his limits to how much he can do at a time, and opening six black holes that lead into six separate dimensions all at once really pushed himself to the brink.

"Hoo boy,” he says, “that took a lot more out of me then I expected... Vell it doesn't matter, vith the veilders of the Elements gone I von't have to do that again anytime soon."

The screen then splits six ways as we see all of our heroes spiraling around while trapped in black swirling dimensional vortexes, then Twilight is heard saying "Girls, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but don't panic! We'll find a way out of this, for we still have the magic of friendship on our side!"

Episode 2: My Cross-Time Pony Wedding

Author's Note

Plenty of FlashLight in this episode, as it is focused on Twilight. I don't want any hate, so just leave now before you complain. The front page is just a click away for you.

~~This episode also features an alicorn OC. Just warning you before you flip out.~~ EDIT: This character is now considered canon starting with S5E19. But keep in mind that this was written a long time ago and back then it was in the middle-ground between an OC and a canon character, since it was mostly based on how it looked like in the merchandise (which is considered part of canon, although an entirely separate canon--many characters are toy only, after all). EDIT EDIT: Princess Skyla should not be confused with Princess Flurry Heart. Technically this one came first.

Also, tell me if I did a good recap. I tried to do the same thing Child did in PMX2. It's kinda hard to do this in text, you know.

Episode 2: My Cross-Time Pony Wedding

“An old foe of yours will soon be returning. A foe you thought you would never see again.”

“No… you don't mean… him?”

“Yes, my princess. Him.”

"Hmm... I see a lot has happened since I left... time for some renovations.”

“I was visited by Starswirl the Bearded, who informed me that an old foe of mine has returned. Somepony I thought I would never see the last of over 1200 years ago. Somepony even Discord feared and respected.

“His name is Count Anarchy, a 2000 year old royal alicorn with the power to control time and space.”

“But I am still a reasonable Count who doesn't hold too much of a grudge. So tell you vhat, I shall spare Eqvestria of all of this craziness, if you, Tia, vill agree to marry me."

“Marry you?!”

"I shall give you more time to think it over. But know that the longer you delay…” Small snicker. “Vell... there's no telling vhat could happen to your precious Eqvestria."

“Count Anarchy’s castle is located on an asteroid not far from Earth,” Celestia finishes. “The only way to reach it is either through his wormholes or a powerful teleportation spell.”

"Ah, Tia's little pets, I've been expecting you girls.” The doors open as the voice says “Come in."

“This is obviously a trap,” Rainbow Dash speaks up. She then notices the others going in. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” she says as she gets in as well.

"I can take every single vun of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate universes!"

"Girls, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but don't panic! We'll find a way out of this, for we still have the magic of friendship on our side!"

Zoom in on Twilight.

"Yeah, now if only I could believe that speech myself..."

We cut to Ponyville. Not the Ponyville our heroes know, but still Ponyville regardless.

Suddenly a black hole opens up in a horizontal position just above the ground. Twilight comes falling out of it. "Whoa!" She then lands on the ground as though she was thrown out of some place. “Oof!” The black hole then closes right behind her.

Twilight gets up and looks around, noticing that she is back in Ponyville. “Weird… everything seems oddly alright…” Looking around, she realizes that she is just outside Sugarcube Courner, so she decides to go there first.

Once inside she finds Mr. and Mrs. Cake on the counter and instantly asks them what was going on at that moment.

"Princess Twilight… what are you doing here?” asks Mrs. Cake. “And why do you look so young?"

“What are you talking about?” Twilight then looks at a calendar on the wall and makes a surprised expression. Pointing at it, she asks “Is the year on that calendar correct?”

“Why yes it is, Twilight,” Mr. Cake responds. “Why do you ask?”

Twilight then reaches a conclusion. I must have teleported into the future somehow… she thinks.

Just then Pound and Pumpkin Cake come into the room. Pumpkin Cake almost hits Twilight in the head, while Pound hits Twilight in the head with an object he was levitating.

“Pound! Pumpkin! What did we tell you to be careful with your flying and your magic?” Mr. Cake scolds the twins.

Twilight looks at the twins and notices something odd about them. “Wait… since when was Pound an unicorn and Pumpkin a pegasus?”

“They were born that way, Twilight,” Mrs. Cake responds.

“You should remember that,” Mr. Cake adds. “You were there when they were both born.”

Twilight suddenly feels confused. “But how is that… possible…?” Twilight then remembers Count Anarchy’s words.

"I can take every single vun of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate universes!"

“I must not be in the future…” Twilight says to herself, “but in the future of a parallel world! Oh no, oh no, oh no! This is much much worse! I need to see Princess Celestia now!”

“Don’t you mean Queen Celestia?” Mrs. Cake corrects.

“She hasn’t been called a princess since she became a queen over a thousand years ago,” Mr. Cake adds.

“All the more proof that I’m in another universe!” Twilight concludes. “Where is she now?”

“She is in the Crystal Empire being the justice of peace for your wedding.”

“Wedding?” Twilight is shocked to hear this. “I’m getting married?”

“Why yes, to the Captain of the Royal Guard, Flash Sentry.”

Twilight just stands there for a short while. She then leaves the building. “I need to get to the Crystal Empire now!” she says as she runs to the train station.

Back in the mainstream universe, the Princesses are worried about the girls.

Luna speaks up in a frustrated tone. “We should have gone with them!”

“We both have to stay here,” Celestia counterargues. “If the girls fail, then we have to protect Equestria.” With an optimistic tone, she continues. “I’m sure they’re doing fine.”

Suddenly Count Anarchy’s voice is heard. "In a sense they are, in another sense they're not." The princesses see Anarchy right in front of them.

“Anarchy! What are you doing here?” asks Celestia.

“I have come to deliver something to you, Tia,” Anarchy responds. “Consider it an engagement gift.” He then tosses the Elements of Harmony at Celestia’s hooves.

"The Elements of Harmony? No... what have you done with Twilight and her friends?" asks Celestia.

"Relax, they are still alive. I have simply used the full extent of my povers to spread them throughout cross-time, exiling all of them into six separate universes. They are gone, never to return."

"Why on Earth would you do such a terrible thing?" asks Luna.

"Vhy not? Vith my povers I can do vhatever I vant,” Anarchy responds. “Now that they are out of the picture, I vill be expecting your reply to my proposal soon, Tia."

Anarchy then warps away. Celestia looks at the elements and asks herself "Twilight, where are you...?"

Twilight had just taken the train to the Crystal Empire. Once she arrives she realizes that the entire kingdom has been sealed in a giant force field dome. Twilight can’t shake the feeling that this kind of magic feels familiar, so she tries to use her own magic on the force field. She manages to open just a small hole in it, but the force field is too strong and the hole just seals shut before she could get in.

Twilight looks at the area for a short while and gets an idea to use her alicorn powers to her advantage. She takes flight, makes her horn light up and starts spinning around like a drill.

After a while, the force field gives in and she gets inside the dome, with the hole quickly closing shut behind her.

When Twilight gets her hooves back on the ground she is incredibly dizzy. "Whoa... note to self, don't ever do that again," she says. She is then spotted and seized by a Crystal Empire Royal Guard and taken to Queen Celestia.

We cut to the ballroom of the castle, where this universe’s Twilight Sparkle (who is taller and has a body figure closer to the other princesses in this universe) and this universe’s Flash Sentry (who is about as tall and masculine as Shining Armour) are currently busy with decorations.

“A bit more to the right… just a bit more to the left…” Flash gives decorations to the pegasi decorators over where to place the chandelier they are carrying. “Just a few inches to the right…” As they follow his directions he looks at the scene. “Looks good. What do you think, Twilight?”

“I think it looks beautiful.” The others all agree that it would be perfect for the wedding.

Suddenly two royal guards enter the room. “Queen Celestia! We have captured an intruder!”

“Bring her in,” the Queen orders.

A short while after, Twilight gets thrown into the floor right in front of the Queen’s hooves. When everypony else sees her they are shocked.

“Who are you?” asks Queen Celestia.

“And why do you look so much like me when I was younger?” asks the other Twilight.

"Because I am you,” Twilight explains, “from the past, but in a parallel world." Everypony feels confused.

“Well, you see, back in my world, I was confronted by this villain, Count Anarchy…”

“Count Anarchy?” Princess Luna interrupts. “But he was turned into a statue. He is still in the Canterlot Gardens.”

"Wasn't that Discord?" asks Twilight.

“No,” Queen Celestia responds. “Discord was sent through a portal in time and space. He is currently in a dimensional void.”

“All the more proof that I am in another world! In my world, Discord was turned to stone and Count Anarchy was sent to a dimensional void! And speaking of Count Anarchy, me and my friends all went to confront him in his castle, but he snatched our Elements from us and sent us all to six separate universes. This is the one I ended up in.”

Suddenly, Twilight begins fluctuating between dimensions. Everypony, including Twilight herself, wonder what's happening to her.

“My home… it feels like it’s right in front of me but I can’t reach it…”

The Queen then uses her horn to examine Twilight. Just as she stops fluctuating, she explains that Twilight has been exposed to a massive amount of time-space magic, meaning that she may be from another time or another world entirely, or maybe even both, which validates her story. She then explains that some unknown force appears to be trying to pull Twilight out of this world and send her back home, but it's just not strong enough to complete the process, so maybe if she were to give it enough time, this force may send her back home all on its own.

Twilight feels a small amount of relief to hear that. “Well, since I’m stuck here I might as well make the best of it. Can I help out with your wedding preparations?” The others think this is a great idea.

Suddenly Alternate Future Twilight’s head starts to hurt. Twilight asks the other her if she is alright. She responds by saying that lately she's been getting these unusual headaches, so it's been difficult for her to plan for her own wedding. The others claim that she is just suffering from pre-wedding jitters or something. Flash Sentry suddenly acts in an odd behavior and excuses himself from the room.

Flash Sentry is acting kind of odd… at least, compared to the one I know, thinks Twilight. But then again, this is a parallel world where Princess Celestia is a queen, the Cake twins are the opposite species, and Anarchy and Discord have switched defeats.

Suddenly a dark pink alicorn filly enters the room, calling for her parents. “Mommy! Daddy!”

Shining Armour responds. “Not now baby, Cadance and I are busy.”

"Did she just call you mommy and daddy?" asks Twilight.

"Who are you and why do you look so much like my aunt Twilight?" Twilight looks at the filly with a confused state.

“Well, you see, Twilight,” Cadance explains to Twilight, “this is our daughter Princess Skyla--which would make her your niece.”

Shining Armour then explains to his daughter: “Skyla, this is another version of your aunt Twilight, from the past of a parallel world.”

“I have a niece?” Twilight asks in a surprised tone.

Skyla, on the other hoof, is overjoyed about the situation. Leaping around, she says "Twilight has always been my favorite-est aunt ever, and now I have another aunt Twilight who's closer to my age!"

"Wow... she sure is... something, huh?" asks Twilight.

"Hehe... she sure is," Shining responds.

Alternate Future Twilight then asks her other self if she wouldn't mind hanging out with Skyla while they all work on preparations for the wedding. Twilight accepts the offer and she and Skyla exit the room and walk around the castle, getting to know more about each other.

Twilight and Skyla are walking past a door that is slightly ajar. Suddenly Twilight hears laughter followed by Flash’s voice.

"Those pathetic fools don't even suspect a thing!"

Finding this odd, Twilight closes in on the door and tries to listen in. Skyla asks her what she is doing, but Twilight uses her magic to close Skyla's mouth and levitate her closer, followed by a shushing sound.

Looking inside the room, the two see Flash having a conversation with one of his servants.

"It was very clever of you to take that foolish Flash Sentry's place and hide him in the one place no one will ever think to find him, sire,” the servant says.

As he is getting dressed, Flash responds. "Of course it was. Once the wedding starts, I'll have all of them right where I want them! Then I will destroy Twilight Sparkle right in front of all of their eyes, after which taking back the Crystal Empire in the name of my family's legacy will be a cinch!"

"But your highness, what about the other Twilight Sparkle?"

"If she gets in my way, I'll simply dispose of her as well. Either way, for me it will just be a bonus to destroy Princess Twilight Sparkle twice in one day!” Cue evil laughter. “Come now, we have a wedding to crash."

The two exit the room, Twilight and Skyla nowhere to be seen. We then shift to the ceiling and see that Twilight and Skyla are using their wings to hang upside-down from the ceiling.

"Did you hear that?" Skyla asks Twilight.

"Yeah. Parallel world or not, that Flash Sentry is a fake."

"We gotta warn Mommy and Daddy!"

"No Skyla, I've been through this sort of situation before. We can't just go accusing that Flash of being a faker without evidence."

"Ev-i-dence...?"

"Yes, something to prove that he's a fake."

"What kind of proof?"

"The only proof we'll need to find: the real Flash Sentry."

"But where do we look for him?"

“I have an idea. Follow me.” As Twilight starts to walk, she forgets that they were on the ceiling and falls, crashing down to the floor.

Skyla flies down to the floor unharmed and says "That looks like it would've hurt if I followed you."

Getting up, Twilight responds. "Yeah, just come on."

We cut to the Castle’s throne room. Skyla asks Twilight what the two are doing at that location. Twilight says that she remembers the bad guys saying that they hid the real Flash in the last place anyone would think of finding him. With a surge of dark magic, Twilight reveals the hidden door to the castle’s staircase. Flying up the spiral, they see Flash Sentry--the real one--imprisoned in a circle of dark crystals.

"Just as I suspected," says Twilight.

Flash notices Twilight’s voice and speaks up. "Twilight, is that you?"

"Well, sort of…” Twilight responds. “Anyway, we've come to get you out, now stand back." She then fires a magic beam at the dark crystals, but she only takes a chip off. “This is going to take something a little more powerful...” Twilight then builds up a lot of magic to forge a huge magic sphere and fires it at the crystals. The blast creates a large enough gap in the circle for Flash to escape.

Twilight then drops to her knees in exhaustion. “Are you OK?” Skyla asks Twilight.

"Yeah, I guess that just took a lot more out of me then I thought it would."

Flash hurries to Twilight and, taking one look at her, asks how she got so young.

Twilight responds. "To make a long story short, I'm another Twilight from the past of a parallel world." Flash looks confused. "It's not important, right now we have to get you to your wedding."

“Right,” Flash agrees. The three then fly out of the tower and head into the ballroom.

The wedding is taking place in the ballroom with the fake Flash as the groom, and with his servant as the best colt right by his side.

Queen Celestia speaks up. “If there is anypony who believes these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

The real Flash Sentry enters the room. “As a matter of fact… I object!” Cue surprised gasp.

The other Flash speaks up. "You? But... how did...?" Suddenly Twilight and Skyla land right beside the real Flash Sentry. "YOU!"

"Listen everypony, you've all been deceived!” Twilight explains. “That Flash Sentry is an impostor!"

"Yeah, we found the real Flash trapped in a crystal circle at the top of the tower!" Skyla adds.

"But if that's the real Flash,” Alternate Future Twilight speaks up, “then... who are you?"

Suddenly the fake Flash removes an invisible cloth out from his forehead, revealing an unicorn’s horn similar to that of King Sombra. The horn then fires a dark magic beam into the crystal chandelier, which then magnifies the dark magic beam and fires it in multiple directions all over the ballroom, hitting everypony in the room but the fake Flash, the traitorous servant and Alternate Future Twilight, imprisoning them all in hollow dark crystal-shaped domes.

Then the fake Flash lifts up a camouflage spell and makes it dissipate to reveal his true self: an unicorn colt who bears a strong resemblance to a younger King Sombra. With a round of evil laughter, he speaks up. "I am Prince Turbio, direct descendant of King Sombra. Over one thousand years ago, my ancestor was dealt a grave injustice. Then, when he returned just a few years ago, he was destroyed, thanks to the meddling of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Now, after all these years, I shall avenge my family's legacy, by taking back the Crystal Empire! But first, I shall destroy you, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

"That's what you think!" Alternate Future Twilight replies. The two then start battling.

Unfortunately for Twilight, her magic is strangely too weak to stop him. Plus, she still has her headaches.

"What's wrong, Twilight? Head still hurts?” Turbio speaks up. “No surprise there. Ever since I took Flash Sentry's place, I've been using a syphoning spell to drain you of your power, while amplifying my own. The more we've been together, the more of your power I've been syphoning.” Cue evil laughter. “It's funny, really. You were so caught up in your wedding planning that you didn't even notice a thing. Had it not been for your meddling other self, when it came time for me to kiss the bride, I would've completely drained you until you were reduced to a withered husk! But it doesn't matter now, I've still siphoned enough of your power to simply destroy you by force!” More evil laughter.

After that, Turbio fires a dark magical blast that knocks out Alternate Future Twilight.

"TWILIGHT!" Flash shouts. He then starts banging on the dome saying "We've got to get out of here!"

“Sorry, Flash… I’m still tired from freeing you from that crystal circle...” Suddenly Twilight starts fluctuating again. “I think I can use this to my advantage!” Twilight then steps right out of the crystal dome like a ghost. “Wow… I can’t believe that worked.”

Suddenly Turbio’s servant comes charging at Twilight yelling “No! You must not disturb the Prince!” He tries to grab the fluctuating Twilight, but he ends up passing right through her and hits his face on the crystal dome she just stepped out of. With his face sliding down the wall of the dome, he's out like a light.

Twilight then stops fluctuating and runs to help her other self.

Alternate Future Twilight is seen lying on the top of a dark crystal pillar at the mercy of Turbio on a higher dark crystal pillar. Turbio speaks up. "Give it up, Twilight Sparkle, you can not defeat me!"

As Turbio tries to blast Alternate Future Twilight, she is scooped in the arms of a flying Twilight. "But two of us can!"

Alternate Future Twilight starts to fly as well. She then looks at her other self, who simply nods. She nods back as well. The two then unite their magic beams and fire a magic beam at Turbio, who then fires a magic beam of his own at them.

When the two magic beams meet it would seem they are evenly matched.

"Go aunt Twilights, you can beat him!” Skyla shouts. Everypony else then starts chanting for the two Twilights. Their support gives them the strength to push back Turbio's magic beam.

Soon enough Turbio's horn starts cracking under the pressure. When the Twilights' magic beam gets right in his face, Turbio's horn shatters and the Twilights' magic beam hits him, turning his own power against him in a flash of light.

All of the crystal domes everyone was sealed in then shatter, freeing everypony. All of the dark crystal pillars shatter as well.

Prince Turbio falls to the floor, but in that flash of magic he himself wound up sealed inside a solid see-through dark crystal. He's no longer able to move his body or talk, but he can still move his eyes around.

The two Twilights then fall to the floor from exhaustion. Flash and Skyla run in to check on them.

“Are you alright, aunt Twilight?” Skyla asks Twilight.

“I’m fine, Skyla… just exhausted.”

“Are you OK too?” Flash asks the other Twilight.

“I’m fine too, Flash...”

Flash then hugs her. "Oh, Twilight... I was afraid I was going to lose you!"

"For a moment there, I thought so myself..."

The guards then arrest Turbio’s servant who has just woken up, taking him to the dungeon.

Queen Celestia then comes up to Flash and Alternate Future Twilight. “You two have a wedding to finish.”

The wedding went by smoothly. We are now in the crystal gardens for the after party. Alternate Future Twilight looks at Alternate Future Pinkie Pie and nods. Pinkie grins and runs towards a turntable, pulling out Vinyl Scratch from under it. “Let’s get this party started!”

She then throws two microphones to the two Twilights. “Shall we?” Twilight asks her other self.

“An oldie, but a goodie. Let’s do it.”

Twilight: Love is in bloom

Alternate Future Twilight: Love is in bloom

Both: A beautiful bride

A handsome groom

Twilight: Two hearts

Alternate Future Twilight: Becoming one

Both: A bond

That can not be undone

Love is in bloom

A beautiful bride

A handsome groom

I said, love is in bloom

You’re starting a life

And making room for us

Twilight: Your special day

Alternate Future Twilight: (It’s your special day)

Twilight: We celebrate now,

The pony way

Alternate Future Twilight: Your friends

Are all right here

Both: Won’t let

These moments disappear

Because love is in bloom

A beautiful bride

A handsome groom

I said, love is in bloom

You’re starting a life

And making room for us

Once the song ended, everypony cheers for the two Twilights. Flash speaks up to the mainstream Twilight. “Twilight, none of this would have been possible without your help.”

“It was very fortunate that you showed up when you did,” says Alternate Future Twilight.

As Twilight accepts their praise, suddenly a black hole opens just a few feet above Twilight’s head. Everypony feels confused, but none more so than Twilight.

As she starts rising towards the black hole, she says "Huh... I guess it's finally time for me to go home."

Skyla disappointingly says "Awww... do you have to leave now? We were having such a great time together!"

"Sorry, Skyla, but I have to go. My friends back home need me. But I want you to know: if the Shining Armour and Cadance of my world ever have a daughter of their own, I hope she turns out to be as great a niece as you are."

“Well, just remember one thing, Twilight,” Alternate Future Twilight says, “if the Flash Sentry of your world is anything like my Flash Sentry, then trust me: he's a very good catch."

"I'll keep that in miiiiii-", Twilight is then sucked through the black hole real fast, which then seals shut behind her.

Episode 3: Harmony Lost

Author's Note

I am not Valve, I can count to three! I passed kindergarten!

Anyway, the recap will always be from episode 1 as the final scene will be zooming in on another pony, to show that that episode will be focused on that pony. Just in case you are wondering.

Oh yeah, and this chapter is in no way related to Fallout: Equestria, apart from the apocalyptic wasteland thing.

Episode 3: Harmony Lost

"Ah, Tia's little pets, I've been expecting you girls.” The doors open as the voice says “Come in."

“This is obviously a trap,” Rainbow Dash speaks up. She then notices the others going in. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” she says as she gets in as well.

"I can take every single vun of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate universes!"

"Girls, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but don't panic! We'll find a way out of this, for we still have the magic of friendship on our side!"

Zoom in on Rainbow Dash.

“I totally called it, this was a trap!”

The episode opens and we see a black hole opening up in a horizontal position just above the ground. Rainbow Dash comes flying out of the hole. “Whoa!” She then lands on the ground as though she is thrown out of some place. “Oof!” The black hole then closes right behind her trapping her in this alternate universe.

Rainbow Dash gets up and looks at her surroundings, looking horrified at what she is seeing. Equestria has been reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland, the sun and the moon are stuck in a permanent total solar eclipse position making the sky dark all the time, Sweet Apple Acres' apple trees have all withered away, the Apple family farmland has decomposed and rotted to almost nothing, the Everfree Forest looks like it was burned down to the ground, Canterlot has been converted into a nearly impenetrable fortress and Ponyville lies in ruins as though someone dropped a powerful bomb on it.

Rainbow walks around Ponyville wondering where everypony is. She sees posters everywhere saying "Obey the Overlord or else!".

How long have I been gone? Rainbow wonders.

She then sees an old newspaper on the ground, claiming that everything is being taken over by this Overlord character. She looks at the date and is confused.

No way… this was printed about two years ago! But I know this stuff never happened!

She keeps exploring the ruins of Ponyville, trying to find somepony… anypony.

Suddenly she is hit by a bright light. She has just been discovered by the ones who work for the Overlord, the Enforcers. "Halt! In the name of the Overlord, you are under arrest!" she hears.

“Under arrest? For what?” asks Rainbow.

"No unauthorized personnel are allowed in restricted areas!”

Of course, Rainbow won't be arrested that easily. “Just try and arrest me, buster!” But the Enforcers have some pretty mean magic weapons and start firing magic bolts at Rainbow.

In response, Rainbow tries to take to the sky, but there are also flying Enforcers who also start shooting magic bolts at her.

Realizing that she's pretty much a sitting duck in the sky, she may have better luck losing them on the ground, so she flies back to the ground and runs as fast as she can. She then takes a left turn at a corner and suddenly bumps into somepony.

Looking to see who it is, Rainbow notices that it's the Twilight Sparkle of this world, looking just like Future Twilight from her previous escapades, complete with the tattered full body suit, the weird mane-cut, the headband, the eyepatch and the scar on her left cheek. Only this time, these wasn't caused by a bunch of accidents, it all happened for real. Twilight is also still a unicorn and is a member of "The Resistance", a rebel group of freedom fighters united to taking down the Overlord and restoring peace and harmony to Equestria. (Gee, doesn’t this sound familiar…)

“Twilight…?” Rainbow Dash tries to talk to her.

“Rainbow Dash…? But how-” Before Twilight can finish, Rainbow grabs her and says “Come on!” and the two start to run away from the Enforcers.

The Enforcers run right past a pile of debris. When the coast is clear, Rainbow lifts up a board on top of the debris to check. “Phew… I think we lost them.” She then turns to Twilight. “Alright Twilight, do you mind telling me what in Equestria is going on here?"

“I should be asking you the same question, you're supposed to be dead!"

“Say what?!”

Back at the mainstream universe, Princesses Celestia and Luna are worried about the safety of our heroes. Celestia keeps wondering how to bring them all back, now that they are stranded in six different universes.

Suddenly Starswirl the Bearded appears and tells Celestia not to worry, for in anticipation that Anarchy would try something like this, he has assembled a team of experts to try and find a way to bring the missing ponies back home. Among them he has gathered: Time Turner, who has studied much about time and space, including some of Starswirl’s workings; Professor Bill Neigh, an expert in quantum physics and astrological mathematics; and Zecora the Zebra, whose Shaman Magic allows her to tap into forces from beyond their dimension.

“And are you sure this team of yours can bring the girls back home?” asks Celestia.

“I believe that if anypony can bring them back, the team I gathered can.” He then turns to face his team. “Alright, everypony, let’s get started.”

“We will need you…” adds Luna, “to stop Anarchy before it’s too late for all of Equestria.”

We cut back to the dystopian present, where Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle are in a sewer-like tunnel hidden underneath the ruins of Ponyville.

“Alright, Rainbow,” Twilight starts. “Do you remember when you tried to pull off this impossibly-looking trick?”

"Do I ever!” Rainbow responds. “I pulled that trick off flawlessly, it was totally awesome!"

"No, you didn't. In the middle of your trick, you were struck by a bolt of lightning from a stray thunder cloud, which caused you to spiral out of control and crash into a cliff. Then the cliff broke apart and you were crushed under tons of rock. We tried to dig you out as fast as we could, but we were too late... you were already lost to us... Everypony in Ponyville showed up for your funeral."

"Whoa there Twi, what are you talking about?” Rainbow tries to reason with Twilight. “That never happened! The sky was perfectly clear that day! That couldn't have happened... unless…” Understanding dawned towards Rainbow Dash. “Twilight, did that happen because of Count Anarchy?"

"Uhhh... who's Count Anarchy?" asks Twilight.

"Well, duh! He's Princess Celestia's evil ex-boyfriend! Guy who can control time and space! We went to fight him, but then he opened these weird black hole things right behind us and said” She then tries to make a really bad impression of Anarchy. “‘I can take every single one of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate uni… verses…” Rainbow then finally figures out what's going on. “Well, duh, of course! It all makes sense now! Count Anarchy sent me into some freaky parallel universe, where the me of this world did die at some trick that I-me did perfectly!"

"Parallel universes?, The you of this world?” Twilight speaks up. “So let me see if I've got this straight. You're another Rainbow Dash, from another world?"

Rainbow Dash nods in approval. Suddenly she starts fluctuating. The two of them look at each other, wondering what is happening. Twilight tries to touch Rainbow, but Twilight’s hoof goes right through Rainbow.

"It feels like I'm in some kind of tunnel and home is right on the other side... but I can't get any closer to it..." Rainbow speaks up.

When Rainbow stops fluctuating, Twilight starts to theorize. "It seems like some unknown force is trying to bring you back home, but it's just not strong enough to completely remove you from my world. Maybe, if you give it enough time, your problem may just fix itself."

Rainbow sighs in relief. "Well, as long as I'm here, I'm going to help you out with your problem, because there's no way I'm leaving any Equestria in the control of some Overlord creep!"

Twilight smiles. "Spoken like a true Rainbow Dash.” As the two start walking through the sewer tunnel, Twilight explains. “You know... it's kind of a coincidence... not too long after you--or my you--died, I found some books that spoke of worlds beyond ours, each with it's own duplicates of the inhabitants here. I tried to learn more about this subject, so I could find out if there really were other worlds out there, with other versions of all of us, and other versions of you.

“Sadly, before I could get more into the subject, the Overlord came and took over everything. We tried to stop him with the Elements of Harmony, but without our you, we failed.

“With nothing to stop him, all of Equestria soon fell under his control. He even made Princesses Celestia and Luna his slaves, forced them to use their powers to stick both the sun and the moon in a non-stop total solar eclipse, and used them to take control of all the Royal Guards, who then started capturing innocent ponies and forced them to toil away mining in the Crystal Caverns under Canterlot.

“Of course, some of the ponies had already lost all hope and harmony, so they decided to side with the Overlord so they wouldn't have to go to the crystal mines. They now work for him as his Enforcers.

“Those who were once close friends are now sworn enemies... but there was still a group of us who still remembered what it was like to have harmony and friendship, so we all banded together to forge 'The Resistance', to fight back for freedom and friendship.

“Unfortunately, we haven't been very successful in the winning department, and we have had many losses in the process."

Twilight then uses her magic to lift up her eyepatch and show Rainbow Dash what happened to her eye. Rainbow is absolutely disgusted and grossed out by what she sees. “Aah! Eewww! Put it back on!”

Putting her eyepatch back on, Twilight continues. "Yeah, that's just something that happens when you're fighting a losing war against an evil tyrant.”

They then continue walking until they reach a hidden door at the end of the tunnel. “Well, parallel world Rainbow Dash, welcome to Resistance Headquarters. Be warned, what you are about to see may shock and disturb you.”

Twilight then opens the door and the two walk in. Rainbow Dash looks around, seeing a lot of familiar (but not so familiar) faces. Applejack lost her front left leg and had to have it replaced with a peg leg. Rarity lost all the hair on both her mane and her tail, so she is always wearing a military-grade helmet on her head, so nopony sees her bald face (especially Rarity herself). Fluttershy was physically and psychologically scarred, so she has a few battle scars on her face. She has also seen things that nopony, especially Fluttershy, should have never seen in their life, making her a hard-boiled, tough as nails loose cannon who would rather blast something with a magic weapon first, then ask questions later. But she still means well sometimes.

The leader of the Resistance turns out to actually be Derpy Hooves. That’s right, Derpy. She is not the same old klutzy goofball we know and love, though. She is competent, hard-core, and has superb leadership skills.

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy notice Twilight and walk up to her. “Twilight!” Applejack speaks up.

“Did you bring the thing?” asks Rarity.

"Yes, and that's not all I brought." Twilight then steps back to show the others who she brought with her. The others drop their jaws on the floor, their eyes as big as dinner plates.

Rainbow looks at the others and feels saddened, not liking what she is seeing. Suddenly she hears a familiar voice calling for her. The others step aside so Scootaloo can walk towards Rainbow Dash and hug her. “Rainbow Dash, it’s you! It’s really you! I can’t believe it, you’re alive!”

Commander Hooves walks towards Rainbow Dash. “You’re right, I don’t believe it,” she says with a straight face. She then pulls out a rifle and aims it at Rainbow Dash. "Alright, who are you and what are you doing here?" Rainbow starts to sweatdrop.

Twilight steps in to explain everything to everypony. “Commander Hooves... everypony... this is Rainbow Dash. But she's not our Rainbow Dash. She's another Rainbow Dash, from another universe. She was banished here by a villain from her world before she and her world's friends could defeat him, and she's pretty much stranded here. So I brought her here so she could be safe from the Enforcers.”

Derpy crosses her eyes looking at Rainbow Dash, and calls for Gizmo so he can take a strand of hair from Rainbow Dash’s mane. He then uses one of her devices to examine it.

“Her story checks out,” he says.

“Well then Rainbow Dash, welcome to Resistance HQ,” Derpy says in a very serious tone.

"Wow... Derpy Hooves is a rebel leader…” says Rainbow. “Now I know I'm definitely in a parallel world."

Derpy then turns to Twilight. “Alright, enough horsing around. Twilight, give me the thing.”

Twilight then pulls out a device that contains the schematics of the Overlord’s fortress (Canterlot).

Rainbow looks around. “Hey, where are Pinkie and Spike?”

“Pinkie’s an Enforcer now,” Twilight explains. “As for Spike, well… he had another growth spurt and he’s now the Overlord’s watchdog, keeping anypony from escaping the crystal mines.”

“What happened to all of you?”

“War casualties,” they all say.

“In one such battle,” Fluttershy adds, “Tank sacrificed himself to save me.” She then walks over to a display case hanging from the wall, showing Tank’s shell all cracked up, glued together and put on display with a plaque that reads "Tank - A True and Loyal Friend To The Very End". Dash is heartbroken to learn that even this world's Tank is gone as well.

In the Resistance meeting room, where Derpy ordered a mandatory meeting, we see a holo-display of Canterlot. The members of the Resistance discuss among them how they can get past their defenses.

“Well,” Rainbow suggests, “this time you have a secret weapon. Something that the Over-dude won't be expecting.” She then takes one of the rebel's stolen magic weapons and adds “Me!"

“You know…” Derpy speaks up, “that may not be such a bad idea after all.”

“But we already lost one Rainbow Dash!”

“What will happen if we lose another one?”

Suddenly the door is burst open, the Enforcers right behind it.

"Freeze, this is a raid!"

"That tracer implanted in those schematics lead us right to Rebel HQ!"

The rebels then all scatter in panic. Rainbow grabs Derpy and they both try to escape together, while back to back fending off the Enforcers with their magic weapons.

"Wow, you are not like the Derpy Hooves I know," says Rainbow.

"And you're just like the Rainbow Dash I remember,” Derpy replies, “though you do seem a little less reckless than her."

Some time after, Rainbow and Derpy get separated. After going through some ordeals, Rainbow ends up alone in a standoff with a lone Enforcer.

“Back off buddy, I don’t wanna hurt ya!” Rainbow warns.

“Surrender in the name of the Overlord!” the Enforcer replies. She then steps into the light.

Rainbow then lowers her weapon, instantly recognizing the Enforcer in front of her. “Pinkie Pie?” Indeed, this Enforcer was none other than Pinkie Pie, but she had her depressed manedo and personality.

Pinkie lowers her weapon as well. She then speaks up in a surprised manner. "R-Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow comes closer to Pinkie. "Pinkie, you don't ha-" Before Rainbow could finish, Pinkie bonks her on the head with her weapon. This knocks Rainbow dizzy, with birds flying around her head. "Oooh, look at the pretty birdiiiies..." She then falls unconscious, the last thing she sees is Pinkie having hit her on the head and the birds flying round her head.

Rainbow slowly wakes up inside a prison cart heading to the Fortress, with Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy all hoof-cuffed together with long magical energy chains.

“Ooohhh… what’d I miss?”

“Glad to see you’re awake,” Fluttershy says in a rude manner.

Rainbow takes a look at what is going on. She then feels frustrated. “I can’t believe Pinkie betrayed me! And I can’t believe we’ve been arrested!”

After being pulled in past the gate, the five are forced out of the cart. Pinkie herself takes the five of them to be placed in the crystal mines. As they are walking, the five say mean things about Pinkie behind her back.

After pulling a corner into a weapon shed, Twilight speaks up. "Wait, weren't the crystal mines the other way?"

"Yeah, they were," Pinkie replies. She then takes out a remote control and deactivates the girls’ hoof-cuffs. As they look at her with confused looks, Pinkie continues. "I don't know how it's possible, but it's good to see all of you again."

Rainbow then gives Pinkie a hug while saying "Haha! Pinkie, I knew you weren't a traitor!"

Breaking up the hug, Pinkie replies. "Let's save the happy reunion for after we stop the Overlord."

The girls then load up on magic weapons and they head for the castle, taking on anything in their path. With the six of them all together they feel as though nothing can stop them now.

The group finally reaches the throne room, where they find Princesses Celestia and Luna hooked up to a device that runs off their powers, allowing the Overlord to keep control over the minds of the Royal Guard and Spike. They also see that the Elements of Harmony have been placed on display over his doorway like a bunch of trophies.

The girls finally meet up with the Overlord, and Rainbow Dash is horrified to see that the Overlord is actually a Wonderbolt colt named Rapidfire.

“Well, well, well… you girls actually have the guts to come to me,” he says.“I’ll give you props for that. But it’s too late! It was too late ever since Rainbow died.” Pause. “Oh, why didn’t I ever have the guts to ask her out?”

Rainbow finally understood everything. Rapidfire was in love with this world’s Rainbow Dash.

“But then she was gone. Then I became bitter, reckless, cold-hearted. Without Rainbow, there was nothing left to live for.” Insert evil grin here. “This made me the perfect candidate to wield the Nightmare Force, making me the next Nightmare Moon, as I like to call myself, the Overlord. And without somepony wielding all six of the Elements, there was nothing stopping me from taking over all of Equestria.”

Pause.

“Though… the last thing I was expecting was to see Rainbow Dash after all this time. But it doesn’t even matter now!” He turns to one of the guards, who was hidden from sight. “Get the intruders!” Suddenly from the ceiling Princess Luna’s Royal Guard comes attacking the girls.

“Bring it on!” Suddenly Rainbow starts fluctuating again. This makes it to where she can no longer hold her weapons because they just pass right through her. "Oh, not again! Not now!" Rainbow then tries to fight hoof to hoof, but she passes right through the guards, making it impossible for her to help, so Rainbow then just stands there helplessly as her friends are getting beaten because there are too many guards for them to take on by themselves. When the others fall to the floor unconscious, Rainbow stops fluctuating. "Oh great, now it stops!" Rainbow is now forced to take on the Overlord and his army unarmed and all by herself.

The Overlord approaches Rainbow. “How did you exactly come back to life, Rainbow Dash?” he asks.

“I’m a different Rainbow Dash, from a different universe.”

“Intriguing… well, since you don’t belong here, best to get rid of you here and now.”

"Do whatever you want, Overlord, but I won't back down!"

"How noble of you…” Making his eyes glow he continues. ”But ultimately futile!"

The Overlord then fires off his eye beams at Rainbow, but it gets blocked. When the beam clears up, we see that this world’s Element of Loyalty responded to Rainbow’s loyal spirit.

“What? The Element is reactivated? After all this time?” the Overlord says in a shocked tone.

The Element then attaches itself to Rainbow's neck, then the other Elements come flying around, then they attach themselves to the rest of the girls, who start rising up together with Rainbow.

The Overlord looks terrified as he speaks up. “What is happening?”

"Of course, why didn't I see it before?” Twilight speaks up. “In life or death, the Magic of Friendship will always exist, no matter what!" As the girls come together to activate the Rainbow of Light, Twilight continues. "Our Rainbow Dash may be gone, but her spirit lives on, in the hearts of her friends, family and other dimensional counterparts!" As the girls unleash the Rainbow of Light on the Overlord, Twilight finishes. "The Magic of Friendship is a force that binds us all together, a bond so strong not even death can break it!"

The room then gets consumed in a huge flash of light. Celestia and Luna absorb this light energy, then they direct it through the device they are hooked up to. This sends out a wave of light that traverses across the land, which makes Spike return to his normal self, all of the Royal Guard cleansed of the Overlord's influence and all of the Enforcers stop what they're doing as though they feel freed from the Overlord's tyrannical rule.

Back in the throne room, the girls are all lying on the floor. Rainbow gets up and asks the girls if they're alright. Then we see Twilight with her mane back to normal and her scar gone. Feeling something odd with her eyepatch, she takes it off. She then opens her eye, and it seems as good as new. "Hey, my eye, it's all better! I can see out of it again!"

Suddenly Applejack’s voice is heard. "Sweet Sassafras!" One look at her and we can see that her peg leg has been replaced with her real one like it grew back. "My leg is back!"

Rarity is then seen with her mane and tail grown back. "My mane! My tail!” she says. “Oh, I swear, I'll never get another mane-cut as long as I live!"

Fluttershy is then seen with all of her battle scars all cleared up. "I feel all warm, fuzzy and cuddly inside!"

Pinkie is then seen with her hair back to normal, and with her bubbly personality back as well. "I feel so happy I just want to celebrate with a party for all of my friends!"

"Now those are the girls I know and love!" Rainbow speaks up.

The Princesses then walk towards the girls. “My little ponies, congratulations on a job well done,” Celestia speaks up.

“Glad to see you’re alright, Princess,” Twilight speaks up.

“You girls have restored the light in all of our hearts,” Celestia adds. She then looks at the Overlord, who has changed back into Rapidfire. “Now if only somepony else could reopen his heart to the light.”

Rainbow removes the Element of Loyalty from her neck, sets it on the floor, then walks up to Rapidfire and says: “Rapidfire, listen: I know you feel bad that the me of your world is gone, but what you've been doing is just wrong, especially for a Wonderbolt.

“Look, sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing we can do to change them. But we can't just dwell on the past and let those events determine the rest of our lives. We all have to learn to let go of our past and move on with our lives, or we may not have any future to look forward to.

“You were a hero once, Rapid. And you still can be, if you're willing to put the past behind you and move on to help make a better future for everypony.”

Rapid then gets sad and starts crying. Hugging Rainbow he says "I'm sorry, it's just... I miss Rainbow Dash so much..."

"Then you will always miss her,” Celestia speaks up, “but she'll always be with you. As long as you keep the memories of her alive within your heart."

Celestia and Luna take to the skies, using their magic to move the sun and the moon, so Equestria can once again bathe in the warmth of the sunshine.

Rarity looks at the ruins of Ponyville and says "It used to be so beautiful..."

Twilight puts her hoof on Rarity's shoulder and says "And it can be once again."

Applejack bumps Rainbow and says "And we all have you to thank for that, parallel world R.D."

"Yeah, but... I just wish there was more I could've done for all of you," Rainbow says.

Celestia comes down and says "Oh, Rainbow Dash... you have already given us all the greatest gift imaginable. You gave us back our hope."

“And our future,” adds Luna.

“Well, I’m happy to know you're happy.”

Suddenly a black hole opens just a few feet above Rainbow's head. Everypony looks at it with confused looks. Rainbow slowly starts raising off the ground towards it.

"Huh, I guess I'm going home. For real this time."

"Awww... do you have to split now?” a disappointed Pinkie says. “We didn't even get to celebrate with a party yet!"

"Sorry, but my friends still need me to help them take down a foe even worse then the Overlord."

"I never thought I'd end up losing you twice," Rapidfire speaks up.

"Will this change anything?" asks Rainbow.

"For me, yes,” Rapid replies. “But not for the rest of Equestria."

"And just remember, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia speaks up, “even in the darkest, most grim of moments, there will always be hope."

"Now that's something I won't soon forgeeee-" Rainbow is sucked through the black hole real fast, which then seals shut.

We cut to the center of the park, where Twilight is giving a speech to unveil a few statues.

“We are gathered here today to honour two mares. They were great friends, sisters in both arms and spirit. The legacies they started will be remembered for generations to come. Applejack, if you please.”

Applejack pulls a rope to reveal two different statues, dedicated to both Rainbow Dashes, both of which have plaques on their pedestals. One of them says "Gone But Never Forgotten, Rainbow Dash" while the other one says "Our Hero, Parallel World Rainbow Dash".

Episode 4: Friendship is History

Author's Note

And I'm back. Been a while, hasn't it? I am a terrible writer, I procrastinate a lot. That is why I have not updated Port-Ed 2 in like forever. But now I'm back, and ready to roll.

Do bear with me if updates are slow, my dad promised me he would help me get my driver's license if I passed this semester, so obviously I gotta give it my all. Even if my colleagues won't cooperate with me. Seriously, I feel like I am the only one who does something.

Episode 4: Friendship is History

"I can take every single vun of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing each of you into separate universes!"

Our heroes all dig in their hooves, struggling to keep themselves from getting sucked into the black holes. Spike loses his footing and is caught in the suction, but he grabs onto Rarity's tail holding on as though his very life depended on it.

Anarchy places his hooves back on the ground and says "I hope you've all enjoyed living in this vorld...” He raises his front hooves and makes them glow while saying “...because it is the last time any of you vill ever see it…” He stomps his glowing hooves on the ground while saying “...AGAIN!"

"Girls, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but don't panic! We'll find a way out of this, for we still have the magic of friendship on our side!"

Zoom in on Rarity and Spike.

"Spike, whatever you do, don't let go!"

"Don't worry, Rarity, I'm hanging on tight!"

We cut to the middle of the Everfree Forest. A black hole suddenly appears a few feet above the ground. Rarity and Spike come falling out. “Whoa!” They then land on the ground as though they were thrown out of some place. “Oof!” The black hole then closes behind them, trapping them in this dimension.

They get up and examine their surroundings. “What are we doing in the Everfree Forest, Rarity?”

“I don't know, Spike, but we should get out of here right away.”

The two then proceed to walk towards somewhere close to an exit.

As Rarity and Spike are exploring the Everfree Forest, they suddenly hear a mare’s voice, followed by the roar of timberwolves. Thinking it odd, they split a set of bushes open to take a look. They see a young mare (who unbeknownst to them is a young Granny Smith) being chased by a pack of timberwolves.

“That pony is being chased by the timberwolves!” Spike speaks up. “We gotta help her!”

“I’ve got an idea,” Rarity pipes up. “Help me fire up a log and I’ll take care of the rest.”

As the timberwolves gang up on the chased girl, suddenly a fiery log floats right next to the wolves. Naturally, since the wolves are made of wood, they would have to be afraid of fire. So when they see the log, they stop dead in their tracks, turn around and hightail it out of there.

The mare then stops to look behind her and wonders what just happened, when Rarity and Spike walk into the scene, Rarity dropping the log she was levitating and Spike extinguishing the flames off of it.

“Are you okay, miss?” Spike asks.

“I’m fine… but why would an unicorn and a dragon help me?”

"Well... why not?” Rarity responds. “It was only the right thing to do.”

“Yeah, because that's what friends do for each other," Spike adds.

"Friends...? My, you are a pretty peculiar pair. But I'm still grateful for your help."

Rarity extends her hoof for the mare to shake. “I’m Rarity, and the dragon is Spike.”

“Pleased to meet you, Rarity and Spike,” the mare says as she shakes Rarity’s hoof. “My name is Maria Ann Smith.”

“What were you doing out here in the forest, Maria?” asks Rarity.

“I was here to gather more fruit for my family’s garden,” Maria responds. “What are you two doing here?”

“We’re kinda lost…” Spike responds. “We need a way out and a place to get some food.”

“Why won’t you come with me to the nearby town?” Maria suggests.

Rarity and Spike nod in approval. “That sounds like a great idea, Maria. Lead the way.”

Before she takes off, Maria takes out her hat and gives it to Rarity. “By the way, you might want to wear something to cover up that horn of yours. Where we’re going, folks don't trust unicorns.”

"Don't trust unicorns?" Rarity asks, confused.

"What kind of town doesn't like unicorns?" Spike speaks up.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound like a place I would like to live," Rarity responds.

The three then proceed to find a way out of the forest, but not before Spike voiced his opinion.

“Maria seems kinda familiar… but I can't quite put my claw on it.”

Back in the mainstream universe, Starswirl’s team is currently busy attempting to bring our heroes back. Zecora is seen using her mojo magic on each of the Elements, one at a time, trying to find each of the ponies by tracking them with their mojo hidden somewhere throughout the multiverse. As it turns out, this is what is causing our heroes to fluctuate between dimensions the first time in their adventures. When they started fluctuating, this meant Zecora had discovered just where they were.

Some of the other members of the team then examine the energy signature of each of the Elements to uncover the coordinates of each dimension the girls were in.

While that was going on, some of the other members of the team were constructing a machine, both equal parts magic and science, that they hope would bring the ponies back home.

And while all of this was going on, the Princess sisters were still worried about the ponies, but they had more urgent things to worry about, for Count Anarchy has opened wormholes in time and space that brought out armies of enemies from the past to re-attack Canterlot.

Their defenses were withering, so the Princesses had to go out and fight. They told the team to keep doing what they're doing while the Princesses defend Canterlot; the team accepts the Princesses’ orders and just keep working.

Back with Rarity and Spike, they and Maria had just left the Everfree Forest and reached the nearby town.

“Well, here we are.” Maria turned to the other two and continued. “Welcome to Ponyville.”

Rarity and Spike act appropriately freaked out. "Did you say... Ponyville?" Rarity asks Maria.

"Yep,” Maria confirms. “It is relatively new and it may not look like much now, but we're all hoping that someday, this quaint little town will become something big and wondrous, with all sorts of great things."

Spike then takes a deep breath and about to freak out, but Rarity grabs him, closes his mouth and asks Maria if she'll excuse them for a moment. Rushing over right behind a building right on the edge of the town, Rarity starts a private conversation with Spike.

"Egads Spike! If this is Ponyville and it's relatively new, then that means we've somehow traveled back in time, to the founding years of Ponyville!"

"Yeah, and now I know why Maria looks so familiar! She's Granny Smith, but a lot younger!"

"And if we are in the past, then anything we say or do here may change the future, for better or for worse!"

Suddenly the two of them start fluctuating at the same time. They look at each other, confused.

“Spike, what is going on?”

“You're asking me? I thought you knew!” Spike and Rarity touch each other and see that they go right through solid objects. “But what I do know is that I can see home… and it’s so far away…”

“Everything OK in there?” Maria is heard saying.

Suddenly Rarity and Spike stop fluctuating just in time. “Maybe somepony is trying to pull us back… we should give it some time.”

“Works for me!” The two then walk back towards Maria, Spike speaking up. “Everything’s fine, Maria!”

“Remember Spike, don't do or say anything that can change all of history,” Rarity whispers to Spike.

“Okay, got it, I’ll try not to draw attention to myself,” Spike whispers back.

As Maria shows them around town, Spike and Rarity try their best to fit in around the locals. They mess up a few times but overall nothing to raise suspicion.

Suddenly, bells are rung. These bells are the emergency alarm, meaning something bad is about to happen.

“What’s going on?” asks Rarity. She then sees that a swarm of creatures similar to gremlins wearing steampunk clothing are invading the town.

As they attack, Rarity pulls Spike to a nearby alley and says “Something’s not right here, Spike… I’ve read all about the history of Ponyville several times over. Not once does it mention anything about steampunk gremlins attacking the town during its founding years.”

“You know, Rarity,” Spike speaks up, “I’ve been thinking… remember what Count Anarchy said before he sent us through those black holes?” He then starts mimicking Anarchy as he continues. “‘I can take every single one of you and scatter you all throughout cross-time, banishing you into six separate universes’... so what if he didn’t send us into the past, but the past of a parallel world?”

“Yes… that would explain why the earth ponies of this Ponyville don’t like unicorns.”

“So that means that no matter what we do here, it wouldn’t affect our future, because this isn’t the world we ourselves belong to!”

“You’re right, Spike. Let’s go!” Rarity and Spike then go to help out the town against the steampunk gremlin invasion.

Soon enough the two of them meet up with Maria. They decide to come clear and tell her the whole truth.

"Maria, we haven't been completely honest with you,” says Rarity. “You see, we're not from around here, because we're actually from the future."

"From the future?" Maria asks in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, but from a parallel world," Spike butts in.

“A pair of what now?”

"You know: a different dimension, an alternate time-line, another universe, a 'what if' world?" Maria just stands there all silent and confused. "Uh... look, the point is we are from the future, but a different future. One that we are convinced that you yourself won't necessarily be living in when you get older."

"You see,” Rarity continues, “in the future we came from, earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi have all been friends for centuries, united under the Magic of Friendship. And the reason we know you so well is because in our future, you're known as Granny Smith, and Spike and I are best friends with your granddaughter."

"M-My granddaughter... does that mean... I'm going to be a grandmother…?"

The three suddenly duck from one of the gremlins’ attack.

"You can be if there's still a Ponyville in your future!" Spike reminds.

“Good point,” Maria agrees.

The small group keeps fending off the gremlin attack. Unfortunately, there are too many of them and the ponies are getting swarmed.

Rarity puts a determined face. “It’s magic time!” She then takes off her hat, exposing her horn. She then uses her magic to give the gremlins a real beatdown. The other earth ponies were shocked to find out that there was an unicorn among them

After some beat-em' up stuff, Rarity manages to drive the gremlin swarm out of town, and the last of them is seen running out of town with his butt on fire, courtesy of Spike. As the two of them turn around, the earth ponies capture them, and tie them up to wooden poles with ropes. A bucket was placed on Rarity’s forehead created out of Maginite, a special element that prevents her from using magic, and a fireproof bag was placed on Spike’s mouth so he can’t draw out firebreath. The earth ponies then take Rarity and Spike to town square to put them on trial.

Meanwhile, the gremlins decide that if the ponies want to play hard-ball, then it's time to unleash their secret weapon.

We then find Rarity and Spike having the poles they are tied to planted in the ground forcing them both to stand up straight, and they are placed before the townsponies on trial. Knowing absolutely nothing about unicorns at all, plus with increased hatred towards them, they are immediately found guilty. Firewood is placed on the stacks Rarity and Spike are in, being prepared to be burned alive. After all, to the townsponies, Rarity is considered a witch, and just being a witch is enough to burn you alive.

“I’m sorry…” Spike tells Rarity.

“None of this is your fault, Spiky-wikey.”

"No, I mean that since I'm fireproof I'll survive the flames, but you won't and for that I'm sorry."

"Oh... That's OK, Spike. After all, better one of us survives then neither of us."

But before the townsponies can have the chance to set the wood on fire, there is a huge BOOM right behind them. It turns out that the gremlins have returned with their secret weapon, a huge steam powered robot made of various metals including a Maginite shell, controlled by several gremlins inside it, moving around with wheels. (Turns out these steampunk gremlins are very good engineers. Wonder if they are good enough engineers to keep a sentry from being sapped.) As the robot rampages across town, it fires off cannonballs all over the place.

The townsponies run around in panic, leaving Rarity and Spike behind.

“Aren’t you forgetting somepony?” Rarity complains.

Suddenly the two find themselves free from the ropes. Looking behind them, they see Maria was currently untying their ropes. After they are free, Maria tells them to follow her.

Currently in a safe alley, Maria looks around to make sure there are no gremlins nearby. She then turns to Rarity and Spike and asks them "Please, I just have to know. Tell me more about my granddaughter. What is she like?"

Spike responds: "Well, she's actually a lot like you: strong, brave, loyal, honest, hard-working, persistent, has a hardy appe-"

"Let's just say,” Rarity interrupts, “that anypony would be very fortunate to have a friend like her, and any mare would be proud to have her as a granddaughter."

Suddenly the buildings around the three get blasted from a cannonball, just barely missing them. "Sadly, if Ponyville is destroyed, the chances of her ever being born in your future are slim to none," Rarity finishes.

"Well what are we just standing around here for? Let's stop that crazy thing so that my future granddaughter can have a future!"

As Maria heads out to fight the robot, Spike says "Wow... now I know where Applejack gets it from."

“Indeed. Now come on,” Rarity replies. Spike then hops on Rarity's back and they ride off to join Maria.

As the robot rampages across town, Rarity, Spike and Maria all work together to help the townsponies and battle the robot, using the Magic of Friendship to work in perfect harmony together. The robot, however, proves to be tougher than they thought, especially since its Maginite shell makes it immune to Rarity's magic and Spike's fire breath doesn't do much damage either.

As the three try to find a way to stop that thing, Rarity and Spike suddenly start fluctuating again. Maria asks them what is happening.

"Uh... it's a space and time travel thing...?" Spike replies.

Rarity suddenly has an idea. "One that we may be able to use to our advantage! Spike, get in that thing and dismantle it from the inside!" Rarity then levitates Spike up and throws him inside the robot.

Once inside, Spike stops fluctuating, while outside the robot Rarity stops fluctuating as well.

So Rarity and Maria try to avoid the robot’s attacks, while inside the robot Spike starts breathing fire on the gremlins controlling the robot, then uses his fire breath on the inner workings of the robot to overheat it. Naturally, being fire and lava-proof it doesn't bother Spike, but the gremlins can't stand the heat, and neither can the main steam powered engine, meaning that the robot will explode quickly. So the gremlins all evacuate the robot, and Spike comes out last. The gremlins and Spike all soon duck for cover, then Rarity comes along and places a force field dome around the robot. The robot then explodes, but Rarity's dome smothered the blast.

When the gremlins get up they wonder what happened to the big blast. Suddenly Rarity levitates the steampunk gremlin leader right up to her face, then says "Now you listen to me! This is your only warning! Get out of town and don't ever return again!"

"And if ya'll ever do come back,” adds Maria, “then we'll be burning ya'll at the stake. Ya got that?"

The gremlin leader nods and all of the gremlins leave Ponyville for good.

All the townsponies then come out cheering for the brave trio that stopped the gremlins. The mayor steps forward. “Listen,” she says to Rarity and Spike, “we want to apologize for how we treated you.”

“That’s OK, Mayor,” Spike speaks up.

“But our town did get destroyed in the meantime…”

"Ah that's OK,” Maria speaks up, “we can just rebuild it better than new now. It'll be a lot of hard work and it may take a while, but thanks to the two of ya'll we once again have a chance for a great and prosperous future.

“You know… there may be a thing to this ‘magic of friendship’ after all… I say we should all work together, earth pony, pegasus and unicorn alike, for a better future for everypony.” The others immediately agree.

Suddenly a black hole opens just a few feet above Rarity and Spike's heads. Everyone wonders what is happening when Rarity and Spike start raising above the ground.

"Hey, maybe this is thing is our way back home!" Spike concludes.

Maria disappointingly says "Really...? Must ya'll leave so soon?"

"I'm afraid we have to,” Rarity responds, “our friends back home need us, including your granddaughter."

"Well I can respect that,” Maria agrees. “Ya'll take good care of her, ya hear?"

"Oh we will. And don't worry, as long as you keep the magic of friendship in your heart, I'm sure you'll meet us again someday in your future."

"Yeah, like, another sixty years or somethiiiii-" Rarity and Spike are sucked through the black hole real fast, then the black hole seals shut.

Maria then reflects on Spike’s last words before he was sucked through the portal along with Rarity. "Sixty years, huh? Well, I guess some friendships really are worth the wait..."