When Technical Support is Too Helpful

Coughing, Dash felt her stomach turn upside down, vertigo and nausea crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. Her magenta eyes opened and stayed open, staring at the new scenery: the sky was a sickly crimson sea with black cresting clouds; a bleak, dry, landscape stretched out towards jagged mountains; all the grass had dried up and the wind picked up brown, depleted soil, tossing the dirt into the air. Her heart pounded against her chest, threatening to break free. She heard sounds behind her. When she turned to see the sounds, she did not expect to see humans crumpled haphazardly on the ground.

"What... what happened?" she heard a familiar voice escape from a female human with long lavender hair with pink highlights.

Dash quickly gave herself a look-over. Much to her horror she was not in her furry, blue pegasus body: she was pale and had two strange lumps protruding from her chest, had hands and fingers that extended from her arms like Grey, and she had on loose, tattered clothes. More groans and moans brought her conscious back to her unfortunate reality.

She recognized the several female bodies behind her as her friends and princesses by their hair. Princess Celestia was struggling to stand, her long, tetrad-colored hair flowing over her alabaster, slender shoulders. The Princess also wore the same tattered clothes.

Twilight groaned. Her brain pounded against her skull. She inhaled sharply, gasping at the new world she was in: an ominous red sky loomed above her, blotched with black clouds; no grass grew, all that remained was dust; and the towering, sharp mountains in the distance. She felt a strange energy hum around her and through the dirt. She stretched out her hands, only taking moments to reacquaint herself with her human body and wings. Wings? Lilac wings popped out of her back. Finding no horn on her forehead shocked her the most. How could she have wings but no horn?

"That was unexpected," she heard Grey comment beside her.

"An understatement if I ever heard one," Onyx joked.

She saw the two men standing to the right, observing their surroundings with somber expressions.

"This," Grey reached down to grab the rancid soil in his hand, "can only mean one thing."

A sudden, loud cry of anguish broke across the land. Everyone snapped their head at the mournful wail behind them to see Darqlon, with his right hand thrust into the soil and black wings draped across his back. He pulled up the chunk of earth into his hand, clenching his fist, crumbling the dirt, slowly rising to his feet. Fueled by rage and sorrow his eyes burned hotly.

"He," Darqlon rasped, his breathing ragged, "Will. Pay. HE WILL PAY!" he shouted with flared wings. His crimson eyes focused on Grey, "He  he needs to die  permanently." With that, Darqlon headed for the mountains with determined, vengeful steps.

"Shouldn't we stop 'im?" Applejack asked, dusting herself off.

"No. We are going to help him," Grey answered and added, "His soulmate, Næschwäā, is the Goddess of Nature. If the world is barren like this... that could only mean she is dead."

"What are we going to do?" Fluttershy squeaked, her turquoise eyes wide.

"Kill Mystin of course," Onyx stated matter-of-factly.

"This is all so new to us," Luna said, trying to adjust to her new body.

Grey was at her side, gently helping her up, "We will have plenty of time to inform you about the situation on the way to workshop," he smiled.

Kyllgorr sat up suddenly. The weight on his legs had been a petite girl with shoulder length red hair.

"Killy..." he heard her mumble in her sleep, a slight smile on her pink lips.

"Amy?" he cautiously placed his hand on the small of her back, his thumb and pinkie almost reaching her sides.

She yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she turned to the deep voice of her beloved, "What time is it?" Her amethyst eyes sparkled up at him.

"Now, don't panic," he began, "we are not in Equestria anymore and you aren't a pony."

"Oh, okay," she replied sleepily and laid her head back on his leg. The realization of his words suddenly dawned on her. She sat up and stared at her new hands in awe, a wide grin plastered on her face.

"I know it's a shock, but I will find a way to--" he was interrupted by a squeal and arms around his neck.

"Oh, Killy!" she shouted with glee, squeezing his neck, "This... this is a dream come true!" She held his surprised face in her hands and planted him with a passionate kiss.

"Get a room," Dash commented as she got to her wobbly feet. "Whoa!" she interjected as she fell. A hand on her back helped to steady her. She saw Onyx grin at her. Her face went scarlet, "Thanks..."

Onyx chuckled, his sapphire eyes smiling, "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it in no time."

"Y-yeah," she stammered.

Princess Celestia spoke up after situating herself, "Excuse me, Grey, do you know why we are here or what happened?"

"Not a clue," Grey admitted, "My sister just told me to use my obelisk and the universe will restart to the beginning."

Celestia was deep in thought, "As much as I am opposed to violence, killing this 'Mystin' should return us home?"

"Not sure," Onyx input, "But it sure as Hell would make me feel better."

Grey studied his bleak surroundings, "I doubt killing him will take you all back home and I further doubt that killing him would mean the end of the war."

"We just need to take things one step at a time," Luna reassured Grey with a smile and hug.

Heaven

Mystin sat on the corrupted gold throne of his father, sitting across from his father's daughter. A chessboard atop a low pedestal separated the siblings. He wore his regal purple cloak, shriveled gold crown, scepter, and sinister grin. Dèshū smoothed out her dress as she sat on her Bone Throne, her chin held up by her hand resting on the armrest, with a bored expression.

"Last game, honest," Mystin spoke.

Dèshū sighed and flipped a large pink curly pigtail in annoyance, "I have won the past 112 games, brudder."

"This time, how about we play for larger stakes?" Mystin offered with a sly smirk.

Her ruby eyes flashed as she leaned onto the chessboard, "I'm listening, brudder," she grinned.