Dead on Arrival

Angel ran through Twilight's portal, I have to get him! Who knows what danger could be in that thing we conjured up!? I screamed Angel's name as I flew as fast as I could through my friends and into the portal. "Fluttershy, stop!" Twilight yelled, but before I could heed her warning it was too late; I'd gone through the portal of shattered purple.

It was so dark I couldn't see anything, but I felt soft and cozy all around. As I came to my senses and bugged my eyes as open as I could, I realized that I was in a bed, and not my own. I shrank beneath the covers, shuddering in anxiety and shut my eyes again. I need to know if anypony -- or anything -- is in this bed with me to make sure. I felt around the bed with my hooves and felt something warm and squishy right beside me; It felt like a pony. Maybe it noticed me!

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry Mr..."

My squeaked apology ended in dread when my probing hooves finished their prodding, telling me that this pony didn't feel like any pony I've ever felt before. I shrunk under the covers in pure dread. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness slightly, just enough so that I could just barely make out that the thing in this bed was some kind of strange creature, one I've never met before.

I leaped out of this figure's bed, threw my side of the bed-sheets over, and hovered in the air to escape its senses, my mouth agape in horror. I could hardly make out its shape, but I was confident it was like nothing I've ever seen before. What if it can't understand my language? What if it tries to eat me? What if it has claws, and sharp teeth, and eats ponies on purpose!? And... And... And!

"Oh... Oh... Oh, my!" My imagination raced as I whispered my expression of fear. I brought my hooves up to my face and started reflexively gnawing at them.

I choked down a scream. I knew that if I made so much as a peep it'd wake up and- wait, I have to find Angel! Oh, who knows what trouble he could be in? I scanned the room intensely with my crippled eyes until I saw that he was sleeping on the floor in the corner; my question answered in a heartbeat.

"Aw, silly bunny. He must've gotten tired," I whispered sweetly, my eyes melting and mouth curling a smile at the adorable nature of him. He'd always get sleepy in dark spaces. It would always be a big problem whenever we had story night at the cottage, which was almost every night. We'd all sit down in a big circle right before bed and I'd read them my favourite bedtime stories as a filly. I couldn't get halfway through the first one before he started to nod off.

I flew towards him and picked up the tiny rabbit, sighing at the perfect memories I shared with him and the animals while hovering in the air. The grotesque monster temporarily left my mind, the empty space occupied by the sweet rabbit. As I lifted his head off the ground, using my other hoof to support his head like a baby, he didn't wake up. He must be more tired than I thought! I'll make sure he goes straight to bed after we get back to the cottage. Just to be extra cautious, I checked his pulse as I rocked him in my arms, I didn't know what to make of it when I found none.

"Wh-What?" I said as my conscious mind rejected my discovery, staring down at the bunny with blank thoughts of disbelief. Eventually my motherly instinct kicked in and this numb rejection quickly sprung into terror. My lower lip began to tremble, my eyes started watering, and a stone formed in my throat as this realization came to fruition. "That's not possible!" I cried softly in disbelief, staring at the limp ball of fur. I thought quickly on what I should do, yet this activity proved difficult while panicking. A few moments passed until I remembered that CPR class Twilight made us all take a few years ago. I didn't know the exact procedure anymore, but I think I remember a few things; it seems pretty straightforward.

I rested him softly onto the floor and began the quietest, most panicked CPR I could. "Angel! Angel! Please wake up! I know you're okay! Just please wake up!" I encouraged in my soft, whispered voice. I continued my chest compressions as hard as I could while hovering in the air, feeling several snaps beneath my panicking hooves that I ignored. Maybe if I pressed harder it'd word better? I kept pumping for a few minutes, tears of worry and devastation ran down my eyes and dripped off my muzzle, spattering on Angel's forehead. I kept pushing and trying until I finally came to my senses. Angel wasn't going to wake up. The reality crippled me with immeasurable sadness and devastation, it was hard to mute my gasps and sobs of depression to keep myself hidden as blood was subtly dripping from Angel's ears and nose.

"No, no, no..." I whimpered in tears. I heard the sound of blankets shifting around; the beast began to stir in its sleep, it was waking up, I know it. I must've been too loud! How could I have possibly forgotten about it!?

Tightness took hold of my chest; I could feel another one of my panic attacks coming on. Panting heavily, the anxiety, the panic, the death of someone I loved since his birth, it was all too much to bear. The pain began to spread to my right foreleg and grew in virulence. I gasped for air, and while my lungs were full, they still felt as empty as a vacuum. I started hyperventilating heavier than before, panicking, and flew around the room quickly in circles, scanning desperately for an escape, unintentionally making a racket of struggle with my panting and flapping. I still can't find a way out. The beast's lair was still too dark. It may as well be a mummy's tomb.

The more I flew the more exhausted I became, but my wings weren't sore at all; it was like I was catching the feather flu. I started sputtering to the floor, unable to find the strength to remain airborne. Wobbling to the ground like a gunned-down Sopwith Camel, I finally slammed my face on the ground with a loud thud and equally loud

"Umph!"

The terrible monster was stirring much harder now, it was probably dreaming of eating me! A black tunnel began congealing around the corners of my vision and slowly crept its way to the centre. I mustered all my strength to crawl my way back to the bed where I first entered this awful place, my world still spinning from the crash. Maybe the portal was behind the bed-sheets! I could get Twilight, she can help me! She always knows what to do when we're in trouble!

When I finally wriggled my way to the side of the bed, I reached out and clawed at the side of the mattress with my hooves, but it proved fruitless. Tugging the sheets off was also impossible with my hooves; I could hardly get a grip with these clumsy things. I tried to yank it with my teeth with some success, but not nearly enough to pull it off. I was too weak. "Oh, if only Twilight were here!" I whimpered in a panicked whisper, wobbling to my hooves at the side of the bed.

I was still dizzy from the fall. I had to lie down or I would certainly topple over and most certainly wake up the monster and let it do who knows what to me! I struggled to pull myself onto the bed from the floor, flapping my wings as fast as I could to help me up, seizing them up in the process. I mounted the bed, sat down, and began to claw at the sheets in desperation. I tried to break through them the old-fashioned way, but I probably couldn't make a dent in them while I was still in good health, let alone in my lethargic condition.

I quickly gave up my pipe-dream of breaking through the walls of fabric and lied down back on the bed where I came into this place, just in case Twilight or somepony else came to get me.

My skin shivered; I started feeling cold. I bundled myself up in the creature's blankets with my remaining strength, and waited for Twilight's rescue; it's all I can do. They know I'm weak and helpless! They're all I can hope for now...

The creature was skimming close to consciousness now. It rolled over and wrapped its arms and legs around me as if I were a stuffed animal. I squeaked in terror and my eyes shot open in pure dread, my body shivering like a madpony in fright. The boulder on my chest grew stronger in weight to an unbearable degree, the shooting pain in my right foreleg was pulsing with agony, and pure terror was gripping my very soul in it's long, shadowy fingers. My lungs were on fire, my muscles so weak I can hardly lift a hoof, my flesh freezing, and the tunnel of dizzying nothingness has almost reached its centre.

"Twilight. Angel," I pleaded with hot tears running down my muzzle. "Don't... Let... me..." I whimpered with barely a breath. I lost the strength to finish my plea. With what little muscles I could control left, I glanced at the wall across from me and noticed something on it; a poster. With what I could make out through the encroaching blurry darkness, I saw me and my friends, all piled on top of each other. I was in front, lying on my belly, smiling sweetly at myself.

      "How did it-" I thought to myself, my mouth was unable to move. Even my mind couldn't finish a thought.

      The tunnel finished its journey. I could only hear my own muffled gasps of fear and the creature's breath on my face before my whole world became darkness.

-----<(20 Minutes Earlier)>-----

Twilight and company were sitting in a circle in their respective crystal thrones around the Cutie Map with Starlight Glimmer in a cheap lawn chair seated next to Twilight's magnificent throne. Fluttershy brought her pet bunny to watch over him. After an incident with broken windows, Fluttershy felt that she couldn't trust him by himself. "Alright, does everypony remember why we're all here?" Asked Twilight Sparkle to everypony in attendance.

"Uh, no! It's like 4 in the morning, Twilight! Celestia hasn't even raised the sun, yet," Rainbow Dash said annoyed, hovering a few feet off the ground, forelegs in the air to accentuate her point.

Twilight ignored Rainbow's outburst and continued. "Well, if some of you somehow forgot to read the detailed dossiers I sent you all last night, I'll give the short version," she switched into lecture-mode, "I discovered a new hidden spell in the Canterlot library made by Starswirl the Bearded. After a bit of reading through the instructions, I discovered that it was a spell designed to create a portal to cross into different dimensions!" she explained in excitement and wonder, wings wide open and forelegs in the air.

"Why were you in Canterlot, anyway?" Asked the newest member of the friendship evangelizers, Starlight Glimmer.

"I was trying to find a spell so I could find even more perfect friendship lessons for you, my pupil!" Her eyes twinkled in excitement. "This is perfect! Infinite different realities all with potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of different friendship problems for us to solve as a group or one on one!" Twilight finished her answer with glee.

"Okay, but why didn't you tell us?" Starlight asked again.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, of course! Now I figured out that if we hit the Cutie Map with our Rainbow Power while I cast this spell, it'll cause a sort of Temporal Shift, tearing a rift between our dimension and another."

"Oh, um, Twilight?" Squeaked the soft-spoken Fluttershy.

"Yes, Fluttershy?" Twilight was eager to start the experiment, it was hard to hide.

"Are you sure it's safe? I mean, if you're okay with me asking, of course," She asked in her signature soft voice, coddling her rabbit softly, much to his chagrin.

"Of course not! Anything could be at the other side of that gateway! But that's okay, because I had Rarity design these safety suits for just such an occasion. Isn't that right, Rarity?" Twilight enthused optimistically. Everypony in attendance shifted their gaze at Rarity, curious as to what she had to say.

"Oh yes, dear. These will keep you quite safe from the grime and dirt of even the most unfavourable of conditions!" Rarity added while levitating 8 magnificently designed full body suits into the room.

Their fabric was an elegant pearl white acidic and ionizing radiation resistant industrial strength compound with magic insulation properties with a stunning clear plastic airtight face mask and simply beautiful industrial air filters and tanks mounted on the back. Plated with thin, light, yet tough matching white armour plating. Rarity always said 'white was just right'.

"Trust me darling, these magnificent beauties will undoubtedly keep you safe from any inter-dimensional harm! You have my word," Rarity said with comforting assurance.

"Oh, well that's a relief!" Fluttershy sighed with relief.

"Ok, everypony! Are we all ready?" Twilight openly asked.

"Wait, we're doing it now?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

"Fire up the Rainbow Power!"

The Elements of Harmony promptly levitated into the air, and in a great flash of light transformed into incredibly gaudy versions of themselves. With more tattoos than a rebellious filly and freaky, downright ridiculously long hairstyles with matching highlights, they concentrated intensely.

Starlight watched enviously in the corner.

With Twilight's eyes glowing a radiant white, great beams of light erupted from each of the elements in their respective colours, collecting into a magnificent sparkling rainbow that flowed in a circular pattern around the Cutie Map; eventually swirling into an upright oval shape in the centre. The Elements of Harmony faded in their brilliant light and slowly descended back down to the castle floor. The mane 6 laid spent on the ground and quickly morphed back into their normal forms. Twilight, still in a daze, rose to her hooves and quickly cast Starswirl's spell on the swirling rainbows before they could dissipate.

A lavender beam fired out of her purple protrusion and encased the rainbows in purple. The purpleness flooded into the circle of rainbows, creating a swirl of grape-cough-syrup purple, and effectively tore the multiverse a new purple one. The swirling dissipated. Leaving what looked like a pane of translucent glittery purple tinted glass surrounded by a multicoloured twisted-rainbow frame of steel levitating in the air.

"I could've done that." Starlight said to nopony in particular.

"Okay, gang! The portal is up and running and tests to scout this new plane of existence should begin whenever we're ready!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly, levitating everypony's custom made suit to their respective owners. A few early-birds flew in from the window, curious about the commotion, and perched themselves on the roots of the old Golden Oak Library on the ceiling.

"I dunno, Twi. Maybe it'd be better if we held off for a while, maybe wait until we know this here portal won't collapse on us while we're still adventurin' in there 'er somethin'?" Applejack warned with a concerned tone. Applejack's question and Twilight's response to how good of a question that was went unnoticed by Fluttershy. She noticed the avian group on Twilight's ceiling-roots and was busy comforting them, telling them that there was nothing to be afraid of from the commotion like she did all those years ago. She was feeling rather spacey after exerting herself from using Rainbow Power, anyway. She was always the least athletic.

"Ooh! I wonder if any of the ponies there like welcome parties?!" Pinkie Pie asked openly, brimming with excitement.

"We don't even know if there even are ponies there, and if there are I'll be sure to know everything I can about them!" Twilight responded with gusto.

----------

While everyone was busy circled around the portal with Flutters busy conversing with birds, her initial comforting words evolving into small talk, Pinkie lecturing Rarity on how 'spectacular' of a party she's going to throw the alternate universe dwellers, Twilight and Applejack being rather concerned as to the stability of the portal, Rainbow Dash expressing her concern of the security against inter-dimensional spies to Spike, and Starlight Glimmer getting lost in the castle again, Angel Bunny was cooking up an idea. A poorly thought out idea.

"Fluttershy would so freak out if I jumped in there!" The bratty rodent thought to himself. "She'd be so torn up looking for me. Hilarious! Then she'd feel so bad she'd never nag me ever again!" The child thought to himself.

He waited for the perfect opportunity when Fluttershy, totally enveloped in her conversation, loosened her cuddle on Angel. That's when he executed his escape. He shot Fluttershy a devious smile while she was busy talking to the ceiling, bounded out of her arms, and sprinted at his top speed, leaping headfirst into the portal beneath everypony's noses. He never expected the portal to be covered with a pane of solid glass. He didn't know about his aneurysm either.

He jumped through the glittery pane and into another dimension, his brain balloon bursting and squashing his brain with a spray of blood and a mighty

CRASH!, killing him. Unbeknownst to Fluttershy.

"ANGEEEEEL!" Fluttershy cried, reaching her hooves at the portal and abruptly ending her conversation. She flared her wings flew at top speed across the room, knocking a few of her friends off balance in a mad dash to follow Angel into the portal.

"Fluttershy, stop!" screamed Twilight, noticing the portal destabilizing already. The rainbow steel was splitting back into its photon form and quickly eroding into nothingness. It was too late. Fluttershy jumped through the remaining shards of glitter glass and into the portal after Angel. The rainbow gateway collapsed with a loud metallic crunch behind her, its remains dissipating into nothing.

The remaining 6 just stood in shock, staring at the air she left behind her.