A Better World

Two years later, a world away...

"I just don't get it. All the other changelings were willing to listen... why wouldn't she?"

"Maybe she's just an evil jerk." Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly, leaning back on her crystalline throne and resting her hooves on the map table.

Twilight shot Rainbow an annoyed look. "I think what Rainbow means to say is that it might take more time for Chrysalis to see the error of her ways. Unlike the other changelings, she's been evil for thousands of years. It's hard to break a mindset that you've had for that long."

"But Discord was also evil for a really long time." Starlight pointed out. Fluttershy looked away sadly and Starlight realized her mistake. "What I mean to say is, he's been around even longer than Chrysalis. If he can change his ways, why can't she? If I could just talk to her I could find a way to help her. I just know it."

Applejack had a skeptical expression on her face. "Well talkin' to her would mean findin her first." she pointed out.

"We've tried. The entire royal guard is still searching for her, but frankly she's powerful enough that if she doesn't want to be found, we won't find her." Twilight said. "We shouldn't have let her escape in the first place. I guess we were just so shocked by everything that happened that we weren't thinking very logically." Starlight looked down sadly.

"Starlight what's wrong? Why the sad face?" Pinkie asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah ah get the feeling this is bothering you more than you're letting on sugarcube." Applejack observed.

"It's just... you've managed to reform almost every single villain you've faced. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and..."

"And you." Spike finished, pushing himself up in his tiny throne.

Starlight nodded. "And me. Chrysalis was the first one I've ever tried to help like that and, well... I failed." she sighed. "Now she's lost her entire hive and she doesn't have a single friend to help her."

"So you see yourself in her." Rarity deduced. "I don't mean to be crass darling, but I see a vast difference between you and her. At least you were trying to help ponies before, if in the wrong way. You thought that cutie marks and talents interfered with friendship, so you tried to get rid of them. Noble, if deluded intentions. Chrysalis on the hoof... she's only obsessed with ruling Equestria and absorbing as much love as she can."

"I'm with Rarity on this one. Chrysalis only cares about herself and her own power." Rainbow agreed.

"What about you Twilight? Do you agree with them?" Starlight asked sadly.

"I-I don't know Starlight. Rarity has a point. Chrysalis claimed she was doing what she did to help her hive... but she could've been lying. Either way, the map's been quiet for a while, and we haven't faced any new villains yet. Chrysalis is the last real threat to Equestria, and we'll have to deal with her somehow."

"It'd be so much easier if we could stop these villains from popping up again and again." Rainbow sighed.

"Yeah totally!" Pinkie concurred. "Everypony would have waaay more time to party!" She jumped on the map and confetti somehow burst out of her mane.

Everypony chuckled as Pinkie grinned widely. "Hey, what's that beeping sound?" Starlight asked. Sure enough a distinct pinging sound reverberated throughout the room.

"I think it's the map." Fluttershy pointed a hoof at the glowing cutie map.

"Well you did say that map was quiet for a while. About time it gave us a mission if you ask me!" Rainbow grinned. Pinkie jumped off the table and everypony observed the map carefully. It flickered for a moment, and the six cutie marks of the Council of Friendship appeared. The map suddenly turned a deep red color and the cutie marks appeared over the Crystal Empire, then over Ponyville, then Canterlot.

"Hey what's it doing?" Pinkie asked. The cutie marks then did something they never had before. They turned a shade of black and began circling the entire table ominously. Everypony gasped in shock.

"Something must be wrong with it!" Twilight yelled. She channeled her magic, preparing a spell. Before she could cast it, the map flickered again and turned back to its normal light blue. The cutie marks turned back to their normal color and encircled a single building: Twilight's castle.

"Is it saying there's a friendship problem in the castle?" Spike asked.

"It can't be... unless there is. Is there?" Twilight looked around. Everypony shook their heads in response.

"Did you see how it turned red like that? And the cutie marks changed. Its never done anything like that before..." Rarity said nervously.

"It looked kinda scary." Fluttershy whimpered softly.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Why would our cutie marks circle the castle if we're already here?" The map began to glow with a blinding light, and a shimmering orb emerged from it. Twilight cautiously reached over to touch it, but before she could the orb zipped out the door leaving behind a glowing trail of light.

"It wants us to follow." Applejack guessed. Everypony (and dragon) followed the glowing trail out the door and into the hallway. The trail continued on twisting and turning through the large castle until it finally arrived at a destination.

"The library?" Twilight asked aloud as she pushed open the doors. "What could it want in here-" The map's intentions suddenly became abundantly clear. In the corner of the room, a large ornate mirror attached to complicated magical machinery was flashing with light.

"That's the mirror you use to go visit the human world right?" Starlight asked. Twilight nodded, looking warily at the glowing mirror. "I've always wondered what my human counterpart was like."

"So the friendship problem is in the human world then. No biggee, when you were there before dealt with the sirens and a crazy unicorn who wanted to take over the world!" Pinkie exclaimed. Starlight sighed. "Oh um no offense Starlight. Hey you know, you and Sunset Shimmer would actually get along pretty well! It's almost as if the writers made you a Sunset Shimmer 2.0!"

"Uh what do you mean the writers-" Applejack began but Rainbow cut her off.

"I've stopped asking."

"It can't be the human world." Twilight said worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

Twilight pointed a hoof. "Look, the portal isn't using Sunset Shimmer's two way diary for power. And, the portal's glowing red instead of purple like usual."

"Oh well, better get started then!" Pinkie said gleefully. She bounced toward the portal, but before she could jump in Twilight levitated her away.

"NO!" she yelled, more harshly than she meant to.

"What's wrong Twilight?" Fluttershy asked cautiously.

"Sorry I didn't mean to yell. Look you can't just go jumping into alternate dimensions like that. It's extremely dangerous." Twilight explained.

"Uh why? We went to that opposite universe without a problem, and you went to the human world three times." Rainbow pointed out.

"There's a reason I stopped researching alternate worlds a long time ago. Some of the worlds... they weren't pleasant. There are worlds made of fire that would destroy you as soon as you jumped out of the portal, there are worlds like Tartarus that serve as prisons for horrible monsters, but the one that made me stop my research was the worst of all. The opposite human world. It- it was a place I never want to see again. I took a memory potion to forget what I saw there, but I remember that it was an apocalyptic wasteland where friendship was nonexistent." Twilight saw her friends looking utterly aghast and immediately regretted her words. "All I'm saying is, the multiverse isn't a place to mess around with." she summarized bitterly.

"So are you saying we... opt out of a friendship mission?" Rarity asked.

"I don't know. The map has never sent us anyplace dangerous before, but then again its never sent us to another world before either." Twilight replied, still mulling it over.

"Ah say we go. The map wouldn't send us without a reason and its our duty to help anypony who's having a friendship problem." Applejack said.

"I'm with AJ. Plus a whole new world means a whole lot of adventure!" Rainbow grinned. Fluttershy meekly nodded her assent and Rarity smiled, nodding her agreement.

Pinkie bounced up and down in excitement. "Ooh I hope there's another Pinkie there! We could have double the fun if we planned a party together!"

Twilight shook her head. "Sorry Pinkie, but I think we're better off avoiding our duplicates if possible. Things might get pretty confusing otherwise."

"I should come too. More magic might come in handy if this world isn't exactly friendly." Starlight reasoned.

"And you never know when you might need your trusty assistant!" Spike added.

"I'd normally say yes, but it seems like the map only wanted us six to go. If we're trusting the map's judgement here, we ought to trust it completely." Twilight said regretfully.

"Oh." Spike muttered with disappointment.

"But you both still have a very important job regardless. If we don't come back or send some kind of message within 24 hours, write to Princess Celestia and get help immediately. You're our one lifeline if something happens." Twilight instructed. "Also, one of you should watch the mirror at all times. Unless it's us, be suspicious of anypony who comes out."

Starlight and Spike agreed reluctantly.

"Alright, everypony ready?" Twilight looked around.

"Ooh but shouldn't we pack first?" Rarity asked.

"Uh Rarity, it's a friendship mission not a vacation sugarcube." Applejack said rolling her eyes.

"Point taken dear." Rarity sighed. Twilight and her five friends gathered by the portal, with expressions ranging from excitement to terror.

"On three then." Twilight said. "One. Two. Three!" The six ponies jumped into the swirling red portal and disappeared in a flash.