A Better World

Feeling slowly came back to Twilight's body as she began to regain consciousness. A painful throbbing sensation pounded in her head... the after-effects of a powerful stunning spell, Twilight realized. She opened her eyes and immediately bright, glaring light flooded into her vision. Blinking away the rest of her drowsiness, Twilight saw large metal bars in front of her. A cell of some kind? She tried to channel her magic into a melting spell to cut through them, but found it somehow suppressed. She strained and groaned, sweat rolling down her face as she desperately focused on the spell.

"Woah easy there sugarcube." a voice said behind her. Twilight turned around and found Applejack and the rest of her friends sitting behind her in the cell, looking bored.

"I already tried magic dear. Seems they've put some kind of dampening spell on us." Rarity sighed. She carefully used a comb to smooth out her rather frizzy mane.

The events of the past few hours suddenly replayed themselves in Twilight's mind. Some of them she didn't want to think about. "W-what happened to all of you?" Twilight asked.

"After your brother took you away-" Rainbow began.

"He's not my brother. My brother would never..." Twilight couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Her friends nodded, seeming to understand. Rainbow continued, "After he took you away, we decided that if this place was anything like our world's Crystal Empire, then there would be archives somewhere. Applejack said we ought to do... research." Rainbow said the word with distaste.

"What we found... it wasn't good. Show her Pinkie." Applejack said dejectedly. Pinkie pulled out several newspapers from her mane, that somehow seemed to fit in there without falling out. Twilight looked at them closely, reading the bolded headlines.

Tirek publicly executed in Canterlot. Umbrum AKA Shadow Ponies exterminated, Crystal Empire holds national holiday. Former King Sombra destroyed, Princess Twilight Sparkle disavows rumors of dark magic used against him. Changeling hives successfully destroyed, Captain Shining Armor: "I won't rest until every last one of them is gone after what they did."

The smaller articles weren't much better. Princess Rarity passes new insolvency reform, "Those unable to give to society through taxes will instead help build a better Equestria through manual labor." Princess Fluttershy declares pet ownership illegal, "Animals should either be free in the wild or in the professional, loving care of our government. It's just for the best that our citizens do what's right for their pets and give them up."

Rarity sighed. "It appears that our counterparts aren't very nice ponies."

"That's the understatement of the year." Pinkie said as her mane deflated sadly.

"But I don't understand. Why would they do all this?" Twilight wondered.

They heard a loud sigh from the darkened cell next to them. "The day this world went wrong, was the day Equestria lost it's leader wise and strong."

"Z-zecora?" Twilight asked cautiously. The zebra stepped out of the shadows in her cell and nodded. Zecora looked solemn and weary. Tufts of her striped coat had fallen out, and her mane was messy and unkempt.

Applejack looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you in here?"

"Our Twilight forces Harmony upon us like a curse, and like many I choose to rebel, for better or worse. Celestia's death drove her mad... and what she has become now is quite sad. But I gather in your world this is not the case, so why have you come to this place?"

"Wait you know we aren't from this world?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The spirits tell me many things, and unlike your counterparts, three of you have no wings." Zecora pointed to Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. "I was here on mission to help the changelings escape persecution, but the guards captured me in retribution."

"I- I still don't understand how we could do these things. Forcing ponies into slavery in the name of generosity? That's just downright evil!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Perhaps my friends can better explain, how this world went so insane." Zecora suggested.

"Your friends? But uh, there's nopony else with you." Fluttershy said meekly.

Zecora laughed. "Do not think me a loon, but I am sure we will be out of here quite soon."

"What do you-" Twilight was cut off as a huge explosion shook the building. The cell was quickly filled with dust and smoke, causing everypony to go into a coughing fit.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!"

Waving away the smoke, Zecora sighed. "I told her to be sneaky, but I suppose for her that would be too easy." Alarms began blaring throughout the prison as dozens of guards stormed in.

"Halt! You're under arrest!" a yellow pegasus guard yelled.

"When someone tries to block, show them that you ROCK!" the smoke parted and an enormous minotaur slammed the entire group of guards out of the way.

"Iron Will?" Fluttershy whispered.

The minotaur turned around and glared at them. "It's YOU!" he snorted, preparing to charge them.

"Stop!" Trixie commanded. Iron Will shot her a confused look. "With her amazingly powerful and dazzling magical abilities, Trixie senses that these aren't the ponies you think they are Iron Will. But... Trixie does wish to know who you are?"

"Magical abilities my hoof! Pretty obvious we ain't alicorns... cept' Twilight." Applejack said indignantly.

"A clone of Applejack? Please. Who are you to question the magic of the great and powerful Trixie?!" Trixie stood up theatrically.

Iron Will busted open Zecora's cell, and she nodded her thanks. "There will be time for introductions later, but we must leave before our problems become greater. For now Trixie, these ponies are on our side, they might be just what we need to turn the tide."

"Stop right there." Twilight turned her head and saw pseudo-Shining standing a few feet away with his horn lit.

Trixie levitated a small capsule from her satchel and smashed it on the ground. Smoke instantly filled the prison, blocking Shining from view. "That ought to buy us some time!" Trixie exclaimed proudly. They ran out of the prison, using the hole Iron Will had smashed in the wall. More alarms blared around them as the Empire went into lockdown. Twilight saw guards running towards them from all directions, levitating deadly spears and swords. She tried to channel her magic, but still felt it dampened.

A small blast of magic crackled from Trixie's horn, and suddenly the crystal ground beneath the guards turned to ice. They began slipping and crashing into each other haphazardly. Twilight and the others took the opportunity and ran past them. As they ran, Twilight slowly felt her magic coming back to her, like warmth spreading throughout her body. Iron Will pushed aside the panicking crystal ponies, yelling things like, "If you're in my way, I'll make you pay!"

The rhyming was really starting to hurt Twilight's head. She felt herself crash into Trixie who had stopped for some reason. Twilight looked up, and saw an angry looking Cadence... no make that pseudo-Cadence, blocking their path with several royal guards behind her. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, lighting her horn. Trixie sent a blast of magic at the crystal ground again, but Cadence caught the magic with her horn and sent it flying back. The pink magic blasted Trixie back a few feet, leaving her dazed. She looked at Twilight and scoffed, "Did these troublemakers bring you here Twilight? Maybe they haven't told you the whole truth then."

"I know enough. You're not the Cadence I know and love." Twilight said, looking up at the other princess defiantly.

"I am Twilight, really. Shining and I... we just do we just do what has to be done, that's all."

"And that's what I'm doing now!" Twilight charged up her horn, fighting the dampening spell's remaining hold on her magic.

Cadence's eyes widened. "H-how are you...? Twilight if you'd just listen, you'd understand! We're the good guys! We finally brought Harmony to Equestria!"

"Go to Tartarus!" Twilight unleashed a massive blast of magic, sending Cadence and her guards flying.

"Twi that was... amazing!" Applejack had an awed expression on her face.

"Awesome!" Rainbow agreed.

"Not just awesome, it was FABULONGOSHOOMARVELISHLYWONDERPIPICAL!" Pinkie said in one breath.

"Er girls..." Rarity pointed behind them. Shining Armor and dozens more guards were galloping toward them.

"We must leave soon, or we will not just be dealing with Shining Armor and his goons." Zecora said darkly.

"You don't mean-" Iron Will shivered.

Zecora nodded. "Cadence already called her allies. To confront the six Princesses now would be most unwise."

"What do we do what do we do?!" Fluttershy fretted, covering her eyes with her forehooves.

"Never fear! The great and powerful Trixie has a plan!" Trixie exclaimed, dusting herself off from her fall.

"That'd be a first." Applejack whispered to Twilight.

Trixie levitated a small blanket from her satchel.

"Iron Will is confused. How does a tiny blanket help us to escape?"

Trixie tapped the blanket twice with her hoof, and in a burst of blinding magic, it transformed into a large, red carpet, floating a few inches above the ground. "Behold! The unbelievable, awe striking magic of Trixie!"

"Compactable flying carpet, made in Saddle Arabia." Rainbow read off the bottom of the carpet.

"Oh um, don't mind that. Everypony get on!" Trixie said, waving the group onto the giant carpet. Twilight stumbled onto the carpet, as nausea began to overwhelm her. The strain of fighting the dampening spell had taxed her strength greatly.

"Twilight are you okay dear?" Rarity asked.

"I..." was all Twilight managed before her weakened state overtook her. Twilight felt her eyes droop closed and her consciousness start to fade. A rush of cool air streamed past her as the carpet began to rise. As Twilight drifted away, she felt like a feather, floating peacefully in darkness.