The Hardest Fight...by MellowSoulChaptersMariaWhen Death Falls...Victims and Offenders...Twofold ResistanceDarkness Surrounds...Gray Skies Fall...To A Close...Then Days Later...Turning PointMariaTwilight remembered all too clearly how this began six years ago. It was a warm day in Ponyville. The sun was beating down on the residents with its welcoming glow. She just assumed it would be a normal day. Looking back on it, she wish it had been. On that day, she received a note from her assistant, Spike. It was an urgent request from the princess of the sun, Celestia. Twilight's presence was needed for an emergency meeting between the two. Not another soul was to hear of it. Without hesitation, Twilight packed her satchel and prepared to fly to Canterlot. "Take care of the castle while I'm gone." "I've got you covered." Twilight rushed out the doors and took to the air. "I feel uneasy..." "You've arrived." "What's the trouble?" "I sense a very disturbing energy through the mirror portal. It's far more ominous than anything we've ever encountered before. The very feeling made me sick to my core." "You mean...From that world?" "I don't think it's the same place you've been before. The world you described on your previous journeys never felt like this." "Another location?" "It seems likely. I need you to investigate. I have no idea how far whatever's happening there could reach. We must attempt to put an end to it." "I won't have my magic. How will i defend myself?" "We will send you with a spear. It should remain intact through the transition." "What's the danger level?" "We think it's code black." "The death level..." "I'm afraid so. I'm not going to lie, Twilight Sparkle, you may not make it back. Are you prepared to give your life to defend Equestria?" "I have been for a long time." "We'll notify your friends and family of the situation. Please, use extreme caution." "Roger." "I must inform you, if you don't make it back, we will have no other choice but to commence operation heavenly storm." "Heavenly storm?" "If one of our operatives is killed in another world, the only solution to ensure the safety of our home is to destroy that world completely." "I see." "If possible, find warriors to join forces with. It will be a lot easier if you join their defense units." "Understood." "i wish you luck." December 31st, 2000 When Twilight made her way to the other world, the sky was covered in dark, sad-looking clouds, though the leaves of the forest she found herself in obscured the sky to an extent. While gathering her bearings, she noticed something extremely odd. "My form didn't change?" While examining the lack of transformation that had occurred, she felt something wet drop on her head. "Rain...?" it was indeed raining. When the princess said this world was dangerous, she expected something more chaotic. What lay before Twilight now was a quiet gloom. "This is like something out of a horror novel. I don't like this..." She looked around for a moment before deciding on a course of action. "Shelter is a priority. I'd better get out of here." After making her way to what appeared to be a concrete road, Twilight quickly scouted the area. "It looks like I'll have to travel a little farther." When Twilight was about to leave, she detected a noise coming from the opposite direction of the road. Upon inspection, she realized someone was coming. It was a young woman. Twilight wasn't sure what to do. She ultimately decided to try to make contact. "Hey!" The woman ignored her and eventually began walking past her. "What's going on? Can she not see me?" While Twilight was trying to wrap her head around the strange place she now found herself in, the woman suddenly collapsed on the ground. "Uh oh! What do i do!? Think, Twilight, think!" After some time had passed, she remembered something. "Wait, maybe I can still perform a healing spell!" Twilight quickly galloped over to the woman. A light green glow emanated from her horn. "Please, work!" The woman began to open her eyes. Beyond the long, black strands of hair that covered them, she could see something; a purple figure standing over her. "Am I...Dead...?" "No, but you were unconscious for a while." "So...You're real?" "Flesh and blood, just like you." "What...What are you?" "My name is Twilight; Twilight Sparkle. I'm an Alicorn from the planet Equestria. I was sent here to investigate a catastrophe that's been affecting this world." "That's putting it mildly." "You seem to be taking this pretty well." "My whole life fell apart in a matter of hours last night. I can believe anything at this point." "Can you tell me what happened?" The woman began to rise to her feet. "Do you have clowns in your world?" "Clowns? I don't think so." "They were originally meant to entertain people. At some point, companies started producing creepy clown masks for Halloween. Last night, there were massive clown raids all over the country. A lot of people got killed." "Halloween? Is that like Nightmare Night?" "Sounds close enough." "So members of your species kill each other on this planet?" "Yeah. Since you asked, I'm assuming they don't on yours." Twilight shook her head in response. "Hallucination or not, I wish I had what you have." "Can you tell me what world I'm on?" "Earth." "So this is Earth..." "What?" "Never mind. Can you tell me where we are." "The outskirts of my hometown, Americus. We're in the United States right now; specifically the state of Georgia." "What's the date?" "It's the 31st of December in the year 2000. What date are you from?" "August 25th, 1400215." "You were sent into the past?" "It looks that way." "I think i get what's going on now." "Explain it to me, because I'm lost." "Have you ever heard of multiverse theory?" "Yeah, actually. There are virtually infinite universes, right?" "I think so." "What's that have to do with me?" "Because of how much farther in the future you are, it's possible that humans used to exist in your world too, but they died off, and your species evolved to become the dominant one." "The theory of evolution..." "Exactly." "What I said a minute ago; I've been to Earth before, but this is a different universe. That would explain your skin color and clothing." "That makes sense. So now what do we do?" "I need to get back to Equestria. This is vital information for my mission." "By the way, what race are you supposed to be anyway? You said you were an Alicorn, but I'm assuming not everyone on your planet looks the same." "You're right. We're an evolved pony species with magical abilities." "I should've known by the bodily structure. We have ponies here, but they don't look like you." "Interesting. I'll have to study them sometime." "I noticed that you're carrying a weapon." "You know what spears are?" The woman nodded. "I have to get going. We're in deeper trouble than I thought. I'll probably be back soon." "Take care." Twilight began to walk off, but she remembered something that made her stop. "I never asked you your name." "It's Maria; Maria Drake." "Drake like in dragon?" "How did you know?" "My best friend is a dragon. He's like a younger brother to me." "Neat." "What are you going to do, Maria?" "Whatever I can to stay alive." "I'll try to find you when I come back. I think we need to stick together." "I agree." "Goodbye." With that, Twilight returned to the forest to find the portal. "You made it back," the princess stated gleefully. "I haven't encountered the threat yet. I need to submit a report now. What I found out could change our entire future. I'll need to go back first thing tomorrow." "But the portal will be closed by then." "I don't think I'll need it." "What?" "Read the report and you'll understand everything, princess." "...Very well." The guards escorted Twilight to her quarters for the evening. The real nightmare was about to begin. When Death Falls...The next morning, Twilight awoke with a sickly feeling in her stomach. The emotions from yesterday's events had stuck with her all through the night. After getting out of bed, she went to the main hall where the princess was waiting for her. "I read your report. This Maria character seems very troubled, but trustworthy nonetheless. At the very least, she didn't immediately attack you. It seems we learned a lot about the mirror as well. We might have never known multiverse theory existed at all if it wasn't for her." "We would have sooner or later. If what she said about the theory of evolution is true, we will continue growing in intelligence and magical prowess until Equestria can no longer support our species, and even then, we may figure out how to carry on elsewhere." "Are you ready to go back?" Twilight nodded. "I find it very odd that your form didn't change, but still, we can use that to our advantage. If you encounter these so-called clowns, you can cast a protection spell." "Right." "Be careful. From what you described, the situation on Earth is extremely dire." "Copy that." Twilight ended the conversation and teleported to Earth. "Her grasp of tactics rivals that of our own guards. I underestimated her abilities..." January 1st, 2001 "I need to figure out what happened. Before I search for Maria, I have to go to Americus." Twilight looked to the sky. "No point in trying to fly in this weather..." After finding the path Maria had originally traveled from, Twilight walked for what seemed like hours. She reached an area crowded with buildings some time later. "This must be it. These structures don't look like anything back home." She stopped when a familiar smell hit her nose. "Oh no..." Twilight started teleporting from building to building. Sure enough, there were bodies everywhere. The blood was dry, indicating that they had been deceased for a decent amount of time. Twilight remembered something else. "There was no blood on Maria, and her clothes didn't smell freshly washed or excessively sweaty. She was telling the truth..." Upon this epiphany, she quickly began to track down her earthly partner. She teleported back to the path where she'd performed the healing spell. From there, she was able to track Maria's movements. With the residual magical energy from the spell still on Maria, she was able to teleport to the area where the dark-haired woman now resided. When Twilight materialized, she found herself in a small room. She could hear water running. "I guess she's taking a shower. I should probably wait here." After a little while, Maria emerged from the bathroom in her normal clothes. "You're here. I guess you weren't a hallucination after all." "I went to Americus." "Did you see them; the corpses?" "...Yeah..." "It's not easy. I know." "I suspected you were lying yesterday, but after seeing the carnage, I figured out you were actually telling the truth." "I don't blame you. Nobody would believe something like this could happen until it does." "What's your role in all this?" "If there's a functional police department, I turn the clowns in, but if there's not...Well..." Maria pulled out two objects; one from each hoodie pocket. "I recognize the knife, but what's that other thing?" "It's a firearm. I can shoot from a long distance with it. I've been studying a little bit of martial arts since last night too." "You have martial arts here?" "Why? Do you?" "Yes. We also have bows and arrows." "So do we. Modern weapons are more convenient to carry though." "So our weapons are outdated here..." "Kind of, but they're still handy if you don't have anything else on hand." "What kind of martial art are you studying?" "Krav Maga. It's a fighting style developed by the Israel Defense Forces. It's one of the best martial arts styles for someone of my body type." "Israel Defense Forces!?" "Yeah. What's the matter?" "I was told by an elder princess to join any warriors I could find here." "I don't know how well that will work." "Why?" "The Israel Defense Forces were created to protect the country of Israel from other countries that would threaten it. The clown issue has nothing to do with politics, religion, or economics as far as I know. None of the survivors are sure why it's happening." "Were there others who made it out of Americus?" "No. I was the only one." "Where are we now?" "The next town over. I didn't stop to look at the name. Don't bother looking for anyone else, though. This place is just as deserted as Americus." "No survivors here either?" "Not one." "What are we going to do?" "You should go home. It's not safe here." "But I thought you said we should stick together?" "So you could get the information you needed." "It's too late. I'm already in this for the long haul." "Are you sure? There's still a chance to turn back." "Not for me. I have to protect this place to ensure a better future for ponies everywhere." "If that's what you feel is right, I won't stop you, but just know it won't be an easy road." "I knew the moment I entered this world. It's up to us now." "Okay. You've made your choice." Maria put the knife back in her pocket and cocked her gun. "It's time to move on from here." "Alright." Maria removed the object that was holding the door closed, and her and Twilight left. Neither of them knew how long of a night it would really be... Victims and Offenders...Maria and Twilight were slowly walking through the town. There was a sense of fear that was undeniable. "Before we leave this town, there's somewhere we need to go," Maria stated. "Where?" "The library." "What do we need there?" "The internet is still running, and there are books on constructing communication devices. I think it's possible we can stay in touch across dimensions, and I need to learn how to further modify my weapon." "You can make your firearm more powerful?" "Yeah. If I make a few adjustments, I can increase the accuracy and impact." "How do you know all this stuff, anyway?" "I played a lot of horror games." "You learned how to survive from games?" "It's not really that hard. I just took notes on things that the characters could've done better. Nothing guarantees survival in these situations, but it helps to know a few things." "Were you expecting something like this to happen?" "No. I just have a tendency to think realistically." "I have to say, I'm impressed. You're more prepared for a crisis than anyone I've ever met." "I think you've got a decent amount of bases covered yourself, but you're forgetting one important aspect." "What's that?" "Food and water. You can't fight on an empty stomach." "That's a good point." They continued walking on for a while in silence, then, Twilight asked a serious question. "What happened to you?" "What do you mean?" "Why are you going through this alone?" "...My brother was killed the night before I left town. I was the only person the clowns left behind. I'm not sure why. My best guess is, they were in a rush. They were going after everyone too quickly, and the group that invaded our home didn't check upstairs. I had to bury him the next morning." "I'm sorry..." "Don't be. We couldn't have stopped them." "What was your brother's name?" "Brandon." "Hopefully he's in a better pla-" "Sh!" Maria silenced Twilight. She began whispering. "Someone's close. We need to find cover." They quickly ran behind a brick building. "Cover your eyes, Twilight. I don't want you to see what might happen." "Don't worry about me. I already saw, remember?" "Right. Just stay close to me, then." "Okay." "I'm moving in. I'll signal you if it's not a threat." "I'll cast a protection spell. It should keep me safe from any weapons they have." "Good plan. Watch out for me." "I will." Maria left from behind the building and slowly made her to the other individual. Unfortunately, it was, in fact, a clown. "I'm only going to warn you once! Don't come any closer, or I'll have no choice but to shoot!" The clown continued moving towards her, and Maria responded by holding her weapon steady. "So be it." Maria fired, and the clown fell dead to the ground. Once whoever behind the mask was deceased, she lowered the gun and returned to Twilight's location, and Twilight end the spell. "That was my first kill...I was hoping it wouldn't turn out like this..." "Don't be too hard on yourself...You told them what would happen..." "...Let's go. I need to leave before I vomit." "Mm." Half an hour after the incident, they reached the library. It didn't take long to find what they were looking for. Twilight borrowed several books about satellites, radio towers, and radio devices. "You said we would need some kind of suit to breathe in space, right?" "They're special suits made of nylon tricot, spandex, and urethane-coated nylon. You're also gonna' need an oxygen tank. It's probably better if you study those books first so you know what you're doing when you get up there." "What about your weapon?" "I mostly just have to realign a few small parts and adjust the tightness of some springs." "You said the radio devices I should make are portable ones, right?" "Mhm, that way you can carry it with you so we can stay in contact almost anywhere. Be careful, though. Forests can block out the signals, so it won't work there." "I should probably get home now. The sooner we get this stuff ready, the better off we'll be." "True, but how are you gonna' get back?" "I teleported here. I can get back that way." "Better get to it then." "How long will it take to craft everything?" "If you pay close enough attention, I think it should only take about two or three weeks. Those books should tell you the measurements and materials for the parts you need. I think they can be found in your universe." "Will you be alright until I come back?" "I haven't been alright for the last couple days, but I'll manage." "Take care of yourself." "Will do." Twilight teleported back to Equestria with the books. "My goodness, Twilight! You look exhausted! Are you alright!?" "Not really, but right now we have work to do, princess." "If you're feeling unwell, you should rest." "I can't. Maria's depending on all of us." "At least eat something. You skipped breakfast this morning." "Okay. I'll eat, then we need to get in contact with the best engineers we can find." "Engineers? Whatever for?" "We think we found a way to keep in touch when I'm not there." "I see. Very well. I will grant your request." "Thank you." Twilight left the main hall and had lunch. She couldn't stop thinking about the horrible sight that was permanently ingrained in her mind. So much death, and all for what? But now was not the time to dwell on it. She had a mission to accomplish, and she was going to see it through to the end, no matter what. Twofold ResistanceAugust 25th, 2002 "Can you hear me, Twilight," Maria asked over her radio. "Just fine." "Good. I'm on my way to Israel on a boat." "Were there any clowns?" "A few, but I managed to sneak past them." "How long do you think it will take to master your training there?" "I'm not really sure, but hopefully it'll be complete by September next year." "I can't believe it all went global..." "...Yeah..." "You probably know this already, but it won't be easy to get there." "I know. They're everywhere on Earth now." "Is it still raining?" "Hasn't stopped once since the day I left home." "Hopefully Israel will be sunnier." "Maybe." "Good luck. Get in touch with me when you can." "Roger. Tell the little guy I said hi." "I will." "Over and out." Darkness Surrounds...Spetember 24th, 2003 "Did you bring the medical supplies," Twilight asked. "Everything's in this bag." "You said we were in Tokyo now, right?" Maria nodded. "I've been hearing something. it sounds like it's coming from under the ground." "Probably a basement in a nearby building." Maria cocked her gun. "We'll leave the bag in the front once we get inside. Stay close to me." "Understood." When Twilight and Maria reached their destination, they hardened their resolve and quietly opened the door. Maria aimed her weapon as a precaution. "There could be unexpected occupations," she said quietly, "Be on guard." Her and Twilight quickly yet stealthily made their way to the basement door where the sound was apparently originating from." "Does it sound like there are any hostages?" "No." "Alright. Let's move in." Maria kicked the door in and ran downstairs. An army of clowns surrounded her. "Freeze!" "Aw, look! It's an American girl! She's onto us! We should surrender," one of them said sarcastically. The rest of them laughed. "This isn't funny! You've been slaughtering innocent people, and I'm here to put a stop to it!" "We're one of the biggest groups in Japan. What makes you think you can stop us with that little thing of yours?" "Give up now or you'll find out." "Nah, we don't feel like it." "I warned you." Maria fired and hit the clown in the arm. He grabbed the limb in pain. "Grr! Get her boys!!!" All of the clowns started running towards Maria at once. She made her way back upstairs. "Twilight, now!" Without any further instruction, Twilight fired a beam that incinerated every clown on the stairs. Maria began shooting while she continued firing. After a few minutes, only the clown that had smarted off to Maria remained. He began to make his way up to where his opponents were standing. "Any closer and your heart will match your personality," Maria stated coldly. "So tell me, are the united states government or the police involved?" "What difference does it make?" "You can't beat us alone, no matter how hard you try. Even your freaky friend there will eventually be worn down." Maria lowered her firearm. "Now you're starting to get it. We're unstoppable." "You're wrong." "Oh? How is that?" "Tokyo is one of the world's most well-known cities, right? That means all we have to do is liberate the larger cities and it will boost everyone's morale. They'll fight with us." "They're frightened and weak. they won't lift a finger to help you." "We'll see in the end." "Yes we will." The clown began laughing. "I'm not gonna' kill you. Go tell the others what you witnessed tonight. See how many of them are willing to show their faces." The clown continued laughing as Twilight and Maria walked away. "I'm so tired...," Maria stated "At least we weren't injured." "Yeah..." "What's in the medicinal water anyway?" "It's my own anti-bacterial brew. I mixed some Isopropyl alcohol with hydrogen peroxide and purified holy water. It works pretty well." "That's right; you said you believed in a higher power. That's why you always wear that thing around your neck, right?" "Mhm. It's a silver cross necklace." "We don't really have religion back in Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the closest ponies we have to higher beings." "What about you?" "I'm close to your age, so I don't really know as much as them." "Are you immortal?" "That's a good question. I never thought to ask." "Maybe you should find out. It's important to know how much time you have to learn and pass on what you know." "That's true." "Anyway, I think you should go home. I'm sure your brothers are worried about you." "Right. I'll see you soon." Twilight teleported back to Equestria. A light, lonely breeze began to blow... Gray Skies Fall...May 10th, 2004 The bible refers to hell as a lake of fire, but for Maria, the foreboding clouds and sad winds of Antarctica suggested otherwise. This was the type of feeling she'd experienced many times over throughout her life, and this was how she wanted to confront it; alone. She hadn't even said a word about this task to Twilight. The scratch on her hand from a previous clown encounter was rough on her skin. As she wrapped her arms around herself for extra warmth, only two things were on her mind; securing Antarctica as the last safe place on Earth and her long-deceased brother, Brandon... "I'm really concerned, Spike. I haven't heard anything from Maria since the radio call after our last mission." "You can't expect a lot of talking from someone dealing with murderers everyday." "She'd usually call me up every now and then, though. Something's wrong. I feel it in my bones. It makes me think of him." "You mean that spooky stallion always hanging around Scootaloo?" "Yeah; Harmonic." "I can't believe it's been over three years since all that stuff went down." "Maria and Harmonic seem to be cut from a similar cloth. I guess pain is inescapable in any universe." "Hey, why don't you have him meet her?" "I get the feeling he's got enough on his shoulders." "What other options are there?" "...I'll go." "Do you think you can help if something's going on?" "I know enough to at least try." "So you're going?" "Yeah." "Be careful." "Don't worry. I'll be fine." Twilight teleported to Earth. "Why are you here? This isn't your fight." "Why would you come here without saying anything to me!? This is one of the worst places someone in your state of mind can be!" "How would you know?" "Because there's someone in my world that's a lot like you!" "!?" "I knew you weren't okay from the day I met you! The clothes, the hair; those were all dead giveaways!" "Kind of small things to consider, don't you think?" "Okay, so how about the fact you haven't raised your voice to me once!" "..." "See! I know the signs! I may rely a lot on logic, but I'm not blind!" "I wasn't thinking clearly, okay?" Twilight took a breath to calm down. "I already knew that." "I tried to stay calm, but goddammit, I wanted to give up." "Why," Twilight demanded to know "I lost my brother and murdered people in the name of justice. Many of them were just kids who got involved with a bad crowd. Some of them were probably threatened." "There was no other way." "How can we know that for sure?" "Through the process of elimination. Reasoning with them didn't work, and you couldn't turn them in. That only left one option." "Kill or be killed..." "Exactly." "It still weighs down on me everyday." "How many years has it been since the first kill?" "About three and a half. Why?" "You made it this far, right? Why give up now?" "Why not?" "I'll tell you why not. In the last year, you've freed a lot of major cities from their control. You're one step closer to being done fighting." "I don't think I'll ever be done." "I do." "Why put so much faith in me?" "Because I want the same thing." "You don't have to fight with me." "I don't mean for me. I mean for you. I don't want you to be a killer anymore either. It's a very disheartening path to follow." "...You're right. It's time we change the future." "Yeah." "Come on. Let's end this so you can go home." Twilight nodded. When Twilight returned to her castle, she received a note from spike. She had been summoned by princess Celestia. "I felt a dramatic shift in the other realm," the princess stated, "What's happening over there?" "It's Maria. She's made the choice to see this through to the end, and so have I." "You can't possibly mean...?" "Yes. We're ending this war." "!?" Twilight's face formed into a determined smile. Everyone's path was set, and the pieces were in place. Soon, the death and despair would all come crashing to a close. To A Close...December 31st, 2006 (the final year...) "This is it..." "North Carolina...," Twilight finished. "We should check if the satellite dish is still operational." The duo began walking in unison. "So this is where it all started." "Yep." "Six years of terror. Hard to believe it's finally almost over." "I know." "I think I know why the portal sent me here now." "Why's that?" "We were supposed to guide each other." "I guess that makes sense. I mean, you've never really experienced murder before, and without you, I probably would've been killed." "It's a shame we had to meet like this." "It couldn't be helped. Until the portal told your superior, you had no idea this universe even existed." "True." "What i don't understand is why you were sent here instead of a universe on the verge of nuclear warfare or something." "I couldn't stop something like that." "I'm pretty sure this isn't the only universe with something horrible you could stop though." "Maybe it was fate." Maria gripped the cross around her neck. "Maybe..." At that moment, the rain that had persisted for so many years finally ceased. "How does it look," Twilight asked. "It's working. Now it's time for the last stop." Twilight gave a devilish smile. "Wanna' make a run for it?" Maria looked at the Alicorn's face and smiled back. She leaped of the dish, grabbed her gun, and they both started running. Twilight eventually spread her wings and flew beside Maria. Their spirits were rising. It was as though the angels of heaven had joined the fight. Maria and Twilight ran and flew without stopping. Once they reached a news station, they didn't stop or hesitate out of fear. They ran right through the door. It was dark, but there was enough light from the windows to see. There wasn't a clown to be found. They arrived at the broadcasting room and came to a halt. "Find the lights." "On it." Twilight found a switch. When she flipped it, it illuminated the room. "Good. There's a camera across from the desk. We can go live using that." "You should probably get behind the desk." "Right." Twilight examined the camera for a moment. She found the power button and pressed it. "I'm setting it to broadcast. I'll signal you when it's ready." "Roger." After a moment, Twilight raised her hoof, signaling they were live. Maria began speaking . "None of you probably know who I am. My name is Maria Drake. Six years ago, my brother Brandon was killed in the middle of the night. Much like those of you watching now, I checked the news for information. When I found out about the clowns, I didn't leave immediately. I stayed at home until the sun came up. When I was sure everything was quiet, I buried my brother and made my escape. I was the only survivor I know of who made it out of the city I lived in. Ever since, I've been hunting them down. I never found who killed my brother, but I wasn't seeking revenge. I wanted justice. Over the last three years, I've been to many places around the world. With the aid of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous, I've liberated the largest cities on Earth. Now it's time for you to fight back. The threat has been reduced to a containable level. Find every remaining authority figure you can and finish what i started. There won't be anymore killing on my part. I did everything I could. Now it's up to you." Twilight ended the broadcast. "Do you think it worked?" "I don't know." "Is what you said true? You're going to stop killing?" Maria nodded. "Mm." "What are you going to do with that," Twilight asked pointing to the gun. In response, Maria chucked it as hard as she could, the returned her attention to Twilight. "Go home. Our job is done. Don't come back." "Are you mad at me?" "Trust me. It's for your own good." "But we never found out what caused all this." "I did." "What!?" "I crossed every possibility off except one. It was a global psychotic break. The stress of everyday life created an army of humans who would kill indiscriminately. The clown costumes were just picked out to try to look scary. I don't know or care how well it worked. I should've seen this coming." "How could you have known?" "Human beings are the only creatures on Earth who feel hate. We have to actively choose to avoid that feeling, or we'll be driven to do horrible things. That's why I want you to leave." "But I'll never see you again. I don't believe humans are as bad as you think." "..." "Fine. I'll leave. I guess this is farewell." Twilight teleported back home. "Welcome back, Twilight," Celestia greeted her, "were you successful in your mission?" "Yeah...It's over..." "Are you feeling okay? You don't look well." "I'm just a little...Tired..." Without warning, Twilight collapsed, and the world went dark. Then Days Later...May 10th, 2010 Twilight was walking along the grassy path of path of Ponyville. She was unaccompanied by a single being other than herself. After waking up in the hospital over three years prior, she remembered the radio beneath her wing. In a fit of anger, she smashed it, effectively cutting off her communication with Maria. She questioned everyday whether that was the right decision, and wondered if it's what Maria wanted. After several hours of walking, she returned home. Meanwhile, on Earth... Maria was sitting on the porch of her Oregon home. After the events from the end of 2006, she move to the coldest place in the United States she could find. She began a career as a heavy metal musician. Unlike most, she recorded in complete isolation and never played live. After failing to contact Twilight, she discontinued all thought processes relating to her former partner. She couldn't blame Twilight for not wanting to talk to her, and deep down, she didn't want her to. Keeping the pony race away from universes like this was the best option for everyone. Maybe if humans ever evolved to a certain point, they could coexist, but as of now, only fear and destruction would follow from any attempt at a union. "You wanted to see me princess?" "Yes. It's time you made a decision. What do we do with the portal?" "...Lock it up and throw away the key." "Are you sure? You'll never see your friend again." "I thought about it long and hard. This is what she wanted in the end, I think." "Why would she want that?" "She looked at us as an innocent race. I think she didn't want us to become killers like them." "I see..." "Throw that portal into the darkest hole you can find. No one should ever get their hooves on it again." "What will you do?" "I'm tired of fighting. I'm going home..." Twilight walked off, gradually growing smaller in the distance. A cold wind blew across her face after she exited the castle. She would never see the light of day the same way again. In the end, this was one long, drawn-out tragedy, but she came out stronger and more mentally fit than ever for it. A new phase of life was beginning, and she would become the ultimate hero of Equestria; guardian Twilight Sparkle. Turning PointDecember 1st, 2005 It's been over a year since Maria faced her demons in Antarctica. After eliminating the clowns that had overtaken the continent, she returned to the United States. Her and Twilight were currently investigating the events from Maria's hometown, Americus. "Do you hear that?" "No. What is it?" "It sounds like someone's in that store over there." "Are you sure?" Twilight nodded. "Any clowns?" "I'm not sure. I just hear breathing and footsteps." "Okay. You know the drill." Maria readied her weapon just in case. They quickly made their way to the occupied location. Maria opened the door ever so slowly. Twilight used her horn to illuminate the building. "Hold it!" A figure dropped what it was holding and held its hands in the air. "Wait! Don't shoot," a male voice said. "Wait a minute; you're just a kid?" "Yeah! My name's James!" "Why are you here?" "I've been looking for a safe city for three months! I was hungry, so I broke in! I'm sorry!" "It's okay, James. Just calm down. My name's Maria. We're here to rescue you." "What the heck is that thing!?" "Rude...," Twilight replied. "It's a long story. Let's just get you out of here and somewhere safe, alright?" "Where can we go!?" "I can get my hands on one of the abandoned cars around here. If we can make it to Texas, you should be safe there." "But Maria, what about finding the truth here," Twilight asked. "This is more important. Besides, I know enough. Americus was one of the earliest cities that was attacked." "We should probably move, then. Sticking around here is risky." "Seriously." Maria left the store with a canister of gas. She returned a few minutes later in a red mustang. "Hop in." "What do I do with these strap things," Twilight asked once she was in the car. "Pull the belt across you. It'll click into the buckle receptacle on the other side." "Oh, okay. Earth technology is so strange." "Are you guys government operatives or something?" "More like vigilantes," Maria responded to James' question. "James, when we get to Texas, don't tell anyone about me," Twilight commanded, "We have enough problems as it is." "I understand. I don't think anyone would believe me anyway." Maria started driving. "Do you have any family we need to find first," she inquired. "They're all dead..." "..." "..." Maria drove on, eventually leaving the city. The sky cried tears of grief as it had done for so many days before. Every last person was ready for this nightmare to be over once and for all...
MariaTwilight remembered all too clearly how this began six years ago. It was a warm day in Ponyville. The sun was beating down on the residents with its welcoming glow. She just assumed it would be a normal day. Looking back on it, she wish it had been. On that day, she received a note from her assistant, Spike. It was an urgent request from the princess of the sun, Celestia. Twilight's presence was needed for an emergency meeting between the two. Not another soul was to hear of it. Without hesitation, Twilight packed her satchel and prepared to fly to Canterlot. "Take care of the castle while I'm gone." "I've got you covered." Twilight rushed out the doors and took to the air. "I feel uneasy..." "You've arrived." "What's the trouble?" "I sense a very disturbing energy through the mirror portal. It's far more ominous than anything we've ever encountered before. The very feeling made me sick to my core." "You mean...From that world?" "I don't think it's the same place you've been before. The world you described on your previous journeys never felt like this." "Another location?" "It seems likely. I need you to investigate. I have no idea how far whatever's happening there could reach. We must attempt to put an end to it." "I won't have my magic. How will i defend myself?" "We will send you with a spear. It should remain intact through the transition." "What's the danger level?" "We think it's code black." "The death level..." "I'm afraid so. I'm not going to lie, Twilight Sparkle, you may not make it back. Are you prepared to give your life to defend Equestria?" "I have been for a long time." "We'll notify your friends and family of the situation. Please, use extreme caution." "Roger." "I must inform you, if you don't make it back, we will have no other choice but to commence operation heavenly storm." "Heavenly storm?" "If one of our operatives is killed in another world, the only solution to ensure the safety of our home is to destroy that world completely." "I see." "If possible, find warriors to join forces with. It will be a lot easier if you join their defense units." "Understood." "i wish you luck." December 31st, 2000 When Twilight made her way to the other world, the sky was covered in dark, sad-looking clouds, though the leaves of the forest she found herself in obscured the sky to an extent. While gathering her bearings, she noticed something extremely odd. "My form didn't change?" While examining the lack of transformation that had occurred, she felt something wet drop on her head. "Rain...?" it was indeed raining. When the princess said this world was dangerous, she expected something more chaotic. What lay before Twilight now was a quiet gloom. "This is like something out of a horror novel. I don't like this..." She looked around for a moment before deciding on a course of action. "Shelter is a priority. I'd better get out of here." After making her way to what appeared to be a concrete road, Twilight quickly scouted the area. "It looks like I'll have to travel a little farther." When Twilight was about to leave, she detected a noise coming from the opposite direction of the road. Upon inspection, she realized someone was coming. It was a young woman. Twilight wasn't sure what to do. She ultimately decided to try to make contact. "Hey!" The woman ignored her and eventually began walking past her. "What's going on? Can she not see me?" While Twilight was trying to wrap her head around the strange place she now found herself in, the woman suddenly collapsed on the ground. "Uh oh! What do i do!? Think, Twilight, think!" After some time had passed, she remembered something. "Wait, maybe I can still perform a healing spell!" Twilight quickly galloped over to the woman. A light green glow emanated from her horn. "Please, work!" The woman began to open her eyes. Beyond the long, black strands of hair that covered them, she could see something; a purple figure standing over her. "Am I...Dead...?" "No, but you were unconscious for a while." "So...You're real?" "Flesh and blood, just like you." "What...What are you?" "My name is Twilight; Twilight Sparkle. I'm an Alicorn from the planet Equestria. I was sent here to investigate a catastrophe that's been affecting this world." "That's putting it mildly." "You seem to be taking this pretty well." "My whole life fell apart in a matter of hours last night. I can believe anything at this point." "Can you tell me what happened?" The woman began to rise to her feet. "Do you have clowns in your world?" "Clowns? I don't think so." "They were originally meant to entertain people. At some point, companies started producing creepy clown masks for Halloween. Last night, there were massive clown raids all over the country. A lot of people got killed." "Halloween? Is that like Nightmare Night?" "Sounds close enough." "So members of your species kill each other on this planet?" "Yeah. Since you asked, I'm assuming they don't on yours." Twilight shook her head in response. "Hallucination or not, I wish I had what you have." "Can you tell me what world I'm on?" "Earth." "So this is Earth..." "What?" "Never mind. Can you tell me where we are." "The outskirts of my hometown, Americus. We're in the United States right now; specifically the state of Georgia." "What's the date?" "It's the 31st of December in the year 2000. What date are you from?" "August 25th, 1400215." "You were sent into the past?" "It looks that way." "I think i get what's going on now." "Explain it to me, because I'm lost." "Have you ever heard of multiverse theory?" "Yeah, actually. There are virtually infinite universes, right?" "I think so." "What's that have to do with me?" "Because of how much farther in the future you are, it's possible that humans used to exist in your world too, but they died off, and your species evolved to become the dominant one." "The theory of evolution..." "Exactly." "What I said a minute ago; I've been to Earth before, but this is a different universe. That would explain your skin color and clothing." "That makes sense. So now what do we do?" "I need to get back to Equestria. This is vital information for my mission." "By the way, what race are you supposed to be anyway? You said you were an Alicorn, but I'm assuming not everyone on your planet looks the same." "You're right. We're an evolved pony species with magical abilities." "I should've known by the bodily structure. We have ponies here, but they don't look like you." "Interesting. I'll have to study them sometime." "I noticed that you're carrying a weapon." "You know what spears are?" The woman nodded. "I have to get going. We're in deeper trouble than I thought. I'll probably be back soon." "Take care." Twilight began to walk off, but she remembered something that made her stop. "I never asked you your name." "It's Maria; Maria Drake." "Drake like in dragon?" "How did you know?" "My best friend is a dragon. He's like a younger brother to me." "Neat." "What are you going to do, Maria?" "Whatever I can to stay alive." "I'll try to find you when I come back. I think we need to stick together." "I agree." "Goodbye." With that, Twilight returned to the forest to find the portal. "You made it back," the princess stated gleefully. "I haven't encountered the threat yet. I need to submit a report now. What I found out could change our entire future. I'll need to go back first thing tomorrow." "But the portal will be closed by then." "I don't think I'll need it." "What?" "Read the report and you'll understand everything, princess." "...Very well." The guards escorted Twilight to her quarters for the evening. The real nightmare was about to begin.
When Death Falls...The next morning, Twilight awoke with a sickly feeling in her stomach. The emotions from yesterday's events had stuck with her all through the night. After getting out of bed, she went to the main hall where the princess was waiting for her. "I read your report. This Maria character seems very troubled, but trustworthy nonetheless. At the very least, she didn't immediately attack you. It seems we learned a lot about the mirror as well. We might have never known multiverse theory existed at all if it wasn't for her." "We would have sooner or later. If what she said about the theory of evolution is true, we will continue growing in intelligence and magical prowess until Equestria can no longer support our species, and even then, we may figure out how to carry on elsewhere." "Are you ready to go back?" Twilight nodded. "I find it very odd that your form didn't change, but still, we can use that to our advantage. If you encounter these so-called clowns, you can cast a protection spell." "Right." "Be careful. From what you described, the situation on Earth is extremely dire." "Copy that." Twilight ended the conversation and teleported to Earth. "Her grasp of tactics rivals that of our own guards. I underestimated her abilities..." January 1st, 2001 "I need to figure out what happened. Before I search for Maria, I have to go to Americus." Twilight looked to the sky. "No point in trying to fly in this weather..." After finding the path Maria had originally traveled from, Twilight walked for what seemed like hours. She reached an area crowded with buildings some time later. "This must be it. These structures don't look like anything back home." She stopped when a familiar smell hit her nose. "Oh no..." Twilight started teleporting from building to building. Sure enough, there were bodies everywhere. The blood was dry, indicating that they had been deceased for a decent amount of time. Twilight remembered something else. "There was no blood on Maria, and her clothes didn't smell freshly washed or excessively sweaty. She was telling the truth..." Upon this epiphany, she quickly began to track down her earthly partner. She teleported back to the path where she'd performed the healing spell. From there, she was able to track Maria's movements. With the residual magical energy from the spell still on Maria, she was able to teleport to the area where the dark-haired woman now resided. When Twilight materialized, she found herself in a small room. She could hear water running. "I guess she's taking a shower. I should probably wait here." After a little while, Maria emerged from the bathroom in her normal clothes. "You're here. I guess you weren't a hallucination after all." "I went to Americus." "Did you see them; the corpses?" "...Yeah..." "It's not easy. I know." "I suspected you were lying yesterday, but after seeing the carnage, I figured out you were actually telling the truth." "I don't blame you. Nobody would believe something like this could happen until it does." "What's your role in all this?" "If there's a functional police department, I turn the clowns in, but if there's not...Well..." Maria pulled out two objects; one from each hoodie pocket. "I recognize the knife, but what's that other thing?" "It's a firearm. I can shoot from a long distance with it. I've been studying a little bit of martial arts since last night too." "You have martial arts here?" "Why? Do you?" "Yes. We also have bows and arrows." "So do we. Modern weapons are more convenient to carry though." "So our weapons are outdated here..." "Kind of, but they're still handy if you don't have anything else on hand." "What kind of martial art are you studying?" "Krav Maga. It's a fighting style developed by the Israel Defense Forces. It's one of the best martial arts styles for someone of my body type." "Israel Defense Forces!?" "Yeah. What's the matter?" "I was told by an elder princess to join any warriors I could find here." "I don't know how well that will work." "Why?" "The Israel Defense Forces were created to protect the country of Israel from other countries that would threaten it. The clown issue has nothing to do with politics, religion, or economics as far as I know. None of the survivors are sure why it's happening." "Were there others who made it out of Americus?" "No. I was the only one." "Where are we now?" "The next town over. I didn't stop to look at the name. Don't bother looking for anyone else, though. This place is just as deserted as Americus." "No survivors here either?" "Not one." "What are we going to do?" "You should go home. It's not safe here." "But I thought you said we should stick together?" "So you could get the information you needed." "It's too late. I'm already in this for the long haul." "Are you sure? There's still a chance to turn back." "Not for me. I have to protect this place to ensure a better future for ponies everywhere." "If that's what you feel is right, I won't stop you, but just know it won't be an easy road." "I knew the moment I entered this world. It's up to us now." "Okay. You've made your choice." Maria put the knife back in her pocket and cocked her gun. "It's time to move on from here." "Alright." Maria removed the object that was holding the door closed, and her and Twilight left. Neither of them knew how long of a night it would really be...
Victims and Offenders...Maria and Twilight were slowly walking through the town. There was a sense of fear that was undeniable. "Before we leave this town, there's somewhere we need to go," Maria stated. "Where?" "The library." "What do we need there?" "The internet is still running, and there are books on constructing communication devices. I think it's possible we can stay in touch across dimensions, and I need to learn how to further modify my weapon." "You can make your firearm more powerful?" "Yeah. If I make a few adjustments, I can increase the accuracy and impact." "How do you know all this stuff, anyway?" "I played a lot of horror games." "You learned how to survive from games?" "It's not really that hard. I just took notes on things that the characters could've done better. Nothing guarantees survival in these situations, but it helps to know a few things." "Were you expecting something like this to happen?" "No. I just have a tendency to think realistically." "I have to say, I'm impressed. You're more prepared for a crisis than anyone I've ever met." "I think you've got a decent amount of bases covered yourself, but you're forgetting one important aspect." "What's that?" "Food and water. You can't fight on an empty stomach." "That's a good point." They continued walking on for a while in silence, then, Twilight asked a serious question. "What happened to you?" "What do you mean?" "Why are you going through this alone?" "...My brother was killed the night before I left town. I was the only person the clowns left behind. I'm not sure why. My best guess is, they were in a rush. They were going after everyone too quickly, and the group that invaded our home didn't check upstairs. I had to bury him the next morning." "I'm sorry..." "Don't be. We couldn't have stopped them." "What was your brother's name?" "Brandon." "Hopefully he's in a better pla-" "Sh!" Maria silenced Twilight. She began whispering. "Someone's close. We need to find cover." They quickly ran behind a brick building. "Cover your eyes, Twilight. I don't want you to see what might happen." "Don't worry about me. I already saw, remember?" "Right. Just stay close to me, then." "Okay." "I'm moving in. I'll signal you if it's not a threat." "I'll cast a protection spell. It should keep me safe from any weapons they have." "Good plan. Watch out for me." "I will." Maria left from behind the building and slowly made her to the other individual. Unfortunately, it was, in fact, a clown. "I'm only going to warn you once! Don't come any closer, or I'll have no choice but to shoot!" The clown continued moving towards her, and Maria responded by holding her weapon steady. "So be it." Maria fired, and the clown fell dead to the ground. Once whoever behind the mask was deceased, she lowered the gun and returned to Twilight's location, and Twilight end the spell. "That was my first kill...I was hoping it wouldn't turn out like this..." "Don't be too hard on yourself...You told them what would happen..." "...Let's go. I need to leave before I vomit." "Mm." Half an hour after the incident, they reached the library. It didn't take long to find what they were looking for. Twilight borrowed several books about satellites, radio towers, and radio devices. "You said we would need some kind of suit to breathe in space, right?" "They're special suits made of nylon tricot, spandex, and urethane-coated nylon. You're also gonna' need an oxygen tank. It's probably better if you study those books first so you know what you're doing when you get up there." "What about your weapon?" "I mostly just have to realign a few small parts and adjust the tightness of some springs." "You said the radio devices I should make are portable ones, right?" "Mhm, that way you can carry it with you so we can stay in contact almost anywhere. Be careful, though. Forests can block out the signals, so it won't work there." "I should probably get home now. The sooner we get this stuff ready, the better off we'll be." "True, but how are you gonna' get back?" "I teleported here. I can get back that way." "Better get to it then." "How long will it take to craft everything?" "If you pay close enough attention, I think it should only take about two or three weeks. Those books should tell you the measurements and materials for the parts you need. I think they can be found in your universe." "Will you be alright until I come back?" "I haven't been alright for the last couple days, but I'll manage." "Take care of yourself." "Will do." Twilight teleported back to Equestria with the books. "My goodness, Twilight! You look exhausted! Are you alright!?" "Not really, but right now we have work to do, princess." "If you're feeling unwell, you should rest." "I can't. Maria's depending on all of us." "At least eat something. You skipped breakfast this morning." "Okay. I'll eat, then we need to get in contact with the best engineers we can find." "Engineers? Whatever for?" "We think we found a way to keep in touch when I'm not there." "I see. Very well. I will grant your request." "Thank you." Twilight left the main hall and had lunch. She couldn't stop thinking about the horrible sight that was permanently ingrained in her mind. So much death, and all for what? But now was not the time to dwell on it. She had a mission to accomplish, and she was going to see it through to the end, no matter what.
Twofold ResistanceAugust 25th, 2002 "Can you hear me, Twilight," Maria asked over her radio. "Just fine." "Good. I'm on my way to Israel on a boat." "Were there any clowns?" "A few, but I managed to sneak past them." "How long do you think it will take to master your training there?" "I'm not really sure, but hopefully it'll be complete by September next year." "I can't believe it all went global..." "...Yeah..." "You probably know this already, but it won't be easy to get there." "I know. They're everywhere on Earth now." "Is it still raining?" "Hasn't stopped once since the day I left home." "Hopefully Israel will be sunnier." "Maybe." "Good luck. Get in touch with me when you can." "Roger. Tell the little guy I said hi." "I will." "Over and out."
Darkness Surrounds...Spetember 24th, 2003 "Did you bring the medical supplies," Twilight asked. "Everything's in this bag." "You said we were in Tokyo now, right?" Maria nodded. "I've been hearing something. it sounds like it's coming from under the ground." "Probably a basement in a nearby building." Maria cocked her gun. "We'll leave the bag in the front once we get inside. Stay close to me." "Understood." When Twilight and Maria reached their destination, they hardened their resolve and quietly opened the door. Maria aimed her weapon as a precaution. "There could be unexpected occupations," she said quietly, "Be on guard." Her and Twilight quickly yet stealthily made their way to the basement door where the sound was apparently originating from." "Does it sound like there are any hostages?" "No." "Alright. Let's move in." Maria kicked the door in and ran downstairs. An army of clowns surrounded her. "Freeze!" "Aw, look! It's an American girl! She's onto us! We should surrender," one of them said sarcastically. The rest of them laughed. "This isn't funny! You've been slaughtering innocent people, and I'm here to put a stop to it!" "We're one of the biggest groups in Japan. What makes you think you can stop us with that little thing of yours?" "Give up now or you'll find out." "Nah, we don't feel like it." "I warned you." Maria fired and hit the clown in the arm. He grabbed the limb in pain. "Grr! Get her boys!!!" All of the clowns started running towards Maria at once. She made her way back upstairs. "Twilight, now!" Without any further instruction, Twilight fired a beam that incinerated every clown on the stairs. Maria began shooting while she continued firing. After a few minutes, only the clown that had smarted off to Maria remained. He began to make his way up to where his opponents were standing. "Any closer and your heart will match your personality," Maria stated coldly. "So tell me, are the united states government or the police involved?" "What difference does it make?" "You can't beat us alone, no matter how hard you try. Even your freaky friend there will eventually be worn down." Maria lowered her firearm. "Now you're starting to get it. We're unstoppable." "You're wrong." "Oh? How is that?" "Tokyo is one of the world's most well-known cities, right? That means all we have to do is liberate the larger cities and it will boost everyone's morale. They'll fight with us." "They're frightened and weak. they won't lift a finger to help you." "We'll see in the end." "Yes we will." The clown began laughing. "I'm not gonna' kill you. Go tell the others what you witnessed tonight. See how many of them are willing to show their faces." The clown continued laughing as Twilight and Maria walked away. "I'm so tired...," Maria stated "At least we weren't injured." "Yeah..." "What's in the medicinal water anyway?" "It's my own anti-bacterial brew. I mixed some Isopropyl alcohol with hydrogen peroxide and purified holy water. It works pretty well." "That's right; you said you believed in a higher power. That's why you always wear that thing around your neck, right?" "Mhm. It's a silver cross necklace." "We don't really have religion back in Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the closest ponies we have to higher beings." "What about you?" "I'm close to your age, so I don't really know as much as them." "Are you immortal?" "That's a good question. I never thought to ask." "Maybe you should find out. It's important to know how much time you have to learn and pass on what you know." "That's true." "Anyway, I think you should go home. I'm sure your brothers are worried about you." "Right. I'll see you soon." Twilight teleported back to Equestria. A light, lonely breeze began to blow...
Gray Skies Fall...May 10th, 2004 The bible refers to hell as a lake of fire, but for Maria, the foreboding clouds and sad winds of Antarctica suggested otherwise. This was the type of feeling she'd experienced many times over throughout her life, and this was how she wanted to confront it; alone. She hadn't even said a word about this task to Twilight. The scratch on her hand from a previous clown encounter was rough on her skin. As she wrapped her arms around herself for extra warmth, only two things were on her mind; securing Antarctica as the last safe place on Earth and her long-deceased brother, Brandon... "I'm really concerned, Spike. I haven't heard anything from Maria since the radio call after our last mission." "You can't expect a lot of talking from someone dealing with murderers everyday." "She'd usually call me up every now and then, though. Something's wrong. I feel it in my bones. It makes me think of him." "You mean that spooky stallion always hanging around Scootaloo?" "Yeah; Harmonic." "I can't believe it's been over three years since all that stuff went down." "Maria and Harmonic seem to be cut from a similar cloth. I guess pain is inescapable in any universe." "Hey, why don't you have him meet her?" "I get the feeling he's got enough on his shoulders." "What other options are there?" "...I'll go." "Do you think you can help if something's going on?" "I know enough to at least try." "So you're going?" "Yeah." "Be careful." "Don't worry. I'll be fine." Twilight teleported to Earth. "Why are you here? This isn't your fight." "Why would you come here without saying anything to me!? This is one of the worst places someone in your state of mind can be!" "How would you know?" "Because there's someone in my world that's a lot like you!" "!?" "I knew you weren't okay from the day I met you! The clothes, the hair; those were all dead giveaways!" "Kind of small things to consider, don't you think?" "Okay, so how about the fact you haven't raised your voice to me once!" "..." "See! I know the signs! I may rely a lot on logic, but I'm not blind!" "I wasn't thinking clearly, okay?" Twilight took a breath to calm down. "I already knew that." "I tried to stay calm, but goddammit, I wanted to give up." "Why," Twilight demanded to know "I lost my brother and murdered people in the name of justice. Many of them were just kids who got involved with a bad crowd. Some of them were probably threatened." "There was no other way." "How can we know that for sure?" "Through the process of elimination. Reasoning with them didn't work, and you couldn't turn them in. That only left one option." "Kill or be killed..." "Exactly." "It still weighs down on me everyday." "How many years has it been since the first kill?" "About three and a half. Why?" "You made it this far, right? Why give up now?" "Why not?" "I'll tell you why not. In the last year, you've freed a lot of major cities from their control. You're one step closer to being done fighting." "I don't think I'll ever be done." "I do." "Why put so much faith in me?" "Because I want the same thing." "You don't have to fight with me." "I don't mean for me. I mean for you. I don't want you to be a killer anymore either. It's a very disheartening path to follow." "...You're right. It's time we change the future." "Yeah." "Come on. Let's end this so you can go home." Twilight nodded. When Twilight returned to her castle, she received a note from spike. She had been summoned by princess Celestia. "I felt a dramatic shift in the other realm," the princess stated, "What's happening over there?" "It's Maria. She's made the choice to see this through to the end, and so have I." "You can't possibly mean...?" "Yes. We're ending this war." "!?" Twilight's face formed into a determined smile. Everyone's path was set, and the pieces were in place. Soon, the death and despair would all come crashing to a close.
To A Close...December 31st, 2006 (the final year...) "This is it..." "North Carolina...," Twilight finished. "We should check if the satellite dish is still operational." The duo began walking in unison. "So this is where it all started." "Yep." "Six years of terror. Hard to believe it's finally almost over." "I know." "I think I know why the portal sent me here now." "Why's that?" "We were supposed to guide each other." "I guess that makes sense. I mean, you've never really experienced murder before, and without you, I probably would've been killed." "It's a shame we had to meet like this." "It couldn't be helped. Until the portal told your superior, you had no idea this universe even existed." "True." "What i don't understand is why you were sent here instead of a universe on the verge of nuclear warfare or something." "I couldn't stop something like that." "I'm pretty sure this isn't the only universe with something horrible you could stop though." "Maybe it was fate." Maria gripped the cross around her neck. "Maybe..." At that moment, the rain that had persisted for so many years finally ceased. "How does it look," Twilight asked. "It's working. Now it's time for the last stop." Twilight gave a devilish smile. "Wanna' make a run for it?" Maria looked at the Alicorn's face and smiled back. She leaped of the dish, grabbed her gun, and they both started running. Twilight eventually spread her wings and flew beside Maria. Their spirits were rising. It was as though the angels of heaven had joined the fight. Maria and Twilight ran and flew without stopping. Once they reached a news station, they didn't stop or hesitate out of fear. They ran right through the door. It was dark, but there was enough light from the windows to see. There wasn't a clown to be found. They arrived at the broadcasting room and came to a halt. "Find the lights." "On it." Twilight found a switch. When she flipped it, it illuminated the room. "Good. There's a camera across from the desk. We can go live using that." "You should probably get behind the desk." "Right." Twilight examined the camera for a moment. She found the power button and pressed it. "I'm setting it to broadcast. I'll signal you when it's ready." "Roger." After a moment, Twilight raised her hoof, signaling they were live. Maria began speaking . "None of you probably know who I am. My name is Maria Drake. Six years ago, my brother Brandon was killed in the middle of the night. Much like those of you watching now, I checked the news for information. When I found out about the clowns, I didn't leave immediately. I stayed at home until the sun came up. When I was sure everything was quiet, I buried my brother and made my escape. I was the only survivor I know of who made it out of the city I lived in. Ever since, I've been hunting them down. I never found who killed my brother, but I wasn't seeking revenge. I wanted justice. Over the last three years, I've been to many places around the world. With the aid of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous, I've liberated the largest cities on Earth. Now it's time for you to fight back. The threat has been reduced to a containable level. Find every remaining authority figure you can and finish what i started. There won't be anymore killing on my part. I did everything I could. Now it's up to you." Twilight ended the broadcast. "Do you think it worked?" "I don't know." "Is what you said true? You're going to stop killing?" Maria nodded. "Mm." "What are you going to do with that," Twilight asked pointing to the gun. In response, Maria chucked it as hard as she could, the returned her attention to Twilight. "Go home. Our job is done. Don't come back." "Are you mad at me?" "Trust me. It's for your own good." "But we never found out what caused all this." "I did." "What!?" "I crossed every possibility off except one. It was a global psychotic break. The stress of everyday life created an army of humans who would kill indiscriminately. The clown costumes were just picked out to try to look scary. I don't know or care how well it worked. I should've seen this coming." "How could you have known?" "Human beings are the only creatures on Earth who feel hate. We have to actively choose to avoid that feeling, or we'll be driven to do horrible things. That's why I want you to leave." "But I'll never see you again. I don't believe humans are as bad as you think." "..." "Fine. I'll leave. I guess this is farewell." Twilight teleported back home. "Welcome back, Twilight," Celestia greeted her, "were you successful in your mission?" "Yeah...It's over..." "Are you feeling okay? You don't look well." "I'm just a little...Tired..." Without warning, Twilight collapsed, and the world went dark.
Then Days Later...May 10th, 2010 Twilight was walking along the grassy path of path of Ponyville. She was unaccompanied by a single being other than herself. After waking up in the hospital over three years prior, she remembered the radio beneath her wing. In a fit of anger, she smashed it, effectively cutting off her communication with Maria. She questioned everyday whether that was the right decision, and wondered if it's what Maria wanted. After several hours of walking, she returned home. Meanwhile, on Earth... Maria was sitting on the porch of her Oregon home. After the events from the end of 2006, she move to the coldest place in the United States she could find. She began a career as a heavy metal musician. Unlike most, she recorded in complete isolation and never played live. After failing to contact Twilight, she discontinued all thought processes relating to her former partner. She couldn't blame Twilight for not wanting to talk to her, and deep down, she didn't want her to. Keeping the pony race away from universes like this was the best option for everyone. Maybe if humans ever evolved to a certain point, they could coexist, but as of now, only fear and destruction would follow from any attempt at a union. "You wanted to see me princess?" "Yes. It's time you made a decision. What do we do with the portal?" "...Lock it up and throw away the key." "Are you sure? You'll never see your friend again." "I thought about it long and hard. This is what she wanted in the end, I think." "Why would she want that?" "She looked at us as an innocent race. I think she didn't want us to become killers like them." "I see..." "Throw that portal into the darkest hole you can find. No one should ever get their hooves on it again." "What will you do?" "I'm tired of fighting. I'm going home..." Twilight walked off, gradually growing smaller in the distance. A cold wind blew across her face after she exited the castle. She would never see the light of day the same way again. In the end, this was one long, drawn-out tragedy, but she came out stronger and more mentally fit than ever for it. A new phase of life was beginning, and she would become the ultimate hero of Equestria; guardian Twilight Sparkle.
Turning PointDecember 1st, 2005 It's been over a year since Maria faced her demons in Antarctica. After eliminating the clowns that had overtaken the continent, she returned to the United States. Her and Twilight were currently investigating the events from Maria's hometown, Americus. "Do you hear that?" "No. What is it?" "It sounds like someone's in that store over there." "Are you sure?" Twilight nodded. "Any clowns?" "I'm not sure. I just hear breathing and footsteps." "Okay. You know the drill." Maria readied her weapon just in case. They quickly made their way to the occupied location. Maria opened the door ever so slowly. Twilight used her horn to illuminate the building. "Hold it!" A figure dropped what it was holding and held its hands in the air. "Wait! Don't shoot," a male voice said. "Wait a minute; you're just a kid?" "Yeah! My name's James!" "Why are you here?" "I've been looking for a safe city for three months! I was hungry, so I broke in! I'm sorry!" "It's okay, James. Just calm down. My name's Maria. We're here to rescue you." "What the heck is that thing!?" "Rude...," Twilight replied. "It's a long story. Let's just get you out of here and somewhere safe, alright?" "Where can we go!?" "I can get my hands on one of the abandoned cars around here. If we can make it to Texas, you should be safe there." "But Maria, what about finding the truth here," Twilight asked. "This is more important. Besides, I know enough. Americus was one of the earliest cities that was attacked." "We should probably move, then. Sticking around here is risky." "Seriously." Maria left the store with a canister of gas. She returned a few minutes later in a red mustang. "Hop in." "What do I do with these strap things," Twilight asked once she was in the car. "Pull the belt across you. It'll click into the buckle receptacle on the other side." "Oh, okay. Earth technology is so strange." "Are you guys government operatives or something?" "More like vigilantes," Maria responded to James' question. "James, when we get to Texas, don't tell anyone about me," Twilight commanded, "We have enough problems as it is." "I understand. I don't think anyone would believe me anyway." Maria started driving. "Do you have any family we need to find first," she inquired. "They're all dead..." "..." "..." Maria drove on, eventually leaving the city. The sky cried tears of grief as it had done for so many days before. Every last person was ready for this nightmare to be over once and for all...
