Object XP-84c

by Scourge the yellow cat

Rating: teen
Tags: Narcotics, Other, Changelings, Original Character, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suicide / Self Harm, Daybreaker, Violence, Main 6, Profanity, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Human
Length: 34120

When Equestria is no more, can the survivors unite against foes once thought defeated, alongside two powerful new forces?

Ponyville is in a frenzy when a series of ruins are discovered in the Everfree Forest. But things are never as they seem in the forest, as somethings are best left forgotten. But when one of those things are awakened, usually it is a rude one. As this object is being awakened, fleeing soldiers forced to leave their home enters a new one, with major complications. Equestria in response attempts to cope with this sudden problem, on the brink of collapse as it is already under a diplomatic crisis.

Daybreaker, the Solar Empress of the Solar Empire of Equestria, had finally defeated the resistance that had vowed against her and had conquered their home. Yet she wants more land, more power, and more ponies under her rule. Fortunately for her, a major discovery might just grant that. As the two Equestrias clash, one question is uncertain:

Which side would win?

This story is going to be massive, involving many characters, villains, factions, and contains many tags. Many warnings will be toned down as much as possible for Teen. Humans are included in this story, although the tag will appear misplaced for this story. Finally, please take into consideration that this is my first 'true' story, what I mean is that it is my story where I am actually trying to write a decent story, and not like my other cringy stories. Feedback is highly recommended.

Certain things may not make sense in the beginning will explain itself as the story progresses.

I am including dimensions to this story. They're classified as such:
Text in this font mean that the highlighted text/place is under enemy control
Text in this font mean that the highlighted text/place is under 'good' control

Published 2018-02-27 15:40:11 UTC
Last updated 2019-07-11 22:27:34 UTC

Discovered

Dimension 'Good'

The Everfree Forest, Kingdom of Equestria

"Hey Abs, wait up!"

Abentfree turned toward the sound as she saw two ponies catching up to her, out of breath. One was Stormsurge, a magnificent Pegasus stallion that had sky blue fur and orange eyes, with a hurricane for his cutie mark. His white mane was fashioned to look like his cutie mark. He usually spent his time practicing his flying, bragging, or both. Abentfree still remembered the day they met, when he accidentally caused a rain cloud to rain on her when they were foals.

Then there was Techno, a night black unicorn mare with the cutie mark of a gear and what seems to be a square-like chip in the middle. She preferred to wear steampunk goggles, either over her visible left emerald green eye or sitting atop her horn, just like that DJ P0N-3 mare with her shades. She also had wild electric orange hair that hangs down to cover her right eye. Techno's name was actually Plant Keeper and was a part of the Keepers, a family that HATED technology. Imagine their reaction as they saw their daughter get her cutie mark while fidgeting with a piece of scrap metal. After being abandoned by the Keepers, she just simply moved on to Ponyville, where she was destined to meet Abentfree and Stormsurge, while also becoming Silver Spanner’s rival in the process.

Abentfree rolled her eyes as her friends finally got to her, with Techno collapsing on the green grass underneath.

"Is...it...over...yet?" Said Techno, between gasps.

"C'mon, it was only a hundred hoof race." Replied Abentfree.

Stormsurge rolled his eyes in amusement as he said "Techno, how in Equestria would you think that you can beat a mare that can not tire?" Techno only replied with a death stare.

"Well, why...*GASP*...don't you...*GASP*...race her then?" Techno replied between gasps.

"Well...when you have things called wings, it kinda defeats the whole purpose, isn't that right, Abs?" Said Stormsurge as he rolled his head to his right, expecting Abentfree to be there. Except she wasn't there. Stormsurge's eyelids shot up. "Abs? Where are you?" He shouted in panic. He worried that something terrible happened to her. It is all his fault, he should've bee-

"Yes?" Shouted Abentfree from an opening a couple hooves behind them. Oh... Thought Stormsurge as he felt his cheeks grow hot, becoming hotter as Techno was laughing her lungs to shreds. The thing about Stormsurge was, well, he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, so to speak.

"In the name of Faus- I can't breathe, I can't breathe..." Wheezed Techno as she was just starting to calm down.

"WILL YOU TWO GOOFBALLS SETTLE DOWN AND COME OVER HERE?" Yelled Abentfree from the same spot.

"Sure." Stormsurge and Techno both replied, with Techno still chuckling as they trotted towards Abentfree.

|¦|¦|¦|

"What's up?" Asked Techno when they got there. Abentfree was looking at a wall that has been covered with moss. Whatever she was looking at, however, has been obscured from Techno's view. Abentfree pointed to a part of the wall with her left forehoof.

"Do you know what this might be?" She asked in curiosity. Techno followed where the pointing hoof was indicating and was bedazzled at the area in question. It was a piece of the wall that was clear of any vegetation that otherwise would have covered the wall. The wall underneath was a reddish brown, something Techno was all too familiar with, the color of oxidized metal. The bumpy, reddish brown color rose and fell in patterns, meaning it HAD to have been built.

"That seems to be some kind of door." She replied. Abentfree's eyes flashed with energy and enthusiasm.

"Well, what we waiting for? Let's get inside!" Asked the energetic pony.

Techno replied, "Well, I don't see a means of a way in..."

"Found one." Stormsurge reported as he pointed to a hole where the wall has given way to time. Techno gave the Pegasus another death stare. Abentfree raced into the hole, forcing the others to follow suit. Inside was pitch black.

"I can't see a damn thing." Said a not amused Techno. Abentfree's face fell in disappointment, but then she noticed that Techno's horn was glowing.

Suddenly, the ceiling started to flicker with light, allowing them to see the room. The room had been partially taken over by the invading vines and plants. The remaining portion that remained had items such as desks and tables and books, they could identify, but then there were alien objects, such as drawings and what seemed to be maps on the peeling walls, rectangular thingamajigies on the tables, and a tattered flag that had been hung up on the roof. The top third of the flag was a red stripe, where the middle stripe was blue and the bottom was green. Judging by the state of the surroundings, this place must have been unbelievably old.

"Ok, let's split up and explore this place!" Said Abentfree with excitement as she raced to see the most stuff ASAP. The other two looked at each other in concern and joined Abentfree.

Unknown to the explorers, however, was that one of those thingamajigies had its screen lit up. POWER RESTORED was displayed in black on a blue background, and just before it flickered out, it updated to say ACTIVATING PROTOTYPE...

*******

The Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

"Twilight? Are you still looking through that 'artifact'?"

Twilight Sparkle recognized Spike's voice instantly, as well as the sarcasm. "Yes Spike, this is indeed an artifact and yes, I am still trying to decode it." The purple alicorn replied, not looking away from said object. Ever since it was discovered in a box that was buried near Manehattan, the princess was obsessed by it. So much so, that it occupied a third of her time, alongside being with her friends and doing princess things.

The box was nothing of importance, the artifact itself was what caught her eye. It was a massive dark blue book that had a blank cover and was written in a language that had since been long forgotten to time. However, after some browsing for languages, she realized that this language was very similar to 'Old Romí', the ancient language that was found near the city of Romí, the capital of the Roaman Imperial Republic, and 'Old Griffomane', found in the Griffomane Reich. So after translating both, Twilight concluded that she found all the mysteries of the book.
Except for the last page...

The final page was cryptic and confusing, but she gathered enough details to suspect that it mentioned something the world has never seen before, something that was never finished. Twilight was so deep into her thoughts that she is missing what Spike is trying to say right now.

"TWILIGHT!" Yelled Spike, full of inpatients. The loud noise took Twilight out of her mind and causing her to jump. She looked up at Spike.

"Huh?"

"Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are waiting for you." Spike's reply confused her for a moment, until he explained without an amused face, "You all were going to the Everfree Forest to investigate the weird activity and ruins." With that, Twilight remembered.

"Oh yeah! Thanks, Spike, I completely forgot!" She thanked as she dashed out of the room, and soon the three Elements were off...

*******

The Everfree Forest, Kingdom of Equestria

.....
TFARPD.: ONLINE
Time: Unknown; All satellite communications are lost
Attempting back up communications: FAILURE
INITIATING PROTOCOL 0-01a...NOW

In a room unknown to the three exploring ponies, and protected from nature, movement is stirring. Several robotic arms that once hung limp for all eternity, are now scurrying to complete their new order. Five raced to pick up pieces of hardware that had been placed on a table in a corner of the room eons ago. As the room was not yet breached, everything was preserved in or near perfect condition as it was when the room was last closed. The arms pick up the chips and now race towards their objective, an uncompleted robot.

The robot itself looked like a stallion, with a crimson colored metal skin. Wires were hanging out of the few areas where there was no metal coating. Right now, it was slouched in a sitting posture, with the head facing the pristine tiled floor. The area over where the brain would have been if it was alive, was open.

The arms had just reached their destination and began to insert the pieces into the empty cranium. The first put in a chip that was designed to handle the task of identifying smells, followed by the chip for the ability to hear, next was the one that was responsible for sight. Then there was the piece of hardware that had the sole purpose of maintaining functions for the machine. Finally, the chip designed to store the information. The opening was then closed and treated to seal. As this was happening though, one of the arms fell to an invisible enemy.

Although the sealed room sheltered its possessions from moisture and the forces of nature, what it couldn't stop was time. As the robotic arms were not used for a long time, time let gravity nip at the individual parts that made up each arm. That was the case for arm IV when the ceiling pivot snapped. This caused it to spin uncontrollably, spinning the arm around with increasing speed until it smashed into nearby arm II. This, in turn, caused arm II to bump into arm V. This continued until all of the arms were destroyed.

The robot on the ground, however, was spared from the fate and carnage of the arms. Since it was on the ground, the effects of time have been minimal. The door that was sealed before suddenly opens, as the robot's yellow eyes lit up...

Author's Note

Any feedback is recommended for me to change anything that requires it.

Collision

*Vreeeee-tch-CLUNK*

Abentfree, Techno, and Stormsurge turned their heads to the sound, as they saw the door open.

"That is not creepy in any way..." Said Stormsurge. Techno agreed. After all, this place seemed to be waiting for them. And since this is the Everfree, well...Who knows what'll happen?

"Ooooh! A new place to explore!" Abentfree excitingly said. Abentfree was a HUGE Daring Do fan, so much that the greenish earth pony got a vest and hat very similar to the character. But then again, her cutie mark IS a map with a big 'X', representing her adventurous tone. Techno shook the memories from her head as she whipped out a foreleg in front of the adventurer before she could move.

"Don't," Techno said while looking at Abentfree, "We have no ide-"

"Awww, why?"

Techno stopped and mentally cursed, before continuing. "We have no idea what is in there, Abentfree. What if there's a bad pony in there that wants to hurt us?" Techno watched Abentfree think about her response, then came the answer.

"I guess so, then you can take the lead?"

Abentfree got an amused eye-roll for her troubles as the trio entered the room.

*******

The Everfree Forest, Kingdom of Equestria

"So, how was this place discovered?"

"About four days ago some pony walked into the Everfree and managed to find it." Rainbow Dash replied to Fluttershy's question. Twilight seemed to have wanted to ask the same question but was then satisfied by the response. Quiet ensued as the three friends ventured closer to the area, accompanied by the sounds of leaves dancing to the breeze and the grass being trampled under their hooves. After five minutes, Fluttershy softly spoke.

"Um...Why is this part of the forest so...devoid of animal life?" She asked, looking at her friends in concern. It was not wrong, as they never have seen any during their trek so far. Normally, there would've been a rabbit scurrying to escape the ponies, or some would've checked them out of curiosity or something like that. But no, not EVEN birdsong is present. The other two ponies thought about it, then shrugged in defeat to the shy Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash then said in her usual attitude, "I dunno, but what I do know is that I'll win the Cloudsdale Race!"

"The what now?" Twilight asked.

"The Cloudsdale Race! The city of Cloudsdale has invited me to participate against the best and fastest pegasi in all of Equestria!" Rainbow Dash exploded in a distinct Rainbow Dashy way. She then added with a bitter tone, "I still look forward to retrieving the gold medal..."

The others were confused. "But aren't you the fastest Pegasus?" They said in unison.

"Yeah, but there are specific rules that make it harder to win. You can't do a 'boom in the race, and they built the course in a specific way so you have to be sooo slow! Plus they change the layout of each race."

Twilight and Fluttershy nodded in support of their friend. Satisfied, Rainbow Dash then used her wings to allow her to hover above the ground, and turned to her friends, to continue.

"You see, it was at the last part of the race, and-" She did not hear the incoming Pegasus.

*Flap flap flap*

*Crash*

What in Faust's world?! Thought Rainbow Dash as something big crashed into her from behind, knocking her down from hovering on to the unforgiving ground below.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Yelled Twilight as she and Fluttershy ran to the downed Pegasus seconds after impact.

"Are you o-ok?" Said Fluttershy.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but what hit me?"

"Great Celestia...what did I hit?" Said a new, yet familiar voice right next to her.

Rainbow Dash turned to the voice and locked eyes with the owner of that voice. A sky blue Pegasus with-Wait a minute...

"YOU?!" Yelled a very pissed off Rainbow Dash to the sky blue Pegasus.

"Y-you!?" Responded a very scared gold metal stealer as he realized who he crashed too.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" They both asked each other.

"Uhhh... what's going on?" Asked a confused Fluttershy.

"Oh, nothing really, just somebody who TOOK MY GOLD MEDAL CRASHED INTO ME."

"...I don't know whenever to correct her or be scared of her." Said a cowering Pegasus to Fluttershy.

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at the newcomer, expecting his name.

"Oh, I'm Stormsurge by the way."

He turned to face the now snarling rainbow pegasus-o-doom. Rainbow Dash was just about to explode some more when she realized something.

"What in the hay happened to you?" She said to Stormsurge.

The left side of his face was soaked in a rainbow-colored liquid, and his left foreleg was bent at an odd angle. Rainbow Dash knew first hand that you can't get those when you face plant on dirt and leaves.

"M-my friends and I were a-at the ruins over there," he pointed towards the direction he came from with his non-broken foreleg. Then he continued, "Then suddenly, this...pony came in and attacked us, shouting something like 'intrusion' or whatnot. I escaped to get help, but my friends are s-still captive...Oh Celestia..." He started to cry into his useful foreleg, as the others took pity on him. Rainbow Dash not as much, but still.

"We'll get them back and defeat the bad pony for you." Assured Fluttershy as she laid a hoof on his shoulder. Then she told her friends to commit a you-know-what as they raced to the ruins...

|¦|¦|¦|

Experimental Prototype eighty-four system logs update:
The startup was a success. There were a few glitches during boot-up due to programming activating for the first time, but that was fixed within 0.817 seconds after activation. My sensors detect that the power for this facility has been offline for a while, unable to pinpoint the exact measure of time due to no active clock systems present. Strange, it seems this facility has been reactivated by some kind of unidentified energy. While I am analyzing this data, my audio analyzers are picking up sounds...I search through my G.M.C (General Memory Chip) to see if any of the 14,365,432 audio files match with the ones I detected. Within 0.456 seconds, I find 'English'. Cross-referencing...Results are 99.92% identical. I then code my voice box to understand and speak English with these locals.

Order completed within 0.548 of a second created. Ah, perfect! The sight program is working, so I can now see the room. There is a table to the right of me, the ceiling has destroyed arms hanging from it...skeleton slouched against the wall. Within 0.152 seconds after spotting it, I went through my database for files containing 'skeleton', finding a file that reveals it to be from the 'Primate' Order. Speaking of the remains of the Primate member, the door opposite of the skeleton has just opened, with three small deformed horses walking in. They look like...I search the G.M.C again within 0.111 seconds and I come across a 'unicorn' and a 'Pegasus' from the Mythology section and a 'pony'. Perhaps these files were misplaced?

The 'Pegasus' had a sky blue coat, with what I assume is some type of tribal mark near its flank: A hurricane. The 'unicorn' had a very dark black coat and another of those markings, this time in the shape of a wrench and gear. And the 'pony' had a forest green coat with one of those jungle explorer hats on the head. Not going to question that. The mark this time was a map with a big red X on it. Wait, they are emitting sounds that seem English. They also have no ID. Trespassers!

I activate into sentry mode and attack...

After my ambush, the intervention was a success. I managed to capture all but the Pegasus, which I swelled the face a bit and broke a leg bone. Sentry mode goes offline as I now guard the prisoners. Retrieval of useful information from the prisoners is about 91%. Beginning now. Continue until identifiable superiors order something else.

Author's Note

Comment please!

Alien

Ugh...

Abentfree's head was killing her, the stinging blacking her senses. She couldn't remember who, or what knocked her out. The pain was nullifying her ability to remember correctly. If it could stop, she willed, then she could get regain control. She wished it to stop.

To her surprise, it started to fade away...Slowly albeit, but progress none or less. After a little while, it died down to the point that she could think straight again. Stallion¹, she wanted to explore right now and just forget her prob- Explore? Waitaminute...ruins...friends...oh no... Her brain having just made the connection, Abentfree then remembered the events that took place. The attack of that weird stallion...that took her out. What happened to her friends?!

At this point, she reclaimed the ability to talk and speak. She realized that she was still in the room that they were jumped. She noticed that she was propped up on the wall adjacent to the open doorway. To her left was a restrained unconscious Techno. Intimidate him, make him fearful. She thought as she spoke her words of determination...

She attempted to say something heroic, but all she got out was a squeak. OF COURSE, she had to be scared right now. Great, the stallion is probably going to laugh at her idiotic attempt of bravery. He'll most likely be all ‘Awww, does the little heroine lost her speech?’ as he'll harm them to Tartarus and-

"Ah, you're awake I see." Said a male voice to the right of her that sliced into Abentfree's train of thought. She lifted her head weakly, as she was still sore. Although her vision had come back, it was still getting rid of the blackness of unconsciousness. The voice was unnerving as it was a calm, questioning tone. It was the type of calm that reeked 'Hi! I lack any emotion!' It sent shivers down her spine, as the voice continued.

"I was concerned that the pressure points were applied too much pressure, but I am glad that that is not the case.” Abentfree didn't know what those words meant, but she didn't like it; that changed when she noticed a movement to her right as the owner walked towards her. She turned to him, as her sight was fully restored to study the mare-napper. He was a sturdy build, blood-red stallion that had piercing yellow eyes. On his flank was what looked to be an outline of a phoenix, clutching some sort of branch and sword in its talons and having a snake in its beak. In the center of the Phoenix was a shield, divided into three different colors with different symbols within the colors. Then he spoke once again, in a more serious tone as he walked towards her.

"I am going to start to interrogate you about how you have entered the property of the military of the Triunion Federation. I will not harm you or your friend as long as you answer truthfully. Any resistance is futile, understood?"

Abentfree was both frightened and confused at the same time. She was scared as the imposing stallion was eyeing her down with those merciless eyes. But at the same time, what was he talking about? A federation of what? Either way, she nodded. This caused the stallion to unnaturally smile.

"Great! Let me start off easy. What is your name?"

Abentfree was thrown off from this question. Here is the pony who has taken her and Techno captive, and he is ranting like a lunatic. And yet he is being all nice and is asking for names?! Something is really off here, but Abentfree complied.

"M-my name is Adventure Free, b-but I prefer Abentfree..." She said. The stallion heard this and replied.

"Abentfree...adorable name, I must admit." He said, before continuing. "Ok Miss Abentfree, where are you from?"

"Ugh..." Whimpered Abentfree, "Equestria?"

The stallion thought for a second, before replying. "I assume that you meant somewhere along the Equator." Equ-what? "Second, how did your group get through security?"

"What do you mean? There was none."

"What do you mean there was no security present?” Demanded the stallion, his unequine-like eyes burning into her. Abentfree was terrified at this point, as the atmosphere changed in a hoofbeat. He got closer, and Abentfree saw that he was bigger than any stallion out there. Heck, he was probably as tall as Princess Luna! At this point, Abentfree snapped.

"I don't know who you are, but for Celestia's sake JUST BUCKING STOP!" Screamed Abentfree at the insane pony. The stallion's head twitched. "You mare-napped me and my friend and you are all cra-"

The stallion's right foreleg shot toward her chest and grabbed the fur. And in one fluent movement pulled her to the stallion. Abentfree ended her rage and was instead terrified as she now was looking up in fear. The stallion looked down at her with those unfeeling, lifeless killer eyes. This noted, she searched his face, only to be even more scared as she saw the lines and angles of his face were WAY too pronounced to be a pony.

"QUIET." Ordered the 'stallion' as it glared at her. She then felt something wet and warm near her eyes. This is where she will never be seen from again, she determined.

"JUST BUCKING LOOK OUTSIDE, CELESTIA CURSE IT!" Abentfree screamed at the pony in pure terror as she then started to feel more warm and wet flowing from her eyes. The red stallion paused and turned his head to the opened doorway behind him.

Footnote: 1 I replaced the man with stallion in this case because, well, these are ponies and not humans

|¦|¦|¦|

'Abentfree' yelled at me as I held her against the wall with my front right 'hoof'. I managed to grab her due to the HaNDS that was installed in the left 'hoof'. The Handling and Nudging Designed System, or HaNDS for short, is a designed feature where I am able to be able to grab and manipulate objects with my left 'hoof'. When in use, several bendable digits emerge from the 'hoof' and have all the flexibility to 'fingers' of the species that have created me, besides there being four to the five of their hands. When not in use, the digits curl into the 'hoof' into a 'clenched knuckle', just like those 'Gorilla' creatures from that file I had scanned in the 'Biology' section. Anyway, she yelled at me to look out the still open doorway that they entered. Then she broke down crying. Lifeforms are weird.

I looked out and...wait, this can't be right. The room looks like it has been abandoned for a VERY long time. Half of the furniture has been utterly destroyed by plant life. This was a top-priority location, why is it in this state? Seeing this, I go through all files on the primate species I have seen.

8,536 files were found related to my search.
Analyzing...
1 result found to complete the objective.
Applying...

The results confuse me. Here I am in a ruined abandoned complex that is also designated as a Top-Priority, but the primate species maintain said priority. Quickly I run a systems update, and in 0.121 seconds, I get my answer:

Nothing.

0.08 seconds later, I run a communications test.

Nothing.

As I analyze the data, only one outcome is 99.99%,

The species had to have gone extinct...

The superiors that launched me. The engineers that help build me. The people that I was assigned to protect. The sentient species that...made me...

Gone, gone, gone, and gone.

Initiating missions...

I. Preserve the legacy of the extinct primate species that created me
II. Recover any information of the primate species
III. Self-preservation
IV. Study about the current state of the world and assimilate
V. Find any allies, if possible

Applying...

I'm the only thing that is preserving my Creator's legacy now.

|¦|¦|¦|

"That must be it!" Yelled Rainbow Dash as the Elements of Loyalty, Kindness, and Magic reached the area outside of the ruins. Fluttershy has never run so long in her life, as proven by her slight gasps for air. Twilight fared no better, and Rainbow Dash clearly enjoying it. No matter, Fluttershy assumed, they're here. Rainbow Dash then yelled in excitement, air boxing.

"Alright! Time to kick some bad pony butt! Let me at 'em, let me at 'em!" Twilight just rolled her eyes as their Pegasus friend did her usual mood of energy.

"Ok, let's get this over with," Said Fluttershy. "Mr. Fluffles needs to be fed soon." Twilight slightly flinched at the mentioning of Mr. Fluffles. You do NOT want to meet a hungry bear that is twice the size of a pony. The three locked eyes at each other and knew the same thing: Go in. So, they did just that, with Rainbow Dash taking the lead by swooping in.

As Fluttershy was just about to enter, she heard voices inside. First, it was confusion and sadness, then it quickly spiraled into anger. Then the next thing she heard caused her and Twilight to rush in. It was the sound of a scream, followed by the sound of a body hitting a wall.

Author's Note

Third done. I am very positive that there are still some areas that need to be worked on, but for now, its decent.

Illusion

Author's Note

2,000 words! Wooo! I am going to warn y'all, the story is going to become darker from here on out. Also might be confusing for some, but references to creepypastas (or ponypastas) are in this chapter. Questions? Just comment down below for your thoughts about the story so far!

Until next time,
~Scourge

Illusion

Dimension 'Evil'

Solar Castle, Cantertrot, Solar Equestrian Empire

The air was heavy with tense in the Solar Castle, where somepony would be crushed by the sheer amount of it. This was especially true in the throne room. Why? Because the alicorn that was sitting on the throne was NOT having a nice day.

The alicorn in question had a milky white coat of fur that seemed to be if a foal could lap it up. Next, there was the mane; which was an inferno that no firepony, no matter how brave or skilled they are, could put out. Then, there were the eyes, eyes which not even a pony's worst nightmare could have. Those black piercing eyes with pupils of a snake smoldered away anypony's soul they came across. As for her cutie mark, it was a picture of a sun, with fire surrounding it.

The armor she wore was of a Marecedonian-like design with a solar red tint that seemed to have been forged in the heart of a red giant star. As the alicorn was sitting on the sole throne, something was on her mind.

Those traitors to Equestria have been a pain in the flank, Thought that very same alicorn, They are distracting me from the fronts in Gri- The twin doors that at the entrance suddenly burst open with a loud BAM. She looked up to see a commander of the Imperial Army of the Equestrian Empire (IAEE) came running in, panting. The solar red Spartan armor he wore was battered from several dents and hits. Once he was several hoof lengths from the throne, he bowed and said to her.

"My glorious Empress Daybreaker, Commander Nightkiller from th-"

"From the 46th battalion, I know," Interrupted Daybreaker, "Tell me already."

The commander stumbled for words to say as he got up. It would've been funny to the empress if the 46th was a normal battalion. You see, the 46th consists of the most elite, battle-harden veterans in all of Equestria. The best of the best, so to speak. They were so experienced, that they could beat an entire army while sleep-deprived, starving, cold, and dehydrated without many casualties, if any at all.

"T-the 46th b-battalion," Started Nightkiller as he trembled to explain.

"Yes?"

"I-Is no m-more..." Nightkiller finished. Daybreaker's left eye twitched as she sat there, not moving a muscle. "My Empress, we w-were-"

"WHAT?!?!" Screamed the enraged empress, the air surrounding her instantly becoming plasma due to her anger. Nightkiller backed away slowly with his ears and head down and eyes wide. Daybreaker got up from her throne and stomped to him, snarling, "HOW DID THE 46TH GET DESTROYED?!?! THEY WERE ORDERED IN PONYVILLE TO MOP UP THE REST OF THE RESISTANCE, WERE THEY NOT?" At this point, Daybreaker was inches away from the commander's face, towering the terrified soldier's face.

"Y-yes, your grace, b-but they were led by Honesty and Cres-" Those were the last words of the commander as Daybreaker engulfed him in a rage of flame. He screamed as he felt his flesh melt off and his bones evaporate from the heat. Once the flames and screams died out, all that was left of him was a sick soup of melted armor and flesh. At least the defect gave me information about the rogue element and my 'sister'. Thought Daybreaker as she looked at the puddle.

She then looked at the entrance doors and smiled, for there was a group of ponies consisting of a pink-maned yellow Pegasus that had the cutie mark of three torn-up butterflies and bloodshot eyes. Next to her was a cyan rainbow-maned Pegasus, cutie mark covered by the bloodied factory coat she wore. Then, there was a fully pink earth pony that had her mane flat and was wearing a coat of cutie marks that was also covering her own. And to the left of her was a white unicorn that had stylish purple hair, right eye black with scratches, along with a heart-shaped wound on her chests and three diamonds for a cutie mark.

Finally, there was the purple alicorn: Twivine Sparkle. Together, they were all well known and feared.

They were the Frightful Five: Twivine Sparkle, Slaughtershy, Rainbow Slash, Pinkamena, and Miss Rarity2. When Daybreaker came to power, they were the ones who soon followed the rightful ruler of Equestria. They then walked into the room. Daybreaker asked them.

"How are you all doing?"

"The prisoners are producing outstanding Spectra for the Factory, ma'am!" Replied Rainbow Slash in her bloodied uniform.

"The deserters still fall for the cupcakes and make good ones too!" Said Pinkamena in her coat that was made up of her victims' cutie marks. She then spotted the puddle. "Oh! Can I use that for my next batch?" She asked as she motioned to it.

"Go on ahead." Told the amused Daybreaker.

"YAY!" Replied Pinkamena as she then proceeded to scoop up the liquified commander with a bucket she literally pulled out of thin air.

"Pinkamena's leftover fur is so perfect for clothes, darling." Said Little Miss Rarity.

"Fleeing enemy soldiers continue to think I am allied to them." Mumbled Slaughtershy.

"All's fine, but there are a few things I found." Reported Twivine Sparkle. Daybreaker was intrigued about this.

"Tell me more, Twivine..."

Footnote: 2) These are supposed to be the creepypasta (ponypasta) equivalents of the Mane 6. Slaughtershy is Fluttershy who enjoys killing; Little Miss Rarity (Rarity) is from "Lil Miss Rarity" by Zehntacles; Rainbow Slash (Rainbow Dash) is from "Rainbow Factory" by Aurora Dawn; Pinkamania (Pinkie Pie) is from "Cupcakes" by Sergeant Sprinkles; And Twivine Sparkle (Twilight Sparkle) is simply a psychopath. In short, they are evil.

*******

Sweet Fruit Acres, Pony Town, Solar Equestrian Empire

"Fall back to ma' barn!" Yelled Apple Seeds, the gamboge earth pony mare that had freckles and a light gray olive mane, to the remaining rebels as the imperial Equestrian soldiers overwhelmed the defenses, which were made up of overturned carts and of slain defenders. The rebels consisted of Equestrians, Crystal Ponies, and Changelings who fought against Daybreaker's forces. Funny how one common threat causes bonds with the unlikeliest allies, as Daybreaker basically ended tensions with the ponies and Changelings. This union eventually became the Free Equestrian Army (FEA), led by Apple, Crescent Night, and Crystalline. The FEA aimed to restore order and defeat Daybreaker.

Unfortunately, they were decimated after the Battle of Neigh York City, a very bloody fight that resulted in massive casualties on both sides, the city being completely destroyed, and a major victory for the Imperials. The FEA lost most of its forces in the fighting, troops that can't be replaced unlike Daybreaker's. The FEA then retreated to Pony Town, the little town that once housed the Elemental Bearers, to evacuate. That was back then.

Now, the end was here.

Back to the present, Apple Seeds joined what is left of the FEA as they retreated to the barn. Sweet Fruit Acres was in flames. Some imperial troops were chasing them before a night blue beam of magic incinerated them, giving the rebels valuable time. Apple Seeds saw where the source was: Crescent Night. She was a bat-alicorn that had night-black coat of fur and had the mane of outer space, and at the moment she was clad in her night-black battle armor and was wearing a helmet that covered her face. To her side was a long pole that was her primary weapon, besides her magic.

They had just got into the barn now, and they shut and locked the entrance of the barn. The entirety of the FEA was now just Apple Seeds, Crescent Night, Chrystaline, eighteen FEA troops (three Changelings, four Earth ponies, two pegasi, one unicorn, five Crystal Ponies, and three bat-ponies), and Disorder, the mismatched limbed dracoequus of chaos. The FEA had nowhere else to run to, but one option could still save them: leave this dimension.

They had to escape this Equestria and go to another one. Because once Daybreaker has full control over this planet, it is only a matter of time before she finds a way to dimension hop to another unsuspecting planet and starts the process again. This is where Disorder comes into play.

"Are you ready yet?" Asked Chrystaline to Disorder. Crystalline was the Changeling Queen before the war. Her coat was a very dark gray, with a dark cerulean mane. Her body, insect-like wings, and mane had holes peppered around, all of the holes came from the war. Disorder nodded.

"Yes, though I must warn you, the dimension you all will enter will not likely to be sunshine and rainbows in their response to you all, and I can't go with you." He replied.

"Why?" Crescent Night demanded.

"Let's see, there can't be two gods of chaos," He started.

"Ok..."

"And I'll die, as the strain of teleporting you all to another dimension is alone fatal." He finished. When they heard this, the group started to well up in tears.

"T-thank you f-for doing this for us." Said a bat-pony, on the verge of crying. Disorder looked towards the bat pony and cracked a smile.

"Don't fret, remember, I'm doing this for Eques-"

*Crunch*

The group jumped and turned to look at the barn doors, where it was apparent that their time was up. The imperial forces have arrived and are trying to knock down the doors!

"Hurry! Do it!" Shouted Apple Seeds. Disorder nodded and closed his eyes, where spheres of energy started to circle him.

*Crunch*

A brown cloud of magic soon surrounded the group as Disorder soon started to show signs of pain. Everypony in the group was terrified as this was happening.

*CRUNCH*

The doors have almost given way to the intruders. Disorder was in excruciating pain as the spell was almost complete.

*CRABAM!*

With the last reinforcing beam snapped in half, the doors swung open as enemy troops come flooding in. Some ponies cried and screamed, some position themselves for the last battle, and some simply close their eyes and awaited death. But then there is a tingling sensation as the world around them fades to white. The last thing they see before the white overtakes them is Disorder opening his eyes to look at the group, tears in eyes and a smile on his face. As he starts to crumble into dust, he says his last words to them.

"Farewell, my friends..."

Dimension 'Good'

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

Applejack never felt happier. After selling the prized apples that made the property country, hay, world popular, they sold out within minutes. A record, even for them! With plenty of bits in tow, she pulled the apple-empty-bit-filled cart back to the acres. After doing so, she decided to test out her lasso skills at the barn, 'cuz why not?

Trotting to the said barn, she quickly entered it. Once there, she set up several wooden planks as targets and got her lasso that was hanging on a nearby wall. Finishing, she got her lasso free, swung her head, and directed the lasso. It flew across the air as it then dived at its prey, coiling around it as the lasso landed. Applejack then pulled her head up, causing the lasso to move towards her as the plank fell.

In two more solid moves, the other planks met the same fate. Looking at her results, she was satisfied. That's a fine doin' alright. Ah still have it. She thought as she started to notice a glow that was behind her. It had the glow strength of a lantern, but who in their right mind would carry a lit lantern in the middle of the day? Maybe it was Rarity's horn lit up in a spell? That would make sense if she'd said anything and unicorn light was brighter. Then she noticed the light becoming brighter. Too bright...

"What in tarnation?" she said as she held out her front hooves and closed her eyes to shield her eyes from the growing light. The light is unbearable...

*SCWWEEP*

*Thud*

Suddenly, the light was gone as several noises replaced it. She heard crying, screaming, confused voices, and groaning. Then she heard herself speak, but there was one small problem. She didn't open her mouth or talk.

"Alright," Her voice said, "Is everypony ok?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Replied a combination of several voices. Applejack turned around. What she saw made her jaw drop. There were several ponies that were in royal battle armor, Crystal Ponies in their variation of armor, a bunch of the Lunar variant of the Royal Guards, and unchanged Changelings?!? What confused her more was that she saw HERSELF, alongside what looked to be Nightmare Moon and the no-good-weddin'-crasher Queen Chrysalis. Not-her then continued.

"Alrighty then! Right now, we need to..." She started talking to the mixed soldier group as the royals looked at 'Applejack'. One of the Changelings, however, let his eyelids fall halfway as he looked around the place, not paying attention to the orders. After a little while, he looked at...oh no...

Right...

At...

Her...

Its eyes shot up as it stared directly at her, and she did not, could not, move. Then it turned its head back to 'Applejack'.

"...Then we are going to fi-" Continued 'Applejack'.

"Uh, Commander Apple?" interrupted the Changeling. Everypony looked at the Changeling in anger.

"WHY D' YA INTERRUPT ME?!" Yelled the not-Applejack at the Changeling. It winced as it lowered it's head and pressed its ears against its head.

"L-look over there!" It replied as it pointed its right foreleg and head towards herself. They all did, and just like the Changeling, their eyelids shot up.

"What in tarnation?" Said both Applejacks in unison. Then everypony screamed at the same time.

Chains

Five minutes later...
Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

"Princesses, The corrupted ponies and unchanged Changelings that appeared in the barn are ready for interrogation, as they are under captivity by the Royal Guard at the makeshift camp; along with that stallion that assaulted many ponies, including three of the elements!" Said the bowing guardspony to the sun and moon princesses. Princess Luna shook her head in disappointment. Today was the Summer Sun Celebration, a time where she and Celestia could check up on the girls and just enjoy the day off from politics. But instead of surprising the Mane 6, all they got was terrible news. "Princesses, there was a stallion who mare-napped two ponies and attacked the Magic, Loyalty, and Kindness Element Bearers. He has been captured!"

That alone was terrible enough, but then popped in good ol' Queen Chrysalis as she teleported in Applejack's barn with several ponies under her control, with rumors of another Applejack and another her. She nodded her head to the guard and responded.

"Thank you, take us to them immediately."

The guard nodded back as he stood back up and proceeded to head to the prisoners, with the princesses following closely behind. As they followed him, Princess Luna looked at her sister to ask her something.

"Tia, did thou expect this coming?"

Celestia was lost in thought for a second as she turned to face her, before replying, "I did Lulu, but not this quick and unexpected." Luna understood what she said before a fear struck her.

"Does thou think that it has anything to do with this?" She asked her sister, them both knowing full well what it was referring to.

"No Luna, Even if she did survive the Beam of Harmony that freed you, she would have lost nearly all her magic for centuries to come." Luna nodded in agreement and relief.

The guard said, "We are here, your highnesses." He then came to a stop. The princesses observed their surroundings. They realized that they were now in the part of the town where the Castle of Friendship was within view.

The guard had led them to a house that had boxes in front of it, as well as a pair of guards stationed at the entrance. "Here it is, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." He said as he pointed a hoof to the building. Celestia and Luna asked a single word in unison as they observed the building.

"What?"

The guard understood the response and explained it. "Very well, my princesses. This building was loaned to the Royal Guards by the generous pony that owned it. The building itself is just like any other house in Ponyville, a medium two-story house, except it had one unusual quirk: It had a somewhat big basement. When asked why the owner just simply said ‘Because I wanted one.’ The Royal Guard took it due to the fact that it had all their needs: A big area devoid of style, strong walls, and a secluded area.

"After that, they emptied the basement of all objects and put the prisoners in. With that out of the way, shall I continue to the captives, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" He finished. The sisters agreed and followed him in.

|¦|¦|¦|

Crystalline, for the fourth time in her life, was frightened like a filly on the Equestrian holiday of Fright Night, as she sat on the cold basement floor with her back pressed against the equally cold basement wall. The very first time was when the plan to take control of Equestria via wedding was just about to start, when...she...transformed into Daybreaker. It was the first time she felt empathy for the Crystal Ponies, as the just-about-to-be-married couple was burned to a crisp alive. I can still remember the details... Chrystaline thought as painful tears were collecting near her eyes from the memory. Then there was when she was walking with her personal army when they were en route to reinforce Neigh York City.

As they were halfway to Neigh York City, they noticed a plume of smoke coming from a city: Balemare. As there were no signs of any imperial troops by either sight, magic, or flight, they entered the city. As they marched down the streets in the abandoned city to the source of the smoke, they smelled the unholy scent of burning flesh. Then they saw the sick, twisted source, which was made up of bodies. The blackened bodies consisted of small, newborn, elderly, and those who couldn't fight back. And at the top was, or at least was, the very bell that Balemare had been so famous for.

It was split in two, as the imperial forces of Daybreaker were fond of pure looting of captured or unloyal cities. And it was covered in the very same color as the bodies below. As the army rushed to leave the place, the bell played one last note for the army to hear before it fell into the pile, where it would soon be reunited with its deceased populace.

That one note. That one damn note had colossal psychological devastation on the entire army. It was impossible to erase from one's mind once they heard it, the attempts were as fruitless as convincing Rainbow Slash to betray either her friends or that blasted Factory. But when they reached Neigh York City, they arrived too late as the once glorious city was reduced to a debris field, under attack. That is when that one note did something remarkable, uncaging the unmatched fury of Chrystaline’s army. Although they were outnumbered 15:1, her army charged at the enemy that was assembling for an attack on the city with a yell that would even send Tartarus reeling away in terror.

The enemy army was caught completely by pure surprise as the hill behind them was swallowed up in a golden, black, shining, and green sea as it surged towards them with the sounds of the Horse of Death supporting it. Before they could move at all, the sea smashed into the group, as the screams of imperial troops being killed in brutal, merciless fashion as they fall to the wave. Throughout the battle, one thing was certain, the FEA would go down fighting.

They fought for freedom. They fought for the lives of the innocents, alive or killed. They fought for Equestria and for all of Equus! But alas, they failed even with help. Even the most powerful unicorn will fall to the weakest but ruthless unicorn, given an unlimited amount of weak and ruthless unicorns. And the Imperial Army of the Equestrian Empire (IAEE) were the weak ruthless unicorns as they sent their weakest troops to Neigh York City to clean out their ranks.

Crystalline soon felt a hoof touch her left shoulder, snapping her out of the past. She turned to look at the owner of the hoof and saw that the owner was Crescent Night. She was looking at Chrystaline with a concerned, yet sad look.

"Yes, Crescent Night?" Asked Crystalline. The alicorn let out a tiny smile.

"Crystalline, is this about the past again?" She asked. The former Changeling leader ignored her, looking at the ground.

"What makes you ask that?" Crystalline whimpered out.

"There are tears on thee face."

"What? No! Leaders don't cry!" Crystalline then felt the tears run down the side of her face, realizing that it was useless to argue anymore. "Damn it."

"Crystalline, thou know that thee is not alone. We have all lost something to the war," She said as she motioned to the remnants of the FEA, who were looking at Chrystaline with sorrow. "Even me." The two alicorns then noticed that the massive red stallion that was in the corner was looking at them, his face unyielding to emotion. What creeped them both out was the yellow eyes he had, as they seemed to be soul searching.

"You lost something?" He said in an emotionless, yet concerned voice.

"Why does thee care? 'Twas thou who attacked ponies." Snapped Crescent Night at the stallion. Crystalline flinched at the response. The war had greatly changed the former moon princess as she was there when Daybreaker emerged at the wedding. All that she said was that she failed to stop the tyrant. Any further attempts would be screamed at and wounded from a magic bolt.

That solar tyrant was responsible for changing a nice, helpful royal to become a traumatized victim that had since become a shell of her self. The door that leads to the basement had just opened, light flooding in as everypony raised their hooves to shield their eyes. As the light dimmed, everypony beside the stallion gasped in fear. Their true nightmare is here...

Daybreaker has found them, alongside her small blue Crescent Night puppet.

|¦|¦|¦|

"ITS HER! AHHH!" Was what greeted Celestia as she entered the basement alongside Luna. The room was in total chaos as every prisoner seemed to go ballistic. Several were trying to get out of their hoofcuffs, with the astonishing result of all admitting the cuffs were too strong. Some closed their eyes and pressed their chins to their throats, all hope lost. And the rest tried to get away from the group.

"YA KILLED MAH FAMILY, YA SICK FREAK!" Shrieked the Applejack look-alike to her. I don't remember killing anypony, and I'm NOT a whorse. Thought Celestia as the air became heavier with hatred.

"You killed-no-MASSACRED Balemare just for fun." Cried a crystal pegasus. Celestia at this point was deeply unnerved. "Why are they tar-" Mumbled Celestia to herself, only to be cut off by a new voice.

"STOP PLAYING YOUR GAMES, DAYBREAKER." Yelled the 'Luna'. That made her freeze. She remembered when she met that corrupted image of herself when she and Luna were in Starlight Glimmer’s nightmare, how can the black alicorn possibly know about that?

Suddenly, the argument quieted down as Celestia heard her sister speak.

"ENOUGH!" This time, everypony looked at Luna's location-

Only to see a very angry Luna. Everypony froze, and Celestia tried to speak.

"L-Lu-"

"QUIET SISTER." Luna told Celestia as she looked at her with a knowing look, Celestia nodded and took a step back. "Now then," Said Luna as she looked back at the now-quiet group of ponies. Her face was that of anger, and her eyes shone with a disapproving glare. "My sister over here is NOT this ‘Daybreaker’, and we have committed no murders."

She continued. "So, who art thou?" Pointing to the 'Applejack', 'Chrysalis', and 'Luna'. The 'Chrysalis' sighed, before replying. Unknown to everypony however, Celestia managed to sneak in a truth spell on the duplicates.

"My name is Crystalline, and I..."

Author's Note

Felt that I rushed this chapter. Like anything? Comment what you enjoyed (or hated).:twilightblush:

Oddball

Author's Note

This chapter contains the appearance of Nazism. You have been warned.

Oddball

Dimension 'Evil'

Solar Castle, Cantertrot, Solar Equestrian Empire

"Is that it?" Demanded Daybreaker to her apprentice as she and the Frightful Five entered the filthy, barely lit dungeon. The thing the Solar Empress was asking about was a stallion inside a cell at the end of the hall. He had a coat of a militaristic greyish-green and had piercing, golden yellow eyes. He was also humming to himself in glee, for some odd reason. He was discovered in the newly discovered Everfree ruins when a platoon of guards was chasing a deserter who had fled from the army. The deserter fled into the ruins, and when the guards followed, they saw the stallion standing over the deserter's dead body.

Twivine turned her head to the Empress and nodded. "Yes, my justful mentor, what you are seeing has been the very pony I have told you about." She said as they got closer. Daybreaker smirked at Twivine's title for her. Justful, I like it. She thought. Before she knew it, they were there. The black unicorn guard stationed at the entrance snapped to attention to the presence of the Emperor and her pupils as they reached him.

Daybreaker just had to look at the guard to get her message across. The guard nodded, his horn starting to be surrounded with a greenish aurora as the keys to the door was levitated out of the guard's pouch. It then floated towards the keyhole, and after a second passed, inserted itself into it. It then turned itself to the left as it deactivated the locking mechanism for the cell door. The door protested with the creaking of its rusting hinges as it opened into the cell.

"The prisoner, your eternal worship." The guard said as he entered the room, keeping the door opened for the visitors. They walked into the room. The door was then shut, then locked, in the case there was an escape attempt. The stallion had his back to the door and has stopped humming when the door was being opened.

"Oooh! Do I haffe ein fizitor?" Asked the stallion in a Germane accent, looking over his shoulder to look at the group with a cheerful attitude. Daybreaker both mentally facehoofed and was confused at the same time. Mentally facehoofing for realizing that he was speaking with a Germane accent, and confused due to him not reacting as she expected. Daybreaker felt a small puff of fire emanated from her eyes in anger, but then regained control of herself as she replied to the odd pony.

"I AM DAYBREAKER, EMPRESS OF THE SOLAR EQUESTRIAN EMPIRE AND MASTER OF THE SUN! FEAR ME OR ELSE YOU SHALL PERISH!" She roared in her R.C.V. as illusionary lightning bolts crackled from the ceiling, cackling as she attempted to scare him into submission. But when she ended her show and looked back at him, he was shaking his head in disapproval.

"Mein gott, zat iz zo bad..." Was his answer.

"Uh, can you tell us why you were at the ruins we found you in?" Asked Slaughtershy, realizing the anger rising in the solar ruler. "As well as your name and talk in an audible voice." She finished. His face showed disappointment at the demand.

"Fine! You can call me Rein," He answered in a more understandable tone, "And I used to be ein top sekret projekt built by zee fourth reich, zee Terran State of Man." Daybreaker's eyebrows fell in confusion, as many questions sprouted in her head. What is a reich? The Terran State of Man? Never heard of it. What is 'Terran' and 'Man'? And most importantly, Should I kill this idiot by now? She decided against the last one...yet.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Slash ordered Rein.

"Adfanced artificial intelligence." Rein replied casually. Then he just had the groundbreaking thought about the state the floor he was sitting on was. "Schit..." Rein groaned as he facehoofed. "Gott damn..." The guard suddenly picked up a spear and charged at him.

"Nopony curses in front of, about, or disrespects the Empress!" He snarled as he jabbed the spear at the still facehoofing greyish-green stallion. The spear flew through the air and impacted Rein‘s chest, but instead of going into his heart, the spearhead shattered as a metallic screech was heard. Everypony in the room (minus Rein) either backed away or gasped, as the guard dropped the now-useless weapon he was still holding and backed away in shock.

Then, Rein smiled in a malicious manner at the now trembling guard as he raised his right foreleg and—wait, that’s not right. The foreleg was peeling back as it morphed into a pipe-like structure, with no sign of muscle or bone. Everypony besides Rein now were horrified at this, increased by lack of pain from Rein. He smirked at the quivering guard as the inside of his unusual foreleg began to glow in a crimson color, accompanied with what sounded like high pitched wailing. The guard quickly cast a shield spell when the 'foreleg' emitted a noise.

*VreeeEEE—CHEWL*

A beam of crimson light rushed out of the 'foreleg' as it raced right at the guard. It hit the green magical shield with such force that the crimson plowed through with little resistance. It then hit the guard's solar golden armor and melted with again no resistance, then entered the guard himself. A hissing sound was heard as he screamed in agony while his left foreleg took the crimson in. The guard then fell to the ground as Rein watched.

"Don't try to attack zee machine, vimp." Glared Rein to the guard as the 'foreleg' reformed back into a leg. He then looked up to meet her eyes and smirked. Daybreaker then realized that she was actually impressed with what happened, realizing what was right in front of her: Pure domination that she couldn't have dreamed of in a million lifetimes.

"All of you, FOLLOW ME." The Empress demanded as she bashed the cell door out with her magic. The others were startled, but then obeyed. On their way out, Daybreaker felt the peculiar urge to look at the Rein‘s cutie mark, so she looked for him and found him trailing behind her and the Frightful Five, unsure of her motivation. That was when she saw it.

This was the only time somepony's cutie mark or anything in that matter had sent chills down her spine. It was a black 'X' that had the ends pointing to the right of each arm of the 'X' at 90 degrees. A broken, crooked cross, you can call it. She knew enough that it was a symbol that originally was from Brahman that meant 'good-being'. Like that saved those stupid cows. Thought Daybreaker as she rolled her eyes in amusement to the insult.

"Why are you looking at me like zat?" Asked Rein as he looked at her with a bemused look. The Frightful Five looked at him in a you-just-bucked-up-now look.

"One, watch your tongue swine," Daybreaker warned him. He complied immediately as she resumed while pointing her right foreleg at his cutie mark, "And two, what is that there?" Rein looked to where she was pointing and chuckled.

"Oh, zat. Zat was ze symbol for zee fascist group called ze Nazional Zocialist German Vorkers' Party," He started. Doesn't he mean Griffomane? Daybreaker thought. She didn't have time to continue any farther, as Rein continued, "zee precursor of mein government. You zee, it all began in zee year 1933, when zee Deutsches Reich, or zee Third Reich, appeared, which led zeir nation from a struggling hellhole to zee most powerful country." Realizing what was going down, Twivine summoned a notebook and a quill and proceeded to cram everything of what he was saying.

"Zey managed to conquer most of zeir home continent, but were defeated by zee democrats and zee kommunists in 1945." He said with a sad tone before his face lightened up. "But zee legacy of zeir sudden moment of power flourished. Fast forward to zee year 2023, when zee Great Rebirth occurred." Twivine was still writing down notes as the others listened in to Rein. The Solar Empress, on the other hoof, was starting to get bored.

"Zee Great Rebirth vas when people vere ready to unify zee world after zey embraced zee one true ideology: Humanitism; Humanitism is zee lust of destroying any und everything zat keeps everyone divided. Even zose who had fought zee Nazis failed to end this ‘Nazi reincarnation’, as zey called it. Zey finally managed to unify zee world in 2026 after grueling fighting and created zee Terran State of Man." Once he finished talking, Daybreaker asked him a question.

"What is this fascism you speak of, alongside those other two things?" She demanded. Rein glared at her, apparently noticing her lack of care.

"Democracy is an evil obsolete ideology that leaves the country weak by allowing the populace to vote whatever they vant and let 'unpures' meddle with the actions. Kommunism is where zee corrupt leader brainwashes his unnationalistic nation to love him and to share everything. Fascism, however, is where a ruler has total control of a very nationalistic country, eradicates any 'unpures', and helps the country, who in turn love him." He replied, before starting to answer questions from the Frightful Five. Daybreaker listened on and considered what was said, running scenarios in her head.

I hate that 'democracy' thing, as I do not want to be voted out, or have Non-Equestrians running amok. She thought, before continuing. And that 'Communism'? Ugh, please, I want EVERYTHING. She mentally agreed to those, before finishing her train of thought. But this 'fascism'...It sounds perfect. Being the leader who controls a nation who adores me and loves Equestria? Fits right up my alley.

"I think I like this 'fascism' you described." She told Rein. His glare vanished as the others stopped asking their questions at that moment, for the Empress to get her response. At this point, they were in the Throne room of the castle.

"Great! As you seem to be powerful, I am willing to be of your service, mein führer!" He said energetically. Daybreaker was taken aback by his once-again unpredictable attitude.

"WHAT did you call me?!" She snarled as flames danced outward from her fiery mane. Rein, for once, had that smile vanish from him. The Frightful Five backed away slowly.

"I-It means my leader." He said. Daybreaker stood still for a moment, before easing herself and responding.

"I like it."

Rein eased as well. "So, mein führer, may I see your current national state? I zink you vill like what I have in mind..." He said to Daybreaker as they all entered the room.

Orders

Dimension 'Good'

St. Hooves/Ponyville General Hospital, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

Daring Do looked around with wide eyes as she saw the dozens of cups displayed around her. There were so many cups! Cups of gold decorated with jewels, cups fit for a king, even cups that were shaped like ponies! But she then remembered what the old earth pony guard named Holy Cross told her, "Be sure to choose wisely, or else you will die."

Daring Do took that to heart, as she scanned and searched the room. She reminded herself that she was looking for the Blessed Cup, the cup Pure One drank from, right before he left for Harmonia. As she continued, she mumbled about each cup.
"Not those...He didn't want to be treated like a king." Daring Do said to herself as she passed a group of gold and silver cups.

"This isn't from the right area..." The cups that had key ancient Amareican influences were ignored. Then she saw a that made her stop.

"...Are you serious?" She deadpanned, as she to the beer keg that had a sign with 'TOTALLY PURE ONE'S CUP' written on.

After a while, Daring Do was certain that she found it. It was an old, beaten up cup made from clay that had no design or accessories on it. A smirk formed on her face as she carefully reached her left forehoof out and grasped the delicate object gently, so she would not damage it. She then pulled it towards her with the same dedication. After finally navigating around the shiny tall cups, she turned around with confidence.

"I had made my choice." Daring Do shouted.

"Are you willing to expect certain death with your selection?" Asked Holy Cross. His old, wrinkled face was half-covered by his long unkempt beard. His eyes looked at her with a serious expression. "If you want," he told her, "you can cha–"

"Nope! This is the one I want." Interrupted the legendary explorer.

"Okay then, your fate has been chosen..." wheezed Holy Cross as he wobbled towards her, using his rusty dulled sword as a walking stick to help him move about. "As you had selected your pick, now you must drink with it!" He pulled out a flask that was dangling from his rusted, filthy armor, uncorked it, and poured a clear liquid into the cup Daring Do was holding. Once he finished, he stepped back and watched her with a judgmental look. It was clear he wanted her to drink from the cup.

Daring Do looked away from Holy Cross, and down at the water-filled cup. She knew what she had to expect. If she had chosen wisely, she would live. But if she chose wrong, death would be swift. Shaking her head to clear out the thoughts, she closed her eyes, lifted her head, raised the cup, and drank. She did not stop until every last drop of the liquid was out of the cup and down her throat. Once finished, Daring Do opened her eyes and lowered the cup and her head, waiting for her result.

She had chos-⁵

"Girls?"

Abentfree was interrupted from the copy of Daring Do and the Great Cup Crusade she was reading as she was in the waiting room of the hospital. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. And just when things started to get good. I must know what happened to Daring Do! She thought.

Against her urge to resume reading about her favorite explorer, she grabbed a bookmark from that was in her vest pouch, slid it in to mark her place, then closed the book to look up at the pony. It was Nurse Redheart, her white coat coupled with her blue eyes and pink mane instantly recognizable. Especially in a hospital.

The other mares that were also directed were what put her on edge, Princess Twilight Sparkle, along with her four friends and her pupil Starlight Glimmer. They had come here to see Rainbow Dash, who was there due to her slamming into the insane stallion back at the ruins. Speaking of ruins, the Princess of Magic teleported the three elements, her, and Techno here. The staff took everypony except the Princess and Fluttershy in the room where they checked up on their status. Rainbow Dash needed to stay for half a day as she was proven to have minor fractures on her left foreleg from said impact, while Abentfree and the then-waking-up Techno needed no help as they only had a few bruises and the most minor of rope burns.

"Both patients are ready for your presence." No sooner was that sentence in the air that the chair to Abentfree's direct right revealed its occupant for all to watch in horror. The sound everypony trembles when they are in its presence. The sound that no nation can stop nor defeat. The sound of fruitless resistance.

"Yay! Finally, Dashie can eat this I-hope-you-get-better-soon cake I made just for her! As well as the other pony, 'cuz I brought a second one!" The pink blob known as Pinkie Pie squealed in joy. Abentfree didn't like Pinkie so much, what irritated Abentfree was the random, in-your-face, and usually nosy actions the pink pony does combine with her high pitched rapid-fire voice. A pony can only deal with so much, but then again Abentfree knows that she doesn't like loud noises.

"Ah'm excited to see 'em as well, Sugarcube." Replied the orange apple farmer on the pink Horsepony of Laughter's right. Applejack is...friendly, to say the least. When Abentfree goes and buys a product from Sweet Apple Acres in the marketplace, the farmmare is always there to do business with you and every once in awhile, they would put up a little chat between one another. The cons about her are the southern dialect she speaks with is hard to understand sometimes, and the stubbornness.

Fluttershy, she never really met with, as the two mares tended to be isolationist. Rarity, though, is number two on Abentfree's Top Ten Ponies To Evade list. The 'properly mannered' unicorn obsessed on dresses and materials and more likely the opposite of Abentfree. While Abentfree wants to trek through unknown lands like her idol, Rarity would be a scaredy foal to something as little as her hooves getting a speck of mud, preferring to make dresses, which Abentfree despises. But she does try her best to be nice, and she did create Abentfree's hat and vest, which neither had failed. Yet.

Twilight Sparkle is hard to pinpoint but seems okay. Sure, she goes ballistic if even a pen is just slightly misaligned. And sure, she praises her mentor a bit too much. But she is very friendly and has been one of the few ponies who think Abentfree's many misadventures are both humorous and interesting. Now that Abentfree thinks about it, she still needs to find a way to repay the several times Twilight practically saved her flank, including what had just happened.

Finally, Starlight Glimmer. She seems to be an oddball, as she went from the tyrant of Our Town and attempting to alter the fate of Equestria, to switching the roles of the two sisters and helping Equestria, all within four years. The only two times they 'met' was when she helped 'The Great and Powerful' Trixie perform the legendary Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive, which Abentfree went to see. Then was the time Twilight sent her into Ponyville to get more connected with the locals. After walking into Abentfree accidentally, she apologized and introduced herself in an embarrassing fashion (after chatting for a bit, they both agreed that Equestrian technology is odd).

"Miss Abentfree? Is there something wrong?" Once again Nurse Redheart had interrupted Abentfree's train of thought. She hadn't realized that everypony had left the room, except her and a concerned Nurse Redheart.

"Uh," Abentfree said as her dignity was lost, "n-no, Nurse Redheart. I was just thinking." She sat up trotted into the patient room.

Five minutes later...

"So, he made a banging sound when you hit him?" Asked Starlight Glimmer to Rainbow Dash. Five minutes ago she was getting to know about the three friends who had the encounter with the strange stallion. That was up 'till Stormsurge mentioned him, where the warm and fuzzy feelings melted away. But that also aroused several questions from her mind.

Why was he in the room if the entrance was locked? Why did he react and talk so oddly, as if he never had any knowledge of Equestria? Why was he so large? Starlight was about to ask them to her mentor when Nurse Redheart entered the room with a concerned expression.

"Sorry to interrupt everypony, but the princesses have asked the Elements, including Starlight Glimmer, to attend a meeting of national security." She said, finishing with the location. Not a moment longer, the elements, as well as Starlight Glimmer, said their goodbyes to the three friends and rushed out of the room. Except for Rainbow Dash, who attempted to get out of the restraints that were holding her to the bed. Nurse Redheart shook her head at Rainbow.

"Sorry miss Dash, but they also requested for you to stay here." Rainbow Dash fell back on the bed with her forelegs crossed in an angry manner. "But you can leave in only a couple of hours!" Nurse Redheart then replied in a cheerful mood. The angry Rainbow Dash instantly became a happy Rainbow Dash after hearing the news.

Footnote: ⁵ This is a tribute to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

*******

1537 Golden Oaks Drive, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

In the basement where the prisoners are being held, everypony watched in a mixture of confusion, shock, and horror in one area of interest. That area is the place where the massive red stallion occupies. But unlike before, his body was twitching in a violent manner the likes none of the observers had seen before. The reason was what they couldn't see, or understand. He was introduced to magic.

How is that possible? Well, when Princess Celestia used a truth spell on him, of course. Since he was created in a time before magic was even around, his systems were unprepared for the force of magic, which has the capability to move the sun (which is ironic considering the moment). But the equines didn't know about that. Nor the battle raging inside him.

The fact is, since he requires a power source, he runs on a very experimental source: a thermonuclear reactor. If you don't know what thermonuclear reactors are, thermonuclear (or nuclear fusion) reactors work when you smash hydrogen atoms against one another until a miniature star is created in the process. There, you keep feeding the star as you harvest more energy than you put in. To sum it up, imagine a bottle of water that only needs a teaspoon of salt to create a shipping container full of water. The technology had been considered as an unlikely experiment by the society that had made him, but the result was that it created more than powerful enough to create the energy to power up the systems he was built with.

But that was all in the past.

Right now, the artificial star in the reactor is fighting against the invading magic, sending unwanted magical and electric energy throughout the machine's many wires that connect to all moving parts every time they collided. The magic danced around the star as if it was seeking an opening, a weakness. It non-verbally taunted the star as it slammed against the star again, sending another round of energy. The star seemed to ignore the taunt as it threw off the magic. However, it was clear that there was a stalemate between the two.

Both forces were depleted from the fight, as each was too powerful to get rid of. The star, despite being small and artificial, was still a star. And the magic was cast to be a very temporary spell, so they were equally matched in power. But yet they kept fighting. Each side knew that the other was unnatural, something that was not made by Mother Nature.

As the two lingered there, the magic unexpectedly began to degenerate, the time for the spell to be in effect had run out. With nowhere to go and trapped, the magic leaped at the star in a desperate attempt. The magic entered the star's surface before it could react. One it realized it was too late, the star braced itself for certain death. One that would never come.

Then it realized that the magic had actually merged into the fusing of the hydrogen atoms by dividing itself into little atoms of magic and joining into the reaction. The star couldn't find a reason how to explain it, did a non-physical shrug, and resumed its duty to before the fight. It created and sent energy to be harvested for power, and ate the hydrogen snacks it was provided with. The batch of energy it sent also had some of the magic variants, as they were converted into usable energy. The consequence of this was that it in effect created a new unusual form of power consisting of magic and fusion energy. As the energy was converted and sent to power the machine, the magic that now surged alongside the energy managed to achieve something astounding.

Up to this moment, there has never been a truly artificial living thing to have to exist. Sure, there were AI that was capable of thinking for itself and responsible for its actions in the past, but those were only because they were running on a program that 'told' it to do so. What was happening now was different. As the magic-infused energy reached where the memory chips were, that one chip responsible for that task couldn't withstand the immense energy that surged into it, causing it to overwork its job so badly to the point that it short-circuited itself, taking the sole 'brain' of the robot out. The magic, though, was easily able to replace the inferior dead device's job and accomplished something in a few moments what the most advanced and intelligent species in the planet's history tried--and failed--to create.

Pure artificial life, where a machine can think and act on its own without the need to run on any program, has been created.

|¦|¦|¦|

The red stallion had finally stopped twitching, and very weakly tried to get up. Crescent Night stared at him for a moment after his strength gave way to gravity in defeat, then turned her gaze at the 'Not-Daybreaker', or 'Celestia', as she calls herself. The white alicorn with the flowing violet, azure, green, and cyan-colored mane was returning her gaze at Crescent Night with her purple eyes, not giving her any emotion whatsoever. Whatever, Crescent Night thought as she looked away from her gaze and to the floor in lack of interest, rather than defeat or shame. At least those chains are gone...

The white alicorn then turned to what must be the Frightful Five (including an 'Apple' and some pinkish unicorn, by the looks of it), and told them in an exhausted tone, "The reason why I had called you all here is because I believe you girls can keep an eye on them," as she gestured to the prisoners with a wing, "Luna and I can't keep them in Canterlot unfortunately, as we are trying to stabilize a major diplomatic crisis at the moment."

If any of the mares wanted to ask her a question, none did. One look of her face was all that it took to see how tired and stressed she was. Her waving mane was limp and had a few hair strands out of place, as well as bags under her eyes bloodshot and ever-so-slightly twitching from a lack of refreshing sleep. Enough to get her through the day, but just. Crescent Night didn't know of that, and wouldn't have cared at all, to begin with.

"Applejack is responsible for...Apple Seeds, is it?" 'Celestia' asked Apple, turning her head to look at her with an unsure look. Apple hesitated, before nodding her head. "Thank you," Celestia said, before turning her head back, adding "Applejack, take Apple Seeds to Sweet Apple Acres so she can be of use under supervision, while Rarity can monitor the crystal ponies at her Boutique and keep an eye on them." Applejack and Rarity nodded as they walked to Apple and the equestrian prisoners with caution. Awkwardness ensued.

Celestia then focused on Crystalline. "Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie will look after the Changelings.”

"Hooray!" The pink pony practically screamed as she bounced over to the Changelings, who were slightly panicked.

"Fluttershy shall care for anypony that is injured as well as the equestrians. Starlight Glimmer and my faithful student Twilight Sparkle, take Crescent Night and the rest." Crescent Night heard three sets of hooves slowly walk toward her. Her only response was her rolling her eyes upwards to meet theirs, not lifting her head up in the slightest. She met the eyes of Twivine Sparkle or at least a version of her. The alicorn had the same lavender-colored coat of the dark magic princess, but her mane was of a lighter tone, and her eyes were full of innocence.

She could feel the fear of the lavender alicorn long before her eyes shrunk to pinpricks. The yellow pegasus with the pink mane had her caring, shy eyes somehow managed to shrink even smaller than the lavender pony's did and quickly cowered behind her. The pink unicorn that had purple and teal hair that seemed to belong in a tube of toothpaste had her eyes act in a similar manner, but instead with not as much fear.

"P-Princess Celestia?" The terrified pony stuttered. "Th-That's Nuh-Nightmare Moon!" The mention of that name seemed to have turned the very air toxic to the captors while leaving the remaining FEA soldiers with a confused look. Except for Crescent Night and her alter-self.

Alter-Crescent Night first expressed confusion. Then in quick succession came uncertainty, shame, regret, fear, and finally ending with anger. Crescent Night, however, felt her own anger rising even faster than what a geyser would even dream of. If geysers were sentient, of course. But she wasn't blowing off smoke, or steam, in that matter.

Not even the Big Bang could have been such a big a fireball.

"ENOUGH!" Screamed Crescent Night with a voice comparable to the R.C.V as the growing night black magic surrounding her horn exploded in a black burst. The orange countrypony with the funny-looking hat who was bewildered and the hysteric white unicorn who was ratting all sorts of, let's say, 'secret words of respect' to the former lunar princess. The pink happy unlikely-to-be-Pinkameana who was calling her much more filly-friendly but still rude words, the angry black alicorn princess and the white tired and terrified one. The three mares in front of her were scared. In fact, even her fellow soldiers, they all shut their mouths up and didn't make a single word, with eyes full of terror.

Whenever it was because of their fear, Crescent Night's spell that was just used, both, or neither, it didn't matter. What mattered was that everypony was silent. Crescent Night released her spell and continued,

"I DO NOT KNOW WHO, OR WHAT, THIS 'NIGHTMARE MOON' IS, BUT BY THE MERE MENTION OF IT, I AM NOT A NIGHT OBSESSED POWER MONGER."

"B-But y-" squeaked out the cowering lavender alicorn. The toothpaste hair pink unicorn jabbed at her side. The purple pony whipped her head around with a confused look and her mouth opened as if to speak. The opportunity never came.

"BUT AM I WHAT?" Crescent Night demanded as her face shot towards the purple pony's, just not touching. The mare snapped her head back with the previous terror on her face, and slowly backed from the snarling black alicorn.

"GO ON, SAY IT. SAY THAT I'M THE SAME BUCKING BIG BAD EVIL MARE THAT NEEDS LOVE AND HAPPINESS TO DEFEAT ME." Crescent Night, at this point, had gone mad with all the anger she had been keeping bottled up for two painful years, which all started when the wedding happened. All of it was unleashed on the poor mare, who was now covered in a ball, trembling.

"EXACTLY, JUST BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE HER AND TALK LIKE HER, I MUST OBVIOUSLY BE HER, YOU BUCKING PIECE OF S- Before she could confirm that claim, however, her head was jerked to the left as she felt a sharp pain in her right cheek, followed swiftly with loud cracking of bone as a white hoof wearing a golden horseshoe designed to resemble a saint's cross coming from the right entered her line of sight.

*CR-RNCH*

The force ended her rambling as she was flung to the left, hitting the stone wall hard. As she fell to the ground and had her vision, sound, and pain fade away, she looked up to the source of the punch.

"Nopony talks or treats my student like that..." Said the white alicorn to Crescent Night.

Blackness consumed her.

Breakfast

Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria
Next morning

Starlight woke up to the intruding morning rays as they showed down on her face. She groaned as she separated herself from the bed sheet cocoon she was encased in, then slithered out of her bed. With the grace of a sloth, she reached her room’s doorway.

“For the ninth time, I am NOT a zombie pony.”

Starlight hesitated, her tired brain making the connection of the voice to that of the stallion who had what appeared to be a seizure after Princess Celestia used her Truthing Spell on him. With the connection made, she then remembered how...odd it was when she and Twilight carried the two unconscious ponies, along with the three bat-pony-things following them. The ‘bat-ponies’ had rushed over to the knocked-out nightmare and made it clear that they alone would carry her. Starlight had noted that the care they showed was not that of fear, but of kinship, very unlike what guards under the rule of Nightmare Moon would’ve exhibited. She had also noted that the stallion had no hair, and was WAY too heavy to be an ordinary pony.

“B-but you haven’t closed your eyes since I was told to watch you until Starlight came out!” A baby dragon’s voice wailed. Starlight was secretly very thankful for Spike saying her name, as it allowed her to enter without worry. She opened the door and walked out into the hallway. And to her immediate right was where they were.

Spike had his back towards the wall as he looked up at the admittedly massive stallion with wide eyes. Clutched to his chest, in his claws, was a Mare-vell comic that had a cartoonish zompony on the cover under the lining TROTTER TERROR! Towering over him was the stallion in all his redness, looking down on the terrified Spike with a bemused look on his face. Nervously, Starlight announced her presence.

“Uh, here I am?”

Both the stallion and the dragon turned their heads to her. Spike had a relieved look on his face, while the stallion was looking around in a confused manner as he looked around at the crystalline hallway.

“Two questions, first, I assume you are Starlight?” He asked her.

“That’s me...Starlight Glimmer.” She mumbled. Starlight was still groggy from her rude awakening, so she wasn’t in the best of moods at the moment. She started to doze off then and there, still standing before she woke back up. Starlight felt her cheeks grow hot as she did so. His face didn't change as he looked at her.

"Before any more questions, can we get some breakfast first?" Snapped Starlight at the stallion, before regretting the action. "Sorry." She apologized to him.

"No problem," he responded to her, "My scanners indicated that your brain has not had enough sleep. So, off to the food, I assume?" Starlight nodded sleepily as she headed for the kitchen, with the stallion and Spike following her. If Starlight's tired brain knew anything, it is that this was going to be a looooong day.

|¦|¦|¦|

Downstairs, the smell of pancakes was in the air. Twilight Sparkle placed the eight plates that were stacked with pancakes on the table that was in the center of the kitchen. The three ‘bat-ponies’ was already at the table, along with the Nightmare Moon look-alike, who had just recovered from being knocked out and had a bandage around her jaw. They eyed her and the pancakes with suspicion and hostility. Twilight knew that they were a kind of Equine subspecies called bat-ponies, but as of yet, Twilight hadn’t seen any bat-ponies in Equestria.

"What?" Asked Twilight with confusion. Did they not like pancakes? Twilight had put extra care with the preparation of the pancakes for them, especially Nightmare Moon. "Is something wrong?" Twilight asked them with concern. They ignored her, with one of the ‘bat-ponies’ turning to whisper something to another ‘bat-pony’, who nodded her head in agreement.

Something was up, Twilight knew of it, but what? Before she could answer that question, she saw a tired Starlight enter the room, followed by Spike and the stallion. Twilight stopped wondering and trotted towards her former student.

"Starlight, I see you have met the stallion! Did you have a good night's rest?" a cheerful Twilight asked Starlight. One look from Starlight told her what she wanted to know. Twilight's cheerful grin fell.

"Oh, well, breakfast's ready!" Starlight's face lit up with the mention of food from Twilight, as she and Spike attended the table. The stallion hesitated, before following them. With that done, Twilight herself approached the table and sat down beside Starlight, who was next to the huge stallion, and Spike, who was next to the bat-ponies. With everypony at the table, Twilight announced, "Alright everypony, let's eat!"

Starlight and Spike didn't need to be told twice, as they had already picked up the forks that were placed beside them and started to eat. Again, the stallion hesitated, before taking his fork and followed suit. The ‘bat-ponies’ didn't even move for their forks. In fact, they had no interest in eating at all. Twilight hadn't noticed this, as she had already joined Starlight, Spike, and the stallion.

"How do we know that this isn't poisoned?" Demanded one of the bat-ponies to Twilight, which caused her to stop mid-bite. She looked at the bat-pony, who had a dark brown mane and piercing green eyes. Poisoned? Twilight wondered, Why would I want to poison the pancakes? This isn't a w- She was interrupted when the stallion replied.

"This pancake contains butter, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar, milk, and zero percent of any potentially harmful or lethal ingredients. It is perfectly safe to consume." The entire table went quiet, as everypony stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He looked up from the pancake he was eating and looked around the table. "What?" He asked.

"How did you...Were you...Wha?" Asked a bewildered Twilight. How in Equestria did he know all of that? Twilight knew for a fact that he did not spy on her as she made those pancakes, he simply couldn't. He was upstairs when she was cooking.

"Simple, my indicators analyzed a sample of the pancake and was able to decipher the contents." He said with a shrug. A groan came from Twilight's left. Twilight turned her head to see that Starlight had leaned her head back with her eyes closed and her mouth in a scowl.

"Not trying to be rude or anything, but can you please close your mouth for a little while?" Starlight snapped to him. "You keep saying 'Experimental Prototype eighty-four' every time I asked for your name. Then, when I asked where you came from, it is always a 'I was made by the former Horseland Defense Branch’ crap." Multiple gasps came from the table from Starlight's foul language.

"Actually, it was the former Homel-“ The stallion began.

"I. DON'T. CARE." Interrupted Starlight, cutting him off. "And finally, you keep on going 'my sensors indicate' and 'my database suggests'. So, for the sake of everything held dear, just shut your mouth, PLEASE." Starlight panted, before talking once more, in a gentler tone.

"I'm sorry, I just had to get that out of my system." She apologized, before looking down at her pancakes, picking at them with her fork. Twilight blinked at what she had just witnessed. Starlight rarely got that mad at something like that, only snapping once before while out to get some ingredients at the Ponyville Market. Twilight tried to get that out of her mind, by assuming that it was because she was tired.

However, she was also intrigued. What she had said about the stallion was...interesting...to say the least. Why did he refer to himself as Experia...Extrem...Expen...whatever Starlight said he called himself? Why did he think he was made by what he called the Homeland Defense Branch? Twilight just HAD to find out.

"I see you are curious about me, purple." She heard the stallion say to what Twilight assume was her. She looked up and noticed something...odd. The bat-ponies and Nightmare Moon that refused to eat? They were looking at the stallion with bulging eyes and open mouths. Twilight again heard a noise from Starlight's side of Twilight, but this time it was a snort of anger.

"I thought I told you to-" She began, glaring at him. But this time, it was her time to be interrupted. And what Twilight saw made her join the bat-ponies.

"To keep my mouth shut? You did, and I obeyed." Said the stallion, or at least, his voice said. Call her insane, but Twilight swore she saw him talking with his mouth closed. Starlight's eyes widened as she saw him talking without moving his mouth.

"What...In Starswirl's beard..." Starlight and Twilight unintentionally said at the same time.

"What? Never seen a robot before?" The stallion's voice asked in a sarcastic tone. The stallion had put his fork down and was putting his forehooves up in a shrug, also in a sarcastic way. "Before you ask any questions, the reason why I talked earlier with my mouth moving is that I was programmed to do so." He explained to them.

"Besides, which is more tolerable, This," he said, with his mouth moving. "Or this?" He added, with his mouth still.

"The former, just please move your mouth when you talk! Please, It's creepy!" Wailed practically everypony at the stallion. Satisfied, he picked his fork back up.

"Alrighty then, and I have one request," the stallion replied. Everypony nodded, wondering what he could want. "Can I at least have a name other than 'the stallion'?" He asked. "Please, it is driving me crazy!"

"You don't have a name?" Asked Spike. Oddly, he wasn't shocked at what had just occurred. The stallion looked at Spike with what looked like confusion.

"Hold on a sec," He said, "You seem awfully calm to what has just happened. Why are you not like them?" He waved his right foreleg around, pointing to the other ponies at the table.

"It is simple!" Spike joyfully said. He then proceeded to hold up his TROTTER TERROR! comic book with one hand to the stallion. "In issue number forty-seven of Mare-vell's The Trotting Dead series, which is this," Spike than pointed to the comic book with his free hand, before continuing. "In the issue, the main character, Hock Grims tries to find his son Jowl and comes across a pony, where it turns out the pony is not a real one."

"And?" Asked the stallion. Spike shrugged.

"Dunno, haven't read that far yet," Spike replied. The stallion facehoofed at the response. "But the fake pony did call himself an object, and seeing that you are a fake pony, I thought it would be fitting for you to be named Object." Spike finished. The stallion stopped facehoofing.

"Object, huh..." He put his hoof to his chin, as if in consideration. "It'll do, I guess." He stated.

"So, um, that was a thing." Stated Twilight, recovering from her shock. Spike quickly realized that he had ranted off to the ponies present, causing his face to be a bright red. Object, luckily, came to his rescue.

"Um, purple?" He asked, pointing his right hoof to Twilight.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle," Twilight told him, "Just call me Twilight." Object nodded.

"Twilight, I think the pancakes are a bit cold, do you mind making a new batch? Some might be hungry." He asked. He was right, the pancakes were now cold, and cold pancakes are not meant to be eaten.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Replied Twilight, igniting her horn to levitate the plates. The bat-ponies backed away from the table as Object was talking to a very apologetic Starlight. Twilight at this point left the room, had disposed of the pancakes, and began a new batch. But for some reason, her previous thoughts about Object resurfaced.

Object was without a doubt not from this time. No Earth pony in Equestria could've cast a spell capable of what Object performed. The only other logical way he could've done what he did was with technology and Equestrian technology is most likely not even close to the level of technology needed in order to do what Object did. As Twilight pieced together the evidence; where Object was found, his odd conversations, his unusual actions, Twilight felt she knew the result.

Although Object says he is a 'robot', what is he?

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter!:twilightblush: I had to get this out of the way. But do not fret! I promise you that future chapters will be longer!

Parade

Dimension 'Evil'

Solar Castle, Cantertrot, Solar Equestrian Empire

The Solar Empress looked around her bedroom and snorted flames from her nostrils. The room was a complete mess. Furniture was thrown askew all over. Why was the solar tyrant's private chambers like this? She felt something was a bit...off today, that's why.

Frustrated, she lit up her horn in a golden aura, levitating everything back to its original place with ruthless efficiency. Once everything was back in place, she stormed to the massive twin doors that let her leave her chambers. She creaked open one of the doors by a tiny bit, looking through the tiny opening to the hallway. There was no royal guardspony present.

Daybreaker was relieved, or was relieved before anger took over. She was relieved that there was nopony was there to see the Solar Empress like this, but rageful that she remembered VERY CLEARLY that she had ordered two guardsponies to guard the entrance of her chambers. Silly? Yes. Obsolete? Of course. Sign of power? Duh.

Daybreaker then noticed a source of light coming from the other side of the doors that flickered on and off. She carefully opened the door some more, allowing her to see more of the room. Eventually, she had completely opened the door, allowing her to see what the source of the light was. It was Rein, who had his hoof-cannon activated and was apparently inspecting it. She stared on in curiosity, as she got a good view down the barrel of the hoof-cannon.

"I see you are up, mein führer." He said, without looking up at Daybreaker. She paused, reminding herself that Rein had more sensitive senses than an average pony. Daybreaker hesitated for a mere moment before she spoke up.

"Rein, do you happen to know where the guardsponies that were stationed here are?" She demanded.

"Oh ja, I do actually. I told zem to leave zeir posts." He replied casually. Daybreaker was furious.

"YOU. DID. WHAT." She snarled in her R.C.V. as she lurked towards him. How dares he order her guardponies to leave. Who does he think he is?! He shall-

"You gave me access, remember?" Rein said as he looked away from his hoof-cannon and shot an irritated look to her. Daybreaker instantly froze as she realized what happened last sleep-day (nighttime has been abolished). She had been so impressed with the changes he had brought for the Solar Empire that her last order before retiring to her chambers was to make him her Executioner. The Executioner does three things: To, well, execute ponies, to execute orders, and to be the personal henchpony to the Empress.

"Fine, but then explain to me why. NOW." She demanded. Rein‘s eyes lit up quite literally as he jumped to his hooves, with his hoof-cannon retracting back into a leg.

"Excellent! Just follow me, mein führer!" He said in joy as he trotted to a destination only he knew of. Why is he in a good mood? Is he plotting to overthrow me? Wondered Daybreaker as she cocked her head to the side while rushing to catch up with him.

"Just what are you planning, Rein?" Questioned Daybreaker. Rein chuckled as he turned his head to face hers.

"You’ll zee soon enough." He told her. Daybreaker at this point was getting fed up with his attitude with her. She was NOT some kind of filly that needed to be held by the hoof by its mother. Rein then told her, "Besides, today is Parade Day!"

"Parade Day?" Daybreaker said in disgust. "Like with those bucking clowns and floats and balloons and shit?" Rein shook his head in disagreement.

"Nien, nien. Not zat type of parade. Rather, a military parade." He replied. This intrigued her. She wanted to know what a military version of the stupid parades that the civilians adore looked like. Was it literally a civilian parade with soldiers? Or perhaps it was a military convoy running over a parade. She had to know.

"What's a-" She began, before Rein cut her off.

"No time to explain, as it is about to start in fifteen minutes. Ve have to get to your balcony now in order to not miss it." He interrupted as he picked up speed. Daybreaker felt her throat starting to warm up with a forming fireball, but she forced it down. No need to breath fire at him yet, She mentally reminded herself, Wait until he fails you, then roast him.

"Ve’re here, girls." Rein called out as the two ponies reached the Balcony of the Sun, which was the name of the Solar Empress’ private balcony that overlooked the main street of the gleaming capital of the Solar Equestrian Empire: Canterlot.

Daybreaker looked around to see that the Fearful Five were present on the balcony as well. Lil’ Miss Rarity, who had some kind of red clothing on, was pressed alongside Pinkamena with her head on Pinkamena’s shoulder. The thing was, Miss Rarity and Pinkamena had a crush on one another. Normally, homosexuals would’ve been burned to the steak, but the two had been so loyal to the Empress that she had let them keep both their lives and their relationship.

Rainbow Slash and Slaughtershy were to the right of them, with a green duffel bag in between the two pegasi. The cyan pegasus that had the greyed rainbow hair was looking at a Bowie knife that she twirled with her forehooves as she used her wings to hover, as Slaughtershy looked on. The knife was a trophy taken from the so-called 'Great Daring Do', when the two clashed at the Battle of Neigh York City. The two Pegasi had danced a dogfight over the raging battle, up until Rainbow Slash managed to wrestle the knife from her opponent and slit the explorer's throat with it.

Finally, there was Twivine Sparkle. She donned a pair of scientist goggles on her forehead, resting on her horn. She was using her magic to levitate a clipboard in front of her face, as well as a pencil. Daybreaker saw what looked to be a set of blueprints, but with her knowing absolutely nothing about blueprints, she had no idea what was on it. Twivine looked at the sheet, frowned, levitated her pencil to the sheet to erase and write something down, levitated the pencil away, and started the process over again.

Rein stood there waiting for a response from the Fearful Five, instead, they continued on as if they hadn’t heard him. Daybreaker watched as he raised his left hoof to facehoof himself, before lowering it and trying again.

"Ahem." He said. The Fearful Five lifted their heads in unison at him, then moved their eyes to Daybreaker, who was beside him. They quickly straightened themselves and puffed out their chests. All except Twivine, who was still going over the blueprints.

"Twivine..." Muttered Rainbow Slash to the purple alicorn.

"Hold on a minute..." She replied, half listening. Daybreaker wasn’t mad at her star pupil in the slightest, as she often gets so caught up with her work that she drones the outside world out. It was just then Daybreaker got an idea that made her grin. The Solar Empress snuck up on the unexpecting pony, being careful to not make a sound, leaned in right next to the unexpecting pony’s head, and whispered into Twivine’s ear.

"What’s that your working on?" She whispered. Twivine jumped as she recognized her mentor was there.

"Mentor, I’m so sorry! I was caught up and there were so much work and things! Please forgive me!" Twivine pleaded to her. Daybreaker was chuckling for the action she had committed. It was boring ruling an empire without anyone else to invade.

"No need to apologize, Twivine." Daybreaker told the pony. "Besides, I am wondering what you are working on. What is it? A weapon? Some contraption? What?"

"Ze parade, mein führer..." Reminded Rein. Daybreaker then remembered that the parade was going to start in several minutes. How many minutes has passed? One minute? Five? She turned to Rein.

"Is it starting now?" She asked him. Rein closed his eyes for a few moments, then opened them up again.

"Nien, not until six more minutes, so ve have some time." He responded. Daybreaker had so many questions to ask, but wasn't able to as he continued. "In ze meantime, I can tell you about ze roles I've given your loyal subjects." Daybreaker shot Böse with her unamused eyes.

"I'll start right now so I von't be burned to a crisp." He said quickly. Rein then quickly trotted towards Lil' Miss Rarity and Pinkamena, turning around to face Daybreaker while pointing at the pink psychopathic pony. "In war, zere vill be enemy troops captured, ze question is vere do ve put zem? In a prisoner of war camp, of course!"

"You can't be serious." Daybreaker told him. Perhaps she had chosen wrong. Perhaps this Böse pony was not what he has claimed who he was. Perhaps she shou-

"Now hold on, let me finish." He interrupted her ONCE AGAIN. Daybreaker growled, she hated it when he, or anypony for that matter, interrupts her. If he keeps this up, he'll be a molten pool of melted pony. "Zis is not some ordinary summer camp vere you roast marshmallows over a campfire while you sleep in tents, oh no. It's more like a prison disguised as a site of happiness.

"Vhere Pinkamena und Slaughtershy here has volunteered to control zese sites." He finished. Both Pinkamena and Slaughtershy had a massive smile of joy on their faces. Fine, let them waste their time operating these sites, not my problem. Daybreaker thought to herself. She had to admit that she did enjoy the idea of the sites she had just heard about.

Then it was Lil' Miss Rarity's turn as Rein began to talk. "Every military, especially empires, need uniforms to distinguish its power and presence. Und to be honest, ze Solar Empire is lacking any." Flames emerged from Daybreaker's nostrils. "Which is why Miss Rarity here has agreed to make some." Rein quickly added.

As if on cue, the white unicorn got up to show everypony what she was wearing. It was reminiscent of the drill sergeant attire that was worn by the former Captain Spitfire of the then-Wonderbolts. To simplify things, they both sided the rebels and are now both quite literally barbecue. Back to the present, the uniform Lil' Miss Rarity had on was solar red, had no tie, as well as no puffed collar.

"So, I have decided to personally design the uniforms to be both majestic and intimidating, your radiance." Lil' Miss Rarity said as she turned around to let Daybreaker see the entirety of the uniform. The empress was very pleased with the design that the white unicorn came up with. When it came down to clothing, Lil' Miss Rarity did not let her down.

"Power. Every civilization in ze entirety of history needs it." Rein continued on, ending the empress' internal rant about clothing.

"Power?" She asked, before snarling at Rein. "I have plenty of that! Are you calling me weak?!" Rein‘s eyes widened from the threat.

"Err...vat I meant vas more like a power source." He explained to her. Daybreaker mouthed a silent ahh.

"I don't see why my empire needs a power source, but go on." She replied. Rein nodded as he went over to Rainbow Slash.

"Moving on," he continued. "For a civilization to continue to be in absolute unrivaled control, it needs to be ahead of ze rest. Ze best vay to do that is by advancing its technology, but newer und better tech needs more power to use it. Und to be honest, even vith magical spells, your gamble vas very lucky to have been successful."

"My military had an unrivaled victory, Scrap heap." She barked at him. Rein was unfazed.

"I don't consider loosing seventy-five percent of your military an 'unrivaled victory', mein führer." He deadpanned. Daybreaker tried to snark a response to him, but found that she couldn't. Did she really lose that much of her military? She remembered that Equestria had a population of about four million ponies and that 3.7 million were conscripted. So if 3.7 million were conscripted, with a seventy-five percent casualty rate, then her total remaining military was...

...nine hundred and twenty-five thousand troops.

Daybreaker froze as the shocking truth came to her. Was the Solar Empire that close to defeat? It was extremely lucky for the Empire that all conquered territories were stripped of anything of value, had its inhabitants eradicated, and the land scorched into uninhabitable wastelands. Very lucky indeed. Now that the Solar Empress thought about it, what did she accomplish, to be exact? Besides having literally all of the world's valuable resources and Equestria being the last nation left in the world, her empire has basically made the world a useless rock.

"Mein Führer, are you still listening?" Daybreaker was brought back to reality when Rein asked her that question. She nodded, to imply that she was indeed still with them. Her response seemed to satisfy Rein, as he smirked. "Since you most likely already realize zat you have a veak military, I have told Twivine to make a certain veapon for me to show you."

Rainbow Slash stopped hovering at that moment and began to open the duffel bag, with the sound of a zipper. Once it was opened, she reached in and grabbed something completely alien to Daybreaker. It looked like a wooden stick that was longer on one end, with metal pointing out of it in several directions. Rainbow Slash, holding on to the object, moved to Rein and gave it to him. "Danke, Rainbow Slash." Thanked Rein to the cyan pegasus, who nodded. He then turned to Daybreaker.

"Zis is called a Gewher 98, a long-ranged veapon." He told her, motioning towards the object he was holding.

"So like a crossbow, a bow and arrow, or ranged magic spells?" Asked Daybreaker.

"Sorta." He acknowledged. "I'm actually surprised you know vat a crossbow is, let alone a bow and arrow since your army only has spears, swords, staffs, und knives."

"So besides putting salt on my army's wounds, figuratively speaking, is that thing the best weapon your creators have made?" Daybreaker questioned him, gesturing towards the weapon in his hooves. Rein chuckled at her question.

"Far from it," he told her. "Ze most efficient my creators, ze humans, made is probably ze Tsar Bomba, vich is for another time." He had to be making this shit up. Thought Daybreaker. Humans are a well-established myth. If they even existed in the first place, where are the ruins of their civilization?

"Ok, so is what you're holding the most advanced weapon the 'humans' equipped their troops with?" Daybreaker asked him. She had decided to play dumb with the militaristic stallion for two reasons. One reason was that he was the only pony she saw that can change his arm into a pipe that shoots out beams of energy. The other, she liked him around. After all, he made all these changes to her empire that she personally enjoyed.

Rein shook his head. "Nien. Ven ze Gewher 98 vas deployed in ze year 1898, it vas pretty much useless, even though it vas a decent veapon for thirty-seven years. Plus, society progressed a hundred und eleven ahead, making zis obsolete." He told her.

"Then why didn't you make the most modern weapon?" Demanded Daybreaker.

"Quite simply, your factories can't create the most modern weapon that humans made. Zeir machinery can't produce ze parts needed for it." Rein replied. "Zat veapon needs a type of technology your factories just don't have. Vat zey can make though is vat I like to consider 'early twentieth-century' class veapons. So I vent vith ze most advanced troop primary veapon."

"I think I follow you..." Daybreaker hesitated.

"Now, vere vas I?" Rein asked himself, trying to remember.

"Something about power." Replied Rainbow Slash.

"Ah, Ja! Danke again Rainbow." Thanked Rein to the Pegasus. "As I said earlier, powerful empires need more advanced technology to stay in control, und zat needs more power. So Rainbow Slash has chosen to be responsible for ze management of power." The pegasus straightened up at the mention of her new job.

"Commander Slash, what about the Phoenix Corps? Asked Daybreaker to Rainbow Slash, using her rank. Rainbow Slash leads the dreaded Phoenix Corps, the Wonderbolts who sided with the Imperials during the Equestrian Civil War. They were known to dive at enemy forces by using the sun's light to blind their prey, a wildly successful strategy they purely mastered. The other reason they were feared was that when it came down to fighting, they were pure savages. They were so savage in their fighting that if any FEA soldier managed to survive an attack done by the Phoenix Corps (which was very rare), they would call the Phoenix Corps' savagery 'indescribable'.

"I'll still lead them, your eternal grace!" Rainbow Slash answered to Daybreaker, saluting her. She then shouted out the motto of the Phoenix Corps: "Alis ad fornacem ignis de victoria!" To the fiery wings of victory! Typical Phoenix Corps pride.

Daybreaker did a mental checklist on who Rein had talked about. First were Pinkamena and Slaughtershy, and they will jointly operate 'FUN' P.O.W. sites. Lil' Miss Rarity was next, with her uniform for the empire. And after she was Commander Rainbow Slash, with her managing power for whatever Rein wanted them for. So that only left only one other pony left: her own student, Twivine Sparkle.

"Let me guess, you saved the best for last." Guessed Daybreaker. Rein‘s reply was to tilt his head slightly to the right and raised both of his shoulders. This confused Daybreaker until she realized that he was actually shrugging. Ponies shrug just like clapping, they do it in two different ways. One is to awkwardly stand on your hind legs, tilt your head to the left or right, and uncomfortably extend your forelegs to the side. And the other, much more popular version, is to just tilt your head to the left or right and raise both of your shoulders.

"I guess." Rein told her, having already put the weapon-Daybreaker-already-forgot-what-it-was-called back in the duffel bag. He stopped shrugging and walked towards Twivine. "Und finally, Twivine," He told Daybreaker, "war is ze driving force of ingenuity, meaning zat if a nation is invaded by a much stronger one, but has plenty of resources, ze weaker nation can actually manage to repel ze invading nation if it is given enough time."

"I'm pretty sure that isn't how that works." Said Daybreaker.

"You're kinda right." Rein admitted. "It isn't how zat works, but I'm ignoring ze more complex issues, like moral, disasters, et cetra. But at ze core, vat I said vas true." Now that was pretty accurate. "So in order to keep your dominance over ze others, und to unlock newer technology, vat do you do?" Daybreaker hadn't had a clue.

"Uh...Steal?" Guessed Daybreaker. Rein tilted his head again.

"Zat's one option, but no." Böse responded.

"Then what?" Asked the Solar Empress. Rein‘s yellow eyes gleamed.

"Ze research und development of newer technologies." He answered. "It upgrades your empire's technology, making it stronger. It increases your empire's capabilities und abilities, making it harder to predict. It grows your empire's knowledge. It makes your empire better."

"And I am leading the charge of R&D, my shining teacher!" Beamed Twivine. Of course. Thought Daybreaker. In typical Twivine fashion, of course, she would jump at the chance to lead researching and development. It just came to her about the blueprint she saw Twivine working on earlier.

"So, if you're leading research and development, what is that you're working on?" She asked her student.

"A dimension hopper!" Was Twivine's reply. Daybreaker was confused by the answer. A dimension hopper? You can't possibly 'hop' between dimensions, right? Also, Daybreaker was a firm believer of only one dimension: this one.

"It is extremely hypothetical, mien Führer, but ze intention of ze machine is to pick two quarks und smash zem together to create a wormhole." Said Rein. Daybreaker didn't speak idiot, but she knew that he was talking crazy.

"You are aware of the consequences in your machine idea fails, right?" She told him.

"Ja, even I zink its crazy. But for some reason, a small part of me zinks it vould work." He admitted. Daybreaker really wanted to ask a flood of questions right now. He then closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them up again. "Any more questions vill have to vait, as ze parade vill starts in T-minus-one minute." Well, so much for that chance. Thought Daybreaker.

As the group of ponies approached the railing of the balcony, Daybreaker only had one thought in mind, to see how good this parade was going to be.

|¦|¦|¦|

The composer for the Royal Band of the Sun was very nervous. Sweat was coming from his furrowed brow and was dripping down from his light gray fur down to his red band uniform. This had to be perfect, for he knew that the alternative was much too horrible to contemplate. He and his band were right underneath the Balcony of the Sun, as to be out of sight and to give the Solar Empress the impression of music coming from nowhere. Separating them and the lane that went adjacent to the balcony was a barrier.

He personally had no idea why it was there, but he suspected that the pony that referred himself as 'Rein' was behind it. The suspicion made his blood boil, as he already resented the pony. A random stallion from nowhere suddenly becoming the Solar Empress' personal Executioner within a sleep-day?! There was reason enough to despise him. But what caused the composer to utterly hate him was the fact that Rein tracked them down and gave them a bunch of songs to play for this moment, and that was a few hours ago!

So, besides rehearsing like crazy with no breaks, it was almost time to begin for real. As he looked around at the worried faces of the members of the band, he sent a silent prayer to Faust for aid and help. With a reluctant nod, the band began to prepare their instruments. The Tubists hoisted their Tubas up, the Trumpeters quickly went through their notes, the Trombonists tested their Trombones' arms. Once that was all done, they all looked up to the composer, waiting for him to give them the sign to start. With great hesitance, he got on the platform that he would give them cues to start or stop playing.

Then, right before he started, in a voice only they could hear, he wished them one last sliver of hope. Under normal circumstances, it would have been considered very clique, but for this moment, they needed as much luck as possible.

"Good luck, everypony." Whispered the composer to the band, and they then began to play what could very be their last audition.

(Daybreaker, The Solar Empress by Jyc Row)

https://www.youtube.com/watche?v=8vDRMiXrQf0

Author's Note

Finally, we see a possibility of inter dimensional travel! It is clear that the Solar Equestrian Empire is growing stronger with every passing hour, but what about the other Equestria? Hang on to find out!

Big thanks to RichMay for letting me use Victory March. Give him some love over at DeviantArt!

~Scourge

Gears

Dimension 'Good'

Ponyville Marketplace, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

Today couldn’t possibly be worse for Techno. After checking on Stormsurge yesterday with Abentfree, it was time for both mares to go to their homes to sleep for the night. Or, at least Abentfree did. Techno lived in a travel wagon that almost mirrored the one the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie lives in. The only differences were that Techno’s wagon home was full of gadgets and scrap, did not have a stage function in mind, and could be converted into a shop with ease.

Although she was a tinkerer, she was in a lot of stress. All she had was that wagon, and the reason why it was stuffed almost full was that it what she sells in the Ponyville Marketplace. It was her only income, and even then she received just enough bits to buy more materials needed to keep up the income, to feed herself, and to pay taxes. If that wasn’t hard enough, she would be lucky to get seven customers per day. And so far today, she had no customers.

Normally, this would not have been a problem for Techno, as she can also repair gadgets as she can build them. However, Techno had a rival, a pony named Silver Spanner. Silver Spanner was a unicorn mare that had a moderate tangelo coat, grayish phthalo blue eyes, light gray mane, and a spanner wrench for her cutie mark. To everypony, she was an honest, friendly, and kind pony.

Although that was mostly the case, Techno knew better. When it comes down to business, Silver Spanner was hostile, dishonest, and cunning. The two mares despised one another. Techno was more of an inventor, thinking of better technology for ponies to do things they could not do before. Silver Spanner, on the other hoof, would fix broken technology, but would intentionally add flaws into the device so it would work a few times before the pony would have to come back for her to fix it.

Silver Spanner was more popular of the two for several reasons. One was that her prices were significantly cheaper than Techno’s. Another was that, as mentioned before, everypony saw an honest, kind pony in Silver Spanner, while they saw Techno as delusional and greedy. And finally, they could not possibly understand why Techno would be selling her products. After all, who would want to use a machine to do a task if somepony could already do it?

Techno’s stomach growled, indicating that she was hungry. Techno left her post at the collapsible wall that also doubled as her store’s window. After grabbing her saddlebag that was right beside her, which contained her Bit bag and a personal project she had been working on for a long time, she opened the door with her blue tainted magic that allowed exit from her wagon to the outside, closing it behind her. Right in front of her, and adjacent to Techno’s wagon, was Silver Spanner’s wooden stand that was named Spanner’s Gadget Repair. There was Silver Spanner, attending a notable line in front of her store, full of ponies with gadgets of all shapes and sizes.

Techno sighed as she shook her head. Poor suckers do not know that they are being scammed. She thought in pity. She turned away from the scene, where she began to check on the wheel-stoppers that were responsible for keeping her wagon in place. As her wagon home doubled up as a store, she could not remove the wheels from the wagon, which was a problem as her store was on the slope of a slight hill that was a part of the Marketplace.

Her solution to this was to simply put a pole in between the spokes of the back wheels of her wagon. That way the pole would stop the back wheels of the wagon, as it would be jammed by the undercarriage of the wagon, ultimately causing the wagon to be stuck. The only flaw was that somepony could easily remove the pole, resulting in the wagon moving. Techno knew that this was a risk, even more so as her arch-rival was right next to her. But it was a risk Techno was willing to take.

The pole was secured to the wheels, just as Techno left it. As Techno was beginning to head off into the Marketplace in search of a snack, her stomach growled once more.

"Hey there, Techno! Where are you going?" Techno paused, closing her eyes and mouthed a silent curse. Just her luck, Silver Spanner has managed to spot her. She then opened her eyes, forced herself to have a cheery face, and turned around to reply to the orange mare.

"Oh, hey Silver Spanner. I was just going to get something to munch on." Techno replied. Silver Spanner was now facing Techno, with a pleasant smile and a cheerful chirp in her tone. If Techno had to admit one thing that Silver Spanner does well, it has to be that the mare does an excellent job of disguising her feelings from other ponies.

Silver Spanner’s eyes gleamed from her response as if she saw an opportunity. But Techno could not put her hoof to it. Silver Spanner then laughed with innocence in her tone. Faust, Techno hated that mare more than anything in Equestria.

"Oh, okay then Techno, have fun then!" Silver Spanner chirped. Techno forced a happy nod to the mare before she turned to find a treat. She trotted through the Marketplace, passing flower stands, firewood stands, and the like. After what seemed like forever, she finally spotted what she was looking for. She trotted up to the stand, where the orange country mare spotted her.

"Howdy there!" Greeted Applejack as Techno approached the stand. This relieved Techno of some of the accumulating stress, as it felt great that she wasn’t treated like trash for once. She then saw as Applejack’s face went from a pleasant expression to that of concern as her green eyes searched Techno’s face. "Are you all right, Sugarcube? You don’t look so great." The country pony asked.

"No," Techno admitted. She hated to lie to ponies. Plus, the honest Applejack has the unnatural ability to detect other ponies’ lies from a mile away, so it was fruitless to even attempt. "No customers, little to no sleep, and don’t forget about the incident with the stallion." She told the Apple pony.

"Yikes." Winced Applejack. Techno wasn’t listening, she was already too busy using her blue-colored magic to levitate an apple to the stand’s platform.

"How much for this?" Asked Techno, now levitating her Bit bag from her saddlebag. Applejack looked away from her to the apple she had chosen. Clearly, Applejack wanted to help Techno out, but a look from her told Applejack that now was not the time. Techno really, really needed to get back to her wagon.

"Er, two Bits." Replied Applejack. Techno nodded and felt for two Bits in the bag with her magic. It was a weird feeling, feeling a lot like extending your foreleg in front of a fan, and feeling the air rush past you. But instead of moving past you, it formulates into the shape of a coin. So you can feel it, but at the same time, you can’t.

Three Bits floated out of the bag and landed on the stand’s platform, right next to the apple. Applejack looked at the Bits with a slightly confused look as Techno levitated the apple from the stand.

"Sugarcube, that’s more than ah ask-" Applejack began.

"Keep the change." Interrupted Techno, as she looked on with the apple levitating next to her. Applejack alternated looks from Techno to the Bits.

"Er, alrighty then." Applejack responded as she took the Bits and put them into a sack behind the stand. "Enjoy your apple then, and have a nice day!" Applejack said to her. Techno nodded, trotting away from the stand as she dug her teeth past the apple’s red skin and into its flesh.

She stopped, closing her eyes to savor the taste from the fruit. It was the best thing she had ever eaten in her life! The sweetness as it hit her tastebuds was remarkable. Oh, the juices and texture of the flesh as they danced around her mouth, oh how wonderful it was! It was so great of a taste that, for that moment, it let her forget how terrible her life was. It was so majestic and perfect that it reminded her of screaming ponies.

Techno’s brows furrowed. Screaming ponies? How could the apple remind her of screaming ponies? Techno had a sinking feeling that the apple hadn’t had anything to do with it. She stopped savoring the taste of the apple and focused on listening with her ears.

"-Unaway wagon!"

Techno’s eyes shot wide open. It was clear that she heard a pony scream ‘Runaway wagon’. But whose wagon? She didn’t recall seeing any other wagons in the Ponyville Marketplace, was it a lie? Or was it-?

Techno’s eyes shot wide open as the sudden revelation hit her like a boulder. And almost quite literally too, as the wagon, her wagon, was racing straight towards her. Techno quickly jumped to the side, dropping the apple and extending her hooves out with her face in that of terror. She jumped out of the way just in time, as the wagon shot passed her, where she felt the wind slap at her from the wagon’s velocity. Had she jumped a slight moment later, without a doubt she would have been killed.

She hit the ground hard on her stomach, causing her stomach to cry out in pain. It took her a moment to get up, but get up she did. As she did, she heard a huge crash from the direction the wagon went. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she joined the crowd of ponies who had gotten out of the way that was now looking at the direction of where the wagon had gone. And what she saw pained her more than her stomach.

Her wagon, her wagon that had everything she had owned, was totally ruined. It had plowed through several stands before careening to its side and now was just a pile of broken wood. The only notable bits of the wagon left were bits of broken gadgets Techno was working on and a still-spinning wagon wheel.

"Who’s wagon was that?" Asked a voice Techno did not want to hear. The owner of the voice was an earth mare that had a coat of light grayish amber and her mane was a light gray. Her eyes were a light phthalo blue behind her reading glasses. She wore a collar that had a little puff in the front. Her cutie mark was a scroll bound by a blue ribbon.

"M-Mayor M-Mare..." Techno heard a mare gasp.

"I’ll ask again, who’s wagon was that? I’m waiting for an answer." Asked Mayor Mare to the crowd of ponies. This was bad, really bad. Techno knew that she would get into huge trouble for this, but stalling would only delay the inevitable.

"I-It’s mine, Mayor Mare." Stuttered Techno. The crowd of ponies backed away, forming a ring that had Mayor Mare and Techno in the middle. Mayor Mare raised an eyebrow.

"The wagon was yours, you say?" She questioned. Techno nodded to answer the mayor. "I see...you are Techno, correct?" Techno nodded again. "Alright, did you know about this ahead of time?"

"I-I didn’t cause this!" She exclaimed, with some ponies in the crowd no doubt angry about the carnage. "I-I installed a way to make sure it wouldn’t do this! Please, I’m telling you!" She then began to recall the timeline of events earlier, from arriving to set up her shop to the runaway wagon. That was when a familiar voice Techno hated joined in.

"She’s lying!" Yelled Silver Spanner as she left the crowd, pointing at Techno with her left hoof as she bowed towards the mayor. "Mayor Mare, my stand was next to her wagon when she left it and checked her ‘safety part’, and no doubt she caused it to fail!" This got the crowd worked up to a frenzy, no doubt on Silver Spanner’s side of events.

"She caused it!" Shouted a mare from the crowd, pointing at Techno.

"She wanted my soup stand to be ruined!" Joined a stallion. The crowd of ponies soon began to boo and hiss at Techno. The black unicorn mare looked around, her ears back and her eyes wide with fear as she had no idea what to do.

"ENOUGH!" Yelled Mayor Mare, causing the crowd to fall silent. Techno turned back to face the mayor, as she and everypony were waiting for the mayor’s judgment. "After considering the evidence, I have decided, as town mayor, that Techno is innocent." This caused the ring of ponies to began complaining.

"But she-" Began one pony in the ring of ponies.

"However,” continued Mayor Mare, shooting a look at the pony who shouted out, "I have decided that Techno here has to pay for the damages done to the Marketplace today, as it was her property that had devastated the shops affected. Techno must pay one hundred and seventeen Bits in damages."

The number of Bits shut everypony up. Techno couldn’t believe it. A hundred and seventeen Bits?!?! That’s a lot! What pained Techno more was that taxes were due today, and she needed the Bits to pay them. And for the work lost? In the past, in an average month, Techno earned one hundred Bits; she had to pay twenty bits for her land tax, eleven Bits for her personal tax, and fifteen Bits for her consumption tax.

However, that was in the past, when the government and economy were still in great shape. Nowadays things are much worse. Although nopony wants to acknowledge it, the terrifying truth was that the economy has been plummeting, as the nations of the world refused to trade with Equestria, besides its allies: the Crystal Empire, the Changeling Kingdom, with the Dragon Lands and Yakyakistan trading as well. The reason was because of the old government structure. It worked perfectly in the past, but the world has changed since then. So the Kingdom of Equestria, once the most powerful nation on Equus, is now in a serious state of decay.

Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, either do not know or care about this fact. And, in an effort to keep the ever-crumbling government functional, the taxes were raised.

Back to the present, Techno knew that there was at least a hundred and eighteen Bits in her Bit bag, having counted the total coinage when she bought the apple from Applejack. She looked longingly at the bag, before using her magic to levitate the requested Bits over to the awaiting mayor, one at a time. When the demand was met, she stopped and check how many Bits were left in her bag. There was only one Bit left.

"Thank you Techno, now at least the victims of this unfortunate incident may at least still get some Bits." Thanked Mayor Mare as she counted up the Bits. The crowd had already begun to disperse, and the mayor had spun around to pay the damages occurred from the wagon incident. Techno looked back at Silver Spanner, looking on with a look of disappointment as she glared at Techno. Techno wondered about what that could possibly mean, before it hit her, like the realization that she was going to be broke.

It wasn’t Techno that caused the wagon to go out of control, it was Silver Spanner. Anger surged through her veins as she looked at the mare, who had already turned to head for her stand. It was clear that she was not happy at Techno’s punishment.

Techno knew that attacking Silver Spanner would be a bad choice, especially since she had convinced all those ponies that Techno caused the runaway wagon to happen, plus with the mayor there. If Silver Spanner wanted Techno to attack her, she would not get that pleasure she desired. Instead, Techno looked back towards the mayor, who was paying a brown earth mare that was next to a destroyed flower stand. The brown pony thanked the mayor before she noticed that Techno was watching her. The mare gave Techno a stare of anger, with her brows furrowed and her mouth twisted into a sneer of disgust.

With tears streaming from her eyes, Techno lowered her head, ears flat, and walked out of the marketplace with her tail dragging behind her. As she left the marketplace in defeat, she thought of only one thing. How can this day possibly get any worse?

Five minutes later...
The Everfree Forest, Kingdom of Equestria

*Crackle*

Techno jumped as she heard the sounds of leaves and twigs snapping, the noise ending her from following where her hooves were going. She looked around, realizing that she had strayed off the trodden path of the Everfree. Why did her hooves take her here? The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she observed her surroundings, noting anything that could either help or harm her. All she saw were trees, trees, more trees, and right next to her was a pond.

Her horn lit up in a blue glow, with her prepared with an attack spell if anything were to attack her. She had lost track of where she came from Ponyville, ruling out safe escape as an option. She would give what could ever attack her a nasty surprise, she was ready to-. Her line of thought was interrupted when a reddish glow that was accompanied by a shimmering noise.

“Hello?” Her voice asked from right behind her.

Techno’s attack spell dissolved as she heard her own voice, even though she knew that she did not talk at all. She quickly turned around, expecting some monster that could mimic the voices of ponies behind her. All she saw was nothing but trees. She was confused, was the forest messing with her? She knew that forests can’t talk, but after all, this IS the Everfree.

“Look down at the pond.” Her voice said again, this time below Techno. Techno did as her voice asked and looked down at the pond, which both of her forehooves were at the edge of the water. She saw a nearly perfect reflection of herself in the water, the only difference was that her eyes were an unsettling reddish-yellow mixture in the reflection. There were also oddly no trees in the reflection. Techno stood there, transfixed by the reflection’s eyes.

“Good, you realized where I was!” The reflection said with a grin as it cocked its head. Techno stumbled backward with a shriek, hitting the forest floor with her back. Did her reflection just move by itself!?!?

“Hey, are you all right?” Her voice asked from the pond. Techno got up with a start and stared at the reflection.

“WHAT ARE YOU?!” Techno yelled at the reflection, scared of what it could be. Is it some new Everfreean monster? Or maybe the Attack of The Pinkie Clones Part 2: Electric Boogaloo happening? This could be a threat!

“Woah, no need to yell at yourself, me.” Said the reflection. Techno’s brow furrowed.

“Wait, did you just say that we’re the same equine?” Techno asked. This was confusing as heck in a handbasket, as the saying goes.

“Technically...” said the reflection, “We are the same mare, but in different dimensions.”

“What.” This only added to her confusion.

“It’s a long and complicated story, but in short there are multiple dimensions, and we are in a different dimension. Understand?” The reflection told her.

“Kinda?” Techno replied, not really understanding.

“Again, long story. You have to trust yourself, me.” The reflection said. Techno reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. This caused the reflection’s reddish-yellow eyes to twinkle and her face to soften into a smile.

“Alright, thank you.” Said the reflection, before her face hardened into a state of seriousness. “Moving on, I know why you are here.”

“Huh?” Techno asked.

“I can see it on your face, you don’t know who to turn to.” Said the reflection. This caught Techno completely by surprise, as she, as a matter of fact, did think that.

“I, I guess...”

“Here is a little bit of advice, me,” began the reflection, “Everypony is against you.”

“E-everypony?” Asked Techno in confusion. The reflection nodded.

“Unfortunately, yes,” The reflection replied, “even your friends.”

“What? No! They would never!” Techno stuttered out. Her friends would never do that, would they? She trusts them, and know that they would never do that. So why would they turn on her?

“Listen,” the reflection started, “that is the case, but it was to manipulate you into being their meat puppet.”

“That’s not true!” Techno cried out.

“Have they ever gone to your aid when you needed them?” The reflection asked. Techno froze. The reflection did have a point, her friends would be nowhere to be found when she would need them, like when she tried to find a home, or perhaps that time where her wagon was robbed. Stormsurge would say that he was over at Cloudsdale practicing, and Abentfree would claim she was exploring when the event occurred. Techno now found herself questioning their responses.

“How do you know this?” She asked quietly to the reflection.

“Simple, I went through this exact thing. But once I realized what was happening, I showed them what I, no, we are made of.” The reflection told her.

“What we are made of?”

“Our power within. When you get rid of the lie that the government put on saying that they care for you, then the power you truly have will emerge.” Techno didn’t like the sound of that.

“That sounds like corrupt magic.” Techno pointed out. The reflection nodded.

“It does indeed, but is it really corrupt magic if you’re striking back at the ones responsible?” The reflection replied. Again, Techno was convinced.

“I guess...I guess you’re right...” Techno admitted. She saw as the reflection’s reddish-yellow eyes light up.

“Great!” The reflection replied in a smile as she extended a forehoof to Techno, “just accept my hoof, and together we will teach them a lesson, I promise.”

Techno began to raise her forehoof and started to move it towards the reflection’s hoof. The reflection was right, nopony cared in the slightest about her. The only response was to retaliate the same way they had discriminated against her. It was time to-

She was interrupted when the sound of a snapping twig was heard behind her, followed by the sounds of a female voice arguing with a male voice. Techno turned her head around to see if she was mistaken.

“-idiculous! I should be showing you around the town, not running after you in the forest!” A familiar female voice spoke out. Techno soon realized that it belonged to Starlight Glimmer.

“I don’t care! I saw her going this way and you can’t stop me!” A male voice replied. The voice was familiar to Techno, but she couldn’t quite remember who it belonged to. Judging by the increasing volume of the voices, combined by the crunching of twigs and leaves getting louder, they appeared to be getting closer to her.

“Huh.”

Techno turned back to the pond and saw that the reflection’s face was painted with a disappointed expression.

“I see that we are out of time, unfortunately, so I will leave you for now.” The reflection told Techno. “Until we meet again, me.” After saying that, the pond began to ripple, distorting the image of her until it became still once again, this time her eyes were normal and there were trees in the reflection. Techno stayed still as she heard the slapping of hooves on the grass.

“Are you alright, miss?” The male’s voice asked her from behind. Techno just stood there, keeping her eyes on the pond and not responded. Faust, why can’t everypony just leave me alone?! Techno thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. This facade they were putting up would not work any longer, for she knew better now. “Miss?” The voice said again, with the soft sound of crushed grass approaching her to her left.

One hour later...
Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

Spike was in the middle of reading his comic book when there was a knock at the two massive doors that allowed entrance into the castle. Aw stallion, why was there somepony at this time at this moment? he thought to himself, Hock Grims is just about to put his plan into action to beat the zomponies that have surrounded him! Sighing, he put down his comic and headed towards the door.

“Spike, could you get it?” Yelled Twilight from a closed room to the left of him. Spike shook his head, Twilight... he thought. Too busy learning about that book, most likely, as the room she was in was three things that uneased Spike: It was dark (Spike didn’t like dark areas), it was full of books and research (bad spot to be in case of magic fire mail from the princess), and Twilight (Twilight in her study phase gets a BIT crazy). He was outside of the room reading his comic in case if she wanted anything. That as well as she wanted him to keep watch of the bat-ponies, who were strangely unenergetic and all currently passed out in a group.

“Got it!” He yelled back as he just got to the door, and began to open it. Waiting outside were two ponies: Starlight, muddied up with a twig in her messed up hair as well as a black unicorn mare that had orange messy hair who was equally muddy. Spike was confused. Many questions raced around in his head as he stood there with a confused expression on his face. Why Starlight was filthy and who was that mare with her were two prevalent ones.

“Before you ask, can we come in?” Asked Starlight. Her question caught Spike completely by surprise.

“Uh...sure thing Starlight,” Spike said as he stepped aside, letting the two filthy mares inside. They entered the castle, leaving a trail of muddy hoofprints behind them as they walked. Once they were fully in, Spike closed the door shut. “Now, once you both are in, can you tell me who this pony is and why you two are filthy?”

Starlight was about to speak when the doors to the room Twilight was in swung open with a loud noise. The noise caused Spike and the two filthy mares to jump as their heads all instinctively swung towards the source of the sound. The noise also seemed to have woken up the sleeping group, as they all sprung up awake into a defensive stance. The speed of how quickly they went from being asleep to completely awake meant that they had to have done this countless times, Spike quickly realized. Why would they have done that countless times?

“Spike! I need you to write this to Princess Celestia, I just found out a major breakthrough that could revolutionize the way we thought of Equestria's past!“ Twilight said in excitement to Spike, before she spotted the two muddy mares. Her eyes were slightly twitching with noticeable bags under her eyes. Her mane was unkempt, and her breath had the smell of coffee. This could only mean that it was Study Twilight. As Twilight was prone to going into extreme stages if she began to study the ever-living crap of something, expect to get Study Twilight.

“Oh! Uh, Starlight! What an unexpected surprise!” Stuttered Study Twilight, before her bloodshot sleepy eyes took notice of the other details as well. “Who is that, and why are you both covered in mud?” She asked as she pointed to the two filthy mares with her left forehoof.

“Well, I was taking Object with me to show him around Ponyville, which was going well until around the Marketplace, where everypony was packing up much too early than usual.” Starlight started, “I then asked a mare named Silver Spanner, who happened to be right next to us, what happened, and she pointed at a pile of broken wood, metal, and cloth saying that a black unicorn mare named Techno had purposely tried to destroy and even harm anypony.” At Starlight said this, Spike noticed the other dirty unicorn mare narrow her eyes as her mouth turned into that of a snarl. Still, Starlight kept going on. “Just as Silver Spanner finished, I realized that Object was no longer at my side, and, after trying to see where he could be, I noticed him heading down the little path that leads from the Marketplace towards the Everfree Forest in a trot.”

“He did what?!” Twilight half asked half yelled out in disbelief. Spike also couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Starlight nodded.

“I thought so as well at the time, so I had to gallop after him. I told him what was he thinking, blindly going into the Everfree, leaving me, et cetera. He then started to say that he saw a pony that perfectly matched the description that Silver Spanner had said and that she was heading that way. I forced him to stop, looked him in the eye, and I might have gone a bit overboard by ranting about this not being right in many ways, which took a pretty long time. Once I was done, he just ran off again.”

“So you followed him again?” Asked Spike. Starlight nodded.

“That is correct, Spike. So I chased him again, yelling at him until we both reached an opening in the forest where there were a pond and a black unicorn mare. We both stopped, and when he slowly approached her, she jumped on him and caused them both to tumble into the pond. I had to jump into the splashy fray to separate them from fighting. I was successful, but it resulted in all three of us muddy.” So that’s why they’re covered in mud. Spike thought.

“Then, what happened?” Asked Twilight.

“He ignored my repeated rants and asked her what was wrong.” Starlight replied, pointing to the other dirty mare with her head. “She said that she was unable to pay for her taxes that the government demanded, and-“

“That I knew better than to trust any of you manipulative equines.” Interrupted the other mare, which had to be Techno, by Spike’s reasoning. Spike was taken back by the rudeness of the mare.

“W-What?” Gasped Twilight.

“Yeah, you heard me loud and clear, manipulative.” Snapped Techno. “I realized that you were all against me from the beginning when nopony came to my aid when my wagon crashed in the Marketplace, and all of you went to the oh-so-innocent Silver Spanner, who accused ME of trying to harm anypony.” Her horn began to glow with a reddish tint, but she paused and closed her eyes, presumably to calm herself down. “Well, I knew better than to believe the stallion who marenapped Abentfree and I and hurt Stormsurge, then began to act as he cared for me. Ha!”

“Then what?” Asked Twilight, a little bit angry about the very rude mare. Techno chuckled.

“He ran away, of course!” She yelled, before resuming in a calm tone, “Well, before he told Starlight here to give me his room for only Faust would know the reason why.” Starlight nodded with a noticeable reluctance, confirming that what the rude mare said was true. Spike saw that Twilight was slowly nodding her head in slight confusion, and Spike admitted he was doing the same thing for the same reason.

“Alllrrriiiggghhhttt...well then, welcome to the Castle of Friendship. It seems that it is too late to stay up, so I assume it is time for sleep?” Said Twilight with a hint of uncertainty. Spike quickly looked to a nearby window and saw that the light outside was of that when the Princesses were about to switch the light of day for the darkness of night. He didn’t know that it was that time already!

“Well, I guess that means that we should head for the showers.” Starlight said. Starlight began to walk towards the stairs which would ultimately lead to the showers and motioned for Techno to follow her. The mare complied, and as the two began to head into the direction, Twilight and Spike headed towards the direction to their bedrooms. As Spike practically drag the study-addicted Twilight there, a thought managed to surface past his sleepy brain.

If Object traded his room for Techno, thought Spike, Then what exactly is Object thinking?

Author's Note

Hey everyone,
I am so sorry for the long delay. Life had decided to be a huge b*tch to me during the months, causing me to get away from the story to work. On top of that, when I did get some time to work on the story, a Writer’s Block would appear, slowing any progress that I would do. And for the icing on the cake, I admit that I have started to lose interest in the story. I want to get to the main problem so bad! But I have to build up the steps to get there (if you catch my drift). So this, coupled with life and the writer’s block, brought the story to a grinding halt. I hope y’all can forgive me.
On another note, I am planning to change some aspects of the story. One in particular is Selene. I feel that her name isn’t quite unique, considering that there are many OC’s out there named that, so I’ve decided to change her name to Crescent Night. As said before, I am so sorry for the long pause.
~Scourge

Reaper

Fluttershy’s Cottage, outside of Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria
Next morning

“Angel, time to get up.”

Two little tall ears perked up from the furry white ball that was nearby the bed that belonged to the yellow pegasus. From the furry ball sprouted the tired head of a rabbit. Angel Bunny yawned as he stretched his limbs outward, before rubbing his tired eyes with his little paws. With the sleep mostly rubbed out of his eyes, he looked up at the figure that had talked to him. It was no other then the sweet Fluttershy herself, looking down at him with her kind eyes.

“You must have been very tired last night, haven’t you?” Teased Fluttershy as she urged Angel to follow her. Angel’s face brightened as his ears perked up, a smile beginning to form on his face. This could only mean one thing to Angel, and that one thing was the F word:
Food.

Fluttershy giggled as she began to step down the stairs that went from her upstairs bedroom to her cottage’s lower floor. Angel hopped as he followed her, only ending the hopping as he went down the stairs.

“Found your bunny buddy, Fluttershy?” Asked a male voice as the two were in the middle of the stairs. Angel turned towards the source, towards a floating table that had several rotating upside-down teacups. Seated on one of the sideways chairs was a hybrid of an animal that had a right deer antler, a left blue goat horn, one long fang, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and white bushy eyebrows. He had limbs from various animals. In addition, he has a bat's right-wing, a Pegasus' left-wing, a horse's mane, and a snake's tail that had a white tail tuft. Angel knew who this was right away.

“Yes, Discord,” Fluttershy answered back as she reached the bottom of the stairs, “I am just about to give Angel here something to eat.” She went to the kitchen, which was located right next to the stairs and to the living room. Angel eyed the Draconequus, who was looking at him back while waving at him with a smile. Angel forced himself to wave back, although Discord had proven to be a friend toward Fluttershy and had visited her cottage several times, Angel still didn’t fully trust him. He turned away as Fluttershy’s voice called out to him.

“Here you go, Angel Bunny. A nice, fresh carrot, just for you.” Fluttershy said as she gently dropped a carrot in front of Angel. Angel nodded his head to Fluttershy in gratitude, before picking up the carrot and started to munch down on it. Fluttershy giggled at the sight, before heading towards the Discordified table. Angel watched as she took a seat on one of the sideways chairs and grabbed one of the upside-down rotating teacups. “So, um, where were we?” Fluttershy asked as she took a sip.

“Oh yes! Fluttershy, I heard that there was a ruin discovered relatively close to your cottage?” Discord asked her as the god of chaos grabbed a rogue teacup and began to down the contents in a civilized manner. Angel noticed that Fluttershy lowered her head in the slightest of movement, with her mouth forming that into a small frown. The bunny stopped his munchfest and looked on to his owner in concern.

“Y-yes there is, Discord.” Fluttershy responded, her voice noticeably wavering. Something bad must have happened to Fluttershy for her to be acting like this, Angel realized. His little white face twisted into anger. What could have possibly wanted to hurt Fluttershy? Angel wasn’t the only one to have noticed her change of mood, for Discord noticed it as well.

“Fluttershy, are you alright?” Discord asked her, his face and voice in concern. Fluttershy kept quiet, keeping her vision on the teacup she was looking down on. Discord then began to plead to her. “Fluttershy, please tell me what has hurt you, please.” The pleading tone in her friend’s voice got through to her, letting her have the strength to speak.

“I-I was in the Forest, hanging out with Rainbow and Twilight when we met a Pegasus.” She began. “H-he was hurt bad, and he told us that he and his friends were at the recently discovered ruins that were discovered in the Forest. They were attacked by a red stallion, who eventually took the poor Pegasus’s friends. Hearing the poor thing, we decided to help him by freeing his friends by heading to the direction he came from. There, we found the ruins, where the red stallion a-attacked us.”

Angel could not believe what Fluttershy said, and Discord’s expression met his. Why would anypony, under any circumstance, attack ponies, especially if one of them was the sweetest thing known to Equinekind? Angel knew that the Everfree Forest was home to many dangerous creatures that would harm a pony within a heartbeat, but a pony? That is something completely different.

Fluttershy went on. “R-Rainbow managed to knock him out by slamming him into a wall, although she hurt herself in the process. W-we found the Pegasus’s friends, thankfully neither hurt, but one was awake and was crying. T-the bad pony was eventually put under the watch of Twilight and Starlight, and the Pegasus and his friends were taken to the hospital.” Fluttershy started to waver. “I-I know that Twilight and Starlight can handle themselves fine, b-but I don’t know if they’re okay.” She began to tear up.

Angel hopped over to her and placed a little paw on her back leg, looking up to her with a face of concern. Discord also expressed this, by slowly approaching her and placing a claw on her left shoulder.

“There, there, Fluttershy.” He soothed her, “I’m sure they’re fine with him. Hey, if they dealt with countless Equestrian crises, then one small pony can’t possibly come close to defeating them.” Fluttershy looked up to Discord with tears in her eyes and a smile.

“T-thank you, Disc-cord.” She thanked the Dracoequus, before looking down towards Angel. “And thank you, Angel Bunny.” She patted him with her right forehoof. This made Angel feel good, as his face went from concerned to that of happiness. “Now then, shall we continue the tea-party, Discord?” Angel heard the Pegasus say to the named deity.

“Sure thing, Fluttershy! Now, what do you think ab-“ Discord would not finish what he said, as there were knocking at the door of the cottage.

*knock knock*

“Oh? Who could that be this early in the morning?” Fluttershy asked, excusing herself from the table and began towards the cottage door. Angel looked on as multiple miniature Discords began to pop into existence as Fluttershy had just began to pass Discord.

“But, the tea party.” Said the Discords in unison.

“Maybe later, Discord. After all, I’m awfully curious to see who it is.” Fluttershy told him (them?).

“Allrriigghhtt...” Groaned the Discord’s as they held up and then snapped their claws, again in unison. The physics-defying table, teacups, chairs, and miniature Discords all disappeared in tiny little puffs of multicolored smoke. Fluttershy had reached the cottage door, and began to unlock the door and opened it.

“Uh, yes? Is there something that y-“ She began, before gasping as she backed away from the door in fear. Angel snapped his attention to the figure that had scared her, and flattened his ears and furrowed his eyebrows. The figure at the door that scared Fluttershy was what Angel realized must have been the red stallion she was talking about.

|¦|¦|¦|

Discord looked at the red pony that had a saddlebag that was at the cottage door with anger. How dares this pony thinks that he can beat up poor Fluttershy, and yet think he is okay to taunt and possibly harm her further!?!? No! As a friend of the dearest Fluttershy, befriended of the King of Chaos himself, the uncontrollable (yet lovable) Discord shall bring justice to this foul goon. Without hesitating, Discord went and flew towards the stallion.

“Excuse me, but are you the Miss Flutters-Woah!” The stallion asked before Discord picked him up by the throat.

”Did. You. Hurt. My. Fluttershy?” Discord growled as he lifted and pressed the pony’s face to his own, eyes locking on. The pony tried to reply, his unusual eyes narrowing as his ears retreated, but couldn’t, as Discord was unknowingly squeezing the stallion’s throat.

“Discord, stop it!” Discord heard Fluttershy plead to him. “You’re hurting him!” Discord let go immediately, due to two things. One was by the wish of Fluttershy, as he never, ever, wanted to disappoint her. The second was that her pleading made Discord remember that he was a god, and as an almighty being, one of the things that he had was the strength that little could ever achieve. The pony collapsed as he hit the floor, causing Discord to seriously consider that he may have killed a pony unintentionally.

“But Fluttershy, he had hurt you, did he not?” He asked quickly. Fluttershy nodded her head.

“He did, b-but he could have been here to apologize! D-Discord, w-what has you d-done!?” Fluttershy was talking in a tone between quiet and shrieking. Discord began to feel terrible I had killed a pony! And in front of Fluttershy as well! I never wanted this at all! Discord thought in dismay. Should he get as far away from Fluttershy as possible, in order to protect her from him?

“That...was...intense...” The male voice stopped Discord’s rant about Fluttershy’s safety from him. Discord and Fluttershy looked to the stallion, who was up and rubbing his throat. Was it just him, or did Discord feel that the stallion seemed a bit too ignorant of what had happened to him?

“A-are you okay?” Fluttershy asked the stallion.

“Yes ma’am,” he said, “my sensors didn’t manage to identify the swiftness of movement, for I assume they need recalibrating, but I am surprised on how quickly I was picked up, as well as that 530 pounds of force in that grip. Seriously, do you lift or something?” The stallion realized that the room went from that of concern and fear to confusion. “Nevermind what I said.” He said quickly.

“A-Are you alright there, mister-?” Asked Fluttershy, asking the stallion for his name.

“Just call me Object.” He said, “I take it that you are Miss Fluttershy?” Fluttershy nodded.

“Yes, Angel Bunny is over here,” she pointed to her left the appropriately named rabbit. “And over there is Discord.” Fluttershy’s tone was of untrustworthiness and lack of kindness usually attributed to the kind Fluttershy.

“Hi, Angel,” Object said to Angel, before moving his head to Discord. “And hello, Discord. Hold on, what are you?” Object cocked his head in confusion.

“What? Never seen a Draconequus before?” Discord asked Object as he extended his arms out to allow Object to fully see him. Object’s face was that of confusion.

“A Dra-con-equus?” A bewildered Object said. Discord was thrown off. How could this pony not know what a Draconequus was?! Literally, even foals know what it is. Discord realized that they were getting off-topic. So, he corrected that.

“I doubt that you came here just to chat.” Discord remarked, bringing the matter at hoof back into view.

“Oh yeah!” Object exclaimed, “As I had apparently done something to make the town mad at me,” he turned to Fluttershy, “Terribly sorry for whatever I did, Miss Fluttershy, but I can literally not recall what I have done wrong to you, please forgive my apology.” Fluttershy hesitated, before replying back.

“I accept your apology, Mister Object. I don’t fully buy into you not remembering what you have done, but this will do for now.” Object nodded in understanding.

“Anyway, a certain ‘Starlight’ and ‘Twilight’ had told me to go find Fluttershy and help with her for a day.” Discord saw Fluttershy nod.

“Okay, I think I get what you mean.” She sighed before Discord’s semiexistant right pocket started to vibrate.

“Oh! Excuse me for a second.” He told the group as he slipped his right lion paw into the semiexistant pocket. He grabbed the vibrating item in question and pulled it out. It was a golden pocket watch, with Discord’s face adorning the lid. He flipped up the lid, to expose the miniature colony of micro Discords living underneath.

“Did he just-!?” Discord heard Object say in disbelief.

“It’s Discord, he does stuff like that all the time.” Fluttershy’s voice replied. Discord was not focusing on what the conversation was, however, he was focusing on what the micro Discords were spelling out.

“Oh, deary dearest dear!” Discord said in false shock as he closed the pocket watch’s lid and slipped it back into the semiexistant right pocket. Looking up, he saw that he had gotten both the ponies’ attention. “My dear Fluttershy, I’m afraid that it’s just about Chaos o’ Clock, as I have to, unfortunately, leave to tend to Chaos stuff.”

“That’s alright Discord, you don’t need to apologize to me,” Fluttershy replied with a kind smile. Discord smiled back as well, before turning his head back to the ‘Object’ pony and began pointing a talon at him.

“And Objection, If you even go and dare think about hurting my Fluttershy again, I’ll be sure as to turn you into a basketball.”

“Discord!” Protested Fluttershy, apparently not had enjoyed what she had just heard. Discord turned his head back to Fluttershy as his head began to lower in shame. That was however paused as a male chuckle came from Object.

“No worries Disc-ord, as I am eighty-seven point nine percent that you can quite literally do that, and I want to be in one piece.” This caused Discord’s head to raise a bit.

“Really?” Fluttershy softly yelled, more of an annoyance than of intrigue. As Discord did his usual Snap-B-Gone disappearances, Angel Bunny could see that this day will certainly get interesting for his owner.

*******

Zecora’s Hut, Everfree Forest

“I still don’t understand it, how could he just vanish in midair?” Asked Object as he and Fluttershy were trotting down the path that led to the clearing of trees where Zecora’s hut was in. She knew the route well and felt completely certain that nothing big or scary would ambush them. Fluttershy didn’t try to reason with Object again, she had already tried to explain Discord’s quirkinesses about six times by now. So, she decided to listen to his expected option instead. “I mean, not only is he going to have to make himself invisible but with the combination that he is made out of, just how?”

“Don’t a-ask me, I don’t know.” Fluttershy simply told him. She could see the little clearance that housed Zecora’s hut, but she felt that there was still some time left until they reach the tree itself that Fluttershy had wanted to ask him about.

Um, Object?” She asked.

“Yes, Miss Fluttershy?”

“W-what is in the saddlebag?” She asked him, referring to the saddlebag Object was currently carrying. She could hear things inside it the bag clanging with each other, and it could be honestly anything, considering the size of the bag.

“Fifty-eight coins of what is referred to as ‘Bits’ from a night’s work.” Object replied. Fluttershy, although knowing nothing about paying jobs, was shocked that Object had managed to earn that much in such a short time. Fluttershy stopped, which so happened to be in front of Zecora’s hut.

“H-how? A-aren’t you a bit tired?” She asked him with concern. It must have been exhausting for him to have worked that fast to do that much work. Oh, the poor thing!

“Simple, really. Quickly cleaned myself by the stream and went back to the shopping area wreck, where I told them that I was given permission to help assist in removing the rubble there, and agreed to do manual labor for them throughout the night. When morning came and saw what I did, they paid me and that’s that.” After heading what she heard, maybe it was best to ignore that for now, as she shook her head and stepped up to the front door of the hut.

“Well, w-we should probably j-just help out Zecora for today, okay Object?” Fluttershy asked him as she knocked on the door and waited.

“I am completely willing.” Object told her before he began to ask. “Miss Fluttershy, I have heard of this ‘Zecora’, but I am yet curious as to wh-.” The door opened before Object could finish, and waiting for them was a feminine zebra that had cyan eyes, and was wearing familiar Zebrican jewelry on her left foreleg, ears, and noticeably longer neck, as well as the Zebrican tribal picture of the sun on her flanks. Fluttershy knew who this was immediately.

“Fluttershy! I’d knew you would arrive!” Zecora said as she looked at Fluttershy with a grin. That grin softened when she noticed the other pony that was with Fluttershy. “And who is that pony, I must admit my surprise.”

“Zecora, this is Object, the marenapper everypony has been talking about,” Fluttershy told her, motioning towards Object.

“Hello there,” Said Object to Zecora, “I assume you are ‘Zecora’?”

“Indeed it is, red stallion,” Zecora responded, with a bit of unease as she looked at his eyes, before suddenly gesturing both Fluttershy and Object inside, “Please, please, both of you, come in.” They did as so as Fluttershy saw the interior of the hut seems to have been slightly changed since she was last there.

The giant pot was still in the center of the room, as well as the masks that were hung up on the walls. The shelves were still full of jars and bottles that contained countless potions and brews. Everything seemed just like last time if it was not for the large basket that was placed in the back, as well as a giant book that was opened to a certain page. As the three were inside the hut, Zecora shut the front door.

“Although I do not trust you,” Zecora said as she looked at Object, who nodded in understanding, “I have noticed that Fluttershy’s eyes are true.” She walked over to where the yellow Pegasus was. “Fluttershy, remember about that time when I was sick?” Zecora asked Fluttershy.

“Y-Yes. W-Why?” Fluttershy asked. Zecora smiled at Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, I may have found the one thing that could get anything fixed.” Zecora urged the two to come closer to where she was, at the large book. Zecora pointed at the illustrations the open page was on, showing four ponies suffering any disease possible. One was drawn a gray Earth pony mare as if to represent coughing and was given pink and blue vertical stripes. Another was of a purple unicorn, this time frozen in pain as his horn had gray things growing out of it.

The third was of a green Pegasus, free-falling as the feathers on his drawn wings were now covered in silver polka dots. The fourth was of an orange alicorn, drawn in bed with what looked to be glazing eyes. Fluttershy felt...uneasy...seeing the pictures, recognizing that some of the illustrations happened in reality. These cures were incurable, so why was Zecora showing them all of this?

“Zecora? W-Why are we seeing this?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at Zecora with a demand for an answer. She had noticed that Object seemed to be looking intensely at the front door for a second, before looking away. Zecora replied to her question.

“The knowledge of this book about diseases and poisons is a major help for me to make potions. I search for herbs, that’s known, but eventually will come a time I need some that can not grow.” Zecora sighed softly.

“W-What are you saying?” Asked Fluttershy. She did not like where this is going.

Zecora sighed, before continuing. “Somepony might fight for a defeat if a cure for a disease is not complete. However, although I dread that sight, I may have found our light.” Saying that Zecora flips the page in the book, replacing the illustrations of the ponies with that of an apple. The apple was colored in a yellow tone and was drawn with the illusion of a glittering skin. The text that was to the right was short, clearly indicating that not a lot was known about this apple. On the top of the page, in big lettering, were the words Golden Apples. The zebra walked over to the basket, where Fluttershy and Object are watching, and hesitates before opening the lid.

“Golden Apples are thought to be a myth, but what I have here will sink that claim to the abyss.” And with that, she fully opens the lid. Showing Fluttershy the bushel of literal golden apples. Not yellow-colored apples, but golden apples, the apples spoken of myth and legend. In some myths, Golden Apples are rumored to have the ability to heal wounds that magic could not heal. In others, the capability to even reverse death itself. Fluttershy personally didn’t believe in any of these tales, but seeing these mythical apples in person completely reversed that belief.

As Zecora watched Fluttershy reel in this revaluation of medicine, the zebra noticed that Object, on the other side of the hut at this point, is looking at a certain part of the floor, which is highly unusual for ponies to do that. His ears twitched as he seems to hear things that she could not, a prank perhaps? Object suddenly shakes his head as he gets up in an instant, causing Fluttershy to stop and look at him. Something’s wrong, she can feel it. As if to confirm, Object shouts something out.

“There are several unidentified targets coming our way.” Object urgently cried out as he jumped back, where the sound of heavy footsteps was rapidly approaching the front Door of Zecora’s hut. Zecora pondered on what Object could have meant. The only thing that could be a threat in this area were-Oh no... Zecora thought as she soon realized what was out there.

“T-Timberwolves.” Fluttershy stuttered out, confirming Zecora’s belief. Timberwolves, perhaps the scariest thing the Everfree has created. Although not a fierce as a Hydra, or menacing as a Manticore, Timberwolves tend to be relentless and savage creatures that hunt in packs. They can’t be killed in the Everfree, and unlike the rest of the Everfree monsters, they aren’t technically alive. As unknown energy that possesses twigs, branches, and leaves, they are immune to pain, as well as Fluttershy’s Stare that could scare even Cockatoos.

There was no time to react, as the hut door was smashed in, sending shrieks from the ponies as the now-freed door flew into the hut. A large Timberwolf has broken into the hut, the twigs snapping as they moved to provide the monster with movement. Another Timberwolf quickly followed close by, knocking over the large iron cauldron that was in the middle of the hut, spilling its contents all over the floor of the hut. The Timberwolves faced the ponies, one focusing on Object as the other focused on the cowering Fluttershy that was whimpering in the corner and Zecora, who was in front of Fluttershy in a defensive stance. If Zecora was right about Timberwolves, and she knew that she was, the Timberwolves would pounce on their prey right about...now.

Except they didn’t. Zecora was confused, why would these creatures from the Everfree not attack? They knew that Zecora and the other ponies were not able to retaliate against them, especially since Zecora knew that Timberwolf packs reached to ten, and in a confined area such as the hut, there would not be effective defenses against them. So why do the Timberwolves not attack? It was if they were waiting for an order to attack.

Zecora slightly lowered her guard as she thought about that possibly. Could Timberwolves be capable of following orders? That possibly is not unlikely, considering that there are Timberwolf Kings as well as ordinary Timberwolves. But why would a Timberwolf King want to save the ponies, and for this long? Was something else controlling them? Zecora soon found out that something was indeed controlling the Timberwolves as a figure soon walked into the view of Zecora.

The figure was tall and slim, with a dirty black robe that had been faded with old age and had definitely seen better days, which also covered the wearer’s face. The figure was that of an Alicorn, but without that of a horn. The robed figure seemed to also have a stick that had a long blade that emerged from one end, a weapon Zecora knew was a scythe. Within an instant, Zecora knew exactly who the figure was, and why the Everfree was so unusual and hostile to ponies.

The reason that the Everfree was so mysterious and hostile towards ponykind very may well be that it could be the home to the Pony of Death itself, the Grim Reaper itself. And at this moment the Grim Reaper has visited Zecora’s hut, a reason Zecora did not know. The figure of Death was staring directly at Zecora, with eyes Zecora had never seen before. The eyes were orange in color and sparked with eternal wisdom and knowledge, knowledge only known to the being. Zecora did not know how to react to this being, whenever to be astounded by the sheer evidence that Death itself was a real figure, or that of fright from Zecora literally staring at Death’s obscured face.

However, the Robed Reaper had a look in its eyes that made its intentions very clear: Death was VERY angry. As Zecora was speechless, the robed figure of Death slowly approached her, not breaking eye contact in the slightest. Zecora found herself shrinking back from the intense glare, absolutely ending any attempt that she made of making any sound. The figure stopped, as it inspected the frightened figures of Zecora and Fluttershy, now shaking on the floor with terror. Death tilted its head to the side, where Zecora followed and saw that it was eyeing the basket that contained the Golden Apples.

Zecora once again tried to stutter out a few words, before a sudden quick movement from Death stopped her. Zecora looked down to her throat, and alongside her Zebrican neck jewelry, was the blade of the scythe just inches away from her throat. Zecora then saw it moving away, where she then looked up to see the Grim Reaper moving the scythe back behind its robed head, and momentarily stop it there. The Grim Reaper’s going to claim our souls... She realized in shock. Was this it? Was this the end?

“Stop!”

The Grim Reaper halted its swing as it looked over to the source of the sound, as Zecora and Fluttershy both did the same. It was Object, his face being obscured by the knocked over cauldron that was spilled by the Timberwolves. The Grim Reaper has forgotten about Zecora and Fluttershy briefly, as it was totally invested in the red stallion.

“Do not hurt them, or I will retaliate!” Object said, followed by what sounded to be a scoff from Death. Zecora mentally questioned the stallion's choice of actions, as Object was not acting the way a pony would be expected to do in this situation. Trying to harm Death itself? What was he thinking? Apparently, Death had the same idea, as it turned back to Zecora and Fluttershy, resuming where it left off in the swing.

“I said do not hurt them!” Object yelled, followed by what sounded to Zecora like metal moving and scraping with itself. Death completely stopped at this point as it looked back at Object in a quick fashion. It momentarily stopped for a bit, before lowering its scythe and backing away from Zecora and Fluttershy. The figure then swung the scythe, not towards the ponies, but to the basket of Golden Apples, using the underside of the blade to grip the basket’s handle.

The Grim Reaper, now having the basket of Golden Apples in its possession, slowly retreated towards the front doorway of the hut, focusing on Object. The two Timberwolves began to follow suit until the three invaders had completely vanished into the clutches of the Everfree Forest. The movement of metal was soon heard again, as Object sighed. He then trotted to the two ponies with a look of concern on his face.

“Are you both all right?” He asked. Zecora released her breath she did not know she was holding in and weakly looked around at her hut. It was an absolute mess, she tipped over cauldron, broken front door, spilled potion, and shattered selves and jars were just some of the things that ruined her hut.

“I-I am fine, thank you...” Zecora stuttered, still pretty shaken up by what had just happened, “J-just make sure next time that is not what you do.” Zecora turned to Fluttershy, who was still whimpering and having the look of absolute terror on her face while cowering into a ball. Zecora felt pity for the Pegasus, as not only did Zecora know a lot about her or the fact she trusted her, but rather that of remembering the time when Fluttershy managed to cure Zecora of that nasty disease back then. Walking over to the Pegasus mare, Zecora softly urged her to get up on her legs, which Fluttershy did so with an extreme tremble. Fluttershy needed some time alone, after what had just happened.

“Object,” Zecora started, directing her attention to the stallion, “It would be much appreciated if you would accompany us to her cottage, to protect.”

“Understood, Miss Zecora, but what about the state of your hut?” Object said.

“That can be done later, but Fluttershy here is of the matter.”

Object nodded, and soon the three ponies ventured back towards Fluttershy’s Cottage. As they were doing so, Zecora had a thought come through her mind.
The hut is going to badly need repairing, but I’ll make sure that Object helps in the cleaning.

Author's Note

I am not proud of this chapter. Personally, I feel that it is a bit rushed, but no matter.
Also, I highly recommend y’all to comment. Besides the obvious intent for feedback, I need to see that people are still reading my story. I’m not trying to bash you guys, but without comments, I began to feel that no one reads my story anymore, which leads to me not working on chapters, and so on. Hope y’all understand.

Flashes

Author's Note

Hey guys, I made this chapter absolutely way too late. 5 months for a 3k chapter?! That is disappointing for even my standards. The reason why it took so long was that I had a hard time choosing what to do; what direction to approach with; and when I had a comfortable direction, the progress I had made completely erased all my work. I feel that this chapter will be confusing, so please tell me how to improve it. With much more time on my hands, I will attempt to improve, create, and draft chapters daily.

See you all later

Flashes

Library Room, Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Kingdom of Equestria

Twilight Sparkle began to yawn, halting her research on the skeleton she had found in the room that Object was holding those two mares hostage in that ruin. Glancing from the skeletal remains that occupied the great wooden table that occupied the center of the room and the stacks of papers surrounding it, she looked at the windows that allowed light from the outside into the library. Wow, did she really spend the entire day studying the bones of this specimen? Seeing that the sun and moon were giving the all-too-known lighting that signals the switch from day to night, Twilight got up and headed to the doors that led to the castle lobby. After opening the doors, Twilight entered the lobby, only to see a sleeping baby dragon peacefully clutching a comic book.

Twilight smiled to herself and, using her magic, gently levitated Spike onto her back and kept the comic book floating in the air, using a bookmark to mark the page he left on before closing it. As she headed towards the hallway that allows entrance to her and Spike's room, she thought back to the time when all she used to be a unicorn student who had just moved into Ponyville. Looking back at all the friends she made, memories that were created, and events that happened, who could have guessed that she was destined to not only be the bearer of the Element of Magic, not only to have saved Equestria from countless evils but to have also become a princess! It still surprises her that so much could have happened in only a short time of nine years. It used to take Twilight and Spike several hours to try to find their rooms when the Castle first appeared, but now the two can get to their rooms in less than five minutes.

Twilight had entered Spike's room and used her magic again, lifting Spike off her back and into his bed while his comic went to rest on his nightstand. Manipulating the sheets to tuck Spike in with her magic, Twilight looked over at Spike with proud and caring, if not tired, eyes.

"Good night Spike," Twilight whispered to him, "See you tomorrow." Turning from him to leave his room and go to bed herself, Twilight then thought of the things she had learned from the skeleton today. When she had unpacked the skeleton onto the castle library's table from the saddlebag she used to move it from the ruins, there was a tiny white zigzagging beam of energy that zapped her when she had touched the skull with her hoof. It did not hurt her in the slightest, but it did surprise her. She had found that strange, but besides that, nothing else unusual occurred. She could ramble on how the skeleton's features made her excited and curious to know more, but her sleepy brain shot that idea down and just told her to get some rest.

She had arrived at her room now and used her magic one last time to peel back the sheets on her bed. Laying her back on the mattress and pulling the sheets over her body with her hooves, she turned her head to her nightstand. On the nightstand was a picture of the girls, all in a big group hug together smiling and laughing. Twilight smiled once again as she closed her eyes, ready to enter dreamland and eager to see her friends tomorrow.

*******

Twilight opened her eyes, wondering where she was in this dream of hers. Looking around, she soon realized that she was in front of the Castle of Friendship. The sky was blue and shining, birds were singing, and ponies were happily minding their business. It was like it was an ordinary day in Ponyville, the best kind of dream Twilight could have been a part of! Then, her ears perked up as she heard some voices she knew quite well.

"Twilight, we've been over this," the voice of a certain cyan pegasus was heard, "You're going to be the best leader Equestria has ever seen!" As if announcing, Twilight saw the owner Rainbow Dash swoop into view, along with Rarity and Applejack. They were looking at their right as if they were waiting for somepony to answer? Wait a minute, Twilight thought, did they just say my name? But I'm not over there with them, so why would they be saying my name? Twilight soon found out as she saw the others come into view.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and what appeared to be very much herself began to come into view. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were on the other Twilight's right and were looking at her. The other Twilight's face was that of shock, while the others were at levels of certainty and concern. Twilight wanted to ask out, to tell her friends that whatever happened was okay, but she stopped herself. If she was dreaming, then whatever is happening is not real, right? Curious, Twilight listened on.

"I'm sure that you are right, Rainbow Dash," Dream Twilight said, "But I'm still in shock that the Princesses are going to retire and I'm going to take their place! What if I mess up or do something bad?" Twilight was herself in disbelief. Celestia? Luna? Retiring? That was the very last thing that Twilight thought the Royal Sisters would ever do! Sure, she could theoretically be able to lead a nation, but all that stuff that affects the nation, as well as managing the time cycles of day and night, that would be so hard!

"Twilight, darling," Dream Rarity said to Dream Twilight, "We know you are going to do great, and don't forget, we are there for you." Dream Pinkie Pie then somehow managed to get right beside Dream Applejack and Dream Twilight and sprang into the air with her hooves outstretched.

"Absolutely positively rootie tootsie! All of Equestria will be celebrating for you! And they will love you for it!" Exclaimed Dream Pinkie Pie as everypony everypony in the vicinity began to laugh. Fluttershy looked like she was about to say something when distant booms were heard, bringing a halt to the joyous attitude.

"What was that?" A yellow mare Earth Pony that had a blue mane asked.

"What is happening at Canterlot Castle?" Asked the mint colored unicorn Twilight knew was Lyra, who was pointing at the direction the said place was. Everypony, including both Twilights, looked at the massive mountain in the distance known as Mount Friendship, where the massive castle is built on. There were what looked to be magical beams of dark orange and blackish-blue. Even from such a distance, Twilight knew that the blackish-blue beam HAD to be from Nightmare Moon, impossible as it might seem. No other pony could even replicate the colored magic as the nightmare, but Twilight was certain that Luna had conquered that force from happening again, so what was happening? As for the other beam, Twilight was completely dumbfounded.

The beams soon stopped, but the fear it caused in Ponyville continued. Twilight saw as the Ponyvillagers began to show terror, Dream Twilight began to talk with the populace.

"Ponies of Ponyville, please do not panic. Panicking may cause damage and bad things to happen, so please try to remain calm!" Dream Twilight urged to the terrified Ponies.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, do you know what is happening?" Cried out another pony Twilight was able to identify: Button Mash.

"I do not know, unfortunately," Dream Twilight admitted, "But panicking will make things worse! Please-" A scream interrupted her, bringing the attention to where it came from. Lyra was screaming with her eyes wide in terror as she once again pointed, but not at Canterlot Castle, but at the sun. Twilight looked up and saw that the sun was swaying from side to side in an unnatural pattern, not only that, but the sun was also changing colors, from being the very light golden color the sun normally is, to being a solar orange color. But that was not the thing that concerned her the most.

What concerned her the most was the sky itself. Twilight could tell that something was going on in the sky, but she herself did not know what exactly. The ponies in the dream seemed to know what though, as they too began to scream as well. Twilight watched as Dream Twilight's horn lit up in urgency as she looked at the sun with fear, gritting her teeth as well. This dream went from being pleasant to be that of a nightmare, Twilight thought to herself. Ponyville screaming, the sun being fought over by powerful beings, and especially the looks of her friends in pure terror...This may very well be a dream, but Twilight will not be getting these images out of her head any time soon.

"THE MOON!" An unnamed pony shouted out as Twilight once again looked at the sky. Besides the sun that was swaying directions and colors, the light-greyish sphere of the night was now in the sky. It did not seem that Luna was in control of it...it seemed that nopony was. Then, something that normally brings awe, but was this time fearing. The sun swung into the moon, creating a solar eclipse. A massive boom was heard as the ground began to vibrate. What first was a tiny tremor quickly became a rumbling quake. The area around Twilight began to dissolve, causing her to fall into the blackness below. She tried to use her wings and magic but to no avail.

Twilight screamed and closed her eyes to await the inevitable stop that was to end her fall, but instead of a hard stop, she felt as if she had landed on something soft. She opened her eyes, to see that she was in what looked to be some kind of Marecedonian city. She seemed to be in some kind of horseless topless carriage of metal, seating, and gadgets that she did not know of, with a wheel that was poking out in front of her. Twilight was confused, why did she go from Ponyville screaming to here, though? It was just then that a voice behind her yelled.

"Leopard, why have we turned here?" Twilight jumped from the sitting position she was in and turned her head to who was talking. Behind her was a Griffon couple on edge with fright and a dash of confusion. They both had moderate gamboge body feathers and white head feathers. One was a female griffon that was wearing a white dress and a hat that had red roses on.

As for the male, he seemed to be wearing a uniform of some sort Twilight had never seen before. It was made out of blue tunic, a high collar with three stars, and a hat adorned with pale-green feathers. He wore black trousers with red stripes down the sides and around his waist a Bauchband, a gold-braided ribbon with tassels. He also had a bushy handlebar mustache.

"I-I'm sorry, Archduchess Duell Sziv," Twilight soon found herself saying, "I thought that going on Franzeph Street was the right way to drive on...guess I should have done something different." The Griffon in the dress gave a light chuckle.

"No need to worry Leopard, it's all right. You only made a turn to the right one street short to where we want to go." The griffon that had to be Archduchess Duel Sziv replied. Twilight found herself relaxing a bit.

"Sure thing, Archduchess Duell Sziv! I won't make the same mistake again!" Twilight replied with a grin on her face before the horseless topless carriage began to make a few stuttering noises as steam came from the black extrusion from her front below. "Uh, just a moment, Archduchess Duell Sziv, this new contraption has stalled. Give me a few minutes to restart it so we can back up and head to your destination." Twilight told them as she began to tap the wall of dials and gauges.

"Take your time, Leopard." Twilight heard Archduchess Duell Sziv say. As Twilight continued tapping, confused as to what this all might be, she felt that she had to do it, that it was the right thing.

"Really Duell Sziv?" A male voice said in irritation, "We had just had a bomb thrown at us, there is no time to waste!"

"Silverclaw, we are doing this for those who had been hurt during that bombing." Archduchess Duell Sziv responded back. There was a brief silence, besides the tapping and the sizzling noises from the machine.

"...You're right," A saddened male voice said, "I should have thought about them as well."

"Don't worry, sweetie, It will all be fine." Cooed Archduchess Duell Sziv. It was a caring moment, despite all this confusion and fear Twilight currently was experiencing. Twilight's ears perked up to hear the sound of hooves approaching, stopping her apparently futile attempts to fix the stalled machine and to look at who was approaching. Besides, they might be able to help!

What Twilight saw made it certain that the newcomer was not in the mood for helping. It was a peach-coated earth pony stallion, with blue eyes and a brown mane, that wore a blue coat. His face was twisted into that of an angry sneer as he looked at the griffon couple. He moved his left forehoof into his coat, and when he brought his forehoof out, he had what looked like to be a small crossbow. Twilight's eyes widened as she quickly looked back at Archduchess Duell Sziv and Silverclaw, who were too occupied talking to one another that they did not see the earth pony.

"LOOK OUT!" Twilight yelled as she tried to get the griffon couple safe, which was impossible as the seat she was in prevented her to get to the couple in time. The couple looked up at her in immediate concern, as the stallion fired. Everything vanished into white, except for the silhouettes of the griffon couple, whose black silhouettes jerked as if they were being hit with several small objects hitting them. As Twilight watched, she saw rainbowy drops fall from the now disappearing silhouettes and form several splatters below her. As Twilight watched further, she saw that the splatters were changing, becoming zigzagging lines that stretched on for as far as Twilight could see, where the white soon became the color of disturbed soil.

Twilight was still confused about what was going on. First Ponyville, then falling, then on to what she assumed was a random assassination, and now this? Was Luna behind on this trick, perhaps? She had to be, otherwise, this would not be what Twilight would be dreaming. At all. Everything then became white once again, causing her to be irritated.

Now, this time as the white vanished, she saw herself in what looked as to be an endless gray hallway that had flags Twilight was able to be identified as former nations that had long since gone extinct. Where was she this time? A hallway from the Everfree Castle before it was left for ruin? That would not make sense, not like any of this did, as the hallway had columns that seemed to be remarkably similar to that of Marecedonian design. As she was studying the columns, she heard the sound of what sounded like voices muttering behind her, to low to be able to point out any words.

She turned around to look back to see who it was. What greeted her was absolutely nothing. Of course, Twilight thought, why not add to the confusion some more? Let's see, Ponyville was crying, she fell through absolute darkness, she was in a weird carriage that had two pretty much unknown griffons in that were ultimately killed by a completely unknown pony, some white mumbo jumbo, and now an empty hallway with 'spooky' atmosphere. It was then that the mutterings began to speak more clearly for her to understand what they were saying and spoke:

"Four become two, one fleeing, one troubled, one victorious, and one failed
The old kingdom will shatter, for it has become too frail
Metal and magic will be at war
To compete the world with the one before
The murder of an heir will reawaken the old
Ss the kettle of powder has once told
The Phoenix and the hand, that had once fought
Will reshape the world with what they were taught
The forgotten city of white will remember the crime
As the bodies of the sky will be as it was at one time"

As the voices grew silent, everything vanished once again in a sea of blinding light.

*******

Twilight's eyes opened as she sat up from her bed. Looking around, she saw what appeared as her room, before squinting her eyes to more closely examine her 'room' to see if there were any minor hints that she was still sleeping. After she saw none, she decided to raise her left wing up to her mouth, hesitated, and then secured a single feather with her teeth and pulled her head back. The reason why she did this was to check if she was really in the real world, or if she was still in that very weird dream. In dreams, although you can get hurt, you are unable to get hurt by physical means.Meaning that a magic spell can harm you in dreams, hitting yourself will not give you a black eye like it normally would.

Twilight, having pulled a feather from her wing, cringed as she felt the pain receptors in her brain go off. As she was relieved that she was finally in the real world from that unusual dream, she decided to check the time. If she would go back to bed or stay up depends entirely on how much more time it would take for the light of day to appear over on the horizon. Turns out, not that much. Seeing as any chances for sleeping is pretty much ruined, she decided to get up and start the day earlier than she anticipated. Heading to the kitchen to get herself an early breakfast, she recalled the time of when she was serving those pancakes to the unusual ponies, and her curiosity towards what they were.

Perhaps today she could study and learn about these ponies today? Yeah, that sounds like a good thought, Twilight decided. Let's break this suspense and calm each other down. Twilight thought to herself.