Your Name Across The Multiverse -TWILIGHT SIDE-by DATONETWIxDASHFANChaptersChapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8chapter 9: Your NameChapter 1Chapter 4Chapter 2Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 3 What are you talking about?" demanded Twilah. "Why do you look like me? Are we in another universe?" asked Twilight as she looked around and saw brick walls surrounding the garden. "In a way, yes, but no. This is "her" memory. Memories of the past. You're seeing what she keeps holding on to. This place is her world," explained the new Twilight. "Who are you? Other than looking like me, of course." "My name is Nightfall. I'm an entity created by "her" as her last dying hope. Hope to be free from the darkness and pain." explained Nightfall, as the place flickered into a destroyed version for a mere second. "Free from her pain?" asked Twilight. "Yes, you see, "she" isn't in the best state. She's been hurt and scarred by her actions. Trauma from her past and harsh reality is slowly consuming her as the Chaos Slime keeps infecting her mind. I was made to help her be free from all of it. I gave you my name, but I was with you as you were teleported to that universe. I'm the shard you hold. We're the reason you're both here. Well, mostly me." "You mean, you're the reason why we're stuck in this mess?" shouted Twilah as she stepped forward, but Twilight stopped her. "Calm down; I'm sure there's a reason." "There is. We're doing it to help her. She can't go on any longer and must be set free, or everything will break for her. It's why we're here. To give her peace and finally set her soul to rest." "Wait, wait, wait, who's this "we" you keep saying?" "Why the other shard, of course? She's also why your friend went through this same thing. Of course, she's going by Blitz now, and she's going alone without me," sighed Nightfall as she summoned a table with a tea set and three chairs. "Blitz?" said both girls, joining her at the table and taking their seats. "The other shard. She's also part of the reason why everything happened. She was the one who gave your static counterparts a piece of herself." "Can you explain this?" asked Twilight, still confused. "Also, what are you saying? I'm not making out what name you are telling us; it sounds like static." "Right, that's ours; let me explain," said Nightfall as she poured tea into the cups and took a sip. "When we were sent to your universe, and the blast went off, we became a part of you." Her" memories became a part of your memories, so some things got overwritten, and one was static. You must remember her by recovering more shards; some were left in other universes when she flew through them. With each jump, you'll recover memories of the person you forgot. See, if you remember her, you'll go home again." "Why don't you just tell us? It seems faster," said Twilah as she took her cup. "Static," replied Nightfall with a deadpan face. "Right..." whispered an embarrassed Twilah as she held her cup. "So, I'm guessing we're going to get a memory after this," said Twilight. "Yes, but remember this: each time you jump, "you" will start to merge and become a new you. Both of your memories will combine into one. In other words, a new you will emerge." "So, we won't be "us" anymore? Just one new us?" asked Twilight, as she felt scared of the idea. "Yes, I'm sorry, but don't worry. When that happens, I'll take the wheel during that time. I'll become the new you, and you will be part of me. Sharing the body." Twilah spat out her tea and quickly stood up in surprise and anger. "What?! You're not taking over my body!" "I'm not. We'll all be "you" for a while." "No, I can't believe this." "Please, you have to. I know it's scary, but trust me, this is the only way to end this madness and let her be free." "What madness? Who's "she"?" shouted Twilah. Nightfall was about to end when they all noticed the area was engulfed in a white light. "Great, we ran out of time for this talk. I'll tell you next time you jump, look for the shard. The shard you have will glow and lead you to the other piece. You It would be best if you hurried everything. She running out of time." "Wait, please! Who's she?" pleaded Twilight as Nightfall was slowly disappearing. "Just remember the person you forgot, "she said. You know her. You know her better than you think. Trust me, you'll be fine. Please, trust us." Nightfall pleaded, as Twilight nodded. "I'll try..." whispered Twilah. "Good, see you again," replied Nightfall as the white light enveloped everything, and everything went white. Soon, the light vanished as a static and glitchy landscape appeared and soon took form as a park with a running track, and not too far from it was a baseball field and stands. Twilah, wearing her middle school uniform, was heading to it, as it was a great day to read her book, and she was looking for a peaceful spot. She looked around and noticed some stands not too far from her, as it looked like no one was there, unlike the other places in the park. "Perfect!" thought Twilah as she made her way to the stands. She was about to go up on them but noticed someone sleeping in the middle area. She couldn't make out her face, as prism light effects were blocking her, but she could see the rest of her body. She was wearing jogging clothes, and her hair was chestnut brown. It also seemed she was the same age as her. Twilah was still determining if she should leave, but this was the only spot that was mostly empty. The park was pretty packed today so that she could have been better around large groups of people. So, she quietly walked up the bleachers, but she could hear the metal creek and shake with each step she took. "I hope the girl won't wake up from this," thought Twilah until the next step shook the bleachers. "Oh, shoot!" said Twilah. Once, she said that the girl had woken up from the noises and was confused about why Twilah was there. "What are you doing?" asked the girl as she saw Twilah's embarrassed look. "Um...nothing...just...going up? Sorry, did I wake you?" Twilah stuttered, not knowing if the girl was mad or not. "Nah, I was just taking a nap. I was planning on getting up anyway." "Um...Are you sure? You look exhausted; I can let you get some more rest." "Yeah, I'm good," yawned the girl as she got up, stretched her left arm up, and could feel the warmth of the afternoon on her body. Twilah could see the bit of muscle on the girl's arms. "Must work out," thought Twilah, amazed by her muscles and how young she was to have a build like that already. She kept staring until she realized what she was doing. She blushed and quickly said, "Okay." She went further up on the bleachers, sat down, and covered her face in the book. "Like a nice afternoon like this? To just read a book?" asked the girl as Twilah lowered her book and could see her looking at her with a smile and a bit of curiosity. "Yeah, I like reaTwilah thoughtaxing," said Twiovered her face again. "Sounds boring," teased the girl as she walked up to the seats and took a seat near Twilah. "B-b-b-boring? N-no. It's not boring; it's great!" stuttered Twilah as she lowered her book again, revealing her red face. She could see the girl trying to look at the book. "Well, what are you reading, if you don't mind me asking?" "Well, I was planning on reading this!" shouted Twilah as she held up the thick book with a blue cover and gold letters to the girl's face. "But I just started reading it." Twilah could see the girl was looking closer to the book and trying to understand as she tilted her head in confusion. "Um, that doesn't look like a normal book." "OH GOD, SHE THINKS I'M WEIRD!" Twilah thought as she screamed, but the girl didn't notice the distressed look on her face, so Twilah said, "Oh, well, it's not; it's a textbook on quantum mechanics." "Quantum...mechanics, you lost me at quantum," laughed the girl as she playfully bumped Twilah's shoulder. "Sorry, but it's cool to read," replied Twilah as she relaxed with the girl. Unlike the other girls she met at her new school, she wasn't being mean or anything. She was happy that the girl was excellent to her. "Yeah, yeah, so what's your name?" asked the girl as she lay back and looked at her with a friendly aura. "It's Twilah, Twilah Finkelstein." "Well, nice to meet you, Twilah. I'm-" Before the girl could say her name, static filled the area, and Twilah flickered to Twilight as if she were in another place but didn't question it. She could hear laughter from the ground and could see a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, but her face was covered with a prism of light. She could feel her mane was all messed up. Twilight was here to check on everything for Celestia's arrival, and she was looking for this mare. "Let me guess, you're static," questioned Twilight. "The one and only. Why have you heard of me?" proudly said the mare as she pounded her chest with pride. Twilight rolled her eyes and walked up to the mare. She didn't seem bad; she was just a bit loud but mostly friendly like the others. "I heard you were supposed to keep the sky clear," sighed Twilight. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the Princess sent me to check on the weather." "Oh, don't worry, it'll be as sunny as I am!" Twilight wasn't sure what the mare meant, but she wasn't sure if the mare could keep the skies clear, as clouds were still covering the sky. "Um, I'm not seeing any sun. You sure you're not?" Before Twilight could finish, the mare shot up and zoomed into the clouds, breaking them apart and clearing the skin, always wondered, and Twilight could see the sun. "Wow, that was fast!" said Twilight. "See, I told much I'm faster than most Pegasus. Weather clearing is great practice," said the mare, as she was proud of herself. "Practice? For what?" "The Wonderbolts! They will celebrate tomorrow, and I'm going to show Will!" Twilight could see the excitement on the mare's face, even though her face was covered with prism lights. She could tell how excited she was, but Twilight had never heard of the Wonderbolts. "So, uh, what are the Wonderbolts exactly?" The mare was shocked by her question and quickly answered, "You've never heard of Wonderbolts?" "Uh, no," replied Twilight, as she didn't understand the big deal. "Only the most awesome flyers in all of Equestria! They can do tricks. Spitfire's my hero! And I'm going to be part of the Wonderbolts someday." Twilight was surprised by this. This mare already had a goal in life, while Twilight didn't have one. She always wondered what she should do in life, as studying under Celestia was a lot of work but didn't mean much in the long run. It felt like something was missing from her life. Maybe Celestia was turned to her roommates? Once more, the world changed when static filled the memory. Twilight and Twilah flickered between them as they found themselves in a small library, putting back some books as they became Nightfall. Nightfall brushed off sweat and yawned; she was done with her job today and could finally relax. She put a closed sign on the door and headed to the backroom of the library, which was her home. The backyard was a large garden with a massive tree in the middle, and her backyard had other building walls that were completely enclosed. Her backyard had no windows other than the second door that led to the alleyway for her to throw away her trash. She was happy that her father built this place for her. He gave her the library once her mom passed away from a sickness. This was their home, and this garden was her mother's. "Mother, I finished cleaning and stocking the library. I'll go get dinner; is there anything else you want?" said Nightfall to no one. Nightfall walked up to the kitchen and made some leftovers and tea. She returned to her room with a book, placed it in the tray, and used her magic to carry everything to the tree, but stopped as she could see it was raining. She sighed as the weather pony was wrong about the weather forecast. She quickly used her magic to cast a rain shield over the food and walked outside, placing it next to the tree. Looking up at the sky, she could see the stars and the moon despite the rain. "Hello, mother. How are you? Father is still busy with the city, and we don't see each other much. I miss you so much." said Nightfall as she wiped a tear. She sat down, opened the book, and continued reading. The rain and wind blew gently, and the moonlight lit up the page. Nightfall smiled, drank her tea, and began to read. When she heard something next to her, she turned and took notice of a blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane wearing an ancient and damaged blue jacket. She looked badly hurt, with cuts and bruises on her. "WHO ARE YOU!" shouted Nightfall as she took the book and prepared it as a weapon, but she could see the mare wasn't reacting to the battle stance and just smiled as she spoke her name. "It's Rainbow..." spoke the mare as she fell to the ground, finishing by saying her name, "Sky." "Rainbow Sky?" said Nightfall as she lowered herself to the mare and could see she was knocked out. She checked her body and noticed a weird symbol on the back of the jacket. She felt like she had seen it before, maybe in a book. She used her magic to pick up the mare and slowly carry her into the house until she heard knocking at the alleyway door. She set her down on the kitchen floor and quickly ran to the door. She opened it and saw a big red earth pony with a yellow mane, as he was wearing a police officer uniform. "Whoa, hey, Big Max, anything wrong?" She smiled at Nightfall, as she had known this police officer for a while. "Hey, Night, I wondered if you've seen anyone in your alleyway. We thought we saw someone running in here. It's probably nothing, but I wanted to ensure everything was fine." "Somepony?" "Yeah, some vigilantes we have been dealing with have been taking down gangs and causing trouble in the poor section areas. We think she's in this area. It's a fast one, too. HaIt's fasto ca, tch." "Oh, well, no. I haven't seen her; thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to double-lock everything tonight. Be safe, ok?" She smiled at Nightfall as she closed the door and sighed. She needed to find out who this mare was and wanted to avoid getting involved with police work. Nightfall locked the door, but remember, the mare was back on her kitchen floor. "Oh no, Rainbow Sky. I'm so sorry!" cried Nightfall as she got the mare up, carried her to the couch, and placed her there. She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew she was severely hurt. Nightfall didn't have a medical book and didn't want to risk a trip to the doctor, as they could turn her in. She considered going to her father, but the police were there, as he was the city's mayor. Maybe later? She was curious if her dad could help her. Nightfall needed to figure out what to do. She decided to clean herself and try to stop the bleeding by using bandages. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'll try my best." Nightfall cried as she removed the damaged jacket, cleaned the wounds, and was about to wrap them when she suddenly saw them glow, healing quickly. Nightfall quickly didn't understand what she was looking at. This was magic, but there was no such thing as healing magic. The wounds closed, all the blood and dirt were gone, and the mare was perfectly healthy. "H-h-how is this possible?" asked Nightfall to herself. The mare suddenly started to wake up, saw the worried look on Nightfall's face, and smiled weakly. "Why are you smiling?" asked Nightfall, as she wasn't sure why this pony would be smiling. "I think I died and went to heaven because I saw an angel," weakly joked the mare as her smile grew. Nightfall could feel her cheeks getting red; no pony had ever called her that. She wasn't sure what to do. The memory froze as Twilight, Twilah, and Nightfall stepped into the memory. "Wow, that's corny," said Twilight as she shook her head. She quickly saw the other two, who seemed moved by it. "You guys found that sweet?" "Yeah," replied Nightfall, as she held her chest and blushed, as it was her memory after all. "W-well, n-no, not really," muttered Twilah, as her face was completely red. Twilight shook her head as the world was covered in a white void, but before it engulfed them, Twilight felt like she knew the blue Pegasus. The white void slowly disappeared, and Twilight could feel herself floating. She opened her eyes and could see she was in some room; it looked like it had the same-looking machines that the AI recovery room had, but not so advanced-looking. Still advanced enough for her. She soon realized that she, Twilah, who had not awakened yet, and stuff in the room were floating around. "What is going on?" said Twilight. She wasn't sure what was going on. She looked around for answers and saw a glass dome above them. She floated over to it and couldn't believe what she was seeing. In front of her eyes was a giant blue planet that didn't look like Equestria; none of the landmasses matched the map she saw in school or the royal palace. She wasn't sure where she was, but she was amazed by the planet's beauty, as she could see the night side of the earth, as the dark land had millions of lights. She was soon pulled out of her amazement when she heard a scream, which was from Twilah, who had finally awakened. "Twilight! Where are we? What's going on?" she shouted at Twilight and grabbed her tightly. "I-I-I don't know-" whispered Twilight, as she was still shocked by the planet but also by Twilah Twilah slowly let go and started to look around until she saw the dome window and looked into it, causing her to freak out again. "SPACE!? We're in space! OMG!" screamed Twilah. "We are? W-what's space?" asked Twilight, as she was trying to stay calm, but it wasn't working. "Huh? You don't know about space?" questioned Twilah as she looked at Twilight like crazy. "I guess not. "We only study stars, comets, and the moon, but not "space"?" "Ok, I need to stop freaking out. Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. See it at night; it's the darkness." explained Twilah. "Wow, so that's what the darkness is? Makes sense. I wonder if I could control this "space"?" questioned Twilight. "What? Control it? Like magic?" asked Twilah, as she wasn't sure what Twilight meant. "Yeah. Maybe I could. After all, I can control the sun and moon in my world," proudly said Twilight, but only to see Twilah slowly start freaking out again. "Are you alright, Twilah?" "You can control the sun and moon? Wait, what?" "Well, kinda. Princess Celestia, my mentor, and her sister, Luna, can and have taught me." "Wait, wait, wait, wait...wait! HOW! The sun is 93 million miles away! Its mass is two octillion tons! No one can move it!" shouted Twilah, as she was starting to freak out. Twilight could feel the sweat drop down her face. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Wasah, but no doubt the way she was freaking she was the same way she freaked out too. Freaked is her other universe self. "Okay, okay. Let's calm down, please," said Twilight as she tried to calm Twilah down. "CALM DOWN! I'M TALKING TO THE MOST POWERFUL BEING EVER! YOU CAN MOVE THE SUN AND THE MOON! WHAT? NEXT YOU'LL TELL ME YOU CAN MOVE THEM AROUND YOUR PLANET OR SOMETHING!?" Twilight gave a nervous smile and squeaked a small "Yes." "NO WAY! HOW!?" "Like I said, Celestia and Luna taught me..." "THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW! IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN IT, TWILIGHT!" "Um, how do you explain it? I use my magic." "YOU'RE USING MAGIC TO MOVE THEM? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!" "Impossible? Why is it impossible?" "Because it's not! NOT IN MY WORLD! THERE'S NO MAGIC!" "Huh?" "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC IN THIS WORLD, TWILIGHT!" "Wait...WHAT!? There is no such thing as magic! No magic?!" "NONE AT ALL!" shouted Twilah as she curled up in a ball and tried to understand everything. Twilight didn't understand. If magic doesn't exist in Twilah's world, how can the sun and moon move independently? Maybe it was some machine or something. But how? Magic is a power that can't be explained, like love, friendship, and even chaos. "So...no magic means no friendship, no love, no chaos?" asked Twilight, hoping her other self knew about the concepts. "What?" questioned Twilah, as she was confused by Twilight. "What does that mean? Friendship and chaos are things in my world. We use the terms in m, like family; any essential chaos is a mathematical concept from complex dynamics that describes interconnected dynamic systems whose behavior is highly sensitive to initial conditions, appearing to have a "random" or "unpredictable" nature. But friendship and love are more personal things, like family." "So...friendship is not something special?" Twilah sadly said. "No, why would it be? Friendship is a wonderful thing. Everyone needs friends, but it's not the most important thing in our lives." "Oh." Twilight wasn't sure what to do. It was shocking to hear that friendship isn't an essential concept in the Twilah world, but it was clear to her. She could see it in her face; Twilah was severe. Twilight was thinking back on her life, as her friendship with her friends, like family, was essential to her. Without her friends, she wouldn't be the pony she is today. "How...how is your life? I mean, without friendship?" asked Twilight, believing Twilah didn't care about friendship. "What? I have friends. Of course, I have friends, silly. Everyone has friends. But...I didn't for a long time," Twilah sadly said. "But you seem happy?" "Yeah, I do have friends now. And yes, I was happy, but...when I was a kid, I didn't have any friends. I was alone. No one wanted to play with me. No one wanted to hang out with me because I was too smart. It's a lonely world out there." "You... didn't have any friends?" "Yeah, for a long time, I didn't. And...I started to believe it was okay; I was alone. It was even hard to talk to my family, as they didn't understand me or what I was going through. They only cared that I got good grades and became the next Einstein or William James Sidis. Even my brother started to disown me because our parents didn't give him enough attention. He told me I was ruining his life. I was truly alone," cried Twilah as she curled up more. Twilight wasn't sure what to say; she wasn't expecting to hear her other self's past. "So...what happens?" "My parents wanted to send me to a rich, fancy middle school, but I fought with them about it, and I wanted to go to a normal school for once. It took a long time, but they agreed, and that's where I met my friends—the girls." "Girls?" "Yeah. The girls who helped me." "Who are they?" "Their names are Penny, AJ, Faith, and Rachel. Penny is a hyper one, but she's funny." Twilight kept quiet as she listened. She could only nod and cry, as she knew. Knowing that Twilah met "them," she was glad that her friends would always be connected to her, even in another universe. "And then Penny somehow replaced the school swimming pool with Jello and Twilight?" "Yeah..." "Are you alright? Why are you crying?" asked Twilah as she noticed the tears in Twilight's eyes. "Nothing." "No, it's not nothing. I didn't mean to make you cry." "It's not that. It's just that the girls you met...are my friends in my universe, too." "Wait, what? How?" "I don't know how, but we are connected. No matter the universe, The girls..." "Wow..." "I'm happy that you have them now." "Yeah, I do..." The two didn't speak as they floated in the room until Twilah spoke again. "I remember my first friend. She was the reason I came out of my shell. She was the reason I wasn't alone." "Oh?" "I remember that day. I was so scared and nervous, but I did it." "At the park, right?" said Twilight as she remembered that memory. It was like Nightfall told them; their memories were becoming one. "Yeah, the person I forgot... I don't remember her name or face; even some memories of her are gone, but I still remember her. She's why I had friends and my life was better. She and the girl were the reason I could speak to my family. I remember a bit of how she acted. It's hard to explain, but I remember she's very outgoing, cocky, brash, and an idiot." Twilight could see her smiling, but it differed from when she talked about her friends. It was a different kind of smile; it was the smile of a person with feelings. "It's weird to think that someone who is cocky and an idiot is the reason you have friends." "I know. It's hard to understand, but without her, Iere." "She sounds without hers like a great friend. I think we're the same." "The same?" "I didn't have any friends either because I believed it wasn't important. Until I met the girls and truly understood what friendship is, But just like you, I had a friend who's cocky, brash, and sometimes an idiot." Twilah could see Twilight laugh and smile; it was the same look when she talked about her friends. "But I don't remember her face...or hardly anything about her," whispered Twilight as she looked at Twilah. "So...maybe we forgot the same person then. Each other's counterparts version of said person." "I guess..." The room went silent again until Twilight spoke up. "But we're different, though. You and I." "Huh?" "We're different. We might share some things, but we're still different." "How? Other than me not having god-level magic?" joked Twilah. "No one is the same; even if we're the same person, we're different. You're a different person than me. Like the pony I hardly remember, I still remember her as a great friend, but you? You still remember your friend because you love her." "Love her? She's a friend; I don't have feelings for her," said Twilah as she went red, turning. "I can see it. You do," said Twilight in a deadpan tone and stare. "I-I-I d-do n-not." "Ok, if you don't, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume things, even though it's clear as day." said Twilight as she looked away. "I do not have feelings for her! She's a friend, my friend! It's not like that!" shouted Twilah as she finally uncurled herself and waved her hands around. "Sure..." "I don't," cried Twilah as she grabbed Twilight and spun her to face her. "Then why is your face so red? And why are you freaking out?" replied Twilight with a cold stare. "I-I'm not!" Twilah said as she started to sweat. "If you weren't, you wouldn't act like this." "I-" "And you wouldn't have that look." "Look?" "You have a crush on her. Just admit it!" "NO, I DON'T!" shouted Twilah as she tackled and hugged Twilight, and they spun around as they floated in the same spot, laughing. "Admit it, you're in love with her." "No, I'm not! Why would I?" "Because you love her. You can't hide it. Not from me. We're the same person. So, admit it, Twilah!" "I'm not admitting anything!" smiled Twilah as Twilight smiled back. Suddenly, they could hear a muffled voice in a pile of papers. Both girls searched through it, soon finding a long-stick device. "Um, Twilah? What's this?" asked Twilight as she held it up and looked at it. "I'm not sure. It doesn't look like anything from my world, but it's probably a radio. Maybe pressing this button will..." As soon as she pressed the button, they could hear a voice. A hologram screen appeared, and a familiar face for Twilah appeared. Twilight put the screen up to her face. "Wanda! Why is the gravity still on? It's making it hard to fight these horses!" said a blond-haired female cowboy, as she had a robotic arm, and on that arm was a shield, as she was blocking laser fire and shooting back with an old revolver. "I don't know. It's easy for me!" shouted a blue ponytail-haired woman; she was wearing a white DJ outfit in which she was carrying a DJ turntable and flying around with a hoverboard that hoverboard speaker as she blasted laser sound waves from her turntable at whatever was attacking them. "JACKPOT BABY, WOOOOOOOOO!" The cowboy sighed as she turned back to the screen and spoke, "Wanda, where are you? We need your help! We can't keep doing this forever, and I can't reach the others back on earth. What's go-" "AJ! AJ!? Come in!" asked Twilah as she ran up and pressed her face close to the screen. "What!? Who are you, and where did Wanda go?" asked the cowboy as she looked around. "AJ? AJ, it's me! Twilah!" "What, who?! How do you know my name? And where is Wanda?" Twilight pushed Twilah away, and she could see the cowboy smiling at her as she entered the frame of the video call. "Wanda! Who's the girl, and why is she rocking your hair?" asked the cowboy before the screen went static as something hit the device on the cowboy's end. "Same hair?" questioned Twi. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot! I was so amazed by the world outside that I forgot to tell you. Here, look!" explained Twilight as she picked up a shiny metal panel and put it near Twilah's face. "...what?" whispered Twilah as she noticed she had long hair now, moderate purand, and brilliant raspberry streaks running down her hair. "WHAT!it]https:!?i.ibb.co/Zc8vJV4/ch13.jpg "I was so shocked when I first saw you. Your hair is the same as mine now. Maybe this is what Nightfall meant." Before Twilah could say anything, the door opened, and he could see someone pointing two blue futuristic machine guns at them. end of chapter 3 Chapter 5 Twilight and Twilah found themselves back in Nightfall's garden as she was waiting by the tree. "Welcome back." "Nightfall? We're back again," questioned Twilah "Yes, and we have no time. You both must find the next shard." "Why? What's going on? Wasn't you going to tell us who "she" is?" Nightfall looked away as she thought to herself. "I'm sorry," said Nightfall as she turned around. "Not yet..." "Why not!" shouted Twilah. "We're jumping to different universes for these rocks, and look at me! I'm starting to change!" Twilah pointed to her once short black hair, which became long purple, just like Twilight's mane. "The multiverse is going to die. The longer the "she" lasts, the worse the multiverse will become. I'm sorry, but please. Find the shards and return," said Nightfall before she started to disappear. Twilah hurried to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please, Night, what's going on? Don't you trust us!" Twilight hurried over and asked the same question, making Nightfall look away in shame. "Night, please. What is happening? Why can't you tell us?" Nightfall looked away as she felt guilty. "I can't. It's just..." "We can handle anything! Just tell us! We're "you" after all, right?" Nightfall looked at them and hugged them. "I'm sorry, but this is the way things are. If you know the truth, will you still help "her"? Even the things she did, all the lives she took" Twilah looked down and was quiet. Twilight soon spoke up. "I won't abandon my friends and family. No matter the things they do, I know there is good in everyone." Nightfall looked at Twilight and whispered, "I was with you back there. Do you believe that about humans? Didn't you call them monsters?" Twilight looked down as she remembered what she said to Twilah angrily, but she learned that there are good humans. It's why Three showed her that, even telling how Wanda met good people on Earth. Twilight even met a good human, her human counterpart. She wanted to look at her, but she felt shame. How could Twilah forgive her? "Twilah, I'm sorry about what I said. I was angry. You have every right to be upset and." "No," said Twilah. "What?" "Don't be sorry about how you felt! You have every right to be mad. We humans are fucking sh*t! I've seen it too. Humans hurt others because they think they are better than them. We can't all be good, but we can't all be bad either. There's good in people. I saw it and felt it—the love between family and friendship all of them. The best of humans come out when they want to protect and help. They will do anything to help those they love, even die." said Twilah as she placed a hand on Twilight's head. "Never regret telling your feelings, Twilight. as a pony or human. Your feelings are your own and never be ashamed of them. It's what she told me." Twilight and Nightfall could see tears coming from her eyes as she said those words. Nightfall wiped her tears for her. "I'm sorry for what you went through when you were young. You finally stood up to them because the one you loved helped you," said Nightfall as she hugged her, causing Twilah to turn red. "I don't know what you mean." Nightfall smirked while Twilight rolled her eyes. "Really? Are you going to keep denying it? Even after this?" giggled Twilight as she bumped Twilah's side. "I don't love her that way!" shouted Twilah, embarrassed. "You don't love her?" questioned Nightfall as she looked at her. "Well, I do love her, but not like that! She's a good friend. Nightfall and Twilight looked at each other and smiled, knowing she did indeed love her in that way. Twilah asked why they were smiling like that. "She destroys my universe," whispered Nightfall as she finally started to vanish. "Wait, Night! Who is "she"?!" shouted Twilight "Night, wait!" shouted Twilah, but it was too late; she was gone as the white void engulfed them. The white void vanished, and Twilah could see she was back in her bedroom as she looked around. She could make everything out of her room as she left it. Her clothes were neat and clean as they hung in the closet, and her small bookshelf was filled with her favorite books. She looked at her nightstand and could see a picture frame. She walked over and picked it up. It was a picture of her and her friends. It was the last year in middle school, and they went to the town lake. She could see all the photos she took with her friends over the years, as they all hung around the desk wall and reached her bed wall. She could only smile even harder as she noticed most was her and the girl she had forgotten. She sat the frame down and walked out of her room to the kitchen, where she could hear voices from the living room. She could hear her father and mother talking about her. "Her grades haven't been improving! The doctors said she's a genius, so why aren't her grades going up? Is she sick?" "Sweetheart, the doctors said her brain is fine. She's just bored. We should take her to another school where her mind can be challenged." "I agree; maybe keeping away from those friends can help. Especially away from that tomboy friend. Ever since they met, Twilah has changed. Her grades haven't gone up; she talks so much now. What happened to our shy and smart daughter, huh?" "I'm sure it's just a phase. Our daughter is much more mature than those "people," I'm sure she'll change when she leaves that school next year." Twilah's heart was pounding as she could feel her rage rising, but her anger was replaced with sadness as she heard her parents say that. They truly never understood her, and she was getting sick of it. She walked into the living room and saw her parents sitting on the couch and talking about her while watching TV. She quickly walked past them but felt her arm being grabbed by her father, who asked where she was going and why she was crying. Twilah pulled away her arm and looked at them. "If you're wondering, I was listening. You're right; my grades aren't improving, but you're wrong about my friends being terrible influences on me. The girls have shown me the world and how amazing and beautiful it is. Even more, they accepted me for who I am, unlike you. Always want me to be someone else and never accept me." "Dear, what are you talking about? Your parents love you very much." "You don't fucking act like it!" shouted Twilah. "You watch your tone. I'm your father! See! It's the damn tomboy and her big mouth causing our daughter to act like this!" "You don't act like one. You never truly want to listen to me, and you know what? You are right; she taught me to swear! Like FUCK! BITCH! ASSHOLE! COCK SUCKER!" shouted Twilah. Her father looked angry as he rose from his chair and was about to strike her, but Twilah could easily dodge the fist as it flew past her face. Her father was shocked by her speed as she smiled at him. "She also taught me to be a runner. You should thank her." Twilah ran past him, as her parents could only look at her as she ran to the door. She opened the door and looked at them. "Least my friends and family treat me like their daughter... Why can't you guys?" said Twilah before running out and shutting the door behind her. Twilah ran as fast as she could. Her parents never called after her, and she didn't care; she was glad she didn't see them right now. She soon calmed down and was walking down the street until she ended up at a house—a house she'd been to so many times. She walked up and knocked on the door. Soon, an older woman with light brown hair and a casual outfit answered the door and smiled at her. "Oh, Twilah, sweetie, I knew you'd be coming since the rest of the girls are here. Come in, I'll call you down." "Thanks," said Twilah. Twilah entered the house and was in the living room. She could hear the woman calling her daughter and saying Twilah was there. Soon, both could hear laughter from the girls and someone running to their room. "I swear that girl always has so much energy when you are around. You can go to her room. Stay for dinner; I'm making homemade mac and cheese!" said the mother. "Thank you." Twilah headed up the stairs and could hear noise from the bathroom and the bedroom. She walked into the bedroom and saw the girl she had forgotten. She was wearing a T-shirt, Blue Angles, and blue shorts when she noticed Twilah in the room. "H-Hey!" said the girl as she hid her hair with a baseball cap and tried to act cool. "Hey yourself, Are you okay?" asked Twilah, with worry in her tone. "Y-Yeah! I'm fine! Just fine!" "Really?" "Of course! Why wouldn't I be!?" "You've been stuttering and hiding your hair." The girl sighed as she removed her hat, revealing her freshly dyed hair, and blushed. "I got my hair dyed! "Do you like it?" Twilah didn't say a word as she walked over and ran her hand through the girl's hair. The girl could feel her heart beating fast. Twilah could feel the warm, wet hair and could slowly see the girl's eyes as the prism lights were slowly fading. She smiled at her. "You know I like rainbows, silly; of course I like them." "O-Oh, yeah. Heh. Sorry, forgot." happily spoke to the girl, as she had the biggest grin. "But also weird that you dyed it in a rainbow, though," laughed Twilah as she could see the girl freaking out in embarrassment. Twilah watched as the girl tried to explain why she dyed it a rainbow, but Twilah wasn't listening as she remembered what her father had said about the girl. She looked at the girl and couldn't understand how anyone could call her a tomboy when she could be girly or have a big mouth. She's always happy, energetic, and fun to be around. Twilah always wonders why her family doesn't like the girl and her family. She could remember what her mom said—something about her parents not wanting the girl's father or something—and the two families not liking each other, but Twilah could care less. The girl was her friend, and nothing would stop them from being together. She started to cry, as she didn't want to lose her or the rest of her friends. "You made her cry!" said a strong voice behind Twilah, who could see her friends in the doorway. She asked the girl what she had said or done to make her cry. "I didn't do anything!" said the girl as she waved her hands. "She didn't do anything. It was my parents," cried Twilah as she dropped to the floor and started crying. Soon, she could feel someone wrapping their arms around her and comforting her. It was the girl, hugging her as she told her, "Did they hurt you again? Did your fucking father try to hit you?" Twilah could only bury her face in the girl's chest and cry. Cry her heart out. As the girl was holding her, all her friends soon came in and asked what was going on and if they were okay. Twilah could only cry in the girl's chest, not wanting to move. "I told them how I feel," whispered Twilah, as she soon felt the girl's hand stroking her head. "Never regret telling your feelings, Twi. Your feelings are your own and never be ashamed of them. I never regret sharing my feelings, and neither should you. You're the best and the brightest. Remember that. Nothing will change that, not your family or anyone," whispered the girl as she kissed her forehead. "Thanks," whispered Twilah as she hugged her. Soon, her friends joined in the hug, and they all cried with her, comforting her and telling her how much they loved her. Soon, the world glitched out, and Twilight found herself chasing after some pony. "I'm sorry about all that! We didn't mean to overwhelm you!" shouted Twilight as she tried to catch up to the mare she had forgotten as they flew above the clouds. "It's okay. You were trying to help. It's just too bad I'm too dumb to learn anything." Sadly, the mare said as she slowed down, letting Twilight see that her face was covered in prism effects. As they kept flying, the memory quickly flashed back to the Twilah world as she walked rather than flying with the girl from before. It suddenly flashed back to them flying, but it was Twilah instead of Twilight, as she had purple wings. "You are not dumb! You learn differently!" "If by "differently" you mean "not at all," then you're right." "No, that's wrong!" said Twilah as she put her hand on the mare's side. See? Wrong again," sighed the mare as she was being stupid again. "I don't know anyone who's read more Daring Do books than you." "Well, that won't get me into the Wonderbolts." Twilah panicked at the mare's response, "And your knowledge of jokes and pranks is only rivaled by Pinkie." "Great. My years as a class clown prevented me from learning how to learn!" yelled the mare as she threw her hooves in the air. "That's not what I meant. You're smart, creative, inventive, and—" softly said Twilah before another static flashed between the Twilight and Twilah worlds. Twilight was in Twilah's world, but it was nighttime as they were walking down a sidewalk, and she jumped in front of the human girl with her arms out so she wouldn't pass her. "Cool! You are amazing; you can run like the wind! When you do, that's when I see you being you. Nothing can hold you back. It's beautiful. You're beautiful," softly cried Twilight as she lowered her arms. You are smart. You'll pass the test. I know you can. So please stop saying you're dumb or useless."Twilight started to cry. That's not like you." The rainbow-haired girl's heart started to beat fast, and as she was lost for words, she also began to tear up. "Twi..." "If you need help, why didn't you ask me? The girls and I are always here for you! I'M HERE FOR YOU!" The girl could only watch Twilight, tears flowing from her eyes. She was shocked to hear her say that and didn't know what to say. Twilight quickly ran to the girl and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. "Why? You always tell me to speak my mind and tell others how I feel, but you never do that yourself. You never tell me what's wrong! Am I a bad friend? Do you not trust me?" "NO!" yelled the girl as she pulled away from Twilight and grabbed her shoulders. "You're an amazing friend, Twilight. You are my best friend, and I care about you very much. So much! That I...I" The girl was starting to have a panic attack. She couldn't express her feelings because the words were stuck in her throat. She kept trying to speak those three words but couldn't, yelling at herself, asking why it was so hard. This left Twilight confused and unable to understand what the girl wanted to tell her. The girl could only shake her head and walk off. "I'll be okay. I need a breather, Twilight." "Okay..." said Twilight as she looked on as the girl walked away. The world glitched out as Twilah found herself in the air, and the blue pegasus mare pushed her. "Ugh! Hey! I know you're upset, but you don't need to—" Twilah stopped as she saw a helicopter pass them. "Whoa, I almost slammed into that!" "I know. You were babbling on so much you didn't even notice," replied the mare as she returned to flying. "But how did you notice? You were listening and talking to me the whole time!" asked Twilah as she caught up to her. The mare smiled as she crossed her arms and said, "Ha-hah, you're such a rookie. An experienced flyer like me knows how to multitask." "While you fly?" "It's essential! Yes, I was paying attention to you, but I was also scanning the sky and the ground for any problems." "Really?" "Flying's not just flying! To stay safe in the sky, I've got to hear and see everything, down to the littlest details. For instance, I saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo come out of Sugarcube Corner; from their appearance, they had carrot cupcakes with sprinkles. And I think Big Mac sold a huge order of apples to Filthy Rich 'cause I heard him give a very hearty "Eeyup." I always make a note of everything when I fly. No biggie," answered the mare as she looked at the ground below them. "Oh, my gosh!" shouted Twilah as she realized it. "What?" "Gotta go!" said Twilah as she was about to take off but heard the mare talking. She turned to her. "Yeah, I get it. I wouldn't want to hang out with a loser like me, "the mare groans sadly. Twilah quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and looked straight at her. "That's not true at all. You're not a loser. You're smart and wonderful. You are so special. You are my best friend, and I love you." softly said Twilah as she hugged her. The mare could only blink at Twilah as tears started to form in her eyes. "I should have seen it sooner! I should have listened to you. We need to do it; do it your way of learning! You are smart. You will pass the test! Don't give up on your dream!" shouted Twilah. The mare pushed her away and sighed, "Twi, give it up! I have..." Twilah shook her head and shouted back. "No! I won't! You're the most amazing and smartest mare I know. Your skills and talent are incredible! I believe in you! You can learn and pass that test! Trust me! Please! I'm not lying to you!" The mare's eyes started to water, and she couldn't help but smile at Twilah. "Okay, let's do it your way." "No, not my way. Your way!" smiled Twilah as she grabbed her hoof and started flying back to her friends. She turned back and saw the prism lights fading from the mare's face, almost revealing her face. "Thank you, Twilah," said the mare as she flickered between her human counterparts. Suddenly, the memory glitched out as the world became the large garden with the massive tree in the middle again. As Twilight and Twilah flickered between the two until they became Nightfall again, she found Sky all beat up again, but this time, her wounds weren't healing like before, like how she found her a year ago. So, she was treating her wounds this time. "This isn't like you, you know?" angrily said Nightfall as she put the ice pack on Sky's face. "Why are you doing the whole "this is my turf" stuff again?" Sky said nothing as she hid her face under the ice pack. "You're not going to tell me? Fine, be like that!" Nightfall angrily yelled as she stormed off to the kitchen to grab something off the table. "You're good at pushing me away, you know. Every time I try to get close to you, you push me away. Why? Did I do something to upset you?" "No," quietly said Sky. "Then why are you pushing me away? Why are you closing yourself off again? Tell me..." Sky could only stare at Nightfall as she was begging her. "Just say something! Anything! Just talk to me." "It's more than "gang" stuff... It's stuff from my past. I wish to forget stuff, but it keeps haunting me. Keep finding me, and it wants to hurt me. I'm trying to protect you and us from it. It wants to hurt us." Nightfall could see the fear in her eyes and couldn't help but reach her hoof and place it on Sky's cheek. "It's okay. We will handle it together. No matter what, we will always be together, forever and ever," said Nightfall as she kissed her nose. "I know you are scared, Sky. I'm scared, too. I don't want to lose you either. We'll figure this out. Together." Sky could only smile at her and nod. "Tell me, what's going on? Let me help you. You always help me. Now let me help you. Talk to me. You are not alone anymore. We are together." Sky smiled and nodded her head. "Okay..." "Good," smiled Nightfall. "...Nightfall. Remember the war between the sisters and their kingdom? The one you told me when we had that walk?" asked Sky. "Yeah, of course I do," said Nightfall as she was getting ready. "Well, the thing is, I was in that war, and I was in that final battle that ended both sides." "W-what!? But how is that possible? That war happened 1000 years ago!" said Nightfall in shock as she almost fell. "I'm not joking, Nightfall. I'm being serious here. You think I would lie about something like this?" sadly asked Sky. "N-no. It's just. It's ridiculous! This is insane!" yelled Nightfall. She couldn't believe what she heard as she saw Sky returning to the couch and sitting down. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But I'll explain," Sky softly said as she patted the space beside her. Nightfall could only nod her head and sit down next to Sky. "I'll tell you everything. I don't remember much of my life before becoming a living weapon." "Weapon?" asked Nightfall. Sky closed her eyes, and five rainbow halos appeared behind her back. Soon, within her chest was a blue orb that glowed brightly. Nightfall didn't know what it was, but she could see Sky's scared look, like she was afraid Nightfall would run off or become scared of her. So she held Sky's hoof tightly and looked straight into her eyes. "Go on," softly said Nightfall. "Thank you," softly said Sky. The memory froze as the three walked and stood before the frozen picture within the white void. "That orb—isn't that an element of harmony? Loyalty?" Twilight asked herself as she saw the blue orb shining brightly. "She said a living weapon? What does that mean?" asked Twilah. "She's a living bioweapon. The Elements of Harmony created super soldiers called the Final Harmony. The soldiers were used to fight the Luna Kingdom, as Celestia was tired of fighting and wanted to end the war. She told me that she's was the final prototype and the only one to be created. She didn't tell me everything. There's a lot she is hiding," whispered Nightfall as she stared at the memory. "She was created as a weapon? A living one. And Celestia made her a killer? To wipe out her enemies?" asked Twilight in great confusion, as her Celestia wouldn't do that. "Yeah, she was created to fight and kill. However, during the final battle, she finds that Luna uses a black slime to increase her power. Sky wiped out the whole kingdom to save the world from that evil...until she found out that Cetestia had recovered some of it and was doing the same thing as her sister. Sky did the same thing; she wiped out another kingdom, killed another ruler, and killed a whole population of ponies," softly said Nightfall. Twilight's eyes widened, and her breath got caught in her throat. "No..." "She killed them...she carried that reality and pain for 1000 years...she was all alone, and she didn't trust anyone. She was lonely. She had no one, and she didn't want to risk it. She didn't want anyone to suffer like her, as she had the blood of two kingdoms of ponies on her hooves." Twilah's eyes widened as she looked over to Nightfall, who entered the memory and placed her hoof on Sky's cheek. "But she risked it with me...she was afraid to tell me about her past and her pain. But she did. She didn't have to. I wish she didn't because it pains me, and I don't like seeing her like this...being alone...in the darkness..." Soon, Sky's body started to turn to burned remains, while her other self turned to ashes as the memory world was burned away. Everything was on fire, and five rainbow halos were in the sky. "You have to remember..." whispered Nightfall as she saw a slime pony in front of her and could hear crying. "What's happening?" asks Twilah. "This current memory is playing, and it's her pain. It pains her," softly said Twilight. Nightfall slowly walked toward the slime pony, which was crying. Soon, the slime pony stood up, and it was taller than her and looked down on her. "Remember her. The real her," cried Nightfall. The slime pony soon started to cry as it spoke on a damaged-sounding radio. "Blitz is coming to save me." Nightfall closed her eyes and shook her head in sadness like it wasn't the answer she wanted. "No, that's wrong; that's not "her." The real her You can remember. Don't let her screw with your memories anymore. Sky isn't herself anymore; "she" changed her like she wanted. I can sense it. Please remember her; remember who you are!" cried Nightfall. Soon, the world was engulfed in whiteness as the girls could hear the slime pony's voice again. "...then hurry; Blitz and the others are almost here. We're running out of time." The whiteness vanished as Twilah opened her eyes and found herself in a library. She was in shock as she saw how weird this library was. It almost looked like magic, as the room's reality was distorted, and the shelves were endless, covering an endless hallway. "Twilah?" Twilah turned and saw Twilight on the floor, but something was wrong with her. Her lower half was fading away. "What's going on?" asked Twilah as she quickly ran to her and held her. "I don't know, but what's with you?" asked Twilight as she pointed to Twilah's forehead. "What?" Twilah touched her head and could feel a horn, but she could feel her fingers phasing through it. Soon, she could feel something within her head as her see-through horn released magic energy and shot purple beams everywhere. Twilah cried not in pain but out of fear. "T-Twilah!" asked Twilight in concern. "I can't control it!" cried Twilah. Suddenly, a magical door appeared and opened, and a buff and tall woman was walking out with ponytail rainbow hair and a janitor outfit. She dropped her bucket of water as she saw Twilah and the magic she was releasing. "COME ON! I JUST CLEANED THIS PLACE!" yelled the janitor as she walked over to a wall, broke a glass case, took out a magical cape, and placed it around Twilah's forehead, stopping the magical outburst. "There, now you can calm down, huh?" "W-who are you?" Twilah asked, holding the cape on her head. The woman was staring at her. "Looking at you and your pony friend..." the janitor sighed as she pressed her fingers between her eyes. "Another multiverse crisis again? Where is Sue? SUE! COME OUT!" Nothing. No one answered her call, making her freak out a bit. "Sue!? Come on, Sue! Stop playing around! We have work to do!" "Who is this Sue you are calling for?" asked Twilight. The janitor turned to Twilight and quickly returned to Twilah, took out a magical box, started chanting some magical words, and blasted the room with time magic. Soon, all three could see a young woman who looked like Twilah, wearing a dark purple witch outfit and removing her hood while reading a book until her cape turned to wings and pointed above them. Soon, a rainbow light engulfed her, and Twilah and Twilight appeared. "Oh, that's not good," whispered the janitor as she turned to the girls. "This is very bad." Soon, a massive door with locks and chains appeared before them. It started to bang hard, as whatever was on the other side was trying to get out—or in. "We need to hide, now!" yelled the janitor as she grabbed Twilah and Twilight and rushed through the library. Soon, they could hear the door breaking down, and a loud voice could be heard. "I'm free, Dr. Sue Wonder, and I'm coming to collect that debt!" a strong and kind female voice echoed across the infinite library. "Dr. Wonder?" whispered Twilah as she could see blue stars and smoke filling the area. "That's right! You're going to pay!" Suddenly, appearing through the smoke, was a tall, light blue-haired woman. She was wearing the same outfit that the other witch had, but it was dark blue, and a very big blue witch hat. On her side was a sword made up of the star constellations of Ursa Major. She was looking very angry, as her left eye was blind and covered by an eye patch, and she had a scar on her face. "Where is Dr. Wonder?" demanded the blue witch. "Oh, hey, Dr. Amazement..." awkwardly smiled the janitor. "IT'S THE GREAT AND POWERFUL DR. AMAZEMENT!" shouted Amazement as she summoned a neon sign of her stage name. Both Twilight and Twilah realized who this universe counterpart was and shouted their universe counterpart names. "Trixie!" "Trixy!" end of chapter 5 Chapter 6 "IT'S AMAZEMENT! DR. AMAZEMENT!" shouted Amazement. She tapped and pointed to her sign and heard the girls calling her a different name. "Anyway, look, Sue isn't here, but..." Amazement raised her sword as she was ready to attack, but the janitor quickly summoned her mop broom and blocked it, then swatted the sword away. Amazement fell on her back and hit her head on the ground, making her dizzy. "owie!" The janitor grabbed the girls again and booked them out of there while Amazement recovered, got back up, and puffed her cheeks angrily. "I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" Twilah looked back and saw Amazement chasing after them. The janitor couldn't stop, so they had to escape by jumping over the bookshelves and stepping on floating books as the witch followed them. Twilight didn't like this. She had to do something, but she was feeling weak as her lower half was disappearing. "Twilah..." whispered Twilight as she tried to hang on to the janitor, who took notice that Twilight was in trouble. Twilah dropped her and turned around. "What are you doing?" Twilah asked as she got off the floor and watched the two as Amazement was gaining on them. "The universe is erasing your friend. I need to find that item that Sue kept!" the janitor answered as she did hand symbols and mystic words and pictures appear before her. "No, it's not in there or in there." "WHAT!" asked Twilah as she watched the weird things happen. Amazement was catching up as she was ready to stab the three with her sword. "Damn it, Sue! Why do you keep leaving everything as a mess in the freaking index?" shouted the janitor. Twilah was freaking out when she saw Twilight looking so weak and disappearing in the arm of the weird magical janitor. She felt so powerless and useless. She was scared and confused and couldn't understand why she had a unicorn horn now, but maybe it had to do with Nightfall. The only thing she could do was stand there and watch until her body began to glow. "What?" Twilight watched as Twilah's body glowed, making a purple light as she looked at an image of a memory. A memory of her finding the "spark" and releasing the element of magic and combining the elements to release the magic of friendship "Twilah..." weakly said Twilight as she could see the girl's fear. She tried to reach out but couldn't. The janitor noticed Twilight's movement and soon felt the most potent magical level she had ever sensed as an earring on her right ear scattered. She thought it was Sue, but this was going beyond her power level. Even Amazement noticed the power and stopped as they both saw the girl hovering in the air, surrounded by a magical purple aura and her eyes glowing bright white. They could see the cape of magic of control being overwhelmed by the Twilah magical horn and burned away. "What the...?" said the janitor. "Spark...of magic...is what it's called..." weakly said Twilight as she felt the power in the air. "Huh?" asked the janitor as she looked at Twilight and back to Twilah. "She released the magic of friendship. That's what she's releasing," softly said Twilight. Twilah didn't know what was going on, but she knew one thing: She was scared. She didn't know if she was going to make it. Her vision was blurring, and her mind was screaming. Her horn was sparking and soon blasting out mini rainbow beams, which started to burn and destroy the area around everyone. "SHIT!" shouted Amazement as she was sent flying away and disappearing into a doorway, which closed and vanished. Twilight didn't know what to do, as she watched the magic energy engulfed Twilah. Her body became unstable, as she had never used magic before. Worse, it was the magic of the elements of harmony and friendship. She could see it was slowly killing her. The janitor quickly summoned a time spell as an hourglass appeared in her hand, and she ran to Twilah. "W-what are you doing?" asked Twilight as she saw the janitor casting a spell with the hourglass. "This is bad! We're dealing with unknown and powerful magic! If I don't hurry, it'll destroy the great library and New York City!" The janitor chanted the spell as the hourglass filled with magical energy, and it released a massive power that made the floor crack. Twilight could see clock numbers on the floor starting to spin as the spell activated, making the bookcase's world disappear as it became a silver void space. "No, not now!" cried the janitor as she grabbed the hourglass with both hands, dropped Twilight on the floor, and pressed her face against the glass. She could feel the new magical energy but was overwhelmed by the amount she needed to counter. "I'm too late," sighed the janitor as she fell to the ground, seeing the hourglass cracking. Twilight could hear the clock numbers falling apart, and everything started to turn gray and disappear. She had to do something. She had to help the janitor save Twilah and this place. Twilight grabbed the hourglass with one hoof and started to chant a spell with her horn, and the hourglass began to glow. She placed her hoof on the broken glass and started to send magic into it. The hourglass begun to repair itself as the magic energy flowed into it, and the numbers started spinning and returning to normal. The spell was complete and successfully cast, turning the area into a black void with a sea of gears and clocks. Soon, under Twilah, a clock appeared, and chains were sent out of it and wrapped around Twilah. They started to drag her into the clock and vanished into it. "W-what the?" shouted Twilight as she became worried. "Don't worry, your friend is fine. She's frozen in time until we get you two back home and out of this university." The janitor suddenly stopped as the sea of clocks started to glow with purple magic, and rainbow beams shot out of the water. She turned and could see the area where Twilah had been taken was being cracked open. "...never mind..." Soon, Twilah broke free and slowly rose from the pit. He was completely covered in a purple energy aura but had a tail and wings. It almost looks like a human alicorn. She raised her hand and blasted a rainbow beam at them, but only to be eaten by a magician hat that appeared in front of them. Soon, Dr. Amazement landed before them, drew her sword, and turned her head toward the janitor. "What's going on here, Deedee? Who's this girl? Why is her magic so beyond anything we've seen before that even the Sea of Frozen Time couldn't stop it?" The janitor held her mop and answered, "Some multiverse crisis! She's another version of Sue, but way more powerful! If the sea of time can't stop her, nothing can stop her!" "But that's impossible! Sue's power level is at its maximum! There's no one more powerful than her!" "In our universe, yeah, but not in another universe!" barks Deedee as she sees Twilah raising her hand. "I think I should handle this," said Amazement as she waved her hand. "No! The girl is out of control! Her power will be beyond you! The only one who can handle her is." "Great and powerful, Doctor Amazement!" said Amazement as she started to pose and cast a spell. The janitor ignored her and turned to Twilight, looking down in sadness. "Hey, can't you stop her! You have magic, too, right? You helped cast the spell!" said Deedee to Twilight. Twilight didn't say anything as she slowly looked up at the janitor, tears in her eyes. The janitor could only stare at Twilight as she was starting to think—think of anything. "Damn it..." Twilight closed her eyes and remembered what Nightfall had told them. She was with them, right? Twilight opened her eyes and shouted to Twilah, "NIGHTFALL! PLEASE! HELP HER!" Nothing happened, and Twilah blasted more magic at the hat until it was overwhelmed by sucking the rainbow beams and blowing up. Twilah started to hover in the air. Deedee and Amazement could only watch as she could feel her fear rising. Soon, Twilight began to cry. "Please, I'm begging you. You're the only one who can do anything to save her. Please," Twilight softly said as she lay on the ground, getting weaker—until she heard Nightfall's caring voice. "I'm with you, Twilight... I'll do my best. Just give me a second." Twilight looked at Twilah and saw a rainbow light coming from Twilah's pocket and engulfing her. Nightfall was in the purple void as she stood over Twilah. Twilah's body was changing; her skin was purple, her tail was longer, and her ears were pony-like. Twilah looked up at her, crying out for help. Nightfall closed her eyes and felt her fear, the same fear she had so long ago... She opened her eyes and could see the slime pony crying out to her, crying in pain and confusion, as she didn't know what was wrong with her body. Nightfall, remember what she did that awful day? She did nothing, and she regrets it ever since. Nightfall couldn't watch anymore as she snapped out of it and walked over to Twilah. She held her like a mother would have a scared child. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. You're not alone. You're going to be okay. I promise you...I promise..." said Nightfall as she placed her hoof on the glowing horn and closed her eyes, trying to connect with Twilah. Trying to connect to her heart... In a bright flash of light, Twilah and Nightfall were now back in the garden. Twilah opened her eyes and could hear laughter. Laughter of a happy family. "What's going on?" asked Twilah. Nightfall said nothing as she kept holding Twilah and touching the glowing horn. The laughter kept going until the shadows of a pony family appeared. The parents were playing with a small alicorn as they played with the garden holes. The alicorn laughed as she ran past Twilah and Nightfall and got wet. "That was fun! Thank you, Mommy!" said the little girl. "...mommy? Yes, mommy," cried the mother as she held her daughter. Twilah could feel tears hitting her face, and she looked up to see Nightfall crying. She didn't know what to do or say but felt safe in her arms. The world faded away with them along it. "What?" said Deedee as she saw Twilah lowering her hand and seeming to be hugging someone as she floated back to the ground. "She's okay," said Nightfall to Twilight's mind. "Her features when she used the magic—she looked almost like me. My body...is this what you said?" thought Twilight as she could get a yes. "Will the next jump?" "Yes, you two will become one. We will become one. Twilight said nothing else as she saw Twilah returning to normal, with a glowing horn. "The great and powerful Amazement wants answers here! Where is Sue?" demanded Amazement, as she was ready to attack everyone in the room. Deedee quickly turned back to her as she took out a small dustpan and started to chant. Soon, a pink magic circle appeared around Amazement, tossing her into a giant bin and making her disappear from the room. "I'm not dealing with you right now! Have help, Sue! Have to fix the multiverse! Gotta save our reality!" shouted Deedee as she threw her mop in the air, as a blue light appeared. She turned and quickly picked up Twilight. "What are you doing?" asked Twilight as the janitor hoisted her on her back, making Twilight look like a backpack. "You're coming with me!" said Deedee as she started to run to the portal, jumping into it, only to run back out and pick Twilah up, who was asleep. And run back into the portal. "Wow!" shouted Twilight as she and the others flew between dimensions. She saw a normal human city, and then, seeing a realm of dragons and elves, she soon saw giant god-like beings that waved at them as they floated by. "What's going on!" "Just hold on to your breath and close your eyes!" Twilight did what she was told. She could see a portal in front of them, which looked like a room with candles and someone sitting there. As they got closer, a sword scattered the portal, revealing Amazement coming at them from the other side. "There's no way out now! Where's Sue? I'm here to collect that debt!" Deedee saw this and quickly used her magic to start to spin and do spins in the air as she became clones, confusing Amazement and giving Deedee enough time to enter the portal that was New York City as she landed in the busy streets and fell over on the road. Twilight rolled off of her and quickly opened her eyes. She looked at the scenery and then at her surroundings. "What is this place?" "Welcome to the Big Apple, but no time to sight-see! She'll be h-" In the back, Amazement crashes into a parked taxi, destroying it. She raises her arm and says she is okay. "Here any minute..." sighed Deedee as she took out her mop and quickly blocked the magical flying sword. "I told you! I'm here for Sue! I'm not going to wait anymore! I want my-" Amazement was cut off as the mop head hit her face and erased it, leaving her with a featureless face. "How about no?" Amazement dropped her floating sword, touching her featureless face in horror. "Just be a good girl and shut up!" demanded Deedee as she quickly used a spell to wrap Amazement up in chains. Twilight could see humans looking on; some were confused, others just acted like it was expected, like it happened too often. Twilight wondered if this kind of thing happens all the time here. "That was close! Now, time to meet her and see if she can help!" said Deedee as she picked Twilah and quickly ran over to Twilight. As Deedee was picking her up, someone swung by and landed. Twilight could see the girl wearing an orange and yellow spider-looking outfit with a black jacket as she spoke. "Dee? What's going on? My spider radar went off and is still going off!" "Sorry, but I can't talk right now, SpiderSunset! Multiverse problems," replied Deedee as she opened the portal again and jumped in, leaving Spider-Sunset alone and confused. Until her radar went off again, she quickly turned around and saw Amazement blasting off her chains and recovering her lost face. She was flaming mad as she stomped the ground, shaking the whole street until a web landed on her leg. "Whoa, calm down, or we need to start calling you Dr. Fury," joked SpiderSunset. "I'm going to kill her!" yelled Amazement as she sliced the web with her sword and disappeared into the portal. Spider-Sunset watched her leave and sighed. "Magic users, I swear..." Deedee returned to the portal tunnel, where she was searching for the gateway that Amazement had destroyed until she spotted the portal, which had a different view. She reached out but was only kicked by Amazement, as all four landed inside the portal. Twilight quickly recovered and looked around. "Where are we now?" "THE GREAT AND POWERFUL AMAZEMENT WANTS WHATS OWED TO HER!" shouted Amazement as she summoned her sword, and a shadow of a bear appeared behind her, soon getting bigger. "OH, JUST SHUT UP! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SUE OWES YOU, BUT SHE DID TELL YOU YOU ARE DANGEROUS!" shouted back at Dee as she summoned her mop again. Twilight watched as the two fought and slowly crawled to Twilah, still knocked out. She finally reached her and placed her hoof on her chest. "Please wake up," softly said Twilight. "I'm not going to work. Two versions of the same being can't co-exist in the same universe. The universe is trying to fix this by changing her and, for you, erasing you, but it's different," said a young female voice behind Twilight. Twilight turned around and saw a brown-skinned woman in dark blue robes. Her long hair was moving like the night sky. It was this universe, Luna, as she floated off her mat, went over to her, and scanned her. "I see...so that's what's been going on in the multiverse..." whispered human Luna as she saw Twilight looking at her. "What...?" "Sorry, where's my manners? My name is Mona, and I am a sister to the past celestial master. I'm the Earthly Master...now..." said Mona as she pounded her fists together, and Amazement and Dee were frozen and were picked up and floated towards her. They could both see anger in her eyes. "You better explain why you two are fighting in my room while I'm watching my shows!" Amazement and Dee look at each other and gulp. They were released. "Where is Sue?" demanded Amazement in a scared tone. "What Sue? Oh, she's off saving the multiverse. Why do you need her?" "I'm looking for a way to pay the debt she owes!" demanded Amazement. "The debt? What debt?" asked Mona and Dee, as Dee wanted to know why Sue looked this witch out of ever stepping into the library, while Mona just wanted to know why her dead sister student had a debt. "THE WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SUE...owes me money when we went on that date last week! Plus, she hasn't been answering my calls or texts," cried Amazement as she took out her phone, revealing that she and Sue were dating as they saw her phone lock screen, Sue and Amazement together. "Hope my sweetie isn't mad that I spilled juice on her cape." Everyone was silent in the room. Deedee couldn't help but face her palm and scream in anger, and Twilight was confused and shocked that Trixie and she were dating in this universe. "Dear sister, you really picked a weird student to take over the title of Sorceress Supreme," sighed Mona as she floated away. Twilight spoke out and asked where they were, realizing the room was filled with candles, a large-screen TV, and trash around the mat. "You are in my room—I mean realm. In this universe, there is powerful magic and beings, and Sue Wonder serves as the Sorceress Supreme, the primary protector of Equestria, against magical and mystical threats. We magic users keep the peace between the magical realms and aid the superheroes," explained Mona as she flipped the TV channels, revealing superheroes across the world, like Spider-Sunset or Captain AppleCore, which froze on her and zoomed on her butt. "Truly, that's America ass," whispered Mona in a horny tone. "And you?" asked Twilight to Dee, who was cleaning Mona's mess around the mat. "Me? I'm just a childhood friend to Sue and the janitor of the great library. I'm no magic user like them." replied Deedee "But you used magic!? Even right now!" asked Twilight as she saw Deedee put the mess into a dustpan and make it float to the bin just by using a spell. "Oh, that? Magical items, sweetheart. Sue made sure I could protect myself from outside threats like Amazement and your friend over there...who's BACK UP!" shouted Dee as she grabbed her mop while Amazement took out her sword. Twilight and Mona turned to Twilah, who was awake. Her horn was glowing purple as she walked past them and the others and entered a room with "bathroom" on it. Soon, they could hear puking noises and then a flush as she came out and sat on the floor. "I feel like shit," said Twilah as she sat there and looked at her glowing horn. "What just happened?" "The magic of the element of harmony possessed you. A source that is beyond our version of the harmony stone," explained Mona, but she could see that Twilah didn't care, as she was getting worse."You three need to jump to the next universe. I can sense the end coming if you don't hurry." Mona floated to a chest and started looking inside it until she pulled out the rainbow shard and watched as the shards began to float and slowly fuse. "Wait, what's going on in the multiverse? You said my darling sweetie is saving the multiverse?" asked Amazement as she returned her sword. "Yeah, she's in the process of fixing the multiverse right now. Sue and others are getting everything in order before the final battle starts," replied Mona as she sat back on her mat and picked up a bag of chips. "The final battle?" asked Twilah as she rose from the floor, too weak to sand. "Oh yes, the final battle with "her,"" explained Mona as she pointed to Twilah and Twilight, confusing them. "Ah, right. Sorry, you'll learn the truth, but don't worry, you can trust Nightfall." This" Nightfall. Be prepared for a fight if you see another, the one that met with your friends and changed Rainbow into Blitz." The room went silent as everyone stared at Mona. "Wow, she's always known everything, huh?" whispered Deedee. "I do take care of my big sister. She must have seen this coming; this will explain why she told Sue to always carry the stone with her," explained Mona as she remembered the odd moment when her sister told Sue to keep the stone with her until a specific event happened. Twilah and Twilight soon felt torn apart and merging as one as they thought shards fusing and finally releasing a rainbow pillar. Mona and the others saw that both girls were gone as the light faded. Mona turned to her screen and flipped to a channel, seeing Sue being dragged away by a sea of slime and soon finding herself and someone else in a ruined city. "You girls need to hurry. The walls between them are almost breaking. If that monster gets out and infects the other universe, reaching the prime universe, we're all doomed." "We won't let that happen," said an old male voice, as Dee and Amazement were frozen in time as a very tall elderly man in a brown suit walked between them, taking off his hat as he bowed to Mona. Mona didn't turn but flipped to a channel and could see a large group of beings gathering at a significant con event, as some were cosplaying as a yellow Pegasus. They were all the same; even if they looked different, they were the same person. She turned to him with anger in her eyes. "...Discord. What are you planning?" "Keeping the rules in check, but of course," smiled the old man as he looked up, revealing his old and wrinkly face and white beard as his eyes looked crazed with madness. End of ch. 6 Chapter 7Author's Note wanted to get to this chapter before halloween, welp nvm now lol Update: lmao this chapter has ton of views. Maybe I do a spin off of this universe? update2: Negative Atmosphere is out. go read that if you like this chapter Chapter 7 The sun beamed through the clouds, and she saw it hitting all of Cloudsdale's Cloudeseum. She could see a crowd of pegasi, dragons, and griffons in the stands, earth, and unicorn ponies, along with other creatures in airships or on hot balloons, cheering or talking among themselves as they were waiting for her and the Wonderbolts to come out. She could hear the sound of the crowd and see the joy they all had in their eyes. Her staff was reviewing what the Wonderbolts would do and the names of the young ponies in this year's 'The Best Young Flyer Competition.' Soon, the staff started to check over her dress. They brought out a large mirror, and she could see herself in it. She could feel her smile coming out. Rare made her the dress to wear for this year's judging of the competition. Her human figure was in good shape, and she was thrilled with how it fit her like a glove. Her long lavender hair was out, and her violet eyes shone as the dress was blue and yellow. She wanted to match the Wonderbolts this year. She looked and touched her purple-skinned face, wondering if she should cover it up with makeup. She didn't want to cover her skin in makeup, but her fans expected her to look pretty and attractive. She could hear the announcer introducing her, and the crowd was cheering as she walked out and waved. She took a deep breath and could hear her father telling her to have confidence and take the spotlight. She could remember her mother telling her to do her best when she was still alive. She could remember her brother saying that he was so proud of her. She approached the mic and said, "Ponies, are you ready?" The crowd cheered as they were excited for the competition to start. "Alright! Let the games begin!" She said it happily, and the competitors came flying onto the stage and watching the sky above, as this was the Wonderbolts' cue to start. She could see "her" as leading the Wonderbolts, and she began making loopy loops and twirling around in the air before stopping midway. She let her two fellow Wonderbolts perform some stunts of their own before flying under her. The leader was getting ready to perform her Sonic Rainboom. "You can do it," she whispered to herself as she remembered how she was training for this day. Static filled her vision. It was a cold and rainy day, and as she was walking from her home to the training area in the city, she wanted to visit "her," as she knew she was working her butt off doing the Sonic Rainbow. She had a basket of food for her and even a blueberry cake. The night was frigid, and she was feeling it. She zipped up her red jacket and smiled as she clutched the jacket, remembering "her" giving this jacket to her as a birthday gift last month. It was warm and very light; it was perfect for cold nights. As she was walking, she saw a few ponies on the street, and one of the ponies turned and asked her for an autograph. "You're Twi Night Spark! The Princess of Friendship! My mom says you're the greatest!" said the earth pony, a colt. "You are very kind, and thank you!" said Spark, still smiling, signing the colt's book, and taking a picture with him. The colt went over to his friends and said how cool it was to meet her, and they were asking for pictures and autographs. Soon, she was surrounded by many ponies, and she couldn't believe how many ponies wanted an autograph or to have their photos taken with her. It made her heart jump with joy. She had never imagined her life as Princess of Friendship to be like this. She didn't want it to end. She wanted to do more for her ponies. After escaping the fans, she finally reached the training grounds of the Wonderbolts, and she could "she" her running in the rain, leaving a rainbow trail behind as she ran like the wind. Twi Night loved seeing her do that; she saw her genuinely being herself. It's beautiful; "she" was stunning. "I'm here!" she shouted as she ran to her. The blue-skinned girl was surprised and smiled. She hurried over to her, but Twi Night felt something wasn't right. She held her head in pain as the world around them started to glitch out, as three different memories were playing at the same time. She looked up and remembered all three: her judging the contest, her looking for "her" after they fought about her rejecting the scholarship, and the memory of her death. She remembers Sky heading somewhere. Sky needed answers, and the only place to find them was in her dead father's lab and research building under the mayor's building. She looked at the clock and was worried that Sky was gone too long. It was midnight. "What's taking so long, Sky? Where are you?" whispered Nightfall as she looked at the clock. Soon, she heard crying and a door blasting open, as it came from "her" room. Soon, a dark figure flew out through the glass door leading to the garden, leaving behind a black slime puddle. She ran "her" to the garden, and there she was, bleeding out slime from her eyes, ears, and mouth and holding her hoof out for help and asking Night to help her. "Sky!" screamed Nightfall as she fell back in fear. She was too scared to reach out to her. "What's going on? What's happening to you?" "Help me. I'm scared." Nightfall started to cry, and as the slime pony began to crawl towards her, she was still crying and asking for help. She was so scared that she grabbed a broom near the glass door and smacked the slime pony, making it stop moving. Nightfall quickly realized what she had done and let go of the broom. She could see it had split open the slime pony head. She could hear a cry of pain as the body fell apart and divide in half while tears were falling out of the creature, forming white, hollow eyes. Nightfall was beyond terrified as she looked at what she had done. She was frozen in fear until she could talk and run to it. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please! Please don't hate me! I'm sorry! Please, don't hate me!" cried Nightfall as she held the pony tight. It didn't move, as it just lay in her arms, as it looked like a dead body, but slowly, it was melting into slime, and her body parts started to separate. Her limbs were pulling away from each other until she was nothing more than a puddle of black slime in her arms. The slime quickly reformed back to its melting body, but something formed out of its head. Within seconds, Nightfall could feel a sharp pain in her chest as she looked down. There was a black slime horn stabbing her chest, and blood was oozing out and mixing with the horn. Nightfall didn't know what to do. She wanted to scream and cry for help, but no one could hear her, as she could see the slime slowly pulling out the horn, slowly putting its melting face on her face, and speaking. "...Breaker..." She started to cry as she knew what had happened. Nightfall reminds me of the day "Breaker" appeared within "her" and was making "her" do things, breaking things around the house. Nightfall fell backward, and she could feel herself dying as she lay on the grass, watching the night sky above her. Her vision was blurring as she could see the glowing white light coming from the creature, and soon she could see the slime pony looking over her, with a white halo that was giving off prism lights above its head and shedding rainbow tears from its white eyes. "...b-break...e-er," shuttered the slime pony. Nightfall's vision went black, and her life ended that night. Twilight screamed as she woke from her dream, clutching her chest and not seeing a hole there, just her t-shirt, as she was still wearing her red jacket and clothes like always. She looked at the surrounding area and saw she was in some manufactured rock tunnel with metal covers that hid wires and small lights on the ceiling. A door was opened, and that's when she saw it. The dead body of a young man His skin is brilliant gray, his hair was cut so short that it almost looked like he was bald, and he was wearing what looked like a broken straight jacket. There was a screwdriver sticking out of the side of his head, and blood was still oozing out. "W-what...what is this?" Twilight whispered to herself as she felt sick and looked away. She finally puked, stood up, looked at the body again, and saw a device next to him. To Twilight, it looked like an audio recording device; she picked it up and played it. "Star, if you get this, I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you or our daughter. After the sessions, I keep seeing you, but... you're so mad, so angry. I feel scared. I want you to stop. What's happening to me? (Recording ends but turns on as noises are heard.) Aaira, if you are reading this, I'm sorry for what I might do to you, like what I did with Kelly. I'm not being "me." I'm not myself anymore. The last time we talked, you told me you would find a way to make me normal, to make me... I think that's the answer I'm looking for, but the things I've been doing—hurting, killing people—need to do something. I need you to do something for me, please. You have to promise me...kill me...if I...start? (The recording ends but starts again as the man is fighting with someone.) There you are!" Twilight could hear her own voice like it was being talked through a suit as the voice was struggling with the man. "Whoa, Charles! What are you doing?" "You have to face her for me! (noise of something metal hitting metal and gears of something opening.) Tell her I didn't mean to do it!" There were noises of someone blocking or grabbing something as the female voice spoke, 'Charles, it's fucking me!" "See her!" "It's me! Aaira! Damn it!" "Tell her!" "Charles! Stop!" "STEP 3! STEP 3 IS-" The noises of struggling were getting louder until something was being stabbed in the flesh, as the young man was whispering, "Oh, god..." like he realized what he had done as someone fell to the ground. Twilight could hear her voice again. "Why did you do it, Charles? Damn it. I wanted to save you," cried the voice as they dropped to the ground, pounding it. Soon, a loud noise could be heard, and the sounds of someone falling to the ground could be heard as the recording ended. "This Aaira person...is me in this universe..." whispered Twilight as she looked at the dead body and the tunnel they were in. "The question now is, where am I?" She looked up at the doorway and could read a badly damaged hologram sign; the only words that could be seen were "authorized technician only." She walked through the doorway and down the tunnel until she found herself at an underground work site with underground drills and other tools. There were many big metal machines and carts filled with metal parts. Twilight was scared as she slowly made her way through the large room, looking around and seeing that it was dark except for a small light. She kept on going through the room until she heard something. It was almost like someone screaming—not in pain but in anger. "This isn't good... I have to keep moving," thought Twilight as she quickly walked through the large room, finding a large machine. She could see a light turning red as something was beeping. It looked like a reactor or maybe a recharge station for something. She didn't know what it was but noticed something as she walked around it. There was blood. She didn't know what was going on, but she could see there was a trail of blood that was leading away from the machine and heading for a door that was behind it. Looking up, she could read another hologram sign that said "to explore the mine elevator," under it was "Remember to sync your HULL to the system." Twilight carefully followed the blood trail, making sure she wouldn't step on it, and she pressed a button on the wall and opened the door. It was another hallway but very dark as she walked forward and found another room. This one had carts and tools lying about, and more blood could be seen, like someone or a group of people were fighting something...and lost. She walked through the room and found another hallway. She was led to a large room with a machine in the wall and more blood, and that's when it hit Twilight. "There's blood, but where are the bodies?" asked Twilight as she looked around and saw blood going to the side of the room and leading to the end of another hallway. She looked around and saw nothing. Just blood and...slash marks? She touched the marks and suddenly saw orange flashes. "You won't save "her," whispered a female voice within Twilight's head as she started to walk towards the hall. The voice sounded familiar to her, and soon it faded away. Twilight looked at her hands, and there were orange flashes. They were getting stronger. Soon, she was inside a room with a dead blue pegasus pony wearing a dark blue jacket. There were more slash marks on the wall as she slowly went forward, seeing a big metal door and hearing noise from it. "You let her down. You let her suffer. Let "it" in." Twilight quickly walked away from it, but it was too late. The door opened, revealing the room with the same dead pony, but she quickly raised her head and looked at her as her hollowed-out eyes stared into her soul. "You broke her. You made her break everything." Twilight couldn't speak as the pony rose from the floor and walked towards her. It was wearing a dark blue jacket, and its mane was black slime as it dripped from its blue body. The dead pony walked out of the room and stood before Twilight. "Breaker...of worlds...of the universe..." whispered the pony as she looked down. Within seconds, its body started to burst out claws and sharp mouth teeth, and she looked back at her, "BREAKER OF EVERYTHING!" Twilight screamed and fell back, hitting the floor as the monster pony leaped on her and tried to stab her with its new claws. The room lights started to flicker as Twilight tried to fight off the monster, only for the lights to go out for a few seconds and turn back on, revealing the pony was now a humanoid monster with claws, and its skin was black and dead-looking flesh. It was still trying to kill her, so Twilight used her magic and blasted the beast away, hitting the metal door at the other end of the room. Twilight could see that it did nothing, as the creature quickly stood back up and ran at her while bloody screaming. Twilight could feel fear, but she had to fight. She summoned a spell to her hand and made a wall of energy that bounced the monster away. She knocked it against the wall once more, making the wall crack. The beast slid down to the floor. Its face was nothing but black liquid, but it was still moving. Twilight didn't know what was happening or who it was; all she knew was that this thing wanted to kill her. She could see it standing up again, wondering how it could still move without a head? "Why are you attacking me?" asked Twilight as she raised her hand. "What's going on here? Who are you?" The monster ran at her again, not caring what Twilight was asking. Twilight used her magic again but suddenly saw something above her and noticed three more of the same monster. She tried to drop on her, but just in time, she put up a barrier and quickly walked back as the weight of the three was too much. She could see their twisted mouths and claws attacking the barrier and trying to destroy it. They were more robust than the first, not black but almost red-looking. "GET OFF!" screamed Twilight as she tried to blast them off but fell backwards into the machine in the wall. The three monsters jumped off and watched as the machine closed itself. Soon, a blue light scanned Twilight's body, and a robotic voice spoke. "ID match: Welcome Ship Engineer Aaira Kaison. You must wear a HULL suit in this area. Please stand by as the system gives you the correct suit." Twilight looked at the machine and saw robotic arms coming out with pieces of a metal suit. She quickly heard and saw a loud clunk noise as the Hull suit started to cover her body and head. Soon, the machine opened again, revealing the four monsters to the new Twilight, who was wearing a suit with purple grill lights on her head and a horn covered in spiral lights. "What?" whispered Twilight as she looked at her hands and body, but she was quickly cut short when she heard the monsters coming out at her. She quickly raised her hands, and on the wrist of the right arm, a device started to activate and combine with Twilight magic as its blue light covered her right arm and half of her horn lights. With one significant, powerful blow of magic, the monsters were turned into blood dust, leaving nothing behind. Twilight was breathing heavily as she stared at her glowing hands as they faded away. "This suit, it's increasing my magic power output? But how? Why is this happening? I don't understand!" asked Twilight to herself as she touched the HULL suit. Suddenly, she heard a loud voice from a speaker in her suit. "Aaira!? Is that you? Answer me, please!" cried in a female voice. Twilight looked around and was surprised that she could hear this person. She looked at the device on her arm, saw a flashing light, and pressed it. Soon, a hologram appeared in front of her face with very loud static, causing Twilight to jump back from fear. Soon, a blue-skinned woman with short rainbow hair and wearing an eye patch appeared on the screen. The woman moved back as she was too close to the screen, revealing her work clothes, which were covered in dried blood. "Aaira! Thank god! I thought something happened to you after I lost your HULL tracker." Twilight looked at the screen and asked who this person was. "What? It's me, Kelly." Twilight didn't understand; she wasn't from this universe so that she wouldn't know this person, but why did she remind her of someone? "Aaira? Oh god, it's the pillar. It's making you crazy, like Charles. Asshole tried to poke my eye out but only damaged it; I can't see out of it, though," sighed Kelly as she rubbed her eye patch. "Who are you, Kelly? Who is Charles? Was he the one I found dead in the tunnel? Why are there monsters?" asked Twilight as she started to panic, wondering if she knew what was happening here and how she could help her. "Aaira, listen to me. It's the pillar messing with your head! It's trying to get inside your mind and make it whole again. Don't listen to the voices. Don't listen to "her"! Charles did, and he almost got me killed! Can I keep trusting you?" Kelly said that she was showing signs of being hurt, was holding her head, and looked super worried, like she might be alone soon. "Please, please tell me you're okay." "I don't know who you are; I don't even know who this "Charles" is. Why are you calling me Aaira? Where am I?" Twilight asked as she touched the hologram. She saw that Kelly had put her own hand on the screen and started to cry. "Damn it! Please don't come near me, Aaira! I don't want to kill someone else...someone else I love," cried Kelly. "I'm not who you think I am," replied Twilight, but she didn't know if she should tell her the truth. This Kelly person didn't look stable enough, like she had been through hell and was on her last leg in being sane. "What? You are; you're the only person who can stop all this. Like before, you have to save us all, and you can still do it. Don't that fucking pillar control you!" Kelly cried as she quickly raised her arm and covered her face. She cried in it, but this revealed the blue wrist of her hand, which had a rainbow shard on her bracelet. It started to glow as it saw Twilight. "I'm sorry," said Twilight, making Kelly remove her arm from her face and stare at her with hope. "I'm okay now," lied Twilight, as she needed to find this person and get the shard. "Thank god! I knew you'd fight it. Akira, you're strong, and I knew it; don't listen to "her"! They want you to join them in ending everything! You can't do that, Aaira! You are the only one who can save us all! We have to get to the pillar and blow it up! It's in the research area of the space station. We can't let the pillar signal reach Mars, or there will be a planet Changers breakout," cried Kelly as she started to run. Soon, she was talking to herself and hearing noises in her area. Twilight didn't understand what Kelly was saying or what a "Changers breakout" was, but she knew she needed to find this woman. "Right, understood. Where are you? I'll come get you, and we can head there and fight it together." Kelly stopped running and quickly started to search in a map on her wrist and looked around as she was on edge. "I'm furthering down in the miner site. I will use the miner's energy drill to dig through the ground and break into the research area. They had everything locked down when the station outbreak happened." "How long will it take to reach you?" asked Twilight. "I can't be sure. Getting to this area took a long time, and I'm starting to get a headache. Fuck, I'm scared. I'm scared of everything." Twilight was getting impatient as she wanted to help this person, so she said, "Stay calm. Breathe in and out," taking a deep breath, making Kelly do the same and closing her eyes as she relaxed. Kelly soon opened her eyes and felt calm. She looked at her map and sent information about her area. "Not too far; just take the elevator ahead of you and then travel through the mines, and you should meet up with me. I'm heading to the drill area, so hurry up." Twilight looks back at the elevator ahead of her. She quickly ran towards it and pressed the button. Soon, it opened, revealing a bloody mess of dead bodies and one dead person wearing a HULL suit, which had blood covering it, as they were all in a large pile, almost like something was gathering them here. "I'm heading my way there. Can you send me the map of the area?" Kelly nodded, sent Twilight the map, and smiled, "Don't make me wait like last time." She made a kissing noise and turned off the screen. "Like last time?" asked Twilight to herself as she walked through the bodies and touched a screen panel. Her suit activated a map, showing how far it needed to go. She punched the floor, watched as the elevator came to life, and headed down. Twilight zoomed out the map and could see how huge this station was. It was large, the same size as a small state. She could also see the station on a mined moon, explaining the mines. Twilight could feel that something was wrong as the elevator started to go down, like something was watching her. She looked around and saw nothing. Maybe it was nothing. Perhaps it's just her mind playing tricks. As the elevator lowered, she could hear loud screeching and clanging noises. Soon, the elevator went lower, revealing an open cavern. Twilight gasped at what she saw. The mines were covered in large, black-looking human flesh ooze, as it was everywhere and dripping from the walls. This was like a nightmare come true. Twilight covered her face as the elevator moved past the cavern and was covered by rock as it kept going down. "What the hell happened here?" asked Twilight in fear. As the elevator was going down, Twilight could feel the same feeling as before, and once more, she looked around, but like before, nothing. She sighed and held her head, but suddenly, the lights were flickering, and she finally went out, but the elevator was still going. The only things that could be heard were the loud screeching noise and the elevator making noise. Soon, Twilight could listen to something, and she looked around again as the light source was coming from her helmet, light grills, and her horn. Something was in the dark, watching her. "Who are you?" asked Twilight as she backed into a corner, fearing she was about to be attacked. Nothing happened, and the lights were flickering again, making her feel better as she walked back to the center, but the dead person with the HULL suit quickly rose and grabbed her with their hands. Twilight could see a punch wound on the person's face, which wasn't there before. She soon noticed something small and black with wings in the corner as it climbed on the elevator support beam. Twilight could make out its figure, which was small and almost human-shaped. It was a bug-like creature about a foot tall, and a stinger was hanging from its lower half. "It's you! You're the one that was looking at me before," said Twilight in surprise and horror at this creature as she was trying to fight off the dead body, which slowly started to twitch, and soon, claws burst out of its back as it began to try and climb over her. "What are you?" asked Twilight as she blasted the corpse away with her magic, but the bug creature started to fly at her, and she was able to blast it off. The bug creature was now on the floor. It quickly turned its head and started to scream like a human. It ran away from her, crawling up the wall and disappearing into the darkness as the lights were off again while Twilight was screaming at it. The corpse she blasted from before started to get back up as it began to change black, and its limbs started to stretch and twist. Twilight could see and hear the twisting and breaking of the suit armor and the bones. The once-dead person's limbs were now long and sharp-looking claws that were covered in blood as they started to walk towards her and screech like a bug. Twilight blew the corpse away as she ran to the elevator door. She was trapped as the creature got back up and screeched as the bug from before landed and started to stab the other dead bodies, turning more corpses into the same creature. Twilight ran to the corner and blasted the monster again, as the lights were still out and the beast was now on her. They were running at her and clawing at her, trying to stab and cut her. Twilight screamed in horror as she could hear the sharp claws scratching into the armor suit. She raised her arms again and tried to blast them like she did with the four creatures, but she just blasted them away like normal. Her suit gave a warning sign that the Kinesis Module was still in a recharge state, explaining how she had killed the monsters before. The creatures all dog-piled her again, trying to get inside the suit. Twilight felt her whole body aching from the monsters trying to kill her, but they suddenly stopped. The light suddenly came back on as she was breathing heavily and staring at the empty elevator and no dead bodies—just dry blood. "What the hell just happened?" asked Twilight to herself as she slowly rose. She carefully looked around and up but saw nothing. There were no creatures or dead bodies. Was she losing it? She felt it was safe now as she slowly walked to the elevator doors, and it started to lower to the floor she needed to be on. Once down, the doors opened, and she saw a large tunnel in front of her. She looks at her map and starts to run towards it. She should be getting near the giant open mine site, but as she passed by a hole in the wall, sizeable black flesh tentacles shot out and grabbed her. She screamed as she could feel it grabbing her, lifting her in the air, and she tried to blast it with her magic, but it hardened through the flesh and didn't seem to be affected at all. It threw Twilight against the wall and soon slammed her on the floor, finally dragging her back into the hole. Twilight tried to grab anything to stop being dragged off as the flesh tentacles dragged her across the metal tunnel floor and into the hole. Twilight could hear her suit hitting the rocks as she crawled more profound into the hole. Soon, the lights on her helmet died out, and Twilight felt trapped in the dark, as she could see nothing around her until she was pulled out of the hole and tossed into space. Her suit oxygen unit came to life, and she could hear her armor sealing up. She spun until her suit activated its air boosters and corrected Twilight's balance as she floated near an open space, and in the middle of it was a giant black flesh orb with tentacles and a giant mouth on top of it. Twilight looked where she came from and tried to reach it, but the monster lashed at her, knocking her away. Twilight landed on the ground as her suit hit the rocks, almost breaking her helmet. Her oxygen meter was redlining as she started coughing up blood, which wasn't making sense, but her suit began to work on repairing her damaged helmet as her oxygen meter was reading half gone. Twilight felt like her whole body was broken as she lay on the rocks. She heard voices around her. The monster was screeching loudly. Twilight tried to look up and saw that it was the creature skin making the sounds. She could see the outlines of millions of people within the creature skin as they stretched out with human arms behind them and tried to grab on to the suit. "GET AWAY!" screamed Twilight, pushing the hands and arms away. She didn't want to die here and be trapped by these monsters. Twilight felt the monster lash again, hitting her suit and making her cough blood again. She was in so much pain, but she tried to keep her eyes open and tried to get away, but the arms and hands had her, and she was dragging into the monster's black flesh. She could see all the once-living people inside it, ranging from adults to children and babies. She couldn't breathe as she was panicking. She couldn't believe how many people were in there. How was it even possible? Was it a monster that's been eating these people and bringing them inside of it? "S-STOP!" yelled Twilight as she saw the black flesh covering her armor and face. "Kinesis Module fully charged," said the robotic voice in the suit as Twilight was fully engulfed inside the monster. Soon, a purple light engulfed the monster and blasted it into dust as Twilight floated there. Her eyes twitched as the images of all those dead people haunted her. "DIE, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" She turned and blasted the empty cavern again and again until she became tired. She looked for the hole where she had come from and rocketed to it, entering it. She had to hurry before she ran out of air. She couldn't see anything, as she just wanted to get back. She didn't know how far she had traveled through the hole, but she finally found the exit as the suit unsealed itself, and she started to climb out of the hole that she was dragging herself into. She curled up and cried as she crawled to the wall, far away from the hole. What kind of hell was this universe version of herself in? She lay on the rock as her oxygen meter returned to normal, and soon, Twilight could see someone down the tunnel. The lights were flickering, and orange flashes filled her vision. "No, please, no," begged Twilight as she could see a blue-skinned girl hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't Kelly; it was a much younger girl who had the same features as her but whose face was eaten off as blood dripped out. "My Little Pony, My Little Pony What will today's adventure be?" whispered a female voice as Twilight closed her eyes and tried to block out the voice. "My Little Pony, My Little Pony Will there be exciting sights to see? Where will you wander? Hither and yonder Let your heart be your guide. My Little Pony, My Little Pony..." Twilight could feel someone grabbing her shoulders and hearing her helmet becoming undone as pieces went into the sides of the helmet. Twilight opened her eyes, and there was darkness. Nothing can be seen once... "I'LL BE THERE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE!" screamed the faceless blue-skinned girl as she pulled Twilight to her opened face wound, and within was a static orange light: "FOREVER AND EVER! MAKE US WHOLE! BREAK THE UNIVERSE!" End of chapter 7 Chapter 8Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.chapter 9: Your Name "I'm sorry..."A voice cried within the darkness"We're sorry. We didn't mean to do this to break everything. We just wanted to be protected. Loved, but don't worry; you'll be part of us and live on within. We'll break everything! SHOW THEM ALL OUR PAIN!" Twi heard the voice as it faded away, and she opened her eyes. She couldn't see well, but she could make out she was in a hospital bed in a large white room as she looked around. She could see machines hooked up on her body as the beeping was going off, and there were also no other beds, just hers. "You're awake at long last," said an icy voice from the corner of the room. Twi could feel her body still hurting, but she looked to the corner and saw a dark blue female unicorn figure wearing a doctor's uniform as she sat in a chair. It was dark in that corner, but Twi immediately knew who it was. "Luna?" asked Twi. The unicorn doctor looked at her in surprise and confusion. "Luna? No, my name is Nanna, the second command of the Canterlot Island." "Nanna? Canterlot Island," replied Twi as she noticed "Nanna" standing up, taking out a tablet, and touching it. "Canterlot Island is a pharmaceutical company that treats infected people who caught the chaos disease and also works as a mercenary group on the side. That is all you need to know," said Nanna, as her eyes showed no emotion. "Chaos disease? What happened to me?" asked Twi, trying to stand up. "We rescued you; Nova got you good on your chest, but we were able to fix you up," explained Nanna as she put the tablet down. "Chaos disease, it a disease, well, is a cell parasite that can mutate its host to evolve, giving the host different animal parts and allowing them to use infected magic, but at the cost of going insane... See, Layla, our leader, is infected by this sickness, but our readings are showing you are clean; there are no signs of it at all, yet all our readings are saying you are her, but you aren't her. I can tell my daughter apart from a fake. That's why..." Twi could see the whole room's light source fading away as the light was sucking into the darkness that Nanna was in. Soon, she could see it. A moon-like light appeared behind her, and within that moon, an ink-shadow creature appeared and stared right into her eyes with its green eyes. "Who are you, and what did you do to my little dawn?" asked Nanna in pure rage while the creature roared and quickly attacked Twi but stopped inches away from biting her face. "Crescent, stand down." The creature listened to its master, quickly returned to her, and waited behind her. She is waiting for its master to unleash it on her. Twi only gulped and quickly explained everything, hoping she believed her, that she came from a different universe, and that the multiverse was in danger. The room started to light back up, and the shadow creature vanished, but Nanna stood there and put her tablet on her belt; she didn't say a word as she exited the room. "She didn't believe me?" asked Twi in disappointment as she looked at her bare chest, seeing it had been completely healed. "There's no scar? It didn't even look like I was cut!" Twi sighed as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She wants to return home and be with her friends and family. She missed them so much; they had no idea she was on this wild adventure and how everyone and everything was in danger. She lay on the bed and slowly went to sleep. It had been an hour or two since Twi fell asleep. She could hear a knock on the door and slowly woke up. "Come in," she said, sitting up and yawning, stretching out. She heard her bones pop and crack. She rubbed her face and blinked as she saw Light peeking in the doorway. "Yo, Green Belly, how are you doing?" smirks at Light as she looks out of the room for a second and back to Twi. "You're ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm a little sore, but that's all," Twi replied, as she didn't feel anything from the cut on her chest. "Good, good! Here, catch," said Light as she threw a bag at her, but Twi wasn't quick enough to react as it smacked her face and almost knocked her over. It was a bag of her clothes but with a new T-shirt. "I got you a new shirt, which shocked you so much that you started wearing normal clothes. Taking my advice, I see," said Light as she smiled at her and rolled into the room, slowly crawling toward her. Twi can see that Light was wearing a hoody and regular shorts rather than the gear she was wearing before. "What are you doing?" asked Twi as she watched Light sneak around like a ninja. "Nanna might have put in laser alarms or something! I don't want her to know I'm sneaking you out of here, so sit tight and get dressed! We're blowing this place!" replied Light as she kept crawling. "We?" questioned Twi. "Yes, we," said Spitflame, wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and boots, as she entered the room and walked up to Twi, making Light piss and confused. "What!? There isn't any alarm system!!" growled Light as she stopped and stood up. "There was; I just disabled it," replied someone else who entered the room. Twi quickly knew who it was, but she looked so different now in this universe. It was Penny Pie's oldest sister, Lime Pie, but she's a Catwoman. She was wearing a casual outfit like Light's. She also had a pair of pink shades on her head. "Damn it, Ringing Rock, why didn't you tell me before I entered the room and looked like an idiot? Not cool." pouted Light as she put her hands on her hips and gave her a look. "Because it was freaking funny!" replied Ringing as she covered her mouth and started to laugh hard. Light blushed in embarrassment as she sighed and sat on a chair in front of Twi. Spitflame walked over and placed a hand on Light's shoulder. "It was funny," laughed Spitflame as she smirked at her as Light growled. "Anyway, are you ready to go or what?" asked Ringing Rock, as she could see Twi almost done changing into her clothes as she was doing it under the sheets. "Done," said Twi as she removed the blanket, wearing her outfit. Light whistle as Twi looks down at her clothes. "I didn't notice it, but you look good. Also, you can rock that jacket; who gave it to you?" asked Light as Twi looked at it. "Someone special to me." blushed Twi as she held her jacket with pride. "What?" said Light and Spitflame in shock that their little dawn was looking in love with someone. Twi didn't reply, so she quickly walked over to Ringing. They exited the room, leaving the two behind. "We heard that right, right?" asked Light. "Yeah, I heard that loud and clear!" nodded Spitflame, who quickly followed the two. As the girls exited the room, glowing eyes appeared on the ceiling and landed on the ground. It was this universe's version of Ocellus, but she was wearing a Ninja military hybrid outfit. She pressed a button on her earpiece and spoke to Nanna. Nanna answered the call in a laboratory section of the ship and heard the report. "Get the rest of the SWEEP squad and get her back. She's the only person who can get Layla back. Over," replied Nanna, as she was overwatching a group of lab workers as they were testing on not one but two rainbow shards. "I remember we found one of these rocks two years ago, but no signals were coming from them...until now." The group walked down a long hall until they were in the central lobby hub of the whole ship. Twi could see tons of people hanging around or heading somewhere. There were dragons, ponies, cats, dogs, and so on. Few wore military, police officer, firefighter, knight armor, and other outfits. Twi looked around, but she didn't see any familiar faces, but Light did. "Oi, Red!" shouted Light as the group could see a red-hooded figure behind a bush behind a group of talking girls. Soon, the female dogs, cats, and foxes quickly screamed and ran with their tails in their hands. Twi knew right away it was her. The group soon approached her as the red-hooded girl quickly stood up and raised her hands in the air. It was this universe, Matilda Pie, but she was a wolf girl wearing a red winter/mountain climbing hoodie and outfit. "I surrender. Don't arrest me," said Matilda in the most monotonous and dry tone ever, making Twi smile. "I'm off duty right now," smirked Light as Matilda sighed and lowered her hands. "Look, I don't have time for this. I'm in the middle of Fluffy Tail watching. I can't help you," replied Matilda as she turned and saw Twi, and she soon recognized her. "Oh, hey, Layla! What are you doing here? I'm watching-" "Fluffy tails?" replied Twi in confusion. "Yeah, fluffy tails!" Red smiled as she raised her hand and showed Twi a tablet with photos on it, and it was nothing but fluffy tails, ranging from foxes to wolves. This confused Twi even more...until Matilda started to explain how each tail was different in fluff and how soft each one was. Soon, a small police officer, looking like Applebloom, quickly grabs Red by her hood and drags her away from the group, which causes no one in the group to panic but Twi. "Hey. I wasn't finished showing my collection," said Red in a monotonous and dry tone of anger. "Don't worry, Red, I'll let you off when I get back on duty," replied Light, watching Red being dragged off to the police station of the ship. "Come back soon, Fluffy Tail Aficionado Red!" shouted Twi, which made her happy and smirk. The group then quickly walked down the ship and soon emerged from a giant metal door, where they could see the night sky as they were in the park area of the ship. Light led everyone to a small gathering. She jumped on the table and shouted, "Welcome back, our leader! Take on Nova and her forces alone! Let this welcome party start!" Everyone cheered as they raised their drinks in the air and cheered; some of them whistled. The girls stood behind Twi, and the crowd started talking to her, asking questions she didn't know, but Twi quickly noticed something. Like Nanna told her—almost everyone here had extra animal parts from another creature. She looked at Light and saw her with pony ears above her dragon ears. Spitflame had an extra tail, but it wasn't noticeable at first since it blended well with her other tail, making it look bigger. Even back in the lobby, many people had extra animal parts. "Oi, what's wrong?" smiled Light as she patted Twi on the back. "It's just your sickness. Sorry if I sound rude, but it seems you're in good health," Twi replied, making Light's smile fade a bit as she looked away, and Spitflame sighed. "Just like Layla, worrying about us and everyone else—it's not something we can easily hide from people. At least my tails can be easily hidden from each other. See?" said Spitflame as she bent over and moved her tails as one, and they blended and became one big fluffy tail. "Wow!" said Twi in awe as she got closer. "Still, I was fouled!" Spitflame stopped talking as she felt her tail being touched. She believed it was Twi, and she blushed deeply. "Squire! What are you doing?" "It's not Layla," quickly smirked and giggled Light as Spitflame looked behind herself, seeing Red touching and fluffing her tail. "RED!" shouted Spitflame as she removed her tail from Red's hands. "What are you doing?" "Sorry. I can't help it. You're so fluffy and nice to the touch," replied Red as she stood up and took out a notebook to check something off. "Spitflame tails done!" "How are you here? Did someone let you out?" asked Ringing as she opened a beer can. Red put away her notebook and remembered why she was there. "Oh, right, I forgot. I'm here with the SWEEP squad," said Red as she took out a combat knife. "It was hard to sneak out of the police station when I got the orders, but I could. Anyway, we're here for her." Within seconds, members of SWEEP jumped out of the shadows, and all went after Twi. Red was almost on her within those seconds, but Light, Ringing, Spitflame, and others quickly blocked them and pushed them away. "WHAT THE HELL!" yelled this version of AJ, but he was a wolf and taking out a thin yellow sword. "WHY IS THE SWEEP UNIT ATTACKING LAYLA?" "What are you doing, Red? Same with the rest of you!!" shouted Light as she prepared herself for a fight along with everyone in the party as they faced off the six members of the SWEEP squad. "There's a ton of us and six of you! You have no chance! Fight or flight?" Red needed clarification. Why were they doing this? It was not right. "Why are you doing this? This fake Layla isn't Layla. We came with orders to." Suddenly, alarms started to go off across the whole ship. The park lights went red, and a voice from a speaker spoke. "CODE RED! I REPEAT, CODE RED!" Everyone turned to the speakers, but soon, someone pointed to the sky, and everyone could see a bright, glowing light heading toward them. Light and Spitflame knew who it was as the parking area started to be sealed with a metal dome. "Everyone! Get out of here!" ordered Light as something slammed into the hull of the park walls, and soon, an orange spot started to melt through them. "Light and Spitflame! Get your gear! We'll hold her off!" shouted Red as she and the SWEEP unit headed to the melting wall. "Someone take fake Layla to Nanna! She wants to see her!" Soon, everyone was gone, and they quickly ran off in different directions. A few stayed with Light and Spitflame as they looked at the glowing figure coming through the hull; it was like a burning sun, and they could hear her talking. "LAYLA! FACE ME!" "Damn, it's Nova!" said AJ, taking out a cigarette-looking candy and putting it in her mouth. "We'll join SWEEP, go!" "Don't die, Tex!" shouted Spitflame as she and others ran to the armory. Meanwhile, Nanna watched all this on the cameras and turned to a lab worker. "She said if both shards are near, they should be fusing. Why isn't it happening? Are they not the same shards?" asked Nanna, as she could see the shards lying on the research table until they hit her. "Unless they need the owner to turn them on?" Nanna quickly ran to the radio system and contacted Light and others. "Light! Spitflame! Listen to me!" shouted Nanna from the hallway speakers. "It's the big cheese?" said Light as everyone stopped running. "The girl behind you isn't Layla. She's from another universe. Something about the universe can't have two of the same people in it. Bring her to the lab; we need Layla back. Only she can fight Nova, as Nova is falling into the Chaos sickness. She's reaching the final level before dying. We can still save her, but we need Layla to make it work." Nanna explained as she watched them enter the armory and the metal door close, sealing it off. "I will do that," replied Light as the group got into formation and turned to Twi. "If you're not Layla, who are you?" "Yeah, you look like her," whispered Ringing, taking her sound cannon from the wall. "My name is Twi Night Spark," said Twi as she started to explain herself. Meanwhile, Nova blasts through the ship-sealed doors and walks out of the parking area, which is entirely on fire now. Her body was burning like the sun as the metal walls started to melt from her heat. She looked up and saw Canterlot Island's logo and growled at it. "WHERE'S THAT DAWN? That you promised me all those years ago!" shouted Nova as she blasted the sign and walked off as she looked for her prey. "So you are telling me that the multiverse is real? I was once the leader of the Wonderbolts in your world. Asked Spitflame as she and others headed towards the lab. "Red and I are sisters? Man, that sucks," replied Ringing as she was running and checking on her weapon. "What about me?" asked Light as she bumped into Twi. "Someone famous?" "No, I never met you before in my world. "You think?" smiled Light as she quickly pressed the button on a wall that opened up and showed the lab. "Yeah, I keep meeting you in another universe, which tells me you... no, "her "is" the person I forgot and need to remember. She's very important to me," replied Twi as they ran inside the room, which was dark but had a lot of tech stuff and people working on different things. Nanna saw them running inside and could see the shards reacting with Twi in the room and starting to float. "I was right," whispered Nanna as she saw the shards fusing and the reality in the room start to fall apart, but soon Nova was heading their way, as she was quickly passing through the metal blast doors as they melted within seconds. "Damn, is she having a meltdown?" asked Ringing, as everyone could see Nova's body was burning too brightly as her clothes were gone. Nanna quickly ran to them and looked at Ringing. "When this girl is gone and Layla returns, tell her what's happening. She needs to go all out to stop Nova. We'll try to hold her off." Nanna summoned her monster and left the room with Light and Spitflame. "I hope you find and remember her! See you!" grinned Light as the door closed and the bunker door shut behind it. "Where is she?" screamed Nova from behind the sealed door. Soon, the ship started to shake as Nova started to fight Nanna and the others. "You better get going! I don't think they're going to last long," replied Ringing as she pointed her weapon at the door. Twi nodded and hurried over to the shards. She could feel herself being blasted with more of her memories and soon engulfed by a rainbow pillar of light. Soon, Twi found herself back in the garden, and standing near the tree was Nightfall. "Welcome back!" "You?" said Twi, holding her head as she could feel a headache. "Me," smiled Nightfall. "What's going on?" "Your home." "Home?" "Our home. Our reality." "No!" shouted Twi as she blasted Nightfall, destroying her. "You won't make me become someone else! Not like you did with Sky!" "You won't reach "her" in time. I won't let you," said a female voice. Soon, the garden changed into a sea of black slime, and the slime pony, with a beaming white halo above its head, emerged in front of Twi. "You need to stop this. We're trying to help you. Join us," the black slime said as it approached Twi. Twi summoned a spell, but a white force field blocked it. "Stop!" "Let us go!" growled Twi, as she was getting mad at the creature before her. The two fought each other, using magic to break apart the world around them. They were clashing magic, and Twi was losing. The slime pony had the upper hand here; this was their world. Twil could feel her movements slowing as the slime under her feet started to wrap around her. She tried to blast it off, but she was quickly hit by the slime pony, sending her to the ground, and soon the slime was covering her whole body. "You are ours now. Now we'll be together again." "I said, stop! GET OFF ME!" screamed Twi, as she could feel her mind slipping away, but within herself, she could feel something. It was warm—so warm. She felt safe. She felt love and kindness; someone was holding her and comforting her. Twi knew who it was. "I won't let you become her." The slime pony turned away but suddenly sensed something. It turned, and I saw a purple light slowly reaching the slime's surface until it blasted out and hovered. There was Twi, as she was using the element of magic. Her eyes were pure white, and a purple orb shone brightly within her chest. It was another element of magic. "You think an element of magic can stop me?" smirked the slime pony as its chest glowed with a blue orb. Twi didn't say a word as her hand started to glow. She raised it, and a bright purple silhouette of an alicorn appeared next to her. She rose its hoof and placed it next to Twi's hand. Soon, they created a huge purple orb. Within the purple orb, a bright rainbow of shards appeared. "What!" shouted the slime pony as it realized what Twi was doing. "You are using the rainbow shards!?" "Wait for us; we're coming soon." whispered between all three versions of Twi and fired off all three beams, two purple elements of magic and the rainbow beam from the shards. It passed through the slime pony, removing its slime coating and revealing its small body before the world vanished into the white void. Twi could hear voices as she opened her eyes. She could see three small anthropomorphic koalas wearing cute maid outfits. She stood up and looked around the area. It was a substantial royal bedroom with a bed and bedside table. "Hello? Can you tell me where I am? Who was the person who was here before I came here?" asked Twi. They didn't say a word as they rushed over to Twi and bowed before her. "My princess." said the group as one. "...what?" asked Twi as she tried to get them to talk. "My princess, you changed; is it because of the Harmony Diamonds?" a maid asked, still bowing. "I am a princess? In this universe as well?" asked Twi as she looked at them. "Harmony Diamonds?" The maids looked up at her and nodded as one. They pointed to a mural to the side. Twi could see a painting of a purple pony with a purple jacket with seven diamonds of different colors. Above them, there was a scepter with a jewel on top. "Are those the Harmony Diamonds? What's the scepter called?" asked Twi, but soon, she could hear someone calling out to her and saw the maids shaking with fear. She turned to the window and could see Discord!" shouted Twi in surprise, but his colors were different. His fur was black and yellow. "Hello there, Heat...or should I say Twilight...or whoever is in control of that body," said Discord as he walked towards her. "Heat? What's this universe version of "me" called? What are you doing here, Discord?" asked Twi as she watched Discord jump over and jump on Heat's royal bed. "I wasn't invited to the Discord Con, so I'm here to help you," replied Discord as he looked around the room, looking at the royal jewels on display. "...Discord Con? Explain yourself," ordered Twi. Discord looks at her and grins with an evil smile. "Do I need to?" "Yes," replied Twi in a deadpan tone. "Really?" smirked Discord as he snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was wearing a Twi outfit. "Because I would rather talk about doing a Twilightx-static-con; I mean, the author is a big shipper of you two." "W-What? You know the person I forgot?" asked Twi in surprise. "Well, of course, but she goes by Bolt in her universe. She doesn't exist in this universe for some odd reason," replied Discord as he put on a Twi hat and started to write fanfic on his MLP theme laptop. "Maybe it's the "rules" reasons. Who knows?" "Rules?" questioned Twi as she sat down next to Discord. Discord put away his laptop and looked at Twi with a serious face. "You see, there are many multiverses out there, but one of the most important ones is the prime universe. The center of the multiverse. The prime universe is basically the roots and main tree of all life in the multiverse. It creates branches. The further the multiverse branches from the prime universe, the different outcomes will be. Different takes from the prime universe events, different people are telling different stories." "I see, that makes sense," whispered Twi. "Here's the thing: the more it branches out, the more the universe starts to drop, change, or add things completely. They become different, completely new—a completely new take on someone or everyone's life. For example, Heat is a princess and a hero in this universe whose fate is to watch over the Harmony Diamonds and Spark Scepter and stop me from destroying this world. Still, in the prime universe, we're friends because of a certain yellow Pegasus," said Discord as he looked at the picture of Heat on the wall. "I see. Then, who am I in the prime universe?" asked Twi, unsure why she was asking such a question. Discord smiles a bit. "In the prime universe, you're the most important person ever. The most powerful, the most special, and the most loved person that anyone could ever ask for. Do I need to say it? You already know. That hasn't changed, but I can tell you, some events in your life are a bit different, like Fluttershy not being there with you when you visited "her," Spike not being with you after leaving AJ Farm on your first day in Ponyville, or how your talk with "her" is completely different than in the prime universe. But this is where the "rules" come in," said Discord as he tapped on his open laptop and showed her a screen, showing her what he was talking about. It was a map of the multiverse; he zoomed in on this universe, showing them looking at the laptop. They turned and saw a film crew filming them while Discord was in the director's seat. Twi turned to Discord on the bed, realizing it was a man in a Discord suit. "NEXT SCENE!" shouted Discord. Discord zoomed out and randomly into a universe of badly drawn ponies of Twi and her friends. "The multiverse has rules. Things need to happen, no matter what." He zoomed out into a world where naked Anthro Twi faced off against Tirek. "That's what makes you "you." In every universe and every reality, there's an infinite amount of possibilities. There are an infinite number of versions of "you" across the multiverse, but that's not the main point." Discord zoomed out into a universe where human Twi and her friends were facing off against Nightmare Moon and beating her. "The point is, you can't change your fate, as it's written in stone. You and your friends stop a world-ending event in one universe, but..." Discord zoomed out into an anime-looking picture of Twi and her friends losing to Nightmare Moon and the Nightmare Moon aura taking over Twi. "But another, you don't. It's how things work. That's the rule; don't change things." "Why? Why do we have to follow rules?" Twi asked in anger as she saw the awful fate of the anime-looking version of herself. Shouldn't we be allowed to change someone's fate?" Discord could see her angry face and quickly smile. "Nightfall, you need to calm down, okay?" "What!? How?" asked Twi before Discord covered her mouth with a cake. "If you try to change or go against fate, it creates an infection. Something that shouldn't exist. Even if it's a good thing, it can still cause trouble. The universe will start to break down and die. But sometimes, it can be far worse with an awful fate for someone. Like "her," explained Discord before being held by Twi magic with rage in her eyes. "She deserves to live! Both of them!" shouted Twi, as Discord was suddenly choking. "I...know that...Nightfall...please, you need to calm...down." panted Discord as he tried to breathe. Twi quickly let go of Discord as she saw Discord holding his throat and breathing. "But it was her fate. to destroy your universe and die that day, but something happened, and she didn't. She became a living threat and was able to break the walls between them. She's fighting the others, and if you don't join them soon, "she" will spread her anger and pain across other universes, killing them. She became an infection that can infect and create dead branches, which will spread throughout the tree and kill the roots." "Roots, you mean the prime universe, right?" Twi asked, looking at Discord in surprise. "Can the infection really spread out and kill the prime universe?" Discord nodded his head and frowned. "If the prime universe dies, then everything will end. No more multiverse." Twi quickly sat up and jumped off the bed as she was trying to make herself believe what Discord was telling her. "Why are you telling me all this?" "Because I want to stick it to the other Discords. They're going to seal off the "Twilight" and "Twilah" universes as they become fused as one and stop "her" from spreading into other universes. You need to hurry back and help the others reunite with Bolt and her group. You'll need this for heat," said Discord as he snapped his fingers and gave Twi the Spark Scepter. "She can use it to go hyper like Bolt." Twi looked at Discord and nodded. "We'll save her and stop her. She fought against fate and won. This should tell the universe, or whoever controls us all, that she proves nothing is written in stone. There's always a way; you need to find it." said Twi as Discord smiled at her. "She needs to hear that then, Nightfall," said Discord as Twi smiled. Discord reached into his pocket, took out a considerable rainbow shard, and watched it float as Twi shard did the same. "Hurry, make your other selves remember "her." Time is running out," whispered Discord as he could see the sky becoming dark as two white eyes appeared. Twi nodded and was soon engulfed by the rainbow pillar, leaving Discord and the maids alone. Discord snapped his fingers and was on top of the castle, overlooking the island and surrounded by the ocean. He looked up and could see his universe's walls breaking. Twi walked into the white void and felt warm water on her shoes. The sky was pure white, and she was walking on a stream of rainbow colors. "I wonder if they can even hear me," said Twi to herself as she slowly closed her eyes. Soon, Twilight and Twilah walked out of her and kept walking, as Twi stopped and smiled. "Go. Remember them..." Twilah was wearing a T-shirt with shorts and flip-flops as she was walking somewhere in the summer. She remembered how hot it was this week. The sun was blazing down on her, and she was sweating like a storm. She finally reached the house she remembered from before and was about to knock when she heard her name being called. "Twilah! Up here!" Twilah looked up and could see the girl she had forgotten, but her face was almost as clear to her as before. She waved back, and the girl's mother opened the door and let her in. Twilah headed up the stairs, entered the girl's room, and looked out the window. The girl and her father were fixing the roof and cleaning it. Twilah could also see the girl wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a cool baseball cap. Twilah remembers talking about seeing a movie with her and the girls when the girl's father asked them if they were thirsty. "Oh, I'm fine, sir," said Twilah as she waved her hand and sat on the girl's bed. The girl was cleaning her window from the work they were doing. "What about you, kiddo?" "Hmm, just water, dad." "Alright, be right back." As the father was gone and in the house, Twilah got up from the bed, poked her head out of the window, and said, "Need help out there with the cleaning?" "No, no, it's okay." "Come on. It's not a big deal." "I know, but you're my guest. I'll do it. Just relax and enjoy this hard-working girl in her element!" replied the girl as she flexed her muscles. "Pfft, sure," blushed Twilah, trying to hide how she liked the girl showing her muscles off. "Seriously, I'll clean it. You go and relax or something." "I'm helping!" replied Twilah as she stepped onto the roof through the window, moved next to the girl, and could see that the sun was blasting the roof. "Okay, just be careful. We'll clean it together then." "Sure," smiled Twilah. Twilah could see the sun was getting hotter, and she felt her body sweating even more. She covered her face with her hand and walked forward but didn't see the nail until the girl called. "Wait! There's a." "Ahh!" screamed Twilah as she dodged the nail but stepped on the wet rag and started to fall off the roof. "Look out!" Everything went slow for Twilah, as she could see the girl quickly grab her and spin her body around. The girl would use her own body to break the fall for her. Twilah closed her eyes and could feel the girl's arms around her body. Within seconds, Twilah could hear the body hitting the driveway. The memory froze as Twilah dropped to her knees and started to cry. She remembers this memory fully now. I remember the father and mother screaming and calling out the girl's name and remembering the red flashing lights and police cars. She remembers it all. After being cleared, she waited in the lobby with the girl's parents as they waited on the news to see if she would be okay. She remembered her friends coming and staying with them. She remembered what happened next. Twilah didn't move from her chair while the parents and her friends kept moving around, as it had been an hour, and there was still no news. Then she heard yelling coming from down the hall and could see it was her parents, who clearly got the call from the hospital and were here to pick her up. "Where is my daughter?" shouted her father as he pushed through the twin doors with a nurse and saw her in the chair. "Sir, we told you the results, but she is fine," said the nurse as Twilah's parents quickly approached her. "You're alright, baby?" asked her mother as she held her head and looked her up and down. Twilah didn't say anything and kept looking at the ground. She was scared of her parents right now; she'd always been scared of her father, as she knew he'd hit her again when they got home. "Baby, look at me!" said her mother, but Twilah didn't even look her in the eyes. "How did this happen? I knew your damn daughter shouldn't be trusted around my baby girl!" shouted her father at the girl's parents, as they just stood there in shock. "Sir! What the hell are you doing!" shouted the nurse, quickly pushing the man away from the group. "You can't just say these things to her parents!" "My baby could have been dead because of her! Well, I got a thing or two to say, like I should have never trusted them with my baby girl!" shouted her father as he was getting ready to charge at the girl's parents. "Fuck you! Our daughter saved Twilah's life and is in there fighting for her own life, and you come in here, yelling at us." shouted the father, as he was getting ready for a fight as well. "I'm glad my daughter is safe and even more glad your daughter might be." Twilah's father was interrupted as a fist smacked him in the face, making him fall to the ground. Everyone was shocked who tossed the punch. Twilah had tears in her raging eyes as she stood over her father with her bright red fist. She started to breathe heavily as she unleashed all her anger at her father for saying the person who meant the world to her should be dead. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! DARE SAY SOMETHING SO FUCKING EVIL! YOU OUGHT TO BE GLAD THAT MY FRIEND SAVED ME BECAUSE IF SHE DIDN'T, I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW! I'M NOT SORRY ABOUT PUNCHING YOU!" screamed Twilah, clutching her fist harder. "WHY!? Why do you despise her so much when she is always kind to me? I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH FOR SAYING SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE ABOUT SOMEONE WHO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!" Twilah's parents were taken aback by her actions and anger; they had never seen her like this. Even her friends were shocked by her actions but agreed with what she said. "Twilah," whispered the girl's parents, as they were also shocked. Twilah dropped to her knees and shouted, "It should have been me! Not her! She always puts me first in everything—always has! She always picks me up when I'm down and helps me when I'm sad or depressed! She even brings me food when I'm not feeling well!" cried Twilah as she slowly looked at the girl's parents, who were crying. "She's always happy, always brave, and consistently strong. She always smiles and never cries. I'm sorry. The girl's parents and friends surrounded her and told her it wasn't her fault, while her folks just looked on without saying anything as they realized how well-loved their daughter was. The memory froze as Twilah kept crying on her knees. She didn't move an inch. She kept her eyes on the memory and cried even more. She needed to remember her, now and ever. She shouldn't forget her face or name and should be ashamed of what she did in the first place. "Remember "her"!" demanded Twilah to herself as the memory skipped forward to the point they got the news she was going to be okay, but they didn't know when she'd wake up. She remembers staying with the girl's parents and visiting the girl every day until she woke up when she and the girl's mom visited her. She was okay and always smiled and joked about what had happened. "Why?" cried Twilah as she jumped on the girl's shoulder, shouting, "Why are you acting like nothing bad happened?"I almost lost you!" The girl kept on smiling as she rubbed her cheek against her, and Twilah smiled and sobbed. "You can't ever scare me like that again, you got it?" whispered Twilah as she smiled at her and wiped her tears. "I don't regret it. I'll always do it, saving you, Twilah. You're my world," whispered the girl. "I can't ever think of a world without you."The girl started to cry, finally letting her feelings out. "I know you are always doing your best, always trying to be there for others, always bringing out the good in everyone. I don't want a world without you in it because...I love you." Twilah was surprised by this, but the girl noticed this, turned red, and said, "AS A GREAT FRIEND!" "Yeah, you mean it? Like...like a "best friend" kind of love?" asked Twilah in surprise, as she blushed along with the girl, who was nodding and keeping her mouth shut while her mother was face-palming at how stupid her daughter was right now. Twilah's face turned a bright red. She didn't know what to say but said, "I love you too, as my greatest best friend!" The girl nodded slowly but was looking at the bed sheet, clutching it in her hands. "Yeah, best friends." The memory froze, and Twilah started cursing at herself and clutching her knees in anger. "STUPID! STUPID! Why didn't you notice it?" yelled Twilah to herself. "She didn't mean that." Twilah screamed and cried out loud in rage, as she couldn't stand herself for being so blind. The girl told her real feelings, and she didn't see them. She didn't realize how she felt for her until now. All the good and evil they had with each other. All the beautiful memories they made as they grew up with each other, she watched as everything around her turned into the park—the same park they first met in. She was sitting there, smiling at her. Twilah reached out, touched the girl's cheek, and smiled as the prism lights faded away from her face. She could see her beautiful blue eyes and smile. "Dashiell Reinbold, when I see you again, I'll tell you my feelings," whispered Twilah as her hand left Dashie's face and onto her chest. "And better not chicken out in saying it back!" laughed Twilah as the world was engulfed with blue lights. Twilight walked on the clouds and sat down. She closed her eyes and used her magic to lower the sun slowly, but she heard someone landing behind her. "Don't toss the sun or the moon into next week, like you did last time," joked the female voice as Twilight could hear the mare sitting next to her, which made her smile. "That was one time!" laughed Twilight as she faced where the voice came from. The sun lowered until it was below the horizon, making it look like nighttime, but there were no clouds in sight and no stars in the night sky yet, as the moon needed to be raised next. "You know Twilight? I always admire how you do this. You make it so simple. It's nothing hard at all. Just sit back and have the sun and moon do what you want." said the mare as Twilight turned to her with her eyes still closed. "But that's not how real life works. I'm still working on what I want in life, even though I have already gotten into Wonderbolts. There's still more to work towards and less time to reach it. That's why I don't mind if you toss the sun or moon. It doesn't take that much time for you to put them back where they belong. You will always have time to reach what you want." Twilight listened to those words and shook her head, making the mare notice. "There's always time; everyone has enough time to reach their needs or dreams in life. Even to help those who need it, you never really notice it when it comes to yourself," whispered Twilight as she lifted her hoof and placed it on the mare's back, rubbing it. "I know what I want, but the world today is different. Some creatures live in different eras than we do, so to some, it may look like we're getting things done faster or slower than they think, but they need to understand that we're working at our speed and pace. Like you, you have your own pace. That's how you got where you are in life—not because of your friends, not because of me, but because you were you, which made you so special. I don't know what's wrong, but your friends will always be there. I'll always be here." The mare didn't say a word, but she turned and looked at Twilight, and Twilight smiled at her. The memory froze as Twilight was crying. "I remember this memory. You were having a mid-life crisis. You felt like you were running out of time to reach whatever you wanted. I can't imagine what's going through your head, as you always hide your feelings from us, but then you told me what this talk was about months later," whispered Twilight as the memory unfroze. "But there will be a time when you and other girls won't be there, Twilight. Then what? You said I got here on my strength and talent, not because of you or the girls. I disagree. Without you guys, I wouldn't be here, right here and now," sadly said the mare. "You would have..." whispered Twilight. "You're the ones who helped me get back up and keep running. Without you, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't be a Wonderbolt or the captain of said group. You taught me I can be anything I want to be," replied the mare as she slowly reached out her hoof to touch Twilight's cheek but quickly touched her shoulder. "I'll always be thankful to you because of that, and..." "And?" whispered Twilight. "...I don't know." sighed the mare as she pulled back her hoof. "Sorry, maybe I'm having a midlife crisis or something. Let's drop. The mare stopped talking as she felt her hoof being covered in magic and pulled into Twilight's embrace, who hugged the mare with love and warmth. "I don't know what's wrong, but I will do everything I can to help you improve. I will always be there to support you. That's what a good friend does. I'll always love you no matter what," whispered Twilight into her ear. "Even without us, you always keep going, flying further than us and shining brighter than the rest of us. You said you don't feel like there's enough time, but you always make time for whatever you put your mind to. I know you, and I'll always believe that you will find your path again, find your goal and that no matter what, you will always have help, maybe not from the girls and me but from others. Others who love you the same as we do." The mare kept silent and just hugged Twilight back. Soon, Twilight could feel tears on her shoulder and a soft, sad moan. "Thank you," whispered the mare, as she didn't let go. "No need to thank me; just make sure you remember..." The memory froze as Twilight suddenly remembered the mare's name and face. How could she have forgotten her? One of her best and closest friends? She was like a sister to her in some ways. Twilight stood up, walked into the memory, and took over her past self. Twilight finally set the moon high on the starry night, and she slowly opened her eyes as the mare finally let go. Twilight could see the prism lights fading away until she could see her face again. I saw her incredible pink eyes, as her eyes were red from all the crying. "Remember who you are, Rainbow Dash," smiled Twilight as she hugged Dash and started crying as well. Twilight could see the world being engulfed in a rainbow light. Twi could see Twilight and Twilah looking back at her with tears. Tears of joy. "You remember them, right?" Twilah nodded as she held her hands on her heart. "I remember Dashie. always there for me, always supporting me, always putting me first, and caring about me, even if it means she'll get hurt. She loves me, and I love her back; she's my everything, and I won't ever forget that again. She wants something more than running—maybe it was me the whole time? No, it is me! I'll give her what she's looking for and make her happy!" whispered Twilah. The memory turned into rainbow lights, and Twi held the shard. Twilight nodded as she closed her eyes. "I remember Dash. She was always there for me and the rest of the girls, always standing by us and never letting us down when we needed her the most. She's my best friend in the world, and I won't ever forget it. I felt like everyone was moving on so quickly and not having enough time for each other—until she had time for me—because of our talk. She will always make time because that's who she is," whispered Twilight. The memory turned into a rainbow of lights, and Twi held the other shard. "I'm proud of both of you. Remember the people or ponies you love and treasure. Always tell and show them that." Soon, a memory from Nightfall appeared, and all three watched as Sky and Nightfall were having a birthday party in the garden. The two were laughing and talking. "Happy birthday to you!" "Happy birthday to our pride and joy!" Twi started to cry as she watched the wonderful family before her. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Rainbow Blitz!" cheered both mares. Between them was a small dark blue filly pegasus with a black mane and tail, but both had a bit of rainbow in them. She opened her present, saw different blue jackets, and smiled at them all. "I'm going to be 20% cooler like Mom now!" Blitz happily said as she smiled at Sky. The memory froze as Twi felt another tear down her cheek. "We'll save her. Promise," said Twilight and Twilah at the same time. They fused with Twi and looked down at their hands, seeing a completed rainbow orb necklace. She put it on and remembered where she got it from. "Blitz always asks about these rainbow necklaces. We told her it was our symbol of our love being real. When we walk during the night, it will look like a comet flying across the night sky. She always called it a rainbow comet." A rainbow pillar engulfed the world, and soon, Twi found herself in the crater where this all started. She looked at her body and could see she was a pony now and wearing only a red jacket. She looked up and saw different versions of herself and Rainbow as they hurried over to her. The Twilight in a lab coat asked her for her name. "My name is Nightfall." ...to be continued in "Your name across the multiverse" and "Dash side (if you haven't already read it). Author's Note WOOOOOOO done. I really hope I did the RD having a mid life crisis well enough, since there was another reason she had it(which is explained in Dash Side) and first time writing something like it. Chapter 1Author's Note 5/17/24 edit: I finally finished editing this fic. should more readable Chapter 1 "What's happening!" screamed Twilah as she fell from the sky and quickly headed into the ground below. She soon saw a rainbow shard and felt some unknown sensation; she grabbed it. "I don't know," yelled Twilight, who appeared beside her. "But hold on!" She then grabs Twilah by the waist and teleports them. They reappear further back in the sky. "This isn't safe," cried out Twilah as the two continued falling. "I am trying to get us safely on the ground! But something is wrong! We shouldn't be teleported up here!" Twilight then tried to teleport again, but nothing happened. "Oh no. Oh no! Teleporting is not working either." "What does that mean?" asks a worried Twilah as she clings to her pony version. "I think this place is interfering with magic." "What do you mean?" "I mean that!" shouted Twilight as she pointed to the massive battle that was taking place around them. Alien ships were fighting black-looking flying beast aliens, while another third group of vessels was caught between the fighting. Below them, ground forces were battling it out at a small entrance to an underground base. Twilight could see human-looking soldiers defending the base while giant, tall, gray, and beast-looking aliens attacked them. "We need to land!" said Twilight as she tried to teleport the two. It was working this time, but only a few feet, as they teleported in and out until they were just a few feet above the ground and crash-landed. "Ouch! Are you OK?" asked Twiiah as she helped herself. "Yes," groaned Twilight as she was getting up. "What happens? We were in the sky and are now on the ground." "It was a teleporting fail," answered Twiliah as she got up and looked at the fight, which was getting closer to the two. "Whoever they are, they are coming this way!" "We should hide!" "Agree." The two ran as fast as they could to a rock nearby. "Where are we?" asked Twiliah as they hid behind the large rock, seeing the fight around them. "I don't know; I didn't recognize anything." "This is so scary!" cried Twilah, as she had never been in a war before. "I don't want to die!" "I know, but we have to be strong. We will get out of this." Twilah quickly turned to the pony, grabbed her by the shoulder, and asked her why she was with her and why a portal opened when the rainbow shards were touched by... Soon she froze, as she couldn't remember who touched the shard, but she knew the person. "You're right," answered Twilight. She didn't know who touched the shard in her world but felt the same way. "That's weird; why don't we remember their names or faces?" "I don't know." Soon, the sounds of the fight were getting closer to the two. "What are we going to do?" cried Twiliah as the two could hear something being blown up. "Stay hidden and let the fighting pass us," answered Twilight. "We have no weapons." "We have our wits," says Twilight, trying to keep calm. "But I don't have wings and a horn, and whatever you did back in the air!" cried Twilah. "What will I do?" "Well, I can't use my teleportation right now, so you have me and my..." cut off Twilight as Twilah replied to her. "But you're a unicorn; how can you help me? Magic rainbows?" "I'm an alicorn now," corrects Twilight, showing her wings to her human version, "I can still fight. My wings are still beneficial." "What are we going to do? We can't just stay here." "We will have to sneak to the nearest town or city," said Twilight as she was thinking. "In a freaking war zone!" shouted Twilah as she pointed around them. "We're in some space war or something! I don't see any towns or cities!" "We need to find somewhere to hide," said Twilight as she started to worry. "Like what?" "I don't know!" screamed Twilight as she pushed Twilah off of her. "I don't know, okay!" Twilah, OKked by the pony's reaction, looked at her worriedly. "I'm sorry," cried Twilight as she started crying. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to yell at you. This is so not me. I'm normally a calm, reasonable pony. Not some scared filly. I shouldn't be crying; I should be leading; I should be the strong one. I'm not supposed to be this weak." "Hey," whispered Twilah as she sat next to Twilight and hugged her. "It'OKay. You're scared, too. You have been so brave so far. Let me be strong with you. We will be okay. We will find this out." "Thank you," smiled Twilight, as she hugged Twilah back. *drip* "I don't think we're alone," said Twilah as she heard a dripping and growling noise above them. They both looked up to see a black insect-looking alien dog beast with four black eyes and sharp teeth. It had long claws on its front legs and enormous wings on its back. It sniffed and drooled at them, as it had never seen Twilight before. Twilight looked into its eyes and thought it was changing at first glance. "Aww," said Twilah as the beast, with saliva falling on the two, growled, its head split open, and black tentacles came out of its opened head. "THAT'S NOT A CHANGELING!" shouted Twilight as she pushed Twilah away and blasted the beast away with her horn magic. The blast didn't kill the beast; it only pushed it back and knocked it down. It was quickly getting up, ready to attack. "RUN!" yelled Twilight as the two ran off, and the beast started chasing them. Twilight used her magic, put Twilah on her back, and tried to teleport again but couldn't; something was jamming her magic. She could feel a strong presence; that wasn't her magic, but it felt like alicorn magic, deep underground. "There's an alicorn here," shouted Twilight as the two kept running, as the beast was behind them now. "There's no flying unicorn here!" yelled Twilah, as she could see the fighting before them. "No, I sense one; it's deep underground. I can't explain it, but it's an alicorn like myself, with magic!" "You can sense that!" cried Twilah. "You're amazing!" "We have to run for cover!" shouted Twilight as they ran out of the room. The beast was almost on them, and more joined it as they approached the human base they had seen before. They could see the humans fighting before them, but so were the black alien bug beasts and tall grey aliens. "Look, they are fighting those aliens, and the human soldiers are winning!" shouted Twilah, as she could see the aliens were being pushed back from entering the underground entrance. "Then let's hope they don't mistake us for the enemy," shouted Twilight as they ran towards the base, as they could see hover tanks and machine guns opening fire. "Wait! Wait! Don't shoot," cried out Twilah as the base opened fire at them and the horde of beast aliens that was following them. "HALT!" ordered the commander officer, who saw the two running towards them and the attacking alien beast. "Don't shoot! We're not the enemy," begged Twilah as they finally got to the base and were surrounded by human soldiers in heavy power armor, hover tanks, and machine gun turrets. "We're not the enemy," shouted Twilight as the beast approached. The commanding officer lowered her visor, revealing a slightly bright yellow-skinned woman with short orange brush-back hair and wearing sunglasses, which confused the girls as they saw the sunglasses. "What are you?" the officer asked, looking at the two, who were looking back at her. "I'm Twilight Sparkle," answered Twilight. "And I'm Twilah Finkelstein," answered Twilah as she could see other soldiers removing their visors and being different-colored humans, not the same-colored humans she's well-known for looking like. Before the officer could say anything else, the tanks started unleashing cannons into the coming hoard of beastly aliens. "Shit!" cursed the officer as she shut her visor and started shouting commands. "Everyone back to your station! Don't let those ugly fuckers in! Kill them all! Kill them all!" "We're not the enemy," shouted Twilah, as a human soldier, wearing a different armor from the rest, pulled his large, fatty rifle at them, causing the officer to smack the soldier. "Not them, you idiot! Soarin, get them inside!" "Yes, sir," answered the smack soldier as his visor went up, revealing his very light blue skin, short dark blue hair, and green eyes. Like the others, he was wearing light blue bulky armor. "Get these two into the base!" shouted the officer. "Come with me!" shouted Soarin as the tanks and soldiers started to kill the hoard. "What is going on!" screamed Twilah as everything was happening. Soarin didn't say anything as he quickly grabbed both girls and carried them into the underground base. The door shut behind them, and the shooting sounds became muffled. Outside, the commanding officer was fighting with her troops, using their blasters to shoot at the oncoming beast aliens. With one shot, she took down two beasts. "Don't let them near the door!" she shouted as she blasted another alien beast and killed it. "Kill them all!" shouted her men together. One of the tanks fired at the incoming tall gray aliens, destroying three. Soon, smaller and faster gray aliens came from the smoke and dashed toward the tanks. Their arms created laser blades and sliced the tank hull open, killing the crew inside. "What the fuck!" shouted the officer as she could see the small gray alien inside the tanks. "Take them out!" she ordered as the troops started to kill the aliens that entered the tanks. "Damn it, the Greys are coming too!" she said, as she could see more tall and small grey aliens heading their way and also fighting the black beast as well. "Fire at will," she shouted, taking down another alien beast. "We're not backing down!" shouted her men. "Fuck you, aliens!" shouted the officer. "Sergeant!" said a private as he approached the captain and shot at the oncoming aliens. "Private?" the officer said back. "They are almost at the door," said the private as he continued to shoot at the aliens, killing two. "Hold the line!" she shouted as the tanks continued to fire at the aliens. "What the hell is going on? Why are they all heading to this fucking underground base for?" cried out the private as the tall gray aliens were heading their way, and the tiny gray aliens were killing the rest of the troops, and the tanks were falling back as the tiny aliens got too close to them. "Don't know and don't care! Terra and her ghost squad should have removed the Changelings hive and Grey's nexus by now. They should be falling back soon! Where the hell are those Ghost Squad?" cursed the officer. "We need backup; the tank line is going down," said the private. Seeing the tanks falling back, the tiny grey aliens were too much for the tanks and their crew, as they were being wiped out. "Ghost Squad should be here anytime now!" shouted the sergeant. "They need help!" begged the private. "I can see them entering the tanks!" "I know that, damn it!" shouted the officer as she ordered the much fatter power armor soldiers, whose arms were cannon guns, to fire upon the swarming tanks as it was too late to save the troops inside them. "What is Terra doing? She should be here," yelled the officer as she was blasting at the tall greys. "What is that!" cried the private as he pointed to the sky. "What are you doing?" snapped the officer as she followed the private's gaze. "Holy fucking shit!" cried out the private. "Is that..." gasped the officer as she looked up to the sky to see a black-shaped alien bug and its belly opening up, releasing a red beam, burning a hole into the ground. "What the fuck is that?" shouted the private as the alien flyer flew over them, leaving a trail of red light, burning the ground and anything caught in it as it moved. "I don't know," snapped the officer, "but we can't worry about it right now! Keep firing!" "Right!" shouted the private as the officer watched the ship. "Terra, where the hell are you?" whispered the officer as the ship disappeared behind a smoke cloud, leaving a burning trail in its wake. "Sergeant Spitfire, what's going on up there?" said a young male voice through the radio system in her helmet. "Crap, this is Spitfire; we have an unidentified new Changeling flyer, and it's packing a fucking laser and hitting the area. What's your status on Celeste?"Spitfire said, talking into her radio. "This is Lan; she's almost back online. Can you hold out for a few more minutes?" "That's a negative, I say again; we will not last over," replied Spitfire as she saw her tiny remaining troops firing on the aliens. "Terra and the ghost squad have not responded to our calls. What's their status, Over?" asked Spitfire. "No response as well, Over," the young male voice answered. "What's the status on the flyer, Over? You eggheads can see it through our visors, right?" "We're checking; give us a moment," answered the young voice. "I'm waiting," said Spitfire. "Spitfire, do you copy, Over?" asked the voice. "I'm here still, over." "It's indeed a new Changelings flyer," the voice said. We're scanning it and think we found the weak spot. It's the bright, glowing core of the underbelly. Over." "I hear you," said Spitfire. "The problem is some kind of armor covers the core; we're guessing it will take a lot of firepower to get through that, and we have no weapons." "So what you're saying is we don't have the firepower to destroy it," asked Spitfire, "over." "No, Over." "Fuck," said Spitfire. "Anything we can use to bring it down then, over." "Not unless you want to die in the process," answered the young voice. "Over." "Fuck," repeated Spitfire, as the last remaining tanks were getting swarmed and the troops were starting to fall back to the base. "How far is Celeste from being back online, Lan, Over?" "Five minutes," answers Lan. "You got one minute before we get swarmed by the enemy; we're not going to make it. I need you guys to hurry." "We're working as fast as we can, I promise," answered Lan. "Over." Spitfire turned off the radio and waved to her remaining troops to fall back to the base's entrance, as they were falling back because they had lost their line of defense. "Move, move, move," shouted Spitfire as her troops fell back. "Where's the flyer?" said the private, finally seeing the new and old flying alien flyers heading their way. "Incoming!" shouted a soldier as the small gray ship approached them. "Crap!" shouted Spitfire as she turned her radio back on. "Lan, fuck that minute; the enemy is here." "We're hurrying," said Lan, "but we can't rush this; Celeste will fry the whole place." "If we don't hurry, the whole place will fry anyway!" The call ended, and Spitfire and her troops entered the entrance, closed the metal doors tight, and pointed their weapons at it, waiting for the incoming aliens. But none came as the lights went out and quickly turned back on, as a new female voice spoke to everyone in the entrance. "Sgt. Spitfire, I'm sorry for being offline. I got the force field up again, stopping the aliens from entering. You all can relax." "Thanks, Celeste," Spitfire said into her radio, "but the battle is not over yet. The flyer is still out there and packing a laser." "I'm scanning it, but it's taking me a while," answered Celeste. "I'm detecting a huge energy spike from the alien flyer, and it's firing." "At what?" asked Spitfire. "Us," answered Celeste, as everyone could feel the base shake. "What the fuck?" cried the private. "How bad is it?" asked Spitfire, feeling the base shaking. "Very; I suggest everyone gets to their station and wait for orders, just in case the force field goes down, which is impossible since my force fields never go down!" replied Celeste, with a bit of a smug tone, which Spitfire caught. "Alright, alright," said Spitfire as the lights went off again and quickly turned back on, only to be flipped on and off again, with Celeste making ghost noises and finally leaving. "I hate when she does that," said the private, standing beside Spitfire, which made her laugh. "For an AI, that Celeste sure is smug and weird. Anyway, everyone, get to your stations; I will keep in touch." "Roger, that," said the troops as they headed to their assigned rooms. Spitfire was about to leave when Celeste spoke to her again. "Sgt. Spitfire, we need to talk." "I'm listening," said Spitfire, not knowing what to expect. "As I returned online, I searched for the events that happened while I was gone. You met two life forms and let them inside, correct?" "Yes," answered Spitfire, "they look harmless, but I think the Greys and the Changelings were after them." "So...was Pvt. Soarin meant to shoot one?" "What!" snapped Spitfire, not believing her ears. "He shot one of them?" "Yes, the medical team is on their way." Spitfire quickly took off, asking Celeste where Soarin and the two beings were. Celeste led her to a hallway where gunfire could be heard. Spitfire could see the human-looking girl holding her stomach as blood was oozing out. Soarin and other troops were holding their guns at the hurt human girl and could see the purple-looking horse holding her, trying to stop the bleeding but also having a purple barrier around them as it blocked the gunfire. "Halt!" cried Spitfire as the other troops pointed their guns at her and quickly realized it was Spitfire. "Hold your fire," said Celeste as she stopped the troops from firing at the purple barrier. "That's not a Changeling or a Grey; my readings show they're not them or any life forms in my data banks." "What does that mean?" asked Soarin as he and the troops lowered their guns. "It means the two are not an alien race; we are fighting," answered Celeste. "Told you!" cried Twilight, tears falling down her cheeks. "How is that possible?" cried out the female trooper. "The girl looks like us, though? She even has a horn like the Ghost Squad!" "That's impossible; her skin color is nothing we've seen before!" "The Greys are doing experiments; they're the only ones capable of doing that. I say we kill them!" shouted Soarin. Before he could fire, he felt his shoulder being pulled as he was turned around and quickly saw Spitfire punching his helmet so hard that his visor broke, making him fall to the ground. "All of you shut up! They're not the enemy! Lower your weapons!" shouted Spitfire, as the armor on her fist was damaged. "But Sergeant, they're not humans," coughed Soarin as he tried to get back up. "They're not the enemy, and you just shot her," shouted Spitfire as her finger was pointed at Twilah, who was breathing hard as she was losing blood. "You're the only enemy I see right now, Soarin." "Soarin, you are in trouble; report to the brig and wait for my judgment," said Celeste. "But they're not humans." "I don't care if one is a purple talking pony; I gave an order," said Celeste as she suddenly took the form of a hologram of a young woman. She had long, flowing, different-colored hair, and her skin was white, covered in a high-tech-looking suit. "You can't be serious!" "Do it, or I will have you court-martial!" shouted Spitfire, not believing what was happening. "This is a fucking nightmare," said Soarin. "AIs are taking us over; the enemy is knocking at the door, and now the fucking aliens are walking among us, wearing the faces of our people." "Soarin, if I could kill, you would be dead by now," replied Celeste as the floor beneath Soarin opened up and swallowed him. "You will spend the remaining time we have in the brig shooting a civilian." "What!? That's insane!" screamed the private as he disappeared into the darkness. "Soarin, shut the hell up; you are a disgrace to the unit," shouted Spitfire, not believing that a soldier could do such a thing. The hole was sealed up, and both turned to Twilight, who could see she was surprised by something. "Are yoOKOK?" asked CelesOK as she passed through the Twilight Barrier. "Y-you're real? Or are you unable to look like her?" said Twilight, not believing her eyes, as her former teacher was here but much different-looking. "Yes, I am real, and I'm an AI designed to help Element Raiders defend this scientific underground base," said Celeste, "if I can guess, the girl you are holding is your friend, correct?" "Yes, no, we just met, but she..." "I saw the recordings; she must be a friend because she took a bullet for you." "She did, but how could she take a bullet for me? She's a stranger." Spitfire walked up to the barrier, placing her hand on it, with medics arriving behind her as she answered the Twilight question. "It's what humans do; we fight to protect; it doesn't matter who it is. If a stranger or a friend, we'll jump in to save anyone from danger." "But that makes no sense; we only just met." "True," said Celeste, as Twilight turned off her barrier, and the medics could take a look at Twilah. "You're not a stranger anymore to her," said Spitfire, placing her hand on Twilight's shoulder. "She's critical and losing blood," answered a medic, "we need to get her into surgery right away." "Please, save her," pleaded Twilight. "I want her to live; she was shot because of me." "Don't worry, we will," said the medic. "We will do everything we can." Everyone watched as the medics took Twilah away, leaving Twilight with Spitfire and others. Celeste ordered a soldier to bring Twilight to a waiting area. She turned to Twilight and told her she'd be okay; she'd be working the soldier. Celeste watched as Twilight followed the soldier. "Celeste, can you show me what happened?" "Of course." Celeste projected a video, and it showed a recording leading up to Soarin shooting Twilah and the others pointing their guns at them. "Hey, they don't look trusting to me," whispered Twilah to Twilight as they followed the soldiers down a hallway. "Just give them a chance; I'm sure they'll understand and trust us if we follow their command," said Twilight. "I hope you're right," whispered Twilah. "So, how long do you think we will be here?" "I don't know, like, why did a portal appear between us?" "Well, I was checking out the Rainbow Comet when a small piece fell off," said Twilah before Twilight finished her sentence. "Landing is not too far from me, and I want to recover it...with..." Twilight's head started to hurt. As you remember, there was a blue pegasus with her, but her name and face escaped her. She couldn't remember what she looked like; it was as if Twilight had forgotten everything about her. "How do you know that? I was doing the same with... a girl?" Twilah replied, as she was having the same problem remembering the girl she was with. "Weird, I was about to say the same thing," said Twilight, not understanding how both have the same memory problem. "I feel like we were together, and something happened to her; I can't remember." "Maybe we can find out together," said Twilah, offering a handshake. "The name is Twilah; friends call me Twi." "I'm Twilight." Soarin turned around and asked them what they were talking about, as he had been hearing them for a bit. "Well, I believe, just by being here, we were teleported to another universe," answered Twilight, while Twilah joined in as she started to act like a scientist. "Well, in theory, there are an infinite number of universes," said Twilah, using the voice of an intelligent professor. "Correct, and a tear may have opened up somehow, allowing us to come through," replied Twilight, using an intelligent professor's voice. "But how did a rip in time and space happen without it destroying the planet or the universe?" said Twilah as she put her hand on her chin. "Good question, Twilah; the best answer would be magic," replied Twilight, giving Twilah a big smile. "Magic? But that is unscientific." Twilah said as she laughed at the theory. "Magic is real! I'm a princess, and I have a horn! You saw it!" Okay?" said TwilOKa, a bit confused. "See, in my universe, there is magic! and-" said Twilight before she was cut off. OKAY! Both of you up!" yelled Soarin. "I can't listen to this bullshit." "It's the truth; magic is real," replied Twilight. "Here, let me show you!" Twilight Horn started to glow as she tried to use magic to create an object, but she quickly heard the soldier yelling at her and pointing his weapon at her. "Psychic!" screamed Soarin as he fired a round at Twilight, only to be pushed out of the way and see Twilah saving her life. As the bullet entered, the young girl's stomach and blood came out as she hit the wall. "T-Lilah!" cried Twilight, not believing what happened. "I'OKOK, but it hurts a lot," answered Twilah before feeling more blood coming out. "What the fuck, Soarin?" yelled a trooper as he was pointing his gun at the scared soldier, as well as the others. "She was about to attack me; I did nothing wrong. She's a damn psychic! She's a threat to all of us! Open fire!" Twilight quickly made a force field, protecting herself and Twilah from being shot again. "You're the enemy! You're with the aliens!" shouted the trooper, not lowering his weapon. "No! We're not!" yelled Twilight. "That's what happened, Sgt. Spitfire." Celeste said as the video paused and disappeared. "I see," said Spitfire, "you were right to place Soarin in the brig, and I can't believe he did that. He's been a good soldier until now; I'm shocked by his behavior." "He was never trusting the Ghost Squadron. They have reported him before, but higher-ups always write him off; they hope he will be a good team member." "Did the commander know about this? This doesn't feel like something she will do." "It does feel unlike her," answered Celeste, "but she trusts others. Maybe she saw something in him and wrote off his reports. We won't know the answer unless we ask her, but the commander isn't here right now; she's on a mission with the other squads. It would take some time before she arrives." "Damn, that's bad. Soarin has no family; he will be alone in the brig. Maybe I can visit him and ask him questions?" "I believe he will be willing to talk," answered Celeste. "I hope he's not too scared since the base will be under attack for a while." "He's a soldier; he knows how to survive," said Celeste. "I can't wait for all of this to be over," replied Spitfire, "so we could finally get off this planet and return home. This mission was meant to recover that AI core, not fight off those bastard aliens. Why couldn't they leave us alone?" "I don't know Sgt. Spitfire; even we, the AIs, don't know why those two alien races are fighting each other. Maybe their leaders or their home planets are at war." "If they have planets, that's a big if. I doubt they have homes; they keep fighting across what's left of this sector." "It will end one day." "I hope so," replied Spitfire as she walked off while Celeste vanished. It had been a few hours since Twilight was brought to a room; it wasn't a holding cell or anything, just a regular room and a chair. She was pacing back and forth, wondering about her new friend. Where is she, and is she alright? The question was going through her head. After a few minutes, the door opened, and a female trooper with wings and star decal armor entered. I asked her to follow her. "Please tell me, she's alright!" begged Twilight, as the soldier didn't answer. "She's okay, is she?" cried Twilight as she started to panic, thinking the worst. "She's alive; I can't say if it's OK," the female trooper replied, not turning her head. "Oh, thank goodness, where is she? Can I see her?" "She's in the infirmary." Twilight quickly took the lead and ran past the trooper, who told her to slow down. "Sorry, but I have to make sure she's alright, and I have many questions," replied Twilight. She quickly made her way through the base but quickly realized something: she was lost, as she didn't know the way around here. Soon, the same trooper caught up and started swearing like a cowboy. "Sorry, I just had to run; I didn't mean to." "Ya lucky sugar cube, Celeste told me not to shoot you." "I'm sorry, I won't do it aga-wait...AJ?" whispered Twilight, knowing that voice. "AJ!? You're here!" yelled Twilight as she tackled, hugged the trooper, and kissed her on the helmet. "Hold up, what do you think you're doing? I'm not your boyfriend, ya darn idiot!" shouted the trooper as she pulled Twilight off and removed her helmet, revealing a human-looking AJ. making Twilight confused but completely understanding everything. "How do you know my nickname? I didn't tell you." "I'm from another universe! Of course, there has to be a version of my friends here!" "What now?" said AJ, not understanding anything Twilight was saying. "In my universe, you are an earth pony with an apple farm!" "Apple farm!? That sounds boring." "It's not; it's amusing; you're an amazing farmer, AJ, the best." "That doesn't sound like me." "And here, you're a soldier." Twilight frowned as she saw that this AJ armor was worn out from parts being replaced, clearly because she had fought in battles before. "Now, that doesn't sound boring. What's your universe like, talking pony?" "I'm an alicorn, and I'm a princess of friendship!" answered Twilight before AJ told her to follow again. "Princess of friendship? What is that?" "Oh, I protect Equestria and solve friendship problems for creatures across the land. And my friends, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike, are my best friends." "So, where are they now?" "Well, the girls went on their separate ways after starting their new lives," quietly said Twilight, as she felt sad and lonely again. "So, I take it you're alone now?" "No, I met this weird-looking creature, which I'm starting to believe is another version of me from another universe. Her name is Twilah; even her name almost sounds like mine. I hope she is okay." AJ turneOKr head and sighed. She stopped, put her helmet back on, and opened a door. "We're here, darling; go see if she is okay. She's a kick, my eyes; she didn't deserve that. I will have a word with that Soarin jerk." "She's a good person; she took a bullet for me," replied Twilight as she entered the room and saw her friend lying in a hospital bed with an IV hooked up to her arm and a breathing mask covering her mouth and nose. "I can't believe she risked her life for a stranger; would I have done the same?" quietly asked Twilight to herself as she placed a hoof on her chest and closed her eyes, trying not to cry, as she didn't want anyone to see her like this. "Twi..." quietly said a voice. "She's awake! Oh, thank God, Twilah. How are you feeling?" said Twilight as she moved closer and sat next to her in a chair. AJ closed the door and guarded it. "I'OKay, but my stoOK hurts," answered Twilah. "You're lucky; if she hadn't gotten the bullet out, it would have killed you," said AJ. "That was a brave thing you did." "It was the right thing to do," smirked Twilah as she saw the trooper at the door. "I remember someone doing the same for me. She got hurt, I think. I don't remember her still, but she saved my life." "You were probably in danger," said Twilight. "Possibly, but she didn't have to; she could have let me fall, but she didn't," sadly said Twilah, as tears started to form in her eyes. "I don't know why, but I hated myself; I hated that I almost lost her. Why is my heart hurting? It's so painful." "Sounds like you like her a lot; you're in love," replied Twilight. Twilah quickly sat up, coughing and swearing as her face turned red. "Love? NO! I'm not gay! She's just a friend, my friend, right? The person I care for and the one I hate seeing get hurt; she's just a friend, I think?" "Are you sure, darling, you were talking a lot of crap a minute ago?" "I'm not into girls; I like guys, and I will not change my mind!" shouted Twilah to AJ, who just laughed back. "BI is a thing, darling; I would take a bullet for a teammate on the battlefield but not outside of it unless I loved them to death. "You love her, even if you're unsure about it." "Maybe I do," quietly said Twilah. "She's the first real friend I ever had, I think? My memories are fuzzy, and she's the closest person to me." "Eeyup. Sounds like love, darling." laughed AJ again, enjoying this cute show, but she stopped when there was a knock on the door. She checked the door and opened it, revealing a tall doctor with yellow skin and long pink hair. She wore a green suit, and her arms, legs, neck, and wings were robotic. She entered the room with a tablet. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I came to check on her vitals and do a check-up," said the doctor. "The name is Karin, but you may call me Doc." Twilight and Twilah were in shock as they saw the doctor, even more so for Twilah as AJ removed her helmet again. "Fluttershy?" "You sound and maybe almost look like my friends, AJ and Faith." Both girls turned to each other after saying that and smiled. "I knew it! You are another version of me!" said Twilight, being all nerdy now. "I'm talking to a pony version of me!" replied Twilah, as she was needing out. Karin looked over to AJ, looking for answers. AJ sighed; she said she hardly believed it herself, but a talking pony was in the room. Karin quickly checked the vitals, removed the breathing mask, and unhooked the IV. "Good news! Your friend can leave; take it easy for a few days. The nanomachines are still healing the wounds in your stomach. It was a good thing that the bullet was of low caliber, so it didn't do a lot of damage to you." "Nanites!" Twilight and Twilah shouted as Karin nodded. The girls were amazed by that and were asking questions. Karin answered and explained how it worked, which took a few minutes. "Alright, that's enough science lessons. Twilah, you can leave. Sgt. Spitfire wants to talk to you two," said AJ. OKOK, let's go," said Twilah as the two got up and were about to follow AJ when Twilah realized she was naked under the sheets. "Where are my clothes?" "Don't worry. The doctor brought them," replied AJ as the doctor handed Twilah a bag. "Here you go. It wasn't hard to create a t-shirt in your size." "Thank you," answered Twilah as the three left the room, allowing her to change in peace. As she was putting on her jeans, she noticed her pocket glowing. She took the rainbow shard and could see that it was glowing. "This was in my pocket; I forgot I had it. Now that I think about it, wasn't this the reason the portal opened to the Twilight world? Can it maybe send us back home?" Twilah quickly finished getting dressed and was ready to show Twilight the shard, but AJ told her to hurry and leave the egghead talk later. Unknown to the girls, Celeste was watching them. "Other universe..." end of chapter Chapter 4 Twilight quickly got in front of Twilah and used her magic to summon a protective barrier around the two of them as the figure slowly walked out of the shadows, revealing the figure to be a blue female pony with a rainbow mane as her guns were attached to robotic arms on her back. She put the guns away as they transformed into robotic wings, walked over to the computer in the room, and used the robotic arms to shut off the gravity. "Woooooah!" shouted the girls as they landed on the floor. The blue pony walked over, put the video phone device in her mouth, and spoke through the robotic device on her back. "Wanda, what happened? You said you were going to shut the gravity off within seconds? Also, who's the kid? I thought all the humans died on the moon base." said the robot-sounding device on the blue pony neck as she walked over to Twilah. "She's not a horse, but she looks like you?" questioned the device. "Hey!" replied Twilah in anger. "How are you here?" "Well..." "She's, well, "us" are an alternate universe version of your "Wanda," which makes sense since we landed here in this gravity room. and there wasn't anyone else here. It means we swap places with her," replied Twilight; the blue pony just nodded and listened. "I see. Okay, I believe you. Let's meet up with the others. They need help." said the pony as she started to walk out but was stopped by Twilah. She asked why she believed them so quickly, causing the pony to turn to them. "Wanda told me a story about saving a girl from being trapped in a time-travel space or something. If time travel is real, then the multiverse is real. Plus, even though "Wanda" looks like her, Wanda can't make barriers with her horn." "Wait, Wanda has a horn!" shouted Twilight "Yeah, the moon base experiment gave her one, but according to what Wanda told me, she can only move small objects and nothing else. Please don't ask me how. Come on; the others are fighting the Moon clan horses on the top floor of the Lunar Moon base. Follow me!" said the pony as she took off running. The two followed the pony as she took flight with her robotic wings, passing several hallways, rooms, and areas. As they kept following, Twilah spoke to Twilight. "Hey, in this universe, ponies are tested on? She asked about how our counterpart was given a horn. Plus, I notice her Barcode on her flank." "Barcode?" asked Twilight, as she could see the mark on the blue pony flank. She thought it was a cutie mark. "Yeah, barcodes encode product information into bars and alphanumeric characters, making it much faster and easier to ring up items at a store or track or trace an item. She has a barcode on her flank, meaning she was a product. A live animal test subject." explained Twilah. "How do you know all this?" "It's also common in my world where animals are tested on." Twilight stopped and yelled at Twilah, who also stopped, making the blue pony turn to them and land near them. "You experimented on animals! On ponies!? You monster! I would never do that! Never!" "Wait! Twilight, it's not like that! Please, listen." said Twilah, as she tried to calm Twilight down, but she was too angry. "What good reason could you have!?" "Twilight, please, just listen to me!" "ANSWER ME!" screamed Twilight as she glowed with a purple aura, and the moon shook. "We use animals to learn more about health problems that affect both humans and animals and to assure the safety of new medical treatments!" explained Twilah as she tried to stand from all the shaking. "HOW IS THAT ANY BETTER? YOU'RE STILL KILLING THEM! YOU MONSTER! YOU'RE WORSE THAN TIREK!" "Who?" "ANSWER ME!" "We only take animals who are either dying from disease, are too sick to survive, or have injuries too severe to be treated successfully." "THEN WHAT'S THE POINT!? THOSE ANIMALS COULD HAVE LIVED, BUT YOU HUMANS RATHER KILL THEM THEN FIND ANOTHER WAY TO HELP THEM!" "Twilight, please; you have to trust me. I know how this looks, but I swear, we're only trying to help." "HELP!? YOU'RE KILLING THEM AND CALLING IT HELP!" shouted Twilight, but in her royal Canterlot voice, making Twilah and the blue pony cover their ears. "Twilight, I understand you're mad, but stop this! If we're on a moon base, then your yelling will break the glass hull and send everything into space, killing us!" shouted Twilah back. "SO WHAT!? YOU'RE JUST GOING TO KILL MORE ANIMALS!" "No, I'm not! I HATE ANIMAL TESTING! I SEAR TO YOU; I NEVER DONE SUCH A THING!" "Liar! We humans are all the same! Liars! Cheaters! Monsters!" shouted a female robotic voice. Twilah and the others turned to the front of the hallway, showing a large female horse. Her skin is pale, light grayish cerise, while her mane is moderate violet. Around her neck was the same device that Blue was wearing. Behind her were other colored horses carrying futuristic weapons on their robotic arm-back devices. The horse walked forward; she had a cold stare and the same Barcode on her flank. "We were once living creatures too, but we were turned into this thanks to you humans. You humans are monsters and must be put down." Twilight rage faded as she realized who it was and tears fell from her eyes. "Cadance?" "Who?" said the Cadance as she turned to Twilight. "Wanda, you have finally seen the light and what humans are!" "Wait, I'm not..." replied Twilight as she wiped her tears and tried to explain. Before she could explain, a smoke grenade dropped between them and went off. Soon, a teleport porter appeared and created a gateway, and stepping out was a young woman with dark skin and long purple hair. She's wearing a white dress with light blue trim and open sides for her legs; her visor has a long horn. She quickly grabbed Twilah and tossed her in the gateway while trying to reach for Blue and Twilight, but Twilight's anger returned as she saw the human woman. "YOU!" shouted Twilight as her magic aura started to glow again. The whole base shook harder, making everyone fall over. Twilight used her magic to remove the smoke, grabbing the human as she rose. "Wanda, dear! What are you doing!" said the human woman, as she was terrified. "You humans are monsters!" "Wanda!? What? I'm no monster, darling!" "LIAR!" shouted Twilight as she threw the woman to the other end of the hall. "Wanda, what the hell!" shouted the cowboy as she jumped through the gateway and tossed a metal grenade at Twilight's body, making her lose her magic, rolling towards the human woman and pointing her revolver at Twilight. "No, wait! Stop, don't shoot!" shouted Twilah on the other side of the gateway as she was being held down by the DJ and a teenage girl wearing an orange pilot jumpsuit and short purple hair. "Wanda, I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but you crossed the line here! You hurt Coral, and you're going to fucking pay!" shouted the cowboy as she pulled the hammer back. "AJ, hold on!" said the teenage girl as the blue pony rushed towards the cowboy and grabbed the revolver, pushing the gun down. "Fake Wanda, stop! They aren't our enemies! It's not Wanda; it's another her, from another world!" explained the pony to both. "What? Bullshit!" replied the cowboy as she pushed Blue off and quickly ran to the gateway with the woman in her arms and as they went through it, the gateway disappeared. "Where did they go?" shouted a purple horse. Cadance looked at the ground and saw the device broken. "It looks like they use the teleporter that the purple-haired woman has been carrying, meaning they are gone. For now, let's deal with "her"." ordered Cadance, as she pointed to Twilight and got up after the grenade fell off her as it lost power. "Fake Wanda, I'm sorry! Please, just calm down!" pleaded the blue pony, but Twilight wasn't listening. She was breathing heavily, and her magic aura started to glow again. "I'll never forgive humans! For what they did to you, to the ponies in this world, and everything!" "Fake Wanda, please don't! I'm begging you, not here!" cried Blue, but she could see that the Cadance and the others were slowly surrounding them, so she opened her robotic wings, jumped into the air, and looked at Twilight before escaping as she flew off. "Where are you going? Come back here and face me, you coward!" shouted Cadance, but Blue was long gone. Twilight was left alone in the hallway, and the Cadance looked alike. Her horse companions surrounded her as they prepared their weapons, but the Cadance stopped them as she sat near Twilight. "Sister, calm yourself. You're finally home again, away from those dirty humans." "What? No, I'm not," replied Twilight. "You're still afraid of them, right? They did terrible things to you, didn't they? Forcing you to work for them. In that organization, Element Watchers?" whispered Cadnace as she started to cry, hugging Twilight. "Fighting in that war! Don't worry; you're safe now, Six. My dear and sweet little six." Twilight was speechless; she couldn't believe what she heard, but feeling Cadnace's neck over hers was warm. "Cadance..." cried Twilight as she hugged her back. Twilight knew it wasn't her Cadnace, but it was great to see someone she knew. "Who the fuck are you?" barks the cowboy as she points her gun at Twilah, who is sitting on a bench in their damaged spaceship. "What?" "Who are you? No other humans are meant to be here after what happened 25 years ago." "25 years?" replied Twilah, but that just made the cowboy angry. She was about to shoot but was stopped by the teenager. "Take a chill pill, Alex! She's a kid like me! Are you going to shoot her?" "Stay out of this, Dive!" "Please, Miss Cowboy? I don't know what's going on here, but please stop pointing that gun at me. I swear, I'm not from here. From this universe." "Bullshit!" "Alex, calm down. I'm sure we can get answers. Let's hear her out," the DJ replied as she played music. "Fuck you, Low Beat, and stop playing that shitty music!" shouted Alex as she turned to the DJ, kicking the turntable out of her hands and crashing on the floor. "Dude!" shouted Low Beat. "Fuck you and fuck your music!" "Alex!" shouted Coral as she got up from the chair. "What?!" "Stop swearing!" "Fucking No!" "Why are you always like this?" shouted Coral as she threw her hands up as Twilah looked at the others. "Look, I understand that I'm not welcome here since you think I'm an enemy or something, but I'm not. The blue pony was telling the truth: I'm not from this world. After going through a portal, we just ended up on this moon base, but I'm not from here. Just listen..." "Fine, talk," replied the cowboy as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. The teenage girl walked over to the DJ and helped her pick up the turntable while the two were listening. Twilah explained everything up to getting here. After she was done, Alex started laughing at her story. Multiverse? That's all made up to her. "I swear, I'm not lying!" "Sure, kid, whatever you say. Next, you'll tell me I'm a pony who works on an apple farm or something. please." "Please, you have to believe me!" "We believe," replied Beat as Twilah and Alex looked at her and the others. "You have to be joking?" asked Alex as she looked at the others. "I don't believe a fucking word of it. It's bullshit." "Alex, we have a manufactured super genius pony who helped Pink Streamer with her time travel problem. There's Spike and his weird dragon magic sword, which looks like hard lights but isn't. The multiverse can be real. Plus, how else can a human be up here other than us? How can she explain that? It's either aliens or a multiverse theory," explained Dive as Beat and Coral nodded in agreement. "I still don't believe it. Look, I'll play nice and give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you pull a fast one, I'll shoot you. Understand?" "Yeah, I do." "Good. Now, get some rest and think of a plan for stopping that weapon from going off again, and I need a drink," said Alex as she walked away. "Weapon? No other humans? Horse with sci-fi weapons! Can anyone care to explain?" "Sure thing, darling. We're on a mission to destroy a weapon that the moon horse had created. The weapon is a solar energy microwave transmitter, and it has already destroyed part of New York City. Element Watchers sent us to stop it and finally recover the moon base from the horses," Coral explained. "Element Watchers?" "An organization was created to stop threats like this," explained Beat as she started to play with her turntables. "And the moon horses?" "25 years ago, intelligent, genetically engineered horses took over the moon base. The moon base staff were all killed as they were tossed into space. Only one escape from the base that day, and that was Wanda," explained Dive as she pressed a button on the computer, revealing a hologram screen showing a group of soldiers recovering a poorly designed, manufactured escape pod, and a female soldier was holding a filly Twilight as she was holding a pair of glasses and a photo with her psychic powers. "That was 25 years ago, and now she's working with us. She's here to stop the weapon and hope to bring peace to the moon horses. I'm sure when we find her and let her explain herself, we-" explained Coral, but stopped herself and remembered this wasn't their Wanda right now. "Oh, right. It's your friend, Twilight Sparkle. Not our Wanda." "Twilight's a good pony. Please try not to think the worst of her after what she did. She's just learning...how shitty humans can be," muttered Twilah as she looked down and remembered Twilight and how she acted after learning how animals are tested on. "What do you mean?" asked Beat as she stopped playing music and looked at Twilah. "In her world, it's primarily ponies and other creatures, but no humans. She just learned that we test on animals and how bad it can be. Some can be evil. Outside the ship's main room, Blue was listening to the group before a gun was pointed at her; it was Alex. She returned with a jug of beer and saw the ship ramp was down. "I see that you are still here. So, are you going to answer my question, or are you going to run again, Barcode?" asked Alex as she took a sip. "What did you say earlier? About a weapon? Wanda told me she was here to stop something." "I'll make it simple for you so you can understand that a weapon is a machine used for hurting or killing people, okay? Get it? Good, now where is this weapon? If we don't stop it in the next hour, Element Watchers are going to fire every damn missile at this base. Wanda begged them to allow this mission to happen. She wanted to save you all. So, I'm only asking nicely once. Where is the weapon?" "I believe it's the Observatory room, where the others live. I suppose they recreate the telescope to focus the energy from the solar energy reactor and blast the energy beam at the Earth," explained Barcode. "Good, then let's get going. You can come along if you want, but you had better avoid trying any fun business. If you do, I'll kill you. Got it." "I'll help, but please don't hurt them. Any of them." "Them, meaning the other horses? The ones that killed the moon staff and tossed their bodies into space. The ones that fired that death beam and killed many people, including my siblings!" replied Alex, her hand shaking as she pulled back the hammer and wanted to pull the trigger at Barcode but didn't, as she let her arm fall to her side. Barcode turned around and could see Alex crying as she finally let her sibling's deaths set in. "Grandma was taking them to see New York City for the summer... I couldn't be there... I was busy doing nothing on my ass back at HQ." Barcode didn't know what to say, so she watched Alex cry. "When word got to us, Wanda and I took a ship and headed there. Seeing, dear God, the death and destruction, it was hell. My siblings and grandma were all dead. Wanda tried to find them, but it was a lost cause. No one could live through that. Wanda saw my family as her own when she was still young. I took her to see my folks when they were still alive. She took it hard as well." "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault," replied Alex as she wiped the tears from her face and took a sip. "You should know, the horses here are smart and know their way around an old flawed gun. They won't go down easy." Alex laughed as she spun her revolver around and did tricks before putting it away. "Don't worry, I don't go down easy. The old girl never let me down." Back in the control room, the group talked about what they should do and about Twilight. Until Alex entered the room, he was drinking an enormous amount from the beer jug, causing Coral to swear under her breath. "Alex, I thought I told you to stop drinking." "I don't take orders from you, Coral. "You aren't my mom and never will be." "Can we have a civil discussion about what's going on?" asked Dive "Sure thing, I already talked with Barcode; she's ahead of us. The weapon is in the observatory room. Dive, is your mecha fix or what?" "Almost all the boosters are still offline, but Scoots can still walk, and weapons are online now." "Good, we're counting on you to take down that weapon or not." "Don't worry, we will stop it before the missiles are fired!" said Beat as she became serious and looked at Dive, who nodded and smiled. "Good. As for you, kid, You are staying here." "What!" shouted Twilah as she stood up. "I'm going with you! Twilight might hurt you, guys! I can talk her down, and what's this about missiles?" "If you don't stop the weapon in the next hour, a shit ton of hell fire is going to hit this base. Killing us all, and from what I saw, your friend isn't in a listening mood, but..." "But what?" "You can come only because I trust you. I think that's what Wanda would have said—just don't let me down." Twilah nodded as she followed the others off the ship, seeing Dive enter in her small robot called Scoots. It was an orange-fat humanoid robot that was short. The arms were short, with a long barrel cannon arm on the right and a Gatling gun on the left. "Scoots, activate. Dive, ready for action." cheered Dive as Scoots did a pose and was ready to go. "Let's get going; we have 40 minutes," said Alex as she took the lead, and the group headed off. Twilight was being led down a long hallway by Cadance and her group, wondering where they were going. She had a bad feeling and wanted to run, but the guards' weapons made her stay in place. "Where are you taking me?" "To Equestria," replied Cadance. Twilight's ears shot up as she heard her universe name and was confused. "Equestria?" "Yes, the town we made in the Observatory room, where the rest of our kind lives." Twilight was confused until they stopped in front of a large door. It revealed a giant observatory dome room, full of horses and their houses. The room was a circle, and the walls were covered in computers and hologram screens, showing the moon and the Earth. The center of the room had a weird-looking telescope with a giant glass tube in the middle, and inside was a rainbow-looking sun. Twilight was confused as she looked around, seeing a town where all the horses were living, and was shocked. "Welcome home, my dear. To Equestria." Twilight was speechless; she saw other versions of ponies she knew from her world, like Lyra, Trixie, and so on. This was shocking, and she was a bit scared, seeing so many horses living on the moon base, until she felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Cadance and Twilight looking at her, who had a smile on her face. "Come, let's get you settled." Twilight nodded and followed. She still didn't trust Cadnace, but seeing her ponies again was comforting. Twilight hoped to find the others, her friends, here if they were, but she could now rest and think about what to do. Cadance led Twilight to an office section near the town, and they entered the office room on the side. She didn't notice it, but the owner of the office was called Dr. Wanda. Cadance let her sit on a dust-covered chair as she ordered her guards to leave them, but one stayed. "Now, why did you change your mind, Six? You said you would stand by the humans when you came to us, to me." Twilight didn't understand until she remembered what had happened, so she answered the truth: she wasn't Wanda, and she came from another universe and was looking for a rainbow shard so they could jump to the next universe. Cadance wasn't buying it but asked Twilight about Twilah and why she was fighting with her. Twilight answered truthfully again, saying Twilah told her how her kind tested animals. "She's right. Humans are evil creatures. They tested every older horse here; lucky for them, the young ones never have to experience that, unlike the six little fillies. It's why we took a stand and took over. Do you remember that, Six? Three does." "Three...?" Twilight didn't understand what she was saying but clearly didn't believe her about being from another universe. Twilight tried to explain again but could feel a device placed around her horn by the guard who hadn't left the room. She could feel her magic being shut off somehow. "That will stop your psychic powers for now. I can't trust you yet, not till you remember. I'm sorry. I know this isn't fair, but you must remember the truth...and understand why the humans must burn," sadly said Cadance as she ordered the guard to tie Twilight to the chair with metal chains. Soon, the office blackboard turned on, revealing a young woman with blue, pink, and green hair and wearing a lab coat as she spoke about the six test subjects. "What's going on? Why am I here? I told you I didn't know about this. Let me go! Please! I don't belong here!" shouted Twilight as the screen started to play. "This is Dr. Wanda; we just got our six test subjects for the harmony gene therapy! With this, we can start moving forward. Here they are!" cheered Dr. Wanda as the crew wheeled six small fillies in a large box. All six were together, scared as they saw Wanda. "Don't be scared, little ones. You're in safe hands." Wanda said with a warm smile, causing Twilight to freak out, as she knew who this Wanda person was, and worst of all, she knew who the six little fillies in the box were. "No! Stop this!" "Do you remember them, Six? The six little fillies. You were number 6," whispered Cadance as he left the room, leaving the guard to watch the entrance. "Day 5, the little ones warmed up to me! They're so cute!" laughed Wanda. She had a pink one on her lap while the others were playing behind her, and the crew built six cages for them. "I know we're testing them, but keeping them in a cage feels wrong. They are just too adorable." "They aren't puppies, Wanda! We are testing the harmony gene!" shouted a black-skinned man with long black hair and glasses. "I know, but can we give them names?" "Sure, whatever. Just don't get too attached to them," replied the man as he checked on the cages. "Oh my god! Thank you, Dr. John! Okay, let's name the light brown one, Apple; the pink one, Pinkie; the white one, Diamond; the yellow one, Butter; the blue one, Three, and the purple one, Six!" "Why were the last two numbers called?" asked Dr. John as he faced her. "One of them is named Three since their code number is all 3's, and the purple is Six because I love six." "Weirdo. Whatever, have fun with your project." "Thank you!" cheered Wanda as the screen went off and another video started to play. "This is day 21; Harmony was given to the fillies a week ago, and they seemed to be changing!" "What is this?" asked Twilight as she watched the fillies eating, playing, and running around their cage. "Pinkie is starting to learn how to do math by touching the screen in her cage. Of course, being hyper Pinkie, she touches the screen with her nose rather than with her hooves like the others. The others show the same level of intelligence. Though Six is showing much more intelligence, I will watch her closely." The video went dark until a new one came on. Dr. Wanda was sitting in her chair and was about to say something when she could hear banging coming from Pinkie's cage. She hurried over and saw blood shooting out. Twilight hearts stink. "Shit, Pinkie is killing herself; help me open her cage!" shouted Wanda as the crew opened Pinkie's cage and rushed in. Wanda could see her forehead split open and bleeding, and she quickly wrapped it as Pinkie was shaking in pain and screaming. The video ended, and another started. Dr. Wanda was sitting in her chair, and her lab coat was covered in blood. "Day 24, Pinkie has died. Her brain thoughts seemed too much for her, so she started to bang her head on the math touch screen." "Wanda! Are you ok?" shouted a female voice as a woman in a lab coat entered the room, who had tan skin and long red hair. "No, I'm not okay," cried Wanda; in the background, the fillies were crying, but it seemed Apple was crying the hardest. The video ended, and the next one started to load while Twilight was crying. "Day 27, the fillies are getting used to Pinkie's death in a freezer. The others are learning from the math screens, and Apple seems to be in pain. She's going to be checked later today." The video went black but quickly returned the same day, as Wanda looked heartbroken. "Apple's brain had, dear God, turned into mush... She had been in so much pain, and now she was dead. My poor apple." The video ended, and the next one played. "Day 39, "Diamond died today from starvation. Her mind became broken. The poor thing just stood there until she died. "It seems Butter, Six, and Three are showing signs of depression after what happened. Their minds seem fine, and their intelligence is higher than before. Six is the highest, but three is slowly catching up. We are trying to make them forget about Apple and Diamond." Video ended Twilight was crying her heart out, seeing how this universe of her friends died, but the video wasn't done. The next video started. Day 45 Wanda looked awful. She turned to the cages and could hear Butters moaning in pain. She could see the yellow filly trying to stand up and look out, but her little head was mutated and deformed, as blood was oozing out of her ears. Wanda got up and walked to her cage, opening it. She took a deep breath. "NOOOO!" screamed Twilight as she could hear Butters being choked to death as Wanda whispered it would be over soon. Six and three looked away in fear. The video ended. Twilight was in shock, crying her eyes out and shaking. This was too much; it wasn't fair. Why did they have to die? These humans were truly monsters! "THEY'RE MONSTERS!" shouted Twilight. "Some are." Twilight looked at the door and saw Blue standing there as she killed the guard by breaking his neck. "You...how are you here? How did you find me?" asked Twilight. "This was once my home," replied Blue as she walked in. "Home? Wait, you are three, aren't you?" "Yes. I'm so sorry you had to see this." "Why!? Why did they do that to you?" Three said nothing as she walked to the computer screen and played the remaining videos. Day 76 "Three and six are doing well! It seemed the Harmony test was a success! They are smart, faster, and stronger! Six even has a horn! It seems Six is much smarter than Three, but that is understandable since she's the most intelligent of the six!" smiled Wanda as she held both fillies in her arms. "You two are the saviors of humanity." Day 80 Wanda was in her chair, drinking tea and looking at the cages. "Six has been acting weird lately. I mean, she's still smart, but she's more clingy and dependent on Three as well. It's almost like how sisters will act," said Wanda as she headed to the cage and opened it, only for the fillies to jump on her and try to say something, but Six spoke. "Mommy!" Wanda dropped her cup and hugged the fillies. "Oh my God, did you just call me mommy? You did!" Video ended Twilight could feel tears running down her face as she watched Wanda, her other self-mother figure, be so happy, but Blue wasn't smiling as the following video started. Day 126 Six and three walked around the base with the other horses and scientists. Three held Six Hoof, and they heard people talking about them. "Wow! Look at them! They are so smart!" "I heard those little foals would end the chaos back on earth." "That is what we hope. I don't want any more kids dying." Six and Three looked at each other, wondering why people were cheering and saying such things. Day 128, "We had the two little ones in the VR machine and had them walk around. It was so cute! Six wanted to hold my hand, saying she was scared, which I didn't mind. Three was brave as she jumped into the ocean alone, unlike Six, who needed me to join, as the VR room she picked was the beach theme. They soon started to make sandcastles! My girls are so cute!" Day 160, "We will test their strength, speed, and intelligence." video skips "Three has more speed than her sister! She is also pretty cocky. Six was upset about that, and both started to fight. Yup, they're like sisters. Even had to put them in time out!" Day 200 "Three grew wings last night. We're watching her closely, but this might delay sending the whole thing! What is it, Six?" asked Wanda as Six jumped into her lap. "When is Three coming back?" "Soon, sweetie." "But when?" "Soon, soon." The video ends, and the three last videos start. Wanda was in her chair, at night, holding Three and Six. Three had been crying. Wanda looked at the screen. "Three were tested. I wasn't told about the testing; they returned her this morning. She's been like this all day. She can't tell me what happened because she can't talk. Though Six tells me she tried to be brave, Wanda looked at the sleeping fillies, hugged them tightly, and cried. "My poor little girls. You're not a test subject. You're my babies, my daughters... I'm sorry." The video ended, and another started. Day365 It was nighttime, and Wanda was carrying a cake for the girls. "Happy birthday, Six and Three. This is for you." "Happy birthday!" cheered the three as the two fillies blew out the candles. What did you two wish for?" asked Wanda. Three tried to talk but could only mumble until Wanda put a device around her neck. "What's this?" said Three through the device, causing her to smile and speak nonstop. "I want to see the blue moon!" shouted Six as she ate her cake. Wanda smiled, and soon, the tape skipped to Wanda setting up the camera, walking back, and picking up the girls as she asked the computer system to open the shutters. Soon, both fillies could see the blue Earth. "Girls, don't see the world as it was, but as it could be. One day, you two will save the world. Be the heroes the Earth needs. You'll bring a dawn for everyone to see and treasure! Please don't hate us for what we did here. It was all for the kids in that world. You gave them a chance to live. Please, don't hate them," cried Wanda as she hugged the girls tight. The video ended. Twilight could feel her heart being ripped in two, and she soon heard Three talking. "25 years ago, there was a brain disease that attacked young kids. It started small but soon became a worldwide outbreak near the year we came to the moon. They were testing a new form of gene therapy on the moon base. It took a year, but the versions they used on us were recreated and had a 100% cure rate. They were going to send the files when..." The last video started. "I won't let you!" screamed Wanda as she pushed Dr. John and others away from the fillies. "They have a right to live! You can't kill them!" "What is wrong with you? They are getting too advanced! We can't let them live when we already have the cure for the disease. We already ordered the others to be killed." "NO!" "Fine, you leave me no choice," said Dr. John as he ordered the guards to take her away. Suddenly, everyone could hear a noise outside. Soon, the horse ran inside the room and killed the guards with their stolen weapons. Dr. John saw Cadance walking in. "69? How?" Soon, everyone was forced out of the room, while Wanda was writing something on the back of two photos she had and giving it to Six and Three before being taken away and her glasses falling off as she tried fighting back and calling for her daughters. The video continued until the girls broke out of their cage and knocked over the camera. Three soon dragged the camera, as the wires were caught around her body, while Six was behind her, carrying the photos and glasses. They soon stopped at the same place where they had seen the Earth. Both of them sat there, as they could see the floating bodies of the staff outside in space. Soon, they both saw her as her lifeless body floated by. "MOMMY!" cried the two. video ended Twilight couldn't believe her eyes, as tears were falling. "So, the horses kill the humans on the base?" asked Twilight. "Yes, it's how they took control of the base. Once they killed all the humans, the Lunar Moon base was renamed 'The Moon Colony.' My sister was the only one to get out. I thought she left me behind, but she told me the truth: she couldn't stop the launch. She went on to live and honor our mother. She became what our mother always wanted. I never hated humans; some are evil, but there is good. My sister and I saw it firsthand with our mother, and my sister kept seeing it on Earth. The people she met, all the good she did, and seeing the grown kids with the brain disease were all cured. Yes, it wasn't very good, but I'd gladly do it over again if it meant saving all those kids' lives. Everyone has a right to see the world as it could be. See that dawn and treasure it." Twilight looked at her, as she could hear Wanda saying that last line from the video that Wanda said to them. She now understands why she was shown the video: to learn that not all humans are monsters. Some are good, as their teachings pass on to others, creating more good souls. Will it forgive their evil actions? No, but she can understand why they did it. Three broke free of the chains, releasing Twilight, and looked at her as they could hear fighting in the Observatory. "The others are already here! We need to hurry!" shouted Three as she and Twilight returned to the Observatory. Once they entered, they could see the others fighting the horses. Alex fought a few horse guards while Beat and Coral backed her up. Meanwhile, Dive was firing at the weaponized telescope while Twilah was inside with Dive. It was cramped, but the two were making the most of it. "Come on, dive! You can do it!" shouted Twilah as she typed away on the computer and ensured the weapon was aimed at the gun. "How much more can this thing take? I'm starting to get low here!" shouted Dive as she continued firing at the weapon as the glass core cracked. "Just a few more!" shouted Twilah as she could see the damage forming on the core, but soon noticed the rainbow shard in her pocket started to glow. Dive could see the glass was about to crack, and she fired her last round and the glass finally broke, and the weapon exploded. "YES!" shouted Twilah and Dive before the mecha was smacked by something, tossing them to the wall and badly damaging the mecha. Dive was knocked out, and Twilah could see a large hole in the side of the mecha. Whatever hit them easily cut through the robot's steel and seemed to be heading their way, as she could hear Alex yelling at them. "Damn it. Come on, I need you to wake up; we need to move," said Twilah as she shook her friend awake. Twilah pulled Dive out of the mecha through the hole, and soon, he could see a giant horse robot. It had a long, sharp horn, the very same thing that hit them. Soon, the cockpit opened to reveal Cadance was piloting it. "Oh no, you don't," said Twilight as she and Three joined them. "Oh my. Suppose it isn't the traitor, three. I see you joined the humans again, Six," said Cadance in a cold tone. "Stop this! Sixty-nine!" shouted Three as she pointed her guns at her. "No! I'm the leader of the moon colony. You and your sister are nothing but traitors! Six went on to live with those monsters! While you believe that evil woman was your mother! But I will set things right. The Moon Colony will become the world, and the humans will learn who is in charge." Cadance closed the cockpit, and the mecha horse horn glowed bright orange. She soon charged at them. Twilight used her magic to block the attack, but she could see the horn was superheated as it burned through the barrier. "Everyone run!" shouted Twilight. Alex and Coral were able to arrive, grab Dive, and escape, while Twilah stayed with Twilight. She could see the shard getting brighter. She looked around and saw the weapon core that had been destroyed holding the other shard. "Twilight! The shard!" Twilight looked where Twilah was pointing and could also see the rainbow shard. "The other shard," said Twilah, as she was about to go to it, but a metal tail claw grabbed the shard and brought it to the mecha horse's face. "I'm not letting you have our only means of fighting back!" shouted Cadance "IT'S NOON SOMEWHERE!" shouted Alex as she was on top of a building, with glowing eyes, as she aimed at the tail joints and fired her revolver. The bullet hit each joint spot, causing the joints to break off. The shard dropped as a gateway appeared midair, catching it and falling into Coral's hand. She tossed it to Beat, who flew nearby and caught it. She flew to Twilight and the others and threw it. Twilah grabbed the shard as she could feel herself getting warmer. As the area started to become a prism around her and Twilight, reality started to fall apart around her. "What's going on?" questioned Cadance as she saw the weird events around her. Soon, the shards started to fuse and create a rainbow pillar, blinding everyone, but Alex could hear a voice in her radio ear set as her radio was working again. "What? Yeah, I can hear you! "What!" shouted Alex as she looked out of the dome glass window and saw missiles heading their way. "WE GOT MISSILE HEADING OUR WAY! FUCKERS, LAUNCH THEM EARLY!" Everyone heard her, causing Twilight to take action, but she stopped as Three touched her shoulder. "You need to head home! This isn't your problem. It's ours." "But what about..." "It's okay. My mother wanted me to be a hero. Wanda did her part, and now it's mine turn!" said Three as she opened her wings and jetted off to the airlock, putting on a space helmet. Soon, Twilight and Twilah could feel their very existence being torn apart and merging before finally disappearing into the rainbow pillar. Three had a space suit on now. She was looking at a photo she took out of her robotic backpack and smiled as the airlock opened. end of Chapter 4
Chapter 3 What are you talking about?" demanded Twilah. "Why do you look like me? Are we in another universe?" asked Twilight as she looked around and saw brick walls surrounding the garden. "In a way, yes, but no. This is "her" memory. Memories of the past. You're seeing what she keeps holding on to. This place is her world," explained the new Twilight. "Who are you? Other than looking like me, of course." "My name is Nightfall. I'm an entity created by "her" as her last dying hope. Hope to be free from the darkness and pain." explained Nightfall, as the place flickered into a destroyed version for a mere second. "Free from her pain?" asked Twilight. "Yes, you see, "she" isn't in the best state. She's been hurt and scarred by her actions. Trauma from her past and harsh reality is slowly consuming her as the Chaos Slime keeps infecting her mind. I was made to help her be free from all of it. I gave you my name, but I was with you as you were teleported to that universe. I'm the shard you hold. We're the reason you're both here. Well, mostly me." "You mean, you're the reason why we're stuck in this mess?" shouted Twilah as she stepped forward, but Twilight stopped her. "Calm down; I'm sure there's a reason." "There is. We're doing it to help her. She can't go on any longer and must be set free, or everything will break for her. It's why we're here. To give her peace and finally set her soul to rest." "Wait, wait, wait, who's this "we" you keep saying?" "Why the other shard, of course? She's also why your friend went through this same thing. Of course, she's going by Blitz now, and she's going alone without me," sighed Nightfall as she summoned a table with a tea set and three chairs. "Blitz?" said both girls, joining her at the table and taking their seats. "The other shard. She's also part of the reason why everything happened. She was the one who gave your static counterparts a piece of herself." "Can you explain this?" asked Twilight, still confused. "Also, what are you saying? I'm not making out what name you are telling us; it sounds like static." "Right, that's ours; let me explain," said Nightfall as she poured tea into the cups and took a sip. "When we were sent to your universe, and the blast went off, we became a part of you." Her" memories became a part of your memories, so some things got overwritten, and one was static. You must remember her by recovering more shards; some were left in other universes when she flew through them. With each jump, you'll recover memories of the person you forgot. See, if you remember her, you'll go home again." "Why don't you just tell us? It seems faster," said Twilah as she took her cup. "Static," replied Nightfall with a deadpan face. "Right..." whispered an embarrassed Twilah as she held her cup. "So, I'm guessing we're going to get a memory after this," said Twilight. "Yes, but remember this: each time you jump, "you" will start to merge and become a new you. Both of your memories will combine into one. In other words, a new you will emerge." "So, we won't be "us" anymore? Just one new us?" asked Twilight, as she felt scared of the idea. "Yes, I'm sorry, but don't worry. When that happens, I'll take the wheel during that time. I'll become the new you, and you will be part of me. Sharing the body." Twilah spat out her tea and quickly stood up in surprise and anger. "What?! You're not taking over my body!" "I'm not. We'll all be "you" for a while." "No, I can't believe this." "Please, you have to. I know it's scary, but trust me, this is the only way to end this madness and let her be free." "What madness? Who's "she"?" shouted Twilah. Nightfall was about to end when they all noticed the area was engulfed in a white light. "Great, we ran out of time for this talk. I'll tell you next time you jump, look for the shard. The shard you have will glow and lead you to the other piece. You It would be best if you hurried everything. She running out of time." "Wait, please! Who's she?" pleaded Twilight as Nightfall was slowly disappearing. "Just remember the person you forgot, "she said. You know her. You know her better than you think. Trust me, you'll be fine. Please, trust us." Nightfall pleaded, as Twilight nodded. "I'll try..." whispered Twilah. "Good, see you again," replied Nightfall as the white light enveloped everything, and everything went white. Soon, the light vanished as a static and glitchy landscape appeared and soon took form as a park with a running track, and not too far from it was a baseball field and stands. Twilah, wearing her middle school uniform, was heading to it, as it was a great day to read her book, and she was looking for a peaceful spot. She looked around and noticed some stands not too far from her, as it looked like no one was there, unlike the other places in the park. "Perfect!" thought Twilah as she made her way to the stands. She was about to go up on them but noticed someone sleeping in the middle area. She couldn't make out her face, as prism light effects were blocking her, but she could see the rest of her body. She was wearing jogging clothes, and her hair was chestnut brown. It also seemed she was the same age as her. Twilah was still determining if she should leave, but this was the only spot that was mostly empty. The park was pretty packed today so that she could have been better around large groups of people. So, she quietly walked up the bleachers, but she could hear the metal creek and shake with each step she took. "I hope the girl won't wake up from this," thought Twilah until the next step shook the bleachers. "Oh, shoot!" said Twilah. Once, she said that the girl had woken up from the noises and was confused about why Twilah was there. "What are you doing?" asked the girl as she saw Twilah's embarrassed look. "Um...nothing...just...going up? Sorry, did I wake you?" Twilah stuttered, not knowing if the girl was mad or not. "Nah, I was just taking a nap. I was planning on getting up anyway." "Um...Are you sure? You look exhausted; I can let you get some more rest." "Yeah, I'm good," yawned the girl as she got up, stretched her left arm up, and could feel the warmth of the afternoon on her body. Twilah could see the bit of muscle on the girl's arms. "Must work out," thought Twilah, amazed by her muscles and how young she was to have a build like that already. She kept staring until she realized what she was doing. She blushed and quickly said, "Okay." She went further up on the bleachers, sat down, and covered her face in the book. "Like a nice afternoon like this? To just read a book?" asked the girl as Twilah lowered her book and could see her looking at her with a smile and a bit of curiosity. "Yeah, I like reaTwilah thoughtaxing," said Twiovered her face again. "Sounds boring," teased the girl as she walked up to the seats and took a seat near Twilah. "B-b-b-boring? N-no. It's not boring; it's great!" stuttered Twilah as she lowered her book again, revealing her red face. She could see the girl trying to look at the book. "Well, what are you reading, if you don't mind me asking?" "Well, I was planning on reading this!" shouted Twilah as she held up the thick book with a blue cover and gold letters to the girl's face. "But I just started reading it." Twilah could see the girl was looking closer to the book and trying to understand as she tilted her head in confusion. "Um, that doesn't look like a normal book." "OH GOD, SHE THINKS I'M WEIRD!" Twilah thought as she screamed, but the girl didn't notice the distressed look on her face, so Twilah said, "Oh, well, it's not; it's a textbook on quantum mechanics." "Quantum...mechanics, you lost me at quantum," laughed the girl as she playfully bumped Twilah's shoulder. "Sorry, but it's cool to read," replied Twilah as she relaxed with the girl. Unlike the other girls she met at her new school, she wasn't being mean or anything. She was happy that the girl was excellent to her. "Yeah, yeah, so what's your name?" asked the girl as she lay back and looked at her with a friendly aura. "It's Twilah, Twilah Finkelstein." "Well, nice to meet you, Twilah. I'm-" Before the girl could say her name, static filled the area, and Twilah flickered to Twilight as if she were in another place but didn't question it. She could hear laughter from the ground and could see a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, but her face was covered with a prism of light. She could feel her mane was all messed up. Twilight was here to check on everything for Celestia's arrival, and she was looking for this mare. "Let me guess, you're static," questioned Twilight. "The one and only. Why have you heard of me?" proudly said the mare as she pounded her chest with pride. Twilight rolled her eyes and walked up to the mare. She didn't seem bad; she was just a bit loud but mostly friendly like the others. "I heard you were supposed to keep the sky clear," sighed Twilight. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the Princess sent me to check on the weather." "Oh, don't worry, it'll be as sunny as I am!" Twilight wasn't sure what the mare meant, but she wasn't sure if the mare could keep the skies clear, as clouds were still covering the sky. "Um, I'm not seeing any sun. You sure you're not?" Before Twilight could finish, the mare shot up and zoomed into the clouds, breaking them apart and clearing the skin, always wondered, and Twilight could see the sun. "Wow, that was fast!" said Twilight. "See, I told much I'm faster than most Pegasus. Weather clearing is great practice," said the mare, as she was proud of herself. "Practice? For what?" "The Wonderbolts! They will celebrate tomorrow, and I'm going to show Will!" Twilight could see the excitement on the mare's face, even though her face was covered with prism lights. She could tell how excited she was, but Twilight had never heard of the Wonderbolts. "So, uh, what are the Wonderbolts exactly?" The mare was shocked by her question and quickly answered, "You've never heard of Wonderbolts?" "Uh, no," replied Twilight, as she didn't understand the big deal. "Only the most awesome flyers in all of Equestria! They can do tricks. Spitfire's my hero! And I'm going to be part of the Wonderbolts someday." Twilight was surprised by this. This mare already had a goal in life, while Twilight didn't have one. She always wondered what she should do in life, as studying under Celestia was a lot of work but didn't mean much in the long run. It felt like something was missing from her life. Maybe Celestia was turned to her roommates? Once more, the world changed when static filled the memory. Twilight and Twilah flickered between them as they found themselves in a small library, putting back some books as they became Nightfall. Nightfall brushed off sweat and yawned; she was done with her job today and could finally relax. She put a closed sign on the door and headed to the backroom of the library, which was her home. The backyard was a large garden with a massive tree in the middle, and her backyard had other building walls that were completely enclosed. Her backyard had no windows other than the second door that led to the alleyway for her to throw away her trash. She was happy that her father built this place for her. He gave her the library once her mom passed away from a sickness. This was their home, and this garden was her mother's. "Mother, I finished cleaning and stocking the library. I'll go get dinner; is there anything else you want?" said Nightfall to no one. Nightfall walked up to the kitchen and made some leftovers and tea. She returned to her room with a book, placed it in the tray, and used her magic to carry everything to the tree, but stopped as she could see it was raining. She sighed as the weather pony was wrong about the weather forecast. She quickly used her magic to cast a rain shield over the food and walked outside, placing it next to the tree. Looking up at the sky, she could see the stars and the moon despite the rain. "Hello, mother. How are you? Father is still busy with the city, and we don't see each other much. I miss you so much." said Nightfall as she wiped a tear. She sat down, opened the book, and continued reading. The rain and wind blew gently, and the moonlight lit up the page. Nightfall smiled, drank her tea, and began to read. When she heard something next to her, she turned and took notice of a blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane wearing an ancient and damaged blue jacket. She looked badly hurt, with cuts and bruises on her. "WHO ARE YOU!" shouted Nightfall as she took the book and prepared it as a weapon, but she could see the mare wasn't reacting to the battle stance and just smiled as she spoke her name. "It's Rainbow..." spoke the mare as she fell to the ground, finishing by saying her name, "Sky." "Rainbow Sky?" said Nightfall as she lowered herself to the mare and could see she was knocked out. She checked her body and noticed a weird symbol on the back of the jacket. She felt like she had seen it before, maybe in a book. She used her magic to pick up the mare and slowly carry her into the house until she heard knocking at the alleyway door. She set her down on the kitchen floor and quickly ran to the door. She opened it and saw a big red earth pony with a yellow mane, as he was wearing a police officer uniform. "Whoa, hey, Big Max, anything wrong?" She smiled at Nightfall, as she had known this police officer for a while. "Hey, Night, I wondered if you've seen anyone in your alleyway. We thought we saw someone running in here. It's probably nothing, but I wanted to ensure everything was fine." "Somepony?" "Yeah, some vigilantes we have been dealing with have been taking down gangs and causing trouble in the poor section areas. We think she's in this area. It's a fast one, too. HaIt's fasto ca, tch." "Oh, well, no. I haven't seen her; thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to double-lock everything tonight. Be safe, ok?" She smiled at Nightfall as she closed the door and sighed. She needed to find out who this mare was and wanted to avoid getting involved with police work. Nightfall locked the door, but remember, the mare was back on her kitchen floor. "Oh no, Rainbow Sky. I'm so sorry!" cried Nightfall as she got the mare up, carried her to the couch, and placed her there. She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew she was severely hurt. Nightfall didn't have a medical book and didn't want to risk a trip to the doctor, as they could turn her in. She considered going to her father, but the police were there, as he was the city's mayor. Maybe later? She was curious if her dad could help her. Nightfall needed to figure out what to do. She decided to clean herself and try to stop the bleeding by using bandages. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'll try my best." Nightfall cried as she removed the damaged jacket, cleaned the wounds, and was about to wrap them when she suddenly saw them glow, healing quickly. Nightfall quickly didn't understand what she was looking at. This was magic, but there was no such thing as healing magic. The wounds closed, all the blood and dirt were gone, and the mare was perfectly healthy. "H-h-how is this possible?" asked Nightfall to herself. The mare suddenly started to wake up, saw the worried look on Nightfall's face, and smiled weakly. "Why are you smiling?" asked Nightfall, as she wasn't sure why this pony would be smiling. "I think I died and went to heaven because I saw an angel," weakly joked the mare as her smile grew. Nightfall could feel her cheeks getting red; no pony had ever called her that. She wasn't sure what to do. The memory froze as Twilight, Twilah, and Nightfall stepped into the memory. "Wow, that's corny," said Twilight as she shook her head. She quickly saw the other two, who seemed moved by it. "You guys found that sweet?" "Yeah," replied Nightfall, as she held her chest and blushed, as it was her memory after all. "W-well, n-no, not really," muttered Twilah, as her face was completely red. Twilight shook her head as the world was covered in a white void, but before it engulfed them, Twilight felt like she knew the blue Pegasus. The white void slowly disappeared, and Twilight could feel herself floating. She opened her eyes and could see she was in some room; it looked like it had the same-looking machines that the AI recovery room had, but not so advanced-looking. Still advanced enough for her. She soon realized that she, Twilah, who had not awakened yet, and stuff in the room were floating around. "What is going on?" said Twilight. She wasn't sure what was going on. She looked around for answers and saw a glass dome above them. She floated over to it and couldn't believe what she was seeing. In front of her eyes was a giant blue planet that didn't look like Equestria; none of the landmasses matched the map she saw in school or the royal palace. She wasn't sure where she was, but she was amazed by the planet's beauty, as she could see the night side of the earth, as the dark land had millions of lights. She was soon pulled out of her amazement when she heard a scream, which was from Twilah, who had finally awakened. "Twilight! Where are we? What's going on?" she shouted at Twilight and grabbed her tightly. "I-I-I don't know-" whispered Twilight, as she was still shocked by the planet but also by Twilah Twilah slowly let go and started to look around until she saw the dome window and looked into it, causing her to freak out again. "SPACE!? We're in space! OMG!" screamed Twilah. "We are? W-what's space?" asked Twilight, as she was trying to stay calm, but it wasn't working. "Huh? You don't know about space?" questioned Twilah as she looked at Twilight like crazy. "I guess not. "We only study stars, comets, and the moon, but not "space"?" "Ok, I need to stop freaking out. Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. See it at night; it's the darkness." explained Twilah. "Wow, so that's what the darkness is? Makes sense. I wonder if I could control this "space"?" questioned Twilight. "What? Control it? Like magic?" asked Twilah, as she wasn't sure what Twilight meant. "Yeah. Maybe I could. After all, I can control the sun and moon in my world," proudly said Twilight, but only to see Twilah slowly start freaking out again. "Are you alright, Twilah?" "You can control the sun and moon? Wait, what?" "Well, kinda. Princess Celestia, my mentor, and her sister, Luna, can and have taught me." "Wait, wait, wait, wait...wait! HOW! The sun is 93 million miles away! Its mass is two octillion tons! No one can move it!" shouted Twilah, as she was starting to freak out. Twilight could feel the sweat drop down her face. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Wasah, but no doubt the way she was freaking she was the same way she freaked out too. Freaked is her other universe self. "Okay, okay. Let's calm down, please," said Twilight as she tried to calm Twilah down. "CALM DOWN! I'M TALKING TO THE MOST POWERFUL BEING EVER! YOU CAN MOVE THE SUN AND THE MOON! WHAT? NEXT YOU'LL TELL ME YOU CAN MOVE THEM AROUND YOUR PLANET OR SOMETHING!?" Twilight gave a nervous smile and squeaked a small "Yes." "NO WAY! HOW!?" "Like I said, Celestia and Luna taught me..." "THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW! IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN IT, TWILIGHT!" "Um, how do you explain it? I use my magic." "YOU'RE USING MAGIC TO MOVE THEM? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!" "Impossible? Why is it impossible?" "Because it's not! NOT IN MY WORLD! THERE'S NO MAGIC!" "Huh?" "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC IN THIS WORLD, TWILIGHT!" "Wait...WHAT!? There is no such thing as magic! No magic?!" "NONE AT ALL!" shouted Twilah as she curled up in a ball and tried to understand everything. Twilight didn't understand. If magic doesn't exist in Twilah's world, how can the sun and moon move independently? Maybe it was some machine or something. But how? Magic is a power that can't be explained, like love, friendship, and even chaos. "So...no magic means no friendship, no love, no chaos?" asked Twilight, hoping her other self knew about the concepts. "What?" questioned Twilah, as she was confused by Twilight. "What does that mean? Friendship and chaos are things in my world. We use the terms in m, like family; any essential chaos is a mathematical concept from complex dynamics that describes interconnected dynamic systems whose behavior is highly sensitive to initial conditions, appearing to have a "random" or "unpredictable" nature. But friendship and love are more personal things, like family." "So...friendship is not something special?" Twilah sadly said. "No, why would it be? Friendship is a wonderful thing. Everyone needs friends, but it's not the most important thing in our lives." "Oh." Twilight wasn't sure what to do. It was shocking to hear that friendship isn't an essential concept in the Twilah world, but it was clear to her. She could see it in her face; Twilah was severe. Twilight was thinking back on her life, as her friendship with her friends, like family, was essential to her. Without her friends, she wouldn't be the pony she is today. "How...how is your life? I mean, without friendship?" asked Twilight, believing Twilah didn't care about friendship. "What? I have friends. Of course, I have friends, silly. Everyone has friends. But...I didn't for a long time," Twilah sadly said. "But you seem happy?" "Yeah, I do have friends now. And yes, I was happy, but...when I was a kid, I didn't have any friends. I was alone. No one wanted to play with me. No one wanted to hang out with me because I was too smart. It's a lonely world out there." "You... didn't have any friends?" "Yeah, for a long time, I didn't. And...I started to believe it was okay; I was alone. It was even hard to talk to my family, as they didn't understand me or what I was going through. They only cared that I got good grades and became the next Einstein or William James Sidis. Even my brother started to disown me because our parents didn't give him enough attention. He told me I was ruining his life. I was truly alone," cried Twilah as she curled up more. Twilight wasn't sure what to say; she wasn't expecting to hear her other self's past. "So...what happens?" "My parents wanted to send me to a rich, fancy middle school, but I fought with them about it, and I wanted to go to a normal school for once. It took a long time, but they agreed, and that's where I met my friends—the girls." "Girls?" "Yeah. The girls who helped me." "Who are they?" "Their names are Penny, AJ, Faith, and Rachel. Penny is a hyper one, but she's funny." Twilight kept quiet as she listened. She could only nod and cry, as she knew. Knowing that Twilah met "them," she was glad that her friends would always be connected to her, even in another universe. "And then Penny somehow replaced the school swimming pool with Jello and Twilight?" "Yeah..." "Are you alright? Why are you crying?" asked Twilah as she noticed the tears in Twilight's eyes. "Nothing." "No, it's not nothing. I didn't mean to make you cry." "It's not that. It's just that the girls you met...are my friends in my universe, too." "Wait, what? How?" "I don't know how, but we are connected. No matter the universe, The girls..." "Wow..." "I'm happy that you have them now." "Yeah, I do..." The two didn't speak as they floated in the room until Twilah spoke again. "I remember my first friend. She was the reason I came out of my shell. She was the reason I wasn't alone." "Oh?" "I remember that day. I was so scared and nervous, but I did it." "At the park, right?" said Twilight as she remembered that memory. It was like Nightfall told them; their memories were becoming one. "Yeah, the person I forgot... I don't remember her name or face; even some memories of her are gone, but I still remember her. She's why I had friends and my life was better. She and the girl were the reason I could speak to my family. I remember a bit of how she acted. It's hard to explain, but I remember she's very outgoing, cocky, brash, and an idiot." Twilight could see her smiling, but it differed from when she talked about her friends. It was a different kind of smile; it was the smile of a person with feelings. "It's weird to think that someone who is cocky and an idiot is the reason you have friends." "I know. It's hard to understand, but without her, Iere." "She sounds without hers like a great friend. I think we're the same." "The same?" "I didn't have any friends either because I believed it wasn't important. Until I met the girls and truly understood what friendship is, But just like you, I had a friend who's cocky, brash, and sometimes an idiot." Twilah could see Twilight laugh and smile; it was the same look when she talked about her friends. "But I don't remember her face...or hardly anything about her," whispered Twilight as she looked at Twilah. "So...maybe we forgot the same person then. Each other's counterparts version of said person." "I guess..." The room went silent again until Twilight spoke up. "But we're different, though. You and I." "Huh?" "We're different. We might share some things, but we're still different." "How? Other than me not having god-level magic?" joked Twilah. "No one is the same; even if we're the same person, we're different. You're a different person than me. Like the pony I hardly remember, I still remember her as a great friend, but you? You still remember your friend because you love her." "Love her? She's a friend; I don't have feelings for her," said Twilah as she went red, turning. "I can see it. You do," said Twilight in a deadpan tone and stare. "I-I-I d-do n-not." "Ok, if you don't, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume things, even though it's clear as day." said Twilight as she looked away. "I do not have feelings for her! She's a friend, my friend! It's not like that!" shouted Twilah as she finally uncurled herself and waved her hands around. "Sure..." "I don't," cried Twilah as she grabbed Twilight and spun her to face her. "Then why is your face so red? And why are you freaking out?" replied Twilight with a cold stare. "I-I'm not!" Twilah said as she started to sweat. "If you weren't, you wouldn't act like this." "I-" "And you wouldn't have that look." "Look?" "You have a crush on her. Just admit it!" "NO, I DON'T!" shouted Twilah as she tackled and hugged Twilight, and they spun around as they floated in the same spot, laughing. "Admit it, you're in love with her." "No, I'm not! Why would I?" "Because you love her. You can't hide it. Not from me. We're the same person. So, admit it, Twilah!" "I'm not admitting anything!" smiled Twilah as Twilight smiled back. Suddenly, they could hear a muffled voice in a pile of papers. Both girls searched through it, soon finding a long-stick device. "Um, Twilah? What's this?" asked Twilight as she held it up and looked at it. "I'm not sure. It doesn't look like anything from my world, but it's probably a radio. Maybe pressing this button will..." As soon as she pressed the button, they could hear a voice. A hologram screen appeared, and a familiar face for Twilah appeared. Twilight put the screen up to her face. "Wanda! Why is the gravity still on? It's making it hard to fight these horses!" said a blond-haired female cowboy, as she had a robotic arm, and on that arm was a shield, as she was blocking laser fire and shooting back with an old revolver. "I don't know. It's easy for me!" shouted a blue ponytail-haired woman; she was wearing a white DJ outfit in which she was carrying a DJ turntable and flying around with a hoverboard that hoverboard speaker as she blasted laser sound waves from her turntable at whatever was attacking them. "JACKPOT BABY, WOOOOOOOOO!" The cowboy sighed as she turned back to the screen and spoke, "Wanda, where are you? We need your help! We can't keep doing this forever, and I can't reach the others back on earth. What's go-" "AJ! AJ!? Come in!" asked Twilah as she ran up and pressed her face close to the screen. "What!? Who are you, and where did Wanda go?" asked the cowboy as she looked around. "AJ? AJ, it's me! Twilah!" "What, who?! How do you know my name? And where is Wanda?" Twilight pushed Twilah away, and she could see the cowboy smiling at her as she entered the frame of the video call. "Wanda! Who's the girl, and why is she rocking your hair?" asked the cowboy before the screen went static as something hit the device on the cowboy's end. "Same hair?" questioned Twi. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot! I was so amazed by the world outside that I forgot to tell you. Here, look!" explained Twilight as she picked up a shiny metal panel and put it near Twilah's face. "...what?" whispered Twilah as she noticed she had long hair now, moderate purand, and brilliant raspberry streaks running down her hair. "WHAT!it]https:!?i.ibb.co/Zc8vJV4/ch13.jpg "I was so shocked when I first saw you. Your hair is the same as mine now. Maybe this is what Nightfall meant." Before Twilah could say anything, the door opened, and he could see someone pointing two blue futuristic machine guns at them. end of chapter 3
Chapter 5 Twilight and Twilah found themselves back in Nightfall's garden as she was waiting by the tree. "Welcome back." "Nightfall? We're back again," questioned Twilah "Yes, and we have no time. You both must find the next shard." "Why? What's going on? Wasn't you going to tell us who "she" is?" Nightfall looked away as she thought to herself. "I'm sorry," said Nightfall as she turned around. "Not yet..." "Why not!" shouted Twilah. "We're jumping to different universes for these rocks, and look at me! I'm starting to change!" Twilah pointed to her once short black hair, which became long purple, just like Twilight's mane. "The multiverse is going to die. The longer the "she" lasts, the worse the multiverse will become. I'm sorry, but please. Find the shards and return," said Nightfall before she started to disappear. Twilah hurried to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please, Night, what's going on? Don't you trust us!" Twilight hurried over and asked the same question, making Nightfall look away in shame. "Night, please. What is happening? Why can't you tell us?" Nightfall looked away as she felt guilty. "I can't. It's just..." "We can handle anything! Just tell us! We're "you" after all, right?" Nightfall looked at them and hugged them. "I'm sorry, but this is the way things are. If you know the truth, will you still help "her"? Even the things she did, all the lives she took" Twilah looked down and was quiet. Twilight soon spoke up. "I won't abandon my friends and family. No matter the things they do, I know there is good in everyone." Nightfall looked at Twilight and whispered, "I was with you back there. Do you believe that about humans? Didn't you call them monsters?" Twilight looked down as she remembered what she said to Twilah angrily, but she learned that there are good humans. It's why Three showed her that, even telling how Wanda met good people on Earth. Twilight even met a good human, her human counterpart. She wanted to look at her, but she felt shame. How could Twilah forgive her? "Twilah, I'm sorry about what I said. I was angry. You have every right to be upset and." "No," said Twilah. "What?" "Don't be sorry about how you felt! You have every right to be mad. We humans are fucking sh*t! I've seen it too. Humans hurt others because they think they are better than them. We can't all be good, but we can't all be bad either. There's good in people. I saw it and felt it—the love between family and friendship all of them. The best of humans come out when they want to protect and help. They will do anything to help those they love, even die." said Twilah as she placed a hand on Twilight's head. "Never regret telling your feelings, Twilight. as a pony or human. Your feelings are your own and never be ashamed of them. It's what she told me." Twilight and Nightfall could see tears coming from her eyes as she said those words. Nightfall wiped her tears for her. "I'm sorry for what you went through when you were young. You finally stood up to them because the one you loved helped you," said Nightfall as she hugged her, causing Twilah to turn red. "I don't know what you mean." Nightfall smirked while Twilight rolled her eyes. "Really? Are you going to keep denying it? Even after this?" giggled Twilight as she bumped Twilah's side. "I don't love her that way!" shouted Twilah, embarrassed. "You don't love her?" questioned Nightfall as she looked at her. "Well, I do love her, but not like that! She's a good friend. Nightfall and Twilight looked at each other and smiled, knowing she did indeed love her in that way. Twilah asked why they were smiling like that. "She destroys my universe," whispered Nightfall as she finally started to vanish. "Wait, Night! Who is "she"?!" shouted Twilight "Night, wait!" shouted Twilah, but it was too late; she was gone as the white void engulfed them. The white void vanished, and Twilah could see she was back in her bedroom as she looked around. She could make everything out of her room as she left it. Her clothes were neat and clean as they hung in the closet, and her small bookshelf was filled with her favorite books. She looked at her nightstand and could see a picture frame. She walked over and picked it up. It was a picture of her and her friends. It was the last year in middle school, and they went to the town lake. She could see all the photos she took with her friends over the years, as they all hung around the desk wall and reached her bed wall. She could only smile even harder as she noticed most was her and the girl she had forgotten. She sat the frame down and walked out of her room to the kitchen, where she could hear voices from the living room. She could hear her father and mother talking about her. "Her grades haven't been improving! The doctors said she's a genius, so why aren't her grades going up? Is she sick?" "Sweetheart, the doctors said her brain is fine. She's just bored. We should take her to another school where her mind can be challenged." "I agree; maybe keeping away from those friends can help. Especially away from that tomboy friend. Ever since they met, Twilah has changed. Her grades haven't gone up; she talks so much now. What happened to our shy and smart daughter, huh?" "I'm sure it's just a phase. Our daughter is much more mature than those "people," I'm sure she'll change when she leaves that school next year." Twilah's heart was pounding as she could feel her rage rising, but her anger was replaced with sadness as she heard her parents say that. They truly never understood her, and she was getting sick of it. She walked into the living room and saw her parents sitting on the couch and talking about her while watching TV. She quickly walked past them but felt her arm being grabbed by her father, who asked where she was going and why she was crying. Twilah pulled away her arm and looked at them. "If you're wondering, I was listening. You're right; my grades aren't improving, but you're wrong about my friends being terrible influences on me. The girls have shown me the world and how amazing and beautiful it is. Even more, they accepted me for who I am, unlike you. Always want me to be someone else and never accept me." "Dear, what are you talking about? Your parents love you very much." "You don't fucking act like it!" shouted Twilah. "You watch your tone. I'm your father! See! It's the damn tomboy and her big mouth causing our daughter to act like this!" "You don't act like one. You never truly want to listen to me, and you know what? You are right; she taught me to swear! Like FUCK! BITCH! ASSHOLE! COCK SUCKER!" shouted Twilah. Her father looked angry as he rose from his chair and was about to strike her, but Twilah could easily dodge the fist as it flew past her face. Her father was shocked by her speed as she smiled at him. "She also taught me to be a runner. You should thank her." Twilah ran past him, as her parents could only look at her as she ran to the door. She opened the door and looked at them. "Least my friends and family treat me like their daughter... Why can't you guys?" said Twilah before running out and shutting the door behind her. Twilah ran as fast as she could. Her parents never called after her, and she didn't care; she was glad she didn't see them right now. She soon calmed down and was walking down the street until she ended up at a house—a house she'd been to so many times. She walked up and knocked on the door. Soon, an older woman with light brown hair and a casual outfit answered the door and smiled at her. "Oh, Twilah, sweetie, I knew you'd be coming since the rest of the girls are here. Come in, I'll call you down." "Thanks," said Twilah. Twilah entered the house and was in the living room. She could hear the woman calling her daughter and saying Twilah was there. Soon, both could hear laughter from the girls and someone running to their room. "I swear that girl always has so much energy when you are around. You can go to her room. Stay for dinner; I'm making homemade mac and cheese!" said the mother. "Thank you." Twilah headed up the stairs and could hear noise from the bathroom and the bedroom. She walked into the bedroom and saw the girl she had forgotten. She was wearing a T-shirt, Blue Angles, and blue shorts when she noticed Twilah in the room. "H-Hey!" said the girl as she hid her hair with a baseball cap and tried to act cool. "Hey yourself, Are you okay?" asked Twilah, with worry in her tone. "Y-Yeah! I'm fine! Just fine!" "Really?" "Of course! Why wouldn't I be!?" "You've been stuttering and hiding your hair." The girl sighed as she removed her hat, revealing her freshly dyed hair, and blushed. "I got my hair dyed! "Do you like it?" Twilah didn't say a word as she walked over and ran her hand through the girl's hair. The girl could feel her heart beating fast. Twilah could feel the warm, wet hair and could slowly see the girl's eyes as the prism lights were slowly fading. She smiled at her. "You know I like rainbows, silly; of course I like them." "O-Oh, yeah. Heh. Sorry, forgot." happily spoke to the girl, as she had the biggest grin. "But also weird that you dyed it in a rainbow, though," laughed Twilah as she could see the girl freaking out in embarrassment. Twilah watched as the girl tried to explain why she dyed it a rainbow, but Twilah wasn't listening as she remembered what her father had said about the girl. She looked at the girl and couldn't understand how anyone could call her a tomboy when she could be girly or have a big mouth. She's always happy, energetic, and fun to be around. Twilah always wonders why her family doesn't like the girl and her family. She could remember what her mom said—something about her parents not wanting the girl's father or something—and the two families not liking each other, but Twilah could care less. The girl was her friend, and nothing would stop them from being together. She started to cry, as she didn't want to lose her or the rest of her friends. "You made her cry!" said a strong voice behind Twilah, who could see her friends in the doorway. She asked the girl what she had said or done to make her cry. "I didn't do anything!" said the girl as she waved her hands. "She didn't do anything. It was my parents," cried Twilah as she dropped to the floor and started crying. Soon, she could feel someone wrapping their arms around her and comforting her. It was the girl, hugging her as she told her, "Did they hurt you again? Did your fucking father try to hit you?" Twilah could only bury her face in the girl's chest and cry. Cry her heart out. As the girl was holding her, all her friends soon came in and asked what was going on and if they were okay. Twilah could only cry in the girl's chest, not wanting to move. "I told them how I feel," whispered Twilah, as she soon felt the girl's hand stroking her head. "Never regret telling your feelings, Twi. Your feelings are your own and never be ashamed of them. I never regret sharing my feelings, and neither should you. You're the best and the brightest. Remember that. Nothing will change that, not your family or anyone," whispered the girl as she kissed her forehead. "Thanks," whispered Twilah as she hugged her. Soon, her friends joined in the hug, and they all cried with her, comforting her and telling her how much they loved her. Soon, the world glitched out, and Twilight found herself chasing after some pony. "I'm sorry about all that! We didn't mean to overwhelm you!" shouted Twilight as she tried to catch up to the mare she had forgotten as they flew above the clouds. "It's okay. You were trying to help. It's just too bad I'm too dumb to learn anything." Sadly, the mare said as she slowed down, letting Twilight see that her face was covered in prism effects. As they kept flying, the memory quickly flashed back to the Twilah world as she walked rather than flying with the girl from before. It suddenly flashed back to them flying, but it was Twilah instead of Twilight, as she had purple wings. "You are not dumb! You learn differently!" "If by "differently" you mean "not at all," then you're right." "No, that's wrong!" said Twilah as she put her hand on the mare's side. See? Wrong again," sighed the mare as she was being stupid again. "I don't know anyone who's read more Daring Do books than you." "Well, that won't get me into the Wonderbolts." Twilah panicked at the mare's response, "And your knowledge of jokes and pranks is only rivaled by Pinkie." "Great. My years as a class clown prevented me from learning how to learn!" yelled the mare as she threw her hooves in the air. "That's not what I meant. You're smart, creative, inventive, and—" softly said Twilah before another static flashed between the Twilight and Twilah worlds. Twilight was in Twilah's world, but it was nighttime as they were walking down a sidewalk, and she jumped in front of the human girl with her arms out so she wouldn't pass her. "Cool! You are amazing; you can run like the wind! When you do, that's when I see you being you. Nothing can hold you back. It's beautiful. You're beautiful," softly cried Twilight as she lowered her arms. You are smart. You'll pass the test. I know you can. So please stop saying you're dumb or useless."Twilight started to cry. That's not like you." The rainbow-haired girl's heart started to beat fast, and as she was lost for words, she also began to tear up. "Twi..." "If you need help, why didn't you ask me? The girls and I are always here for you! I'M HERE FOR YOU!" The girl could only watch Twilight, tears flowing from her eyes. She was shocked to hear her say that and didn't know what to say. Twilight quickly ran to the girl and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. "Why? You always tell me to speak my mind and tell others how I feel, but you never do that yourself. You never tell me what's wrong! Am I a bad friend? Do you not trust me?" "NO!" yelled the girl as she pulled away from Twilight and grabbed her shoulders. "You're an amazing friend, Twilight. You are my best friend, and I care about you very much. So much! That I...I" The girl was starting to have a panic attack. She couldn't express her feelings because the words were stuck in her throat. She kept trying to speak those three words but couldn't, yelling at herself, asking why it was so hard. This left Twilight confused and unable to understand what the girl wanted to tell her. The girl could only shake her head and walk off. "I'll be okay. I need a breather, Twilight." "Okay..." said Twilight as she looked on as the girl walked away. The world glitched out as Twilah found herself in the air, and the blue pegasus mare pushed her. "Ugh! Hey! I know you're upset, but you don't need to—" Twilah stopped as she saw a helicopter pass them. "Whoa, I almost slammed into that!" "I know. You were babbling on so much you didn't even notice," replied the mare as she returned to flying. "But how did you notice? You were listening and talking to me the whole time!" asked Twilah as she caught up to her. The mare smiled as she crossed her arms and said, "Ha-hah, you're such a rookie. An experienced flyer like me knows how to multitask." "While you fly?" "It's essential! Yes, I was paying attention to you, but I was also scanning the sky and the ground for any problems." "Really?" "Flying's not just flying! To stay safe in the sky, I've got to hear and see everything, down to the littlest details. For instance, I saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo come out of Sugarcube Corner; from their appearance, they had carrot cupcakes with sprinkles. And I think Big Mac sold a huge order of apples to Filthy Rich 'cause I heard him give a very hearty "Eeyup." I always make a note of everything when I fly. No biggie," answered the mare as she looked at the ground below them. "Oh, my gosh!" shouted Twilah as she realized it. "What?" "Gotta go!" said Twilah as she was about to take off but heard the mare talking. She turned to her. "Yeah, I get it. I wouldn't want to hang out with a loser like me, "the mare groans sadly. Twilah quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and looked straight at her. "That's not true at all. You're not a loser. You're smart and wonderful. You are so special. You are my best friend, and I love you." softly said Twilah as she hugged her. The mare could only blink at Twilah as tears started to form in her eyes. "I should have seen it sooner! I should have listened to you. We need to do it; do it your way of learning! You are smart. You will pass the test! Don't give up on your dream!" shouted Twilah. The mare pushed her away and sighed, "Twi, give it up! I have..." Twilah shook her head and shouted back. "No! I won't! You're the most amazing and smartest mare I know. Your skills and talent are incredible! I believe in you! You can learn and pass that test! Trust me! Please! I'm not lying to you!" The mare's eyes started to water, and she couldn't help but smile at Twilah. "Okay, let's do it your way." "No, not my way. Your way!" smiled Twilah as she grabbed her hoof and started flying back to her friends. She turned back and saw the prism lights fading from the mare's face, almost revealing her face. "Thank you, Twilah," said the mare as she flickered between her human counterparts. Suddenly, the memory glitched out as the world became the large garden with the massive tree in the middle again. As Twilight and Twilah flickered between the two until they became Nightfall again, she found Sky all beat up again, but this time, her wounds weren't healing like before, like how she found her a year ago. So, she was treating her wounds this time. "This isn't like you, you know?" angrily said Nightfall as she put the ice pack on Sky's face. "Why are you doing the whole "this is my turf" stuff again?" Sky said nothing as she hid her face under the ice pack. "You're not going to tell me? Fine, be like that!" Nightfall angrily yelled as she stormed off to the kitchen to grab something off the table. "You're good at pushing me away, you know. Every time I try to get close to you, you push me away. Why? Did I do something to upset you?" "No," quietly said Sky. "Then why are you pushing me away? Why are you closing yourself off again? Tell me..." Sky could only stare at Nightfall as she was begging her. "Just say something! Anything! Just talk to me." "It's more than "gang" stuff... It's stuff from my past. I wish to forget stuff, but it keeps haunting me. Keep finding me, and it wants to hurt me. I'm trying to protect you and us from it. It wants to hurt us." Nightfall could see the fear in her eyes and couldn't help but reach her hoof and place it on Sky's cheek. "It's okay. We will handle it together. No matter what, we will always be together, forever and ever," said Nightfall as she kissed her nose. "I know you are scared, Sky. I'm scared, too. I don't want to lose you either. We'll figure this out. Together." Sky could only smile at her and nod. "Tell me, what's going on? Let me help you. You always help me. Now let me help you. Talk to me. You are not alone anymore. We are together." Sky smiled and nodded her head. "Okay..." "Good," smiled Nightfall. "...Nightfall. Remember the war between the sisters and their kingdom? The one you told me when we had that walk?" asked Sky. "Yeah, of course I do," said Nightfall as she was getting ready. "Well, the thing is, I was in that war, and I was in that final battle that ended both sides." "W-what!? But how is that possible? That war happened 1000 years ago!" said Nightfall in shock as she almost fell. "I'm not joking, Nightfall. I'm being serious here. You think I would lie about something like this?" sadly asked Sky. "N-no. It's just. It's ridiculous! This is insane!" yelled Nightfall. She couldn't believe what she heard as she saw Sky returning to the couch and sitting down. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But I'll explain," Sky softly said as she patted the space beside her. Nightfall could only nod her head and sit down next to Sky. "I'll tell you everything. I don't remember much of my life before becoming a living weapon." "Weapon?" asked Nightfall. Sky closed her eyes, and five rainbow halos appeared behind her back. Soon, within her chest was a blue orb that glowed brightly. Nightfall didn't know what it was, but she could see Sky's scared look, like she was afraid Nightfall would run off or become scared of her. So she held Sky's hoof tightly and looked straight into her eyes. "Go on," softly said Nightfall. "Thank you," softly said Sky. The memory froze as the three walked and stood before the frozen picture within the white void. "That orb—isn't that an element of harmony? Loyalty?" Twilight asked herself as she saw the blue orb shining brightly. "She said a living weapon? What does that mean?" asked Twilah. "She's a living bioweapon. The Elements of Harmony created super soldiers called the Final Harmony. The soldiers were used to fight the Luna Kingdom, as Celestia was tired of fighting and wanted to end the war. She told me that she's was the final prototype and the only one to be created. She didn't tell me everything. There's a lot she is hiding," whispered Nightfall as she stared at the memory. "She was created as a weapon? A living one. And Celestia made her a killer? To wipe out her enemies?" asked Twilight in great confusion, as her Celestia wouldn't do that. "Yeah, she was created to fight and kill. However, during the final battle, she finds that Luna uses a black slime to increase her power. Sky wiped out the whole kingdom to save the world from that evil...until she found out that Cetestia had recovered some of it and was doing the same thing as her sister. Sky did the same thing; she wiped out another kingdom, killed another ruler, and killed a whole population of ponies," softly said Nightfall. Twilight's eyes widened, and her breath got caught in her throat. "No..." "She killed them...she carried that reality and pain for 1000 years...she was all alone, and she didn't trust anyone. She was lonely. She had no one, and she didn't want to risk it. She didn't want anyone to suffer like her, as she had the blood of two kingdoms of ponies on her hooves." Twilah's eyes widened as she looked over to Nightfall, who entered the memory and placed her hoof on Sky's cheek. "But she risked it with me...she was afraid to tell me about her past and her pain. But she did. She didn't have to. I wish she didn't because it pains me, and I don't like seeing her like this...being alone...in the darkness..." Soon, Sky's body started to turn to burned remains, while her other self turned to ashes as the memory world was burned away. Everything was on fire, and five rainbow halos were in the sky. "You have to remember..." whispered Nightfall as she saw a slime pony in front of her and could hear crying. "What's happening?" asks Twilah. "This current memory is playing, and it's her pain. It pains her," softly said Twilight. Nightfall slowly walked toward the slime pony, which was crying. Soon, the slime pony stood up, and it was taller than her and looked down on her. "Remember her. The real her," cried Nightfall. The slime pony soon started to cry as it spoke on a damaged-sounding radio. "Blitz is coming to save me." Nightfall closed her eyes and shook her head in sadness like it wasn't the answer she wanted. "No, that's wrong; that's not "her." The real her You can remember. Don't let her screw with your memories anymore. Sky isn't herself anymore; "she" changed her like she wanted. I can sense it. Please remember her; remember who you are!" cried Nightfall. Soon, the world was engulfed in whiteness as the girls could hear the slime pony's voice again. "...then hurry; Blitz and the others are almost here. We're running out of time." The whiteness vanished as Twilah opened her eyes and found herself in a library. She was in shock as she saw how weird this library was. It almost looked like magic, as the room's reality was distorted, and the shelves were endless, covering an endless hallway. "Twilah?" Twilah turned and saw Twilight on the floor, but something was wrong with her. Her lower half was fading away. "What's going on?" asked Twilah as she quickly ran to her and held her. "I don't know, but what's with you?" asked Twilight as she pointed to Twilah's forehead. "What?" Twilah touched her head and could feel a horn, but she could feel her fingers phasing through it. Soon, she could feel something within her head as her see-through horn released magic energy and shot purple beams everywhere. Twilah cried not in pain but out of fear. "T-Twilah!" asked Twilight in concern. "I can't control it!" cried Twilah. Suddenly, a magical door appeared and opened, and a buff and tall woman was walking out with ponytail rainbow hair and a janitor outfit. She dropped her bucket of water as she saw Twilah and the magic she was releasing. "COME ON! I JUST CLEANED THIS PLACE!" yelled the janitor as she walked over to a wall, broke a glass case, took out a magical cape, and placed it around Twilah's forehead, stopping the magical outburst. "There, now you can calm down, huh?" "W-who are you?" Twilah asked, holding the cape on her head. The woman was staring at her. "Looking at you and your pony friend..." the janitor sighed as she pressed her fingers between her eyes. "Another multiverse crisis again? Where is Sue? SUE! COME OUT!" Nothing. No one answered her call, making her freak out a bit. "Sue!? Come on, Sue! Stop playing around! We have work to do!" "Who is this Sue you are calling for?" asked Twilight. The janitor turned to Twilight and quickly returned to Twilah, took out a magical box, started chanting some magical words, and blasted the room with time magic. Soon, all three could see a young woman who looked like Twilah, wearing a dark purple witch outfit and removing her hood while reading a book until her cape turned to wings and pointed above them. Soon, a rainbow light engulfed her, and Twilah and Twilight appeared. "Oh, that's not good," whispered the janitor as she turned to the girls. "This is very bad." Soon, a massive door with locks and chains appeared before them. It started to bang hard, as whatever was on the other side was trying to get out—or in. "We need to hide, now!" yelled the janitor as she grabbed Twilah and Twilight and rushed through the library. Soon, they could hear the door breaking down, and a loud voice could be heard. "I'm free, Dr. Sue Wonder, and I'm coming to collect that debt!" a strong and kind female voice echoed across the infinite library. "Dr. Wonder?" whispered Twilah as she could see blue stars and smoke filling the area. "That's right! You're going to pay!" Suddenly, appearing through the smoke, was a tall, light blue-haired woman. She was wearing the same outfit that the other witch had, but it was dark blue, and a very big blue witch hat. On her side was a sword made up of the star constellations of Ursa Major. She was looking very angry, as her left eye was blind and covered by an eye patch, and she had a scar on her face. "Where is Dr. Wonder?" demanded the blue witch. "Oh, hey, Dr. Amazement..." awkwardly smiled the janitor. "IT'S THE GREAT AND POWERFUL DR. AMAZEMENT!" shouted Amazement as she summoned a neon sign of her stage name. Both Twilight and Twilah realized who this universe counterpart was and shouted their universe counterpart names. "Trixie!" "Trixy!" end of chapter 5
Chapter 6 "IT'S AMAZEMENT! DR. AMAZEMENT!" shouted Amazement. She tapped and pointed to her sign and heard the girls calling her a different name. "Anyway, look, Sue isn't here, but..." Amazement raised her sword as she was ready to attack, but the janitor quickly summoned her mop broom and blocked it, then swatted the sword away. Amazement fell on her back and hit her head on the ground, making her dizzy. "owie!" The janitor grabbed the girls again and booked them out of there while Amazement recovered, got back up, and puffed her cheeks angrily. "I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" Twilah looked back and saw Amazement chasing after them. The janitor couldn't stop, so they had to escape by jumping over the bookshelves and stepping on floating books as the witch followed them. Twilight didn't like this. She had to do something, but she was feeling weak as her lower half was disappearing. "Twilah..." whispered Twilight as she tried to hang on to the janitor, who took notice that Twilight was in trouble. Twilah dropped her and turned around. "What are you doing?" Twilah asked as she got off the floor and watched the two as Amazement was gaining on them. "The universe is erasing your friend. I need to find that item that Sue kept!" the janitor answered as she did hand symbols and mystic words and pictures appear before her. "No, it's not in there or in there." "WHAT!" asked Twilah as she watched the weird things happen. Amazement was catching up as she was ready to stab the three with her sword. "Damn it, Sue! Why do you keep leaving everything as a mess in the freaking index?" shouted the janitor. Twilah was freaking out when she saw Twilight looking so weak and disappearing in the arm of the weird magical janitor. She felt so powerless and useless. She was scared and confused and couldn't understand why she had a unicorn horn now, but maybe it had to do with Nightfall. The only thing she could do was stand there and watch until her body began to glow. "What?" Twilight watched as Twilah's body glowed, making a purple light as she looked at an image of a memory. A memory of her finding the "spark" and releasing the element of magic and combining the elements to release the magic of friendship "Twilah..." weakly said Twilight as she could see the girl's fear. She tried to reach out but couldn't. The janitor noticed Twilight's movement and soon felt the most potent magical level she had ever sensed as an earring on her right ear scattered. She thought it was Sue, but this was going beyond her power level. Even Amazement noticed the power and stopped as they both saw the girl hovering in the air, surrounded by a magical purple aura and her eyes glowing bright white. They could see the cape of magic of control being overwhelmed by the Twilah magical horn and burned away. "What the...?" said the janitor. "Spark...of magic...is what it's called..." weakly said Twilight as she felt the power in the air. "Huh?" asked the janitor as she looked at Twilight and back to Twilah. "She released the magic of friendship. That's what she's releasing," softly said Twilight. Twilah didn't know what was going on, but she knew one thing: She was scared. She didn't know if she was going to make it. Her vision was blurring, and her mind was screaming. Her horn was sparking and soon blasting out mini rainbow beams, which started to burn and destroy the area around everyone. "SHIT!" shouted Amazement as she was sent flying away and disappearing into a doorway, which closed and vanished. Twilight didn't know what to do, as she watched the magic energy engulfed Twilah. Her body became unstable, as she had never used magic before. Worse, it was the magic of the elements of harmony and friendship. She could see it was slowly killing her. The janitor quickly summoned a time spell as an hourglass appeared in her hand, and she ran to Twilah. "W-what are you doing?" asked Twilight as she saw the janitor casting a spell with the hourglass. "This is bad! We're dealing with unknown and powerful magic! If I don't hurry, it'll destroy the great library and New York City!" The janitor chanted the spell as the hourglass filled with magical energy, and it released a massive power that made the floor crack. Twilight could see clock numbers on the floor starting to spin as the spell activated, making the bookcase's world disappear as it became a silver void space. "No, not now!" cried the janitor as she grabbed the hourglass with both hands, dropped Twilight on the floor, and pressed her face against the glass. She could feel the new magical energy but was overwhelmed by the amount she needed to counter. "I'm too late," sighed the janitor as she fell to the ground, seeing the hourglass cracking. Twilight could hear the clock numbers falling apart, and everything started to turn gray and disappear. She had to do something. She had to help the janitor save Twilah and this place. Twilight grabbed the hourglass with one hoof and started to chant a spell with her horn, and the hourglass began to glow. She placed her hoof on the broken glass and started to send magic into it. The hourglass begun to repair itself as the magic energy flowed into it, and the numbers started spinning and returning to normal. The spell was complete and successfully cast, turning the area into a black void with a sea of gears and clocks. Soon, under Twilah, a clock appeared, and chains were sent out of it and wrapped around Twilah. They started to drag her into the clock and vanished into it. "W-what the?" shouted Twilight as she became worried. "Don't worry, your friend is fine. She's frozen in time until we get you two back home and out of this university." The janitor suddenly stopped as the sea of clocks started to glow with purple magic, and rainbow beams shot out of the water. She turned and could see the area where Twilah had been taken was being cracked open. "...never mind..." Soon, Twilah broke free and slowly rose from the pit. He was completely covered in a purple energy aura but had a tail and wings. It almost looks like a human alicorn. She raised her hand and blasted a rainbow beam at them, but only to be eaten by a magician hat that appeared in front of them. Soon, Dr. Amazement landed before them, drew her sword, and turned her head toward the janitor. "What's going on here, Deedee? Who's this girl? Why is her magic so beyond anything we've seen before that even the Sea of Frozen Time couldn't stop it?" The janitor held her mop and answered, "Some multiverse crisis! She's another version of Sue, but way more powerful! If the sea of time can't stop her, nothing can stop her!" "But that's impossible! Sue's power level is at its maximum! There's no one more powerful than her!" "In our universe, yeah, but not in another universe!" barks Deedee as she sees Twilah raising her hand. "I think I should handle this," said Amazement as she waved her hand. "No! The girl is out of control! Her power will be beyond you! The only one who can handle her is." "Great and powerful, Doctor Amazement!" said Amazement as she started to pose and cast a spell. The janitor ignored her and turned to Twilight, looking down in sadness. "Hey, can't you stop her! You have magic, too, right? You helped cast the spell!" said Deedee to Twilight. Twilight didn't say anything as she slowly looked up at the janitor, tears in her eyes. The janitor could only stare at Twilight as she was starting to think—think of anything. "Damn it..." Twilight closed her eyes and remembered what Nightfall had told them. She was with them, right? Twilight opened her eyes and shouted to Twilah, "NIGHTFALL! PLEASE! HELP HER!" Nothing happened, and Twilah blasted more magic at the hat until it was overwhelmed by sucking the rainbow beams and blowing up. Twilah started to hover in the air. Deedee and Amazement could only watch as she could feel her fear rising. Soon, Twilight began to cry. "Please, I'm begging you. You're the only one who can do anything to save her. Please," Twilight softly said as she lay on the ground, getting weaker—until she heard Nightfall's caring voice. "I'm with you, Twilight... I'll do my best. Just give me a second." Twilight looked at Twilah and saw a rainbow light coming from Twilah's pocket and engulfing her. Nightfall was in the purple void as she stood over Twilah. Twilah's body was changing; her skin was purple, her tail was longer, and her ears were pony-like. Twilah looked up at her, crying out for help. Nightfall closed her eyes and felt her fear, the same fear she had so long ago... She opened her eyes and could see the slime pony crying out to her, crying in pain and confusion, as she didn't know what was wrong with her body. Nightfall, remember what she did that awful day? She did nothing, and she regrets it ever since. Nightfall couldn't watch anymore as she snapped out of it and walked over to Twilah. She held her like a mother would have a scared child. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. You're not alone. You're going to be okay. I promise you...I promise..." said Nightfall as she placed her hoof on the glowing horn and closed her eyes, trying to connect with Twilah. Trying to connect to her heart... In a bright flash of light, Twilah and Nightfall were now back in the garden. Twilah opened her eyes and could hear laughter. Laughter of a happy family. "What's going on?" asked Twilah. Nightfall said nothing as she kept holding Twilah and touching the glowing horn. The laughter kept going until the shadows of a pony family appeared. The parents were playing with a small alicorn as they played with the garden holes. The alicorn laughed as she ran past Twilah and Nightfall and got wet. "That was fun! Thank you, Mommy!" said the little girl. "...mommy? Yes, mommy," cried the mother as she held her daughter. Twilah could feel tears hitting her face, and she looked up to see Nightfall crying. She didn't know what to do or say but felt safe in her arms. The world faded away with them along it. "What?" said Deedee as she saw Twilah lowering her hand and seeming to be hugging someone as she floated back to the ground. "She's okay," said Nightfall to Twilight's mind. "Her features when she used the magic—she looked almost like me. My body...is this what you said?" thought Twilight as she could get a yes. "Will the next jump?" "Yes, you two will become one. We will become one. Twilight said nothing else as she saw Twilah returning to normal, with a glowing horn. "The great and powerful Amazement wants answers here! Where is Sue?" demanded Amazement, as she was ready to attack everyone in the room. Deedee quickly turned back to her as she took out a small dustpan and started to chant. Soon, a pink magic circle appeared around Amazement, tossing her into a giant bin and making her disappear from the room. "I'm not dealing with you right now! Have help, Sue! Have to fix the multiverse! Gotta save our reality!" shouted Deedee as she threw her mop in the air, as a blue light appeared. She turned and quickly picked up Twilight. "What are you doing?" asked Twilight as the janitor hoisted her on her back, making Twilight look like a backpack. "You're coming with me!" said Deedee as she started to run to the portal, jumping into it, only to run back out and pick Twilah up, who was asleep. And run back into the portal. "Wow!" shouted Twilight as she and the others flew between dimensions. She saw a normal human city, and then, seeing a realm of dragons and elves, she soon saw giant god-like beings that waved at them as they floated by. "What's going on!" "Just hold on to your breath and close your eyes!" Twilight did what she was told. She could see a portal in front of them, which looked like a room with candles and someone sitting there. As they got closer, a sword scattered the portal, revealing Amazement coming at them from the other side. "There's no way out now! Where's Sue? I'm here to collect that debt!" Deedee saw this and quickly used her magic to start to spin and do spins in the air as she became clones, confusing Amazement and giving Deedee enough time to enter the portal that was New York City as she landed in the busy streets and fell over on the road. Twilight rolled off of her and quickly opened her eyes. She looked at the scenery and then at her surroundings. "What is this place?" "Welcome to the Big Apple, but no time to sight-see! She'll be h-" In the back, Amazement crashes into a parked taxi, destroying it. She raises her arm and says she is okay. "Here any minute..." sighed Deedee as she took out her mop and quickly blocked the magical flying sword. "I told you! I'm here for Sue! I'm not going to wait anymore! I want my-" Amazement was cut off as the mop head hit her face and erased it, leaving her with a featureless face. "How about no?" Amazement dropped her floating sword, touching her featureless face in horror. "Just be a good girl and shut up!" demanded Deedee as she quickly used a spell to wrap Amazement up in chains. Twilight could see humans looking on; some were confused, others just acted like it was expected, like it happened too often. Twilight wondered if this kind of thing happens all the time here. "That was close! Now, time to meet her and see if she can help!" said Deedee as she picked Twilah and quickly ran over to Twilight. As Deedee was picking her up, someone swung by and landed. Twilight could see the girl wearing an orange and yellow spider-looking outfit with a black jacket as she spoke. "Dee? What's going on? My spider radar went off and is still going off!" "Sorry, but I can't talk right now, SpiderSunset! Multiverse problems," replied Deedee as she opened the portal again and jumped in, leaving Spider-Sunset alone and confused. Until her radar went off again, she quickly turned around and saw Amazement blasting off her chains and recovering her lost face. She was flaming mad as she stomped the ground, shaking the whole street until a web landed on her leg. "Whoa, calm down, or we need to start calling you Dr. Fury," joked SpiderSunset. "I'm going to kill her!" yelled Amazement as she sliced the web with her sword and disappeared into the portal. Spider-Sunset watched her leave and sighed. "Magic users, I swear..." Deedee returned to the portal tunnel, where she was searching for the gateway that Amazement had destroyed until she spotted the portal, which had a different view. She reached out but was only kicked by Amazement, as all four landed inside the portal. Twilight quickly recovered and looked around. "Where are we now?" "THE GREAT AND POWERFUL AMAZEMENT WANTS WHATS OWED TO HER!" shouted Amazement as she summoned her sword, and a shadow of a bear appeared behind her, soon getting bigger. "OH, JUST SHUT UP! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SUE OWES YOU, BUT SHE DID TELL YOU YOU ARE DANGEROUS!" shouted back at Dee as she summoned her mop again. Twilight watched as the two fought and slowly crawled to Twilah, still knocked out. She finally reached her and placed her hoof on her chest. "Please wake up," softly said Twilight. "I'm not going to work. Two versions of the same being can't co-exist in the same universe. The universe is trying to fix this by changing her and, for you, erasing you, but it's different," said a young female voice behind Twilight. Twilight turned around and saw a brown-skinned woman in dark blue robes. Her long hair was moving like the night sky. It was this universe, Luna, as she floated off her mat, went over to her, and scanned her. "I see...so that's what's been going on in the multiverse..." whispered human Luna as she saw Twilight looking at her. "What...?" "Sorry, where's my manners? My name is Mona, and I am a sister to the past celestial master. I'm the Earthly Master...now..." said Mona as she pounded her fists together, and Amazement and Dee were frozen and were picked up and floated towards her. They could both see anger in her eyes. "You better explain why you two are fighting in my room while I'm watching my shows!" Amazement and Dee look at each other and gulp. They were released. "Where is Sue?" demanded Amazement in a scared tone. "What Sue? Oh, she's off saving the multiverse. Why do you need her?" "I'm looking for a way to pay the debt she owes!" demanded Amazement. "The debt? What debt?" asked Mona and Dee, as Dee wanted to know why Sue looked this witch out of ever stepping into the library, while Mona just wanted to know why her dead sister student had a debt. "THE WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SUE...owes me money when we went on that date last week! Plus, she hasn't been answering my calls or texts," cried Amazement as she took out her phone, revealing that she and Sue were dating as they saw her phone lock screen, Sue and Amazement together. "Hope my sweetie isn't mad that I spilled juice on her cape." Everyone was silent in the room. Deedee couldn't help but face her palm and scream in anger, and Twilight was confused and shocked that Trixie and she were dating in this universe. "Dear sister, you really picked a weird student to take over the title of Sorceress Supreme," sighed Mona as she floated away. Twilight spoke out and asked where they were, realizing the room was filled with candles, a large-screen TV, and trash around the mat. "You are in my room—I mean realm. In this universe, there is powerful magic and beings, and Sue Wonder serves as the Sorceress Supreme, the primary protector of Equestria, against magical and mystical threats. We magic users keep the peace between the magical realms and aid the superheroes," explained Mona as she flipped the TV channels, revealing superheroes across the world, like Spider-Sunset or Captain AppleCore, which froze on her and zoomed on her butt. "Truly, that's America ass," whispered Mona in a horny tone. "And you?" asked Twilight to Dee, who was cleaning Mona's mess around the mat. "Me? I'm just a childhood friend to Sue and the janitor of the great library. I'm no magic user like them." replied Deedee "But you used magic!? Even right now!" asked Twilight as she saw Deedee put the mess into a dustpan and make it float to the bin just by using a spell. "Oh, that? Magical items, sweetheart. Sue made sure I could protect myself from outside threats like Amazement and your friend over there...who's BACK UP!" shouted Dee as she grabbed her mop while Amazement took out her sword. Twilight and Mona turned to Twilah, who was awake. Her horn was glowing purple as she walked past them and the others and entered a room with "bathroom" on it. Soon, they could hear puking noises and then a flush as she came out and sat on the floor. "I feel like shit," said Twilah as she sat there and looked at her glowing horn. "What just happened?" "The magic of the element of harmony possessed you. A source that is beyond our version of the harmony stone," explained Mona, but she could see that Twilah didn't care, as she was getting worse."You three need to jump to the next universe. I can sense the end coming if you don't hurry." Mona floated to a chest and started looking inside it until she pulled out the rainbow shard and watched as the shards began to float and slowly fuse. "Wait, what's going on in the multiverse? You said my darling sweetie is saving the multiverse?" asked Amazement as she returned her sword. "Yeah, she's in the process of fixing the multiverse right now. Sue and others are getting everything in order before the final battle starts," replied Mona as she sat back on her mat and picked up a bag of chips. "The final battle?" asked Twilah as she rose from the floor, too weak to sand. "Oh yes, the final battle with "her,"" explained Mona as she pointed to Twilah and Twilight, confusing them. "Ah, right. Sorry, you'll learn the truth, but don't worry, you can trust Nightfall." This" Nightfall. Be prepared for a fight if you see another, the one that met with your friends and changed Rainbow into Blitz." The room went silent as everyone stared at Mona. "Wow, she's always known everything, huh?" whispered Deedee. "I do take care of my big sister. She must have seen this coming; this will explain why she told Sue to always carry the stone with her," explained Mona as she remembered the odd moment when her sister told Sue to keep the stone with her until a specific event happened. Twilah and Twilight soon felt torn apart and merging as one as they thought shards fusing and finally releasing a rainbow pillar. Mona and the others saw that both girls were gone as the light faded. Mona turned to her screen and flipped to a channel, seeing Sue being dragged away by a sea of slime and soon finding herself and someone else in a ruined city. "You girls need to hurry. The walls between them are almost breaking. If that monster gets out and infects the other universe, reaching the prime universe, we're all doomed." "We won't let that happen," said an old male voice, as Dee and Amazement were frozen in time as a very tall elderly man in a brown suit walked between them, taking off his hat as he bowed to Mona. Mona didn't turn but flipped to a channel and could see a large group of beings gathering at a significant con event, as some were cosplaying as a yellow Pegasus. They were all the same; even if they looked different, they were the same person. She turned to him with anger in her eyes. "...Discord. What are you planning?" "Keeping the rules in check, but of course," smiled the old man as he looked up, revealing his old and wrinkly face and white beard as his eyes looked crazed with madness. End of ch. 6
Chapter 7Author's Note wanted to get to this chapter before halloween, welp nvm now lol Update: lmao this chapter has ton of views. Maybe I do a spin off of this universe? update2: Negative Atmosphere is out. go read that if you like this chapter Chapter 7 The sun beamed through the clouds, and she saw it hitting all of Cloudsdale's Cloudeseum. She could see a crowd of pegasi, dragons, and griffons in the stands, earth, and unicorn ponies, along with other creatures in airships or on hot balloons, cheering or talking among themselves as they were waiting for her and the Wonderbolts to come out. She could hear the sound of the crowd and see the joy they all had in their eyes. Her staff was reviewing what the Wonderbolts would do and the names of the young ponies in this year's 'The Best Young Flyer Competition.' Soon, the staff started to check over her dress. They brought out a large mirror, and she could see herself in it. She could feel her smile coming out. Rare made her the dress to wear for this year's judging of the competition. Her human figure was in good shape, and she was thrilled with how it fit her like a glove. Her long lavender hair was out, and her violet eyes shone as the dress was blue and yellow. She wanted to match the Wonderbolts this year. She looked and touched her purple-skinned face, wondering if she should cover it up with makeup. She didn't want to cover her skin in makeup, but her fans expected her to look pretty and attractive. She could hear the announcer introducing her, and the crowd was cheering as she walked out and waved. She took a deep breath and could hear her father telling her to have confidence and take the spotlight. She could remember her mother telling her to do her best when she was still alive. She could remember her brother saying that he was so proud of her. She approached the mic and said, "Ponies, are you ready?" The crowd cheered as they were excited for the competition to start. "Alright! Let the games begin!" She said it happily, and the competitors came flying onto the stage and watching the sky above, as this was the Wonderbolts' cue to start. She could see "her" as leading the Wonderbolts, and she began making loopy loops and twirling around in the air before stopping midway. She let her two fellow Wonderbolts perform some stunts of their own before flying under her. The leader was getting ready to perform her Sonic Rainboom. "You can do it," she whispered to herself as she remembered how she was training for this day. Static filled her vision. It was a cold and rainy day, and as she was walking from her home to the training area in the city, she wanted to visit "her," as she knew she was working her butt off doing the Sonic Rainbow. She had a basket of food for her and even a blueberry cake. The night was frigid, and she was feeling it. She zipped up her red jacket and smiled as she clutched the jacket, remembering "her" giving this jacket to her as a birthday gift last month. It was warm and very light; it was perfect for cold nights. As she was walking, she saw a few ponies on the street, and one of the ponies turned and asked her for an autograph. "You're Twi Night Spark! The Princess of Friendship! My mom says you're the greatest!" said the earth pony, a colt. "You are very kind, and thank you!" said Spark, still smiling, signing the colt's book, and taking a picture with him. The colt went over to his friends and said how cool it was to meet her, and they were asking for pictures and autographs. Soon, she was surrounded by many ponies, and she couldn't believe how many ponies wanted an autograph or to have their photos taken with her. It made her heart jump with joy. She had never imagined her life as Princess of Friendship to be like this. She didn't want it to end. She wanted to do more for her ponies. After escaping the fans, she finally reached the training grounds of the Wonderbolts, and she could "she" her running in the rain, leaving a rainbow trail behind as she ran like the wind. Twi Night loved seeing her do that; she saw her genuinely being herself. It's beautiful; "she" was stunning. "I'm here!" she shouted as she ran to her. The blue-skinned girl was surprised and smiled. She hurried over to her, but Twi Night felt something wasn't right. She held her head in pain as the world around them started to glitch out, as three different memories were playing at the same time. She looked up and remembered all three: her judging the contest, her looking for "her" after they fought about her rejecting the scholarship, and the memory of her death. She remembers Sky heading somewhere. Sky needed answers, and the only place to find them was in her dead father's lab and research building under the mayor's building. She looked at the clock and was worried that Sky was gone too long. It was midnight. "What's taking so long, Sky? Where are you?" whispered Nightfall as she looked at the clock. Soon, she heard crying and a door blasting open, as it came from "her" room. Soon, a dark figure flew out through the glass door leading to the garden, leaving behind a black slime puddle. She ran "her" to the garden, and there she was, bleeding out slime from her eyes, ears, and mouth and holding her hoof out for help and asking Night to help her. "Sky!" screamed Nightfall as she fell back in fear. She was too scared to reach out to her. "What's going on? What's happening to you?" "Help me. I'm scared." Nightfall started to cry, and as the slime pony began to crawl towards her, she was still crying and asking for help. She was so scared that she grabbed a broom near the glass door and smacked the slime pony, making it stop moving. Nightfall quickly realized what she had done and let go of the broom. She could see it had split open the slime pony head. She could hear a cry of pain as the body fell apart and divide in half while tears were falling out of the creature, forming white, hollow eyes. Nightfall was beyond terrified as she looked at what she had done. She was frozen in fear until she could talk and run to it. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please! Please don't hate me! I'm sorry! Please, don't hate me!" cried Nightfall as she held the pony tight. It didn't move, as it just lay in her arms, as it looked like a dead body, but slowly, it was melting into slime, and her body parts started to separate. Her limbs were pulling away from each other until she was nothing more than a puddle of black slime in her arms. The slime quickly reformed back to its melting body, but something formed out of its head. Within seconds, Nightfall could feel a sharp pain in her chest as she looked down. There was a black slime horn stabbing her chest, and blood was oozing out and mixing with the horn. Nightfall didn't know what to do. She wanted to scream and cry for help, but no one could hear her, as she could see the slime slowly pulling out the horn, slowly putting its melting face on her face, and speaking. "...Breaker..." She started to cry as she knew what had happened. Nightfall reminds me of the day "Breaker" appeared within "her" and was making "her" do things, breaking things around the house. Nightfall fell backward, and she could feel herself dying as she lay on the grass, watching the night sky above her. Her vision was blurring as she could see the glowing white light coming from the creature, and soon she could see the slime pony looking over her, with a white halo that was giving off prism lights above its head and shedding rainbow tears from its white eyes. "...b-break...e-er," shuttered the slime pony. Nightfall's vision went black, and her life ended that night. Twilight screamed as she woke from her dream, clutching her chest and not seeing a hole there, just her t-shirt, as she was still wearing her red jacket and clothes like always. She looked at the surrounding area and saw she was in some manufactured rock tunnel with metal covers that hid wires and small lights on the ceiling. A door was opened, and that's when she saw it. The dead body of a young man His skin is brilliant gray, his hair was cut so short that it almost looked like he was bald, and he was wearing what looked like a broken straight jacket. There was a screwdriver sticking out of the side of his head, and blood was still oozing out. "W-what...what is this?" Twilight whispered to herself as she felt sick and looked away. She finally puked, stood up, looked at the body again, and saw a device next to him. To Twilight, it looked like an audio recording device; she picked it up and played it. "Star, if you get this, I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you or our daughter. After the sessions, I keep seeing you, but... you're so mad, so angry. I feel scared. I want you to stop. What's happening to me? (Recording ends but turns on as noises are heard.) Aaira, if you are reading this, I'm sorry for what I might do to you, like what I did with Kelly. I'm not being "me." I'm not myself anymore. The last time we talked, you told me you would find a way to make me normal, to make me... I think that's the answer I'm looking for, but the things I've been doing—hurting, killing people—need to do something. I need you to do something for me, please. You have to promise me...kill me...if I...start? (The recording ends but starts again as the man is fighting with someone.) There you are!" Twilight could hear her own voice like it was being talked through a suit as the voice was struggling with the man. "Whoa, Charles! What are you doing?" "You have to face her for me! (noise of something metal hitting metal and gears of something opening.) Tell her I didn't mean to do it!" There were noises of someone blocking or grabbing something as the female voice spoke, 'Charles, it's fucking me!" "See her!" "It's me! Aaira! Damn it!" "Tell her!" "Charles! Stop!" "STEP 3! STEP 3 IS-" The noises of struggling were getting louder until something was being stabbed in the flesh, as the young man was whispering, "Oh, god..." like he realized what he had done as someone fell to the ground. Twilight could hear her voice again. "Why did you do it, Charles? Damn it. I wanted to save you," cried the voice as they dropped to the ground, pounding it. Soon, a loud noise could be heard, and the sounds of someone falling to the ground could be heard as the recording ended. "This Aaira person...is me in this universe..." whispered Twilight as she looked at the dead body and the tunnel they were in. "The question now is, where am I?" She looked up at the doorway and could read a badly damaged hologram sign; the only words that could be seen were "authorized technician only." She walked through the doorway and down the tunnel until she found herself at an underground work site with underground drills and other tools. There were many big metal machines and carts filled with metal parts. Twilight was scared as she slowly made her way through the large room, looking around and seeing that it was dark except for a small light. She kept on going through the room until she heard something. It was almost like someone screaming—not in pain but in anger. "This isn't good... I have to keep moving," thought Twilight as she quickly walked through the large room, finding a large machine. She could see a light turning red as something was beeping. It looked like a reactor or maybe a recharge station for something. She didn't know what it was but noticed something as she walked around it. There was blood. She didn't know what was going on, but she could see there was a trail of blood that was leading away from the machine and heading for a door that was behind it. Looking up, she could read another hologram sign that said "to explore the mine elevator," under it was "Remember to sync your HULL to the system." Twilight carefully followed the blood trail, making sure she wouldn't step on it, and she pressed a button on the wall and opened the door. It was another hallway but very dark as she walked forward and found another room. This one had carts and tools lying about, and more blood could be seen, like someone or a group of people were fighting something...and lost. She walked through the room and found another hallway. She was led to a large room with a machine in the wall and more blood, and that's when it hit Twilight. "There's blood, but where are the bodies?" asked Twilight as she looked around and saw blood going to the side of the room and leading to the end of another hallway. She looked around and saw nothing. Just blood and...slash marks? She touched the marks and suddenly saw orange flashes. "You won't save "her," whispered a female voice within Twilight's head as she started to walk towards the hall. The voice sounded familiar to her, and soon it faded away. Twilight looked at her hands, and there were orange flashes. They were getting stronger. Soon, she was inside a room with a dead blue pegasus pony wearing a dark blue jacket. There were more slash marks on the wall as she slowly went forward, seeing a big metal door and hearing noise from it. "You let her down. You let her suffer. Let "it" in." Twilight quickly walked away from it, but it was too late. The door opened, revealing the room with the same dead pony, but she quickly raised her head and looked at her as her hollowed-out eyes stared into her soul. "You broke her. You made her break everything." Twilight couldn't speak as the pony rose from the floor and walked towards her. It was wearing a dark blue jacket, and its mane was black slime as it dripped from its blue body. The dead pony walked out of the room and stood before Twilight. "Breaker...of worlds...of the universe..." whispered the pony as she looked down. Within seconds, its body started to burst out claws and sharp mouth teeth, and she looked back at her, "BREAKER OF EVERYTHING!" Twilight screamed and fell back, hitting the floor as the monster pony leaped on her and tried to stab her with its new claws. The room lights started to flicker as Twilight tried to fight off the monster, only for the lights to go out for a few seconds and turn back on, revealing the pony was now a humanoid monster with claws, and its skin was black and dead-looking flesh. It was still trying to kill her, so Twilight used her magic and blasted the beast away, hitting the metal door at the other end of the room. Twilight could see that it did nothing, as the creature quickly stood back up and ran at her while bloody screaming. Twilight could feel fear, but she had to fight. She summoned a spell to her hand and made a wall of energy that bounced the monster away. She knocked it against the wall once more, making the wall crack. The beast slid down to the floor. Its face was nothing but black liquid, but it was still moving. Twilight didn't know what was happening or who it was; all she knew was that this thing wanted to kill her. She could see it standing up again, wondering how it could still move without a head? "Why are you attacking me?" asked Twilight as she raised her hand. "What's going on here? Who are you?" The monster ran at her again, not caring what Twilight was asking. Twilight used her magic again but suddenly saw something above her and noticed three more of the same monster. She tried to drop on her, but just in time, she put up a barrier and quickly walked back as the weight of the three was too much. She could see their twisted mouths and claws attacking the barrier and trying to destroy it. They were more robust than the first, not black but almost red-looking. "GET OFF!" screamed Twilight as she tried to blast them off but fell backwards into the machine in the wall. The three monsters jumped off and watched as the machine closed itself. Soon, a blue light scanned Twilight's body, and a robotic voice spoke. "ID match: Welcome Ship Engineer Aaira Kaison. You must wear a HULL suit in this area. Please stand by as the system gives you the correct suit." Twilight looked at the machine and saw robotic arms coming out with pieces of a metal suit. She quickly heard and saw a loud clunk noise as the Hull suit started to cover her body and head. Soon, the machine opened again, revealing the four monsters to the new Twilight, who was wearing a suit with purple grill lights on her head and a horn covered in spiral lights. "What?" whispered Twilight as she looked at her hands and body, but she was quickly cut short when she heard the monsters coming out at her. She quickly raised her hands, and on the wrist of the right arm, a device started to activate and combine with Twilight magic as its blue light covered her right arm and half of her horn lights. With one significant, powerful blow of magic, the monsters were turned into blood dust, leaving nothing behind. Twilight was breathing heavily as she stared at her glowing hands as they faded away. "This suit, it's increasing my magic power output? But how? Why is this happening? I don't understand!" asked Twilight to herself as she touched the HULL suit. Suddenly, she heard a loud voice from a speaker in her suit. "Aaira!? Is that you? Answer me, please!" cried in a female voice. Twilight looked around and was surprised that she could hear this person. She looked at the device on her arm, saw a flashing light, and pressed it. Soon, a hologram appeared in front of her face with very loud static, causing Twilight to jump back from fear. Soon, a blue-skinned woman with short rainbow hair and wearing an eye patch appeared on the screen. The woman moved back as she was too close to the screen, revealing her work clothes, which were covered in dried blood. "Aaira! Thank god! I thought something happened to you after I lost your HULL tracker." Twilight looked at the screen and asked who this person was. "What? It's me, Kelly." Twilight didn't understand; she wasn't from this universe so that she wouldn't know this person, but why did she remind her of someone? "Aaira? Oh god, it's the pillar. It's making you crazy, like Charles. Asshole tried to poke my eye out but only damaged it; I can't see out of it, though," sighed Kelly as she rubbed her eye patch. "Who are you, Kelly? Who is Charles? Was he the one I found dead in the tunnel? Why are there monsters?" asked Twilight as she started to panic, wondering if she knew what was happening here and how she could help her. "Aaira, listen to me. It's the pillar messing with your head! It's trying to get inside your mind and make it whole again. Don't listen to the voices. Don't listen to "her"! Charles did, and he almost got me killed! Can I keep trusting you?" Kelly said that she was showing signs of being hurt, was holding her head, and looked super worried, like she might be alone soon. "Please, please tell me you're okay." "I don't know who you are; I don't even know who this "Charles" is. Why are you calling me Aaira? Where am I?" Twilight asked as she touched the hologram. She saw that Kelly had put her own hand on the screen and started to cry. "Damn it! Please don't come near me, Aaira! I don't want to kill someone else...someone else I love," cried Kelly. "I'm not who you think I am," replied Twilight, but she didn't know if she should tell her the truth. This Kelly person didn't look stable enough, like she had been through hell and was on her last leg in being sane. "What? You are; you're the only person who can stop all this. Like before, you have to save us all, and you can still do it. Don't that fucking pillar control you!" Kelly cried as she quickly raised her arm and covered her face. She cried in it, but this revealed the blue wrist of her hand, which had a rainbow shard on her bracelet. It started to glow as it saw Twilight. "I'm sorry," said Twilight, making Kelly remove her arm from her face and stare at her with hope. "I'm okay now," lied Twilight, as she needed to find this person and get the shard. "Thank god! I knew you'd fight it. Akira, you're strong, and I knew it; don't listen to "her"! They want you to join them in ending everything! You can't do that, Aaira! You are the only one who can save us all! We have to get to the pillar and blow it up! It's in the research area of the space station. We can't let the pillar signal reach Mars, or there will be a planet Changers breakout," cried Kelly as she started to run. Soon, she was talking to herself and hearing noises in her area. Twilight didn't understand what Kelly was saying or what a "Changers breakout" was, but she knew she needed to find this woman. "Right, understood. Where are you? I'll come get you, and we can head there and fight it together." Kelly stopped running and quickly started to search in a map on her wrist and looked around as she was on edge. "I'm furthering down in the miner site. I will use the miner's energy drill to dig through the ground and break into the research area. They had everything locked down when the station outbreak happened." "How long will it take to reach you?" asked Twilight. "I can't be sure. Getting to this area took a long time, and I'm starting to get a headache. Fuck, I'm scared. I'm scared of everything." Twilight was getting impatient as she wanted to help this person, so she said, "Stay calm. Breathe in and out," taking a deep breath, making Kelly do the same and closing her eyes as she relaxed. Kelly soon opened her eyes and felt calm. She looked at her map and sent information about her area. "Not too far; just take the elevator ahead of you and then travel through the mines, and you should meet up with me. I'm heading to the drill area, so hurry up." Twilight looks back at the elevator ahead of her. She quickly ran towards it and pressed the button. Soon, it opened, revealing a bloody mess of dead bodies and one dead person wearing a HULL suit, which had blood covering it, as they were all in a large pile, almost like something was gathering them here. "I'm heading my way there. Can you send me the map of the area?" Kelly nodded, sent Twilight the map, and smiled, "Don't make me wait like last time." She made a kissing noise and turned off the screen. "Like last time?" asked Twilight to herself as she walked through the bodies and touched a screen panel. Her suit activated a map, showing how far it needed to go. She punched the floor, watched as the elevator came to life, and headed down. Twilight zoomed out the map and could see how huge this station was. It was large, the same size as a small state. She could also see the station on a mined moon, explaining the mines. Twilight could feel that something was wrong as the elevator started to go down, like something was watching her. She looked around and saw nothing. Maybe it was nothing. Perhaps it's just her mind playing tricks. As the elevator lowered, she could hear loud screeching and clanging noises. Soon, the elevator went lower, revealing an open cavern. Twilight gasped at what she saw. The mines were covered in large, black-looking human flesh ooze, as it was everywhere and dripping from the walls. This was like a nightmare come true. Twilight covered her face as the elevator moved past the cavern and was covered by rock as it kept going down. "What the hell happened here?" asked Twilight in fear. As the elevator was going down, Twilight could feel the same feeling as before, and once more, she looked around, but like before, nothing. She sighed and held her head, but suddenly, the lights were flickering, and she finally went out, but the elevator was still going. The only things that could be heard were the loud screeching noise and the elevator making noise. Soon, Twilight could listen to something, and she looked around again as the light source was coming from her helmet, light grills, and her horn. Something was in the dark, watching her. "Who are you?" asked Twilight as she backed into a corner, fearing she was about to be attacked. Nothing happened, and the lights were flickering again, making her feel better as she walked back to the center, but the dead person with the HULL suit quickly rose and grabbed her with their hands. Twilight could see a punch wound on the person's face, which wasn't there before. She soon noticed something small and black with wings in the corner as it climbed on the elevator support beam. Twilight could make out its figure, which was small and almost human-shaped. It was a bug-like creature about a foot tall, and a stinger was hanging from its lower half. "It's you! You're the one that was looking at me before," said Twilight in surprise and horror at this creature as she was trying to fight off the dead body, which slowly started to twitch, and soon, claws burst out of its back as it began to try and climb over her. "What are you?" asked Twilight as she blasted the corpse away with her magic, but the bug creature started to fly at her, and she was able to blast it off. The bug creature was now on the floor. It quickly turned its head and started to scream like a human. It ran away from her, crawling up the wall and disappearing into the darkness as the lights were off again while Twilight was screaming at it. The corpse she blasted from before started to get back up as it began to change black, and its limbs started to stretch and twist. Twilight could see and hear the twisting and breaking of the suit armor and the bones. The once-dead person's limbs were now long and sharp-looking claws that were covered in blood as they started to walk towards her and screech like a bug. Twilight blew the corpse away as she ran to the elevator door. She was trapped as the creature got back up and screeched as the bug from before landed and started to stab the other dead bodies, turning more corpses into the same creature. Twilight ran to the corner and blasted the monster again, as the lights were still out and the beast was now on her. They were running at her and clawing at her, trying to stab and cut her. Twilight screamed in horror as she could hear the sharp claws scratching into the armor suit. She raised her arms again and tried to blast them like she did with the four creatures, but she just blasted them away like normal. Her suit gave a warning sign that the Kinesis Module was still in a recharge state, explaining how she had killed the monsters before. The creatures all dog-piled her again, trying to get inside the suit. Twilight felt her whole body aching from the monsters trying to kill her, but they suddenly stopped. The light suddenly came back on as she was breathing heavily and staring at the empty elevator and no dead bodies—just dry blood. "What the hell just happened?" asked Twilight to herself as she slowly rose. She carefully looked around and up but saw nothing. There were no creatures or dead bodies. Was she losing it? She felt it was safe now as she slowly walked to the elevator doors, and it started to lower to the floor she needed to be on. Once down, the doors opened, and she saw a large tunnel in front of her. She looks at her map and starts to run towards it. She should be getting near the giant open mine site, but as she passed by a hole in the wall, sizeable black flesh tentacles shot out and grabbed her. She screamed as she could feel it grabbing her, lifting her in the air, and she tried to blast it with her magic, but it hardened through the flesh and didn't seem to be affected at all. It threw Twilight against the wall and soon slammed her on the floor, finally dragging her back into the hole. Twilight tried to grab anything to stop being dragged off as the flesh tentacles dragged her across the metal tunnel floor and into the hole. Twilight could hear her suit hitting the rocks as she crawled more profound into the hole. Soon, the lights on her helmet died out, and Twilight felt trapped in the dark, as she could see nothing around her until she was pulled out of the hole and tossed into space. Her suit oxygen unit came to life, and she could hear her armor sealing up. She spun until her suit activated its air boosters and corrected Twilight's balance as she floated near an open space, and in the middle of it was a giant black flesh orb with tentacles and a giant mouth on top of it. Twilight looked where she came from and tried to reach it, but the monster lashed at her, knocking her away. Twilight landed on the ground as her suit hit the rocks, almost breaking her helmet. Her oxygen meter was redlining as she started coughing up blood, which wasn't making sense, but her suit began to work on repairing her damaged helmet as her oxygen meter was reading half gone. Twilight felt like her whole body was broken as she lay on the rocks. She heard voices around her. The monster was screeching loudly. Twilight tried to look up and saw that it was the creature skin making the sounds. She could see the outlines of millions of people within the creature skin as they stretched out with human arms behind them and tried to grab on to the suit. "GET AWAY!" screamed Twilight, pushing the hands and arms away. She didn't want to die here and be trapped by these monsters. Twilight felt the monster lash again, hitting her suit and making her cough blood again. She was in so much pain, but she tried to keep her eyes open and tried to get away, but the arms and hands had her, and she was dragging into the monster's black flesh. She could see all the once-living people inside it, ranging from adults to children and babies. She couldn't breathe as she was panicking. She couldn't believe how many people were in there. How was it even possible? Was it a monster that's been eating these people and bringing them inside of it? "S-STOP!" yelled Twilight as she saw the black flesh covering her armor and face. "Kinesis Module fully charged," said the robotic voice in the suit as Twilight was fully engulfed inside the monster. Soon, a purple light engulfed the monster and blasted it into dust as Twilight floated there. Her eyes twitched as the images of all those dead people haunted her. "DIE, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" She turned and blasted the empty cavern again and again until she became tired. She looked for the hole where she had come from and rocketed to it, entering it. She had to hurry before she ran out of air. She couldn't see anything, as she just wanted to get back. She didn't know how far she had traveled through the hole, but she finally found the exit as the suit unsealed itself, and she started to climb out of the hole that she was dragging herself into. She curled up and cried as she crawled to the wall, far away from the hole. What kind of hell was this universe version of herself in? She lay on the rock as her oxygen meter returned to normal, and soon, Twilight could see someone down the tunnel. The lights were flickering, and orange flashes filled her vision. "No, please, no," begged Twilight as she could see a blue-skinned girl hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't Kelly; it was a much younger girl who had the same features as her but whose face was eaten off as blood dripped out. "My Little Pony, My Little Pony What will today's adventure be?" whispered a female voice as Twilight closed her eyes and tried to block out the voice. "My Little Pony, My Little Pony Will there be exciting sights to see? Where will you wander? Hither and yonder Let your heart be your guide. My Little Pony, My Little Pony..." Twilight could feel someone grabbing her shoulders and hearing her helmet becoming undone as pieces went into the sides of the helmet. Twilight opened her eyes, and there was darkness. Nothing can be seen once... "I'LL BE THERE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE!" screamed the faceless blue-skinned girl as she pulled Twilight to her opened face wound, and within was a static orange light: "FOREVER AND EVER! MAKE US WHOLE! BREAK THE UNIVERSE!" End of chapter 7
chapter 9: Your Name "I'm sorry..."A voice cried within the darkness"We're sorry. We didn't mean to do this to break everything. We just wanted to be protected. Loved, but don't worry; you'll be part of us and live on within. We'll break everything! SHOW THEM ALL OUR PAIN!" Twi heard the voice as it faded away, and she opened her eyes. She couldn't see well, but she could make out she was in a hospital bed in a large white room as she looked around. She could see machines hooked up on her body as the beeping was going off, and there were also no other beds, just hers. "You're awake at long last," said an icy voice from the corner of the room. Twi could feel her body still hurting, but she looked to the corner and saw a dark blue female unicorn figure wearing a doctor's uniform as she sat in a chair. It was dark in that corner, but Twi immediately knew who it was. "Luna?" asked Twi. The unicorn doctor looked at her in surprise and confusion. "Luna? No, my name is Nanna, the second command of the Canterlot Island." "Nanna? Canterlot Island," replied Twi as she noticed "Nanna" standing up, taking out a tablet, and touching it. "Canterlot Island is a pharmaceutical company that treats infected people who caught the chaos disease and also works as a mercenary group on the side. That is all you need to know," said Nanna, as her eyes showed no emotion. "Chaos disease? What happened to me?" asked Twi, trying to stand up. "We rescued you; Nova got you good on your chest, but we were able to fix you up," explained Nanna as she put the tablet down. "Chaos disease, it a disease, well, is a cell parasite that can mutate its host to evolve, giving the host different animal parts and allowing them to use infected magic, but at the cost of going insane... See, Layla, our leader, is infected by this sickness, but our readings are showing you are clean; there are no signs of it at all, yet all our readings are saying you are her, but you aren't her. I can tell my daughter apart from a fake. That's why..." Twi could see the whole room's light source fading away as the light was sucking into the darkness that Nanna was in. Soon, she could see it. A moon-like light appeared behind her, and within that moon, an ink-shadow creature appeared and stared right into her eyes with its green eyes. "Who are you, and what did you do to my little dawn?" asked Nanna in pure rage while the creature roared and quickly attacked Twi but stopped inches away from biting her face. "Crescent, stand down." The creature listened to its master, quickly returned to her, and waited behind her. She is waiting for its master to unleash it on her. Twi only gulped and quickly explained everything, hoping she believed her, that she came from a different universe, and that the multiverse was in danger. The room started to light back up, and the shadow creature vanished, but Nanna stood there and put her tablet on her belt; she didn't say a word as she exited the room. "She didn't believe me?" asked Twi in disappointment as she looked at her bare chest, seeing it had been completely healed. "There's no scar? It didn't even look like I was cut!" Twi sighed as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She wants to return home and be with her friends and family. She missed them so much; they had no idea she was on this wild adventure and how everyone and everything was in danger. She lay on the bed and slowly went to sleep. It had been an hour or two since Twi fell asleep. She could hear a knock on the door and slowly woke up. "Come in," she said, sitting up and yawning, stretching out. She heard her bones pop and crack. She rubbed her face and blinked as she saw Light peeking in the doorway. "Yo, Green Belly, how are you doing?" smirks at Light as she looks out of the room for a second and back to Twi. "You're ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm a little sore, but that's all," Twi replied, as she didn't feel anything from the cut on her chest. "Good, good! Here, catch," said Light as she threw a bag at her, but Twi wasn't quick enough to react as it smacked her face and almost knocked her over. It was a bag of her clothes but with a new T-shirt. "I got you a new shirt, which shocked you so much that you started wearing normal clothes. Taking my advice, I see," said Light as she smiled at her and rolled into the room, slowly crawling toward her. Twi can see that Light was wearing a hoody and regular shorts rather than the gear she was wearing before. "What are you doing?" asked Twi as she watched Light sneak around like a ninja. "Nanna might have put in laser alarms or something! I don't want her to know I'm sneaking you out of here, so sit tight and get dressed! We're blowing this place!" replied Light as she kept crawling. "We?" questioned Twi. "Yes, we," said Spitflame, wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and boots, as she entered the room and walked up to Twi, making Light piss and confused. "What!? There isn't any alarm system!!" growled Light as she stopped and stood up. "There was; I just disabled it," replied someone else who entered the room. Twi quickly knew who it was, but she looked so different now in this universe. It was Penny Pie's oldest sister, Lime Pie, but she's a Catwoman. She was wearing a casual outfit like Light's. She also had a pair of pink shades on her head. "Damn it, Ringing Rock, why didn't you tell me before I entered the room and looked like an idiot? Not cool." pouted Light as she put her hands on her hips and gave her a look. "Because it was freaking funny!" replied Ringing as she covered her mouth and started to laugh hard. Light blushed in embarrassment as she sighed and sat on a chair in front of Twi. Spitflame walked over and placed a hand on Light's shoulder. "It was funny," laughed Spitflame as she smirked at her as Light growled. "Anyway, are you ready to go or what?" asked Ringing Rock, as she could see Twi almost done changing into her clothes as she was doing it under the sheets. "Done," said Twi as she removed the blanket, wearing her outfit. Light whistle as Twi looks down at her clothes. "I didn't notice it, but you look good. Also, you can rock that jacket; who gave it to you?" asked Light as Twi looked at it. "Someone special to me." blushed Twi as she held her jacket with pride. "What?" said Light and Spitflame in shock that their little dawn was looking in love with someone. Twi didn't reply, so she quickly walked over to Ringing. They exited the room, leaving the two behind. "We heard that right, right?" asked Light. "Yeah, I heard that loud and clear!" nodded Spitflame, who quickly followed the two. As the girls exited the room, glowing eyes appeared on the ceiling and landed on the ground. It was this universe's version of Ocellus, but she was wearing a Ninja military hybrid outfit. She pressed a button on her earpiece and spoke to Nanna. Nanna answered the call in a laboratory section of the ship and heard the report. "Get the rest of the SWEEP squad and get her back. She's the only person who can get Layla back. Over," replied Nanna, as she was overwatching a group of lab workers as they were testing on not one but two rainbow shards. "I remember we found one of these rocks two years ago, but no signals were coming from them...until now." The group walked down a long hall until they were in the central lobby hub of the whole ship. Twi could see tons of people hanging around or heading somewhere. There were dragons, ponies, cats, dogs, and so on. Few wore military, police officer, firefighter, knight armor, and other outfits. Twi looked around, but she didn't see any familiar faces, but Light did. "Oi, Red!" shouted Light as the group could see a red-hooded figure behind a bush behind a group of talking girls. Soon, the female dogs, cats, and foxes quickly screamed and ran with their tails in their hands. Twi knew right away it was her. The group soon approached her as the red-hooded girl quickly stood up and raised her hands in the air. It was this universe, Matilda Pie, but she was a wolf girl wearing a red winter/mountain climbing hoodie and outfit. "I surrender. Don't arrest me," said Matilda in the most monotonous and dry tone ever, making Twi smile. "I'm off duty right now," smirked Light as Matilda sighed and lowered her hands. "Look, I don't have time for this. I'm in the middle of Fluffy Tail watching. I can't help you," replied Matilda as she turned and saw Twi, and she soon recognized her. "Oh, hey, Layla! What are you doing here? I'm watching-" "Fluffy tails?" replied Twi in confusion. "Yeah, fluffy tails!" Red smiled as she raised her hand and showed Twi a tablet with photos on it, and it was nothing but fluffy tails, ranging from foxes to wolves. This confused Twi even more...until Matilda started to explain how each tail was different in fluff and how soft each one was. Soon, a small police officer, looking like Applebloom, quickly grabs Red by her hood and drags her away from the group, which causes no one in the group to panic but Twi. "Hey. I wasn't finished showing my collection," said Red in a monotonous and dry tone of anger. "Don't worry, Red, I'll let you off when I get back on duty," replied Light, watching Red being dragged off to the police station of the ship. "Come back soon, Fluffy Tail Aficionado Red!" shouted Twi, which made her happy and smirk. The group then quickly walked down the ship and soon emerged from a giant metal door, where they could see the night sky as they were in the park area of the ship. Light led everyone to a small gathering. She jumped on the table and shouted, "Welcome back, our leader! Take on Nova and her forces alone! Let this welcome party start!" Everyone cheered as they raised their drinks in the air and cheered; some of them whistled. The girls stood behind Twi, and the crowd started talking to her, asking questions she didn't know, but Twi quickly noticed something. Like Nanna told her—almost everyone here had extra animal parts from another creature. She looked at Light and saw her with pony ears above her dragon ears. Spitflame had an extra tail, but it wasn't noticeable at first since it blended well with her other tail, making it look bigger. Even back in the lobby, many people had extra animal parts. "Oi, what's wrong?" smiled Light as she patted Twi on the back. "It's just your sickness. Sorry if I sound rude, but it seems you're in good health," Twi replied, making Light's smile fade a bit as she looked away, and Spitflame sighed. "Just like Layla, worrying about us and everyone else—it's not something we can easily hide from people. At least my tails can be easily hidden from each other. See?" said Spitflame as she bent over and moved her tails as one, and they blended and became one big fluffy tail. "Wow!" said Twi in awe as she got closer. "Still, I was fouled!" Spitflame stopped talking as she felt her tail being touched. She believed it was Twi, and she blushed deeply. "Squire! What are you doing?" "It's not Layla," quickly smirked and giggled Light as Spitflame looked behind herself, seeing Red touching and fluffing her tail. "RED!" shouted Spitflame as she removed her tail from Red's hands. "What are you doing?" "Sorry. I can't help it. You're so fluffy and nice to the touch," replied Red as she stood up and took out a notebook to check something off. "Spitflame tails done!" "How are you here? Did someone let you out?" asked Ringing as she opened a beer can. Red put away her notebook and remembered why she was there. "Oh, right, I forgot. I'm here with the SWEEP squad," said Red as she took out a combat knife. "It was hard to sneak out of the police station when I got the orders, but I could. Anyway, we're here for her." Within seconds, members of SWEEP jumped out of the shadows, and all went after Twi. Red was almost on her within those seconds, but Light, Ringing, Spitflame, and others quickly blocked them and pushed them away. "WHAT THE HELL!" yelled this version of AJ, but he was a wolf and taking out a thin yellow sword. "WHY IS THE SWEEP UNIT ATTACKING LAYLA?" "What are you doing, Red? Same with the rest of you!!" shouted Light as she prepared herself for a fight along with everyone in the party as they faced off the six members of the SWEEP squad. "There's a ton of us and six of you! You have no chance! Fight or flight?" Red needed clarification. Why were they doing this? It was not right. "Why are you doing this? This fake Layla isn't Layla. We came with orders to." Suddenly, alarms started to go off across the whole ship. The park lights went red, and a voice from a speaker spoke. "CODE RED! I REPEAT, CODE RED!" Everyone turned to the speakers, but soon, someone pointed to the sky, and everyone could see a bright, glowing light heading toward them. Light and Spitflame knew who it was as the parking area started to be sealed with a metal dome. "Everyone! Get out of here!" ordered Light as something slammed into the hull of the park walls, and soon, an orange spot started to melt through them. "Light and Spitflame! Get your gear! We'll hold her off!" shouted Red as she and the SWEEP unit headed to the melting wall. "Someone take fake Layla to Nanna! She wants to see her!" Soon, everyone was gone, and they quickly ran off in different directions. A few stayed with Light and Spitflame as they looked at the glowing figure coming through the hull; it was like a burning sun, and they could hear her talking. "LAYLA! FACE ME!" "Damn, it's Nova!" said AJ, taking out a cigarette-looking candy and putting it in her mouth. "We'll join SWEEP, go!" "Don't die, Tex!" shouted Spitflame as she and others ran to the armory. Meanwhile, Nanna watched all this on the cameras and turned to a lab worker. "She said if both shards are near, they should be fusing. Why isn't it happening? Are they not the same shards?" asked Nanna, as she could see the shards lying on the research table until they hit her. "Unless they need the owner to turn them on?" Nanna quickly ran to the radio system and contacted Light and others. "Light! Spitflame! Listen to me!" shouted Nanna from the hallway speakers. "It's the big cheese?" said Light as everyone stopped running. "The girl behind you isn't Layla. She's from another universe. Something about the universe can't have two of the same people in it. Bring her to the lab; we need Layla back. Only she can fight Nova, as Nova is falling into the Chaos sickness. She's reaching the final level before dying. We can still save her, but we need Layla to make it work." Nanna explained as she watched them enter the armory and the metal door close, sealing it off. "I will do that," replied Light as the group got into formation and turned to Twi. "If you're not Layla, who are you?" "Yeah, you look like her," whispered Ringing, taking her sound cannon from the wall. "My name is Twi Night Spark," said Twi as she started to explain herself. Meanwhile, Nova blasts through the ship-sealed doors and walks out of the parking area, which is entirely on fire now. Her body was burning like the sun as the metal walls started to melt from her heat. She looked up and saw Canterlot Island's logo and growled at it. "WHERE'S THAT DAWN? That you promised me all those years ago!" shouted Nova as she blasted the sign and walked off as she looked for her prey. "So you are telling me that the multiverse is real? I was once the leader of the Wonderbolts in your world. Asked Spitflame as she and others headed towards the lab. "Red and I are sisters? Man, that sucks," replied Ringing as she was running and checking on her weapon. "What about me?" asked Light as she bumped into Twi. "Someone famous?" "No, I never met you before in my world. "You think?" smiled Light as she quickly pressed the button on a wall that opened up and showed the lab. "Yeah, I keep meeting you in another universe, which tells me you... no, "her "is" the person I forgot and need to remember. She's very important to me," replied Twi as they ran inside the room, which was dark but had a lot of tech stuff and people working on different things. Nanna saw them running inside and could see the shards reacting with Twi in the room and starting to float. "I was right," whispered Nanna as she saw the shards fusing and the reality in the room start to fall apart, but soon Nova was heading their way, as she was quickly passing through the metal blast doors as they melted within seconds. "Damn, is she having a meltdown?" asked Ringing, as everyone could see Nova's body was burning too brightly as her clothes were gone. Nanna quickly ran to them and looked at Ringing. "When this girl is gone and Layla returns, tell her what's happening. She needs to go all out to stop Nova. We'll try to hold her off." Nanna summoned her monster and left the room with Light and Spitflame. "I hope you find and remember her! See you!" grinned Light as the door closed and the bunker door shut behind it. "Where is she?" screamed Nova from behind the sealed door. Soon, the ship started to shake as Nova started to fight Nanna and the others. "You better get going! I don't think they're going to last long," replied Ringing as she pointed her weapon at the door. Twi nodded and hurried over to the shards. She could feel herself being blasted with more of her memories and soon engulfed by a rainbow pillar of light. Soon, Twi found herself back in the garden, and standing near the tree was Nightfall. "Welcome back!" "You?" said Twi, holding her head as she could feel a headache. "Me," smiled Nightfall. "What's going on?" "Your home." "Home?" "Our home. Our reality." "No!" shouted Twi as she blasted Nightfall, destroying her. "You won't make me become someone else! Not like you did with Sky!" "You won't reach "her" in time. I won't let you," said a female voice. Soon, the garden changed into a sea of black slime, and the slime pony, with a beaming white halo above its head, emerged in front of Twi. "You need to stop this. We're trying to help you. Join us," the black slime said as it approached Twi. Twi summoned a spell, but a white force field blocked it. "Stop!" "Let us go!" growled Twi, as she was getting mad at the creature before her. The two fought each other, using magic to break apart the world around them. They were clashing magic, and Twi was losing. The slime pony had the upper hand here; this was their world. Twil could feel her movements slowing as the slime under her feet started to wrap around her. She tried to blast it off, but she was quickly hit by the slime pony, sending her to the ground, and soon the slime was covering her whole body. "You are ours now. Now we'll be together again." "I said, stop! GET OFF ME!" screamed Twi, as she could feel her mind slipping away, but within herself, she could feel something. It was warm—so warm. She felt safe. She felt love and kindness; someone was holding her and comforting her. Twi knew who it was. "I won't let you become her." The slime pony turned away but suddenly sensed something. It turned, and I saw a purple light slowly reaching the slime's surface until it blasted out and hovered. There was Twi, as she was using the element of magic. Her eyes were pure white, and a purple orb shone brightly within her chest. It was another element of magic. "You think an element of magic can stop me?" smirked the slime pony as its chest glowed with a blue orb. Twi didn't say a word as her hand started to glow. She raised it, and a bright purple silhouette of an alicorn appeared next to her. She rose its hoof and placed it next to Twi's hand. Soon, they created a huge purple orb. Within the purple orb, a bright rainbow of shards appeared. "What!" shouted the slime pony as it realized what Twi was doing. "You are using the rainbow shards!?" "Wait for us; we're coming soon." whispered between all three versions of Twi and fired off all three beams, two purple elements of magic and the rainbow beam from the shards. It passed through the slime pony, removing its slime coating and revealing its small body before the world vanished into the white void. Twi could hear voices as she opened her eyes. She could see three small anthropomorphic koalas wearing cute maid outfits. She stood up and looked around the area. It was a substantial royal bedroom with a bed and bedside table. "Hello? Can you tell me where I am? Who was the person who was here before I came here?" asked Twi. They didn't say a word as they rushed over to Twi and bowed before her. "My princess." said the group as one. "...what?" asked Twi as she tried to get them to talk. "My princess, you changed; is it because of the Harmony Diamonds?" a maid asked, still bowing. "I am a princess? In this universe as well?" asked Twi as she looked at them. "Harmony Diamonds?" The maids looked up at her and nodded as one. They pointed to a mural to the side. Twi could see a painting of a purple pony with a purple jacket with seven diamonds of different colors. Above them, there was a scepter with a jewel on top. "Are those the Harmony Diamonds? What's the scepter called?" asked Twi, but soon, she could hear someone calling out to her and saw the maids shaking with fear. She turned to the window and could see Discord!" shouted Twi in surprise, but his colors were different. His fur was black and yellow. "Hello there, Heat...or should I say Twilight...or whoever is in control of that body," said Discord as he walked towards her. "Heat? What's this universe version of "me" called? What are you doing here, Discord?" asked Twi as she watched Discord jump over and jump on Heat's royal bed. "I wasn't invited to the Discord Con, so I'm here to help you," replied Discord as he looked around the room, looking at the royal jewels on display. "...Discord Con? Explain yourself," ordered Twi. Discord looks at her and grins with an evil smile. "Do I need to?" "Yes," replied Twi in a deadpan tone. "Really?" smirked Discord as he snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was wearing a Twi outfit. "Because I would rather talk about doing a Twilightx-static-con; I mean, the author is a big shipper of you two." "W-What? You know the person I forgot?" asked Twi in surprise. "Well, of course, but she goes by Bolt in her universe. She doesn't exist in this universe for some odd reason," replied Discord as he put on a Twi hat and started to write fanfic on his MLP theme laptop. "Maybe it's the "rules" reasons. Who knows?" "Rules?" questioned Twi as she sat down next to Discord. Discord put away his laptop and looked at Twi with a serious face. "You see, there are many multiverses out there, but one of the most important ones is the prime universe. The center of the multiverse. The prime universe is basically the roots and main tree of all life in the multiverse. It creates branches. The further the multiverse branches from the prime universe, the different outcomes will be. Different takes from the prime universe events, different people are telling different stories." "I see, that makes sense," whispered Twi. "Here's the thing: the more it branches out, the more the universe starts to drop, change, or add things completely. They become different, completely new—a completely new take on someone or everyone's life. For example, Heat is a princess and a hero in this universe whose fate is to watch over the Harmony Diamonds and Spark Scepter and stop me from destroying this world. Still, in the prime universe, we're friends because of a certain yellow Pegasus," said Discord as he looked at the picture of Heat on the wall. "I see. Then, who am I in the prime universe?" asked Twi, unsure why she was asking such a question. Discord smiles a bit. "In the prime universe, you're the most important person ever. The most powerful, the most special, and the most loved person that anyone could ever ask for. Do I need to say it? You already know. That hasn't changed, but I can tell you, some events in your life are a bit different, like Fluttershy not being there with you when you visited "her," Spike not being with you after leaving AJ Farm on your first day in Ponyville, or how your talk with "her" is completely different than in the prime universe. But this is where the "rules" come in," said Discord as he tapped on his open laptop and showed her a screen, showing her what he was talking about. It was a map of the multiverse; he zoomed in on this universe, showing them looking at the laptop. They turned and saw a film crew filming them while Discord was in the director's seat. Twi turned to Discord on the bed, realizing it was a man in a Discord suit. "NEXT SCENE!" shouted Discord. Discord zoomed out and randomly into a universe of badly drawn ponies of Twi and her friends. "The multiverse has rules. Things need to happen, no matter what." He zoomed out into a world where naked Anthro Twi faced off against Tirek. "That's what makes you "you." In every universe and every reality, there's an infinite amount of possibilities. There are an infinite number of versions of "you" across the multiverse, but that's not the main point." Discord zoomed out into a universe where human Twi and her friends were facing off against Nightmare Moon and beating her. "The point is, you can't change your fate, as it's written in stone. You and your friends stop a world-ending event in one universe, but..." Discord zoomed out into an anime-looking picture of Twi and her friends losing to Nightmare Moon and the Nightmare Moon aura taking over Twi. "But another, you don't. It's how things work. That's the rule; don't change things." "Why? Why do we have to follow rules?" Twi asked in anger as she saw the awful fate of the anime-looking version of herself. Shouldn't we be allowed to change someone's fate?" Discord could see her angry face and quickly smile. "Nightfall, you need to calm down, okay?" "What!? How?" asked Twi before Discord covered her mouth with a cake. "If you try to change or go against fate, it creates an infection. Something that shouldn't exist. Even if it's a good thing, it can still cause trouble. The universe will start to break down and die. But sometimes, it can be far worse with an awful fate for someone. Like "her," explained Discord before being held by Twi magic with rage in her eyes. "She deserves to live! Both of them!" shouted Twi, as Discord was suddenly choking. "I...know that...Nightfall...please, you need to calm...down." panted Discord as he tried to breathe. Twi quickly let go of Discord as she saw Discord holding his throat and breathing. "But it was her fate. to destroy your universe and die that day, but something happened, and she didn't. She became a living threat and was able to break the walls between them. She's fighting the others, and if you don't join them soon, "she" will spread her anger and pain across other universes, killing them. She became an infection that can infect and create dead branches, which will spread throughout the tree and kill the roots." "Roots, you mean the prime universe, right?" Twi asked, looking at Discord in surprise. "Can the infection really spread out and kill the prime universe?" Discord nodded his head and frowned. "If the prime universe dies, then everything will end. No more multiverse." Twi quickly sat up and jumped off the bed as she was trying to make herself believe what Discord was telling her. "Why are you telling me all this?" "Because I want to stick it to the other Discords. They're going to seal off the "Twilight" and "Twilah" universes as they become fused as one and stop "her" from spreading into other universes. You need to hurry back and help the others reunite with Bolt and her group. You'll need this for heat," said Discord as he snapped his fingers and gave Twi the Spark Scepter. "She can use it to go hyper like Bolt." Twi looked at Discord and nodded. "We'll save her and stop her. She fought against fate and won. This should tell the universe, or whoever controls us all, that she proves nothing is written in stone. There's always a way; you need to find it." said Twi as Discord smiled at her. "She needs to hear that then, Nightfall," said Discord as Twi smiled. Discord reached into his pocket, took out a considerable rainbow shard, and watched it float as Twi shard did the same. "Hurry, make your other selves remember "her." Time is running out," whispered Discord as he could see the sky becoming dark as two white eyes appeared. Twi nodded and was soon engulfed by the rainbow pillar, leaving Discord and the maids alone. Discord snapped his fingers and was on top of the castle, overlooking the island and surrounded by the ocean. He looked up and could see his universe's walls breaking. Twi walked into the white void and felt warm water on her shoes. The sky was pure white, and she was walking on a stream of rainbow colors. "I wonder if they can even hear me," said Twi to herself as she slowly closed her eyes. Soon, Twilight and Twilah walked out of her and kept walking, as Twi stopped and smiled. "Go. Remember them..." Twilah was wearing a T-shirt with shorts and flip-flops as she was walking somewhere in the summer. She remembered how hot it was this week. The sun was blazing down on her, and she was sweating like a storm. She finally reached the house she remembered from before and was about to knock when she heard her name being called. "Twilah! Up here!" Twilah looked up and could see the girl she had forgotten, but her face was almost as clear to her as before. She waved back, and the girl's mother opened the door and let her in. Twilah headed up the stairs, entered the girl's room, and looked out the window. The girl and her father were fixing the roof and cleaning it. Twilah could also see the girl wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a cool baseball cap. Twilah remembers talking about seeing a movie with her and the girls when the girl's father asked them if they were thirsty. "Oh, I'm fine, sir," said Twilah as she waved her hand and sat on the girl's bed. The girl was cleaning her window from the work they were doing. "What about you, kiddo?" "Hmm, just water, dad." "Alright, be right back." As the father was gone and in the house, Twilah got up from the bed, poked her head out of the window, and said, "Need help out there with the cleaning?" "No, no, it's okay." "Come on. It's not a big deal." "I know, but you're my guest. I'll do it. Just relax and enjoy this hard-working girl in her element!" replied the girl as she flexed her muscles. "Pfft, sure," blushed Twilah, trying to hide how she liked the girl showing her muscles off. "Seriously, I'll clean it. You go and relax or something." "I'm helping!" replied Twilah as she stepped onto the roof through the window, moved next to the girl, and could see that the sun was blasting the roof. "Okay, just be careful. We'll clean it together then." "Sure," smiled Twilah. Twilah could see the sun was getting hotter, and she felt her body sweating even more. She covered her face with her hand and walked forward but didn't see the nail until the girl called. "Wait! There's a." "Ahh!" screamed Twilah as she dodged the nail but stepped on the wet rag and started to fall off the roof. "Look out!" Everything went slow for Twilah, as she could see the girl quickly grab her and spin her body around. The girl would use her own body to break the fall for her. Twilah closed her eyes and could feel the girl's arms around her body. Within seconds, Twilah could hear the body hitting the driveway. The memory froze as Twilah dropped to her knees and started to cry. She remembers this memory fully now. I remember the father and mother screaming and calling out the girl's name and remembering the red flashing lights and police cars. She remembers it all. After being cleared, she waited in the lobby with the girl's parents as they waited on the news to see if she would be okay. She remembered her friends coming and staying with them. She remembered what happened next. Twilah didn't move from her chair while the parents and her friends kept moving around, as it had been an hour, and there was still no news. Then she heard yelling coming from down the hall and could see it was her parents, who clearly got the call from the hospital and were here to pick her up. "Where is my daughter?" shouted her father as he pushed through the twin doors with a nurse and saw her in the chair. "Sir, we told you the results, but she is fine," said the nurse as Twilah's parents quickly approached her. "You're alright, baby?" asked her mother as she held her head and looked her up and down. Twilah didn't say anything and kept looking at the ground. She was scared of her parents right now; she'd always been scared of her father, as she knew he'd hit her again when they got home. "Baby, look at me!" said her mother, but Twilah didn't even look her in the eyes. "How did this happen? I knew your damn daughter shouldn't be trusted around my baby girl!" shouted her father at the girl's parents, as they just stood there in shock. "Sir! What the hell are you doing!" shouted the nurse, quickly pushing the man away from the group. "You can't just say these things to her parents!" "My baby could have been dead because of her! Well, I got a thing or two to say, like I should have never trusted them with my baby girl!" shouted her father as he was getting ready to charge at the girl's parents. "Fuck you! Our daughter saved Twilah's life and is in there fighting for her own life, and you come in here, yelling at us." shouted the father, as he was getting ready for a fight as well. "I'm glad my daughter is safe and even more glad your daughter might be." Twilah's father was interrupted as a fist smacked him in the face, making him fall to the ground. Everyone was shocked who tossed the punch. Twilah had tears in her raging eyes as she stood over her father with her bright red fist. She started to breathe heavily as she unleashed all her anger at her father for saying the person who meant the world to her should be dead. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! DARE SAY SOMETHING SO FUCKING EVIL! YOU OUGHT TO BE GLAD THAT MY FRIEND SAVED ME BECAUSE IF SHE DIDN'T, I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW! I'M NOT SORRY ABOUT PUNCHING YOU!" screamed Twilah, clutching her fist harder. "WHY!? Why do you despise her so much when she is always kind to me? I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH FOR SAYING SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE ABOUT SOMEONE WHO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!" Twilah's parents were taken aback by her actions and anger; they had never seen her like this. Even her friends were shocked by her actions but agreed with what she said. "Twilah," whispered the girl's parents, as they were also shocked. Twilah dropped to her knees and shouted, "It should have been me! Not her! She always puts me first in everything—always has! She always picks me up when I'm down and helps me when I'm sad or depressed! She even brings me food when I'm not feeling well!" cried Twilah as she slowly looked at the girl's parents, who were crying. "She's always happy, always brave, and consistently strong. She always smiles and never cries. I'm sorry. The girl's parents and friends surrounded her and told her it wasn't her fault, while her folks just looked on without saying anything as they realized how well-loved their daughter was. The memory froze as Twilah kept crying on her knees. She didn't move an inch. She kept her eyes on the memory and cried even more. She needed to remember her, now and ever. She shouldn't forget her face or name and should be ashamed of what she did in the first place. "Remember "her"!" demanded Twilah to herself as the memory skipped forward to the point they got the news she was going to be okay, but they didn't know when she'd wake up. She remembers staying with the girl's parents and visiting the girl every day until she woke up when she and the girl's mom visited her. She was okay and always smiled and joked about what had happened. "Why?" cried Twilah as she jumped on the girl's shoulder, shouting, "Why are you acting like nothing bad happened?"I almost lost you!" The girl kept on smiling as she rubbed her cheek against her, and Twilah smiled and sobbed. "You can't ever scare me like that again, you got it?" whispered Twilah as she smiled at her and wiped her tears. "I don't regret it. I'll always do it, saving you, Twilah. You're my world," whispered the girl. "I can't ever think of a world without you."The girl started to cry, finally letting her feelings out. "I know you are always doing your best, always trying to be there for others, always bringing out the good in everyone. I don't want a world without you in it because...I love you." Twilah was surprised by this, but the girl noticed this, turned red, and said, "AS A GREAT FRIEND!" "Yeah, you mean it? Like...like a "best friend" kind of love?" asked Twilah in surprise, as she blushed along with the girl, who was nodding and keeping her mouth shut while her mother was face-palming at how stupid her daughter was right now. Twilah's face turned a bright red. She didn't know what to say but said, "I love you too, as my greatest best friend!" The girl nodded slowly but was looking at the bed sheet, clutching it in her hands. "Yeah, best friends." The memory froze, and Twilah started cursing at herself and clutching her knees in anger. "STUPID! STUPID! Why didn't you notice it?" yelled Twilah to herself. "She didn't mean that." Twilah screamed and cried out loud in rage, as she couldn't stand herself for being so blind. The girl told her real feelings, and she didn't see them. She didn't realize how she felt for her until now. All the good and evil they had with each other. All the beautiful memories they made as they grew up with each other, she watched as everything around her turned into the park—the same park they first met in. She was sitting there, smiling at her. Twilah reached out, touched the girl's cheek, and smiled as the prism lights faded away from her face. She could see her beautiful blue eyes and smile. "Dashiell Reinbold, when I see you again, I'll tell you my feelings," whispered Twilah as her hand left Dashie's face and onto her chest. "And better not chicken out in saying it back!" laughed Twilah as the world was engulfed with blue lights. Twilight walked on the clouds and sat down. She closed her eyes and used her magic to lower the sun slowly, but she heard someone landing behind her. "Don't toss the sun or the moon into next week, like you did last time," joked the female voice as Twilight could hear the mare sitting next to her, which made her smile. "That was one time!" laughed Twilight as she faced where the voice came from. The sun lowered until it was below the horizon, making it look like nighttime, but there were no clouds in sight and no stars in the night sky yet, as the moon needed to be raised next. "You know Twilight? I always admire how you do this. You make it so simple. It's nothing hard at all. Just sit back and have the sun and moon do what you want." said the mare as Twilight turned to her with her eyes still closed. "But that's not how real life works. I'm still working on what I want in life, even though I have already gotten into Wonderbolts. There's still more to work towards and less time to reach it. That's why I don't mind if you toss the sun or moon. It doesn't take that much time for you to put them back where they belong. You will always have time to reach what you want." Twilight listened to those words and shook her head, making the mare notice. "There's always time; everyone has enough time to reach their needs or dreams in life. Even to help those who need it, you never really notice it when it comes to yourself," whispered Twilight as she lifted her hoof and placed it on the mare's back, rubbing it. "I know what I want, but the world today is different. Some creatures live in different eras than we do, so to some, it may look like we're getting things done faster or slower than they think, but they need to understand that we're working at our speed and pace. Like you, you have your own pace. That's how you got where you are in life—not because of your friends, not because of me, but because you were you, which made you so special. I don't know what's wrong, but your friends will always be there. I'll always be here." The mare didn't say a word, but she turned and looked at Twilight, and Twilight smiled at her. The memory froze as Twilight was crying. "I remember this memory. You were having a mid-life crisis. You felt like you were running out of time to reach whatever you wanted. I can't imagine what's going through your head, as you always hide your feelings from us, but then you told me what this talk was about months later," whispered Twilight as the memory unfroze. "But there will be a time when you and other girls won't be there, Twilight. Then what? You said I got here on my strength and talent, not because of you or the girls. I disagree. Without you guys, I wouldn't be here, right here and now," sadly said the mare. "You would have..." whispered Twilight. "You're the ones who helped me get back up and keep running. Without you, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't be a Wonderbolt or the captain of said group. You taught me I can be anything I want to be," replied the mare as she slowly reached out her hoof to touch Twilight's cheek but quickly touched her shoulder. "I'll always be thankful to you because of that, and..." "And?" whispered Twilight. "...I don't know." sighed the mare as she pulled back her hoof. "Sorry, maybe I'm having a midlife crisis or something. Let's drop. The mare stopped talking as she felt her hoof being covered in magic and pulled into Twilight's embrace, who hugged the mare with love and warmth. "I don't know what's wrong, but I will do everything I can to help you improve. I will always be there to support you. That's what a good friend does. I'll always love you no matter what," whispered Twilight into her ear. "Even without us, you always keep going, flying further than us and shining brighter than the rest of us. You said you don't feel like there's enough time, but you always make time for whatever you put your mind to. I know you, and I'll always believe that you will find your path again, find your goal and that no matter what, you will always have help, maybe not from the girls and me but from others. Others who love you the same as we do." The mare kept silent and just hugged Twilight back. Soon, Twilight could feel tears on her shoulder and a soft, sad moan. "Thank you," whispered the mare, as she didn't let go. "No need to thank me; just make sure you remember..." The memory froze as Twilight suddenly remembered the mare's name and face. How could she have forgotten her? One of her best and closest friends? She was like a sister to her in some ways. Twilight stood up, walked into the memory, and took over her past self. Twilight finally set the moon high on the starry night, and she slowly opened her eyes as the mare finally let go. Twilight could see the prism lights fading away until she could see her face again. I saw her incredible pink eyes, as her eyes were red from all the crying. "Remember who you are, Rainbow Dash," smiled Twilight as she hugged Dash and started crying as well. Twilight could see the world being engulfed in a rainbow light. Twi could see Twilight and Twilah looking back at her with tears. Tears of joy. "You remember them, right?" Twilah nodded as she held her hands on her heart. "I remember Dashie. always there for me, always supporting me, always putting me first, and caring about me, even if it means she'll get hurt. She loves me, and I love her back; she's my everything, and I won't ever forget that again. She wants something more than running—maybe it was me the whole time? No, it is me! I'll give her what she's looking for and make her happy!" whispered Twilah. The memory turned into rainbow lights, and Twi held the shard. Twilight nodded as she closed her eyes. "I remember Dash. She was always there for me and the rest of the girls, always standing by us and never letting us down when we needed her the most. She's my best friend in the world, and I won't ever forget it. I felt like everyone was moving on so quickly and not having enough time for each other—until she had time for me—because of our talk. She will always make time because that's who she is," whispered Twilight. The memory turned into a rainbow of lights, and Twi held the other shard. "I'm proud of both of you. Remember the people or ponies you love and treasure. Always tell and show them that." Soon, a memory from Nightfall appeared, and all three watched as Sky and Nightfall were having a birthday party in the garden. The two were laughing and talking. "Happy birthday to you!" "Happy birthday to our pride and joy!" Twi started to cry as she watched the wonderful family before her. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Rainbow Blitz!" cheered both mares. Between them was a small dark blue filly pegasus with a black mane and tail, but both had a bit of rainbow in them. She opened her present, saw different blue jackets, and smiled at them all. "I'm going to be 20% cooler like Mom now!" Blitz happily said as she smiled at Sky. The memory froze as Twi felt another tear down her cheek. "We'll save her. Promise," said Twilight and Twilah at the same time. They fused with Twi and looked down at their hands, seeing a completed rainbow orb necklace. She put it on and remembered where she got it from. "Blitz always asks about these rainbow necklaces. We told her it was our symbol of our love being real. When we walk during the night, it will look like a comet flying across the night sky. She always called it a rainbow comet." A rainbow pillar engulfed the world, and soon, Twi found herself in the crater where this all started. She looked at her body and could see she was a pony now and wearing only a red jacket. She looked up and saw different versions of herself and Rainbow as they hurried over to her. The Twilight in a lab coat asked her for her name. "My name is Nightfall." ...to be continued in "Your name across the multiverse" and "Dash side (if you haven't already read it). Author's Note WOOOOOOO done. I really hope I did the RD having a mid life crisis well enough, since there was another reason she had it(which is explained in Dash Side) and first time writing something like it.
Chapter 1Author's Note 5/17/24 edit: I finally finished editing this fic. should more readable Chapter 1 "What's happening!" screamed Twilah as she fell from the sky and quickly headed into the ground below. She soon saw a rainbow shard and felt some unknown sensation; she grabbed it. "I don't know," yelled Twilight, who appeared beside her. "But hold on!" She then grabs Twilah by the waist and teleports them. They reappear further back in the sky. "This isn't safe," cried out Twilah as the two continued falling. "I am trying to get us safely on the ground! But something is wrong! We shouldn't be teleported up here!" Twilight then tried to teleport again, but nothing happened. "Oh no. Oh no! Teleporting is not working either." "What does that mean?" asks a worried Twilah as she clings to her pony version. "I think this place is interfering with magic." "What do you mean?" "I mean that!" shouted Twilight as she pointed to the massive battle that was taking place around them. Alien ships were fighting black-looking flying beast aliens, while another third group of vessels was caught between the fighting. Below them, ground forces were battling it out at a small entrance to an underground base. Twilight could see human-looking soldiers defending the base while giant, tall, gray, and beast-looking aliens attacked them. "We need to land!" said Twilight as she tried to teleport the two. It was working this time, but only a few feet, as they teleported in and out until they were just a few feet above the ground and crash-landed. "Ouch! Are you OK?" asked Twiiah as she helped herself. "Yes," groaned Twilight as she was getting up. "What happens? We were in the sky and are now on the ground." "It was a teleporting fail," answered Twiliah as she got up and looked at the fight, which was getting closer to the two. "Whoever they are, they are coming this way!" "We should hide!" "Agree." The two ran as fast as they could to a rock nearby. "Where are we?" asked Twiliah as they hid behind the large rock, seeing the fight around them. "I don't know; I didn't recognize anything." "This is so scary!" cried Twilah, as she had never been in a war before. "I don't want to die!" "I know, but we have to be strong. We will get out of this." Twilah quickly turned to the pony, grabbed her by the shoulder, and asked her why she was with her and why a portal opened when the rainbow shards were touched by... Soon she froze, as she couldn't remember who touched the shard, but she knew the person. "You're right," answered Twilight. She didn't know who touched the shard in her world but felt the same way. "That's weird; why don't we remember their names or faces?" "I don't know." Soon, the sounds of the fight were getting closer to the two. "What are we going to do?" cried Twiliah as the two could hear something being blown up. "Stay hidden and let the fighting pass us," answered Twilight. "We have no weapons." "We have our wits," says Twilight, trying to keep calm. "But I don't have wings and a horn, and whatever you did back in the air!" cried Twilah. "What will I do?" "Well, I can't use my teleportation right now, so you have me and my..." cut off Twilight as Twilah replied to her. "But you're a unicorn; how can you help me? Magic rainbows?" "I'm an alicorn now," corrects Twilight, showing her wings to her human version, "I can still fight. My wings are still beneficial." "What are we going to do? We can't just stay here." "We will have to sneak to the nearest town or city," said Twilight as she was thinking. "In a freaking war zone!" shouted Twilah as she pointed around them. "We're in some space war or something! I don't see any towns or cities!" "We need to find somewhere to hide," said Twilight as she started to worry. "Like what?" "I don't know!" screamed Twilight as she pushed Twilah off of her. "I don't know, okay!" Twilah, OKked by the pony's reaction, looked at her worriedly. "I'm sorry," cried Twilight as she started crying. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to yell at you. This is so not me. I'm normally a calm, reasonable pony. Not some scared filly. I shouldn't be crying; I should be leading; I should be the strong one. I'm not supposed to be this weak." "Hey," whispered Twilah as she sat next to Twilight and hugged her. "It'OKay. You're scared, too. You have been so brave so far. Let me be strong with you. We will be okay. We will find this out." "Thank you," smiled Twilight, as she hugged Twilah back. *drip* "I don't think we're alone," said Twilah as she heard a dripping and growling noise above them. They both looked up to see a black insect-looking alien dog beast with four black eyes and sharp teeth. It had long claws on its front legs and enormous wings on its back. It sniffed and drooled at them, as it had never seen Twilight before. Twilight looked into its eyes and thought it was changing at first glance. "Aww," said Twilah as the beast, with saliva falling on the two, growled, its head split open, and black tentacles came out of its opened head. "THAT'S NOT A CHANGELING!" shouted Twilight as she pushed Twilah away and blasted the beast away with her horn magic. The blast didn't kill the beast; it only pushed it back and knocked it down. It was quickly getting up, ready to attack. "RUN!" yelled Twilight as the two ran off, and the beast started chasing them. Twilight used her magic, put Twilah on her back, and tried to teleport again but couldn't; something was jamming her magic. She could feel a strong presence; that wasn't her magic, but it felt like alicorn magic, deep underground. "There's an alicorn here," shouted Twilight as the two kept running, as the beast was behind them now. "There's no flying unicorn here!" yelled Twilah, as she could see the fighting before them. "No, I sense one; it's deep underground. I can't explain it, but it's an alicorn like myself, with magic!" "You can sense that!" cried Twilah. "You're amazing!" "We have to run for cover!" shouted Twilight as they ran out of the room. The beast was almost on them, and more joined it as they approached the human base they had seen before. They could see the humans fighting before them, but so were the black alien bug beasts and tall grey aliens. "Look, they are fighting those aliens, and the human soldiers are winning!" shouted Twilah, as she could see the aliens were being pushed back from entering the underground entrance. "Then let's hope they don't mistake us for the enemy," shouted Twilight as they ran towards the base, as they could see hover tanks and machine guns opening fire. "Wait! Wait! Don't shoot," cried out Twilah as the base opened fire at them and the horde of beast aliens that was following them. "HALT!" ordered the commander officer, who saw the two running towards them and the attacking alien beast. "Don't shoot! We're not the enemy," begged Twilah as they finally got to the base and were surrounded by human soldiers in heavy power armor, hover tanks, and machine gun turrets. "We're not the enemy," shouted Twilight as the beast approached. The commanding officer lowered her visor, revealing a slightly bright yellow-skinned woman with short orange brush-back hair and wearing sunglasses, which confused the girls as they saw the sunglasses. "What are you?" the officer asked, looking at the two, who were looking back at her. "I'm Twilight Sparkle," answered Twilight. "And I'm Twilah Finkelstein," answered Twilah as she could see other soldiers removing their visors and being different-colored humans, not the same-colored humans she's well-known for looking like. Before the officer could say anything else, the tanks started unleashing cannons into the coming hoard of beastly aliens. "Shit!" cursed the officer as she shut her visor and started shouting commands. "Everyone back to your station! Don't let those ugly fuckers in! Kill them all! Kill them all!" "We're not the enemy," shouted Twilah, as a human soldier, wearing a different armor from the rest, pulled his large, fatty rifle at them, causing the officer to smack the soldier. "Not them, you idiot! Soarin, get them inside!" "Yes, sir," answered the smack soldier as his visor went up, revealing his very light blue skin, short dark blue hair, and green eyes. Like the others, he was wearing light blue bulky armor. "Get these two into the base!" shouted the officer. "Come with me!" shouted Soarin as the tanks and soldiers started to kill the hoard. "What is going on!" screamed Twilah as everything was happening. Soarin didn't say anything as he quickly grabbed both girls and carried them into the underground base. The door shut behind them, and the shooting sounds became muffled. Outside, the commanding officer was fighting with her troops, using their blasters to shoot at the oncoming beast aliens. With one shot, she took down two beasts. "Don't let them near the door!" she shouted as she blasted another alien beast and killed it. "Kill them all!" shouted her men together. One of the tanks fired at the incoming tall gray aliens, destroying three. Soon, smaller and faster gray aliens came from the smoke and dashed toward the tanks. Their arms created laser blades and sliced the tank hull open, killing the crew inside. "What the fuck!" shouted the officer as she could see the small gray alien inside the tanks. "Take them out!" she ordered as the troops started to kill the aliens that entered the tanks. "Damn it, the Greys are coming too!" she said, as she could see more tall and small grey aliens heading their way and also fighting the black beast as well. "Fire at will," she shouted, taking down another alien beast. "We're not backing down!" shouted her men. "Fuck you, aliens!" shouted the officer. "Sergeant!" said a private as he approached the captain and shot at the oncoming aliens. "Private?" the officer said back. "They are almost at the door," said the private as he continued to shoot at the aliens, killing two. "Hold the line!" she shouted as the tanks continued to fire at the aliens. "What the hell is going on? Why are they all heading to this fucking underground base for?" cried out the private as the tall gray aliens were heading their way, and the tiny gray aliens were killing the rest of the troops, and the tanks were falling back as the tiny aliens got too close to them. "Don't know and don't care! Terra and her ghost squad should have removed the Changelings hive and Grey's nexus by now. They should be falling back soon! Where the hell are those Ghost Squad?" cursed the officer. "We need backup; the tank line is going down," said the private. Seeing the tanks falling back, the tiny grey aliens were too much for the tanks and their crew, as they were being wiped out. "Ghost Squad should be here anytime now!" shouted the sergeant. "They need help!" begged the private. "I can see them entering the tanks!" "I know that, damn it!" shouted the officer as she ordered the much fatter power armor soldiers, whose arms were cannon guns, to fire upon the swarming tanks as it was too late to save the troops inside them. "What is Terra doing? She should be here," yelled the officer as she was blasting at the tall greys. "What is that!" cried the private as he pointed to the sky. "What are you doing?" snapped the officer as she followed the private's gaze. "Holy fucking shit!" cried out the private. "Is that..." gasped the officer as she looked up to the sky to see a black-shaped alien bug and its belly opening up, releasing a red beam, burning a hole into the ground. "What the fuck is that?" shouted the private as the alien flyer flew over them, leaving a trail of red light, burning the ground and anything caught in it as it moved. "I don't know," snapped the officer, "but we can't worry about it right now! Keep firing!" "Right!" shouted the private as the officer watched the ship. "Terra, where the hell are you?" whispered the officer as the ship disappeared behind a smoke cloud, leaving a burning trail in its wake. "Sergeant Spitfire, what's going on up there?" said a young male voice through the radio system in her helmet. "Crap, this is Spitfire; we have an unidentified new Changeling flyer, and it's packing a fucking laser and hitting the area. What's your status on Celeste?"Spitfire said, talking into her radio. "This is Lan; she's almost back online. Can you hold out for a few more minutes?" "That's a negative, I say again; we will not last over," replied Spitfire as she saw her tiny remaining troops firing on the aliens. "Terra and the ghost squad have not responded to our calls. What's their status, Over?" asked Spitfire. "No response as well, Over," the young male voice answered. "What's the status on the flyer, Over? You eggheads can see it through our visors, right?" "We're checking; give us a moment," answered the young voice. "I'm waiting," said Spitfire. "Spitfire, do you copy, Over?" asked the voice. "I'm here still, over." "It's indeed a new Changelings flyer," the voice said. We're scanning it and think we found the weak spot. It's the bright, glowing core of the underbelly. Over." "I hear you," said Spitfire. "The problem is some kind of armor covers the core; we're guessing it will take a lot of firepower to get through that, and we have no weapons." "So what you're saying is we don't have the firepower to destroy it," asked Spitfire, "over." "No, Over." "Fuck," said Spitfire. "Anything we can use to bring it down then, over." "Not unless you want to die in the process," answered the young voice. "Over." "Fuck," repeated Spitfire, as the last remaining tanks were getting swarmed and the troops were starting to fall back to the base. "How far is Celeste from being back online, Lan, Over?" "Five minutes," answers Lan. "You got one minute before we get swarmed by the enemy; we're not going to make it. I need you guys to hurry." "We're working as fast as we can, I promise," answered Lan. "Over." Spitfire turned off the radio and waved to her remaining troops to fall back to the base's entrance, as they were falling back because they had lost their line of defense. "Move, move, move," shouted Spitfire as her troops fell back. "Where's the flyer?" said the private, finally seeing the new and old flying alien flyers heading their way. "Incoming!" shouted a soldier as the small gray ship approached them. "Crap!" shouted Spitfire as she turned her radio back on. "Lan, fuck that minute; the enemy is here." "We're hurrying," said Lan, "but we can't rush this; Celeste will fry the whole place." "If we don't hurry, the whole place will fry anyway!" The call ended, and Spitfire and her troops entered the entrance, closed the metal doors tight, and pointed their weapons at it, waiting for the incoming aliens. But none came as the lights went out and quickly turned back on, as a new female voice spoke to everyone in the entrance. "Sgt. Spitfire, I'm sorry for being offline. I got the force field up again, stopping the aliens from entering. You all can relax." "Thanks, Celeste," Spitfire said into her radio, "but the battle is not over yet. The flyer is still out there and packing a laser." "I'm scanning it, but it's taking me a while," answered Celeste. "I'm detecting a huge energy spike from the alien flyer, and it's firing." "At what?" asked Spitfire. "Us," answered Celeste, as everyone could feel the base shake. "What the fuck?" cried the private. "How bad is it?" asked Spitfire, feeling the base shaking. "Very; I suggest everyone gets to their station and wait for orders, just in case the force field goes down, which is impossible since my force fields never go down!" replied Celeste, with a bit of a smug tone, which Spitfire caught. "Alright, alright," said Spitfire as the lights went off again and quickly turned back on, only to be flipped on and off again, with Celeste making ghost noises and finally leaving. "I hate when she does that," said the private, standing beside Spitfire, which made her laugh. "For an AI, that Celeste sure is smug and weird. Anyway, everyone, get to your stations; I will keep in touch." "Roger, that," said the troops as they headed to their assigned rooms. Spitfire was about to leave when Celeste spoke to her again. "Sgt. Spitfire, we need to talk." "I'm listening," said Spitfire, not knowing what to expect. "As I returned online, I searched for the events that happened while I was gone. You met two life forms and let them inside, correct?" "Yes," answered Spitfire, "they look harmless, but I think the Greys and the Changelings were after them." "So...was Pvt. Soarin meant to shoot one?" "What!" snapped Spitfire, not believing her ears. "He shot one of them?" "Yes, the medical team is on their way." Spitfire quickly took off, asking Celeste where Soarin and the two beings were. Celeste led her to a hallway where gunfire could be heard. Spitfire could see the human-looking girl holding her stomach as blood was oozing out. Soarin and other troops were holding their guns at the hurt human girl and could see the purple-looking horse holding her, trying to stop the bleeding but also having a purple barrier around them as it blocked the gunfire. "Halt!" cried Spitfire as the other troops pointed their guns at her and quickly realized it was Spitfire. "Hold your fire," said Celeste as she stopped the troops from firing at the purple barrier. "That's not a Changeling or a Grey; my readings show they're not them or any life forms in my data banks." "What does that mean?" asked Soarin as he and the troops lowered their guns. "It means the two are not an alien race; we are fighting," answered Celeste. "Told you!" cried Twilight, tears falling down her cheeks. "How is that possible?" cried out the female trooper. "The girl looks like us, though? She even has a horn like the Ghost Squad!" "That's impossible; her skin color is nothing we've seen before!" "The Greys are doing experiments; they're the only ones capable of doing that. I say we kill them!" shouted Soarin. Before he could fire, he felt his shoulder being pulled as he was turned around and quickly saw Spitfire punching his helmet so hard that his visor broke, making him fall to the ground. "All of you shut up! They're not the enemy! Lower your weapons!" shouted Spitfire, as the armor on her fist was damaged. "But Sergeant, they're not humans," coughed Soarin as he tried to get back up. "They're not the enemy, and you just shot her," shouted Spitfire as her finger was pointed at Twilah, who was breathing hard as she was losing blood. "You're the only enemy I see right now, Soarin." "Soarin, you are in trouble; report to the brig and wait for my judgment," said Celeste. "But they're not humans." "I don't care if one is a purple talking pony; I gave an order," said Celeste as she suddenly took the form of a hologram of a young woman. She had long, flowing, different-colored hair, and her skin was white, covered in a high-tech-looking suit. "You can't be serious!" "Do it, or I will have you court-martial!" shouted Spitfire, not believing what was happening. "This is a fucking nightmare," said Soarin. "AIs are taking us over; the enemy is knocking at the door, and now the fucking aliens are walking among us, wearing the faces of our people." "Soarin, if I could kill, you would be dead by now," replied Celeste as the floor beneath Soarin opened up and swallowed him. "You will spend the remaining time we have in the brig shooting a civilian." "What!? That's insane!" screamed the private as he disappeared into the darkness. "Soarin, shut the hell up; you are a disgrace to the unit," shouted Spitfire, not believing that a soldier could do such a thing. The hole was sealed up, and both turned to Twilight, who could see she was surprised by something. "Are yoOKOK?" asked CelesOK as she passed through the Twilight Barrier. "Y-you're real? Or are you unable to look like her?" said Twilight, not believing her eyes, as her former teacher was here but much different-looking. "Yes, I am real, and I'm an AI designed to help Element Raiders defend this scientific underground base," said Celeste, "if I can guess, the girl you are holding is your friend, correct?" "Yes, no, we just met, but she..." "I saw the recordings; she must be a friend because she took a bullet for you." "She did, but how could she take a bullet for me? She's a stranger." Spitfire walked up to the barrier, placing her hand on it, with medics arriving behind her as she answered the Twilight question. "It's what humans do; we fight to protect; it doesn't matter who it is. If a stranger or a friend, we'll jump in to save anyone from danger." "But that makes no sense; we only just met." "True," said Celeste, as Twilight turned off her barrier, and the medics could take a look at Twilah. "You're not a stranger anymore to her," said Spitfire, placing her hand on Twilight's shoulder. "She's critical and losing blood," answered a medic, "we need to get her into surgery right away." "Please, save her," pleaded Twilight. "I want her to live; she was shot because of me." "Don't worry, we will," said the medic. "We will do everything we can." Everyone watched as the medics took Twilah away, leaving Twilight with Spitfire and others. Celeste ordered a soldier to bring Twilight to a waiting area. She turned to Twilight and told her she'd be okay; she'd be working the soldier. Celeste watched as Twilight followed the soldier. "Celeste, can you show me what happened?" "Of course." Celeste projected a video, and it showed a recording leading up to Soarin shooting Twilah and the others pointing their guns at them. "Hey, they don't look trusting to me," whispered Twilah to Twilight as they followed the soldiers down a hallway. "Just give them a chance; I'm sure they'll understand and trust us if we follow their command," said Twilight. "I hope you're right," whispered Twilah. "So, how long do you think we will be here?" "I don't know, like, why did a portal appear between us?" "Well, I was checking out the Rainbow Comet when a small piece fell off," said Twilah before Twilight finished her sentence. "Landing is not too far from me, and I want to recover it...with..." Twilight's head started to hurt. As you remember, there was a blue pegasus with her, but her name and face escaped her. She couldn't remember what she looked like; it was as if Twilight had forgotten everything about her. "How do you know that? I was doing the same with... a girl?" Twilah replied, as she was having the same problem remembering the girl she was with. "Weird, I was about to say the same thing," said Twilight, not understanding how both have the same memory problem. "I feel like we were together, and something happened to her; I can't remember." "Maybe we can find out together," said Twilah, offering a handshake. "The name is Twilah; friends call me Twi." "I'm Twilight." Soarin turned around and asked them what they were talking about, as he had been hearing them for a bit. "Well, I believe, just by being here, we were teleported to another universe," answered Twilight, while Twilah joined in as she started to act like a scientist. "Well, in theory, there are an infinite number of universes," said Twilah, using the voice of an intelligent professor. "Correct, and a tear may have opened up somehow, allowing us to come through," replied Twilight, using an intelligent professor's voice. "But how did a rip in time and space happen without it destroying the planet or the universe?" said Twilah as she put her hand on her chin. "Good question, Twilah; the best answer would be magic," replied Twilight, giving Twilah a big smile. "Magic? But that is unscientific." Twilah said as she laughed at the theory. "Magic is real! I'm a princess, and I have a horn! You saw it!" Okay?" said TwilOKa, a bit confused. "See, in my universe, there is magic! and-" said Twilight before she was cut off. OKAY! Both of you up!" yelled Soarin. "I can't listen to this bullshit." "It's the truth; magic is real," replied Twilight. "Here, let me show you!" Twilight Horn started to glow as she tried to use magic to create an object, but she quickly heard the soldier yelling at her and pointing his weapon at her. "Psychic!" screamed Soarin as he fired a round at Twilight, only to be pushed out of the way and see Twilah saving her life. As the bullet entered, the young girl's stomach and blood came out as she hit the wall. "T-Lilah!" cried Twilight, not believing what happened. "I'OKOK, but it hurts a lot," answered Twilah before feeling more blood coming out. "What the fuck, Soarin?" yelled a trooper as he was pointing his gun at the scared soldier, as well as the others. "She was about to attack me; I did nothing wrong. She's a damn psychic! She's a threat to all of us! Open fire!" Twilight quickly made a force field, protecting herself and Twilah from being shot again. "You're the enemy! You're with the aliens!" shouted the trooper, not lowering his weapon. "No! We're not!" yelled Twilight. "That's what happened, Sgt. Spitfire." Celeste said as the video paused and disappeared. "I see," said Spitfire, "you were right to place Soarin in the brig, and I can't believe he did that. He's been a good soldier until now; I'm shocked by his behavior." "He was never trusting the Ghost Squadron. They have reported him before, but higher-ups always write him off; they hope he will be a good team member." "Did the commander know about this? This doesn't feel like something she will do." "It does feel unlike her," answered Celeste, "but she trusts others. Maybe she saw something in him and wrote off his reports. We won't know the answer unless we ask her, but the commander isn't here right now; she's on a mission with the other squads. It would take some time before she arrives." "Damn, that's bad. Soarin has no family; he will be alone in the brig. Maybe I can visit him and ask him questions?" "I believe he will be willing to talk," answered Celeste. "I hope he's not too scared since the base will be under attack for a while." "He's a soldier; he knows how to survive," said Celeste. "I can't wait for all of this to be over," replied Spitfire, "so we could finally get off this planet and return home. This mission was meant to recover that AI core, not fight off those bastard aliens. Why couldn't they leave us alone?" "I don't know Sgt. Spitfire; even we, the AIs, don't know why those two alien races are fighting each other. Maybe their leaders or their home planets are at war." "If they have planets, that's a big if. I doubt they have homes; they keep fighting across what's left of this sector." "It will end one day." "I hope so," replied Spitfire as she walked off while Celeste vanished. It had been a few hours since Twilight was brought to a room; it wasn't a holding cell or anything, just a regular room and a chair. She was pacing back and forth, wondering about her new friend. Where is she, and is she alright? The question was going through her head. After a few minutes, the door opened, and a female trooper with wings and star decal armor entered. I asked her to follow her. "Please tell me, she's alright!" begged Twilight, as the soldier didn't answer. "She's okay, is she?" cried Twilight as she started to panic, thinking the worst. "She's alive; I can't say if it's OK," the female trooper replied, not turning her head. "Oh, thank goodness, where is she? Can I see her?" "She's in the infirmary." Twilight quickly took the lead and ran past the trooper, who told her to slow down. "Sorry, but I have to make sure she's alright, and I have many questions," replied Twilight. She quickly made her way through the base but quickly realized something: she was lost, as she didn't know the way around here. Soon, the same trooper caught up and started swearing like a cowboy. "Sorry, I just had to run; I didn't mean to." "Ya lucky sugar cube, Celeste told me not to shoot you." "I'm sorry, I won't do it aga-wait...AJ?" whispered Twilight, knowing that voice. "AJ!? You're here!" yelled Twilight as she tackled, hugged the trooper, and kissed her on the helmet. "Hold up, what do you think you're doing? I'm not your boyfriend, ya darn idiot!" shouted the trooper as she pulled Twilight off and removed her helmet, revealing a human-looking AJ. making Twilight confused but completely understanding everything. "How do you know my nickname? I didn't tell you." "I'm from another universe! Of course, there has to be a version of my friends here!" "What now?" said AJ, not understanding anything Twilight was saying. "In my universe, you are an earth pony with an apple farm!" "Apple farm!? That sounds boring." "It's not; it's amusing; you're an amazing farmer, AJ, the best." "That doesn't sound like me." "And here, you're a soldier." Twilight frowned as she saw that this AJ armor was worn out from parts being replaced, clearly because she had fought in battles before. "Now, that doesn't sound boring. What's your universe like, talking pony?" "I'm an alicorn, and I'm a princess of friendship!" answered Twilight before AJ told her to follow again. "Princess of friendship? What is that?" "Oh, I protect Equestria and solve friendship problems for creatures across the land. And my friends, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike, are my best friends." "So, where are they now?" "Well, the girls went on their separate ways after starting their new lives," quietly said Twilight, as she felt sad and lonely again. "So, I take it you're alone now?" "No, I met this weird-looking creature, which I'm starting to believe is another version of me from another universe. Her name is Twilah; even her name almost sounds like mine. I hope she is okay." AJ turneOKr head and sighed. She stopped, put her helmet back on, and opened a door. "We're here, darling; go see if she is okay. She's a kick, my eyes; she didn't deserve that. I will have a word with that Soarin jerk." "She's a good person; she took a bullet for me," replied Twilight as she entered the room and saw her friend lying in a hospital bed with an IV hooked up to her arm and a breathing mask covering her mouth and nose. "I can't believe she risked her life for a stranger; would I have done the same?" quietly asked Twilight to herself as she placed a hoof on her chest and closed her eyes, trying not to cry, as she didn't want anyone to see her like this. "Twi..." quietly said a voice. "She's awake! Oh, thank God, Twilah. How are you feeling?" said Twilight as she moved closer and sat next to her in a chair. AJ closed the door and guarded it. "I'OKay, but my stoOK hurts," answered Twilah. "You're lucky; if she hadn't gotten the bullet out, it would have killed you," said AJ. "That was a brave thing you did." "It was the right thing to do," smirked Twilah as she saw the trooper at the door. "I remember someone doing the same for me. She got hurt, I think. I don't remember her still, but she saved my life." "You were probably in danger," said Twilight. "Possibly, but she didn't have to; she could have let me fall, but she didn't," sadly said Twilah, as tears started to form in her eyes. "I don't know why, but I hated myself; I hated that I almost lost her. Why is my heart hurting? It's so painful." "Sounds like you like her a lot; you're in love," replied Twilight. Twilah quickly sat up, coughing and swearing as her face turned red. "Love? NO! I'm not gay! She's just a friend, my friend, right? The person I care for and the one I hate seeing get hurt; she's just a friend, I think?" "Are you sure, darling, you were talking a lot of crap a minute ago?" "I'm not into girls; I like guys, and I will not change my mind!" shouted Twilah to AJ, who just laughed back. "BI is a thing, darling; I would take a bullet for a teammate on the battlefield but not outside of it unless I loved them to death. "You love her, even if you're unsure about it." "Maybe I do," quietly said Twilah. "She's the first real friend I ever had, I think? My memories are fuzzy, and she's the closest person to me." "Eeyup. Sounds like love, darling." laughed AJ again, enjoying this cute show, but she stopped when there was a knock on the door. She checked the door and opened it, revealing a tall doctor with yellow skin and long pink hair. She wore a green suit, and her arms, legs, neck, and wings were robotic. She entered the room with a tablet. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I came to check on her vitals and do a check-up," said the doctor. "The name is Karin, but you may call me Doc." Twilight and Twilah were in shock as they saw the doctor, even more so for Twilah as AJ removed her helmet again. "Fluttershy?" "You sound and maybe almost look like my friends, AJ and Faith." Both girls turned to each other after saying that and smiled. "I knew it! You are another version of me!" said Twilight, being all nerdy now. "I'm talking to a pony version of me!" replied Twilah, as she was needing out. Karin looked over to AJ, looking for answers. AJ sighed; she said she hardly believed it herself, but a talking pony was in the room. Karin quickly checked the vitals, removed the breathing mask, and unhooked the IV. "Good news! Your friend can leave; take it easy for a few days. The nanomachines are still healing the wounds in your stomach. It was a good thing that the bullet was of low caliber, so it didn't do a lot of damage to you." "Nanites!" Twilight and Twilah shouted as Karin nodded. The girls were amazed by that and were asking questions. Karin answered and explained how it worked, which took a few minutes. "Alright, that's enough science lessons. Twilah, you can leave. Sgt. Spitfire wants to talk to you two," said AJ. OKOK, let's go," said Twilah as the two got up and were about to follow AJ when Twilah realized she was naked under the sheets. "Where are my clothes?" "Don't worry. The doctor brought them," replied AJ as the doctor handed Twilah a bag. "Here you go. It wasn't hard to create a t-shirt in your size." "Thank you," answered Twilah as the three left the room, allowing her to change in peace. As she was putting on her jeans, she noticed her pocket glowing. She took the rainbow shard and could see that it was glowing. "This was in my pocket; I forgot I had it. Now that I think about it, wasn't this the reason the portal opened to the Twilight world? Can it maybe send us back home?" Twilah quickly finished getting dressed and was ready to show Twilight the shard, but AJ told her to hurry and leave the egghead talk later. Unknown to the girls, Celeste was watching them. "Other universe..." end of chapter
Chapter 4 Twilight quickly got in front of Twilah and used her magic to summon a protective barrier around the two of them as the figure slowly walked out of the shadows, revealing the figure to be a blue female pony with a rainbow mane as her guns were attached to robotic arms on her back. She put the guns away as they transformed into robotic wings, walked over to the computer in the room, and used the robotic arms to shut off the gravity. "Woooooah!" shouted the girls as they landed on the floor. The blue pony walked over, put the video phone device in her mouth, and spoke through the robotic device on her back. "Wanda, what happened? You said you were going to shut the gravity off within seconds? Also, who's the kid? I thought all the humans died on the moon base." said the robot-sounding device on the blue pony neck as she walked over to Twilah. "She's not a horse, but she looks like you?" questioned the device. "Hey!" replied Twilah in anger. "How are you here?" "Well..." "She's, well, "us" are an alternate universe version of your "Wanda," which makes sense since we landed here in this gravity room. and there wasn't anyone else here. It means we swap places with her," replied Twilight; the blue pony just nodded and listened. "I see. Okay, I believe you. Let's meet up with the others. They need help." said the pony as she started to walk out but was stopped by Twilah. She asked why she believed them so quickly, causing the pony to turn to them. "Wanda told me a story about saving a girl from being trapped in a time-travel space or something. If time travel is real, then the multiverse is real. Plus, even though "Wanda" looks like her, Wanda can't make barriers with her horn." "Wait, Wanda has a horn!" shouted Twilight "Yeah, the moon base experiment gave her one, but according to what Wanda told me, she can only move small objects and nothing else. Please don't ask me how. Come on; the others are fighting the Moon clan horses on the top floor of the Lunar Moon base. Follow me!" said the pony as she took off running. The two followed the pony as she took flight with her robotic wings, passing several hallways, rooms, and areas. As they kept following, Twilah spoke to Twilight. "Hey, in this universe, ponies are tested on? She asked about how our counterpart was given a horn. Plus, I notice her Barcode on her flank." "Barcode?" asked Twilight, as she could see the mark on the blue pony flank. She thought it was a cutie mark. "Yeah, barcodes encode product information into bars and alphanumeric characters, making it much faster and easier to ring up items at a store or track or trace an item. She has a barcode on her flank, meaning she was a product. A live animal test subject." explained Twilah. "How do you know all this?" "It's also common in my world where animals are tested on." Twilight stopped and yelled at Twilah, who also stopped, making the blue pony turn to them and land near them. "You experimented on animals! On ponies!? You monster! I would never do that! Never!" "Wait! Twilight, it's not like that! Please, listen." said Twilah, as she tried to calm Twilight down, but she was too angry. "What good reason could you have!?" "Twilight, please, just listen to me!" "ANSWER ME!" screamed Twilight as she glowed with a purple aura, and the moon shook. "We use animals to learn more about health problems that affect both humans and animals and to assure the safety of new medical treatments!" explained Twilah as she tried to stand from all the shaking. "HOW IS THAT ANY BETTER? YOU'RE STILL KILLING THEM! YOU MONSTER! YOU'RE WORSE THAN TIREK!" "Who?" "ANSWER ME!" "We only take animals who are either dying from disease, are too sick to survive, or have injuries too severe to be treated successfully." "THEN WHAT'S THE POINT!? THOSE ANIMALS COULD HAVE LIVED, BUT YOU HUMANS RATHER KILL THEM THEN FIND ANOTHER WAY TO HELP THEM!" "Twilight, please; you have to trust me. I know how this looks, but I swear, we're only trying to help." "HELP!? YOU'RE KILLING THEM AND CALLING IT HELP!" shouted Twilight, but in her royal Canterlot voice, making Twilah and the blue pony cover their ears. "Twilight, I understand you're mad, but stop this! If we're on a moon base, then your yelling will break the glass hull and send everything into space, killing us!" shouted Twilah back. "SO WHAT!? YOU'RE JUST GOING TO KILL MORE ANIMALS!" "No, I'm not! I HATE ANIMAL TESTING! I SEAR TO YOU; I NEVER DONE SUCH A THING!" "Liar! We humans are all the same! Liars! Cheaters! Monsters!" shouted a female robotic voice. Twilah and the others turned to the front of the hallway, showing a large female horse. Her skin is pale, light grayish cerise, while her mane is moderate violet. Around her neck was the same device that Blue was wearing. Behind her were other colored horses carrying futuristic weapons on their robotic arm-back devices. The horse walked forward; she had a cold stare and the same Barcode on her flank. "We were once living creatures too, but we were turned into this thanks to you humans. You humans are monsters and must be put down." Twilight rage faded as she realized who it was and tears fell from her eyes. "Cadance?" "Who?" said the Cadance as she turned to Twilight. "Wanda, you have finally seen the light and what humans are!" "Wait, I'm not..." replied Twilight as she wiped her tears and tried to explain. Before she could explain, a smoke grenade dropped between them and went off. Soon, a teleport porter appeared and created a gateway, and stepping out was a young woman with dark skin and long purple hair. She's wearing a white dress with light blue trim and open sides for her legs; her visor has a long horn. She quickly grabbed Twilah and tossed her in the gateway while trying to reach for Blue and Twilight, but Twilight's anger returned as she saw the human woman. "YOU!" shouted Twilight as her magic aura started to glow again. The whole base shook harder, making everyone fall over. Twilight used her magic to remove the smoke, grabbing the human as she rose. "Wanda, dear! What are you doing!" said the human woman, as she was terrified. "You humans are monsters!" "Wanda!? What? I'm no monster, darling!" "LIAR!" shouted Twilight as she threw the woman to the other end of the hall. "Wanda, what the hell!" shouted the cowboy as she jumped through the gateway and tossed a metal grenade at Twilight's body, making her lose her magic, rolling towards the human woman and pointing her revolver at Twilight. "No, wait! Stop, don't shoot!" shouted Twilah on the other side of the gateway as she was being held down by the DJ and a teenage girl wearing an orange pilot jumpsuit and short purple hair. "Wanda, I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but you crossed the line here! You hurt Coral, and you're going to fucking pay!" shouted the cowboy as she pulled the hammer back. "AJ, hold on!" said the teenage girl as the blue pony rushed towards the cowboy and grabbed the revolver, pushing the gun down. "Fake Wanda, stop! They aren't our enemies! It's not Wanda; it's another her, from another world!" explained the pony to both. "What? Bullshit!" replied the cowboy as she pushed Blue off and quickly ran to the gateway with the woman in her arms and as they went through it, the gateway disappeared. "Where did they go?" shouted a purple horse. Cadance looked at the ground and saw the device broken. "It looks like they use the teleporter that the purple-haired woman has been carrying, meaning they are gone. For now, let's deal with "her"." ordered Cadance, as she pointed to Twilight and got up after the grenade fell off her as it lost power. "Fake Wanda, I'm sorry! Please, just calm down!" pleaded the blue pony, but Twilight wasn't listening. She was breathing heavily, and her magic aura started to glow again. "I'll never forgive humans! For what they did to you, to the ponies in this world, and everything!" "Fake Wanda, please don't! I'm begging you, not here!" cried Blue, but she could see that the Cadance and the others were slowly surrounding them, so she opened her robotic wings, jumped into the air, and looked at Twilight before escaping as she flew off. "Where are you going? Come back here and face me, you coward!" shouted Cadance, but Blue was long gone. Twilight was left alone in the hallway, and the Cadance looked alike. Her horse companions surrounded her as they prepared their weapons, but the Cadance stopped them as she sat near Twilight. "Sister, calm yourself. You're finally home again, away from those dirty humans." "What? No, I'm not," replied Twilight. "You're still afraid of them, right? They did terrible things to you, didn't they? Forcing you to work for them. In that organization, Element Watchers?" whispered Cadnace as she started to cry, hugging Twilight. "Fighting in that war! Don't worry; you're safe now, Six. My dear and sweet little six." Twilight was speechless; she couldn't believe what she heard, but feeling Cadnace's neck over hers was warm. "Cadance..." cried Twilight as she hugged her back. Twilight knew it wasn't her Cadnace, but it was great to see someone she knew. "Who the fuck are you?" barks the cowboy as she points her gun at Twilah, who is sitting on a bench in their damaged spaceship. "What?" "Who are you? No other humans are meant to be here after what happened 25 years ago." "25 years?" replied Twilah, but that just made the cowboy angry. She was about to shoot but was stopped by the teenager. "Take a chill pill, Alex! She's a kid like me! Are you going to shoot her?" "Stay out of this, Dive!" "Please, Miss Cowboy? I don't know what's going on here, but please stop pointing that gun at me. I swear, I'm not from here. From this universe." "Bullshit!" "Alex, calm down. I'm sure we can get answers. Let's hear her out," the DJ replied as she played music. "Fuck you, Low Beat, and stop playing that shitty music!" shouted Alex as she turned to the DJ, kicking the turntable out of her hands and crashing on the floor. "Dude!" shouted Low Beat. "Fuck you and fuck your music!" "Alex!" shouted Coral as she got up from the chair. "What?!" "Stop swearing!" "Fucking No!" "Why are you always like this?" shouted Coral as she threw her hands up as Twilah looked at the others. "Look, I understand that I'm not welcome here since you think I'm an enemy or something, but I'm not. The blue pony was telling the truth: I'm not from this world. After going through a portal, we just ended up on this moon base, but I'm not from here. Just listen..." "Fine, talk," replied the cowboy as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. The teenage girl walked over to the DJ and helped her pick up the turntable while the two were listening. Twilah explained everything up to getting here. After she was done, Alex started laughing at her story. Multiverse? That's all made up to her. "I swear, I'm not lying!" "Sure, kid, whatever you say. Next, you'll tell me I'm a pony who works on an apple farm or something. please." "Please, you have to believe me!" "We believe," replied Beat as Twilah and Alex looked at her and the others. "You have to be joking?" asked Alex as she looked at the others. "I don't believe a fucking word of it. It's bullshit." "Alex, we have a manufactured super genius pony who helped Pink Streamer with her time travel problem. There's Spike and his weird dragon magic sword, which looks like hard lights but isn't. The multiverse can be real. Plus, how else can a human be up here other than us? How can she explain that? It's either aliens or a multiverse theory," explained Dive as Beat and Coral nodded in agreement. "I still don't believe it. Look, I'll play nice and give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you pull a fast one, I'll shoot you. Understand?" "Yeah, I do." "Good. Now, get some rest and think of a plan for stopping that weapon from going off again, and I need a drink," said Alex as she walked away. "Weapon? No other humans? Horse with sci-fi weapons! Can anyone care to explain?" "Sure thing, darling. We're on a mission to destroy a weapon that the moon horse had created. The weapon is a solar energy microwave transmitter, and it has already destroyed part of New York City. Element Watchers sent us to stop it and finally recover the moon base from the horses," Coral explained. "Element Watchers?" "An organization was created to stop threats like this," explained Beat as she started to play with her turntables. "And the moon horses?" "25 years ago, intelligent, genetically engineered horses took over the moon base. The moon base staff were all killed as they were tossed into space. Only one escape from the base that day, and that was Wanda," explained Dive as she pressed a button on the computer, revealing a hologram screen showing a group of soldiers recovering a poorly designed, manufactured escape pod, and a female soldier was holding a filly Twilight as she was holding a pair of glasses and a photo with her psychic powers. "That was 25 years ago, and now she's working with us. She's here to stop the weapon and hope to bring peace to the moon horses. I'm sure when we find her and let her explain herself, we-" explained Coral, but stopped herself and remembered this wasn't their Wanda right now. "Oh, right. It's your friend, Twilight Sparkle. Not our Wanda." "Twilight's a good pony. Please try not to think the worst of her after what she did. She's just learning...how shitty humans can be," muttered Twilah as she looked down and remembered Twilight and how she acted after learning how animals are tested on. "What do you mean?" asked Beat as she stopped playing music and looked at Twilah. "In her world, it's primarily ponies and other creatures, but no humans. She just learned that we test on animals and how bad it can be. Some can be evil. Outside the ship's main room, Blue was listening to the group before a gun was pointed at her; it was Alex. She returned with a jug of beer and saw the ship ramp was down. "I see that you are still here. So, are you going to answer my question, or are you going to run again, Barcode?" asked Alex as she took a sip. "What did you say earlier? About a weapon? Wanda told me she was here to stop something." "I'll make it simple for you so you can understand that a weapon is a machine used for hurting or killing people, okay? Get it? Good, now where is this weapon? If we don't stop it in the next hour, Element Watchers are going to fire every damn missile at this base. Wanda begged them to allow this mission to happen. She wanted to save you all. So, I'm only asking nicely once. Where is the weapon?" "I believe it's the Observatory room, where the others live. I suppose they recreate the telescope to focus the energy from the solar energy reactor and blast the energy beam at the Earth," explained Barcode. "Good, then let's get going. You can come along if you want, but you had better avoid trying any fun business. If you do, I'll kill you. Got it." "I'll help, but please don't hurt them. Any of them." "Them, meaning the other horses? The ones that killed the moon staff and tossed their bodies into space. The ones that fired that death beam and killed many people, including my siblings!" replied Alex, her hand shaking as she pulled back the hammer and wanted to pull the trigger at Barcode but didn't, as she let her arm fall to her side. Barcode turned around and could see Alex crying as she finally let her sibling's deaths set in. "Grandma was taking them to see New York City for the summer... I couldn't be there... I was busy doing nothing on my ass back at HQ." Barcode didn't know what to say, so she watched Alex cry. "When word got to us, Wanda and I took a ship and headed there. Seeing, dear God, the death and destruction, it was hell. My siblings and grandma were all dead. Wanda tried to find them, but it was a lost cause. No one could live through that. Wanda saw my family as her own when she was still young. I took her to see my folks when they were still alive. She took it hard as well." "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault," replied Alex as she wiped the tears from her face and took a sip. "You should know, the horses here are smart and know their way around an old flawed gun. They won't go down easy." Alex laughed as she spun her revolver around and did tricks before putting it away. "Don't worry, I don't go down easy. The old girl never let me down." Back in the control room, the group talked about what they should do and about Twilight. Until Alex entered the room, he was drinking an enormous amount from the beer jug, causing Coral to swear under her breath. "Alex, I thought I told you to stop drinking." "I don't take orders from you, Coral. "You aren't my mom and never will be." "Can we have a civil discussion about what's going on?" asked Dive "Sure thing, I already talked with Barcode; she's ahead of us. The weapon is in the observatory room. Dive, is your mecha fix or what?" "Almost all the boosters are still offline, but Scoots can still walk, and weapons are online now." "Good, we're counting on you to take down that weapon or not." "Don't worry, we will stop it before the missiles are fired!" said Beat as she became serious and looked at Dive, who nodded and smiled. "Good. As for you, kid, You are staying here." "What!" shouted Twilah as she stood up. "I'm going with you! Twilight might hurt you, guys! I can talk her down, and what's this about missiles?" "If you don't stop the weapon in the next hour, a shit ton of hell fire is going to hit this base. Killing us all, and from what I saw, your friend isn't in a listening mood, but..." "But what?" "You can come only because I trust you. I think that's what Wanda would have said—just don't let me down." Twilah nodded as she followed the others off the ship, seeing Dive enter in her small robot called Scoots. It was an orange-fat humanoid robot that was short. The arms were short, with a long barrel cannon arm on the right and a Gatling gun on the left. "Scoots, activate. Dive, ready for action." cheered Dive as Scoots did a pose and was ready to go. "Let's get going; we have 40 minutes," said Alex as she took the lead, and the group headed off. Twilight was being led down a long hallway by Cadance and her group, wondering where they were going. She had a bad feeling and wanted to run, but the guards' weapons made her stay in place. "Where are you taking me?" "To Equestria," replied Cadance. Twilight's ears shot up as she heard her universe name and was confused. "Equestria?" "Yes, the town we made in the Observatory room, where the rest of our kind lives." Twilight was confused until they stopped in front of a large door. It revealed a giant observatory dome room, full of horses and their houses. The room was a circle, and the walls were covered in computers and hologram screens, showing the moon and the Earth. The center of the room had a weird-looking telescope with a giant glass tube in the middle, and inside was a rainbow-looking sun. Twilight was confused as she looked around, seeing a town where all the horses were living, and was shocked. "Welcome home, my dear. To Equestria." Twilight was speechless; she saw other versions of ponies she knew from her world, like Lyra, Trixie, and so on. This was shocking, and she was a bit scared, seeing so many horses living on the moon base, until she felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Cadance and Twilight looking at her, who had a smile on her face. "Come, let's get you settled." Twilight nodded and followed. She still didn't trust Cadnace, but seeing her ponies again was comforting. Twilight hoped to find the others, her friends, here if they were, but she could now rest and think about what to do. Cadance led Twilight to an office section near the town, and they entered the office room on the side. She didn't notice it, but the owner of the office was called Dr. Wanda. Cadance let her sit on a dust-covered chair as she ordered her guards to leave them, but one stayed. "Now, why did you change your mind, Six? You said you would stand by the humans when you came to us, to me." Twilight didn't understand until she remembered what had happened, so she answered the truth: she wasn't Wanda, and she came from another universe and was looking for a rainbow shard so they could jump to the next universe. Cadance wasn't buying it but asked Twilight about Twilah and why she was fighting with her. Twilight answered truthfully again, saying Twilah told her how her kind tested animals. "She's right. Humans are evil creatures. They tested every older horse here; lucky for them, the young ones never have to experience that, unlike the six little fillies. It's why we took a stand and took over. Do you remember that, Six? Three does." "Three...?" Twilight didn't understand what she was saying but clearly didn't believe her about being from another universe. Twilight tried to explain again but could feel a device placed around her horn by the guard who hadn't left the room. She could feel her magic being shut off somehow. "That will stop your psychic powers for now. I can't trust you yet, not till you remember. I'm sorry. I know this isn't fair, but you must remember the truth...and understand why the humans must burn," sadly said Cadance as she ordered the guard to tie Twilight to the chair with metal chains. Soon, the office blackboard turned on, revealing a young woman with blue, pink, and green hair and wearing a lab coat as she spoke about the six test subjects. "What's going on? Why am I here? I told you I didn't know about this. Let me go! Please! I don't belong here!" shouted Twilight as the screen started to play. "This is Dr. Wanda; we just got our six test subjects for the harmony gene therapy! With this, we can start moving forward. Here they are!" cheered Dr. Wanda as the crew wheeled six small fillies in a large box. All six were together, scared as they saw Wanda. "Don't be scared, little ones. You're in safe hands." Wanda said with a warm smile, causing Twilight to freak out, as she knew who this Wanda person was, and worst of all, she knew who the six little fillies in the box were. "No! Stop this!" "Do you remember them, Six? The six little fillies. You were number 6," whispered Cadance as he left the room, leaving the guard to watch the entrance. "Day 5, the little ones warmed up to me! They're so cute!" laughed Wanda. She had a pink one on her lap while the others were playing behind her, and the crew built six cages for them. "I know we're testing them, but keeping them in a cage feels wrong. They are just too adorable." "They aren't puppies, Wanda! We are testing the harmony gene!" shouted a black-skinned man with long black hair and glasses. "I know, but can we give them names?" "Sure, whatever. Just don't get too attached to them," replied the man as he checked on the cages. "Oh my god! Thank you, Dr. John! Okay, let's name the light brown one, Apple; the pink one, Pinkie; the white one, Diamond; the yellow one, Butter; the blue one, Three, and the purple one, Six!" "Why were the last two numbers called?" asked Dr. John as he faced her. "One of them is named Three since their code number is all 3's, and the purple is Six because I love six." "Weirdo. Whatever, have fun with your project." "Thank you!" cheered Wanda as the screen went off and another video started to play. "This is day 21; Harmony was given to the fillies a week ago, and they seemed to be changing!" "What is this?" asked Twilight as she watched the fillies eating, playing, and running around their cage. "Pinkie is starting to learn how to do math by touching the screen in her cage. Of course, being hyper Pinkie, she touches the screen with her nose rather than with her hooves like the others. The others show the same level of intelligence. Though Six is showing much more intelligence, I will watch her closely." The video went dark until a new one came on. Dr. Wanda was sitting in her chair and was about to say something when she could hear banging coming from Pinkie's cage. She hurried over and saw blood shooting out. Twilight hearts stink. "Shit, Pinkie is killing herself; help me open her cage!" shouted Wanda as the crew opened Pinkie's cage and rushed in. Wanda could see her forehead split open and bleeding, and she quickly wrapped it as Pinkie was shaking in pain and screaming. The video ended, and another started. Dr. Wanda was sitting in her chair, and her lab coat was covered in blood. "Day 24, Pinkie has died. Her brain thoughts seemed too much for her, so she started to bang her head on the math touch screen." "Wanda! Are you ok?" shouted a female voice as a woman in a lab coat entered the room, who had tan skin and long red hair. "No, I'm not okay," cried Wanda; in the background, the fillies were crying, but it seemed Apple was crying the hardest. The video ended, and the next one started to load while Twilight was crying. "Day 27, the fillies are getting used to Pinkie's death in a freezer. The others are learning from the math screens, and Apple seems to be in pain. She's going to be checked later today." The video went black but quickly returned the same day, as Wanda looked heartbroken. "Apple's brain had, dear God, turned into mush... She had been in so much pain, and now she was dead. My poor apple." The video ended, and the next one played. "Day 39, "Diamond died today from starvation. Her mind became broken. The poor thing just stood there until she died. "It seems Butter, Six, and Three are showing signs of depression after what happened. Their minds seem fine, and their intelligence is higher than before. Six is the highest, but three is slowly catching up. We are trying to make them forget about Apple and Diamond." Video ended Twilight was crying her heart out, seeing how this universe of her friends died, but the video wasn't done. The next video started. Day 45 Wanda looked awful. She turned to the cages and could hear Butters moaning in pain. She could see the yellow filly trying to stand up and look out, but her little head was mutated and deformed, as blood was oozing out of her ears. Wanda got up and walked to her cage, opening it. She took a deep breath. "NOOOO!" screamed Twilight as she could hear Butters being choked to death as Wanda whispered it would be over soon. Six and three looked away in fear. The video ended. Twilight was in shock, crying her eyes out and shaking. This was too much; it wasn't fair. Why did they have to die? These humans were truly monsters! "THEY'RE MONSTERS!" shouted Twilight. "Some are." Twilight looked at the door and saw Blue standing there as she killed the guard by breaking his neck. "You...how are you here? How did you find me?" asked Twilight. "This was once my home," replied Blue as she walked in. "Home? Wait, you are three, aren't you?" "Yes. I'm so sorry you had to see this." "Why!? Why did they do that to you?" Three said nothing as she walked to the computer screen and played the remaining videos. Day 76 "Three and six are doing well! It seemed the Harmony test was a success! They are smart, faster, and stronger! Six even has a horn! It seems Six is much smarter than Three, but that is understandable since she's the most intelligent of the six!" smiled Wanda as she held both fillies in her arms. "You two are the saviors of humanity." Day 80 Wanda was in her chair, drinking tea and looking at the cages. "Six has been acting weird lately. I mean, she's still smart, but she's more clingy and dependent on Three as well. It's almost like how sisters will act," said Wanda as she headed to the cage and opened it, only for the fillies to jump on her and try to say something, but Six spoke. "Mommy!" Wanda dropped her cup and hugged the fillies. "Oh my God, did you just call me mommy? You did!" Video ended Twilight could feel tears running down her face as she watched Wanda, her other self-mother figure, be so happy, but Blue wasn't smiling as the following video started. Day 126 Six and three walked around the base with the other horses and scientists. Three held Six Hoof, and they heard people talking about them. "Wow! Look at them! They are so smart!" "I heard those little foals would end the chaos back on earth." "That is what we hope. I don't want any more kids dying." Six and Three looked at each other, wondering why people were cheering and saying such things. Day 128, "We had the two little ones in the VR machine and had them walk around. It was so cute! Six wanted to hold my hand, saying she was scared, which I didn't mind. Three was brave as she jumped into the ocean alone, unlike Six, who needed me to join, as the VR room she picked was the beach theme. They soon started to make sandcastles! My girls are so cute!" Day 160, "We will test their strength, speed, and intelligence." video skips "Three has more speed than her sister! She is also pretty cocky. Six was upset about that, and both started to fight. Yup, they're like sisters. Even had to put them in time out!" Day 200 "Three grew wings last night. We're watching her closely, but this might delay sending the whole thing! What is it, Six?" asked Wanda as Six jumped into her lap. "When is Three coming back?" "Soon, sweetie." "But when?" "Soon, soon." The video ends, and the three last videos start. Wanda was in her chair, at night, holding Three and Six. Three had been crying. Wanda looked at the screen. "Three were tested. I wasn't told about the testing; they returned her this morning. She's been like this all day. She can't tell me what happened because she can't talk. Though Six tells me she tried to be brave, Wanda looked at the sleeping fillies, hugged them tightly, and cried. "My poor little girls. You're not a test subject. You're my babies, my daughters... I'm sorry." The video ended, and another started. Day365 It was nighttime, and Wanda was carrying a cake for the girls. "Happy birthday, Six and Three. This is for you." "Happy birthday!" cheered the three as the two fillies blew out the candles. What did you two wish for?" asked Wanda. Three tried to talk but could only mumble until Wanda put a device around her neck. "What's this?" said Three through the device, causing her to smile and speak nonstop. "I want to see the blue moon!" shouted Six as she ate her cake. Wanda smiled, and soon, the tape skipped to Wanda setting up the camera, walking back, and picking up the girls as she asked the computer system to open the shutters. Soon, both fillies could see the blue Earth. "Girls, don't see the world as it was, but as it could be. One day, you two will save the world. Be the heroes the Earth needs. You'll bring a dawn for everyone to see and treasure! Please don't hate us for what we did here. It was all for the kids in that world. You gave them a chance to live. Please, don't hate them," cried Wanda as she hugged the girls tight. The video ended. Twilight could feel her heart being ripped in two, and she soon heard Three talking. "25 years ago, there was a brain disease that attacked young kids. It started small but soon became a worldwide outbreak near the year we came to the moon. They were testing a new form of gene therapy on the moon base. It took a year, but the versions they used on us were recreated and had a 100% cure rate. They were going to send the files when..." The last video started. "I won't let you!" screamed Wanda as she pushed Dr. John and others away from the fillies. "They have a right to live! You can't kill them!" "What is wrong with you? They are getting too advanced! We can't let them live when we already have the cure for the disease. We already ordered the others to be killed." "NO!" "Fine, you leave me no choice," said Dr. John as he ordered the guards to take her away. Suddenly, everyone could hear a noise outside. Soon, the horse ran inside the room and killed the guards with their stolen weapons. Dr. John saw Cadance walking in. "69? How?" Soon, everyone was forced out of the room, while Wanda was writing something on the back of two photos she had and giving it to Six and Three before being taken away and her glasses falling off as she tried fighting back and calling for her daughters. The video continued until the girls broke out of their cage and knocked over the camera. Three soon dragged the camera, as the wires were caught around her body, while Six was behind her, carrying the photos and glasses. They soon stopped at the same place where they had seen the Earth. Both of them sat there, as they could see the floating bodies of the staff outside in space. Soon, they both saw her as her lifeless body floated by. "MOMMY!" cried the two. video ended Twilight couldn't believe her eyes, as tears were falling. "So, the horses kill the humans on the base?" asked Twilight. "Yes, it's how they took control of the base. Once they killed all the humans, the Lunar Moon base was renamed 'The Moon Colony.' My sister was the only one to get out. I thought she left me behind, but she told me the truth: she couldn't stop the launch. She went on to live and honor our mother. She became what our mother always wanted. I never hated humans; some are evil, but there is good. My sister and I saw it firsthand with our mother, and my sister kept seeing it on Earth. The people she met, all the good she did, and seeing the grown kids with the brain disease were all cured. Yes, it wasn't very good, but I'd gladly do it over again if it meant saving all those kids' lives. Everyone has a right to see the world as it could be. See that dawn and treasure it." Twilight looked at her, as she could hear Wanda saying that last line from the video that Wanda said to them. She now understands why she was shown the video: to learn that not all humans are monsters. Some are good, as their teachings pass on to others, creating more good souls. Will it forgive their evil actions? No, but she can understand why they did it. Three broke free of the chains, releasing Twilight, and looked at her as they could hear fighting in the Observatory. "The others are already here! We need to hurry!" shouted Three as she and Twilight returned to the Observatory. Once they entered, they could see the others fighting the horses. Alex fought a few horse guards while Beat and Coral backed her up. Meanwhile, Dive was firing at the weaponized telescope while Twilah was inside with Dive. It was cramped, but the two were making the most of it. "Come on, dive! You can do it!" shouted Twilah as she typed away on the computer and ensured the weapon was aimed at the gun. "How much more can this thing take? I'm starting to get low here!" shouted Dive as she continued firing at the weapon as the glass core cracked. "Just a few more!" shouted Twilah as she could see the damage forming on the core, but soon noticed the rainbow shard in her pocket started to glow. Dive could see the glass was about to crack, and she fired her last round and the glass finally broke, and the weapon exploded. "YES!" shouted Twilah and Dive before the mecha was smacked by something, tossing them to the wall and badly damaging the mecha. Dive was knocked out, and Twilah could see a large hole in the side of the mecha. Whatever hit them easily cut through the robot's steel and seemed to be heading their way, as she could hear Alex yelling at them. "Damn it. Come on, I need you to wake up; we need to move," said Twilah as she shook her friend awake. Twilah pulled Dive out of the mecha through the hole, and soon, he could see a giant horse robot. It had a long, sharp horn, the very same thing that hit them. Soon, the cockpit opened to reveal Cadance was piloting it. "Oh no, you don't," said Twilight as she and Three joined them. "Oh my. Suppose it isn't the traitor, three. I see you joined the humans again, Six," said Cadance in a cold tone. "Stop this! Sixty-nine!" shouted Three as she pointed her guns at her. "No! I'm the leader of the moon colony. You and your sister are nothing but traitors! Six went on to live with those monsters! While you believe that evil woman was your mother! But I will set things right. The Moon Colony will become the world, and the humans will learn who is in charge." Cadance closed the cockpit, and the mecha horse horn glowed bright orange. She soon charged at them. Twilight used her magic to block the attack, but she could see the horn was superheated as it burned through the barrier. "Everyone run!" shouted Twilight. Alex and Coral were able to arrive, grab Dive, and escape, while Twilah stayed with Twilight. She could see the shard getting brighter. She looked around and saw the weapon core that had been destroyed holding the other shard. "Twilight! The shard!" Twilight looked where Twilah was pointing and could also see the rainbow shard. "The other shard," said Twilah, as she was about to go to it, but a metal tail claw grabbed the shard and brought it to the mecha horse's face. "I'm not letting you have our only means of fighting back!" shouted Cadance "IT'S NOON SOMEWHERE!" shouted Alex as she was on top of a building, with glowing eyes, as she aimed at the tail joints and fired her revolver. The bullet hit each joint spot, causing the joints to break off. The shard dropped as a gateway appeared midair, catching it and falling into Coral's hand. She tossed it to Beat, who flew nearby and caught it. She flew to Twilight and the others and threw it. Twilah grabbed the shard as she could feel herself getting warmer. As the area started to become a prism around her and Twilight, reality started to fall apart around her. "What's going on?" questioned Cadance as she saw the weird events around her. Soon, the shards started to fuse and create a rainbow pillar, blinding everyone, but Alex could hear a voice in her radio ear set as her radio was working again. "What? Yeah, I can hear you! "What!" shouted Alex as she looked out of the dome glass window and saw missiles heading their way. "WE GOT MISSILE HEADING OUR WAY! FUCKERS, LAUNCH THEM EARLY!" Everyone heard her, causing Twilight to take action, but she stopped as Three touched her shoulder. "You need to head home! This isn't your problem. It's ours." "But what about..." "It's okay. My mother wanted me to be a hero. Wanda did her part, and now it's mine turn!" said Three as she opened her wings and jetted off to the airlock, putting on a space helmet. Soon, Twilight and Twilah could feel their very existence being torn apart and merging before finally disappearing into the rainbow pillar. Three had a space suit on now. She was looking at a photo she took out of her robotic backpack and smiled as the airlock opened. end of Chapter 4
