They all were speechless. Including Ponder, apparently.
He had transformed while looking at Twilight. His Twilight.
His many eyes narrowed as he jerked back to the portal, causing a minor recoil in the two.
He stared at it intensely for a while

Sunset came running through the main entryway to see what all the commotion was about.
She stopped instantly.
By the shock, freezing, and look on her face....
She was the most terrified out of all of them.

She couldn't stop shaking.

" W- " Pony Twilight couldn't complete her words.

Ponder noticed that, and looked back to see if any other nasties made it past him.
Sunset, and only Sunset, took a step back.

" I think it's over. " His tone was of many voices, layered onto one.
Like a chorus.

" I think we should -" As he raised a hand in the general direction of the group, he noticed his claws.

He stared at them for awhile.

" Oh. " He slowly sighed.

He closed his eyes. All of them.

After a long awhile, he opened them again, but not so wide this time.
His tone turned solemn :

" I think I'm about done here. With this word. "
The others were left wondering what he meant by ' done '.

" I want to go back now Twilight. "
" May I step through the portal? " He asked, turning to the portal while turning his head back at her.

It took little time for Twilight to gain the confidence to advance into talking distance. Her footsteps were rhythmical and measured.

" Um. " She choose her words carefully.
" No. "

He raised 2 of his right eyes at her.
" Why not? " His voiced becoming annoyed.

" We- Don't know the effects of going through like that. " Her fingers pointed a soft ' point ' towards him.

Ponder then let out a short lived snarl that should have belonged to an apex predator in Equestria.
He crossed his arms, and looked away from Twilight.
Everyone recoiled, minus her.
She only put a single foot back.

" I'm- going to go get my element now. " She motioned to the portal.
" Or maybe ~? " She turned to Sunset.

" Since the portal's open, maybe permanently, we could just go get our friends, because- you know? "
" That's faster? " She said with strain.

Sunset nodded, and rushed back into the school.

SciTwi also seemed like she wanted to retreat. She slowly inched back into the school from the stairs when -
The space around her warped, almost popped, and she was back where she started.

" Uh-Uh. " Ponder sneered at her, lowering his raised hand back to his side. His tone was low and serious.
" You aren't going anywhere. "

" You're the reason were in this mess to begin with. "
" You're not leaving my sight. " His voice had no shifts in speed, but certainly in pitch and tone.

SciTwi nervously put her hands behind her back.
She looked away, hoping that would calm the situation.
Out into space. At some clouds. Anything.

He continued his stare.
She could almost feel it.

" Ponder- " Original Twilight stepped closer to him.
" Maybe we should just sit down instead? " She offered.

His gaze shifted harshly towards her.
His tone, however, was no different from normal.

" Why do you insist on doing things the ineffective way? " His head made creaking noises as he tilted it.

" You DO know this is the 4th time this has happened? " His raised a claw in expression.

Twilight was taken aback a bit.

SciTwi rushed over, as fast as a scared little girl could, and positioned herself in front of Ponder.
Blocking him.

" Phfff. " Ponder's ego showed.

" You know I'm not one of those balls of eldritch energy, right? "

" I know " SciTwi managed to say, tears in her eyes. Presumably from fear.
" But I'm the one your mad at. ", " -And rightfully so. "

" And I know your feeling angry right now. " She added.
" And all the other negative emotions you've kept bottled up until now have nowhere to go, and- and- "
" Have nothing stopping them. " She looked downward, as if accepting her fate.

Her face slowly rose back up to meet his.
He had, quite possibly, the smuggest look anybody could possibly have. And that was WITH the new eldritch features.

" So take it all out on me. " She softly cried, lowering her head again.

Ponder laughed. An open laugh. Not too big, not too small, but -
very condescending.

" Allow me to enlighten your tiny little swirl brain for a bit. " He motioned his claw towards him, and SciTwi's feet were pulled closer to him.
Right in front of him.

He smiled wide the entire time too, revealing many rows of sharp teeth.
Also; turns out he doesn't have to move his mouth to talk.

Barely keeping her balance, SciTwi was now face to face with the abomination. Who was leaning forward, for the extra fear factor.

She couldn't control her shaking.

He leaned back after feeling satisfied staring her down.

' ding '
Twilight was stopped from advancing to her location by a nearly invisible pale force field, as per the sound made by it.

God she was so helpless.
She hated this.

Ponder smiled at SciTwi. He talked slow.
" You have "
" N O I D E A "
" How badly I want to flay the flesh from your little bones right now. " He said with coy, a short-lived fire flaring up from the halo behind his back.

SciTwi collapsed. She couldn't look away.

" String you up in an effigy in front this school as a reminder to everyone - to"

" N E V E R "

" Let this happen again! " He swung his claw in a wide sweeping motion. Not too close to SciTwi, though.

" But. " Ponder turned away.
" I'd destroy the very system I'd want to save in doing so. "

He turned back, shrugging.

" So I can't! " He said plainly.

" In other words… " His whimsicality turned to anger.

" I've had enough of your, and everybody else's, shit. " He grit his teeth.
He magically forced his target into a complete bow, head touching the ground.

" NEVER "
" Equate us again. "

He released SciTwi from his grip. He didn't move. He only stared at her.

Twilight now rushed over to SciTwi; the force field now lifted.
She looked at him like a villain while helping her up.

He scoffed.
" This wasn't hard you know. " He looked back to SciTwi.
" Not hurting people? ", " Entirely doable. "
He added.

" You should have just flown into the first portal you made back then. "
" Do better. " He sneered.

But they weren't listening.

He sat in frustration. Almost a squat.
" I just wanted to make a happy world. "
" And here I am yelling at a high school wannabe genocider in hopes she won't do it again. "

" I just want to go home. " Tiredness began to show in his voice.
" I just- " He sighed. " Want to go home. "
He hung his many eyes.

Twilight looked back to her counterpart for awhile, to make sure she was ok. And could stand.

After confirming this, she slowly made her way to PonderBright. Quite casually.

She put a hand on his shoulder.
He jerked his head to see her, but she didn't react.

Fear.
Visible fear on his face.

He instantly retreated back into his posture; the light around him itself starting to conceal him.
He almost blended in with the pale concrete of the school's exterior. He was getting hard to look at.

A long moment later, Sunset returned with the rest of the group.
" Oh. " Sunset was surprised.

" I'd thought - "

Ponder looked up from his ' ball ' .
" Oh, you thought I'd be causing chaos by now? "

He stood up.

" I told you before. I don't care what you have to say. " He gave a sarcastic shrug.

Sunset recoiled. Now frozen in place.

" Oh? " He tilted his head?

" Are you... " He furled his claw in the air a bit.
" Scared of me? "
Twilight tightened her grip on his shoulder.

After Sunset's breathing accelerated, she took a few steps back, and he got his answer.

" Good. "
" At least someone here is aware of consequences. " He smiled.

Twilight jumped in front of him.
" Ponder, stop! " She sternly yelled. Her face, upturned. It seems she couldn't hide all her fears.

" Fine. " He raised a claw.

" Just get on with your whole -
' take away my only power before I get to use it for good even once '
stick. "
He said with disdain, while waving a dismissive wave to the group, who was rearing to go.

All but Sunset.

FlutterShy had retreated quite a ways to meet her.
Faintly- It could be heard -
" i just cant do it " : Coming from Sunset.
" i can't muster up the c- courage to face him. i won't be of help. you'll have to do this without me. "

After a nod from FlutterShy and another sly smirk from Ponder, She walked up in front of the group.
" Girls? " She looked to the Twilights.
ONE was operational.

Everyone able gathered together on the school's stairs and held hands.

As they rose into the air, Ponder looked ever so slightly down. He sighed.
He put a hand/claw/thing on his hip.

Hopefully this wasn't going to be painful.

Author's Note

I post on my FIMfiction blog!
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1037520/own-story-or-adaptations
Be involved!
Make friends!!
Influence (ever so slightly)
The direction of the story!

I am open to PM. No discord or email. Do not use email. Please.
I am open to work, even collaborations. I can't draw. Muscle condition.

Want to test my writing with this one. Will try to write more and more challenging subjects as time goes on.
All criticism minus something that can only be seen as a nitpick will be appreciated.

Wrong.