PART 3: Nothing Can Stop the...

Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy walked into the hair salon. Everypony around them happily greeted Rainbow Dash as she entered, as if she was a common visitor. "I can't believe you jerks talked me into this..." grumbled Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, darling!" called a pony as she approached, which they assumed to be Daffidazey as Inverted Pinkie Pie said earlier. "Oh, my, your hair..."

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her mane. "You mean my mane? What about it?"

"It's a mess," frowned Daffidazey.

"Oh, that's what I'm always telling her, darling," chuckled Rarity.

"We must fix it, posthaste!"

Daffidazey: Gosh-a-roony, I don't mean to stare.

I'm wondering what the heck is under there,

But trust in me and soon

You'll be feelin' good...

Feelin' good!

Rarity: Working on a really dashing tail.

Trust me, we'll make the perfect pair.

You'll want to shout

It's all about

Feelin' good inside and out.

Daffidazey: You've got so much beauty inside you.

Rainbow Dash: Really?

Rarity: I guess you've never been told.

But I could see, from the start

You've got a heart of solid gold.

Daffidazey: You're still a little doubtful, I can tell,

But keep a happy thought and things will gel.

Rarity: Curl up your smile, in just a while,

Rarity and Daffidazey: You'll be feelin' good.

Feelin' good!

Daffidazey: Time to tell your troubles "bye-de-bye!"

Rarity: They'll float like tiny bubbles to the sky!

Rarity and Daffidazey: And you'll begin to grin and grin!

Feelin' good, outside and in!

Daffidazey: You've got so much beauty inside you!

Rarity: Guess you've never been told.

Rainbow Dash: Obviously.

Rarity and Daffidazey: But I could see, from the start,

You've got a heart of solid gold! Solid gold!

Rarity: Changing at a truly dashing clip!

Daffidazey: I can't imagine why you wouldn't flip!

Rarity: You'll grin with glee!

Rainbow Dash: Oh, whoop-dee-dee.

Daffidazey: Soon you will see!

Rainbow Dash: Somepony save me...

Rarity and Daffidazey: Take it from me,

You're going to be feelin' good...

Feelin' good!

Feelin' good...

Good as can be!

It was really difficult for Twilight Sparkle and Spike to hold back their laughter, while Fluttershy just smiled sweetly. Rainbow Dash had been really, REALLY dolled up by Rarity and Daffidazey. Her mane was straightened and combed over the side, she was covered in make-up, she wore a bright pink dress with shoes and a tiara to match, and her cyan coat sheened like never before. "Oh, darling, you look marvelous," smiled Rarity, proud of their work.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, "I look stupid."

Daffidazey was beyond shocked and confused, "I'm sorry? Dear, this is something you usually ask for..."

"You've got the wrong mare," growled Rainbow Dash, kicking off her shoes and shaking her head to and fro, flicking off her tiara and 'fixing' her mane, and rubbing her face free of the make-up. She let her wings stretch out, the ponies all around giving a loud gasp. "Oh, that feels good. Haven't had these open since we got here. ...what? What're you staring at?"

"She...has wings..." Daffidazey choked out.

Rainbow Dash glared, "You didn't notice until just now?"

Rarity gave Daffidazey an odd look, "...What's wrong with that?"

"Th...They're-"

"Ah, good morning, darlings!"

Everypony turned to the door. Rainbow Dash choked, "Oh, sweet Celestia, no..."

It was Rainbow Dash. Sort of. Like the Inverted Pinkie Pie, this Rainbow Dash looked ever so slightly different. Her mane was stylized similar to how Daffidazey styled Rainbow Dash's mane. Her cutie mark was different, too, two clouds with a rainbow between rather than Rainbow Dash's cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt. Another major difference... This Rainbow Dash had no wings.

"Ah, darlings, what's the matter?" frowned wingless Rainbow Dash. Everypony was staring at her in shock. "Honestly, somebody say something."

"Who the hay are you!?" growled Rainbow Dash, stomping up to the wingless Rainbow Dash and confronting her.

Wingless Rainbow Dash frowned, "Why, darling, I'm Rainbow Dash. How interesting, you look just like me... What is your name, darling?"

"Stop saying darling!!" barked Rainbow Dash. "I am NOTHING like that."

"Rainbow Dash, honestly!" Rarity glared, grabbing Rainbow Dash with her magic and pulling her all the way back. "You are being extremely rude to somepony so innocent, and you have no right to be." She turned to wingless Rainbow Dash. "My sincerest apologizes."

"...I believe we may be in some sort of alternate universe," Twilight Sparkle whispered to Spike. "Thus...there are alternate versions of ourselves..."

"Seriously?" Spike blinked. He quickly turned to Daffidazey. "Hey... Hey! ...HEY!!"

Daffidazey was so stunned from seeing double Rainbow Dashes, it took a while to notice the baby dragon snapping his fingers. "Huh? Wha... Ye-yes , what is it?"

Spike cleared his throat and asked, "Is there a dragon anywhere around here, possibly young and named Spike?"

Daffidazey nodded, "Yes, there is. Spike is the assistant to our fair and dear Princess Wysteria."

"Princess?" Twilight Sparkle turned to Fluttershy. "That's perfect! We can meet with her and discuss what's going on, and possibly see if we can get help with all this!"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded, "Oh, yes, that'd be wonderful. Personally, I'd love to get away from all this fighting..." Fluttershy frowned as she turned back to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and wingless Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was eager to take down this imposter, while Rarity was having a pleasant conversation with her instead.

Suddenly, the whole ground shook.

--

Cages lined up by one another. Inside one were Starlight, Bright Eyes, Sweetheart, Melody, Clover, and Patch. In another were Curaj and Prince Blueblood laying by one another. In a third were Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence cuddling close. The three royal unicorns each had dark crystals stuck on their their horns, preventing the use of magic. "This is horrible..." sighed Curaj. "I...I don't... I think I'm...actually afraid..." Blueblood hugged Curaj close, comforting him.

"These aren't the same villains that were beaten once before," said Shining Armor. "And that odd, blue goat."

"Grogar."

"Huh?" Everypony's ears perked. None of them realized there were others kidnapped as well.

"That blue goat is called Grogar. He ruled over darkness or something, it's a long story."

"What's your name, kid?" asked Shining Armor.

"Spike."

"Heh, what a coincidence. My little sister has an assistant named Spike. He's a dragon, though."

"Huh. So am I."

"...what? ...you wouldn't happen to know...Twilight Sparkle?"

"No...but I know someone named Twilight."

As the two conversed, the six earth ponies had their own conversation to themselves. "Dragons?" said Clover. "That's stupid... Dragons aren't real..."

"This whole thing is unreal," frowned Starlight. "Those monsters that came by earlier to drop those guys off... They looked pretty real to me..."

Patch grumbled, "Whatever... It doesn't matter, we're stuck anyways."

"You know, I think we should all get acquainted with one another," Starlight called out, grabbing the attention of the others. "I'm Starlight."

"Patch."

"Melody."

"Bright Eyes."

"Clover."

"Sweetheart."

"Curaj, and with me is Blueblood."

"Hey."

"Shining Armor, and my wife Cadence."

"Hello~"

"Spike."

"Baby Lickety-Split."

"Molly."

"Danny."

An awkward silence lingered through the air. Finally, Starlight broke it, "So, Spike... You said you're a dragon?"

"I did."

"Umm...aren't dragons supposed to be, ya know...a legend? A myth?"

"Uh, no..."

"Well, uhh...I've always been told that they were... You know, like minotaurs and phoenixes..."

Another spoke up, Curaj. "Uh, all of those are real."

Now Patch. "Don't be stupid. You're all stupid. Dragons, minotaurs, and phoenixes aren't real. They're just fantasy creatures. I told a ghost story with a dragon in it once."

Curaj again. "You're stupid. They ARE real."

"You're an idiot."

Danny. "You're both idiots."

Curaj. "YOU'RE an idiot."

"You're ALL idiots. Shut up, and each of you go sit in your cage's corner." It was Cadence. "Think about what you've done now." They shut up, and shockingly did as told.

Starlight. "How did you-?"

"I'm a foalsitter. I know how to take care of little foals."

The rest of them started laughing at Cadence's remark. Patch, Curaj, and Danny simply blushed, embarrassed.

--

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, wingless Rainbow Dash, Daffidazey, and dozens of other ponies ran outside to watch the arrival of three witches; Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle. "Ehehe..." Hydia cackled. "So, you little ponies are... Eehehehe, this'll be so much fun."

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, "Who're you?"

"I'm Hydia. These are Reeka and Draggle," Hydia introduced, her daughters popping up behind her. "And we're here to bring the beginning of your end." The three raised their arms high up. In a sudden downpour, rain came. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, though, so it certainly wasn't rain. It looked like sludge. And there were faces in the sludge.

Twilight Sparkle: Everypony, RUN!!

Reeka and Draggle: Something bad is coming down!

Have you heard the news?

Smooze: Listen up!

Reeka and Draggle: Get inside...

Better run and hide!

Nothing can stop the Smooze!

Smooze: You can't stop me!

Rainbow Dash: What the hay? Did the slime just...

Reeka and Draggle: See the way it slithers forth...

Spewing globs of ooze!

Smooze: I love ooze!

Hydia: Here it comes!

Reeka and Draggle: Right now!

Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle: Nothing can stop the Smooze!

Smooze: No way!

Daffidazey: Run away!!

Reeka, Draggle, and Smooze: You can't escape it...

You can't escape it...

You haven't got a chance. Yeah!

Hydia: That evil goo is a witch's brew!

Reeka and Draggle: No matter what you do

It's gonna get to you!

Anyone who tries to fight is guaranteed to lose!

Smooze: Guaranteed!

Reeka and Draggle: You can't win!

Hydia: You oughtta pack it in!

Hydia, Reeka, Draggle, and Smooze: Nothing can stop the Smooze!

Smooze: Don't even try!!

Reeka and Draggle: Here comes the Smooze cruisin' along,

Singing'' it's funky, gunky song!

Hydia: Just ain't no way to stop...

Hydia, Reeka and Draggle: Our gooey, gooey glop! Ooh!

When it comes to witches brews,

Smooze is what we choose!

We won't stop!

Nothing else can top,

Our funk-full, unstoppable....Smooze!

Smooze: I love to Smooze!

Reeka and Draggle: Smooze...

Nothing can stop...the Smooze!

Spike: Smooze... Eww...

Everypony had started climbing up as high as they could to avoid the Smooze, drowning out the various houses. By luck, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy could fly out of harms way, Rainbow Dash gripping onto the wingless Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy holding Daffidazey. Below, Twilight Sparkle formed a tight, air-packed bubble shield that protected her, Spike, and Rarity and carried them along with the Smooze.

"Nyahahahaaa!!" cackled Draggle. "Oh, this is so much fun!!"

"It is!" Reeka agreed.

"Oh, it's been far too long, my dears..." Hydia gave a wicked grin.

Twilight Sparkle managed to bounce the bubble onto a high house top that reached out of the way from the Smooze. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, wingless Rainbow Dash, and Daffidazey were quick to join the trio.

"Wait a minute."

Hydia zoomed in close to Spike. "Whoa!!" Spike panicked. "Way too close for comfort... Eww, have you ever heard of mouth wash?"

"Get away from him!!" growled Rarity.

"...you," Hydia glared. "You were captured. I saw you in the dungeons. How did you get out?"

"...Who are you again?" Spike asked, backing up to the edge.

"Hmph." Hydia snapped her fingers, and Reeka and Draggle appeared from behind and grabbed Spike.

"Hey!!!" Spike panicked, dropping the box with the Elements of Harmony that he'd been holding this whole time into the Smooze below.

"NOOO!!" screamed Twilight Sparkle. "Let go of him right now!!!"

"Hah, nice try," laughed Hydia. "Have fun with the Smooze!"

Suddenly, in a bright flash, the three witches and Spike were gone. "No... NO!!" Twilight Sparkle ran to where they once stood on the housetop. "No...no...nonono..." Twilight Sparkle laid down on the roof, crying her eyes out. "Spike... Oh, dear Celestia..."

"Come on, Twilight! We've gotta go!" called Rainbow Dash. "We'll worry about them later!! We have to get moving NOW!!"

--

Soon, the caged ponies were fast asleep. Shining Armor was cuddling with Princess Cadence, Curaj was cuddling with Prince Blueblood, Molly and Danny laid against Spike and Baby Lickety Split, and the six Earth Ponies were spread out through the cage. Suddenly, the three witches game barging in, awakening them. "Here you go, twerp," cackled Hydia, tossing Spike into the cage with Spike.

"...wait, there's two of him," Draggle noticed as her mom and sister walked off. "Uhh... Oh, well."

Spike groaned as he sat up. "Stupid crazy witches... Huh?" Spike looked up to see himself but pink, Molly, Danny, and Baby Lickety Split. "...dude!! You look just like me!"

"Whoa!" grinned pink Spike. "Another baby dragon!!"

The two began holding hands and jumping around in circles. "Oh, this is so awesome!! You must be the assistant that Daffidazey told me about!"

Suddenly, pink Spike stopped. "Who?"

Spike shrugged, "Some pony that said another dragon named Spike was the assistant to a Princess Wysteria."

"I don't know anybody name Wysteria," frowned pink Spike. "But I AM Spike."

"You don't? Hmm..." Spike mused it over, before grinning wide. "Oooh, then that means there are three of me!!! Oh, this is so awesome!!"

The two Spikes resumed their skipping, the other three laughing as they watched. After they calmed down, they introduced one another. "I'm Danny. This is my sister, Molly, and that's Baby Lickety Split."

"Lickety Split?" grinned Spike. "I'm good friends with a Lickety Split back in my world! Hmm, although he's a colt instead..."

"In your world?" blinked pink Spike, confused.

"Brace yourselves," Spike sniggered. "I actually come from an alternate universe! Spike, you and I are parallels of one another! I come from a land called Equestria!"

"Really?" pink Spike asked, skeptical. "Huh... We come from Dream Valley."

Dream Valley... Dream Valley... Suddenly, Spike's throat caught a lump. "Dear Princess Celestia... Something of the upmost importance has occurred. I had a dream. Not just any dream. It looked like our country, but it wasn't. It was called Dream Valley. I saw my friends, but they were different, and there were these strange, hairless monkeys..."

"What's wrong?" frowned pink Spike. "You look really scared..."

"...did you ever meet a guy...called Discord?" stuttered Spike. The group turned to one another and nodded to Spike. "...oh, sweet Celestia... She was right... She really was right..."

--

By chance, several ponies, the surviving ones that didn't get swept away in the Smooze, had managed to escape uphill to Princess Wysteria's castle. They were all frightened for their life. No evil had ever breached their land of rainbows and joy before. They weren't prepared. The thought of such a thing had never even past their thought. What's worse, the main six no longer had the Elements of Harmony, so they were powerless against it as much as the others. "Please, calm down," said a blue dragon. "Princess Wysteria has sent Zipzee off to Unicornia to see if their magic can provide help to fend off this mess. It'll take a while for them to arrive, though."

Twilight Sparkle and Rarity glanced at one another. There it was again; Unicornia. Twilight Sparkle trotted over to the dragon, "Err... Spike, was it?"

Blue Spike nodded, "That's me! Kerbroath Gilspotten Heathspike! But you can call me simply Spike!"

Twilight Sparkle frowned, trying to process the name, "Ermm... Right... Anyways, I'd like to ask you a few questions..."

Applejack and Pinkie Pie panted heavily as the crashed in through the front door, followed by four other ponies, one being inverted Pinkie Pie. "Oh, darlings!" Rarity cried out, trotting over and hugging both, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy soon following. "Oh, dear, we were so worried..."

"Ah, taint nothin' fer ya ta worry 'bout," smiled Applejack. "Well, except for Pinkie Pie..."

"Thbthbthbth," spat Pinkie Pie, sticking her tongue out to show a glob of Smooze stuck to it. Rarity and Fluttershy screamed while Rainbow Dash gasped.

"She tried ta eat the rain," frowned Applejack.

Rainbow Dash looked passed the two at the three Earth Ponies standing around casually. "Who're they? I recognize the Pinkie Pie look-a-like, but the others... They...kinda look familiar..."

"Oh," smirked Applejack. "Saved them on the way here. They almost drowned in that goop."

"I'm Cheerilee," smiled one. "This is my friend Sweetie Belle and my sister Scootaloo. Thank you very much for rescuing us." The five finally realized why they looked so familiar: they looked just like their Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Cheerilee. Only this Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had cutie marks and Scootaloo didn't have any wings, and this Cheerilee's cutie mark was different.

"Alicorn, you say?" asked blue Spike. "That sure is an interesting term. No, our princess isn't a unicorn. Just a regular pony, with an evil stepmom that- Wait, no, I'm thinking of a fairy tale. But yeah Princess Wysteria is a regular, normal pony!"

"Well, that crosses out any magic help I was hoping for," sighed Twilight Sparkle. "But maybe she can still help. This Unicornia, by the way, who's the princess there?"

"Me!"

Twilight Sparkle and blue Spike turned as a young, pink unicorn with colorful hair approached them. "My name's Princess Rarity, I rule over Unicornia~"

Twilight Sparkle giggled a bit, muttering aside to herself, "Well, this'll be interesting to tell Rarity..." She coughed and cleared her throat nervously when Princess Rarity gave her a stern look. "Yes, well, ahem, my name's Twilight Sparkle. As you know, this town is being attacked by a strange substance called Smooze. We need to-."

Suddenly, a screeched pierced the air. Everypony turned to the throne. There stood Discord, with a pony in his grasp. "No!!" cried blue Spike. "Princess Wysteria!!"

Author's Note

Aaand chapter three or something.

COPYRIGHT, ARGH. Stole two lyrics from two official songs from MLP, "Feelin' Good" from G3 in the movie where Spike is found under the castle and Wysteria becomes Princess (not that ANY of you watched that movie, lol) and "Nothing Can Stop the Smooze" in the G1 MLP movie with the three witches and the Smooze (again, which NONE of you have watched, I'm sure).

As a future note, when in a scene with alternate versions of one character, each will be labeled certainly, except for G4 ponies as this is mainly G4 centered and the only characters you know are G4 ones. i.e.. If Rainbow Dash and 'wingless Rainbow Dash' are in one scene, they'll both be referred to as such. However, if Rarity and wingless Rainbow Dash are alone in a scene, then wingless Rainbow Dash will be referred to simply as 'Rainbow Dash'. It's confusing, but as long as you pay attention, you should get it.

And yay, yet another cliff-hanger chapter ending. SO SUSPENSEFUL, AMIRITE?