"Twilight!" Justin called out out as he rounded the bend.
His shoes lost their grip and he slipped, hitting the floor as his head tapped a set of armor. Twilight had to stifle a grin, the human's antic reminding her of a certain pony. Justin quickly scrambled back up to his feet, quickly dusting himself and rushing toward the alicorn again. Only to slip again and stumble into an open doorway. Twilight peered in to see if he was alright, but didn't see the human.
Doors burst open a bit away down the hall and Justin lurched forward. "Twilight?"
"Over here, goofball." Twilight called out with a slight smile.
"Twilight." Justin came over, his own smile on his face.
"That's my name... and you're kind of wearing it out." Twilight giggled.
"I've figured it out." Justin got eye-level with his friend. His eyes looking into hers. "I know what's been going on."
"Then what's been going on?" Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side.
Before she knew it, Twilight was scooped up into the human's arms. "I'll explain on the way!"
"What?!"
After a little while, the duo were on a return trip to Ponyville. Justin pacing worse then Twilight ever will as he was rambling in both excitement and fear. His hands were making various gestures that Twilight couldn't quite understand. She had enough though, so she coughed up, making sure she was heard. Justin stopped mid-pace, staring blankly for a bit then turning to the mare.
"I need a plan." Justin simply blurted out.
"First, tell me what's going on." Twilight stopped the human's train of thought.
"I've figured it out. Why I feel so strange and why I can do things i normally can't do." Justin started up. "I'm sharing this power with myself."
"What." Twilight was confused now.
"I was the being that showed up those years ago! The man that challenged Discord and beat him at his own game!" Justin blurted out excitedly. "I gained the power of Chaos, used it as a force for good for a while." His face grew somber. "Then something happened. An event, that upset me... sent my other self into a rage."
Twilight stared silently as she watched him
"This Derpy called me... 'father.' The other you said i looked like him, the Cloaked One. It only makes sense... but.. what." Justin mused as he grabbed the railing. Softly muttering a single word. "Shame."
Twilight walked up behind him an put a fore hoof on his lower back. "It's okay."
"Shame." He said, louder. "He feels anger and shame!"
Here they stood, on the edge of Ponyville. Justin staring blankly at the plain, and Twilight staring up at him. Sure, what he said sounds crazy, but Twilight's seen a lot herself too. She did try to warn herself about worrying too much also. This was some next level stuff for her to be in a different timeline, a human who was determined to talk to himself.
"What is your plan?" Twilight asked.
Justin took in a deep breath. "If I know myself, I've gone back to being antisocial, separating myself from the rest of society. So know I'm a cold, calculating machine of hate. With luck, I'll appeal to his humanity and make realize he can still have his daughter."
Twilight nodded, it seemed sound, but would it really work?
Justin started walking away from Ponyville, Twilight quickly following suit. It was gonna be a few hours until they reached the ruins of Cloudsdale. The human had to get in touch with a reliable source, Stranger. Being told of seeing a shadow-like figure hanging around one of the shells of the factories.
Twilight pulled out the map, looking over the marked route while Justin handled the compass. The trip was gonna be a might longer than any of them thought. Luckily thought, they did have enough supplies for a camp. Both due to the efforts of them both splitting the goods. Justin, even though he had the compass, was handling the larger and more weighty supplies they had. His role including sticks, rocks, hazardous materials that could catch fire easily.
Twilght had the other supplies, food, water, assorted snackage and beverages. The map taking the largest space in her inventory. The two soon started making camp as the last of the sun disappeared again. The fire was at a healthy blaze, tent set up and bags in place. Justin had a bottle of soda in his hand, but it kept jumping between forms. It'd look like a typical bottle, then switch over to something of a rocket, then back again.
Twilight couldn't help but watch the bottle. She was wondering what the full extent of his powers were here. First, was manipulation of the world, making her and himself see inventories. Second, was his.... teleportation... for lack of anything better, going through one door and coming out of another not connected to the same room. Third, was the bottle, object manipulation. His power here could be limitless, practically is due to it once belonging to Discord.
Justin poked her with the bottle. "Something on your mind?"
"Uh.. yeah." Twilight said back.
"My powers here? Cause this bottle transforming is pissing me off some."
Twilight nodded some and the bottle changed back to looking like a rocket. "It's almost scary."
"Power of Discord is rather scary." Justin stated, looking at the bottles label as it stayed as he rocket. "Especially in the wrong hands."
"Or your hands?" Twilight asked.
Justin smirked a little a nodded. Indeed his imagination could be wild and with the right motive, could be reality. This power wasn't something he knew a lot of. Yet, it seeped from him, like it wanted to be used. He finished his drink and set the bottle back down, turning back as soon as his fingers let off. He leaned back to look up at the stars, the moon looked no different. Then a hoof rested on his hands and he looked to Twilight.
"Maybe we should get some rest. We still have quite a journey ahead." Twilight suggested.
Justin nodded. "Thank you, Twilight."
She looked at him.
"For being here, helping me, and coming with me." Justin smiled.
"I'm always there for my friends." Twilight smiled back.
Justin was laying awake in one of the sleeping bags, staring at the top of the tent. Twilight was sleeping soundly in the bag next to him with his back turned to him. Softly snoring with each inhale. To the human, it was cute, and a sure sign she wasn't waking up anytime soon. He wasn't going to bother with moving though, he had no reason to. He was collecting his thoughts on this entire thing.
Twilight softly shifted next to him. It was almost the end of the journey here and they could go home. Justin settle in again for the night, finally closing his eyes and resting his mind. He soon dozed off and the fire died out, leaving the crickets to sound the night. Tomorrow was a new day, and time would be of the utmost essence.