//------------------------------// // Facing the Facts // Story: Searching for Six Ponies (And Discord if I Feel Like It) // by Coltsguy //------------------------------// "Just where in Celestia's name did you go that made the feedback do this?" I heard someone ask. I kept blinking out the usual flare in my eyes in order to see again. I was getting pretty tired of that. Even with my eyes closed, it still brought a painful condition to them. I thought perhaps that I should tint my glasses to help, but I was beginning to think that it wasn't the case. "I can't tell who said that, but I went to a place with a lot of superheroes. Does that help?" "What? Of course that doesn't help!" I heard who I assumed was the Doctor say. It was the very distinct 'What' that gave it away. "Well, they do screw up the temporal plane pretty bad there. Maybe that's the reason for, uh, wait, what's going on? I still can't see yet." "Yes, dimensional rifts can do that to a person. Well, that and death, but yes temporary blindness. To answer your question, the feedback from that place has rendered my equipment useless!" As soon as my eyes cleared up, I saw what he was talking about. The three tower devices he had set up to control the amount of time that had passed between this dimension and the one I went to were now smouldering in several places. There was even a section that looked like it had exploded. "Holy crap, how did this happen?" I watched as he gave me a flat stare. "Alright, stupid question. I doubt that this can be fixed, am I right?" "It can, but it would actually be quicker to build another one from scratch. Either way, it would take over a week to accomplish." "Did this happen when we left? I don't think I heard anything when we got back." "You were gone for a few hours," Celestia spoke up. "It happened not too long after you left. You seem to have been successful despite the problem." "He sure was!" interrupted Rainbow Dash. "You should have seen him when he came to rescue me! He was so cool!" "He does seem tah like being over-dramatic about these rescues. It seems like quite the change from how he acts when he's talkin' tah others," said Applejack with a bit of a smirk. "Laugh it up fuzzball. Though, I do admit that you all seem quite easier to talk to. I wonder why?" Seriously, they all seemed easier to talk to than anyone I knew. Maybe it was the chaos magic at work again. At times, I seem much more personable and outgoing. Other times, well, I just seem like my old self. Not a very sociable person. Someone who likes being the wallflower because being the wall just isn't possible. I think it might just be the interest level I have in things. If you get me on a topic that I like, then I can really get going on it. Otherwise, I just seem dull and uninteresting. "Oh well, I need to brighten up your day, so here," I said and snapped my fingers. A cereal box appeared on the ground. "What is that?" asked Applejack. "It's a box of Applejacks cereal," I said while giggling like an idiot. "What?" she responded in a flat tone. I couldn't help but burst out laughing at that. "It... It's a cereal b-brand from where *snerk* I'm from," I managed to say. As I continued laughing, I started to hear Pinkie Pie laughing as well. Which was odd since I didn't even see her. Or Rarity for that matter. Come to think of it, there actually weren't many of the group there at all. "Where is everybody?" "Pinkie Pie and Rarity are working on the party. Luna and Shining Armor are headed back to Canterlot to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. And finally, Fluttershy was worried about her animal friends so I sent her to Ponyville for a short visit," explained Celestia. "Oooookay. Of those, why are Luna and Shining Armor retrieving the Elements?" "Why, to seal Discord when you return with him, of course." I facepalmed. "As much as I don't like Discord, I just as much don't want to go and try to retrieve him from wherever he is. I mean, he stabbed me in the gut with the intent that I should never get up again. If he was here, then I'd do what you want me to. However, tracking him down on the other side of that rift is going to be a nightmare. "How in the hell am I supposed to bring him back, exactly? Ask politely maybe? That might work if I was Fluttershy. Trick him into touching the coin? I hate saying this, but the guy is smarter than me. He's also probably learned his lesson from the last time we met. Making him touch the coin on his own is a logistical nightmare that I would rather not even deal with. I can't exactly bring backup either. No one else can go through rift there without touching the coin and at most three of us can touch the coin at the same time. "It isn't even a guarantee that you can come with me to a different dimension. I know that the coin can bring back whoever is on the other side that needs to be rescued, but beyond that the coin might not be enough protection for anyone else. I don't want anyone else hurt here. That just leaves me versus Discord in a battle I doubt I can win. I'd rather let him stay wherever he is now than risk the headache and possible second mortal wound I would end up with." She closed her eyes and it looked as though she was deep in thought. She was probably creating a counter-argument in her head. The worst part would be that it would probably also work. She has thousands of years of knowledge as well as my memories up until the scrying spell was cast. "With that said," I continued, "I still have to go and save Twilight Sparkle still. As much as I'd love to wait a week for the device to get fixed, I don't think I should wait to go and get her. I suppose I should go ahead and get her now." I turned to go back to the rifts. As I did, I also couldn't help but think that there was something else I needed to do. I couldn't quite put my finger on it though. It didn't matter, though, as I felt myself get levitated and set back down face to face with Celestia. I could tell that she wasn't done with me. It was pretty evident with the glare she was leveling at me. "Your argument may be very strong, but the danger that Discord presents is too great for him to be left to his own devices. You must go after him. You are the only one who can. Even if you have no faith in yourself, we still have faith in you. I have faith in you." Crap. That's just the kind of cheesy line that I get behind. I almost wish she had even said 'believe in the me that believes in you' just to make a point. Although, that probably would have ruined the seriousness behind her words. That argument wouldn't work back home, but here it might just give me the courage I needed to try and persevere with that ordeal. "Dammit, fine. I'll do it. I'll go and try to retrieve Discord after I get Twilight," I said almost dejectedly. She gave me a warm smile and released me from her magical grip. "I am glad that you see it my way," she said with a hint of playfulness in her voice. I caught on to that, but let it go. Once was enough for that. I needed to switch topics from this. To that end, I just blurted out the first thing I could think of. "So Doctor, are you going to repair that device despite the fact that there won't be a need for it now?" "No, I probably won't. I still feel like I should stick around to see how things turn out. I never have run into Discord before. It might be interesting to see him up close." "Interesting ain't the word I'd use partner." "No? How about exciting?" "Ah wouldn't use that one either." "More like absolutely bonkers," said Rainbow Dash. "I'd say that's an apt description," I added. "He just wants to turn everything chaotic. He literally charges himself with it. Since I have his powers, so do I in that regard. I do get the feeling that it doesn't work exactly the same though. Still, I haven't run out of magic yet. That's good for me." "You know this really interesting and all," interrupted Rainbow Dash, "but you still gotta go rescue Twilight, remember?" As blunt as that was, she had a point. It was time to go. "You're right. I'll be back later with Twilight." I turned around and went to the last two rifts. I then grabbed my coin to check which one was Twilight's rift. After confirming that, I tucked the coin back into my shirt and reached out for the rift. Right before I did, however, I felt a weight on my back. "I'm gonna come too!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "Woah! What are you doing?" I asked. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm coming too! I'm not gonna just sit here and wait around for you to come back with her. I want to come and help bring her back too!" "It's too dangerous Rainbow Dash. Without the coin, anyone going through the rift would be killed." "Oh yeah? And who said that?" "The Doctor," I said succinctly. "Who's that?" "That would be me," he said making his presence known to Rainbow Dash. The weight disappeared from my shoulders and I turned around to see Rainbow Dash get into the Doctor's face. Wait, didn't the Doctor talk about this before? "And who are you to say that we can't go? She's my friend. I can't just sit here and do nothing!" She was then yanked back out of the Doctor's face by Applejack yanking her tail by the teeth. Hah, classic skit. "Woah there sugarcube. I understand how ya feel. I was just as upset as you were when ah found out that ah couldn't go help 'em either. But, he's telling the truth. Unless yer touchin' the coin, you can't go through that there rift. You remember that dontcha?" "That was Discord who said that and I don't trust him one bit! Just because he said that doesn't make it true!" "Calm down everyone! Fine, we'll test this out." "What about what I told you?" asked the Doctor. "I told you that these rifts would kill any organic creature that came into contact with it unless they had some sort of suited protection." "I know, but I also said I... oh wait, now I get what you're saying." Well, I remembered what I had said before. Not to mention the fact that I was flip-flopping my position like crazy. Somehow, I was just unable to keep my thoughts coherent from one moment to another. Oh well, I'm in this now so I might as well continue onwards. "Still, I'm able to bring them back without them being affected. That means that they are being protected by something or else they would be dead. It may be explainable if only Discord or I were the only ones surviving. However, that isn't the case. I believe that Rainbow Dash would probably willing to take the risk of trying to go with me if it means helping her friend." "You bet I am!" "So am I!" yelled Applejack. "So is she!" I parroted. "Alright, you two grab a hold of me and we'll try this experiment out." Applejack wrapped her foreleg around my left leg and Rainbow Dash plopped herself back onto my shoulders again. "I really don't think this is a good idea," said the Doctor. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," I said. I then pivoted around on my leg since I couldn't move it with Applejack rooting it to the spot and then I reached out for the rift. I then noted that is was out of my reach. I chuckled a little at the realization. "Why don't we try this where I can actually touch the rift from?" The two of them chuckled nervously and let go of me. I then walked two steps forward and let them get back to where they were. I then, once again, reached out and this time I made contact with the rift. Like usual, the light blinded me temporarily. The difference this time, however, was I could instantly feel the difference in weight. I could tell that Rainbow Dash and Applejack weren't there with me. I could only hope that meant that they didn't come with me and they weren't vaporized. It took a bit, but my vision did finally clear up. However, this time I wasn't by myself. In fact, who I saw in front of me made me both excited and terrified. I was excited because I knew where I was immediately. I was terrified because of who it was. Not fifteen feet away, I was staring straight at perfect form Cell. "Oh, shit."