Behind the barn, Big Mac saw two shabby-looking fillies, who he barely recognized as the counterparts of his sister Apple Bloom’s rivals, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The morose-looking fillies split a straw tart between them. Big Mac’s mouth watered at the sight of the morsel.
“I hear that Goodhorse and Braeburn were devoured this morning by Princess Blacklight Gloom’s dragon partner, Spike the Impaler,” said Diamond Tiara’s counterpart.
“What was left of them went into one of General Stinky Pie’s awful pastries,” sighed Silver Spoon’s doppelganger.
“How will we ever free Harmony now?” said Diamond Tiara’s counterpart sadly. “We can’t do it alone, Wooden Spork.”
“You won’t have to do it alone,” Big Mac said, emerging from the shadows.
“Oh no, it’s Bad Mac! We’re doomed!” whimpered Wooden Spork. “Save yourself, Dirt Clod!”
“I won’t leave without you, Wooden Spork!” declared Dirt Clod.
“Shh!” Big Mac hissed. “I ain’t Bad Mac. I’m Big…Big Braeburn. I want to help you.”
“Yeah, sure, like we believe you,” said Dirt Clod. “You just want to infiltrate the rebellion. Well, you can torture us and have Stinky Pie cook what’s left of us, but we’ll never tell.”
“I’m telling the truth—mostly,” Big Mac said. “My name isn’t really Big Braeburn, its Big Macintosh. I come from a mirror universe. There was a bad storm, and I was caught in a whirlwind. When I came to, I was in this place. I really want to get home. Do you think this Harmony can help me?”
“Maybe, if we can set him free,” said Wooden Spork. “Right now, Princess Nightmare Moon has him trapped in the Chains of Eternal Torture.”
“If we can set Harmony free, he can bring Princess Celestia back from exile,” said Dirt Clod. “Then we can escape the evil rule of Princess Nightmare Moon.”
“I want to help you,” said Big Mac. “We’ll stick to the shadows. If anyone sees us, just pretend you’re my prisoners.”
“Do we trust him?” Wooden Spork whispered to Dirt Clod.
“I don’t see where we have much choice,” Dirt Clod mused. “He looks just like Bad Mac, so if the guards in Nightmare City think he is Bad Mac, they’ll let us go where we need to.”