Big Mac's Journey to Nightmare City

by cheesemeister

Return to Equestria

Gilda, Harmony, Trixie, Dirt Clod and Wooden Spork led Big Mac through the Neverfree Forest, back to the stables near the abandoned palace. Big Mac saw the shimmering gateway of light that he had been drawn through from his own dimension.

“Thank you for helping us,” Harmony said.

“Heck, it’s no problem,” said Big Mac. “Thank you for helpin’ me get back home. Y’all are wonderful. I just want to say one thing before I go. Dirt Clod, that ain’t a very good name for a special pony like you. I’d like to think of you as Diamond in the Rough.”

“I think I like that,” the young mare said. “It sure was nice to meet you, Big Mac. We’ll never forget you.”

Big Mac looked back one last time on the friends he’d made in the strange alternate dimension. He then stepped through the portal.

“Woahhhhhhh!” Big Mac cried as the swirling energies spun him all about.

Big Mac lost consciousness momentarily. When he came to, he was outside the stables at Celestia and Luna’s abandoned palace. He heard hoof beats and a moment later saw Apple Jack and her friends, and Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders approaching with Zecora.

“Big Mac, are you all right?” Apple Jack asked.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.

“You ain’t hurt anywhere?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Nope,” Big Mac said.

“He took quite a spin in the big whirlwind,” Zecora said as she examined Big Mac. “But it turned him loose without a bruise.”

“How long was I gone?” Big Mac asked.

“Heck, I don’t know for sure, Sugar Cube,” Apple Jack said. “I went back to check on Apple Bloom. When we saw the whirlwind whip up, I got worried and came to find you just in case.”

“I came along in case Apple Jack needed help,” Apple Bloom said. “We met the other Cutie Mark Crusaders on the way, and they agreed to help us.”

“Then we met up Twilight and Spike, who were on their way to see if Fluttershy was all right,” Apple Jack said.

“I was on my way to see if Pinkie Pie was okay,” said Fluttershy. “I found her going to check on Rarity.”

“Before that whirlwind came, my tail was twitch-a-twitching like crazy!” said Pinkie Pie.

“Rarity and Rainbow Dash were on their way to check on Twilight Sparkle and Spike,” said Fluttershy. “So we decided to head into the Everfree Forest. We found Zecora. She had seen the whirlwind too, and she agreed to help us look for you.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Big Brother,” said Apple Bloom. “All of this is my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on staying home alone, you and Apple Jack would have gotten started sooner, and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“Heck, Sis, it ain’t nobody’s fault,” Big Mac said. “Anyway, that whirlwind wasn’t just any old whirlwind. It was a magic whirlwind that took me into another dimension.”

“Another dimension?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well, yup. See, everybody that’s good here was bad there, and everybody that’s not so nice here was good there. So Trixie the Kind and Humble cast a spell to find a champion to help her and her friends free Harmony the Chimera, so he could free Princess Celestia from exile and end the eternal night created by Nightmare Moon.”

“Trixie the Kind and Humble, huh?” Apple Jack chuckled. “So, who were her friends?”

“Well, there was Gilda the Good Griffin,” said Big Mac. “She squeezed the fresh rain water out of the cloud so Harmony could regain his strength and summon Celestia.”

“Gilda the Good Griffin, eh?” chortled Rainbow Dash. “That’s rich! So who else was in your dream, Big Mac?”

“Well, you were all there,” said Big Mac. “Only it wasn’t a dream, and you-all weren’t you. You were bad versions of yourselves. You were the Generals of Disharmony. Apple Jack, you were General Apple Doom. Apple Bloom, you were Poison Apple, and Poison Apple and the other Meanie Mark Crusaders liked torturing anypony who didn’t obey the rules.”

“Maybe he did hit his head. I think he should be home in bed,” said Zecora.

“Zecora, you were Zegorra,” Big Mac said. “And Pinkie Pie, you were General Stinky Pie, and you liked to grind critters’ bones to make your bread.”

“Ew!” said Pinkie Pie.

“Big Mac, that’s enough!” said Apple Jack. “Your imagination’s done gone and run wild, and you need to rein it in!”

“But it ain’t my imagination, Sis,” Big Mac protested.

“Well, Dr. Hooves says that there are alternate dimensions,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Anyway, I’m kind of enjoying this story. So tell me, Big Mac, what was I like in this other dimension?”

“Well, your counterpart was General Blacklight Gloom,” said Big Mac. “Your assistant was Spike the Impaler, and everyone was really scared of both of you. Rarity was General Scarity. She got in a big fight with General Rainbow Slash after Trixie’s lightning bolt hit Rainbow Slash instead of the cloud. That’s what gave Gilda the Good Griffin a chance to squeeze the water from the cloud so Harmony could drink it and regain his strength.”

“What about me, Big Mac?” Fluttershy asked.

“Fluttershy, I really don’t think you want to know,” said Big Mac.

“Oh, but I do! I’m really curious. What was the other me like?”

“She was nothing like you. She had fangs and a voice like a snake. But she did like animals.”

“Well then, she was like me,” Fluttershy said.

“I didn’t finish. She liked to make them into necklaces.”

“So what happened?” Scootaloo asked. “How did you get out of this scary dimension?”

“Yeah, Big Mac. How did you?” Sweetie Belle inquired.

“Well, when Harmony drank the fresh rain water, his strength returned, and while the Generals of Disharmony were fighting with each other, he summoned Celestia.

“So then the other world went back to being good?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I think so. I don’t know about the Generals of Disharmony, but I told them about all of you. I think maybe what I said kind of sank in. Hey Apple Jack, what are we gonna do about them pies?”

“Don’t worry about that tonight, Big Brother,” Apple Jack said. “Let’s sleep on it tonight. We can worry about getting them delivered tomorrow.”

“Long as I don’t go through no more vortexes, that sounds like a real good plan,” Big Mac said.

“Twilight, do you think he really went into some kind of other dimension?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Or is he just telling tall tales to entertain the kids?”

“I don’t know, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight Sparkle said. “A lot of things are possible. Dr. Hooves says that there are worlds where they don’t believe magic is possible. But we know better, don’t we?”

“We sure do,” Rainbow Dash said.

“So which world do you like better, Big Mac?” Apple Bloom asked. “You were a hero in that world! That must have been really cool!”

“It felt kinda nice,” Big Mac agreed. “But I like this world a lot better, Little Sis. Kindness holds things together a lot better than meanness. Say, did I tell you about my two helpful friends, Diamond in the Rough and Wooden Spork?”

“No. Tell us! They sound really great!” said Scootaloo.

“You look puzzled, Apple Jack,” Rarity said.

“Well, Rarity, I’m trying to figure out if my brother’s pulling our legs, if he got knocked on the head and had a crazy dream that he really believes happened, if he’s just making up this tall tale for the kids, or if he really did help save another dimension where we were all evil,” Apple Jack said.

“Does it really make any difference?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Big Mac is okay! That’s the only thing that matters. I think that calls for a party, don’t you?”

“Pinkie, I couldn’t agree more!” Apple Jack said. “You’re the best party-throwin’ pony I know. Soon as we get home, let’s get to work on it.”

“Okeydokey!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. “Come on, everybody, we’ve got a party to plan!”

“I’m so glad the storm has passed, and everyone is safe at last,” said Zecora.

“I’m glad that Fluttershy doesn’t wear birds for necklaces and Pinkie Pie doesn’t grind ponies’ bones to make her bread,” said Scootaloo.