> The Other Side > by dashfire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Missing (Prologue) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She's missing?!" Gasped Twilight Sparkle, hearing the shocking news from Fluttershy. All Fluttershy could do was nod, her emotionless face, facing the wooden floor of the library. She had just finished updating Twilight on the news of Rainbow Dash's disappearance for the last few hours. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood behind Fluttershy. "Maybe she went to go for a 'fly'," Rarity stepped in to say, "you know how she can get lost in her own world when she does." "Not for this long though." Softly replied by Fluttershy. "She would've realized how much time had past by already." "Maybe she's sick!" Pinkie exclaimed, excited that she might have discovered the reason why Dash was missing. "If ya recall, Fluttershy already visited Rainbow's home and she wasn't there." Applejack reminded Pinkie Pie. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Pinkie nodded. "She probably joined ta Wonderbolts without tell'in us." Applejack then claimed. "Well I wouldn't be so shocked if she did." Rarity said. "Come on girls," Twilight jumped in, "this is Rainbow Dash we're talking about. This most loyal pony of all of Equestria. She wouldn't leave without saying goodbye." "I'm afraid she could be kidnapped." Fluttershy said in her low voice. Suddenly the sound of swarming fire is heard from the upstairs bedroom. The five ponie look up, where they see Spike pop up. He is holding a scroll. "Umm... Twilight... Princess Celestia sent this to you." Spike annouced to Twilight. With her magical, she made the scroll levitate to her and opened it. She reads it and widens her eyes. "Princess Celestia is asking for us to join us, as soon as possible!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The five ponies entered the main hall of the Royal Castle in Canterlot. There, Princess Celestia sat on her throne at the end of the hall. Two gaurds rested on either side of her. The ponies ran up to Celestia and stopped in front of her to bow. "Princess Celestia, you have summoned us?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle..." She turned to her guards, facing her. She nodded and the guards left their posts. Twilight sees this and wonders what is going on. Celestia turned to the five ponies standing in from of her. "Girls, I'm sure that you are aware of your friend's disappearance?" The ponies nodded. "Rainbow Dash, yes." Twilight answered. "I'm afraid to say that she has been... kidnapped." The five ponies gasped. Fluttershy flies above the girls from behind. "I told you." She said. "By who? To where?" Twilight asked. Princess Celestia sighed. "Twilight, you are my most trusted and reliable student. But I have not taught you everything I know. I should have told you, but this secret was too big to let out into the open. However, as it seems now, I have no choice. This world, this universe of ours; has a duplicate." "Duplicate?" Twilight was puzzled. "A parallel universe. Another world, much like our's but slightly different, populated with alternate version of ourselves; where we've made different choices and experienced different events that shaped our lives. That is the place where your friend is." "How do we get there?" Twilight immediately askes. "Magic, only a very powerful spell can open a window across the universes. It is very difficult to cast, but Twilight Sparkle when I first encountered you; I never saw any other magic as powerful. You can open the door." Celestia's horn glows as she carries a book without touching it to Twilight. Twilight takes the book. "This book will teach you how to cast the doorway spell. But know this, the doorway can only allow a limited amount of people. The maximum is two." Celestia explains. Twilight nods. "I understand Princess, thank you." She begin to walk back. "Twilight Sparkle." Celestia continues. Twilight stops in her tracks. "Just know that this world will be the most dangerous place you'll venture in." "I will, Princess." The five bow once more and run out. "Good luck..." The Princess whispers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash grumbles as she wakes up to find herself in a large king-sized bed in a luxury room. She notices the unusual surroundings and bolts up. "Where am I?!" Her face fills with panic. She then hears the doorknob twist open. The large door opens, revealing a older and more manly looking Rainbow Dash. His cutie mark is a crown on a cloud. He smiles softly. Rainbow Dash looks at him confused. "Where am I? Who are you?" He sighes. "The answer to your first question, is quite complicated. The answer to your second, I'm your father; your real father." "My father? No my father passed, years ago." Rainbow Dash exclaimed in panic. "That colt, he stole you from me that's what he did. Rainbow, oh Rainbow Dash, my princess. Princess of Eastern Equestria, I missed you so." "My father stole me? Princess?" The colt looks down. "Rainbow, you are in a alternate world; one in which you were born in, one where you are a princess of the strongest nation in the world." He walks over to the window, which is covered by curtains. He moves the covers, revealing a large wide window showing a modern city. Zeppelins floating over the city, one even docking on the top of the Empire State Building. "This is the city of Marehattan." Rainbow Dash stares out the window, her mouth agape. > Sometimes Answer Lead to More Questions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the first time Rainbow Dash was in the air without the use of her wings. She looked outside the window of a vehicle she was told that was called a helicopter. It allowed ponies, that were not pegasus, to participate in air travel. Helicopters were only for short distance travelling, however; the zeppelin was the aircraft used to travel across Eastern Euqestria. Rainbow was told that in this universe Equestria was split into two countries almost a hundred years ago, due to a disagreement on how ponies wanted their world. Western Equestria was populated with ponies who were not in favor of the advacement in technology, they wanted the world as it was, afraid that technology might kill the soul. In Eastern Equestria, the beliefs were polar different. Ponies hungered for the birth of new technology everyday, some unicorns were even beginning to study space travel and mobile cellular communication, which enabled ponies to talk with one another even if they were across the country. All of this baffled Rainbow. If she was from this world, where was she in the other world that she knew so well? The world her friends are, what were they thinking about her disappearance? She thought. She looked out the window to see a amber-like stone covering a stadium she recognized from her world, Madison Square Garden. On the window, a see through screen activated. "Fringe activity fifty-one," a computer voice said; Rainbow Dash never could have believed of such a thing known as a computer, "a wormhole opened up in the middle of the stadium during a national iron pony competition, Fringe Division was called immediately to proceed in quarantine protocol. Only a hundred and fifthteen ponies escaped, leaving another two hundred locked in the amber to die." Rainbow Dash looked at the amber structure with despair. This universe had gone through so many disasters that the ponies here have grown darker and more corrupt souls, than the one in her's. She was told that these disasters were called Fringe Activities; scientific caused natural disasters. Her 'father' had yet to explain to her what her father from the other side did. The words, "That colt, he stole you from me," keep playing in her mind. What the hay was that suppose to mean? She noticed the helicopter flying towards the beautiful mare statue, known as the Statue of Harmony. Only thing was from where she was, it was green from the rusted copper; but here it seems as if the copper never rusted and has stayed in its original golden shade. The computer began to speak again, "Statue of Harmony, previous tourist attraction for Marehattan; now headquarters of Fringe Division, runned by the Secretary of Defense, Illuma Light." Illuma Light was Rainbow's mother, she was the head of Fringe Division and queen of Eastern Equestria. Rainbow's father was King Light. And she herself was Princess Rainbow Dash. Princess. That was another thing that bothered Rainbow, she was never taught how to be a princess and she never wanted to be one. She never even would think that was one. All she wanted to be apart of was the Wonderbolts, only she found out that they do not exist in this world. She was disappointed and wanted to be with her friends again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I think I can actually cast this!" Twilight said, excited that she had learned probably one of the most important spells she will come across. "The problem is, whose's going in with me?" "Oh! Oh! Oh! I'll go!" Pinkie yelled in delight. Applejack turned to Twilight. "Really?" Twilight sighed. "Sorry Pinkie, but we need someone more serious for this journey." Pinkie looked down in disappointment. "Okie dokie lokie." Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who looked frigthened. "Lemme guess, you don't wanna go?" Fluttershy shoke her head. "I mean, I'm worried for Rainbow Dash; but who knows whats on the other side?" "I can go." Rarity said. "Someone has to help Twilight in the 'parallel universe'." "Umm, actually ya can't. Remember tonight Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are gonna stay at your place?" Applejack reminded Rarity. "Oh right," Rarity remembered, "shame, I'm sorry Twilight Sparkle." Twilight shoke her head, "Not a problem. So I guess it's you and me, Applejack?" "Uh, I... I guess, sine no other pony can go." Twilight nodded. "That's settled then, Applejack you can say your goodbyes with your family, and we'll all meet back here in an hour. Is that ok?" The ponies agreed and they all dispersed from the library. Twilight stood still their. She was wondering what waited for her in the other world. Would she meet herself? She thought, actually intrigued by the idea of that. "I wonder what she'll be like." Twilight mumbled. "What's that Twi?" She heard Spike said from behind her. Twilight turned around, she noticed the unease in Spike's eyes. "Oh nothing!" She tried to say, happily. "Okay, um, well... Are you sure about this Twilight?" Spike asked. "Ofcourse! If we could beat both Nightmare Moon and Discord together, why not get Rainbow Dash back?" Twilight insisted. "I could run into myself or one of us you know?" "What if... What if they aren't how you'd like them to be?" "How bad could it be?" Twilight returned. "I guess you're right." "Ohh silly, Spike. It'll be alright. I just need you to take care of the library when I'm done." Twilight smiled. Spike smiled back. "Alright then." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ay'll be back soon Applebloom, ay promise!" Applejack convinced her sister. "Just have fun with ya friends at Rarity's." Applebloom had just finished helping Applejack put a saddlebag onto her back. Applebloom nodded. "What are you gonna do?" "I'ma go help a friend!" Applejack said excited. "Okay then, have fun A.J.!" Applebloom said back. "Where's your friend though?" "Uhh, well... It's a secret." "You can tell me sis, you know I can keep them." Applebloom tried to convince. "Ay can't." Applejack said quietly. "Buh why not?" Applebloom asked. "Because, ay don't know myself." Applejack said even more quietly. "Just stay safe and help Big Mac take care of Granny Pie, understood?" Applebloom nodded. "No prob, sis! Good luck!" She then runs back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack smiled softly. "Thanks." She said under her breath. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash was being escorted by two guards. She hated it, she felt like there was no freedom or leisure for her. Soon enough they stopped in front of a double door, with the Fringe Division logo; a circle with two Fs facing each other. The guards opened the doors. Rainbow walked through and saw her mother, standing behind her desk. She stood their smiling, she was a pinkish pegagsus, with a navy blue mane. "I'm so happy to see you again Rainbow." She said smoothly, walking to to Rainbow Dash. "You are just as beautiful as I imagined." She raised a hoof to touch Rainbow's cheek, but Rainbow hesitates and moves her face away from the hoof. Her mother stops, disappointed she walks back. "I'm sorry, I can't imagine what this must be like for you." "I'm trying to get the hang of it." Rainbow said as coldly as she could. "The hang of it?" Illuma said, puzzled by the words, as if they were foreign in that order. "Nevermind." Rainbow sighed. "I assume the language has some severe differences between the worlds as well." Rainbow nodded. "I can see that." A computer voice then spoke out from a telecom. "Madam Light, agent Sparkle is here to see you." "Agent Sparkle?" Rainbow mumbled below her breath, wondering if it was Twilight. Her mother notices this befuddled look and speaks to the telecom. "Send her in." Rainbow stood straight up, eagered to see if it was her friend from 'this side'. A few moments later, her question was answered. It was Twilight Sparkle; different. As alternate Twilight walked into the room, Dash first noticed alternate Twilight's mane, the style was quite the same; but her pink stripes of hair were gone and replaced by darker shades of blue and purple, compared the rest of her mane. Rainbow just stood in awe, seeing the difference in her 'friend'. "Madam Light." AlterTwi spoke strictly. Illuma nodded to AlterTwi. "Proceed." "You said that if we ever recieved notice of a high spike in radioactive activity, over the levels of a hundred, that we'd report to you as soon as possible. We have noticed a spike in radiation on the western borders of Eastern Equestria." AlterTwi placed a strict expression on her face, but Rainbow noticed the playful-ness hidden inside her from time to time. She'd grin once in a blue moon, either from a thought in her mind or she just did so. Rainbow failed to notice any bit of her friend inside of her. AlterTwi's cutiemark was different as well, it was a gymnastic type of mark instead of the stars. "Well, thank you for the notification, but we shall not need to take any precautionary actions. As you see, I've noticed the spikes already and it is just accident in nature. Their is no worry that anyone crossed over." Illuma assured AlterTwi. AlterTwi shrugged. She began to notice Rainbow Dash and her stares. AlterTwi looked at Rainbow Dash curiously. "Umm... Hi." She greeted Rainbow. Rainbow Dash couldn't found anything to say. "Is there something in my teeth?" AlterTwi showed her teeth and chuckled. "Well don't get too attached to this face." AlterTwi winked. Rashbow was shocked by AlterTwi's personality, it was nothing like Twilight. AlterTwi turned back to Illuma. "With all due respect, Madam, but shouldn't we be sure to see if this was just nature or not?" Illuma frowned. She turned to Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash, would you mind us for a bit?" Rainbow turned to Illuma and nodded. She then exited the room. AlterTwi followed Rainbow with her eyes and then turned back to Illuma. "Who is that?" She asked. "There shall be no worry on the radiation, because that is my daughter, Rainbow Dash." Illuma explained to AlterTwi. AlterTwi looked confused at what she was just told. "What, your daughter Rainbow Dash, the one who was kidnapped twenty years ago?" Illuma nodded. "But how?" "I'll explain this to you when we have more time agent Sparkle. Now since you've come here in such great timing, why don't you escort my daughter to her perimeters in Upper West Marehattan." Illuma changed the subject as quickly as she could. AlterTwi understood and nodded. Illuma held out a touch screen technology with her mouth and AlterTwi took it. "Rainbow Dash, she looked like she's seem me before. Does she know me from the other side?" AlterTwi asked. Illuma grinned. "Perhaps." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The remaining five ponies of the mane six all stood together in the middle of the library. Twilight and Applejack hugged everyone good bye, as they were about to embark on their journey. Spike asked once again. "Twilight, are you completely sure about this?" "Ohh, Spike. Remember what I said? There's nothing you need to worry about." Twilight reassured. Spike nodded and hugged Twilight. "Becareful" Spike said. "Oh please do." Fluttershy continued. "And have fun!" Pinkie continued on. "We sure will." Applejack said back. Twilight took one more glance at her friends and then turn the other way. She closed her eyes and grunted hard, as she got her horn to glow brighter and brighter. Soon enough, after a hard effort, Twilight successfully opened a window into the other universe. The window showed what seemed to be a library as well, only the colors were darker. Twilight and Applejack exchanged glances. They then began to head across the window of endless possibilites. > Over There > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi opened the door, leading Rainbow Dash into her 'perimeters', which was really a apartment building in the middle of the city. Rainbow looked around the room. She noticed a newspaper on top of the desk, placed under a window view of uptown, with the headline "347 PONIES LOST IN AMBER FOR WORMHOLE IN FILLYDELPHIA SUBWAY SYSTEM". "Subway? What's a subway?" Rainbow asked, confused as she read the paper. AlterTwi turned to Rainbow Dash, surprised she didn't know what it was. "A subway's an underground transit system. Trains run through tunnels under cities so ponies can get to where they want faster... You don't have subways, where you're from?" Rainbow turned to AlterTwi, it was so weird to look at her 'friend' like this. She shoke her head. "Nope. I'm guessing my 'mother' told you." "That you're from the alternate universe and you're the missing princess of Eastern Equestria?" AlterTwi continued for Dash. "Yes." Rainbow shrugged. She looked out the large window showing a zeppelin floating over Central Park. The large aircraft felt intimidating to her. She wondered if she would ever be able to fly again. "What's she like?" Rainbow heard from behind her. She turned around to understand who AlterTwi meant. Seeing the expression on AlterTwi's face gave her the answer. "Well she's a lot like you I guess. Hair's different, your's kinda looks cooler. Different cutie mark though. You look like you know more about yourself than she does." AlterTwi, gave a wondering look. "Or maybe she's nothing like you at all..." Rainbow finished quietly. AlterTwi looked down, in her thoughts. She shrugs. "At least you said 'I'm cooler'." AlterTwi grins. Rainbow chuckles back. "You know when they find out about your return, you're gonna be famous." Rainbow looks at her. "How so?" "Well your kidnapping, it's a famous story." AlterTwi explained. "I'll get used to it, I'm kinda famous from where I'm from too." Rainbow reassured. "Really? How so?" "By performing a sonic rainboom!" Rainbow said, proudly. "A sonic rainboom?" AlterTwi asked, confused. "Lemme guess, you don't know what that is?" Rainbow said, disappointed. "No I know what it is, but it's not like it's hardly been done here. I'm sorry but you're not the only one who's performed a sonic rainboom before." AlterTwi said. "Not in this world at least." Rainbow was baffled. "What?!" "I'm sorry Rainbow." AlterTwi said. "Well, make yourself comfortable here. This will be your perimeter for now..." "So this is my home?" Rainbow interrupted. "Home?" AlterTwi asked, trying to repeat Rainbow's word as if were foreign. "I'm sorry what is a home?" "It's what we call the place we live in..." Rainbow said quietly. "From where I'm from." "Ohh, well in this world, we call it a perimeter." AlterTwi said. "But hey, if you're lucky you might be able to add a word into a dictionary." Rainbow smiled. "Yeah, maybe." Rainbow then began to notice a metal braclet on AlterTwi's right hoof. A red light is beeping from it. AlterTwi looked down at it and raised her hoof to talk into it. "Agent Sparkle." She said, like she's done so many times. "Mhm, I'll be on my way then." She then lowered her hoof back to the floor. "I'm on call for work." Rainbow nodded. "Okay then." "Talk to you soon." AlterTwi said, right before exiting the apartment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEEZ The window Twilight had opened to crossed closed right after Applejack walked through. "Ugh, what's that smell?" said Applejack, covering her nose with her hoof. Twilight is doing the same gesture. "Rotten books, tons of them!" The two ponies discover that they are in the same library as they were before, only this one has been abandoned and worn down. Books falling apart, the wood walls peeling off from erosion. Flies circling all over the place. "Let's get the hay outta here!" Applejack yelled. Twilight didn't fight back. They ran out of the library, into the fresh air. Both Twilight and Applejack inhaled as much freshair as they could. Twilight turned back to see that the duplicate library of her's was broken down and looked as it could fall at any moment. The whole color of it was dull and gray. "Uhh Twilight." She could hear Applejack say, behind her. "Ay think you should take a look at this." Twilight turned around to see all of what seemed to be Ponyville desserted. It was a ghost town. She could see Sugercube Corner down a few yards. The top has levelled into the foundation of the building. Not only that, but a large amber stone covered it with the other half of the village. "It seems that Ponyville has been abandoned." Twilight said, curious. "Ay think I noticed that. Ay wonder what that amber thing is for?" "HALT!" Came a roaring voice, seemingly from the sky. Twilight and Applejack resisted to move, not sure of what was going to happen to them. They soon saw two guards flying down, with a larger pony behind them. Their black silhouette hid their identity, until they landed on the ground. The guards looked like the ones from Celestia's castle and the other pony was Princess Luna! "WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? BORDER CROSSERS? YOU KNOW IT'S AGAINST THE RULES TO CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT PERMISSION!" "No! No! No!" Twilight jumped to say. "Princess Celestia send us here." "Princess Celestia, eh? Why would she do such thing?" Luna asked, unconvinced. "Well, we can't really, but just take us to her and we'll prove it to you!" Twilight said. "Please. My name is Twilight Sparkle..." "Twilight Sparkle?!" Luna said shocked. Twilight stopped. "You know who I am?" "Yes, of course! From the prophecy Celestia was given to years ago! You've come here to save our world?" Luna was becoming excited now. With her unicorn, she made a carraige appear. "Please follow us to the Canterlot Castle!" She said, turning to Twilight and Applejack. The two ponies exchanged looks and shrugged. The carraige ride seemed quicker than usual. Twilight looked down to see Ponyville, half covered in the amber. "What happened?" She asked Luna. Luna sighed. "It's been happening for twenty years now. Their has been no real explanation yet. But these wormholes started to appear, in both Eastern and Western Equestria." "Eastern and Western?" Applejack blurted out. "Of course, both nations had to resort to amber protocol to stop these wormholes, even if it does take pony lives and damage the environment, it is needed to save our world from collasping into itself." Luna explained. "And the prophecy said that you, Twilight Sparkle, will discover the reason to all this and fix it." "Fix it?" Twilight asked, unsure if she could. Luna nodded. "Yes." The carraige began to fly over Canterlot. Twilight noticed a tower completely covered in amber. "My Celestia." Twilight said in a low voice. She looked ahead of her and saw the Royal Castle, standing on the cliffside. Twilight wondered what was awaiting in her future and what the Princess Celestia here would be like. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi walked into the headquarters of FRINGE DIVISION. "Twilight!" She heard from the side of her. AlterTwi turned to see Alternate Spitfire standing in the doorway of an office. This Spitfire had her hair down, instead of up. She gestured AlterTwi to enter. "Cherilee wants the team in her." AlterTwi follows Spitfire in. AlterTwi's team consisted of three ponies, herself, Spitfire and another a named colt named Clover. Clove had a dark blue mane and his coat was a lighter shade of blue. Alternate Cherilee stood in front of the three, as they lined up in front of her. Alternate Cherilee seemed much more tough and rigid. Instead of curls, her mane was completely straight, as if it was not cared about at all. She had a straight face when she spoke. "Twilight, Spitfire, Clover; there has been another spike of radio activity detected on our borders, around the same place we last detected it. Now since these detections are not close to being far apart, this is not a coincidence. We seem to have invaders from another world. Twilight," She spoke directly to AlterTwi, "I want you to take your team to the location of the radiation zone." AlterTwi nodded. "And where will that be ma'am?" "Ponyville, it is between the borders of Eastern and Western Equestria. It is also a fully quarantined town." Cherilee explained. "Becareful of crossing the borderlines of the country, remember the thirtieth parallel; no pony crosses it without permission. Don't want Princesses Celestia and Luna on our flank." "Ponyville is west from here, your journey will probably take you a half a day." Cherilee concluded. The team nodded. "We'll alert you when we arrive." AlterTwi said, and the three exited the office on their way to the quarantined. > This World is Not that World > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight and Applejack gulped. They had no idea what Princess Celestia would be like, if she would be the same or if she would be different. And if different, for the better or the worst? The two ponies stood in from of the large double doors. Standing besides them was Luna, who seemed to be happier than she's had been in a while. The doors opened, it revealed a large hall, much similar to the one back home. As usual Celestia, Alternate Celestia, sat in her throne at the other end of the hall. One thing that wasn't usual was Celestia's mane. Her mane were, instead of stripes of a light rainbow, the colors of the sun. The red, orange, and yellow shades of her mane made her look more furious. But her calm face kept the sanity in Twilight and Applejack. The two ponies stopped in front of Celestia, they bowed. Luna walked in front of the two to speak. "Sister, I bring you Twilight Sparkle." Celestia nodded, not seemingly moved by the sound of that name. She turned to face the two ponies. "Twilight Sparkle? Which one of you is her?" Applejack stepped back and Twilight stepped forward. "I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia." "From which universe are you?" Celestia asked. "I'm from... I'm from the parallel universe." Twilight claimed. "The parallel universe, you say? Luna have you told her of the-" "The prophecy? Yes, sister." Luna replied quickly. "Princess Celestia, may I ask what the prophecy is?" Asked Twilight. Celestia sighed. "This world, our universe, is dying... Twenty years ago, a colt crossed the borders without using magic, but using science. When you cross universes without magic, but with science, you break the boundaries of the two universe, without repairing it after. With this broken boundarie, holes have broken loose in our universe. And with these holes, we have been required to use Amber to fill these holes. But the holes are growing. "The holes will grow until it sucks this universe into itself. Without this universe, the balance between the two worlds will be lost; and without that balance your universe will slowly be destroyed as well." Celestia paused for a moment. "It said that a Twilight Sparkle will arrive from the other side and save our world and your own." "But how am I suppose too save the worlds?" Twilight asked, confused. "I don't know. I just know that your arrival is due to the return of what that colt came to this world to take. Your friend, Rainbow Dash, the long lost Princess of Eastern Equestria." Celestia explained. Both Twilight and Applejack's jaw dropped. "Wha did she just say?" Applejack asked. "Rainbow is a princess?!" "Not only that, she's from this universe?" Twilight asked. Celestia nodded. "Twenty years ago a colt came to take a filly to the other side. Now you have come to take that same filly back. She is in Eastern Equestria, the city of Marehattan, if your magical powers are strong enough I can help you teleport there." Twilight nodded. "Okay then. We'll teleport there." Celestia's horn glew and a round rock from a case next to her is levitated to Twilight. Twilight takes it and looks at it. It was smooth and gray. It had a shell-like look to it. "This teleportation rock can take you to wherever you desire, but you'll need magic to unlock it." She levitates a scroll to Twilight. The levitation switches to Twilight, she unrolls it to read. "This spell can unlock the rock's powers. It is a very rare rock, the only one I have actually, and it can only be used once." Twilight nodded. "Why are you giving this rock to us then? We could travel to Mane... Marehattan on foot." She had to correct herself, forgeting that Manehattan supposing had a different name in this world. Celestia looked down. "Because you are the hope both universes have... I need to believe in something, and that is you. This rock will guarantee a quick and safe journey; and I must do my best to protect you... Now continue on your journey. Learn the spell and teleport to Marehattan." Twilight was still in shock, not believing that the fate in both worlds laid in her hands. "Thank you, Princess Celestia, Luna." She turned to Luna, who was still smiling, as if she had hope again. This gave Twilight a spike of encouragement however, not wanting to disappoint anyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash sat, looking out the window of her perimeter. She stared out at the Marehattan skyline, with all this advance technology. A tear shred down her cheek. "I miss you guys..." She mumbled. 'Why do I have to be here?' She asked herself. But then right at that moment she bolt up from her previous position. 'What a minute? How did I get here? How did my 'father' get me?' She never asked herself that. "This is not cool!" Rainbow began pacing around, beginning to think. 'Could she find a way back?' "Could I?" Dash asked under her breath. Right then, a knock on the is heard several times. Dash flies over to the door and opens it. The pony she sees on the other side of the doorway shocks her and makes her lose concentration on her flying. She drops to the ground hard and looks up to see if she saw who she thought it was. And it was. "Fluttershy?!" Dash yelled, in excitement. "Oh you know my name? I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Fluttershy said softly, backing up a little. Dash jumped up and down. "Bad time?! This is so cool! How did you get here?!" "Ummm... the elevator?" Fluttershy stammered, shoken up by Rainbow's reaction. "Heh, real funny! Why are you wearing that costume anyway?" Dash asked, suddenly noticing that Fluttershy was wearing a red and gold uniform jacket, and a red and black military cap. "Oh this old thing?" Fluttershy asked, looking down at her outfit. "This is my uniform for work." "Uniform? What uniform? Work? Work for what?" Dash asked, confused. "For you. I am your assisstant, secretary, chauffer, and anything else." Fluttershy softly explained. Then it hit Dash. This wasn't the Fluttershy she knew. This was a Alternate Fluttershy. Altershy. This thought made Dash feel even worst than she felt before. Well at least she still seems the same. Altershy noticed Rainbow's changing expression. "Is something wrong Miss Dash?" Rainbow shook her head. "Nah. I''m fine. Call me Rainbow Dash, though. Please?" Altershy hesitated. "O... Okay, I guess so... Rainbow Dash." Dash smiled a little bit. "Thanks. By the way you said that you worked for me?" Altershy nodded. "Oh yes, but it'll be my pleasure. I read stories on your disappearance and here you are now, back; out of nowhere. But don't worry I won't talk about it much, if you feel uncomfortable." "It's fine. But Fluttershy," Altershy looked up, "you're job's gonna be the easiest job ever, cause I like to help myself with things." Altershy nodded. "That's fine, but if you don't need my help than I need to do something else, like working for someone else." "Don't worry, Fluttershy," it felt so weird saying her name, when he knew it wasn't her; or the Fluttershy she knew at least, "I am going to need one thing." Altershy listened curiously. "A friend." Rainbow finished. Altershy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh! That sounds wonderful! I never really had a friend before." "Never?" Rainbow asked, suddenly shocked. Altershy shoke her head. "No. No one ever really liked me..." "Well I think they're just crazy! Why wouldn't anyone wanna be your friend?! What about school?" "Oh, I went to flying school in Cloudsdale, but I couldn't help make myself fly for longer than a minute back then. Of course, no I can, but back then I couldn't and everyone saw me as an outcast." Altershy explained and looked down. Rainbow shoke her head. "That's just wrong." Rainbow walked over to Altershy and raised her head, with her hoofs. "Look, I'm not going to bully you. And if anyone ever does, they're gonna get it." Altershy nodded. "Thank you. No one has ever been this nice to me..." "Well, your world just got twenty percent nicer with me around." Dash said, smiling. Altershy chuckled. "So what brings you here anyway Fluttershy?" Dash asked. "Oh, I'm here to deliver a message to you from your father. He wants you to be in the lobby at eight tonight, for dinner with some long time friends at this nice resturant down on Trotway." Altershy exclaimed. Dash nodded. Great dinner with rich ponies. She thought. "Do you know who these 'friends' are?" Altershy nodded. "They are the Orange family and the mayor of Marehattan." "Mayor?" Rainbow asked. "Mayor Rarity. This youngest mayor in the history of Marehattan. She truly is a gem." Altershy said. Rainbow stepped back. "Mayor Rarity?" Altershy nodded. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi levitated a odd looking spray can and sprayed the air, inside the worn library, that was Twilight's home on the other side. The spray can left some odd moisture in the air. It began to fade, when it developed a sort of mini warp in the middle of the air. Little warps of aurora-like waves suspended in the middle of the air, in front of AlterTwi. Clover walked over AlterTwi. "Are you thinking of what I'm thinking?" AlterTwi nodded. "Someone crossed over." She looked at the warps in front of her, curiously. "Wow, in over twenty years. Can you believe that?" Clover said chuckling. "Come on Clover! This isn't a joke." AlterTwi said, strictly. "Hey, aren't you suppose to be the one to joke around?" Clover asked, grinning. Spitfire flew in. She shoved Clover a few inches to shut him up. "Quiet! Twilight's trying to make a call!" Spitfire whispered loudly. AlterTwi grinned. "Thanks Spitfire. At least I got one girl her on my back." AlterTwi winked at the two and turned to her hoof, which the metal bracelet. Her face began to grow serious. Illuma's voice came from speaker. "Any results?" "Yes Madam Light. Someone has crossed over. We don't know who it is yet, but I assure you; we'll find that pony." AlterTwi said, she looked up and noticed a old sercuity camera up in the corner of the library. Then it hit her. She lowered her hoof back to the floor. "All right, report to me when you have more information." "Copy that." AlterTwi said loudly, so the metal bracelet could attract her voice. She moved closer to the camera. "What is it Twi?" Spitfire asked. AlterTwi turned to Spitffire. "Spitfire, could you fly around the library to see if there's any survallence rooms and if it is still operable?" "Got it!" Spitfire lifted herself from te ground and flew around. Clover walked closer to AlterTwi. "What do you need it for?" AlterTwi pointed at the sercurity camera for Clover to see. "We're gonna check out who our little border crossers are." Clover nodded. "Always been the smarter pony." He smiled to her. Hearing the comment, shoke her a little. She looked away, pretending to have not heard what he said. "Twi! Clover! Over here!" Spitfire yelled, from the basement. AlterTwi gestured Clover to follow her into the basement. They ran down to meet up with Spitfire, who was in front of a set of televisions. "I found the survallence room, but there hasn't been any tape to record, since eighteen years ago." Spitfire acknowledged. AlterTwi grumbled in disappointment. "Damn!" She said. "All right guys, lets move out then." "Sorry." Clover said softly. AlterTwi nodded. He walked up the stairs, as Spitfire flew up, she glanced at AlterTwi for second. "I'll be right after you." AlterTwi assured. Spitfire nodded and flew up. AlterTwi then had a surreptitious grow on her face. She sneaked back to the survallence room and pointed her horn at a television screen. She grinded her teeth as the horn began to glow. The blank screen was then replaced by static; which was replaced by a high view of the main room of the library at present time. AlterTwi saw Spitfire and Clover, waiting for her; on the television screen. AlterTwi grinded her teeth again and her horn glew again. The view began to rewind. Maybe all those days of studying really did pay off. She thought. After a while she stopped right when she noticed a portal opening in the middle of the library. AlterTwi looked closely to see who would cross over. As she leaned in, she saw Twilight and Applejack step out of the portal. The opening closed, between them and they began to cover their noses. AlterTwi blinked, not once, not twice, but three times. She leaned in even closer. Was that? It was! AlterTwi was taken aback. She stepped away from the television screen. She had just saw herself cross over. Well not herself, her alternate. Spitfire walked back down the stairs. "Twi?" She asked. AlterTwi turned around to face Spitfire. Spitfire noticed the reaction on AlterTwi's face. "You all right? You look like you've just seen a ghost." AlterTwi didn't reply. She turned back to the television screen, with a bewildered look. > Doppelganger on Reality > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi was still shoken up from encountering a sight of the other her. She noticed that their hair colors were different, which was why she didn't recognized her at first. But everything else was similar, too similar. She began to wonder what she would be like. Curiosity spooked AlterTwi. She had just walked into Illuma's office. However, instead of Illuma, King Light stood behind her desk. "So have you recieved any new information, Agent Sparkle?" He asked AlterTwi. AlterTwi, at first confused by King Light's presence, nodded. "The crossers. One of them is me." King Light seems to be slightly strucked by this. "Ohh. Well that is a doppelganger on reality." AlterTwi smirked. 'Doppelganger on Reaility' was a typical phrase, meaning ironic paranormal things occuring. In this universe it was usually meant for joking purposes. "Where is Madam Light, your majesty?" "Madam Light is getting ready for a prior engagement her and I have with my daughter, which I suppose she had already filled you in on the information on my daughter's return." "Yes, your majesty." AlterTwi replied. King Light walked over to face AlterTwi. "So you say that one of these intruders is you?" AlterTwi nodded. "Yes." "Do not be alarmed. These, different, versions of us; they are less than peaceful. They will try to talk you into trusting them, never fall for their traps." King Light told AlterTwi strictly. "Have you understood what I've told you?" "Yes, sir." AlterTwi replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an engagement with my family." King Light explained, looking at the clock. "It's getting late, why don't you go home and rest? You've done a good job today Agent Sparkle." AlterTwi grinned. "Thank you, your majesty." She bowed down, before walking backwards to the exit. "Oh! Agent Sparkle!" King Light called, right before AlterTwi walked out, stopping her. "Congrats on the agent of the month." King Light smiled. AlterTwi smiled back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack noticed a enormous shadow moving towards her. "Wha' in tarnation?!" She looked up, her mouth agape. Twilight turned to see Applejack's stunned glar. Twilight curiously followed Applejack's glar to face a huge zeppilin flying over the city streets of Marehattan. The both stared at awe, never seeing anything like it. A shove wakes Twilight from her trance. "Move it!" a colt said, in a furious rush. "How rude!" Twilight yelled. The colt ignored her. Twilight shoke her head in disgust. "Can you believe how rude these ponies can be?" "Well, ya know, this city is all about rush and stuff." Applejack replied. "Anyways, how in hay are we gonna find Rainbow?" Twilight thinks for a second. After awhile she's hit with a lightbulb moment. "I know! Princess Celestia...over here, said that Rainbow Dash is the princess of Eastern Equestria." "Eastern Equestria, Western Equestria... Ah wonder why Equestria got split up?" Applejack questioned. Beginning to walk. "I asked myself the same thing when I heard the Princess say that. Where are you going?" Twilight suddenly asked, noticing Applejack's movements. "Ah don't wanna said here and all, blockin' all these ponies." Applejack replied. "Yeah, you're right." Twilight then followed Applejack around the city. "Anyway, as I was saying, since Rainbow Dash is the princess, she must be with the king and queen! There must be a palace somewhere here in the city." Twilight wondered to herself where she could find it. A map! But where will she find one? Twilight's mind stammered, until Applejack bumped her on the shoulder trying to get her attention. "Hmm?" Twilight turned to Applejack. "Howabout there?" Applejack pointed across the street, at a public booth. On the top it is labeled with "CITY LOCATOR". Twilight grinned. "OMG! Great Applejack!" "Eh, ain't nothing." Applejack replied, as they began to run across the street to the City Locator booth. As the two ponies got inside they stared at a computer touchscreen. Not recognizing the technology, they stared at confusion. "Wha' in the hay is this?" Applejack asked, frowning. "Looks like some kind of machine. Lets see how to work it here." The screen showed a map of Marehattan, on the top right corner said the word SEARCH with a microscope, in a bubble. Twilight touched the bubble and a keyboard popped into the screen. Twilight stared at it for awhile, fascinated. "The technology they have here is amazing. Wouldn't might studying someof their books here." "Ah, Twi remember what were here for." Applejack remind. Twilight clicked out of space. "Oh right. Now lets see here." She picked her hoofs up to type ROYAL PALACE. The keyboard disappeared and left many red animated pins stuck on different locations all over the city. Twilight looked at it, confused. "There's too many of them." "Try tappin' one of those pins." Applejack considered. Twilight did so, she reached for a pin in the middle of Marehattan island when a pop up advertisement comes into view from a corner. It said STAY VIGILANT CALL FRINGE DIVISION 911-11FRINGE. Twilight and Applejack looked at it curiously. "Wha' is that?" Applejack asked. "I guess it's just some police division." Twilight replied, thinking about it. "A what now?" Applejack asked again. "Like cops." "Oh, ah gotchu." Applejack shrugged. Another advertisement came up with the FRINGE DIVISION ad. It said CELEBRATING OUR ANNUAL AGENT OF THE MONTH 'AGENT TWILIGHT SPARKLE'. Twilight read it, dropping her jaw. Applejack saw Twilight reaction. "What is it Twi?" Twilight let Applejack look at the popout. Applejack becomes shocked. "The other you is a agent!" "I can read that." Twilight said back. "Wait," an idea came into her head, "maybe I could go talk to the other me and maybe she knows where Rainbow Dash is, since she's a government agent of the month!" Twilight typed the search bubble again and typed the name TWILIGHT SPARKLE. A pin fell on a location on the western part of the island. Twilight read it. "Her home's only around a mile from here." Twilight began to walk and Applejack stopped her. "Twi, are ya sure about this? Ah mean wha if she's...bad?" Twilight chuckled. "Oh come on Applejack, if she was bad do you think she would be the agent of the month?" Applejack hestitated. "Ah guess you're right." "All right, I'll go see the other me and see if I can get help on where Rainbow Dash is." Twilight explained. "Well wha do ah do?" Applejack asked. Twilight thinks for a second. "Umm... Just stay here for now. If I'm not back in two hours, you know where I'll be. Or if you go around somewhere just be back her by ten." Twilight runs away, eagered to meet herself, before Applejack could protest. Applejack is left standing alone. She sighs. "Eh, her mind gets the best of her." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash hated her dress. It was way too feminine. It was heavy, purple, and had feathers as fringes on the bottom. She wished Rarity had made her one, but ofcourse not here. Dash suddenly wondered where and who Rarity was in this world. Oh now she remembered, Rarity was the mayor of Marehattan and she was about to meet her! She sat in the resturant in a long table. King Light but a hoof on her shoulder. Rainbow turned to him, sitting to the right of her. "Are you ready?" He asked her calmly. Rainbow nodded. "I guess." "Ahh, your majesties." Rainbow then heard a fimiliar voice, behind her. She turned around and saw two ponies that made her pupils shrink. It was the alternate Rarity and Applejack! However, they both looked completely different. Instead of her regal look, Rarity was dressed in a fitted suit. Her mane didn't seem like it was really taken care of. All of Rarity's fashion-concerns were missing in this AlterRarity. Alternate Applejack. Was she different! Applejack's mane was tangled up into a fancy look. She dressed in a complicated blue dress, with oranges printed on it. Her face seemed delicate. No cowgirl personality was in her. "Mayor Rarity! Applejack! My friends!" King Light and Illuma both said, smiling. This is crazy! Rainbow thought. "Your majesty! How wonderful you look." Applejack complimented Illuma. That's definately not Applejack. Rainbow was thinking. Alterjack and AlterRarity shoke hoofs with Illuma and King Light. They then turned over to face Rainbow. "Why who might you be, young filly?" Alterjack asked. "Yes, you are quite beautiful." AlterRarity continued. Rainbow Dash was done with words. She should there in silence, not know what to say. "This is Rainbow Dash." King Light said, smiling. Alterjack and AlterRarity's jaws dropped. They stood their motionless. "Rainbow Dash?" Alterjack asked, bewildered. "How in the world did you return without nopony finding out?" AlterRarity asked, surprised. "This is--" "Surreal. Twenty years later. My my." Alterjack exclaimed. Rainbow wasn't really fond of how both the alternate versions of her friends were like. "So where have you been all these years?" AlterRarity asked, astonished. Rainbow Dash thought for a second, she didn't have anything else to say. "Ponyville." "My! Another shock!" Alterjack said, interested. "I am from Ponyville too. Sweet Apple Acres to be exact. But I left to the city for a more sophisticated life. I miss my family, however. They were lost in the quarantine." Alterjack said looking down. Did Rainbow hear her right? Ponyville, quarantine? Did it mean what she thought it meant? Rainbow thought. "Quarantine?" "Yes the whole town was quarantined with the amber protocol. Shouldn't you know?" AlterRarity took over, since Alterjack seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "I forgot for a second." Rainbow said, trying to process her thoughts. "Well, as you can see, we can leave questions for my daughter a little later." King Light said. "I think Rainbow Dash has been through enough." "I agree." Alterjack said. "Well, let's just continue on with our dinner then, shall we?" Illuma suggested. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi opened her fridge. She levitated a plastic closed bowl of a casserole. On the paper it said. "Eat for once you toothpick. - Clover" AlterTwi grinned. She closed her fridge and walked into the living room as she levitated the bowl of food with her. Entering the living room she noticed her gun wasn't on her coffee table. She turns to the right and sees Twilight standing there with gun. AlterTwi stood still. Frozen in surprise. "How did you-" "We are unicorns." Twilight exclaimed. " Look I need your help." Twilight said. AlterTwi looked at her, as if she was joking. "Well you sure have a funny way of asking." "I need to find Rainbow Dash, I assume you know where she is." Twilight said. AlterTwi didn't listen. She lowers the bowl. "What are you doing?" Twilight asked. AlterTwi looked up at the bowl she was levitating. "It's getting heavy." "Okay." Twilight watches AlterTwi placed the bowl on the coffee table softly. She notices a picture on the coffee table. It was AlterTwi and her mother. "Is that mom?" Twilight asked, curiously. AlterTwi looked at her, as if it was obvious. "Yeah." "She's alive?" Twilight asked, remembering her own mother. AlterTwi stepped back, not expecting the question. "Yeah." "What's she like?" "Well, the last few years have been hard on her." AlterTwi explained. "I know that she was disappointed when I could hatch the dragon egg for my exam into Light's School for Gifted Unicorns." Twilight looked at her, noticing the resemblance to her exam, when she was a filly. AlterTwi noticed Twilight's expression. "You hatched the egg?" Twilight nodded. "They let me keep the baby dragon too. I live with him now, he's my assistant and friend. Spike." AlterTwi smiled a little. "Spike, huh?" Twilight smiled as well. "Look, I just need your help to find Rainbow Dash. She's my best friend. You gotta trust me. I'm you... Will you help me?" A;terTwi continued to smile smoothly. "Okay." "Okay?" AlterTwi nodded. She turned around and leaned over to her chair. "Wait, wait." Twilight said, stopping AlterTwi, who was lifting a bag. "I was just getting my keys." AlterTwi explained. Twilight levitated the bag to her and she looked through the things, not paying attention to AlterTwi. AlterTwi watched her as she looked through her bag. "You would've thought that I kept my backup gun in my bag don't you?" Twilight looked up as AlterTwi brought a gun up, aiming at Twilight's head. "I keep mine in my jacket." AlterTwi winked. Twilight stares, dumbfounded. "Now put you gun on the table." AlterTwi ordered. Twilight reluctantly placed the gun and bag on the coffee table. As she walked she looked up at AlterTwi. "I thought we had an agreement." Twilight claimed. AlterTwi grinned. "You know what? I don't know what you are; who you are. But you are nothing like me. She was right" AlterTwi said, refering to Rainbow's comments earlier. AlterTwi picked her hoof up to her face, she looked down to speak into the metal bracelet. "Call Fringe. This is Sparkle--" Right then, Twilight took the risk of levitating the bag up and using it to push AlterTwi's gun aside into the kitchen. AlterTwi reacted by trying to punch Twilight in the face. Twilight teleported behind her and tried to tackle her down, but AlterTwi grabbed Twilight and threw her against the wall. Twilight banged into the wall and dropped to the floor. As she wobbled up she glanced at the gun on the table then to AlterTwi, who was thinking the same thing. Twilight jumped for the table, but is tackled down by AlterTwi. They land on the table, breaking it. Twilight tried to reach for the gun, but AlterTwi kicked her away. Twilight grabbed hold of AlterTwi's hoof, pulling her down. Twilight used her elbow to hit AlterTwi in the stomach. AlterTwi groaned in pain and grabbed Twilight's elbow to flip her over into a headlock. AlterTwi used the headlock to choke Twilight, leaving her struggling in her arms. Twilight tried to gasp for breath, while being choked. Her hoofs clopped on the floor. She began to reach for a small trophy, that dropped onto the floor, near her. Twilight struggled to reach for it. Then she held her breath and grunted, using her horn to lift up the trophy. She then moves the trophy quickly on to AlterTwi's head, hitting her hard. AlterTwi lost her grip, in the rapid pain as another hit went even harder on her head, making her lose consciousness. Twilight inhaled as much as she could, regaining her breath. She stood up and stared at the unconscious AlterTwi. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- King Light dropped off Rainbow Dash at her perimeter. King Light smiled and handed her a folded paper. Rainbow looked at it. "What is that?" Rainbow asked. "Something I like you to see. I'm going to need you to help me with this." King Light claimed. Rainbow took the folded paper and nodded. "Whatever you say...pop." King Light smiled. He hugged her. "I'm glad you're back." With that he exited the apartment. Rainbow opened the folded paper, laying it on the floor. "Whoa." Was all she could say. It was a blueprint to some gigantic machery. In the middle of the large apparatus, was a slot that looked like it could find a pony. "What in the hay?" Rainbow said, confused at the high machinery. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight had just finished dying her mane into the color of AlterTwi's. She stared into the mirror, looking at her new mane, as if she had lost her identity. Twilight wasn't really sure of what to do now. She left the bathroom and into the folyer. She levitated a touchscreen device that looked important and the screen was similar to the one in the city locator. She typed the name Rainbow Dash into the search and a repeatition of circles form over a small dot in the upper western side of the city. She read the address and turned to AlterTwi, who was tied to a armchair, unconscious. Twilight exited the apartment and closed the door, locking it. "Hey Twi." She heard somepony say behind her. Twilight turned around to see Spitfire standing in front of her. "Tried calling you a couple of times, you okay?" Twilight nodded. "You sure?" Spitfire asked again. What was her name?! Rainbow Dash always talked about her! She was a Wonderbolt! Spitfire! That's her name! "Yea, what's up Spitfire?" Twilight asked, smiling. "Cherilee called over to say that there was a power surge in Brooklyn, she wants us to check it out." Spitfire explained. Twilight nodded. "Um actually, the king just called; he said that he wants us to move Rainbow Dash. Apparently she's not safe where she is-" "Wait, hold on. They found Rainbow Dash?" Spitfire asked, not expecting the information. Twilight nodded again. "Mhm." "Huh." Spitfire said, begining to wait down the hallway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack was walking down the streets. She was becoming so bored. Ah wish ah was with Twilight right now. She thought. Lost in her thoughts she bumped into somepony. The two ponies were pushed back. Applejack grunted in pain. "Why don't you watch where ya goin' next time ya-" She stopped when she looked up to see herself, only more...Rarity-like. "Oh, I apologize. I wasn't looking in front of me-" Alterjack stopped as she saw herself, only more...cowgirl-like. "Wow, you look like a splitting image of me." Applejack could tell that she obviously didn't know about the parallel universes. "Heh, crazy world ah guess." "Mhm. Where are you from?" Alterjack asked, curiously. "Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack answered, receiving a gasp from Alterjack. "Sweet Apple Acres? That's where I'm from!" Alterjack said excited. Oh hay! Applejack thought. What is she gonna say now? "You must a cousin of mine!" Alterjack suggested. "I didn't know I still had other relatives alive!" Alive? Applejack questioned in her mind. "Ah guess ya still do." Applejack chuckled, not knowing what to say. "Do you know me? My name is Applejack." Alterjack informed, "Applejack huh? Ma' name is...um, Apple." Applejack said, sweating. She was a terrible liar, hoping that Alterjack wouldn't notice. "Do you know me? Did you know my sister?" Alterjack asked. "Why?" Applejack asked back. Alterjack looked down. "Because I never met my sister... I don't even know her name. And she was lost in the quarantine of Ponyville, I heard from my aunt and uncle..." Applejack was shocked. Apple Bloom? Dead? That can't be. She thought that she was going crazy. She looked up and saw a clock, time was almost up and she had to meet up with Twilight soon. She turned back to her alternate self. "Uh, ah'm kinda in a rush. So ah have to go, sorry!" "Oh, I completely understand." Alterjack said. "I'm sorry for keeping you." "No prob." Applejack said, she began to run pass Alterjack, her mind was going wild now. But this couldn't affect her. She knew that Apple Bloom was still alive back on her side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AlterTwi bolted up, but she was forced back onto her armchair. She looked around and saw that she was strapped onto her chair. She violently glared up, thinking about Twilight. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow was reading the blueprint of the machinery and she heard it a knock on her door. Was it Fluttershy? She wondered. She flew over and opened the door to see Spitfire and Twilight. "Agent Spitfire." Spitfire introduced herself, showing her Fringe ID. Rainbow recognized her. She was a wonderbolt! Rainbow smiled. "Rainbow Dash. It's awesome to meet you! Come on in." Spitfire and Twilight walked in. "What can I do for you guys?" "Your father said that he is concerned for your safety." Twilight explained. "Really?" Rainbow asked, confused. "Yes, and I have come here to tell you that you are not safe in this world as well, and your friends are here to bring you back home-" "Twi, what are you talking about? What's going on?" Spitfire asked. Twilight levitates a glass jar and throws it at Spitfire's head, making her drop unconscious. Twilight leans down to check Spitfire's pulse, she was still alive. Twilight turns to look up at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow it's me!" Twilight told her. Rainbow, who was in a position ready to fight, nodded. "Thanks I think I just figured that out." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack paced around. It ten minutes have passed the meeting time. "Come on, where are ya Twilight?" she mumbled to herself. "Applejack!" She heard a pony say. She turned to see Rainbow flying in to hug her. "Rainbow! Ya back!" Applejack said, happily. "Not yet." Twilight said. "We have to cross back in Ponyville. Do you still have the teleportation rock?" She asked Applejack. Applejack nodded. She took out the rock from her saddlebag. Twilight levitated to her and grabbed hold of Applejack and Rainbow. "Okay, remember to think of somewhere in Ponyville." Twilight reminded. The two other ponies nodded. Twilight closed her eyes and grunted. Her horn beginning to glow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The elevator door to the Fringe Headquarters opened. King Light and Illuma exited the elevator, with AlterTwi right behind them. "Everypony listen up, now!" King Light said loudly, stopping all work in the headquarters. Everypony stood silently awaiting for orders. "We have a band of fugitives on our hands. Intruders from another universe." King Light explained. "Who?" Cherilee asked, from the messine, where her office was. "Me." AlterTwi came in to say as she put her hoof on the hoof print scanner. Everypony turns the big holographic screen on the large plain wall, where satellite images of maps are. The map showed all of Eastern Equestria. A red dot on the Western border appeared as a profile of AlterTwi appeared on the side of the screen. "I got her!" Another agent annouced. "She's over at Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville." "They're heading back to the other side." King Light assumed. Cherille nodded. "All right everypony! This is not a drill, get all tactical forces to Ponyville right now!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack stared into her farm, which was inside the amber stone. "Apple Bloom..." Applejack whispered. "Applejack!" Twilight yelled. Applejack turned around to see Twilight and Rainbow Dash heading over to the library in Ponyville. "Come on! We don't have much time!" Applejack nodded and followed. In the library Twilight read her scroll to remember the crossing spell properly. "Okay guys I think I got it." "But wait Twi." Applejack said, as if she had just remembered something. "What is it?" Twilight asked, fustrated. "The spell can only move two of us." Applejack explained. "There's three of us." Twilight had just noticed. "Oh no!" "Wait? You guys didn't think this through did you?" Rainbow commented. "Oh great." They then hear sirens in the distance. The three turn to the direction of the sound. "Oh no, they've found us!" Twilight annouced. "We have to get you out of hear Rainbow! I'm going to make a hole for you ponies first then I'll open one for myself." Applejack shoke her head. "But Twilight, ya might not be strong enough-" "I can do it!" Twilight yelled. "Now let me concentrate!" Twilight shut her eyes and her horn began to glow. Rainbow and Applejack stared at her as she created a peak into middle of the library. The little peak slowly became bigger and bigger. Twilight opened her eyes. "Woo! You did it Twilight!" Rainbow yelled in excitement. She hugged Twilight. "Are you sure you can make another hole tho?" Twilight heard the sirens getting louder. She nodded. "Just go!" Worried that the others would catch them. Rainbow and Applejack smiled to Twilight. Twilight smiled back. She watched them as they walked over to the window. Applejack crossed first. Rainbow Dash followed her but hesitated. She turned back to Twilight. "Thanks." Rainbow said, smiling; and she crossed. with the window closing in on her. Twilight was not alone. She was gasping, tired. "Okay Twilight you can do this!" She shut her eyes and opened another hole. This time it took longer and harder. She grinded her teeth hard. "Nnnnnnn!" She opens her eyes and finds out that she succeed! Twilight sighed in relief. Her eyes bolted open, when she heard the front door break down. "Freeze!" A pony yelled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike, Rainbow and Applejack awaited the return of Twilight. They stood in the middle of the library. "Is she alright?" Spike asked worried. "Ah'm sure she'll be fine." Applejack reassured. Then a glow came from the middle of the room and they saw Twilight walking in. "Twilight!" Spike yelled, exicted and relief. Her jumped to hug her. She hugged him back, smiling. After the hug, Spike stared at Twilight's mane. "What happened to your mane?" Twilight looked up at her mane. She chuckled. "Oh right, I just changed my mane color to impersonate the other me." "Other you?" Spike asked. "Well what's she like?" Twilight shrugged. "She's cool I guess." Spike thought that Twilight didn't seem like herself, but oh wells. "Alright then." Spike finished. "Well, come on!" Rainbow told Applejack. "Let's go tell our friends that were back!" Applejack grinned. "Ya got that!" They ran out the library excited. "Friends?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie... You remember right?" Spike asked, suspicious. "Oh right." Twilight said, chuckling. "Sorry...Spike, I'm just tired from opening up a hole to cross over." "I gotcha Twilight." Spike said, smiling. "I'm just glad you're back!" Twilight nodded. "...Me too." She looked around the library. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning Twilight woke up early. She had left the library, before Spike even woke up. She absorbed the fresh air, as if she hadn't in years. Twilight walked down the main streets of Ponyville. She turned to see a quill shop and walked over to it. Entering the Quill store, she noticed that there were also couches. That was odd. She thought. "Can I help you gorgeous?" Davenport asked, behind the counter. Twilight smiled. "I hope so. I'm looking for a typewriter." "Oh, I'm sorry we only sell quills and couches here-" "A selectric, model 251." Twilight interrupted strictly. Davenport looked down. "I see." He opened the cashier and took a key out to hand to Twilight. Twilight levitates the key. "It's in the back." He pointed. Twilight winked to him and followed his direction to the back door. She unlocked it and closed the door behind her. The back room was empty with a lamp hanging from the ceiling and a typewriter on the desk in the middle of the room. A mirror also stood next to the typewriter, reflecting the keyboard. Twilight walked over and faced the type writer. She inhaled and typed INFILTRATION ACHIEVED. AWAITING ORDERS. Twilight grinned as she finished typing. She turned to the mirror and saw the keys begin to type themselves. Twilight read the reply and smirked. She looked up grinning a devilish glare. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ King Light walked down a dark hallway. At the end of the hallway was a window. On the other side of the window is completely darkness, until King Light turned the light switch on his side, revealing the real Twilight from the other side. She is curled over in the corner. Twilight looks up and walks over to the window, facing King Light. "Let me out. Please..." Twilight pleaded. King Light just stared at her. "I know you can hear me!" Twilight banged her hoof on the window. "Please!" King Light looked at her coldly and turned off the lights. "No, no, no, no, no! Please! Please get me out of here!" She began to cry. King Light ignored her plea and headed down the hallway for the exit, leaving Twilight in the darkness. > My Name is Twilight Sparkle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My name is Twilight Sparkle... I am from Ponyville, Equestria. I was born in Canterlot and I am a student of Princess Celestia's, studying the magic and friendship. Where I'm from, there is only one Equestria." Twilight looked straight, emotionless. She didn't believe where she was, the spot she was in. This was a nightmare she could not wake up from. A phyciatrist sat across from her in a interrogation room staring at her sadly. She sighed. "Agent Sparkle, I'm trying to help you get your life back. So you could go back to your life, your job, your friends." "This is not my home." Twilight said blankly. "Home?" The phyciatrist asked, confused by the word. "What does that word mean?" "This is not where I'm suppose to be." "Because you've come from another universe?" Twilight slightly nodded. "Yes." The phyciatrist quitely looked down and picked up two of the few photos of different ponies. Showing the two photos to Twilight. They are photos of Spitfire and Clover. "Are these your partners you work with in Fringe, Agent Spitfire and Agent Clover?" "No. I do not work for Fringe. I do not know these ponies." The phyciatrist replaced the two photos with another photo. One of AlterTwi and her mother. "Is this your mother?" She asked Twilight. "She looks like her, but she isn't." The phyciatrist then showed her a picture of AlterTwi. AlterTwi is grinning, holding a gun with a medal around it. Probably a graduation picture. "Who is this?" Twilight looked at the picture violently. "Another Twilight Sparkle. The one from over here." "And how does that sound to you Twilight? That there is a world beyond this world. Populated with ponies who look exactly like the ponies who live over here." "It sounds impossible. Which is what I thought of when I first learned about it. But it is the truth." Twilight said, more emotionally. "Who's Rainbow Dash?" The phyciatrist asked. This shoke Twilight. She keeps quiet. "You mumbled her name, when you were under at the crossing sight." "Rainbow is my friend. The one I came to find." Twilight explained. "And where are they now?" The phyciatrist asked. "They had to go home without me." Twilight she began to become sad. The phyciatrist shoke her head. She leaned in to Twilight. "Now, Twilight, doesn't that just sound a little bit...crazy?" Twilight looked up straight into the phyciatrist's eyes. "I am not crazy." > The Fugitive > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight's body was strapped onto a flat bed. Two ponies rolled the bed down a dark hallway. Twilight turned and noticed a guard pony enter the elevator down the hall, after typing in a few numbers, before she was pushed into a lab. Inside the pony who interviewed her earlier held a needle in her hoof. The psychiatrist approached Twilight with the needle and injected her front right hoof with an unknown compound. "What is that?" Twilight asked weakly. The psychiatrist didn't respond. She turn to the two other ponies. "I'm going to need two more of those dosages." The two ponies both handed a separate needle. The psychiatrist took one and injected into Twilight's back right hoof. "What is that?" Twilight asked again, and ignored once again. The psychiatrist took the third needle and approached Twilight once more, but this time around she stopped dead in her tracks. Twilight's body began the spasm. "I can't breath!" Twilight began trying to gasp for air. "Hel-help me! Plea-please!" The psychiatrist began to panic. "Sit her up!" The two ponies rotated the flat bed upright ninety-degrees. "Unstrap her!" The psychiatrist ordered. The ponies did so and in a flash, Twilight used her magic to shove the flat bed violently onto one pony; making a sandwich with him between the wall and flat bed. She then exerted a powerful force against the other pony, making him fly onto another wall. And in a swift move, she levitated the needle off of the psychiatrist's hoof and stabbed it into her neck. The psychiatrist frantically tried to pull the needle out, distracted. Twilight ran out of the lab and down the hallway. The psychiatrist forced herself to move and push a button, setting off an alarm. Red lights began to flash in the dark hallway. "Cold Blue," a computer voice kept repeating. Twilight hid behind a column when a guard ran down the hallway to see what the problem. As the guard was about to pass her, she took her hoof and slammed it onto the guard's neck. The guard flipped back, choking. Twilight quickly searched his uniform and grabbed his saddle bag, which carried a gun. She sped down the hallway to the elevator doors and typed in the same number as she saw earlier. The elevator doors opened and she entered, when two other guards appeared down the other end of the hallway. "Hey!" One of the yelled as they ran down to catch her. But the elevator doors shut right in front of them. The elevator ascended and the doors opened to what seemed to be a park. Twilight quickly exited the elevator and ran across the park under the night sky. A siren rang. She noticed flashlights surrounding her and hearing guards. Twilight began to quicken her pace when she reached a cliff side. She stopped just before falling over and looked straight ahead, seeing the lights of Marehattan across a river. Twilight turned around and looked up. She was stunned by what she saw. It was the Statue of Harmony, only it golden; unlike the green statue back where she came from in Manehattan. A flashlight shined directly onto her and she turned, hearing, "I found her!" Without hesitation she jumped into the river, before she could be caught. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The psychiatrist entered King Light's office, where he was having a conference meeting with Cherilee over the webcam. "Ahh Doctor Redheart! You came in good timing, how is our patient Twilight? Agent Cherilee here is curious." Doctor Redheart gulped. "That's the problem sir, she has escaped from Liberty Island." King Light's expression went from friendly to stern. "What?! How could you let this happened?!" "I'm sorry sir, we underestimated her strength and intelligence." "Well, do you know where she might have gone?" King Light questioned. Doctor Redheart nodded. "The guards say that, assuming from where she jumped into the river, she is heading for Marehattan." King Light gave her an odd look. "She jumped into the river?" Doctor Redheart nodded. King Light turned to the webcam, looking at Cherilee. "The river is quite cold this time of year..." Cherilee nodded. "I understand, but knowing her; she's the only pony that can actually make it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was early in the morning and Cabbie Jones, sitting in his parked cab next to the river, was already bored. He had been driving cabs for ten years and nothing exciting had ever passed his way. A pony entered the back of the cab. "I need you to drive now." He heard her say sternly. He frowned. Another annoying costumer. "Where to?" "Just drive for now." "Well I'm gonna need your show-me," he turned around to see his costumer and saw Twilight in a hospital gown. She levitated the gun out and aimed it straight at him. "Whoa!" He raised his hooves. "Look I don't want any trouble!" "Start the car and you won't have any." Twilight ordered. "Alright! Alright! But I need your show-me!" Cabbie Jones plead. "Show-me?" Twilight asked, curious. "You know, your I.D." Cabbie Jones explained. "I don't have one." Cabbie Jones shrugged. "Figures..." "Can you use your's?" Cabbie Jones shrugged. "Alright, fine." He took his show-me out and swiped a machine between the driver and passenger seat. The car started and Cabbie Jones began to drive. "Do you still have any idea where we're going?" "Just drive for now, I need to think." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Back at Fringe headquarters Clover and Spitfire were joking around. Cherilee walked up to them, and they stood up with respect. "You know about Twilight Sparkle's condition right? Where she is?" Clover and Spitfire nodded. "Yeah, she went crazy and is under evaluation at Liberty Island." Spitfire answered. "Well she just escaped from Liberty Island last night." Cherilee updated them. "What?!" Clover asked, suddenly worried. "Where is she?" "We expect that she is somewhere in Marehattan. I am going to send out her description around the city to see if anypony has seen her. And if somepony alerts us, I want you two to be there immediately." Cherilee ordered. Clover and Spitfire nodded. "Understood." They both said. "Good, I'm going to send out notifications now." Cherilee returned to her office. Clover and Spitifre exchanged looks. "Twilight escaping... So practical of her." Spitfire said. "Heh, you she's a daredevil." Clover included. "How long do you think it'll take for us to find her?" Spitfire asked. "Well, knowing her she's swift so it'll be real hard to... But then again, after her mind went...off, she could be clumsy so we could find her easily." Clover exclaimed. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight was looking out at the foreign streets of Marehattan. She didn't understand anything about this world, she didn't understand how they could be so scientifically advance. "Ummm excuse me lady, I can't just keep on driving around the city like this all day, I need a destination." Cabbie Jones finally said, breaking the silence. Twilight thought for a second. "I want you to take me to Ponyville." "Pony-wa?" Cabbie Jones asked, confused. "Ponyville, it's outside of the city and quite a drive away so I advice you to get there now." Twilight ordered. Cabbie Jones stared at Twilight through the rear view mirror. "I'm sorry but Ponyville is quarantined." "Only some of it." "No all of it, I'm sure." Cabbie Jones tried to convince. Twilight aimed the gun back at his head. "Well why don't we just see for ourselves?" "Jesus Christ! Can you please stop pointing that gun at me!" Cabbie Jones plead. "Jesus Christ? Who is that?" Twilight asked. Cabbie Jones stared at her, thinking really?. "Nopony, nevermind. Crazy pony." "I am not crazy!" Twilight screamed. "They say that I am, but I'm not! Don't listen to wait they say about me!" "Alright! Jeez! I'm sorry! Sorry! I'm not listening to anybody!" Cabbie Jones panicked. "I can't drive like this, I'll take you to where you wanna go, but I need to stop for gas first." He began to pull over and stopped at a gas station. He walked out and plugged the hose into the cab, refilling it. Twilight exited. She looked around and saw the bathroom. She turned to Cabbie Jones. "Give me your show-me." She ordered. "Wait, what? Why?" "Give me it!" Cabbie Jones reluctantly handed her his 'show-me'. She read it. "Now I know where you, and your wife and children live. So I don't think it'll be so good for you to go running off. I'm taking this with me too." "What? Where are you going?!" Jones asked. "To the bathroom!" Twilight replied. Inside the convenience store of the gas station, the cashier saw Twilight heading into the bathroom and looked at the screen below him and saw the same picture, marked 'WANTED'. ----------------------------------------------- Spitfire was watching videos of the Wonderbolts competing the Ponlympics. She stared, mesmerized. Clover walked up behind her, he saw her watching the video. "Wow, you are obsessed with them." "Well, they're just so cool!" Spitfire explained. "Man, I really wish I went to the tryouts and not have been such a chicken about it... I wonder if I would have ever got in." "You with the wonderbolts?!" Clover asked. "I'm sorry, I know I'm your friend here, but be realistic. They're the best fliers in the world." Spitfire nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean..." "I got news." Cherilee announced as she walked up to them. "On Twilight?" Clover asked, apprehensive. She nodded. "A local cashier of a convenience store at a gas station, reported spotting her going into the store's bathroom. The gas station is located at Hoofsterdam Avenue and Trotstone Road." Cherilee explained. Clover and Spitfire nodded. "Gotcha!" Spitfire said, before they ran off for Twilight. ---------------------------------------------- Twilight was crying in the bathroom. She couldn't believe the position she was in. She couldn't understand why she had to be the one out of all the other ponies. She was so lost in this unknown world. Things were so different. She didn't even know how long she had been crying for. A half an hour maybe, at the least. Was this the end of her life? Would she ever see her friends again? She had to. This wasn't the end. She had to fight. Twilight wiped her face clean and exited the bathroom. "Twilight! Thank god!" She heard and immediately looked up to see Clover standing before her. He smiled softly at seeing her. Twilight raised her gun with magic. She aimed it straight at Clover. "Stand back. Stay away from me." Clover stared, stunned. "I heard about what happened to your head, but...I didn't think it was like this. C'mon Twilight, it's me. Clover. You're friend." "Don't you dare call yourself my friend." Twilight replied violently. She turned to the saddlebag and saw the handle of a gun. Clover followed her stare and realized what she was thinking of. He looked up at her. "Twilight... C'mon, it's me! Clover! Do you really think that I'm gonna do that?" "I don't care. I don't know who you are so don't you try to convince me that I'm somepony I'm not." Twilight informed. She magically levitated the gun out of Clover's saddlebag and threw it into the distance. "Now get inside." She gestured him into the bathroom. Clover sighed. A tear ran down his cheek. "Twilight..." "Now!" She ordered. Clover looked down. He followed her orders and entered the bathroom. Twilight closed the door and locked it by putting a wooden board under the doorknob. She put her gun back into the saddle bag and walked out to the gas station and saw Cabbie Jones waiting. However, she saw something else on the corner of her eye. Spitfire. She turned and saw Spitfire. Spitfire saw Twilight. "Twilight!" Twilight ran towards the car. Cabbie Jones noticed and turn to see Twilight quickly approaching the cab. "Get inside!" Cabbie Jones did so and Twilight magically opened the back seat door and jumped in, shutting it behind her. Cabbie Jones stomped on the gas pedal and drove towards the street. Spitfire chased the cab. "Twilight! No!" She stopped and concentrated, aiming her gun at the cab. She purposely shot at the cab door. Twilight turned back and saw Spitfire fly up and shoot across the air, landing in front of the cab. Behind her was a gas tank for the station. Twilight aimed her gun and quickly shot the tank, making a large explosion. The explosion sent Spitfire to the ground. Cabbie Jones drove onto the street. "Holy!" He yelled in response to the explosion. Spitfire slowly got up, grunting, but uninjured. Cabbie Jones continued to speed down the street. He leaned in to grab a box attached under the wheel and threw it out in the street. "What was that?" Twilight asked curiously. "GPS tracking device. Now they can't find us." Cabbie Jones smiled to Twilight. Twilight smiled. "Thank you." She said quietly. Spitfire walked up to the bathroom and freed Clover. Clover jumped out. "Where is she? Is she alright?" Spitfire nodded. "She's fine." Spitfire lifted her hoof and talked into the mobile device. "Agent Cherilee?" "Yes? Agent Spitfire? Were you able to acquire Agent Sparkle?" Cherilee asked over the mobile device. "That's a negative ma'am." Spitfire replied. "She got away. Again." ---------------------------------------------------- King Light is having another discussion with Cherilee over the webcam. "I'm sorry sir, she got away again. Apparently we all underestimated her conditionand how functional she is." Cherilee shared. "Well, no one else knows that she is not the real Twilight." King Light added. "But your experiment..." "Forget the experiment. It did not go out as planned. It is how she escaped in the first place." King Light interrupted. "She couldn't have gone far though." Cherilee insisted. ---------------------------------------------------- Cabbie Jones stopped in front of a large rock-shaped amber. Twilight looked out, confused. "Why did you stop?" "Because I took you where you wanted to be." Cabbie Jones answered. "Ponyville." "This can't be Ponyville... Something must be wrong." Twilight said, she began to panic. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?" Cabbie Jones told her. Twilight got out of the car and stared. She walked right up to the amber and peaked inside. She saw a glimpse of the library! The library she called home! Only it was inside the amber. But it wasn't before. "They must have covered the rest of the town after..." Twilight realized, stunned. She began to cry. "I'm stuck here..." She took a few steps back when she noticed a thick shadow moving towards her. She looked up to see a large zeppelin hovering above her in the sky. "Hey?" Twilight turned around to Cabbie Jones. "Are you alright?" He asked. Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm not..." "Look maybe there's somewhere else to go." Cabbie Jones advised. Twilight shook her head. And then out of nowhere...POP. An address entered her mind. "343 Horsing Houng Road, Hooflyn." She immediately said. "What?" Cabbie asked, not catching it. "343 Horsing Houng Road, Hooflyn." Twilight repeated. Where did that addres come from? She wondered. "It must be some address Princess Celestia gave me for some reason, I just can't remember." "Princess who?" Cabbie Jones asked. "Nevermind." Twilight replied. She entered the cab. "Take me to 343 Horsing Houng Road in Hooflyn." "Hooflyn it is." Cabbie Jones said as he entered the cab and drove off. For half an hour Cabbie Jones and Twilight rode in silence. He glanced at her a couple of times through the rear view mirror. "Twilight?" "Hmm?" Twilight turned. "I heard the other pony yell that out. That's your name?" Twilight nodded. "Yeah. Twilight Sparkle." Cabbie Jones nodded. "That's a very pretty name." "Thanks." Twilight gave a small smile. "Cabbie Jones. That's my name." Cabbie introduced. Twilight nodded. "Hey Cabbie." "What happened to you?" Cabbie asked. "I mean why are you running? Who are you running from? Is it the government?" "I guess you can say that. It's just a couple of ponies are trying to convince me that I'm somepony I'm not." Twilight explained. "And I'm trying to find a way home." "Ho-home?" Cabbie tried to pronounce. "What does that mean?" "Where I'm from." "Where are you from?" Cabbie asked. "Somewhere far far away." Twilight told him. "It's hard to explain." Cabbie nodded. "So what can you explain to me?" "I can tell you how much i hate being in this situation. I mean I've had many adventures before. But I had my friends to pull me along. This time I don't..." Twilight opened up. Cabbie nodded, understanding. "...Well, to be honest. I kinda think that your lucky to have so many adventures. I think that's what makes life worth it. Having the excitement, doesn't matter who you're with or what the stakes are. I think that if you never get adrenaline in life, it just makes it worthless." Twilight listened in closely. "That's how I saw my life... Meaningless. Until today, nothing thrilling came to me. It was the same routine everyday. It's much like that for everypony... So I thank you." Cabbie looked at Twilight and smiled. "Thank you for what?" Twilight was confused. "For bringing me a thrill of a lifetime." Cabbie Jones exclaimed. Twilight smiled. "You're welcome." Cabbie stopped in front of a house in a suburb area. "Here we are. 343 Horsing Houng Road, Hooflyn." Cabbie gestured to the house. Twilight stared at it. She seemed to recognize it, but couldn't think of where. Twilight exited the cab. "Thanks... For everything." Twilight smiled to him. "You're a really good stallion." Cabbie Jones smiled back. Twilight slowly paced to the house. Why did she somehow remember this place? Who lived here? Questions began roaming her head. She walked up to the door and knocked, but the door opened as she applied pressure on it. Curious and cautious she slowly entered. The house was neat and welcoming. She walked into the living room and spotted pictures over the fire escape. The pictures were of Twilight and her family. Several with just her and her brother Shining Armor, others with her parents, and a few with the whole family. Twilight took a closer look at the pictures. It wasn't her, it was the other AlterTwi. "Twilight?" Twilight turned around to see the alternate version of her mother. Suddenly, she felt that that was her real mother. "Mom?" Twilight asked. "Oh my god! I heard what happened!" Her mother said, in relief. She went up to Twilight to hug her, but Twilight flinched and stepped away. "No, no no. You're not my mother! I'm not from here!" Twilight said, in panic. "I don't belong her!" She began to bawl. "I'm not suppose to be here!" "But Twilight, how could you such a thing?! This is where you live! This is your life!" Her mother tried to convince. "I am your mother! Can't you see that?!" Twilight stared in confusion. Her mother slowly approached her again for a hug. This time Twilight hugged back. "I missed you mom!" "I missed you too Twi." They embraced in calm. In an hour after her mother told Clover and Spitfire where she was, they entered the house. Her mother convinced the two that Twilight was find and all better. "Thank you and thank god." Clover said to Twilight's mother. He turned to Twilight. "Do you wanna come with us to get a drink or something to eat? It's been a long day." Twilight smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sure." Twilight, Clover, and Spitfire exited the house and entered Clover's car. Down the road Cabbie Jones was waiting in his cab. He watched as Twilight being escorted into Clover's car. Inside Twilight sat in the passenger seat, while Spitfire sat in the back seat. Twilight smiled. "Hey, guys." The two turned to Twilight who glanced at them both. "Thanks for being my friends... And not giving up on me." They smiled. "We never will." Spitfire replied. "Never." Clover added as he put a hoof over her's. They stared at each other and smiled. Cabbie Jones watched the car pull away. Suspicious, he followed the car with his eyes, but reluctantly drove off in the other direction. ------------------------------------------ "I thought you said that your experiment was a failure." Cherilee asked King Light. She was standing in his office. "Apparently it still worked." King Light replied. He turned to Doctor Redheart. "Explain." Doctor Redheart turned to Cherilee to talk. "Well, we were suppose to give her three dosages a night, but last night she was only given two. The memories of our Twilight could still have possibly replaced the memories of the other Twilight. But in a much slower pace. As you can see, the memories were fuzzed up and she only had fragments of our Twilight's memory. Now the memories are beginning to develop." "So are you saying that I have my Twilight back?" Cherilee asked. "In mind, yes. She is mentally your Twilight. Physically, only time can tell." Doctor Redheart answered. "And when can the real Twilight come back?" King Light entered the conversation. "When her mission is complete... And when we are done with this Twilight." "What will happen to this Twilight, once you are done with her?" King Light smirked, as if he had something amusing in mind. "She'll be send back to where she came from."