//------------------------------// // 7 - Refraction I // Story: Substitute // by RQK //------------------------------// Princess Luna stared out the window. The day outside, as warm and vibrant as it was, felt alien. Part of it had been its absence. The other was more subtle; there was something stagnant and crude in its presentation. Oh, dear Sister… she thought, I’m afraid that I’m not as good with the day as you are. I had no idea what went into the daytime. I had no idea… She swallowed. Why did I put you in the moon? Oh why? The door creaked open and a young pegasus, clad in thestral-like armor, stepped in. “Your Highness,” Rainbow Dash said, removing her helmet and saluting. Luna didn’t even turn. “Yes?” she asked, her voice barely loud enough. “We got that mirror and that book that that bacon mare wanted,” Rainbow Dash said. “And they aren’t damaged.” It took a deal of strength to prevent the habitual “Good,” from escaping her lips. “Thank you,” she said instead, “you may take them to the southwest hall. They are assembling the other components there if they have not already assembled it. And then, after that, you may join the others in the search of those missing ponies. Those… visitors will want a report on that underground chamber of which they spoke of.” “Will do, Your Highness.” Another pony, Rarity, appeared in the doorway. A stack of papers floated in her grasp. “Ah, Your Highness. It would seem I have arrived at a good moment.” Luna hummed. “Miss Rarity… What is it?” “I’m here to tell you that we managed to put that machine together which that Sunset Shimmer requested of us,” she said, waving the stack of papers around. “You will forgive my slight eavesdropping, but as I understand it, the remaining parts have just arrived?” “Yes ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said. “Then see to it,” Luna said. “Is that all?” “Of course, Your Highness,” Rarity replied, bowing. “Yes, Your Highness,” Rainbow Dash replied, saluting. Luna sucked in a breath and whirled around, causing the both of them to jump. She blushed at their reaction. “Actually...” “Your Highness?” they both said. Luna sighed. “Please… just… call me Luna. Okay?” The two exchanged glances, considering it. Rarity eventually chuckled, and then Rainbow Dash chuckled back. “Absolutely… Luna,” Rarity answered. Luna smiled and then turned back toward the window. Rarity and Rainbow Dash took that cue and disappeared together. Luna glanced at her reflection, reading the features of a long-forgotten form. She found nothing imposing. She found nothing to fear in the face glancing sadly back at her. Only anger. Anger at one who had so irrevocably altered the world. Anger at one who had probably caused so much strife and despair. Anger at one who could not see what they had done. I’ve made a mistake, she thought, letting her head thump against the glass. I’ve done all of that. I’ve wanted to be loved and appreciated but… I think that everypony hates me. Luna paused and glanced back toward the open doorway, and her frown twitched. Perhaps I have some. Those two, at least, maybe others. But Equestria? …Equestria will be the judge of what I have done to it. Maybe they’ll decide that I have done wrong and act accordingly. Luna stood up to face her reflection in full. And I… I shall atone. Rarity adjusted her reading glasses and pressed herself against the page. “Ahem. Celestia and Luna—” “Which Celestia and Luna?” Pinkie Pie interrupted, leaning across the long, lacquered dining room table. Rarity frowned. “…From the Discord universe, say they’ve found some portals in their own world.” “Well aw’right,” Applejack said, smiling. “Now we’re gettin’ somewhere. They say where they go?” “They did. Let’s see…” she shuffled through a few more papers and found another report, this one written by a different hoof than the first. “This one says that they found some ponies in the wild who spoke of changelings.” “Sounds like Queen Chrysalis,” Fluttershy said, shuddering. “Twi did say that was the problem one,” Applejack said. “Probably ’cause them changelings’d all skedaddle when we turn on the Rainbow Power and we gotta hit all them.” Rainbow Dash hurled a fork high into the air. Given Canterlot Castle’s propensity for high ceilings, it hit nothing but air. “Then when Twilight gets back from geeking out with her future self, we should tell her that’s where we wanna go next. I wanna kick that queen’s flank,” she said, catching the fork. “Where’d they find the portal at?” Applejack asked. “Ghastly Gorge,” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash sat back in her seat. “Hey, that’s where we all went to get our one stone for Twilight. How about that?” “Right you are,” Rarity said, nodding. “They also found another portal out near Vanhoover. We’ll probably know which one that is by the time we defeat Chrysalis. And… we’re still waiting on Princess Luna.” She paused and looked up. “From the Nightmare Moon universe, I mean.” “So, um,” Fluttershy said, “I know that Sunset is off doing something with the mirrors. Does anypony know where Starlight went?” “Oh, she went back to Equestria D to do some investigating!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Everypony else frowned. “Huh?” Fluttershy asked. “Equestria D! You know, D for Discord!” The room fell into silence. The four of them regarded Pinkie Pie, their features frozen as they processed her statement. And then Applejack puckered her lips, uttered a pointed, “Eeyup,” and then they sat back in their seats. Pinkie Pie shrugged. * * * “Here,” the crystal ball said. The six of them stopped and craned their necks upward. While most of the sky was a clear blue, a batch of clouds hung overhead. On further inspection, they could make out structures in those clouds; bridges and buildings and even houses built into the sides of the clouds. A run-down coliseum and an idle factory hung at the outliers. “Aw’right then,” Applejack said. “If the changelings are up there, how do we get their attention?” Rainbow Dash ran her eyes over Cloudsdale’s worn curves and intricate, if saggy structures, noting how some parts had lost their forms more than others. “Hey, future Twilight. Can you check to see if there’re any ponies up there?” “Yes, I can. Just let me move this view…” A few minutes of silence passed, during which everypony continued watching the sky in silence. “I didn’t find any ponies up there except for two,” Twilight’s voice eventually replied. “But they will be okay. There are a lot of changelings in city hall, though. Rainbow Dash, you are go.” “Got it,” Rainbow Dash said, stretching her wings. “Yo, Discord. Take me up far above Cloudsdale, will ya?” Twilight Sparkle’s shadow shifted, and a shadowy claw took form. With the snap of its fingers, Rainbow Dash disappeared in a flash of white. While the others squinted to see up that way, the hand shifted again. A telescope appeared in its grasp, and the hand offered it up to Twilight. She, in turn, received it and pointed it upward. “Do you see anything?” Fluttershy asked. After a few moments of searching, Twilight nodded. “I see her. Way up there!” she exclaimed, pointing. Discord’s head poked out from the shadows. “Hmm, what is she planning?” “Hold on tight,” Twilight’s voice warned. Twilight followed the dot that was Rainbow Dash as it held steady and then dropped. Rainbow Dash dropped and dropped and then Twilight gasped. “Oh my, she’s barreling straight down into Cloudsdale!” By now, Rainbow Dash drew near enough to reappear, but she streaked so fast that they could not make her out. The last thing that they saw before Rainbow Dash disappeared into the city was a small cone forming at the tip. BOOM! The ground shook as a multicolored explosion blew out from Cloudsdale, sweeping out several rings in its wake. Cloudy buildings toppled, bridges broke apart and then disintegrated, and entire islands shot outward at neck-breaking speeds. The Rainboom itself caught up with many of those cloudy islands, slicing them to bits. Everypony jumped in surprise. “Woah!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Dashie! She—” Twilight’s jaw hit the ground. “Oh my, did she really just…” “She did,” Discord said, grinning and flipping some sunglasses onto his face. “She really did. How chaotic!” Fluttershy whimpered and shielded her eyes. “Oh, Dad’s poor cloud collection…” Rainbow Dash flipped over several times, curling into a ball as she hurtled down. Finally, however, she unfurled and flapped her wings several times to slow down before landing in a triumphant pose. “There! That should get their attention!” she said, laughing. Applejack’s eye twitched. She glanced back up at the crumbling structures above. “…Rainbow Dash,” she seethed. “What?” Rainbow Dash asked, frowning. “Like, did you even see that? I probably did all the damage to them.” “And the rest of Cloudsdale too!” Applejack yelled back. “I agree,” Pinkie Pie yelled. “I mean, that was really really awesome! But it was mean. And it was awesome. And mean.” “I’m sure that they think so too, everypony,” Rarity said, pointing up. Several dots appeared from the city above. Those dots held as even more joined them, and then the mass descended. A low buzzing grew to deafening levels as tens and then hundreds and then perhaps even thousands appeared. The closer the mass drew, the more they could make out each individual changeling flying down toward them, each with their fangs bared. Discord snickered and melted back into Twilight’s shadow. The six of them stiffened up as the mass drew closer and closer, wincing under a buzzing like several train horns in unison. Finally, the mass arrived, hovering mere feet above them. Ponies growled, and changelings snapped, but neither moved. The changelings parted and another, much larger changeling joined them. Queen Chrysalis, looking down her nose, ran her eyes over each of them. Her frown deepened with each pony she saw. “What have we here?” she asked, her once buggy voice now full of power and nutrition. “Little insects, you gave me quite a shock just now. I don’t like that one bit.” “Queen Chrysalis,” Twilight said, stamping her hoof. Chrysalis glanced at the remains of Cloudsdale and then ran her eyes across everypony besides Twilight, taking special attention of Applejack (who Twilight knew had been one of Chrysalis’ transformations before). “I don’t really know what you’re trying to get at here. I’ve seen the both of you before,” she said to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, “and even you look vaguely familiar,” to Twilight. “But you three…” Chrysalis laughed. “Oh, I see, this is rich. You can drop your form now.” “We’re not changelings, Chrysalis,” Twilight replied, watching as a claw sprouted out of the ground underneath Chrysalis. “Oh, I’m sure. There’s no way the lot of you can even be here right now,” Chrysalis sneered. The claw rose and rose, climbing like a snake, before it grabbed Chrysalis’ hindleg and dragged her down, prompting her to yelp. She hit the ground with an audible thud before a figure appeared on her opposite side. “I know, isn’t it just the best?” Discord sneered back, reaching over her to reattach his claw. Chrysalis gasped and pushed him off. “You!” Discord glanced at himself. “Me.” “No! This can’t be! You aren’t here right now!” Chrysalis cried. She shot into the air. “Get them! Get them all!” The changelings dove toward them, screeching viciously. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie leaped into action, punching and kicking several attackers. Rarity shifted the crystal ball in her magic and stood her ground with Fluttershy. Twilight, meanwhile, saw Chrysalis trying to make a break for it and she teleported to Chrysalis’s opposite side before delivering a laser to the chest. “No!” “Nice,” the crystal ball said. Chrysalis hurtled toward the ground, only to find her hooves in time to land. She glanced back up at Twilight and growled, launching a laser of her own which bounced off a quick shield. Discord grinned like a lunatic and teleported into the main body of the mass. A netted safari hat appeared on his head and a large net formed bit by bit into his hand. And then he held it at the ready. “Time to do some bug catching!” he exclaimed, before swishing a good score of changelings into his net. A few changelings flew toward Rarity and Fluttershy, and while Fluttershy ducked, Rarity socked one in the jaw as it flew past. “Ha! Take that you—” she backhoofed another as they too passed by, “—ruffian!” A loud bang shook the area as Pinkie Pie shot a stream of confetti from her party cannon straight into one changeling’s abdomen. As the changeling fell, Applejack ran up and springboarded off him and onto another changeling, springing off her in return. “Yeehaw!” Applejack yelled, continuing to jump from changeling to changeling and throwing them off balance. Several changelings transformed. Those still in the air took the forms of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy while the others took the remaining three. They all lunged forward, and the result threw up so much dust and debris that anypony would be hard-pressed to make out the fighting. Chrysalis and Twilight continued trading shots with neither hitting their mark. Where Chrysalis dodged, Twilight blocked with magic. At many points, Twilight teleported in order to avoid charging changelings and took potshots at other changelings, all while defending herself against Chrysalis. When their beams actually connected, Twilight thought back to her own Chrysalis besting Celestia, and she snapped the clashing spells into nearby changelings instead of sticking the fight out. Discord scooped up several more changelings into his nets and then found, to his surprise, his net so full that some of his captured changelings were spilling out. Discord frowned and swished his net about to throw his remaining captives off balance. A large fly swatter formed in his paw and he swept it through the air, slapping down several foes in his wake. Twilight parried another of Chrysalis’ beams, only for Chrysalis to bear down on her and kick her in the chest. Twilight tumbled backward, only to catch herself and fire a beam that Chrysalis barely managed to dodge. Twilight used that opportunity to throw another beam, but when that missed by a mile, to her dismay, she haphazardly threw out a strong wind gust instead to throw Chrysalis further off balance. Discord swatted down several more changelings, but with his net full, he could take no more. His still-free foes charged from behind, slamming into him. While their efforts only managed to jostle him, it was enough to send his net flying from his grasp. The net clattered against the ground and every changeling flew out. Discord teleported away from those that clung to him, only for others to latch onto him. He teleported again, throwing himself into the fray down below. The rumble intensified as foe kicked and punched foe. Some changelings shot beams which were countered with high-speed attacks and cannon fire. The dust cloud exploded, sending several changelings flying, but not far and certainly not enough to destroy their balance. The offended changelings hovered, growling back as several figures emerged from the dust. The five ponies backed into each other while Discord floated over them. The changelings surrounded them again but did not pounce. Those once laying in the dirt stood up and took flight again, rejoining the rest of the swarm. Their opponents hissed and snapped at them. “Oh dear,” Rarity quivered, “we haven’t even made a dent in them.” Fluttershy groaned. “Oh, this is just… awful.” “Twilight!” Applejack called. Twilight uttered a panicked shriek in reply as she barely dodged another laser, losing her balance. She tumbled through the air, and Chrysalis flew into pursuit. “That Rainbow Dash is a spy!” Twilight’s voice cried. Discord growled and, before Rainbow Dash could react, he grabbed her and held her aloft. Rainbow Dash hissed and flailed about, and while the others cried out in surprise, Discord searched about. He found a dogpile nearby and hurled the Rainbow Dash at it, striking them like bowling pins. One pony remained at the bottom, another Rainbow Dash, until Discord funneled magic into his claw and levitated her close. Rainbow Dash sputtered back and her eyes rolled, breezies circling her head. She shook both off and looked at them. “Real me! Real me!” “Put her down, Discord,” Twilight’s voice instructed. He set her down and glanced back toward the swarm. “This is getting tricky.” Rainbow Dash wiped some sweat off her brow. “Augh. These changelings are a lot tougher than I remember.” “I think I should bring in some reinforcements,” Discord exclaimed. He snapped his fingers. “Oh, I know! I’ll use a lifeline here and phone a friend.” Discord reached over and picked Pinkie Pie up with his claw. He held her up and then, using his paw, poked her belly several times, prompting her to giggle in response. He then pulled her mouth open and held her up to his ear. A muffled sound came out of her. “Hello there, new friend,” Discord said. “…Uhm?” Fluttershy said, exchanging confused glances with the others. The changelings bore similarly dumbfounded expressions. More low muffles escape Pinkie’s mouth. Discord chuckled. “Yes, yes, it was yesterday. And—” He paused and listened to more mumbles and frowned. “Well, yes, K.K. has a particular propensity for that.” Pinkie Pie glanced down at her friends, her gaze as befuddled as theirs. She shrugged. “Yes. Yes. I see.” Discord said. “Oh. I’ve found that larger books also make good projectiles. Yes, especially after you’ve eaten all the pages. Oh! Remember the purple one? There’s a reason why I call her ‘Book horse.’” “Discord!” Twilight’s voice yelled. Twilight glanced over, panting. “What?” Chrysalis wiped some sweat off her brow and fired another laser. Twilight had enough time to throw up a simple shield, but the force of the attack made it explode in her face. She tumbled backward through most of the swarm and thankfully stuck the landing nearby. One of the nearby changelings hissed and tried to pounce on Twilight. Discord whirled around and slapped that changeling out of the sky. “Do you mind!?” he exclaimed. Another series of muffles came out of Pinkie Pie mouth and Discord sighed. “Oh, sorry. Actually, that’s why I’m calling,” he said, tucking her under his ear. He summoned a file and went to work on his offended claw. “I’m dealing with some pesky changelings right now and I could use some help here. No, I’m not taking it particularly seriously… But I probably should. They’re a smidge more formidable than I thought.” He paused to parry the piercing stares that he received. “Do me one and go to that area under Cloudsdale for me, won’t you, old sport?” Discord smiled. “Thanks, see you in a few,” he said. He shut Pinkie Pie’s mouth and then lowered her to the ground. Pinkie Pie felt at her own mouth, and the others considered it too. “I have no idea what just happened,” Pinkie Pie finally said, thankfully with her own voice. Twilight rose to her hooves and backed into the circle. “Whatever he just did, we could use the help. This isn’t working.” Discord pointed at the air in front of him. There, with a bright flash and an electrical cackle, a hole in spacetime appeared. It grew to the size of Discord himself and then held steady as a ring of energy clamped down on the hole’s edges. Another Discord popped his head through and glanced around. “Hellllooooo?” Discord pulled the draconequus through. “Discord, old buddy old pal, welcome to the party.” Discord the draconequus chuckled. “Thanks. Messing with changelings is going to be fun.” “…Are you kidding me?” Chrysalis seethed. Twilight, meanwhile, focused on the portal, stroking her chin. …That’s the same portal that we’ve been using so far… How…? Discord the draconequus snapped his fingers, and then the entire swarm dropped out of the sky, including Chrysalis herself. They landed with several exclamations and even the rare curse, but when they stood up, they found their horns and wings gone. They cried in surprise. Discord gasped. “Oh! Did you just...?” “I did,” Discord the draconequus replied. Discord roared with laughter. “Priceless! That’s a classic trick.” “Thanks!” The changelings hissed and then transformed into copies of the six ponies on the ground. Some then changed back, their horns and wings suddenly there again. Those that did took to the air, renewing the constant buzzing. “Aw shucks,” Applejack said. “They’re changelings, y’all remember?” “They’re changelings, y’all remember?” the ones that looked like Applejack parroted back. Both Discords frowned. “…Oh,” they said in unison. Twilight created a barrier around herself and then levitated a set of papers out of her saddlebag. “Cover me, everypony! I’m going to put the Rainbow Power together!” Chrysalis huffed and rose into the air herself. “Get them!” she cried. The changelings surged forward once more and both Discords flew up to meet them. The other five ponies surrounded Twilight as the latter read through her papers and formed a pre-cast. The seven of them—both Discords and the five ponies—swatted at and kicked and punched and bucked changeling after changeling. A few changelings, in turn, managed to land a few blows as well, though never anything more severe than a decent punch or kick. Several trees sprang out of the ground and those too went to work, dancing along the battlefield on their roots and kicking several changelings out of the way. Discord the draconequus briefly broke from the fighting to dance along with them. Fluttershy, for the most part, stayed near Twilight. She gave piercing stares at any changeling that ventured close, and that was enough for most of them. When there became too many for her, Twilight’s voice in the crystal ball would call out positions, and Twilight, in turn, would turn away from her pre-cast reading long enough to blast the offenders out of the sky. One changeling attempted to barrel straight into Fluttershy. She froze like a deer in bright hornbeams, only for Discord to teleport right in front of her with a tree branch. He wound up and then swung, batting the changeling away. The changeling flew past several copies of Discord who stood up from their floating bleachers amidst cheers while waving around bags of peanuts and crackerjacks. Discord himself threw his makeshift bat into the air. “It’s a home run!” he exclaimed. He then turned to Fluttershy. “Are you okay, my dear?” Fluttershy ran her eyes down his body, noting a couple of ruffled patches and dirtied skin. She then noted his chipper smile and smiled herself. “I am, thanks to you.” He smirked and teleported back into the fray. As Fluttershy looked, she saw her friends dripping with sweat. Rarity’s mascara ran as she tried to keep several off herself and even Pinkie Pie bounded with much less pomp and circumstance than usual. Fluttershy paused to stare off another changeling, and then went back to whimpering over the sight of her friends. “It’s almost ready!” Twilight shouted, wiping some sweat off her own brow. A sizable beam passed within a few feet of Fluttershy. She whirled around to see Chrysalis, wavering about through the air, panting heavily, and staring back at her. Fluttershy froze, perturbed by her opponent’s glare. She knew that Twilight had been fighting her before, and under her barrier, Chrysalis couldn’t reach her. The crystal ball gasped. “Oh no! Fluttershy! Look out!” Chrysalis fired off another shot and Fluttershy managed to dive out of the way of the first one. The second, however, drilled into her side and she cried out in pain. Twilight jumped as her barrier fizzled out. “Fluttershy! No!” Fluttershy tumbled across the dirt a few times and then slid to a stop. She rolled over, kicking at something that wasn’t there and then squirming frantically. She reached for the offended spot and rubbed a burn mark. Twilight rushed over and, soon enough, the others broke from their fights to rush to Fluttershy’s aid. While one Discord kept swatting at the changelings around them, the other hovered right above Fluttershy, running frantic eyes up and down her. “Ow! Ow! Ow…” Fluttershy whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. Rarity leaned forward. “Are you okay, dear? Please, tell me you’re okay?” Fluttershy sniffed and then nodded softly. Applejack threw her hat to the ground. “Nu-uh! What no good varmint did that!?” she yelled, pointing at the singes on Fluttershy’s side. “Chrysalis hit me…” Fluttershy cried. Chrysalis threw her head back and chortled. Her cackles echoed across the plain and the swarm, now with time to regroup, joined in. Discord the draconequus glanced over and chuckled. “Oh,” he cooed. Discord, on the other hand, silently floated above them, eyeing Fluttershy’s boo-boo intently. His expression remained unchanged, save for a small shiver that ran down the length of his snake-like body. And then he straightened up. Discord shot his claw out. It stretched several times its normal length, well across the battlefield, and then fixed itself onto its target: Chrysalis’s throat. She gasped in surprise, trying to weasel her way out of it to no avail. As he reeled her in, she flailed about trying to escape and then started frantically gasping for air. “Oooooh, my dear…” Discord said as he finally brought her in close. He turned to stare her directly in the eyes. “You are going to wish that you had not done that.” The others looked up at him and shuddered. Fluttershy ceased sobbing for a moment to glance up as well, and all breath left her when she saw his claw shaking. In fact, Discord himself was shaking. Discord the draconequus paled. “…Oh.” A hardhat appeared on Discord the draconequus’ head, and in quick succession, brick after brick appeared. He layered them all into a wall, and then another wall, leaving a space just large enough for the seven of them. A large stone slab appeared above them and rested on top, enclosing them in darkness. “Uh, what are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, blinking. Fluttershy moaned and rolled over. “I can’t see…” Pinkie Pie stumbled forward and then tripped over Fluttershy. “Woah! Hey!” “Did you even see me just now?” Discord replied. “If I know me as well as I know me, then I definitely don’t want to see that. And so, I built a safe house.” Twilight coughed. She floated her pre-cast into the center where the light off it actually lit the room. “See what? “What happens next, obviously,” Discord the draconequus said. “And I’d like to think it will be suitable for a rated-teen story such as this one, but I don’t want to take that chance.” Before anypony could respond, a deafening explosion shook their darkened house. Everypony lost their balance and fell to the ground, while Discord the draconequus, still airborne, cringed. Another boom, and the foundations shook even more. The ground heaved, but the house held, but when the ground heaved a second time, the house hopped on its foundation. Twilight hit the ground so hard that her pre-cast fizzled out, returning all of them to darkness. “I can’t see!” “…I don’t know if I want to see right now,” Pinkie Pie said, laughing nervously. A ceiling lamp appeared, bathing the room in a low light. It flickered as something slammed into the side of the house. Rarity leaned over Fluttershy, wincing at another explosion. “Mmm, why don’t we take a moment and look at this, hmmm?” she said. Fluttershy coughed and wiped some remaining tears from her eyes. “Okay.” Twilight stepped forward as well as Rarity ran her hoof over the singe marks on Fluttershy’s side. She poked at it, and Fluttershy instinctively jolted but otherwise remained still. A series of explosions, meanwhile, rocked their space, causing them to jump. “It’s a bit tender,” Rarity said. “It don’t look too bad to me,” Applejack said, trotting up. “That Chrysalis looked pretty plum tuckered out, if ya asked me.” “Agreed.” Fluttershy coughed and struggled to her hooves. “I… uh… I think I’ll be okay.” Twilight smiled and gave Fluttershy a hug. “I’m so glad to hear that. I’m sorry that I let that hit you.” Fluttershy smiled. “Don’t worry. Chrysalis is a big old meanie.” “You bet she is. As soon as this is over, I’m gunna clean her clock,” Rainbow Dash snarled, pounding her hooves together. Pinkie Pie swallowed, glancing up at the flickering light that told of the bedlam outside. “…If she has any clocks left to clean, Dashie.” The house shook once more before a loud shriek deafened them. It lasted for several seconds, during which everyone, including Discord the draconequus, covered their ears. It could have been screaming. It could have been a massive outburst of magical energies. No one could say. And then everything went silent. They cautiously glanced around when there was nothing to see. Applejack adjusted her hat. “…Is it over?” Discord the draconequus placed an ear to the wall, listening intently. “I… think so.” “Um,” the crystal ball stammered. “Um, um, uh… That was… something… It’s… um… over…” “Twi?” Applejack asked. “Emmm, yes. He’s done. Um, you can… go out now.” Discord the draconequus traced a line through the wall and then pushed it down. Light flooded into the windowless house. Changelings littered the ground as far as they could see. They were strewn about in all sorts of positions, some undignified and others unnatural. Notably, none of them were moving to any appreciable degree. A few were wheezing, trying to find any semblance of a wind again. Others drooled and blinked slowly and conservatively. Discord hovered above them, his expression cross. Hot, steamy snorts escaped through his nostrils and his paw still resembled a fist. His claw, however, held aloft a dark figure, which he tossed to the ground in front of them. Chrysalis rolled over, her eyes rolled back into her head and her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. “I wanna ride the pony, daddy,” she slurred. “Uhhhhhhhhhh,” Twilight’s voice said. “Good… job… I guess?” Discord snorted. “No one hurts Fluttershy and gets away with it.” * * * Columns and columns of shackled changelings filed down the road in a slow procession. A few ponies, drenched in dirt and sweat, with twigs stuck in their manes and mud smeared across their faces, watched from the tree line. Some watched from the safety of the trees, while others goaded the prisoners on with makeshift spears. Discord the draconequus floated above the procession. Occasionally, he would crack a whip at them with a shrill, “Hyaa!” Twilight trotted alongside the procession, smirking all the while. I’m sure Tartarus will hold them all. Eventually, she reached the front and met up with Discord. He stared scornfully back down the procession, ready to snap at any that fell out of line. “We’ll need to actually ask them what they’ve done to the place once they fully regain conscious,” Discord said. Twilight glanced back, noting the disoriented and sickly expressions each changeling bore. She shuddered. “I agree. We don’t even know where Celestia and Luna are.” “I can’t imagine they’re too far. Chrysalis would have needed them to control the sun and moon.” “…Or just Celestia. Who knows what happened to Luna?” Discord snapped his fingers after a moment of thought. “True. That’s very true.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Anyway, about that portal that you opened up... How in Equestria did you do that?” Discord blinked and lowered himself to the ground. The rest of the procession passed him by. “Oh, ohhhhhh!” He chuckled. “You mean this?” he said, snapping his fingers and prompting a hole to appear. A ring of energy clamped down on its border. Through it, Twilight saw Ponyville in the distance. More so, she saw her own castle. “Yes!” she exclaimed. “That! You just made a portal back home!” Discord shrugged. “What can I say?” “When did you learn to do that?” The other five trotted up at that moment, dividing their attention between the portal and the procession. Their frowns deepened with the former. “Oh, you see,” Discord began, “I was just going to rip holes to other dimensions like I normally do. But since you’ve taken me through two portals now, I thought, ‘Hmm, I wonder if I can do it like that?’ And so I did it.” Twilight hit herself in the face with her hoof and sighed. “Okay, Discord. That’s really really nice. And it would have been useful earlier. Do you realize the time we could have saved?” “Agreed!” Rarity exclaimed. “We wouldn’t have had to spend allll this time searching for new portals!” Discord reeled. “Oh! Well, you see, that’s just it. I only know how to go to places we’ve already been. Or, rather, I’ve already been. I don’t know how to get to those timelines you haven’t visited yet.” Applejack groaned. “Whatever. Ya reckon ya can teach us the spell so we can do it ourselves? That’ll make this a heck of a lot easier.” Discord tapped his chin, humming thoughtfully. He slowly rolled over in the air. Discord teleported near Twilight but kept his claw to his chin, continuing to hum. He listed some more. And then Discord nodded. He then poked Twilight’s forehead, causing her to stumble backward. He then floated into the air. “Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle, you now know how to make portals.” Twilight glanced up at her forehead, batted at it a few times, and then said, “Blegh. What? That’s it?” “That’s it.” Twilight gasped for words. “…I thought there’d be more to it than that! I mean… Sure, okay. Yes, I know it—” “Which, let’s be honest, you’re the only one here besides me that can actually do it,” Discord added. “That wasn’t how I expected you to teach me.” “Twilight, if I can corrupt ponies with the touch of a finger,” he said, shooting Fluttershy an apologetic look, “then learning you a spell is nothing. Really.” He inspected his claw for dirt. “Besides, it lets us skip an entire training sequence. Saves on the word count. You know how it is.” The six ponies exchanged glances and, one by one, shrugged. * * * Sunset Shimmer emerged on the other side of the portal, wobbling for a moment as her human feet hit concrete. Her insides still felt like they were twisting, but it was mild at best. That sensation quickly disappeared, just like it did every other time she had recently gone through the portal. She glanced up at the school, adjusted her leather jacket (which, thankfully, topped her gentler blueish ensemble), and then strode across the front lawn. An entire conversation played out in her head, and with everything she said wrong, her heart beat faster. The conversation played again but with fewer mistakes. Her fingers jittered by the time she climbed the steps and curled her hands around the door handle. Taking a deep breath, Sunset entered Canterlot High. The shiny blue floors and yellow plaster walls, shades of Wondercolt colors, were nothing new. The hanging banners bearing a stallion’s head, the trophy case housing meager ribbons and trophies, and even the rotunda above were all things she could see even with her eyes closed. But this isn’t my school, she thought. She passed into the halls, noting the lockers lining both sides. Her eyes glanced over those and onto the small strips of bare wall, finding familiar cracks and discolorations. She smirked. She rounded a corner to find Micro Chips in front of his open locker, his face buried in a laptop. Against her every volition to greet him, Sunset kept her mouth shut as she passed. Even then, he glanced up and then backed into the lockers, protectively clutching his hardware. He stared her down even way after she cleared him. There we go. She jammed her hands into her jacket pockets and stormed onward. She eventually reached the main office and went right in. Without stopping to see who was there, if anyone was there at all, she turned and marched up to Principal Celestia’s door. She grabbed the handle, paused, and then knocked instead. When the voice on the other side beckoned for her to enter, Sunset finally went through. “Principal Celestia,” she said. Principal Celestia shut the folder that she had been looking in and set it on her desk. “Sunset Shimmer. What can I do for you?” Sunset closed the door behind her, stepped forward, and placed her hands on the chair. For a moment, her eyes drifted toward the walls. Most were just decorations, but four pictures on the wall, all of herself, caught her eyes. The first three were familiar; her crownings at the Fall Formals. The first was innocent enough, the second more haughty and smug, and the third mad with power. The final picture was new. The girl in the picture looked as gussied up as ever, but her expression was far more subdued. Almost crestfallen, even. Sunset had looked in the mirror enough times, especially in those dark months after the Fall Formal, that she learned how to see past her own smile. “Principal Celestia,” Sunset began, “there are some… very big things going on that I need to talk about.” “Well, Sunset, might I suggest our counselor?” Celestia asked, her frown deepening. “Erm, that won’t work. I need to talk to you. You’re going to want to hear about this.” Sunset paused and smiled. “Actually, not just you. Could you… do me a favor?” “That depends.” “I need you to call some people down here,” she said. “It’s… just as much for them, too.” She then rattled off some names. Celestia’s hand hovered over the button for the intercom, but she did not press it. “Sunset, can this wait until after school?” Sunset shook her head. With a shrug, she pushed the button and leaned into the microphone. “Attention, will the following students please report to the principal’s office, please: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Thank you.” A minute passed by, during which Sunset returned to the last portrait again. She glanced at her own worn features. No doubt a face that had seen what Equestria had become. No doubt a face that needed help. “There’s one more I’d like you to call, actually, Principal Celestia,” Sunset said. “I want you to call me to the office too.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?” “Me. Call me to the office with that intercom.” She paused. “Trust me.” Celestia rolled her eyes and pressed the button. “Sunset Shimmer, please report to the principal’s office.” “Thanks.” Sunset heard a click, and then the door opened. Applejack stepped into the room. “Principal Celestia,” she said, before spotting Sunset and giving her the stink eye. “…Sunset.” Pinkie Pie entered soon afterward, going through similar motions. Then Rarity arrived, giving everyone save Celestia a mean look. Sunset crossed her arms and sized the others up, noting how darker their palettes appeared compared to her friends. Fluttershy crept into the room shortly afterward, not even making a peep to acknowledge the others. Rainbow Dash marched into the room, and while she edged away from Sunset, an almost giddy smirk remained on her face. “What’s up, Principal Celestia?” Celestia shrugged. “Sunset?” All eyes turned to her. The five of them, whose faces she would love to see on any other day, drilled holes into her soul. Sunset swallowed. “Well… here’s the thing. It’s just as I was telling Principal Celestia… that there are some big things going on right now.” Sunset heard another click, and she smirked. “Some of them… you might never understand.” The door opened again, and one more girl, dressed in attire bearing the large image of a sun, stepped through. “You wanted to see me, Principal Celes…” The words died in the other Sunset Shimmer’s throat as she paused in the doorway, her hand still gripping the handle. Celestia slowly rose from her seat. Her chair complained as her movement pushed it back. The others stood by, steadying themselves against cabinets. Their jaws dropped, their bodies shivered. Glances shifted between the Sunset in the room and the other Sunset in the doorway, and with each glance, their colors paled even more. The other Sunset stared back, all words lost. Sunset took in their reactions and shook her head. “…This is one of those things.” She then whirled around to face her double and motioned for the open chair. “Please, have a seat. We have a difficult conversation to get through.”