Disharmony: Gods Among Us
---<^^>---
Mare Do-Well sat at the computer bank examining the map of the multiverse. One reason for this was to decipher just where Suntrix had gone, the other however was to see the map itself. She just couldn’t get it out of her head.
It was like a string of elegant pearls and she couldn’t help but see an image of them breaking apart in her head. The string snapping and the pearls scattering to the ends of existence. It seemed so vivid. Like a memory but in reverse.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No. She was a pragmatist. She believed in the explainable. Magic may exist in many worlds but with enough training anypony could explain it. But visions of the future were mere mares’ tales. Then again, the situation she found herself in now was once the subject of science fiction. A cold wave of fear washed over her and sunk into her stomach. Deep inside, she knew they were running out of time.
“How goes it?” the masked mare turned to see Rarity enter the Observation Deck. The taller beauty smiled and chuckled slightly as she saw Mare Do-Well’s companion for watch duty. Rainbow slept haphazardly in a swivel chair with legs up on the control board and her tongue hanging out.
“Not good, I’m afraid,” she responded, having given up paying attention to Rainbow. “I’ve pretty much come to understand this thing, but it’s a slow process and scans only a hoofful of worlds at a time. The problem comes from the fact that she could move at any moment to a previously scanned world and we wouldn’t know about it.” Rarity nodded as if she knew what she was talking about. Mare Do-Well decided to humor her. “What do you think?”
“Oh! Um, yes… worlds… scanning… sounds very… hard.” Rarity tried to sound smart making her smile beneath her mask.
“It’s alright,” she chuckled. “I don’t expect you to learn stuff like this so fast.” She stopped as she thought about her statement. “Which makes me think about how Fili-Second learned so fast.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow at her. “Come again, dear?”
Mare Do-Well stood from her seat and began to pace. “Think about it. She told us Maretropolis was destroyed a couple weeks ago. So in the time between she was able to learn how to use a super complicated machine like this and lose all her teammates?” Unless there was some kind of cataclysmic disaster that seemed incredibly unlikely.
She turned to see Rarity’s reaction but to her surprise she was looking a little angry at her. “Twilight, I understand your suspicions but Pinkie has shown us nothing but kindness since we got here.”
“But she was-”
“Yes, I know she was hiding something from us but we’ve been through the whole Lair now and there is no sign of whatever it was. And frankly, Pinkie has seemed happier without it.”
That was true. She could tell that when they first returned Fili-Second had freaked out a little and refused to tell anypony why but after a couple of days passed she seemed to calm down. Rainbow and Flutterbat really trying to cheer her up. Just yesterday they even threw a party. Granted Mare Do-Well didn’t go, but she had bugs installed so she was able to hear any useful information for later. There didn’t seem to be any.
“I don’t know if she’s plotting something,” Rarity continued. “But I know my Pinkie Pie and from what I’ve seen of this one she is very much alike.” She put a hoof on her shoulder. “She just wants friends. And maybe if you tried that approach instead of listening in on our conversations.” Her eyes became narrowed and Mare Do-Well let out a gulp. “Yes, I may not know what those little metal things are but I can see the waves of whatever magic their sending out.”
“Actually they’re called radio waves,” Mare Do-Well corrected her. “You must be able to sense different-”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Had she really just caved that easily?
Rarity straightened herself and looked down at her. “I’ll take over here. Your homework is to go hang out with Pinkie Pie and not try to collect information on her.” She tried to argue but Rarity silenced her with a raised hoof. “That’s final. Just talk to her. You might just get what you’re looking for out of it anyway.”
She pouted for a moment but relented. Rarity was right. Getting closer could mean getting her to confide in her. There was still so much Pinkie was keeping secret. “Fine, I’ll go… hang out.”
---
Applejack threw down her cards and gave an aggravated yell. She, Pinkie and Flutterbat were seated around a large metal table in the kitchen, cards in each of their hooves. “Ah don’t get it!” she shouted and pointed to Flutterbat. “You just learned the rules five minutes ago! How in the hell are you kickin’ mah flank?”
Flutterbat simply shrugged with a smile as she put her cards down. Pinkie was the first to see Mare Do-Well enter. The speedster was out of her cowl letting her poofy mane out. “Hi Twilight!” She waved enthusiastically and bounced over to her. “Have you come to join us?”
Mare Do-Well felt her jaw tighten as she wanted to not reply and just walk out but Applejack sent her a hard stare. Something that said, “do what Rarity said or else”. Et tu, Applejack? “Y-Yeah,” she murmured as Pinkie led her to the table. “So… what are you playing?”
Applejack grabbed all the cards and began to shuffle. “The games called Hanafuda. Care to join?”
Mare Do-Well took a look at the cards. They were brilliantly decorated pictures of birds and animals as well as flowers. “How do you play?”
AJ dealt her eight cards and pointed to each of them. “Each card is part of a set or yaku. Each player takes a turn placin’ a card in the center or takin’ one and tryin’ to make a set. Ribbons go with ribbons. Flowers with flowers. Animals with Animals. Etc. But you can make other combinations too for more points.”
“I see. And how often have you lost?” AJ stopped shuffling for a moment to glare at her.
“Come on, girls!” Pinkie shouted from her seat. “This is supposed to be a fun game. Let’s get playing!”
Mare Do-Well took her seat and looked at the cards AJ had dealt her. “So where did you learn this game? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”
Applejack laid down a card with a picture of a boar. “Actually it’s somethin’ from back home.” That made sense, she thought. She’d never seen cards with such lavish pictures or esoteric values. She turned to grab a card from AJ but found her hooves down, her face slightly sunken.
“AJ?” Pinkie asked from across the table. “Are you okay?”
“What?” she seemed to wake up from a day dream. AJ placed a card down hurriedly and chuckled. “Sorry! Ah guess ah zoned out there for a minute.”
Mare Do-Well scrutinized her companion. Pinkie wasn’t the only one keeping things secret. Though somehow she inherently knew that Applejack’s wasn’t as serious, she still wished she could know for safety reasons. It would be better to be informed than be left hanging in case it conflicts with her duties here. Rarity’s words rang through her head. Just talk to her.
Could it really be that easy? Just ask Pinkie who that mysterious pony she was taking orders from was? Just ask Applejack what her problem is and if she could help? She had been taught for so long to move from the shadows and only collect information from ponies unawares. That was always the most trustful. Ponies could lie or deceive. But here? Here she felt… at home. Sure she was on guard, but she always felt on guard ever since…
“Mare?” AJ asked.
“Huh?” Mare Do-Well wasn’t paying attention and dropped a card off the table.
“You feelin’ alright?”
She gathered her card up again and nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” She anxiously looked between Pinkie and Applejack, a decision stirring in her gut. “Actually… I wanted to talk-”
A siren blared from the ceiling and Pinkie was the first to stand up. “They found her!”
---
Everypony filed into the observation deck and gathered around the screens. Rainbow was now up, probably thanks to the alarm and was staring at the screen uncertainly. “What is it, guys?” Pinkie asked, Flutterbat letting out a small inquisitive growl.
“It’s, um, well,” Rarity began as she tried to find what button or lever to press. Finally giving up she just lit up her horn into a small beam of blue light and pointed on the map. “The thingie says she’s there.”
Mare Do-Well pushed past her to the control board and fiddled with it, finally enlarging the picture until a red dot appeared on the designated world. To her relief it looked like it had a description, which meant it wasn’t new territory. “This says it’s in the system,” she asked Pinkie. “Does that mean you’ve been there before?”
Pinkie’s eyes were wide as she looked at the readout on the screen and the number of the world. It said “INJ-428”. She took a step back. “Oh no. Ohnoohnoohnoohnoohnoohno!” Her front right leg began to tap at super sonic speeds.
“Pinkie!” AJ shouted and grabbed her shoulders to calm her. “What is this world?”
She took a deep breath and seemed to settle. “Well, it is a place I’ve been before.”
“That’s good,” Rainbow replied. “Right?”
“The only problem is… they already know who I am.”
“Who does?” Rarity asked.
Pinkie rubbed her hooves together shamefully. “Us.”
{[(SxT)]}
Suntrix walked along the long ornate hallway, gazing up at the intricate mosaics and stained glass that patterned the walls. In front of her walked her current companion, the purple unicorn moving without worry despite the massive amount of guards watching their every move. She tried to ignore them and focus on the pictures in the windows but that didn’t calm her down much. The first few windows depicted scenes she had seen before. Sun and moon. Ponies living harmoniously. Even a group of ponies discovering the Elements of Harmony. But then things got different. She saw the white alicorn princess slowly begin to change in the pictures. Her crown becoming larger, her gold boots turning into gauntlets of brilliant sky blue armor and her mane becoming the color of a red inferno. The six ponies that had rediscovered the Elements were depicted bowing to the new princess, themselves receiving armor and crowns for their oaths of loyalty.
“This is really weird,” she muttered. Her eyes kept darting toward the guards that simply stood and did nothing. “And why were we allowed to just walk in?”
“Because we were expected,” the unicorn replied without turning around.
They finally reached the end of the hallway and came to an enormous set of doors. The unicorn stood expectantly as a purple aura encased the enormous doors and they swung out to reveal the interior. It was a throne room like the one she remembered but this one was much grander and larger. A tall pyramid set of steps stood at the very end with three thrones on either side and one enormous throne at the top. Three ponies sat in their respective thrones. One looked like that rainbow maned pegasus she’d seen with those dimension hoppers. She was splayed out on her throne sideways, her legs hanging over the edge of her armrest and her head on the other. Her body was adorned with a bright gold armor and crown that folded over her forehead and ears like a helmet. In its center was a crystal in the shape of a lightning bolt.
On the other end was a yellow Pegasus like the one she’d seen before but less feral. She had a flowing pink mane and instead of armor was decorated in a silky red and white robe with golden bracelets around her hooves. She wore no crown but a black cloak with hood pulled over her eyes. She hesitantly looked up, obviously too shy to make eye contact. Then in the throne closest to the one at the top was the same unicorn that led her now. Damn, she hated alternate dimensions.
The purple unicorn sat proudly on her throne, a serious look on her face. She had golden gauntlets and a yellow uniform decked in symbols of the sun. Instead of a crown, she wore a single yellow gold ringlet around her horn that displayed the sun as well. She glared down at the two. “I honestly thought I’d never see you again, Twilight.”
“As did I, Twilight,” the unicorn replied. “But desperate times call for desperate measures. And I need your help with something.”
~`(\/)’~
Pinkie stood in front of the assembled six and pressed a few buttons letting a drawing pop up. It was one Rarity had seen many times before in legends and history books. “This is Celestia,” Pinkie began. “In most Equestrias she’s the ruler.”
“Indeed,” Rarity agreed.
“Yup,” Rainbow agreed as well.
Applejack studied the drawing. “Ah think Ah recognize her. In mah world she’s a goddess named Tentaihime. Ah’m pretty sure there was a shrine to her in the castle…”
“In the what?” Mare Do-Well asked.
“Nothing,” Applejack quickly replied.
“Anyway,” Pinkie continued. “The usual story in most worlds we found was that Celestia banished her sister, Luna, to the moon for a thousand years for becoming jealous and trying to take over the world.” Another picture popped up with a beautiful blue alicorn. Rarity had to bite her lip. She didn’t know why but her heart put some blame for her situation on Luna. She knew it was wrong and misguided but she couldn’t fight the knot in her stomach that made her want to puke.
“That’s where this world’s similarities end. After banishing Luna, Celestia became removed and detached from the world. She was still the ruler of Equestria but her rule was slightly stricter than a lot of others. But that all changed though when she took on a student.”
“Twilight?” Rarity interjected motioning to Mare Do-Well.
“No,” Pinkie shook her head and let a new picture pop up. It was of a yellow unicorn with a fiery red and gold mane. It seemed like a commissioned drawing from some well-respected artist depicting the unicorn standing straight with a slight smile and Celestia at her side. “Sunset Shimmer was Celestia’s first student. Twilight came soon after. But a certain… accident involving one of Celestia’s enemies caused Sunset to die. Celestia became a little crazy after that. Strengthening Equestria’s defenses and increasing recruitment in her armies. Eventually, she changed the way she taught too. Her lessons were far harsher than you would think.”
Another picture came up, this one a grand looking painting of Twilight Sparkle holding aloft the Elements of Harmony and the rest of the six beside her. “On the thousandth year, Luna came back as Nightmare Moon and attacked Equestria. Twilight gathered and met her friends, us, and saved the world with the Elements. But instead of giving her sister mercy, Celestia… ended her.”
A silence fell upon the group. Even Rarity felt the knot in her stomach untwist. A hint of sadness now running through her. Luna didn’t deserve that. “Celestia adopted all the Element bearers and took them to Canterlot where she trained them as warriors. Now, with the help of her armies, the Elements, and her unbelievable power, she rules that entire world.”
Mare Do-Well was the first to speak up. “I get it. We’re going into a minefield. But what does that have to do with you?”
Pinkie turned off the screen and looked at the floor. “That was one of the first worlds the Power Ponies and I visited while looking for the Glitch. We tried to get the inhabitants to help even going directly to Celestia and Twilight, but they were interested in other things. When Twilight heard I could travel through dimensions she tried to capture me. It was only by the skin of our teeth and the help of my friends that I escaped.”
“So if we bring you with us then they’ll probably capture you,” Rainbow muttered thoughtfully.
“That doesn’t matter,” Mare Do-Well said. “We can’t move between realities without Fili-Second so there’s no point in debating. Maybe we can hide you?”
Pinkie rubbed the back of her head. “I don’t think so. Like I said, Twilight is pretty powerful in this world. Not to mention everypony else.”
The group was quiet for a moment as they all began to think of a plan. Rarity looked to Mare Do-Well and Applejack. Those two had been the planners so far, the superhero being the one to come up with a lot of the plans that got them out of trouble. But this seemed like a problem they couldn’t solve.
“Can we just wait for her to leave?” Rainbow asked.
Mare Do-Well shook her head. “Odds are, if they’re as much of a threat as Fili-Second believes then they already have her. It would be irresponsible to wait and risk ponies like those getting their hooves on trans-dimensional capabilities.”
Mare Do-Well was right, of course. They needed a plan. Rarity tapped her hoof in thought as her gaze drifted around the room. It settled on the computer screen which now had the picture of the round white orb that was the world they needed to go to. But just beyond that, in the light of the observation deck was her own reflection. It narrowed its eyes at her and an idea popped in her head. The reflection seemed to get the idea at the same time and tried to argue but she had already turned away. “We just need to surprise them, correct?”
The group turned to her. “The element of surprise would be good,” AJ replied.
“Then I think I have an idea,” Rarity smiled.
{[(Sxt)]}
Suntrix sat with Twilight, the one she had traveled with not the one they had just met. You know what? She was just going to call her Ice Twilight. She always used those stupid ice spells anyway. The two sat alone in what appeared to be the equivalent of a royal waiting room. The royal looking Twilight, Imperial Twilight, had led the two down a set of stairs behind the throne room and into this room where she asked them to wait. Suntrix tapped her hoof nervously. “They’re not going to dissect us or anything, right?” Ice Twilight gave her a deadpan expression. It was just a question.
“We’re all the same inside,” Ice Twilight responded coldly. “What’s to find out?”
Suntrix sat back and groaned at that response. “Look, I don’t care what you’re doing here but after this is over you are giving me the directions home!”
“Of course,” she replied icily. “Just as soon as I get what I want.”
“And what do you want from this world?”
Her face became serious. “A satisfactory result.”
She shut her mouth and began to look a little closer around the room. To the far end was a large portrait of some kind. In it stood the white alicorn she had seen in the windows above but to her side was a yellow unicorn with a fiery mane. For some reason looking at her made Suntrix shiver. “Hey, who’s-”
She was interrupted as the door to the waiting room opened to reveal Imperial Twilight. “Come in.” The two stood up and walked in behind her.
The inner sanctum of the castle wasn’t dark, as expected, but lit as brightly as if it were outdoors. She looked up at the walls and the source of the light only to see that it wasn’t torches or lamps, but miniature suns that dotted the walls. The heat and pressure bore down on her as she passed them.
Several doors lined the walls of the deep hallway they were in. They seemed to pass every single one as they went deeper in total silence and she was getting more worried with each minute passing. Something was wrong. One door up ahead was slightly open so Suntrix decided to drop a little behind the two and sneak in. Screw Ice Twilight and her way home. She was probably just lying anyway. After Wyrm world, she really didn’t want to deal with any more surprises.
She narrowly slipped into the open doorway and pressed her flank against the wall. She held her breath until she heard the hoofsteps of the two Twilights disappear. A quick exhale and she was back on her hooves. She just needed to open another portal and with the slight trick to determining where you end up that Ice Twilight showed her to get here, she had a pretty good idea of how to get home. Or at least someplace better than this.
But before she could teleport something caught her eye. The room she was now in was round with rough cobblestones patterning the floor and walls. To her left was a small desk with a book of blank pages and a quill and ink. But the only source of light came from the center of the room. It was a round cage, like a bird’s but with iron bars. A small blue sun sat above it casting a slightly ominous light. In the center of the cage was what appeared to be a bundle of rags.
Suntrix pursed her lip. No! Seriously! She should just get going! Leave! But before she knew what she was doing her feet were moving toward the desk. The light from the blue sun wasn’t very strong so it was hard to make out but the pages appeared to be empty. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. Just what was with this set up. Then she turned the page back one.
Words. Scrawled in a hurry and some painstakingly written in detail. They were everywhere. On every inch of the pages one after another. But that wasn’t the thing that terrified her. The words themselves were enough for that. They were accounts of not only Suntrix herself but also the six following her, even some personal stuff having to do with Mr.4. She read a section about him and a gray alicorn reuniting. It almost felt like it was narrated from real life “Who wrote this?”
A clang startled her and she fell to her haunches as she looked up. The rags that had been in the middle of the cage had apparently shot up and slammed themselves into the bars. And beneath the dark rags was a blue unicorn with a silvery white mane. She was beautiful, all but her eyes that seemed to hold no rational mind behind them. “It knocks from the other side of the wall! It comes to change and end us all!”
Suntrix looked into those eyes as they seemed to stare into nothing, shouting that same line at her over and over. They were eyes she’d seen before, every day in the mirror. And she realized she felt the same way while staring at that picture. “It knocks from the other side of the wall! It comes to change and end us all!”
“What? I…”
“Oh, that’s a new one.” A new voice came from the door and Suntrix turned to see Imperial Twilight walk in with Ice Twilight. “You were right. She did react to her.”
Suntrix looked to Ice Twilight who merely grinned. “Not the reaction I expected but it’s something.”
Suntrix clenched her teeth. “What is this!?” she pointed to the caged mare.
“Trixie started spouting these words and prophecies about a month ago,” Imperial Twilight responded as she brushed a hoof past the cage. “Before that she was a well respected ally and powerful magician, and a friend, but now she’s this.” She shot a glare at her. “Twilight tells me you’re probably to blame for this.”
“Me?” Trixie? This mare was another version her.
“We’ve had our own ways of scouring the multiverse. So we know the moment it happened. The moment you broke the wall.”
Suntrix felt her breath stop as she grasped her throat, a cold feeling creeping into her larynx. Ice Twilight sauntered over, her horn aglow. “Sorry, Trix, but the deal was actually a little more complicated than I let on.”
Imperial Twilight walked over until she stood above her. She watched the uniformed mare gaze down in disdain, bright yellow electrical magic crackling out of her eyes. “You’ll make a fine doorway.” She brought her hoof down on her head and all went black.