//------------------------------// // The Ultimate GrimDark World // Story: Pony POV Princess Twilight's Lightly visits to Grim Worlds // by Alex Warlorn //------------------------------// Mtangalion A ominously quiet presence filled the Wolf Bar, making wolves spill their drinks or dive under tables, whimpering. Fenris had returned. The wolf father narrowed his eyes. "I will not be mocked in my own hall. All of you other Concepts, get out." When the echo of the doors slamming died down, he lifted up a tiny card on single toe-pad. It held a magical photograph of a whole extended family of breezies, with beautiful hearts and flowers drawn in the margins, and scrawled across the top: "We love you, Fern Gully! We'll miss you so much." Fenris growled deeply, sprawling out and resting his head on his forepaws. "The rest of you... drinks are on me tonight." Outside, Amicitia headed for the Alicorn bar at a brisk pace. "Sorry about rushing off... I need to give Deus a piece of my mind." Anasi grinned. "This could be amusing. Anasi believes that she will tag along." Both of them were brought up short by a face that they'd nearly forgotten. Snow Bound, the long ago mortal brother of two Wolf Queens, lost to history. Without another word, they rushed towards one another and hugged, not caring who might see. Just this once. Alex Warlorn Deus Ex Machina said, "I'm surprised Applejack, you actually LIKED Pinkie Pie being evil and crazy was because of a parasprite larva in her head?" Deconstruction shrugged. "Pinkie Pie was BEHAVING in character, but she wasn't ACTING in character. There's more to a pony's behavior than just how they act. It's what they DO! Therefore, unless this was a completely different Pinkie Pie with a completely different past, at which point she isn't even really Pinkie Pie anymore, there had to be somethin' twistin' her around." Ardashir "Bah!" Deus and Deconstruction blinked and looked around at the sound of that shrill high-pitched voice. "Down here, you fool alicorns!" Both of them looked down to see a slimy black and green Parasprite, grinning at them. "Nyarlathotrot?" "Who else?" The Father of Grimdark sneered. "Me ruin Pinkie Pie? HAH! I showed the TRUTH about her, that's all! Amicitia was just jealous that one of MY ideas became so popular with the Shadows! Like what I did with Blueblood and the rest of Equestria's nobles in that one world." He showed them and laughed evilly as both turned away gagging. "Ha! I'm a genius! You puny creatures will never stop all my magnificent works! Everypony WANTS to believe that only a madmare or moron could be as sickeningly happy as that pink abomination, so I just gave everyone what they want --" He froze as a shadow fell over him, promptly followed by a glass jar. "So that's where you got off to, you nasty little McNasty, you!" Princess Thalia picked the jar back up, ignoring Nyarlathotrot's curses. "No more getting into pony's brains for you!" She smiled at Deus and Deconstruction. "You can go and tell Amicitia that she can fix more of his damage now. That and I think she and Anasi were cute little wolf puppies." The other two alicorns left. Nyarlathotrot gulped as Thalia smiled widely at him. "Now, how do I keep YOU out of troublemaking?" Alex Warlorn "Go ahead, there's nine hundred-ninety-nine of me where I came from!" The parasprite snorted. "Besides, you're about have to bigger problems." Amicitia stormed in, startling Thalia, and making her drop the jar. Wolfram-and-Hart The jar shattered and the parasprite flew out. "HAHA! Fools! Nothing can stop the horrors and tragedy I unleash you'll all... Where's the music coming from and AAAAAH, WHAT'S HAPPENING!" The sound of 1000 one-mare bands playing in unison overwhelmed the parasprite avatar's nervous system. Thalia knew from her youth the best way to deal with parasprites, and it worked even if said parasprite was an avatar of pure evil. She smiled as she and countless versions of herself played the most cheerful music they could think of, leaving the embodiment of grim darkness unable to resist dancing to the beat of one heartwarming song after another. "AAAAARGH! THE OPTIMISM! THE CHEERFULNESS! THE SAPPY, SACCHARINE, SICKLY SWEETNESS OF IT ALL! IT'S UNBEARABLE! AZATHORSE, UNCLE HAVOC, SHADOWS WHO MAKE, SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP!" "Keep it up, everypony! After we finish this chorus of "Giggle At The Ghosties" we'll move on to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", "Walkin' On Sunshine", and then "Let It Go"! "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Alex Warlorn "Heeyyyy, Thalia! Remember all the fun I had as THIS?" And he turns into Cupcakes Pinkamena, necklace of horns, cutie mark cloak, and all. "Remember how many nightmares I gave you?" Princess Thalia gave him one look and said, "Okay, girls, It's A Small World After All For the next fifteen hours!" "AGH! And you call me evil!" "... You have it coming," Princess Anasi said. "Maybe so! But what Deus Ex Machina was being an idiot, I completed my masterpiece!" "I was being a what now?" Deus Ex Machina asked. Mtangalion The barrage of cheerful tunes made Amicitia wince, folding her ears. "Oy! I'll never complain about 'A Pirate's Life' again." "You heard me," said Nyarlathotrot, mocking Deus. "While you were being an idiot..." He buzzed towards Amicitia. "And you were playing wolf princess, I've been crafting my chosen world into a work of art! A festering cesspool for the ages! Why, I even considered hanging one of those 'Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair' signs. Except that the sign wouldn't be ironic... which actually would be ironic!" Amicitia fumed at the avatar of Grim Darkness, teeth gritted. "Don't make me turn back into a wolf and bite your head off." Aesop gasped, scandalized. "You wouldn't!" Anasi grinned. "She would." "I... wouldn't," conceded Amicitia. "But I'm going to enjoy fantasizing about it!" Nyarlathotrot tisked. "Is that the lesson you learned on your little adventure? Answer a challenge with superior force? Do tell me how that works out for you!" Jmcdavid Thalia said, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you have forced my hoof." Nyarlathotrot said, "Whatever sickeningly cute song you have, I can take it." Taking a deep breath, Thalia started singing, "I love you, you love me..." The Crawling Chaos screamed, "NOOOOO!!! Anything but that!" Kendell2 Inspired by this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRKnF2lV-5M Which I feel deserves PLENTY of attention. (Warning, Undertale True Pacifist ending spoilers! Also seemed like a universe Amicitia WOULD make. Amicita glared at the little aspect of grim dark. "You're right." She looked to Deus. "We WILL be talking about this, in private. Later," she stated, then did something far more effective against Nyarlathotrot than any threat of violence could ever do. She turned and walked away. "Wait, what?!" the little avatar asked. "Come back here!" --- There ARE parts of Nyarlathotrot more complex than just 'I do evil things'. There are parts that get along pretty well with Deus' Rainbow Dash. But that particular Avatar was born from one of his most infamous stories, a story who's Shadow made it solely to get a reaction. As such, I realized if there was one thing it couldn't stand, it was being ignored. It WANTED to be hated. I WOULD focus on his masterpiece soon enough...but I'd taken a 'break' and I knew THAT one would take a lot of time and effort to fix. I had a 'backlog' I needed to be dealt with and serious planning to be done. That and if I had to see it while ALREADY furious about Deus' mischief and Nyarlathotrot's actions wouldn't go well. I had to refocus myself first. ...Havoc's gift made me realize something else as well. In most of the happy endings I'd given to the timelines Eclipse created...those Eclipses got separated from their friends as well. Some ended up like me, others ended up all being imprisoned or Eclipse being imprisoned while the others were purified...so many ways it ended with her separated...worse yet...there was one person she almost never made up with. While some got lucky and many of them never made those friends to begin with...there was something I needed to do. And there was only one pony who had the connection to do it. --- In some universes, I guided Discord to do the one thing he could do to save 'Queen Apple Pie' and atone for his crimes...in those universes Eclipse and her gallery would get arrested and imprisoned...But there is another way it played out. Apple Pie managed to give him a chance to 'reform' (I honestly don't know if he had or not before then. Maybe this was the line where he genuinely did for the first time) and he restored all of us to our old selves willingly, even managing to mellow out Fluttercruel (yes, Apple Pie FORGAVE HER for killing her twin sister)...Eclipse didn't like that...and when she came and tried to force things to go 'as they should', Discord, as he had with the Valeyard in several timelines and Odyne in the final timeline, gave his, Destruction's, and Havoc's avatar's power to her...It wasn't enough...but... --- Twilight watched as Eclipse and Apple Pie battled it out, the now Titan of a filly doing her best. They'd tried to interfere repeatedly, but those Nightmares of hers kept interfering and blocking them. Apple Pie gave a cry of pain as she was knocked into the castle itself. She had Discord's wings and front limbs, his eyes as well. She was bleeding badly as Eclipse charged a powerful beam. "Good bye," Eclipse said with a smirk. "This can't end this way..." Twilight muttered. She tried to teleport...but found Eclipse jamming it. *Eclipse won't kill you.* 'I know that, but she WILL kill Apple Pie!' *So what won't she do to kill her?* Twilight gasped in realization. She couldn't teleport...but she could do something else. She began charging her horn. Eclipse let loose her beam on the little filly, causing a huge explosion. "Now that that distraction is done wi-" the Nightmare was interrupted by a purple magic beam erupting out and colliding with her chest, blasting her back. "WHAT?!" "Now now, don't go countin'/counting yer/your chickens before they hatch!" Eclipse's eyes went wide as the smoke cleared...and revealed Apple Pie unharmed and surrounded by a purple shield. When it lowered...Applebloom had a purple aura surrounding her. Not just any purple aura, but one in the shape of a lavender unicorn. "What?!" the Nightmare asked in shock, then looked over at Twilight alongside her friends...simply standing there, eyes glowing white, her friends looking at her in shock. "I cast a spell intended to pool the abilities of two ponies together," Twilight's voice said, coming out of Apple Pie's mouth. "Turned up to eleven. In other words: my soul and hers are now joined at the hip as long as I want them to be." Eclipse's eye twitched. "You IDIOT! What do you expect THAT to do?! What purpose could that possibly serve?!" "Simple: kill Apple Pie, and I die with her! If she dies, you lose ME! And that's something you will NEVER do." Apple Pie chuckled. "Ah get it!" Nightmare Mirror projected. "Ah can't lie...that's actually pretty clever." The Nightmare eyes widened. Then she became frighteningly calm. "...We need to talk, Twilight..." At that, the Nightmare began forming a pocket dimension around them. "Twilight!" Rarity yelled, putting a hoof on Twilight's body without hesitation. "Let me in too darling!" "Me too!" Rainbow Dash yelled, doing the same, one of her wings regenerating from a heavy blow. "I'm not losing you again, Twilight!" Spike answered, the battered dragon who's wings were in tatters putting a claw on her. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy/Fluttercruel all joined in as well. "We're with you!" Twilight/Apple Pie nodded, holding a hoof/claw out and a flash emitted right before the pocket dimension could close. Honesty, Laughter Loyalty, Kindness, Honesty, Cruelty/Empathy, and Generosity joined Magic and a second laughter and a huge flash of light emitted. --- In a world of Hellfire, a hero and a Nightmare stood. However, a paradoxical version of the Apple Pie clan's farm suddenly erupted out from the former as the light enveloping her cleared. Apple Pie was now a Draconequus...or had simply morphed herself into one with her friends combined powers boosting her own granted by Discord and vice versa. It was hard to tell given who this concerned and that one of the beings currently co-inhabiting her body was a demi-draconequus. Her hind legs were that of a platypus and a maned wolf while her right from limb was an Axolotl's and her left a Aye-Aye. One wing was a Hoatzin's while the other wing was a hooded Pitohui, her tail a manatee's. One of her horns twisted in paradoxical directions with her friend's colors wrapped around it while the other was Spike's. Her friends auras floated around her while Eclipse's Nightmares floated around her. "...How can you fuse with HER Twilight...how can you fuse your soul with somepony that shouldn't even EXIST?" Eclipse asked. "Don't Ah have a say in that?" Apple Pie asked, raising her claw. "SHUT UP!" Eclipse yelled, glaring daggers at her. "You don't even know how all of this STARTED, you little brat! I started this to fix this rotten world! Not throw it away for a little foal that shouldn't even exist! So no, you have no say!...Now come on, Twilight...let's go back and fix the world. Make all of this right again. Then continue on to our Golden World." "Halflight don't want tah talk tah yah!" was Apple Pie's reply. "...She says she's seen enough tah know yah won't listen tah HER. Ah think yah should." That seemed to make Eclipse very angry. Then again her plans going THIS far off the rails seemed to have done that already. "I will not take orders from a BRAT who would MARRY that DEVIL!" "Technically Ah never married 'em, he just made meh queen," was the filly's reply with a smile. "Queen of WHAT?!" the Nightmare fired back. "Of a ruined, ugly world that there's not one thing good about! And don't YOU tell me what Twilight wants or doesn't want! I'm HER! And I've reset this world time after time after time after time! If I want it then SHE wants it! And what WE want is to make the devil PAY! To not let him get away with what he's done! To make him SUFFER FOR IT! THAT is what Twilight Sparkle WANTS!" She then manifested the time travel spell in front of the aura of Twilight. "Come on, Twilight...you know you want it. You know you want to press the button and erase all of this. Turn back the clock and pave the way to the golden world. A world were no pony ever suffers or hurts because of that monster again. A world were everything is good. Back to the library with letters to Celestia. Back before this Nightmare all started. Isn't destroying one world worth that?" Twilight looked at the paper. It'd be a lie to say that she wasn't tempted. Apple Pie stared for a moment...then laughed. "Ah...Ah just realized it!" Eclipse raised an eyebrow. "What?!" The little filly gave a smile. "If yer Halflight like yah said...If yah've got every Halflight before this inside yah...that means yah had an Apple Pie too, doesn't it? And so did most of 'em?" "Hey, even in the darkest of times you hav'ta find something to laugh about!" Eclipse's eyes widened slightly. "No...I didn't! Why would I ever care about a brat that shouldn't exist like you!" "And...if Ah know that Apple Pie, and Ah kinda have tah, seein' as Ah AM Apple Pie. Hehe...She never gave up on yah, did she?" Twilight looked to the paper...then a purple aura surrounded Apple Pie's claw. Apple Pie raised her claw up and brought it down, causing a multicolored plaid colored lightning bolt to slam down, obliterating the time travel spell. [=Undertale - Hopes and Dreams=] "Resetting isn't an option, Eclipse! There are things in this world worth protecting and Apple Pie is PROOF OF IT!" Twilight yelled. "Right?!" "RIGHT!" yelled the others sharing her statement. Eclipse snarled in fury. "SO BE IT! I'LL RIP YOU OUT OF THAT IDIOT AND MAKE YOU!" The two's groups retreated back inside them, Apple Pie glowing with a rainbow aura alternating through her friends. "Let's kick her flank!" Rainbow Dash's voice called as her aura manifested and her claws glowed red, Apple Pie throwing them out and sending a number of feathers that circled Eclipse firing lightning. Eclipse retaliated by dodging the assault and letting loose a series of energy beams. "You'll have to do better than that, darling!" Rarity's voice said, her aura manifesting and Apple Pie held out her claws, forming a diamond shaped barrier to block. Apple Pie's aura reverted back to the rainbow colored one and she snapped her claws, causing a small army of miniature Super Stallions to manifest around her and fire heat vision at Eclipse. Eclipse prepared to counter...when the image of Apple Pie showing Super Stallion comics flashed before her memory. Inside her, Nightmare Mirror looked at her wing, feeling something strange. 'Yah doin' that?' The Walker of the Endless Wheel glared and prepared to fire a beam...then teleported behind Apple Pie and blasted her into the 'ground.' Apple Pie got right back up out of the smoke, seeming unharmed...and got a dark pink aura resembling Fluttercruel, creating a pair of swords shaped like the apple and orange in the little filly's Cutie Mark and used them to counter beams and bolts, slashing through them and defending herself. This exchange kept up for several moments with neither gaining an edge. "Let's go..." Fluttercruel said. "For DADDY!" As Eclipse came down at her with a blade spell on her horn and they locked blades...Apple Pie's aura suddenly changed to Pinkie Pie's and she swung her Hoatzin wing in Eclipse's face, causing the Nightmare to cringe from the odor...and distracting her long enough for a manifested Party Cannon to blast her in the chest and knock her back. Both of them laughed. "Hehe! Ain't we a stinker?" Pinkie Pie chimed in through Apple Pie, giving a cartoony laugh and manifesting a carrot just to chew on. While unharmed by the attack, Eclipse snarled. "I will not be humiliated by a FILLY WHO SHOULDN'T EXIST! Time stop, time reverse, you will wander forever!" Time rewinded and instead of pushing the attack, Eclipse deployed Bannerette behind Apple Pie, who tried to blast them from behind...only for their aura to change to Rarity's and a diamond shaped energy shield to form, blocking it. The aura morphed into Spike and Apple Pie blasted Eclipse in the face with Spike's fire breath. "Where Rarity goes, I go," Spike said, aura smiling. "Time stop, time reverse, you will wander forever!" This time after Bannerette's attack was blocked, Granfalloon emerged. "HA! HA! HA!" she cackled and fired a barrage of party cannon shots... Apple Pie's aura turned to Pinkie Pie's and a series of Party Cannons manifested and countered those even as Eclipse shielded herself from Spike's fire breath. "Time stop, time reverse, you will wander forever!" Eclipse shouted, growing angrier and angrier as she was being matched by a child. Rainbow Dash's Element of Free Will blocked Manacle's chains. Applejack's truth pierced Whisper's lies. "Yah just don't get it, do yah, Halflight?" Apple Pie asked after one more time rewind. Fluttershy manifested, her super charged stare countering Mirror's Truth. "Yah ain't just fightin' one pair of eyes or nine pairs separate! Hehe, kinda funny, huh!" Fluttercruel's aura manifested and the swords appearing for a slash. However, as Eclipse fell back, Apple Pie noticed something in Mirror's wings...something that made her pause. Herself. Mirror noticed and instantly fell back. Eclipse took the opening and blasted her to the ground, using a beam to blow her hoatzin wing off. Then KEPT raining attacks are her. However...when Apple Pie stood up, she was laughing as her wing regenerated and/or she erased the damage. "Halflight..." Apple Pie said, looking to her Twilight. "...She really does miss meh...Otherwise she'd never let THAT happen..." Mirror's eyes widened. In the moment of being countered, had she slipped up? Or was it simply Apple Pie's paradoxical nature combined with Applejack's truth?...Then she realized somethin'. "She...of course...She never said one way or another so Ah never realized it." Eclipse wanted one of each of them to live with herself... "Yah DO miss me, don't yah, Halflight?!" Apple Pie yelled. "Yah DO care about meh, don't yah!" Eclipse snarled in fury. "I do NOT! I don't care at all!" Mirror's eyes widened as a hell-fire covered chain went straight through her wing. Eclipse cringed as her own wing took equal damage. "See! You're an id-" Eclipse then blinked, noticing something running down her cheek. She put a hoof to it...and removed a tear. Was it all of her...or one part of her? Multiple parts? In her shock, she didn't notice Mirror had moved the target to the other wing before the attack hit. "...Halflight, everypony...Ah know what we need tah do..." Apple Pie said. The others all nodded. Their auras seemed to glow in sync, each sharing with each other something neither had on their own. They were nine souls, but they were also one. [Undertale = SAVE The World=] Eclipse floated upwards and snarled, firing beams that were countered by Apple Pie herself. "I DON'T NEED YOU! DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO, I'LL PIECE HER BACK TOGETHER AFTER!" Kindness. Whisper emerged and winded around, preparing to strike...when Fluttershy and Fluttercruel's aura's emerged and held out their hooves in front her. "If you want to get to Apple Pie, MOM, you'll have to go through me!" Fluttercruel shouted, causing Whisper to gasp. Generosity. Bannerette erupted out and charged...only for Spike's aura to grapple with his own. "...You're the greediest dragon I've ever met..." Spike spat. "I'm not greedy!" the Nightdrake roared back. "...How is stealing away millions of Rarity's happy endings just to have ONE Rarity for YOURSELF anything but the definition of greedy?" Spike rebuked. Bannerette tried to answer...but then saw Rarity manifest next to Spike, putting a hoof on Spike's shoulder and the two looking happy at each other. Laughter. Granfalloon snaked around, preparing an onslaught of party cannons. "Need to borrow this part of you, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie's voice shouted, followed by Twilight giving a gasp. Pinkie Pie emerged...with a green unicorn next to her, three mints as her Cutie Mark. Granfalloon gasped. "M-Minty?" "We are one soul right now..." Pinkie Pie admitted, morphing into herself from the lost age. Loyalty. Manacle came forth, chains at the ready...when Rainbow Dash's aura emerged, Applejack's Element briefly glowing alongside her. The mare smirked and charged Manacle, weaving through the chains. "I see you've got a really nasty thorn right there..." Rainbow Dash stated, stopping with her hoof on Manacle's forehead. "Let me take it out! FREE WILL!" Manacle's eyes went wide as a chain embedded in her soul SHATTERED. "...T-Twilight?" Honesty. Applejack's aura and Mirror charged each other. "...Ah've got a cruel truth fer yah..." Applejack replied. "What?" Mirror questioned, one wing still shattered. "...That golden world ain't ever happenin'." "Why? Cause yer gonna stop us?" Mirror asked. "No..." Applejack replied, truth erupting in her eyes. "Because yer Nightmares. Makin' yer golden world would mean yah'd have tah STOP...and we both know yah and Pinkie's Nightmares are the only ones that have ever stopped ANYTHIN' on their own...a vengeful friend craves more vengeance in a cycle, Loyalty will never abandon friendship, Kindness is too kind tah speak out, and Generosity won't stop given tah friendship...The golden world ain't happenin' because this plan ain't STOPPIN'! If yah were gonna make a Golden World, then you WOULD HAVE A LONG TIME AGO AND THAT IS THE TRUTH!" Mirror looked at her, wings spread out. "...You're right..." Magic. Eclipse roared out in fury, unleashing a virtual hellstorm of fire and magic down on the filly. Apple Pie, Twilight's Aura around her, charged forwards, dodging what she could and regenerating from what she couldn't. By the time she reached her one arm was burned to the bone, her tail was gone, and she was missing all the feathers on one wing...but she drove her Aye-Aye claw into Eclipse's chest and GRABBED her Element, where her TRUE seat of consciousness resided. The Memory Spell cut loose. Darkness tried to crawl back up her claw, trying to worm its way into the two. Their aura began to be replaced with one of darkness. "You fool! I'll corrupt you!" Eclipse cackled...then watched as ALL the aura's became rainbow colored, all flowing into Apple Pie's claw. The rainbow fought back. The Darkness burned away. "REMEMBER! HALFLIGHT!" Eclipse gasped as memories flashed before her eyes. Meeting Apple Pie, meeting the Apple Pies. Seeing what people they are...calling her friend. Repeated over. And over. And over. And over. And over again. Being shown the beauty of the world. Meeting the Hippogriffs. Meeting countless sets of friends. Beating Discord and thinking about the good they could do now...countless memories from countless minds, all flashing before Eclipse's eyes. Eclipse screamed out in pain, falling back, her body pulsating like it was going to burst apart, hooves around her head as purple beams of light erupted out of her entire body. Thousands upon thousands of purple lights ERUPTED out of Eclipse, flying off...except for one that stopped next to Manacle and formed into an ethereal Twilight Sparkle. "Rain..." "Twilight?" Eclipse's form seemed to DEFLATE...shrinking until she was only Nightmare Purgatory again with a scar shaped like Trixie's Cutie Mark on her face, falling to her haunches and looking down at her hooves. Apple Pie closed her eyes and in a flash was back in her original filly form. "Halflight...Ah know yah ain't rotten tah the core." "What are you talking about?" the Nightmare asked, not looking up. "This is who I am. I'm here to make sure the devil pays, as he's SUPPOSE to be!" "...You're wrong..." the little filly replied, trotting forwards towards the Nightmare. "How would you know anything about m-" "...Yah like books..." Apple Pie replied. "Yah like readin'. Yah like learnin'. Yah like makin' friends. Yah liked mah pa's rock pie, even if yah can't chew it. Yah like hearin' the Sea Ponies sing...and yah wanted tah save the world..." Eclipse took a step back from the approaching filly, now looking . "Get away from me..." "You wanted tah save everypony...even back then yah did what yah did cause yah didn't think there was any other way tah stop Discord, revenge on him was an AFTERTHOUGHT!" Apple Pie replied, continuing to approach her. "Yah care about everypony, that's WHY yah did all of this. Yah let the little thin' become the big thin'...Hehe...no...not hehe...that kinda paradox ain't funny...it's sad. All that hate that blinded yah ain't who yah are!" "NO!" the Nightmare screamed, looking angry but having tears in her eyes. "STOP PRETENDIN' LIKE YAH DON'T CARE!" Apple Pie yelled back, getting close. "Ah know yah, Halflight...Cause Ah care about yah...cause SHE cared about yah, and Ah'm her, just a couple loops later." "No...No you don't!" Eclipse roared, her horn lighting up with Hellfire. "To care about me, you'd have to forgive me! And there's no way you could do that! Not after everything I've done to you!" Eclipse gasped as the little filly charged forwards and wrapped her forelegs around her. "...Ah do..." "H-How...How could you?" "...Because Ah know that mah Halflight would forgive meh if Ah did this." "...I...I killed you...over and over and over again..." "And that was bad...but grudges are like poison apples, they look pretty but ain't good fer yah..." Rarity put a hoof on Bannerette's shoulder. Minty and Pinkie hugged Granfalloon. Rainbow Dash just stepped back as Manacle's Twilight hugged her. Fluttercruel looked to her Fluttershy, who nodded...then looked to Whisper. Applejack kicked Mirror's wing, knocking it so the Apple Pie in it was facing her in the eyes. "...Ah/I forgive you..." Nine, no TEN lights glowed softly, darkness burning away from six others. Nightmare Purgatory wrapped her legs around Apple Pie, darkness bursting off to reveal a slightly pale furred Twilight Sparkle. A colorful scaled Spike hugging a Rarity. A pale furred Pinkie Pie hugging herself and Minty. A pale Rainbow Dash hugging an ethereal Twilight. A pale furred Fluttershy hugging a Fluttercruel. Another Apple Pie hugging an Applejack. OOC: I'll leave this for someone else to write how this turns out after this, but that idea is that this is the timeline where the Nightmares are all healed at the same time and stay together. Alex Warlorn Inside her personal chambers, 'Minuette' watched this particular timeline on her 'time monitor.' After the Elements of Chaos and Harmony had together overthrown Gorger (and sent him to his final reward), the order obsessed city needed a new head of state. And who better than the ultimate lover of order themselves? At Queen Libra's endorsement, 'Lord Grogar' had been traded out for 'Mistress Minuette.' There had been no Shining Armor in this timeline, no wild hunt by the wolf, so Minuette never fed the fob watch to the wolf, and in fact had opened it following Discord's rampage. Contrary to popular theory, she did not in fact betray Cadence on the spot for Discord. The Master felt she had far greater opportunities being close to the last legitimate heir to the throne of Equestria, and the new queen of changelings. Then she'd been forced to regenerate during the fall of Avalon... and ran like hell as history repeated itself. Then he'd gained ultimate power... only for the Valeyard to use reverse psychology and those seaponies playing THOSE DAMN DRUMS to strip it all from him... then kill him over... and over... and over... Drum music were now officially illegal in Tambelon. When Queen Libra had offered a free return to life for all who died directly because of Discord... she had been eager to leave Hell behind... and had given Havoc a razjzberry on her way out. Of course she'd chosen to come back in Minuette's body... there were so many who'd known the mare who'd been brought back as well... thought not as many as you think given Cadence had DONE A DAMN GOOD JOB for making sure those she loved managed to peacefully die of old age. Mineutte's own delaying regeneration had a tricky business. As long as explaining why she wasn't dying old age. But now 'Minuette' watched annoyed at the screen. "While I don't mind seeing the nag get hers for the one eighty-seventh millionth eighty eighty thousandth and hundred and fiftith time... didn't this happy ending mare know that without bad ending the good ones have no context?" "That's what I keep telling her! She never listens!" Said a baled stallion with a long Ponygypt beard and wearing a black lab coat. He was speaking via a communication screen. "Enjoying your replacement of the Necromanicon?" "Oh immensely, nice to re-read the classics on occasion." She had her TARDIS again, she could anywhere in time and space again, and continue her mission to rid this universe of its meaningless chaos... She could admire the Valeyard almost... if she didn't hate him utterly as a matter of principle... (she wish 'Time Turner' would open the damn fob watch already so they begin the game again)... Then again, maybe that was WHY she'd been made ruler of an entire city state... to tie her down... dammit. Alex Warlorn Meanwhile the Alicorn Princess looked in disgust. "What is this? Is THIS your masterpiece?" A dark unicorn wizard with broken legs laughed. "Oh this one isn't my masterpiece, but it is a beauty. Twilight accidentally found a brainwashing spell, and accidentally used it on Applejack, and while trying to figure out its limits to get it removed, she eventually got corrupted by the sense of power, and then enchanted Rarity in a panic when she stumbled upon them. "And THEN she brainwashed Princess Luna in her dreams by accident, or rather, redirected her brainwashing, when it turned out she was already brainwashed by her own sister! To keep her from becoming Nightmare Moon again! As Celly had done centuries before, but then removed it in a moment of guilt, which is when Nightmare Moon first came into being! "This was followed by Zecora, the rest of her friends, and her convinced that she loved them all and they loved her. And after being brainwashed by Celestia into forgetting the whole affair, Twilight had sent herself a message and kept her brainwashing of Zecora and Luna hidden, and then brainwashed Trixie! And then woke up the brainwashing of her friends! "Oh, and did I mention this was AFTER the Alicorn Amulet incident, and Trixie STILL had planned to betray and use the mind charm on Twilight before Twilight brainwashed her? "Doing all of this because she and her brainwashed harem were certain this was an expression of their love for each other and they didn't want to forget any of it. She then brainwashed the top Wonderbolts and Lightning Dust, and engaged an elaborate silent duel with Celestia... including Celly replacing one of the Elements with a fake and giving it to Cadence telling her it was part of keeping it safe from a changeling plot! "While TWILIGHT made Luna act obviously still under Twilight control so Celly would redirect her brainwashing back to herself, while Twilight had a BACK UP enchantment installed in Luna so she's shift back to Twilight at JUST the right moment, and faked being Nightmare Moon again to throw off Celestia (and apologized for it later, heh!). "The final battle ended with Twilight become an Alicorn by overpowering Celestia for the sake of her harem, not by solving Starswirl's last spell, and Celestia her slave, but Celestia makes it feel to Twilight like Celestia had gotten the better end of the deal. And removing from the Wonderbolts their memories of fighting royal guards and Celestia and made them remember fighting shadow monsters alongside the guards instead. Saying she didn't want to involve them more than she had to. Oh, and Discord didn't get freed, and therefore, never formed a relationship with Fluttershy and so she never gave him a conscience. "Oh, and Twilight used every lie and half-truth in the book to keep Spike from EVER LEARNING about any of this rather than dare brainwash him! Even if it meant keeping secret her new 'relationship' with Rarity. Oh, and she couldn't bring herself to brainwash Cadence into part of her harem since Cadence was so obviously happy with her brother, how is THAT for irony? By the way, this takes places on a world of anthro ponies, and where they're all a few year older, go figure. No real good guy, no real bad guy, no real hero for you to stop since they're all corrupt somehow, isn't it great?" Alex Warlorn "Now I know I had ANOTHER ONE I screwed together while you, Anasi, and dog-boy were all busy off playing wolfie ... " Taunted Nyarlathotrot. "AH YEA! This one where Discord turns Applejack into a pumpkin... here's a hint, IT DOESN'T END HAPPILY or even bitter sweet... but the pie was tasty at least right?" Ardashir Discord waited until Fluttershy left for the Ponyville market and then smirked evilly at Applejack. The palomino backed away, ears pinned. Her hooves tapped against the floor, a shiver running along her coat. "What're ya grinnin' at now, ya varmint?" Even as she spoke he got a delightful mental image of that silly Stetson of hers seated atop a ripe pumpkin. And then becoming a Nightmare Night decoration. He almost heard a voice in his ear hissing with evil glee. Go ahead! Do it! It'll be funny, just like the old days! "Oh, nothing," Discord prepared to snap his fingers. "Just wondering how you'd look with a candle inside your head..." "Wait!" Discord froze as a voice so like Fluttershy's pleaded into his ear. "There are so many ways this could go wrong! It'd hurt Fluttershy if you did this and her friend Applejack got hurt. Can't you turn her into something that ponies won't find edible, at least?" Huh, Discord frowned and thought, flipping the top of his skull back and scratching his brain. He smiled. I have it! Applejack yelled and tried to run, but with a snap her world turned inside out. Half an hour later Fluttershy trotted back inside \her house and gasped. "Discord! Applejack! What did you do!" A zebra with her mane tied back in familiar fashion and sporting a Stetson hovered in midair, eyes blazing, her legs flailing as she sought to get her hooves on Discord where he floated in midair eating pears. "Oh, nothing, Fluttershy. I just decided that Applejack needed a lesson in comparative cultures." "Darn ya, Discord! Yer not ma boss!" Applejack raged at him. "Restore me now or I'll trample ya into applesauce -- dangit!" Alex Warlorn "... WHAT DID YOU DO?!" "I had Discord change Applejack back into a pony before she got cut open and changed into a pie, and play it off as a big joke, it wasn't that hard." "You little!" "You're getting arrogant Nyarlathotrot, you've gotten lazy. You've forgotten who you're dealing with." Then another world line got Amicitia's notice. Twilight Sparkle had been visited by the ghost of Rainbow Dash... and she convinced her to hold onto the regret that was keeping her a ghost, and build her a golem body so she could continue with her life as normal even after dying. And convincing ponies that if they wanted to avoid 'true death' they just needed to die with a strong enough regret and never resolve it. Also, there was heavy implication through out the whole thing that in this world line there was no such thing as an afterlife. But then... something came to this world line... and drew things along. Ghosts in the golem bodies ... went mad, the whole in their heart from their regrets, powerful enough to anchor them to this world but made to never act on them, growing too big to keep them. And they turned into skull masked beasts. The monsters driven mad and determined to devour the living. "Nyarlathotrot!" "... It wasn't me this time. I actually liked this one as is. It was humorous a middle finger at religions in all its forms." "It was me Twilight," said a disturbingly realistic looking Alicorn Applejack, like she was a horse from Megan's world. "... Deconstruction. Why?" "'Cause it's my job. To take these things that are made to be 'it's this way just cause it's this way' and don't think what would happen as soon as it interacted with the world. There's a reason Concepts aren't capable of feeling regret, why it's cut out of us, because regrets that can never be acted on and yet ya have to hold onto at the same time would drive a pony insane." Amicitia snorted. "Well I'm not going to let it end this way!" "Twilight, calm down, we've got this one covered." "Starlight I?" Amicitia looked to see Starlight The First with her black wings. "If Deconstruction is going to borrow from THAT world line, that mean we get in too." Starlight drew a sword. "Reap, Slipknot!" And it turned into a scythe. "Sing, Ace!" "Dance, Dandy!" "Protect, Teddy!" "Flutter, Lance!" "Slay, Buddy!" "Write, Cookie!" Deconstruction blinked, "What the hay just happened." Alex Warlorn "... You know what I take true pleasure in Amicitia? Is knowing my masterpiece is air tight. You'll never be able to truly break it without cheating. Without betraying that stupid arbitrary oath of yours. Evil has already won... even if not in name, it has in spirit. The only heroes are as ruthless and brutal as the villains, and had no choice BUT to be. Equestria, as a symbol of mercy and compassion and forgiveness and redemption is dead, deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead!!!! Hahahahah!" Alex Warlorn There was a world of snow once Amicitia had visited... where the Windigos were never defeated... where Platinum, Pudding Head, and Hurricane, continued to rule, either by body serving, imposters, or the Windigos making their hate filled puppets immortal... and society slowly rusting and becoming more fanatic as time went on. Fluttershy only caring for unicorns and earth ponies as she would amused animals. RD being a fanatic who was only woken up when she saw what Pegasi truly thought of honor and loyalty. Applejack being Rarity's slave, and AJ not realizing how many laws Rarity was breaking in Applejack's favor until Trixie cornered Rarity on it. Pinkie Pie the ruthless leader of a band of rebels and the VOICE OF REASON in this mad house of a world (which should say how bad it was). And Twilight, being near fanatical, with Spike barely keeping her morality on check. And... the six friends never met... the tree of harmony was dead by the time ponies found it. And they all died. The CMC never met each other, all having died in one way or another. And... Celestia and Luna destroyed the Windigos brute force style, even if it cost Celly her sight. And Lyra, Spike and the other survivors, were left to pick up the pieces with a world no longer doomed to constant endless frozen snow. So it was beyond Amicitia's authority since things had, as dark as they were, had worked out for at least Pony kind in the end. Then... there was a world where a revolution had happened, and ended with Celestia being raped and beheaded... only... no pony knew how to raise the sun now... and things feel apart fast, with pegasi's wings turning back and having to be restrained due to their instincts screaming at them to fly south. The last entry by solider Derpy Hooves, who had narrated this dying world, was that the air was turning to ice. Amicitia had Twilight Sparkle, whose death hadn't been mentioned, ascend, and find the original secrets to raise and lowering the sun, becoming the new beloved goddess of Equestria, such was the way of revolutions, they always came back around to where they began. --- "Princess Twilight, Amicitia, spirit of friendship. Your journey is coming to an end." Rota Fortuna said looking through her microscope/telescope that peered into a crystal ball that held the universe. - "Maybe... maybe I can't save this world... maybe a BETTER goddess of happy endings, friendship and magic after me will!" There was a flash of lightning... and in front of Amicitia and Nythy was a yellow pegasus in a green spandex outfit with a lightning bolt on his chest. His cutie mark was a roll of scotch-tape. "Uh, who are you?" "I'm Quick Fix! I'm the angel of Deus Ex Machina! The rest of her Pantheon are giving her 'lessons' right now, so I've come in her place!" "And why do you sound like Khary Payton?" "Why not?!" Quick Fix said. Amicitia realized... she MISSED Nightmare Mirror AND she missed Dues Ex Machina... too extremes... with her in the middle, letting her hear both point of view. Quick Fix immediately zoomed into the War Hammer Parody world "That Was NOT Warhammer" according to its creation. Amicitia looked in dismay as Nythy giggled as the brutal hammer of the setting's tone came down again and again to crush Quick Fix's attempts. He was here on Deus Ex Machina's behalf... and Amicitia had to admit... the one she had came up with for her angel wasn't that bad... The idea being that the Sirens had found the skull of the Emperor of Mankind... and Equus existed in the War Hammer universe, a billion years after the events of War Hammer 40K. And the Emperor's skull... was still having nightmares of that futile war... and the power of the Emperor was still awe inspiring even a billion years after his death. The sirens had used it to trapped Equestria in a pocket reality, altering existence (and explaning how the hell Sombra had returned a year early, where the hell the infinite lava pit leading to the void of the beast of primal chaos had come from that Discord supposedly served, and just how in the hell Sombra had gained the power to corrupt ponies including Alicorns into nightmarish mock crystal ponies blindly loyal to him! And Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, each control one of the factions in the factions' unconscious minds, ensuing that no side ever overcame the other, and if one happened to... well, once this now survivalist and brutal Equestria ever came in contact with Equus again... the results would neither be pretty nor civilized. Effectively DECONSTRUCTING while the two timelines were so similar... 'Nightmare Mirror would be proud', she thought. AND deconstructing the 'status quo is god' motif of such static settings allowing the players to dive and play with whatever side knowing the basic set up. This would lead plenty of justification for that strange rainbow colored Alicorn that had created an off-ramp for that endless cycle world (that rainbow colored Alicorn Amicitia had sensed but could never interact with no matter how hard she tried... it was like trying to play a video forwards and backwards at the same time, it was truly and sincerely and absolutely impossible for them, declared by the Elders themselves almost or Above Them). THEN... Amicitia saw something felt more like one of Nightmare Mirror's, with sprinkled in bits again of Dues Ex Machina, but more tactful than her usual. Going along the distorted reality's internal time, the Tree of Harmony, instead of illogical and incomprehensibly asking for the CMC's cutie marks in exchange for the Elements being remade... (and the three would follow a interpretation of the Elements that made Amicitia sick to her stomach), it was used as JUSTIFICATION for that if the Tree of Harmony could ask for such a sacrifice... so what about OTHERS? Amicitia saw Dues Ex Machina had borrowed from an alien world line: where half the gods had chosen to exterminate mortals, and the other half had opposed that, and had transformed into a giant single World Tree to protect one of Neighpon's islands. The genocidal gods creating final stage ultimate evolutionary animals based on the Zodiac, ever respawning, ever being recreated to invade and finish off the humans. The World Tree then, as was the nature of gods needing a sacrifice in that world line, young girls, the stereotypical sacrificial offering, were given super power... in exchange for their body parts to become useless one by one as they used their ultimate forms. And so... the CMC could use power that surpassed those of an Alicorn... in exchange for slowly becoming cripples. Scootaloo shrugged at the loss of her wings... going blind in one eye was a little harder. Sweetie Belle lost her voice, as seemed to her family's own curse, and then lost hearing in one ear. Apple Bloom lost the use of her left foreleg and rear leg... Using power that defied creation, three little girls, half crippled... actually INSERTING the Elements INTO the Draconequus Mane Six ... giving them back hearts, and their basic sense of right and wrong. Which meant there were now Six Nature's Fury with their hearts back... and able to use Harmony... The tide changed decidedly... Sombra's victims also having their uncorrupted selves, and Luna's being saved... were now only a matter of time. "Nightmare Mirror... Deus Ex Machina... they worked TOGETHER... for me... for them." Amicitia whispered. "Pst." Nythy rolled his many, many eyes on his tendrils. "Typical, the hero has something they can't do, so their friends do it for them. Cheap. Cowardly. Immature. Impulsive. Blind-sighted. Just like you as always Amicitia." Amicitia wasn't listening. "They...they care about me." Kendell2 OOC: I SINCERELY can't remember if the character that appears here has met Amicitia or not. I've looked it up and can't find anything so I assume it's their first meeting. "Mind if I help?" asked a voice. The two turned to see an Alicorn version of Razzaroo, her mane the same colors but tinted gold and appearing as flowing sand, her barding that of a traditional Genie. "Razzaroo?" Amicitia asked, staring in amazement. "Future Razzaroo. Or maybe an alternate version of her? Can't tell you, spoilers. Yes yes yes," the Princess explained. "Though my new name is Princess Jiniri!" Nythy hissed and fell back like a vampire being shown daylight, retreating with every step she took forwards like her mere presence was painful. "You...what ARE YOU?!" "Concept of Wishes and Miracles! Why?" "That's why!" the Crawling Chaos hissed, trying to keep a good distance between himself and what to him was a wildfire. "Of course, he's Tragedy. Miracles are one of the things that stops tragedy," Amicitia explained with a look of realization. She then hugged Jiniri. "But why are you here?" Jiniri looked down at the world below with a frown. "Because somepony is calling down a miracle!"  Amicitia looked down as the remaining villains, in a desperate attempt to win, launched an attack with their remaining forces on the Tree of Harmony itself. Hoping to destroy it and restore their edge. "I...I don't see what it is..." That's when Amicitia realized it. The CMC...they were... "They're using that power...that power that sacrifices more of them every time...over and over..." Nythy laughed. "See?! Even with your cheating, there's no way you can win!" "But they still won't give up," Jiniri replied with a smirk.  Nythy watched as the girls used their powers again and again...and again. Ripping through the evil forces and making a beeline straight for the leaders themselves, even when Apple Bloom was seemingly down and out she got right back up when she saw her friends needed her to make the final push on Discord. The Crawling Chaos' eyes went wide. "GIVE UP! IT'S WORTHLESS! THERE'S NOTHING WORTH SAVING!" Nythy screamed in a thousand voices in the Crusader's subconscious.  Amicitia gave a determined look. *There's always something worth saving so long as an ounce of goodness exists in this world!* "GOODNESS IS DEAD! YOU SAW THAT!" *Goodness is only dead if you LET it die! Are you going to let it?!* The three fillies giving everything showed determination as Discord, now frantic, formed a massive sphere of chaos and hurled it at them. They met it and pushed back as hard as they could. Discord panicked and pushed with all his might... "GIVE UP! YOU'RE CHILDREN! YOU CAN'T WIN!" "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE CMC!" screamed the three...or mouthed in some cases. With one final push, the three flew straight through his attack, weapons poised even as their magical boost began dissipating.  Discord gasped in shock as he was run through the chest. "Im...Impossible...How...how could..." The chaotic demon screamed in agony as the power of Harmony itself surged into him from the fillies borrowing his power and obliterated his physical body from the inside out like a nightmare vanishing with the dawn in a huge explosion of rainbow light. The trio fell to the ground, barely able to move. "Is it over?" Scootaloo, who could still ask questioned.  Applebloom seemed catatonic and didn't respond. "But...but..." Nythy stuttered, eyes wide. "Cadence! Shining Armor! Sombra! They're still here!" "Did you forget who else is there to?" questioned Quick Fix with a smirk. The Crawling Chaos looked back as Jiniri held a hoof out, horn glowing...and the Mane Six fought the corrupted rulers of the Crystal Empire, Twilight pleading and begging with her brother and sister-in-law to break through...and Shining did the impossible... The corrupted Prince fought back from deep, deep within. Perhaps from wherever his goodness had been stolen away to. And slew the darkness corrupting him to restore HIMSELF. His love for his sister stronger than anything Nythy could muster. Cadence, to be with her love, did the same. Sombra, now with no minions to protect him, soon followed. Nythy was seething with fury. "No...No...NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" "It is, yes yes yes," Jiniri replied, giving a smirk. "SIBLING DO SOMETHING!" he roared in frantic rage. "RIP THE GOODNESS OUT OF THEM AGAIN!" Amicitia looked down as the nameless abomination tried to rise from it's dark pit. And then smirked. *That thing stole part of you...the Elements restored them...* The Draconequi Twilight gasped. "...The Elements didn't just rip our good parts out of that thing...they had back ups from our time with them...that means..." The six bearers held their hooves and focused, calling upon the Elements...and sending them back through the link Nythy's sibling had created.  The Crawling Chaos had to recoil back as the pit leading to the void exploded in an eruption of rainbow light. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Amictia smirked. "Part of them is always part of them...Your sibling was banished from that world. Using the very same parts they stole from me and my friends in that reality to channel the Elements to go off INSIDE it full blast." The Spirit of Tragedy was speechless...then started laughing. "SO WHAT?! Their siblings still gave EVERYTHING! This is STILL a tragedy! I won! I still won!" "...No no no..." Jiniri said with a smile. "...Remember how I said somepony called me down?" The Crawling Chaos stared at her for a few moments until it clicked. "You...you...you..." "Maybe their willpower and sacrifice impressed and stated the Tree that much, maybe it ABSORBED Discord's essence as a substitute sacrifice...either way...they earned a Miracle, and a god replied." "...Your masterpiece gets a happy ending," Amicitia stated. "One that required no cheating and works within it's own rules." "T-The Sirens?! The Sirens!" Nythy grasped at straws. "Sunset and her friends will deal with them," Quick Fix replied. "I handled that while they were doing this." The embodiment of Grim Dark's body pulsed as he trembled in fury before he screamed, form exploding outwards into a screeching, black mass of tendrils, eyes, and mouths, all screaming his fury to the heavens with enough force to shake the ground around them. Mtangalion "Nightmare Moon!" Nythy seemed to seize on that, even as his avatar boiled up around Amicitia, growing more and more monstrous. "Nightmare Moon will..." Amicitia smiled. "Did you forget that Luna returned to the Nightmare willingly, to protect what she could from Discord and Sombra? Now that the crisis is over, she'll fight her way free, willingly!" Luna's moon spun in the heavens, a dread shadow upon it simply peeling away. "Face it! All of your schemes have failed!" Nyarlathotrot fell silent. His rage seemed to burn out, leaving cold seething fury in its place. "No. I still have time... for one trick more." Before Amicitia thought to step clear, reality lurched around them, drawing them into a vast void in space, nearly as cold and bleak as the Outer Darkness itself. She found herself facing an ordinary pony, black-coated and black maned, with a simple pyramid and eye cutie mark on his flanks. He reached for the golden pharaoh's mask he wore, and slowly removed it, showing her what lay beneath. "Amicitia Zorya Spes Equestria," he spoke. "The goddess tragically doomed to perish, to fulfill the fate she made for herself. The time of your sacrifice is almost upon you." "I know that," said Amicitia, refusing to tremble or look away. "I've accepted it." The ghost of a smile appeared. "What would be more tragic, I wonder? An almighty goddess who willingly puts her neck into Fate's noose... or the goddess who rejects that Fate?!" The darkness swirled, showing another Amicitia who refused to sacrifice herself to give rise to her children, even though her children did exist. Rising as Nightmare Paradox reborn, consuming Fate, imposing any happy ending she wished on any world, anywhere, and defying any god or Wolf to stop her... Until that mysterious rainbow Alicorn bucked her right in the face and shouted two words... "Never again!" The What-If vanished utterly, the probability of its occurrence reduced to zero. Nythy scowled. "That spoilsport!" He cursed the rainbow Alicorn, but most of his words were only static to Amicitia's ears, even now. "But there are other ways to cheat Fate! The whole of the universe need not explode, just because Twilight Sparkle *broke a rule!*" Another vision appeared... a baby unicorn that looked just like herself as a foal, sleeping next to... a filly zebra Alicorn? In a crib with two ponies lovingly watching over them, a stallion that she couldn't see clearly, and... Cadenza?! "What's this?" crooned Nythy. "The Goddess of Magic found a way to live on after a fashion, even after her sacrifice, but could you live with the consequences?! Mwahaha!" The vision showed monsters from Tartarus rampaging through Ponyville. "Oh ho! Witness, as your town is..." The monsters were being rounded up and sent back. Nythy frowned. "Hmm." Then ancient witches menaced Ponyville. "Aha! All too soon, the hopes of that other Twilight and her friends are dashed, and their fate sealed..." The witches lost too. "Blast it..." Was it just Amicitia's imagination, or did the white and orange wolves in the vision look directly at her, ears pricking up? Now three nightfillies and a nightcolt were taking over Equestria, turning it into Tartarus with their good intentions. "Hah! Now, surely..." A great battle was waged, and all four of them stood together as young god and goddesses, and then Ponyville evolved into a sparkling crystal paradise. "Oh, come on!!" Amicitia grinned. "Maybe you're better at being the Concept of Tragedy than I thought. You know, the kind of tragedy that tells a story to teach ponies a lesson, instead of just being an excuse to wallow in suffering." Nyarlathotrot looked ready to explode...