"Sweet Celestia," moaned a dizzy Rarity. "I haven't felt this terrible since Starlight did that spell on us."
Applejack nodded in agreement, as she rubbed her eyes with her hands. "You're telling me, sugarcube... now, um, where are we exactly?"
As she started to stand up, Rarity stretched her arms out while letting out a yawn, but when she opened her eyes, she saw something that made them grow wide.
"Um... Applejack?" Rarity said. "You might want to turn around and see this."
Applejack rolled her eyes, and said, "The last time we heard that, Rare, we... uh..."
They were in front of a large building that had a sign above titled "Canterlot High", and standing in front of them were human versions of their friends: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and even themselves.
There was even a human version of Twilight, except she was wearing glasses, and had a different hairstyle.
"Um... howdy, everypony," said Applejack, waving her ho - hand.
"This must be where Sunset Shimmer stays," gasped Rarity, as she began connecting the dots in her mind. "And where Twilight goes every time she steps into that mirror portal."
None of the others said anything to Rarity or Applejack... until Pinkie Pie asked, "So, are you two like the other Twilight that lives in a magical world called Equestria, where you all represent a magical element, and are also actually talking ponies?"
Applejack didn't know what to think about that. "Uh... yeah...?"
"Wow, that's amazing!" Pinkie Pie cried, her face lighting up brightly with a smile. "And you two were probably sent here by some cloaked pony that's actually an alternate version of a pony that used to be dating Twilight, but now he's been taken over by the spirit of a king named-"
"Oh, my gosh, your dress is gorgeous!" yelled the human version of Rarity, interrupting her friend as she walked up to her "pony" counterpart.
"Well, um... thank you, darling," replied the pony-turned-human Rarity. "It does have a certain charm, doesn't it?"
Applejack walked up to her human self, and said, "So... you're supposed to be me?"
"Yep," replied Human Applejack. "And you're actually a pony, like Princess Twilight?"
Applejack nodded her head, but she still felt confused. Why would that evil pony send us here?
"Any luck finding them?" Blossom asked, as she floated by a dumpster in an alley.
"Nah, they got away again," growled Buttercup, crossing her arms.
They saw Bubbles fly towards them, and she looked like she was ready to break down and cry.
"Why can't we have a talking pony?" She cried, her eyes filling up with tears.
Blossom sighed, but she wasn't ready yet to throw in the towel. "I know they're still here, I can feel it... so let's keep looking."
Whoosh!
"Can we get out now?" whispered Sunset, who was using her magic to surround herself in an energy bubble that blocked the dumpster's terrible smell.
Twilight, who was doing the same thing, shook her head. "Not just yet... I can still hear some-"
Bang! "Twilight?"
The purple alicorn gasped in shock, and opened up the dumpster, seeing the pony that had said her name.
"Fluttershy! You're okay!"
"Um... yeah..." replied Fluttershy. "But, uh, where exactly - oof!"
Twilight came out of the dumpster to give her friend a hug, and she sighed happily. "I'm so glad you're safe."
The animal-caring Pegasus smiled, and said, "It's good to see you, too."
"Oh, hey, Fluttershy," greeted Sunset Shimmer, as she also got out of the dumpster. "Long time, no see."
Fluttershy looked at the yellow unicorn, and then, at Twilight. "Um... is she a good pony or a bad pony?"
"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked.
"Well, the last time I saw her as a pony, she was trying to take your crown for her own evil and selfish reasons," replied Fluttershy, but then, she looked at Sunset. "Um... no offense..."
Sunset rolled her eyes, but had a smirk on her face as she replied, "None taken... but it's okay, Fluttershy, I'm in the same problem as you and everypony else."
Fluttershy let out a gasp, and asked, "So, you were turned into stone, too?"
Sunset looked over at Twilight, who explained, "The cloaked pony used his staff to turn Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy into statues, while he just used it on you, me, and Casey to... well, we ended up here, but I have no idea where he could be at."
Before Sunset could ask who "Casey" was, Fluttershy let out a gulp, and said, "Um... I think we might have something else to worry about!"
*gasp* "There's another talking pony! With wings!"
Fluttershy looked over at Twilight, and asked, "Why does she have a voice like yours?"
"Ugh, we don't have the same voice," exclaimed the alicorn princess.
Just then, they heard Buttercup cry out, "All right, enough for all of us! Let's get them quick before they disappear!"
Bubbles squealed with delight. "I still want the purple one!"
When Spike and Cadence came out of the castle, they were surprised to find ponies waiting for them.
"Was she in there?" asked Starlight, looking concerned.
"No, why?" replied Cadence. "Didn't you see her out here?"
Shining Armor shook his head, while Sunburst said, "We haven't seen them ever since they followed Casey inside almost an hour ago."
"Oh, don't worry, everypony..."
As the sky became dark, all of the Crystal Ponies started to look worried, while Starlight asked, "Who said that?"
Then, an explosion appeared in front of the castle's entrance, sending Starlight, Sunburst, Cadence, Shining Armor, Spike, and Flurry Heart back into the city square.
"You'll reunite with them in the afterlife," laughed the hooded pony, who had appeared after the smoke from the explosion had gone away.
Shining Armor frowned, and asked, "What did you do to my sister and her friends?"
The hooded pony replied, "Twilight is gone... as well Casey and the rest of her friends, with five of them now permanently turned into statues."
"Turned into... oh, no," gasped Spike, speaking in a hushed tone. "That means that... Rarity..."
"Now, then, to make this upcoming battle fair..." said the sinister pony, who rose up into the air, and used his silver staff to trap the six of them in a force-field energy bubble.
He then looked at the statue of Spike, surrounded by all of the Crystal Ponies. "That will do just nicely!"
Wham!
The hooded pony shot an energy beam at the statue, which started glowing brightly at a rapid pace, and then, it exploded into a large ball of smoke, which started to expand and cover all of the ponies that were surrounding it.
"NO!" yelled Shining and Cadence, as they helplessly watched everypony become engulfed in the smoke.
Then, once the ball disappeared, the hooded pony landed back on top of the castle steps. "A much-needed improvement."
Cadence was horrified. "Shining... they're all... all..."
"He turned them into ice statues," finished Shining, who was equally terrified.
All of the Crystal Ponies were now completely frozen, from top to bottom, and after the hooded pony made the energy bubble disappear, he said, "Trust me, your Highness, it's better for them this way."
Shining Armor gritted his teeth, and yelled, "Where is my sister?!"
The hooded pony chuckled, and replied, "She's in a better place... you'll never see her again!"
That did it for the ruler of the Crystal Empire, who began charging towards the hooded pony, activating his magic to-
"Oh, I don't think so!"
WHAM!
He shot several energy blasts at all four of Shining Armor's hooves, trapping them in ice so that he couldn't move any further.
"Shining!" yelled Cadence, who was about to run towards her husband when the hooded pony shot a larger energy blast that was heading straight towards her!
"Cadence!" Shining Armor then tried to free his hooves from the ice, but they were stuck to the ground.
However, just when it was about to make contact with the Princess of Love, another energy blast made connection with it, causing a small explosion... with Cadence thankfully unharmed.
"What the hell?" yelled the hooded pony, now becoming angry.
"No one messes with my family," said an angry Starlight, who had removed her "invisible spell", and was now in front of Cadence.
The hooded pony grinned, and said, "Well, well, well... looks like I underestimated the 'pupil' of friendship."
"You sure aren't the second pony to do that," said Starlight, who also had her own magic prepared.
As for Sunburst, he was starting to look at his childhood friend in a whole different way. "Wow..."
Meanwhile
"Wow, these statues are amazing!"
"I know! They even got my sister's hat right!"
After Spike and Cadence had left the room, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had ran as fast as they could into the room before the doors closed.
"Too bad Scootaloo couldn't come," said Rarity's little sister, looking at the statue of Rainbow Dash. "She would've loved seeing this."
Applebloom nodded her head, but then, she started looking around.
"What's wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle.
The little Earth Pony said, "Well, I'm just tryin' to figure out whey they don't got a statue or mural of Twilight... all I see is this here symbol that we're standing on."
Before Sweetie Belle could give her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader an answer, they heard a strange noise.
"What's that rumbling sound?" wondered Applebloom.
Her best friend gave her a shrug, and said, "It probably came from outside."
That is correct.
Applebloom gulped, and asked, "Uh... w-who was that?"
Someone who is kind, young one. But there isn't much time. Your sister needs my help.
She looked at the Applejack statue, and said, "She's in trouble?"
They all are, including Twilight and Casey.
Sweetie Belle gasped, while looking at her sister's statue, and was slowly starting to cry.
I know how you're feeling right now, but I promise that everything will be alright. You two must stay in this room, no matter what, until I return with the others.
Applebloom asked, "What's going on, Mr. Kind Voice?"
As I said, there is not much time that I have here... I must find the others... just promise that you'll both stay here.
The two little ponies looked at each other, and they nodded their heads.
Thank you... but one last thing. Please do not break any part of the statues.
"What would happen if we did?"
Applebloom glared at Sweetie Belle.
"What? I'm not saying that we will, but accidents happen."
I will answer that when I return, young one... just stay in this room, both of you... no matter what.