>>There are so many debates out there about various things; one side declares the contended thing is the worst evil while the other thinks it is the best thing ever. Dinosaurs, for instance, to use a mundane example. The most savage and dangerous creatures ever to walk Equis or the coolest and most majestic?
Compassion. A horrible weakness that lets you be taken advantage of, or a virtue of the saints?
Emotions. Terrible things that just make life worse every time, or the essence of life itself.
Logic. The death of life and nature, or the path by which everything should be done.
Change. Always the end of the world, or always the savior of the world.
Technology. A corruption of ideas and youth everywhere, or the goal of all civilization.
In truth, the debates are pointless. Such things are neutral, as are most things. Good things may be used for evil ends, and horrid things can be used for saintly ends. At least, that's how things are perceived.
The debates imply that there is an answer to the 'good or evil' question. This is why they are foolish.<<
~~~
The nine mares appeared in an infinite expanse of whiteness, the only visible thing being the nine of them. Even the 'ground' they were standing on was invisible to their senses.
"...Where are we?" the Inspector asked.
"Inside the Starshell," Starlight answered, stamping her hoof on the ground. A mirror appeared in front of her, reflecting back her smirking face. She rubbed her hoof over the mirror, turning it into a display of the Starshell's internal systems. "The Starshell converted us into magic energies and has stored us within its central processor. We can control everything about it from here. I can turn it invisible, teleport, fire weapons, talk..."
"How can we see what we're doing?" Twilight asked.
Starlight tapped the screen, producing several more mirrors that became screens. She tapped them a few times and the white expanse vanished. They were standing in the lab a few feet off the ground and appeared to be bobbing up and down slowly.
Applejack shuddered. "That ain't right..."
Twilight waved at Foci. He didn't respond.
"He can't see you - he sees the Starshell," Starlight said. "All of what you see is just a projected image. But you can talk to him if I turn on the speaker..." She pressed one of the screens. "Go for it."
"Hi Foci!" Pinkie yelled.
"Message received," Foci droned.
"Foci, remember to activate the magic batteries while I'm gone. I don't want the enchantments for the secret to go down."
"Affirmative."
"Alright... Girls, I'd say hold on, but there's not any inertia in here so... you might feel nauseous."
Fluttershy nodded. "Got it."
"So..." Starlight said, pressing a few more buttons. "Canterlot?"
"Yes."
"You sure this can get us in?" the Inspector asked.
"Nopony expects to deal with magic and technology at the same time. Even if they see us, they won't know how to deal with us," Starlight assured them. She pressed another screen, executing a teleport to the big blue doors that led in - and today, out - of the secret. With another button press, the Starshell used a blue-pink telekinetic burst to throw the doors open.
"That's... an interesting aura. Nopony's is striped," Twilight noted. "Is that a side effect of being artificial?"
"Yeah," Starlight confirmed. "It was based off my telekinesis, but it seemed to latch onto more than just my standard color. I'm still not entirely sure why, but I think it has to do with pony color theory..."
"My gosh," Rainbow Dash said. "Twi, Flutters was right, you would make a good tinker."
Fluttershy smirked coyly. "Imagine that."
"Well... Say goodbye," Starlight said. "We're going before they start asking too many questions."
Minuette was already staring behind them - at the vibrant grass, the fake sun, the many unique houses... "I'm going to miss this place."
"...Do you want to stay?" Twilight asked.
"If you do, there'll be no hard feelings," Fluttershy added.
Minuette looked long and hard at the scenery - then she looked at Pinkie, Rarity, and all the others. "No... No, I'll stay. We... I'm with you damn idiots more than I am with this place."
Starlight smiled sadly. "Well... then. Launching." She tapped a button - and they were moving. The Starshell shot out into the chasm, slamming the blue doors shut behind it. The mares saw the tunnels rush past them - and they slowly realized that forwards had become upwards and backwards had become downwards.
"Oooooh my..." Applejack said, reeling. "That's not right..."
"Nope!" Starlight said, laughing like a filly in a candy store. She was flying - not floating, flying.
The chasm was behind them rather quickly. They shot into the sky of the real world, the sun beating down on them. Starlight quickly activated the Starshell's invisibility, ensuring nothing was seen. They sped northwestward, the ground whipping past them. They could hear the intense winds around them, but not feel them.
Rainbow Dash laughed. "I'm flying! Flying! Bucking flying! Screw you wheelchair! Ha! Ha!" Tear of joy filled her eyes.
Pinkie giggled. "This is so fun!"
Applejack gagged, hurling and retching from vertigo - but nothing came out. "The... Urp... Wha?"
Starlight laughed. "Your body isn't real in here! You can't throw up. You don't even have a physical stomach right now."
"I'm gettin' more and more convinced technology is a bad idea! That's messed up!"
"So? Keeps you from barfing." Starlight shrugged, turning away from the controls.
Rainbow Dash gawked. "Hey? What're you doing! You need to fly this thing!"
"Autopilot. It'll fly itself while we get closer to Canterlot." She levitated herself into the air, reclining. "Time to enjoy the view."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "The view... is... SO AWESOME."
Pinkie grinned. "That's exactly what it is, Dashie!"
The Starshell flew across Equestria...
~~~
Minuette stared behind them at the steppe receding over the horizon, giving way to sparse forests and dull grass. She blinked, clenching her jaw and letting out a long, slow breath.
"Minuette?"
Minuette sighed. "What?"
Rarity frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"No you aren't. You've been staring out the back for the last hour," Rarity said. "You miss it that bad already?"
"I... Yes."
Rarity put a hoof on Minuette's shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll still be there when we're done."
"But will we?" Minuette asked. "We're flying right into a warzone, attempting to get into a tow- city that has been cut off for weeks. We've already been lucky far too many times..."
Rarity sighed. "I know... I'm worried about that too. There's been all this talk of war, and yet we've never really been in the midst of it. It's hard to imagine."
"We were there when it started."
Rarity bit her lip. "I... The camp..."
"We were the only survivors. Three out of several dozen. You run the odds."
"If I've learned anything in my life it's that you have to screw the odds." The two turned to see Starlight walking up to them.
Minuette raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said this was a bad idea?"
"Oh, it is," Starlight confirmed. "But we're doing it anyway, so it's best we tell the odds to go buck themselves."
Rainbow Dash laughed. She quickly stifled it, looking directly into Starlight's eyes. She turned away quickly.
Minuette shrugged. "So, just forget we're going through a warzone?"
"Goodness no!" Rarity shook her head. "It won't be easy. But Starlight's right - we need to defy the odds... So we can go home."
Minuette nodded, hugging Rarity. She turned to Starlight after the embrace ended. "So you really think you can get us to their world?"
"Given enough time, I'm sure," Starlight affirmed.
Minuette nodded. "I'd like to see it."
"You'll be welcomed," Rarity assured.
"And I can throw a welcoming party!" Pinkie yelled, pulling out her party cannon and firing.
"Pinkie!" Starlight yelled. "Stop using your powers in here, you might break something!"
"Sorry..." Pinkie said, shrinking visibly.
"We're passing near Nova," the Inspector said, pointing to the east. The mares rushed to the 'right' side of the virtual space, setting their eyes on the Equestrian Stronghold. It was a tall, blackened mountain riddled with artificial caverns. An impressive orange-gold palace sat on top with a gigantic orb of fire resting atop it, sending its fiery energy through the mountain. Concrete conglomerate ships circled the mountain at a fair distance, firing their weapons at the palace, few hitting the mark. Those that did usually found the intense heat of Nova's orb to be far too powerful - bullets melted, missiles exploded far too soon, and lasers were simply absorbed.
Every few seconds the orb would fire out an intense beam of fiery energy, melting any ship it hit - but the ships were fast, splitting up into smaller drones to minimize damage and sometimes dodging the attack entirely. The base of the mountain was a different sight - no powerful star-like object here to trade fire with large ships. Instead, there were ponies - hundreds of ponies of all kinds, including crystal ones and armored Concretes. Magic and bullets flew, hitting barricades continually but making few kills. More Concrete ships flew in - and the group saw a legion of crystal ponies flying in from the north the instant the Concrete enforcements arrived.
Minuette shook her head. "That's a bad standstill."
"At least we know Sunset's still alive and scorching them," Twilight observed.
Rarity spoke up. "Even if we stop the Nightmare Fuel from coming back, what if the war is lost?"
"We'll live in Starlight's secret knowing it could be worse," the Inspector said. "A lot worse."
"Ah'm not sure..." Applejack said. "World of Nightmare or world of Concrete...?"
"Bit of a coin toss," Rainbow Dash said.
"The difference is we can do something about the Nightmare Fuel," Fluttershy said.
"...Not sure you can," Starlight said.
"Well, it's time to prove that bucking brain of yours wrong!" Rainbow Dash announced.
"Yeah!" Applejack smirked. "We'll show you and everypony else."
Starlight shrugged. "I look forward to that." She walked back to the controls. Fluttershy followed her.
"Starlight, we should be on the same page here."
"I'm helping aren't I?"
"Yes. And for that, I am eternally grateful. But you're being antagonistic."
"Perhaps that's good for you. All of you are an idealist of some kind or other. Another viewpoint won't kill you."
"In a time of crisis it might endanger us," Fluttershy pointed out.
"Oh, well, yes, I'm not going to start spouting 'actually we shouldn't be doing this' in the middle of threatening danger. I'm not an idiot."
"I know you aren't. You might have discovered something we never considered. But nopony's perfect."
Starlight glanced over at Twilight. Starlight sighed, feeling her horn burn. "No. I suppose not."
"Just be aware of yourself. You're right - another viewpoint is good. I only ask you be aware of the possible consequences and implications."
"Okay," Starlight said - then laughed. "You deserve every bit of your reputation."
Fluttershy shrugged. "There is a reason it exists."
The Starshell continued flying towards the distant Canterlot.
~~~
Twilight was alone, still flying through the air at high speeds. She blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings. What? How was she alone? Did everypony leave the Starshell? Did something go wrong? She found herself thinking trusting technology was a bad idea...
"I'm surprised you did it in the first place."
The voice was male. It carried with it an air of calculation, curiosity, and malice. Twilight recognized it - she had heard it in Zecora's memories.
"A...A-Anubis?" She said, slowly turning around. Behind her was a normal looking zebra. He was of average height, build, and the stripes on him were somehow more basic than any others she had ever seen. The only unusual thing about him was that his irises were a pure black.
"Oh my, you're terrified. Shaking in your hooves. Unfitting for a princess, I must say."
"W-what have you done with my friends!?"
"Me? Nothing. Yet. I could though, easily. If Zecora could destroy Rainbow's entire life, oh, what could I do? But you know the answer to that question. You saw into her mind..." The image outside the Starshell began to fade into blackness, leaving nothing but Twilight, Anubis, and the mirror screens floating ominously. "I can control darkness itself..." He flashed green, changing his appearance to that of Fluttershy. "I can change my face..."
Twilight recoiled, taking several steps back - it even sounded like her.
"Why are you so scared of me? I'm just a memory to you. A mysterious force you never met. A distant threat you may never see."
"Y-you want to bring darkness!"
"As it should be! The Nightmare Fuel will be freed and the shadow's blessing will cover the world with beauty!" Images began to appear in the darkness around him - demonic creatures composed of blood, teeth, and darkness, pulsating in unusual ways. They roared, beat each other to shreds, and covered Twilight with a spray of blood and inky blackness.
"You've been to the jungle," Anubis said. It wasn't a question.
Twilight answered anyway. "Y-yes."
"So unique isn't it?" Anubis - still looking exactly like Fluttershy - leaned in. "Such variety in the new life!"
"I... it's not! It's horrible! your kind die fro-"
"Death is just another part of nature, princess. A way to bring forth the new, to continue in this thing that is the universe..." he paused. "...Or universes."
"No! You stay away from them!" Twilight raged.
"I see I've struck a nerve. How fascinating - how particular. You care more about a world that you've never seen than your own..."
"They're better than us! I've seen it!"
"And they'll be easier to fool. A world of naive children. All I'd have to do is say I'm their friend and they'd accept me - or anyone - with open hooves. And then I'd kill them all."
Twilight spread her wings aggressively. "No."
"No?" He spread his butter-yellow wings. "I think you don't understand something here." Shadowy vines grabbed Twilight's six limbs, driving thorns into her flesh. She screamed out, blood flying. "H... How? We... We're in..."
"Because I'm a nightmare." He became completely black - rippling as if he were a liquid kept in the shape of a pony. he rushed her, hooves outstretched.
The moon appeared in the inky blackness, blasting Anubis into nothingness with a silvery light. The blackness and the vines vanished, the image of the rapidly moving outside reappearing.
Twilight sat down, breathing heavily.
"What was that?"
Twilight looked up - the face of the Princess of the Night staring her down. Her dark face was stern, shrouded by her ever-flowing starry mane. Her wings were spread wide, and the dream rippled around her.
"Dream..." Twilight shook her head. "That was Anubis, an enemy of Equestria and the world. He must have found me through the memories of him somehow..."
"There was no invading presence Twilight. The dream was all yours."
"Oh..." Twilight frowned. "He's still a threat. He wants to unleash the Nightmare Fuel on the world by destroying something called the Tree of Harmony."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "I see."
"We're coming to Canterlot to tell you and Celestia all we know. We're bringing the two Celestia foretold with us."
Luna nodded slowly. "How are you planning on getting past the warzone?"
Twilight gestured around at the dream. "Magic invisible ship." She smiled sheepishly.
"Unorthodox, but understandably necessary given the circumstances. We shall await your coming."
"Thank you."
"You will have a lot of explaining to do."
Twilight gulped. "I know."
She woke up with a start - it was night, but she was still in the Starshell, and everypony was awake. She gasped, - she could see both of them.
The Concretion and Canterlot, the latter a little closer to them. The graceful white pillars of the pony city contrasted heavily with the blocky gray shapes that made up the Concretion. But the contrast could not be appreciated, for in the darkness of night the explosive violence drew all the attention. Hundreds of rapidly rotating magic shields protected Canterlot, sliding apart to allow bolts of magic energy to fly out from one of many towers, presumably cast by one of several archmages. Trenches, walls, and camps surrounded Canterlot - a mixture of Equestrian, Crystal Empire, and Concretion forces. The colors of magic, lasers, blades, and missiles were beautiful in a way, at least from this distance where the blood and death couldn't be seen.
The Concretion itself surged for a moment - a rocket the size of a barn blasted out of an underground chamber, its course directed towards Canterlot. It was flanked by dozens of smaller drones, all protecting it from any and all magical fire. It neared the capital of Equestria, ready for impact, when something - it was impossible to see what - got through the defenses. The missile exploded, brightening the world with such intense power that it seemed to be midday. A tremendous shockwave interrupted all the fighting on the surface for a moment and made a few of Canterlot's buildings crumble. The sun that the missile had created burned for many seconds, revealing the the color of the ground - red with the blood of the fallen, both old and new.
Sirens began to scream warnings inside the Starshell.
"Mother of Cadenza..." Starlight said, taking a step back. "Th-that's an absurd amount of radiation."
"They see us!" Fluttershy yelled, pointing to two large Concrete ships coming their way.
Starlight took in a deep breath, putting her hooves on the screens. "Time for the ultimate test. Invisibility, check. Time to teleport on the fly..." She teleported far to the left, dodging the entire volley of lasers coming their way. The Starshell sped towards Canterlot, teleporting every few seconds, the rapid movement throwing off the Concrete's sensors and Canterlot's mages. Neither of them could establish a lock. Missiles, magic, and lasers flew, lighting up the air around them.
"Wow, this is kidna cool..." Twilight said.
"Great flying Starlight!" Rainbow Dash whooped.
"I've been hit by chance shots seventeen times," Starlight said, eyes darting out rapidly. "Shields are at 33%."
"We'd be dead if they could see us..." Applejack said.
"We're dead anyway," Minuette said. "Both sides are shooting at us. They feel like something's up."
"Soon it'll be only one!" Starlight yelled suddenly, performing another teleport. They appeared on the other side of the Canterlot shields. The lights of gunfire around them died off, leaving only magic bolts to attack them, and only those firing from inside Canterlot at that.
Rarity's breathing only increased in rapidity - now they were in Canterlot. Canterlot. "It... Looks like ours..." Canterlot was indeed similar to the city she knew - tall graceful towers, ornate designs that curled around the mountain, and dozens of levels filled with intricate architecture. Many buildings were cracked, half-collapsed, or just piles of rubble. Ponies - almost all unicorns - were sparse, most presumably hiding. Those that could be seen were pained, stumbling, or just sitting in the streets looking forlorn. There were a couple bonfires, places where a dozen or so ponies gathered together, terrified.
It was a horrible nightmare for Rarity and Pinkie to see - for they saw a place they knew well overlapped with this destruction, a painful reminder of the home they could not return to, and the world they were stuck in.
Twilight and the Inspector held each other tight - if there were any who were worse at the sight it was the two who had grown up here, who remembered what it had once been. And who had dreams of what it could be. Twilight started crying.
"Where am I going?" Starlight asked, having moved the Starshell behind one of the remaining towers out of range of the archmages.
"Canterlot gardens," Twilight managed. "The statue section."
Starlight moved the Starshell out and down, passing dozens of still intact homes. Ponies looked up, scared, when they felt the rush of air - but saw nothing.
The Inspector frowned as they passed the many homes. She noticed dozens of bedridden, sick ponies. "Why are there so many sick?"
"Radiation poisoning," Starlight said. "It's brutal."
Any further conversation was cut off by a burst of white light - a bright white alicorn with a flowing blue, pink, and green mane stood before them, face betraying intense rage.
"HOLY SHIT!" Starlight yelled, pulling up - only for a beam of holy solar energy to hit the Starshell dead on "There go our shields!" She performed an evasive teleport, but Celestia was waiting for them. She lit her horn, sending a miniature sun at them. Starlight managed to dodge, but a secondary spell managed to hit. "Cloak down! That was a dispel!"
"Get Twilight out there!" Fluttershy yelled.
"Doing so!"
Twilight felt herself ripped from the virtual plane, appearing on top of the Starshell with a flash of orange. It was much different in the real world - she could feel gravity sideways, the intense wind, and the impressive forces pushing on her from the Starshell's sharp turn. But she forced herself to stand through this, raising a shield, deflecting Celestia's next attack.
Celestia gasped. "T-Twilight?"
"Yes! We need to talk!"
"Why in Tartarus are you in an invisible... teleporting..."
"Long story! Just-"
Then Luna appeared, lighting her horn. Everyone was teleported to some hall deep within the castle. The Starshell was unable to stop moving, so it embedded itself in a nearby wall, tossing Twilight to the ground, spraining her wing. "Ow..."
The Starshell stuck out its cylinder again, depositing the other eight mares in another flash of orange. They ran to Twilight, concerned.
"I'm fine... Just sprained..." She stretched out her wing, wincing.
"That was less than... ideal," Luna said, shooting at telling glance at Celestia. "But we are here now."
Fluttershy nodded and bowed. "Indeed we are, my princess. We come bringing terrible news. A zebra by the name of Anubis wishes to set the Nightmare Fuel free on the world again."
A haunted look crossed Celestia's features. "No..."