"I WANT A LAWYER!" Masque cried out from inside his dungeon cell. "YOU DIDN'T READ ME MY RIGHTS! AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT! NO ONE TOLD ME I HAD THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT!"
"Joe, you do have the right to remain silent." Timberwolf said. "The problem is, you're physically incapable of shutting up!"
"Those copycats took my bracelet." Radiance said. "I don't suppose your powers can help in this situation."
"Not in this instance." Timberwolf said. "I still can't believe those girls have the Golden Apple."
"I'm still a little lost here." Radiance said. "I don't think I've heard of this Golden Apple. Mind giving me a little backstory."
"Okay." Masque said. "I was born at the very young age of..."
"Masque!" Timberwolf interrupted. "And Radiance... Remember Kul'as and the Phantom Blot?"
"That big black crocodile demon that teamed up with the Mane-iac reviving that big black pile of evil goo to try and kill us?" Radiance asked. "Kind of hard to forget that."
"Well, the Golden Apple was the... center of the first time we fought them." Timberwolf continued.
"What?" Radiance asked.
"Yeah." Masque said. "You see, back at the Neatherealm, the first time the Machines met, we were finding a way home only to lead us to the Golden Apple, which Kul'as was planning to use against Equestria, but in the end, we buried it so deep, we thought no one could find it... until now."
"Yeah, the Golden Apple is like this powerful, ancient artifact that's somehow alive." Timberwolf added. "One little scratch, and it almost decimated an entire mountain range."
"And blew a hole in Dusk." Masque added.
"That doesn't need to be said." Timberwolf said.
"But if you hid the Golden Apple in the Neatherealm," Radiance said, "How did it manage to end up here in the hooves of the Peril Ponies?"
"Don't ask me." Timberwolf said. "I'm just the unlucky guy who somehow gets himself in the most embarrassing situations. I do know this though; if the Negahorn is as powerful ask the Matterhorn, and she's evil, and she holds the Golden Apple, then we're in for the worst day ever."
"Of all time." Masque added.
Move ahead up the stairs to many floors above. At the highest tower, the Negahorn looked below at the miserable ponies living their sad lives under her rule. But she didn't pay any attention to that. She levitated the Golden Apple before her eyes. She then looked up to the dark clouds completely covering the sky. The Negahorn chanted silently to herself.
"To the dark spot above
That no one speaks of
Evil
Hear me roar. Hear my cry
As I declare to the sky
EVIIIIIIIL
What do I need to do"
"Uh, Negahorn." a guard called out from the other side of the door. "The Benefactor is here."
"Good." the Negahorn said facing the door. "Send him in."
The door opened, but the figure passing through was not a pony. He looked human, but in unbelievably slim figure was covered by a black cloak, and his movements didn't match up to regular footstep movements. His arms and right eye were made up of electronics.
"Hello again, Negahorn." the man said.
"Hello again... Tartus." the Negahorn returned.
"Dear child," Tartus said, "Is something the matter?"
"You could say that." the Negahorn replied. "As you know, three years ago, you trained me how to use the Golden Apple for my own evil purposes. You then allowed me to use the Golden Apple however I wished... with a few conditions."
"Right." Tartus agreed. "Rule 1 was that you'd never damage the Apple. You could destroy your entire kingdom. Rule 2 was for you to allow me to use the Golden Apple during any of my off-world expeditions, such as that business I had at that human world. And rule 3 was that you notify me if there were any changes to the Golden Apple's power. Wait, has there been a change?"
"Not in the Apple, no." the Negahorn replied. "It appears that one of our counterparts has somehow found their way to this world."
"Really?" Tartus asked. "Which ones?"
"I'm not 100% certain, but my best guess is the Power Ponies and Mighty Machines from Equestria 515."
Tartus' only eye widened. In his thoughts, he growled. "Them? Here? How?" He then spoke out. "Really? How could you tell?"
"Well, they have the same costumes the Peril Ponies and I wore, and the wirewolves looked tame." the Negahorn said. "Also, I felt it... through the Apple."
"I see." Tartus thought to himself. "Seems that she's bonding extremely well with the Apple. Perfect." He then spoke up. "So the same world where... he's from also brought us the heroes. Well, what's the problem? With the Golden Apple, those peons have no chance against you."
"I need your help until they're destroyed." the Negahorn said. "Not in battle, but in keeping focus. I fear that as long as the Masked Matterhorn is still out there, I could get the subconscious desire to..."
"To return to the side of good." Tartus finished with a guess. "I see. Well, I'll start by telling you this...
"You remind me of when I was young
Confused on what to feel
My peers always resented me
Just for my ideals
So I ran when I had the chance
And I have no regrets
Now, here's a bit of advice
That you won't soon forget
You have to embrace the evil
Respect who you are
Who have got to thank
Your lucky, black star
You were chosen to possess this awesome power
So why not use it on your subjects every hour
To obtain freedom and pleasure and joy
You must follow your villainous instinct to destroy
Don't forget our first meeting
When I gave you your gift
The Golden Apple that then chose you
Gave your magic a lift
If you continue to live the past
You won't last the week
Remember your role as the Negahorn
You're neither frail nor meek
It's time you embrace the evil
Become a real scourge
You still have a bit of light
That you have to purge
And with your master plan, everyone will see
No one will ever stand against your villainy
It's your job to be heartless and wicked and cold
And it's all because of your power of glimmering gold
Heed these words of wisdom, child
Life is far too short
The Golden Apple is in your hooves
Take no one else's support
Use the power in your possession
Make sure evil will win
Go on. Love it. Take it
BECOME A LIVING SIIIIIIIIIN"
"NOW, WE WILL EMBRACE THE EVIL" both sang,
"NOTHING HOLDING US BACK"
"YEAH, MY HEART IS ROTTEN" the Negahorn sang.
"AND HEINOUS... AND BLACK" Tartus sang,
"YOU'VE SPENT YOUR LIFE BEING TOLD ON WHAT TO DO
AND NOW, YOU'RE FREE! THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON YOU
TO TRULY GET ALL WORLDS UNDER YOUR WILL
THEN YOU MUST CUT ALL YOUR LOOSE ENDS
AND DON'T WASTE TIME ON MAKING FRIENDS
EMBRACE THE ONLY THING THAT MATTEEEEEEEEERS
EEEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL"
"Thank you, Tartus." the Negahorn said. "By the end of it all, my 'better' half will see it my way."
While most of the heroes were training with the resistance troopers, the Shadow Blot met up with Blunder watching it.
"It's good to be proud of my friends again," Blunder sighed with a smile, "Even if they're not from here."
"May I ask you something?" the Shadow Blot asked. "You say nothing that happened to us happened to you, but the Negahorn identified us as wirewolves. How did she know what we're called?"
"Believe it or not, you're not the first wirewolves she's met. Back before I left to form the resistance, we had a few intruders in Peril Tower. It was a different wirewolf and a couple of his friends."
"A different wirewolf?" Ricky asked. "What were they doing here?"
"An accident, by my guess, like you." Blunder replied. "They broke into the Negahorn's lab and used her equipment to repair their broken world-traveling device. They were almost caught, but they disappeared."
"Where did they go?"
"Don't know. They haven't been heard from again, but after learning of their traveling, the Negahorn discovered the multiple worlds and began preparing for anything, especially good counterparts of her. Still, those off-worlders, they must have been pretty brave or stupid to go off against the Peril Ponies, the Malicious Machines, and even the Negahorn."
"Wait, what?" the Shadow Blot asked. "Malicious Machines?"
"Oh, did I forget to tell you about that?" Blunder asked. "I feel silly. Well... they're sort of... your counterparts. On this world, you and the others were born hundreds of years later. When the Negahorn took over, she gathered up our Ricky and others to change them into wirewolves called Shifter, Blight, Bruticus, Torch, Direoak, and Phantom Blot. They've become cold, heartless monsters that are under Wrath's, quote/unquote, 'care'."
"Great, another creep calling himself Phantom Blot." the Shadow Blot groaned. Blunder looked confused. "Oh, back where I'm from, we fought a mad scientist's experiment called the Phantom Blot, but instead of a wirewolf, he turned out to turn into a big, monstrous blob. But I digress. Is there anything else we should know?"
"Yeah." Blunder said. "You see, each of the Peril Ponies have a responsibility in their new world order. Wrath tends to the Malicious Machines and savage wildlife, Glamour is in charge of castle security to match her decorative skills, Ms. Fortune is the team treasurer for taxes and stuff, Boom runs the military, Vile-Osity uses her Dark Pinkie Sense to predict upcoming troubles, and the Negahorn's the leader, brains, and head of the science-and-magic department. I think that bit of information should help."
"Hopefully." Ricky said. "Hopefully."
Meanwhile, at the other end of the camp, the Masked Matterhorn looked out into the dark abyss before her. Hum Drum stood by her side. Her sigh echoed through.
"What's on your mind, child?" a familiar voice asked. The Masked Matterhorn and Hum Drum turned, but wasn't surprised to see the Doctor there.
"Doctor." the Matterhorn said. "Didn't think you'd be here."
"Why are you here anyway?" Hum Drum asked
"At an interdimensional anomaly?" the Doctor asked. "I'm mysterious, not lazy. Now, what's the matter?"
"It's just..." the Masked Matterhorn said. "Well, I might as well say it since you know anyway. I'm worried. Three of my friends are locked up in the HQ of who turned out to be our evil counterparts. Every time I think about the Negahorn, I keep picturing her as the old her, which is the present me. It makes me wonder, if she went evil, could it be possible that..."
"Whoa, Twilight, don't think like that." Hum Drum said. "You're nothing like her, except for your looks. Look, this Twilight supposedly became evil a few years ago when she started doubting if her hero-stuff paid off. Well, a few years ago, you didn't think that at all."
"I know, buddy." the Matterhorn said. "But how can I know for sure." Then, she had an idea that suddenly changed her tone. "Doctor, maybe you can help!'
"Me?" the Doctor asked. "What can I do?"
"What can't you do?" the Matterhorn replied. "Look, I know there are rules that say you can't tell me much about the future, but I need to know. Will I be evil?"
"Twilight..." the Doctor said nervously.
"Just tell me." the Matterhorn said. "I can take it. I just need to be sure."
"Twilight, I can't tell you that."
"Why not?" the Matterhorn asked. "It's just one thing. After that, I'll never ask again. It's a simple yes-or-no question. Will I be the same?"
"I can't tell you." the Doctor repeated.
"Why?" the Masked Matterhorn asked. "Why can't you tell me?"
"Because I don't know!" the Doctor admitted.
"W... What?" the Masked Matterhorn asked in shock. She shared her surprise with her sidekick. "What did you just say?"
"I don't know what'll happen." the Doctor repeated. "I haven't been sure of anything for a while."
"But... you're the Doctor." Hum Drum said. "You're the living embodiment of time. How can you not know something about the future?"
"Matterhorn, the other day," the Doctor said, "You asked me if your reforming spell would work, and I said I couldn't tell you. That was because I didn't know what would happen. In fact, you weren't supposed to make that spell."
"What do you mean?" the Masked Matterhorn asked.
"According to history, at this moment, you're supposed to be patrolling the skies of your Equestria with Zapp. During the time you were making your reformation spell, you were supposed to keep the Sisterhood of Evil from even finding their bomb. For the past few years, there were things that I couldn't grasp. It started out with just this world, so I put it on the back-burner until I got done with some more of my business, but it just got worse. A short while ago, at an Equestrian human world, there was a similar force that made me blind to the details of the situation from dimensions away. The result remained the same, but still..."
"What about your future selves?" the Matterhorn asked. "Sometimes, we run into them. Why don't you just ask them?"
"I tried." the Doctor said. "But for some reason, I can't summon them, nor can I send any to your period. You are talking to your present Doctor, who knows just as much as you do."
"Wait, you said it started with this world." Hum Drum said. "What happened on this world?"
"The Peril Ponies, that's what." the Doctor said. "A few years ago, they went rogue and claimed this world in the name of evil. That would be acceptable if this world was located on the exact other side of the Multiverse where all the worlds there are reversed from this side, but it's not. In fact, this world is adjacent to yours. It couldn't possibly have turned evil. I put it on my to-do list because I thought it wouldn't cause any interdimensional side effects, but it turned worse. So now, I'm trying to find the cause."
"What guesses do you have?" the Masked Matterhorn asked.
"Unless there's a Unique that's causing this, I haven't the faintest?"
"A what?" Hum Drum asked.
"A Unique." the Doctor said. "A one-of-a-kind form of matter. See, across the Multiverse, there are counterparts for anything, but there are some exceptions to that rule. It can be a person, a place, or an object, but it's the only one version of it in all of Creation. If there's more than one version, I can easily track it down by comparing it to its counterpart, but if it's a Unique without a counterpart for me to compare, well, I might as well be blind."
"What about Grogar?" the Masked Matterhorn asked. "How come you could see him coming?"
"Because he has a counterpart as well." the Doctor said. "Don't panic. He's the result of another world that's... not really saving my dignity to talk about. Anyway, he's ten-times weaker than the one you fought on Tambelon and he's completely unaware of the multiple universes. The point is, there must be something one-of-a-kind to this world that's the cause of all this. But I just can't figure out what it is. And I can't find the Unique causing all these anomalies while tending to my other duties. I need you and your friends to find it and fix this whole mess."
"You can count on us." the Masked Matterhorn said. "If there is a Unique to this world, I'll find it."
"Thank you." the Doctor said. "And do hurry. I can't be much help to you when even I can't tell." And with that, he vanished without a trace.
"He doesn't help much at all." Hum Drum said.
"Come on, Hum Drum." the Masked Matterhorn said. "We've got planning to do."