After MissingNo. left, the six heroes looked to Celestia. Twilight spoke first. “There must be something we can do to help MissingNo.! We should show it that the power of our friendship can do much to help!”
Celestia however, shook her head in hesitation. “MissingNo. seems to know what it’s doing. It took care of the ‘glitch’ that attacked you six while unawares, after all. I don’t know if there is anything we can do to help.”
Applejack stepped forward, and voiced her thoughts. “Pardon my disagreement, Princess, but Ah think the Rainbow Magic just might work on them other ‘glitches’ just fahn. After all, not all ‘o them will be like MissingNo. There’s certain to be some rotten ones.”
Flapping her wings in anticipation, Rainbow voiced her enthusiasm. “YEAH! Just ‘cuz we’ve never seen these things before doesn’t mean that we can’t help! We’ve dealt with threats before! Let’s do this!”
Together, the six heroes went after MissingNo. They found it, but it was facing six glitched creatures at once. The creatures split ways, trying to lose MissingNo. It just shook the upper portion of its body. “They never learn. Double Team!” MissingNo. moved so quickly that it split into six after images that became solid. Each duplicate went after a different glitch. The six heroes saw this, and decided that if they were to help, they would need to split up. They each went their separate ways, but as soon as they crossed the threshold, there was no way back into the clearing.
Applejack found her path looped in strange ways, as if… avoiding something. Sometimes, she would come to dead-ends, and track back along a somehow different path. Eventually, she found herself face-to-face with one of MissingNo.’s duplicates, who had just fired a compressed column of water at the other glitch, destroying it. Once again, the blocks gathered to the duplicate, making it shine white for a split second, before it stopped. Applejack soon found herself rooted to the spot as MissingNo.’s attention was directed at her. “Pah. Mortals. They never listen to those with experience.” It drew closer, looming above her with intimidation. “Tell me, Miss Apple, Bearer of Honesty, do you not understand why I turned away your help?” It paused, contemplating. It then resumed. “Probably not. Listen well. Interaction with glitches are not to be taken lightly. Leave this to the professional.” And, in a flash, Applejack found herself back in the clearing, confused.
Rarity’s path wound up leading her in an impossible spiral, always getting larger and larger, wanting… more. Not to mention that she had to to take quite an effort to keep her coat pristine. After wandering through the spiral for some time, she found one of MissingNo.’s duplicates, after it had used that attack that turned it into a bird of light to defeat a glitch. The blocks converged into MissingNo., threatening to change its shape for a split second before stopping. Rarity found herself unable to comment as MissingNo.’s attention fell to her. “I see the Honest one was not the only one to ignore my warning… Why am I not surprised?” It seemed to be taller, exuding an aura of respect. “Tell me, Miss Belle, Bearer of Generosity, do you think me selfish for taking on the glitches myself? Do you think it greedy of me? If so, you are a fool.” It seemed to sigh in exasperation, then continued. “You don’t understand this kind of Generosity, it seems. You can never understand, for you are mortal. You could not do this, like I can. Leave this to the one that can handle the sacrifice.” In a flash of off-white, Rarity found herself in the clearing again, perplexed.
Fluttershy wandered down a harsh, unforgiving path, wrought with traps. She was timid, sure, but she knew by now that her friends needed her, so she pushed through despite her fear. After an arduous journey, she stumbled upon one of MissingNo.’s duplicates. There was very little evidence to suggest that another glitch had ever been in the area, aside from the unnatural dampness of the area. Fluttershy froze as MissingNo.’s attention turned to her. However, she unfroze quickly. Even so, she had no chance to speak. “So even you come after me….” MissingNo.’s presence felt gentle and calm, comforting even. “Tell me, Miss Shy, Bearer of Kindness, do you think it cruel of me to fight them alone? To leave you and your friends out of this?” Before she could answer, MissingNo. continued. “No, it is an act of Kindness that I want you to stay out of this. Though, I suppose it would be hard for you to understand. I have done this for a long time. Because of that, I know it would be cruel of me to employ your help. So trust my judgement on this.” In a subtle shimmer, Fluttershy found herself back in the clearing, pondering.
Pinkie found herself trudging down a dark and dreary path where scant light illuminated her way. The atmosphere of the area made it hard to keep her usual cheer, but she refused to let it win. After stumbling through the dark for awhile, she found her way to a clearing where light shone down from above. One of MissingNo.’s duplicates was there, facing down a glitch. “Enough of this.” Light gathered around MissingNo.’s form, and afterwards, it let loose with a cry of “SKY ATTACK!” The opposing glitch scattered into pieces upon impact, the whitish blocks coalescing into MissingNo. For a split second, it was consumed in a white glow, but it soon abated. After the skirmish, MissingNo. turned its attention to Pinkie, who only seemed to smile. MissingNo. didn’t seem to care, however, and cut off whatever she was going to say. “Why you came after me, I can only guess. But, you were wrong to do so.” All joy seemed to sap out of Pinkie as MissingNo’s presence came closer. “Tell me, Miss Pie, Bearer of Laughter, do you think this is some kind of game? That I’m hogging all the ‘fun’?” Pinkie stepped backwards as MissingNo. continued. “This is a serious matter, Miss Pie. It’s no joke when all around you fails to work as it should. You should not concern yourself with fighting this threat, when the only truly capable one of doing so is around.” And in an instant, Pinkie was in the clearing again, having serious doubts.
Rainbow was agitated by the path that had come her way. It seemed that whenever she found a promising route, it would soon prove undesirable in some way. What was with that? After some trial and error, she found her way to where one of MissingNo.’s duplicates had defeated another glitch. But, as Rainbow was about to comment on missing out, MissingNo.’s attention focused on her. Rainbow locked up, and dropped from the sky onto a cloud. MissingNo. refused to comment on that. “Let me get straight to the point, Miss Dash, Bearer of Loyalty.” It loomed closer, putting Rainbow on edge. “Tell me, which do you think is more traitorous? Abandoning home, when there is no reason to stay? Or abandoning duty, when you are the only one that can carry it out?” MissingNo.’s nonexistent eyes seemed to glare at her. “You can’t answer. After all, you have never faced such a question. I have. I faced it when I came here, and made my decision. You cannot understand the depths of my conviction.” Rainbow was teleported back to the clearing, still processing what she’d heard.
Twilight walked the long path, covered in cold stone. There were no risks, no tricks, no twists or turns. It never deviated from a straight line. Twilight was appreciative of this, but it still seemed wrong. After her long trek, she found MissingNo. waiting. The glitch he’d defeated was long gone at this point, and MissingNo. gave its undivided attention to Twilight. “So, Miss Sparkle, Bearer of Magic, answer me this:” MissingNo. didn’t move an inch, and this seemed to unnerve Twilight a bit. “Is it worth ignoring the warnings of someone that is only out to protect you if the only thing you gain is the possibility of your connections breaking?” Before she could talk back, MissingNo. cut her off. “If you think it is, then you, Princess of Friendship, have a lot more to learn about what you represent. I may not have friends as you do, but if I did, I would treasure those bonds.” The world dissolved around Twilight, and reformed into the clearing that she and her friends had started in. The girls were all there, all a bit addled. Then MissingNo. teleported onto the scene.
The girls stood together as MissingNo. pieced its doubles back into itself. It then spoke. “I trust you see now why I told you that you couldn’t help?” Most nodded, except for Rainbow. At her stubbornness, MissingNo. replied. “Oh? Miss Dash, you still think that I should let you help? You want to ‘prove yourself', is that it?”
With a huff, Rainbow glared at MissingNo. “I totally could beat up those ‘glitches’! Let me at ‘em!”
MissingNo. seemed to shake the upper portion of its body. “If that is the only way for you to see, then…” It stepped aside, revealing a glitch that MissingNo. hadn’t defeated yet. “... by all means, show me that you can handle it.”
Rainbow shot into the air at high speed to build up, then came down faster, aiming right at the glitch. A cone of air started to form in front of her, as her focus zoned in. I’ll show MissingNo. that we can do this too! They’ll all see! As she was nearing the glitch, she burst through the sound and magic barriers, producing her signature Sonic Rainboom right before she blasted right through it. As she skid to a halt, she puffed out her chest. “See? Nothing to it!” Then, she noticed whitish blocks on the ground. Then, the blocks surged into her, and she doubled over in pain.
“RAINBOW!” her friends shouted in unison as she began to shift. Her wings contorting strangely, and her fur starting to sport whitish pinpricks.
MissingNo. sighed. “I warned you, but you would not listen. Now, I will have to fix this. Fair warning: this will be painful, but it will only last a short while.” MissingNo. started to glow white. At the height of the light, it called out. “CODE: OVERWRITE!” A pillar of green 0s and 1s burst from underneath Rainbow, causing her to scream out. The alterations to her form reversed themselves, and manifested as the whitish blocks from before. The pillar carried the blocks to MissingNo., who then absorbed them. It glowed white for a brief period before it was cut short. It remained the same.
Rainbow’s friends went over to her unconscious body, and looked to MissingNo. Twilight spoke with concern. “Will she be okay?”
MissingNo. seemed to nod. “She will be fine. She is only exhausted. She will wake momentarily.”
Then, another voice spoke. “You have saved them again. Tell us, why did you not shift after battling the glitch?” The voice revealed itself to be Princess Luna. The girls were also curious about this detail.
MissingNo. seemed to look to Rainbow. “It would be best if I wait until all curious parties could hear so I need not repeat myself. Let us go meet your sister. I’m sure she wants to know why, as well.” Luna opened a portal, and everyone filed through, and the portal closed behind them.