//------------------------------// // 1: Magical Mystery Cure // Story: Mirrorgate MG1 // by RDDash //------------------------------// "Um, okay, is there something you want?" Twilight met Discord on the first floor of the library. "Twilight I was stopping by to meet the pony who was so kind enough to clear my criminal record, so I wanted to return the favor." "I don't know about kindness but think of it like this, the new department equals the new codes. I am not sure if you want to find out what will happen when you cross the line." "Uh, well, anyway here is the gift from me to you," Discord gave Twilight a book. "What is it?" Twilight took the book and looked at it. Talent Mark Swapper 6000, written and directed by Starssvirl the Bearded." The hay is this Discord I know every single book that he wrote, and this one, not it." "Well, that's because it's never got published." Discord didn't even raise a brow. "Of course it isn't, well alright I guess I'll take it." Twilight felt like she doesn't have another choice but to take it, besides it seemed to be interesting to read. "Well, wonderful, I am glad you agree." Discord did have a wide happy smile on his face. "Right, well, I would love to stay and chat, but I have places to be." "Huh, what do you do then?" Twilight had been flipping through the book, she waited, never received an answer she then put the book back on the table. "Huh, I guess I am just talking to myself here." She then returned to her desk and continued her day as usual "Oh what the hey, it's going to be one of those boring days once again." She then slowly pulled the book closer to her and started reading. The grand theory behind the Talent Marks is quite unknown, but it's generally accepted that when the pony reaches a certain age he or she would go through a certain ritual where they would choose a specialty that they will carry with themselves for the rest of their mortal lives. To change it it's quite difficult, so it is advised, that the ponies would think long and hard before they would make the final decision. Despite the popular belief, the Talent Marks does not dictate our lives. Ponies do not become handicapped because of it, they are simply performing their best at what they do... Twilight looked at the back cover "Published in the Crystal Empire. Whats the heck is Crystal Empire? Wait, it couldn't be the same Empire I keep hearing about. That old coot, he told me this book wasn't published. I suppose I can't really stay with him because it isn't technically have been published in the known Equestria. Now, what do we have here? Hidden digital environment matrix that is programmed to take users and simulate accordingly. I've spent way too many hours dealing with Spike Live out your own adventure in a simulated environment traps. You have to be a complete idiot to not be aware of it when you buy them. It basically printed on the books, which is required by regulations." This was too easy, Twilight speculated that Discord wasn't so stupid if he thought that I wouldn't fall for it, or perhaps he was genuine. Those digital environment simulators were as much as a controversial topic as love potions, which Twilight shrugged were equivalent to spiked drinks, aka date rape drugs. They were kind of illegal and yet had been taught in the magic schools. Twilight studied activation matrix, "According to this it originally had been designed to work with at least two ponies, however, it had been modified to accept six preset users, and they are Me, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. She looked at six talent mark that had been hardcoded in the code. Well, it's a good thing I caught this then, who knows what could have happened?" Twilight then put the book back on the table and went to the kitchen. "Hm, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to play the game. Hey, Pinkie?" "You called, Boss?" Pinkie popped her hoof from the sink, and then pulled the lever with cold water on it. After that, she herself exited the pipe like she was made from water. "First, don't do that again, we have doors for that, also I don't need to tell you how creepy this is. Secondly, please tell the girls that we are going to play a little game." "But it's fun to break the rules, you should do it more often." "Not the laws of physics, we never do break laws of physics!" "But we do break them all the time, with magic." "Pinkie! Magic is the field of science, based on the scientific principles! Anyway, you've got the message?" "Yeah, sure thing Twilight. You got a new book, and you want to test it out the digital environment simulator that came with it." "Good! I then, let's see give you a ten-minute warning, and then, well you know whats going to happen next." "Yeppers! I already read the script!" with that Pinkie saluted and went to the restroom and flushed herself through the toilet. "Give Gummy my regards!" Twilight was secretly had been terrified of the forty hoofs long alligator that's been living under Ponivile sewers. She then went back to her study room. The truth was the matrix had been already activated, the very moment she opened the book for the first time, and the only thing she could do is to delay the explosion. Meanwhile in the Rainbow's house Lightning Dust had been visiting for a weekend... "You are sure you want to just give this to a kid?" She gestured at the fifty cal rifle, "Where did you get it anyway?" "Yep! Have been planning for this for a long time." Rainbow had been sitting on the sofa. "This specific model had been looted from one of my adventures, and after that, it wasn't that difficult to scan it into ships armory, and therefore the ammunition supply isn't really an issue here." "You mean you found this weapon from the same reality that you found me. " Lightning closed her eyes and then opened them again. "Have you finally lost your mind, mother?" Rainbow nodded, "I must have been, because from what I remember you and Scootaloo are both adopted, and yet I can't help but think about both of you as my own." "And I've been grateful to you ever since you freed me from that facility, you know you don't need to remind me of that." "Hi, Dashie, Hi, Fallout Princess Celestia," Pinkie Pie jumped out from the wardrobe. "Dashie, did you know that you have weapons stashed in the wardrobe?" Lightning Dash winced "I've told you to not call me by that name. Wait you stashed your weapons where?" "Well where else you are supposed to put them, It's called WARdrobe, duh. Anyway, Pinkie Pie what brings you here?" "Oh right, Twilight wanted to inform all six of us that she wants to play a game of Swap the Talent Mark." "I assume that's a codeword for we are all bucked? Who gave her that spell Princess Elector Celestia?" "Nope, Discord did." Now it was Rainbows turn to wince "What is he playing? Is he about to give her wings?" "Wings?" Lightning was confused "I am afraid I don't understand?" "One of the realities that I've seen have Twilight Sparkle becoming an alicorn princess." Lightning Dash blinked, "Ascended alicorns, but that's impossible! I know so because we tried and failed to do so." "Failure is a very funny word that been used to describe what we both witnessed, Goddess and her children, or what left of them after Goddess died. You know that they would never fully be accepted by the residents of that reality." "Rainbow, Whats going to happen now?" "Right now six of us are going to get our Talent Marks swapped. So I suggest you enjoy the show, we do have ten seconds left to the disaster." Rainbow pulled the display for everyone to see that it started the countdown process. After the countdown finished Ponyvile had been enveloped in the white light. All six of them lost conscious at the same time, and then woke up at the Ponyvile Library. Applejack was first "All of us remember what happened?" "Yep, it was a doozy, it's like all of us had been reborn and then we relived our lives from the different point of view!" Pinkie Pie had been jumping around the library. And then Twilight managed to reset the whole world back as it should be." "Wait, where is Twilight?" Fluttershy woke up from her sleep. "She should be outside, come on let's go find her." All of them exited the library and just waited for several minutes. Then there was another smaller flash and with that Twilight appeared in existence, she hovered for a second and then fell on the ground. Rainbow slowly trotted to her, "Are you going to be okay, egghead?" "Don't call me egghead, featherbrain, and yes I am fine just give me a minute, I think I have a headache. I will never do this again, not in this reality, not in any other reality." "Yep, that's our Twilight who we know and love!" "I hate the mushy stuff, so for your own sake I suggest you quit that before I am forced to kick your flunk." "Please, stop kidding yourself, you will never achieve my greatness!" Rainbow Dash nudged Twilight and helped her up. "So, you are the alicorn princess now, congratulations Twilight." "Thanks, Fluttershy, I just don't think it's a good thing. It's going to be a huge pain from now on." "Eh, it could have been much worse!" Rainbow Dash stated bluntly. "Worse how is it could possibly be any worse?" Applejack had been standing nearby. "Twilight didn't become an alicorn princess, which resulted in the butterfly paradox. Which then resulted in all-out Balefire War with Zebrica, and then many ponies and zebras lost their lives, that was the first corrupted reality. The second corrupted reality involved us fighting in a Dragon Changeling War which also resulted in Balefire War, and all of us died horrible deaths. Should I continue?" "No Pinkie, there is no need to do so. I think I got the picture." "What now?" "I don't know Rarity, but I promise you that we all are going to survive it." Next morning in Canterlot. Twilight was about to be officially recognized as the Princess of Diplomacy, and with that receive another title to already growing titles. As of today, she had become an Ambassador Princess Elector of the Equestrian Kingdoms & MajorTwilight Sparkle Commanding Officer of The 42nd Clone Rosa Dämonen Company of the Imperium of Ponies. "Congratulations Twilight, we are so happy for you." Moondancer had been standing with Twilight on the balcony of the Canterlot Castle. "I afraid you are just done it and outpaced us into dust." "Well, it's not my fault, if you absolutely had to then blame that Chimera, it was all his fault anyway." Moondancer sighted, "Well, shall we?" "We shall, it's good to be a princess." Meanwhile, in the throne room, Princess Elector Luna have been observing today's events. In front of her had been present the new Captain Blood Bite of the Royal Guard. "Any news from the North?" "Actually yes, your majesty. The lost city had been appeared out of nowhere, and um, well our people don't know what to do." "Would you care to elaborate on that Captain Blood Bite, It was my imagination that you stated and I quote The lost city of Crystal Empire had been sunk to the cold waters below." Guard winced, "Well, yes! that's had been the popular belief, so nopony questioned it. Then the city just appeared Ma'am, on the next day our troops had been seen changelings agents sneaking in and out of it. From their various reports, we concluded that the city is a ghost town." "Ghost town?" "Yes, Ma'am! that's correct, there is currently no living soul present in the city, except our people. It has been theorized that the citizens might have evacuated via the Gate Mirror, which is currently located there and dormant right now." "Thank you, Captain, I believe I understand. Please inform our new Princess of her new assignment. That will be all for now, you are dismissed." "As you with your majesty!"