Reykan and Syroc are growling at the filly after she greeted Twilight, and I honestly don't blame them. The way the filly looks at us, smiles at us, and greeted the mare, she is giving off an evil vibe.
Also, Flurry doesn't look like a baby foal now. She looks like the same age as the CMC behind her.
“Twilight!” Spike suddenly shouts. “Be careful! That book is controlling Flurry!”
Flurry chuckles, giving the drake a glance. “Oooh Spike. That's not entirely true now, is it? After all...” She turns to fully face the youngsters. “I granted all of your wishes.” She puts a hoof on her chest. “Even Flurry's.”
“Liar!” Sweetie Belle shouts adorably yet angrily. “You twisted our wishes and you know it!”
Scootaloo nods, looking angrily at the young alicorn. “We didn't want ... this!”
“To be fair though,” Apple Bloom says, looking away. “I did want a milkshake, and it wasn't twisted or anything, and it was the best dang milkshake I ever had.”
“You're not helping, Apple Bloom.”
Flurry Heart chuckles. “At least one of you appreciated my wishing services,” she says, bowing at Apple Bloom. She then turns to us, but she's looking at the youngsters over her shoulder. “But the others? Tell me then...” She looks and smiles at us. “Why did you wish for all of this?”
“Twilight!” Spike shouts. “The book! Get rid of it!”
Twilight snaps to her senses. Horn glowing, she aims it at the smirking filly.
The levitating book is surrounded by Twilight's magical aura.
Twilight grunts, fidgeting. “I... I can't...!”
“Oh, auntie...” Flurry says as she taps the book beside her, instantly breaking Twilight's magical aura around it.
Horn sparking, Twilight is suddenly thrown back, bumping into Sienna and Seri.
“You honestly think it would be that easy?” the filly asks through a smirk.
“Okay,” Xana suddenly says, cracking her knuckles. “I don't usually hurt young roos, and young ponies for that matter, but,” she glares at the filly. “You're annoying me to no end for some reason, and I wanna hit you so badly.” Her mighty tail slaps the floor behind her. “And you've hurt my friend just now.”
“What is this?” the filly asks with an amused smirk. “Is this the legendary ‘Magic of Friendship’ I heard about?” The filly sits down and extends her front hooves wide in a welcoming gesture. “By all means,” she says, still smirking. “Do your worse.”
Xana smirks at that. “Heh. You'll regret those words of yours, young one.”
“Xana,” Twilight calls as she and the other two return to their hooves and feet. “Wait—!”
Xana quickly runs toward the filly.
Smirking, the filly brightens her glowing horn.
A yellow aura surrounds the fast-approaching kangaroo—
“HA!” the kangaroo shouts ... breaking the aura around her without breaking her sprint.
Horn sparking, the filly winces, but blocks the kangaroo's mighty kick with the book, sliding back a bit.
Other foot landing on the ground, Xana quickly turns in a three-sixty, slapping the filly with her blurring tail. “Ha!”
The filly quickly blocks it with the book, the force pushing her further back. She frowns, lowering the book down. “Okay. I underestimated you.” Her horn glows brighter, encasing the kangaroo with her magic. “But that won't happen again,” she says as she lifts the flailing kangaroo in the air. “Try breaking out this time.”
A mighty roar echoes, startling me.
“No, don't—!” Twilight says.
Syroc rushes toward the filly in a much faster speed than Xana, his claws scraping the smooth floor.
Frowning, the filly effortlessly slams the flailing kangaroo on top of the panther, creating a sickening sound of impact.
The two are instantly out cold.
“Hey!” Reykan roars. “Don't hurt my brother!”
Flurry smirks at him. “I just did.”
Back hairs standing, Reykan roars once more and rushes toward her on three paws.
I quickly lean down and bite his tail, stopping him, yet he continues running. I grunt, holding him.
And eck, fur still tastes bad.
“Ah, the alien,” Flurry says, catching my attention.
She smirks and turns to Spike. “So, Spike. What do you think of your little alien?” She chuckles. “You were so specific with your wish. Is he what you wanted?”
Spike glares at her.
The filly chuckles as she looks back at us.
“Flurry,” Twilight calls, ears drooping. “Or ... whoever or whatever you are. Please stop this.”
“No can do, auntie,” Flurry replies, shaking her head.
Twilight frowns. “And please stop calling me that.”
The filly smirks. “Is that a wish I hear?”
“No,” Twilight says sternly. “I want you to stop and return Equestria back to normal.”
Yeah, and send me back to my home, too, please. Damn it, Reykan, calm down!
“I don't know if the definition of ‘wish’ has changed over the millennia, but that sounds like a wish to me.” She shrugs. “Anyway, I could do that,” the filly says, nodding, smirking. “Buuuuut...”
But Twilight senses a catch, I am guessing. “...As you said, it's not that easy.”
The filly chuckles. She takes a few steps to the side and faces the caged youngsters. “Why don't your little friends here let you explain how I work,” she says, bringing a hoof to her chest.
All four sets of young eyes look away.
“Spike,” Twilight calls.
The young drake winces, slowly looking at her. “Um...” He pauses, scratching the back of his neck. “B-basically, y-you cast a spell, a wishing spell written on that book to be more specific, and make your wish.”
“I, ah,” Sweetie Belle adds: “Flurry and I ... were the ones who cast the spell...”
Scootaloo sighs. “And I was the one who forced them to do it.”
Apple Bloom sighs as well. “I feel responsible, too. I should have tried stopping them instead of just ... going along with it.”
“To be fair,” Sweetie Belle says, “we didn't know what we were getting into.”
Scootaloo sighs. “What else is new?”
Flurry Heart chuckles as she turns to Twilight. “And your sweet little niece didn't want to stop them because she's afraid she might hurt her friendship with them.” She smiles a wide and fake smile. “She was such an angel, right, auntie?” She chuckles once again. “As the Princess of Friendship yourself, you should be proud.”
Twilight glares at the filly before turning to Spike. “So, I just need to cast the spell and make a wish?”
“Well...” Sweetie Belle says. “The spell is ... technically still going.”
Spike nods his head. “The spell is still in effect, Twilight. All you got to do is make a wish!”
Flurry chuckles.
Twilight glares at her. “...But it's not that easy.”
The filly shakes her head. “Nope.” She smirks at us, waving the book levitating beside her. “Only those who have touched the book can make a wish... A wish, to wish their greatest desires to come true.”
Straining, I blink, staring at Xana's unconscious form.
The filly chuckles. “But, as they say,” she looks at her captives. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“Ha HAH!” Moon Gaze suddenly squeaks in triumph.
We blink and turn to the levitating book, with a smirking white rat holding onto it.
...
... ...
... ... ... Well, that was easy.
Moon Gaze throws a smirk at the dumbstruck filly. “Now, I get to make a wish, right?”
The filly slowly, slowly nods her head.
Moon Gaze squeaks a cheer. “Okay, sooo ... I wish you turn me back to normal.”
Silence.
“Really?!” Sweetie Belle squeaks.
...
... ...
... ... ...
The rat blinks. “...Well?”
E-even I don't know what to say.
Spike faceclaws, the sound echoing all around.
Flurry Heart blinks.
Flurry Heart chuckles.
Flurry Heart laughs.
She laughs and laughs and laughs as the goddamn rat is surrounded by her magical aura. Still laughing hysterically, she pulls the rat off of the book and quickly throws his squealing and shining form towards us.
Sienna isn't fast enough to dodge Moon Gaze's shiny pegasus form slamming into her, and both slamming on the tv-like wall behind us.
Behind us? Wait, where did the stairs go?
“Stupid and simple-minded!” Flurry shouts in glee as she surrounds Twilight, Reykan, Seri and I with her magic, slowly lifting us up. “And I thought you were smart, Twilight! Yet here you are now, with a group of dumbasses!”
The mare's horn lights up with her magical aura, breaking Flurry's hold on us and quickly firing a beam of magic at the laughing filly.
“Ack—!” Reykan hisses after we land on the floor.
Still laughing, Flurry quickly jumps up high to dodge the attack, extends her wings and slowly floats back down. “Oh, I've never laughed this hard ever since Discord imprisoned me in this book!”
Horn lighting, Twilight grunts as she surrounds the laughing, floating filly with a thick layer of her magic. “S-Seri, quick!” she hisses. “I'll hold her, you fly up there and touch the book!”
Seri hesitates, looking at the magical cocoon that surrounds the filly. She steps back. “I-I don't think—”
“Do it, please!” Twilight begs, sweating.
Gulping, the swan nods, extends her wings and flaps them, lifting herself up.
The drake and the crusaders quietly cheer as the swan flies up to the filly.
A white magical aura surrounds Twilight's magical hold, startling the nearby swan. The sphere of magic explodes, releasing a shock wave of air and magic and—
“OOF—!”
—throwing and slamming Seri on the television walls, knocking her out.
“Ack—!” Twilight winces, stepping back in pain, her horn smoking.
The filly suddenly flies straight down, and quickly turns toward us in great speed—
“RAAAAAAAWR—!”
Reykan suddenly jumps in the way, biting and clawing at the book.
“Reykan—!” I gasp, noticing the lack of glimmer on Reykan's eyes.
Holy shiet, he was able to touch it!
“Reykan!”
On three paws, he attempts to go around the book, only for the filly to turn and slam it on his face—
“Hhhrrt—!” Twilight fires a beam of magic.
Flurry twirls the book around her, blocking both the beam and Reykan's lunge. Horn glowing bright, Flurry surrounds herself with her magical aura and releases a shock wave of magic—!
“Whoa—!” I gasp as I am suddenly flung back— “Gah—!”
Ow! My bum hurts...
Wincing, my ears twitch, barely understanding what Flurry is saying to Twilight. The mare is trying but failing to break free from the filly's magic—
Reykan roars an angry roar after he pushes himself up on three good paws. He rushes toward the filly, expertly dodging Twilight which the filly threw at him, and lunges at her.
Shiet, Reykan's not ‘waking up’! I need to do something!
Uuhhh, um... S-Spike!
After making sure the filly is busy, I quickly run towards the cages, towards Spike in particular.
As I near him, he's waving his claws and shaking his head.
I skid to a stop before him as I hear a magical explosion behind me. “How do I open this thing?!” I quickly ask, looking around his cage.
“You can't!” Spike quickly replies as I grab the cage and try but fail to move it. “It's made of magic, and—no offence—you can't break any of us out of here!”
My ears twitch, hearing Reykan's loud yelp of pain. A purple beam flies pass me as I start hitting the cage, its surface shining from each slam of my hoof. “Damn it—!” I turn to Sweetie Belle. “Can you break free?”
Wait ... Twilight! I should have told her to grab Reykan and—
“I tried!” Sweetie Belle suddenly cries, startling me out of my train of thought. “But I'm not powerful enough!”
“You enjoyed watching my family getting killed? I'm gonna enjoy killing you!”
Never mind. I don't think I can talk to Alter-Twilight at the moment.
Magical beams and magical explosions and not-so-magical panther roars echo behind me as I try but fail to think of something—
Scootaloo suddenly gasps—
“Watch out—!” Apple Bloom shouts—
Something slams from behind my head—
I almost black out.
Hhhnnnggg...!
My ears are ringing...
Ow ow ow ow...
Whatever it was that hit me, the force made me slam my face on Spike's cage.
Ow...
Through blurry vision, I notice that I'm now lying down on my side, and something black and furry is in front of me. Reykan? Did the filly sent him flying towards me?
Ow...
I wince. Oh my god, it hurts so bad...
Damnit, damnit, damnit...!
C-calm down, me... Just ... calm down...
...
... ...
... ... ...
Huh...? My vision is turning green for some reason.
...And I feel ... really at ease.
“Guh...!”
My ears are still ringing slightly, but I think that was Sienna's grunt?
I'm feeling a bit better now. My vision is still green though.
“Ha-HAH!” I hear a familiar stallion's voice echoing from behind.
Magical beams and explosions. Wing flaps and swooshing sounds.
“Can't hit me! Whoops! You missed! Aww, you almost got me! Damn, it's good to be a pegasus again!”
Is that Moon Gaze?
“Nah nah nana—oh shit!”
An explosion.
“Hey! Whose side are you on?!” Moon Gaze asks.
“Get out of the freaking way, you winged freak!” A-Twilight shouts back.
A magical blast.
A magical explosion.
“Wake up already!” Sienna hisses, grunting.
I blink and look up, seeing her angry face above mine, her two stubs glowing green.
She's healing me.
She winces, her glowing stubs fluctuating. She grits her teeth, glaring at me. “Nnngggh!”
“I-I'm okay now,” I breathe out.
She let's out a stinky gasp as her two stubs stop glowing. Legs shaking, she drops to her side, panting, her head lying on Reykan's unconscious form.
“Jay,” Spike calls as I carefully stand back up. He frowns a worried frown. “I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean for you to—”
I hold a hoof up, glaring at him. “Later.” I look back and see the filly firing beams of magic at Twilight and Moon Gaze. “Any ideas how to stop Flurry?”
“I've said it before, and I'll say it again,” I hear Apple Bloom say. “I find it really scary that this alien knows a scary lot about us.”
I turn and frown at her. “You may be the best crusader in my book, but as your friend said, you're not helping, Apple Bloom.”
She frowns. “...In your book. Really?”
“Damnit, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo hisses, glaring at her friend. “And I thought I was the one who couldn't focus on the goings on!”
The others gasp, catching our attention.
“Twilight!” Spike shouts in a panic.
I turn in time to see a large explosion of magic. A second later, Twilight shoots up from the plum of magical smoke, flies over me, and lands far behind me.
“Twilight!” Spike and the CMC yells.
“Not cool!” Moon Gaze yells.
The filly snorts, glaring and smiling at the flying stallion. “Are you just gonna be flying and dodging forever, Mister Mousey?”
The stallion frowns at her. “From my vantage point, you're the mouse right now.”
The filly smirks, her glowing horn glowing even brighter as she starts flapping her wings. “Oh?” She's now airborne. “Wanna play cat and mouse?”
The stallion's frown goes further down. “...I forgot you can fly.”
The filly quickly shots herself after him.
The stallion dives down, turns, and lifts himself up, flying and dodging the beams of magic the filly is firing at him.
“Do something!” he shouts at me as he flies by, the filly hot on his trail.
I tear my attention from the aerial show. “We need to figure something out.” I turn and see Sienna, who is now unconscious. I frown and turn to the caged youngsters. “Help me out here.”
“How?” Sweetie Belle asks. “My magic can't get out of the cage.
Spike shakes his head. “My flames can't either.
I blink and think. Uh, uh... ”...Y-you resist fire, right?”
“If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then no, it won't work.” Spike sighs. “Trust me, I tried.”
“The only way for you to stop Flurry is by grabbing ahold of that book!” Apple Bloom says. “And making a wish!”
Moon Gaze and Flurry Heart fly overhead.
I tear my gaze from them and look at Apple Bloom. “So what's stopping any of you from making another wish?”
“Only one wish per pony,” Scootaloo explains. “And dragon. And whatever you wish for is final.”
Sweetie Belle nods her head.
I turn and stare at Xana and Syroc's unconscious forms. My ears droop. “...Xana was able to touch the book.” I whisper as I turn and look at Reykan and Sienna. “...and so did Reykan.”
“Did you see what Flurry did to her?!” Scootaloo asks. “I don't think that kangaroo is ever waking up from that!”
“R-Reykan touched the book... W-wha-what if I touch his feet?” I look at them, ignoring the loud explosion up above. “Would that work?” I blink. “Wait... You guys touched it, right?!” I quickly look at Spike. “If I hold your claw, would I be able to make a wish?”
“Probably,” Flurry's chilling voice echoes from behind me, making me shiver in fright. “Would you like to try it?”
Moon Gaze's smoking form lands beside me with a loud THUD!, startling me and the youngsters.
I'm ... too afraid to turn around.
“Ah, the alien,” she says.
I take a breath to steel myself ... and slowly turn to face her.
She's smiling at me, her horn still glowing, and the book slowly and lazily revolving around her. She then points at Spike with a hoof. “Come on. You do want to find out if it'll work, right?”
I look at Spike.
He pokes a claw out.
I take a breath. “...it's not that easy, is it?”
The filly chuckles. “You caught on.”
I sigh and turn my gaze back to her.
She's still smiling at me. “Do you miss home?” she asks.
I can't think of a good response.
“Flurry,” Spike speaks from behind me. “Please stop this...”
The filly frowns, her glowing horn brightening.
I look back and see a magical field surrounding their cages. I can no longer hear their voices, even though I can see them yelling at her.
“You know,” Flurry says, and I slowly turn to face her. She shakes her head and turns around, slowly walking away from me, the book levitating after her. “Twilight was right about us watching you.”
Us? Oh, she's probably including Spike and the crusaders...
She continues: “But she's also wrong in her assumption that we're watching only you.”
She looks to the side, at the scene on the wall, which is showing Rainbow Dash hiding behind the thick trees and nervously looking at the castle ruins.
I blink and notice that the other parts of the wall are also showing other scenes of different creatures in different locations. They show Rarity asleep with the other sleeping unicorns under the safety of a simple rock house, Fluttershy ... um ... ‘celebrating’ with other pegasi around a small pile of gems, Pinkie Pie and Applejack arguing about something, and some other sort of creatures I don't care abou—
!!!
“Ah, so you noticed,” Flurry says as I...
...as I stare at the scene of ... me ... as a human ... sleeping under the covers on my apartment bed... My phone suddenly lights up, stirring me awake. I squint my eyes as I grab it and open the newly-received message...
...and reading my mom's text, reminding me that my bro needs another damn book from the library.
...
... ...
... ... ...
“...why?”
“Hm?” the filly asks, smiling curiously at me.
I glare at her. “Are you fucking with me right now?” I point a hoof at the ‘monitor screen’. “Who is that? Why did—why did—gah!” I slam both front hooves on the ground. “Why did you put an imposter in my place?!”
The filly chuckles.
I grit my teeth. I sooooo fucking want to punch her right now, but damn it, she's too powerful.
“Oh, you poor alien,” Flurry says, shaking her head. “What, pray tell, made you think that the alien over there is an imposter?”
“Are you dumb?!” I snarl. “Why do you think I'm here right now while some ... thing is impersonating me back in my world?!” I blink. “...unless what that screen is showing me isn't real...”
“Oh, it's real, alright,” the filly says, turning to the scene. “And live as well. You're a light-sleeper, too, huh?”
I glare at her. “So it is an imposter!”
I'm getting really annoyed at her chuckles.
She shakes her head and looks at me. “Come on. I know you're not that dumb, little alien.” She turns to fully face me. “Think. How could there be two of you right now, in two separate worlds?”
I angrily blink at her.
...
... ...
... ... ...
My breath leaves me. “Y-you cloned me...”
Her smile grows as she nods. “I did tell you that Spike was very specific with his wish.”
“I'm ... I'm a clone...?”
She turns back to the screen. “Spike wanted Rarity to fall in love with him.”
...
She chuckles. “As powerful as I am, I don't have the power to manipulate the mind.” She shakes her head. “That's Discord's field of expertise. Well, he's an expert on virtually everything, really.” She shrugs. “Anyway, Spike wanted to meet a real alien instead, but he didn't want to just pull some random alien out of their world after he realized he couldn't wish for them to return. So he wished for a copy instead.”
... ...
She turns to me, still smiling. “And if you remember, the spell is still in effect, because he wished to be friends with a real, albeit cloned, alien.” She shrugs. “Hey, I only grant wishes, not make them, so don't ask me.” She chuckles. “Although I did add a little bit of twist, which is turning you into a pony, because why not, right?”
... ... ...
“It saves us the trouble of breaking the language-barrier, so you and Spike can become friends quicker. Ain't I thoughtful?” She sits down and gestures at Spike with a hoof. “So go to your wish-maker and become friends already.” Her shining horn shines brighter, removing the sound-proof barrier around the drake's cage.
“Jay!” Spike sobs. “I'm so, so so sorry... I-I realized how hard this must be for you, and I'm...” he chokes on a sob. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I thought I've thought things through but, I ... I was just ... just so selfish.” He sniffs. “I'm ... sorry...”
... ... ... ...
Sobs.
... ... ... ... ...
More sobs.
... ... ... ... ... !!!
“Ack—!” I hiss, feeling a painful sting on my hoof. I sit down and bring my wounded hoof closer. It's bleeding.
“If I remember correctly,” Flurry says, frowning an impatient frown at me. “You hate paper cuts.” She gestures at Spike. “If you don't want another one, go there and be friends with Spike already.”
I tearfully lick the wound, glaring at her.
She blinks, still looking impatient. “...well?”
...I slowly bring my hoof down.
...I take a breath and sigh.
...I slowly stand back up on all four hooves.
She smiles. “That's a good alien.”
...I close my eyes, take a breath, and sigh through my nostrils.
...I reopen my eyes, turn towards Spike, and slowly sit down.
He's looking down, probably too afraid to look at me.
...I take another breath and sigh.
“Huh,” I hear Flurry mutter. “I'm actually interested to see how this goes.” She pauses. “I've never made a friend in a very long time. This could be a refresher course for me.”
Spike slowly and nervously looks up at me. He gulps.
I look over my shoulder, glaring at Flurry.
She's smiling at me.
“So...” I lift my wounded hoof up for her to see. “A paper cut, huh?”
She blinks, her smile slowly fading. “... ... ...” She glances at the levitating book beside her—an opened book, with a small blood stain on the edge of one of the opened pages. “... ... ...” She looks back at me. “... ... ...”