The Storm King screamed as a burst of rainbow light flowed around his body, as the magical energy flowed from the floating forms of six ponies before him.
“No!” The tyrant screamed. “It can’t be! I was so close! How could you defeat me!? Where did this power come from!? AND WHY IS IT RAINBOWS!??”
He cried out as the force of the magic pushed him through the windows of Canterlot out past the horizon and out of sight, his screams of defeat fading into the distance as the six ponies slowly lowered back to the ground onto their hooves, the golden Elements of Harmony sitting on their bodies as the magical glow of their power faded.
Wearing a beautiful gold tiara, a yellow Pegasus smiled in triumph as she stood with her friends. “I guess that’s something you could never understand, Storm King.”
“yeah, yeah, yeah, power of friendship, yadda yadda, who cares?” a voice spoke out from behind as several ropes flew out, wrapped around each Elements Fluttershy and her friends wore and then yanked them off.
“Hey!” Pinkie Pie called out as she turned her immaculately styled head to face the intruder. “How rude!”
Rainbow Dash turned, biting her lip shyly. “O-Oh dear...I-I thought we were done...”
“Who are you!?” twilight sparkle questioned, wearing a chestplate. “Are you more soldiers of the Storm King? Well your boss is down, so there’s no use fighting anymore!”
Rarity held up a camera out of nowhere. “Rarity, reporter for Ponyville Daily! Whoever you are, care for a picture for the next issue before me and my friends trounce you!?”
Applejack sighed and rubbed her snout with her hoof. “Rarity...there’s a time and place...”
However, as the Mares turned all they saw was some sort...golden hole in the air before them a hoof stretched through it and holding the ropes that had been used to take the girls’ Elements of Harmony before quickly pulling them into the hole and out of sight.
“Oh I have no time for introductions, ‘friends’.” A voice spoke out from behind the golden portal. “I have a schedule and a quota to keep. Ponies to knock down a peg or twelve, Elements to take, you know how it goes. But you’ll see me again VERY soon once I’m done, though. Oh yes, you’ll know ALL about me...” They chuckled darkly as the portal disappeared from view.
The six ponies stared in disbelief. “W-what just happened...?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“I...I think we were just robbed...” Fluttershy replied. “What...what do we tell the Princesses?”
“The truth, of course.” Twilight Sparkle said. “Then we can work on finding out who that was and where they went and then we can go about catching them and getting the Elements back...though I am curious what they meant by that speech...what could they have meant by ‘Elements to take’? those are the only ones anywhere in Equestria...”
Fluttershy put her hoof to her chin in thought, her mind starting to theorise. Sadly, were this tale restricted to her world she may have played a greater role in figuring things out and saving the day.
But she wasn’t. This tale instead shall move elsewhere, to the TRUE heroine of this particular adventure....
---------------------------
Meanwhile! In a Parallel Universe!
Another Equestria
Manehatten
Rainbow Dash trotted down the street with her friends, exploring the biggest city in Equestria as Fluttershy danced in the air above while singing joyously as Rainbow’s other friends gazed around at the sights they passed.
“Now girls, don’t get distracted.” Rainbow chided, idly double checking that her faithful assistant Spike was still riding atop her back, “We’re not just here to sight see. Remember, we’re here to see the Iron Will Industries Expo, and we shouldn’t be late.”
Twilight Sparkle had stars in her eyes under her brown Stetson as she grinned widely in glee. “You’re absolutely right Rainbow Dash! Imagine all the wonderful new machines they’ve been developing! Why, they might have made something that’d make Flim and Flam’s tractor look like a heap of junk, I bet!”
“OOOH and maybe some flying machines!” Rarity added, trotting at a quicker pace in her excitement. “I bet SOMEPONY at that company could make a soemthign that could somepony in the air REAL fast! And MAYBE I COULD ASK THEM TO LET ME TEST FLY IT!”
“Yeah sure, when pigs fly.” PInkamena said dourly from behind the group.
“I’ve seen a pig fly!” Fluttershy said cheerfully.
“Of course you have...” PInkamena replied with an annoyed sigh.
Applejack gave the pink pony a stern gaze, wearing a beautiful green dress with her mane tied into a lovely braid. “I thought you said you were going to be nicer from now on?”
“NicER, not nice always.” Pinkamena answered. “I’m a grump. I am known for this. Why change entirely, I might as well be a completely different pony in that case.”
“She has a point there!” Fluttershy agreed eagerly.
The six ponies (and a dragon) soon arrived at the large white building the Expo was being held at, a pony in a simple brown cloak standing outside the entrance and waving a hoof timidly at the girls. “R-r-rainbow Dash, I-I’m glad you and your friends c-came by...I-I didn’t want to be a bother but I thought you might enjoy some time here a-and M-Mister Iron Will wanted to make up for what happened on the Race a-and...”
Rainbow chuckled and gave the mare a gentle and quick hug. “Hey, Trix, relax, it’s fine, no way we’d turn down free tickets, especially if Iron Will was paying for the train ride.”
Trixie smiled as she started trotting ahead. “Y-You can f-follow me and I-I’l guide you through the e-expo...i-if you don’t mind...”
“Not at all, darling.” Applejack replied. “Go on ahead.”
Trixie turned and started to trot ahead, leading the group into the building, turning to Rainbow Dash. “I-I don’t wish to b-be a bother but...y-you wouldn’t happen to have brought the E-Elements j-just in case..?”
Rainbow smirked. “Don’t worry, we learned our lessons, we made sure to bring the Elements along. We may not have had to, but you never know...”
Trixie nodded slowly. “W-with all th-these....bad things happening in Equestria so much, i-it’s a good idea t-to be prepared in case...anything happened...”
Rainbow smiled reassuringly, laying a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “Hey, relax, nothings going to happen, and even if something DID happen for some reason, we’ll deal with it. Trust me. Now, what’s being shown off at the expo?”
Trixie perked up. “Oh! L-lots of things! F-Follow me!”
The mares followed along as Trixie trotted, the expo filled with ponies and exhibits showcasing various inventions and mechanisms being developed by Equestria’s foremost powerhouse in magic technology. As the group trotted along, Trixie held out a hoof to each exhibit they passed and began doing a lecture on each one.
“Now over here we have a combustion engine currently being devised by our engineers, its still a work in progress however.” Trixie said as she pointed towards a projector showing an enlarged blueprint of a complicated machine on a blank wall. “Once our engineers have a working prototype, then we will begin further testing and improvement until we have one for use by the general public. The engine is theorised to be able to make transportation much easier and available to the general public, with it being suggested that any pony could have their own private transport that required nothing more than this engine powering it.”
“So you’re saying that rather than rely on magic and/or being pulled by another pony like our current carriages, a pony could just like...move it? By themselves?” Twilight asked, eyes shining brightly with interest.
“Oh yes, the current idea is the pony would sit within the carriage and sort of...propel it via a series of mechanisms connected to the engine.” Trixie nodded.
Applejack huffed. “Sounds like a pipe dream to me, darling. Ah don’t really see how such a thing could even work. Sure, maybe a unicorn could move their carriage without any outside help, but AH don’t see how some...hunk of metal could help with that, or how say an Earth Pony could use it.”
“W-well you see...” Trixie began before looking to her side. “Oh! Here’s an exhibit on our magic research! I-I think you will find this especially illuminating, R-Rainbow...”
Trixie lead the group into a circular room, displayed on the walls were schematics of ponies from each of the three races alongside illustrations of each pony’s skeletons, with infographics pointing towards different parts of each skeleton on each image.
“Ever since Rainbow Dash here showed the ability to perform magic in a way no one thought any Pegasus could, researchers have been asking ‘why’.” Trixie continue, falling back into her more controlled ‘guide’ persona. “After years of study, our researchers believe they’ve found the answer: bones.”
Applejack raised a brow. “Ex...excuse me? ‘Bones’?”
Trixie nodded. “Our researchers spent a lot of time looking into how a Pegasus could perform magic, and soon decided to look into common traits the races shared. Eventually, they discovered a surprising fact: Ponies share the same sort of bones. Specifically, all ponies have a special bone made of a substance known as alicorn, and its theorised it’s through alicorn that magic is cast. Unicorns’ horns are made of alicorn, allowing them to channel magical energy to cast spells; earth ponies’ hooves use the alicorn in them to increase their strength and stamina for specific purposes as well as to cultivate growth in whatever they tend to, and the alicorn in pegasi wings allow them to fly and manipulate the weather....and thanks to Rainbow Dash we now know that these traits are potentially interchangeable.”
The mares stared at her as Rainbow and Spike’s mouths hang open...and then stars appeared in the pegasus’ eyes as she squeed. “So magic isn’t unique to just unicorns and me, but ANYONE can do it!? That’s AWESOME!”
Twilight raised a brow. “I..figured you’d be disappointed, because magic is such a defining part of your life...”
“Well yeah but I love magic either way, and the idea that it’s not something special to a select few but available to everyone is just....”
“Awwweeeesome!” Rarity finished for her.
“Yeah!”
Trixie nodded then looked down bashfully. “W-well...w-we s-still need to run some tests, a lot of it is still based on theory...”
“Still though, explains some of the stuff earth ponies can do that nopony else can.” Pinkamena said. “And I always thougth it was weird that Pegasi could fly even though their bones were nothing like a bird’s.”
“I know right!” Fluttershy exclaimed, grinning giddily. “I thought I was the only one who wondered about that!”
Pinkamena huffed in annoyance as she turned her head away, disliking having anything similar to the yellow Pegasus, even if it was an idle thought.
“S-so...n-next u-up...” Trixie began, trying to continue on with her job as tour guide.
At taht exact moment, a golden portal appeared in the middle of the room with a loud noise, making Trixie jump several inches away in fright, Rainbow and her friends turning to the sight in surprise as Rainbow steeled herself, reaching a wing into her bag to begin pulling out her Element of Magic. “Girls, get ready, who knows what’s going on here and it could be bad for all we know...” she yelped as a rope darted forward, wrapped around her bag and pulled it away from her, Rainbow’s wing glowing with magic as she tried to use telekinesis to pull the bag back, but the magic dissipated the moment it touched the bag, or rather the rope wrapped around it.
“Funny ya’ll say that,” A familiar spoke as three figures stepped through the portal and into view, the stallion at the lead smirking. “Ya’ll should know a thing or two about how ‘bad’ we can be.”
The three ponies were VERY famimilar to the group, as not only did they deal with them before, but just a month or two back they had tried to derail the annual Running of the Leaves with a foul scheme. Standing in front was a green stallion with a messy red mane and long red beard, a black hat atop his head and a gun strapped to his back; behind him stood a massive, obese mare who resembled a stallion, she also wearing a smaller, rounder black hat atop her brown mane and her massive round body clad in what appeared to be metal armour; and the final pony was a stallion with orange mane and a brown vest, holding the rope that was tied around the Element of Magic.
These three were the Bad Apples: Rotten Bad Apple, Bruised Bad Apple and Braeburn Bad Apple.
“What are you doing here!?” Rainbow exclaimed, glaring.
“Yeah, we already DEALT with you guys!” Fluttershy added. “We shouldn’t be seeing you again until like next season or something! There’s an order to these things!”
Ignoring the yellow Pegasus, Applejack growled. “Return that bag back at once! You have no use for it!”
Rotten Bad apple pursed his lips in thought. “Hmmm, true, but ya see, we seem to be havin’ a...what would ya call it...a...pressing NEED for these here ‘Elements of Harmony’ and oh mah Celestia it seems we’re runnin’ a little SHORT on ‘em.” With a deft motion of his hooves he reached to his back and pulled out his blunderbuss, pointing it at the group. “So, be a dear an’ hand ‘em all over, no funny business.”
Rainbow tried firing a blast of magic at rotten, who twirled his gun around in front of himself to shield himself, the magic dissipated the moment it connected with the metal. “Now, now, we came prepared, we each got plenty of orihalcum on us to deal with that pesky magic of yours.”
“Good thing not all us rely on magic!” Applejack charged forward, directing a punch at her uncle’s face, only for the massive hoof Bruised to slam down on top of her, winding her. “Oh...right...the other two...”
Braeburn frowned as Twilight Sparkle charged over along with Rarity, the earth stallion responding by quickly wrapping tossing ropes towards them, hitting their snouts with the metal weights on the ends of the ropes. “Pa, we don’t exactly got time ta jus’ fight these girls.”
Rotten nodded, reaching for Applejack as she lay trapped under Bruised’s hoof, her bag quickly being taken. “Then jus’ grab their brags an’ we can go.”
“Oh yeah!?” Rarity challenged, rubbing her face as she stood resolutely. “You think we’ll just let you rob us!? What do you even want them for anyhow?”
“Ain’t none of your business.” Braeburn replied, glancing at the portal behind him. “Pa, Ah got an idea. One that’d simplify things a hay of a lot.”
“Oh yeah?” Rotten smirked, firing a blast at Rainbow Dash as she attempted to charge forward, knocking her back. “Ah suppose Ah’ll jus’ have ta go along with it, won’t Ah?”
Braeburn nodded, held up Rainbow’s bag to theatrically show off the Element of Magic within...and then held it close to his chest as he jumped into the portal.
“Pa,” Bruised growledin her characteristically extremely deep and masculine voice, “Big Bro turned tail and rain.”
Rotten smirked. “Mhmmm. Boy’s got a good head on his shoulders. Hate ta cut and run, ya’ll, but WE have a schedule ta keep.” He tried to bite back a chuckle as he added. “Don’t try an’ follow us, it ain’t exactly gonna be....wise.” And with that he leapt in after his son, disappearing within the portal.
Bruised sighed and growled. “What’s gotten inta them...? Fine, we’ll settle this LATER!” She hopped back into the portal, muttering in annoyance.
“Wait...” Fluttershy said, blinking. “Did...did we win?”
“They really seemed to have had the upperhand...” Twilight muttered then gasped. “Wait! The Element of Magic! They still have it!”
Rainbow frowned and nodded. “Yeah. We only have one choice: follow them.”
“B-but w-w-we have no idea where they went!” Trixie quavered, hiding behind a nearby partition, having done so throughout the short fight. “A-and th-that’s very different from teleportation! I-I’m not sure w-w-what it is! I-it could go ANYWHERE!”
“Yeah, I kinda know that, Trix.” Rainbow said. “Still though, the Element of Magic is important. The other Elements won’t work right without it...I think. This hasn’t exactly happened before.”
“Still, pretty risky either way.” Pinkamena nodded. “So either we risk seeing what we can do with five of the six Elements...or you go in a weird portal that goes who knows where to follow our most annoying archenemies.”
Rainbow smired, turning to the pink mare. “What? Not coming?”
Twilight and rarity trotted to the pegasus’ side, Rarity smirking. “And miss out on another awesome adventure? No way! Beside I’m kinda still ticked at those Bad Apple guys!”
“We’re your friends, Rainbow,”Twilight said, “We’ll stick by your side through thick and thin, no matter what.”
“One for all, all for one!” Fluttershy sang out.
“Not only are you my friend, darling, but my Uncle needs to face punishment for his crimes” Applejack said, frowning. “Besides, the Elements brought us together, Ah couldn’t imagine abandoning it.”
“Count me out.” Pinkamena said. “I’m not risking my life or sanity for more nonsense.” As she finished speaking Fluttershy suddenly lifting her up in her hooves, carrying her while flying above the ground. “Oooor you could just choose for me, what do I know? Not like I have my own business to run or something, nooooo.”
Trixie peeked from her hiding spot, looking ashamed. “W-what should I do?”
“Tell everyone, of course, whoever you can, however many.” Rainbow said. “Ponies need to know. The Princesses, your boss, lots of folks. That way they can be prepared on this end. Also, might be a good idea to have your researchers look at this...portal thing, find out what the deal is with it.”
“I-I’ll...I’ll try....” Trixie said.
“Alright, let’s go people!” Rainbow said resolutely as she charged into the portal with Spike gripping tightly to her back, followed by Rarity, Twilight, Applejack and finally Fluttershy diving in with Pinkamena along for the ride.
Trixie stepped out to trot over to the portal, timidly observing it as she lifted a hoof, then yelped as the portal suddenly vanished, leaving nothing there.
“O-Oh dear...” Trixie whimpered fearfully.
----------------------------
Images flashed through Rainbow’s eyes, way too much and too rapid to really note or examine as she tumbled through a golden tunnel, only to find herself suddenly standing atop green grass, blinking to herself.
“G-Girls?” Rainbow groaned, pressing a hoof to her head. “What the hay happened in there...? Huh...girls?” She looked around herself, Spike sitting upon her back and fighting back the urge to throw up....but her friends were nowhere to be seen. “Oh...oh no...girls!? Girls where are you!? Twilight! Rarity! Applejack! Fluttershy! Pinkamena! Where’d you go!?”
“Rainbow Dash?” A familiar voice said.
Rainbow’s eyes widened as she turned to the speaker. “Oh thank goodness, I thought something bad happened, like I....” She blinked as she took stock of the pony she turned to face. “Umm....AJ...? You...You do something with your...everything?”
Applejack tilted her head, her hair done in a loose...well Rainbow wasn’t much of a hair stylist so she settled on ‘braid’ for the time being. The earth pony’s tail matched the style of her mane, and wore a brown Stetson atop her head...and most bizarre of all was her cutie mark. Rainbow knew her friend had cutie mark resembling a cutie mark made of fabric and stitching with a needle for the stem, but this...this Applejack’s one was very different, consisting of a trio of bright red apples upon her flank.
“Rainbow? Ya’ll feeling okay?” The earth pony questioned, her accent much thicker than it should normally be. “Ya...ya look a bit...different?”
Rainbow also noticed something else: rather than being in Manehatten, she was now in the familiar grounds of Ponyville, but even that seemed somehow...off, but she wasn’t sure what.
Just what was going on here?