//------------------------------// // Episode 8: Dimensions of Evil // Story: The Villains Bar // by Zubric //------------------------------// The great bar of villainy was a buzz of activity with many new voices bouncing off the walls. If any creature were to take a look around the room, they would have sworn they were seeing double. Or in two cases, triple. Discord sipped at his drink watching as the event unfolded before him. Chrysalis scowled at her other world counterpart sipping her pink liquid. “Stop laughing, it’s not funny.” The queen’s counterpart smirked with pride wearing a name tag on her chest that read, “I'm Chysi two” As annoying as it was, the changeling ignored it not wanting to give Discord the satisfaction of a reaction. “So how does it feel to be defeated by our very food source?” She mocked. The original hissed flaring out her wings. "If not for Starlight Glimmer," Chrysalis spat, "you would have been defeated just like me. To think that all it took was one little time travel experience to achieve victory." Chysi laughed harder. “Oh, I was referring to the wedding. But I guess I'm just the lucky one then. None of your plans ever worked.” Chrysalis slammed her glass down upon the counter giving her counterpart a shove. “Oh and how exactly did your plan not result in the sun and moon still moving?” She asked, having only thought of such falts in her own master plans in hindsight. “Well, if you must know. I modified the pods Celestia and Luna were in. They dream as if nothing is wrong and keep doing their duties. Whenever they move the sun and moon in their dreams, the magic moves them in the real world.” Chrysi smirked. “And how exactly did you manage such a feet without Luna noticing she was dreaming? She is the Princess of dreams after all.” Chysi paused staring at glass sloshing it around some. Her jaw opened to speak but quickly closed. “You know...i’m not really sure how she never noticed.” She replied, raising an eyebrow. “And how did you manage to stop Luna in her dreamstate?” Chrysalis was just as fish-faced as her counterpart as she tried to think of how but came up with nothing. “I don’t know how they did that either. Odd how the world works.” Chysi reached over to the bottle and filled both of their glasses with a laugh. “Well, here’s to being lucky,” the two raise their shots and clinked them together before chugging. Meanwhile, across the room at another table.sat three regal dark blue alicorns. One looked very much like Luna but was wearing red shoes and her petrel was similar with red shades to it as well. Even her cutie marks were just as corrupted. The fiendish mare never seemed to stop smirking as she glances swapped between the two Nightmare Moons across the table. “So one of you succeed while the other failed?” If glares could kill, the original Nightmare would have ended the evil Luna counterpart’s right on the spot. “You just never had to deal with the elements and their bearers.” Luna scoffed adjusting her horns. “Well, Sombra was just as annoying. Always resisting. Never could let me and my Sister have our fun.” “Sister and I,” Evil Nightmare remarked taking a sip from her mug. The Prime NIghtmare rolled her eyes. “Oh? Since when are we grammar nazis?” “Well, not everything my sister did was annoying.” Evil Nightmare scowled. Luna rolled her eyes. “Well, now you’re just splitting hairs. Clearly, I am the better one.” She raised her head up high posturing proudly. Pah, you don’t need you’re sister anyway.” Nightmare scoffed. “Banished Celestia to the moon when I took over.” Prime Nightmare raised an eyebrow turning to face her double. “And how pray tell did you manage to banish her without the elements?” Her double laughed showing off her fangs as she grinned. “I don’t need such artifacts to do such feats. I”m just that good. No pony challenges me.” Turning back to her counterpart, her eyes glowed pure white. “I am the true Queen of the Night! And you are just a failure.” Prime Nightmare’s mane flared up as she stood glaring back. “How dare you!” “I dare, I am everything you are not. You're better.” The double chuckled with pride flaring out her wings. Prime NIghtmare stomped her hooves extending out her own wings in response. The tips of her plumage turned black with smoke as she lunged at her target. “Come at thy!” With a mighty screech, the Nightmare surged ahead slamming her double and sending the two flying across the room. The sounds of splintering wood soon followed as they collided with one of the large tables cutting it in half on impact. Her double was quick to react as she raised her hind hooves thrusting them onto the original’s chest and hurling her upwards. A rapid burst of magic followed throwing Nightmare away and crashing against the bar. Gilda watched the shelves rattle slipping on a helmet as the original took into the air diving toward her double with fangs bared. As the two continued to brawl, Discord for the safety of the patrons teleported the two into a caged wrestling ring where the stage used to be. The combatants didn’t seem to notice or care as they kept on throwing around punches and kicks spells sparking across the iron bars. A crowd soon formed around the arena exchanging bits as the battle raged on. At yet another table, the two Sombras were idly observing the brawl the original watching Nightmare’s form fly around. The more successful Sombra wore a name tag with “King Sombra “ on it. The original had argued he deserved the king label more than the other, but Discord had been quick to point out how the original had been the one shattered into a million pieces. King Sombra stared back at his counterpart. “So you were saying?” He gestured with his hoof taking a swig from his mug. ”Well as it turns out by the time I had broken free, this pink princess had erected a shield around the city.” Sombra huffed. “Something about love or something.” King Sombra rubbed his chin. “Yes similar to the Crystal Heart. That damned artifact is the pain of my existence.” He licked his fangs. “So clearly you went under the shield?” “Under it?” Sombra titled his head. “Yes, under it,” King Sombra rolled his eyes.”We can become a shadow and go under the ground. It wasn’t a full sphere.” Sombra opened his mouth to retort but stopped as he processed the thought. “Douh!” He groaned. “Haha, well when I broke in I took command of my subjects with my elements.” King Sombra said, setting the full head helmet on the table. “Oh wish I had thought of that?” Sombra picked it up in his hooves turning it around as he looked at the various metal bits and felt the strong magic within it. Just as he was examining it, Trixie came over staring around with confusing. “Have any of you seen my hat?” Sombra smirked getting a devious idea. “No, but you can have mine!” With a quick thunk, he slammed it onto Trixie’s head. The mare let out a squeak unable to even let out a word before the visor on the helmet glowed green. The two kings chuckled as the mare stood there with a slump awaiting orders. King Sombra patted Trixie’s back. “See, isn’t this better than some door mind tricks?” “But I like my doors and stairs,” Sombra mumbled. “What is a better defense than an endless staircase?” “Ah stairs, good times.” King Sombra replied leaning back. “Drone fetch us fresh drinks.“ He gestured with his hoof watching Trixie trot to the bar methodically. “Ah, it’s good to be king.” As the droned Trixie made her way up to the bar, Evil Luna took a seat next to the Pony of Shadows with a mischievous grin. “So tall dark and smokey, come here often?” Shadow’s eyes narrowed huffing as he crossed his hooves. “I am a being of pure darkness entrapped within this damned bar. So yes, I come here often!” He shouted flaring his wispy wings. “Oh lighten up smokey, I'm just teasing.” Evil Luna laughed leaning over to nudge his side only to pass through Shadow and fall onto the floor with a thunk. Shadow laughed staring down at the sprawled princess. “I guess you could say you are falling for me?” He smirked. Gilda laughed drinking down her cup of coffee peering over at Discord with a smirk. “So any more crazy ideas floating around in that head of yours?” Discord’s grin grew across his face waving his pawed hand. “Oh, you’d be surprised.”