//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: The Burning Chains // Story: The Road of Courage // by PrismaGalaxy514 //------------------------------// It's been a week since the Nightmare incident, that caused so much destruction and chaos. The ponies and non-ponies got together to rebuild their homes and restore the nature of Equestria. Within a week, with the help the princesses, Equestria has been restored. And although, they're glad that the girls are now in Tartarus, serving their times, there was a question, that baffled anyone, especially Celestia and Luna: How did Nightmare come back? Last time, they saw it, was during the time of Nightmare Rarity. With the help of the moon princess, Twilight and her friends managed to get Rarity out of the darkness and destroy it. "I feel like, a much more sinister force managed to bring it back." Celestia thought. "And it's because of the sisters..." Luna sighed. "There is no doubt about it." The Primcess of the Sun is convinced. "And as for 'Operation: Healing Light', we'll continue following it, if it means to cleanse them from the bitter trauma. Or at the very least, give them so much happiness and control to their emotions." Luna looked straight. "You're right, dear sister. Their mental health is what's important." Celestia was convinced. At the time, there were no other invasions, apart from Nightmare. At least not yet. They looked at the murals, thinking about the future of what's to come. Meanwhile, Sunset was reading books about nightmare. There was something, that felt off to her. Did they allow Nightmare to be possessed or did it by force? "Come on...There has to be something...I don't want to leave this story one-sided!" The mare kept looking and looking. It was around this time, that Starlight checked up on her. "Why are you convinced about your idea of reformation? Don't you know, that they caused so much destruction and pain to not only Johnny and Dukey, but everyone in Equestria and beyond?" Starlight was sceptical. "There has to be a reason as of why they came to Equestria and later became Nightmare's targets! I know, that there is some darkness in their hearts, but I want to help them, despite the odds! I mean, the 'Miss-A-Non' incident left me alienated for crying out loud! And there was no evidence, that I did it!" The orange mare kept reading the books. "I get, that you are determined, but let's face it: Everyone DESPISES them!" Starlight pointed out, that the sisters became public enemies. "That's what also happened to me after my defeat! Everyone hated me because of brainwashing them into obedient zombies and I thought, it was all over! If it wasn't for Twilight, of course! I mean, come on! I know, that you did some bad stuff before, but let me ask you a simple question: Did you come at a point, where it seems like, you've become hated by everyone? Was there any feeling of hopelessness? Did someone came to your rescue?" Sunset asked and without warning, she left on the way to the Tartarus, leaving the lavender unicorn speechless. A bit later, she shook off that feeling and moved on...Or did she? After some time has passed and looking at the map several times, Sunset Shimmer had finally arrived at her destination: Tartarus. She knew, that only bad ponies, who did atrocious things with no regret would stay. But she knew, that she can't get there so easily. On top of that, this place is guarded, preventing any escape. She tried to go there, but of course the guards blocked the entrance. "Halt! What is your reason to go inside?" A guard looked at her. "Look. I want to visit the sisters. I just want to ask them a few questions-" But another guard cut her off mid-sentence. "Denied! Those monsters are locked up for a reason and nopony shall ever visit them again! So, please just leave." He looked stern. Sunset tried to reason her statement, but the guards always cut her off, because they refused to listen the possibility of their side of the abuse story and pushed her away. "Ugh...Rude..." She was annoyed and left. It seems like, nobody would allow her to visit them, thus isolating them even further. She tried to tell other ponies about her thoughts, but they wouldn't listen and calling her crazy. It infuriated the unicorn mare and saw it as injustice. She tried to convince her friends about her cause, but of course they denied, leaving her as the only one... "Man...I don't know, what to do anymore..." Sunset lowered her ears and went to an empty field. "Why did I even come to that mindset of saving them? Is it because of my experience? What if everyone was right and that they can't be redeemed?" She started to question about her cause. "Maybe it's for the best, that I'll go back to the human world...the portal is about to close at midnight anyway..." She said. It was a pretty impossible to convince anyone. Even though the mares had no control of their bodies, their abuse on Johnny and later destruction overshadowed anything else. But before she would leave in defeat, a teal aura pulled her to somewhere secret. At first, the mare was alarmed, but soon realized, that the color of the aura looked familiar. Sure enough, the pony, who pulled her somewhere discreet was Starlight Glimmer coming out of the shadows. "Starlight!?" The mare was shocked. "What are you doing here?" "You know, you asked me a very good question and I can answer with that. Yes, there was a time, where I felt hopeless. It came sometime after my second defeat and when Twilight started to teach me about friendship. I remember, that I was really scared to apologise Sunburst or the ponies in their village. So much in fact, that feelings of sadness and deep fear came to play. But Twilight assured me that things will be okay and I even made a new friend, in the form of Trixie. She too did some appalling things in the past, so we became kindred spirits almost immediately. It took a long time to work hard in order to earn forgiveness and being in the position, I am today. Anyway, it also made me think of a possibility, that maybe...just maybe, there could be a glimmer of regret in the sisters and hopefully with our way of teaching them, we will guide them to a different path. A path of friendship and humility." Starlight explained. "I tried to go to the Tartarus, but they wouldn't allow me to visit them. It didn't help that no pony was willing to help me, which makes this situation even more biased than it already is! It's like they want to drive them crazy with isolation!" Sunset was still frustrated. Both unicorns are now thinking of some ideas on how to talk with them. "I think, I have an idea." The lavender unicorn mare used her magic to teleport her and Sunset near the Tartarus and hid somewhere. "We have to wait, until the guards left. I don't know how long, but we have to find out, on why they caused all of this. After all, no story should stay one-sided." She looked at the guards from afar and both unicorns waited...and waited.. "I don't think, they'll leave." Sunset was unsure. "Hmm..." Starlight was thinking of an idea on how to get inside and avoid the guards. They kept waiting, but they didn't move from their positions at all. Sunset was infuriated because they kept staying on high alert. Soon, Starlight had an idea. "I have an idea. One moment." The lavender unicorn's horn started to glow, as she kept looking at several spots. Soon, she used her magic to create a distraction by forming it into a sphere and threw it far away. After a while, the guards heard an explosion from afar. Alarmed, they went to the source of the explosion. "See? Now let's go." Starlight used her magic to teleport herself and Sunset inside. After a while of walking, they heard the sounds of screaming, crying, thrashing and the sounds of chains pulling. The mares felt uneasy, but they have to move on. At the time, they arrived at the centre, they found the unicorn sisters chained to the ground and their horns being covered by a special metal, that prevent the girls from using magic. What's more, the twins' hair looked completely messy with Mary's ponytail being undone and their hair clips on the ground. Both were crying, but was it regret or insanity? "Oh my God..." The orange mare was shocked. They've been locked up for a week and already showing despair. She tried to reach them, but an invisible barrier prevented the mare from going closer. When the sisters looked at the mares, they tried to jump at them, but due to the short chains, they were unable to do so. "I'm not sure, if I can trust them to be honest, Sunset. I mean, according to Johnny's diary and several recollections from Dukey and others, they've done some horrible things before." Starlight was once again sceptical about Sunset's mission, but the orange mare reassured her with: "Hey. Back then, a lot of them thought, that I can't be changed and forgiven. But I proved them wrong by changing my destiny for the better. Now, it's a matter, if they're willing to cooperate." They kept screaming, kicking, crying, shaking and lashing on the ground, while pulling the chains. A clear sign of lost sanity. But Sunset was not deterred and proceeded to ask them a few questions. "Hey. I came here to ask some questions. I wanted to know about YOUR sides of the story. How did you get to Equestria and why? And did you let Nightmare possess your bodies?" She asked. However, the sisters refused to speak. In fact, they due to their mental states falling apart, they couldn't speak at all. The only responses they can are screaming and grunting. But the mares didn't understand on what they're trying to imply. "Oh dear...They really lost it..." Starlight witnessed their mental downfall. "I know right? It would surely make the mission a lot harder..." Sunset sighed. Suddenly, Starlight heard something coming and looking panicked, teleported her and Sunset out of the Tartarus immediately. They hid again and when Starlight peeked a bit, her fears were confirmed: The guards have returned from the inspection and stood their positions in front of the entrance. "Shoot...I knew, that they'll come back.." Starlight correctly assumed. "That would make it almost impossible." The orange mare sighed and looked down. Starlight looked at her friend with a worried look on her face. Ever since that blurry vision from the sisters, Sunset has been in an impression, that they maybe can be saved, due to her own experience back in Canterlot High. But sometimes, she would doubt herself about the cause. Maybe, the ponies were right after all. "Uhm, Sunset? I think, you should take a break. You're really worked up and quite in a rush." The lavender unicorn suggested. "I think, that's for the best..." Sunset nodded and the two mares left the area. Meanwhile in Canterlot, rebuilding and preparing for the Friendship Festival, which had been delayed, had begun. Now, ponies worked even harder and it's not to see why: The nightmare incident had destroyed everything in Canterlot and beyond. The non-ponies even helped the ponies on the rebuilding of the stage, the building and especially, the castle. It was around this time, that Twilight went around, checking their progress. "Okay...It seems like, the rebuilding went a little faster, than expected. Plausible, since Johnny's friends helped them out. Speaking of which..." the purple unicorn kept walking around and eventually stopped at the ponies, putting the decorations on the stage. Two of them were Sissy and Missy. "Hey, girls! How's your progress?" Twilight asked. "Pretty decent. I had no idea, that it was decorated before until after we arrived there and holy shit, the destruction they caused were...let's just say...hellish?" Sissy reported. "You know, I slowly like my new form. Being a hybrid does bring several advantages like grabbing stuff with my paws and feeling more alive. Being smart and full of personality! Sissy on the other hand, struggled..." Missy commented about her friend being a full pegasus. "Hey, I had a hard time picking up stuff, now that I've been turned into a pony!" The blue pegasus groaned because of her disadvantage. "Why not try to grab stuff with your wings? I've seen Test doing it and a few others as well. Plus you ARE a pegasus." The hybrid mare shrugged. Sissy looked around and saw several pegasi grabbing objects from the ground and even Johnny using his wing as a bowl or something. "Granted, Test uses even more of his wings then just flying and grabbing, because of his wings being huge!" the hybrid added, while pointing at her friend's wings. As the blue pegasus spread one of her wings, it looked like any other pegasi's wings. "I mean, you can also improvise, if you want." Twilight scratched her head. "I'll think of some ideas." Sissy answered. "Don't you also have to test your wings first? I mean, you don't want to get yourself injured with broken wings and such." Missy reminded. After all, no pegasus likes their wings being broken. "I know, that I like the thrills but not the reckless ones." The blue pegasus scratched her head. With a giggle, Twilight moved to a different spot, where the General and the hippogriff agents work with the decorations. "How's your progress?" Twilight asked to the men. In which the bald earth pony responded with: "Our progress has been slow, but well, your highness!" That statement made the purple alicorn flush in embarrassment. She looked at the hybrids, using their magic to put some ribbons and glitter on the decorations. Even in the air, when they used their wings. In Twilight's mind, they're technically alicorns. "I must say, wings and a horn are quite handy." Mr. Black was impressed. "Yep. Plus, those claws also work as hands." Mr. White was also impressed by the claws, dualing as hands. "About the hand one, that would make the five of you and your friends." Twilight was referring Dukey, Missy and Zizrar, who were helping out on the rebuilding and decorating for the upcoming Friendship Festival. Suddenly, a shriek of excitement can be heard and the hippogriff hybrids were soon pulled into a high by a female hippogriff. "Oh my gosh!! Oh my gosh!!! Are you new here! I'm so happy, that I met new hippogriffs!" She was so excited. Twilight couldn't help but giggle, all while the hybrids were gasping for air. "Hey, excuse me! I demand to let my men go!" The General tried to force the female hippo griff to let them go, but she didn't take his words seriously. "It's okay, General. She is a good friend and a student from the Friendship School." Twilight smiled and flew to the female hippogriff. "Hello, Silverstream! Could you please let the two men go?" "Oh, sorry..it's just, I'm so excited of finding new friends." Silverstream let the others go, who breathed heavily, "It's okay. But next time, please go easy on the new ponies and non-ponies. I'm not sure, if most of them share your enthusiasm. Plus, it's been a hard day for everyone involved." Twilight gave the female hippogriff an advice. "I didn't know, that I've been brainwashed by a sinister force, until Starlight told me." Silverstream scratched her head. "Nopony knew that at the time. It just happened." Twilight confessed. It was around this time, that Starlight and Sunset returned from the whole situation and arrived to the castle grounds. "Hey, Twilight!" Sunset smiled. "Hey, Sunset! I'm so impressed, that you used your magic again after a long time. Especially in a dire situation." Twilight commented. "You know, I had to, just to stop the nightmares." Sunset replied. "We all had to, Sunset. In fact, I'm glad that you helped us, because without you, we would've been in the clutches of Nightmare." Starlight remembered. "I'm also glad, yet surprised about the guys' sudden boost of power and confidence. If it wasn't for that, then we would be lost. I'm really sorry for what happened to them and anyone else involved in the messy story." Sunset sighed. "At least we helped them find some footing in Equestria by finding a new family and friends. Those were the first steps to bring them to normality and serenity at least. They have yet to control their mental issues and anxiety attacks though." Starlight reported. "Thankfully, we're always there to help them. As long as we keep helping them on their journey, the complicated trauma will end. We just have to keep their hopes up." Twilight smiled. "We'll see about that." Sunset responded. "Anyway, what are you doing here in Equestria?" Twilight asked. "I'm just visiting here and check up on you. That's all. However, I had no idea, that I would be soon involved in a crazy situation." Sunset scratched her head. "Even though we saved Equestria, the whole event made me messed up." "Oh dear...Maybe you should take a break, Sunset. The week has been tough for all of us. After the rebuilding, everypony will take a break and rest. However, I'm not sure, if we can move on from the Nightmare incident just yet. Considering that there were some mental damage left behind." Twilight noted. "I think it's for the best. I'm about to go back to the human world anyway. This day has been a rollercoaster for me." Sunset looked at them. "I know." The purple alicorn smiled and she used her magic to teleport her and Sunset to her castle, leaving Starlight with a look in her face, as if she wants to test out a theory... But after a few minutes, Twilight came back. "Okay, now, where were we?" She thought. "How about checking up the others and also check on the deal with Star Time Rush?" Starlight reminded. "That's right! I have yet to check on them!" With those words, the princess of friendship teleported away. Once again, the lavender unicorn returned to her thoughts, but decided to help the other out and went to some groups. Human World, Canterlot Mall In this particular mall, Sunset was hanging out with her friends and, while sitting on a table, told them about her experience in Equestria last week. "No way! Are you for real?" Rainbow Dash was stunned. "Were you okay?" Fluttershy was worried. "Yes, it happened for real and don't worry. I turned out to be fine and defeated Nightmare once and for all with my friends." Sunset explained. "Oh my gosh!!! You were so brave fighting off the monsters with all your might and magic! I wish, I saw this moment!" Pinkie Pie was filled with joy. "But we were so worried, that you didn't come back last week!" Rarity was worried. "Well, it was such a chaotic week and everyone had to recover from that." The light-orange girl remembered. "Say, I'm quite curious about your new friends, Sunset. We never heard of them before." Twilight was curious about the two ponies. "Oh. Here is the thing, I don't know much about them, but thanks to Princess Twilight and Starlight, I got some of the information. One of them is a pegasus and the other being a hybrid between an earth pony and a dog. Both are stallions, who moved to Equestria a while ago, because they want to find happiness. Their names are Johnny and Dukey and...well, the reason of their move is quite complex and serious. So much so, that I have to simplify their reason in a short sentence to you, girls. The reason is of...well, they want to escape the pain and abuse." Sunset explained about her new friends and some facts about them. "What pain and abuse?" Applejack asked. "Well, it's a complicated story. Even I can't grasp on the severity of the damage and how messed up it gets." Sunset confessed. "Thankfully, Princess Twilight and her friends got it covered and are currently helping them and a few others, who also moved to Equestria, to find peace and serenity in their new lives. And also, get over the trauma, of course." "Well, it's a good thing, that Princess Twilight and her friends help them, because I couldn't imagine the pain, they've felt before their move..." Sci-Twi voiced her opinion. "I know, Twilight...I know." Sunset sighed. "It would be super exciting, if they can visit us! I want to know them well!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "Easy, Pinkie. Sunset told us, that it has been an exhausting week for her and for them. Y'all need to be patient." Applejack noted. "She's right. The nightmare incident and the rebuilding of Equestria has been very exhausting for everyone involved. Especially, Sunset and her friends." Sci-Twi replied. "Yeah. It was...quite an earthquake, which left even more questions. But I'll think about them tomorrow. Right now, I'm so exhausted. Even if it's been a week. I had to help the others with the rebuilding and such." Sunset was exhausted. "We understand, Sunset. I hope, you would rest well." Fluttershy smiled. "But first, we have to do some fun together, girls!" Pinkie Pie smiled brightly and went to a candy store. The girls laughed and followed her. The group had some fun involving candy, music, games, etc. After a fun time, the girls said goodbye to each other and Sunset took a walk to her home. It's been after dusk and walking at night is dangerous. But the girl knew better, since she has a magical geode in form of a necklace, thus defending her from evil. Eventually, she reached at her home and went inside. There she did some errands and after a break, she went to bed and fell asleep. Hours later, before midnight, while Sunset was asleep, the door bell started to rang. Annoyed, she went up and went go the door, even though whoever's on the other side, kept ringing the door bell. "Alright, I'm coming!" She opened the door, but without a warning, someone came inside, while carrying something. Sunset rubbed her eyes and turned on the lights, only to see the impossible: The shadowy figure turned out to be Starlight Glimmer and the stuff, she's carrying, are actually Susan and Mary, completely unconscious! "W-wh...STARLIGHT!?!" She was shocked by the sight, but the lavender girl put her finger on her lips to hush her. She kept asking with: "What are you doing here?! And how did you get them out of the Tartarus?!?" "Shh! You want to test your theory of possible redemption, right?" Starlight asked. "So, I decided to do an elaborate breakout and covering the tracks." "How??" Sunset was still asking about the breakout. In which, Starlight took a deep breath and explained with: "You see, I've overheard a conversation by the guards, that they have planned to send the sisters back to their home world and erasing their memories, thus silencing them and their side of the story forever! So, I planned the whole escape the whole time, the day after the nightmare incident. I looked at the structure, the security, the time, everything. After preparing, I took action and used an invisibility spell on myself and snuck into the tartarus, where I also knocked the guards out. I went inside, where I saw the sisters looking pretty messed up and trying to jump at me. But the chains made their attempts impossible. Their screams and howls became really unbearable, so to save my ears, I knocked them out with a spell. Plus, I also used another spell to go through the barrier and broke them free from the restraints, including the metal around their horns. Soon, I used a spell to take out a bit of their hair to create clones, then restraining them, put the real sisters on my back and teleporting into Twilight's castle. Everyone was asleep at the time, so I had to be quiet and snuck to the mirror and went inside. However, I know, that there is not much time, so I had to hide, while at the same time, finding you. And the rest is history." "But, what if anyone finds out, that they basically escaped and you also vanished? There would be chaos!" Sunset made a point, but Starlight assured with: "Don't worry. I also made a clone of myself." That kinda gave Sunset relief, but she couldn't believe, that Starlight would do something extreme. She knew, that the lavender girl had learned and mastered magic, but the extent was really astronomical. "Do you want to save them or not?" Starlight was impatient. The orange girl answered with: "Okay, okay! I know, that was my intention, but we have to test that theory first! And also, if they're willing to cooperate and such." "Exactly. We don't know, if we can fully trust them, given their record. But maybe we can make them talk about their side of the story and maybe...just maybe, reform them." Starlight nodded. "However we have to make sure, that they wouldn't cause even more chaos again. So we have to add some safety repercussions." "Agreed." Sunset agreed and they carried the two girls to a different room and made some makeshift beds, so they can lay down. They put the sisters down on the beds and tucked them in. Starlight noted, that their bodies were cold, so she brought an extra blanket to warm them. Meanwhile, Sunset turned on the heater to give them extra warmth. "I think, they're out until the next morning." Starlight commented about the spell and when it will wear off. "As for the clothes....I think, I'll probably ask Rarity to make new ones for them tomorrow." Sunset responded, since the sisters wore only rags as clothes. "And tomorrow, with my magic of Empathy and your help, we'll maybe see their story unfold." "Right now, I'm so exhausted...." Starlight yawned. The escape costed too much energy. "We need some sleep. Maybe tomorrow, we have better luck." Sunset yawned as well and both left the room, slowly closing the door. After that, the lavender girl thought on where she could sleep. After some thought, Sunset suggested her to sleep on the couch, which can be turned into a bed. After some preparation, Starlight laid down and after saying "Good Night" to each other, the orange teenager went to her room. It was a very intense day and they need some rest. Meanwhile, while the sisters were still unconscious on the bed, sounds of screams and fire can be heard. But it didn't come from the outside. Instead it was in their heads, like something was happening inside. The next morning... The sounds of the birds singing and the slight breeze ever moving the leaves ever so gently woke the fiery girl up from her sleep. After some stretching, she went downstairs to the living room, only to see Starlight still asleep on the couch/bed. Sunset tried to wake her up, but it didn't work, as she moved to the opposite direction. "Just give me five more minutes.." she groaned. Annoyed, Sunset went to her room, only to come back with an airhorn, that Pinkie gave it to her as a gift a few weeks ago. Slowly and carefully, she made sure, that she was in a correct distance, so the sound of the airhorn wouldn't make her deaf. She also had to consider about the girls in the other room. Afterwhich, she started sounding the airhorn close at the lavender girl, who jumped at the sudden and loud sound like a cat. This was enough to wake her up, only Starlight's hair was really messy. "Seriously!?" Starlight was really annoyed by the loud wake-up sound, but at least she is fully awake now. "Sorry, Starlight...but I had to." Sunset admitted and scratched her head. After Starlight calmed down for a while and some stretching, they prepared breakfast, with Sunset teaching the lavender girl on how to make scrambled eggs. Then, she portioned it into four and put them on four plates, since they have to give two of them to the sisters, who are still laying on the other room. Sunset grabbed the two plates and went to the room, while Starlight grabbed some drinks and followed her immediately. As soon, as they arrived the door, they have to be prepared. "Just in case, they would try to attack us, I have my magic ready to subdue them." Sunset told to her friend about her safety precaution. "Man, I wish, I can harness my magic here." Starlight looked down, but Sunset assured her with: "All you need to do is just believe in yourself and channel your inner magic." With a smile, the two entered the room and closed the door, when they saw the sisters still laying on the bed, unconscious and naked. It didn't take long, till the magic wore off and the twins woke up from their slumber. Again, the only sounds, they make, were only grunts and noises. But no words or sentences. "You're awake!" Sunset exclaimed. The girls looked around their surroundings out of curiousity and confusion. They looked at Starlight and Sunset, who were looking careful. Starlight then explained with: "Don't worry, you're not in the Tartarus anymore." They looked down at the plates of breakfast, the friends placed in front of them. It has been a week since their arrival to Equestria, after they broke out from prison, they've been sitting for three days. During their confinement in the Tartarus, they were denied of food. Sure, they were given some water to drink, but still. It would also explain about why they looked almost malnourished, so it's no surprise that they immediately started to eat the breakfast like animals. "Oh, geez...It's gonna be a hard job for us..." Starlight sighed. "I know." Sunset scratched her head, but decided to go to the girls, while at the same time, creating an invisible barrier between her and the sisters. "Okay, I know, that you are confused as of where you are. Basically, you are in the human world. A world that is similar to Equestria, but more modern." The twins looked at their hands and were astonished that even though they've been turned into humans again, their skins now consisted of bright blue and bright beige. Which means, they're colourful humans now. Literally. "Anyway, my name is Sunset Shimmer and my friend over there is Starlight Glimmer. We wanted to know your side of the story and what happened to you before you went to Equestria, as well as the moments, after you arrived. Your information is required, if you don't want to feel the torture." Sunset explained. "Now we got that out of the way, I'm gonna ask you a question: Why did you decide to go to Equestria and did you allow Nightmare possess your bodies or did it possess you by force?" Unfortunately for our friends, the sisters can't talk. In fact, they only respond with growls and grunts. Starlight and Sunset didn't understand, what they wanted to say. "Ah, jeez....Is there a way to make them talk?" Starlight sighed. "I have no idea, but we have to keep trying. After all, a theory needs to be tested multiple times in order to be valid." Sunset was confident. They thought of several ideas to make them speak. However, they also assumed, that because of their snapped sanity, they've lost the ability to speak. It's like something has made them walk to a darker path. Sunset touched the arms of the twins and as to be expected, with the magic of Empathy, her eyes started to glow. Screams, fire, chains and demonic voices can be heard, but the picture is still vague. After a while, she let them go. "What did you see?" Starlight asked. "I still don't get the clear picture, but I heard sounds of screams, chains, fire and demonic laughter. As of right now, I don't know, what they mean." Sunset explained. "Oh, dear...Maybe, we can ask someone for help.." Starlight sighed. "Maybe I can ask my friends about it, since we have planned to go around the city for a while." The fiery teenager replied. "But first...." she left the room, while Starlight had to watch over the sisters, figuring out on how to find the piece to the ever complicated puzzle. Right now, they were doing absolutely nothing, which is good, since Starlight would be safe. After a while, the orange girl returned with some glasses of water for them to drink. The moment, she gave the glasses to them, the sisters immediately drank from it. "Problem is, they can't go out there like this." Starlight noted at Susan and Mary with the rags. "Hmm....We have to find some better clothes for them to wear. But at the same time, we can't leave them behind. Who knows, when they would cause chaos again?" Sunset responded. "Good point. We have to make sure, this wouldn't happen again." Starlight agreed. She soon went up to the girls and held their hands. "First, we have to get you girls dressed, okay?" They soon went to the closet, where they can find some temporary clothes. However, while they were doing that, without any warning whatsoever, the sisters lost their minds and started screaming again. They thrashed around the area, but the friends were prepared and Sunset used her magic to subdue the red-haired girls and preventing them from moving. "Hey!! We're trying to find out about your side of the story, so please just listen!" The orange girl was not happy, however it seems like, her demand fell on deaf ears. She used her magic to silence them, but they were still struggling. Starlight was worried about the situation, since Sunset's anger could jeopardize her theory. She walked up to her and said "Uhm, Sunset? I don't think, being angry would solve this issue. You need to calm down and find a different way, which doesn't involve in further abuse." "You're right...I should not destroy my theory with my rage.." Sunset sighed and let them go. Thankfully, they stopped struggling, by the time, she let them go. "I'm sorry for restraining you, but at the same time, your insanity won't help our mission. You need to snap out of it and calmly tell your story. It's all, what we want, okay?" she told to the sisters. In response, they looked away in silence. "Ah jeez...this is gonna be harder, than I thought..." Starlight sighed. Soon, the doorbell rang. "I'm coming!" Sunset left the trio to answer the door and when she opened it, this world's Twilight Sparkle stood there with a smile. Unlike Princess Twilight, she wears glasses and her hair is in a ponytail. In her arms was a purple puppy with green hair. He is Twilight's pet, Spike. "Hi, Sunset!" She greeted. "Oh, hey Twilight!" Sunset responded with a smile. "Let me guess. It's about our city trip?" "Yep. I told the others about it and we'll be meeting them around 11 o'clock." Twilight explained. "That's good!" Sunset responded. At the same time, Starlight walked to them. "Hey, Starlight! It's been a while since the Mirror Magic incident!" Twilight recognized the lavender girl. "Yeah. It was a crazy ride." Starlight scratched her head with a nervous smile. "Anyway, what are you doing?" "Sunset and I have planned to go to the city with our friends to hang out and have some fun." Sci-Twi explained about their plan. "That's cool. You know, it's been a while since my first arrival in this world and I need to refine my skills as a human, so mind, if I can join?" Starlight asked. Sunset and Twilight giggled with the latter responding with: "Sure!" But before they could start their plan and go to the city, they were suddenly alarmed by the sounds of screaming and glass shattering inside of Sunset's house. With the exception of Twilight, the two girls immediately knew, what was happening. "Shoot!" The girls ran back inside as quickly as possible. "Hey, wait!!" Twilight followed them. She was confused as of what is happening. The girls ran to the source of the sounds and saw the aftermath. Not only did they saw the door being slammed open, but when they went to Sunset's bedroom, the trio saw the window being smashed. What's worse is, that Susan and Mary weren't found. "Oh, shit...this is really bad..." Sunset mumbled in shock. "We have to follow them!!" Starlight yelled. "Got it!!" Sunset nodded and they jumped out of the window to find them. "Girls, wait! What's going on?!" Twilight followed them again, since she needed answers. Sunset, on the other hand, said: "It's a very complicated story! We're trying to uncover it!" "Basically, there are two girls, that we're taking care of and let's just say, they're messed up." Starlight commented. "What? What do you mean by 'messed up'!?" Twilight was even more confused, however, Sunset responded with: "Like I said, it's a very complicated story! But right now, we have to find them!" "Wait, maybe I can try to smell their trail!" Spike suggested. "That's a good idea, Spike!" Twilight agreed and put her dog down to the ground, where he started sniffing the trail, after sniffing the bits of red hair left behind. The girls followed Spike, as he kept sniffing. Meanwhile, questions arise inside of Sunset's head, like this one: "What is happening in their heads?" Meanwhile, in Equestria... The Brain Freezer kept pacing anxiously around the fountain. It's been a week, since he saw the beautiful, snow white pegasus mare and being struck by an arrow of love, something, he never felt before. The problem is about his past. He's done so many crimes before in Porkbelly, like freezing everyone and everything and even stole some items. He was honest to a girl at one point and it led to some painful results. "Damn it! What should I do??" He was feeling the panic growing inside of him. Around the same time, his best pal, Zizrar, came to him with new sunglasses. "Hey, Brain Freezer! These new sunglasses are glamorous!" The mole king admires his new sunglasses, but the Brain Freezer ignored it, as he kept having a nervous look on his face. "Come on, what is it? Is it about the mare?" he asked. "No, it is because of a visit- OF COURSE IT'S ABOUT THE MARE!!!" The icy blue unicorn snapped. "Jeez, chill... Look, I'm also not experienced in romance, even though I recently started reading romance novels. Maybe try to impress her?" Zizrar shrugged. However, his lack of romantic experience was not enough to convince his friend. "Impress her with what?" Brain Freezer kept pacing anxiously. "I don't know, by being honest?" The mole king suggested, but this didnt help, as the blue stallion shouted with: "I've already done that before and IT DIDN'T WORK!!!" It was around the same time, that the snow white pegasus came to the market for some groceries, when she overheard the yelling. "Uhm...what's going on?" She scratched her head. Neither of the two noticed her looking at them with a confused look. As Brain Freezer kept pacing anxiously, Zizrar kept thinking about possible ways on getting her attention. Unfortunately, because of his lack of experience when it comes to romance and such (and probably because there are no female moles in Porkbelly, I think), his thought process was slower and more difficult. "Uhm, how about gifts?" Zizrar suggested. "With what??" The icy blue unicorn kept pacing around. Like what can he gift her? Roses and Chocolate or something unique? "Let me think...umm...-" the mole king was in the middle of thinking, when all of a sudden.... "Excuse me, what's with the ruckus??" When the two looked around, they saw the mare, directly looking at them. This caused Brain Freezer to ironically freeze himself (not literally), because she was looking at him, wanting answers. "Uh, not much really! We were arguing over some stupid stuff. That's all." Zizrar nervously smiled. "Anyway, you new here?" "First off, at least find ways to resolve that crap and second, well I've been there in the past 3 months, alongside with my friends." The mare responded. "That's quite nice. Me and my friend have been there for a couple of days, because of finding redemption and stuff." Zizrar continued to explain. "Redemption?" The pegasus was confused. "It's a long and complicated story." The mole king scratched his head. "Anyway, we haven't introduced each other yet. My name is Zizrar, king of the mole people. Those people over there." He pointed at several of his people having conversations with other ponies and even helping them out. Much like Zizrar, they too wore sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun. Then he added: "Oh and this is my friend, the Brain Freezer." "I'm not sure, why he's named after a slushie, but I'm not here to judge ponies and others. My name is Snow Emerald. And....is your friend even alright?" Snow Emerald pointed at the Brain Freezer, still frozen at the sight of her. "Uh, let me see...Hello???" Zizrar tried to snap his friend out of the frozen state, but to no avail. "Would you please excuse me for a second?" He carried the frozen pony somewhere and slapped him hard, which brought the stallion back to reality at least. "Buddy, you need to chill. No pun intended." He noted. "But how? That breakup had soured my perspective to love hard, ever since that girl saw the true me!!" Brain Freezer was frustrated, remembering when the girl broke off the relationship, due to his true form. "It didn't help, that I caused a lot of damage..." "I know, but maybe this would be different." Zizrar shrugged. "No..." the icy blue unicorn looked away. That dark response alarmed the mole king, so he yelled loudly at the crowd with: "HEY! SOMEONE NEEDS HELP WITH DATING!! ANYONE HAS A CLUE??" A lot of the ponies were confused on what the mole king is talking about and backed off. The thought of helping a pony to get his love was just bizarre, since some ponies were either single or taken, but no idea, on how to do it. Everyone, except for one pony, who came forward and that pony is none other than an unamused Rarity. "Excuse me, but you could've at least talk to me personally." She sighed. "Sorry, it was an urgent emergency." The mole king scratched his head with an nervous smile. "You see, my friend over there wanted to impress a girl, named Snow Emerald, but due to his past actions and a breakup, he was left soured." "Hmm..." the unicorn mare was looking at Brain Freezer, while thinking for solutions. Like her friends, she heard about his past a week ago and together, they were trying to fix the problems and wipe their slates clean, while at the same time helping Johnny and his friend to get out of the darkness. "I think, you need some advice first, which include from adjusting your behavior to a makeover!" She smiled, grabbed the icy blue stallion by the hoof and took off on their way to her boutique. At the same time, one of the mole men came to him with a question. "Your highness, where can we live? We can't dig an underground system under the village, because the ponies would be angry to us. And also, what would happen, if a war erupted under Ponyville?" He reported. "Hmm...I think, we should think of possible locations. One, that is peaceful and at a close proximity to the city, In order to get food." Zizrar thought of some ideas. "Tell everyone about out plan, because the time of finding a new home for us is now!" "Yes, your majesty!" The mole man ran off to tell the others. "If we've done all those steps, we can live in peace!" The mole king laughed, but it contained an evil tone. However, it was short-lived, as ten seconds later, he got hit by a gray pegasus mare with derpy eyes. "Oops....my bad!" She apologized and flew off. Zizrar on the other hand, was not pleased. "WATCH, WHERE YOU FLYING, DUMBO!!!!" He yelled at the clumsy pegasus, not knowing that his yelling and laughter had scared most of the ponies until he looked around and realised the issue. "Ahh...shoot. Note to self: Work on my anger issues and abandon the evil laughs...This is gonna be a very long journey, I'm sure of it..." he sighed, knowing that the path of redemption will take a very long time. Back in the human world, the trio of Sunset, Twilight and Starlight continued following Spike, as he kept sniffing the trail of the sisters, who've became rouge. "Still on their trail?" Sunset asked. "Still on it!" Spike responded, as he kept sniffing. "What is happening in their heads!?" Twilight wanted to know. She still hasn't received any answers from the girls. "No idea, although Sunset may have a vague picture and only a few clues about the truth after she touched them." Starlight replied. "There may be a small hint, that they feel remorse, but I don't know, because of their delusional state. Also, sounds of fire, chains clashing, screams and demonic laughter can be heard. As of right now, I don't know about the full image, but it's worth to search for more answers about this ever complicated story!" Sunset recounted her experience, when her Empathy powers reacted to the sisters back in Equestria. "What story?!" Twilight was even more confused. "The one, I told you about Johnny yesterday!" Sunset shouted. But before Twilight could answer, Spike suddenly stopped much to everyone's confusion. But the dog looked back and said: "Shoot. I lost their trail..." "Great..." Starlight sighed. Since the trail stopped near the city, it seems like, the sisters had escaped into it. But because they were delusional, it would cause a lot of problems. "This is really bad...Their lack of sanity will cause a big scene in the city... Worse is, we don't know, where they currently are now. We should split up! Starlight. go to the center to find their whereabouts! Twilight and I will search for them in other areas." Sunset discussed. "Got it!" Starlight nodded. "I'm with you, Sunset!" Twilight agreed. "Come on, Spike! Let's go!" The trio split up, when they entered the city. There was no time to spare. Canterlot City, centre The lavender girl kept running and looking around for any clues about the sisters' whereabouts. She was worried, that they would cause even more chaos than they already did back then. She also asked a few people about the red-haired twins, but they replied, that they've never seen the two. "This is really bad...." Starlight was on the edge. Suddenly, she saw a traumatized girl and went on to ask one question: "Have you seen two red-haired girls?" "Y-you mean the two wearing glasses? They went this way...." She pointed to the east. "Shoot...Thanks for the info! And I'm so sorry, that you're traumatized." Starlight apologized and went to the east. As the girl kept going, even more people pointed at the direction, the girls went. It seems like, they too saw them. In a hurry, Starlight went to a phone booth. Thankfully, she had enough coins to make a phone chall and that's exactly, what she did and later dialed Sunset's number. While waiting, she kept pacing anxiously. Finally, after a few minutes, she got a response. "Hello?" the voice of Sunset Shimmer can be heard. "Sunset! I think, I know, where the girls have went! According to some people, they went to the east side of the city! We need to hurry!!" Starlight quickly responded. "I know! I'll call Twilight about the news! There is not much time left!" Sunset replied. "Exactly!" After those words, she quickly hung up the phone, exited the booth and continued running to the direction, the citizens were pointing. Eventually, she had to ask one of them about their exact location, only to be told, that they've been heading to an abandoned warehouse. After given directions, she ran as fast as she could to the abandoned warehouse, where she saw the girls running towards the stairs. "Girls, wait!!!" Starlight shouted, but they didn't notice, as they began to ran upstairs. The lavender girl followed the two almost immediately. As the chase went on, the sisters gained speed, while Starlight was lagging behind. However, she didn't give up and continued. At the same time, why would they go upstairs on an abandoned warehouse? That's the question, Starlight was thinking. Eventually, the staircase ended with a door leading to the rooftop, open. When Starlight came to the rooftop, she looked around for their locations, only to see the two on the edge of the rooftop, slowly walking towards off the edge. No words or any sounds can be heard, aside from the wind. The sisters were also completely silent. This sight alarmed Starlight. "What are you doing??!!?! STOP!!!!" Starlight rushed towards the two twin sisters, in order to stop them, but it was too late, as Susan and Mary jumped from the edge. "NO!!!!!" Not willing to give up, she jumped after them and gained speed by falling vertically, head first. Eventually, she reached towards the twins and grabbed them, in which the girls started to resist, all while Starlight tightened her grip. It was around the same time, that a lot of the citizens gathered to the abandoned warehouse with horrified looks on their faces. One of which is this world's Fluttershy, who happened to be here. "Oh my goodness!!! I need to save them!!" Fluttershy was scared and used her powers to transform. Meanwhile, Starlight was grabbing the sisters tightly, while they struggled. At that point, she knew the existance of magic in the Human World, but she never harnessed it by herself. Starlight started to concentrate and believe, as they kept falling, while at the same time, Fluttershy flew up and was about to grab the three. "I...WON'T...LET THIS...HAPPEN!!!" Starlight shouted loudly. "I...MUST....SAVE THEM!!! I MUST BELIEVE!!!" At that point, they almost reached to Fluttershy, with her arms open in order to catch them, when all of a sudden, a miracle happened: Starlight and the girls have stopped falling, but that wasn't because of Fluttershy, as they were surrounded in a cyan aura of magic. "Oh dear...Starlight?" Fluttershy was surprised about this miracle, as the aura made them slowly fall down to the ground. When Starlight opened her eyes, she noted that her hands were glowing for a while. "What just happened?" Starlight was surprised and confused about this magical miracle, when Fluttershy flew down and explained with: "You used your Equestrian magic for the first time in this world..." Starlight was about to question that, when all of a sudden, she remembered the words, that Sunset told to her: "All you need to do is just believe in yourself and channel your inner magic." "I see..." the lavender girl slowly understood the reason of her magical awakening. At the same time, Sunset, Twilight and Spike ran through the crowd and towards the group. "Starlight, are you okay?!" Sunset asked with a worried look, but Starlight responded with: "Yeah...I'm fine. I feel like, my magic has been awakened here." That sentence threw Sunset off guard. "Wait, what?! You used your magic in the Human World for the first time?!" She was shocked. "She did, Sunset. She did." Fluttershy confirmed. "What in the tarnation is going on here!?" A voice can be heard. "Can someone please explain, what just happened?" Another one can be heard. Sunset and Twilight immediately recognized the voices coming from Applejack and Rarity from this world! Sure enough, they went to the group, alongside with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They all wanted answers. "Well, I saved these two from falling themselves to their deaths with my magic." Starlight explained. "Say what!?" Rainbow Dash was surprised. "I know, right?" Sunset agreed. It was indeed unexpected. Meanwhile, the sisters started screaming and continued struggling. "What's up with these girls? Why are they looking so ragged??" Rarity asked. "I think, we all need a full explaination about the history, Sunset Shimmer." Twilight crossed her arms and everyone looked at her, wanting an answer to this mess. "Ok....It's time to give you the full story." Sunset was about to explain the story, when Starlight interrupted with: "Uhm, help?" Applejack went to Starlight and looked at the girls, who were still struggling. "Hang on." The southern girl knocked the sisters out, in order to keep them quiet. "I think, I can help Sunset with the explaination, since I knew the issue better, thanks to Princess Twilight." Starlight looked down. "Shouldn't we go somewhere private first?" Rarity noted. "We can go to my house!" Pinkie Pie grinned and everyone agreed. But...what about the people? This was a question, that the girls asked. Luckily, Twilight had a device, allowing to erase memories. As soon, as the group went to Pinkie's house, she used it to the citizens to erase the memories about this event and about the sisters. Pinkie Pie's house After some time has passed of the girls calming down from the event and doing some stuff like doing safety precussions, Sunset and Starlight prepared to tell the girls about the story of an ever-complicated web of abuse, trauma, depression, anxiety and nightmares. "Last week was like any other in Ponyville...My friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided to race to the Sweet Apple Acres. That decision would soon unfold into an unextpected meeting..." Starlight began to explain the story. Equestria, a week and a few days ago... In a flashback, we saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash racing through Ponyville and the fields, in order to whomever to reach Sweet Apple Acres the fastest. The thing was, Rainbow wasn't allowed to fly, in order to create an even match. Despite all of this, she cheated by using her wings as a boost in order to reach to the farm first. But Applejack saw this and was not happy about this form of cheating and Rainbow Dash felt busted and flew off, leading to a chase. Rainbow hid in one of the hay stacks, which turned out, that someone was hiding already, albeit invisible. While hiding, she felt something, touching her back, creeping the prismatic mare out. Eventually, she was so scared, that she flew up....in front of Applejack. Eventually, the southern pony dug up the haystack, only to touch something and immediately, light started to glow. (Unbeknown to everyone, it actually came from the time, that before he went to Equestria, Johnny had shot himself with the Invisibility Ray Gun and it seems like, the effect wore off.) From the light, they saw Johnny, who is now a black pegasus, asleep in the hay. Then we saw their awkward first meeting and eventually, meeting Dukey for the first time. "It didn't take long, till they would meet his friend." They saw Dukey and being shocked and confused at his appearance, as this was like no other. A hybrid between an earth pony and a dog was unheard of. Eventually, we switched to them coming back and making introductions to each other and to their friends. We also saw Rainbow Dash teaching Johnny on how to fly, because he was now a pegasus. "They would go on to meet my other friends as well other ponies and non-ponies from Ponyville. On first glance, they were chill, yet playful ponies, wanting fun. And it seems like, they got along with the others....Little did anyone know, is that they were hiding a dark side that nobody knew....until that fateful day..." A few days later, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle witnessed an argument between the two stallions, with Dukey shouting that Johnny should not hide his problems. At that time, no one knew about the story, even when they saw some alarming moments earlier, so they were confused. It culminated into a shouting match, with Dukey running away and later with Johnny screaming and flying off, disappearing into the skies. The mares, who were alarmed by that sight, immediately went off to search for the black pegasus, with Rainbow Dash flying up in the skies, but to no avail. Twilight contacted Rarity and Pinkie Pie about the news and she joined the search party, while Applejack had learned the story from Dukey. "His sudden breakdown had caused a chain reaction, that would lead one thing to another...With my friends searching for him all over Equestria." Together, the team split up into three groups, with Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Dukey going to the Everfree Forest for some clues about his whereabouts. Little did anyone know, is that they would soon discover a gruesome sight: It was Johnny, lying on the ground bleeding, unconscious and with his arms slit, a sign of an attempted suicide. "However....Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Dukey eventually found him....nearly dead....from a suicide attempt....They were horrified....but there was a glimmer of chance, that he could be saved... Noticing that Johnny is still alive, thanks to Dukey checking on his friend's heartbeat, Rainbow Dash immediately rushed him to the Ponyville Hospital as fast as she could and thanks to the quick timing and the best skills from the doctors, Johnny's life was successfully saved. "But thanks to Rainbow's fast flying and the best skills from the nurses and doctors, his life was saved. Soon, the truth would come out." Eventually, after a while of pressuring and with the Mane 6 learning the painful truth from Dukey and the blue diary, Johnny finally showed his dark side to them and confessing about his pain. Everyone felt sorry for him and they decided to help him. Eventually, Starlight heard of the news and his story. "Since his confession, the goal was set: Free Johnny from his demons! Even I joined the crusade, after I heard about the story." Since then, the group started their mission, by telling everyone in Equestria and with the help of the princesses. After lots of planning and a sudden confession from Dukey about his shared pain, a big party was made and when Rainbow Dash dragged Johnny from the hospital to the village's centre, everyone gave him a fun time. "We all made a big celebration in order to make him feel loved. And after a song, a Sonic Rainboom and many fireworks, we were expecting the plan to work..." At first, Johnny didn't know, how to react at the sight and sobbed, much to everyone's dismay. But then, the sobbing slowly turned into laughter and looked at them with a smile and tears in his eyes. "...and it did....He finally smiled!" With that, the plan was successful, but everyone, even the princesses knew, that the stallions still have a long way to learn on how to overcome the darkness and embrace the light. "But the story was far from over....No...We had no idea, that soon, more would come into Equestria..." As the days went, the ponies continued to help Johnny and Dukey on their journey of a new life. Suddenly, from a portal, new ponies and non-ponies came for a mission: to find Johnny, which they did. The best friends immediately recognized the group as their friends and even a few of their enemies. All with their own reasons and big news to share: the individuals, who were responsible for Johnny's pain, were finally arrested! This gave them relief. "The group, who also came from the same world, that Johnny had lived up until he moved to Equestria, gave the two some closure by arresting the monsters! Plus, they wanted to apologise to them for not taking action earlier." The group were forgiven by the duo and they began to start over in their new home! Eventually, Sissy and a magically mutated Missy would join in, Jillian cut her hair and gave herself a new makeover, and finding new friends, the team were on their way to a better future.... "They all live in peace...until something sinister happened..." "And it was around the time, I came into the story..." Soon, the nightmare incident happened...Equestria was in flames and everypony was put under a spell, except for Johnny, Dukey, Starlight and Sunset, who arrived to Equestria for a visit. After many chases, they were caught and taken to the darkness, where they saw the nightmare sisters for the first time. At first, all hope was lost, when the sisters took the Mane 6 in their control and tormented the guys...but soon, thanks to the words of their friends, Johnny and Dukey gained new confidence and awakened their powers, which they used to free Starlight and Sunset and soon an epic battle began. "After we were freed, the battle has begun. Nopony on either sides backed down and we tried so hard to stop the Nightmare." After a long battle, the good ponies got the upper hand and freed Twilight and her friends from the control and together, they used the magic of friendship to defeat Nightmare and cleanse the ponies from it. The ponies were the sisters Susan and Mary. They were soon arrested and taken to the Tartarus for their crimes, but not before a botched escape attempt, which resulted in Sunset seeing something in their heads. "When they fell on me and I touched their arms, the magic of Empathy kicked in and I saw something in their heads, that left me wondering. Wondering about their side of the story and how can we solve this ever complicated web of problems." Since then, Sunset was convinced on a theory about redeeming them, due to her experience. But no one believed in her and even the guards of the Tartarus refused her to visit them. "Unfortunately, no one believed in me, thinking I was crazy and basically leaving them to die, since they refused to give them food!! All but one..." It was Starlight Glimmer, who also had a similar experience like Sunset. She decided to help her friend. So she decided to break the sisters out of the Tartarus and carry them to the Human World. "Yep. It was me. In fact, I broke them out, without anyone noticing. I wanted to help her test the theory." Pinkie Pie's house, present "That's crazy!" Rainbow Dash was shocked by the extent of that story and the breakout. "That's horrible..." Fluttershy was in tears. "Why would they do this?!?!?!" Rarity yelled. "There has to be a reason!" Twilight crossed her arms. "We are trying to find it! Plus, Nightmare possessed them, so it's not entirely their fault!!" Sunset yelled. "But they still hurt the young fella and his friend, which is still terrible." Applejack shook her head in disappointment. "How long did they abuse him?" Pinkie Pie was curious. But Starlight answered her question by giving her the copies of Johnny's diary entries. The girls started to read it and each entry sent them chills down to their spines. After which, the girls were angry at Starlight and Sunset for breaking the monsters out. "How could you!?" Twilight was mad, since she was not told by the extend earlier. But Sunset defended her actions by saying. "HEY!! That's what also happened to me after my defeat!!! Everyone hated me, except for Princess Twilight and the others! They saw the different side of the story and helped me reform, despite the odds!" Except for Twilight, the girls agreed. They were there, when Sunset was defeated and given a second chance. But the purple girl with the glasses was still angry. "Twilight...calm down...We need to at least test that theory first." Rainbow Dash attempted to defuse the situation, with the help of her friends. After a while and with the help of the girls, Twilight calmed down and said: "You're right. I'm sorry. It's time to help Sunset." "Good. Let's go." Sunset smiled and went, with the girls following her to the bathroom, where they saw the sisters tied up to chairs for safety. They were still struggling to escape from the restraints. "Oh dear..." Fluttershy covered her mouth. "How can we snap them out of their insane attitudes?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I have no idea..." Applejack scratched her head. "Be careful, they are still unstable. We have to be at a safe distance." Sunset warned her friends about the danger. "Speaking of which, what did you see in their heads?" Rarity asked. "It's blurry. I can't see the full picture, however, I heard the sounds of flames, screams, clashing chains and demonic laughter." Sunset explained her friends about her sight. "That's crazy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "However, we have yet to solve this mystery. It's only a matter of time, if they're willing to cooperate or not." Starlight crossed her arms. "But first, we have to restore them some sanity." Twilight had her notebook and pencil ready. Fluttershy carefully approached the sisters at a safe distance and politely asked with a question: "Uhm, excuse me? Could you please take a deep breath and tell us, what's troubling you last week?" However, that didn't work, as they kept thrashing around. So much so, that Applejack and Rainbow Dash had to hold the chairs, they were tied to, down. By the shoulders. "Are you two even listening?!?!" Applejack yelled. The screaming soon became unbearable for the girls, who covered their ears. "It's unbearable! When will they stop screaming!??!!" Rarity screamed. "Please, if you don't cooperate with that theory, then all of our efforts are for nothing and you would be sent back!" Starlight pleaded. That made the situation even worse with the screaming becoming even louder. Once again, the lavender girl tried to plead them for their cooperation, but soon...things would escalate immediately, when the sisters headbutted Starlight, after shaking the girls off. Losing patience and not taking to their antics anymore, Sunset snapped. "ENOUGH!!!!!!" She slapped the sisters so hard, that when they fell down to the ground, they hit their heads hard. That impact made the sisters unconscious. The girls were shocked by Sunset's action. However, the orange girl was in the brink of tears and ran off immediately. "Sunset, wait!!! Girls, make sure, that the girls are okay! I have to catch up to her and calm down the situation!" Starlight ran off shortly after telling the girls to check up on the twins. "This is getting really ridiculous..." Rainbow Dash sighed. "I know, right? But first, we have to check for any vital signs of the girls." Twilight noted. "If you say so..." Applejack sighed and the girls helped Twilight to check on any vital signs like their heartbeat. Canterlot City On a rainy afternoon, Starlight ran outside to find Sunset, who ran away in a mess. Thankfully, she used one of Pinkie's umbrellas to protect herself from the rain. "Sunset? Sunset, where are you??" She yelled around the area, trying to find her whereabouts. After a while of guessing and asking the locals about the directions, she eventually found her friend in an alley, but in a messed up state. "Sunset....are you okay?" She asked, but there was no response. Only sobbing. Starlight slowly approached her friend to see, if she's alright. Instead, she heard Sunset mumbling over something, that she couldn't understand. "Excuse me?" Starlight tried to get her attention and hear the sentence, that she mumbled. "...maybe I was wrong...." the words can be heard, when Starlight listened closely. Confused, she asked, what in the name of Equestria she is talking about, to which Sunset replied with: "They're right....they can't be redeemed...I don't know, how I even came up with that idea!!! Is it because of experience or just simple wishful thinking!??! Or possibly a stupid idea in my head....I'M SUCH A MESS!!!!" "Calm down, Sunset..." the lavender girl tried her best to reach for her friend, but she shouted back with: "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM MYSELF DOWN, WHEN THEY NEVER EVEN LISTEN!?!?!?" Hell, Sunset was about to slap her in rage, but Starlight tightly grabbed her hand with a serious expression on her face. "That's enough. I know, that you assumed something crazy after the Nightmare incident and even went so far as trying to find some footing and I know that I did something stupid by breaking them out and bringing them here. But, that doesn't mean, you can throw everything away! After all, a theory needs to be researched, tested and even brought evidence to be either true or false. Plus, your empathy sensed something different in the sisters, that doesn't add up to what the guys were saying. And I know, that they're never wrong. I beg of you, Sunset Shimmer...Don't throw the progress away. There is still a chance. All you have to do is believe in it, despite the odds." Starlight looked at her. Her words made Sunset tear up and soon broke down in Starlight's arms under the umbrella during the rainy afternoon. However, she soon stopped after 15 minutes. "I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking straight, when all of this happened..." Sunset apologised. But Starlight warmly smiled and forgave her. "It's okay. We can solve this mystery...together." Starlight nodded. That gave Sunset some hope and confidence to try again. "Let's go back inside. I don't want you to catch a cold." Starlight noted and both got out of the alley, when Sunset's phone started ringing. The girl looked at who is trying to call her and accepts it. "Hello?" Sunset asked. "Sunset, you need to come to Pinkie's house quick! Something's wrong with the girls!" It was this world's Twilight, who is calling her. She wanted Sunset and Starlight to come back immediately. "You do know, that I knocked them out, right?" Sunset recalled the moment, where she slapped them so hard that they hit their heads on the ground. "I know, but recently, they've been acting really strange, as if they're in peril. I have no idea, why." Twilight answered. "We're on our way now." Sunset ended the call. "Come on, Starlight." Both girls were now on their way back to Pinkie's house. Pinkie Pie's house The duo immediately arrived at the house, where Twilight was waiting. "Girls! You're back! Come inside quick!" Twilight went inside with the girls following suit. Upon entering the bathroom, they saw her friends in a confused, yet frightened state at the following scene: Susan and Mary were thrashing around in their restraints, but this time, they weren't screaming anymore. Instead, they moaned in distress. Not to mention, the twins started sweating. "This is getting even stranger..." Applejack noted. "What is happening?" Fluttershy was scared. "Brace yoursleves!" Pinkie Pie responded. Sunset went to the two, trying to calm them down, but upon touching their arms, she started screaming in horror and agony and her eyes glow white. Her Empathy powers were kicking in. Although this time, the glow was intense. "Sunset!!!" Twilight was scared. "What's going on!??!" Rainbow Dash was alarmed. Twilight tried to pull Sunset away from the sisters, but it seems like she was basically glued to them. "Girls, help me!!!" Twilight pleaded her friends for help and they immediately took action by helping her pulling Sunset away from them, but even with the power of 7 girls and a dog, when Spike started to assist them, it still wasn't enough. "Oh, great..." Rainbow Dash sighed. "It seems like, her Empathy powers prevent us from pulling her away, which means that whatever is in their heads, must be intense." Twilight assumed. And it seems like, her assumption was legit, as the behaviour of the sisters got worse. All three of them were groaning in agony and soon screamed loudly. After which, Sunset let the sisters go and lost consciousness, while the sisters also lost consciousness. "Oh no! Sunset!!" Twilight ran to her friend, while the other girls were shocked and now scrambling for ideas. "We need to get them to a hospital!!" Fluttershy suggested. "I'm on it!" Rarity immediately called emergency services, while Rainbow Dash grabbed some towels to bandage their heads, all while untying them from the restraints. "What is happening...?" Starlight had so many questions in her head at this point. After a while of waiting, when Rarity gave the dispatcher informations about the location and the situation, two sets of ambulances arrived at the scene, took Sunset, Susan and Mary inside and drove them to a hospital. "We have to follow them." Twilight told to the girls and they're on their way to the hospital. Meanwhile, in Ponyville... Snow Emerald was still confused about her encounter with Zizrar and Brain Freezer, so she took a walk alone to clear up her mind. Suddenly, she heard a commotion somewhere and went to the source, only to see a red unicorn mare, protecting a colt from a couple. She was really angry. "Oh for the love of..." Snow Emerald sighed and ran to the commotion. "This is my final warning, if you keep hurting this kid, I'll burn you alive! YOU HEAR ME?!?!?!" the red mare shouted, scaring the couple. "Stop it, Fire Jewel!!!" Snow Emerald was outraged. "You don't need to threaten them!!" "But they hurt this kid!!!" Fire Jewel stood by her decision, all while her horn was glowing. In the meantime, the couple ran away in fear. "You seriously need to work on your attitude, girl..." Snow Emerald facehoofed. "What is going on here?" An aqua-blue unicorn mare with oceanic eyeshadow went to them. "It's about your sister, Ocean Spark... She threatened yet another pair again for abuse." Snow Emerald reported. "Again...?" Ocean Spark sighed and used her magic to grab her sister's ear and drag her away. "We'll talk about this." "Ow! Hey, let me go!" Fire Jewel was struggling. All while this was going, Johnny and Dukey were hanging out with Cosmic Blaze for a fun day out, when they saw Ocean Spark dragging Fire Jewel away, while Snow Emerald was following them. "Don't mind us. It's just personal." Snow Emerald looked at them before following them, leaving the guys confused. Cosmic Blaze looked at the colt and asked: "Hey, what are you doing?" But the colt was scared to say anything and ran away. Johnny recognized that behavior and the injuries as injuries from abuse. Giving the fact, that he too was an abuse victim, it left him frozen in horror. "Uhm, bro? You okay?" Cosmic Blaze tried to snap his brother out of it, but to no avail. Suddenly, he ran off to the direction, the colt ran off. "Whoa! Johnny, wait!!" The hybrid followed his friend almost immediately. And so did Cosmic Blaze. Human World, Canterlot Hospital Starlight and the Humane Six were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for updates about the situation. Everyone was worried. "I have a bad feeling about this...." Starlight looked concerned. "I hope, they'll be okay..." Fluttershy prayed for the girls. Everyone agreed. They wanted the girls to be okay and at the same time, find out, what caused Susan and Mary to freak out. To be continued...