//------------------------------//
// Tensions Rise 
// Story: My Little Pony: No Way Home 
// by Battwell 
//------------------------------//

The doors to the Canterlot Dungeon opened up, the Mane 6, Celestia, and Luna all walked in as Rainbow Dash hovered in front of Fluttershy's face. 

"How many times do I have to say that I'm sorry?! I thought he was going to hurt you!" Rainbow exclaimed to Fluttershy. 

The shy mare frowned, "He wasn't going to hurt me, Rainbow Dash. He's not even bad! He just wants to get home to his daughter," she said with nothing but conviction. 

Rainbow crossed her forelegs over her chest, "But how was I meant to know that? He's literally a sand monster!" 

Fluttershy just shook her head, "That doesn't mean you just attack him. Now you'd better apologize to him." 

"WHAT?! Seriously?!" 

Fluttershy just looked at her friend with disappointment in her eyes. Rainbow sighed in defeat and muttered something under her breath as she approached Flint's cell. Rainbow tapped on the barrier with her hoof, causing Flint to look up ever so slightly. 

Rainbow sighed, "Look....I'm sorry I attacked you. I thought you were going to hurt my friend, but that doesn't make it an excuse for what I did. I just want you to know that I'm sorry." 

Flint stared at her for a moment before humming and looking back down at his pendant. Rainbow was about to say something when Electro cut her off. 

"That has to be the most bullshit apology I have ever heard." 

Rainbow turned and glared at the electric villain, who crossed his arms and looked at her with a smug expression on his face. Suddenly, a scroll appeared in a green flame right in front of Celestia. Before it fell to the ground, she caught it with her magic and opened it. 

Twilight, curious, stepped forward, "What does it say, princess?" 

Celestia's eyes widened and looked up from the scroll. She looked towards Twilight with fear in her eyes, "Twilight. One of the Multiversal Trespassers. They're at your parents house." 

Twilight's eyes widened and before anypony could do anything, she teleported out of the dungeon. 



 

Twilight appeared in her parents living room with fear and worry evident in her eyes. 

"SPIKE?! MOM?! DAD?!" She shouted in fear. 

She galloped into the kitchen and lit up her horn.... Only to tilt her head in confusion as she saw Norman Osborn, sitting at the dining table with her family, drinking tea. 

Twilight Velvet turned around and saw her daughter, "Ah, hey, here she is!" she turned to Norman, "Norman, this is my daughter, Twilight Sparkle." 

"The newly crowned princess," Night Light added. 

Twilight's horn dimmed as her face showed nothing but utter confusion, "Norman Osborn? I thought that you--" 

"I woke up in this place, scared and alone. I looked around and found the nearest house, and I thought whoever lived there could help me," Norman explained. 

Twilight looked completely thrown, "W-wait, so you want help?" 

Spike got up from the table and walked over to Twilight, "He just knocked on the door, looking terrified. He asked for our help." 

Norman looked down sadly, "I didn't know where else to go. I don't have a house. Oscorp doesn't exist. And my son....." Norman sighs sadly before continuing, "Sometimes I'm not myself. I'm....someone else." 

Velvet and Night Light nodded in understanding as he continued. 

"And every time he’s in control, I can’t remember." 

"Who?" Twilight interrupted. 

"And now I'm here--" 

"Who's "in control"?" Twilight once again interrupted. 

"--In this place--" Norman continued. 

Twilight stepped forward, "Norman, who’s in control?" 

Norman was starting to panic, "--In this city, and I don’t know--" Norman started to hyperventilate, "--I don’t know why, what’s going on with me? And I don’t--" 

Velvet had heard enough and placed a hoof on his shoulder, calming him down. 

Norman breathed as he took a sip of his tea, "It doesn’t make sense." 

As Night Light got up from the table and approached Norman, Spike got up to make some more tea. While this was happening, Velvet got up and pulled Twilight into the living room to talk. 

"Twilight, what is going on exactly?" 

Twilight sighed and looked into her mothers eyes, "When I completed Star Swirl the Bearded's spell and ascended into an Alicorn....It broke a hole in reality and these beings from other realities were pulled into Equestria." 

Velvet nodded, "And I'm assuming you've found the rest of these "visitors"? 

Twilight nodded. 

"And are they all like Norman?" Velvet asked. 

Twilight exhaled, "Yeah. They all have their own mental and physical issues." 

Velvet looked back towards Norman, "Well, he needs help, and maybe they all do." 

Twilight's eyes widened at realizing what her mother meant, "Wait, you don’t mean--? No Mom, this isn’t my problem." 

Velvet looked surprised, "Not your problem?" 

"Mom, their chance of getting help is way better back where they came from. Sending them home, that’s the best thing that we can do for them," Twilight explained. 

Velvet however, didn't look convinced, "For them? Or for yourself?" Velvet then placed a hoof on her daughter's shoulder, "You're a princess of Equestria. It's your duty to help those in need." 

Twilight sighed and looked at Velvet with sadness in her eyes, "This is what's best. For them. Trust me." 

Velvet sighed and gave her daughter a hug, to which Twilight happily accepted. 

What they didn't know is that Norman was watching them, thinking about his relationship with Harry. 



 

A sudden pop echoed throughout the dungeon, gathering everypony's attention. Everyone turned to see Twilight and Norman in the center of the room, with Norman looking around confused. Everyone readied themselves, but Twilight raised a hoof. 

"It's okay. He won't hurt us," she then gestured to Norman, "Everypony, this is Mr. Osborn-" 

"It's Doctor," Norman corrected. 

Twilight chuckled in embarrassment, "Sorry. Um, Doctor Osborn, these are my friends. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy," she then gestured to Cadance and Shining Armor, "And this is my brother, Shining Armor, and my sister in law, Cadance." 

Norman nodded as he looked around, "Fascinating..." 

Norman then took notice of the cells, his curiosity getting the better of him, he approached Otto's cell. His eye's widened when he saw Octavius. 

"Octavius?" 

Otto turned around and looked shocked, ".....Osborn?" 

"What... what happened to you?" 

"What happened to-- You're the walking corpse!" 

Norman looked confused, "What do you mean?" 

"You died, Norman. Years ago." 

Twilight's ears perked up at that as she turned to Otto. 

Norman chuckled at the impossible accusation, "You're insane." 

"God, I love it here," Electro inputted. 

Twilight walked over towards the cells with her friends behind her. 

"What are ya'll talking about?" Applejack asked. 

"He's right there. He's not--" Rarity was then cut off by Sandman. 

"Dead," Sandman then walked to the front of his cell, "They both died. Fighting Spider-Man." 

Rainbow tilted her head, "Spider-who?" 

Sandman continued, ignoring the rainbow maned Pegasus, "It was all over the news. Green Goblin? Impaled by the glider you flew around on," as Norman processes this information, Sandman turns to Doc Ock, "And a couple years later, you, Doc Ock, drowned in the river with your machine." 

Otto scoffed at the man made of sand, "That’s nonsense! Spider-Man was trying to stop my fusion reactor. So I stopped him! I had him by the throat and then I..." Otto then struggles to remember, until a realization occurs, "And then I was here." 

As the ponies let the information sink in, Electro rolls his eyes, "Oh please, let me tell you something. I was whooping Spider-Man’s ass -- he’ll tell you," the ponies turned to Max, "And then he caused an overload, I was stuck in the grid, absorbing data, I was about to turn into pure energy and then-- And then, uh-- And then--" Electro's eyes widened in realization, "Oh, shit. I was about to die." 

Lizard looks towards Electro, "Max, do you know -- do I die?" 

Before Twilight could say anything, Luna and Celestia entered the room with a scroll being held in Luna's magic. Luna turns to see Osborn, "Oh great, thou caught another one." 

Twilight then looked at Luna frantically as the night princess's horn glowed. 

"No no no, wait, Princess Luna, he's not--" 

But she was too late, as Luna fired a beam of magic, teleporting Norman into his cell. Twilight saw the fear in his eyes and reassured him, "It's okay, um..." she then notices the scroll, "What is that?" 

Luna smiles, "This, is a spell that we created. Specifically made to send the trespassers home." 

Celestia nodded, "Once this spell is casted, this entire thing will be over." 

Otto glared at the princesses, "And then what? We perish?!" 

Electro waved his hand, "Nah, nah, no thanks, I’ll pass on that." 

Norman looked terrified, "Let me out of here," he turns to Twilight, "Twilight!" 

Twilight then looked conflicted, she should be happy that this is over. So why isn't she? She turns to Luna, "Princess, we can't send them back. Not yet." 

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" 

Twilight looked back at the villains before turning back to Luna, "Some of these beings are gonna die." 

Rainbow then stepped forward, "Yeah! We can't just let them die. That's not cool at all." 

Luna sighed and looked at Twilight with a stern look in her eyes, "Twilight. It's their fate." 

Twilight looked shocked at what Luna had just said, "Come on, princess. Show some compassion, have a heart." 

Luna was about to reply, but Celestia stepped forward, "My faithful student. I'm pleased that you wish to help these individuals. But our duty as princesses is to put the safety of Equestria first. If they stay here, then they risk at destabilizing our world. As horrible as it sounds, in the grand calculus of the Multiverse, their sacrifice means infinitely more than their lives." 

Twilight took a step back, horrified at what she was hearing. 

Celestia looked at her in sorrow, "I’m sorry, Twilight. If they die, they die." 

Celestia and Luna then began charging their horns, the scroll lighting up as it levitated into the air. Suddenly, a yellow glow surrounded the villains as the spell was taking effect. 

Applejack lowered her Stenson, "That....That ain't right." 

Pinkie's mane deflated, "But....This was supposed to have a happy ending." 

"We're not really going through with this, are we?" Rainbow asked in disbelief. 

Fluttershy whimpered as Rarity hugged her, comforting her. Cadance and Shining Armor looked away in sorrow.

Twilight was conflicted, she wanted to save Equestria, but not like this. Tears came to her eyes as she struggled with the decision. Eventually, she couldn't stand by and let these people die. 

It was then that Twilight charged up her horn..... 

And blasted Luna in the chest.