Twilight Sparkle stood atop a grassy hill, looking on as the moon continued to descend in the night sky. It was still incredible to her how the sun and moon could move on their own without any magic, but right now, she didn’t have much time to examine them more.
REO Speedwagon tapped on the left side of her back and she proceeded down the hill in the same direction. Ahead was a vast farmhouse with orchards of apple trees, and Twilight could already see at least a dozen barns behind the last treeline, their rooftops painted a blazing red, even in the dark.
Sweetie Belle had told them earlier that they were going somewhere safe and it was the home of another of her partners, one of the three owners of the Crusaders Foundation. Twilight looked at the apples and the farmhouse and she didn’t need to be told who this belonged to.
She still remembered the tales of the Cutie Mark Crusaders before she had taken over Princess Celestia. Sweetie Belle and her friends had spent years doing all kinds of odd-work to try and get their cutie marks. They eventually realized their goal was to help others and Twilight could see the same fire in Sweetie Belle in this world. Even in her old age, she still headed this foundation.
Apple Bloom was another Crusader and this had to be her place. If if it was Apple Bloom’s place, then it would also be…
Applejack…
It had been a while since Twilight had left Canterlot to meet her friends back in Ponyville. Over the years, they had become old and wizened, unlike her once she started ruling, but they were always still as cheery as ever. She wondered if this Applejack would be the same.
“Almost there, Twilight,” Spike stuck his head out of the bag. “I can see lights on in the farmhouse. They must still be awake.”
“Probably just waking up instead, Spike.” Twilight watched as the moon continued its descent.
She nodded and walked faster. She had an uneasy feeling about all this, and she looked back over her shoulder to see if there was anything amiss. There didn’t seem to be, but something kept telling her that it wouldn’t just end here with the burning of Sweetie’s house.
The farmhouse began to grow bigger and bigger as they got closer and soon, Twilight found herself standing before a white door on a porch with flood lights blinding her eyes as footsteps could be heard from within. The lights had come on as her first foot touched down against the porch wood. It must’ve been automatic, like how their lamps could turn on themselves if they had enchantments on them back home.
“Who’s there?” came a drawl from behind the door.
Sweetie Belle suddenly popped her head out of the bag and breathed. “Appy, it’s me, Sweetie Belle, Rare Candy’s grandmother.”
The door opened revealing a young girl with bright orange hair and a green ribbon atop her bushy head. She was dressed in dirty overalls and brown boots.
“Granny Belle!” The girl scratched her head as she looked at Sweetie’s detached head. “What are ya doin’ in a bag? And who’s this?”
This young girl was Apple Bottom Jeans, Appy for short. She was the granddaughter of Apple Bloom and she was the youngest of two children, the other being Blooming Tree, who was off in Manehattan for college.
“I’ll explain, but first, may we come in? There’s a lot to cover, but we need to be some place safe.”
“I hope we didn’t wake you. I know how early it is.” Only now, Twilight was beginning to feel the burden of remaining awake and it wasn’t pleasant.
“Uh, come in, come in.” Appy stepped to one side to give them room to walk past her. “Ah was just about to head out to till the ground for fresh seed. Yer not interudin’ on anythin’.”
Twilight walked in and placed REO Speedwagon on the floor and stepped back.
“Thank you, Twilight. Thank you, Appy.” Sweetie Belle was the first to climb out of her Stand, followed by her husband, then Spike and then Steel Tongue. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have come here this early for nothing. Our home was burned down. Attacked.”
“Attacked?” Appy put a hand over her mouth. “Are ya’ll ‘right? No one got hurt, Ah’m hopin’.”
“Nothing serious.” Sweetie lifted the corners of her nightdress. “But that’s why we’re still in our night clothes, you see. Is your grandmother awake? I have to warn her.”
She related to her how Twilight witnessed people blowing up the gates, setting fire to her home, and then their escape here. Appy went away to get them water before retreating upstairs to wake her family. Twilight began to feel a gripping sensation in her gut. She knew what this feeling was, as she felt it every time she received a new book as a gift. It was the feeling of her nerves jumping up and down, excited, but at the same time, anxious to delve into it. Appy went up to wake her family and Twilight was excited to meet this world’s Applejack, to see if she was anything like her friend back home. She shook both arms, trying to calm herself, telling herself that she would take it as it came.
“Everyone alright?” Twilight went over to pull two chairs from a dining table for the two elderly humans to sit. Perhaps she just needed a distraction from her thoughts. “I hope the journey wasn’t too bumpy.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sweetie Belle said with a wave. “The inside of REO Speedwagon is incredibly comfy and you can’t feel the impacts of the outside world.”
“Tell me more about these… Stands.” Twilight leaned against the table. “They’re fascinating. They’re like magic in a world without magic.”
“I will, but after that, I’d like to know where you’re from, Twilight.”
“Fair enough. It’s a deal.”
Sweetie Belle nodded, then rubbed at her chin. “Where to begin… Stands are like… a manifestation of one’s fighting spirit. Essentially, they’re a part of you, an extension of yourself to do your bidding. Are you… following so far?”
“Basically an inner being of yourself, a construct of your will,” Twilight said.
The elderly woman shrugged. “Sure, I guess you can say that. No one’s ever really studied a Stand, so I’m sure there’s still much to learn about each Stand. So each one is different, like for example, a friend of mine, her Stand can absorb the heat from anything, including people, while mine’s just a backpack with an infinite space inside where we can even take refuge.”
“Interesting. There must be so many different Stands in this world!” Twilight rubbed her hands together. “Did you hear that, Spike? All this Stand power is making my scalp itch!”
“Sure, but shouldn’t we be worrying about the people after Sweetie Belle, Twi?” Spike took a peek outside one of the farmhouse’s many windows. “Whoever started burning down her house is sure to realize they didn’t get her.”
“Yes, they’ll be back. I’m sure of it. I’ve dealt with enough rogue forces in my time.” Twilight looked at her companions, then she remembered she hadn’t yet told them about herself. “Oh yes. I owe you an introduction. I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. And this is Spike. We’re here from Equestria, another world, to study yours.”
“Equestria. You said Equestria?” Sweetie asked.
Twilight was a little surprised. She didn’t expect that kind of reaction. “Y-Yes. You… you know about my world?”
“Another of my friends is from Equestria.” Sweetie nodded. “Sunset Shimmer. Do you know her?”
“Sunset… Shimmer…?” Twilight looked to the ceiling as she creased one brow. “I’m afraid I don’t know her. Has she been here long?”
Sweetie Belle chuckled. “My, she’s older than I am, just slightly. I’ve known her since high school. Uh, do you have high school back in Equestria?”
Twilight shook her head. “We don’t have high school. Or at least, we don’t have something called high school back in Equestria. I would like to meet her. I’m sure we could learn much from each other.”
There was a flutter of footsteps and everyone turned to the stairway, expecting to see Appy again. But it wasn’t the orange haired girl that reached the bottom floor. Instead, it was a boy with rainbow hair, with the exception of red, dressed in a simple white shirt and striped shorts.
“Huh? Who are you?” Spike pointed a finger at him.
“Oh, Skyburn, you’re here!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Uh, this is Twilight and Spike. Twilight, Spike, this is Skyburn Dash, Appy’s boyfriend.”
“Yeah, it’s summer break. So I’m spending some time helping out on the farm.” The boy rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks turning a light pink. “Umm, pleased to meet you.”
Skyburn Dash was the son of Fractal Dash, the brother of Prism Dash and grandson of Rainbow Dash. That meant he was also Josher Joyride’s cousin and Cajole Joyride’s nephew. A senior in high school, he had just graduated a few weeks ago and he was now waiting to go to college, where he was going to continue on the motocross team. He enjoyed seeking thrills in life and speeding through the wind on his motorbike was one of his greatest pastimes.
After Skyburn, Appy hopped back down the stairs, followed by an older woman with a mostly gray head of hair that was once red. She had on a green nightgown and a pair of red glasses.
“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle ran over and embraced her friend.
“I heard the news,” Apple Bloom said. “Are you alright? No one’s hurt?”
“No, we’re fine. Twilight here saved us.” Sweetie gestured to the newcomers. “This is Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”
“Wait, Twilight? Spike?” Apple Bloom tilted her head to one side.
“I’m sure you must know our names,” Twilight said as she gave her a short bow. “I know it must be weird. Your sister would have friends with our names, won’t she? But I’m from another world parallel to yours. Is she here? Applejack. I would like to see how similar she is to my Applejack.”
“Ap-Applejack?” Apple Bloom stammered. Then she tilted her head low as she began grinding her teeth together. “Applejack’s… not here.”
“Oh,” Twilight shrugged. “Well, I’d like to see her when she does get back. Do you know how long that’ll take?”
“Uh, Twilight?” Sweetie Belle went over to Twilight and said, “Applejack’s… not coming back. She died when we were in high school, while Sunset Shimmer and her friends were fighting an evil Stand master.”
This revelation struck Twilight Sparkle like a hammer blow to the gut. “She-she’s what?”
Apple Bloom nodded as a single tear rolled down her face. “It’s been a long time since Ah’ve had to think of her… She died as she journeyed to save the world from an evil plot. She’s a hero.”
“Applejack’s dead…” Twilight braced herself against the table, feeling her heart beating wildly against her chest. One of her dear friends, dead. Even though it was not the same back in Equestria, it still hit her like a train to hear the news.
Spike walked over and wrapped his arms around her and she held him tightly. The warmth of another body comforted her and she sank down and closed her eyes.
“It’s okay. It’s a different world, Twi.” Spike gave her a pat. “It’s a different world.”
“I know… I know… it’s just… It’s so similar to ours… except for the… human bodies.”
“She’s from Equestria too,” Appy told her grandmother. “Like Sunset.”
Apple Bloom raised a finger. “That explains why she’s still-”
There was a shrill whistle, then something flew through the main door’s window before disappearing through the kitchen. Everyone dropped to the ground, keeping their hands over their heads as glass shattered around them.
Twilight felt a sting on her neck, likely from the glass. These human bodies seemed to be a lot less durable than a pony’s.
“They found us,” Spike said, getting her attention. “They’ve come to finish the job.”
“What do they want?” Appy cried out as Skyburn put himself over her to protect her from the flying glass.
The whistling came again and again and again. At first, no one saw anything except for all the windows shattering, but as she kept her eyes up and alert, Twilight eventually spotted something flying through the air, faster than any bolt of magic she’d ever seen. It was gray and glowing red and trailed a stream of fire behind it as it flew. Whoever was attacking them didn’t seem to know exactly where they were and they were just firing blindly.
The projectile flew back into the house, but this time, instead of exiting through another window, it flew straight down and tore through the dining table, splitting it in half as it zoomed back up and through the ceiling.
“Stay down. I’ll find out what’s going on. I’ll stop them.” Skyburn Dash patted his girlfriend’s shoulder as he rushed to one of the windows silently.
Broken glass cut into his bare feet, but now wasn’t the time to worry about minor injuries. Whoever was out there meant to kill them and if he could help it, he wasn’t going to let them. He looked outside into the darkness of the early morning, scanning the area for anything that could be hostile. Then he spotted something, just behind one of the apple trees. A head peeking out at him.
“I see someone!” he hissed. “At the apple trees. I think it’s a man.”
Just then, the whistling returned and Skyburn turned around just in time to see the projectile crash through the ceiling, flying towards him. With a somersault, he avoided it completely before something emerged from his back, throwing a long cylinder at the projectile, knocking it in the back. The cylinder bounced and returned to the figure’s hand as it spun around, holding a second one in its other hand. Now that she could see them clearly, Twilight knew these things were batons. The being holding them had pale blue skin and dark armor with a protective visor over its eyes. Seeing something weirdly magical for this world, she knew this had to be another Stand. It seemed they took shapes of all kinds.
The projectile wavered in the air, but made it back outside as it zipped around in the dark, leaving a trail of red behind it.
“There’s no way you could’ve hit Wayward Son,” a voice echoed outside. It must’ve been the figure at the trees. “My Stand is faster than anything in the world. To have reflexes to hit it, it’s inhuman!”
He stepped out from behind the tree and shook a fist. Twilight had never seen a more disfigured human being in her time here. His head was shaped like an egg and his head just went straight down to his body. He didn’t have a neck. His entire body was round as well and he waved a finger at them from where he was.
“I live for danger,” Skyburn explained. “In order to do that, I have to keep my reflexes and my mind sharp, ready for anything, to be able to move at the last minute.”
The man suddenly rubbed his hands together and grinned madly. “You must belong to the rich, to have the opportunity to live dangerously, to ignore the wealth you have to risk it all. Well, I’ll show you something riskier! We of Die Die Riches will see that your money will not go to waste!”
Skyburn creased a brow. “We?”
He realized his mistake too late as another figure stood up from behind the wall, right in his face. It was a female figure with a white face and bright red lipstick, but above its mouth were two glowing red eyes and as he looked into them, he could swear they spun like vortexes. Skyburn’s Stand vanished and his arms dropped to his sides as his face assumed a blank expression.
A woman stood up next to the figure and raised a hand to her face. Where her nose was supposed to be was nothing but flat skin, and her hand only had four fingers, though they were all thicker than the regular finger. She had long auburn hair that dangled down one side of her head and she was dressed in a blue and white dress that resembled something out of a fairy tale.
“You live for danger indeed.” She gave Skyburn a shove and laughed. “Fall down.”
Skyburn suddenly leaned back as gravity carried him to the ground, where he crashed with a thud, landing atop all the broken glass.
“Do a snow angel,” the woman said and Skyburn did exactly as he was told, cutting himself further.
“Skyburn!” Appy got up and ran to him, trying to stop him from moving, but he would not. “What have you done?”
“I just told him what to do, honey, that’s all.” The woman waved her four-fingered hand through the air. “All who gaze into the eyes of Crane Wife become hypnotized and do my bidding. Would you like to join him?”
Her Stand reappeared and everyone kept their eyes low as its eyes began to glow. It floated into the farmhouse, coming right through the broken window as it stayed just an inch above the ground. It had a long flowy dress and it didn’t seem to have any legs under it.
“DeCanter, again!” The woman laughed and pointed at Skyburn. “That’s right. Don’t look. As for you, stand up and walk to the window now.”
Skyburn did exactly as he was told, pushing right past Appy as she continued to try and stop him. He stopped in front of the woman as she stepped two windows down. “All yours, brother.”
“Yes, sister dear.” He rubbed his hands and walked closer. “Wayward Son!”
The projectile reappeared, hovering beside him and it was now that Twilight realized it was shaped like an arrow. She wanted to run to it, to stop it, but she knew if she tried, that enemy Stand would hypnotize her like it did Skyburn. She had to figure something else out.
Just how do I stop the magic of this world?
“Ah’ve got to get on the horn,” Apple Bloom scrambled for the kitchen. “We can’t fight these Stands with what we’ve got!”
Sweetie Belle got up and called out REO Speedwagon before grabbing it by the straps and swinging it at Crane Wife. The enemy Stand stopped it with a hand, then smiled as it pulled it to one side as it gazed into Sweetie’s eyes.
“No!” Button Mash grabbed her, but all he did was get hypnotized as well.
“Standing targets. My favorite!” The man called DeCanter stalked closer. “Time to take them out a few at a time!”
He let out a bad attempt at a whistle as his Stand sped forward, trailing fire. Skyburn was the closest and he would’ve gotten speared through the chest if not for Appy. She had thrown herself at him as hard as she could, knocking him out of the way just by an inch as the Stand tore a hole through the corner of his shirt sleeve. But in doing so, Appy put herself directly in the line of Wayward Son and it pierced right through her chest, coming out the back as it sped for Sweetie Belle next.
“No!” Twilight cried out, reaching a hand up as she tried to run for Sweetie Belle. She had to do something. She wasn’t going to just sit here and let her new friends die. She had to protect them. It didn’t matter how, nor did she know how, but she had to do something, even if that meant putting her life in danger.
Crane Wife noticed her approach and began turning its head to look at her, but it was as though it decided to do it slowly. Its head had begun turning, but only ever so slightly. Twilight knew this effect as she had cast a couple of slow spells in her time. Something was slowing down the enemy Stand’s movement, but she didn’t know what. That gave her enough time to pull Sweetie’s leg, sending her crashing back to the ground just as Wayward Son sped by.
As her gaze switched from Crane Wife to Wayward Son, the slowing seemed to shift and instead, the arrow was the one slowing down now, giving Spike enough time to get Button Mash out of the way.
“W-What is the meaning of this?!” The woman looked at her hands, then back at Twilight. “It’s you!”
Twilight didn’t know how, but she was right. Crane Wife had slowed down when she was looking at it, but when she changed her gaze, Wayward Son was the one to slow. She didn’t know how she was doing it, but she was the one slowing them down.
Is this…? Is this the power of a Stand…?
Something burned within her, like a kindling of a campfire. A warm feeling washed over Twilight, spreading out from her chest to her fingertips. It was as though an instruction manual had been opened in her mind. She suddenly knew what this feeling was and she knew how to use it.
“I’m ready,” she said as she pointed a finger at the woman. “Are you?”
From behind her, a lavender skinned entity emerged, thrusting both arms beside Twilight’s head. It was humanoid in nature and silver armor gleamed in the lights as its blue eyes shone with fury. Five blue orbs , four on its arms and one on its back glowed brightly, its contents swirling as it put both fists together.
“Twilight, is that a…?” Spike watched as the figure raised one hoofed leg up, touching its chest with its knee.
The Princess of Equestria nodded and touched one hand to the ground as she stretched the other one over her head. “A Stand, Spike. Not just any Stand. My Stand.”
This world had been everything she never expected to see in her life. It was unlike anything back home, but at the same time, it was. And then instead of hooves, they had feet. And hands. She hadn’t spent much time in this world, but already, she had learned so much in the single day she had been here, and there was still much to learn, but she didn’t have much time now. Now, she had to first protect her friends of this strange new world.
“Strange World!” Twilight lifted her arm to the woman as her Stand swept past her, bringing a fist forward as it yelled with all its might.