“Another Equestria?” Twilight asked her doppelganger.”What do you mean by that?”
The farmer had been lead into the rather decidedly gaudy crystal tree and had been sat down on a chair that was positioned near a large table, the ‘other Twilight’ sitting on a similar char beside her, Spike having brought the pair a couple cups of tea.
“Well...” The winged Twilight began. “A long time ago I...well, long story short, I had to go through a magical mirror and it brought me to a bizarre alternate version of this world, where everypony was different and even the buildings and locations were completely different. So the idea that you are from another Equestria isn’t too far off from that, but what you said and how you reacted makes it clear to me you aren’t from that world I visited which...I actually didn’t think was possible, to be frank.”
Twilight nodded, looking down to her tea. “That...kinda sounds overwhelming. Kinda freaky, to be quite honest...”
“I’d figure you’d find it absolutely fascinating from a magical theory standpoint! I sure do! The possibility of other worlds beside the Mirror World has just been presented to me! Think of the possibilities, and what magic could benefit from that knowledge!”
Twilight nodded slowly. “Yeah I suppose...I just...Haven’t REALLY cared too much about magic since I was a kid...we may both be ‘Twilight Sparkle’, I guess, but we’re not the same pony. You’re...well you’re a PRINCESS with a big gaudy castle in the middle of town! Me? I’m just a farmer who likes helping people and tinkering with awesome machinery....and all this weird magic stuff is kinda a lot to take in...”
The other Twilight frowned. “Sorry, I just got excited, I’m a BIT of a nerd....”
“Well so am I as well as my friend Rainbow and many other ponies when you think about it.” The farmer replied. “Nothing wrong with being a nerd at all. And nothing wrong with you either, I just...I don’t know how this is happening...”
The other Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. “You mentioned your other friends...is t possible they could be somewhere around here too?”
“It’s...possible. I remember we were in Manehatten and some...well, some bad ponies stole something from us and we sorta dived through a magical portal or something to follow them and I kind of found myself here...”
“You don’t sound familiar with whatever spell they used...”
The farmer shook her head. “Well, I’m not much a spellcaster myself, I think Rainbow’d know more.”
“Rainbow?” The other Twilight tilted her head. “As in....Rainbow Dash? Why would she know more about magic than you?”
“Well, she IS the Element of Magic after all.”
The other Twilight raised her brow at this in puzzlement as she sipped her tea. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, Element of Magic, Element of Laughter etc.” The farmer unicorn smiled brightly. “And I’m the Element of Generosity, believe it or not.”
The other Twilight stared in surprise. “That’s...surprising to hear. I’m the Element of Magic on my side here and well...I can’t quite believe Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, would be the bearer in your world.”
“Well she’s a remarkable pony! She’s the first Pegasus in Equestria to have learned how to use magic like a unicorn can, she recognised us as the bearers of the elements and brought us all together as friends!” The farmer smiled widely. “Oh and she’s really smart!”
The other Twilight nodded dumbfoundedly. “That...that sounds fascinating. I’d love to meet her.”
“Oh I’m sure you will eventually!” Twilight smiled wide. “Oh, you want to see my Element?”
The Princess of Friendship nodded. “I’d love to, if you can show me.”
“I got it right here!” Twilight grinned and reached into a sizeable knapsack she had at her side, eventually pulling out a purple crystalline choker necklace with the image of a soda pop bottle with a lightbulb forming above, identical to her cutie mark, emblazoned on the front end.
The other Twilight stared wide eyed. “That’s your Element? It even LOOKS different...”
As the pair talked Spike walked in, carrying a tray of cookies, flashing the two unicorns a smile as he placed the tray on the large map that was acting as a makeshift table. “Here you go!”
“Oh, why thank you Spike.” The other Twilight smiled. “We were having a really fascinating conversation, and look, her element is completely different from mine! Not only does it look different, but it’s the Element of Generosity rather than Magic! Isn’t that unbelievable!?”
“I think it’s pretty believable from my end...” The farmer pouted.
Spike walked closer, eyes wide as he spied the Element. “Wow...it looks cool. Mind if I touch it?”
Twilight blinked and shrugged, handing him the trinket. “Sure, I don’t see why not, just be careful with it. Better safe than sorry.”
As the dragon gingerly took the Element into his claws, another completely identical Spike walked through the door, carrying a tray of cookies. “Okay I brought some more...snacks...?” The newcomer blinked, tilting his head as he spied his doppelganger standing between the two unicorns.
The other Spike looked surprised...for a moment, before suddenly leaping up onto the map and holding the Element of Generosity aloft in triumph. “Haha! I can’t believe how EASY it was to get it! The others are gonna be SO proud!”
“H-hey what are you doing!?” Twilight asked in shock as she got to her hooves. “Give that back!”
The thieving Spike wagged his finger, tutting in a mocking manner. “Oh Twilight, no matter what, you never change do you? Always telling me what to do...always shoving me into the shadows while YOU got all the attention and fame...well not anymore! Now WE’RE the ones who will get the spotlight and YOU can just sit back and watch!”
Princess Twilight tilted her head, frowning in confusion. “What are you talking about...?” Her horn glowed with magic. “Look, just give that back and we can talk about this, that’s not yours...!”
As the Princess attempted to telekinetically pull the Element from the Dragon’s grasp, he smirked as he suddenly blew a large plume of green flame onto the object, the Element vanishing from sight as the flame engulfed it and dissipated into smoke, the two Twilight’s eyes widening.
“W-wait!” The farmer cried out.
“Where did you send it!?” The Princess asked.
“What is going on here...?” The Princess’ Spike asked, very out of the loop having only just come in.
The other Spike shook his head, smirking confidently. “None of your business. What IS your business is that outside Carousel Boutique some associates are having an altercation with some of YOUR friends. Now you COULD chase after me, well, make an attempt to do so, and MAYBE get your Element back....OOORRRRRR you could go there and try and help your friends.” He rolled his eyes. “Like I can’t guess, you Twilights are soooooo predictable...”
The two unicorns blinked, taken aback in puzzlement. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!” The farmer exclaimed, growing ever more desperate.
A golden portal appeared behind the dragon as he smirked. “Hey it’s your choice, try and fight me for a trinket I don’t even have anymore...or run off and help the friends you care oh so much about?” He gave the pair an overdramatic bow before jumping into the portal which disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
The farmer turned to her Princess doppelganger, looking distressed. “What do we do!?”
“Well I could try and find a spell to find him but I’ve never seen magic like that before so I can’t imagine where I’d even begin with that...” The Princess admitted, looking down with a frown. “And who knows WHERE he sent the Element... I just...I don’t understand what just happened...” She turned to her assistant with a worried look. “You...don’t think badly of me, do you?”
The purple dragon, looking equally as dumbfounded as the unicorns were, shook his head. “Of course not! You’re like my best friend, Twilight! I have no idea WHO that guy was or WHY he looked like me or why he seemed to not like you, but I can tell you there’s no way I’d be like that at all.”
“Admittedly I don’t know him very well, but our Spike never acted like that before...”The farmer said, frowning. “Things were complicated enough as it is and now we have a...a Spike from yet another world trying to steal the Elements too...?” She groaned, pressing a hoof to her face. “And I just LET him take it so easily too...”
“It’s not your fault.” The Princess said reassuringly, placing a hoof on the farmer’s shoulder. “Now...he said something about friends and Carousel Boutique. One of my friends works there so I know the way. We’ll just teleport there and...”
“Teleport?” The farmer tilted her head. “I can’t do that...my magic’s not that strong and I don’t even know the spell...”
“Oh...” The other Twilight’s ears drooped as she gave her twin a remorseful look and sighed. “Alright, long way it is. We’ll go there and see what that other Spike was talking about...it’s certainly a better lead than anything and well...if what he said is true I gotta see if my friends are alright...”
The farmer nodded in agreement. “Yeah, same here...I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to my friends...”
As the two purple unicorns began to trot off, the baby dragon spoke up. “Hey what about me?”
The Princess turned to him, her expression stern. “Stay here in case that...fake you shows up again, or any of our friends.”
“Roger!”
The three of them nodded and the two unicorns ran off out of the tree house to see what the commotion at Carousel Boutique could be.
-----------------------
Zecora hummed to herself as she walked through the Everfree Forest, then blinked as she noticed something tied to one of the trees. As she moved closer she found that something was...a pony, said pony’s mouth was gagged with a large sock....which was doubly weird since no one actually WORE socks in Equestria.
The zebra trotted over, pulling the gag out of the pony’s mouth, head tilted in puzzlement.
“I must confess this is quite unexpected, fair mare. How upon did you become erected here, with such purpose and care?”
“Just get me down from here, Zecora!” The pony snapped, face pale. “Before some...MONSTER tries to get us! W-we need to get to town as fast as possible!”
“Whyever for, little pony?”
“In the town...there’s...there’s a PHONY!” The mare froze and blinked before growling in annoyance. “Great now you got me doing it! Just get me down!”
------------------------
Rainbow and her retinue walked through the town, those not native to this dimension looking around in awe at the familiar town and everything that looks the same and everything else that is completely different.
Rainbow glanced behind herself, looking at the back of the group as she noticed that Mayor Mare was following them. “What are you doing, Miss Mayor?”
“Oh I’m just curious as to what’s going on with all this doppelganger stuff.” The Mayor replied. “Plus I want to make sure if this is a friendship problem or something more serious, and thus react accordingly.”
Rainbow raised a brow. “Okaaayyyy....” She turned to the Stetson clad AJ. “Is she...always this odd?”
“Ah’ll be honest, sugarcube, Ah don’t really know the Mayor that well, we don’t exactly talk a lot outside of big events.” She looked down bashfully. “Plus Ah’m kinda...still wrapping mah head around this...alternate dimension stuff, it’s a bit...much for me.”
“Yeah, I mean, Twi told us about something kinda similar but I mean...it’s one thing to hear about this sort of thing, it’s another to like SEE it.” Dash piped up, gliding a couple feet above them. “And uhhh...sorry about freaking out like that, I’m not usually uhh...like that.”
“No, no, I understand. Element of Loyalty, you believed a friend was in trouble, you leapt to your first instinct.” Jackie said, tossing her mane as she spoke. “Plus Braeburn’s good at convincing ponies to follow his way, honestly I think THAT’S his special talent...”
“Still...I’m not always like that.” Dash replied, looking miffed. “Just...so ya know.”
As they walked down the street they saw Pinkamena step out from behind a building, looking desperate as Fluttershy and another, fluffier Pinkamena chased her.
AJ raised a brow at the curious sight. “What the hay...?”
“PInkamena!” Rainbow called out. “Fluttershy!”
Pinkamena turned to Rainbow, looking somewhat bewildered before yelping as Fluttershy and Pinkie leapt onto her, sending her tumbling to the ground.
“Tag! You’re it!” The two extroverted ponies gleefully exclaimed.
“I’m an adult, and besides we have more things to worry about than a dumb game...” Pinkamena groaned in annoyance, looking at Rainbow. “Hey Rainbow.”
“...Whaaat is going on here?” Spike asked, tilting his head.
Pinkamena frowned. “Tag, apparently.”
The Fluttershy who stood atop Pinkamena looked to the group and waved, stepping towards them alongside the fluffy Pinkie Pie. “HI EVERYPONY! Have you met my new friend, Pinkie!? She’s like Pinkamena, only way more smiley and bouncy and fluffy!” She moved to ruffle a hoof into Pinkie’s mane, making her giggle.
Rainbow sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Everyone, meet Fluttershy. She’s...yeah. Sometimes she can be a handful.”
AJ nodded. “Yeah, Pinkie’s much the same way....” She looked down at Pinkamena, looking perplexed.”Kinda weird seeing somepony lookin’ like her not lookin’ as...bubbly.”
Pinkamena slowly took advantage of Fluttershy’s and Pinkie’s loss of attention to get up to her hooves, dusting herself off. “You expect me to be exactly like some alternate version of myself from another universe? How unimaginative.”
Rainbow blinked, tiltingher head. “You...already know?”
“It’s obvious.” Pinkamena shrugged. “What, do you not pay attention to your surroundings, or the ponies around you? Or read like...ANY fantasy or sci-fi story in the past century? The concept of an alternate universe where everyone looks the same but is different isn’t exactly a REVOLUTIONARY idea.”
Spike shrugged, shaking his head. “And this is Pinkamena. She’s...like that. She’s a bit of a jerkbutt.”
“I pride myself on the jerkishness of my rear, in fact.” PInkamena drawled.
Fluttershy spoke up. “So what’s this about alternate universes?”
“Long story short: the Bad Apples brought us here, and this whole world is like some weird version of Equestria where everything’s different.” Rainbow said, pointing to Dash who hovered behind her. “Like this version of me who’s some sorta sporty jock who acts on feelings more than thinking things through.”
“Hey come on! I may not be an egghead, but I’m not STUPID!” Dash retorted, huffing in frustration.
Rainbow looked at her double pointedly before sighing. “Yeah, sorry, that was rude of me, sorry.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Besides, not like YOU don’t do stuff because of YOUR feelings.”
Fluttershy gasped as she interrupted the conversation. “This means there’s ANOTHER ME here!? I can HUG MYSELF!” Stars sparkled in her eyes at the idea.
Jackie shook her head. “Sorry Fluttershy, darling, but we don’t exactly have time for any distractions. Unfortunately, my disreputable family members stole another Element and we need to track them down, alongside Twilight and Rarity now that our band is getting back together.”
“Which so far involves us basically wandering the town hoping we’ll find somepony.” Spike added. “Though even if they were in town, it’d be like finding a needle in a haystack...”
Then, a loud BANG sounded from nearby.
AJ tilted her head. “The hay was that...? Didn’t sound good...”
Jackie gritted her teeth, looking very angry. “It wasn’t. Ah’d recognise that sound ANYWHERE.”
Rainbow started to take the lead, walking ahead of everyone. “Come on, everypony, it came from over there...looks like we’re dealing with Rotten first. Be on your guard...”
---------------------------
Rotten Bad Apple smirked at the two white unicorns before him, his gun held up high to the sky, smoke wafting from it after he had shot it. “There we go, that oughta draw some attention...”
The fancier of the two Rarities gazed at him. “what are you on about? What even IS that? Who even ARE you?”
The stallion smirked and doffed his large black hat as he bowed. “Why, ma’am, Ah have no quarrel with you, Ah am just a pony on a mission and you happen to be caught in the crossfires, mah most sincere apology. Name’s Rotten Bad Apple.”
The more bruised and unkempt of the rarities jumped between the stallion and her doppelganger, forelegs spread wide protectively. “watch out, miss! He’s a bad pony! He’s tried to ruin a lot of things for a lot of people cause he’s mad at the Apple family!”
Rotten nodded. “it’s true, Ah have been known to keep a healthy grudge. ‘Course, there’s one thing ya got wrong there, ma’am.” His gaze turned far colder and hateful. “This ain’t about the Apples.”
He whacked her across the face with the barrel of his blunderbuss, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“My word!” The fancy rarity exclaimed, looking at the other mare in concern before giving an angry gaze to the stallion. “You BRUTE! That is no way to treat a lady.”
He shrugged. “Hey, she was right when she said I’m a bad pony.” He reached out, roughly pulling Rarity’s Element of Magic off from her. “Now, Ah DID ask fer that Element there, did Ah NOT?”
The Fancy Rarity slapped his hoof, huffing. “I don’t fully understand what is happening, but I’m not going to let you ROB somepony!”
Rotten sneered at the pony as the unkempt Rarity groaned and began to get up, only for the sound of hooves to greet their eyes.
“Rotten Bad Apple!” A voice called out as they saw two Applejacks, two Rainbow Dashes (One of whom had a Spike atop her back), Fluttershy, Two Pinkie Pies and Mayor Mare racing over.
“Ah, took ya’ll long enough.” Rotten rolled his shoulders, making audible cracking noises as he did so, trotting before the group. “What, got caught up having teatime?”
“Rotten Bad Apple!” Rainbow pointed a hoof accusingly at the stallion. “return the Elements that you stole!”
Rotten Bad Apple chuckled. “Ah’m...gonna haveta decline.” He lifted his blunderbuss, firing a shot at the assembled ponies, causing them to dash out of the way of the projecticle.
“Why are you even here, Uncle!?” Jackie asked. “Surely you’re not out to steal the Elements from THIS place too!?”
“And what if Ah am?” The stallion sneered. “The ponies here aren’t exactly paragons, who cares if they don’t have any Elements to protect themselves?”
“And why do you say that!?” Dash called out as she hovered in the air, hoofs held up threateningly. “who even are you!?”
Rotten glared at the Pegasus. “When you travel through worlds sometimes you see...THINGS. Moments of that world’s history. Course, this is your first time, so ya’ll probably don’t remember seeing anything if at all. But me and mah kin? We been doing this a while, we’re used to it, we can see a LOT more. And every time...I see things that make mah blood boil.”
A Twilight Sparkle steeped forward, sporting wings. “I’m not too sure what is going on here, but I think you’ll find you’ll have a hard time trying to steal any Elements from our world. So...can we talk this out? I’m sure if we can sort out any grievances you have with us...though i’m not sure what we could’ve done....”
“That sorta thing is WHY Ah’m so angry. The ponies in this place DON’T take responsibility. They FORGIVE AND FORGET. I AIN’T one to do EITHER. So, NO, PRINCESS, I ain’t down for negotiatin’. NOT AFTER WHAT I SAY YA’LL DO.”
Another Twilight wearing a Stetson leapt in front of him, grabbing his weapon with her hooves as he had started to lift it. “PLEASE, Mr Bad Apple. At least, don’t fight HERE, in the middle of town.”
Rotten looked around as the ponies around him stepped closer. “My, my. Ah sure am in a pickle. Whatever shall Ah do.”
“Give up peacefully?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.
“Haha. No.” The stallion sneered, firing his weapon to the ground and firing, causing a large blast of magic to burst out and push everypony back. “hehe, did you think I only had non-magic on my side?”
Rainbow glared at the stallion, her wings glowing as she shot a few magic blasts towards him, Rotten chuckling as he spun his gun in front of him to block the attacks.
“well, it’s been fun, but...I need ta get goin’. Ah’ll have to get those Elements off of you all when there’s way less of ya.” He smirked, a golden portal appearing in the ground behind him.
“wait!” Jackie called out. “Where the heck are you going!?”
“Hehehe. To the Castle.” Rotten saluted, firing another shot at everpony to make them dash back before he dived into the portal behind him, the portal vanishing once he was out of sight.
The Twilight with wings trotted over as everyone stared at the space Rotten had been. “So, these are the...ponies from the other Equestria?”
“Yeah that’d be us.” Rainbow replied, trotted towards the Princess. “We’re...going by nicknames to avoid confusion, so you can call me Rainbow Dash, Bearer of the Element of Magic.” She held out a hoof in greeting.
“A pleasure to meet you. I...suppose you can call me...Princess Twilight, though I’m still not exactly...comfortable with that title. So... has been going on here.”
“indeed! That brute hurt this poor mare and tried to rob her!” The stylish Rarity interjected, trotting over alongside the more unkempt Rarity.
Spike stared wide eyed, face pale. “W-what the heck!? W...Why is there a PRETTY version of Rarity here!?”
Rainbow held up a hoof as the other mares gathered together around her. “Spike. Not the time. Okay, bringing you all up to speed: We’re you guys from another world where everything’s different from your perspective, some bad guys are apparently going to other worlds to steal the Elements of harmony, they stole The Element of Magic and Element of Loyalty from us and so we’re here to stop them.”
Princess Twilight nodded slowly. “Yes, my, uh, other self--”
“I can go by...Sparkie, if that’s helpful?” The Stetson wearing Twilight suggested suddenly.
“Sparkie, alright, anyway, she told me about some of what’s going on, and...her Element was stolen. By...another...Spike?”
“Hey now, don’t look at me, I have an alibi, i was here with Rainbow all day.”
Rainbow nodded slowly. “Yeah, so, I guess the Bad Apples picked up an accomplice at some point somehow...And that makes three Elements we’re down by...”
“So,what’s the plan, ‘fearless leader’?” Pinkamena asked Rainbow.
“well...you heard Rotten. It sounds he’s going to the castle, so I think we should go after him...even though he probably has a head start now, who knows where that portal went...”
“But uhh what if he steals the Elements? I don’t know why he’s stealing them but...I really don’t want him to take any more.” Spike said.
“If you’re that worried, why not keep them somewhere safe?” Mayor Mare suggested.
“Oh. Right. You’re still here.” Pinkamena retorted, having forgotten the Mayor was there.
“That’s...not a bad idea.” Princess Twilight said.
“Yeah.” Rainbow agreed. “We’ll have to put them somewhere the Bad Apples wouldn’t think of looking at.”
“Or...somepony!” Mayor Mare suggested.
Pinkamena raised a brow. "Sound a bit eager there."
Mayor Mare chuckled. "I'm just trying to help."
PInkamena narrowed her eyes.
Princess Twilight frowned. "Miss...uhhh...Other Pinkie, I'm not sure where this is coming from. Mayor Mare is a kind soul. Besides, why would she want your Elements?"
"I'm telling you something is fishy here!" Pinkamena retorted.
Rainbow frowned. "Hmmm...Pinkamena's the Element of Honesty, if she says something feels off, I'd trust her...."
The unkempt Rarity shrugged. "Hey, come on, it's not like she's Grand Heist or something! That jerk's all the way back in prison in our world!" The kindly mare's horn glowed as she took Pinkamena's and Fluttershy's Elements and, along with her own Element of Kindness, tossed them to Mayor Mare who,surprisingly eagerly, caught them in her hooves.
Pinkamena glared angrily at the unicorn. "YOU. UTTER. MORON."
Rarity blinked. "What did I do?"
Mayor Mare smiled winningly, taking a step back. "Well you all don't need to be in quite such a tissy so I'll just go hide these Elements somewhere for you...."
Rainbow blinked, frowning in thought. Something about the mare's behaviour seemed off. "Hold on...."
"Oh no, no, I really should be going, I mean, you don't want those nasty Bad Apples taking these." Mayor Mare smile seemed a little more forced.
“Wait!” A voice called out suddenly. “That mare is an imposter!”
The assembled ponies blinked and looked towards the voice seeing in the distance Zecora rushing through the town...and at her side was what appeared to be Mayor Mare, looking a little bruised and her mane unkempt.
The ponies stared at the sight and then looked towards the Mayor Mare in front of them, who looked quite surprised before giving Rainbow a wide grin, a mad look in her eyes as she started to sing.
“Time for the main attraction
the story has been told!
Time for a chain reaction
It never gets old!
Some ponies get satisfaction
Brea
king
the
mold!
Some ponies are just distractions”
Rainbow stared wide eyed, brows knitting into a rage as she growled angrily. “It IS you...”
“From what is just Grand.” Grand Heist, Rainbow’s nemesis, finished her song as she held the Elements tightly in her hooves.