//------------------------------// // Thunder Factory // Story: Multiversal Voyage // by King Ice //------------------------------// Universe 99999 Fluttershy sighed while she stared at the wall. Tomorrow, they would attack the Thunder Factory in Rainbow City and this night was their last opportunity for rest before beginning the operation. She was nervous, of course. It made it hard to sleep, especially since she wasn’t even sleeping in her own bed. Not only that, but her friends weren’t there, either. She felt so alone… Fortunately, she wasn’t without company. Spitfire had offered a free room since their base was made to house thousands of ponies. Fluttershy would have accepted, albeit reluctantly since she was perfectly aware that she was at risk of having a panic attack at any time. She improved greatly, and her friends helped her through many of her past issues. She was more assertive, less timid, and less prone to stressing out in crowds or in new and unknown places. However, she couldn’t simply say those problems were all resolved. Ultimately, she was still Fluttershy, so these things will always be a part of her, even if it is a much smaller one… Because of that, she was afraid that she might freak out in the middle of the night all alone in her room. Not only because she was in a new place, but also a completely different universe, and without her friends. She would even have to go on a potentially dangerous mission the day after. Then a miracle happened. As if Cheese Sandwich had read her mind, he stepped in and suggested something else: Put mattresses and blankets in the meeting room so that she and her teammate could all sleep in there. He said it would be a good way to bond, but also discuss the plan again if they needed to. While sleeping in the meeting room was probably unusual, Spitfire wasn’t opposed to it. Thus, Fluttershy, Shining Armor, Derpy, Cheese Sandwich, Trixie, and Braeburn all slept in the meeting room together. She had to admit it was reassuring, especially since those were still familiar faces. She was grateful but felt like Cheese likely didn’t even want her to thank him. Even so, the stress was still weighing on her mind. This time, it was because of the attack they were going to perform tomorrow. They would leave in the morning and would reach Rainbow City at noon since it wasn’t too far from their position. The trip was going to make the stress even worse. At least, that was what she thought. Some of her hoped she would muster up the courage to let go of her fears for once. The pegasus thought back of the plan. Maybe if she revised it again, then she would be more confident. First of all, that factory was operational 24/7, so there was no point attacking in the night since the night team was as large as the day team. The factory was filled with various machinery, things even more complex than the rainbow factories in Cloudsdale. Twilight invented them with the help of the brightest weather scientists of Equestria, who still worked at the factory for the most part. Because of the complex mechanisms, many engineers and scientists were needed to either operate it, keep it running, or simply repair it. Shining never went inside, but from what he was told, Twilight took advantage of having so many scientists inside to make a section that would focus on any research related to the weather. Unfortunately, there were just as many guards posted there. It was a crown-owned facility, but also the Equestria’s last trump card if Canterlot’s defenses were breached. It would be foolish to leave it undefended. However, there was one way to leave it inoperational for at least a month. Unless there was extensive damage, most of the machinery inside could be easily repaired within a week at most. However, the whole factory relied on one essential component to function: the generator. Fluttershy didn’t know much about weather science, or even weather at all, quite ironic considering she was a pegasus. Of course, she wasn’t a stranger to it, but she knew less than someone like Rainbow Dash. Nevertheless, from what she understood, the factory first used the humidity in the air outside to create clouds. Those clouds were harmless, and you would think they were the exact same as the ones you would find in your regular weather factory. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. They were harmless and didn’t look unusual, but any pegasus would immediately notice they were different. Because of the new machines they used to create those clouds, they weren’t considered… Normal. For some reason, Twilight refused to tell Shining Armor anything about the machine's process of creating them. She simply told him they should be considered artificial clouds, unlike the ones made in weather factories. Because of their properties, pegasus’ magic… Didn’t work on them! No pegasus could interact with them. It was likely to prevent anyone from stopping their trump card with magic; however, Fluttershy had a hard time believing that clouds like these were even possible. Clouds you couldn’t interact with were such a foreign concept to her. Still, those clouds remained harmless and behaved like any other… Until the next step. After being created, the clouds were moved throughout the factory, and compressed until they were turned into thunderclouds. The thunderclouds were then processed and infused with magic by several unicorns, making them deadlier and much more powerful. It was rumored they were as black as the night. When it was all done, they were expelled outside. Many wind generators on the roof would then push them to Canterlot. Naturally, the factory only had artificial clouds at the ready because keeping thunderclouds inside would be too dangerous and unstable. It didn’t change their problem since making those thunderclouds only took a few hours, and they would need only minutes to reach Canterlot. The key to stopping this was the generator. The generator was the machine that manufactured artificial clouds and stored them. It was the first step in this operation, and so it was the most valuable. That device was also the most complex, precisely because of the way it generated those clouds, which was why repairing it took so long. Unfortunately, the council thought ahead. They knew it was the most vulnerable piece. Thus, they made two backup generators in case the first one broke or was destroyed. It was a good thing they were a team of six since that meant they could split up into three groups of two and destroy those generators at the same time. Fluttershy would go with Shining Armor to take care of the south generator. Derpy with Trixie for the north generator, and Braeburn with Cheese Sandwich. for the west generator Fluttershy and Shining Armor would use an effective but risky plan: go through the front door. To these ponies, the pegasus was a member of the council and one of their rulers. Shining was the former captain of the royal guard, but also the husband of the ruler of the Crystal Empire, Equestria’s ally. They were known and respected, so they would be let in if they had a good enough excuse. Trixie and Derpy would infiltrate the factory with magic. On the other hand, Cheese told them that he had a perfect solution to get inside, but didn’t wish to reveal anything, saying something along the lines of “trust me.” Shining didn’t question him too much. Apparently, he trusted him enough to know that Cheese’s confidence wasn’t misplaced. She trusted him, too, but… It wasn’t quite enough to fill her with confidence. She sighed. She wanted to go home. “Psst. Psst,” Fluttershy’s ears perked up in confusion. What was that sound? Was it just her imagination? “Hey! Psst!” This time, it was louder. Definitely not a figment of her imagination, then. Fluttershy turned around to face the bed only a couple of feet away from hers. The one calling her was the pony lying on it, Trixie. “Can’t sleep?” She inquired once she noticed the pegasus’ gaze was on her. “Uhm, no. How did you know?” Fluttershy timidly responded. She wasn’t that close to Trixie back in her original universe, so you could imagine how awkward it was to speak with a version of her that she was even less close to. “Kinda hard to miss it when you sigh every two seconds,” Trixie shrugged before yawning. “I’m a light sleeper, so it woke me up,” She explained while rubbing her eyes. “Oh, huh… Sorry. I’ll try to wallow in my misery more quietly,” The pegasus replied without an ounce of sarcasm in her tone. Before Trixie could answer, she turned around and faced the wall again. The blue unicorn rolled her eyes but didn’t comment on her retort. Instead, she whispered back. “Any particular reason why you can’t sleep?” She asked, waiting for the mare to reply, only for her to remain silent. “Maybe I could help,” It seemed enough for Fluttershy to turn around. “It’s just… I’m scared something goes wrong,” The winged mare admitted with a downcast expression. “My friends and I never had to launch assaults like that,” “If it makes you feel any better, Trixie never did either,” The unicorn replied which, in fact, didn’t make the other pony feel better. Fortunately, the blue mare seemingly noticed it. “But hey. Did you look at our team? We have Shining Armor who’s nearly as good with magic as Trixie is!” She gestured herself. “Braeburn can casually wrestle with bears, so I doubt a bunch of scientists will be an issue. Cheese Sandwich can… Uhm… Well, I’m not sure either, but I saw him sea urchins once and he seemed fine. That could be useful,” Trixie nodded, slightly uncertain. “And we have you. Aren’t you a hero back home?” “I-I am, but I wasn’t alone. I’ve always had my friends,” Fluttershy sighed defeatingly. “You’re not alone now either. You’ve got the others, and from what Trixie had seen, they’re your friends,” She gestured to the other team members, all soundly sleeping. Since their mattresses were close to one another, Derpy ended up sprawling all over hers and accidentally shoved one of her hooves in Cheese Sandwich’s mouth. Fluttershy’s eyes softened. Indeed, they decided to stick by her side after she volunteered for this mission. They already considered her a friend. They even reminded her of the ones she cared about so much. If there was anything the other girls taught her, it was that friendship could overcome anything if the bonds were strong enough. Friendship could emerge anywhere. “What about you?” She suddenly asked. Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Are you my friend?” “Me? I… Uhm… Am I?” Trixie inquired in surprise. “Personally, I see you as a friend, but it looks like you’re not so sure…” Fluttershy softly spoke. “It’s just… I never had a friend,” Trixie admitted with a shake of her head. “But what about them? Or anypony from the resistance?” Fluttershy questioned, making the unicorn shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t think they are. Ponies usually don’t like Trixie,” “Have you ever asked them?” The pegasus inquired. The other mare simply shook her head in response. “If they weren’t your friends, I’m not sure they would have trusted you enough to let you accompany us. When I saw their eyes… Well, it just looked like they held you in high regard,” She explained, much to Trixie’s shock. “Really? I never thought about it. Trixie never paid attention to how they looked at her…” The unicorn replied in a small voice. “I didn’t think they cared that much, honestly,” She muttered. “Believe me, they do,” Fluttershy assured her. It seemed her words greatly touched the other mare. It was ironic considering that Trixie wished to reassure her at first, only for Fluttershy to reassure her. Nevertheless, it also helped the pegasus. She enjoyed comforting ponies and making them happier than they were. She did wonder what happened to this Trixie. Obviously, she was still prideful and had an ego. However, it didn’t seem as serious as it did in her original universe when she first met the unicorn. This Trixie almost seemed more vulnerable. It was kind of strange to see someone who always acted and sounded so confident… Look so anxious. “If you don’t mind me asking… How did you join the resistance?” Fluttershy dared to ask, making Trixie flinch and waking her from her stupor. “My father came in contact with them through one of his connections, and we decided to fight for the cause,” Trixie responded before turning over to lie on her back. “But I’m guessing you’re wondering why we joined in the first place?” She asked, looking back at the pegasus who simply nodded. “Trixie was a performer and a magician once. A great and powerful one. She went from town to town, city to city in her caravan, and impressed anypony who spectated her shows. Usually, I wouldn’t perform with an assistant, but my father suggested a partnership for a special occasion,” She recounted while Fluttershy carefully listened. The pegasus couldn’t quite figure out where the unicorn was going with this since it had nothing to do with the resistance or the council for now. “It was the birthday of one of the council’s members. Minister Applejack, I think? Minister Pinkie Pie organized it and she wished to have show ponies perform for the party. With an opportunity like that, Dad wanted to go all out, which is why he called me, too. Let’s just say that… It wasn’t a bright idea,” Trixie cringed at the memory. “They weren’t impressed, and after Trixie boasted about how great and powerful she was, they ridiculed and mocked me. So I… I know it was stupid, but I blew up at their faces. Trixie told them they were wrong, they were idiots who couldn’t see true talent, and many, many other bad words that foals shouldn’t hear,” “I assume they didn’t take it well?” Fluttershy asked. “Not particularly, no. Especially after I challenged Prime Minister Twilight to a magic duel. Before I knew what was happening, I was in chains, thrown into the dungeons. When I asked what I did, Prime Minister Twilight got livid and said I ruined her friend’s birthday,” Trixie shivered. “Trixie stayed in there for a few weeks,” “What?” Fluttershy nearly shouted but managed to keep it to a whisper. “For weeks?” “I’ve seen things. Seen how they operate,” Trixie explained with a somber tone. “Trixie wasn’t the only one in the dungeons; there was a good view of the other cells. Some prisoners received some kind of enchanted food, which would taste foul and as disgusting as garbage unless they praised the council. False praises wouldn’t work either. It had to come from the bottom of the heart,” She revealed with disgust. “I was lucky not to go through that, but seeing a pony praising somepony so desperately wasn’t pleasant. They even used magic to remove some prisoners’ senses depending on the offense they committed,” “This is horrible! Ditzy didn’t tell me anything about this,” Fluttershy mumbled in horror. “I couldn’t believe magic could be used so maliciously or cause so much pain. To me, magic had always been for shows and entertainment,” The unicorn explained. “I realized not everypony thought the same. After that, I took magic more seriously, bought a lot of books, and learned as much as I could,” “It did look like you know more spells than the Trixie of my universe,” Fluttershy confirmed. “I’m happy to know that,” Trixie chuckled in amusement. She had to admit that she improved a lot in the past year. Nonetheless, she likely was nowhere near the level of the prime minister. “You know… Talking to you was nice. Surprisingly,” She admitted, making the pegasus cock an eyebrow. “Thank you?” She responded in surprise. “But I feel like I didn’t help you much, did I?” Trixie inquired, which seemed she hit it right on the nose. “It’s not just about tomorrow I’m worried. I miss my home,” Fluttershy sighed in sadness. The unicorn looked down, uncertain of how to proceed. After a few seconds, the blue mare suddenly stood up. “Make some room,” Trixie instructed while pushing the pegasus to the side, and sliding under Fluttershy’s blankets. “Oh, uh, okay,” The other mare replied without protesting. Before she could even ask what Trixie was doing, the unicorn lit up her horn and created blue ethereal constructs above them in the form of Fluttershy’s friends. “Is that what they look like?” Trixie asked while the yellow pony blinked several times, unsure of how to react to this. “Uhm, yes. Twilight also has wings, though,” She pointed out as the unicorn immediately corrected the projection. “Oh, and her horn’s slightly longer, too. And Pinkie’s tail is puffier,” She added. Trixie, again, changed the projection to make the horn longer and Pinkie’s tail puffier. “There! That’s perfect!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Great! And what are they usually doing?” Trixie inquired as the projections began moving around. “Well… If Rainbow Dash isn’t taking a nap, then she would be planning pranks with Pinkie or she would be flying around the town. Applejack should be working on the farm,” Fluttershy told the unicorn who immediately moved the projections according to what the pegasus was telling her. This went on for several minutes as Fluttershy recounted all her friends’ habits. Trixie was more than happy to make it as realistic as possible until it actually looked like a window to the pegasus’ original world. Before she even realized it, a wide smile crept up Fluttershy’s face while she watched her friends, slowly falling asleep when the sadness she felt earlier slowly faded. The projections vanished as Trixie’s eyes closed, and her head fell on Fluttershy’s pillow. Several hours later Minister Rarity admired herself in the mirror. brushing her mane delicately and carefully. In front of her was a vanity table with a large mirror, and various makeup accessories on it. Lying nearby was also her element of harmony. She had just finished polishing it, so the early sunrays passing through the windows made it shine all the brighter. Setting aside her brush, she leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting her face while moving her fur. She slightly widened her eyes. “Oh, no, no, no!” She shook her head in disdain before grabbing some finishing powder and swiftly applying it to her face. “A wrinkle! This is unacceptable! I’m not even in my thirties yet!” She groaned while meticulously powdering her face. “I do hope Twilight quickly makes us alicorns. You never know how badly you need eternal youth until it’s within your reach,” She mumbled to herself while turning her head from left to right to check on her face again. “Now that I think about it, I should start designing more appropriate dresses. None of the ones I have will fit when I get my wings,” She added, running a hoof across her back. Knock knock “Yes, I’m up, I’m up! Wait a moment!” Rarity glanced at the necklace on the side. Twilight had been clear that no one was allowed to see them without the elements. They had to wear them at all times in public, even in the castle, but they could relax once they were in their rooms. She quickly put the element of generosity on, then checked herself out in the mirror again, this time with her necklace on. As usual, it fitted her perfectly. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by the sound of knocking again. She sighed in annoyance. “It’s open! You can come in,” The moment those words left her lips, the pony behind her door opened it, revealing Applejack. She expected it was one of her friends since the guards usually didn’t dare knock at their doors. If they did, they told them why they were looking for them before even coming in. “Still gettin’ ready?” Applejack arched an eyebrow. “It’s 8 in the morning, Applejack. I need to be perfect after my beauty sleep,” Rarity scoffed before tearing her eyes away from her mirror. “How do I look?” She asked, fluttering her eyelashes in the earth pony’s direction. “Like regular ol’ Rarity?” Applejack answered, which sounded more like a question than a statement. “Gorgeous, then! Thank you, darling!” The unicorn grinned in satisfaction. “You don’t usually come looking for me so early. Did something happen?” She inquired. “Eh, nothin’ too serious. Twilight said we should stick together for a while ‘cause of the rebellion and that Shy situation,” Applejack explained while Rarity nodded along. “Ah can’t find RD anywhere. One of the guards said she left earlier this mornin’. Any idea where she went?” “Now, why would I know where Rainbow Dash went, dear?” The white unicorn softly chuckled. “Oh, Ah don’t know… Maybe ‘cause yer her friend?” Applejack suggested, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’re right, which is why I do know where she is!” Rarity retorted in amusement, getting off her seat and walking out of her room… Without saying anything else. “And? Where is she?” Applejack asked, slowly getting frustrated. Sometimes, that unicorn would really get on her nerves. “Applejack, Applejack… Why so impatient? There is nothing urgent, is there?” Rarity shook her head, grinning in delight while the earth pony followed behind her. “Maybe if you had noticed what I’ve done to my tail, I would have told you. Do you like it?” She smirked, running her tail along the mare’s neck, and playfully flicking her with it. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to amuse the farm pony. “It looks the same! Now can ya tell me where RD is already? Ah ain’t here to play games!” She replied before stomping the floor out of frustration. “Boo hoo, you’re no fun, Applejack,” Rarity retorted, acting like her feelings had been hurt beyond repair. “I’ve used a new shampoo for your information. It makes my tail look more vibrant,” She stated, disappointed that the orange mare hadn’t complimented her on it. “Oh, and Rainbow Dash left for Rainbow City half an hour ago,” She added dismissively.  “She bothered me while I was putting on some makeup just to tell me, and didn’t even knock. Would you believe that?” She huffed. Of course, the cyan pegasus hadn’t noticed any changes to her tail either! “Why in tarnation did she leave for Rainbow City?” Applejack questioned, happy to finally have an answer to her inquiry. “How should I know that? You know how much she loves hanging around that statue of hers. It does wonders to her ego, after all,” Rarity rolled her eyes, the two ponies approaching the council’s court. “It woulda been nice if she waited for our opinion before doin’ somethin’ for once! She knows we’re all under stress!” Applejack complained as they entered the council’s court, where they held their reunions but also when someone asked for an audience with them. “Especially Twilight,” She added in a whisper, sounding worried. “Speak for yourself. I am perfectly calm. You should know that stress is horrible for your body!” Rarity retorted as the two of them came across Minister Fluttershy. The pegasus was seated in her chair, reading the journal while drinking a cup of coffee with a beautiful pink-feathered bird on her shoulder. “Good morning, you two!” Minister Fluttershy greeted them. “Oh, Rarity! Your tail looks marvelous today!” The mare perked up once her eyes landed on the unicorn. “Why, thank you, my dear. I am glad somepony appreciates art,” Rarity flicked her mane with a smirk, eliciting an eye roll from Applejack, who chose not to say anything. “Did you find Rainbow Dash, Applejack,” Fluttershy softly inquired. “Well, Ah know where she is. She’s out there doin’ somethin’ stupid in Rainbow City!” Applejack gestured out the window. “I’m sure she is only taking a nap somewhere, darling. Don’t be so dramatic,” Rarity chuckled. She would have snorted but stopped herself right before doing so. Snorting was un-ladylike, after all. “Just say you are worried about her,” “Huh?! Me? Worried about this show-off? Nope!” Applejack vehemently denied it while blushing. The other two ponies simply stared at her in silence, not believing a word. “Ah tell ya Ah’m not! Twilight’s the one that said it’s dangerous! It’s safer here!” “I think there is nothing wrong about being worried for your friend, Applejack,” Fluttershy smiled warmly, ignoring the earth pony’s grumble of denial. “Oh, please! What could possibly happen? All of you worry too much,” Rarity replied dismissively. She wasn’t wrong, not totally, at least. They had been in power for years and no one ever put them seriously in danger. They overcame every challenge easily. It was thanks to this that they proved to their citizens that Equestria was in good hooves. They could afford to be careless from time to time. This was it… The factory was in sight, and it was even bigger than Fluttershy anticipated. Rainbow City was a fairly small town, approximately the same size as Ponyville. Because of that, a few structures stood out. The factory, obviously. Appearance-wise, it looked like the weather factory in Cloudsdale, only larger and with wind generators on the roof. Moreover, there were no openings, windows, or even rainbow fluids oozing out of it. The second structure was the magnificent palace standing in the center of the city, which wasn’t too far from the factory. It was slightly larger than Twilight’s castle back home and possessed two towers, one reached much higher than the other. That palace was also covered in rainbow patterns and Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark on the front door, which was massive. This was undoubtedly the cyan pegasus’ abode. However, the most eye-catching thing in the city was the structure standing in front of the castle. It was a gigantic statue, even bigger than the thunder factory. Unsurprisingly, it represented Rainbow Dash. The stone pegasus was only wearing the element of loyalty but held a flame in a hoof raised up above her head. Her wings were also spread as if she was about to take off. Did they make the statue accurate to her ego size-wise? “I can see the factory,” Shining stated while staring at it from behind a tree. The six of them were in the city’s outskirts on a good vantage point since it was high enough to see the whole town, but also to hide thanks to the shadows cast by the forest trees. “We should split up now and find different entries. As I already said, Fluttershy and I will go in through the front door,” The white unicorn gestured to himself and the pegasus. “Roger, Roger,” Derpy saluted. She was slightly excited because this was her first mission in the field. “You guys will have to hurry up because Derpy and I will be done in only a few minutes,” Trixie proudly stated, side-hugging the grey pegasus. “Ah sure wouldn’t mind if everythin’ goes without a hitch,” Braeburn responded, not denying what the unicorn had said. “The fake element of kindness Cheese made should help a lot,” Fluttershy noted while touching the necklace. Since they needed to pass her off as Minister Fluttershy, they couldn’t let her go without a replica of the artifact constantly around her neck. The element itself was actually just a candy, but unless someone licked it, it wouldn’t be noticeable. “Thank you,” “No problem!” Cheese grinned joyfully. “Let’s go,” Shining instructed Fluttershy before turning to the others. “Let’s meet here after we’re done unless you can’t lose any potential pursuers. If that’s the case, hide wherever you can and lay low until you can meet us back at the base,” He told them. After receiving nods of confirmation, he walked away accompanied by Fluttershy. The others waited behind so that they wouldn’t all get into the city at the same time, but also take small detours and enter from other sides. The city was calm enough since there weren’t many ponies outside. However, because of order 21, there were many more guards than usual. Naturally, every pony they met was quick to bow to Fluttershy, including the guards. Their only saving grace was that the guards were too afraid to question the pegasus about her unannounced presence here. Then again, they were used to Minister Rainbow Dash coming without prior warnings and doing as she pleased. Fluttershy still felt awkward about it, but she handled it better than when she first got into that universe. Having ponies bow to you in such a way was strange. Mostly because it was unprompted. Some ponies did it even in her world, but only on unique occasions or special events organized in Canterlot. Unfortunately, she was unable to dwell on these for much longer as they were reaching the factory’s entrance. The two guards at the front instantly recognized one of the council’s members. Before Shining and Fluttershy even got within their reach, the guards bowed, looking at the ground, and remained in this position until the pegasus and unicorn were close enough to talk to them. “You-You can raise your heads,” Fluttershy stated, slightly stuttering. She needed to get into character and quick! Otherwise, they could get discovered before even getting to the generator. “Minister Fluttershy! Captain Shining Armor! It is an honor to meet you! But… We weren’t told you would be visiting,” The first guard said with a clearly nervous tone. Shining opened his mouth to reply, only to be suddenly interrupted by the pony at his side. “I don’t remember needing to warn anypony before going anywhere I please in Equestria,” Fluttershy sweetly retorted. She knew how to act because she was told how her counterpart was. Minister Fluttershy was extremely kind to her friends, refusing to use any harsh language or any action that could be interpreted as aggressive. Even offending them was something she absolutely despised and avoided at any cost. She held wild animals on a similar pedestal somewhat; they were still beneath the council in her hierarchy. However… She was often passive-aggressive with other ponies. She would sound sweet and kind, but her eyes would be filled with disdain. The distaste she possessed for other ponies couldn’t even be hidden behind that fake sweetness of hers. “O-Of course not, my Lady!” The guard swiftly replied, already sweating bullets. “We are simply surprised,” “Consider this an inspection. As you know, the resistance has been getting more troublesome and dangerous lately, and we may need this thunder factory more than ever. You wouldn’t want it to break at the worst time, would you?” Fluttershy smiled with a tilt of her head. “Who knows what would happen to those who were in charge of protecting the factory?” “This…” The guard gulped, sweating bullets while his colleague didn’t seem to be doing any better. “You’re right, my Lady! I’m sorry for wasting your time like this! Please, go in. I’ll notify somepony of your arrival,” The guard declared as he moved out of the way to let them pass as he reached for his walkie-talkie. Meanwhile, the second guard quickly dashed to the code pad nearby to open the door for them. “Boy, you’re good!” Shining whispered to Fluttershy. “Thank you. I had practice,” The pegasus smiled, recalling the time she worked in Rarity’s store. Once they walked in, both diverted their attention back to the thunder factory and widened their eyes in awe at the sight of its interior. It was spacious, but filled with ponies. Many of them were patrolling in military uniforms. The rest were dressed in lab coats and seemingly worked on different machines. Most of these machines weren’t used in the creation of thunderclouds from what Fluttershy could see. One group of two scientists was studying a glass container, holding a strange purple plant with soil of the same color. The pegasus had never seen this in nature, but then again, she wasn’t an expert on plants. Not too far from that group was one unicorn taking notes on a… single apple? The unicorn suddenly put the clipboard down and then put her horn inside a hole in the machine she was working with. A second later, an arc of magical electricity was shot out of the metal rod pointing it at it. After the electricity hit, the apple vibrated violently. The unicorn took out her horn, looking at the apple with hope-filled eyes… only for it to burst into pieces. Thankfully, the scientist was protected by the glass separating her and the apple, but it was still enough to give her a downcast expression. Fluttershy didn’t get to check out many more of them before a researcher suddenly ran up to them. “My Lady! Shining Armor, sir!” The researcher exclaimed before swiftly bowing down. “I was just informed of your arrival, so I apologize for not meeting you sooner. I’m afraid that my colleagues might be too occupied to come and bow, so I apologize for it also,” He rapidly explained, certainly nervous. “It’s okay. We would rather not waste time, anyway,” Shining Armor assured the stallion. “We’re here to inspect the generator,” Fluttershy informed the scientist. “Ah! Naturally! Which one?” The stallion quickly regained his composure. He was aware that it was best not to show too much fear since talking to someone constantly stammering wasn’t pleasant for anyone. “The south one,” The yellow mare responded confidently. “Very well, I’ll lead the way! I can even give you a small tour while I’m at it if you’d like to know about our progress!” The scientist declared, gesturing for them to follow. “My name is Light Steel, by the way, my Lady,” He eagerly introduced himself. “Why not? I’m sure my sister would love to know if you had any recent breakthroughs,” Shining replied, much to the researcher’s apparent glee. “Oh, she will! We are making steady progress on the crops multiplying spell!” He gladly stated. This was good. If he kept talking, then there were fewer opportunities for him to ask Fluttershy something she wouldn’t have an answer to even if she should. They only had to get to the generator and get out before anything crazy could happen. They did wonder how the others were doing, but they trusted them not to have any issues. “So. How are we doing this?” Braeburn inquired from his hiding spot, looking at the factory from behind the corner of a house. “The obvious way, of course! Like real spies!” Cheese replied as he pulled out two uniforms. The first one was a simple lab coat respecting the council’s regulations. The second was a guard’s uniform. “Tada!” “How did ya… Where did ya get this?” Braeburn asked incredulously. “I made them! I knew we would need it! Don’t worry, I made sure they’re the exact same as the real ones,” Cheese grinned proudly. “Ah get that, but where did ya keep ‘em?” The farm pony inquired, only to shake his head. “You know what? Just forget it. As long as it works,” “I also got fake IDs,” Cheese added before throwing the guard uniform along the ID in Braeburn’s face. “Are ya sure it’ll work?” “Braeburn, please. You know me,” The party pony snickered while putting on the lab coat. “Charisma is everything,” “Well, Ah trust ya,” The farm pony grumbled. Cheese Sandwich had the ability to make the impossible possible sometimes. On the north side of the factory, two guards made rounds in the facility’s perimeter. Since attacks could come from anywhere, you needed ponies to guard every side. There were many responsibilities, but it wasn’t as hard as you would think it was. No one dared attack this place. Equestria didn’t even have enemies, so it was a job with little to no trouble. Nevertheless, this was a great opportunity for anyone. The moment this facility opened, Straight Arrow applied for a job as a guard. His position wasn’t high since most of the security was inside, but he didn’t mind waiting for promotions. This was only the start because, with enough time, he would- A beam of magic hit him in the sides, sending him flying until he was slammed against the wall. He fainted before he even touched the ground. “An… An atta-” The guard nearby tried to shout, only to be interrupted when an unknown object fell on top of him, nearly planting him inside the ground. “Did I… Get him?” Derpy asked, her head still spinning from the fall. She rubbed the top of her head, wincing in pain until she noticed what she was sitting on, an unconscious guard. “Oh! Yeah, I did!” “Good!” Trixie stated while calmly walking up to the pegasus. “Now, time to go in. If the information we got is accurate, then the generator should be nearby,” “Are you going to teleport us inside?” Derpy inquired. “Of course! It’s the easiest way to get in! No breach, no detection!” Trixie puffed up her chest with pride. “Let Trixie show you how it’s done,” She raised her head, ready to light up her horn and teleport them inside… Until she remembered something and turned to look at the other mare. “Since I’m the one who got us in, I’ll let you break the generator if you want,” She muttered in Derpy’s direction, who simply nodded in response. Unless they had countermeasures for teleporting, they should be able to go in undetected. Even with all the progress they made in the fields of science, and magic, such a thing didn’t exist yet. To her knowledge, at least. They had been walking for 15 minutes, easily, and they were only getting to the generator now. Fluttershy still could hardly believe this facility was this massive. Luckily, Steel explained everything they encountered quickly and without dumping too much information, they wouldn’t even understand, on them. Thanks to that, they didn’t waste any time standing around an experiment. Steel likely also knew he shouldn’t get on their bad side, at the risk of ending up in a dungeon. Everyone was well aware of the risks of offending them, after all. “Ah! There it is!” Steel exclaimed before stopping in his tracks. Finally, Fluttershy and Shining could take a good look at the generator, which was guarded by stallions in uniform. It was much bigger than a pony. The machine had a metallic framework, looking robust and tough to break. There was a control panel in the middle with dozens of different buttons and a keyboard. Above it was a massive glass dome with a huge tube going to the ceiling, and several smaller ones traveling to other parts of the facility. There were even several clouds inside the dome already. “It looks… In good shape,” Shining commented while looking at the clouds inside the dome. “And we’re doing our best to keep it that way! Still, if you want to check if all systems are fully operational, you will have to use the control panel,” He explained before turning to Fluttershy. “All yours, my Lady,” He smiled and gestured at the generator. The pegasus just stood there, dumbfounded. What did he just say? Glancing at Shining, the unicorn just shrugged with a nervous gaze, which went unseen by the scientist. Fluttershy gulped before finally walking up to the panel. Alright, they were here. What did they need to do now? Should they just attack it now? “Why don’t you show us if everything’s okay?” Shining suggested, only for the scientist to widen his eyes. “Oh, my goodness, no! I’m only a class 3! I’m not allowed to touch that,” Steel shook a hoof. “Unluckily, all our class 1s are occupied, so I apologize,” He lightly bowed his head after his apology. “Fortunately, Prime Minister Twilight taught every council member how to use them, so I’m sure Minister Fluttershy will have no trouble!” He grinned in Fluttershy’s direction. “Right… She did teach me that,” She mumbled under her breath. Well, it seemed she had no choice. Turning to look at the control panel, she wondered what her next course of action should be. Should she give the signal for Shining to break it? If the others didn’t get inside the factory yet, it could potentially prevent them from fulfilling their part of the plan. Perhaps, she could find a way to sabotage it? It wouldn’t be as loud or as obvious. “Take your time!” Steel smiled widely, unbothered by the mare’s hesitance. Fluttershy figured she might have as well stalled for time until she was certain the others were inside. If they got in, then any commotion they caused now could be a good enough distraction for them to destroy the other generators. With a confident nod, she began pressing random buttons. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. “Hey… This is-” Steel exclaimed before cutting himself off once the clouds inside the dome began spinning around, then were projected into the small tubes coming out of it. “You just turned it on to make thunderclouds, my Lady!” He pointed out while the pegasus stepped away from the machine with a worried expression. “Did you-” He was once again interrupted when loud alarms suddenly blared with a red blinking light, pulling his attention away from the minister. “What’s happening?” Shining Armor questioned the scientist, who could only gulp. “T-There’s been a breach! Somepony teleported inside the facility!” The scientist responded in a panic. Evidently, he wasn’t the only one in such a state. Scientists and researchers were running as fast as they could in nearby rooms, likely used to hide in case of attacks. Guards, on the other hand, were all dashing in the same direction. There was no doubt they were hurrying where the factory had been breached. Whoever teleported inside would be surrounded by every guard in the facility! “Then I guess it’s time to go!” Shining nodded in Fluttershy’s direction. With no other warning, he raised his horn and lit it before firing a vertical blue magical blade that tore the generator in half. First sparks, wires, and metallic parts flew out of it, and black smoke soon followed. It wouldn’t take long for a fire to start, but the damage he dealt was already enough. “What are you doing?!” Steel shouted as he fell on his hind legs and crawled back while the guards around him froze, unsure of what to do. “Let’s go, Fluttershy!” Shining yelled at his partner. “Right behind you!” She replied before they took off running, leaving a perplexed Light Steel behind. Shining wished there was an easier way to escape, but the issue was that he wasn’t proficient enough in the teleportation spell to teleport two ponies at the same time. He wasn’t planning to leave Fluttershy on her own by staying behind or even worse, escaping without her. Still… He was hoping the others were doing fine. They should break the other generators soon. Especially if the one that sprung the alarm was Trixie since it meant she teleported near the generator. A couple of minutes earlier… “This is it…” Cheese Sandwich whispered from where he stood. By his side was Braeburn, wearing a guard uniform. The generator was only a few feet away from them. Unfortunately, there were several guards around it. Cheese could try trying his luck again and use his disguise to approach them, but it seemed it was a restricted area even for scientists. “What’s the plan? I distract them? Or better yet, I talk them into joining us, making them allies and friends, potentially even family?!” He excitedly questioned the other earth pony. “Eh. Ah have a better idea,” Braeburn shrugged. Unfortunately, the party pony didn’t quite have the time to ask him about it since the tough stallion released a battle cry and raced to the guards. “Huh?” One of them arched an eyebrow in surprise before receiving a powerful kick to the face. He was thrown against a nearby wall with enough force to put a dent in it and make him pass out. “Guess we’re doing this, then!” Cheese laughed as he took off his lab coat and threw it away, accidentally hitting a nearby scientist in the face with it. “We’re under attack! Sound the ala-” One of the guards began ordering the others, only for the party pony to cut him with a good punch in the guts, nearly making him spill out his lunch. “Ya aren’t doin’ anythin’!” Braeburn yelled, using the tremendous force given to him by earth pony magic, and throwing the guards in every direction. Most of them were pegasi, so the only advantage they would have would be in the air. Unfortunately for them, there wasn’t much space for flying in this place. “A little help?!” Cheese requested as he was stuck in a magical grab. Braeburn cursed himself once he noticed the origin of it. Of course, there would be unicorns, too! There was one thing he knew, and it was that unicorns required focus. A single look around was enough for him to find a way to take care of this, and any other unicorn that might show up! With a yell, he kicked the nearest stone pillar, shattering it at its base. Cracks swiftly spread up until the whole thing was broken off the ceiling and began collapsing in the unicorn’s direction, shattering the tubes in the air in the process. The guard widened her eyes in shock before dropping Cheese Sandwich to the ground and immediately using levitation magic to stop the stone from crushing her. Understandably, she clenched her teeth, holding the pillar up with shaking legs. “Thanks for the save,” Cheese uttered, rubbing his head. It was at this moment that the alarm sprung alive, revealing to the whole facility that they had intruders. Of course, it was already too late. “No problem,” Braeburn smiled. With no other warning, he ran up to the generator and rammed it with all his might. Against the strength of someone from the Apple family, a mere piece of machinery stood no chance at all! He didn’t just put a dent in it, he tore it apart! “There! If they can fix this, then Ah’m a princess!” He exclaimed as pieces of the control panel fell to his hooves. “The council is gonna kill us…” One of the guards lying on the floor muttered as he watched the destruction of the generator. “Now… How do we get out?” Cheese asked nonchalantly. “Think ya can give me enough time to make a hole in that wall?” Braeburn inquired. The party pony looked behind him. As expected, dozens of guards surrounded them. “Should be easy enough,” He smirked. Without hesitation, he charged at the crowd with a battle cry, imitating Braeburn’s. The farm pony simply grinned. Unwilling to waste any more time, he kicked the nearest wall. How was she supposed to know they actually had a way to detect teleportation magic?! She didn’t know this even existed! Granted, she should have been more careful, but still! Even Shining Armor wasn’t aware of this! No matter, she still had only one job, and she wasn’t screwing it up! Thanks to Shining’s directions, she knew where she needed to teleport. Thus, she was only feet away from the generator. Swiftly, she lit her horn to fire at it, only for someone to tackle her to the floor. She winced in pain as her face hit the cold and hard ground. Unfortunately, even more ponies jumped and piled up on her as if every guard in this facility was thrown at her! “Intruder apprehended!” One of the guards shouted while holding her down. “Derpy! You do it!” Trixie shouted at the pegasus who was debating over whether she should help Trixie or go for the generator. Nevertheless, the unicorn’s voice was enough to wake the mare out of her thoughts and encourage her to make her decision. “Right on it!” Derpy yelled back before taking off and flying at top speed toward the machine. “Stop her!” A scientist barked at the guards who weren’t already busy with Trixie. “By order of the council, stop!” A guard ordered her while trying to grab onto her. With incredible agility coupled with a quick reaction time, Derpy dodged them along with every other guard that attempted to do the same. Some even crashed into each other. Just as she was closing in on the generator, she began… seeing two of them! Rubbing her eyes didn’t help her at all as it kept multiplying, making her unsure of where it even was anymore! “N-Not now, you stupid eyes!” She cursed them in anger. With her teeth clenched, she pulled one of her forehooves back, ready to punch it. All she could do was hope she would get the right one! Her head crashed into the control panel. Derpy fell on her back, her head spinning as if she was seeing stars. Her skull was so thick it even left a mark behind! This caused every nearby employee to pause. “Did… Did she do it?” A guard gulped, scared of the answer. “Uhm…” A scientist looked closer. “It looks fine!” Sparks flew from the control panel. A moment later, the generator burst open, spilling out black smoke. The small explosion sent the scientist flying, and it seemed Trixie also grew tired of being handled in such a way. With a grunt, she lit up her horn and blasted all the guards off her. “This is not how you treat a Trixie,” The blue unicorn wiped some dust off her. “Hold on, Derpy, I got you!” She reassured the pegasus, who still wasn’t in the right mind yet, and grabbed her with her magic. The researchers were hopeless as the two mares left in another flash, just like the one they came in with. “Oh, no, no, no! Could this get any worse?!” A scientist unicorn asked himself, trying to operate the remaining half of the destroyed control panel while occasionally protecting himself from the sparks flying out of it. “S-Sir!” Another researcher ran up to him, sweating so much he looked like he had fallen into a river. “There’s been a spill! Someone turned on a generator, there are thunderclouds inside!” He gestured behind him. Just as he said, thunderclouds were forming high on the ceiling, getting darker and darker as more of them were poured out of the broken tubes. It didn’t take long before lighting stroke randomly and indiscriminately, barely missing the running ponies. Unfortunately, any missing strike hit one of their machines instead, burning any research it contained. “Then what are you waiting for?! Activate the emergency protocol and get them out as soon as possible!” The first scientist hollered at the second one, who was quick to obey his orders and run to execute them. The ponies still conscious ran away, either to turn on the emergency protocol or simply to leave the factory as it was obviously not safe. Meanwhile, the first scientist stood there, watching as a piece of metal fell from the ceiling, and other machines burned. They had worked here only a few years, yet they made so much progress that they could safely say they would have been a hundred years in the future compared to the other nations. For some of them, this was their life’s work! The generator’s destruction was a problem, but if they couldn’t get those clouds out… Then they would lose all the progress they made! It would all go to waste! This couldn’t happen! “And nothing suspicious going on either?” Minister Rainbow Dash questioned, relaxing on a cloud with a drink in her hoof. Not too far from her stood a male pegasus. His name was… She forgot, actually. But it probably wasn’t important anyway. She just knew she called the “report guy” since he was the one she was assigned to give her reports of anything happening in Rainbow City. Usually, it was done in the castle, but she preferred doing it in her favorite napping spot. No chair was as comfortable as a cloud. Especially a cloud that was near her statue. She loved to bask in her glory! Could you blame her? “Nothing so far. I’m happy to say that Rainbow City has a 0% crime rate. Lowest in all of Equestria,” He responded with pride. “Yup! It makes perfect sense! Considering it’s mine, ya know,” Rainbow Dash took another sip of her drink. Lowest crime rate, most beautiful, and most lively. Her city was the best in every way! Honestly, she was starting to wonder why ponies weren’t praying to her statue at this point! BOOM “Huh? What’s that sound?” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s the factory, my Lady!” Report guy pointed at the facility. Thunderclouds were coming out of it! Was Canterlot attacked? No, there was no way! It looked like an accident more than anything else judging by the way smoke escaped from the factory, and also by the lightning strikes hitting the nearby buildings. “What the hay’s going on?!” Rainbow Dash questioned with a frown. Did she need to take care of this? It wasn’t like she caused it. Nonetheless, Twilight wouldn’t be happy about this. “What should we do, my Lady?” Report guy inquired in a panicked tone, which she brushed off. There was no need to worry as long as she was there, after all. She fully intended on helping… Until lightning suddenly flew in another direction. This time, it wasn’t just any house or building. No, it hit the statue straight into one of its forelegs! Rainbow Dash widened her eyes, staring at the spot that was hit. A small crack appeared, then another, and another. They only grew bigger and bigger until the leg broke! With no forelegs to support it, the statue began falling forward. “Oh, no… no, no! Please!” Rainbow Dash begged any higher force that existed but in vain. It collapsed on the road, shattering to pieces, and throwing rubber everywhere while the pegasus’ decapitated stone head rolled away until it crashed into a house, causing even more commotion. “My statue…” Her lower lip quivered while she watched in disbelief. “My Lady?” Report guy asked with shaking legs. “Those…” Rainbow Dash furrowed her brows with a murderous look. The pegasus near her stepped away in silence. She clenched her teeth, holding an expression of fury like she never did before. “What did those eggheads do?!” She fumed. With a single wing flap, she took off toward the factory, blowing the cloud she was sitting on away. She didn’t bother going through the door. Oh, no, she wasn’t in the mood for manners. She did much simpler. She flew through the roof, bursting it open and going through the thunderclouds without a care in the world. It was only natural. She was Rainbow Dash! Nothing in this world could scare her! “You… What are you idiots doing?!” She roared in rage, hovering closer to the floor. “M-My Lady! You have to help quickly! The exit is blocked!” Light Steel suddenly grabbed her by the foreleg. “Don’t touch me, nerd!” Rainbow Dash bellowed before slapping him away so hard he was slammed against another machine, electrocuting him in the process. Totally uncaring about the body dropping on the floor, the cyan pegasus was still fuming. “Help? You think I’ll help after you break my statue?! Oh, no… I’m here to make sure you don’t break my castle, too. You morons just ruined my record!” She roared before flying through a nearby stone pillar. Not just pillars, She flew straight through everything she laid her eyes on, without a speck of mercy, breaking every piece of equipment in the process. She broke holes in the ceilings just to fly around the factory and accumulate some speed to cause even more damage. It only made the fire worse, and it didn’t take long before the facility was filled with smoke. She wasn’t even affected by it since she needed only a second to go out and get some fresh air. With a rage that went beyond anything they imagined and deadly eyes, the pegasus looked like a beast. Even the civilians outside weren’t doing any better as they fled the vicinity of the factory as fast as they could. All they knew was that the perimeter was dangerous. “What’s happening?!” One of them shouted, looking back at the building. “Just run! Minister Rainbow Dash is going on a rampage again!” Another screamed back, dashing past them. Running was indeed the right call. Only a few seconds later, the factory was riddled with chain explosions until a gigantic blast tore it apart in flames. Pieces of burning metal and stones rained over the city like meteors, crashing into houses and setting them ablaze. The thunderclouds dissipated quickly, replaced by black smoke thick enough to hide the sun. There were no signs of life around the facility… until a rainbow streak suddenly shot out of the smoke, rushing toward the sky. Minister Rainbow Dash stopped, hovering in the air once she was finally out of the smoke and what remained of the burning factory. Against all odds, there wasn’t a single scratch on her, nor dirt on her. Her wings were pristine just as they were when she woke up. Her body was completely unscathed. Yet, even after letting all her anger out, she was still fuming. Her beloved statue was in ruins because of them! Did they know how long she made ponies work on it to build it? It took months! Watching around, she also noticed all the ponies running. They looked like they were safe, so she didn’t feel like she needed to save anyone. Nevertheless, her eyes were like a hawk’s, and something she didn’t imagine she would see here caught her eye. It was Fluttershy and Shining Armor! They were running toward the forest on the city’s outskirts. Twilight’s words from yesterday echoed back into her mind. She knew for a fact that Fluttershy was still in Canterlot when she left this morning. It was also impossible for the bearer of the element of kindness to be here in such a short time. She glared in the imposter’s direction. This was their fault, wasn’t it? It couldn’t simply be a coincidence! Minister Rainbow Dash shot up toward them with speed rarely ever seen. She wasn’t willing to spare any mercy for either of them! Whether Shining Armor was an imposter or a filthy traitor didn’t matter. She would beat him to a pulp! As if sensing she was coming, the stallion turned around. Before he could even react or defend himself, she slammed her forehooves into his head, burying his whole body into the ground with a cloud of dust. That hit alone was enough to put him out of commission. It could have even been fatal, but Rainbow Dash honestly didn’t care. Instead, she turned to glare at the imposter. “Wait,” Fluttershy said, only for the cyan pegasus to kick her in the face with no prior warning. All Fluttershy could see was darkness as she lost consciousness. When was the last time one of her friends punched or kicked her? It never happened, did it? Seeing one of her friends’ enraged faces as they attacked her was something she never thought she would go through in her life. The pain in her heart was worse than the one she got when she was punched, though. She could feel herself stirring awake at the sound of… screaming? Her eyes fluttered open; the first thing she saw was the bars of a jail cell. She groaned in pain as something rattled with her movements. It was iron shackles. She was bound to a wall! “Where is your base?” Someone questioned in a cold tone. “I told you already… I’m not talking,” A stallion replied in pain. Fluttershy looked in the stallion’s direction. Shining Armor was there too, shackles like she was and with a metal ring around his horn. “Why are you so stubborn?” Electricity shot out of a horn, hitting Shining head-on and electrocuting him. The poor stallion howled in pain, a guttural scream escaping from his throat, which was enough to fully wake Fluttershy up. “What are you doing?! Stop!” She screamed. From the looks of the burns on Shining’s body, he had been tortured for quite some time, now! “Oh? You are awake,” The pony that tortured him turned to look at the pegasus. Much to Fluttershy’s horror, it was someone she knew well: Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn was accompanied by Applejack. The two of them wore their respective elements. “Maybe you’ll be willing to talk, unlike my brother?” Prime Minister Twilight suggested. “If you want to torture somepony… Torture me,” Shining Armor grunted with a glare. “I’ve tried doing this for the past twenty minutes. Perhaps, she’ll be more cooperative?” Twilight didn’t bother glancing at Shining Armor. “So. Who are you? What are you? You aren’t a changeling,” She interrogated the pegasus. Help[/i] Fluttershy threw a look at Shining, who simply stared at her in silence. She was faced with another choice. Should she tell the truth? Ever since she got here, she had been thinking of talking to her friends’ counterparts. If they truly were versions of her friends, then there was still hope for them. They had the potential to do as much good as the ones she was familiar with. Every challenge they faced. Every accomplishment. Every lesson she learned with the other girls replayed in her mind. She couldn’t give up on the council when she had a lifetime of good memories with ponies wearing their faces and names. “That’s because I’m Fluttershy from… From another universe,” She revealed, only for Twilight to raise a dubious eyebrow. “Very funny. But I’m not in the mood for jokes,” Twilight furrowed her brows. “It’s not a joke,” Fluttershy retorted. Before the lavender unicorn could say anything, the pegasus recounted how her Twilight studied the strange stone that crashed into Equestria, which led them to be thrown into other universes. She told them about other events that happened back in her own world and even said things in her private life only she and her closest friends should know. She had no doubt that her counterpart told them about these things, too. Twilight and Applejack were silent through it all. “That stone… It sounds like…” Applejack muttered. Help “The one we found,” Twilight finished her sentence. Fluttershy immediately perked up. “Did you find it?” She asked hopefully. “This isn’t for you to know,” Twilight replied. “But what you told us is intriguing,” “Do ya believe her?” Minister Applejack arched an eyebrow. “I’m not denying the possibility that she is telling the truth. From my investigation… Multiversal travel may be real. I’ll have to think about my decision concerning her,” Twilight explained. “But if this is true, then think of what we could accomplish. We could get their help. Equus will be easily brought to heel under our rule. Not just Equus, but every world out there,” The unicorn could already see it. Entire universes where harmony reigned supreme. Peace like no other. “No!” Fluttershy blurted out before she could stop herself. She didn’t mean to be so blunt, but the moment she heard them talking this way, she felt the need to stop them. Couldn’t they see all the harm they would cause? “No? What do you mean… No?” Twilight questioned, baffled. “This is wrong. This isn’t harmony or friendship. Don’t you realize how many ponies you hurt?” Fluttershy responded with a shaky voice. “My friends and I have been all learning about friendship. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand. It could even get you into arguments… But it’s something that should never be used to hurt somepony else. If you want, you can come to my world and see for yourself,” She continued, pleading. Help “Is that what you were told about us? That we were hurting ponies?” Twilight clenched her teeth. “Why can’t anypony see the big picture?!” She stomped the floor in anger. “The only ponies we hurt are the ones who deserved it! All we ever did was for the good of Equestria. Without us, this kingdom would have been in ruins multiple times!” She shouted. “All we want is to make the world a better and safer place, can’t you understand that?” The unicorn inquired in a seemingly saddened tone. “You’re a liar,” Shining muttered. Immediately, his sister glared at him with hatred. Undeterred, the stallion glared back. “You have never cared about the world. Not even once. You just don’t like the way it is. You can’t accept the way things are,” He breathed out in pain. “That’s an interesting theory, brother. Where did that foolish thinking come from?” “Since you were a filly, all you cared about was magic and studies. I would have noticed if you had any sense of justice,” Shining Armor spat. “What you actually want is… control. You think nothing goes right unless you’re the one in charge, and you won’t be satisfied until it’s perfect,” The white unicorn wheezed. “But this is the thing, Twily… Nothing’s perfect. You’ll never be satisfied. I’ve been wondering why you were so obsessed with this…” He whispered while Twilight glared silently. She looked like she wanted to begin torturing him again! “It’s because of Princess Celestia, isn’t it? You’ve always wanted to make her proud, and now you want to prove you’re bet-” “Don’t speak her name!” Twilight suddenly snapped, putting her horn on the cell bars, and making electricity course through them. However, her brother didn’t relent. “I know Princess Celestia hurt you… But you can’t take it out on the whole world,” Shining spat out blood. “Please, stop this madness,” “You… How dare you?” Twilight nearly growled. Applejack simply placed a comforting hoof on her back but remained silent. “You betrayed me? And you dare beg me, now?! You beg me as if I was some kind of supervillain?! Is this a joke?!” She nearly electrocuted him again. However, her friend’s warm hoof was enough to keep her grounded. She couldn’t lose her temper. She couldn’t lose it! “After that stunt, you pulled?! You and the terrorists you call friends have destroyed the entire Thunder Factory, ruined lives, and even taken some!” “The resistance did none of that,” Shining retorted with a glare. Their only plan was to destroy the generators and potentially bruise some guards if it was needed. Nothing more. There weren’t supposed to be casualties. Help “No, not a resistance! A rebellion!” The lavender unicorn corrected him. “You and I both know Rainbow Dash was the cause of that. She did this because of a tantrum, and she would again,” Her brother continued. This seemed to set the female unicorn off. “That’s Minister Rainbow Dash to you, you scum!” Twilight hit the bars with her magic again, causing sparks to fly everywhere. Some even nearly landed in Fluttershy’s eyes. She had never seen Twilight like that. She actually looked like she wanted to… murder her brother. But she wouldn’t go that far, would she? “And she wasn’t! You don’t know anything about her! She’s hard-working, and kind! She cares so much about her friends, but pretends she doesn’t as to not look soft! She’s a pony who loves her city, and wouldn’t let anything happen to it because when it does, she actually hates herself for days! She cares so much about my feelings and my opinion of her that she can’t forgive herself if she fails a task I give her! She’s easily one of the most compassionate ponies I know, but there’s always somepony to set her off! There’s always somepony who looks down on her, and hurts her! This is what happens when we aren’t here to protect her! Ponies like you take advantage of her, and you set her off today. Because of what you did, she destroyed the whole facility! Can you imagine the pain you’ve caused her?!” Twilight finally finished her tirade, breathing heavily while Applejack patted her back. That… Certainly wasn’t something Fluttershy expected… Twilight definitely still cared about her friends. However, there was something wrong here… This painted a completely different picture from the Rainbow Dash she heard of until now. The resistance absolutely did not view her in such a light. Shining, on the other hand, looked flabbergasted. It was like his jaw was about to hit the floor. The shock in his eyes was obvious, but Fluttershy even detected a hint of realization. “Oh, my Celestia… You… You’re delusional,” Shining Armor slowly shook his head. “You actually believe this… This isn’t even a lie… You’re 100% convinced of everything you just said…” He gasped. His sister glared at him silently, deciding not to entertain him by giving him a response. Twilight wasn’t surprised by his reaction. No one could understand her and her friends. They couldn’t see how much they cared about each other. They had no one to love so strongly. She knew her friends. She knew them better than anyone in the world. They were compassionate souls, but they had been beaten down by life in the past. Because of that, they could lash out or make irrational decisions. However, it wasn’t their fault! The unicorn had seen the real them and had seen how much they were affected by the mistakes they made. That was why she could forgive anything for them. Rainbow Dash destroyed the Thunder Factory, their last defense? She was already forgiven. The ones to blame were the rebellion. When Minister Fluttershy killed that guard because she thought she saw him killing a little bird? She was forgiven. It was the guard’s fault for acting suspiciously. They could even kill foals, and she would find a reason to forgive them. Because she knew they wouldn’t be at fault. Ponies always pushed them around, and when consequences hit them, they blamed her friends. How was it fair?! Why was it so strange for her to defend ponies she cared about?! “Rainbow Dash is just a murderer, Twilight!” Shining shouted. “Don’t you badmouth her!” She yelled back. “Not her. Not any of my friends or I will kill you,” She threatened in a cold tone, which was enough to send shivers down Fluttershy’s spine. “Your own brother?” The stallion questioned in disgust. “Don’t you dare weaponize our blood relations! You still don’t get it, do you? My relationship with the girls goes far deeper than ours ever did. You couldn’t possibly understand,” Twilight leaned in closer, her face nearly touching the bars. “I would gladly sacrifice thousands of you to save only one of them. Especially now that you’ve thrown your lot with our enemies,” She spat with hate. “You made me do this, Twily,” Shining gulped, suddenly reminded of why he was in the rebellion in the first place. “Oh, and pray tell why? You have a wife. You rule a kingdom alongside her. You have status and a loving family! You protect Equestria, the greatest nation in the world! So what could I have possibly done to turn you against me?! Let’s hear it!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “What? Did I hurt your little feelings?! Tell me why!” She demanded an answer, screaming so loud that she made Fluttershy flinch. “The attack we led against the changeling after my wedding,” Shining suddenly answered, looking down as he nearly choked on his spit. “Huh?” Twilight stepped away, looking more confused than ever. “Our war with the changelings? That’s it? What, did your precious soldiers get PTSD? Is that why you’re mad? You don’t like war?” She gritted her teeth. “We didn’t have a choice! They launched an attack first! They declared war when their queen tried to invade Equestria!” “A war? You call this a war?” Shining Armor uttered incredulously. “Twilight… It was a massacre. Don’t you even realize what we’ve done?” He questioned, sniffling as tears threatened to fall. Fluttershy had never seen Twilight’s brother look so… Broken. “We’ve killed so many… Indiscriminately. It was a slaughter and a blood bath. I’ve had nightmares about that day every night since it happened, and I still do… I didn’t know how to look at myself in the mirror anymore,” His voice cracked. “This was a war, Shining Armor! That’s what happens in wars!” Twilight stomped the floor. Help “Did you forget already?” He questioned her, baffled and horrified. “We committed a genocide, Twilight! We wiped out an entire species, and burned their homes! We killed CHILDREN!” He let out a guttural scream. The revelation nearly broke Fluttershy’s mind. No… They didn’t… They didn’t, right? It nearly made her puke! The faces of the changeling students she taught at the school of friendship flashed through her mind as she thought of them and their families. “How could I believe in our cause after that? How could I fight for you? I… I could barely live with myself!” Shining Armor openly cried, not caring about his pride or any other trivial things anymore. “I wish I could have ended it… Free myself from those nightmares… But I realized that living my life was a better atonement. That’s all I can do… Live with the weight of my sins until I die,” He continued to cry, shedding tears while looking down, refusing to meet Twilight’s gaze. “My sins… Are all I have…” “You betrayed me… Because of those bugs? Because you felt bad for them?” Twilight uttered, unable to understand her brother. No, it simply made no sense to her. “Those monsters wanted to invade and enslave us. Their nourishment was our love! How could you feel bad for them when they simply got what they deserved?!” She screamed. However, Shining remained silent, unwilling to talk any more than he already did. “You betray your own sister for the enemy, then you use your position to help them. You use my kindness to help them… You used me. You used me like Celestia did… Just like everyone wishes to. Everypony wants to hurt me…” Twilight uttered, looking like she had been stabbed in the heart. “And I won’t let you hurt me anymore,” She stated with a decisive tone. Her eyes suddenly glowed in a bright white light with a pinkish aura around the corner of her eyes. Her horn was surrounded by a violet hue, sparking with arcs of magic. Fluttershy froze, filled with a sudden sense of dread. It was like she was staring at death! Minister Applejack widened her eyes. To the pegasus’ surprise, she grabbed Twilight’s head. “Twilight, no!” The farm pony shouted as she pushed the unicorn’s head away just as she fired her magical beam. It was potent and larger than she had seen from any unicorn Fluttershy had known. While the beam didn’t hit their cell, it followed the path of Twilight’s move, pulverizing the cell beside theirs. “No!” One of the inmates shouted in fear before being enveloped and reduced to dust by the spell. Once the light in Twilight’s horn subsided, and the dust created from the blast faded, the damage done to the dungeons was fully visible. There was a massive horizontal trail dug in the walls of the cells while the bars were melted off. Any prisoners inside those cells were dead in an instant. “Ah know ya want to kill ‘im, Sugarcube, but think of the rebellion! He’s our only link to them! If ya kill him, then we’ll be back to zero,” Applejack argued, patting the unicorn on the back. It seemed her words were enough to calm her friend down. Help “I… I’m sorry, Applejack. You’re right… I’m glad you’re here,” Twilight conceded before glaring at the two ponies in the cell. “One week. That’s all I’ll give you, Shining Armor. If you don’t tell me anything by that point… Then I’ll have to tell Mom and Dad that you died, bravely fighting the rebels,” She spat. Clearly, lying to keep him in a good light to her parents seemed to disgust her. The female unicorn glanced at Fluttershy. “As for you, I hope you’ll make your decision quickly. If you’re anything like the Fluttershy I know, then you know we are doing the right thing,” With that said, the two mares walked away, leaving their prisoners alone. Fluttershy sighed, still having a hard time breathing after everything she had seen and heard. It was certain, now. There was no talking to them. “Will ya be alright, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked the lavender unicorn as they walked away, ignoring the scorching path Twilight left after her attack. “I will. Thanks to you,” Twilight responded with a confident expression. “I was just reminded again that you and the other girls are the only ones I can ever count on,” She affirmed. No matter how. She would end this rebellion and make sure these terrorists wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore. She was done playing nice.