đ„Chapter 6đ„
That time Twilight and the girls went to hell
CURRENT STATUS
Twilight inhabits Trixie
Trixie inhabits TwilightÂ
Rainbow Dash inhabits Rarity
Rarity inhabits Rainbow Dash
AppleJack inhabits Fluttershy
Fluttershy inhabits AppleJack
PinkiePie inhabits PinkiePie
TW: INJURY DETAIL
âAUGH! Wh⊠FUCK! NO! SHIT! DARN IT!!âÂ
AppleJack was on the floor, having just sworn to herself in a voice that definitely wasnât her own.
She had realised what was about to happen just as her brain registered that she was looking at her reflection, and before she had a chance to stop it, she had already been violently flung out of her body and into somepony else. But who?
She felt⊠tiny.Â
Slowly opening her eyes, she got quite a surprise at seeing whoâs hooves she had. The skinny yellow legs matched with the huge swoosh of pink hair that nestled on the floor beside made it pretty obvious.
âHelloâŠâ
The soft, quiet voice confirmed it.
She was Fluttershy.Â
She gave a tiny little sigh of relief (far tinier than she had intended). Her main fear was that somepony untrustworthy would be left in her body, but she at least knew it was in safe hooves with Fluttershy. But she didnât have time to worry about her right now⊠she needed to worry about herself.
Carefully rising to a standing position, the main thing that struck her was how small she felt. Sure, Fluttershy had long legs, but her frame was miniscule compared to her usual body. The last time she could remember feeling like this was when she was a tiny little filly, even younger than Apple Bloom. It felt incredibly disconcerting, and the earth pony didnât like it one bit. There was also the strange feeling of having extra limbs. She glanced back at her body to see her wings, neatly placed either side of her. She tested them out, figuring out how to extend them. They were so delicate that AppleJack felt that if she moved them too fast they would break like a twig.
Delicate.
That was the word that hung around in AppleJackâs mind like a gnat. She had spent most of her life being the strong and stable one, always there to hold up others on her mighty back.Â
What was she now?
âFluttershy? Darling, are you alright in there?â came the voice of Rainbow Dash from the next room. AppleJack was momentarily confused, before realising who it actually was.
Fuck.
Rarity.
She pushed all of those thoughts to the back of her brain.Â
âUhh⊠Nnope.â She replied, looking to the door that the voice emanated from. She took a deep breath that somehow didnât seem to get enough oxygen into her lungs. Very carefully, she opened the door to greet the blue pegasus that she knew was waiting.
Rarityâs eyes narrowed. The way that âFluttershyâ had entered was certainly not like her usual self. The yellow pegasus seemed to be looking around the room intently, her eyes finally settling ok Rarity. She gave a small, sad smile.Â
âHeya⊠Rarity.â She said, doing a small nod of her head which inadvertently made her mane flop over her eyes. She pushed it out of the way with some annoyance.
Rarity tilted her head. How did she know that she was Rarity and not RainbowDash?
âUhm, I ainât Fluttershy anymore, if thatâs what youâre thinking.â She said, the slight southern twang of her accent filtering through Fluttershyâs soft voice.Â
Rarityâs eyes widened. There was a tiny pool of ponies who knew about their specific swap, and an even tinier pool of one who had that accent.Â
Well not really a pool.
A puddle.Â
âAppleJack!?â
âEyyup.â She said awkwardly, smiling weakly.Â
Rarity approached her for a hug, but paused, tilting her head. Even though she had hugged Fluttershy multiple times in this body, it still felt⊠odd. AppleJack sighed in an affectionate way as she saw Rarity quibble.
âA hug wouldnât be too bad right now, Rares.âÂ
Rarity smiled back at her, and embraced her. It was awkward at first, but as she felt AppleJack start to shake a little, she unfurled her wings and used them to wrap AppleJack in a feathery cocoon. AppleJack appreciated this.
âW-What happened when you looked in a mirror? I mean, what was happening?â Asked Rarity quietly.Â
âIt wasnât a mirror. It was your gemstone! We may have had to rob a bank.â She said, a little bit of pride in her voice (which shrank away as she admitted the felony). Rarity let out a short laugh, before realising she wasnât joking.Â
âOh! My⊠RainbowDashâs idea, I presume?â
âNope. Maud was there. Itâs a long storyâŠâ she said.Â
The image of the specially made hat was bouncing around in her mind. Should she ask about it?Â
Nnnnot now. Maybe later when she was in a more stable place.
âI feel so⊠weak.â She mumbled out. âHow am I supposed to keep everypony safe when I feel like I couldnât even snap a twig?â
Rarity let out a little sigh, as she looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what to even say. Fluttershy was strong in her own ways, but not in a way comparable to AppleJack.Â
âYou are⊠smaller than you were before.â She said with a little laugh. âBut remember, no matter if youâre as powerful as an ox or as weak as a flea, youâre still you. The strongest, bravest and most honest pony that Iâve ever met.â She said softly.Â
AppleJack could feel her eyes welling up with⊠tears!?Â
AppleJack couldnât remember the last time she cried. She mostly kept it buried deep down, getting rid of her negative emotions by breaking things in the woods when everypony else was sleeping. Maybe being Fluttershy had an inbuilt tear response she wasnât aware of.Â
âT⊠Thanks, sugarcube.â She managed to get out as she felt the tears start to leave her eyes, and found herself placing her face into Rarityâs temporarily blue neck.Â
Rarity froze for a moment, seeming to consider something. She let out a happy little sigh.Â
âAnytime, My Beloved.â
AppleJack shuddered. And it wasnât because of the cold.
As she lay there in a strange slightly sweaty smelling embrace of RainbowDashâs body, she noticed something a little odd as she swallowed.
âSince when did Fluttershy have such pointed teeth?â
RainbowDash stood there, stunned as she stared at Fluttershy. The shy pegasus, who was now in the body of the hulking giant of a horse, had just informed her, her girlfriend, that she was a vampire.Â
âYouâre a WHAT!?â
Fluttershy immediately broke down again, falling into a lying position and placing the hat over her face, squeezing it in tight. She moved her back in a weird way before another loud sob came out from the hat. Rainbow Dash could only assume that she was trying to cover herself with her wings. She didnât have wings.
RainbowDash groaned at herself internally. She knew exactly how Fluttershyâs brain worked, and such sudden and aggressive confusion at something she had said would wreck her even at the best of times. These were not the best of times.Â
âI-I mean⊠I⊠W-What do you mean?â She said, moving down next to her and placing a hoof on her back.Â
âI-Iâm a⊠m-monsterâŠâ she whimpered. âA horrible, dangerous, blood sucking m-monster. A-And n-now AppleJack⊠s-sheâs going to hurt somepony⊠and itâs all my faultâŠâ Â
RainbowDashâs ears flattened back. She was being serious. Fluttershy wasnât good at lying; this was her at her most truthful.Â
âWhy didnât you tell me?â She asked very softly, managing to mask the slight hurt in her voice.Â
âYouâd⊠y-youâd leave⊠e-everypony would leave and I-Iâd be left all alone a-again.âÂ
âFluttershy.â She said, very sternly. âYou look at me. Right now. In the eyes.âÂ
âI donât⊠want to.â She whispered, but Rainbow Dash put her hoof down.
âI donât care. Look at me.âÂ
Shaking like a leaf, Fluttershy tipped the hat up to look at the face of Rarity. She had to remind herself that somepony else was behind those eyes.Â
âYou are not a monster. You are Fluttershy. The prettiest mare in all of Equestria. And no matter what, Iâm not going anywhere.âÂ
Fluttershy couldnât look away, her heart racing as she could almost hear the true voice of RainbowDash saying those words.
She crumpled.
Tears flowing, she gently embraced RainbowDash, crying into her sweet smelling mane that didnât belong to her.
âT-Thank you⊠Iâve⊠m-missed youâŠâ she whimpered. She managed to smile a bit. The comforting warmth of RainbowDashâs presence was starting to spread through her.Â
âAnd as for you being⊠well, a vampireâŠâ she said, and smirked a bit. âThatâs so cool⊠youâre like, an amazing gothic creature of the night!â She said, genuine excitement in her voice. She grinned a little and moved up to her ear and whispered.
âDoes that mean youâll bite me if I ask you to?âÂ
Fluttershy shook her head, looking at her.
âUhm⊠Iâd rather if you didnât j-joke⊠about that if thatâs ok.âÂ
âSure.â Replied Rainbow with a supportive smile, immediately moving away. âMay I kiss you on the cheek?â
Fluttershy considered for a moment⊠Rarity did this often.Â
âYes please. B-But just the cheek. It would feel⊠e-even more wrong.â She said, feeling her strange new mane on her neck.Â
âGot it.â She said, giving her a brief peck. Even in the wrong bodies, Fluttershy got a little shiver. She loved her girlfriend.
âŠ
Had she ever actually⊠said that to her? That she loved her?
This thought was interrupted by RainbowDash talking.
âAm I good to ask something about your vampirism? Just to⊠get some information.â She asked calmly, moving out of the embrace and into a sitting position.
Fluttershy rolled onto her front to face her. It was weird being this much taller than her, even when lying down.Â
âS-Sure.â
âDoes anypony else know?â She asked. Fluttershy felt guilt flow through her.
âJ-Just Twilight and Z-Zekora. Zekora helped me with m-my need for⊠you know, a-and I told Twilight b-because I⊠donât usually have a reflection.â
Rainbowdash nodded. She still felt somewhat hurt that FlutterShy hadnât told her, but she could imagine doing the same thing. She had been guilty about keeping up a lie because she was fearful of others being sad⊠she had to tell PinkiePie about her hatred of pies someday.
âAnd your body⊠how long will it be until AppleJack gets, uhmâŠâ she tried to phrase it in a good way. âHungry? Thirsty?â
Fluttershy gulped a little. âW-Well, uhm⊠Iâm usually fine with animal b-blood for a few days. Usually I have a Zekora potion to help me⊠stay calm. I just hope that they manage to get down the mountain I-in time to find Twilight⊠or Zekora.â
âAnd⊠what will happen if she doesnât?â
âW-WellâŠâ she looked down anxiously at her oversized hooves. âSheâll⊠sheâll start to get⊠agitated⊠a-agressive⊠s-show signs of batpony features, and eventually attack the closest⊠p-pony too her. Which would p-probablyâŠâ
âBe me.â RainbowDash finished for her. The pair sat in awkward silence as the danger of the situation really set in.Â
âWell⊠if anypony can fend off an angry AppleJack, itâs Rarity! Especially in my awesome body! So I think it will be fine, as long as we all meet up when we agreed. S-So I think we should both do our best not to worry, Kay?â She said, reassuring herself as well as Fluttershy.
âI-I knowâŠâ she said, smiling a tiny bit as she remembered something. âW-We did manage to fend off D-Dr Cabaleron together! H-He was a Yak!â
âWHAT!? You got to fight a Daring Do villain!? No fair!âÂ
Fluttershy giggled a little. âYeah! It was⊠mostly me⊠OH! Th-thatâs right! We got the ice!â She said.
âOh! Yeah! Awesome! W-We got the gem! I think itâs what AJ was looking at when you two swapped, so we should be careful with that.â
âOh! Good! Thatâs⊠g-good!â
âYeah! Do you think Twilight, Trixie and Pinkie have gotten the thingy from Tartarus yet.â
âI hope soâŠâ she said, looking up at the ceiling.
How WERE the others doing?
âS-so we can return back to Ponyville, right?â
Rainbowdash laughed awkwardly. âWellâŠ. We are kind of wanted by the horse police.âÂ
â⊠what.âÂ
This had to have been one of the most infuriating days of Twilightâs life.Â
They were about a day away from Tartarus by now, and she and Trixie (in HER body) had been pulling the caravan together all the way. She didnât understand why Trixie insisted that they take the cart. She could, however, understand why PinkiePie had insisted she took the position of âevil pony looker outererâ, which consisted of her sitting on top of the caravan with a comically large magnifying glass to spot any shifty looking ponies that may approach. Unfortunately for them, many ponies were approaching due to one of their number being a princess.Â
And Trixie was loving the attention.
The first couple of times, Twilight had tiredly explained that she was in fact Twilight, and her usual body was inhabited by Trixie Lulamoon. But this always ended with Trixie showing off her new magical prowess in the background as Twilight tiredly reaffirmed to stay calm and not look into mirrors. Eventually she gave up and instead just endured Trixie pretending to be her. What wasnât helping was how much PinkiePie was laughing at her jokes. A little too hard, to be honest.Â
As dusk began to fall, Twilight turned to Trixie.
âOkay Trixie. I need you to fly up and see if you can see a safe spot to camp.â asked Twilight calmly. Trixie smirked at her. God. She was getting sick of that smirk.
âWhatâs wrong, Sparkles! Canât you fly up and do it yourself?â she teased as she undid herself from her harness. Twilight just rolled her eyes.Â
âGooooing up! Hehe! I am getting so used to flying, Twilight! Iâm somewhat of a natural⊠maybe I should have been the alicorn princess!â she laughed, flying up into the sky to look around. Twilight sighed, and looked up at PinkiePie.
âThanks for coming with us, PinkieâŠâ she said. PinkiePie beamed back. âOf course! Iâd never abandon a friend in need! Especially you right now because, not to be, mean or anything, but youâre REALLY in need. Some crazy horse is in your body, Twilight! That's kind of⊠Scary, right?â she said, the beaming smile slowly draining. âIâd hate having somepony elseâs body! Iâm not sure theyâd be able to squash and stretch as much as I do. And what if somepony got into MY body! Then theyâd be like noodles! Flopping around everywhere! BLLEUAUAUGHGHGHGH!â she said, waving her arms like an inflatable tube man. Twilight laughed as she did. PinkiePieâs smile grew wide again. âI love to see you smile, Twi!â
Twilight nodded. âAnd I love to see you still so full of energy despite everything.â
âWhy wouldnât I be? Iâm FREE! Iâm free to run around the fields and through the meadows and the streams! Iâm not rotting in a cage somewhere like a trapped songbird, yearning to be free!â she said, staring off into the horizon happily. Twilight tilted her head slightly, but before she could follow that train of thought, her hair was blown everywhere by the huge gust of wind that announced the haphazard landing of one Trixie Lulamoon.
âA CAVE, TWILIGHT! I FOUND A CAVE!â She declared happily. âI found it all on my OWN! Are you proud of me!â
âYES! YES I AM!â said PinkiePie, clapping rapidly. âYouâre so talented!â
âYes, I rather am, arenât i?â She agreed.
âUsing my wingsâŠâ Grumbled Twilight.Â
âAww⊠is somepony jealous? You jelly? Jelly jelly horse jelly? Want your wings back? Hehe you CAN'T because theyâre mine now!â She said, grinning at her as she trotted around, proudly displaying the wings.Â
âTrixieâŠâ Twilight groaned. âPlease, letâs just get to the cave you saw. You can continue whatever this is when weâre there.â
âAnything for a mare as delectable as you~â she said, and happily trotted away. Twilight let out another big sigh. Trixie had been making flirty comments towards her this whole trip and she kept on having to remind herself that it was only because she looked like Trixie (which was of course the object of Trixieâs affection). It had weirdly gotten her thinking about herself a couple of times. It was strange seeing yourself from different angles, but Twilight could be happy that she still thought she was quite pretty.Â
She had decided to simply not deal with how she felt about Trixieâs body when she thought about how naturally pretty the blue pony was. Some feelings are best left buried far, far down within you with an unbreakable lock and no key.
After a short trip, the three ponies found themselves staring into the dark cave in front of them. Trixie and Twilight ignited their horns to create light, whilst Pinkie summoned a pair of night vision goggles from wherever it is she usually gets her props.Â
âPerfect!â Said Trixie, who trotted in without much thought. Twilight was much more cautious.Â
âBe careful, Trixie. Caves like these can have all sorts of creatures. Wyverns, Cockatrices or-â
She was cut off by the whimpering squeak that involuntarily came out of Trixieâs mouth. Twilight felt the wind from the creature's breath before she saw it towering over Trixie.Â
The gently glowing outline of an Ursa Minor.
âT-Trixie.â She hissed in a panicked whisper. âSlowly back away. M-Maintain eye contact.â
Trixie wasnât moving at all. She seemed to be paralysed with fear. Twilight saw her wings clamp to her side; a similar response that Fluttershy had when scared.
Twilight looked back at Pinkie, who had a brave face on but she could see her legs wobbling like jelly.Â
Turning back to face the great starbear, she readied herself. Nopony else could deal with this creature right now.Â
âPinkie⊠on my mark, grab TrixieâŠâ whispered Twilight. Pinkie nodded.
Twilight built up as much energy as she could within her horn. It was significantly less than usual, but it would have to do. Trixie was slightly more powerful than an average Unicorn but nowhere near the level that Twilight had been when she was one. However, Twilight had cottoned on to there being a certain type of magic that the blue unicorn had a natural innate talent for. Muttering the spell and making the correct motions, she let out a cry as there was a bright flash. The Ursa Minor roared, rearing up onto its hind legs as it was blinded by the light.Â
âPINKIE! NOW!â
PinkiePie didnât wait. Shooting forward she tackled Trixie aside, dragging her outside of the cave. The Ursa Minor slammed its paws on the floor angrily right in the spot that Trixie had been inhabiting moments before.Â
Twilight was on her own. Sure, PinkiePie would probably be able to run distraction work, but Twilight wasnât willing to risk her actually getting hurt.Â
The star bear now towered above her and Twilight was rapidly trying to remember the semantics of the spell she was trying to cast. It was one that she had tried many times before but hadnât been able to pull off successfully. But with this unfamiliar cutie mark on her flank she was sure sheâd be able to pull it off.Â
Swirling magic around in a tight circle as she dodged another colossal paw slamming down, she pictured the image of herself, and stomped down her hoof. Releasing the spell, a blueish orb flew across the cave, and the image of Twilight Sparkle appeared, 3 dimensional and moving. The Ursa turned around and snarled at it, trying to slap it with a paw. It vanished, reappearing a few feet away.
Twilight had cast the spell a few more times, and there were now five different twilights around the bear, confusing it into a deranged rage. Twilight hid behind a boulder, and muttered something. All of the illusionary twilights flew up, and just as she had hoped the Ursa Minor tried to swat at one, smashing into the side of the cave. The whole structure shook, which was Twilights cue to leave. The cave collapsed in on itself, crushing the Ursa Minor.
Twilight landed in a heap on the outskirts of the cave, Trixieâs frail legs giving way.Â
âTwilight!?? Did you just murder that BEAR!? WHAT IS WITH YOU AND MURDERING!â Exclaimed PinkiePie.Â
âWho else have I murdered?â She asked, sliding up into a sitting position.
âAll of my clones, duh!â
âThey werenât really alive. Anyway, I didnât kill that bearâŠâ she said, pointing at the cave. Shimmering out of the cracks between the rocks came what looked like a Liquid Aurora Borealis with the consistency of oil gently flowing up and into the twilight sky.
âWhen an Ursa gets mortally wounded, it reforms into the stars itâs made of. It will reform in the next couple of months, fresh and reborn!â
PinkiePie seemed uncharacteristically upset as she stomped back off to the caravan.
Twilight let out a confused little âhmmâŠâ, and turned to see-
âHow did you do that!?â
Trixie was right in her face, causing Twilight to jump a bit.
âD-Do what!?â Â
âThat spell! I canât do that!â
âWell⊠you can. Have you ever tried?â
âWell, no-â
âWell there you go then.â Said Twilight, sounding a little smug. âYour Cutie mark is in illusion magic, right?â
âI⊠is it?â She asked.Â
âWait, you donât⊠how donât you know!?â
âI just sort of thought it made me powerful.â
âThatâs not how⊠ugh. Anyway, Itâs not a spell I could ever manage to do. So I guessed that Iâd be able to do it as you. Maybe if you spent some time reading books instead of annoying everypony, youâd be able to truly become great and powerful, huh?â She said, giving a very Trixie like grin to her as she passed her by.Â
For once, Trixie was on the back hoof.Â
Twilight moved back towards the caravan to check on Pinkie, leaving Trixie alone with her thoughts.Â
Back in the cave, the sight of the great starbear had paralysed her completely. It brought back memories of her and Twilightâs first meeting. Her having to admit that she was a fraud. Her sad and lonely escape to a tiny cave where she had cried herself to sleep. The burning hatred for Twilight Sparkle that had started to fester. All of that came back at once and sideswiped her like a Manehatten taxi.Â
But she could have done it.
Back in Ponyville, she could have used magic to defeat the bear. She was capable. But she didnât know how.Â
She looked between Twilight and then at the cave in complete disbelief. She had always assumed that she was just bad at magic. But maybe she just hadnât been taught it properly? Well, she had never really been taught in the first place; her only real teacher was herself.Â
âYouâd truly become great and powerfulâŠâ
That sentence from Twilight wouldnât leave the back of her mind as she moved over to the caravan, staring at Twilight as she lit a fire. She decided not to let it bother her. She had more pressing matters at hand⊠mainly speaking, how gosh darn PRETTY her body was. The brief moment of inner humility was washed away by what came out of her mouth.Â
âTwilight, can I kiss you?âÂ
âW-What!?â Twilightâs head shot up.Â
âWell, more accurately, can I kiss me?â she followed up, smiling.
Twilight was mystified. âNo!? What? Why would you want to-â
âI just want to kiss the hottest girl in Equestria, obviously?â She said, as if it was a no brainer. âPlus! You get to kiss an Alicorn!â
Twilight tilted her head. She had never thought about it⊠it WOULD be a unique experience to kiss oneself⊠something that nopony else could ever experience. Perhaps she could even figure out what she liked-
âAnd then, who knows! Maybe we can even get married! Have foals! Get divorced! Then youâd have to pay me alipony!âÂ
The reminder of who was currently inhabiting her body shook her STRAIGHT back to reality.Â
âNo.â She said firmly. âI do not want that, Trixie.â She said, firmly.Â
Trixie sighed, and nodded. âFIIIInnneeeâŠ. Your loss though, Sparks!âÂ
Twilight shook her head as she glanced up at PinkiePie. She seemed to have returned to normal, bouncing up and down as she watched a bird freely fly around in circles above them.
Twilight loved Pinkiepieâs love of the world.Â
Moving over to the caravan, she got out a certain book, and started to write. Trixie tilted her head at it.Â
âWhat is that? Your dream journal or something?â
Twilight shook her head, and finished writing her sentence. âJust writing to a friend.â She said, shutting the book.
âSooooâŠâ said Trixie slowly. âYou know when we, like, get to the gates of hell and all of that⊠whatâs the plan exactly?â
âWell⊠we shouldnât need to head that far in. Weâll need Pinkie to distract Cerberus for a bit. All weâll need to do is head to the highest floor and steal some of the metal that is usually kept in ingots, used by the prison keepers to make the cages. Itâs virtually indestructible. Your job will be keeping us safe if anything big attacks us. Do you know how to do a simple beam spell?âÂ
âUhh⊠of course!?â She said, and directed a beam at a nearby tree. The tree exploded. Twilight dropped to the ground as splinters rained everywhere.Â
Trixie blinked.Â
âIt seems the great and powerful Trixie forgot how even more powerful than usual she wasâŠâ she said nervously.
PinkiePieâs eyes were wide⊠staring at Trixie. Neither of the horn having ponies down there noticed, but her eyes narrowed. Something was whirring away in that brain of hers.
âW-Well, it seems like you do know that spell.â She said, slightly terrified of how much untamed power Trixie had in her body.Â
âBrilliant! Well, that sounds like a wonderful plan! I shall now be retiring to my bed! Would either of you like to join me?â She said hopefully. Twilight just glared at her. PinkiePie shook her head.
âNo thanks! Twilight is Smokinâ, but youâre kind of cringe!â She said whimsically, causing Twilight to blush a little.Â
âTHE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE IS NOT CRINGE!â Trixie roared.
âYou are a bit.â Twilight giggled. Trixie roller her eyes.Â
âFINE! NEITHER OF YOU MAY SLEEP NEXT TO THE MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELORETTE IN EQUESTRIA!â She declared angrily, and slammed the door of the caravan behind her.Â
Twilight and PinkiePieâs eyes met. They didnât say anything for a few seconds, before bursting out into laughter at the sound of Trixie tripping over and banging her head inside the caravan.Â
Little did they know, that was the calm before the storm.
âHEY CERBERUS! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ME?âÂ
Twilight and Trixie were hiding behind a rock, watching PinkiePie dance around in front of Cerberus wearing a costume that emulated having three heads. She seemed to be trying the oldest trick in the book: seduction. And it was working? Cerberus had all three heads focused on her, at least.
âCome on.â whispered Twilight. She gave a little wave of confirmation to PinkiePie, who nodded back as the pair of swapped ponies entered through the huge gates into Tartarus.Â
Both their ears flattened as the gates shut behind them.Â
âIâve studied countless maps of this placeâŠâ whispered Twilight. âThe main storage room should be⊠this way. Follow me.â
âOh Twi, you already know Iâd follow you to hell and back!â Trixie whispered back.Â
âNot now, Trixie.âÂ
Â
After a few minutes of walking along the narrow path down, they entered the first floor.Â
They were met with a room filled floor to ceiling with cages of various different sizes, housing all sorts of different monstrous creatures. A particularly ferocious looking sabre toothed bear snarled at Trixie as the pair passed its cage. Trixie barked at it in response.Â
The bear didnât know how to respond.Â
Twilight was trying her best not to look at any of the caged creatures. She knew if Fluttershy was here, sheâd be protesting for their release. Twilight partially agreed with the sentiment, but now was not the time.Â
âHow many monsters are in here?â Said Trixie nervously.
âThousands⊠if all of these creatures got out, Equestria would be doomed.â She said with a gulp.
They were almost at the huge wooden door of the storage room, when something in a cage started shaking violently, rattling its chains in an incredibly frantic way. Muffled cries from it emanated throughout the room. Twilightâs stomach lurched a bit, but she shut her eyes. She couldnât look at these creatures right now. She had to stay focused.
âUhm⊠T⊠T-Twilight? I really think you s-should⊠see⊠oh my goodnessâŠâÂ
It was the sudden drop of all Trixieâs usual mannerisms that really made Twilightâs blood run cold. She turned her head to look at what Trixie had seen.
The sight before her made her vision go slightly blurry.
With chains around her neck and attached to an an iron muzzle placed over her mouth, a creature that looked just like PinkiePie sat, unable to move. It was making horrible mumbling noises through the mask.Â
Her face was not normal, however. Her left side had her usual mane but her body had some burn marks around her leg and a strange hook-like apparatus that covered what Twilight assumed to be an amputated stump instead of a hoof. Her right side looked desaturated and faded, hair straight and flat as it flopped down around her hooves. And those eyes⊠they were eyes that Twilight knew well, but there was a wild panic behind them.Â
The horrible realization of what this thing was dawned on Twilight. She wanted to throw up.
It was a PinkiePie clone from the mirror pool. One that she hadnât zapped.Â
And she had to have been here for years.Â
âW-What do we do?â Asked Trixie, looking at Twilight. The horrible anxious feeling in her stomach kept on getting deeper as she tried to stay calm.Â
The strange PinkiePie shouted something muffled once again.Â
âT-Trixie, c-can you remove her muzzle?â Twilight asked, her voice wobbling.
Trixie nodded, and managed to undo the clasp with her magic. The metal muzzle dropped to the floor, and the creature was left gasping for air.Â
âT-TWI! I-IT'S ME! I-ITS PINKIE! THE REAL P-PINKIE!l she spluttered, the chains around her neck rattling as she took in long, raggedy breaths. . âW-WE D-DEFEATED DISCORD AND TIREK AND CHRYSALLIS TOGETHER! I BAKED YOU MINT CHOC CUPCAKES FOR YOUR CASTLE WARMING PARTY!â
âWait⊠what!?â
Twilight couldnât comprehend what was going on. This was all true. And recent. A clone of PinkiePie couldnât know this.Â
Trixie was also clueless.Â
âWhat do you mean!? PinkiePie has been with us this whole time!â Asked Trixie.Â
âN-No! Trixie! You were there! You saw me swap!â The PinkiePie in the cage pleaded.Â
âYou WHAT!?â Twilight looked at Trixie with shocked anger.Â
âY-You swapped!?â Trixie said in disbelief, looking at Twilight with confused fear. âShe told me she was still PinkiePie!â
âB-ButâŠâ Twilight started to voice the question that she had been dreading.Â
âIf the real PinkiePie is in thereâŠâ said Trixie Slowly, dawning on the same realization.Â
Twilight gulped.Â
âThen who-âÂ
The PinkiePie in the cage suddenly screamed.
Twilight had experienced many things in her life, many that nopony would ever get to experience. Becoming an Alicorn. Fighting a god. Travelling across time and dimensions multiple times.
But being stabbed in the neck was not one she had hoped to add to the list.
She tried to scream, but instead started violently coughing up blood. She fell to the floor, doing her best to press her hooves to the point of impact, and looked around wildly to try and find her assailant.
The PinkiePie that had been travelling with them was standing over her, knife in her hoof, dripping with blood and grinning. Screams from Trixie and the real PinkiePie were ringing in her ears as she tried her best to stay conscious. Through the blood that was starting to fill her mouth, she sputtered out a whimper of confusion. A billion thoughts were running through her mind, being slowly muffled by the pillow of blood loss. She weakly tried to send a spell up at her, but all that came out of the tip of her horn was a few sparks.
âYOU BASTARD!!â She heard Trixie screech, and a beam of energy shot over the PinkiePieâs head.Â
âFuck OFF! TRIXIE! You do NOT need to be here for this! You are a HOOFNOTE IN HISTORY!â Snarled the PinkiePie, who suddenly grabbed a broken shard of reflective glass from inside her mane.Â
Twilight looked up just in time to see Trixieâs horrified look down towards her, which was only broken when she looked at the PinkiePieâŠ
And blinked.Â
And just like that, she was gone.
The body of Twilight let out a confused cry as it fell backwards into a sitting position. It looked around the area with fear and confusion. Somepony else was in Twilight's body, too disoriented Twilight didnât see what happened after that, as the PinkiePie had moved her head back to look up at her.Â
Twilight could feel herself start to fade.
â"Nopony to protect you now, PRINCESS..."
"You thought you got ALL of us.â The PinkiePie above her Spat. âNo. You didnât. I lived. I am a PINKIE PIE FROM THE POOL! THE LAST REMAINING PINKIE PIE.Â
âCall me Freako Funtime Icecream Suprise.â
âYou may see me as just some sort of MISTAKE⊠but you forget! I had all the MEMORIES of PinkiePie, Twilight. I remember you. We ALL loved you. And then you killed them. All of my TWINS. You murdered each and every one of them. All of us thought we were the original⊠and when you zapped me, I didnât die. I didnât go back. I survived. I found out I was a fake; a mangled clone of the real deal. A fake. Do you have any Idea what that felt like, Princess of Friendship? Feeling like you want to claw off your fur and mane and hooves and eyes because everything about you is wrong?â
âSo I ran. I escaped. I plotted my revenge. I was going to strike. Then your stupid fucking Zebra friend found me and sent me to fucking Tartarus. I was in here for a YEAR, Twilight! An entire fucking YEAR!â
She slammed her hoof down on Twilightâs chest, which made her cough up even more blood. She could hear the real Pinkie screaming hysterically as Freako Funtime continued her deranged monologue.Â
âThen⊠as luck would have it⊠this whole calamity makes me swap bodies with the first Pinkie Pie⊠imagine my luck? Iâve been planning this for such a long time, Twilight⊠itâs a shame you arenât in your original bodyâŠâ Freako Funtime said, and raised the knife once more.Â
âBut as long as itâs you feeling the pain, then I donât care. This is for my sisters.âÂ
Twilight closed her eyes.Â
She thought of her friends.Â
She remembered them all in the donut store after the first grand galloping gala. Laughing about how much of a disaster it had been.Â
She kept that moment in her mind as she waited for the inevitable.Â
She would be with her friends at the table as she waited for the end.
For eternal peace.
But it didnât come.
The sound of a spell above her rang throughout the chamber, and PinkiePieâs wailing suddenly ceased in a hiccup of surprise.Â
âWHAT!? How do you KNOW-â Freako Funtime started, but-
âSTAY AWAY FROM HER!âÂ
Twilight heard her own voice speak. Weakly, she opened her eyes to see her body blasting another spell at Freako Funtime. The pink pony snarled as she was blasted away from Twilight. One more spell was fired in her direction, and Twilight heard the sound of a body hitting the ground with a thump.Â
She soon saw her body again, looking down at her, and casting a spell on her. She recognised it as a healing spell. True healing magic was incredibly advanced, so this spell was more of a stabilisation one. Slowly, Twilight felt herself being pushed away from the edge.
Somepony who knew how to use magic like this⊠who could it be!? Celestia? Cadence? Luna!? The only other pony who she could even think of having this kind of magical aptitude was Starlight Glimmer, but she had vanished into the ice caves months ago!
âI must say,â exhaled the pony in Twilightâs body, âI didnât expect to be seeing you again so soon.â She said with a little smile.Â
Laying on the floor, Twilight managed to tilt her head.Â
âWhoâŠâ she coughed. âWho⊠are you?â
She saw the pony in the body give a short little laugh of exasperation at the situation she was in. She took Deep breath, and then spoke the two words that Twilight expected to hear the very least out of any.
âSunset Shimmer.â