//------------------------------//
// chapter 2 
// Story: From One to Another, and Back to Where it Began 
// by TheBadgerKing 
//------------------------------//

As the night waned on, Twilight tossed and turned, her dreams becoming something more than merely fantasy. She was consumed by a feeling similar to the one she’d experienced when hit by the spell from earlier in the day. She stood on a dais overlooking a shimmering map of what appeared to be a galaxy; one she was unfamiliar with. She tried to look around but she she was unable to. For that matter, not able to move, blink, or even speak of her over volition, either. As Twilight tried to find a way to regain possession of her body, a voice interrupted that seemed to come from the room itself.

“Shepard, we’re route to the rendezvous, the fleet will be right behind us.”

“Copy that, Joker, keep me posted.” Twilight answered unable to stop herself. 

“What’s going on, why can’t I control my body, who’s Joker, and where am I?”  The confused mare vented as her body descended the dais and started to pace the deck of whatever unknown construct she was in. 

After several moments, the voice she now knew as Joker spoke again. “We’re five minutes from the Reapers. It’s time to get this party started, boss.”    

Without missing a beat, Twilight turned and made her way down a short corridor where a group of ponies were managing some sort of controls that she’d never seen before. She came to a stop at the end of the corridor where she saw a pale yellow stallion sitting at what she assumed was the bridge of whatever craft she was now aboard. 

The stallion who she assumed was Joker gave her a cocky grin, “Well, Commander, you ready to finish this?”

Twilight moved her gaze and would have gasped if she was capable of doing so. The sight before her was simply breathtaking, stars! millions of stars! She couldn’t believe it! She was on a ship that sailed through space; just like a normal ship through the seas back home.

Then Twilight looked back to Joker and proceeded to answer his prior question. “ I’ve made a career of doing crazier things Joker. I thought you’d know that by now.”

With that, she once again stared off into the endless wonder of the cosmos, and as she did the lights of the stars started to grow until she closed her eyes from the bright light when the light faded so to the dream leaving Twilight in a state of dreamless slumber. 

Across the room in his basket bed, Spike found himself in a similar state. Spike stood in the middle of an abandoned city street with what appeared to be an astounding metropolis, standing before a large grey unicorn. The stallion stood majestic and proud he wore a black outfit with a golden trim and a large gold lightning bolt on his chest.

Spike tried with all his effort to speak to the imperious figure before him, but to no avail. The stallion merely stared at the young drake a look of contempt and wrath piercing Spike like an arrow of ice.

Spike tried desperately to fight against the force that bound him in place, but found himself unable to look away from his opponent.

“Do it, call on your pitiful wizard and let us finish this once and for all” With this the unicorn took several steps toward Spike.

Spike, unable to control his actions lifted his head and stared at the early afternoon sky. The sky was flawless not a cloud to be seen.

“Why in the heck is this big, ugly jerk-off after me? What did I ever do to him? and for that matter where is here anyway?”  Spike complained, starting to get a little tired of the entire situation. 

With that finally off his chest, the drakes mouth opened to his surprise and let forth a loud shout.

“SHAZAM!” With the word howled, the sound of thunder pierced the eerie silence that bound the city street, and a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, its target being the baby drake who had himself called it.

Spike was in a state of awe and terror as the bolt ripped through the sky. Upon seeing it’s destination, he could do nothing but let forth a voiceless scream of fright and anger. 

The lightning hit its mark, but instead of pain, as the dragon had anticipated, he was surprised at how warm it felt as it traveled through his body. He could feel an unbelievable power rush through him, and just as suddenly as it had began it was over. The power, the warmth, the dream. As Spike drifted into a state similar to that of his roommate, he heard a voice that bred wisdom, kindness, and truth speak one final message before his mind shut down. 

“When a hero is needed, I will always be there to grant the innocent a means of defense. Stay strong child much awaits your future.”

In a certain sweets shop on the top floor a certain hyper active mare was having her own strange set of thoughts, or were they hers at all? Pinkie unlike her other companions was not in a new location or flying through space and time, instead she sat in a featureless room that had neither windows or a door. At first the pink mare had absolutely no idea what was happening, but after what seemed like an eternity a voice livened up the room exponentially.

“It seems you’re here. Good. Then we can finally get this ordeal started.” The new, slightly British voice stated. 

“Oh, hi! I’m so glad another pony showed up. I was starting to think I would be all alone.” Pinkie smiled joyously. 

“Man, you really are a clueless one, aren't you?” asked a second, less kind voice barking in a rather condescending tone.

“Come now, there’s no reason we can’t be civil about our intro into the story, now is there?” The first voice bit back, a smug tone oozing from it’s limey wisdom. 

“WOW! Now there’s two invisible ponies talking to me this is SOSOSO cool. I know! We should throw a party!” Pinkie squealed in delight, jumping around the room in a hyper state of claustrophobia. 

“We don’t have time for this Pinkie, we need to give you a piece of advice before we get kicked out of this death trap you call a head.” The rude voice pointed out getting a grunt of agreement from her calmer monologue.

“Really? We can’t even have a teeny weensy party before you go?” Pleaded the downtrodden baker, falling back onto her haunches in grief of the party of invisible ponies that would never be.

“Listen Pinkie our time is nearly out, we will discuss this in more detail later. For now be aware that your life is no longer the same as it was before your little experiment yesterday.” The wise voice explained in a sympathetic voice. 

“Yeah so get ready cause the author has all manner of surprises in store for you and your friends.” The less friendly tone chided snickering at the spoilers she knew. 

With that the blackness faded away taking the voices with it, sending Pinkie to fall into an abyss of memories, as she too slipped into a heavy slumber.

Rarity walked through the desolated ruins of an ancient castle. She had no idea how she got her, or why, but for the moment she was more concerned by the fact her body had a mind of its own, the only reason she didn’t panic was because she’d already had her horn pull her by its own fruition when she got her cutie mark. Even so, she was still curious as to what this was about. She entered what seemed to be some sort of courtyard, but what caught her off guard was the large crystalline sword that sat undisturbed by the desolated scenery around it.

To Rarity’s surprise, her mouth opened and she spoke in a very irritated tone. “Gah, Soul Calibur! What in the name of all that’s decent would you be doing here by yourself?” However, not a second after those words left her lips did she hear a bellow of rage that pierced her very soul with fear.

“What in heavens name was that? Perhaps a dragon, or hydra, or any number of beasts?” Rarity whimpered within her head.

But against her better wishes, her body started toward the sword she had fancied so much only a moment earlier. When she was only a few feet away from Soul Calibur when a loud thump and a clashing of metal sounded just behind the mortified mare. Her body slowly tensed at the clanking that gave away the position of whatever stood behind her. When she finally turned to face the unknown she came face to face with the most disturbing fashion challenged brute Rarity had even had the misfortune to see. 

“Nightmare, it figures you'd be the one to set a trap this obvious.”  Rarity scoffed, taking a defensive posture.

“In the name of Celestia I need to get out of here. Please body, whatever I did to make you do this, please, I’m sorry.”  Rarity begged as the massive monster in front of her lit its horn and produced a blade that could only be described as diseased.

Nightmare waved his blight of a blade roaring in rage at the mare, before planting the massive blade into the cobblestones in front of him.

“Soul Edge. If you want me, Nightmare, then come, I’ll send you back to the void once and for all.” Rarity snarled in defiance. 

However instead of attacking, the blade started to shake. Then, to Rarity’s horror, the eye of the evil blade opened, sending a wave of dark energy surging forth. Rarity fell within her own mind and as she fell she felt a pulse of the dark energy resonate with her heartbeat before she passed into the void, and returned to a humble rest.

In a cloud home just outside of town, a certain cyan mare found herself waking within her own dream. Her eyes fluttered open her head bobbing up and down in a drowsy state. The issue was she didn’t feel tired and more importantly the room she found herself in was definitely not where she remembered falling asleep in. 

“What the hay, when did I get here? And where is here, anyways?”  the brash mare questioned upon taking note of the rather unkempt room she now appeared in. 

the floor of the room was strewn with empty pizza boxes and paper. Dash tried to stand but found that it was not within her power to do so. 

“OH COME ON! What now?”  The now rather furious flier complained, trying over and over to lift herself to all fours.

After several moments, her body began to move, rising from the chair she’d been reclining in, and yawning loudly. 

“Man! That nap felt incredible.” Rainbow mused. Then, standing and stretching, she reached over to a nearby coat rack and retrieved a rather worn out red duster.

Wrapping it firmly against her body, she walked toward the door of the disheveled building. Dash, letting out a mental growl of protest, could only play back seat as her body trotted cockily out the door.

“Now this is just getting stupid! What ridiculous magic or whatever could even do this and whoever did it is SO DEAD  when i get my body under control.”  The pegasus moaned, her voice going from anger to depression as she spoke. 

As she exited the building, she turned to take a look at the facility she’d just left. It was a rather small building that seemed almost out of place surrounded on all sides by such tall skyscrapers. The only real distinguishable thing on the exterior of the building was the neon sign on the front that read DEVIL MAY CRY. 

“Well I gotta say, the shop’s looking as good as ever, and now I have a bit of extra time... I think I’ll grab a slice and hope I can find a decent sundae in one of these shops.” Dash chuckled turning back toward the road.

As she turned, she came face to face with a rather bored looking white pegasus stallion. He was covered in a pristine looking blue jacket that lay in complete contrast to the red one she now bore. 

“It’s time you woke up to the full situation you now feel yourself in, Dante. The blood of Sparda is not meant for a trinity.” The pegasus sneered before a dark haze took hold of Rainbow Dash’s vision and she fell into solace. 

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, a certain farmer was in a state of disarray and panic. Applejack rose from her prone form, her mind and body reeling, the first thing she noticed as the smell of burning wood and foliage, then the deafening sound of several not too far off explosions, and lastly was the swarms of strange looking creatures waving metallic gadgets she had no knowledge of. The next thing she noticed were the strange flying contraptions that were either lying in heaps on the ground or swarmed the skies like angry insects. Her body was washed in anger, the destruction, some not even her’s, or at least she hoped she wasn’t capable of such unbridled hate, as she slowly rose to her hooves almost without her notice. when her vision finally focused she saw the true destruction that surrounded her.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on, and why the heck am I on a battlefield?”  Before she could ask or try to answer her already thought up questions her body lurched forward into a brisk trot straight toward a rather battered looking stronghold directly in front of her. 

What, wait! Woah nelly! Why in the name of Celestia am I movin’ without mah sayin’ so?” She pondered as she drew ever closer to the stronghold. 

As she approached the fortress, she noticed a group of strange creatures were gathering in front of her path, and it looked like they had no intention of moving. To AJ’s distress it seemed she had no intention of stopping either. Charging, the small group the mare let out a snarl of anger, and with a single thrust, sent the creatures flying as if they’d just been hit by a full stampede. She didn’t even have time to contemplate what just happened as she pushed off the ground into a jump that until now would have seemed impossible landing on a small balcony, about halfway up the towering fortress. With one more consecutive leap, Applejack landed on the crumbling roof, taking a few seconds to rest and giving her mind a chance to catch up.

“In the name of Equestria, what the heck is goin’ on? first I send a group of what I think were some sort of soldiers  scattering with just a wave of mah hoof, then i go and leap up a giant buildin’ in two leaps, and for some odd reason i’m doin’ this while not being able to tell mah body to do so? Whatever’s going on, it’s crazier than Pinkie Pie on caffeine! But if this is what magic feels like, then I see why Twilight likes it so much.” she reasoned with a mental grin before her thoughts were interrupted by another voice.    

“You've finally made it, Starkiller, it’s about time you and I finally settled the score.” The dark monotone boasted. The voice belonged to what Applejack could say with absolute honesty was the most odd creature she’d ever seen. it stood, bipedal, in a dark cloak, its skin was a dark red and and it bore a series of short cropped horns where ones mane usually sat.

AJ, against her better judgment, met the rueful gaze of the creature. “I would never run from you, Maul, and you’re nothing but a second rate sith that could never hope to beat me.” The farmer retorted, lacking her normal drawl. Without a second thought, she started toward the sith. 

The creature known as Maul merely gave a smirk and hefted a metallic rod and lowering his stance, the rod extended from both ends in an eerie red energy.

AJ, stunned by the series of events that have been transpiring, merely watched as she drew mere feet from the her rival. Then it dissolved Maul, the battlefield, and everything, until there was only Applejack and as she stood in the absence she felt an aura of power course through her body it felt as if peace itself resonated from one end and hate from the other then she dozed off back into the realm of sleep.

Fluttershy smiled as she lay in bed. Her dreams were wonderful. She dreamt of frolicking through a peaceful meadow, surrounded by all her animal friends. They laughed and smiled and played in perfect harmony. It was then that the ground began to tremble, and in a heartbeat, the pleasant dream changed, becoming darker and more twisted. The ground cracked and split, the lush fields died and withered around the cowering mare, and finally all of her precious animal friends were consumed in a raging fire that spewed from the crevices that were opened from the destroyed earth. Fluttershy began to weep, she wept in fear, she wept for her animal friends, but more then that she wept because she didn’t try to save them, and now she was going to die too. 

As she waited, though, her fear gave way to rage. “Why is this happening? What did my friends do to deserve such a terrible fate? What is the purpose for such senseless death?” She raved, shaking with anger she stood and glared at the desolation that surrounded her.

Then the flames came, they leapt hungrily at the pegasus quickly engulfing her in a torrent of flame. Fluttershy expected it to hurt. She expected to scream, or cry, but it didn't and she didn’t. The flames licked at her flesh but instead of hurting… they felt good, almost empowering. After calming, the mare sat back on her haunches and let forth a incredible shout of challenge, she wanted to find what caused such agony and make them sorry, she wanted vengeance. 

As quickly as the flames had come, they had died down, leaving Fluttershy to sit on the scorched land and look on helplessly. Lowering her head, she let out a small sigh, but was surprised; however, when she saw a small scorpion sitting at her hooves. The scorpion looked up at the yellow pegasus, and she returned the gaze a small smile tugging at her lips. Then unprovoked the little scorpion scurried up to the mare and quickly stung her with its tail. After it retracted its tail, it scurried back and resumed staring at the pony.  Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t, finding her body going numb.  She fell to the ground, eyes closing. Just before she completely lost herself to the numbness, she felt what could only be described as a flame in her chest. A flame that would warm her friends and burn her enemies. 

And now seven fates are twisted, evils gain or loss their decision. 
and paths are shared by two, power and wisdom bound for their own use,
time will bring power and skills one can’t imagine, but this tale will continue forth for the six ponies and the dragon.