“So…what’s the plan, sugarcube?” Applejack asked after Twilight’s group explained the situation at hoof. “Besides finding a way home and repairin’ the balloon, that is.”
“We write ourselves a letter?” Fluttershy suggested, trying to keep her voice loud enough. “Oh, how about we find shelter! Twilight, you’re the only one who knows this place so why don’t you lead us? You must know the best place to stay.”
“I could, but it would be better to try and tell Princess Celestia we’re fine. If we even can that is.” Twilight pulled out a scroll and a strange quill, but it had a circular base with the usual pointy tip of a normal quill.
“What’s that you’re usin’ Twilight?” asked the Ponyville’s resident apple farmer and the bearer of Element of Honesty.
“Oh this?” Twilight raised the strange quill for them to show. “This is a fountain pen! I made it specifically for the journey,” Twilight responded with a bright smile before she quickly got back to writing their letter.
As Twilight wrote the letter, a curious adventurer pegasus was trying to get a better look at the new ‘fountain pen.’ Rainbow Dash was trying to nonchalantly inspect the pen, but she didn’t want them to think she was an egghead too.
Twilight eventually finished writing so Rainbow had to back off, only to accidentally fly into an old sign.Twilight took note of the sign and inspected it. She was elated at Rainbows discovery.
“Rainbow! Do you know what this is?” Twilight said.
“A sign?”
“Yes, but it's more than that!”
Ruins of the Ancient City of Firea Ahead
-Litteroot Town Council
“Whatever does it mean?” Rarity asked.
“It either means we’re going to an awesome ruins of a city or we’re heading straight into a big trap,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Let me check.”
She flew up only to be stopped by Applejack who pointed towards a large, shiny, capsule-like metal being with wings on its side and tail in the sky. Twilight chuckled at the act and stared right at the path and followed it. The others follow until they reached a bridge where another sign was laid beside it.
Beware the Vine Mark
-Litteroot Town Council
“Vine mark?” Twilight repeated before she continued.
The others followed until they reached an old tower where they decided to take shelter for a while. As they recovered, all of them couldn’t help but notice that Twilight was rewriting most of the pages of her book. After Twilight finished, she stared at what seemed to be an old control panel and flipped a switch on.
“What are you doing?” Applejack suspiciously asked.
“Testing to see if this tower could teleport us towards Litteroot Town,” Twilight replied as she pressed a set of buttons on the old control panel. “Besides, I’m also trying to guess the correct combination so that we can send letters to Princess Celestia. If I’m not wrong, this tower is called a Dream Realm Pylon Tower.”
After Twilight messed with the control panel, a bolt of electricity zapped Pinkie Pie, who was investigating the floor of the room they were in. Applejack, being the one to witness the pink pastry pony getting shocked, immediately called the others to help save Pinkie.
“Pinkie just got stuck by some weird, freaky lightnin’!”Applejack explained.
“We need to make sure she’s okay.” Twilight then turned to the rest of the group. “Rainbow Dash, you’re on on guard duty. Rarity, get my first aid kit. Fluttershy and Applejack come with me. If we can save her right now, we must hurry!”
Everypony followed Twilight’s orders while Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy went to save Pinkie. Rarity looked at Pinkie and then leaned on closely only to get a slight shock. Pinkie Pie stood, surprising the rest.
“Are you okay, Pinkie?” Rarity checked.
Pinkie Pie looked at the others before she fell to the floor again, her eyes opened. Twilight took a small popsicle stick from her first aid kit and poked Pinkie. She waited for Pinkie to react. It took a few minutes for Twilight to conclude that Pinkie was alive and well again which everypony was glad for. Unknown to them, Pinkie was having trouble dealing with a special and more recent memory that had suddenly surfaced thanks to the surprise lightning bolt..
“So, Twilight Sparkle, before I go…”
“Yes, Pinkie?”
“I… Thank you for all of this. It was fun to learn that the alternate universe you is different from my Twily.”
“Why was it fun, anyway?”
“The way you act, the way you talk, the way you took out that evil Nightmare, of course! It totally reminds me of the old times.”
“Old times. Did you know that my home universe only appeared after Dream Realm Destroia was replenished? And it only diverged when I got to marry a unique pegasus?”
“It… was!? Oh my gosh! Then I really need to get back now!”
“Why? Why do you— Oh, so that’s what happened. You were zapped by a spiri-quantum lightning bolt that sent you here! Why haven’t I thought of that?”
“Maybe because it was locked on the memories so that it wouldn’t destroy the timeline?”
“Huh, and then make it more fun to see clues. Nice guess.”
“Yeah… I gotta go. Bye, Harmonist!”
“Goodbye, Pinks!”
‘Don’t mess with the timeline,’ she thought. “Hey girls, why are you looking like that? Don’t we have something to do?”
“Uh… we don’t exactly know what to do,” Fluttershy complained.
“That’s easy!” Pinkie looked at the flooring. “We follow the map!”
Everypony then looked at the flooring. Twilight facehooved as she didn’t notice the floor pattern and how it was shaped like a map.
Back in the real world at Horseshoe Bay, Equestria
Princess Celestia watched Pinkie’s body convulse and move then return to normal. She looked up, giggled, then went away to take a few donuts from one of her little ponies’ favorite donut shops in Canterlot. midway, she stopped, and then whispered something to the air.
“You are not escaping this time, old friend.”
Now back to the group at Litteroot Town, Eraida, Dream Realm Destroia
“Hey!” Twilight excitingly called. “We’re here at Litteroot Town! This is my favorite place among the five capitals of Dream Realm Destroia.”
The six gazed over the size of the town which was big.
“That’s a huge town.” Pinkie called out. “How will we know where’s where and which is which?”
“I really don’t understand why you Dreamers are like that.” said voice out of nowhere, interrupting Twilight’s answer.
“She’s random. Fun, but random!” another voice shouted back.
“Whatever Diane,” a third voice replied. “Don’t you guys notice that something is weird? For some reason our Dreamers seemed to be right in here, right now?”
The six ponies listened as they went closer to the source of the conversation only to spot five ape-like clothed beings Twilight recognized. Pinkie herself also recognised these beings, but she didn’t want to let the others know that she knew what was going on.
“Soiras,” Twilight notified her friends.
“I think that’s our Soiras,” Pinkie whispered.
Fluttershy raised her hoof and asked, “what’s a Soira?”
Twilight looked at Fluttershy. “They’re beings we use in this place when we sleep. Most of the time they’re humans, but sometimes they accept other forms.”
“Maybe we should go talk to them?” Rainbow Dash suggested.
Rarity looked at the Soiras before looking at Rainbow Dash. “It looks like our only option…”
Before the others went out of their hiding to meet the Soiras, Pinkie Pie first went out and went towards the pink-clothed one and poked her. The Soira looked back and stared at Pinkie for a few seconds before they both jumped in joy, confetti filling the air around them. As they introduced themselves to each other and to the rest of the Soiras, Pinkie Pie called the others to come out. Twilight Sparkle was the first to appear.
“Hello,” she greeted. “My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
The Soira that resembles a human Rarity bowed down. “Nice for you to be here, dearie.”
The Soira that looked like Fluttershy walked closer. “Uh…”
“Uh…” Fluttershy looked at her Soira before she spotted something in the air. “Ooh! Are those butterflies?”
Everyone in the area stared at the sight and backed away as it landed. A few seconds later, the butterflies disappeared, only to show a Soira that looked like Twilight Sparkle.
‘I didn’t get any part of this!’ Pinkie thought to herself. ‘I hate the future!’
‘That’s not my Soira…’ Twilight thought. “Who are you?”
The Soira opened her eyes as it flashed green. “I’m sent by the Queen to escort our… guests in.”
The ponies went behind their Soiras except for Twilight and Pinkie Pie. As Twilight thought of a plan, Pinkie Pie pulled out Twilight's book, opened it to a page, and recited a strange verse. After doing so, Pinkie slammed the book shut and everypony and their Soira was teleported to the Dream Realm Pylon Tower of Litteroot. The Soira that was supposed to be Twilight's suddenly shimmered as its image was replaced with the group's old nemesis that fed off of other ponies love.
“You!” Chrysalis pointed to Pinkie. “How did you do it? It’s impossible to cancel out a changeling’s disguise!”
“I just did a simple teleport!” Pinkie defended. “Why are YOU here?”
The changeling queen was about to answer until she fixed her posture and bowed down. “Do whatever you must.”
“Blast her with the Elements!” Rainbow Dash’s Soira excitingly suggested.
“But how?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Pinkie’s Soira, Diana, went up and explained. “By summoning them! We’re under one of the biggest imagination-come-real areas of DRD!”
“Oh.” Twilight thought about having the Element of Magic crown on her head and promptly it appeared. She watched the others summon their Elements and then faced Chrysalis.
“Just hit me and end this nightmare!” she shouted.
Clearing in a Forest near South Lunar Sea, Equestria.
“It’s been a while since we’ve used this,” Luna told the air as she pulled out a thick book from an enchanted tree. “I wonder if this still works.”
“It will work, I am sure of it,” a small voice answered from her head. “You just need your sister.”
“I guess we’ll wait,” Luna replied. She opened the book in page one. “Twilight doesn’t know that Destroia’s real, not just a visitable Dream Realm. Lucky her, she’ll be able to learn it the easy way… from me.”
“You don’t say,” Celestia replied as she landed beside her, eating donuts. She raised up a box and offered, “want some?”
“Don’t mind if I do, Tia.” Luna took the donut box, opened it, and took out a glazed moon donut, and ate it. “So, are you ready?”
“Thure, let’th do it.” Celestia gulped. “Sure, let’s do it.” She moved the donut box aside and cleared the area they were in. “The last time we did this, Starswirl was the one who casted the portal open. Can you do it, Lulu?”
“Don’t worry about it Celestia,” Luna replied as she placed the book in the middle. “You’ll see.”
Princess Luna lit up her horn. As soon as she began to cast a spell, Celestia recognized the color Luna’s horn was and quickly stepped back. She looked around and then realized something.
“STOP!” She shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice. “SOMETHING’S WRONG!”
Luna stopped at the book began to levitate, causing it to fall and open in a rather unusual number. Celestia quickly dived in but it was too late. A memory surfaced as she was hit by a magic beam.
“The best way to guarantee that the portal is fine is that the book is never opened to page 55, 57, and 63.”
“Why, Ms. Sparkle the Ninth?”
“Because those numbers… they bring in magic.”
“What kind of magic?”
“All of them. That’s why I’ll also have to remove the memories of having some of the powerful ones, Celestia.”
“Having the magic of three species is enough for me, as well as the magic of friendship. Do it.”
Luna dived and quickly closed the book as Celestia went flying towards the donut box. Luna managed to save the donut box as Celestia crashed into a tree. She quickly ran towards Celestia with the book and asked if she was fine after being shot by a powerful magic beam.
“I’m fine Lulu,” Celestia replied. “I just had to do it, huh?”
“You just had to do it,” a voice repeated. The princesses stare at a changeling queen which was approaching them. “Good morning, Princesses.”
“Why are you here?” Luna demanded.
Chrysalis yawned in frustration. “A treaty, and a thanking because your Elements of Harmony lifted me out of that selfish dream!”
Celestia looked at Chrysalis. “What dream? Is it about someplace named Eraida?”
“Yes… that place!” Chrysalis buzzed closer. “That awful place!”
“Why is it awful?” Luna asked.
“Well…” Chrysalis began to explain, but Celestia picked up only a few words, including “human”, “Soira” and “Clan Ponifera,” which peaked her interest.
“Have a donut first,” Celestia offered, taking the donut box and levitating it to Chrysalis. “It’s a crazy world, isn’t it? Me, giving one of Equestria’s most dangerous enemies a donut. Lulu here, trying to make sense of it. Your drones, also trying to make sense of it. I wish this was the case when you planned to ruin my niece’s wedding. Peace and harmony.”
“Hmm.” Chrysalis took a donut and ate. “It does make a sense of things.”
“So, what was the treaty about, if you were to handle it?” Celestia asked. “You want your changelings to freely roam in my nation?” Chrysalis nodded. “I accept, in return that they’re disguised in most of the time and you’ll come with us.”
“Where are you pony princesses going, anyway?” Chrysalis asked after finishing up the donut.
“To ‘That Awful Place’ so that we could help them,” Luna answered as she finished a circle and placed the book in the middle. “Ready?”
They didn’t answer as the magic beam that had hit Celestia hit all of them, who were coincidentally inside the circle Luna drew.
Litteroot Town Dream Realm Pylon Tower
“Oh. So that’s what happened,” a girl answered after Twilight explained everything that had happened.
“Let me get this straight, you six came on a hot-air balloon, got separated into two groups, reunited at Firea Forest, found ways into the ruins, Pinkie Pie got zapped but is fine, walked towards the Litteroot Edge, met your Soiras, saw a pack of butterflies, saw what you thought was Twilight’s Soira, Pinkie teleported all of you here, Queen Chrysalis is revealed, you blasted her with the Elements of Harmony, and then I came?”
“That’s a lot to take in when you say it all at once,” Pinkie commented
Ignoring Pinkie, Twilight nodded.
“Ooh,” she whispered. “Anyway and anyhow, my name is Autumn H. Ravenshire, and all of Dream Realm knows me as Ms. Ravenshire.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Ravenshire.” Twilight looked at the other ponies. “These are my friends, which you might already know since you seemed to know Pinkie Pie.”
“Maybe,” Ms. Ravenshire replied. “Maybe I do. That said, get to the groups you came here, I got to show you something, and it might blow your minds. Figuratively.”
Confused, Applejack decided to do what Ms. Ravenshire said rounding up Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie beside her. Ms. Ravenshire came back with a picture with six ponies divided into two groups. Twilight took the picture and stared at it.
“This… isn’t possible,” Twilight nervously proclaimed. “The Founders are here, Princess Celestia, Luna, and even Starswirl the Bearded is here… but why are they…”
“Rule of 3,” Ms. Ravenshire answered. “Fact, they also used the same balloon you crashed in when you all came here. It’s weird that you six survived in Firea ruins, those ruins always breaks things until they’re in threes.”
“Huh.” Twilight Sparkle remembered something. “I think we escaped whatever was supposed to happen because I was with Rarity and Fluttershy while close to the other three.”
“If that’s the cas—” Ms. Ravenshire stopped dead as a series of beeps echo around the room. “Someone’s coming!”
DING!
“What was that?!” Rainbow Dash complained as the beeps resided.
Applejack pointed at the clock tower. “It came from over there!”
DING!
“She’s coming!” Ms. Ravenshire shouted.
“Who’s coming?” Twilight asked.
DING!
“I think it’s Princess Luna, Celestia, and somepony else,” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “Huh, it looks like Chrysalis.”
“Really?” Fluttershy looked closer. “It… is her, but how?”
DING!
“One more ding, and it’s complete,” Ms. Ravenshire told them to the others in a sing-song tone. “Whoever’s coming, they’ll arrive in a beat!”
“Everypony cover your ears!” Applejack announced as she covered hers.
DING!