“Well, any ideas?” Applejack started, staring expectantly at the rest of them.
Applejack, Apple Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie had all gathered in the ornate meeting room on the upper floors of Twilight’s castle, each taking a chair and saying little. Before they met, it was decided that Speedy Sparkle spend her time hovering around the grounds incase Nega Sparkle made a surprise appearance outside. More than anything, she was instructed to keep her distance and alert the others instead of trying to engage her. Rainbow Dash had to make it abundantly clear that this wasn’t the time for competition. She even went so far as to hold out snuggles until she promised she’d keep herself safe.
Rarity stepped away from the crystal table to walk around the room. “As Nega Sparkle herself said, she’s a creation of Dark Sparkle’s. That means she’s supposed to be the one that takes all of us out for good.” She grimaced at the next thought. “And I think this Nega Sparkle has a good chance of doing just that.”
Applejack set her hat on the table. “Talk like that ain’t helping, Rarity.”
“I’m only being honest. You saw what she could do—equal parts Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Sombra all rolled into one… and Twilight, if we want to get specific.”
“Plus she can stretch, too,” Rainbow Dash added from her spot near the window. She watched Speedy Sparkle do another loop around the castle before she flew out of sight. “You think someone dropped an elastic band in the clone goo?”
“It’s more than just stretching—it’s also forming,” Applejack said, “but we’re getting off track. We know what we’re up against—or as much as we can. Now we need to know what to do about what we’re up against. Last time, we caught her by surprise and we still got clobbered. The only advantage we have now is the rules she mentioned.”
Rarity cocked a brow. “Rules?”
“Yeah. Like how she’ll do away with the clones before she’ll get away with us. That might help us get in her way without being in really serious danger, as long as she sticks with Dark Sparkle’s wishes.”
Rainbow Dash left the window to take a seat. “And if we piss her off enough for her to break her rules? She did seem to have a manners fetish.”
Applejack sighed. “Then I guess we’ll deal with it as best we can.” She looked up at Pinkie Pie. “You know if all the clones returned to the castle?”
Pinkie Pie plucked a clipboard and pencil out from her mane. “I think so. You wouldn’t believe how many more clones I found! There was Cough Sparkle and Tired Sparkle and Runny Nose Sparkle and—”
“That was actually only one Sparkle, Pinkie. Icky Sicky Sparkle. She’s seeing Doctor Sparkle as we speak.”
“Oh.” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Guess I’ll need to cross off a few names.”
Pinkie erased a chunk of notes from her clipboard as Rarity came up beside her and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Tell us, sweetie. Who hasn’t come back to the castle? That might help narrow things down.”
Applejack viewed the pair curiously. “Still a couple, I see.”
Rarity waved a hoof. “Why of course, dear! I simply love my little bundle of fun right here.” She rubbed her nose against Pinkie Pie’s, making her blush.
Pinkie Pie shrunk in her chair and laughed again. “She means me! I’m her little bundle of fun!” She looked up at Rarity while her pupils formed into hearts, uncaring that pupils don’t actually work that way.
I wonder if there’s a bit of Pinkie in Nega Sparkle, Applejack thought curiously.
“Pinkie.”
She was still busy watching Rarity.
“Pinkie. The clones that haven’t come back?”
“Oh. Right.” Pinkie scanned her list again. “Discord Sparkle and Trevor Sparkle. We had Janitor Sparkle send them both letters, but neither of them has replied. Why do you think that is?”
Applejack frowned. “It might have something to do with Nega or it might not. Hard to say. All I know is that no clone is safe on their own out there; not until we find a solution to this. We need someone with enough power to take her on, head to head.”
Rainbow Dash moaned aloud. “Seriously? I know Celestia and Luna have been MIA since all this started, but you’re telling me none of you have thought about using the most powerful clone we have at our disposal?”
Applejack stared at her hooves. “She’s just a filly, Rainbow Dash.”
“A filly that’s constantly on fire! Would it hurt to just ask her?”
Applejack remained silent for a moment.
Rainbow Dash tried a different approach. “If it means saving Speedy or Apple Sparkle, isn’t it worth at least trying? If you’re afraid of getting her hurt, I wouldn’t be. I don’t think it’s even possible she can get hurt.”
“That’s not what worries me, Rainbow Dash. What worries me is whether she’ll actually help us or not.”
***
The moment the five of them left the meeting room and made their way to the stairwell, another Twilight clone flew out from behind the doors and loudly landed next to them. She hadn’t used her wings to fly. Instead, wrapped around the bottom of each leg was a silver and purple piece of high-tech machinery that was powerful enough to propel her off the ground. Her mane and tail were cut short, some ends even burnt. She had a smarmy expression at the ready.
“Sup,” she greeted. “Couldn’t help but overhear your little meeting in there. Special little club, right? Only Elements allowed? I can’t remember. Are you all the elements of air? Hot air, to be specific?”
Applejack growled deep in her throat. “We really don’t have time for this. I gave you an appointment earlier in the day and you never came. Not my fault. Yours. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
“Sorry about that,” she said, even if she seemed anything but. “Busy working on a project. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about before.”
Applejack sniffed at her muzzle. “You were working on your project while drinking?”
The clone smirked. “What can I say? Shot Sparkle is great with tools and beverages. Plus, my best ideas come from a well-lubricated brain.”
None of the group looked impressed.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. All I want are another half-dozen clones to help me in the shop. Also extra material. If you want my help with Nega Sparkle, you’ll need to—”
“But we’re not asking for your help,” Applejack interrupted.
“Okay then. When you ask the fire filly to help and when she replies by shitting herself and going nappy nap, you’ll know where to find me. I’ll pick the clones I need out myself and dismantle whatever I need from the castle for parts.” She barked out a laugh. “You have no idea how lucky you all are. Here I am offering you my superior firepower and all I see are annoyed faces staring back at me.”
“I’m not annoyed!” Pinkie Pie clarified. “I’m just trying to fit in!”
Rarity patted Pinkie’s shoulder and told the clone, “No offense, but I think the only way of stopping a magic user like Nega Sparkle is with magic in turn. Not… whatever it is you had in mind.”
The clone started counting on a hoof. “Bombs. Rockets. Heat seeking missiles. Flamethrowers. Eye lasers. Power-punch gloves….”
She continued on as Applejack led the rest of them towards the stairs. Once out of earshot, she muttered, “I really hate that Iron Sparkle.”
***
Discord finished his plate with a slurp, eyeing the piece of thin cloth close to him on the table. He picked it up as if studying a strange artifact. “What in Equestria is this?”
Discord Sparkle looked up from their plate. “A napkin.”
“But why?”
“To wipe at your mouth with.”
“But that…” Discord gagged, “…that makes sense! I don’t like that! Actually, now that I think of it, I don’t like this meal at all!”
Discord Sparkle put their head down, dabbing away bits of sauce from their mouth with their napkin. “What’s wrong with my spaghetti?”
“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong with it! And that’s the problem.” Discord snapped himself to a standing position. “It’s so… normal! I don’t like normal. It tastes good, yes, but that’s not what creators of chaos are supposed to eat. They’re supposed to eat chocolate mixed with gravy! Served in a bathtub made of bad decisions! Not… whatever this is.”
“Napkins and plates?”
Discord frowned. “So civilized, you are. Thankfully I have another trillion years or so to teach you the wonderful art of chaos wielding. Until then, why don’t you clean up these dishes you seem so attached to?”
With a sigh, Discord Sparkle left the table and gathered the dishes together. Through a nearby door, they entered Discord’s kitchen and blinked a couple times to get used to it. Every inch of the kitchen moved and squiggled around like an oil painting brought to life. Discord Sparkle started the water in the sink and got soap from the cabinet. Next to the soap was a giant mound of purple fur with a face.
“…phphphph…gasp!”
Discord Sparkle brought a finger to its lips. “Shhh! You know you’re not supposed to be here. If Discord knew I brought you across dimensions to his home, he’d probably…” They trailed off and scooped Fluff Sparkle up into their arms, squeezing her tight. In response, Fluff Sparkle made more farty noises and seemed not to care.
Discord Sparkle smiled. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.” They gave her another hug and rubbed their head into her fur. “You want to help with the dishes again?”
“Phhhphhph.”
“That’s what I thought.”
By that time, the sink had filled with warm water and bubbles. Discord Sparkle grabbed the first dirty dish and ran Fluff Sparkle against it until it glimmered. Fluff Sparkle truly was the greatest sponge they’d ever used. Perhaps the cutest too.
“Gasp!” said Fluff Sparkle, by the sight out the window.
Discord Sparkle looked up to find a perfectly white Twilight clone standing in the center of Discord’s lawn. If the sight wasn’t odd enough, the fact that she wasn’t screaming in pain while her hooves stood on jagged metal grass and burning bushes surrounded her on all sides only added to it.
The clone smiled and gave them a little wave.
By the way Fluff Sparkle was shaking in the sink, Discord Sparkle knew something wasn’t right. They turned around and hardly got out a word. “Dis—”
The white Twilight was already standing in the kitchen.
“Why didn’t you wave back?” she asked pleasantly.
“I….” Discord Sparkle’s throat went dry. They shoved Fluff Sparkle directly behind them.
“I waved at you, so why didn’t you wave back? That’s rather impolite, you know. But I guess so is lack of introductions. I’m Nega Sparkle.”
Discord Sparkle tried to remember some spells—any of the ones Discord had taught them since being created. They thought of the one they were best at.
Snap!
Nega Sparkle’s mane caught on fire. She seemed not to notice as it ate its way down to her scalp. Once it burnt down to her skull, her skin and mane reformed almost instantly.
“How did you even get here? Even I don’t know how I got here.”
Nega Sparkle chuckled. “It was easy, really. You think you and Discord are the only ones capable of inter-dimensional travel? Silly. All I had to do was follow my nose! Two masters of chaos in one house? The place is practically radiating chaos. Tasty, tasty chaos.”
Fluff Sparkle gasped again inside the sink.
Nega Sparkle glanced at her and happily tapped her hooves together. “And two clones for the price of one! I must say this visit is off to a great start.”
“Discord!” Discord Sparkle finally yelled out.
Discord exited from a doorway on the ceiling, his head in a book made of pizza slices. “Yes? Did we run out of milk again?”
His upper lip curled as he caught sight of their guest. “You seem… different. Not in a good way, I mean.”
Nega Sparkle turned to him, her smile faltering a bit. “This does not concern you. If you would kindly turn around and leave—”
“I most certainly will not!” He angrily flung his pizza-book against a wall. “What in Tartarus do you think you’re doing here, scaring poor Discord Sparkle? And don’t you dare say you’re selling door to door chocolates, because I don’t see a single box of chocolate on you. And I would know. That’s the first thing I looked for.”
“Sorry. No chocolate. I’m actually here to devour the pair of clones you have here.”
“Pair?” Discord exclaimed, whirling to Discord Sparkle and the hiding Fluff Sparkle. “What’s that doing here? If I told you once, I told you a thousand times, Discord Sparkle! No pets allowed!”
Discord Sparkle raised their hands. “She’s not a pet! She’s my friend! And she’s really fluffy, and for some reason you won’t let me have fluffy things.”
“That’s because draconequuses aren’t meant to have fluffy things!”
“What about Fluttershy?”
Discord pointed a sharp claw at them. “Don’t you dare bring her into this! Fluttershy’s an exception! But if you’ll excuse me, I have a weird pony to boot out of my dimension.”
He faced Nega Sparkle and faked a smile. “No offense.”
She nodded. “None taken.”
He snapped his fingers and not a thing in the kitchen changed. After he snapped them a few more times, he glared at his fingers as if they were some kind of unruly child. “What’s wrong with these digits? Send her away, damn you!”
Nega Sparkle tipped him a wink. “Sorry, but as long as I know that you’re trying something, I can dispel it almost instantly. Making someone vanish has to be one of the more simplistic of chaos magic abilities. Maybe try and catch me off guard next time? That might work.”
Discord lowered his head to her. “Off guard?”
That was when a grand piano fell out of swirling portal above his head, slamming him into the kitchen floor. Only the bottom of his legs and tail where visible beyond the wreckage.
Nega Sparkle took a breath. “I apologize for that. You should’ve left when I asked you to. But I won’t take up much more of your time.”
One of her forelegs extended to the other end of the kitchen, snaking around Discord Sparkle’s arm and lifting them off the ground by it.
The ruined bits of piano played a haunting three note melody before Discord exploded out the middle of it, a sword made of churning fire held in both hands. He brought it down on Nega Sparkle’s elongated leg, slicing it in half.
The part holding Discord Sparkle fell to the ground and liquefied, sluggishly making its way back to Nega Sparkle’s leg to be reabsorbed.
Still with sword held above his head, Discord watched the whole scene with growing worry. “You’re not even playing fair anymore.”
Nega displayed her glowing white teeth. “I wouldn’t say that. It’s still three versus one.”
“That mound of fluff doesn’t count!” Discord screamed, before he pulled at his beard in thought. “What was that thing you mentioned earlier? About paying attention, I think it was?”
She paused for a moment. “About being caught off—”
An entire wall of Discord’s kitchen was blown inwards as a giant wrecking ball attached to a cable careened through it, colliding with Nega Sparkle head on and hurling her into the distance. Bits of white goo coated the side of the ball where she hit, already pooling back together again.
Discord faced the destroyed wall and gave the operator of the wrecking ball a thumbs up. The Discord double clad in a hardhat returned the gesture.
Without wasting another moment, Discord snapped his fingers again and a portal appeared behind Discord Sparkle and Fluff Sparkle. He went up to them and ran a shaky hand behind his head, straightening his hair.
“I might not be able to send that thing away from here, but I can at least send you away. Find the Elements and let them know about this. I’ll distract her as long as I can, then I’ll come find you. Okay?”
Clumsily, Discord Sparkle grabbed Fluff Sparkle and hooked her under their arm. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Please. I’m too good a character to be killed off by the last act’s half-rate villain.”
“You’re breaking the fourth wall again, I hope you know.”
“Well, then that’s just fine. My house doesn’t even have a fourth wall anymore anyways. And before I forget….” He hesitated a moment, glancing down. “I’m sorry I got mad at you earlier. You know I just get passionate about chaos. But just know that I love you and want you to stay safe. You’re too good looking to die.”
“I look exactly like you.”
Discord held up a finger. “Now’s not the time for flattery. So get going!”
With that said, Discord gave his clone a quick hug and kicked them through the portal. The last glimpse Discord Sparkle saw was Nega Sparkle reentering the house through the front door, not a single strand of hair out of place.
Whirling and swirling between dimensions, Discord Sparkle hugged Fluff Sparkle close to their chest and hoped that everything would work out fine in the end.
***
“NO!”
Applejack gritted her teeth, trying her best to keep it somewhat resembling a smile. Even from a good six feet away, she could feel the heat radiating of off the little filly, as well as the bits of electricity in the air that caused her fur to stand on end.
“Now listen here, Sparkle Sparkle,” she told the filly calmly, “we need your help now. I reckon you like helping others, right? I know the real Twilight did.”
Sparkle Sparkle never glanced up from her book. She was lying on her belly at the edge of her steel crib, another six heavy books surrounding her. “LEAVE ME ALONE! I AM READING!”
“We know. From what I’ve been told, you’ve been reading for quite a while now. Don’t you want to take a break and fight villains for a bit? I’ll make you some fresh apple pie if you do.”
“I HATE APPLE PIE!”
Applejack swallowed back the pure rage that had entered her mouth like venom. She quivered out a breath. “For the sake of everyone, I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just talk slander in front of me.”
Thankfully, Rarity stepped up to talk with the filly. “Maybe you’d like some cookies, then? Hmm? Hot and fresh chocolate chip cookies?”
Sparkle Sparkle flipped to another page. “AFTER I FINISH READING!”
“Maybe a cute little dress to wear? I’m sure I could find some flameproof materials to use.”
“NO!”
With a grimace, Rarity hissed at Applejack, “Well, this isn’t going anywhere. Any other ideas?”
“She has to stop reading at some point, right? Maybe she’s just in the middle of a good book that she wants to finish first. Twilight was a fast reader. Maybe she’ll be done by dinner time.”
Rainbow Dash leafed through one of the books in Sparkle Sparkle’s crib. “I doubt that. Looks like she’s reading that series about the colt wizard—Hairy Plotter. From what I hear, everyone’s reading it these days.”
Applejack sighed. “How many books in total?”
“Seven.”
“Damn. Well, maybe she’s almost done with them anyways.” She knelt down to Sparkle Sparkle again. “You sure like that series, huh?”
Sparkle Sparkle nodded without looking up, drinking from the juice box under her head.
“Almost done with them all?”
She nodded again.
Applejack sighed. “That’s a relief, then.”
“THEN I’LL READ THEM AGAIN! LIKE THE LAST FOUR TIMES! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HAIRY PLOTTER AND WHEN I GROW UP I’M GOING TO MARRY HIM!”
Cursing under her breath, Applejack let the filly be and rejoined her friends.
“So that’s a bust,” she stated flatly.
“We could always take her books away, hide them somewhere,” Rainbow Dash suggested.
Rarity shot her a look. “We want Sparkle Sparkle to get mad at Nega Sparkle, remember? Not us and the rest of ponykind. If she wants to read, it would be wise to let her.”
“But that still doesn’t solve anything!”
Applejack rubbed at a cheek. “You think she’d be willing to break away from her books if she knew someone was in trouble? Say, someone she cares about a little more than others?”
“Who are you referring to, darling?” Rarity asked. “You don’t mean Fluttershy, do you?”
“Sort of. I mean, she did read her a story and rock her to sleep that one time. I don’t see anyone else doing that. I think most ponies try and keep their distance from her.”
“So you want to put Fluttershy as bait in the off chance Sparkle Sparkle decides she likes her enough to come save her? Better question: why would Nega even go after her? She’s after clones at this point, remember?”
Pinkie Pie jumped onto Rarity’s back, wrapping her hooves around her neck. “We could always paint her to look like a clone!”
Applejack nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. Nega Sparkle will think it’s just some Shy Sparkle clone and Sparkle Sparkle will hopefully be able to see through it and come to help. But still, that means—”
Someone mumbled something out of earshot. They all turned to a Twilight clone with a flowing pink mane and tail backed into a corner of the room.
“You say something, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired.
The mare mumbled again, hiding most of her face behind her mane.
“Come again?”
When the mare repeated her sentence a third time not much louder, Pinkie Pie scooped her up and set her in the center of their circle.
“There you go!” Pinkie told her. “Now everyone can hear you, because now you’re the center of attention!”
“Umm… all right…” By the look she gave all of them, it seemed as if it that was definitely not all right. Regardless, she stuttered out, “I’m… Shy Sparkle. I think I’m based off one of your friends, actually. I’d… I’d like to help if I could. I mean… only if that’s okay with you.”
Applejack gave her a hard stare. “You realize that by helping us, you’d be tangoing with a clone that removes their eyeballs from their sockets and sucks the life out of clones, right? As well as the combined powers of most of our past villains. You sure you’re up for that?”
The group could tell at once that Shy Sparkle wasn’t really up for that. She hid most of her body behind her mane and tail and whispered to them, “Upon reflection, this was a bad idea. I’m going to go slink away now and hide inside that pillow fort next to the bookcase. Okay. Bye-bye.”
They let her slink away to the safety of Fort Comfy.
Pinkie Pie pulled out a bingo card and stamped another box. “Bingo!”
Rarity snatched the card away. “Now isn’t the time for bingo, Pinkie.”
“What about ‘clone’ bingo?” Pinkie asked, rubbing her face against hers. “I actually got a straight line across because I found Shy Sparkle! Now if only I could find Sombra Sparkle somewhere. You’d think with who’s running the show, we would’ve run into one by now. How quaint.”
“Quaint?” Rarity repeated.
Choosing to sidestep that conversation, Applejack said, “So it’s settled. We’ll try and lure out both Nega Sparkle and Sparkle Sparkle into a fight using Fluttershy. But in order to keep Fluttershy safe, I think we should have some backup plan just in case. Like all the heavy hitting clones, willing and able.”
“Do we even have heavy hitting clones?” Rarity inquired. “I mean, vampires and undead Twilights are one thing. Nega Sparkle, well….”
“Maybe that’s where I come in?”
They all turned to the doorway, Applejack grunting from the sight.
Iron Sparkle took a pull from her flask and smirked. “If you want to protect your friend while she acts as bait, you’re going to need my firepower. Don’t be stupid now. Doing something smart might feel good for a change, you know.”
Applejack took a moment to weigh her options, finding she had very little to weigh with. Begrudgingly, she told her bitterly, “Fine. You’ve got the job. Now let’s figure out how best to blow up this bitch and make sure she doesn’t return.”