MLP: Journey Across Time

by B. J. Williams

The Fortress of Doom: Interior

As the group entered the Fortress of Doom, they can see that the walls were made of dark magenta crystals and the floor was made of blue mythril. Tirac charged into the fortress.

"Hey, where's he going?" Rarity asked.

"Just let him go." Basil stated.

"How come?"

"Knowing Tirac, he's going to have a field day with this. This place is full of tough monsters."

"Okay, that's for the late heads-up."

"Well, no time to chat." Pinkie Pie said. "We should head in ourselves."

"You're right, Pinkie." Rarity explained. "Let's go." However, they were being watched by Schism. They were unaware of this.

"So, they have arrived sooner then I have expected." Schism thought. "And I thought they were asleep and Basil was dead. No matter, they already are fighting for a lost cause." He used his magic to create something for each of the ponies. "Let's make things interesting for them." The seven have been wandering inside the castle.

"Which way do we go?" Then, all of the ponies were lifted by magic.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked.

"I was going to ask you the same damn thing." Rainbow Dash replied. All of the ponies were thrown into separate rooms. The rooms were large in size. Fluttershy was in one of the rooms.

[Cue FFIV's Final Boss Theme "Zeromus"]

"Guys?" Fluttershy asked. "Where are you?" She was very nervous and sad.

"Oh, separated from your friends." said a voice that sounded mean. "Well, boo who who."

"Wait, who's there?" Then, a pony came out of the shadows. It looked exactly like Fluttershy except the pony was gray in color (Flutterbitch).

"What are you going to do, act like a little crybaby? Wait, that's all you can do."

"I'm not a crybaby." Fluttershy replied in near anger.

"Well then, prove it." The pony grabbed her hammer and charged. Fluttershy did the same.

Rarity was in a room by herself from her friends; she encountered her dark counterpart, Greedity. Rainbow Dash encountered her dark counterpart, Rainbow Ditch. Applejack encountered Applelie, Pinkie Pie encountered Meanie Pie, and Basil encountered Lisab (his dark counterpart). All of the ponies were fighting their dark counterparts.

Twilight Sparkle encountered and is fighting her dark counterpart, Twilight Sorrow.

"How do I stop her?" Twilight Sparkle thought. "I'm unable to destroy my dark counterpart."

"What is the point of you living?" Twilight Sorrow said. "When you have nothing to live for?" Then, Sparkle used her magic to smash a vase on the side of Sorrow's side. Sparkle didn't feel any pain.

"That's it." Sparkle came to a conclusion. "These are what our dark counterparts would be. Our dark counterparts would feel pain like we would be they are not. So, they are constructs."

"You have nothing to live for in this age." Sorrow said. "So, there is no point in living."

"You are wrong, Twilight Sorrow." Twilight Sparkle said. "There are some ponies I care about."

"They are?"

"They are my friends, my family, and my honey-kin, Basil. I will fight for them and remember them in my heart." The fight continued and eventually Twilight defeated her opponent and was able to escape the room she was trapped in. "Come on every pony; remember your friends and what you represent." Basil and Lisab were clashing blades when they entered a deadlock.

"There is nothing you can do to stop us." Lisab said. "You can support no one but yourself.

"There is some pony I love in this world." Basil stated to his counterpart.

"She is nothing but a…"

"Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She is the kindest and most-loving pony and my fiancé. I will fight til my last breath to protect her." Then, Basil stabbed Lisab in the heart and defeated him. He escaped from his room. Eventually every pony, one by one out of a reaction from Twilight Sparkle and Basil's victory, found the strength inside of them to defeat their enemy and escape their dark room. Starting with Applejack remembering her strength in honesty, then Pinkie Pie remembering her laughter, then Rainbow Dash remembering her loyalty, then Rarity remembering her generosity, then finally Fluttershy remembering her kindness.

[Music fades]

The ponies were finally reunited at last. They were in a ballroom with the chandelier made of crystal in the center. Twilight hugged Basil.

"Twilight," Basil said. "You made it out."

"I'm glad you made it out too." Twilight replied. They let go.

"All of us made it out." He paused. "There is now only one enemy that stands in our way."

"And that is Schism."

Then, a horde of beast came in from all sides. It consisted of every type of creature they had faced. The ponies found their hardest to beat the creatures and they did. At that moment, Tirac came into the ballroom.

"I know where Schism is." Tirac said.

"Where's he at?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He is at the top of the castle on a mystic circle. He knows that we are here and plans to end the world soon. You need to stop him now." Basil turned to Twilight.

"It's now or never, Twilight." Basil said.

"I know." Twilight replied.

"I will think about you to the very end."

"I will think of you as well."

"We will think about each other." Fluttershy said.

"I and Basil will hold of the enemies," Tirac said. "So, you six can take on Schism."

"Be careful." Basil said.

"Aren't we always careful?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Look who's talking." Rarity replied.

"Here we go." Twilight Sparkle said as the mane six left the ballroom to face their foe. A second horde of enemies came in from the sides of the wall. Tirac turned to Basil.

"Well, nemesis." Tirac said. "This will definitely be a battle for the history books."

"Two enemies uniting to fight a common foe." Basil replied.

"The Heriotza will fall today."

"This is probably a time when I can agree with you."

"Now, shall we kick some enemy ass?" Basil drew his sword and Tirac drew his halberd.

"Let's do this." Basil and Tirac did a battle cry as the enemies head for them.

[Cue "Castle Pandemonium" from FFII]

Twilight Sparkle and her friends were in a full gallop up a wide spiral staircase in the Fortress of Doom heading for the top of the fortress. They were forced to stop their ascent when a couple of personages quickly phased through the outer wall and blocked the way further up the tower. The wraiths were black in color with a floating pony skull as a head, wearing dark cloaks to cover their gaseous bodies, and had red glowing eyes. As the wraiths attacked them, Rarity grabbed her bow, loading it using her magic to pull the arrows into position, and fired at her targets. The arrows struck them down as they went through their heads. As more tried to sneak up from behind, Applejack swung around and fired her rifle at them, stopping one of them before it could attack Fluttershy unawares.

As they continued up the stairs, a giant stone came down in front of them on the floor before the top. The stone was brown in color in the shape of a tombstone. There was a skeleton of a demon embedded in the rock as the fossil came to life. One arm moved freely as well as it's head. Normally, the doomstones existed naturally in dark regions of Equestria, this one stood out as a breed from another dimension.

As they continued up the stairs, a giant stone crashed down in front of them on the floor before they could reach the top of the spiral staircase. The stone was brown in color in the shape of a tombstone. There was a skeleton of a demon embedded in the rock as the fossil came to life. One arm moved freely as well as its head. Normally, the Doomstones existed naturally in dark regions of Equestria, this one stood out as a breed from another dimension.

“DEMONOLITH!!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Okay, guys!” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Watch out for its Pharaoh’s Curse! And extremely beware of his stone breath!”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash flew up and slashed at it using her cross spear. Pinkie Pie struck it as well using her twin daggers. The Demonolith cast its Pharaoh’s Curse as it roared in rage of the double team onslaught. It missed Pinkie Pie but it struck Rainbow Dash. She instantaneously started to fly erratically, flailing about in her attempts to get her bearings back.

“Ah, I can’t see!!” Dash yelled as she slammed into the wall.

“I’ll help darling.” Rarity rushed up to her side and handed a crystalline bottle labeled “Elixir” to Rainbow Dash. “You should be more careful dear.”

Without warning, the claw of the Demonolith smacked Rarity down the stairs a bit, narrowly missing Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, look who's talking!!" Rainbow Dash was healed after using the silver-colored solution.

"Hey, now isn't the time to smart mouth each other!" Applejack added with a bit of irritation in her tone.

Feeling ready now, Fluttershy lifted her hammer as if to call upon an aeon from above her. "Ixion, come to our aid!" Fluttershy exclaimed as cutie mark glowed brightly. Summoned, Ixion came through a bright blue circle that appeared from the side of the field. The aeon landed right next to her. He is a gray-colored unicorn with dreadlocks and yellow eyes. His horn was the shape and color of a lightning bolt; it was furrier than normal ponies.

“I am here, Lady Fluttershy,” Ixion stated in a wise voice. “What enemy do you need help defeating?” It was just then he noticed the Demonolith standing before them, its presence alone a bit unnerving. “I’m not sure how effective I will be but I shall try my best.” With that, Ixion’s horn lit up in large sparks of lightning, focused on the Demonolith.

“Ixion, lift him up!” Twilight commanded. “I’ll take care of the rest!!”

"Yes Ma'am!" Using his magic, Ixion lifted up the giant fossil, the lightning bolts from his horn wrapping around the Demonolith in a vice grip. Twilight prepared her spell as her horn glowed.

“ULTIMA!!” she shouted as she fired a gigantic orange energy blast, aimed directly at the Demonolith. A blinding light flashed before everyone when she hit her mark. As it continued to shine even brighter, Twilight couldn’t help but shield her eyes.

The spell had vaporized the monster turning it into ash. After taking the monster down, the six advanced to the top. They went up the castle, floor by floor, encountering more monsters. They would fight until the end. Eventually, they encountered a unique set of stairs. They looked up the set of stairs. Twilight can sense an arcane ritual from the top of the stair case.

"This is it." Twilight said. "Schism is at the top of these stairs. Are you guys ready?"

"Ready." Applejack stated.

"I'm okay over here." Fluttershy replied.

"I'm okie-dookie-loki." Pinkie Pie added.

"I'm ready to face this dreadful foe, darling." Rarity said.

"Let's kick ass." Rainbow Dash shouted. So, the mane six headed up the stairs where Schism awaited them. The final battle to determine the fate of the world is about to begin…

[music fades]