• Published 11th Jul 2014
  • 5,835 Views, 299 Comments

No Elements, No Harmony - Fret



Twilight, Celestia and Luna are transported into another dimension where things are different... yet so similar.

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Rainbow after the Storm

Rainbow Dash gave an arrogant pout, her expression showing nothing but disbelief.

"An alternate world? Heh... yeah... I'll believe it when I see it," she scoffed, her eyes scanning the skies around her, "y'know you can't just go around with strangers who just happen to be a species of royalty and expect them to save the world, Fluttershy." She turned her head to the pegasus.

Fluttershy moved her head back in surprise. "But... she's not lying!" she protested, "How do explain the fact that she's an alicorn in the first place?"

"Um... she was born that way?" Rainbow answered as if it was obvious.

"Err... I wasn't. Did I not mention it was only about seven moons back when I was a regular unicorn with an interest in magic?" Twilight managed to keep her cool.

"No, you didn't. Either way, that isn't possible. You can't just become an alicorn," Rainbow turned her back on them to face three pegasi waiting for orders. They all started to discuss weather meanings, with some other stuff neither Twilight or Fluttershy would get.

The two mares waited until the blue pegasus finished ordering them before continuing their discussion. Once she faced towards them again, Twilight continued.

"I get that it's hard to believe Rainbow. Tell me what I can do to prove it to you," she laid a hoof on her own chest, her eyes begging the blue mare to believe her.

Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes and looked at the cloud that she was standing on. "You say you're here with Queen Nightmare Moon and Queen Solar Flare's counterparts..."

Twilight nodded slowly.

"Show me. Show me the same cutie marks, the same voices. Then maybe I'll just consider believing you," she rubbed her hoof clean on her chest, with a rather smug look on her face, as if it were impossible to obey the command.

The alicorn sighed, "Does that mean I have to fly all the way back to Fluttershy's cottage?"

"Luckily, no," a voice came from behind them. Twilight and Fluttershy swung their heads around, only to see Celestia standing behind them.

"Well that was convenient..." Fluttershy muttered under her breath.

"Celestia!" the purple mare yelped in surprise, "Why and what are you doing here?"

The larger alicorn pulled an uncertain expression. "Well... I'm afraid to say, Twilight, we're on the move. Solar Flare knows that Discord's up to something," she explained. Twilight's eye twitched.

"Wha... why... how?!" her jaw dropped.

"Err... Luna... accidentally... got caught. Long story short, Twilight, but we need to be more cautious from now on."

Twilight stood still for a moment, then breathed out, her head drooping. Then, she lifted it up again.

"Oh well... not a huge problem. At least she hasn't seen both of you... right?" she squeed hopefully.

"Unless the buck I gave her in the forehead wiped her memory... yes."

A purple hoof planted on Twilight's face. "Well... she doesn't know exactly what we're doing, at least." She spun back around to meet Rainbow Dash once again. The pegasus was just staring at the two in awe.

"Huh... you're both alicorns," she concluded, "well, that still doesn't prove to me that she's Solar Flare's counterpart. She has a similar voice, but hey, many ponies have similar voices."

Celestia flattened her ears at this. She didn't sat a word, just rotated so her cutie mark was visible. Rainbow blinked.

"Now I just don't know what to think," she said flatly. Fluttershy just grinned, going to stand next to her.

"You could always decide to believe us and join our mission to save Equestria," she suggested, her ears and eyes perking straight after. She then cringed and lowered her head. "...If you want to, that is."

Rainbow jumped back. "Um... repeat that last part?"

"Oh... I forgot to tell you that part. Me and Celestia, and her sister Luna are here to save Equestria from Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon," Twilight began, "We came to you because you are one of the ponies I need to help."

The blue pegasus stared at her with wide eyes, not blinking. For a while, she didn't even open her mouth.

"...You're kidding me," she huffed.

---

The alicorn's head was ringing as she so lifted her lids off of her eyes. She attempted to yank her head off of the ground, but it dropped back onto the floor an inch up, flaring dust into the air. The little particles tickled her nose, causing her to sneeze. A shake of her head snapped her back to reality. Her forehead still ached, and her rubbing a hoof on its surface made it no better.

She sat up, blowing the strands of orange hair out of her face. After a few moments of silence and wondering what to do next, the door opened.

A familiar black shape stood in the doorway. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" she scolded, bringing herself up in front of her.

"Recovering from being bucked in the face," the white alicorn grunted.

"Well, Solar, I suggest you get your hind side back in the throne roo- wait, what?" her sister's interest perked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Solar Flare muttered, still not at all thrilled by what had happened. Paying no attention to her sister, the fiery mare just trudged past her, urging the other alicorn to scamper after her out of curiosity.

"Who exactly kicked you?" she prompted her on, a brow raised. Solar Flare just rolled her eyes.

"Hard to explain," she muttered, "I think I was hallucinating or something, because all I remember is seeing our original forms." She turned to her sister, who was giving her a disbelieving stare. "I'm not joking, Nightmare."

"You're right," she agreed, "you probably were hallucinating."

"Well... yeah but... I still can't explain how I got knocked out," Solar Flare squinted. "Unless Discord really is up to something."

That made Nightmare Moon pause. "What was that?"

Solar Flare also stopped in her tracks, and looked back at her sibling. Her horn began to glow, in order to conjure up a book. "I found this in the cave we sent him to," she explained, flipping to the back of the book, "I found quite a few crossed out, but understandable scribbles in here."

The book was immediately snatched by Nightmare Moon's blue aura, so that the alicorn could scan her cat-eyes over the book. Solar Flare stood in place, waiting for the predictable reaction to come from the mare.

Once there was nothing else to be seen, the alicorn had a strangely calm reaction.

"What kind of pony banishes their enemy to the moon?" she questioned. The white mare shrugged.

"Either way," Nightmare Moon slammed the book shut, followed by her sister taking back the book, "I want a little talk with that excuse for a creature." She started to head for the exit to the castle, only to be stopped by Solar Flare.

"Yeah... he's not there."

The black mare paused. "Excuse me?"

"I looked. He's nowhere to be found."

"He's ran off?!" she screeched, her blue, formless mane beginning to flare as her temper was lost.

"Mhmm," Solar Flare crinkled her snout.

Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow again. The fiery Queen watched as a helmet that she had seen too many times before to not recognize.

"Well, I'll have to bring the punishment up a notch," a smirk started to spread across her face as she rested the silver armor on her head. More of it appeared; a chest plate and four shoes. Before speaking, Solar Flare waited until she had her whole outfit on her body.

"Where do you expect we start looking?" she asked calmly. The creature of darkness' grin grew, and her eyes narrowed.

"A little pegasus friend that we know...

...

"Really... you saw that coming. Why'd you even ask?" Her grin transformed into a smug gaze. Solar Flare's only reply was to give an annoyed glare.

"Can we just go?" As she cantered past her, she gave Nightmare Moon a frustrated shove with her shoulder.

"What have I told you about shoving me?" she spat, trotting after her.

---

"You seriously think I'm gonna do that?" Rainbow gritted her teeth. "Are you crazy?"

"I'm sure I've been crazier," Twilight assured her, her mind flashing back to her break downs that she had in the past, "look, Rainbow, we're not trying to force you to do anything. The choice you make now is your decision."

The pegasus glanced around the city in the sky. "Well... what exactly do you want me to do?" she asked, "Abandon the ponies here? I've trained all my life to be the best leader I can be - which is by the way, the best one in Equestria," she added brashly, a hoof being laid on her chest in pride.

"But..." Fluttershy spoke up. "But what is there to be proud of here? Is there really anything to fight for?" She looked towards a few pegasi flying in straight lines, their expressions less than joyful. Rainbow's proud grin faded.

"Well..."

"I know you like to boast, Rainbow, but why would you want to even share that you're part of this?"

The rainbow maned mare glanced at the environment around her, then moved her rose eyes at her old friend. There was a glimmer in them both that said something, but Twilight couldn't tell what. She had to time to figure it out, either, for the eyes closed as Rainbow Dash sighed.

"What else is there, Flutters? I've always wanted to be looked up to. To be part of something great. What could be better than a leader?"

"A pony who helps make our country better, maybe?" Fluttershy tilted her head. The statement made Rainbow Dash make eye contact once again.

"...You're right," she murmured, her face growing more stern, her head now directing towards Twilight again. "Tell you what, Twilight. I'll help you in whatever way you need me to. But keep in mind - I'm still pretty unsure if it's even possible to save Equestria from Queen Nightmare Moon and Solar Flare."

Twilight grinned, but kept her cool. She nodded at her would-be friend's order. "Thank you Rainbow Dash! I really do appreciate it. I'll be back in Cloudsdale to find you whenever I need you."

"I'll keep an eye out," she saluted with a hoof, "see ya whenever. And it was nice to see you again, Fluttershy." She turned to the yellow coloured pegasus, who gave a hug instead of saying 'goodbye'. At first, Rainbow was hesitant, but she eventually returned it with a slight embarrassed-from-sappiness blush.

The three ponies then left the lead weather pony in the city, following Celestia towards wherever they were hiding out this time. The journey was silent, just each of them looking around at the clouds which gleamed nothing but grey, not even a shine of moonlight being shed upon them.

Soon, the cave that was their shelter was in front of them. Everyone but Celestia let out a relieved sigh that they could finally put away their wings.

"You're sure about not staying in your cottage, Fluttershy?" Twilight turned to her.

"Oh, defiantly not! The Queens might find me and do something awful for lea-oof!" Before she could finish, the pegasus bumped into one of Celestia's hind legs. Fluttershy shook her pink mane out of her face and looked forward at the alicorn in front of her.

"Discord? What's wrong with Luna?" Celestia blinked at her sister, who was laying in a corner on one side of the cave, her back the only thing visible to them all. Discord just shrugged from the ground he was sitting on.

"She's been like this ever since we got here," he said casually, playing with the chains holding his limbs together. The white alicorn crept towards the Night Princess.

"Luna? Are you okay?" she asked calmly. Luna just gave a grunt. "Please answer me properly..."

"Just go to sleep..." the blue alicorn muttered.

"Huh?"

"Just be quiet and go to sleep and stop wasting your pity on me," she spat, still not turning round. Celestia was taken back by her behavior, but decided not to argue at this point.

"Alright... but I'll be talking to you when I wake up," She warned her, gradually moving over to Discord's side to find a place to rest. Twilight wasn't sure whether Celestia was aware of who she was edging towards - or if she was just very bad at being subtle.

"Why not talk to Luna now?" Twilight couldn't help but asking.

Celestia waited until she had laid down on the floor before she answered, "She's easier to talk to if you wait for her to calm down."

The purple alicorn didn't reply, just watched as Fluttershy went to sleep in an area where no one was in, before she decided to settle under one of her former mentor's wings herself.

---

Two shapes lumbered in the forest. It was difficult to recognize their faces from a distance, but that's all she could see. She stayed silent, watching as they reached a familiar door. Instead of formally knocking, one of the shapes spun around and kicked the door down with her two back hooves. With the first obstacle our of the way, they both galloped with rage into the cottage, yelling one name.

"Discord!"

It wasn't her own fear, it was someone else's that was nibbling at her heart. Either way, she had the ability to get out of there.

Luna blinked her eyes open. However, unlike her usual reactions to dreams that meant something, she didn't turn toward's who's mind the vision belonged to. In fact, she didn't move a muscle. Just whispered,

"They're coming sister... they're coming for him..."

A few moments later, she dared to risk being seen. She figured her eyes would still be outlined red from the water that originally was pouring from her eye's corners not too long ago, but all other eyes were shut. She saw her sister whimpering, despite being unconscious, instinct telling her to move her head closer to the sleeping draconequus next to her.

Oh sister... you can do that just fine when you think you've escaped reality... Luna thought to herself, Yet now is not different to when we're awake, when will you learn to accept you're not destined to hate him?

Author's Note:

Fun fact: The original name to this chapter was 'Sun + Rain = Rainbow'

Is it bad I nearly made this the official Mane Six chapter, until I realized I totally forgot about Rarity?

*Puts helmet on* BRING IT.