• Published 5th Mar 2017
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What If? - Equestrian Avengers: Shattered Dimensions - Maximus_Reborn



Starlight Glimmer unleashes the power of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, and it's up to the Equestrian Avengers to save the very fabric of time and space.

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Two Sides of the Same Coin, Part III

Chapter Fourteen “Two Sides of the Same Coin, Part III”

Canterlot stood on the horizon as Twilight clutched at the fragment in her hoof. The crimson amulet around her neck glowed, causing red energies to emit from her irises and body. The chaotic magical essence of the fragment vibrated, sending tremors through the earth under her hooves. Particles of energy from the atmosphere channeled into her horn as she steadily lowered her aim at the castle.

Violent thoughts entered the unicorn’s mind, evident by the scowl she bore. However before she could discharge so much as a single shot from her horn, or even move, a cloud of smoke rose from the ground several hoof-lengths away from her position. A masked mare stepped out from the fog, brushing her star-patterned cape to the side. Twilight furrowed her brow at the sight before scoffing, shifting her aim at the unknown oddity.

The stranger straightened their posture. “Twilight?” a female’s muffled voice questioned behind the mask. Staring at the fragment briefly, she raised her hooves defensively and shook her head. “I... I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

“You’re in my way.” Twilight coldly declared, scowling. “Stand aside!”

The mare let out a low sigh, unlatching her mask before removing it with a hoof. Freeing her silver-blue mane after shaking her head, she held a soft violet gaze at Twilight. “I’m sorry Twilight, but I can’t stand aside.”

Twilight’s eyes widened upon settling her gaze on the mare. “Trixie?” As if out of instinct, the energies channeling through her horn dissipated instantly. Twilight stepped closer to the mare with a softened gaze. “What are you doing here?”

Furrowing her brow, Trixie frowned as she alternated her gaze between the unicorn and the castle in the distance. “Apparently I’m stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” Pursing her lips, Trixie narrowed her gaze on the unicorn. “Attacking the castle? Whatever brought you to such a conclusion? Nothing good will come of it.”

“You don’t understand! Ever since you left, she took everything from me!” Twilight exclaimed, pointing a hoof at the castle. “I lost Peter! I lost my friends! I lost my teacher! Everything is gone! All because Luna couldn’t keep to herself!” Walking ahead, the unicorn stared intently at the castle in the distance with a crazed smile. “So I’ll just destroy Canterlot!”

Trixie furrowed her brow, aghasted. “Are you even listening to yourself Twilight? You’re talking as if destroying Canterlot is a logical and normal course of action. It’s not normal. It’s insane.”

“That’s the downside of being a hermit. You spend so much time underground that you forget how folks in the sun would act. Just ask Mayday. It actually explains a lot,” a voice declared from behind, the latter statement practically inaudible. A stallion garbed in black and white rushed into the vicinity and skidded to a halt next to Trixie. “It’s not because of Luna that you’ve fallen.” Peter softly gazed at the mare, frowning. “It’s because you’ve taken it in the worst way imaginable.”

Inhaling sharply, Twilight threw a hoof over her mouth. “Peter?!” Pausing, the mare shook her head and snarled. “What do you care? Why don’t you just go just back to your princess?! I just wasn’t good enough for you!”

“That’s not true!” Peter exclaimed, holding his hoof out. “Just because I’m with Luna doesn’t mean I stopped caring for you. You’ll always be special to me. It’s just that you up and disappeared without trying to actually… TALK to anypony!” The stallion trailed off before narrowing his gaze on the jewel linked around the unicorn’s neck, and his eyes widened as a realization came into mind. “Is that the… Alicorn Amulet?! Where did you get that?”

Twilight brushed a hoof over the amulet, nodding. “I’m surprised you know what this is. If I was going to exact revenge on Canterlot, I needed power. I researched for artifacts that could help in my quest.” The unicorn frowned, lifting her gaze. “I was fortunate to find a merchant in possession of it. With enough bits, he parted with the amulet easily.”

Peter groaned under his breath. “I’m really getting sick of that amulet popping up in my life.” The stallion shook the thoughts from his mind before sobering at a thought. “Look, the Alicorn Amulet and fragment are twisting your thoughts, Twilight. You have to let them go. Maybe then you’ll think rationally.”

Trixie edged closer to the unicorn. “Twilight. Listen to reason. We only want to help you.” Holding a hoof over her chest, Trixie took a step forward. “I too fell to a low point in my life as well, but I learned to get back up. So can you. You don’t have to do this.”

“I don’t need your help.” Twilight coldly dismissed, clutching at the fragment in hoof.

Inhaling deeply before sighing, Trixie shook her head. “What you’re doing is crazy. You know exactly what will happen if you attack Canterlot.”

“Shut up!” Twilight exclaimed, her voice distorting. “I. Don’t. Care!”

The dual energies of the amulet and fragment ignited, generating a shockwave, and the force of the blow knocked both back. Peter crashed into the nearest tree with a crack while Trixie skidded across the ground on her back for several meters before slowing to a halt. Paying the pair no mind, Twilight shifted her attention back to the castle in the distance as her horn emitted a bright light. However, once she readied herself to fire a shot, a shield soared through the air.

Catching sight of the incoming object from the corner of her eye, Twilight hastily willed a red-tinted magenta barrier into existence around her body. The shield rebounded harmlessly after making contact with its surface, spinning high back into the air before it landed atop Spider-Knight’s waiting hoof. Aiming a stern glare upward at the armored stallion for several seconds, Twilight quickly took to alternating her wrathful gaze between him and his prone counterpart lying behind her. Almost like she was an angel descending from the heavens, Luna gracefully landed next to her husband, matching the fallen unicorn’s stern expression with one of her own.

Twilight frowned. “A copy?”

Spider-Knight shook his head, sliding his hoof into the shield’s strap. “It’s a long story, but we aren’t trying to trick you. You’re out of control Twilight. Come back to Canterlot and we can help you.”

“No! I refuse to go back! Not with her!” Twilight exclaimed, sharply pointing a hoof at the alicorn. “She took you from me! You were mine! I’ll never forgive her for ruining my life!” Her distorted voice echoed throughout the skies as they blackened, blotting out the sun. The tremors coursing through the earth intensified as black energies enveloped developed around her form. The fragment dissipated from sight before its energies spiraled into her body, and the same occurrence transpired with the Alicorn Amulet, with the item dissolving into pure aura. Upon absorbing both energies, the unicorn’s body levitated from the ground while lightning bolts struck the ground around her repeatedly. “You betrayed me!”

Shaking his head, Spider-Knight waved his hooves defensively. “Nopony betrayed you Twilight!”

Luna frowned, standing her ground. “Listen to yourself! You can’t even see the reality before your eyes! We want to help you! Try to understand!”

Twilight released a distorted howl as the muscles in her body quaked violently. “You lied to me!”

Strands of her mane morphed into flames, maintaining their purple and pink streaks with a black strand stretching out at the center. The same happened to her tail as she held her forehooves out to either side of her. Blue flames enveloped her horn while they leapt from her eyes and hooves. A pair of dark wings suddenly emerged, tearing up and out from her back, and they began to beat the air furiously, keeping the former unicorn aloft with little effort. Peter and Trixie came to, shaking the cobwebs from their craniums respectively before lifting their gazes to spot a transformed Twilight hovering above them.

“Twilight!” Trixie cried out, sliding her mask back over her face.

The fallen unicorn cackled wildly as dark violet bands materialized over all four of her outstretched limbs. “There is no Twilight!” The entire area seemed to shift, cycling rapidly through the colors of the sky before they ultimately came to rest on a dark and starless skyscape. “There is only Midnight!”

Trixie exhaled harshly, shaking her head. “She’s inconsolable right now. I don’t think we can we reason with her.”

Peter closed his eyes and nodded. “It’s not all her fault. The corruption of both the amulet and the fragment are playing a part.” The stallion furrowed his brow as he turned to the other unicorn. “There’s no time. We’ll have to use force.”

Trixie’s eyes softened as she glanced to the side, placing the mask back over her face. “I had hoped it wouldn’t have had to come to this.”

Whirlwinds intensified around the vicinity, forcing everypony to hold their ground. Luna took flight and unleashed a magical bolt at the mare. A barrier rose around Midnight, deflecting the beam, and she responded in kind by firing a bolt back at the alicorn. In a similar fashion Luna caused a shield to materialize around her body, but the force of the blow still proved to be enough to send the alicorn careening wildly down to the ground and generate a crater at the point of impact.

The barrier surrounding Luna remained intact, albeit with several cracks spread along its surface. Lightning crackled throughout the skies before a large bolt spiraled around, looping around Midnight like a wild whip. She pointed a hoof at the alicorn, prompting the electrical current to race towards the prone and dazed mare. However, Spider-Knight jumped in the projectile’s path with his shield raised.

The lightning struck the weapon’s surface with booming force, generating a shockwave, and dust flew from the blast creating a smokescreen. Yet the stallion stood upright and strained as he pushed back against the electrical surge, keeping the attack from reaching his wife. Mysterio appeared behind both ponies in a burst of light, placing a hoof over their back respectively before vanishing once more. All three individuals disappeared before the lightning current struck the earth, rupturing the ground and causing another crater to spread for several meters.

Midnight vanished from sight in a flash, reappearing hoof-lengths away from Peter with her glowing horn aimed at his head. The stallion’s sixth sense triggered, slowing the world around him, and he swayed his upper body back in response, standing upright with an arched back as the beam narrowly sped past. The bolt collided into a tree behind their position, triggering a detonation of magic and fire. The blast sent Peter flying, forcing the stallion to cling to a tree to stop his unwanted flight.

Spider-Knight rushed back into the fray with a diving kick, striking the barrier before flipping back several hoof-lengths. He followed by hurling his shield at the mare, with the weapon slicing through the magical energies. Midnight vanished before the shield could connect, causing the item to ricochet through a few trees before it sped back to its wielder. The stallion alternated his gaze about, attempting to locate the rogue mare.

Faster than he could react, Midnight appeared behind him with a maniacal grin. The gravity surrounding Spider-Knight intensified, evident by the cracks spreading through the earth beneath his hooves. His legs buckled, forcing the stallion to a kneeling stance. Suddenly, tremors sundered cracks into the earth in all directions as Spider-Knight’s body was bored into a crater with thunderous force. Midnight ceased the assault once the stallion was buried within mounds of dirt and crumbled rock, staring intently at his damaged form.

Luna sped towards her, prompting both mares to take flight. They fired magical beams at each other while flying ever higher in their aerial showdown. Luna soared above Midnight with her back facing the clouds before the alicorn unleashed a massive blue concussive beam. Midnight stared the incoming projectile down, cackling before firing a violet beam of her own. The energies collided causing an explosion of light to ignite throughout the skies, and the beams struggled as they pushed against each other, with neither faltering.

“You ruined my life!” Midnight roared, her distorted voice echoing throughout the realm. Her expression grew feral, evident by her drawn fangs and dilated pupils. Her beam slowly pushed Luna’s back, fueling Midnight’s growing laughter. “Now, I’ll take everything from you!”

Meanwhile, Peter looked up at the beams pressing against each other before shifting his attention to his counterpart. He was stirring, slowly regaining consciousness, but his frame was still buried deep within the earth. However, Peter’s eyes widened upon spotting a bright shield protruding from the ground nearby. With a quick nod, the stallion retrieved his counterpart’s weapon and climbed from the crater. He eyed the beam struggle with a furrowed brow.

Mysterio rushed to his side, alternating her line of sight between the shield and the beam struggle high above. “Can you make the throw?”

“I’m not comfortable with the distance. It’ll veer off course if I throw it from here,” Peter whispered, inhaling sharply as Luna’s beam grew shorter by the second. Furrowing his brow, the stallion frowned. “Luna can’t last much longer. We only have one shot at this, so I’ve got to make it count...” Glancing to the side, Peter’s eyes widened at a particular sight, and he grabbed Trixie’s hoof before leading her away. “I have an idea. Come on!”

After uttering his idea to the mare, she watched the stallion climb onto the top of a tree with a concerned expression. “I am not certain about this, but I suppose our options are limited.” Her horn glowed momentarily, causing energy to envelop the tip of the tree where Peter was perched. She walked backwards and strained as the tree resembled elastic material and bent low enough for the tip to touch the ground while the root remained planted within the earth. She held the tree in place, taking in strained breaths. “Even if this works, what about your landing?”

“Let me worry about that! Fire away!” Peter exclaimed, pointing a hoof skyward.

Trixie slammed her eyes shut, relinquishing her magical hold. The tree whipped back upright, slingshotting the stallion high into the air with the speed of a rocket. Once several yards away, Peter’s momentum steadily decreased before the stallion hurled the shield directly into Midnight’s unprotected back. The mare hissed in pain and flinched, inadvertently causing her beam to cut out almost instantly as she lost her focus. Luna’s eyes widened at the sight before she refocused her energy, widening the beam as it sped forth.

Faster than she could hope to react, Midnight was swallowed entirely by the massive beam, and it soared through the skies, slamming into the earth. An explosive shockwave generated at the point of impact, rupturing the earth until a massive crater was spread. The shield gravitated towards Peter, prompting the stallion to catch it with his hooves as he yielded to the effects of gravity. Fortunately, the alicorn raced out and took hold of the stallion’s free hoof before he could crash into the ground. The pair eventually reached the earth safely, with the alicorn and stallion sharing a glance.

Luna let out a relieved sigh, all while arching a brow at the stallion. “I have no idea how you reached such altitude, but I appreciate your sentiment, even if it’s dangerous.”

Peter offered the alicorn the shield. “No problem. Thank you for catching Webhead Airlines. We look forward to seeing you again.” The stallion exhaled, lowering to a slumped stance while Luna accepted the shield. As if a realization came to mind, Peter pointed behind her position. “You should check on your husband. I’ll go and make sure Twilight’s where she’s supposed to be.”

Luna sharply turned, trotting in the direction given by her husband’s counterpart. “Very well. We’ll join back with you shortly.”

Meanwhile, Peter traveled through the forest for several seconds before he reached the outer circle of the crater. He slid down into the hole and inhaled sharply at the sight waiting for him. Midnight peered up at the stallion with a softened gaze while pinned underneath a collection of downed trees. The fragment sat by her side, but the mare retained her newly acquired form in spite of losing the item. Peter knelt down, holding a hoof over the fragment, but he scoffed harshly, moving past it before turning his attention to the mare.

The stallion slid his hooves underneath the tree at the lowest point, straining as he managed to lift it and the others several inches from the ground. Midnight’s mouth fell agape at the sight, and she lowered her gaze once the weight over her body was momentarily freed. She crawled from underneath the space, avoiding the stallion’s gaze. Once the mare was behind him, Peter dropped the weight and collapsed to a kneeling stance.

Faster than he could react, Midnight retook the fragment in her hooves before facing the stallion. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I care about you,” Peter whispered, raising his hooves defensively. “You’re hurting yourself right now, and I don’t want to fight you anymore. It’s not right.”

Frowning, Midnight stared intently at Peter. “Just who are you? You’re clearly not a changeling or a clone.”

Peter lowered his hooves and nodded. “It’s hard to believe, but I’m from an alternate reality. I was brought to Equestria by you, just like the Peter you know, but…” he trailed off, walking towards the mare. Midnight recoiled, causing particles of energy from the atmosphere to channel into her horn. Yet, Peter held his ground and continued to approach Midnight. “In that reality, you and I… are married.”

“What?” Midnight squeaked, her eyes widening. The energy emitting from her horn dissipated from sight. She never averted her gaze from the stallion’s soft hazel eyes. “We are?”

Smiling, Peter reached out before gently taking hold of the mare’s hoof. “Yeah. We’ve been together for nearly twenty-five years now, and we have three children together.” As if her entire world crumbled, Midnight’s gaze lowered to the ground. Peter pursed his lips. “That’s why I don’t want to see you hurt. You’re still my wife, in a sense, and I wouldn’t dare do anything to hurt you. So please give me the fragment. Without it, I can’t repair the distorted time realms, and… I’ll lose you.”

Inhaling deeply before sighing, Midnight glanced at the fragment in her possession. “I only used its power so I could be with you. I’m not doing this for Equestria. I’m only doing it for you.” The mare surrendered the fragment, allowing Peter to take hold of it with a hoof. Midnight turned her back to the stallion, closing her eyes. “Now that I’ve seen you for myself, I’ll only try harder to fix this.”

“Revenge isn’t the right answer. It won’t solve anything, and it’ll only end in pain,” Peter softly declared, reaching out to the mare. Shaking his head, the stallion frowned. “Luna in my reality went through the same thing that you did. She never had a chance to tell me how she felt, but we remained close. Luna’s one of my best friends, even to this day. It took her quite some time to move on, but I think she managed to let go eventually. I’m not entirely sure, but we’re making it work.” Peter’s eyes softened. “Don’t make me worry about you. Try to make things work with your friends. They’re all worried about you and want you back.”

Midnight shook her head. “My mind’s made up. You can’t change it. Seeing you has… strengthened my resolve. I will win you back, somehow.”

A low silence filled the air as Peter’s gaze fell to the ground shamefully. Exhaling, the stallion planted a kiss on the mare’s cheek before turning his back to her. “Well then, you should get out of here. I’m not locking you up.”

“Why?” Midnight questioned, furrowing her brow as she held a hoof over her burning cheek.

Peter waved a hoof dismissively. “The day you come back to Equestria will be under your own power, not because we forced you to. Besides, if you’re anything like the Twilight that I married, I have faith that you’ll find yourself back on track, eventually.” The stallion shrugged, chuckling under his breath. “Darn it. You’re still my wife to me. Now go!”

Midnight stared intently at the stallion for a few seconds. Her demeanor softened, evident by the saddened expression she bore, but the corner of her lips curled into what resembled a small smile before she vanished from sight in a burst of light. Peter turned afterwards, nodding while holding his gaze on the fragment in his possession. Biting his tongue, the stallion climbed from the crater while everypony approached. Trixie helped him to a standing position once she was within range, and the pair shared a glance before he offered her the fragment.

“Hang on to that, Trixie,” Peter whispered, nodding. “It’s the last one. I’ll head out and send word to Madame Web to bring everypony to my position.”

Trixie accepted the item, narrowing her gaze on the stallion. “Okay, but what happened to Twilight? Did you find her?”

Peter walked back to the crater, inhaling deeply before sighing. “I saw her for a second, but she disappeared before I could say anything. She was still transformed, but I’m pretty sure she’s gone.”

The other Peter scoffed, sliding his shield’s strap over his shoulder. “Damn it... Oh well. At least we know she’s still alive. The best thing we can do is keep a sharp eye out for her.” The stallion walked up to his counterpart, offering him a hoof. Once both Peters shook hooves, the other Peter managed a smile. “Thanks. We can handle Twilight from here. One day, we’ll bring her back to normal. Maybe Sunset Shimmer and the girls can zap the crazy magic out of Twilight with the Elements of Harmony.”

Slow to respond, Luna sternly stared at her husband’s counterpart with an arched brow. “Are you certain that Twilight escaped before you could intervene?”

Peter nervously swallowed, forcing a laugh before nodding. “Yeah. I was slow. If I had moved a bit faster, I could have stopped her. I guess you could say my lack of knightly training is to blame.”

Luna’s gaze sharpened into a glare. She frowned at the stallion for what seemed like an eternity. Fortunately, the alicorn exhaled. “How cumbersome. It’s fine, I suppose. Like my husband suggested, we’ll find Twilight in good time.” Pointing a hoof to the distance, Luna huffed. “Seeing as all of reality hangs in the balance, you shouldn’t give quarter. Hurry now and remedy the situation!”

Nodding, Peter smirked. “As bossy as ever. You got it!” The stallion rushed past the pair, not before patting a hoof over Trixie’s shoulder. “I’ll call you soon!”

Everypony watched as Peter rushed from the vicinity, waiting until his image was out of sight in the distance. Luna shifted her gaze to Trixie, furrowing her brow. “He’s a terrible liar. I didn’t even need to read his mind to know that.”

The other Peter held his hooves behind his head. “Yeah.” He paused briefly before glancing to his wife. “Wait a second, am I really that bad at it?”

“It’s only because of your honest nature. I’ve been with you long enough to notice the smallest things.” Luna stated, smiling lightly.

Taken aback, Trixie’s eyes widened. “Wait. Are you saying he let Twilight go?” Glancing to the side, the unicorn frowned. “That idiot. I can’t say that I’m surprised though.” Her eyes widened at a realization. “Hold on. You two don’t seem upset.”

Peter folded his hooves and chuckled. “I can’t be mad at the guy. To be honest, I just imagined myself in his position. If I had to fight a lost, unstable version of Luna, I’m not sure what I’d do. Probably the same thing: just let her go and hope she eventually finds herself.”

“If anything, maybe his words will get through to her,” Luna whispered, glancing to the side. “He’s as idealistic as my sister, and I’m positive that she would have appreciated the sentiment he gave Twilight.” Luna’s expression softened as her smile widened. “I can sense your feelings as well, Trixie Lulamoon. You would have done the exact same thing as Peter.”

Trixie released a sheepish chuckle. “Yes, Your Highness. I would have. Twilight’s the sister I never had, and she makes Peter happy. Don’t ever tell him I said this, but seeing him smile brings me joy. It would go to his head easily.”

Nodding, the other Peter smirked. “Yeah, I can relate to that.”

Luna shared a glance with the mare, grinning. “Your secret is safe with us.” Trixie then vanished in a puff of smoke before stepping back into view after a brief duration, having removed her heroic attire and taking back her classic star-patterned pointy hat with the cape. Luna smiled widely, brushing the side of her head against Trixie’s affectionately. “Take care of Twilight and Peter. I can tell that you’re the glue that holds everything together. I’ll be counting on you. By definition, you technically are my sister by law, considering your sibling bond with Peter.”

“Yes. I’ll keep looking after them, for both of our sakes,” Trixie gently replied, responding to the act of affection in full with a smile.

Peter stepped up to the alicorn, placing a hoof over her shoulder. “Let’s get you home. The doctor told you to stay off your hooves. I bet you’re hungry, too. I’ll order takeout.”

“Expecting your firstborn already?” Trixie questioned knowingly, earning a widened gaze from the couple. The unicorn nodded, waving a hoof dismissively. “I’ve dealt with this three times with my Peter and Twilight. I recognize the signs. My personal advice? I suggest you name your daughter ‘Mayday’.”

Chuckling, Peter’s eyes softened. “Is that a hunch?”

“Call it sister’s intuition,” Trixie stated with a wink, earning a smile from both ponies. As they turned to make their way back to Canterlot, Trixie lifted her gaze skyward and grinned. “Okay, Peter. I’m ready to go back home now.”

To be concluded...!