The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

World 5: Chapter 5

Echoing amongst the restaurant was a deep chuckle, low in pitch and high in terror. “You should see the look on your faces!” a voice yelled after the laughing ceased.

The stage lights blared upward to the ceiling, a volley of xylophone keys sounded off behind the heavy crimson curtain. It took Sunset’s attention away from the ponnequins, the noise baffled her senses. She wondered how any sound could be possible. Someone else must’ve known a warding spell. Whatever it was did not sit well in the pit of her stomach, an itching ran up her back as she glanced between the shadowed openings of the curtain. There was nothing there.

Unconsciously, Sunset pedaled backward, eventually bumping her rump into a closed set of doors. Just as she did, the lights shut off. Not just on stage, but the entire restaurant. Not even the dimly lit lobby remained visible, the mirrored door she had left open now sealed. “Who’s there? Do you know why Las Pegasus is like this?” Sunset called out, hoping for a response—and hoping for silence even more.

“Something touched me, sister!” Luna shrieked, followed by the squeaking of the balloons rubbing against one another.

Without a second thought, Sunset lit her horn, filling the showroom with light. The tint of red from every corner made the space feel decrepit. A drowning sensation filled Sunset’s lungs as she glanced over the faint surroundings. The ponnequins disappeared, the curtain had opened, and the restaurant doors had been closed to the lobby. “My word!” shouted Celestia.

It took Sunset far too long to notice, even with Celestia’s outburst, that the seats had filled.

Ponies dressed in all sorts of attires sat with their heads thrown back as if they were laughing. Of course, the laughter never started and never ended so long as time stood still. An eternity of craned heads and bellowing guts. What were they laughing at? What was so amusing to the ponies that time ceased to exist? Sunset would never know.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlecolts!” a voice rang out, the same voice, but Sunset could not tell from what direction it came. “I have been waiting for so long to entertain a guest! I guess you could say—” The lights burst on stage, shining on the bipedal blue-gray pony “—time really has a way of dashing off!”

Sunset smiled. “Rainbow Dash!” It was certainly the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash, though this world’s Dash had been put through a spiny, bejeweled blender. Her mane was rows of spikes, each a different color. Her forelegs were covered in random gems each the size of a tack. Her tail looked more like a morning star than hair. A purple vest sat with a popped up collar around her chest, which her front hooves were gripping as she stood upright, a terrible grin on her face.

The pegasus spoke into the microphone that sat on stage, though it wasn’t working. Her voice boomed enough to echo regardless of the technological malfunction. “I’d say you’re one of my adoring fans—but you’re the first pony to have ventured into Las Rainbow. Everyone here is already my fans, and they’ve got no desire to leave. Isn’t that right everyone?”

“Las Rainbow? I thought this was Las Discord—well, Las Pegasus.” Sunset rubbed the back of her head.

“Discord? Hah!” snarked the pegasus. “Discord wishes he could step into my city! He knows better than to try that again.”

She’s just like Pinkie Pie, Sunset realized. I know where this is going to go—I’ve got to deescalate the situation and ensnare her into helping me before things turn out bad… A list of questions flipped through Sunset’s mind like a rolodex, each more tempting to ask than the last. “Did you slow down time for all these ponies?” she thought to ask—but that only ended with, “Of course I did, and you’re next!” A knot caught itself in her throat when she came to the only question she felt was safest. “Are you putting on a show right now?”

Sunset had rolled through all the possible answers Rainbow Dash could have to such a question. None of them were what Rainbow Dash answered with—proving in a world of chaos that logic was hard to come by. “You are the show.” Not understanding the words, Sunset wanted to ask another question—something vague enough that it would not arouse anger. Of course, for the pegasus who was a cheetah in a world of sloths, Sunset was not quick enough to get another question out. “You’re the first. You get to be my guinea pig, my little lab rat. Of course, before that happens, I think I’ll play with you. I’ve had a long, long, long, long, loooong, long time to wait, so I can wait a bit longer. The rest of the world isn’t going anywhere, after all.”

“So, you’re just another Discord, trying to force me into another game?” Sunset blurted, her mind flustered by the quickness of Dash.

“You might be playing his game, but here it’s all about you. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the time in the world. Isn’t that right folks?” Rainbow grinned as she waved a hoof above her head, to which the crowd of ponies came to life, each of them giggling and guffawing. She then waved it the opposite direction and they stopped; time stopped. “Tonight, Sunset Shimmer will be performing for our entertainment!”

Taken aback, Sunset shouted, “How do you know my name!?”

“It’s all in this journal,” Rainbow Dash replied, a book in one hoof. With a swift gesture, Sunset’s backpack, along with the two balloons tied to the strap, also appeared in her hooves. “You didn’t feel me slipping these off you? Oh me, oh my. I sure hope you’re not slow. Otherwise, my test of speed will be for zilch. You’ll be trapped like all the rest!” An eruption of laughter, which Sunset immediately recognized as evil, leapt from Dash’s throat.

“Sunset!” Celestia and Luna wailed, their balloon bodies bumping wildly into one another.

“Give me my stuff back, Rainbow Dash! That’s not funny!” Sunset commanded, the growl bounding from her lips.

“Really? Because it’s time for you to deal with a plethora of pranks and punchlines! I’m going to hide your backpack and balloons somewhere within Las Rainbow, but unlike Discord, this isn’t for a prize. You’re still going to witness my speed regardless if you’re entertaining or not. At least this way I get to have some fun.” Bowing, Rainbow Dash vanished in the sudden darkness as the stage lights shut off. Sunset relit her horn to see where the pegasus went, only to discover she was now alone.

Thrusting herself outside from the lobby, Sunset found the ponies who stood as gargoyles were gone. “Rainbow Dash? Show yourself! This isn’t funny! Those balloons are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” When nobody responded, her mouth pulled to one side in a grimace. Discord must have seen this coming. He knew making them into something small and helpless would feed into whatever Rainbow Dash was planning.

Sunset trotted down the bridges to the fountain, keeping her eyes on the sky. She hoped to spot the pegasus or the balloons, but found nothing. Only the grey wall of fog had moved slightly forward. When she found more of the same, she turned back to the silver ball building. There she found the ponnequins had locked the door. At least, that’s how it looked. Sunset realized that it was only Rainbow Dash moving them around with her quickened speed, and she had moved them here too, along with locking the door. “Rainbow Dash!” Sunset yelled, battering the glass door with the back of her hoof. “You can’t just take all my stuff away and not give me any direction! It’s not fair! Even Discord’s a better host than that!”

As her hoof came off the glass so too did a scrap of paper. After a frustrated pull of her mane, Sunset noticed a swaying movement, a folded parchment unaffected by the slow crawl of time. So she is giving me a direction. What’s this going to be? Levitating the paper off the ground, she found that it was a picture drawn with crayons. That explains the faces, she glared at the ponnequins. In silver, a tall figure made completely of metal sat on the left side. In the middle was a medium-sized brick building with two letters scribbled on in red, which were N and S. A mall, which was indicated by the big blue word MALL, sat on the right. “Three places. Two balloons and a backpack. It’s a treasure hunt. How terrific,” she drolly stated. I’ve got no choice, I guess.

Craning her neck back, she looked up at the sky. The sun and moon could still be seen so long as the fog did not roll in. Walking along the sidewalk, eyeing each building she passed, Sunset felt a twinge of unease. Discord was always watching, always listening. She did not find it discomforting, yet she felt the exact opposite with Rainbow Dash. Have some fun, huh? The pegasus proved to be a harassing force. It was nothing like Sunset expected from the mare. “Rainbow Dash is bullheaded. Arrogance is in her veins. This looming from afar is… different,” she spoke aloud if only to herself. “Pinkie Pie is known to be blunt and sometimes forceful, and that was Pinkie Pie to the max. The situation, the way this world is, I could see her reasoning. Why is Rainbow Dash like this, though? Lonesome madness?”

As her mind boggled around the possible reasons, her body did the work. Trailing around every corner, eyeing each of the buildings, she hoped to find the NS or MALL. Red building, blue building, brick building, and shoe building. There was a wide variety in Las Pegasus. Palm trees had been planted in pots sparingly lining the sidewalk. Had there not been an overwhelming silence, had other ponies been around to pass her by, Sunset might have enjoyed the holiday destination. But the hollowness of the city only pined to whittle away at her sanity, and it would succeed if she let it.

Her search led her closer to the wall of slow-moving fog, but she found the Las Pegasus Northwest Mall. She knew it was the right one by the slathering of blue paint that shaped a circle around the entrance. Hopping over the wet, smeared coloring, she noted Rainbow Dash’s time manipulation stopped the paint. Her speed, she called it. The way she moved her hoof, she controlled the time dilation for those ponies. It didn’t affect me though. Is that what she wants? To break my ward? Staring up at the paint, eyeing the tiny blobs of blue that sat suspended in air, she wondered what she would find within the mall. Celestia? Luna? My backpack?

“Rainbow Dash? You here?” she called to the darkness. The only thing she could see in front of her was the directory for all the stores. No lights were on for any department, and the skylights had been covered to hide the outside glow. Alright, this is creepy. I’ll give her that. Closing the door behind her, Sunset trotted up to the map. Squinting, the names of stores were almost illegible. A party store on level two. That would be an obvious place. Sporting goods, which Rainbow Dash fancies, or the bookstore on level one. All good places to start, but the bookstore is the closest. Her horn lit with power as she forced a channeled arrow to guide her path. It left a nice strip of light as it steered her, illuminating the way.

Walking in the stuffy mall shot a painful memory through her brain, one she had not thought of since it happened. I’ve cried in front of a lot of people. In the cave system beneath Canterlot with the girls—it was warm down there, and I was worried about Princess Twilight. The light was bright enough for Sunset to see the signs above her, along with her reflection within the storefront windows. She couldn’t help but stare at herself. I cried in front of Celestia too, I couldn’t help myself. Not that I haven’t cried in front of her before. I think she liked that, though. It probably made her feel special. I don’t even remember the first time I started refusing to cry in front of her. She frowned at the thought, her reflection painting the same expression.

The spiritual light arrow turned and entered a closed set of doors, disappearing as soon as Sunset reached the store. Her eyes went wide as she saw the amount of books the shop contained. “I hope she didn’t take anything out of my backpack,” she bemoaned, beginning her search. Travel guides, fashion information, history, and a large set of fiction. Nothing here but books. Though she had every right to be sour, Sunset gave a sigh of relief. No sign of my backpack. That means there’s a chance I’ll find Luna or Celestia here.

Another light arrow guiding her along, she passed by more of the mall, noting beauty stores and clothing departments. Nothing too fancy, nice places to get something quick if you’re traveling light. For a moment, she thought to stop and look for something pleasant to wear, but the fashionable ponnequins that displayed different styles stopped her in her tracks. No way am I dealing with more of Rainbow Dash’s pranks, she shivered, turning back to follow the arrow. She dared not look back out of fear of a scare.

Leading up a stalled escalator, the second level was just as poorly lit as the first. Only the light of her magical arrow persisted.

Staring at her lit reflection within the glass of the party store’s windows, Sunset could tell she would not need to continue to the sporting goods department. Dash… she mentally groaned, rubbing her sore eyes at the hundreds of balloons that filled the store. “Celestia? Luna? You here?” she called to the two as she entered the shop, knowing full well one of them would be here.

“Sunset? Sunset Shimmer? Oh, thank goodness, I was unsure what had happened. I seem to be trapped,” the muffled voice yelled. Sunset could tell it was Luna by the straight-edged tone she held as she spoke, as if the situation bothered her but she couldn’t properly express it. “I assume these are my brethren in strings, but with your light, I can be sure. Hello yellows, hello reds. How do you do?” A nervous chuckle followed.

“Red and yellows, huh? Kind of hurts Rainbow Dash’s game when the inanimate object is animate,” Sunset responded. She had not yet pushed into the meat of the store. Paper garland and whoopee cushions covered the floor, preventing easy access to the younger sister. “You just keep speaking, I’ll find you.”

“Keep speaking? Alright. I’ll tell you one thing, when Discord is defeated I plan on making him into a balloon. This sense of helplessness is aggravating, if you do not mind my complaint.”

“Not at all. It’s nice to hear you speak rather plainly. After talking with Nightmare Moon, I discovered you’re a lot more open with your feelings than Celestia.” Creating a snow shovel with her magic, Sunset pushed her way through the garland, whoopee cushions echoed the only protest.

The younger sister scoffed, “You can say that again. She always expects ponies to figure it out by the way she does things or speaks, it's rather infuriating. I’ve been gone for a thousand years, how exactly am I supposed to know these things?”

“Hey, you’re talking to the end all be all of not understanding her passive messages.” Sunset stared upward as she walked, eyeing the direction of the voice. “I spent two-thirds of my life as her student, and I’m still learning things about her now that I had no clue about. I wouldn’t hold it against her, though. You and I aren’t exactly easy to deal with either.”

“Oh, bother no.” The voice came from above Sunset as she closed in on a corner. “Leading up to my banishment, I would say I was quite the incessant individual.” Spotting yellow and red balloons, Sunset shifted through. “Goodness! You found me.”

Pulling on the string, Sunset held down the dark blue balloon. “It’s good to see you again. Now we have to find my backpack and your sister.”

“Where are we?” asked Luna, her eyes spun in circles, eyeing every direction with intrigue.

Sunset held the string in one hoof, trotting out to the darkness of the mall. “Rainbow Dash left me a hint, this was the first place I found. Still need a building with NS on it and a…” Sunset shushed herself. When Luna went to speak, she hushed her too. I know I heard something. She thought it was a whoopee cushion inflating, and when she turned back to the party store she heard it again. It had been a deep, hard clunk, like a wet shoe hitting thick glass.

Clunk.

“Now I know I heard that,” Luna said. “Who goes there?”

That was when the slow, hard-hitting thumps turned quick.

All at once, the back wall partitioning the party store crumbled like a house of cards. Out of the darkness charged an unknown silver glint. Balloons were popped or pushed aside. Sunset had no time to react, the creature sent her over the railing and sailing down to the first floor. Slamming hard on her back, the air had been violently pulled from her lungs. “Sunset!” Luna cried, but Sunset’s ears muffled the calls. While not tragically wounded, the new set of wings softening the blow and pushing into her back, a shockwave still ripped down her spine. Like falling forward with keys in your pocket, the pain felt more severe than it truly was.

She hadn’t gotten a good look at the silver monster, but she could hear the creature making its methodical way to the frozen escalator. Pulling herself to one side, she struggled to her hooves. Pain wracked her back muscles and spine, sending little shivers down her bones. “I think I have a concussion. Thankfully, that means I won’t remember any of this.” Rubbing the back of her head, she used her magic to drag Luna down after she had floated to the rafters.

“Are you alright, Sunset? That was quite a trip—though we don’t have much time to lollygag.” The plastic face watched the silver brute as it rounded the escalators, clumsily stomping its way underneath. “Shall we fight, or more precisely, will you?”

Clunk.

Sunset shriveled as she tried to concentrate on the figure. The darkness of the first floor along with the striking pains that shot like lightning up her spine gave the biped a stronger presence than it truly had. Shaking her head, she chose not to answer Luna by mouth, instead choosing to rush back to the entrance. She could hear the monster and its thunderous clap of metal striking the ground far behind her. Whatever that thing is, it’s as slow as Rainbow Dash is fast. As she barreled outside, she found the fog had returned in spades.

Disappearing into the haze, Sunset found the closest alleyway to throw herself into. She and Luna waited for the crashing brute to force its way out of the glass doors of the mall, but the hefty clunks had dissipated. “What was that thing?” Sunset whispered to Luna. “Was it made by Rainbow Dash?”

“I am uncertain. In the darkness, it was too difficult to see what it looked like. It wore armor, I think,” replied Luna. Sunset kept the dark blue balloon in her hoof, but the pains shooting up her back stifled her want to fly, so she chose to wrap the string around the tendon that connected wing to vertebra. “I thank you for saving me, Sunset, but are you certain you’ll be alright? We should find a place to aid in your recovery, if only for a short while.”

Sunset reached into her hair, dragging out the piece of paper with crayon drawings. Opening it, she showed the fellow alicorn what Rainbow Dash had designed their destinations to be. Luna studied it and said, “A mall for me, I see. This minotaur—is this not what attacked us just now? The metal frame, the horns, the bulky body. It was hard to tell, and this drawing is mediocre at best, but I’d say with certainty that is what attacked us.” Luna had put a name to what Sunset could not. “Yet Celestia was not with this metal taur.”

“That means it had my backpack! It looks like Rainbow Dash wants me to deal with that thing,” she affirmed, more to herself than Luna.

“This Rainbow Dash, she is the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, no?” Luna asked and Sunset nodded in response. “I believe you should deal with her rather than that abnormal metallic behemoth. Peeling the skin off the snake and what not.”

Sunset squinted at the incorrect idiom, though she did not correct the princess. “I agree, actually. But first, we should get Celestia. That means she’ll be at the NS.” Pointing at the building in the middle, Sunset grimaced. “I’m not sure what this place would be, though. Any guess on what NS means?”

“Night shelter,” answered Luna. Sunset was confused by the response, an expression of uncertainty that Luna could see even through the haze. “Do not fret, little one. I know all things relating to the night, and a night shelter makes the most sense. What else would NS mean?”

“Neat store?” Sunset shrugged. “I guess you’re right.” She closed up the parchment and shoved it back into her hair. “We’re not far from the information center. I’ll take us back to see if I can’t find a brochure. Maybe there’ll be something for safe havens, like police stations and what not.”

Luna nodded, or what would account as nodding for the rubber body. “Excellent idea. I’ll keep an eye out for our rears in the hopes of not being blindsided.”

Hurrying, Sunset trotted her way through the smog coated city. She thought to remove the fog with another bout of magic but felt it was not worth her time. The haze had been lightened enough to still see the sky, which grew into a purple radiant spanning the atmosphere. The sun and moon dipped, and though the city where time stood still could see the change, the new darkness had no effect. Time had been stopped when the city was bright, and bright it would stay within the miasma. It was a grim, grey illumination, but the city was illuminated nonetheless.

“What sort of magic is this city under? Is it Discord’s magic or did this Rainbow Dash discover something on her own? Perhaps there is something more than just that,” Luna wondered aloud as Sunset walked. The more they learned of Las Discord, the less Sunset wanted to remain.

It wasn’t until she came to information center that she found herself an invitation. Taped to one of the door handles was a flyer. It read: “Scared? Lost? Afraid? Come to Las Pegasus Night Shelter! A shelter from the hunger and bright lights of Las Pegasus! Just a few blocks from The Clopwell!” At the bottom of the flyer was a decently constructed map with a set of three stars. One was the night shelter, another was the Clopwell—a restaurant and hotel, and the third was the main street of Las Discord. “Looks like Rainbow Dash wants to speed up our discoveries.”

“This gives me an idea, Sunset Shimmer,” Luna whispered. “But it may be best said in a tightly kept room away from prying ears, and after we recover my sister.”

“I think we have the same idea.” Sunset memorized the locations surrounding the night shelter and then tossed the flyer aside. Following the street signs, Sunset easily found the main street, which led directly to the night shelter. She remarked how dismal the shanty shelter looked, what with cardboard boxes toppled and blocking the left side’s alley. The other alley was just as bad, a rusty metal fence caged the side street. White signs painted with red words had been stapled to the fence. No rest for the wicked was one such sign. How little we know was another sign. “Was this like this before or after Discord returned?” she wondered. Half expecting to see some faceless monsters twitching in the darkness within the shelter, Sunset peered in through the windows. Nothing but cots and cans could be seen from where she stood.

“Can you see my sister?” asked Luna, a lilt of anticipation resonating in the way she inquired.

“I do,” Sunset answered. The white balloon was grey in the darkness, much like the fog around them. It had been tied to a stove that sat in the back of the large, single room. “She looks alright, and this place may be worth holding up for a little while.” It had been longer than twenty-four hours from when she last slept—and even then it had been a terrible rest. Her exhausted eyes stared at the cots with a vicious want.

Pulling on the door’s handle, she found the shelter to be unlocked. “Honey, I’m home,” she half-jokingly called, knowing that it might put Celestia in a good mood. Closing the door behind her, she lit her horn and explored the shadowy shelter. The front desk was open to the rest of the room, holding no privacy between patrons. In the back was the kitchen which was only divided by a serving station for food. The only other door besides the entrance was for a bathroom. Sunset expected the white balloon to answer, but the familiar voice did not sound off. “Celestia?”

As she came to the serving counter, she noticed the eldest alicorn had her mouth covered with tape. “Rainbow Dash has sent us into a trap,” Luna alleged with a quiet tone. “Let us keep our voices to a minimum, that metal brute might be right around the corner.”

Sunset knew the fellow alicorn was right. As she rounded the counter, however, they both discovered the trap had not been duplicated. Tripping a wire, the stove clicked on, spouting flames from the burner that sizzled the string. The muffled cries of the eldest alicorn rang out, much louder than they had any right to be. Jumping by instinct, Sunset snapped off the string with her magic before the flames could lap up the twine. After turning off the burner and carefully peeling the tape, Sunset asked, “Are you alright, Celestia?”

“I am now that you’re here,” she said, though her voice shook a little, betraying her true feelings.

“That could have done some serious damage. Rainbow Dash’s pranks are growing into a territory of no return for her,” Sunset said.

“It is as though she is a child in a seat of power,” Luna replied, and the previous student and teacher shared a look.

Sunset took the two balloons and tied them both to a cot. She gathered pillows and blankets from the other makeshift beds as Luna explained what had happened within the mall. Wrapping herself up like a burrito, she stared up at the two balloons as they chatted, and only interrupted to ask if the night shelter was good enough to keep from curious ears. “I suppose it’ll have to do,” Luna replied, eyeing the single room around them.

“An idea? What is it you’ve thought up, dear sister?”

“This Rainbow Dash mare, she is quite the impatient pony. She wants to lead us in a direction, but I would suggest we do the opposite. We meander. We take our time in heading to the paths she wants to point us,” Luna explained as Sunset closed her eyes. She let the two sisters discuss this option, slowly drifting into a silent slumber. The pains in her back had numbed and the adrenaline she felt had suspended, drowsing her body and mind.

She thought of the golden flowers, knowing that the field and gazebo would soon be upon her. She accepted it. There was no fighting. It had become such a common sight when she closed her eyes that it was like moving between rooms. The field of golden flowers often provided her with a better sleep—whenever the field was not nightmarish. Of course, Midnight Sparkle was often the cause for it being a lurid dreamscape. Sunset didn’t understand it, but she was too tired to care.

The flowers never came, however. The two sisters awoke her before the smell could waft into her nostrils, signifying the descent into that dreamy world. “Sunset, please!” the younger sister whisper-yelled, a jump of terror in her voice. “Rainbow Dash has returned that… that thing! I do not know if it knows we are here, but perhaps we should hide.” Sunset didn’t understand at first, her body and brain hadn’t been unconscious for more than a moment, yet the sluggishness came in full force. It wasn’t until she heard the terrible beat that she connected Luna’s words.

Clunk.

A wave of fear washed over her, forcing open her eyes. She bit her lip, darting to look in every direction.

Clunk.

Pulling the covers to her chin, she glanced at the windows past the front desk, hoping to see nothing. Instead, a mound of shadows covered the windows. Her whole body shook as she sat up, though she refused to move from the cot. Just over the counter, Sunset could tell that nothing was moving and the shadows were not ponies, yet the sound remained. “I don’t think you’re going to get your rest, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia apologetically murmured.

Clunk.

Throwing the blankets off, Sunset rushed to the counter for cover. Eyeing the windows past the paper folders and pens, she couldn’t tell exactly where the sound came from. The closer she got to the front door, the more she worried that the metal minotaur was sneaking up on them. She grimaced, pulling the sister balloons over with her magic. Tying the two to the tendons of her wings, she pushed to the door after ordering them both to remain quiet. Squinting, she shoved her face to the glass. Where is it? The fog was not thick. She could see the building across the street—a pharmacy that still had its sign lit up.

“Where’s it coming from?” she whispered, her breath fogging the glass.

Through the mist, Sunset could see the bipedal creature coming into view from her left. It was wandering to her right down the street. She could see it clear as day, even with the haze. The head of the creature, and in fact the whole body, was covered in a silver metal shell, much like its depiction from Rainbow Dash’s drawing. There were no features to be seen of what was beneath. Rusted brown in places, Sunset noted that the feet were hooves. Luna was right about the horns that stemmed from the top, giving the whole beast the shape of a minotaur. The horned helm had been welded to the breastplate. In fact, there were no seams whatsoever. The piece looked too heavy to be worn by any mortal creature, and too painful. It had to be a minotaur. There was no other race of that shape.

The design was not the only thing Sunset noticed, as the creature dragged a rather long pole where it had not previously. Knotted to the pole were ties. Some were black, some were white, some were red, but they all were the same length. But ties were not the only thing secured to the elongated pole. My backpack! As the metallic goliath turned to go down the street Sunset had followed in, she debated on how to tackle it. “That thing has my backpack, we’ve got to go after it,” Sunset told the two sisters, and both, though unenthusiastically, gave a nod in return.

Holding her breath, Sunset stepped out from the shelter’s sanctuary. The metal minotaur could be heard stomping in the distance, but the fog made it impossible to see its frame. When Sunset looked back at the building, she found the shelter had grown in age by years, somehow. Vines covered the windows, rust coated the fence and sent it careening down to the ground, and thousands of cracks broke the cement sidewalk. “What in Equestria?” Sunset couldn’t believe it. How had things changed so rapidly?

“Rainbow Dash has the power to shift time, but it seems it only goes forward or stops completely,” Celestia commented on the disgraceful presentation. “We have yet to see it reverse. Should that come into play—should she have that ability—it might be best to call in Discord once more.”

“To waste two of her lifelines would be tragic, dear sister,” Luna replied, her balloon face shriveled at Celestia’s words, almost scowling. “I would suggest opposing the idea of chasing the backpack. It would only end in more pain and suffering should it choose to turn to battle.”

Standing in a shadow of doubt, Sunset was puzzled by both paths. To follow would mean a fight, but it’s my backpack. It’s got my journals. I can’t leave those behind. On the other hoof, taking care of Rainbow Dash would allow me an easier time in obtaining my backpack. She soon made up her mind and chose to tread off in the direction of the bipedal stranger. She could no longer hear the sounds of its trot, even as she ran down the street in search of it.

As she moved, the more she noticed. The princesses voiced their concerns about the shifting tone, but Sunset had her own concerns. Still, it didn’t make the changes any less disconcerting. Buildings had become so rundown that some even lost their signs and awnings. Bleached by the sun, a red building she had seen was now salmon in color and a host to spiders and dust. Trash had blown in, though she never felt wind within the time collapsed city. Newspapers held in the sky, crumpled and floating, waiting for the day they could once again touch the earth.

The decay also brought confusion as Sunset’s memories blurred of the surroundings, which only worsened by the fog. Exceptionally lost, Sunset found herself at another fountain. This one was far bigger than the one outside the mirrored ball building and lacked the water needed to run. Glancing in, she found the fountain drowned in bits, most likely ponies’ wishes and wants. As she stared at the hundred or so coins, the world started to activate. “Rainbow Dash knows we are here,” Celestia noted as lights began to brighten. “I do not believe we will get to meander.”

A circus wheel flipped on, the crystals of a triangular tower glowed, and the largest building, with its horse head and hooves, lit up like a sun going supernova. The fog thinned so lightly it didn't even seem like the same haze. “Time’s flipped back on,” Sunset agreed. “Rainbow Dash! Where are you? Come out right now! I’m tired of playing around.”

“Sunset! Behind you!” warned the younger sister.

Clunk.

The metal giant had somehow snuck up behind her, and in the brighter glow of the world, it looked far more frightening than she originally assessed. The helm had no eyes. The metal hands were covered in grey powder, and on one of the legs wrapped a chain like a snake. Dragging the pole of ties, the being seemed focused on Sunset. It was slow moving. That is, until a burst of speed erupted toward Sunset, forcing the alicorn to heave herself into the air. A moment of pain held itself in her brain, but she successfully dodged the creature’s attack which was far more pressing.

Smashing the fountain in a brutal show of strength, which sent coins flying in all directions, the metal creature looked unharmed by its actions. It staggered backward, tripping over the battered bricks, and appeared to refocus its attention. Sunset watched as it stood there, facing the destroyed fountain, wondering what exactly it was trying. “Who are you?” Celestia asked it, and the creature’s neck snapped toward Sunset and the balloons. It raised its pole with a hefty move, swiping the air for her, to which she only narrowly avoided. It swung several times in the location she had been before stopping. It soon honed in on her once more, targeting and swiping at the alicorn. Landing on the other side of the fountain, the beast stopped moving.

Sunset watched it, and it listened for her. Eventually giving up and trotting its way back down the path it came, Sunset held her breath as she listened for its steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

With a sigh of relief from both of the sisters, Sunset knew they were safe for the time being. That didn’t stop her from dashing to the horse head building. The doors were already open, but instead of leaving them alone, Sunset chose to close and lock them.

“Did Rainbow Dash make that thing?” Sunset asked, more to herself, all while huffing and puffing. “She has the ability to stop time, but I don’t know if she’s capable enough to make that armor. And to do that to another person is just sadistic.” As the words fell from her mouth, she realized how daft they really were. Of course she’s sadistic. She’s keeping all these ponies trapped in her little world, and she’s still hungering for more.

“Sunset Shimmer. Perhaps we should not dally,” Luna suggested, forcing Sunset to turn back to the doors. Past her reflection, she saw that a gathering of ponnequins had formed outside, each with remarkable expressions that sent terror and pain down Sunset’s spine.

“Looks like Celestia’s right, Luna. Your plan won’t work.” Sunset rubbed her eyes, sleep still beckoning her. “Ignoring Rainbow Dash can’t be done if she’s constantly tormenting us into submission. We play into her traps no matter the decision we choose.”

A sudden hooting and hollering garnered the attention of Sunset and the sisters, but as they turned back to the casino, they realized how right Sunset truly was. More of the ponnequins, each with smiling crayon mouths, formed the staff, guests, and entertainment. You know, at this point I’m really glad to have those golden flowers as my recurring nightmare, because these things are going to haunt my dreams forever.

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

This Rainbow Dash Dio-wannabe needs to be have all her teeth kicked in, her wings ripped, legs broken and crushed under a steamroller.

[Wydril]

So Pinkie had Ember, I'm guessing that's Tirek in the armor. Tough guess I know, but will be some more interesting development of non-hero Tirek through Sunset's eyes.

[Mac349]

9040083
My bet is the minotaur has to be Iron Will.

[Wydril]

9040304
Oh, derp. That was minotaur and not centaur, wasn't it? You're probably right.

[Dream Dusk]

I keep refferencing this to Hollow Knight for somw reason, the Carnival DLC

[Csquared08]

Man, with Pinkie and now Dash, this place sure is gloomy. I'm worried about what the others will be like.

[Blaster M]

9039729
Worse than Dio... King Crimson

[The Dragon Man]

Why do I imagine this version of Rainbow Dash sounding like Cree Summer?
Also I bet Canon Rainbow would be beggin Twilight to give her time-controlling abilities.