Harmony's Parallel

by Xutiepops

Step One in a Multi-Step Plan: Execution

Rarity scowled as Rainbow Dash and Applejack left the group to bar hop. She was surprised to see even Twilight was angry at them.

"I guess the plan will have to wait until tomorrow," Twilight said, attempting to not crack under her rage. Rarity smirked cheekily as Pinkamena tried to comfort her.

"Uh, well... we won't get a lot of time to have fun here if we go ahead and do it," Pinkamena said nervously, scared Twilight would yell at her. Once Twilight cut her eyes at her, she cowered under her hooves. Twilight rolled her eyes and looked away.

Suddenly, she sighed. "I suppose so," she stated, glaring at Pinkamena as she peeked through her hooves. Twilight looked around to see Fluttershy fleeing back in the woods. She sighed and looked at Rarity, "Go ahead and look at some clothes or something."

Rarity smiled giddily and started off, forgetting Spike there. She didn't care though, she wanted to see Canterlot, especially this one. She had never been to Canterlot before, and this one sparkled and glistened in the moonlight.

As she trotted through the streets, she saw some stores closing, but didn't mind it. She stood at windows and looked inside, the dresses and outfits were just gorgeous! She'd never seen anything like it.

She giggled to herself and tapped her hooves against the ground. On the doors, it had names like Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and Sapphire Shores. She assumed they were famous due to the multiple times she saw their names.

As she walked down the streets, almost all the lights cut off, she froze and stared at a dress inside a window. A sleek black beauty with red and purple diamonds surrounding the hem and the collar. Her eyes widened at the sight, along with her smile.

Her eyes turned purple as her horn turned a light blue. That light blue soon encased her and was gone with a flash. She was inside the store. She looked around and gagged at most of the dresses, and the basic décor of the place. She rolled her eyes and set them on the prize.

Her blue magic engulfed the dress and her own. The black beauty appeared on her, her own dress rested on her hoof. She looked around for a decent purse, she rolled her eyes at many, but settled on a black one with purple jewels.

She smiled as she ripped the purse off the rack through many other purses. With her old dress being stuffed inside the bag, she was set. She teleported herself outside the shop, the new dress contrasting wonderfully with her coat in the moonlight.

She giggled and tapped her hooves against the ground. As if on cue, she heard a whoosh! She smiled as she looked up at the dragon and watched as he stood next to her. She smirked at his stare, clearly speechless at the sight. She twirled, "You like?"

"Uh, yeah..." he said numbly, still admiring the dress. He shook his head, "How'd you get it? All the shops are closed." He pointed at it, ignoring her bright smirk and the window with a bland mannequin.

"A little theft is required for such a beauty," she smirked and glanced up at the store. "And I doubt the owner of this store liked it, all the other dresses were hideous."

Spike looked up at the store. The words 'Canterlot Carousel' looked back at him. He shrugged, "Alright then."

"I'm assuming Applejack and Rainbow Dash still haven't returned?" She asked, looking at other stores she could take beautiful dresses from. Spike shrugged again, but she wasn't paying attention.

"Wouldn't know," he said bluntly. "I was flying around." He watched her as she looked for another dress, and followed her as she looked into different stores.

As she teleported inside to take whatever she pleased, Spike waited outside. As she came back, she dropped all the dresses in Spike's arms. "You don't mind, do you, dear?" She said with puppy dog eyes. She didn't wait for a reply, "Thank you, sweetie!" and she'd trot off to another store.

He didn't mind being her bag boy, especially since she constantly gave him puppy dog eyes. The night went on like this, until sunrise where Spike flew her back to where Twilight and the others were.

Everyone but Twilight was asleep. She was looking through a huge book that both Spike and Rarity disgusted. She didn't notice the two were there until she looked up to rest her neck. She rolled her eyes and went back to the book. "I see you had fun."

A smirk instantly hit Rarity's face. "Well! I have to say it was fun, and all that fun came with many perks!" She gloated, her voice and stance full of pride as she stuck her chest out.

Twilight rolled her eyes again, her face one of annoyance and disgust. She used her magic to flip the page. "Like what? Thirty-something dresses?"

Rarity smirked again, this time more cheekily than proud. "Annnnnnd! I got to spend time with my Spikey-Wikey!" She glanced at the book again. "I see you and freak had your share of theft."

"This book is actually useful," she snapped, catching the two off guard. She slammed the book shut, "We should... do something." She started pacing, surprising the two as it seemed she was pacing off her built up anger.

"A-are you sure you don't need anything, darling?" Rarity offered. "You seem.... stressed," Rarity smiled nervously to hide her unease.

Twilight sighed and stopped pacing with a sigh. "I just need time to go faster so we can get this over with." She looked up at the two with a new smile. "Just relax for a bit, you've been up all night."

Spike and Rarity ignored lecturing her on her health and nodded, walking over to a tree to rest. The two eventually fell asleep against the tree, Spike using all Rarity's stolen dresses as a makeshift pillow.

---

After a few hours, the sun was right over them, the trees their only barrier. They soon all fumbled awake under the bright light and the heat. They awoke to a frantic Twilight huddled over a book.

"T-Twi?" Pinkamena asked and tapped her nervously on the shoulder. Twilight jumped at the touch, whirling to Pinkamena, scaring her in the process. She shook her head and turned back to the book. Her magic slammed the book shut.

She sighed and put on a smile, turning to all of them with confidence. "Since you're all finally awake," she cut through each of them with an expression on the edge of anger. She put on a smile, "Shall we continue? This is the first step to victory!"

Everyone was tense under her stare, but they knew someone had to speak. Applejack put on a weak smile, "W-well, let's do it!" She swung her hoof with it. She watched as Twilight's smile turned to malicious as she turned back to Canterlot.

As she analyzed the best method, they all exchanged knowing glances of worry. The attention snapped back to Twilight as she spoke. "Fluttershy, Pinkamena, Rarity, and Applejack can travel through the city by using alleys and back roads without many ponies," she spoke, turning back to them.

"Spike, Rainbow, and I'll fly close by until you get closer to the castle," she said with a kind smile that only Pinkamena smiled at. "From our approaching positions, I'll find a path to avoid detection," she turned back to the castle.

"Oki!" Pinkamena bounced next to her with a smile. "Sounds easy enough, we'll have Canterlot in no time!" She noticed Twilight's still frantic stance. "..Right?"

Twilight turned to her. "What? Oh, right." She said numbly, looking back to the castle to find a flying route. "Let's go," she stated commandingly as she stepped onto the stone of Canterlot, ducking behind a store immediately. Pinkamena bounced next to her again. The rest hesitantly followed.

As Twilight predicted, the back streets and alleys were that filled. And the few ponies there didn't question them, they didn't seem to care for them.

Twilight wondered why, as she realized she was a princess in this world. As well for the huge dragon following close behind them. She assumed they were probably undiscovered felons, happy they weren't getting noticed by the princess. Or maybe they just didn't recognize her.

It didn't matter anyways, she was disgusted with the roads. Markets set up behind buildings for obvious illegal trade. Ponies covered up in coats sat by the edge of buildings, watching their foals play roughly with one another. The streets smelled awful, like alcohol and drugs. Trash from alleys fled into the streets as well.

She could only imagine Rarity's disgust with the place. The mare was probably shaking and on the verge of fainting. She was surprised to see even Applejack tiptoeing over most of the trash in the street. Most of them did, but Applejack seemed much more uneasy than the rest of them, excluding Rarity.

They finally stood at the edge of an alley, the Canterlot Palace in sight. Most of them admired the way the colors sparkled in the light.

Twilight soon ordered them to run, as if they were in a panic. "And don't talk to anyone," she said sternly. The four nodded and started off. Once Twilight was sure they would make it inside the palace, she ordered Spike and Rainbow Dash to follow her.

The guards at the front gates stepped by letting the four through without question. Rarity smiled at the power. They raced through the halls, ignoring the want to get nosy. They saw a huge set of doors, Rarity and Applejack stopped, letting Fluttershy and Pinkamena run ahead. The two nodded and busted through the doors.

They were surprised to see another huge set of doors down the halls, but went ahead anyways. They ignored the curiosity to look at the stained glass windows around them.

The two froze at the approaching pegasus with a smile. He waved and flew down towards the two, he smiled at Pinkamena. "Hey, Pinkie!" He smiled, his orange coat shined as his blue mane poked through the helmet. "How's Twilight?" He said with a tilt of his head, a curious smile plastered on his face.

"Uhh..." Pinkamena started, wondering who this 'Pinkie' was.

The pegasus guard looked back to the doors they went through. "Where is she anyways? She always comes to see the princesses with her friends... wait... did something happen?" He asked, his casual stance changing to worried.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "Sorry buster," she said rudely. She smirked. "She just sent us, she didn't want to see your ugly face," she said with a huge smirk. It grew at the sight of his confusion.

"What?" He asked, shaking his head. "B-but.."

Fluttershy started pushing Pinkamena towards the door. "Sorry! We're kinda busy!" The two shook off the inconvenience and dashed through the doors.

The attention of two princesses shot at them. Both were confused at the sight. A white alicorn sat there with a flowing mane of blue, green, and pink. It wasn't fire like they expected. Nightmare Moon looked just a different, her coat a deep blue with a darker mane. Neither of them wore their regular armor.

The white alicorn stood. "What is it?" She asked, worried and concerned. But suddenly, her eyes narrowed on Pinkamena, noticing something different.

Fluttershy decided to handle the talking. "Oh it's just awful! The Everfree! It's attacking Ponyville!" She cried at the alicorn, a hidden smirk behind her furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes.

"Again?" The darker alicorn asked with worry. Pinkamena and Fluttershy were caught off guard, once again. Fluttershy didn't respond, she only nodded.

As the darker alicorn raised to leave, the white one held out her hoof. "Wait, Luna..." the white alicorn stated, her eyes narrowing on the two. Her mind raced with alert as she slowly walked towards the two. She stopped before them, "Who are you two?"

Fluttershy couldn't respond, but she didn't need to. As she looked over at Pinkamena, she noticed the mare flinch forward with a statement. "Pinkie and Fluttershy... why?" She asked, attempting to sound bubbly.

The alicorn's expression didn't change from it's cautious one. The mares confidence threw her off, but she was certain these two weren't who they seemed to be. "You're not Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie... are you?"

Fluttershy's eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Are you done questioning us so we can get to Ponyville already?" She said angrily. She noticed the two were thrown off guard. Luna gasped in response as the white alicorn's eyes widened.

Before the alicorn could question them, the doors were thrown open. All attention shot to the door as Rarity ran in, her horn lit up in a blue. That same blue covered the alicorns and wrapped a blue rope around them.

Applejack soon followed, signaling Spike and Rainbow to dash in. As the white alicorns horn glowed yellow, a determined look on her face, Spike raced in front of Rarity and stood on all fours with his teeth shown.

As Rarity stared dreamily at him, a yellow beam was shot at Applejack, throwing her across the room. Rarity was snapped out of her own head and tightened the ropes on the two, the group hearing a small snap! in response.

As the alicorns bared their teeth, Luna shot a beam of magic at the magic ropes on the white alicorn. The magic evaporated, gravitating back to Rarity's horn. The alicorn instantly shot a beam at Rainbow Dash as the pegasus flew at her. Rainbow Dash hit the wall with a slam! Now she laid next to a groaning Applejack.

As everyone's eyes followed Rainbow's fight, the other alicorn was freed of her ropes. The rest backed up, fear set inside them as they attempted to accept defeat.

"Where's Twi?" Pinkamena yelled at Spike, fear shaking her voice. He glared at her and paid attention to the alicorns threatening them with glowing horns.

"I-I don't know! She ran off!" He yelled and then roared at the two alicorns.

Rarity went over spells in her mind, trying to remember some that would be beneficial. Once she couldn't remember any, she pinned the blame on somepony else. "I knew we couldn't trust that soon-to-be-dictator!"

Luna approached the two, her horn still lit. "Twilight Sparkle? A dictator?" Spike hissed at her.

Pinkamena was engulfed in a bright yellow, levitating her over to the white alicorn. "Who are you six? And how do you know Twilight?" She asked, her commanding voice boomed.

The alicorn noticed the hoof steps race away. She turned and saw Fluttershy attempting to fly out the window. As the pegasus jumped and spread her wings, a yellow light engulfed her. The magic levitated her closer to the white alicorn.

"Answer me," she said rudely. Her magic engulfed Rainbow Dash and Applejack now. She looked over and saw Rarity and Spike engulfed in Luna's magic.

No one spoke up, the fear seizing their throats was evident in their eyes. Pinkamena huffed as she covered her face with her hooves. "How'd they expect us to do this!?" She cried into her hooves.

Applejack sighed with a smile. She looked up at the white alicorn. "What'cha gonna do now? We ain't tellin' ya nothin'," She said, confidence in her. A huge bruise was already setting up on her side under her fur, the other side of her burned with the magic shot at it. She was the only one who knew of the pain, but she decided to persevere.

She looked at Pinkamena. "Don't worry nothin', y'all."

"We're going to die!" Rarity shouted at her. "And after how great this was going! We should've known the queen of evil would ditch on us! I hope she gets the worse of it!"

As if on cue, Twilight flew in, her magic shooting a beam at both the alicorns horns. The horns both shined with a magenta finish. The six dropped from the magic. The two tried to use magic, but nothing came.

Twilight's frantic and worn out stance alerted most of them, but the plan was complete. A magenta lock appeared on the door, the windows all slammed shut. A magenta rope appeared around the two, holding them together.

The white alicorn instantly started her questioning. "Who are you?" She asked with a powerful voice, much different to her kind one.

Twilight smirked down at her. "Just the sight of you makes me respect Daybreaker more," Twilight said with a smirk. Her frantic, worn out state disappeared at the sight of the two successfully captured. She was filled with a villainous power.

Rarity growled and walked up next to her. "And where were you?! We almost got killed!" She shouted, anger making her cheeks turn red.

"If you're members of Chrysalis' army, reveal yourselves," the alicorn stated demandingly, ignoring the feud. She noticed the tension between the few and hid a smirk. It'll be their downfall, she thought.

Twilight, once again, smiled over the two with an evil gleam in her eyes. "Of course not, Celestia," she stated, ignoring Rarity.

Pinkamena bounced up to the two, a confused stare on her face as she looked at the two. "How did you know we weren't who we said we were? I got her name right."

Celestia stared at her, questioning to answer her or not. She blinked slowly, "You got her mane wrong."

Applejack turned to Pinkamena, grimacing due to the developing bruise and dying burn. "Name right? Her name ain't Pinkamena?"

Pinkamena shook her head. "It was Pinkie, I'm assuming she's pretty bubbly."

Twilight looked down at Celestia with a serious stare. Her look shifted between the two, finally setting on the two of them. "Now, you'll act normal in front of your guards, announcing you won't attend any daily meetings." She started, a grim darkness behind her voice.

"Or what?" Celestia spat.

Twilight's expression didn't take a turn for powering or condescending, it stayed serious. "You'll cost your sister her life," she said bluntly, scaring the two.

Their eyes widened as they exchanged looks with one another. Celestia finally sighed and nodded. Twilight's smirk was her first response. "Good." Twilight engulfed the two in her magic and set them down on their throne.

She looked to Rarity, and then back to them. "Now, we'll take the ropes off. If you take off, I'll kill you." She stated. "Once we're out of sight, you'll call your guards in here and tell them to cancel any meetings for the next three weeks."

She looked into the hateful stare in their eyes and couldn't help but smile. "Alright then." She guessed her colleagues wouldn't listen to her, so she engulfed them all in her magic and set them down against the wall of the room. As they all scowled at her, she cast her magic to make them all invisible.

The windows opened, the lock on the door vanished. The ropes evaporated slowly.

Celestia could see the malice behind the mare's expression before it disappeared. She sighed and took a look at her sister, a terrified look in her eyes. As Celestia's mind ran with ways to contact Twilight, she yelled. "Guards!"

Two guards ran in and saluted the two. The orange pegasus from before was one of them. "Yes, your majesties?"

Celestia sighed, hoping the two would notice the magenta coating on their horns. She swallowed, "Luna and I won't attend any daily presences for the next three weeks, please tell the other guards."

The two guards were cautious but nodded anyways. The orange pegasus noticed the scared and weary looks in their eyes and knew something was wrong. As the other guard started exiting the room, his determined look mirrored Celestia's worried one. He nodded and exited the room.

Celestia sighed. "There." The invisibility spell on the seven disappeared and Twilight stared at the two with a smirk.

Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight's tail and tugged on it, making the mare look at her with an annoyed look. "What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked angrily.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Don't you think that's... information we should be cautious about in front of the princesses?" Twilight asked.

"How? It's not like they can do anything in that state," Rainbow growled with a confused face.

"We've limited their magic," Twilight stated as she started towards the door. "Not their knowledge." She shot a magic bubble in the corner of the room, it mirrored the room. She looked to Celestia and Luna.

"Now, if you two try anything, I'll kill both of you," she said bluntly.

"Why not go ahead and kill us?" Luna asked rudely.

Twilight rolled her eyes, her face scrunched up in anger. "Idiots, information is a key part in a success." She turned towards the group. All seemed to scowl at her except Pinkamena. "Follow me," she said sweetly. Her horn flashed and they all disappeared again.

They could all see each other, but no one else could. As Twilight opened the door, they all reluctantly started following her, eager for an explanation.

Once they were gone, Luna and Celestia shared a sigh of defeat.

Author's Note:

This whole storyline takes place before Starlight freed the changelings. So everything before the end of season 6 takes place, anything after doesn't.