The Infestation of Equiss Prime

by Jest

Mirrors

Snapping off a quick dispel, Twilight didn't dare hope that she had caught it in time and swiftly began to survey the room. After finding that she was indeed where she intended to be, Twilight gathered her bearings and found that her relatively minor injuries were already healing. Lighting her horn, Twilight cast the slightly convoluted identification spell Celestia had taught her not long ago.

A glowing mass of twisting symbols sprung into existence a foot above the mare’s horn, a corresponding set of images appearing on the wall before her. Moving through the steps at the exact pace Celestia had dictated, Twilight silently wished this part could be skipped. Unfortunately, she knew just how many magical defences were waiting to atomize her should she fail.

Thus with little else to do, the pony cast the spell as quickly as she dared, completing it a short eternity later. With a flash, the room lit up, revealing a circular space illuminated by flickering golden torches made of pure magic. The walls were dull grey stone, as was the floor which had the perfect smoothness that only came with magical construction.

Brushing that thought aside, Twilight stumbled forward and threw open the double doors beyond and trotted down the long hallway. Muttering curses under her breath, Twilight shook her foreleg, trying to make the minor sprain she had suffered to heal faster. Her attention was split when she noticed a bright flash come from the room behind her.

Spinning in place, Twilight half expected to be facing Nightmare Moon, only to find that a ward had flickered, its magic bleeding out in a stream of yellow light.

She's getting through already! Twilight thought, quickly turning back around, and ran down the hall. That's impossible! The castle should have exploded already... Unless she disarmed it somehow.

As she ran, she could hear more pops and sizzling noises as the wards came down one by one, no doubt pierced by the dark alicorn herself. That was until the ground suddenly shook with a violent intensity, nearly knocking Twilight to the floor. The rumble continued for several more seconds until finally it ceased, and for a brief moment Twilight dared to hope that the blast had taken out her foe.

The pop of another ward proved that thought wrong, and Twilight hastily sprinted down the last of the hall. At the end she grabbed the open doors and slammed them shut before activating the defenses placed upon them as well as the hall beyond. When this happened, several dozen new lights burst into existence all around her, revealing the strange dream machine in all its alien glory.

Twilight didn't even give it a glance as she was busy deactivating the identification spell and ensuring that Nightmare Moon would have to fight her way here. Even still, the unicorn knew that wouldn't be enough to stop the alicorn, though it would at least buy Twilight time to complete her work. Turning back around, she gazed up at the bizarre machine, temporarily struck by its otherworldly appearance.

It resembled an entire galaxy of bright multicolored dots connected by numerous lines which sometimes stretched on into the distance. Ghostly gears and alien machinery twisted between these dots, some unseen force turning these eldritch pieces for purposes Twilight couldn't understand. Even after being told more about the device, Twilight struggled to comprehend its purpose or what the strange kaleidoscope of colors meant.

Stepping up to it, Twilight thought back to what Celestia had mentioned earlier, and after a moment of concentration, she lit her horn. A second later a perfectly circular greenish-purple disc appeared before her. Standing atop the manifested object, Twilight magically urged it to proceed deeper into the machine.

While Twilight lifted off the ground and into the swirling mass, she heard what sounded like the distant boom of a muffled explosion. Knowing full well that her pursuer was likely not far behind, Twilight pushed the small disc to move as fast as it could. Passing through and by the many gears at a rapid pace, she silently regretted not being able to take the time to observe her surroundings in more detail.

Enchanting on this scale had likely taken entire lifetimes to create, and here she was floating through it with the intent to destroy the entire thing. This spell was a marvel of pony ingenuity and alicorn forward thinking, a true masterpiece that eclipsed almost everything that had come before it. Even still, Twilight knew she wouldn't hesitate, as leaving it in the hooves of Nightmare Moon was something they simply couldn't allow.

Descending deeper into the web of interconnected stars, Twilight noticed how many of them had a dull glow to them. Not only that, but there was also a good number which had turned completely black and gained a second smaller, more vibrant star which orbited close to the first. The unicorn wasn't sure what this meant, but judging how each one of these black orbs were connected, Twilight had a good idea, though her thoughts were interrupted by an odd sight.

In the distance floated a strangely large pitch black orb which was several orders of magnitude bigger than every other star in the sea of lights. Attached to it was every single last blackened sphere Twilight had seen so far, its mass pulsating with the same otherworldly heartbeat as the rest. Around its mass floated a much smaller, deep blue globe which only shared a connection with its larger orbital neighbor as well as a select few others.

That must be Nightmare Moon and Luna, Twilight thought, before slipping past the strange gelatinous orb.

Descending deeper into the twisting miasma, Twilight wondered how she was getting this deep into the spell when it had initially appeared to be the size of her old living room. Brushing that thought aside, she focused downwards where she could see an oddly familiar orb. Gazing upon its purplish-green surface made Twilight feel like she was staring into a mirror, only one that gave her a slightly more unflattering view of herself.

Around that orb rested several others that she recognized as belonging to her friends, which were all either the same shade as her own, or were seemingly normal. The only exception to this was likely Rarity’s which was in an odd binary relationship with two nearly identically sized stars. One of which was a muddy grey while the other was a slightly lighter shade of the same color, the two orbs spinning quickly around one another.

Other connections spread from this central tangle, though Twilight didn't bother looking at them, as her disc had seemingly reached its destination and had come to a stop.

“Right. Now I just have to hit it with a simple mana bolt and the whole thing will come crashing down just like that,” Twilight murmured, horn glowing faintly. “I really wish this wasn't necessary.”

Stifling that urge to study the machine in more detail, Twilight pushed a little more power into her horn before directing the magic into a spell. A brief flash later a purple bolt shot from her horn before slamming into her orb, cracking it and causing the entire apparatus to shudder. All at once the stars stopped spinning, the gears ceased their endless turning, and the entire bizarre magical apparatus lurched to a halt.

Then, one by one, the gears began to flicker and cease to exist while the stars around them began to lose their shine. Twilight’s own orb was one of the first to shatter, causing a dull ache to suddenly emanate from deep within her chest. The feeling didn't last long, and Twilight watched as her friends’ spheres crumbled to dust next, followed closely by the ones nearest to them.

Like a set of dominoes, the many spheres disintegrated, the surrounding machinery cracking and crumbling a moment later. Each one winking out in a small flash of golden light which grew so numerous that it became a constant source of illumination. Growing brighter by the second, Twilight was forced to shield her eyes, waiting patiently until she could safely open them a few seconds later.

Revealing that she was back in the same room as before, only now she was standing in the very center, and before her stood another door, this one was much smaller. Remembering her teacher’s words, Twilight began to sprint to it, not wasting a second. As she ran, she heard a dull boom followed by the air being charged with static electricity, signalling that someone had cast a rather powerful lightning bolt spell.

Shooting a bolt of magic into the air, Twilight saw the torches around her flicker, briefly turning the same color as her spell.

“Nox in lucem exitum!” Twilight shouted.

The torches flickered once more before becoming red a second before she heard another distant rumble. Knowing that she had mere moments to escape before the entire cavern came down atop her, Twilight threw open the door and was nearly blown off her hooves a second later. The doors behind her had exploded outward, revealing an enraged and clearly injured Nightmare Moon.

The alicorn’s body was covered in burns and scratches, though all of her injuries seemed to be minor and were rapidly healing.

“You!” she bellowed, jabbing her hoof at Twilight.

A primal bolt of fear shot through the unicorn’s body, her hooves clattering beneath her. Running through the open door, Twilight quickly closed it behind her before activating the defences placed upon it. Knowing that they wouldn't last very long, Twilight sprinted down the hallway, trying to ignore the dull boom which came from behind her.

All around her spells activated, wards were powered up, and traps clicked into position, ready to unleash their deadly payloads. All of which would mean little to the ancient and terrifyingly powerful alicorn that remained hot on Twilight’s heels. Throwing open the door at the end of the hall, Twilight heard the exit behind her explode into splinters, the alicorn’s gaze burning into the back of Twilight’s skull.

Pushing herself onward, Twilight leapt through the second doorway, narrowly dodging another scorching lightning bolt. The spell flew over Twilight’s head, crossed the room and vanished into a strange mirror resting against the stone wall. Shaped vaguely like an elongated mauve horseshoe studded with gems, the actual mirror part seemed strangely bland in comparison.

The room itself was also a dull slate grey like the two Twilight had seen before, its surfaces perfectly flat, or at least they had been. For a moment after Twilight threw herself through the opening and threw it shut behind her, a chunk of the ceiling came loose. Slamming down into her path, Twilight was forced to scramble out of the way of a second enormous boulder which threatened to crush her flat.

Thankfully her sprain had healed by then, giving her just enough dexterity to weave her way through the falling debris and reach the mirror. Leaping towards it, Twilight held her breath, silently hoping that wherever this mirror lead was better than where she was. She didn't make it that far, however, as a dark aura wrapped about the mare before yanking her backwards.

Slamming into an enormous slab of stone, Twilight looked on in horror as Nightmare Moon strode through the destroyed door. Her wounds closing rapidly, the mare sported no injury worse than a small scorch mark or light cut. Though only a few feet from the dimensional mirror, Twilight knew she wouldn't make it if she didn't deal with the alicorn across from her.

Leaping off the ground, Twilight took a blast of concentrated mana to the shoulder burning off skin and muscle alike. Biting through the pain, Twilight reached out not with her magic, but her yet unused psionic power, gripping the walls and roof of the structure. With a grunt of exertion Twilight pulled as hard as she could, causing the entire already collapsing ceiling to come completely loose.

For a split second Twilight and Nightmare Moon’s eyes met, and then, with a bitter sneer, the alicorn vanished in a wisp of smoke. Not wanting to test her luck any further, Twilight turned and leapt through the portal just as a boulder the size of her house fell on where she had been standing a second earlier. Hitting the mirror’s surface felt akin to leaping into a pool of water, though once Twilight had pierced the outermost membrane, that familiarity quickly ended.

For unlike being underwater, sound was not muted, rather it twisted around her, turning the pony’s scream into a warbling, distorted shout. Her limbs felt heavy, light, then long, her entire body morphing and twisting like she was little more than dough in the hands of a mad god. For a moment Twilight felt wings sprout from her back, then the flesh was stripped away and her hair writhed like snakes.

Then everything twisted again, and she felt her form begin to solidify, as if the mirror had settled on what manner of form to mold her into. Limbs stretched, her spine shifted, and then, just as Twilight felt like she had gathered her bearings, she landed face-first on the ground. Limbs still twitching from the sudden transformation, Twilight found herself unable to move and merely lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Pushing her new arms beneath her, Twilight tried to rise, only for her stomach to lurch into her chest and pain to flare in her one shoulder. Vomit sprayed past her lips, splattering the ground in a mixture of orange juice, oatmeal, and what looked like a considerable amount of blood. Wiping her lips, Twilight lay on her side, breathing heavily and trying desperately to keep whatever was left in her stomach from exiting her body.

After a tense few minutes, the former pony felt her organs stop writhing inside of her torso, allowing her to glance down at her altered form. “Thank the stars,” muttered Twilight. “Now let’s see what I’m working with.”

Feeling her new body, Twilight immediately noticed that she had been clothed, and that she was now bipedal. Having seen minotaur officials in Canterlot before, Twilight knew what to do, and pushed herself into an awkward stand using her one good hand. Her balance nearly immediately failed her, and it was only due to some inelegant arm flailing that she didn't fall over.

“Alright then, that's step one,” she whispered to herself.

Directing her attention down to her own body first, Twilight noticed that her gryphon-made coat had returned, only this time it had come with a white undershirt. Inspecting herself revealed that she wore tall black leather steel-toed boots, a pair of heavy dark grey trousers, and the hat of a navy officer. Which she immediately took off her head and tossed aside, unsure of why the mirror had given her such a thing.

The rest of her appearance was strange, but not totally unlike a minotaur’s, with the only difference being the fact that she lacked some of the more beastial features. She also had two rather large lumps on her chest, which were slightly confusing to the pony, until she remembered what they were. A blush now crossing her face, Twilight then noticed that her form was not completely free of zerg influence.

Her one arm was far larger than the other, her shoulder glowing faintly as an orange light emanated from within. Not only that, but she had also gained a pair of sharp taloned appendages which sprouted from her back and hung over either side of her head. Looking down at her enormous purplish-green fist, Twilight frowned, noting that her limb had stretched her clothes to the point of tearing at several points.

Even still, she couldn't complain, as at least it appeared fairly similar to a minotaur’s arm, though she didn't think their fingers ended in claws. Putting that thought aside, Twilight tried to summon her magic in order to conjure a mirror, but found that it was impossible. The pain in her more normal-looking shoulder stopped her, though even after she healed it, her magic refused to answer her call.

“Figures. It's not like I have a horn now,” Twilight murmured, glancing at her surroundings. “What the hell happened here? I thought this was supposed to be a school of some kind?”

Behind her was what at one point had been a horse statue, though its head had been knocked off and now rested on the ground several metres away. On the other side of her stood a three-story tall structure which still displayed the words Canterlot High School across the front. Though it had clearly not been a place of learning in some time given the extensive damage it had suffered. Windows were shattered, floors collapsed, but that wasn't even the worst of it as an entire wing was covered in a pulsating purple flesh-like substance.

Reaching out with her mind, Twilight felt that the substance which covered the exterior of the school was indeed creep, but only wrong somehow. She could feel that it was unintelligent and unfeeling, unlike her own creation which radiated emotion even before it had gained a mind of its own. Unlike her creep, this felt like connecting to grass or some manner of insect devoid of understanding and knowing only instinct.

It was a bit repulsive, Twilight thought to herself and quickly pulled back in order to finish inspecting her surroundings. The town around her seemed to lay in a deep valley, as hills surrounded her on all sides, though most of the foliage had been replaced by creep at some point. The fleshy substance could be seen covering nearly every available surface, with spots of withered trees poking out at random.

Most of the homes seemed to have been destroyed by fighting or the roiling wave of creep while the road that lay between them was mostly clear. All in all, it looked like some other zerg organism had tried to take over the place, but had been met with heavy resistance. Though a little disquieting the only thing that gave her pause was the distant presence of a very powerful psychic.

Their attention was elsewhere, however, and though Twilight didn't want that to change, she couldn't help but search for its source. Inspecting the town, Twilight found herself temporarily confused as she gazed upon what had at first glance appeared to be a mountain. Only it was far too narrow to be natural, prompting Twilight to narrow her gaze in an attempt to peer through the evening gloom.

What she saw after letting her eyes adjust made her recoil in a mixture of confusion and disgust. She had been right, it wasn't natural, but it also wasn't made by the original inhabitants of this land either. For despite standing at nearly five hundred metres tall, the structure was made completely out of purplish-green flesh.

Her own creations had only ever reached a single story, but this thing was easily taller than anything Twilight had seen in Canterlot. It also towered over its surroundings, dwarfing even the hills and mountains that surrounded the valley in which the town lay. So enormous was the structure that Twilight only now realized that she stood in its shadow, feeling strangely small.

Twilight’s shock was interrupted when she felt the presence of several minds from further within the school begin to draw near. Ones that felt strangely familiar, and yet altogether different at the same time.

Reaching out to them, Twilight felt like they were zerg, but not like her brand of zerg hybrids, or even the zergling and creep-mind she had accidentally created. Rather these creatures were fierce, single-minded and more a ball of instinct than a true thinking being like the individuals Twilight knew. Though even then Twilight could feel that some other mind was piloting them, driving them directly towards her for a purpose she couldn't grasp.

The sound of their many feet prompted Twilight to consider running, only to take a single step and feel a twinge of pain shoot up her leg.

Evidently her sprain had not been as healed as she would have liked, and with that slowing her down, she doubted she would be able to heal it in time to escape. With running now no longer an option, Twilight tried to activate her magic again, not willing to give up her most potent form of offence after such a meagre first attempt. Searching for the magic she knew lay within her, Twilight eventually discovered the well of power that resided deep in her chest.

After getting a handle on the magic, Twilight tugged and directed it towards where her horn would be with the intent of channelling it like a unicorn would. Upon reaching its destination, the power fluctuated, unable to exit Twilight’s body and manifest fully. Redirecting that flow Twilight pushed her magic into her smaller arm, remembering how it felt to use her earth pony connections.

While she concentrated, several dark shapes emerged from within the destroyed structure, revealing themselves to be a pack of zerglings overseen by a pair of hydralisks. Upon seeing her, they seemed confused more than anything, chittering some manner of greeting while trying to mentally reach out to the former unicorn. As Twilight activated the leylines from her chest and her arm, she wondered what to do about the curious creatures.

That question was answered a second later when one of the hydralisks suddenly narrowed its eyes on her. A second later it turned and announced something in its guttural tongue, prompting the rest of the zerg to slowly encircle the unicorn. The zerglings’ tiny wings extended and their clawed limbs rose menacingly into the air while behind them the hydralisks readied themselves.

Feeling her fingers fill with energy, Twilight lowered her body and balled the larger of her two fists. “Well, alright then, if you want a fight, let's do this,” she muttered.

A guttural yell from one of the hydralisks preceded twin bursts of dagger-like projectiles fired from their shoulders while the zerglings charged. Twilight had seen this coming, however, and had conjured a purple shield around her body, deflecting the attacks but also forcing her to use more power than she liked. Though her magical reservoir had taken a hit during the two back-to-back fights and a rather draining teleportation, Twilight was confident that she had enough to deal with these creatures.

Raising her clawed hand, Twilight reached out with her psionic power and squeezed a zergling as hard as she could. Its chitin cracked, its limbs twisted into uncomfortable directions, and its cries came out as a series of squeaks before ending abruptly when its skull caved in. The rest of the zerg hacked away at Twilight’s defences with increased fury, but she hardly paid them any mind.

It may have taken a steady flow of magic to keep her shield up, but that was fine, as she had power to burn. Curling her hand into a fist, she used her psionic ability to telekinetically punch a zergling so hard that its head was forced into its chest cavity. She didn't pause to ensure her target was dead, however, and swiftly brought down her phantom limb atop a third creature, crushing it flat against the pavement.

Gripping a fourth zergling tightly, Twilight threw the thing as hard as she could into a wall, where it splattered like a bug against a windshield. With only two zerglings left, as well as the hydralisks, Twilight made a mental note to keep one of the more intelligent creatures alive. Which meant she didn't need either of the zerglings and with a quick pulse, she conjured a long spear of pure force. Invisible to the naked eye, Twilight rammed it through one of the zerglings, before bringing it down hard against its friend. The pair thrashed around on the strange weapon before it unexpectedly expanded, causing both of them to explode violently and paint the ground with their entrails.

Twilight hardly even had a chance to turn towards her final two enemies before one of them barreled into her shield and shattered it. Stumbling back, Twilight didn't have the time to conjure either magic or psionic power before the hydralisk was upon her, though she didn't need to. Deciding now was a good time to test her physical strength, Twilight reached out and grabbed the hydralisk’s arms a second before their scythe-like limbs could slam down against her.

Her foot slid back a few inches before coming to a stop, the former pony easily holding her opponent at bay. For a second what could only be described as confusion flashed past the creature’s face, though it was short-lived. Noticing that it was leveling its shoulders down at her, Twilight bent the creature's arms to the side before ramming them through its head.

Pushing aside the twitching hydralisk, Twilight strode forward and deflected the last creature’s attack with her psionic abilities. After the third burst was tossed aside like nothing, the hydralisk growled and lurched forward, arms raised above its head. Twilight didn't let it get another inch closer and grabbed it tightly in her telekinesis while reaching into its mind.

“Let’s see what's going on here, hmm?” Twilight murmured.

Piercing through its memories was a difficult process, as the beast's mind didn't seem designed to remember anything that didn't help it kill. Still, Twilight managed to find something at least, namely a voice, one that sounded almost like her own, yet different in a way. Where Twilight’s seemed almost normal, but with only a slight warble, this one vibrated and was completely alien.

“It's almost uncanny,” Twilight murmured. “It sounds just like… me?”

The voice was distant and was growing even more so with each passing second, as if it were retreating from the creature’s mind. Chasing after it, Twilight tried to nail down the source of the influence, curious as to what manner of being could take control of a hydralisk. Her investigation hit a dead end when the psychic connection was suddenly severed and a strange hum vibrated at the back of Twilight’s mind.

She barely had time to grapple with the unexpected hampering of her psionic powers or the way it made it hard for her to think before the creature suddenly died. A dull thump came from behind her before a gaping hole opened on the side of the creature’s head, allowings its brains to spill out. Growling irritably, Twilight threw the dying beast aside, ignoring its pained gurgle as she turned towards the source of the strange sound.

“Who dares interfere with my… what the?” Twilight muttered.

Standing a few feet away were what looked like most of her new friends, only they were human and were not accompanied by a certain pink-haired girl. They were armed with tube-like projectile throwers Twilight recognized as the so called ‘guns’ Celestia had warned her of. Each one wore what looked like armor, though it was fairly light and really only effectively covered their torsos. All save for the person Twilight assumed was Applejack who wore an incredibly heavy set of midnight black armor that covered nearly her entire body.

“What in the hell is going on here? Where did that strange energy reading come from?” shouted someone who looked almost like Celestia’s wayward former pupil Sunset Shimmer, though her red and yellow hair had been cut short and was partially hidden beneath a black cap.

“Wait, is that… her?” whispered the individual next to her. “No, it can't be. She stopped trying to clone herself months ago.”

Twilight assumed the speaker was Rarity, given that the human’s gear was clean, and she wore no manner of head coverings, allowing her long hair to flow freely. The only weapon she seemed to have was a far smaller black gun with a long barrel and six visible chambers.

“No way is she a failed clone, she doesn't have those weird skeleton wings,” remarked Applejack.

The woman carried a large double-barreled gun that immediately made alarm bells go off in Twilight’s mind. Her face was partially obscured by a helmet that left only small slits to reveal her vibrant green eyes peering out from within. Around her waist was a thick black rope, while strange red shells covered the front of her chest in a line from top right to bottom left.

“I know not who you are talking about,” Twilight replied dismissively. “Though I’d appreciate it if you lowered your weapons.”

“That's exactly what she would say!” growled Rainbow Dash, the helmeted girl holding a slimmer gun with a long black brick sticking out of it.

“M-maybe we should just ask her,” offered Fluttershy, who nervously hid behind Applejack, the human bearing no weapons, a red plus sign emblazoned upon her chest.

“She's clearly infested, and we need to bring her in before Twilight regains control of her. Applejack, would you mind cuffing her? Fluttershy, be ready to counter any psionics, Rainbow Dash, you are on support, tranqs only,” commanded Sunset Shimmer, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she pointed the long tube at Twilight. “If you have any intelligence left in that head, I’d advise you let this happen without a fight. Believe it or not, we are trying to help you.”

“So just try and relax now,” added Applejack, who slung the double-barreled weapon over her shoulder and approached Twilight with a pair of very large handcuffs. “I don't want to hurt ya.”

“I’m not under anyone’s control and if you would just listen to me for two seconds, I can-” Twilight began, her irritation getting the better of her.

“She's psionically active!” exclaimed Fluttershy. “And very powerful, it's like the psi disruptor can't even touch her.”

“Make it quick, girls, we might not have much time!” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed.

“Right,” Applejack murmured before surging towards Twilight and attempting to tackle the much taller being.

Despite the continued hum at the back of her mind, Twilight could still focus enough to defend herself before being bowled over by the armored woman. Their hands met, and their muscles bulged as both parties attempted to wrestle down their opponent with Twilight gaining an early advantage. Only for Applejack’s chest to glow a faint yellow and her strength to nearly double in the blink of an eye.

Grunting in pain, Twilight began to be pushed back, her hands bending uncomfortably in the other direction. She wasn't beaten quite yet though and shoved hard with her much larger arm, pushing the human off balance. Letting out a confused yelp, Applejack stumbled back, allowing Twilight the chance to twist the girl’s arm and force her to the ground.

“You're strong, but I’ve wrestled dragons!” Twilight shouted, reaching for the human’s throat, intent on taking a hostage and giving her a chance to talk things out.

“Oh no, you don't!” yelled Rainbow Dash who unleashed a flurry of sharp needles into Twilight’s side.

Though most didn't manage to puncture the thick jacket Twilight had been given, the pony still felt several sharp points jab into her torso. The flood of chemicals into her veins was small but potent, her side becoming numb before Twilight could tear them out. Growling irritably, Twilight tried to reach out and pluck the weapon from her enemy’s hand, but in a flash of blue light the woman became a blur, dodging her attack.

“You’re never gonna catch me,” Rainbow Dash gloated from behind.

“I don't have to touch you to do that,” Twilight’s smaller hand shot out, summoning her psionic power and grabbing the woman by the neck and hoisting her into the air.

“Ack, too tight,” Rainbow Dash gurgled, legs flailing wildly beneath her.

“Let go of her, you overgrown lab experiment!” Applejack shouted, scrambling up off the ground.

Without flinching, Twilight dodged her punch before she grabbed Applejack by the shoulder and, with a swep of her leg, brought the armored woman to the ground. A swift boot atop the back of her neck stopped her attempt to get up, and a subtle press of her heel stopped her from reaching for her weapon. Twilight had no chance to try and negotiate however, as something large and heavy slammed into her gut, knocking the wind out of her.

She narrowly managed to stand her ground, keeping her hold tight on Rainbow Dash’s neck but not so tight that she accidentally harmed the girl. Glancing up at Rarity, Twilight noticed that she was now holding a long tube-shaped gun which she cocked and leveled Twilight’s way once more. The infested woman wasn't about to let her have a second free shot, however, and raised her free hand, working a simple enchantment to heat the metal to unbearable levels.

The girl let out a cry of panic before throwing the weapon away, quickly tearing off her half-melted gloves. “You brute, that was my favorite shotgun!” Rarity yelled bitterly.

“I don't care if it's your bloody life partner, now would you please listen to me for two second-” Twilight began, only for the rest of her words to come out as a garbled yell due to the several thousand volts of electricity pouring through her body.

Collapsing forward, Twilight lay there spasming, her psychic abilities faltering before being cut off entirely when a collar closed tight around her throat. Worse yet, the tranquilizer darts had not stopped doing their work and within seconds Twilight’s entire lower half was completely numb.

“Thanks for the save,” Rainbow Dash remarked between fits of coughing.

“Yeah, she was tougher than she looked,” muttered Applejack as she picked herself off the ground.

“You three toss her in the back of the jeep,” Sunset commanded. “Fluttershy and I will check to see if the mirror has been reactivated.”

“Right away, darling,” Rarity replied, summoning a large gem-shaped shield next to where Twilight’s still twitching and lightly smoking body lay.

As she was roughly dragged onto the smooth gemlike surface, Twilight watched as Sunset waved a thin wand-shaped device in front of the statue. Fluttershy stood nearby and after the other girl nodded, Sunset reached out and touched it. Sunset’s hand pressed against stone without passing through, and Twilight deduced that her mission had been successful in the end.

A second later she was dumped haphazardly into the back of a metal vehicle, an act that would have been painful, if she could even feel anything below her neck. As she lay there and tried to get sensation to return to her tongue, Twilight felt the other six take their seats somewhere behind her.

“Do you really think that energy fluctuation was magic?” asked the soft voice of Fluttershy.

“I don't know, but either way, this one shares too much of a resemblance with our Twilight to just be a coincidence,” Sunset Shimmer remarked.

Rarity scoffed. “You don't think it's the version of her from your world, is it? I mean, come on, Sunset, this one is nearly twice as tall as the other Twilight and looks like she's been hitting the gym since she was eight years old.”

“Well, she didn't kill any of us when she definitely had the chance. Seems like an Equestrian thing to do, considerin’ how nice they supposedly are,” remarked Applejack.

“There are some differences between the two realities, though the fact she isn't an emotionless killer means there is a chance she is from my world,” Sunset Shimmer answered, the vehicle humming to life. “Either way, we’ll dump her at base before continuing on our mission. Hopefully it won't be long until we get to the bottom of things.”

Twilight let out a low sigh as her vision started to become dim. At least they aren't planning on killing me, she thought bitterly before darkness closed in on her.

Comments

[Edguy0009]

Huh, wasn't expecting things to go this way.

[Warrior Kitten]

Well that proves it. She's a mix between Kerrigan, Stukov and possibly some others. The mirror tried to match her to a template and tried Kerriganesque first before settling on Stukovesque, even gave her the hat which I find amusing.

[CrossoverFanficReader]

Twilight let out a low sigh as her vision started to become dim. At least they aren't planning on killing me, she thought bitterly before darkness closed in on her.

They're Humans in the middle of an extra terrestrial extermination campaign on their people, of course they're going to kill you. They're just going to do it slowly, and painfully in a lab rather than the relatively painless death the Humane 6 had in store for you.

[Alicon Glactistar]

Directing her attention down to her own body first, Twilight noticed that her gryphon-made coat had returned, only this time it had come with a white undershirt. Inspecting herself revealed that she wore tall black leather steel-toed boots, a pair of heavy dark grey trousers, and the hat of a navy officer. Which she immediately took off her head and tossed aside, unsure of why the mirror had given her such a thing.

Jojo?

[tsaukpaetra]

Interesting, they've recovered their gems early then. Fortunate.

[Xalok]

10751038
No this is a hint to Alexei Stukov Who Twilight has taken the role of in this story

This guy right here
https://starcraft.fandom.com/wiki/Alexei_Stukov

else Jest any chance that Twilight get herself a hat at any point ?

[Jest]

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mmmmmmmmmmaybe