Vexes of the Multiverse

by Crowborn

Chapter 8: Truth and Pain

Chapter 8: Truth and Pain

Twilight carried the injured and unconscious Rainbow Dash upon her back, nestled just between her wings. She followed Verse as he led them back through the Worldscape, back to Nowhere. All the meanwhile Twilight glared at the stallion, but he didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't show it.

Anger swelled in her chest as in her mind she questioned how such a being could be so heartless...

For a moment, I actually thought he was a kind pony! Oh how wrong I was... she growled in her thoughts. In what reality is it okay to save millions of ponies imprisoned by immortality but not okay to save a single pony who is being...who is being...!! she couldn't finish the thought as the horrifying memories what had happened to Rainbow Dash flashed in her mind.
She gave another concerned glance at her unconscious friend before turning back to Verse, her angry glare returning.

With another pop they were once again in Nowhere, the place Verse claimed to be his home. Like before, the walls of the mansion seemed to slide out of nothing to build the structure around them. With a blink they were back inside the mansion, and it looked just as it did before. If she was in one of her more curious moods, she might of asked him how he did such things, but right now she was too angry to bother.

Verse finally turned to her, "Hate me if you wish, but know this: In my line of work, one cannot worry about the life of a single pony, not unless it is of universal importance. My job isn't to solve all the injustices in every little universe we see. No, My job is to make sure every universe is purged of any deviant path that it is not as it should be." His eyes then narrowed, "And today, you made me do something that is against that very nature, just because you couldn't stomach a little gore."

Twilight bared her fangs, "She is my friend! There is no way that I will let any of my friends suffer like that!" Her eyes burned with anger.

To her surprised, the stallion's expression softened, a pained and sorrowful look upon his face. "Your naivety reminds me of my younger self....Unfortunately, like I did, you will find that suffering and horror are all too common in the Multiverse..."

The stallion then walked away, no longer seeking to continue with conversation. Twilight growled, still angry at the stallion for what he did.

She made her way back to the room that she decided to stay in last time. Using her magic she carefully maneuvered Rainbow Dash towards the showers, to wash the blood from her blood-soaked fur. Twilight was as gentle as possible, whispering soothing thoughts of comfort to Rainbow Dash all the meanwhile as she washed her. She was careful not to agitate any if her wounds, careful to not reopen the newly formed scabs that her healing spells had helped to create. She paused as she noticed that there was still a piece of bone jutting out from one of the stumps where Rainbow Dash's wings once were. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered gently.

After she finished cleaning the blood from Rainbow Dash's fur, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it gently around her still unconscious friend to dry her off a bit. However she was not completely successful as she watched Rainbow Dash briefly wince in pain. She apologized before continuing on, even gentler than before.

Just as they exited the bathroom, Twilight began to wonder where she might find some bandages when she spotted a full size medical kit lying on the bed, where it had not been before. Verse must have put it there. And, while she was still very much angry at that night sky-eyed stallion, she was thankful for the kit.

Twilight was no medical expert, but she was knowledgeable enough, having read more than a few books on the subject. She carefully applied medicine to Rainbow Dash's wounds and then gently but firmly wrapped the wounds with the necessary bandages.

Then, using her magic, she carefully tucked her still unconscious friend unto the bed, letting her get the much needed rest that she would need. Twilight then once more took the form of her purple unicorn self, and sat next to her sleeping friend, hoping that she would be okay....
--

It had been about two weeks since Rainbow Dash had been rescued from that awful reality. Rainbow Dash hadn't yet awoken, but her breathing was stable and the nightmares that she had had in the first week seemed to have died down.

Verse only came by to drop off food and drink, and to supply Twilight with a healthy dose of love energy. At first Twilight had completely refused anything that the Stallion gave her, but eventually hunger had won, and she grudgingly accepted it. Twilight never left her friend's side; caring for her and changing bandages when it was necessary.

Twilight sighed, "I promise, Rainbow Dash, no one will ever hurt you like that again. I promise..."

To Twilight's surprise, Rainbow Dash began to stir, slowly opening her eyes. "T-Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, blinking a few times to get the sleep out of her eyes.

Twilight smiled, "Rainbow Dash, you are awake!" She said excitedly, hugging Rainbow Dash in relief.

"O-Ow!!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, wincing in pain. Twilight then pulled away, apologizing.

Rainbow Dash sat up, now noticing the bandages wrapped around her. "Wha...What happ--" suddenly all the memories of what had happened with her and Pinkie Pie flooded back into her mind.
She then turned to Twilight, panic on her face, "Twilight! You have to be careful! Pinkie Pie has gone insane! Pinkie Pie is--" she paused once again as the final memory before she had fallen unconscious passed through her head. A dark grey hoof appeared, grabbing Pinkie Pie's jaw and breaking her neck before ripping her head off entirely, showering Rainbow Dash in Pinkie Pie's blood.
"--Dead. Pinkie Pie is dead..." She said, her body slightly shaking in shock.

Twilight put a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "T-That...Thing...was not Pinkie Pie. The real Pinkie Pie would never do that. That Thing was a monster," she said angrily, refusing to consider the monster that had hurt her friend as Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash looked down, "Oh..." She then looked at the bandaged stumps where her wings used to be, tears welling up in her eyes. "M-My wings...she took my wings! I-I-I can't fly anymore!! W-What good is a Rainbow Dash that can't fly?" She asked, breaking into a sob, as her voice filled with distraught.

Twilight hugged Rainbow Dash with a solid embrace, tears following from her eyes as well. "Don't worry Dash, you are still my friend, and you still mean the world to me. Besides, I bet if we ask Celestia, she can get you new prosthetic wings so that you can fly once again!"

Rainbow Dash cried for a bit longer before nodding her head, "I would like that..." She then began wiping her tears, before looking around them.

It took a few moments before her voice was steady enough to ask, "Twilight....where are we? And where are the others?"

Twilight paused, pondering if she should lie or not, but decided Rainbow Dash deserved better than that. "Nowhere. And by that I mean that this place is literally called Nowhere, not that we are nowhere, obviously..." She chuckled nervously, "As for the others...it is just you and me....a-and one other pony, but he isn't important right now."

Rainbow Dash gave a confused look, "Nowhere? What do you mean Nowhere?" she asked.

"She means you are in Nowhere, my home and domain that exists outside of the Multiverse," spoke a voice from behind them, to which Twilight immediately recognized as Verse's voice.

They both turned to see the tall, dark grey stallion standing there in the doorway, his face emotionless.

"W-Wha?! Who are you?" Rainbow Dash demanded, surprised by his sudden appearance.

Twilight sighed, "His name is Verse, and he is the Spirit of Time and Space or whatever..." She said, rolling her eyes

"And of Multiversal Balance," Verse corrected. Twilight didn't give him a reply but Rainbow Dash turned to to face the mysterious pony, "A spirit? You mean like Discord? I guess that means you are kinda a big deal, right?" She asked.

Verse simply nodded, while Twilight scoffed.
"You should consider yourself lucky. She is the only reason you are even here right now," he said as he turned and walked away, pointing at Twilight before disappearing.

"What does he mean, egghead?" Rainbow dash asked. Twilight then sighed, "It's a long story..." she replied. She then told her about everything that she had learned since first waking up here.

Rainbow Dash was silent for a while staring at her hooves, "So...does this mean...you aren't my Twilight? You know, with the whole multiverse thing?" Twilight looked away, closing her eyes. "No. I am not the Twilight from your world...I-I'm different...."

With a deep breath, Twilight dropped her disguise, revealing her true changeling form. Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise before collecting herself.

"So what are you, some kind of bug-Twilight from a bug world?" Rainbow Dash asked, having not encountered changelings yet in her world.

"I am a changeling, a being who can change its form and feeds off of love." Twilight replied, not meeting Rainbow Dash's eyes, afraid of the judgement she night see in them.

"Seriously? That's weird....but pretty awesome too! Is there a bug version of me too in your world?" Rainbow Dash asked, excitement beginning to bubble in her voice.

Twilight turned and looked at Rainbow Dash in surprise. She had not expected her friend to handle the knowledge of her true form so well. "W-Well, no....you are still you there. I just had a different birth mother than your world's Twilight..."

"Oh." Rainbow Dash replied, "This other Rainbow Dash....does she still have her wings?" Twilight looked down at her hooves before slowly nodding.

"Oh." Rainbow Dash replied with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Twilight hugged her friend once more, "Come on, let's go get something to eat, I bet you are hungry after all that time in bed..."

Rainbow Dash felt her tummy grumble and she nodded with a sheepish smile, "Okay, I'd like that..."