Guardians of the beyond VOL I

by Red24

Book I Chapter IV “Equaltopia“

Eclipse shakes his head and stretches, taking deep breaths in and out. His appearance was slightly altered to look more like a normal pony, choosing the form of a normal unicorn. His wings and two horns vanished, and his eyes more normal with it being white over the teal-green and his iris more dilated. Nullah looked around with a mini polaroid to take photos of this new place, but so far it was rather dull and quiet.

“Now, don’t get disappointed." he started, stretching his arms, "I know it'll look like we just went to a different city, but, I can promise you. This is a completely different dimension!!” He points to the city which was almost identical to Canterlot.

“There’s an infinite amount of realities so you can never run out! Some are incomprehensible to the mind of a normal pony, and some are almost the same just a little different like earth ponies know magic just for example!”

He rambled a bit, jumping a little like a foal getting a gift on Hearts Warming. But he was excited to explain and have sompony to talk to after being alone for so long.

“This isn’t my Canterlot. Because mine is bustling with snobby ponies and the occasional tourists,” Winter points out as she walks out into the streets. There were speakers at every few lampposts playing soft music, “where is every pony?...”

He trots down with her; he felt it looked rather normal he had seen stranger Equestrias’.
“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s Sunday?” he chuckles, “it looks nice and quiet and I like the music it makes you feel...at home” they looked at a few shops around them.

“But it feels so...mono...” she went to a shop and looked into the windows but it was dark.

Eclipse shrugged, “well, not everywhere can be as colorful as your world but I see your point,” he says feeling a little uneasy....it was more strange the more he thought about it but didn’t want to make Winter worry.

A door opened to a nearby cafe and a dull gray-looking pony with a giant smile and slightly Dilated eyes walked out.

“Hi! Excuse me!” Winter trotted over right away, Eclipse followed along with Nullah hiding away in Eclipse's hair, “I don’t mean to be rude but what day is it? Is it some holiday? Where is everypony?”

The pony looks at her despite the giant grin, it looked...odd.

“Welcome~,” she says note blinking

“It’s Wednesday we are opening at our arranged opening hours, you look.....different,” she says cheerfully curious, yet a little robotically.

Eclipse could sense something was up and looked around as a few more grayed-out ponies, all looking not too different, and.....their cutie marks! It was an equal sign!! His ears dropped down, remembering one of the entries in the Friendship journal!!

“Opening hours?” Winter looked confused but then saw the pony's cutie mark, also remembering the entry. How could she not when she spoke to Starlight a few times?

“Yes! We all come out at the SAME TIME! My name is Lemon Fresh! We are all Equal here!..all the same,” she kept smiling, “but you are different....” she looked at Winter's blank flank. “You seem...lost”

“Um...yeah...” Winter nervously says as they back away, “yeah we Uh..gotta...bye!!” The two ran off, hurrying down another street, “I thought you said this was a good dimension!!”

“Well, I mean...I might not have told you something...” he says whilst running. As more and more Equal ponies arrived and started to follow them. But their pace was equivalent so they couldn't fully keep up with the two strangers, but their numbers were greater. Panic set in both Eclipse and Winter as they tried to find a way out of the city.
They kept running through the city, however, they got separated at a fork. Winter ended up running into a crowd of equalized ponies and was captured.

“Don’t worry we will help you” they said in unison there were too many for her to resist.

“Okay, this is way too creepy!!” Winter exclaimed as they brought her to the palace.

Eclipse went back when he realized his new friend wasn't with him. When he saw Winter being surrounded by the citizens he hid, but he felt horrible. “I got her into this mess....”

Nullah came out from Eclipse’s hair. Also giving a disapproving look.

“Well, I didn’t know!... I mean I knew it could be dangerous but I hadn’t thought this reality existed!” Nullah still looked Disapproving. “Look I should be able to rescue her right? They do that a lot and these Equal ponies aren’t strong so it should be easy....right?”

~~~

Meanwhile, in the palace it was full of Equal images, the stained glass windows of the hall weren't as bright and colorful. The events they depicted were also different. Mostly promoting egalitarianism and how it rose because of their great leader. Everypony walked in unison even the guards looked the same. Well, the guards were always the same- but still, this was creepier.
“You will love it here! Leader Starlight will show you the way,” a stallion said to her.

“You're so lucky you haven’t had to deal with the horrors of a cutie mark,” another says in admiration.

“I appreciate it but I really should be going!” Winter insisted but was only taken to the throne room. There stood Starlight Glimmer, but she was a little taller than the others, almost alicorn height. With the fake staff of Sameness.

Starlight looked down at Winter, there was a great sense of power in her, she was a little surprised but then smirked at the blue Pegasus. “Welcome~,” she greets in a way that would make one uncomfortable,
“I can assure you there’s nowhere else you will want to go,”

Winter had to admit, Starlight was a lot more intimidating like this. “I-I wanna go home!!” Winter cried. Starlight sat up from her throne, levitating the fake staff alongside her.

She slowly walked down from the throne to winter and gave a sweet smile her voice became somewhat more nurturing.
“Shh it’s okay, don’t worry! I promise you will be alright, you poor thing. I’m sorry if I scared you,” she pats Winter. Starlight was a master Manipulator and she knew that this pony wasn’t just from around here she was intrigued.

“This must be so different for you. I apologize for how we acted,'' Starlight apologized, still sounding calming and welcoming, trying to make Winter feel better. “I noticed you lack your cutie mark?”

“I-I never found my special talent,” Winter explained, watching Starlight walk around her, inspecting every part of her.

“You didn’t?! You're so lucky!” She said with enthusiasm, “you have never been but at an unfair advantage to any pony else you should not take this for granted what is your name young one?”

“U-Um...W-Winter Sea...o-or just Winter...” she gulped. “H-how am I lucky? I’ve just been bullied for not having one...”

Starlight looked shocked and started to get emotional. “They did what?! That’s horrible! Bullying is disgusting, you should have never been through that....” she might have been playing up.
“This is what Special talents do....they give ponies superiority complexes and it makes them want to destroy the weak, without your special talent you're weak. You're stronger than most because you are the same here, we are all family, Winter Sea, we all love each other and are always happy,” she walks with Winter from the throne room to a comfortable but big living room to make her less intimidated.

She asked for one of the ponies there to bring them tea and they left to do so. Winter sat across from Starlight as she put her staff bedside her. “You’re not like the others...not as um...faded,” Winter says, trying not to sound rude.

“Where do you come from?” Starlight questioned.

“Cloudsdale...” Winter replies. She wasn’t completely lying.

“I see” Starlight sent a telepathic message to one of her servants to see if they could find records of Winter. “Would you like me to get you anything?” she inquires, trying to be welcoming.

“Some tea and something sweet,” Winter spoke up hesitantly.

Starlight requested them for her, the food had special ingredients that would make one feel more relaxed and comfortable. Soon receiving a telepathic reply about her request. “Starlight she is from Cloudsdale.....but she’s with me right now.....she can’t be with you...” the pony replies confused. Starlight then looked at Winter intrigued.

Winter picked up one of the cupcakes, glancing at Starlight who only gave a kind smile. It did look yummy with its perfect icing and sprinkles, it looked like something Pinkie Pie would've made! She was skeptical but she was hungry and didn't want to be rude so she took a bite.

“I’m...surprised you have something this sweet! Seeing how every pony is equal and all,” Winter replies, remembering the awful cupcakes Pinkie Pie had to eat. It made her confused, how could something so yummy be made by someone without the talent for it? Even if they didn't have the talent for it they should be able to make a decent cupcake having baked a few herself. Yet wouldn't the equal marks prevent ponies from making something more delicious than another? It was all confusing and Winter didn't want to think about it so much.

“Maybe you only believe it’s sweet because you can see its sweetness. Yes, everything in our Equal world can be just as wonderful if you truly believe,” She beamed knowing this will soften her. “Winter, may I ask if you have a....twin?”

It was starting to work with every bite she took. Winter shook her head. “No...I was born an only child to two Wonderbolts,” she explains, “I don’t think they’re that happy that I’m not like them, or the fact I still don't have a cutiemark," she slurred, what was going on? "...you see... our family is descendants of Snowdrop, who brought beauty to winter and snow...I think that's why my parent's named me after the season...,” she wasn't sure why she suddenly disclosed so much about her privet life.

Starlight thought how could she be an only child if there’s an identical.....then she thought. What if this Winter is from a parallel universe? Much like that other universe Twilight had tried to hide from her.
If so, this could be very important, she had been told there was another purple pony spotted it would also explain Winter's lack of knowledge.

“Your parents treated you like that?..that’s not right, this is why just because Snowdrop's cutie mark gave her amazing power you were judged and compared, in our Equaltopia ponies accept other ponies for who they are! We are all family, we all love each other,” she repeated as it would slowly sink into Winter without her knowing, the warm fireplace gave a comforting and slightly hypnotic feel as the flames flickered and crackled.

Winter's chewing slowed down, glancing at the dancing fire, then looking down at her tea, its gentle ripples a little with every little movement almost mesmerizing. “I just...I want to make everypony proud of me for once...” she revealed, when there was a knock at the door, and another mare came in.

“I brought her Miss Glimmer,” a guard announced, stepping aside and much to Winter's surprise, was another Winter! The other winter had an Equal mark and greyer, with a huge grin the same as all the others. She eagerly trotted up to them

“Welcome Winter, meet yourself from another world!” Starlightintroduced while smirking. The Equal Winter looks at her other self, who was more vibrant in color.

“Hi, I’m so happy to meet you I hope you will join us~”

“I didn’t know that there was another me!” Winter said excitedly walking over to her. “Wait...if you have an equal then...what was your talent!” she questions in awe and bewilderment.

“I don’t remember as it was taken when I was young but I’m so grateful...Winter, I’m so happy here! There’s never a moment when I’m not, I feel so bad for your world and you, here my parents are proud of me for who I am,”

Starlight then went and hugged the Equal Winter, “yes we are all the same, and everypony will love you, Equality is happiness, it’s the truth! This you from our world saw it, I'm sure you will too!”

Equal Winter returned the gesture with a side hug of her own. “here we are all family we can have friends...even find love...”

Winter started considering such possibilities. “But...what if I do get my cutie mark?...will everypony hate me?...” she doubted, frowning as the herbs kicked in. The relaxing atmosphere increased the soothing hypnotic feeling inside her that began to unfold.

“No never! If that happens we will free you from the evil mark, I only want to make us all happy the towns ponies want to make you happy because we love you regardless we are all one~” Starlight assures, levitating her staff towards her, "With this staff, I can use it to rid you of that mark if it were to ever appear."

Equal Winter nodded in confidence and said, “Princess Twilight, Princess Cadence, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia all saw the light as well! Equity is happiness!”

“Love....happiness...” Winter was overwhelmed, liking the idea of finally being accepted into a place that saw her as family. As herself and not by some mark...

“Yes, Equity is happiness” Starlight repeated whispering in Winter's ear.

“You and your friend can be here together, forever in eternal bliss,” the words were seeming valid and a little vague. Winter was sitting back on the couch without realizing it, as Starlight the other Winter sat on either side of her...

Comments

[garbage_bin]

I am very interested to see where you will take this story
keep up the good work

[Red24]

11424401
Thank you! I’m so glad your enjoying
There’s many great chapters to come so stay tuned