My life's taken a major downward spiral. I've turned into Miranda from W.I.T.C.H. and have to deal with ponies
My life was going fine.
I had a loving family, had a somewhat okay job and was just enjoying life.
That all changed when I randomly found myself turned into the villian, Miranda from the show W.I.T.C.H. and now have to worry about whether the Guardians are coming after me or not.
Sure, I've Folded into Equestria, but how much time will that buy me?
I need to find a way home, fast.
Sex tag because of talk of sexual stuff since the main protag used to be an adult.
Wait. Featured 19/9/2022? There's a rather pleasant surprise. Thank you.
I groan, my head pounding as if someone’s been slamming it against a wall for, like, half an hour.
I put a hand to my forehead and rub circles for several moments. I was always being told that helps, though I never really tried it.
It takes a while, but my head eventually at least stops pounding and I can think a little.
Seconds later, however, I immediately wish I hadn’t, as my body is aching all over. It feels like those times you push your body to its absolute limits and then you drop to the ground, it hurting to even move.
What in the world happened?
Opening my eyes, I glance around… and find myself immediately panicking. I’m not in the real world anymore.
I don’t know where I am, but I know for sure I’m not in the real world. Everything around me looks like a cartoon. And there’s snow everywhere, so it must be winter.
Bad. This is very, very bad. How in the world did I wind up in a cartoon?
Wait. What was I doing before this?
Moaning a little as my head starts to hurt again as I try to remember, I have the vaguest memory of being annoyed at my TV. It was one of those older ones, not a flat screen and it had recently started this odd thing where it would completely turn out if audio from specific moments in whatever I was watching played.
I think I was rewatching Filli Vanilli and it turned off right at the beginning, as Fluttershy was singing to her animals.
I remember… being really annoyed and reaching down to turn everything off at the power point to try again and… and…
Shit. I can’t remember anything after that.
Does that have something do with my ending up… wherever I am?
Sighing, and knowing I’m not going to figure this out laying here in… wait, I’m in an alley? Great. That bodes well.
Grunting, I use the wall to prop myself up… wait, this is metal and cold as. What..?
Turning, I realize I’m propping myself up with a green metal bin.
Pushing myself off quickly, I yell, “Ew! Uh, that’s just gross! What kind of…?”
I trail off, raising my hand to my throat. My voice, it… it doesn’t sound normal.
It sounds… like a girl.
Cocking my eyebrow, my eyes immediately widen as something I somehow hadn’t noticed before makes itself very well known.
Something I had my whole life is missing, and what I feel in its place setting off tons of alarm bells in my head.
I’m a girl! I’ve somehow turned into a girl! What the flying fuck?!
Looking down at myself, I see I’m wearing some kind of long-sleeve, button-up (I’m going to guess) blouse, a long navy-blue skirt, knee-high navy-blue socks and black… I think loafers?
“What in the world?” I look myself over a bit, before holding my hands out in front of me. “This is seriously bizarre. How in the world am I a little girl in some cartoon show? And what cartoon show?”
Giving the area around me a better once over, I see I’m in the back alley of what looks like a Chinese Restaurant.
Okay. So I’m in a world where there are definite real world similarities. That’s a good start.
Looking around the window interior to see if anyone’s inside that I might recognize (I mean, if I know the cartoon I’m in, the main characters are the best ones to go to for help), I blink as I see someone staring back at me… and I immediately know who she is.
It might’ve been a few months since I last watched any episodes, but I know that black hair, freckles and blue eyes anywhere.
“Miranda?!” I yell, getting into a fighting stance. I blink, she does too.
Crap. Hope she stays in her human form. I’ve no chance otherwise.
Wait a minute. I can see through here. That’s her reflection. She’s behind me!
I whirl around. “What are you… doing... here?”
I blink. She’s not there. It’s just the brick wall of the back alley.
Turning around again, I see her reflection is still there.
I point. “What kind of trick are you… playing… this... time?”
When I pointed, Miranda did the same. And, when I started talking, glaring at her, she did too.
A cold chill goes down my spine that has nothing to do with the weather.
Slowly, I walk towards the window, Miranda mirroring my movements and reach a hand out, her doing the same.
My hand touches simple glass, cold to the touch, my hand meeting hers.
I look to Miranda, seeing her wearing an expression of fear mirroring how I feel.
I take several steps back, my eyes wide with panic.
“No. No, it can’t be possible. I’ve turned into Miranda?!”
I quickly glance around the window, seeing more of the details. I know this restaurant. It’s Yan-Lin’s restaurant.
I’m in the world of W.I.T.C.H. and I’ve turned into Miranda! Of all characters I could’ve turned into, why her?!
“Okay, okay. Stay calm,” I tell myself, it harder to keep my panic rising hearing Miranda’s voice coming out of my mouth instead of my own. “You can solve this. Depending on the season, you should be able to find a way to open a Fold and… and…”
I blink, before ringing my hands through my hair.
“And do what?! You’re not you anymore! You’re Miranda! And how exactly are you supposed to get anyone to help you? Miranda’s a bad guy, you ignoramus! One look at you and no one’s gonna think twice before attacking you.”
I wince, cringing.
Especially Elyon. Yeesh. I really need to make sure I don’t run into her and… and…
“Aw, jeez!” My hands fly to my nose. “What is that?”
I’ve never smelt anything so vile in my entire life. I can’t even describe it, it’s so foul.
“Hey. Blunk not an “it”. Blunk is Blunk and… YAH! Spider Girl!”
Looking around, I see a small green goblin-like thing standing on the air unit on the top of the door into the alley.
It’s Blunk and he looks horrified.
He turns to run, but slams his face into the wall and fall down.
Forgetting his horrendous stench, I rush forward and catch him, grunting as I hit the ground.
I look down to Blunk, wanting to make sure he’s safe.
He has a dopey look on his face, telling me he’s slightly out of it.
However, my attention suddenly is drawn to something around his neck. It looks like a brown tusk with a jewel in it, which I immediately recognize.
I don’t remember what it’s called, it’s been way too long since I last saw season two of W.I.T.C.H., but I know what it does. It can open a Fold.
Blunk opens his eyes, which widens and he starts shaking.
“Sp-Sp-Spider Girl not want t-t-t-to eat Blunk. T-taste very bad.”
At once, I want to vomit, grimacing at the thought. “Ugh. Eat you? Not if my life depended on it.”
Blunk’s expression suddenly becomes confused. “Huh. But Spider Girl always trying eat Blunk and… wait.” He glances around, before looking back to me. “Spider Girl try and save Blunk. Why save Blunk?”
I’m about to answer him, when I hear a sound kind of like a wind chime and a bright blue light appears behind us.
Turning around, my eyes widen as Kaleb step through, dressed in his casual Earth clothes.
The moment he sees us, he freezes in place, his eyes locked on me.
I try to think of a way to stall so I can actually explain this, but the shocked expression on Kaleb’s face starts morphing into anger. “Miranda!”
Shit! With no other plans, I reach for the thing around Blunk’s neck. “Sorry, Blunk! Gonna need this!”
I yank it off, breaking the string holding it around his neck.
Kaleb charges at me and I use the fact I’m physically smaller to my advantage, ducking down and through his legs.
“Hay Lin!” his voice yells from behind me. “It’s Miranda! She’s here!”
Fuck! I am not dealing with the Wind Guardian. No fucking way!
Sure, she might’ve been the easiest to explain this too, but not with Kaleb around.
This would’ve been so much easier had I simply ended up in another cartoon, like Friendship Is Magic. At least there, no one would know who I’ve turned into so I could actually talk.
Praying to God for a miracle, I thrust the horn down in the air in front of me.
To my shock and relief, a Fold opens.
I don’t even bother to check where it leads. If I can at least get away from Kaleb, I can figure something out.
I cry out as I feel my arm holding the horn pull back and let go, leaping through the Fold, hearing Kaleb yelling in anger and a gasp from who I know is Hay Lin.
I tumble forward, rolling for a bit, feeling bushes and twigs hitting me, before I skid to a stop at the bottom on a hill.
I don’t do anything
I just lay there for a moment, briefing, trying to calm down.
After a few moments, I sit up and look around, before cocking my head.
I’m in a field. A large field full of noting but apples trees.
I blink, before sighing. I know those apple trees. They’re from the Sweet Apple Acres. I didn’t go home. I Folded into the MLP universe.
I smack myself on the forehead. Right. How could I be such a dumbass?
My last thoughts before I opened the Fold were about FiM. Of course the Fold would lead to it.
I sigh, shaking my head. It’s a waste of time to berate myself over that. I’ll just open another Fold, thinking of home this time and… and my eyes widen with horror.
Where is home?! What is home? I know I live in Austrlaia, but, beyond that, my mind’s a blank!
“Come on, Miranda!” I tell myself. “Remember home. Remember… wait. Did I just call myself Miranda? But that’s not my real name. my real name is… is…”
My heart starts pounding in my chest.
Shit! Home isn’t the only thing I can’t remember. I can’t even remember my own fucking name! Every time I focus on it, all pops up is Miranda!
“No! No, no, no, no-no! This is not happening! This is not happening!”
I pace back and forth, hands on my head.
“I have to be able to remember my name! I know I’m not really Miranda… but I can’t remember what my real name is!”
“What in tarnation?” a scraggily voice says from behind me.
I yelped, whirling around so fast I trip and fall on my ass.
Looking up, I see a green mare with a grey mane wearing an orange shawl with apple prints on it looking back at me with a puzzled expression.
“G-Granny Smith?” I blurt out, before clamping my hand over my mouth.
The elderly mare gives me a suspicious look. “Ah am. Be who’re you?” She rubs her chin. “Don’t rec’n Ah’ve seen yer kind round these parts afore. What are ya?”
“I’m…” I start, but stop. I’m not human anymore. I’m Miranda, so I’m… Actually, I dunno what in the world Miranda’s species are. Was it ever even mentioned in the two seasons? “I… don’t know,” I say, deciding to be honest.
Granny blinks, her expression softening. “Ya don’t know what ya are? Ya fergot?”
I just nod. I don’t know what else to answer with.
Her expression becomes concerned. “Do ya remember where yer from?”
I want to answer with Earth, but pause. Can I? I don’t properly remember my Earth. I know it’s not like the Earth I just came from, but…
I decide to shake my head.
Granny walks over. “Do ya want some help?”
Blinking, I remember how I got here and shake my head. “Thank you for the offer, Granny Smith. But I should be just fine. All I need is to use —”
It’s only now I realize something is not in my hand.
I stare at my empty hand for several moments, before my eyes widen in horror.
“Where is it?!” I whirl around, looking left and right, before I remember what happened.
Someone, likely Kaleb, grabbed the horn and, on instinct, I let go before going through the Fold.
I slump to the ground, slamming my fist into the grass. My only means of opening more to get home and it’s back in the W.I.T.C.H. universe.
“You okay, honey?” I feel a hoof lightly on my right shoulder and turn to the elderly member of the Apple Family, her expression soft concern.
She reaches her hoof out and wipes my cheek, which I only now realize has tears rolling down it.
“I… I don’t know what to do,” I say, looking down at the ground. “I’m stuck like this, in your world, with no means of returning to my own.”
Granny’s expression becomes confused for a moment. “World? Now what in tarnation are ya talkin’ about…? Wait. Is you one o’ them hue-mans my granddaughter talks about sometimes?”
At this, my head snaps to her. What? Who told her about humans? Not Apple Bloom. The CMC never experienced anything related to the Equestria Girls world… did they?
Applejack? Twilight did tell her friends about what happened at Canterlot High after she return through the mirror in the Crystal Empire, not to mention was with the rest of the Mane 6 when Twilight opened the portal to go deal with the Sirens, so it would make sense Applejack would know and might’ve mentioned something in passing to her family.
I groan, putting a hand to my head as it starts hurting again. This is too much to think about right now. I need a rest.
“Well, ya can explain later,” I feel Granny lightly shove me, so I stand up and start following her through the fields and fields of apple trees. “Ya look like ya could use some food and rest. Supper’s almost here, so ya’ll can have some an’ stay with us fer now, if’n ya like, Miss Miranda. Such an odd name,” she mutters.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to cause you any problems, Granny Smith,” I say honestly, shaking my head.
She just shakes hers in return. “Never’n you mind, young’n. Ain’t no trouble at all. Ya’ll can use Applejack’s bedroom for the night.”
I blink, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. “Um… don’t you think you should ask Applejack about that first? I’m not so sure she’ll wanna sleep in the same room as me.”
“She ain’t here,” Granny just replies simply.
I pause, before running to catch up. “Huh? What do you mean she’s not here? Doesn’t she live on this farm? Uh… hi, Big Mac,” I add, waving nervously as we pass the big red stallion as he walks by, pulling a wagon of apples, only to pause when he sees me.
He gives me a glance up and down, before saying “Eeyup” and moves on, heading towards the big red barn not too far off, likely to put the wagon and its supplies away.
“She’s off with Fluttershy on a Friendship Mission,” Granny says, before pausing, nearly causing me to walk into her. “T’ Las Pegasus, Ah think she said. Dunno what kinda Friendship Problems they’d find there exactly.”
Wait, come again? Las Pegasus? Why does that sound familiar…?
I groan as I try to remember, my head pains getting worse again.
I remember something about an Elvis Pony. And were Rick and Morty there? I think?
“Stop!”
The firm hoof on my arm makes me look up to see Granny giving me a stern look. “Ya can’ force yer memories, honey. They’ll come back on their own in due time.”
She leads me up to the farm house, specifically the entrance from the kitchen and I walk in after her.
I see Apple Bloom at the dinner table, setting down three plates next to a basket of apples and a large glass bottle of what I realize a second later is apple juice.
However, my eyes are drawn more towards her flank. More specially, the shield with a heart inside an apple Cutie Mark emblazoned upon the yellow filly’s flank.
That click something in my mind. My memory is still pretty fuzzy, but that tells me I’ve arrived some time during after season five, because I know that’s when the CMC get their Cutie Marks after helping Diamond Tiara remember the meaning behind her own mark.
“Whoa! Applejack wasn’ kiddin’!”
I’m pulled from my inner musings to see Apple Bloom circling me with a critical eye.
“Ya don’t got a tail and stand on yer hind legs, just like Spike.” She leans towards my hands. “An’ ya got them hand things that’re like claws too.”
“Hands aren’t exactly odd, you know,” I say without thinking. “Minotaurs have hands too, after all. They’re not that uncommon.”
I blink as I realize what I’ve just said. Whoops.
“Did ya remember somethin’?” Granny asks, turning around and looking at me.
“I…” I glance away, before sighing. “No, not really.”
She shakes her head. “S’alright. Take yer time.”
“Granny, who is this?” Apple Bloom asks as her brother walks in through the kitchen door.
Granny nods to me. “This here young’n’s name is Miranda. Found her in the orchard, all confused. She’ll be stayin’ the night. Tomorrow, Big Mac, you’ll take her t’ Princess Twilight. She might know what’s goin’ on an’ how Miranda got here in the first place.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac nods to his granny, before nodding to me and I find myself nodding back on reflex.
“Til then, let’s tuck in,” Granny says, walking over to the stove and pulling up a tray of… flapjacks?
“Yer in luck, Miss Miranda!” Apple Bloom says excitedly, bouncing in front of me. “T’night, we’re havin’ Breakfast Fer Dinner.”
I just nod, grinning sheepishly and follow the filly to the table and sit down as Granny and Big Mac start setting everything out, Granny also bringing an extra plate for me.
MEANWHILE ON EARTH
“It was definitely Miranda!” Kaleb said as he, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin stood around a table in the back of the restaurant.
“I knew she’d show up eventually,” Will said, frowning in confusion. “but I never would’ve guessed she’d just show up in the alley. And why didn’t she even try to fight back?”
“Yeah,” Cornelia nodded. “It’s not like that ugly spider beast to just run away without even trying to put up a fight.”
“Not to mention miss out on a chance to much on Blunk,” Irma added.
“Any clue where she Folded too when she used the Tonga Tooth?” Kaleb looked to Will, who shook her head.
“It was random. Wherever she Folded to, she wasn’t really thinking. I can’t track it.”
“My grandma says she’ll contact the Council tomorrow morning,” Hay Lin said, rocking her feet back and forth as she sat atop a storage box. “Though, while I only saw her for a few seconds, Miranda wasn’t acting like herself.”
“What do you mean?” Irma asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Hay Lin rubbed her chin. “She was… scared. Like, I got a glimpse of her eyes just before she fell through the Fold. She was really scared. Not like every other time she’s gotten away, either. She seemed genuinely afraid.”
“Well, she should be,” Kaleb slammed a fist into his palm. “We lost track of her as we were traveling from Kandrakar to Meridian. Once we track her down, she’s going in jail along with the rest her villainous pals.”
I glower at the pathetic fools as they lead me through the halls of Kandrakar, towards the Fold where our forces are all bound, be it by chains, rope and even wood, ready for transport.
“She the last of them?” one of the traitorous guard’s asks the one holding my bindings.
He nods. “It’s a good thing Caleb and that Passling were able to knock her out long enough for The Guardians to dispel the enchantment giving her all that power.”
“Don’t bother trying to transform, Miranda,” that wretch Tynar says, looking to me. “Those are enchanted to keep any creature bound in them from changing form. That includes you.”
I just hiss at him, though, inwardly, I’m smirking.
They think I’m powerless. That I’ve no chance of escape… but they’re wrong.
I watch patiently as Tynar and the rest of his traitorous lot move all of our forces through the Fold, until I’m the only one left.
Did they leave me til last to try and make me feel worse as it dawns on me my final moments of freedom are ending?
Well, won’t they be in for a surprise?
The large oaf, Vathek, shoves me roughly and we walk towards the Fold.
“Enjoy your final moments of freedom, you wretched beast,” Vathek says, shoving me forward.
The moment I feel myself passing through the Fold, I enact my escape.
While I lost almost all the power my dearly beloved Cedrib gave me after he tricked that ungrateful excuse for a ruler, Phobos, into giving him permission for a percentage of the power he’d taken from the former Guardian Nerissa, unaware Cedric would take 100%, after those accursed Guardians defeated my Cedric, I was able to keep a tiny fraction of that power, even after all was said and done.
It’s barely a spark, not even worthy of being called a flicker, but it’s enough.
I call on the spark of power within me, altering my destination when I’ll leave the Fold.
Those fools won’t even realize I’m free until… wait. No, what’s happening? Why’s everything going dark?
I scream, shooting up in bed, my breathing heavy and laboured.
I just sit in the bed for several moments, trying to calm my mind and breathing.
What…? What in the world was that I just went through?
It felt like I was falling into nothingness, my very self fading away, dissolving into a void of emptiness.
Were… were those Miranda, the real Miranda’s, final moments?
Pushing the covers of Applejack’s bed off me, I turn and lean my legs over the bed, my eyes not really staring at anything.
Is… is that why I suddenly found myself as her?
She’d tried using that last spark of magic she’d gotten from her share of The Seal of Phobos’ energy and it had backfired on her, big time?
She’d meant to escape, but, I think she somehow ended up erasing her essence. That or her mind or… I shudder at the thought, her very soul.
That must be why her body was empty when I ended up in it. Maybe she’d unintentionally linked us and, the moment her body had a vacancy, my soul got yanked in to fill it.
I shudder again, suddenly imagining whatever it would’ve looked like to others, my real body just suddenly slumping forward, empty, like Asuna Kagurazaka in the original Negima! anime, how, once her time was up, her eyes simply went vacant and her body fell, dead.
I slap my face with both hands and shake my head.
Now’s not the time to worry about the what ifs.
If my body is soulless, maybe there’s a way of putting mine back in it.
Just have to hope time works differently in Equestria than back home. If time moves at the same pace, my parents probably already would think I’m dead and plan to have me cremated.
Glancing out the window, I see the sun is already up and, judging by the lack of anypony charging in to ask why I was screaming bloody murder, the Apples are out in the fields already.
Then again, Granny Smith’s so old she just might not have heard me.
Sighing, I get off the bed and put on the clothes I’d arrived in.
Yes, I slept naked. They didn’t exactly have any night clothes I could wear and I wasn’t wearing clothes I’d been wearing in an alley in Applejack’s bed. Thankfully, Granny said she’d washed them they’d be clean by the time I woke up.
Heading downstairs and into the kitchen, I find a small plate with some apple slices and what looks like cinnamon toast, with a note simply saying, “Miranda’s Breakfast”.
Shrugging, I sit down at the table, grabbing one of the glasses and pouring myself some water from the jug next to the set in the centre of the table.
When I’ve finished breakfast, I take my dishes to the sink and do my best to clean them, before heading out to find Big Mac, so he can take me to Twilight so we can see if we can sort this whole thing out.
Turns out, I don’t have to go very far.
As I walk down the porch, Big Mac trots up, pulling a wagon full of basket of apples.
“Eeyup,” he says, nodding and heads towards the barn.
I take that to mean to wait and so I do.
A few minutes later, Mac and I are walking through Ponyville.
It being early, not too many ponies are out, which helps, since it doesn’t mean I’m getting countless stares from all around.
Granted, I do still get stared at, but with the sparsity of ponies out, it doesn’t feel all that uncomfortable, plus, I don’t recognize any of them, so they must all be background ponies.
We reach Twilight’s castle in good time and Mac knocks on the door.
To my surprise, it’s Starlight Glimmer that opens it.
Okay. So, she’s already reformed. That’s one hurdle I won’t have to deal with.
“Oh, hi, Big Mac and… um…” Starlight looks at me in confusion, before it becomes curiosity. “Wait. How are you still a human and when did you come through the portal?”
Now I’m the one confused.
I just stare at her in bewilderment for a moment, before it clicks. Mirror Magic must’ve already happened.
“I’m Miranda,” I say, holding out a hand, it only occurring to me a second after how odd it must look, though Starlight shakes it anyway.
“Well, nice to meet you, Miranda,” the unicorn says she takes back her hoof. “I’m Starlight Glimmer. What can I help with?”
“You and Twilight, actually,” I say, glancing to Big Mac, who nods. “Can we come in? It would be easier to explain it to both of you at once instead of multiple times.”
“Eenope.”
Starlight and I both turn to Big Mac, myself very confused. “Huh?”
He just nods to Starlight, then turns and heads back the way we’d come… myself and Starlight just standing there, staring after him.
“Guess… he thinks you don’t need him around now?” Starlight suggests, rubbing her neck. “Honestly, Big Mac is so hard to read at times.”
I give an exasperated sigh, rubbing my eyes with one hand, before looking to the unicorn. “Okay, let’s just go inside. Time is kind of an issue.”
“This is so interesting,” Twilight says, rubbing her chin.
The three of us are sitting in Twilight’s castle’s library, myself having just finished explaining what I can to the two ponies, including the dream I had showing the real Miranda’s final moments.
Spike’s apparently out doing errands of some kind, so he’ll be getting his own explanation, though I’ll leave that to Twilight or Starlight. I’m not too fond of repeating myself and the subject matter isn’t exactly helping with that.
“So, this Miranda was downright evil?” Starlight asks, looking to me.
I nod. “Oh, completely. There’s not a good bone in her whole body. Um, I mean…” I glance down at my hands.
“I get it. I get it,” Starlight assures me with a slight deadpan, waving a hoof. “But… shouldn’t these… Guardians, did you call them?”
I nod. “Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin. They fought Miranda and her cohorts so many times.”
Starlight nods. “So, they’re aware Miranda escaped and you’re in her body now?”
I grin nervously. “Not… exactly. Like I said, Caleb didn’t really give me time to explain.” I frown, folding my arms. “Though, the fact they haven’t come after me is really weird. It shouldn’t take that long to track where the Fold I opened would lead to. Wonder what’s keeping them.”
“Well, it’s probably for the best,” Twilight gets up from where she’d been sitting and starts pacing. “Even with our magic, I’m not sure we could hold them back long enough to let them hear the whole story, let alone send you home.”
“Wait, you think you can do that?” I ask, standing up quickly.
“I’ve never really heard of this Folding before,” Twilight rubs her chin. “But, if I have a little time, I should be able to figure it out. There must be some reference to it somewhere in my books.”
“I’ll help,” Starlight holds up a hoof. “Two heads are better than one, after all.”
“I’ve studied the portal to Sunset’s world enough to see the method sounds slightly similar,” Twilight pauses in front of said mirror, before turning back and looking to me with a confident smile. “Give me a few hours and I should have something.”
I just stare at her, before cocking an eyebrow skeptically. “A few hours? Twilight, it took Princess Elyon a lot longer to learn how to Fold than a few hours.”
“Well, no offense to this Elyon, but she’s not me,” Twilight says a little smugly.
I roll my eyes. “Alright. Give it your best shot, though I’m not too sure that’ll be long enough. Besides, what about my body? I still need to transfer my soul back into it.”
At this, Twilight’s smile fades and she looks to me with a sad look. “I’m sorry, Miranda. If your soul really has been switched into the body of this one, transferring you back would be impossible without your real body. We’d need it in order to do that.”
“And getting my body from my family wouldn’t exactly be the easiest thing to explain,” I nod, rubbing my neck. “Hey, Mum and Dad. I know I don’t look like your adult son when I’m a little girl, but I really am him. Mind if I take my body through that gaping hole in the air so I can have a purple pony princess transfer my soul back into it?” I shake m head. “Like that’ll work.”
Twilight nods. “So, our best bet is simply sending you back to your world. I know you don’t want to live as Miranda, but, as things stand, it would probably take too long to explain things before your old body becomes too dead to be able to switch you back. Even twenty-four hours is a long time.”
I nod sadly, before bowing my head. “Thank you, anyway, Twilight. While I would rather return to my own body, if you can’t do that, returning to my world as I am is at least better than nothing.”
“Twilight, I’m back and… how’d you stay human after going through the portal?”
We turn to see Spike walking in, carrying several paper bags in his arms.
“Ah, Spike, perfect timing,” Twilight chirps. “Would you mind showing Miranda around the castle?”
The purple drake looks to me and I nod, confirming I’m whom his mother is talking about.
Yes, I said mother. It’s how I see their relationship, so why not refer to it as such.
He shrugs. “Sure. Maybe I’ll show her around town too.”
“Baby steps, buddy,” I smile, walking over and kneeling down, offering a hand, which he shakes. “Baby steps.”
“Okay, I won’t lie, I did not expect them to be done that fast,” I admit to Spike as we walk through the doors into the castle.
After he’d given me a tour of the castle, we’d gone out into town for a small tour.
I say small, because, with more ponies moving about now, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself.
We went to Sugar Cube Corner, where I was surprised to not find Pinkie Pie at all. Mr. Cake was at the counter and Spike had smoothed things over as best he could without actually knowing anything.
While we’d eaten a snack of cupcakes, I’d explained my story again.
He’d taken it in stride pretty well, though him mentioning my predicament sounded like something from a Power Ponies comic explained that.
It was as he’d been showing me towards Rarity’s boutique an hour later that he’d belched up a scroll from Twilight, her saying she might’ve figured out a rough way to send me home.
“I just hope, when Twilight says “rough way to send me home” she doesn’t mean it’s going to be rough getting home,” I rub my arm nervously.
Spike nods, frowning as he folds his arms. “I know she has a lot of information thanks to the mirror to Sunset’s world, but I can’t help feeling that was too quick, even for Twilight.”
“You can thank Discord for that.”
We turn to see Starlight walking towards us, looking a little frazzled.
I blink, before facepalming. Discord. Why didn’t I just try him first?
“So, Discord’s just going to send her home?” Spike asks as we follow Starlight towards… the throne room? Okay, didn’t expect that.
Starlight shakes her head. “He popped by just to mess a little with her, but when he learned what she was doing, he gave her a small push in the right direction.”
I frown. That feels a little too helpful for Discord. There’s must be a trick in this somewhere… I wonder what though.
We enter the throne room to see Twilight standing next to the map.
All around her are diagrams and scrolls with scribblings I can’t even pretend to begin to understand… and is that a magic circle made from chalk on the ground around her.
“Never thought I’d say it, but I’m glad Discord barged in like that,” the alicorn says as she turns to face us. “It wasn’t easy, but I now have a rough idea how to open a Fold for you, Miranda.”
“Twilight, I have to ask again, are you sure about this?” Starlight asks, slightly nervous. “Nopony has ever opened a Fold before. We don’t know how it’ll work or even if it will.”
“What happened to the cheery Starlight we met coming in?” Spike asks, looking at the unicorn.
Starlight grinned sheepishly. “I honestly was just trying not to worry you.”
I sigh. Why do I not feel confident about this?
“Okay, Miranda,” Twilight points to a wall, where I see she’s drawn another magic circle with chalk. “I’ll cast the spell. All you have to do is think about where you came from and a Fold should open up there, allowing you to return home.”
“Twilight’s it’s barely been two hours since you started trying to figure this out,” Spike says anxiously. “Are you sure this is even safe?”
“Discord wouldn’t lead us down a path that would harm Miranda,” Twilight says reassuringly… which is far more than I would expect. Does she really trust Discord that much now, especially after the whole Blue Flue thing?
Twilight doesn’t let us argue the point any further as she lights her horn and closes her eyes in concentration.
At once, the circle around her glows with a lavender light, as does the one on the wall.
Starlight lights her horn, channelling her magic towards Twilight, applying the spell’s power.
Spike and I watch anxiously for several minutes as the two ponies strain.
“Miranda,” Twilight grunts, her eyes tightening as she puts more power into the spell. “Focus on your home as best you can.”
I turn to the glowing circle on the wall and concentrate, doing my best to try and picture Earth.
It’s not easy, but I think I’m getting a vague picture of it in my mind.
Suddenly, a bright light flares from within the circle. The light opens out like a tear, revealing an empty whiteness.
“That’s… the best we can do!” Starlight gasps as the strain of maintaining he spell seems to become more difficult. “We can’t… keep it open… for much longer!”
“You have… to go, Miranda!” Twilight struggles, gritting her teeth with the effort of the spell. “Go, now!”
“I… I guess this is goodbye then? Already?” Spike looks up to me and I nod, giving him a small smile.
“Looks like it is, buddy. Sorry.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Miranda,” he holds out a claw. “It was interesting, getting to know you, even if only for a few hours.”
I smile, shaking his claw. “I feel the same way—”
“GO!” Twilight and Starlight yell.
We jump, before I give Spike and apologetic smile and look to the mares. “Thank you both. I”ll never forget this, or you and be forever grateful—”
“We know! Just go already!” Starlight yells, cutting me off.
Not wasting anymore time, I focus back on what I can vaguely remember of home and run towards the Fold, diving in.
I cry out as I tumble forward, slamming into something that grunts and fall back onto my ass.
“Hey, careful there, kid,” an unfamiliar voice that sound like a man’s says. “If you don’t watch where you’re going, you could seriously hurt yourself.”
I open my eyes, expecting to see a real world man staring down at me with a little concern… but I see a cartoon man… in W.I.T.C.H.’s animation style.
I get up quickly, looking around to see I’m in some kind of diner… in Heartherfield. The diner’s literally called Hearthfield Diner. Talk about unoriginal.
My heart sinks as I walk over to an empty chair and slump down in it, putting head in my hands.
I ended up back in the W.I.T.C.H. universe? I just knew Twilight’s eagerness was too blinding for her. I should’ve insisted she properly study the method of Folding until she fully grasped it.
Now what am I supposed to do?
Being back in Hearthfield means I’m now going to have to get around without the Guardians finding out I’m back. The only way I’m going back to Equestria is through another Fold and I can’t open that unless I find Blunk again and, knowing my luck, he’ll be sticking close to the Guardians so he doesn’t get eaten.
“What am I gonna do?” I slump forward on the table.
“Miranda?”
My heads shoots up at the unfamiliar male voice and I glance around, before I notice one of the teenagers behind the diner counter, a tall boy with short brown hair and blue eyes, is looking around, holding a wall phone in one hand.
“Anyone named Miranda around…? Huh?” he puts the phone up to his ear and does another scan of the diner, before his eyes fall on me and he points the phone at me. “You? Are you Miranda?”
I blink, hesitating, before answering slowly, “Yes?”
“Your father, Gregor is calling,” he holds the phone out expectantly.
I just stare at him blankly. Miranda’s father? What? Since when did she have a father? I mean, it would make sense in the end, but why would he be calling this diner? Wouldn’t he be in Meridian?
How in the world would he be calling a diner on Earth? And how in the world would he know I’m here?
The guy is starting to look annoyed, so I take the phone and raise it to my ear, him giving me another quick annoyed look before returning to work.
“Who is this?” I ask cautiously, before making my voice firmer. “And how did you know I was here?”
A man’s voice (didn’t the teen say his name was Gregor?) chuckles from the other end. “My dear Miranda. It’s been far too long.”
That is not an answer.
“Hey, I asked you a question,” I say firmly, turning away from the front of the diner so I’m looking at a wall. “Who are you and how did you know I was in this diner? I didn’t even know I was going to be in this diner until a few moments ago.”
“That was two questions, my dear Miranda,” the man on the other end replies.
I scowl. “Whatever. My point still stands. I know you’re not Miranda’s father, Gregor, or whatever your real name is. If he’s even still alive, he’s somewhere in Meridian, so there’s no way he’d be calling some random diner in Hearthfield.”
“So inquisitive, my dear Miranda,” he chuckles.
“Quit saying that!” I hiss. “I am not your Miranda and, judging by your voice, you’re an old as shit dude, so it’s really freaking creepy and gross. So, quit messing around and explain how you knew I was in this diner!”
He just chuckles again. “If you’ll do me one tiny favour, I promise I will make everything clear.”
“I don’t think so, pal,” I growl. “Knowing old creepy guys like you, you’ll want something you should go to jail for. You sound like the pedo type.”
Again, he just chuckles. “I promise, it’s nothing so vile, my dear Miranda. Just say Pord Lartsa and all will be explained.”
“Spord Lartsa?” I ask, before blinking, my eyes widening. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that the spell for—”
“Goodbye,” he cuts me off, the line going dead.
“Hey! Hey, wait!” I yell into the phone, panic surging through me.
He just tricked me into saying Pord Lartsa. That’s the spell that creates Astral Drops, copies of whomever says the phrase.
Did… did he want a copy of Miranda? And, since I don’t see one near me, it would’ve appeared on his end. Who is this Gregor and why did he want an Astral Drop of Miranda?
Before I can think beyond that, however, I suddenly feel like my gut has been yanked backwards, before I feel my whole body being pulled back.
The world blazes with light, before I feel myself slam backward into something, hard, winding me causing my vision to immediately start to fade.
“Miranda!” I hear a worried voice call from far away as the world goes completely black, then silent.
I groan, wanting consciousness to stay away. I was happy not feeling anything.
However, wakefulness was clearly not going to be denied, as I become more and more aware that I am indeed awake and no longer in the realm of sleep.
For some reason, a small voice in the back of my mind is telling me that’s probably a good thing, but, having only just left the land of sleep, I can’t think why, so tell that voice to shut up.
Slowly, I sit up, rubbing my head… feeling a bandage wrapped around it.
For some reason, I think that’s important, but I’m still too half-asleep to properly focus.
Opening my eyes, I lazily glance around the room, the darkness, only broken by moonlight, telling me it’s night.
The room isn’t much. It’s a room that is clearly made of crystal, so… I’m guessing in Twilight’s castle, with nothing but a window that looks out to I don’t know, since it’s to the right of me and I’d need to turn my head to the wall behind me to look in the direction it’s facing and I’m in a simple single bed with blue covers.
“Why am I here?” I ask out loud, despite knowing I’ll get no answer.
I keep moving my gaze over the empty room, as if I somehow expect something new to be there that could clue me in on what the heck just happened.
I groan, putting a hand to my head. “Come on, Miranda, think. You… you went through Twilight’s Fold… found yourself in… in… Heatherfield and… and you—”
My eyes shoot open, any lingering grogginess completely forgotten.
The diner. The old man. The Astral Drop spell!
Shit!
“I have to warn Twilight and the others!” I hurriedly get out of the bed, only to flop forward on the cool hard floor.
Note to self: Do not rush out of bed when your body isn’t done catching up with your brain.
I take a few moments to push myself off the ground… only now noticing I’m wearing some kind of nightdress.
Nope. Gonna file any thoughts about how and why til later. We could all be in real danger.
Whoever that old man at the other end of the phone call was, he somehow knew I’d be in that diner. That isn’t something just any old man would’ve known.
He had to have some form of magical knowledge to pull that off.
Crawling to the wall nearest the bed, I use the wall to pull myself up and make my way out the room and down the hall.
Granted, I have no idea where exactly I’m going, but I need to try and find Twilight. Or at least Spike or Starlight.
The fact someone in Heatherfield knew I was going to be in that diner is a real cause for concern. No one should’ve known I’d be there.
The Guardians of both the Infinite Dimensions and Earth itself should be the only ones even aware I’d recently been on Earth and should still think I’m somewhere else, a random dimension.
No one else on Earth should know I had been on Earth, let alone that I’d arrive back there and at that specific diner, no less.
I faintly start to hear the sound of multiple voices, quickly picking up Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie among them and move towards the direction they’re coming from.
Wait. Why’re they meeting up at this hour? Are they having a slumber party or something?
As I near what I realize is the main entranceway, where I remember the door leading to the map room is, I’m suddenly blinded by a flash of light-blue light, a light-purple pony face with big blue eyes blocking my vision.
Next thing I know, my body is tingling, similar to when I jumped through the Fold and I feel like my stomach is yank away from me.
Before I can get my bearings, I feel something wrap around me and shove me down, holding me there.
Part of me is screaming to defend myself, but I’m too discombobulated to properly think.
By the time I’ve gotten some semblance of thought working, I feel the tingling again and, when it stops, I fall to my knees, dry heaving, my stomach wanting to empty its contents, but having nothing.
When was the last time I ate, anyway?
“Queen Chrysalis said they only took Luna and Celestia— and, clearly, Twilight and the others,” Starlight’s voice is saying.
Wait, hold on, what?
I shake my head, trying to clear it. Damn, I miss being able to think perfectly straight.
“There’s no hope coming from the Crystal Empire.”
Wait. That voice kinda sounds familiar.
Looking up, I see a Changeling walking out from the bushes in front of us, it only now registering to me I am now outside Twilights castle, next to Starlight and… Trixie?
Okay, someone is going to need to help me catch up, here.
I do, however, recognize the Changeling, at least vocally. It’s Thorax, the Changeling who went to live in the Crystal Empire.
Any chance I had I trying to learn more is cut short however, as my eyes are drawn to Trixie and I find myself having to hold my hands over my mouth to try and not laugh.
She’s flipping out. Seconds after I recognized Thorax, she started screaming and flailing her forelegs around, Starlight immediately putting a bubble shield around her fellow unicorn, cutting out the sound.
It’s hard to pay full attention to what Starlight and Thorax are talking about, Twilight’s voice indicating he transformed into her at one point for some reason, because Trixie doesn’t stop.
She keeps flailing around, pounding her hooves against the bubble, her open mouth clearly indicating she’s still screaming.
It’s reminding me of that Cone of Silence scene from the Get Smart movie and I can’t help finding it hilarious.
That’s not to say I don’t understand we’re in a bad situation right now.
Once Starlight lowers the bubble and introduces Trixie to Thorax (I seem to have been forgotten, annoyingly), I learn that the reason Starlight teleported me out of castle so quickly is because the Changelings are back and they’ve taken both Celestia and Luna as well as Twilight and the others and, according to Thorax, evening Shining Armour, Cadance and Flurry Heart.
Meaning, had Starlight not yanked me out of there like she did, as uncomfortable as it was, I could’ve walked in on the Changelings and been caught myself before I even knew what was happening.
I would question how they managed to pull this off, but, if they came after everypony in their sleep, the only one who could’ve fought back would likely have been Princess Luna and even she couldn’t fight an army of Changelings on her own.
“Who’s this?” Thorax voice pulls me from my inner thoughts to see he’s indicating to me.
“This is Miranda,” Starlight say, a little hurriedly. “She comes from another world. She’s been out cold for the last couple days after a spell went wrong.”
Wait, I’ve been out for days? How many, exactly?
“Nice to meet you,” Thorax walks up to me and hold out a hoof.
I lean down, shaking it without really thinking.
“There has to be somepony else who can handle this,” Starlight’s voice pulls me back to the present, but Trixie goes up to her.
“There is nopony else. Everypony with powerful magic is already gone”
I mean, shouldn’t Equestria have a few allies by this point? I know the griffons aren’t the nicest of creatures, but at least Gilda and that other griffon she’s friends with would want to help save Dash, right?
“You know, whenever ponies talk about powerful magic, they always seem to leave me out,” My eyes widen as I whirl around, my head turning upwards to see Discord laying on his back atop Trixie’s carriage (was that always there?), knitting… and Angel Bunny voodoo doll, I think? “If I wasn’t so evolved I might take it personally.”
Okay, this solves the Changeling problem and probably mine too. all of mine, actually.
“Well, isn’t this quite the combination of secondary characters?” Discord smiles down at the trio, pointing at each with one of the knitting needles, apparently ignoring me. He looks back at his work, before looking back at them with an eyebrow raised. “Where’re Twilight and the girls?”
I cock an eyebrow at him. They’d… be in bed, like most others? Well, normally, anyway. Hasn’t Discord ever heard of a sleep schedule?
The trio looks up at him blankly, before Starlight narrows her eyes. “First, how do we know you’re really you?”
Thankfully, Starlight doesn’t usher an incident of our faces getting rearrange for the answer, Discord instead answering the question simply by snapping his talon, causing the ground to turn to soap suds, causing us to slip over and fall, my nightdress getting muddy, several flowers to start dancing the tango and a nearby tree turning into a cuckoo clock with a squirrel in place of the bird.
Discord smiles snidely down at them, lazily lying on his stomach, his head propped up by his arms. “Shall I continue?”
Starlight nods, giving Discord a quick annoyed look, before speaking firmly. “Chrysalis and the Changelings are back. They’ve poninaped all the most powerful ponies in Equestria. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armour, Flurryheart, Twilight and her friends—”
At once, the mood changes. At first, Discord was looking bored, but the moment Starlight says Twilight and the others were taken, his eyes widen and the air grows colder, all the chaos he just made around us returning to normal in and instant, before he’s right in Starlight’s face, a very dark expression on his own.
“They took Fluttershy?!”
“Yes!” Starlight says urgently.
“Where?” he snarls, his eyes glowing with malice.
A chill goes down my spine. Oh, shit. Man, I thought never thought it would go there, but Discord looks ready to kill somebody.
Glad I’m not the Changeling Queen right now. She dead.
Before Starlight can get much more out aside from them all being taken to the Changeling Kingdom, Discord has teleported us to a random clearing somewhere in Equestria, with all of us now sporting rucksacks and clothing fit for an adventure, myself now wearing the clothes more like those Miranda would normally wear in Phobos’ castle, plus a rucksack of my own.
Discord looks around, confused, just as I feel. “Odd. I was trying to take as straight to Fluttershy,” he lifts a boulder and lowers his head, his eyes stretching out and moving back and forth along the ground, “but there is no Fluttershy.”
Trixie gives a quivering gasp, pointing. “I think I have a pretty good idea where she might be.”
We turn to follow her hoof to see… The Outlands from the Lion King 2? Okay. Not exactly how I’d have pictured the Changeling Kingdom to look.
Thorax shudders. “I hoped I’d never see this place again.”
Discord looks back towards the Changeling Kingdom, frowning in confusion. “Oh, that’s so strange. We’re here,” he points to the ground, “and that’s there,” he points to the area before us. “And I clearly meant for us to be there and not here.”
“Oh, I-I can probably explain—” Thorax timidly tries to say.
“Oh well!” Discord says loudly, cracking his fingers. “If it at first you don’t succeed.”
He moves to snap his lion paw, but is stopped when Starlight grabs it in her magic. “Maybe we should come up with a plan first?”
Discord blows off her magic, before giving her a quizzical look. “A what?”
“You know, figuring out the best way to do something before you actually do it?” Trixie says snarkily.
Yeah. Discord’s planned thing before. His taking over Equestria a thousand plus years back, his attempt to retake it again by making Twilight and the others the opposite of their Element to destroy their friendship, proving Twilight sees their friendship as important by pretending to be sick. He’s planned lots before, how do you not know what a plan is?
He laughs, before patting her hat. “Oh ho-ho-ho. That’s adorable. But, you see, unlike you, I can do anything.”
“Actually—” Thorax tries again, clearly having something important he knows about his former home that could be important for us to know, before the other male in our group silences him with a finger over the mouth.
“That’s all very nice, but really a waste of time,” Discord smiles, waving off any explanations. “We have me. What else could we possibly need?”
“A draconequus with magic and half a brain might help.” Damn. Trixie, you spitting fire today. But how are you so confident against DD when he’s way more powerful than you and could literally turn you to mush with but a thought?
Discord leans down to her level, laying on his stomach. “Why are you here again?” You’re the one who teleported her here with us, don’t you know? “I mean, it’s not like you’re going to stop the changelings by pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” As he says this, he takes off her hat and pulls another Trixie out, stopping at her head. Wait, is that the Equestria Girls Trixie or just a double of Trixie? “At least my magic can do something.”
“The thing about magic here is—” Thorax starts.
“Like this!” Discord calls out, snapping his fingers, before there’s a large flash and he’s dressed in knight armour, riding atop a pig with wings. “For Fluttershy!” he calls triumphantly, the pig starting to fly, but vanishing the moment it passes over the edge of the ledge.
Discord yells in alarm as he falls down, barely grabbing the edge of the hill. He climbs back up, frowning and snaps his fingers, another flying pig appearing and flying to the border and vanishing once it passes.
“I’ve been trying to tell you!” Thorax says in an exasperated tone. “Nothing other than changeling magic works here. Chrysalis’ throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way Changelings soak up love. It’s how she keeps the hive safe.”
Huh. Okay, gotta hand it to Queen Cheese Legs, that’s a good defence for her kingdom. Now I see why the Changelings haven’t been wiped out despite their ruler’s usual lack of reason when enacting her plans.
Starlight tests Thorax’s word, walking to the very edge of the border with her horn glowing. The moment it passes the edge of the ground, her magic fizzles out.
“So, uh, what kind of plan were you thinking?” Trixie asks the other mare.
Starlight looks down in worry. “Without magic, I have no idea. But,” she sighs, before looking to us, “nopony else is coming. So somepony better come up with something.”
“And we’ll need to make it fast,” I say, seeming to make them all remember I’m actually still here, Discord in particular looking… worried? “Even if we deal with the Changelings, there’s another problem back on Earth.”
“Earth?” Trixie and Thorax say, looking to Starlight with confusion.
“It’s where Miranda’s from,” Starlight waves a hoof. “And, is this really that important, Miranda? Granted, Twilight was worried when the Fold sent you back, but how big a problem is it? Did those Guardians you mentioned find you in your world and try to get you, so had had to come back or something?”
I shake my head. “Or something. When I arrived through the Fold, it wasn’t my Earth. It was theirs. But, that’s not the more worrying part.”
Starlight looks genuinely shocked. “How is that not the worrying part?”
“Someone knew I was going to be there,” I say, my worries coming back full force now. “Somehow, some old man knew I was going to arrive there and even called the place I ended up. But, that’s not even the worst part!”
“How is that not the worst part?” Starlight’s eyes are wide. “Miranda, regardless of who you were before you became Miranda, you are a child now. If an old man knew where you were when you weren’t supposed to be there, that’s pretty worrying!”
“What’s worrying is he made an Astral Drop of me!” I shout.
Confused looks pass over them all… except Discord. He looks curious.
“What’s an Astral Drop?” Thorax asks.
“Clones, basically,” I explain. “They’re pretty much identical duplicates of whomever the spell is used on… though the clones’ minds are usually a blank slate and they don’t really understand what you want them to do unless you really explain it to them. Too vague, and they take everything you said literally.”
“How did this old pony make a clone of you then?” Trixie asks, an eyebrow raised. “If it’s anything like that Mirror Pool Trixe’s heard about, it couldn’t have happened without you letting it.”
Discord scoffs. “Oh, please. An Astral Drop is created when the words are spoken and a magical influence is involved. Simply saying the words alone won’t make one. You can easily be tricked into saying it if you’re not paying attention, after all.”
All attention turns to the Lord of Chaos.
“You know about these… Astral Drops?” Starlight asks accusingly.
“Then that means, you know about the Guardians,” I point at him. “I knew you had to know. How else could you give Twilight even the slightest hint about how Folds work when she made it clear no being in Equestria had even heard of the idea? Once you’re done with the Changelings, Discord, you need to send me home, right away!”
Suddenly, Discord looks a combination of annoyed and sheepish, twiddling his thumbs. “Yes, well, I would, believe me, but… I kinda don’t want to deal with CHYKN again.”
The other three just give him blank deadpans. “Huh?”
I, however, blink in recognition, before pointing at him. “You dealt with the previous guardians?!”
Discord pouts, folding his arms and looking away. “I had to make the deal that I wouldn’t cause any problems for any of the other realms in exchange for my freedom. That Nerissa isn’t a nice person. She even used the Heart to accelerate Equestria’s time by nearly a thousand years from every other world, just to teach me a lesson. Can you imagine it, seeing time flying by while knowing the rest of the Infinite Dimensions are still going at a normal pace? If not for the Vale being needed, I shudder to think how many more years would’ve flown by.”
I stare at him. Wait. Nerissa made Equestria’s time accelerate faster than the other dimensions just to teach Discord a lesson? Did she not think once about the rest of Equestria? She wasn’t just punishing him, after all.
Discord blinks, before looking to me. “Wait. Previous Guardians? Are you telling me there are new ones?”
“Are you as lost as I am?” Trixie whispers to Thorax.
“Pretty much,” he whispers back.
I hold up my hands. “Okay, wait. Let me see if I understand this. Discord, you knew where I am came, on both counts, back can’t do anything because of something that happened between you and CHYKN a thousand years ago? And, the only reason their Earth didn’t go for a thousand years before now is because their previous leader actually accelerated all of Equestria’s time, just to punish you?”
He nods, looking none too pleased. “I may have been evil back then, but even I wouldn’t force an entire world’s time to move faster just to punish one being within it, ignoring all the others I’d be affecting at the same time.”
“Wow, Nerissa,” I murmur. “You were more of a bitch than I thought. And, if not for the Vale, time would still be going super-fast here?” I give a small laugh. “Never thought I’d say it, but, thank you for being an evil dick, Phobos.”
I blink, before my eyes widen as what he’s said, ignoring the last part, really catches up to me.
“Wait. You can’t send me home?! At all?” I indicate to myself. “Not even just in this form?”
Discord sighs, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Miranda. I genuinely cannot. I doubt, even if CHYKN were to let you, you could go back. Whatever that Miranda did to you, it’s irreversible.” He rubs his chin. “So, there’s a new group of Guardians? I do hope they’ve a better sense of humour than the last ones. I wonder if they’d be willing to help. How long have they been the new Guardians again?”
“And… I’m lost again,” Trixie grumbles. “At first, I thought I was starting to figure it out, but then they lost me again.”
“Same here,” Thorax nods.
“I’m… actually a little lost now myself,” Starlight grins sheepishly.
I slump to the ground, the weight of everything hitting me like a freight train going two hundred miles an hour.
Not only am I stuck as Miranda, but I can never go home. Wherever my Earth is, out there in the Infinite Dimensions, it’s truly lost to me.
“Um, I don’t mean to be rude,” Trixie says, glancing between Discord and myself, “but, weren’t you worried about an Astral… whatever?”
I look to her, her words slowly processing through my depressed brain, before it click and I leap up, my heart pounding.
She’s right. I can throw myself a pity party later. We need to deal with the issues at hand, both of them.
“Okay, Trixie’s right,” I say, shaking my head. “Fact is, not only do we have a serious issue with the Changelings, but there’s some magical old guy back on Earth who now has an Astral Drop of me that I doubt he’s got innocent plans for.”
“Wh-what kind of not innocent plans?” Thorax asks.
I shudder, shaking my head. “Well, while I haven’t used them, namely since I didn’t want to,” I hold out a hand and look down at it, “this body has powers that, in the wrong hands, have proven very dangerous. My Astral Drop should have those same powers, even if it doesn’t know how to use them. But, if that old dude knew how to make an Astral Drop, I’m sure he’ll know how to make it use its powers.”
“Wh-which problem should we deal with first?” Thorax looks from me to the Changeling Kingdom and, though I know he does want to save his friends, he also would probably rather not have to go there.
I sigh. “For now, I think I should go back to Ponyville and deal with the Changelings impersonating Twilight and the others.”
“Huh?” they all look to me.
Trixie narrows her eyes. “Why you?”
I shake my head. “Because, frankly, I’d be useless to you guys.”
“This body does have powers, but, since their magic based in some way, I wouldn’t be able to use them while we’re in the Changeling Kingdom” I shake my head. “If I went with you guys, I’d just be a helpless little girl who wouldn’t be of any use.”
“What about us?” Trixie indicates to the rest of them. “None of us will have our magic either, so what’s the difference?”
I point to Thorax. “Actually, Thorax will still have his powers, since he’s a Changeling himself. Trixie has her bag of tricks, so can probably use them to her advantage. Discord big, so he could provide some muscle, if need be. And Starlight is probably the best on the fly tactician in Equestrian history. All traits that would be of use to you when most of you don’t have your magic to fall back on.”
“And you…?” Thorax suggests.
I sigh, folding my arms and shaking my head. “Without Miranda’s other form’s strength and other powers, I’d be no more help than a newborn infant to you guys. I’d just get in the way and likely get us all caught, which would help no one. And I can only access that form through magic… I think.”
Starlight sighs, looks around anxiously at us. “Well, anypony got a plan for us going into the Changeling Empire? Anything?”
“Hmm.” I frown, thinking, before I get an idea and look to Thorax. “That throne, you were talking about, Throax – if one got into the hive and destroyed it, would you get your magic back?
Thorax nods. “Uh-huh!”
Discord scoffs. “Well, that’s a terrible plan. How are we even supposed to get to the hive?”
“We walk,” Trixie says as she, Starlight and Thorax start walking down the side of the hill.
Discord looks ahead, before grabbing his face and stretching his eye lids. “I haven’t walked that far in a millennia!”
I sigh. “Discord, I think you’ll have it easy. I’ve got to figure out how to beat the Changelings back in Ponyville.”
He gives me an annoyed, but understanding look. “Ah, yes. You haven’t used those powers before, have you? Haven’t even transformed into that form once.”
“Because I don’t want to,” I hug myself. “That form… I’m scared what it would feel like.”
He sighs. “Well, you’re going to have to think of something. If we’re all in the Empire, without our magic, you’ll be on your own.”
I nod, hating that he’s right. “Better send me back in my nightdress. Don’t want to arouse suspicion before I can think of a plan. According to Starlight, I’ve been out cold for days, so they wouldn’t know I’m awake yet. They find me in these clothes,” I indicate down.
“They’ll know something’s up,” Discord nods, readying to snap his talons. “Good luck, Miranda. I have a feeling you’ll need it.”
When the world stops being white, I realize I’m back in the room I woke up in. I’m also back in my… normal clothes.
Discord, you dumbass. I wasn’t wearing these when I woke up.
“Hey, anyone check in that room?” Pinkie Pie’s voice says from somewhere behind the door.
“No,” Applejack’s voice scoffs at her. “Why should we? The thing in there’s been asleep since we got here.”
Quickly, I hurried into bed and lay on my back, making sure the covers are completely over me so my clothes are hidden and shut my eyes.
I hear the door thrust open, followed by two sets of hoofsteps.
“See? Told ya,” Applejack’s voice says condescendingly. “Why were the ponies even keepin’ this thing? All it does is sleep.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Pinkie’s voice says as I hear more hoofsteps moving around the room. “We need to check everywhere.”
“Well, clearly, there’s nothing here,” Applejack’s voice says, sounding annoyed. “Unless you wanna look under the bed?”
“Nothing,” Pinkie’s voice says, annoyed too now. “Let’s move on.”
I remain perfectly still, listening as the sound of their hoofsteps have faded away.
I sit up, breathing a huge sigh of relief.
“Okay, time to think,” I murmur, rubbing my chin. “One me against seven Changelings. Can’t just muscle my way through this. Gonna have to be clever. Sneaky. Which means,” I heave a heavy sigh.
Getting out of bed, I walk quietly over to the bedroom door and close it, before moving to the centre of the room.
I really don’t wanna do this.
I close my eyes and concentrate, thinking of Miranda’s… well, for lack of a better term, spider form.
At once, I feel my bones shifting, contorting to put me on all fours and extending. My hair rapidly grows out, surrounding my body.
It doesn’t hurt… but, WOW, it feels weird as shit.
When it feels like it’s stopped, I look around. Nothing looks different, but I sure feel different. My height doesn’t seem to have changed much, but that’s likely because Miranda’s spider form is about the same size as a human, so, even with the shift in position, I can still see at the same height.
I then make myself change back into human form, then spider form again.
I do this for several minutes, before I’m sure I’ve gotten the transformation down.
“Okay,” I say in the spider form, my voice now gravely, freaking me out for a second. “Let’s see.”
I try to think of spitting out webbing, immediately feeling like I’ve a large loogie. I let it move to my thorat, before trying to spit.
Instead of phlegm, a wad of sticking webbing flies out, slapping against the wall.
I experiment with this too, for probably ten minutes, before I have enough confidence that I can do it on command.
“Neat, now, for my fellow insectoids.”
I move to the door, opening it and scuttle up the wall and along the ceiling.
I scurry along the ceiling for a few minutes, until I see the pretend Pinkie and Applejack leaving another room, looking none too pleased.
“Why are we even staying in these forms?” Changeling Pinkie asks, annoyed.
“Whatever we heard, if’n it’s a pony, they can’t see Changelings in their princess’ castle,” Changeling Applejack shoots back. “Our queen wants the love the ponies have fer ’em, an’ we can’ get it if’n they find out we ain’t them.”
“Too late.”
“Huh?” they both say, before being slammed against the wall, now trapped in webbing and out cold.
I lower myself on a web thread and land in front of them.
“Better keep you out of sight.” I pull them off the wall, wrapping them in more webbing, before carrying them up to the ceiling and spit several more threads to hold them in place.
Once they’re both secured and I check to make sure they’re still unconscious, I hurry down the hall, back towards the throne room.
As I do, I hear a grumbling voice that I recognize as Spike, or, at least, Spike’s imposter.
“Go wait in the throne room, Spike. You’re not a pony, so nobody cares, Spike. Just because I have to pretend to be the dragon doesn’t mean they have to treat me like the ponies do.”
I frown. Okay, I know Spike got treated badly sometimes in the show, but that dialogue suggests the Changelings think the ponies treat him like a slave or something.
Clearly, someone didn’t do their homework on whom they were meant to be pretending to be.
“The intruder attacked two of us!”
I nearly lose my grip on the ceiling at the sound of Fluttershy’s angry tone, quickly hiding in a spot, trying to blend in.
I watch as the Changeling disguised as her hurries through the throne room doors and listen in.
“Our operatives disguised as Pinkie Pie and Applejack were attacked,” Fluttershy’s voice says. “Whatever it is in the castle, it can use webs and stuck them to the ceiling. Be on the lookout.”
I wait, watching as she leaves, flying off back down a hallway to the right.
“Oh, great,” Spike’s voice grumbles. “I’ll probably get blamed for that too. Man, I just wanna go back home.”
I blink. Did they sound… mournful?
I climb along the wall down to the doors, listening in.
“I hope the little ones are okay,” his voice murmurs. “I know I shouldn’t worry, I’m supposed to focus on the task at hand, but… If my husband isn’t careful.”
I cock an eyebrow. Okay. Either this is a gay Changeling, or a female disguised as Spike.
A sigh comes from the room. “I hope little Ocellus isn’t too worried about her mommy. I wish I could be with her, but I can’t exactly go against orders. The love we bring to the queen will help. It’s for the greater good.”
Hmm. This Changeling sounds like it’s a mother.
I blink, a smirk forming on my lips. I can use that. It might even work out better than trying to be stealthy.
Quietly, I crawl back along the wall, before climbing down onto the floor and focus.
Once again, I feel my body contort and twist, reshaping itself back into a human form.
Once I’m back to normal, I take a deep breathe. Time to put my acting skills to the test.
I flick my eyes several times. It hurts like heck, but it’s gotta be done.
I wait til I can feel my eyes really watering.
Next, I start breathing really quickly, trying to make myself short of breath.
Once I feel it’s hard to breathe, I run towards the door, being sure to make sure my feet are slapping against the crystal floor as loudly as possible and whimpering like a scared little girl.
I burst into the throne room, startling the Changeling disguised as Spike, who was pacing on the crystal table.
“Help me!” I cry out, trying to make the fear in my voice sound as real as possible. “Th-there was a monster! In my room! I-it tried to get me! I-it was spitting webs and I— I—”
I pretend to wail, slumping to my knees, putting my hands over my eyes.
At once, I hear a pair of legs hurrying along the map, as well as a magical sound I recognize as when Changelings change their forms, before feeling a pair of hole-poked forelegs wrap around me.
“What was all that yelling?!” Twilight’s voice says, followed by the sound of hooves. “Why’re you in your normal form, Glossa? What’s that doing…? Wait. Isn’t that the thing that’s been asleep since we got here?”
“I think whatever is crawling around the castle was after her,” the Changeling name Glossa says, tightening her hold on me a little. “I couldn’t just ignore a scared grub, could I?”
“I… well, no, I guess not,” Changeling Twilight says, sounding annoyed, it clear she realized they need to keep up some kind of appearance to the creature that shouldn’t know what they really are or why they’re here.
“And I certainly wasn’t going to be able to comfort her in that small body of that dragon,” Glossa says sternly.
“Well, yeah, I guess you have a point,” Twilight voice says, sounding frustrated.
A second passes before I hear Fluttershy groan in annoyance, followed by hoofsteps and voice clearly meant to sound soothing, but holding way too must distaste saying, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Wow. Glossa’s good at this, but this other Changeling sucks. Then again, Glossa’s actually trying to soothe what she thinks is a scared child. The Fluttershy importer is only doing it to keep up appearances.
“So, if this… thing saw whatever is in the castle, tell it to tell us where it is and what it looks like,” Rainbow Dash’s voice demands.
“No need,” I say, my voice changing to the gravellier one. “I’m right here!”
Before any of them can react, I transform, thrusting outward, tossing Glossa and the Fluttershy Changeling back, the latter slamming into the other two.
I turn to them spitting massive amounts of webbing, trapping them against the nearby wall.
I turn to Glossa pacing on all fours, like an animal.
She’s staring at me, shocked and hurt. “You… you tricked me!”
Realizing I can work with this, I shift back into human form, sneering. “Says the one who’s trying to trick all of Equestria into thinking she’s Spike to steal love for that heartless queen of yours.”
“You were that monster that attacks my fellow Changelings!” she points an accusing hoof at me.
“A bit of the pot calling the kettle black there, wouldn’t you say?” I ask.
The fact Miranda’s voice sounds just like Azula from The Last Airbender series is really helping me sound smug. If I keep talking like Azula would, I might be able to sway everything in my favour here.
“So, tell me what this big plan on your queen’s really is,” I say, my tone smugly condescending. “Steal the love from Twilight and the princesses? She does understand the world will be long dead before then, doesn’t she?”
Glossa’s expression becomes confused. “What… what are you talking about?”
I give her a pitying look and mockingly speak like I’m talking to a child. “Aw, didn’t you know that only Celestia and Luna can raise the sun and moon. Anyone else tries it, they lose their magic, forever.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “But… but if Changelings lose all their magic… how will we feed on love?”
I sneer, pacing around the room. Pretending to be like Azula when it’s against the bad guys is actually kinda fun. “Oh, don’t worry. Since you’re here, impersonating Spike, I’m sure you’ll be safe.” I wave a hand. “More likely it’ll be those who stayed behind at the hive. I suppose even your little Ocellus will be made to one day too. But, hey, so what if she loses all her magic and can’t feed anymore at least you can feed on other’s love, right?”
I turn around to face Glossa, only for all the confidence I had portraying Azula vanishes in an instant when I see the look on her face.
I know that look. It’s the Angry Mama Bear look.
“Don’t you talk about my daughter that way, you manipulative little witch!” she snarls, her horn lighting with green magic.
I brace myself, readying to transform at a moment’s notice. Shit. Shouldn’t pressed my luck there.
“Maybe I’ll use whatever spell the pony princess was working on before we came to punish you, you ungrateful, monstrous brat!”
I’m confused for a second, before I see her step into a chalk circle near Twilight’s throne I hadn’t noticed before.
Looking around frantically, my blood runs cold when I see another chalk circle on the wall behind said throne.
Both look more intricate than the one the Alicorn used to try and send me home.
Shit! Does Glossa even know what that spell is supposed to do?
“No, wait!” I yell, genuinely scared now, rushing forward and grab her horn, but too late.
I hear the sound I’ve only heard a few times since this all started, but am all too familiar with and look behind the throne to see a tear appear in the world as a Fold opens.
However, something’s wrong. I can actually feel something beyond the Fold, a… darkness. Wherever this Fold leads, it isn’t a place one will want to go.
Before I can do more than register the fear as I feel that darkness, a wind suddenly starts from the Fold, pulling us towards it.
“Wh-what’s going on?!” Glossa yells in fright as she lifts off the ground, her hooves having not traction.
I keep a firm grip on her horn, using my other hand to hold onto the top of Twilight’s throne.
“You just opened a Fold, a tear between the worlds. But you did it wrong. Folds aren’t supposed to suck you in.”
Before she can shout anything back, something whacks me in the head, causing me to lose my grip.
You know, this feeling groggy and having no idea where I am thing is getting really old, really fast.
Opening my eyes, I push myself up and look around.
It’s so dark, I can barely see anything clearly. All I can really make out is I’m in some kind of forest. It looks really thick and over grown with vines.
Suddenly, a green light flares next to me and I turn to see Glossa, looking bewildered.
I leap back away from her and she gets into a defensive stance, before she shudders, crumpling like paper to the ground.
Now, we may be enemies, but I feel worry. That didn’t look normal.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, hurrying over and leaning down.
“F-fear. Hatred,” she barely stutters out. “So much… fear and hate. No love, anywhere.”
“Well, now. This is an interesting surprise.”
I whirl around, only to take a step back.
A giant, horse-like being is standing before me. It looks like its body made is of pure shadow, darker than even the darkness already around us, with wings of blazing green fire and glowing yellow eyes.
“Interesting indeed,” it says in a male voice looking me over. “My servants were right that something new had entered my realm and after so many years.”
The question I’m about to ask answers itself and things I can best describe as golems of red and white rock simply push themselves out from the ground around us, the latter with blue mousse and mushrooms growing on their heads.
“Wh-what are you?” I ask, trying and I’m pretty sure failing to sound tough. “A-and what have you done to Glossa?!”
The shadow horse just laughs. “Done to her? Dear child, I have done nothing… yet,” he finishes with a sneer. “Changelings haven’t been seen in my realm for quite a long time. I do miss tormenting them with the fear of others. As for who I am? Why, dear child, I am,” the flourish his wings, making himself seem as big and imposing as possible… it kinda working. “I am, the Pony of Shadows!”
My gut drops. The Pony of Shadows? Shit. You mean that’s actually a real thing and not just some dumb story Pinkie told in a filler episode.
Shit.
“Now,” the Pony of Shadows says, walking towards us, “if you’ll hand over that Changeling, I may just spare your life, strange creature. I may even let you be my pet.”
I feel my blood boil and stand firmly over Glossa’s prone form. “Okay, pal. One, I’m no one’s pet. And two, if you think I’m just going to give you this Changeling when I know you’re just going to torment her, when she has a daughter to return home to, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Wh-wha…?” Glossa’s voice murmrus feebly from beneath me.
“Her kind and I may be enemies because they’re attacking Equestria,” I growl, clenching my fists, readying to tranfrom the moment he makes a move, “but I’ll die before I give her over to an obvious monster like you!”
His eyes blaze with anger. “You dare to defy me?! You’ll pay for your insolen—”
He doesn’t get any further.
Without warning, light suddenly flares from somewhere in the distance. It’s so far off, yet, in the darkness, it’s so bright it’s as blinding as if it were right in front of my eyes.
“What? No!” the Pony of Shadows sounds both enraged and terrified. “It’s been dead for centuries! How is this possible?!”
Before I can fully understand what he’s talking about, the light gets even brighter, making it completely impossible to see a thing.
Even with my eyes shut, it’s still so bright I may as well be looking directly into the sun.
Suddenly, without warning, I feel something slam into, my body feeling like it’s on fire, but not hurting.
I feel something surging through me, making it hard to think at all. The only other thing I’m aware of being the Pony of Shadows’ screaming, but I can’t understand why.
Before I know what’s going on, my arm shoots to my side against my control, my hand gripping Glossa around the waist and I feel a yanking sensestion I wish I could say I’m not getting used to, before I feel myself slam against something cold and hard, the world fading to black, the screams gone, replaced only with silence.
My eyes shot open and I sit up, looking around quickly.
I’m… in a hospital room?
I frown, putting a hand to my head. “Okay. How…?”
I remember running from the Pony of Shadows with that Changeling, Glossa and… hitting my head?
Must’ve gotten knocked out by the impact with Twilight’s crystal castle walls. How fast were we flying through that Fold anyway?
I glance around the room, taking it in, not that there’s much to see.
It’s just your basic hospital room, like the one Rainbow Dash was in when she injured her wing. Alone difference is I’m alone in mine, whereas Dash was sharing with… a stallion.
That’s actually weird, now that I think about it. You’d think they’d have mares and stallions in separate rooms, like a male ward and a female ward.
Were they out of space at the time, so had put Dash there? Her bed was taken up by another stallion after she was discharged and snuck back in to finish the Daring Do book.
I blink, shaking my head.
Now’s not the time to think about that kind of stuff. I need to find out what happened after Glossa and I got back from that parallel Equestria.
Come to think of it, shouldn’t I feel drained or sore after that?
I lift a hand to the back of my head where I remember feeling pain before blacking out… but it feels fine. No pain or even a bruise.
In fact, looking down at my hands and clenching my fists, I feel raring to go, like I’ve tons of energy to burn. Shouldn’t I be feeling, well, the opposite? I feel like I’ve been super charged or something.
“Or something is definitely what I’d go for,” a voice says from nowhere, before Discord appears in front of my bed.
I frown. “So, you’re being here means…?”
“We won,” he shrugs. “Queen Cheese Legs is exiled from her hive and the hive is now allied with Equestria.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Well, that feels surprisingly simple. How’d that work?”
Discord waves my words away… literally, I see my words in the air and he swats them away like flies. “Oh, that’s not important right now.” He leans down on the end of the bed, head in his mismatched hands. “I want to know about these new Guardians you mentioned. How did they come about? Are any of them new, or did some of CHYKN stay on?”
I blink, before shaking my head. “No, it’s a whole new team. Though one of them is Yan Lin’s granddaughter.”
Discord smiles. “Oh, I did like her. Quite the witty little mortal.” He rubs his chin, snickering. “So, it skipped a generation then. Is she also an Air Guardian or did she go against family tradition?”
It’s hardly tradition when only two members of the family have done it.
Suddenly, Discord pouts, folding his arms. “That Nerissa isn’t still hanging around, is she? I can’t imagine she would be a good influence on a younger generation of Guardians.”
I shake my head. “She’s not a Guardian at all anymore, not after she… well…”
I look away. While the incident with Cassidy, the Fire Guardian, is what got Nerissa locked away, I’m pretty sure it was what she did to Equestria that made the Council choose to make Cassidy the new leader of the Guardians.
“After what?” Discord asks, seeming both curious and slightly worried.
“Well,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck, “I think it was in part because of what she did to Equestria, but Nerissa had the role of leader and Keeper of the Heart taken from her and… she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea.”
“I can imagine,” Discord says sourly.
“Well, after Cassidy was made the leader, Nerissa… she kinda… ended her,” I say, not meeting his gaze.
There’s silence for a moment.
“She… she what?” Discord sounds genuinely shocked.
I take a deep breath and look firmly at him. “Nerissa murdered Cassidy.”
“Because she was made the new leader?!” Discord looks aghast.
I nod. “After that, Halinor, the Water Guardian, took over until she was asked to join the Council. Then it feel to Yan Lin to be leader while Kadma, the Earth Guardian, was offered a role as Queen of Zamballa, leaving Yan Lin to deal with things by herself.”
Discord tuts. “Not exactly being true Guardians are they, those last three? Well, aside from the Air Guardian, but you get my point.”
I nod. “Of course, none of them could’ve expected that thirteen years ago, Phobos would rise to power, forcing them to make a Veil to isolate Meridian from the rest of the infinite dimensions.”
Discord frowns, rubbing his chin in thought. “It was about thirteen years ago I sensed the acceleration of Equiestria’s time stop. I guess making that Veil took away whatever magic Nerissa used on Equestria?”
I nod. “And then some. The Guardians powers were quite limited after the Veil was put up. But, with it down, they’re all at full power.”
Discord folds his arms, looking displeased. “With Nerissa around, I’d hardly see that as a good thing.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. After Nerissa resurrected Cassidy and brainwashed the other past Guardians and an Altermere of Yan Lin, she was locked away in a gemstone that was used as the Heart of Meridian.”
Discord just stares blankly at me. “She… resurrected the dead?!”
I nod, before realized how casually I’d said it and blush. “Yeah. That’s… kinda hard to explain. She used a lot of magic she gathered to pull it off.”
“I’d think so,” Discord looks mortified. “Even I can’t bring back the dead. The amount of magic she had to have gathered to do that…” he shudders. “Tell me she doesn’t still have all that power now?”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry. Nerissa is powerless now, trapped in her own dreams for all time.”
Discord frowns. “Hardly comforting.”
I shake my head. “Never said it was a perfect solution. Though, it did give Yan Lin a sister and Hay Lin another grandmother/great aunt in Mira.”
Discord cocks an eyebrow. “Mira?”
I nod, smiling. “That’s the name they gave Yan Lin’s Altermere and—” I stop, before my eyes widen in horror.
“Um… Miranda?” Discord asks uncertainly.
“That’s why he wanted my Astral Drop!” I stare at Discord in horror. “Gregor is planning on turning it into an Altermere of me! Or, rather, Miranda and… and, if he is planning on that, he’ll probably make sure she isn’t like me, but like Miranda herself!”
Discord frowns. “That I find hard to believe.”
I pause, looking to him incredulously. “Are you serious? Discord, my memories may be screwed up thanks to whatever Miranda actually did that merged my mind with her body, but that just means an Altermere with her mindset would have all my memories, even those relating to herself and her enemies, the Guardians. You don’t think that’s a seriously risky situation for us to be in?”
Discord shakes his head. “Miranda, stop and think about it for more than a second. Even if this Gregor knew you’d be on Earth and made an Astral Drop of you, creating an Altermere would require far more power than he could possibly possess.”
I am not convinced.
Discord sighs, holding up a talon in a lecturing manner. “Creating an Astral Drop and turning it into an Altermere are two very different things. The latter requires way more energy than the former. And, since they are young and at full power, do you really think these, WITCH, did you call them, wouldn’t notice magic that potent?”
“They didn’t when Nerissa turned Will’s Astral Drop into an Altermere,” I shot back.
He shakes his head. “That’s Nerissa, Miranda. We both know she was far more resourceful and willing to give up her own life energy if it meant succeeding in her goals. From the sounds of it, this Gregor is an incredibly old human. He might’ve been able to track you and create an Astral Drop, but the level of magic he’d need to turn it into an Altermere would be far too much for him. His life force wouldn’t be able to do it, not without alerting someone of magical power, at any rate.”
I frown, looking down at my hands on my lap. I want to believe him, but… but what if Discord’s wrong? He’s been wrong before. And we’re talking about events in a world he’s not even able to go into anymore. His knowledge of that world is nowhere near enough for him to make proper guesses.
Though… Nerissa did mostly rely on traveling to Meridian and the magical artefacts in the Mage’s home and Earth isn’t nearly as plentiful, at least from what the show suggested, with magical artefacts that could be of use, so…
I sigh, looking up to Discord. “Alright. I’ll trust you on that.”
He smiles. “Good. Now,” he grins widely, “time to put that frown upside down! We’ve a Friendship Festival to attend!”
…
Huh?
MEANWHILE, ON EARTH
Will sighed as she walked down the snow covered streets, her hands in her jacket pockets.
Two days had gone by and not a trace of Miranda had been found.
The Council of Kandrakar were still trying to find her but, the Infinite Dimensions were, well, infinite. There were literally infinite worlds Miranda could now be hiding on and they had to find the single one she was using to stay hidden.
It might’ve helped if she were hopping from one dimension to the next. At least then a strong enough trail would form and they could easily track her location and estimate where she’d arrive next.
But, whichever random world she had gone to, she’d stayed there and wasn’t leaving, making it much harder to track down her exact destination. She clearly hadn’t really been thinking when she opened the Fold she went into.
There had been a brief moment where it seemed like she’d returned to Earth, but then she’d vanished again.
It didn’t even make sense where she’d been. A diner. Just a simple diner. Had she even meant to go there or was that just pure accident?
Either way, they were still no closer to finding the last minion of Phobos.
Elyon was particularly worried. She’d had her knights scouring the lands of Meridian and found no trace of Miranda there either, but it wouldn’t be the first time Miranda had hidden in plain sight without any of them realizing.
So focused on her thoughts, Will wasn’t paying attention and bumped into someone.
A loud cry was followed by a grunting.
Will focused back on the real world and realized she’d bumped into an old man, who was now on the ground.
He was bald, with white eyebrows and yellow eyes. He was wearing a simple grey sweater and deep-grey jeans,
“Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry,” Will leaned down, reaching under his arm and helping him up. “I was lost in thought and wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“It’s quite alright, young lady,” he said as she helped him steady himself. “I admit, I was lost in thought myself.”
“Do you need a hand with anything?” Will asked, wanting to make up for knocking into the old guy.
He shook his head, waving a hand, a ring of bells attached to it jingling. “I’m quite fine. You may go on your way. I’m sure you’ve much on your mind right now.”
“Well, if you say so,” Will said uncertainly, but hurried off.
“Mr. R!” she heard a somewhat familiar voice she couldn’t put a name to called from behind her. “There you are. What were you doing?”
“Sila, you can call me Runic you know,” she heard the old man saying as his voice started to fade the further away she got.
“I know,” the other voice laughed. “But I like using Mr. R. Who was that girl? Do you know her?”
Will didn’t hear anything else as she rounded a corner and their voices faded away. She put any thoughts about it out of her mind, anyway. She needed to get home quickly. She was feeling oddly tired, all of a sudden and, with school starting tomorrow, she needed all the energy she could get. Maybe she’d remember who that voice belonged to as well.
“You know, Napoleon,” Lilian said, holding her black cat up above her head as she lay on her bed, “I’m glad Cornelia’s been better, but, have you noticed how she’s still not the same? Does high school just make older kids weird?”
The black cat looked down at the blonde haired, blue-eyed girl and gave a deep “Meow.”
Lilian sighed, putting him down and rolling onto her side, stroking Napoleon’s back. “I mean, ever since Halloween she had this uncertainty about her, as if she was really worried about something. And now, she seems like she’s gotten over whatever it was that was worrying her but… it’s like there’s still something else there, you know? Like, something she wants to talk about, but can’t.
Napoleon looked up to her in a way that, if he weren’t just a simple cat, Lilian might’ve thought it was understanding.
“I mean, ever since that day she came home absolutely exhausted, she’s been both happier and more… uncertain, I think?” Lilian sat up, resting Napoleon in her lap. “I just wish she’d tell me what’s going on. I don’t know if I could help, but, she is my big sister.”
Napoleon smiled at her, almost as if he were proud of her.
Suddenly, Napoleon’s eyes widened, his hair standing on end and he turned to her bedroom window, hissing.
“What’s wrong?” Lilian got off the bed, walking to the window, leaning over her toys to look out, but she couldn’t see anything.
Napoleon started hissing louder and she turned to see he was looking right at her. Well, more like the window behind her.
“What’s gone you spooked, boy?” Lilian leaned down, when something banged against the window, causing her to jump.
Turning around, she frowned. Something was sticking onto the glass. It kind of looked like…
“A… frog?”
She walked back to the window and opened it. Carefully, she reached around the glass and pulled back, a small green frog laying limp in her hand.
“Ew. What’s this doing here?” she asked, before noticing something was wrapped around the frog’s waist.
It… kind of looked like a gemstone, a green one, embedded into a leather band.
Pulling the band off, she examined it.
“Who would put this on a frog? And how did it end up against my window? Did someone throw it?”
She looked the jewel over again, before a smile came to her face and she turned to face her cat.
“This would look really cool on you, Napoleon,” she said, leaning down, moving the band closer to him, intending to put it with his collar.
At once, Napoleon’s eyes widened and he hissed, louder than ever and batted the band away.
What happened next, Lilian wasn’t sure.
There’s was a mighty flash of light and she was thrown back, slamming into the carpeted floor of her room.
Shaking herself off, she looked to where the light had come from, and her eyes widened.
Ponies. Bright and colourful ponies.
There was some kind of… tear in the air and she could see lots of a bright and colourful ponies. They seemed to be having some kind of celebration.
“Wow!” Lilian exclaimed, moving towards the tear.
Napoleon shook his head, looking around blearily, his eyes adjusting just in time to see Lilian walked through the light.
“MEOW!” he yelled, rushing towards the light, before it closed abruptly.
Napoleon just starred at where Lilian had vanished, stunned with shock.
“I’m… not sure about this,” I murmur as I walk through the crowds of ponies, Discord floating by my side.
After our little talk where I updated Discord on some of the current events of the Guardians has played out since he last encountered them, he teleported us here, to Canterlot, now in my clothes, where, apparently, there’s a Friendship Festival going on, with Twilight as the host.
Ponies from all over Equestria are here and even a few non-ponies too, including several Changelings… who are all multi-coloured now.
“Oh, come on, Miranda, lighten up,” the Lord of Chaos chides. “After everything you’ve been through since you got here, I’d think you’d appreciate the chance to have some fun at a party.”
“Kind of hard to enjoy a party when you’ve got both the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and some old man on Earth after you. Plus…”
“Plus…?” Discord glances down at me, curious.
I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself. “I dunno. Something about this Friendship Festival feels… familiar. Like, it’s ringing a bell in my head, but I don’t know why. And… and I’ve just got a really bad feeling something’s going to happen.”
Discord scoffs. “Miranda, this isn’t Ponyville. Take a break. Enjoy some gave. Have some treats. Don’t worry about— oh?”
I glance at him to see an interested look on his face.
“Oh, what?” I ask, worried. For Discord to cut himself off like that, it can’t possibly be good.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing!” he says… way too cheerfully. “Oh, that’s right. I just remembered, I forgot to leave the refrigerator running. Be back in a bit.”
With that, he yanks on his goat horn and flushes down through a non-existent plughole.
I sigh, unfolded my arms and rubbing my eyes. That guy is going to give me a massive headache.
“Miranda?” I turn to see Starlight walking through the crowd towards me, Trixie walking beside her. “When did you wake up?”
“About half an hour ago,” I say. “Discord,” I add to their confused looks.
The deadpan stares at get back tell me they fully understand. Hard to believe just one word can explain so much.
“Well, we’d better get ready for the finale,” Starlight says, indicating towards a higher area of the festival.
I cock an eyebrow. “Why? And, what finale?”
“I am the Princess of Friendship.”
The singing voice makes me glance around to see Twilight flying up into the sky, at an angle that says she just flew over us.
That bell in my head is ringing really damn loudly, but I still can’t tell why.
“The finale of the song,” Trixie says, indicating to where Starlight was pointing.
Starlight lights her horn and teleports the three of us.
A few minutes later, a song number being about the festival… I think, sung by everypony, finishes with Pinkie firing off some giant cannon that engulfs Twilight in a very gooey cake.
We watch as Songbird Serenade comes out of the crowd to speak with Twilight, before a thunderclap makes me stiffen and I whirl around to see dark storm clouds approaching Canterlot.
That bell is gonging in my head now.
As we all watch, a dark dirigible emerges from the clouds, moving closer and coming down to land, breaking several spires in the process.
The ramp falls down, squashing a pink balloon animal.
“Brian! No!” Party Favour yells in anguish,
We wait as the doors open and a… hedgehog, I think, comes down the ramp, sets up some kind of megaphone that makes the sound Transformers do when they transform in G1.
“Ponies of Equestria,” he says, his voice echoing loudly thanks to the device, “we come on behalf of the firesome, the powerful, the almighty Storm King!”
As he finishes, a banner of… a yeti is my best guess, wearing some kind of dark armour is unfurled on the dirigible.
I frown as everypony in the crowd murmurs. That was a lot of titles. Either this Storm King is really all that, or he’s seriously compensating for something.
“And now, to deliver the evil, evil message,” the hedgehog indicates to the ramp he’d come down, “put your hooves together for Commander Tempest!”
I frown. He literally just said this Tempest is about to deliver and evil message and expects us to clap for them? Gimme a break. Who is this loser?
A figure steps out of the doorway, revealing... a pony? The fuck?
Her coat is a very dark-purple and her mane, cut in a mowhawk-like style, is a redish-purple. Her eyes are a fear blue, with an obvious scar along her right one and… is her horn actually broken?
Sheesh. Instead of Tempest, she should be called Edgelord Mcgee.
I blink, turning to the unicorn. “You know her? And, her name’s Fizzle?” No wonder she changed it to Tempest.
“It’s been a long time since I was home,” she shakes her head. “Though, she left Sire’s Hollow about a year before Sunburst.” She looks to me. “What’s she been up to? She never told anypony where she was going. And, why’s she calling herself Tempest? Her real name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”
I find myself unable to hold back a snort. Okay, that is the poniest name I have ever heard. Holy crap.
I manage to get a hold of myself after several moments of Starlight glaring at me, but, come on. That name is too freaking hilarious to be on such an edgelord looking pony.
Seconds later, Celestia, Luna and Cadance land in front of all the gathered ponies, the former addressing the unicorn. “Tempest, is it? How may we help you?”
Tempest smiles. “Oh, I’m so glad you asked. How about we start with,” her expression darkens, “you’re complete and total surrender?”
I frown. Pretty big balls to just demand someone surrender without even a fight.
Twilight steps forward. “Hi there. Princess of Friendship. Not exactly sure what’s going on,” it’s clearly an invasion, dumbass, “but, I know we can talk things out.”
“Oh, goodie. All four princesses,” Tempest says and she starts walking down the ramp. “Here’s the deal, ladies, I need your magic. Give it up nicely please, or we make it difficult, for everyone.”
“And why should we cower before you?” Luna asks sternly and, out of the corner of my eye, I notice several stallions and mares moving into position. Odd. Why would regular ponies be readying for a fight instead of the Royal… Oh! Undercover. Smart. “There’s one of you and hundreds of us!”
Tempest chuckles. “I was hoping you’d choose difficult.”
As she speaks, large biped creatures step into and out of the doorway of the balloon as more balloons start to appear out from the dark clouds.
I feel my body tense. I had a bad feeling there was more than just one balloon.
The same biped creatures, clearly the Storm King’s soldiers, start dropping from the balloons.
“Now!” Celestia yells, thrusting a foreleg out.
At once, the ponies I figured out are Royal Guards undercover rush out, several even turning into Changelings, meeting the soldiers, taking them by surprise.
A fight begins, with civilian ponies running in terror while the guards defend.
Tempest smiles. “Oh, so you do have some fight in you. That’ll make this more fun.”
Not that I’m able to pay much attention after that. I’m ducking and dodging around in the crowd, avoiding both getting trampled by the ponies running, but any of the soldiers who notice me and try to grab me.
Why am I not fighting in my spider form? I can’t use it.
The moment the fighting started, I tried to transform so I could join the battle. I mean, being able to catch our enemies in my webbing would be really helpful here.
But, when I tried, nothing happened. I didn’t change.
It had caused me to hesitant in confusion, thus resulting in my nearly getting trampled.
I can’t use my powers now. I’m no more use than any other ordinary human, which means I’m absolutely useless in this fight against an invader of Equestria.
“Gotcha!” a voice yells, followed by a both terrified and angry yell.
“Hey! This is my dream! Stop ruining it!”
I freeze in place, my head whirling in the direction of the voice to see one of the Storm King’s soldiers is holding a little human girl with blonde hair and blue eyes… wearing her pyjamas, up by her right arm.
Cornelia’s little sister?! What in the world is she doing in Equestria?!
“Starlight!” I call out, looking behind me as said unicorn blasts one of the soldiers away, causing her to glance my way and I point. “We have to save that girl!”
Starlight seems stunned for a moment when her eyes fall on Cornelia’s sister, before her expression hardens and she teleports over to them, appearing above the soldier and giving him a painful rearhoof to the face, causing him to drop the young girl.
“Cornelia’s sister!” I yell as she falls, reaching out my hand.
Suddenly, I get a weird feeling in my throat, similar to when I’m about to try spitting webs in my spider form.
At once, a string of webbing flies from my mouth, it wrapping around her waist and, on instinct, I yank back, causing the little girl to soar towards me, slamming into me and knocking us both over.
I try to sit up, disoriented from the impact and hear a grunt as the back of my hand hits something.
Glancing behind me, I see one of the soldiers on the ground, as if someone just hit him.
Suddenly, I notice the odd feeling of webbing in my mouth.
“Bleah!” I cry, grabbing it and yanking it out, before running my hands over my tongue.
I mean, I didn’t taste anything, but just the idea I somehow had the webbing in my mouth in my human form is just plain gross.
“Luna!”
Glancing around, I see Twilight some way off, holding some kind of statue that looks like Princess Luna.
“Hey!” I grunt as I’m elbowed in the face as Cornelia’s little sister gets up, her expression angry and rushes towards Tempest.
Said unicorn leaps into the air, kicking some kind of glowing green orb towards the purple Alicorn.
“I said,” she runs faster getting in front of Twilight, “stop ruining my dream—AH!”
“Twilight!” a pair of voices shout as she screams, green smoke bursting form and covering her, shielding them both from view.
Tempest chuckles as she walks towards the smoke cloud. “Easy as pie.”
“Oh, I like pie,” the hedgehog says in a way that reminds me of Homer Simpson. “Oh, you totally got the last princess.”
As he speaks, the smoke clears to reveal, not Twilight, but Cornelia’s little sister and Derpy, the former with her arms reaching up as if she shield herself… in stone.
I just stare, my eyes fixed on the scared look of the little girl, now a statue… and I don’t know what happens next.
I feel fury welling up from deep within me, then heat, before I hear I loud explosion and everything goes black.
A gasp comes from above my head somewhere. “Somepony get the prince. She’s awake.”
Prince? What?
I slowly open my eyes to see what looks like the roof of a tent above me.
Sitting up, I find I’m in some kind of makeshift bed (basically just a mat, sheet and pillow). Looking around, I’m in what looks like a haphazardly made medical tent. Several ponies are lying in makeshift beds like the one I’m lying in.
“Are you feeling any better, dear?” I turn to the voice to see Nurse Redheart.
“Um… I guess?” I say, rubbing my neck. “I feel kinda drained, but, other than that, I’m fine. Where…?”
Suddenly, it all floods back and I grab Redheart’s shoulders. “Tempest, those creatures, Cornelia’s little sister, what happened?!”
“Easy. Easy, dear,” Nurse Redheart says gently, easing out of my grip, and lowering my hands. “One thing at a time.”
“Are… did we win?” I ask, glancing around the tent. I mean, if we lost, I doubt we’d be in this tent.
Redheart shakes her head. “Thanks to whatever you did, no, we didn’t lose… though Princess Twilight and her friends have gone missing.”
My eyes snap towards her. “WHAT?!”
“It was after the explosion,” Redheart says matter-of-factly. “Princess Twilight and her friends fell from a broken bridge into the water and down one of Canterlot’s waterfalls.”
“Are they alright?!” I cry, grabbing her shoulders again. “Have they been found?!”
Redheart looks away, shaking her head. “They’re okay, but… we don’t actually know where they are.”
I frown, my worry being momentarily replaced with annoyance. “How can you know they’re alright but not where they are?”
“Because that crazy pink one left a note,” a somewhat snooty voice says.
Turning to what I see is the tent’s entrance, a white unicorn stallion with a blonde mane and tail walks through.
I recognize him at once, my mood not being improve. Blueblood. What’s that pompous pathetic excuse for royalty want?
Suddenly, to my surprise, he bows his head to me. “I cannot thank you enough.”
Um, I’m sorry, what?
He lifts his head, genuine gratitude in his eyes. “While I certainly would’ve preferred a less destructive method, you bought us time, strange creature. For that, you have my eternal gratitude.” He bows his head again.
Um… no, sorry, can someone back up here? Isn’t Blueblood supposed to be a pompous asshole who treats others like they’re beneath him, like he did Rarity at the Gala?
I’m so lost here.
“I’ll explain,” Blueblood says, sighing. “At least, I’ll tell you what I’ve been told by witnesses. While I don’t know what caused it, after you saw that other creature like yourself turned to stone, you screamed with pure rage and you glowed with some kind of energy. It explained outward, engulfing all of downtown Canterlot. When it faded, you, everypony and all of the Storm King’s forces were on the ground, unconscious.”
I cock an eyebrow. “No, seriously, what happened. Energy? I’m a shapeshifter. That’s the limits of my abilities.” I sigh, looking down. “And, apparently, I can’t even do that anymore.”
“It’s true, dearie,” a familiar voice says and I look to the tent entrance to see Mrs. Cake walking in. “I was far enough away that I wasn’t caught in the blast, but I saw it. A bright light expanded from you, engulfing everything in its path.”
I just stare at her. I know Mrs. Cake’s character far better than Blueblood’s, so I know she wouldn’t lie like that, but…
“But, that doesn’t make any sense!” I say, shaking my head. “I’m Miranda and Miranda’s limits don’t extend beyond her shapeshifting and spider-like abilities. She doesn’t have energy powers, especially after what happened in Kandrakar.”
“Kandra-who-ha?” a voice I recognize but definitely wasn’t expecting to hear says as Cheese Sandwich sticks his head into the tent. “Oh, and we’ll need more grain for the food tent.”
“Understood,” Blueblood nods as Cheese’s head zips out of sight. “Though, I do wish to understand your meaning, especially if it is connected to how you can help us defeat the incoming invasion.”
I sigh. “That a long story, Blue—” Suddenly, what he just said catches up to me. “Wait, WHAT?!”
“He’ll be here anytime now, right?” I ask, looking to Prince Blueblood.
He nods as we both look out over Canterlot.
After I woke up yesterday, I was informed everything that had happened… and it isn’t good.
While whatever weird explosion I’d somehow set of had taken out Tempest and all the Storm King’s soldiers she’d brought with her, the Storm King himself was on his way.
The Royal Guards had interrogated several of the Storm King’s soldiers and, apparently, the Storm King was meant to arrive three days after Tempest took Canterlot in what was supposed to be the initial invasion.
The only reason Canterlot hadn’t fallen was, while partly my unexplained explosion, Celestia, had the Royal Guards taking shifts watching over the capital.
I guess, after an invasion prior and Starlight sneaking into Twilight’s unguarded castle and nearly causing the space time continuum to start choking on its own blood in this universe, she decided to start taking some actual precautions. Good for her.
Tempest herself is nowhere to be found. Apparently, as everyone was recovering from the explosion I caused, Tempest took several of her soldiers and a ship to go after Twilight.
The only reason everypony’s certain Twilight and the others are okay is because, when some guards went looking around where the waterfall the seven of them fell down come down, they found a clearly hastily written message by Pinkie.
And they knew it was from the party pony because it was on pink paper, with tons of glitter and a party cannon went off right after the guards first read the message.
We’re off to find the Queen of the Hippos so she can help us.
Be back soon.
And tell Miranda thanks for the explosion.
Pinkie Pie
PS Don’t let another happen to the Queen of Earth. I don’t want Miranda to be sad.
How does Pinkie know Cornelia’s little sister is the Queen of Earth when I never mentioned it?
It’s Pinkie Pie. I’m not going to bother even entertaining the thought of questioning it.
As for the Queen of the Hippos part… I’m just as confused by that as everypony else.
Unfortunately, the main plan Blueblood was banking on for stopping the Storm King in his tracks was a bust.
Whatever caused me to cause that explosion… I can’t replicate it.
I don’t even know what I did.
However, one thing has become clear… I’m just as strong, if not stronger now than I was when I change into my spider form.
Apparently, when I’d accidentally whacked that soldier as I was getting up after being knocked down, I’d hit him with enough force to break his helmet.
My human form isn’t supposed to possess that kind of strength. Why I’m suddenly so strong, I can’t explain.
As for the Princesses, their petrified forms have been secured in the castle as, whatever the Storm King has planned for them, needing them to be statues to do it can’t be good.
Cornelia’s sister’s, too.
A horn blares and we straighten up.
A dirigible, much like the ones Tempest and the Storm King’s army came in, is moving through the sky towards Canterlot.
“Sure you’re up to this?” I glance to the white unicorn.
He sighs. “With my aunts out of the picture, it falls to me to handle this.”
Bluey’s actually a pretty chill dude. Turns out he only treated Rarity the way he did at the Gala was because he thought she was just another gold digger, looking to marry him solely for his status.
Doubt that means there’s a chance he and Rarity are gonna end up together at any point, but it’s nice to know he’s not actually the dick many thought he was.
I follow him down to the entrance of the castle, where a contingent of Royal Guards are standing at the ready.
The dirigible doors open, a ramp coming down, the form of whom must be the Storm King sauntering down it.
The moment he sees the groups of ponies pointing spears at him, however, he pauses.
“Um, what’re you all doing?” he asks, pointing and looking around lazily. “And why aren’t you all in cages, miserable? I like seeing others miserable.”
“Storm King!” he turns as Blueblood and I walk out. “I am Prince Blueblood. I order you to leave our kingdom now or we will consider your unprovoked attacked upon our little ponies as an act of war.”
The Storm King just looks at Blueblood, before laughing.
“Okay, okay, I get the joke. Had my laugh, now, can we get serious?” he gives Blueblood a very passive aggressive smile.
“This is no joke, Storm King!” Blueblood says firmly. “You invaded our lands, attacked our capital, endangered our citizens and turned three of our rulers into stone. Your armies are defeated and captured. Leave our lands now! We will not surrender to you!”
The passive aggressive smile turns into a scowl.
He raises a hand, but I rush forward and punch him in the gut.
I can only assume my childish appearance made him and his soldiers drop their guard, as they don’t stop me and he lets out a huge gasp as he’s flung backward, slamming into the ramp of his ship.
His soldiers glance from him to me.
I blink, looking down at my fist in surprise, before I grin, getting into a boxing stance. “Come on, boys. Let’s play.”
Suddenly, a faint commotion can be heard off in the distance.
“It’s the princess!” a female guard calls, looking through a telescope. “It seems Tempest captured her and was unaware Canterlot has not fallen. She’s fighting several guards and civilians.”
I look to the Storm King’s soldiers. I crack my knuckles. “What’s it going to be, boys? Surrender unharmed, or I beat the stuffing out of you first?”
They all look to each other, before flopping forward on the ground.
I look to Blueblood and he nods, before whistling.
Another Pegasus Royal Guard, a stallion, flies down and I grab his hoof, him carrying me up over the city towards the commotion.
I narrow my eyes to study the scene. Tempest and her soldiers are fighting off ponies, with Twilight trapped in some kind of cage that I assume is magic proof, or else she would have teleported out of it by now.
“Aim me at Twilight and then throw me,” I call up to my travel.
“Are you sure, Lady Miranda?” he asks.
“Nope,” I say bluntly. “But it’s the best plain I have.”
He nods and tosses me in a way I’m falling straight towards Twilight’s cage.
She seems to notice me. “Miaranda, don’t!”
I really hope I’m not wrong and about to seriously regret this.
I get within range, pulling back my fist and aim, thrusting my arm forward the second before impact, my fist colliding with the metal, a screeching sound ringing out as the metal bends.
Holy shit, that hurt!
“No!”
Whatever happens next, I’ve no clue, as I feel like a million watts of electricity run through my body, before everything goes black.
“You’re serious, Napoleon?” Taranee. “A fold just opened up in the middle of Lilian’s bedroom and you let her walk through it?”
“It’s not like I just let it happen. I was disoriented from hitting a freaking wall,” the black cat said, before shaking his head. “But that’s not important right now. We need to get Lilian back, fast.”
“Of course we do!” Cornelia said firmly. “She’s my little sister. It’s dangerous for her in another dimension.”
Before any of them could say more, a Fold suddenly opened up right in the middle of the room.
“Who opened the Fold?” Hay Lin asked, before their eyes widened as Lilian dropped through the Fold, which closed the moment Matt caught her.
“Lilian?” Corinella asked anxiously, taking her sister from Matt and shaking her as she held her. “Lilian, are you okay? What happened?”
Lilian stirred, opening her eyes slightly. “Hey, sis. I was dreaming about ponies.”
“Ponies?” Irma deadpanned. “What, she couldn’t have a less stereotypically girly dream? Ow!” she added after Taranee elbowed her in the side.
“Ponies, huh?” Cornelia asked, smiling.
Lilian nodded. “I dreamed I was in a whole world of ponies. There were Pegasus ponies, unicorns, normal ponies. They were having a party that got crashed by a mean pony who turned their princesses to stone. And me.”
“What?” everyone looked to each other.
“But, you’re not stone now, because…?” Will asked.
Lilian shook her head. “I dunno. That’s where the dream ends.” She yawned. “Can I go to sleep now?”
“Uh, sure,” Will said uncertainty, before indicating for the others to follow as Cornelia put her sister to bed.
“So, let me get this straight,” Irma said. “A Fold somehow opens in Lilian’s bedroom and it sent her to a magical world of ponies? Seriously?”
“Well, whatever happened in that world, she doesn’t seem to realize it wasn’t a dream,” Wil said firmly.
“And it’s best we keep it that way,” Matt nodded.
“The world she ended up in doesn’t seem to be a problem, since they sent her back, so it’s not what we need to worry about right now,” Taranee said, rubbing her chin in thought.
“It’s who opened that Fold in the first place,” Irma said.
“And why,” Wil frowned.
Irma sighed. “The Guardian Business just really has no respect for the school kid schedule.”
“So, where do you want these, Mr. Cake?” I ask, holding a large crate in either hand as I stand outside Sugarcube Corner.
“Just around the back will be fine, Miranda,” the lanky stallion says, not really paying attention as he signs several papers from the delivery pony, indicating behind him with a wave of his hoof.
I shrug and head around the back of the food shaped shop.
It’s been about a month since the Storm King’s failed attempt to take Equestria and its magic for himself.
After I blacked out, things apparently went crazy.
Shortly after Tempest had zapped me, the rest of the Mane Six had arrived, with several non-ponies to aid them.
Everything came to a head when The Storm King used Blueblood as a hostage to force Twilight to give up her magic along with the other princesses.
However, once he had the magic, he showed Tempest his true colours.
Apparently, she’d only done what she did for him because he’d promised to repair her horn (I have no idea how she reasoned stealing the amgic of four Alicorns could allow him to pull that off), but when he revealed he had outright lied just to get her to do what he wanted, she fought back, allowing Twilight to get the staff that now held, not only the magic of all four Alicorns, but apparently every ounce of magic throughout Canterlot, he’d tried to turn Twilight to stone like the other princesses.
Tempest had stopped that by taking the hit herself, but by charging towards The Storm King, resulting in him being turned to stone too… and falling several feet and smashing to pieces on the ground beneath.
So… he’s dead.
Yeah. Pretty fricking grim.
With The Storm King dead, Twilight figured out how to use the staff’s power to free Tempest, who then helped Twilight restore magic to Canterlot, which ended up repairing all the damage done to the city as well, along with freeing the princesses and Derpy from their stone prisons, Cornila’s little sister too.
Thankfully, she’d been really out of it at the time and, while not perfect, with Celestia, Luna and Cadance’s help, Twilight had opened a Fold that should have sent Earth Queen’s back to her home, hopefully before anyone noticed she was missing.
I didn’t wake up til the next day, something about how the staff’s draining magic caused me body to go into some kind of protective lockdown that only went away after magic was restored.
I’m living in Canterlot now.
Blueblood gave me one of his spare homes (yeah, he’s got a few) and so I’m living as a new Canterlot resident.
Not that I’m just lazing around like the snootier ponies of Canterlot. I’m actually working for my pay.
Mostly I’m just doing odd jobs, here and there, more often than not physical labour.
I still dunno what is up with my powers. I still can’t transform, but I seem to have even more physical strength now in my human form than I did even in that other form, can stick and climb up walls like freaking Spiderman, along with the ability to spit webs from some glad in the back of my throat… though it feels way weirder doing that in human form than in the spider one.
Twilight had tried to figure it out with Celestia and Luna’s help, but hadn’t come up with anything that really can explain it.
Celestia did note I apparently have way more magical potential inside of me than I’ve let on, which was news to me because I know Miranda’s magical abilities are extremely limited and repeated as such to her.
She didn’t quite seem to believe me, though said maybe I was just unaware of the power due to it being dormant.
Frankly, I think she maybe needs a vacation to clear her mind a bit, because you’d have to be pretty out of it to think Miranda has any dormant magical potential.
Though dormant magic might explain why I’ve been feeling so full of energy since that encounter with The Pony of Shadows in that alternate Equestria through the Fold Glossa opened.
All that extra energy is why I regularly do several hours of workouts, both in the morning and night.
Things in Equestria have been pretty quiet, since then.
A couple days ago I helped with the building of a Wild Life Sanctuary for Fluttershy and Apple Bloom has told me Big Mac’s going out with Sugar Belle, that mare from Starlight’s old village.
Speaking of the unicorn, she apparently has gone off to Canterlot today for a Friendship Mission.
I think I’ll check in with her before I head home. Wonder what the mission’s about.
I finish moving the crates and say goodbye to Mr. Cake, heading off towards the train station, arms behind my head.
“Miranda, darling!”
I actually find myself freezing in place at the sound of Rarity’s voice, before facepalming.
Crap.
Ever since the end of the Freindship Festival, Rarity’s been trying to get me to come to one of her boutiques (yeah, can’t even escape that in Canterlot thanks to the one Sassy Saddles is running for her there) so she can make me some new clothes.
The ones I’m wearing now are fine. Sure, they’re pretty plain, but Miranda didn’t really care about fashion when in her human form and neither do I. it’s why I have ten outfits just like it now, so I don’t have to bother with new looks.
Plus, knowing Rarity, the clothes she’d make would all be way girlier than I’m honestly comfortable with even thinking of wearing, so I wouldn’t ever wear any of those clothes, so Rarity would just be wasting her time, money and materials for no reason.
Still, can’t pretend I didn’t hear that loud call.
Turning around, I see the alabaster unicorn walking alongside Applejack, the latter wearing a saddlebag clearly full of farming tools.
“Hey, Rarity, Applejack,” I say, before pointing to the unicorn. “And the answer’s still no, Rarity. I don’t need new clothes.”
“But, darling, you’re current look is so… bland,” Rarity says, indicating to my clothes. “You haven’t even changed it once and your body type would be so unique to work with.”
I hold up my hands. “The answer is still no.”
“Ah can understand yer reasonin’, there, Miranda,” Applejack says, though I can tell there’s a “but” coming, “but—” there it is “—Ah think ya should at least let Rarity try sumthin’. Even Ah don’t wear the same hat every day.”
No, but you do wear identical ones, so it’s not all that different from what I’m doing with my clothes.
I open my mouth to retort, when I suddenly feel like my body is tingling all over. At the same time, Applejack’s Cutie Mark starts lighting up.
“What the—?” Applejack looks to her sides.
“A Friendship Mission, now?” Rarity asks, confused. “But, I thought Starlight was already on a Friendship Mission. The Map’s never called for more than one mission at a time before.”
“Uh, Applejack?” I ask, something occurring to me as the tingling feeling doesn’t go away.
“Yeah?” the farm mare asks, looking to me.
“Would you flank happen to be tingling where your Cutie Mark is?” I ask, knowing full well how odd a question it is, even before it leaves my lips.
“Uh… yeah?” she replies back slowly.
“I… was afraid of that,” I say, looking down at my hands. “Apparently I’m being called on this Friendship Mission too.”
This makes no freaking sense. Why in the world would The Map be calling me for a Friendship Mission?
We hurry towards Twilight’s castle, only to find Spike standing at the door, looking very worried.
“In. Now!” is all he says, indicating for us to come in.
We do so, hurrying towards the Map room to find Twilight laying on the floor, twitching.
“What in Equestria happened to her?” Rarity cries, hurrying over.
Spike doesn’t answer. He simply points at the Map.
Following the direction of his claw, I notice something… odd.
The Map normally just shows the Cutie Mark(s) of whom are chosen for a Friendship Misson, Starlight’s Cutie Mark still circling around Canterlot even now.
However, Applejack’s Cutie Mark, though glowing on her flank, is not anywhere on The Map at all.
However, there is something glowing over an area of Equestria I don’t recognize. It’s an island with what it takes a second to figure out is a volcano, likely dormant.
What’s glowing above the island is what looks like a shovel of some kind.
“A shovel?” I ask, deadpan. “Really? Since when is a shovel magical?”
“It… it can’t be,” Applejack’s words make me glance to the mare, only to see her staring at the shovel with wide, unbelieving eyes. “That’s… that’s the island home o’ The Mighty Helm.”
The Mighty who now?
“But… but, if that’s the island of the Mighty Helm, then that shovel must be…” I suddenly feel nervous as Applejack starts showing her relations to Pinkie Pie as her face breaks into a smile that I swear is going beyond the limits of her head.
“You as lost as I am?”
My attention is drawn to the little purple drake and I glance down to him and nod, though failing hide my unease.
One does not see a pony who is not Pinkie do something like Pinkie and not feel worry.
“Twilight!” Applejack cheers, grabbing the Alicorn just as Rarity’s managed to bring her to some semblance of normal again, hugging her tightly. “D’ya realize what this means?”
“Applejack,” Twilight gasps. “Can’t… breathe…”
“Huh? Oh, r-right. Mighty sorry, there, Twilight,” Applejack releases the mare, who gasps for breath as Rarity pats her on the back.
“I recognize the location and the markings on the shovel,” Twilight manages after a few minutes trying to get her breathing back to normal. “But… how is this possible? It’s true, The Mighty Helm is well documented, but Rockhoof? He’s real? He’s supposed to be just a legend, a foal’s story. They’re not real.”
“Nightmare Moon,” I cough, causing a mixture of looks from amused to annoyed to be directed my way and I shrug. “Look, I may not know who this Rockhoof is or what in the world The Mighty Helm are, but I’m just sayin’, for a mare who fully believed the story of Nightmare Moon was real and was proven to be correct, that sounded pretty narrow minded there, Princess.”
Twilight pouts at me, before sighing, doing the breathing exercises Cadance taught her (huh, haven’t seen those seen season three), before looking to Applejack and myself.
“Okay,” she points to the Map. “I don’t know how or why, but The Map seems to be saying Applejack and Miranda must go to that excavation sight of The Mighty Helm to locate Rockhoof’s Shovel. Why, I have no idea.”
“So, where should we look first?” Applejack moves over to the area closest the part of the Map where the image of the shovel is. “The island tain’t exactly big, but tain’t exactly small, neither.”
“And why am I meant to come along?” I ask, genuinely confused as I think this over now. “I’ve never even heard of this Mighty Helm, let alone whoever Rockhoof is, so why does The Map want me to go?”
Twilight shrugs. “I can’t answer that, Miranda. But, it’s clear you’re supposed to go. The Map’s never been wrong before.”
I sigh. So much for going home and working out for a few hours before relaxing in a nice hot bath.
“There it is!” Applejack calls, making me glance up from the book I’ve read at least a dozen times since this trip started and stand next to her to see an island with a volcano not too far off in the distance.
It’s been a day since The Map sent us to retrieve The Shovel of Rockhoof.
Twilight charted us a boat, well, more arranged for us to go with the next group heading off to join Archaeological Team at the excavation site.
Applejack spent the first part of the trip explaining who exactly Rockhoof was so I’d have a better understanding of where we’re going and what to look for.
Apparently, The Mighty Helm were Equestria’s version of Vikings. Rockhoof had been the son of a farmer who, after trying to save his village from an erupting volcano by digging a trench to divert the lava, gained super strength and joined the Helm himself.
One day he mysteriously vanished, with nopony knowing where he went or what happened to his shovel, which, the way Applejack describes it, you’d think was like Mjolnir from Norse mythology or something.
I’m glad we’ll soon be getting off this boat. I don’t know why, but I’ve been getting a really bad feeling about it.
I can’t explain it, but it feels like something’s been on the boat with us that shouldn’t have been.
Applejack had assured me everything was fine, that I was just nervous, but… I dunno.
Half an hour later, the boat makes port and we get off, myself carrying a rucksack over my shoulder and Applejack with saddlebags.
We’re led to a somewhat lanky gray mare with a two-toned green mane and tail, wearing a dirty brown jacket with a blue ascot around her neck, spectacles over amber eyes and with a Cutie Mark that looks like a pickaxe and a rock.
“Professor Fossil?” Applejack asks, the mare turning in our direction, her eyes widening at the sight of me. “Ah’m Applejack and this here is Miranda,” I give a small wave as she indicates to me. “Princess Twilight sent word we’d be coming?”
Professor Fossil seems to not have heard Applejack for moment, her eyes fixed solely on me, before she shakes her head and looks to the farmer.
“Oh, yes, of course. Miss Applejack and…?”
“Miranda,” I say, waving a hand. “It’s fine. I know ponies aren’t use to such a name or my appearance when they first see me. I’m used to it, now.”
Professor Fossil looks a little off put, but composes herself and nods. “Yes, well, it was a rather surprisingly letter, to say the least. Never did I expect to get dragon mail, let alone from the Princess of Friendship herself.”
“And ya know why we’re here?” Applejack asks, setting her bags down, myself following suit.
At this, Professor Fossil’s domineer changes to one of someone trying to reason with a child who believes in the Loch Ness Monster.
“Yes, though I do feel it will be a waste of time, Miss Applejack,” she gives a small laugh. “I love old legends as much as anypony, but a pony strong enough to save a village from rushing lava with a shovel is… preposterous.”
I can’t help frowning, before a sneaky smirk comes to my face and I put of a clearly fake posh accent. “And did you hear about that strange winged horn creature that supposedly raises the sun? Preposterous.”
The two look to me in confusion.
I roll my eyes. “You live in a world of magic. You don’t think there’s the smallest chance a legend like Rockhoof could be real?”
Professor Fossil straightens her glasses a little. “I’ll… allow the two of you to get set up.”
She turns to leave, walking down a step next to us, before I suddenly jerk upright, looking left and right.
“Miranda, what’s wrong?” Applejack asks, the concern in her voice seeming to cause the other mare to pause.
“It’s that feeling again,” I say, my eyes narrowed as I glance around the area. “The one from the boat.”
“But, we’re not on the boat anymore,” Applejack says, confused.
Suddenly, there’s a loud cracking sound and we turn around to see a large boulder dislodge from the cliff and quickly rolling towards us, more specially, Professor Fossil.
Before I can even react, Applejack leaps in front of the mare, swivelling around, her back leg catching the boulder, before, with a mighty shove, she sends it souring into the air, crashing down outside the excavation site, startling a flock of birds.
Applejack cracks her legs, a smug look on her face.
“I… can’t believe you just did that,” Professor Fossil says, getting up from the area she’d just walked down to. “You saved me.”
“Ah bet if you told somepony else this story it might sound,” Applejack gives a small gasp, “preposterous.”
I’d smirk at the irony if I wasn’t still trying to find where that feeling is coming from. It’s like… it feel vaguely like The Pony of Shadows… only far weaker and… different too.
Suddenly, there’s a large flash of light from within an opening that was hidden behind the boulder, followed by the creepiest sound I’ve ever heard. It was a mix between a scream and hiss.
I rush over to see what’s going on in the opening, only for something black with bright yellow eyes to leap at me and my body going hot, followed by the scream hiss again.
When I open my eyes, it’s to see the opening leads to a small room. Inside it are several pillars with innate carvings similar to others around the site.
On the far wall at the back there’s a picture carved out of stone depicting a large pony, bigger than Big Mac, whom I assume is Rockhoof, holding a shovel in triumphant pose, with an exploding mountain behind in.
Beneath that is a small alter of brown stone, with more carvings I can’t read.
Sitting atop this alter, is a worn, yet strong looking shovel.
Applejack walks inside, heading towards the shovel.
“I suppose some stories… might be true,” Professor Fossil says from next to me as Applejack reaches the alter.
Applejack grabs the shovel in her mouth and steps down from alter, turning around to face us.
At once, the shovel glows with a golden light.
“And Rockhoof’s appears to be one of them,” Professor Fossil says with firm shock.
Applejack moves the shovel to hold it with one of her forelegs. “Dunno why ya were worried there, Miranda. The shovel seems fine t’ me.”
“Something was here, Applejack,” I say, glancing around. “I don’t know how I know, but I do. Whatever it was, I think it was after the shovel too.”
“That boulder did seem to break free of the cliff randomly,” one of the other ponies says, sounding unsure. “Plus, if not for Miss Applejack, that boulder would’ve easily crushed you, Professor.”
“Could… could whatever you sensed have been after the shovel, and didn’t care who got hurt in its efforts to get it?” the mare looks to me.
I shake my head. “I don’t know nor why it didn’t take it when it had the chance. All I know is, the sooner we get that shovel back to Princess Twilight and figure out how to store it safely, the better.”
“A bit lower, Miranda,” the Earth Pony stallion calls out.
“You got it, Hard Hat,” I call back, easing my grip on the web rope in my hands, lowering a slab of purple marble until it’s sitting gently atop a pile of slabs.
It’s been just under three months since Applejack and I retrieved Rockhoof’s shovel from the dig site of the home of the Mighty Helm.
Twilight has stored the shovel in a special chest in her castle, with multiple wards to prevent anyone taking it without permission.
Like me, she’d been wary once she learned something else had been after a relic of an important figure that no one should have known the location of. After all, we didn’t even know it existed until the Map told us to go get it.
I’m helping with construction of a new school that Twilight’s planning on starting here in Ponyville. The School of Friendship.
When I asked what the point was teaching friendship solely to ponies, since they mostly have the concept completely figured out, she informed me she’s actually planning on all creatures being allowed to attend, though will be starting small, just five non pony students, though she hasn’t said who or what they’ll be.
The school itself won’t be open for quite a while, but it should happen. If we all work really hard, construction should be finished before autumn.
Things have been interesting, both in Ponyville and Canterlot.
Spike had Dragon Lord Ember visit, along with Thorax and, after several misunderstandings and miscommunications, not only had things gone well with the visit, but Ember and Thorax became good friends, each able to help the other with understanding how to be better rulers, which Thorax really needed the help with, as his brother and several other Changelings hadn’t been willing to change, wanting to keep things as they’d been under their former queen.
Starlight and Trixie had apparently helped solve the problem with his brother, Pharynx, after he became the lone ling left who refused to change, though only because he hadn’t understood that he didn’t have to change who he was to be welcome in the new Changeling Kingdom.
Granted, that did have the kind contradictive effect of him changing into a new form to match his fellow Changelings, but you get the idea.
Not only that, but I met Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom’s grandfather. On their mother’s side.
His name’s Grand Pear… and, for reasons I cannot fathom, he sounds like William Shatner.
Apparently he’d moved away from Ponyville shortly after his daughter had married Granny Smith’s son, Bright Mac, due to a feud going on between the Pear Family and Apple Family and him being too focused on that to accept his daughter wanting to be happy, nor that, by her marrying into the Apple Family, the Apple and Pear families were on in the same and him only recently having seen the light and wanting to meet his grandchildren.
A shame he learned to put the feud behind him too late to reunite with his daughter. Everyone knows the Apple parents have been dead since before Twilight came to Ponyville.
Rainbow, Rarity and AJ just got back yesterday from a camping trip, where they’d apparently run into a flock of something called Fliders, a horrific sounding amalgamation of spiders and flies.
They’d been putting off the trip for a few months due to an accident regarding Rarity’s mane. She bounced back from losing most of her mane, it resulting in her taking on a new Punk Rarity look for a while, which I personally think she should’ve kept, but it’s her choice how she looks.
Apple Bloom told me how they’d shared stories of three ponies on the trip, one of them being Rockhoof. The other two were also, interestingly, ponies from history I’d learned about not to long after AJ and I returned with the shovel.
Mistmane and Flash Magnus and, yes, I did actually ask Cadance if there might be a blood relationship between him and Flash Sentry, though, apparently names, being stallions and pegasi were the only things those two had in common.
Mistmane and Flash Magnus were friends with Rockhoof, along with three other ponies, being Mage Meadowbrook, whom Starlight had lied about the Staff of Sameness belonging two back in season five, a Pegasus mare named Somnabula whom is the Equestrian version of Egyptian and Star Swirl the Bearded himself.
The six were part of a group called The Pillars of Light, kind of the precursors to the Bearers of the Elements, I guess.
Of course, I haven’t had a chance to do much research beyond that, as I’ve been helping with the construction of the School of Friendship a lot.
I do intend to learn more about Meadowbrook and Somnabula when I get the chance.
It’s actually kind of funnily fitting that the girls told stories about those ponies on their camping trip. A couple weeks ago, Rarity had been sent by the Map on a mission to retrieve a relic of Mistmane’s… though it was an even odder relic than Rockhoof’s shovel.
Mistmane’s relic is a flower. A flow that is still blooming after over a thousand years.
Whatever magic is keeping that thing alive, it’s gotta be potent to keep it fresh for longer than Luna was stuck in the moon.
Apparently she’d found the flower with a descendant of Mistmane’s best friend from their youth and she’d given Rarity the flower after Rarity helped the mare fix a garden that had been in her family for generations, but had become overrun with weeds and the like over the centuries.
The flower is with the shovel, though in a positon where it can get plenty of sun and water, Rarity going over to the castle to water it daily when there’s no rain scheduled.
Blueblood has been taking an interest in Ponyville, making occasional visits, especially whenever I’m working. He’s actually been trying to reacquaint with Rarity… which did not go well at first, understandably.
Rarity wanted nothing to do with the prince at first, it not having reached her that, while she and the rest of the Mane 6 were gone during the Storm King event, he’d been the one making sure Canterlot kept running and why it was better prepared to fight the Storm King when he arrived.
It took me getting the two to sit down and talk for her to actually listen. It helped when Blueblood explained his actions at the Gala and Rarity blushing as she realized, she’d kind of asked for that treatment with how she’d been gold-digging while thinking she was doing the opposite.
It helped that she’d still been in her Punk Rarity style at the time and he’d complimented her on it.
Now, the two at least talk to each other. I don’t see anything resembling romance forming anytime soon, but talking at least is better than nothing.
I spit out a new threat of webbing and start pulling to lift several girders up to a platform, while simultaneously carrying a large create of bricks over my head with both hands, when I get a familiar tingling all over my body.
I finishing moving my current loads and inform Hard Hat. Twilight had briefed him about what being summoned by the Map could mean and that I’d been summoned once before, so he understood and left me clock off early.
I head over to Twilight’s castle to find Pinkie Pie and a very anxious and irate Rainbow Dash there too, both their Cutie Marks glowing.
“Can’t the Map wait?!” Dash is asking as I enter. “A.K. Yearing needs our help now!”
“Rainbow, I’m not happy to hear A.K. Yearing’s planning on retiring either, but I’m certain this is a more pressing matter,” Twilight states, noticing me and waving me over, indicating to the Map.
Like with Rockhoof’s shovel and Mistmane’s flower, there’s a light over a specific location in Equestria, an Egyptian looking place… though now I’m wondering if the Map is just trolling us now.
First the time it wanted us to retrieve was a shovel, then a flower and now…
“A blindfold? Seriously?” I look to Twilight, giving her an “is this a joke?” expression.
“I… don’t understand it myself,” she sounds as annoyed as I am. “But, for now, we need to find out what’s so important about that blindfold. So, the three of you are off to Somnambula.”
I blink, making an effort to clear out my ear. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Can you repeat that? I must have misheard you because it sounded like you said you want us to go to a dead pony.” I blanch. “Oh, please tell me we aren’t going to have to go into a tomb to take a blindfold off a corpse?”
I swear, if that’s what the Map has planned for us, I’m going to break it in two with my bare hands.
Twilight looks very confused. “No… You’re going to the town of Somnambula, named after the mare herself.”
Despite Twilight telling us the mission was more important, Dash insisted we go see Daring Do first.
Oddly enough, though, we might be able to kill to bird with one stone.
The reason Daring Do is retiring is because, here in Somnambula, the ponies apparently really don’t like her because of all the damaged caused during her latest adventures in Southern Equestria, her most recent one being in Somnambula itself… though that is also where my concerns started.
Apparently she’d been trying to save something called the Sister Crown Relics that, if separated, would’ve cursed the region with eternal night and Somnambula would’ve sunk into the ground.
…
Yeah, minus the “sinking into the ground” part, that sounds an awful lot like what happened with Nightmare Moon and the fact the Sister Crown Relics are a pair of crowns, like day and night?
I might have to get Twilight to look into this and ask the princesses about it too.
There’s no way that’s just a coincidence.
Though that’s not the main issue right now… nor is our Friendship Mission to retrieve the blindfold, apparently.
Dash is determined to help Daring Do clear her name… not that I see that being easy.
Several ponies we’ve encountered have had very poor things to say about the mare and their grievances sound pretty plausible.
Well, all except for one.
We first came across him when we (well, Dash) started asking around to prove ponies saw Daring as a hero for saving them from the curse.
After an elderly stallion with a similar build to Grand Pear, and who’s apple themed Cutie Mark makes me think he’s a distant Southern Equestrian relative of the family, told us Daring had destroyed his apple cart, a stallion in a hooded cloak had called Daring a menace who destroys all she touches.
This had caused Daring to run off and, while trying to find her, we stumbled upon an inn Dash recognized from one of Daring’s books.
While there, the owner of the inn had talked about how, not only had Daring not paid the last time she stayed there, but a bunch of “ruffians” as the mare called them, had trashed the place looking for Daring.
However, she’d also told us something that, while everything else has sounded reasonable, this one has to be false.
She claimed that, apparently, Daring has been going around stealing gemstones called glowpaz, her even pointing to the pony we met earlier who’d called Daring a menace, saying he said Daring had stolen his glowpaz just yesterday… which immediately made me suspicious.
Daring had told us she had returned from Somnambula several days ago, the stories she’d had newspaper clippings of confirming her story.
So, there’s no way Daring could’ve stolen that guy’s glowpaz yesterday, not only because Daring isn’t some common thief, but she wasn’t even in Somnambula yesterday. You can’t have stolen something from someone if you and that someone never interacted to begin with.
The three of us start following him, myself very intent on asking him how Daring could’ve stolen something from him yesterday when she wasn’t anywhere near Somnumbla yesterday, when we find A.K. sitting at a table, looking extremely sad.
We go over to her and watch as the stallion she’d supposedly stolen from stands on a stage clearly meant for in house entertainment and addresses all the ponies gathered.
“Daring Do ruined our town and stole our precious glowpaz!” he called out. “We need to make sure, that if she ever shows up again, they will be consequences! Everypony that’s with me, meet at the statue tomorrow.”
Daring sighs. “Now I’m getting blamed for things I didn’t even do? Why would I steal from them?”
“Or how?” I nod. “You weren’t even here yesterday, when that guy claims you stole from him. I don’t know why he’s lying, but we should find out.” I sigh. “Though, we’ll have to wait til tomorrow. I highly doubt these ponies are going to want to listen to reason this late at night. Better to wait til morning, when everypony’s well rested and more level headed.”
I glare at the cloaked stallion. I’m keeping my eye on him though.
“Here it is!” the cloaked stallion says as he stands in front of the remains of a crumbled statue the elderly Apple stallion had pointed us to yesterday. “The remains of your— I mean our Somnambula statue!”
My eyes narrow. Your? And when he corrected himself there, he put a heavy emphasis on our, almost like he hoped no one would notice.
Now I’m even more suspicious. I have the sneaking hunch this guy isn’t a member of the town.
Of course, as I should’ve figured, Dash, while trying to help matters, doesn’t.
After another pony claims Daring stole their glowpaz, Dash flies to the front of the crowd to convince them Daring didn’t steal from them at all and how Daring actually saved them all by stopping Ahuizotl from destroying their whole town and it starts to work, I even notice the cloaked stallion seeming nervous, suggesting further that he’s been lying about Daring stealing from him and others… but she then flubs it by referring to the statue as crummy and old when trying to explain how losing just the statue is better than the whole town being swallowed up.
This immediately turns the ponies against her again, the elderly Apple stallion telling a story about Somnambula and I actually pay a lot of attention to it.
The reason Somnambula was a Pillar of Light is because, when a Sphinx that had been tormenting the town had ponynapped their prince, Somnambula had gone into the Sphinx’s temple to save him, the Sphinx saying she’d let the prince go if Somnambula solved a riddle and, while wearing a blindfold I recognize the description of to be the one we’re looking for, walk across a rope bridge to retrieve the prince.
If she’d fallen, she’d have perished due to there being a spell on the temple that prevents flight without its wall and a drop with an unknown depth below.
She’d managed to succeed and the Sphinx left in a rage, with the prince rewarding the brave mare with a necklace of glowpaz for not losing hope and that’s why the gems are so precious to the town.
Dash, upon apologizing for not realizing how important the statue was, then compares Daring to Somnambula and tells the town how, if Somnambula were still around, she’d say Daring was a good pony too, since they both worked hard to save the town.
At first, it looks like it’s working. The townsponies are amongst themselves, seeming to be coming around to the idea of Daring not being so bad a pony.
Good. Sooner we get this over with, the sooner Dash, Pinkie and I can try retrieving the blindfold. Maybe it’s in the Spinx’s old temple?
“If Somnambula were here, she would condemn Daring do for destroy your— our symbol of hope!”
Or, we could still have to deal with this.
I rub my temples. Did nopony notice him flub that? It was so freaking obvious he’d said “your” and then corrected himself. This guy clearly isn’t part of the town and working some kind of angle here, yet nopony seems to see it.
Daring just runs off, clearly too heartbroken to put up with this anymore.
The crowd quickly disperses, myself and Dash going to confront the stallion, the Pegasus demanding to know what Daring could possibly have done to make him slander her the way he has.
He decides to reveal himself and I find myself annoyed I hadn’t put the pieces together from the voice alone that it’s actually Caballeron, one of Daring’s enemies.
Then again, he only appeared in those two episodes and I didn’t think he would be around here since Daring had recently dealt with both Ahuizotl and the Wild Bunch Gang.
Though, when you watch as much TV as I used to, where it was a villain of the week format most of the time, so villains normally didn’t interfere in episodes another villain was in, I suppose that’s just the mindset you go with and you forget how villains can be in episodes they’re not the main feature of.
After he thanks Dash for unintentionally giving him the perfect opportunity to destroy Daring Do’s reputation along with her spirit (though, since he doesn’t know she’s A.K. Yearling, I guess he just assumed she was nearby), he makes it clear he’s not going to let us go so we can foil his plans.
When his cronies move in to take us, I throw a fist, clocking one of them in the jaw, sending him flying back several feet.
Dash and I keep up the fight, before Caballeron uses my being distracted by his cronies to throws sand in my eyes, blinding me.
I keep waving my arms around, my show of strength earlier clearly being enough to ward them off, even if I can’t see them.
They can’t capture me if they can’t get to me, after all.
“Help!” Dash’s voice calls, but I can’t see where... though I don’t need to see to know when Pinkie shoots past me, clearly running after the Pegasus.
“Miranda, are you okay?” Daring’s voice asks and I feel a hoof take my hand.
“Yeah,” I say, wincing from the sand in my eyes. “Can’t see is all.”
“Here,” she says and I feel cool water trickling over my eyes.
I try to open them and then rub my eyes as best I can. Once my vision’s cleared, Daring changes out of her A.K. clothes and we hurry to catch up with Pinkie
We eventually find a pyramid that is clearly the same one from the story we heard in the town.
We hear Dash’s cries for help as we run in, eventually coming to a large open chamber, Dash tied up on a platform with no way of getting to it without flying.
“Miranda? Pinkie Pie? Daring Do? Is that you?” Dash calls quickly in a panic, clearly scared due to not being able to see anything.
The moment she says this, the platform Dash is on shakes and start to sink into what looks like boiling green slime.
A cruel laugh from above makes us glance up to see Caballeron looking down at us from the opening in the pyramid’s room.
“If my previous plan didn’t cause you to give up, Daring Do, then the shame of losing your friend, Rainbow Dash, to the slime, will,” he sneers down at us. “Oh, and that ancient magic from the legend? It’s real. There’ll be no flying in the pyramid! Good luck, Daring Do!”
He gives that signature evil villain laugh as he leaves... the roof somehow closing behind him? What?
Daring immediately starts trying to open her wings, but it seems the spell is preventing her from doing so… which is odd. Not allowing them to fly, I get, but stopping wings from even moving?
For pegasi, that’s like a human being unable to lift their arms in a room that prevents you from using your hands.
“He’s right,” she says, her tone worried. “We’ll never get to her in time.”
Pinkie laughs. “Don’t give up hope yet. We can still get over there, no problem.”
“How?” Daring looks at her frantically. “I’m the only one of us with wings and, even if you did, nopony can fly in here.”
Pinkie grins. “Good thing there’s more than ponies here. We’ve got a secret weapon Caballeron is clueless about.”
I smirk. “Me.” I know exactly what she’s talking about. I thought of it the moment Caballeron bragged about no flying in the temple as if that meant there was no way to reach Dash at all.
“Who needs flight,” I take several steps back, then do a run up, leap into the air and fire a web from my mouth at the highest point I can, swinging on the rob and cut it off as I land on the platform, detaching the web from my mouth, “when you can web it?”
“Who’s there?” Dash asks anxiously.
“Just me, Dash,” I say, quickly untying the ropes and removing her blindfold… before glancing around.
Something feels… strange. Like, similar to when AJ and I first found…
I glance down into the rising slime, frowning as I scan my eyes over the area, before I feel my eyes fixate on one specific point, as if I can feel something calling to me.
I fire a web straight into the slime.
“What’re you doing?!” Dash and Daring yell out once.
I wait, feeling the web being pulled further and further, until I can tell something caught on it.
Grabbing the other web line hanging next to me, I get Dash to put her forelegs around my neck and we swing across, myself holding on tightly to the one still in my mouth.
Once we’re on the other side, Pinkie cheers, hugging Dash, before rushing over to me and starts helping me pull.
We pull and pull, Dash and Daring joining in.
After about a minute, we feel the cord yank suddenly and we tumble back as something come out with the end of the web, slopping against Pinkie’s face.
At once, the slime drains out of the area below, like water down a bathtub.
“Looks like this blindfold was blocking the drain,” Pinkie holds it out in her hooves, where it suddenly starts glowing with a golden light.
“Somnambula’s Blindfold!” Dash, Daring and I exclaim.
Pinkie blinks. “Oh, yeah. We did come for this, didn’t we?” She giggles, bouncing in place. “I knew we could do it!”
“Thanks for reminding me never to give up hope, Pinkie,” Daring smiles to her, then looks to me. “Though, to be fair, I certainly never expected that. What even are you, Miranda?”
I smirk. “That’s a long story.”
“Uh, we can talk later,” Dash indicates to the entrance. “Right now we gotta stop Caballeron before he gets away with the town’s glowpaz!”
“Just make sure he doesn’t see the blindfold, Pinkie,” I warn the pink mare as we hurry to get out of the temple. “Last thing we want is to let Caballeron know we’ve a priceless ancient Equestrian artefact.”
“Oh, man! I’m so gonna be late!” Will worried aloud as she ran down the street in the direction of school.
After the strange incident with Cornelia’s little sister and the Fold in her bedroom, they’d gone to Kandrakar to speak with The Oracle, hoping he might give them a clue.
He did… but it had only made things more confusing.
Lilian had indeed gone through the Fold to end up in a world populated by talking ponies… and almost all of them were the most garish of pastel colours.
While something had prevented The Oracle from getting a clear vision of the world as well as show it to them in clear detail, they had witnessed both the events Lilian had been involved in as well as the aftermath.
Lilian had arrived and wandered around what was clearly some kind of festival that had been going on at the time, before a large army, led by a pony with a much darker pallet and a broken horn.
Lilian had jumped in the way of someone when a green orb was thrown at them and it had turned her to stone.
Not long after, something that looked like a yeti had taken a white pony hostage and, through a large number of trials and errors, the ponies had gotten some kind of staff away from the yeti and he’d ended up turning himself to stone, falling off a balcony and smashing to pieces.
It had been quite the grim end, a severe contrast to all the brightly coloured equines.
This was all The Oracle had been able to reveal, however, as something was interfering with his ability to see in more detail.
So, sadly, they knew what the world Lilian had ended up in and what had happened prior to her being sent back, but they didn’t know the name of the world nor how the Fold that sent her there to begin with had come from.
From what they’d seen, the ponies were just as surprised to see Lilian and she’d been them, so had had nothing to do with her arrival in their world.
“WAH!” a voice cried out, followed by Will herself as she collided with someone and the two of them went tumbling on the slightly snow covered ground.
Thankfully, with winter heading towards spring, the snow was melting, so she didn’t get too soaked by snow clinging to her sweater and melting on contact, but some still did.
“Not again,” a surprisingly familiar elderly voice said.
Sitting up, Will realized she’d bumped into the same man she had all those weeks ago after Miranda was on Earth.
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry Mr… Runi, was it?” she asked, hurriedly getting up and helping the old man stand.
“Runic,” he answered, patting himself down a bit once standing. “Gregor Runic. And, please, do not worry yourself, my dear. T’was but an accident. Though I do hope this doesn’t become a pattern,” he muttered, though not so quietly Will didn’t hear him.
It was then Will noticed several boxes lying on the ground, clearly dropped.
“I’m so sorry!” she said again, leaning down and picking up one of the boxes, before stacking another atop it with a small amount of difficulty.
“There’s no need for that, child,” Mr. Runic said reassuringly. “I can manage just fine. My granddaughter will be out shortly to help me carry them in anyway. I suppose I was just a little bit too hasty.”
“No, no. that’s totally fine. I want to help,” Will assured, wanting to make up for knocking Mr. Runic over… again.
He regarded her for a moment, Will wondering what it was he was looking at, before he shook his head slightly and smiled. “Very well. Then, follow me, Miss…?”
“Will,” she answered, following him into a white two story house with a small front yard garden.
He led her from the entrance hall to a door on the right.
“Right in here is fine, Miss Will,” Mr. Runic said, indicating to a small corner in the room with a plain brown rug.
Will took the boxes over, lowering them.
As she rose up from her position, Will noticed a small red jewel hanging on the wall.
It wasn’t fancy, rather plain looking, really. However, its simplicity seemed to accentuate its beauty.
It look somewhat like a large red ruby, big as the palm of her hand, embedded into a golden casing, the chain it was hung on looking like gold as well.
“Lustrous, is it not?”
Will started, glancing behind her to see Mr. Runic smiling at her, before indicating to the jewel.
He came over, taking it off the hook the chain hung on and held it out to her. “Take a look. It doesn’t bite.”
Will forced herself to laugh at the bad joke and reached out, putting her hand on the jewel.
The moment she did, she felt a sharp jolt, like a static shook.
She yelped, pulling her hand away.
Mr. Runic gave her a confused look. “Something wrong, my dear?”
“It… it was nothing,” Will said, shaking her hand to get the tingling feeling to go away. “Just a static shock.”
Though, that was odd. She hadn’t actually felt pain from static shocks since her Quintessence powers awakened after the Veil was dropped. She’d forgotten how painful they could be sometimes.
“It is quite old,” Mr. Runic lifted the gem to the light. “It’s called the Flashstone. It is said to have mystical properties.”
“Oh, of course,” Will laughed, conflicted due to being aware magic really exists, but knowing this Flashstone was likely just that, a stone and not wanting to hurt Mr. Runic’s feelings. It probably was an heirloom passed down in his family.
“Well, at least that’s what they say in its homeland,” Mr. Runic laughed, putting the gemstone back on its hook.
“G-grandfather?” a voice called from somewhere outside the room, their voice filled with fear. “I-is someone else in the house?”
Will became rooted to the spot.
That voice. It was filled with fear, something she’d never heard it having earnestly before, but she recognized it immediately.
A gasp from that voice made her whirl around to see a girl standing in the doorway to the room she and Mr. Runic were in, trapped in, she now realized, since there were no other exits from the room.
The girl before them had black hair, freckles and blue eyes that were all too familiar to the Guardian. She was even wearing the same clothes as when they lost her.
Miranda! Will gasped, readying to reach out to the girls mentally, hoping Taranee would be able to pick up her call from here and relay it to the others so they could—
“No need to worry, Morgana,” Mr. Runic said quickly, hurrying over and putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder… which Will suddenly noticed was trembling… and the girl was looking at her with utter terror.
“I… wha?” was all she could manage.
Mr. Runic sighed, pulling the girl closer, her latching onto him instantly. “This is my granddaughter, Morgana. Her parents are usually out on business and I end up looking after her. She was sheltered a lot before, so she’s incredibly nervous around new people. I’m terribly sorry.”
“Oh, n-no need to apologize, Mr. Runic,” Will held up her hands, shaking her head. “It’s not like you could’ve warned her I was going to be here. It was random chance.”
His face seemed to ease slightly and he nodded. “Thank you, Miss Will. Though,” his expression became puzzled, “wasn’t there a reason you accidentally bumped into me, earlier?”
Will blinked for a moment, before her eyes widened with panic. “Crap! I’m gonna be late! Gotta go! Bye!”
She rushed passed the both of them and out the door.
“It’s okay, dear,” he could hear Mr. Runic saying to his granddaughter, his voice fading the further away she got as she shot down the road. “Now, I think we’d better get you to your appointment, yes?”
As she ran down the road, dodging and weaving past passer-by’s, Will thought about what she’d just witnessed.
She’d been so certain that was Miranda at first sound and sight. The two were alarmingly similar.
But, after what she’d just witnessed, it couldn’t be her, could it?
Yes, Miranda had acted friendly in front of Elyon during Phobos’ plan to steal her power and Miranda had easily fooled those detectives who’d been investigating where Elyon had gone after all those months, framing them for her disappearance… but what she’d just seen couldn’t have been Miranda acting.
For one, the absolute fear in her eyes at the sight of Will had been too powerful. Even Miranda was that good an actor.
And then there was Mr. Runic himself. He specifically referred to her as his granddaughter. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between his own granddaughter and an imposter/lookalike. Miranda didn’t have hypnosis or any mind altering powers like that.
Plus, it’s not like someone would’ve agreed to go along with her charade. Well, sure, she could’ve threatened Mr. Runic, but, if that were true, he would’ve shown some sort of sign of worry, either for his life should the truth come out and Miranda make due on her threat and, if he had the guts to keep up such a lie, he wouldn’t have been intimidated by her to begin with.
My head hurts, Will grumbled to herself. Plus, she was really tired suddenly. She hadn’t gotten that bad a night’s sleep, had she? Shed’ felt plenty energized upon waking up and rushing out of bed.
Why was she so tired all of a sudden and now, of all times?
“You really don’t have to join me so often, Bluey,” I say as I jog down the street, the prince trotting quickly beside me.
We’re going through town for my morning run. Bluey usually joins me.
It’s been about two weeks since Pinkie, Rainbow, Daring Do and I were in Somnambula and retrieved the mare of the same name’s blindfold from within the Sphinx’s pyramid and thwarted one of Doctor Caballeron’s plans in the process.
It’s my day off from working on the construction of the School of Friendship, so I’m using that time to explore Canterlot alongside my daily exercise.
“Nonsense, Miranda,” he chuckles, flexing his legs a little to show off the muscle that has formed on them. “I’ve been meaning to get into shape and our regular morning and evening runs have been doing wonders.” He laugh. “Pish posh to the Nobles who think it uncouth for a prince to be toned like a farmer. I take that as a compliment.” He winks. “And Miss Rarity doesn’t seem to mind.”
I shake my head, smiling.
We passed Rarity at her Canterlot Boutique twenty minutes ago and, after clearly jokingly flirting with Blueblood regarding his physic, she mentioned something about Spike sending a scroll saying earlier that morning, saying something about Twilight going with her family on a Zeppelin tour… though he himself is not going, for some reason.
The purple drake is pretty much her son. Why doesn’t he get to go when the rest of his family does?
I’m suddenly yanked from my inner musings by the ground shaking, causing us to halt in place, glancing around.
A second later, screams start erupting from Restaurant Row up ahead and a very familiar roar comes the same direction. Well, familiar to me, a fan of the show, anyway.
We look to each other, before rushing forward.
We round the corner, only for myself to shove Blueblood to the right, us narrowly avoiding a café table that smashes where we’d been seconds before.
A large bear-like creature with a star on its forehead is stomping around Restaurant Row, swiping at ponies that come to near and smashing into buildings and tables, wrecking everything in sight.
“What in Equestria is an Ursa Minor doing all the way here in Canterlot?” Blueblood cries out what I’m thinking.
I suddenly have a sinking feeling and leap onto a nearby wall, climbing up as quickly as possible and scanning Canterlot as best I can, breathing a sigh of relief when I don’t see what I know the Ursa Majors look like.
“Mummy’s not here,” I call as I leap down, landing next to the stallion. “Luckily, this little one seems to be here of its own accord.” I frown, rubbing my chin. “Though why is another matter entirely.”
“Either way, we need to stop it, before it destroys all of Restaurant Row,” Blueblood says, quickly levitating the table the almost hit us earlier to shield us from another.
I glance around quickly, before noticing several table cloths laying around, thrown off their tables during the baby star bear’s rampage.
“Gather all of those table cloths,” I say, indicating to several of them. “I have an idea.” Though whether it’s a good one or not, we’ll have to wait and see.
He nods and we gather as many cloths as we can, regrouping once we’ve got a decent number.
Moving quickly, using my webbing, I combine the cloths all together until they’re one massive sheet.
“What’s the plan here?” Blueblood asks as he levitates the massive cloth.
I indicate to a nearby archway, maybe just big enough for the Ursa Minor to fit through. “Hang the cloth loosely over that archway. I’ll lure it over and we’ll swaddle it up. Hopefully, that might be enough to give it pause, calm down and take a nap.”
“Then we can arrange for it to be returned to the Everfree Forest,” he nods, taking the cloth and hurrying towards the archway.
Sighing, I turn and run towards the still rampaging giant baby.
Sorry, little big guy, I think as I close the distance between us, moving towards its rear right-leg. This is gonna hurt you far more than it does me.
I reach its foot, my small size (and severe lack of obviously noticeable pastel colours) clearly having meant it didn’t notice me and, pulling back my arm, thrust forward, delivering a punch to its foot.
At once, it howls in pain, before whirling around to face me, snarling.
“Step one, clear,” I murmur, before turning tail and making a beeline for the archway, the Ursa Minor hot on my heels.
Suddenly, all that unnecessarily excising day in and day out are really paying off, as I’m barely keeping ahead of the giant baby despite its far larger steps.
“Bluey, is it ready?” I yell.
I can see the cloth, but whether it’s properly in place is another matter altogether.
“Best as can be!” Blueblood’s voice calls from behind it.
Waiting til I’m several feet away from the now covered archway, I spit web up towards one of the nearest towers and yank myself upwards, grabbing onto a spire and clinging to the wall.
The Ursa Minor, confused by my sudden movement, turning its head to follow, doesn’t see the large cloth and runs right into it, causing it to fall and, as it loses its footing, wrapping all around it, its head the only thing pocking out.
There’s a sudden stillness in the air as we wait, watching its bewildered expression.
After a few moments, its face softens, its eyes drooping and it falls asleep.
You can literally hear the sigh of relief all around Canterlot as I slide down to the ground again, joining the crowd of ponies gathering around the sleeping baby star bear.
“That was quick thinking there, Miranda,” Blueblood looks to me as I’m resting my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.
“How truly pathetic.”
The shock of the voice stuns me enough to not be able to react in time before a glob of webbing slams into me, sticking me to a nearby wall.
Everypony turns to see what I know as Miranda’s spider form.
I just stare, my eyes widening as I take in the form that I used to be able to take.
“Wh-what is that… thing?!” a mare in the crowd yells.
Spider Miranda just laughs. “The superior lifeform.”
I just stare both angered and horrified. “So, he really did it. That Gregor guy not only made an Astral Drop of me, but he somehow turned you into an Altemere!”
“Correct,” she laughs again, before looking disgusted. “Being a copy of myself is quite degrading when you’re using my real body like that.” She sneers. “Though, I’d say my… compensation more than makes up for it.”
Compensation?
She laughs, lifting up her right hand, revealing, on her ring finger…
My gut drops in pure dread. “The Mystic Mage’s ring?!”
“The same,” she nods. “Father is very good at retrieving useful artefacts.”
With that, she turns around, thrusting her arm down, a Fold opening.
I struggle against my bindings, trying frantically to get free.
Miranda turns back, smiling as she takes on her human form, wearing the clothes she always wore when Phobos was ruling Meridian, causing everypony present to gasp. “So long, Miranda. Til we meet again.”
Yelling, I pull even hard, ripping myself free from the webs and rush towards her.
She leaps through the Fold, it closing behind her, my hand grabbing thin air.
There’s silence, broken only by the sounds of the sleeping star bear.
I feel everypony staring at me, my own eyes fixed on the point where my hand had just missed my evil doppelganger.
There’s a Miranda Altermere, with the Mage’s ring?
That is a nightmare just waiting to happen.
But… something else she said worries me, deeply.
She mentioned she got compensation for my getting her real body while hers is a copy… but, as worrying as that is, it’s what she said after.
Father is very good at retrieving useful artefacts.
“Princess Celestia, I need a Fold to Earth, NOW!” I scream as I bash through the doors to the throne room and charge in, causing said white Alicorn, her assistant Ink Well and what it takes a second for me to realize is a hippogriff, to jump.
Celestia takes a second to compose herself, before giving me a displeased look. “Miranda, can this not wait. I’m in the middle of speaking with General Sea Spray.”
“General Sea Spray of her majesty, Queen Novo’s Navy,” he says, holding out a claw.
I take it, slightly, confused, before the name rings a bell. Queen Novo was that hippogriff Twilight went to ask for help against the Storm King.
“I do apologize for causing a delay Miss… Miranda, was it?” Sea Spray says and I nod slowly. “We shan’t be too much longer, I assure you.” He frowns in confusion. “Um, what kind of fold would you need the princess’s help for, if I may ask?”
Any confusion caused by the odd introduction is immediately thrown away and my panic returns in full force.
I turn to Celestia. “I’m really, really sorry for interrupting, Princess Celestia,” I say frantically, “but Discord was wrong and my Altermere just showed up, which means I need to get to Earth and warn the Guardians, NOW!”
Celestia does not say anything. She just raises an eyebrow at me.
It takes a second, before I realize she’s indicating for me to calm down… but that’s far easier said than do.
“I’m… sorry… Auntie!” a voice wheezes from behind me and I glance back to see Blueblood, looking absolutely wiped, his main plastered against his neck and sweat soaking through his clothing. “She… was… too… fast…”
“Celestia, I’m sorry, but there’s no time to explain!” I turn back to the Alicorn. “With every second I’m here, the more danger the Guardians and Earth are in danger!”
Celestia just continues to look calmly at me, quickly writing on several scrolls, the magically sending them away. “Miranda, you are well aware that we are still inexperienced with Folds. It will take Twilight, Luna, Cadance and myself to open one and it will take several minutes, perhaps even half an hour, before they will all be able to get here and far longer still for us to prepare the Fold. Also,” she cocks an eyebrow, “I thought you said it was dangerous for you to go to Earth, lest the Guardians mistake you for the original Miranda and not have anypony to back you up? What’s changed?”
“What’s changed is Earth’s queen’s life is the one in danger now and, much as I like living, her life takes far higher priority over mine!” I say firmly, glaring.
The tall pony looks at me for several moments, before nodding. “Very well. I just hope you understand what you’re asking.”
“It’s all set, Princess,” Twilight says after eight agonisingly long hours.
We, (Twilight and the rest of the Mane 6 and Spike, Blueblood, all the princesses and Starlight), are gathered in the throne room, where many magical circles and runes have been drawn in chalk all over the floor.
“Miranda, I feel I must ask again, do you understand what you are doing?” Princess Luna asks, looking me firmly in the eyes. “There is no turning back.”
“Princess Luna is right,” Twilight says, looking anxious. “While this Fold will be a definite improvement over the one Starlight and I tried to send you through, this will be a one way trip. Once the Fold closes, you won’t be able to contact us in Equestria anymore, unless you can find another means of doing so.”
“Which is why we shouldn’t be sending her alone!” Dash says firmly. “Let me go with her! I’ll make sure she stays safe!”
“You can’t!” I snap, my anxiety far worse after waiting so long for everything to be ready and making it much harder not to let my emotions out all at once. “If anyone on Earth saw any of you, it would be a nightmare. The Guardians may live on Earth, but Earth is blissfully ignorant of magic for the most part and a pastel pony, Pegasus, Earth Pony, unicorn or Alicorn, regardless, would draw way too much attention. I can’t keep any of you safe there and find Lilian before shit hits the fan!”
“Very well, Miranda,” Celestia gives me a firm, but encouraging look. “Good luck.”
I nod and the princesses and Starlight light their horns. The magic swirling around the runes, which begin to glow with the same light.
Suddenly, there’s a sound like a sonic boom and a Fold opens in the centre of all the runes. I can see Heatherfield through it, specifically, the apartment building Cornilia’s family lives in.
I may not be able to remember my Earth, but I know theirs well enough.
“Go, Miranda!” Twilight yells as she and the others focus their magic, doing their best to keep the Fold open. “And don’t worry, it’s only been eight hours! What’s the worst that could’ve happened in eight hours?”
I nod, rushing forward, leaping through the Fold, well aware I may never see any of them ever again.
Earth
Hale Family apartment
EIGHT HOURS AGO
“I’m surprised things have quietened down so much,” Matt said as he and the girls walked through Cornelia’s apartment, Mr. Huggles resting atop his shoulder.
“About time,” Irma sighed. “Miranda escapes, Lilian ends up in a world of talking ponies. Is it too much to ask for just one normal day now that we finally beat Nerissa and Phobos already?”
“Probably,” Will smirked. “It’s not like we’ll always have peace. We’re the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions. Infinite means there’s likely always going to be problems somewhere out there.”
Suddenly, Mr. Huggles’ fur stood on end and he started hissing.
“Looks like we’ve got enough problems right here for now,” Taranee stated, before a cry from down the hall made all their faces pale.
“Lilian!” Cornelia cried in alarm, rushing forward.
“Guardians, unite!” Will called out, pulling the Heart of Kandrakar out of her shirt, light flaring from it.
They rushed down the hall and whipped around the corner to the doorway of Lilian’s room, only for their eyes to widen in horror.
There stood Miranda, an arm around Lilian’s throat, her nails extended to be closer to the squirming girl’s neck.
“Hello, Guardians,” Miranda snickered. “I was just having a nice little chat with Lilian here.”
Napoleon stood facing Miranda, hissing.
“C-Cornelia?” Lilian gasped, confusion working into the clear fear on her face. “Who-who is this and… and why are you wearing your Halloween costumes?”
“Let my little sister go, now, Miranda!” Cornelia snarled, clenching her fists. “I swear, if you hurt even a single hair on her head I’ll—”
“Do nothing, Guardian!” Miranda snapped, before giving a fake sweet smile. “Not unless you want Earth’s queen to suffer an early abdication.”
“Wh…wha?” Lilian looked even less like she understood.
“Now, I’ll make you all a deal,” Miranda looked around at them all, her eyes particularly on Matt, Mr. Huggles and Napoleon. “Surrender the Heart of Earth and I’ll let little Lilian go.”
“You’re… barely older than me,” Lilian struggled.
Miranda laughed at the looks passing over them all. “If you wanna find me, follow.”
She showed her hand, causing them all to gasp as they noticed the Mage’s Ring upon it. How in the world had she gotten a hold of that?
Before they could properly react, Miranda opened a Fold next to her and leaped through, pulling Lilian along with her.
“Lilian!” everyone yelled, before charging for the Fold.
“Irma, contact Yan Lin and let her know what’s happened!” Will yelled, herself and Matt being the first through the Fold.
Irma did exactly that, sending a mental message to Hay Lin’s grandmother as she followed the others through the Fold, it closing right behind them.
I exit the Fold… and my heart stops for a second as my foot does not meet solid ground.
I find myself falling forward, screaming as I flail my arms around, grabbing something and holding on tight.
When my vision finally clears, I realize I’m holding onto the edge of the roof of the apartment building Cornelia’s family lives in.
Sighing, both in relief of not falling to my untimely death and annoyance at the Fold’s inaccuracy, I pull myself up, rolling over the edge onto the top the building.
I just lay on my back for several moments, just grateful to feel the concrete underneath me.
Once I’ve calmed down enough, I get up and move towards the edge and look over it towards my right.
One downside to having to Fold here specifically is, while I can somewhat remember the Hale family’s home from season two, it wasn’t featured a lot and so I don’t exactly have a lot of details to work with.
However, I do remember they had a very large window towards the top floor that looks into their living room. I should be able to recognize that and work from there.
Just have to home W.I.T.C.H. don’t spot me first so I can at least figure out a way to keep shit from hitting the fan before… well, shit hits the fan.
Having to shit hitting the fan scenarios so close to one another really does not help.
I squint, thinking I can recognize the window looking into their living room.
Stealing myself, I slowly climb over the edge of the room and move along the wall, never more thankful that somehow losing my spider form gave me the power to walk on walls like Spiderman.
I do feel on edge as I climb along the wall towards the window, though. It’s clearly mid-afternoon. The chances someone could spot me doing this are incredibly high.
Of course, they’d be higher had I let a certain prismatic-maned Pegasus come along, so at least that’s a plus.
I climb along until I’m on a part of the wall on the balcony of the Hale home and drop down, quickly moving to the window… and immediately feel worry set in.
The door leading from the balcony into the living room is ajar. This cannot be a good sign.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind, I thrust the door open and run inside.
“Lilian?” I call out, cupping my hands. “Lilian, are you here? Cornelia?” I gulp, asking in a more anxious whisper, “Napoleon?”
Nothing.
No response at all.
I rush through the apartment, opening every door, trying to find any sign of anyone, but I find nothing. The apartment is completely empty.
“Please tell me they all just went out for a late lunch or something,” I bite my lip, before I hear a door unlocking, immediately followed by a pair of voices I’m not really familiar with, but can easily guess.
I jump onto the ceiling and crawl along until I see them, Cornelia’s parents.
“Cornelia? Lilian?” Mr. Hale calls out, glancing around as he takes his wife’s coat off. “Girls, are you here?”
When they’re met with silence, Mrs. Hale gives a light laugh. “They must be out hanging with their friends.”
“Bit irresponsible of them,” Mr. Hale chides, his eyes on the open door to the balcony. “Leaving the door open. I thought we taught them better than that.”
I wait til they move out of the room, before quickly leaving out the open door and climb down the wall of the complex until I’m close enough to jump down.
Once I’ve reached the ground, I bite my lip. I need to find the Guardians and Lilian before it’s too late, but I don’t actually know my way around Heatherfield.
I know locations, sure, but that doesn’t equate to being able to navigate the area. I need to find a way to get to somewhere familiar they’ll likely be.
Glancing around for inspiration, I’m met with a sight it takes me a moment to really process, before it clicks.
Rushing over to a payphone, I open the phone book next to it and start refiling through it.
My memories of home are foggy at best, but I do remember things are way more advance tech wise there than on this version of Earth.
After a few minutes, I find the number I’m looking for. I remembered the name of Yan Lin’s restaurant, The Silver Dragon, from when I first arrived here as Miranda.
I hadn’t thought knowing the name would help in anyway, but here we are. It could be my only way of finding the girls before Miranda gets her hands on Lilian.
I pause for a second, remembering payphone require pay, before deciding to reverse the charges. Considering the gravity of the situation, I don’t think Yan Lin will mind.
“Hello. This is The Silver Dragon. How may I help you today?” a male voice I do not recognize says from the other end.
“I need to speak with your owner, Yan Lin, immediately,” I say, trying to sound urgent, but not too much. Don’t want this guy thinking it’s a prank call.
“I’m sorry, miss, but Mrs. Lin isn’t in right now. Can I leave a message?”
Are you fucking kidding me?
Doing my best to contain my anger, I realize I might have one option still.
“Is her sister, Meera there?”
“Just a moment.”
I hear shuffling and muffled voices, before I hear the phone being picked up and a familiar voice asking, “Hello. This is Meera.”
I open my mouth to speak, before catching myself.
Shit, Meera would be fully aware of Miranda and her escape. She has all Yan Lin’s memories up to the point Nerissa created her, after all.
“Hello? Did the phone line cut out again?” Meera asks, sounding both confused and annoyed.
Thinking fast, I clear my throat and speak with a lighter tone, noting I kinda sound like Daphne from Scooby Doo. “Yes, Miss Meera. It’s urgent. It’s about your granddaughter and her friends.”
“Hay Line?” she sounds both concerned and suspicious. “Who is this and what’s so urgent about my granddaughter?”
“I need to speak with them as soon as possible,” I say, trying to be careful what words I use and to keep my tone from slipping back to normal. I may be fooling her for now, but Meera will figure out my real voice instantly if I don’t focus. “They could be facing an Altermere of one of their old enemies.”
There’s silence for a moment.
“How do you know what an Altermere is and where do you want to meet?” Meer’s voice is firm and tense. She knows no ordinary person would know that word. And, being an Altermere herself, she’ll well aware what mentioning it can entail.
“I’m afraid I don’t know my way around this city very well,” I say, glancing around. “Can you meet me outside the Hale family’s apartment complex?”
There’s a pause, before I get a firm, “Yes.”
“Be here as soon as you can,” I say. “Time is of the essence.”
I wait til she hangs up, then move over to a bench with a good view of the area outside the complex, but hidden enough no one will easily see me from the road and sit down to wait.
Less than half an hour later, a taxi pulls up and a woman who looks identical to Yan Lin steps out, paying the driver, before looking around.
“I’m here,” she says firmly, walking around, glancing about. “Where are you? And I’d advise against any funny business. I may be an Altermere of an old lady, but that means I do still have power I can use, since Yan Lin was once a Guardian herself.”
“I’m fully aware.”
She turns to look in my direction. I’m hiding with the shadows of a nearby tree, making sure she can’t actually see me.
“I’ll ask again, who are you and what do you know about my granddaughter and her friends?”
“I’m someone who wants to save Earth’s Queen,” I say, not moving from my spot. “I’m also someone who knows the Guardians are likely falling into a trap. If Lilian has been taken by who I think she has, Earth’s heart may very well be lost unless we act quickly.”
Meera stares firmly at me for several moments.
“You mentioned an Altemare,” she says after a while. “Who’s Altemare?”
I drop the Daphne voice and step out of the shadows. “Mine.”
Meera quickly backs away, glaring. “Miranda!”
“Yes.” I shake my head. “And no.”
Meera frowns. “Wait. Are you an Altemare?”
I shake my head. “I wish. Then I wouldn’t feel so dirty all the time.”
She cocks an eyebrow.
I briefly explain everything as best I can, winding up here in their world in this body, Folding to Equestria, unintentionally Folding back here and getting the call from that Gregor guy who made an Astral Drop of me and clearly then turned it into Altemare and what Miranda said when we met in Equestria.
Meera, understandably, doesn’t trust me right away.
“You’re a manipulative being, Miranda,” she eyes me warily. “How do I know this isn’t just some elaborate ruse of yours?”
I shake my head. “You can’t. But, if you really need proof, taking me to the Council of Kandrakar. They will be able to confirm to you if I’m lying or not. But, we need to move, fast. Your granddaughter, her friends and Earth Queen could be in serious danger.”
“I still say this is a bad idea,” Caleb says as we walk out of the Fold, entering the large citadel that is Kandrakar.
I’m walking between him and Meera, my hands tied by rope. A rather pointless measure as, even before I gained my weird unexplained super strength, I could’ve easily broken such pitiful bindings by transforming, but it’s the sentiment.
It my way of showing I’m no threat. We can’t afford to waste time on misunderstandings.
Blunk is with us too, lagging behind, clearly uncertain. After all, the last time he and I interacted, I’d made it clear the idea of eating him repulsed me, which, considering his history with Miranda, likely left him very confused.
I’m led to face two people I’m, not gonna lie, a bit nervous about.
The former Fire Guardian, Halinor and The Oracle.
Meera had gotten in contact with Yan Lin, who’d sent word ahead of us, giving all the details.
The two look me over, Halinor turning to The Oracle. “Well, Oracle?”
He looks at me, right in the eyes… and I feel incredibly uncomfortable. It’s like he’s looking right into my very soul.
Granted, that could be a good thing, in the long run, but that doesn’t stop it being any less unsettling.
After what feels like an eternity, he closes his eyes. “She can be trusted.”
“What?!” Caleb cries, looking torn between angry and confused.
“This girl is indeed Miranda, but also not,” The Oracle says. “And, she speaks the truth. The Guardians and Regents of Earth are right now falling into a trap. We must stop this from happening.”
“How?” Halinor asks as Meera unties my bindings.
The Oracle simply turns and opens a Fold in front of him, before glancing back to me. “You must return to where you came from, Miranda. The Guardians will need your help.”
I blink. “Um, okay, hold on. I came here to warn the Guardians. How am I supposed to help them beyond that? I’m not exactly a Guardian myself, you know?”
He simply turns his gaze to the Fold. “They have fallen for the trap. Lilian is in danger.”
“If you wanna help, then come on!”
I yelp in surprise as Caleb grabs my arm and pulls me into the Fold with him.
“Uh, Will…?” Taranee asked uncertainly as she glanced around. “Where have you Folded us to?”
“I… I honestly don’t know,” Will said, glancing around herself.
“It… it looks like we didn’t even leave Earth, but…” Hay Lin murmured.
“Earth doesn’t have people with pastel skin tones,” Irma interjected.
It had been about half an hour since W.I.T.C.H. and the Regents of Earth had jumped through the Fold Miranda had opened to kidnap Cornelia’s little sister.
However, while they’d all expected to end up in a world similar to Meridian, a place more like Earth’s Middle Ages, they’d found themselves, somehow, on a world that seemed nearly identical to their own.
Buildings with similar designs, cars and other vehicles driving on roads, people walking around wearing fashions that only those on Earth could possibly come up with… but there were several distinct differences.
The most obvious, as Irma had pointed out, were the skin tones of everyone they passed.
Nowhere on Earth would you see people with bright pink, orange, indigo or cyan skin, but, whatever this world was, pastel coloured skin seemed normal as not a certain person was batting an eye at the bizarre range of colours on display.
“Good thinking going civilian mode there, Will,” Matt said, Mr. Huggles and Napoleon riding on his shoulders.
The group were all in their regular forms now, Will having turned her and her fellow Guardians back when first leaving the Fold, having mistaken this world for their own, Matt and his fellow Regents doing the same.
True, this world wasn’t theirs, but it was similar enough that it was probably best to not reveal themselves as magical beings.
Far as they could tell, this world was as blissfully unaware of magic as their own and it was probably best to keep it that way.
Cornelia was looking around frantically, her anxiety plain as the nose of her face.
Will stopped and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder, making her jump.
“Don’t worry, Cornelia. We’ll find Lilian,” she said reassuringly. “Miranda won’t do anything to her while she’s still useful to her.”
“Why did she even take her?!” Cornelia almost yelled, tears in her eyes. “Matt, Mr. Huggles and Napoleon have her power now and it’s not Halloween. She can’t take the Heart of Earth from her by herself.”
“Worst case scenario?” Matt suggested. “Either she puts us in a position where me and the Regents have to willingly give up her power in exchange for her life or Miranda will force Lillian to order us to give Miranda the Heart.”
“Either way, Earth’s Heart is lost,” Taranee murmured.
“Can’t we ask anyone if they can help?!” Cornelia looked around frantically at the group. “This isn’t just Earth’s Heart we’re talking about here. It’s my little sister!”
“We know, Cornelia,” Will put her hand on her shoulder again. “I promise, we’re going to get Lilian back.”
“Though, I don’t think just asking anyone in this world about it will help much,” Hay Lin looked around, failing to notice the odd look a girl with pale yellow skin and two toned turquoise hair in ponytails and wearing glasses gave them as she passed by.
“Yeah,” Irma nodded. “It’s not like we can just ask “hey, have you seen a little girl who actually turns into a kinda spider monster holding another girls hostage?” without sounding like loonies.” She spun her fingers around her head, making a goofy expression.
Will put a finger to her chin, thinking, before her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. “We can’t ask any people,” she looked around at several parks cars, “but we can ask the machines.”
“Oh! Good idea, Will!” Hay Lin cheered, before quietening down at several looks they received from other passers-by.
Will moved over to a blue car with white trims. “Uh, hi? Can I ask you a question?”
The car make a sound of surprise, before speaking in a rather posh British accent, its lights flashes each time it spoke.
“Well, hello there, Miss. I must say, I never expected to be greeted so formally by a stranger before. Yes, you may ask a question. Might I, in turn, ask you one after?”
Will smiled, nodding. “Sure. Well, you see, my name is Will and these are my friends,” she indicated to everyone. “We’re looking for someone and are kinda new in town, so don’t really know our way around.”
“A pleasure to meet you Miss Will and company,” the car replied back. “My name is Wilkinson. Whom are you looking for, may I ask?”
“It’s my little sister,” Cornelia interjected. “She was kidnapped and we followed her kidnapper here, but lost track of them.”
“Oh, my word, how dreadfully unpleasant to here,” Wilkinson said, sounding aghast. “What does your younger sister look like, Miss…?”
“Cornelia,” she nodded.
“She basically looks like a younger Cornelia with shorter hair,” Irma said.
“She was taken by another little girl, who isn’t really a little girl, but looks like one, with black hair, wearing fancy clothes with green colours,” Will said, trying to keep on topic before Cornelia snapped for being compared to her sister. Worried for her safety or not, Cornelia was still Cornelia.
Wilkinson sighed. “I do apologize, Miss Will, Miss Corenila, but I have not seen such today. Can you provide any other information?”
“Yeah, that little girl who isn’t a little girl is actually a shapeshifting spider monster,” Irma snarked.
“Irma!” Cornelia and Will snapped.
Now was not the time to be joking around. Now Wilkinson would probably assume they were playing games and not help them at all.
“Oh, in that case, I’d recommend speaking with Sunset Shimmer at Canterlot High,” the car replied casually.
There was a very long pause, before the five girls rounded on him, yelling in unison, “WHAT?!”
“Oh, yes. I heard it from Ivy over there,” Wilkinson said, lit one light to point at a green motorcycle parked on the far side of the road they were near. “Her friend, Harley, used to race her, being ridden by a young girl who goes by that name. Apparently, ever since magic started seeming into our world, Sunset hasn’t had time to race anymore. Ivy does miss racing Harley”
“And… you believed her about the magic stuff?” Irma asked incredulously.
Wilkinson did what they had to guess was a car’s version of a shrug. “Very odd things have been going on around Canterlot since that night a beam of dark energy and a bright rainbow light shot into the sky. I’m afraid I can’t be of more help. Ivy knows more than I do, having caught up with Harley a few times whenever they were in the area.”
“O…kay?” Will said, before clearing her throat and smiling. “Well, thank you for the help, Mr. Wilkinson. It’s much appreciated.”
“My pleasure, Miss Will,” Wilkinson replied with a happy honk. His tone became gentler then. “And, Miss Cornelia, best of luck finding your sister. I do hope she is safe.”
“You and me both,” Cornelia murmured.
The group said their goodbyes to the car and started handing across the street to where the bike named Ivy was parked, outside what they now realized was a small convenience store.
“It’s so weird, seeing you all talking to a car,” Matt commented as they waited to cross the street.
“Matty boy, Huggles and myself can’t hear them, so it’s pretty weird,” Napoleon commented from Matt’s shoulder.
“Says the talking cat,” Irma replied.
“Touché,” Napoleon shrugged.
The group stopped by the bike, but making sure they couldn’t be seen from the store. Last thing they needed was Ivy’s owner to think they were planning on stealing her or something… or that they were all loonies for talking to a bike.
“Um, hi, Miss Ivy?” Will asked, bending down a little. “Can you help us out?”
“Well, this is a surprise,” Ivy replied back with a New Yorker accent. “Don’t exactly get many people talkin’ t’ me like they wanna conversation. What can I do for ya, lady?”
“Well, we’re looking for my friend Corenila’s little sister, Lilian,” Will indicated to Cornelia. “She was taken back a little girl with black hair who’s actually a shapeshifting monster in disguise. We followed them to this area, but lost track of them.”
“Oh, that’s horrible, dearie,” Ivy shifted to look at Corenlia. “I’m so sorry t’ hear that about yer sister, Corny. Not really sure how I can help, but what do ya need?”
“We were told you know a bike named Harley belonging to someone named Sunset Shimmer?” Taranee asked. “And we were told she’s been dealing with magic, so might be able to help us. We’re… kinda magic ourselves.”
“I figured that out easily enough there, hon,” Ivy replied. “Ain’t just any humans who can communicate with a motorcycle. Yeah, old Harley an’ I go way back. Haven’t been able t’ race her in a while, though. Ever since that night o’ Canterlot High’s Fall Formal months ago, Sunset’s been dealin’ with all kinds o’ crazy magic. If’n ya need help with some magical shapeshiftin’ monsta, you’ll wanna speak ta her.”
“Great,” Will grinned. “Can you give us directions to this Canterlot High?”
Ivy gave a confused grunt. “What, ya can’t look it up on ya phone?”
That caused confusion among the girls.
“Our… phones?” Taranee asked.
“Yeah, yer phones,” Ivy said, sighing. “What, did ya never learn how to work the map app?”
“App?” Hay Lin looked between the others, confused, pulling out her phone. “What’s an app and how would I never have known it was in my phone?”
“Whoa, nelly. That’s an old phone. Whatcha usin’ that for?” Ivy said, sounding genuinely surprised. “Haven’t seen one o’ those oldies in years.”
“Hey, that’s not very nice,” Hay Lin’s phone said, sounding depressed. “Hay Lin’s parents bought me only a few months ago. I’m not that old.”
“Nah, nah, I’m talkin’ ’bout one o’ those phones,” Ivy flashed her left rear light to at someone walking on the other side of the road, holding something in front of them.
“Wait. That’s a phone?” Irma asked, pointing at the guy. “It looks more like a thin screen. How is that a phone? Where’re the buttons? How would you even call someone on that?”
“What kinda place you all fr’m?” Ivy asked, sounding confused now.
“Well, since you believe Harley about magic,” Will said, grinning sheepishly, “would you believe we’re magical beings from another world. tasked with guarding the Infinite Dimensions?”
There was a long pause, during which Will worried they’d lost the one lead they’d finally got to getting some answers.
“Eh, makes as much sense as the other crazy stuff goin’ on round ’ere these days,” Ivy said casually. “Okay, so, if’n yer from another world, I’m guessing yours ain’t as advanced as this one?”
“I… guess so?” Taranee glanced back at the guy walking further and further away. “A world where technology has advanced to the point phones are just screens, like TVs? I never would’ve guessed that.”
“Infinite Dimensions, infinite possibilities,” Will nodded, turning back to Ivy. “So… about those directions?”
“That must be the place, right?” Matt asked as they all stood on the sidewalk.
Across the street was a tall building with walls in hues of purple, a six-pointed star on a window above the glass doors, with another glass panel depicting a horse rearing up above that.
“This… looks like the place you said that bike described,” Matt said, glancing down to the paper Will had written Ivy’s directions onto. “But… isn’t there supposed to be a statue of a horse in front of the school too?”
“All I see is a block of stone where a statue would be put,” Napoleon commented.
“Pretty sure this is the place,” Will said frowning as she looked at the windows. “Anyone else notice all the horse depictions around this town?”
“Seriously, what’s with all the horses?” Irma shook her head. “It’s like this town’s obsessed with them or something.”
“Whatever the reason, this is that Canterlot High place Ivy told us about,” Cornelia said, rushing across the street, everyone else hurrying to keep up with her. “This is where that Sunset Shimmer girl is. Let’s find her and get her to help us find Miranda so we can save Lilian.”
As they reached the other side of the road, kids around their age started coming out the doors of the school.
“Keep an eye out for a girl with yellow skin and blonde and red hair,” Will said, scanning each student they passed. “That’ll be Sunset.”
“Hi! Are you new?!”
They all screamed as a girl with bright pink skin and darker pink bushy hair was suddenly just standing right in front of them.
“Pinkie Pie, what have we said about not being so forward?” a rather posh toned voice said and the pink girl was pulled back by a girl with chalk white skin and dark-purple hair.
“Aw, but, Rarity, they’re new!” the pink girl whined.
“First Sunset Shimmer, then Pinkie Pie and now Rarity?” Irma whispered to Taranee. “What is with the names in this world?”
“What’s so “what is with” about our names, huh?” a brash voice asked as a flash of rainbow colours zipped down the steps of the school and Irma suddenly had a cyan girl with magenta eyes and the most impossible rainbow coloured hair glaring right in her face.
“Rainbow Dash, calm down,” a voice with a western accent said, a girl with orange skin and blonde hair hurrying down the steps, putting a hand on the cyan girl’s shoulder and pulling her back. “If’n they’re new round here, maybe names are different where they’re from.”
“Her parents were pretty spot on with that name,” Hay Lin whispered to Taranee.
“How about we take this down an notch before we cause a scene, girls?” a calm voice asked and they all looked as a lavender skinned girl with purple hair with a streak of pink, tied back in a ponytail and wearing glasses came down the steps, followed by…
W.I.T.C.H. and the Regents eyes widened at the yellow skinned girl with red and yellow hair and green eyes.
“Sunset Shimmer!”
Before anyone could stop her, Cornelia had shot forward as the two girls reached the bottom of the steps and she grabbed the yellow one by the shoulders.
“A monster named Miranda stole my sister and we’re not sure if she’s here in your world or not but we were told by a car and bike that you’re good at dealing with crazy magical things, so we need your help to find my sister before—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Will and Sunset said at once, the later gently pulling herself free from the worried older sister’s grip. “Slow down.” She looked around at them all. “I don’t recognize any of you. What’s this about a monster?”
Will sighed. “It’s a long…”
She stopped, glancing down to her chest.
“Will?” Matt asked.
Will reached into her top and pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar. It was glowing and really, really warm.
“That’s weird,” she said, glancing around. “The last time the Heart reacted like this was when we first went to Zamballa and encountered Kadma and the Heart of…” Will looked to Sunset Shimmer, a curious frown on her face.
“What?” Sunset looked from Will to everyone else, confused.
Will held the Heart out towards Sunset and it glowed brighter, the red pendant Sunset was wearing around her neck glowing too.
“No way,” Matt murmured. “Is she…?”
“The Heart of this world,” Will answered back, stunned.
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Irma held up her hands. “You’re telling me, in simply trying to find someone to help us find Lilian, we found a Heart bearer instead?”
“Okay, I am so lost right now,” the girl named Rainbow Dash said in exasperation. “Would someone mind explaining what’s going on?”
“I could try,” Will looked to Sunset, “but that could take a while to properly clear up and we don’t have a lot of time.”
Sunset nodded, smiling. “I can make this go by much faster.” She held out a hand.
Will cocked an eyebrow, this being a very odd time for pleasantries, but took the outstretched hand.
When she did, however, Sunset’s eyes turned pure white was several seconds, before they returned to normal and widen.
“Whoa,” Sunset stumbled back, the orange girl and Rainbow Dash rushing to catch her.
“You okay, Sunset?” the orange girl asked.
“I’m fine, AJ,” she replied, holding a hand to her head. “That was just… a lot to process.”
“Um… what just happened?” Irma asked, glancing around.
Sunset Shimmer took a few breathes, before standing up straight and looking at Will with a firm expression. “Okay, Guardians. I’ll do what I can to help.”
Everyone gasped.
“Whoa, hold up,” Taranee said, pointing a finger at the girl. “How do you know we’re Guardians?”
“I also know you’re here to find a shapeshifter by the name Miranda, who used to work for an evil sorcerer named Phobos and has kidnapped your little sister,” she pointed at Cornelia, “who is also the Heart of your world and… I’m… apparently the one of this world?” she finished uncertainly, as if she’d only really just realized the last part.
“But, how?” Hay Lin looked around in confusion. “We didn’t tell her any of that. Not properly, anyway.”
“Sunset has the power to see the memories of those she touches,” the lavender girl replied, adjusting her glasses. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Twilight,” Matt said, stepping forward, turning his eyes to Sunset. “Then, Miss Sunset, you know why we’re here.”
“You need our help,” she nodded, slinging her bag of her back and pulling out a book. “I’ll contact Princess Twilight as well. She might have seen something.”
There was a pause as Sunset started writing, though she stopped when she noticed the odd looks the other worlders were giving her.
“What?” she asked, glancing around.
Irma pointed to Twilight Sparkle. “Why do you need to contact,” she did air quotes, “when she’s standing right there next to you? And why are you writing in a book instead of just talking to her? And how are you the Heart of your world if she’s the ruler?”
The seven multi coloured girls blinked, before dawning came to their faces.
“Oh, no, I’m no princess,” Twilight giggled, waving a hand. “Sunset’s talking about my counterpart in the world beyond the portal. She’s a princess and that journal is a magical connection between our two worlds that we used to communicate with Princess Twilight.”
The Guardians and Regents just looked at each other.
“And I thought us saying “we’re magical beings from another world” would sound weird in this world,” Irma shook her head.
“How long until this Princess Twilight responds?” Will asked Sunset as she stopped writing.
“It depends,” Sunset said, closing the book. “Sometimes she replies almost right away, other times it can be days before she even know I contacted her.”
“By which point, even she can, Sunset will already have gone through the portal to talk with Princess Twilight directly,” Rainbow Dash folded her arms, grinning.
“Wait. You still use portals?” Will only just realized what they’d been saying. “Don’t you use Folds?”
“Folds?” it was the other girls’ turn to look confused.
“No, we don’t, Will,” Sunset shook her head. “I’d never even heard of Folding until I saw your memories. I doubt even Princess Twilight knows about them. They’re clearly a lost form of travel we never knew was lost to begin with.”
Suddenly, the book Sunset had written in begun glowing purple and vibrating, like a phone.
“What does she say?” Hay Lin asked, a mixture between eager and worried… though worry became far stronger from the look on Sunset Shimmer’s face.
“Miranda’s already in Equestria?!” Sunset cried out as her eyes scanned the pages. “And she’s in Ponyville?!”
“WHAT?!” everyone cried in alarm.
“Equestria?!” Cornelia looked to Will, her eyes wide with fear. “That’s where Lilian said she Folded to before. The world with all those ponies?”
“Okay, since we don’t know where your portal is, we need to Fold there, now!” Will took the Heart in her hand. “Who knows this Ponyville?”
“Um, we do,” Twilight held up a hand while using the other to point to Rainbow Dash. “But, how does that—”
“Just hold my hand and think of Ponyville!” Will said, grabbing the other girl’s hand, causing her to blush.
Twilight did, looking like she clearly didn’t understand why, her eyes widening further as Will opened a Fold right in front of them.
“Let’s go!” Cornelia yelled, running for the Fold.
“Guardians, unite!” Will yelled, the Heart flaring.
“No, Will, wait—” Sunset’s voice shouted, sounding alarmed, but her voice faded away as the eight of them went through the Fold.
I stumble out of the Fold, still trying to regain my sense of balance after Caleb threw me off like that when he yanked me through the Fold.
It takes a few seconds before the outskirts of Ponyville make themselves clear to me.
“Where are we?” Caleb’s voice says in a demanding tone and I’m yanked to my feet, him gripping my arms tightly as he glares into my eyes.
I just glare back. “Maybe, if you let go of my arm and actually let me properly observe our surroundings, giving me enough time to actually process that information, I could relay it to you.”
Suddenly, the sound of a Fold opening makes us look up to see a Fold several feet away, high in the air.
We watch as the Guardians and Regents of Earth fly through it, before something strange and terrifying happens.
The Guardians all freeze in place, before crying out as if they’re in pain, glowing the colour of their respective power, before they revert back to their normal forms and start falling.
“WILL!” Matt yells in his Shagon form, diving, the transformed versions of Mr. Huggles and Napoleon following suit, catching the girls before they hit the ground.
“What…? What just happened?” Caleb asks, before rounding on me. “What did you do?!”
“Oh, yes, because I must be the one who did something despite literally only just getting him myself,” I snap back, yanking my arm free of him. “Grow a fucking brain, you idiot!”
“Will, what happened?” I can hear Matt asking with worry.
Will doesn’t get to answer though, as she and the others as slammed by a freaking tree, sending them all thumping to the ground.
“What the— gah?!” Caleb begins, but is cut off when he slams into a nearby tree, held in place by very familiar webbing.
I turn and see Miranda stepping out from some nearby bushes in her human form.
“So nice of you all to come,” she jeers.
“Where’s my sister?!” Cornelia demands, struggling to stand up.
“Oh, you won’t need to worry about her,” she smiled, before glaring at the Regents. “One wrong move though, and she’ll suffer. You interfere, and Lilian pays the price. You’ve been ordered by her to stand down until I leave this world, got it?”
I watch as Will struggles to push herself onto her knees, holding the Heart up. “Guardians, unite!”
To her, mine and everyone expect Miranda’s shock, nothing happens.
“What?” Will whispers, hers eyes widening with horror.
Miranda cackles. “Oh, that plan worked out perfectly. Now you’re completely cut off from your powers…” she gave a sinister sneer, “and are now at my mercy.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Matt yells, moving to attack, before he halts in place and kneels down, growling.
“Matt?!” Will cries aghast.
“I’m sorry… Will,” Matt grunts, sounding like he’s struggling against something. “She… She’s telling the truth. It’s like Miranda relied an order from Lilian and, as her Regents, we can’t disobey.”
Miranda laughed, a wicked sneer on her face. “I probably could’ve forced her to order you to just give me the Heart of Earth, but won’t it be more fun for you to watch me slowly destroy your precious Will while you still have all that power, but can’t use it?”
Crap. Not good. With Lilian as her hostage, Miranda’s holding all the cards right now and, for some reason, the Guardians detransformed and it looks like Miranda’s done something to keep them from changing back again.
If only Lilian wasn’t…
I stop, sniffing the air. I… I can smell Lilian. Human scents are very different from ponies and I can smell several different ones, but one smell is fainter than all the others.
Hurrying, keeping to the trees, I follow the one scent that’s different from all the others.
It feels like hours, though was probably less than a minute, but I finally find her.
Lilian is unconscious, bound to a tree by webbing.
I yank at the webbing, pulling as much of it free as I can.
When Lilian’s free, I put her over my back and hurry back to where Caleb and I arrived.
“What the—?” Caleb gasps, stopping his struggles to free himself when he sees me returning with Lilian on my back.
“We don’t have time,” I say firmly, moving as quickly as I can to help him break free of his bindings. “You need to use that tusk to Fold out of here. Meriden, Kandrakar, Earth, I don’t care where. Just get Lilian out of here so Earth’s Heart is safe.”
“And what’re you going to do?” he asks, taking Lilian in his arms as he opens a Fold. “And how’re there two of you?”
“She’s an Altemere.” I turn to the field where Miranda is slowly approaching Will. “And whatever I can to keep Lilian and the Guardians safe.”
Everyone watched, unable to do anything as Miranda leered down at Will, taking on her monster form.
“I’m going to greatly enjoy this, Guardian,” she said menacingly. “I’m going to make sure this hurts and I’m going to make it slow.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it!”
The sudden additional voice and whom it sounded like was enough to stun everyone on its own, but when Miranda’s human form came out of nowhere and body slammed into her monster self, they were all completely floor.
What…? What in the world?!
Miranda thumped along the ground, sliding for a bit before righting herself and turning around to glare at the human version of her.
“What?!” she snarled. “How’re you here?! You should be locked away with Phobos and the others!”
“The Oracle isn’t as blind as you’d like to think, bitch!” the human Miranda shot back, running forward.
Monster Miranda laughed. “Oh, please. In that form, what can you possibly—?”
She didn’t get to finish as the Human Miranda rushed forward and punched her in the gut, sending Monster Miranda flying back several feet, her dropping to her knees, gasping for air.
“I am so lost right now!” Irma said, looking to Will. “Will, how’re there two Mirnadas and why are they fighting each other?”
“I… I don’t understand it either,” Will shook her head. “Maybe… Maybe one’s an Altermere?”
“But how?” Taranee asked, flabbergasted. “And why would Miranda create and Altermere of herself if she knew what would happened once it found out?”
“Will, what’s wrong with our powers?” Cornelia demanded. “Why did we change back when we got here and why can’t we transform now?”
Will held up the Heart, looking closely at it. “It’s like… it’s like our connection is being blocked somehow. The connection to our Aurameres is still there, but, it’s like something suppressing them, keeping them from properly flowing into us.”
“And, without the power of our Aurameres…” Taranee said anxiously.
“We can never be W.I.T.C.H. again!” Hay Lin said with horror.
“Why? Why is that other Miranda fighting so hard?” Matt grunted from his place, watching the fight as the human and monster fought. “And why isn’t the human one changing into a monster to match?”
“Why are you fighting for them, faker?” Miranda demands, sounding genially frustrated as I dive and roll to avoid a slash from her, using my momentum to kick one of her legs out from under her, causing her to fall and slam onto my outstretched fist, knocking her back.
“Do I really need a reason to beat your evil ass?” I growl, standing up straight.
“You could’ve lived a simple, carefree life in this world after you stole my body!” she snarls, lunging forward and I leap back, coming back out onto the open field. “You were terrified of what the Guardians would do if they found you and mistook you for me. So, why? Why did you go to Earth, then come back here?!”
She thrusts her arm forward and I catch it in my hand, both of us pushing back against the other.
I look her dead in the eyes. “Because, unlike you, Miranda, I don’t just think of myself. I actually care about the wellbeing of others. When you showed yourself here in Equestria and let me know you have my memories of Lilian being Earth’s Heart, did you honestly expect me to just sit back and let you get her?”
Miranda looks slightly confused. “Wait, what?”
Suddenly, it clicks and I get an idea, sneering. “You’re a villain, Miranda. And, just like your moronic former master, you’re ego makes you stupid. Just like your precious—” I gag, “Cedric.”
She growls, thrusting her arms outward, breaking us apart. “Shut up!”
She charges at me and I dive underneath her, whirling around and spitting webbing, getting her in the eyes.
“You heard me,” I say, sneering. “Just like Phobos, Nerissa and Cedric, you let your ego get the better of you. All you had to do to instil fear into me was let me know you existed as an Altemere now. But, because you had to feel superior, you told me enough for me to realize you had my memories regarding Lilian being Earth’s Heart.”
She flails around blindly and I quickly run to avoid getting hit.
I stand firm, pointing as she rips the webbing off. “You’re right. I would’ve gladly stayed in Equestria, lived out my new life in peace, hoping the Guardians never find me. I would’ve stayed off the radar.”
I catch a punch from her and, with a mighty heavy, toss her aside.
“But, you never even considered that I’d use what you gave me to push past my fears of what the Guardians would do if they mistook me for you, and go to Earth to warn them. Sure, I failed to get to them in time, but we wouldn’t even be having this fight and you’d have already won, had you not blabbered away.”
“Shut up, you worthless imitation!” she screamed, lunging at me, but I jump up and over, using the momentum to give her a spin kick to the ground.
“I don’t know how you took the Guardians’ powers away or how or even if I can actually beat you,” I rush forward and start punching, her doing her best to avoid my blows. “I may not even be able to outright beat you, but we’re pretty evenly matched, even with my inexperience. Even if I have to keep doing this for all eternity, I will, because I value the lives of the Guardians, the Regents, Lilian and Equestria, far more than I fear you, Miranda!”
“I still have Lilian!” she snarled, managing to backhand me and send me tumbling. “As long as I have her, I hold all the cards.”
I spit, a tiny puddle of blood splattering the ground, a trail of it going from my lips to my chin, and grin. “Actually, you don’t.”
She looks confused. “What?”
I snicker. “I came here with Caleb. While you were droning on about how you incapacitated the Regents and were going to make them watch as you takedown Will slowly and painfully, I found Lilian and got Caleb to take her through a Fold to I don’t even know where.”
“I… I don’t believe what I’m seeing?” Irma said in awe as they watched the human Miranda do her best to keep up with her monster form and the conversation the two were having as they fought. “She’s… a good guy?”
“Sound like it?” Taranee said uncertainly. “From what I can hear, she’s not really Miranda, but someone she forced into a copy of her body?”
“And, she was scared we’d mistake her for the real Miranda, so she hid in this world with the ponies?” Hay Lin asked.
“But, when Miranda revealed she was going after my sister, she not only risked us mistaking her for the real Miranda and went to Earth to warn us, she came here and got my sister out of danger,” Cornelia said, her eyes widen.
Will slowly nodded. “And she’s willing to keep fighting Miranda like this for all eternity if it keeps us, this world, Earth and Lilian safe.”
“She’s no villain,” Napoleon grunted, trying and failing to rise. “She’s willing to fight for what’s right, no matter the cost to herself.”
“She’s a good person,” Will murmured, her expression firming. “We can trust her.”
Suddenly, the Heart flared with a light that blinded all of them.
I cry out as Miranda pins me to the ground, winding me slightly.
“I. Have had. Enough!” she snarls, showing fangs. “I don’t care that you’re in my real body! I’m going to end you now and consume you whole!”
Before I can say anything, I feel a sudden rush of energy, before my body feels unbelievably hot.
“No! What is happening?” Miranda yells, taking a step back, shielding her eyes.
Suddenly, I feel myself compelled to say something and, against my will, I find myself yelling, “Guardians, unite!” at the same time I faintly hear Will shouting it too.
The rising power within me surges and I feel white hot energy leaving my body and can somehow feel it connecting to the Guardians.
I feel their minds connecting to mine, feel the warmth of the Heart of Kandrakar as if it’s connect to my own beating one.
When the light faded, Will and the others had transformed into Guardians again.
“Wait, what?” Irma looked down at herself and then her friends. “What just happened?”
“I think she did,” Will pointed.
They all followed her direction and saw a dark light shining around what they realized was the human Miranda. It was like glowing shadows were surrounding her.
As they dissipated off her body, they realized she’d changed.
She looked no different physically in terms of size, but, whereas she’d been wearing the clothes Miranda always did the times she was on Earth before they defeated Cedric, now she was wearing clothing similar to what they were wearing whenever they transformed into Guardians.
In fact, her clothing looked almost identical to Will’s, with only a few key differences. Hers were black tinted.
Unlike Will’s clothing, Miranda’s top was black with web themes. Her skirt was deep purple, while her leggings were light purple and grey and, instead of boots like Will, she had no shoes at all.
It was her back, however, that was most intriguing. Instead of wings like the Guardians had, she had four long golden spikes sticking out, almost like spider legs, but there was webbing stretching between each of two wings, making them almost look like wings.
Not only that, she had small fangs protruding from her upper lip, like vampires in those old storybooks, movies and shows, her nails looked like she was wearing black nail polish and her irises were a blood red.
“I… whoa, what is this?” Human Miranda said, looking down at her hands, which seemed to have some kind of extra black clothing that scaled from her knuckles, going around to her palms, then looking at the rest of her. “What the hell…?”
“No, my beautiful body!” Monster Miranda cried, seeming stunned. “You…” she snarled and screamed with pure rage. “What have you done?!”
She lunged forward.
Human Miranda cried out, holding her hands up and something like black energy shot out, slamming into the monster, sending it toppling back several feet.
Human Miranda looked stunned for a moment, looking down at her hands, before she clenched them and grinned, looking to the monster.
“Oh, you are so going down now, Mirnada,” she said excitedly. “I dunno what’s going on, but you’re so toast.”
Monster Miranda got up, snarling, before she noticed the other Guardians and her eyes widened in horror.
“No! How?” she cried, seeming genuinely worried. “He said it would leave you powerless! How have you gotten your powers back?”
He?
Monster Mirnada looked from the Guardians to her human self, before snarling, returning to her human form. “You win this round, Guardians. Imposter. But, this isn’t over.”
She thrust her arm down, opening a Fold.
“Oh, no ya don’t!” the other Miranda yelled, thrusting her arm out.
At once, black webbing shot from the palm of her hand.
It flew forward, hitting the Mage’s Ring, it coming off as Miranda was stepping through the Fold, her cry of shock showing she hadn’t noticed until it was too late, the Fold closing behind her.
The webbing yanked back, the other Miranda catching it in her hand.
There was silence for a moment.
“Hey. I can move again.” The six turned as Matt, Huggles and Napoleon all rushed over.
Then, all eyes turned to Miranda’s double, who heaved a heavy sigh.
“So… would someone mind explaining what in the world just happened?” Irma asks, looking around at us all. “How did we get our powers back and how’d we lose them in the first place? How are there two Merindas now? And why do you look like an emo spider version of Will’s Guardian form?” she aims that last one directly at me.
“I… honestly wish I had answers,” I say, looking at my hands and then around at the much taller than me people. “But, for the most part, I’ve literally no clue.”
“So, are you Miranda’s Altermere?” Taranee asks, leaning down a little to my level.
I shake my head. “No. I’m not Miranda, but she’s the Altermere, not me.”
“Um… that’s not how Altermeres work, kid,” Irma folds her arms.
I hold up my hands. “Trust me, I’m well aware. But I’m honestly both not Miranda but am her too… at least physically.”
Will frowns. “Physically?”
I sigh. “Back when you guys were taking Miranda to prison after the Battle of Kandrakar, Miranda used a tiny spark of power, the last remnant of what Cedric had given her, to try escaping. It did the job of changing her personal destination through the Fold, but locked her consciousness or maybe her spirit, I honestly still don’t know at this point, away, deep within this body,” I put a hand on my chest, “while also yanking me from my world and trapping me in her form.”
“Wait, so when I saw Miranda running into that Fold outside my grandmother’s restaurant all those months ago…?” Hay Lin asks.
I nod. “That wasn’t the real Miranda. That was me, having just recently found myself trapped in her form. And, when Caleb showed up, I knew from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t going to wait for me to even attempt an explanation, so I grabbed Blunk’s tusk and Folded out of there as quick as possible.”
“And that other Miranda?” Matt asks, changing back from his Shagon form to his human form, Mr. Huggles and Napoleon returning to their normal animal forms.
I sigh, folding my arms. “Some asshole on Earth somehow managed to make an Astral Drop of me and turned her into an Altermere , myself getting yanked back into Equestria before I could really think it through. And, I couldn’t exactly risk going back to warn you because…”
“Because we’d have thought you were just Miranda playing a sick game and locked you up, leaving the Altermere Miranda to continue unopposed,” Matt nods, holding his chin. “Makes sense.”
“Though, seriously, what’s with the spider themed get up?” Irma leans down, pulling on my right sleeve. “You look like you’re cosplaying some spider Guardian or something.”
“There’s also the matter of,” Will holds the Heart of Kandrakar towards me and it glows brightly, a light shining from my chest at the same time, “this. How do you have a Heart inside you? Where’d you get it?”
“Both questions, I honestly can’t answer,” I say, shrugging. “This is as much a confusing surprise to me as all of you. Also,” I frown, clenching a fist, “I can swear I don’t feel as strong or full of energy as I have the last couple months. What’s up with that? Shouldn’t a new transformation make me feel, well, stronger?”
“Wait. But, you said, while fighting that other Miranda, that the moment you knew she was an Altermere, you went straight to Earth to try and warn us,” Cornelia points out. “But, if the Altermere was made so soon, how did you manage to react so fast?”
“I’m afraid I would be to blame for that.”
The girls, Matt and the animals jumped at the sudden disembodied voice, followed by the appearance of its owner.
“Just had to make an entrance, didn’t you?” I fold my arms, giving him an unamused look.
“Guilty as charged,” Discord says merrily, a hand on his chest, before he whizzes around, shaking each Guardian’s hand in turn. “Delighted to meet you all. Miranda has told me so much about you on. I must commend you, by the way, on your defeat of that wench Nerissa. She had that coming for centuries.”
He vanishes with a pop, appearing next to Matt and his fellow Regents.
“And this is quite the surprise, I must say. I never would’ve expected your world to gain its own personal Guardians. And for you to have that much power each, when it was split between the three of you? That Lilian is going to be quite the powerhouse when she gets older.”
“What do you mean you’re to blame?” Will asks, talking surprisingly calmly despite Discord’s appearance, sudden arrival and clear display of power.
I sigh, putting my hands on my hips. “Because he’s the one who convinced me the guy who created my Astral Drop couldn’t have had the magical resources to change her into an Altermere.”
Discord turns around, pressing his fingers together sheepishly. “In my defence, I haven’t been to Earth in over a thousand years, so how was I to know how much their connections to magic have improved since my last visit?”
Taranee’s eyes widen. “Wait, hold up. A thousand years? How’re you still alive if you last came to Earth a thousand years ago?”
“Well, I am an immortal Lord of Chaos,” Discord says with a flourish.
“Plus, he spent the last thousand years locked away as a stone statue,” I point out what he’s conveniently leaving out.
“Hold on!” Hay Lin points at Discord. “I recognise you!”
We all look to her, all genuinely confused. “What?”
“My grandma mentioned how one of her and the previous Guardians fought a creature of chaos not long before Cassidy replaced Nerissa as leader of the Guardians,” Hay Lin explains, looking in confused worry at Discord. “You were making Chaos throughout multiple worlds, so you had to be locked away in your own. But… but that wasn’t a thousand years ago. My grandma’s old, but she’s not that old.”
I sigh, folding my arms. “You can thank Nerissa for that one.” When they all look to me, I continue. “You were told the power of the Heart of Kandrakar was too much for Nerissa, her becoming obsessed with its power and that that is when her role of leader was taken from her, the Heart being given to Cassidy instead.”
I clench a hand on my arm.
“What you weren’t told is that that happened after, to punish Discord for causing all that Chaos, Nerissa accelerated this world’s time, so a couple decades in any other realm was hundreds of years here.”
“The only reason time’s returned to normal here in Equestria comparative to the other worlds out there is the Veil your fellow Guardians raised to stop that Phobos character,” Discord snorts, folding his arms.
“No way,” Taranee’s eyes widen. “Nerissa punished this whole world by accelerating it’s time ahead of every other world, just to punish you? Didn’t she think about how that would affect everyone and everything else in this world?”
“Doubt it,” Irma folds her arms, shaking her head. “Now I get why she lost the Heart. That’s just plain evil.”
“So… what do we do now?” Cornelia looks to me and I shrink a little under her gaze. “This girl clearly isn’t the Miranda we need to go after, but, can we just leave her here in this world with that new power of hers?”
“I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that.”
We all turn to see both Hay Lin’s grandmothers stepping out from a Fold none of us had apparently noticed until now.
The two look to Discord, who returns their look. “Discord.”
“Yan Lin,” he nods, before frowning at the other one. “And…?”
“Meera,” she replies, before giving a small smile. “Been a long time, huh?”
He gives a wry laugh. “Longer than you know. Unless Miranda explained that little detail to you,” he adds, looking to me.
I fold my arms. “Um, was kinda in a hurry to get back here and save the Guardians from Miranda? I didn’t exactly have time to go into an in depth discussion.”
“What do you mean by it’s more complicated than that?” Will asks, bringing us back to current events.
Yan Lin looks at me. “All will be explained in Kandrakar. Come,” the two turn to head back into the Fold, “the princesses are already waiting.”
“Isn’t the world fascinating?!” Twilight is practically bouncing with glee as her eyes dart around the shining walls of Kandrakar.
“You can practically feel the magic around here,” Cadance agrees, waving a hoof in front of her face. “The air is practically saturated in it.”
We all standing in the main hall of Kandrakar. And be we I don’t just meant myself, the Regents and W.I.T.C.H.
Cadance, Shining Armour (the latter trying to catch a very active Flurry Heart), Twilight and the rest of the Element Bearers and Spike and Celestia and Luna are here too. Even Starlight was brought along.
Lilian is also here, herself staying close to Cornelia.
And… there’s one other. Elyon… and she is glaring dangers at me.
Even though Meera, Yan Lin and the council explained it to her, she clearly doesn’t see me as anything but Miranda… and, considering how betrayed she felt by Miranda, I can’t really say I blame her.
“Yes, Princess Twilight,” The Oracle says with an amazing amount of patience. “You’ve said that fifty times already. Now, if we could please get to the matters at hand.”
Twilight blushed heavily. “Oh! Right. Sorry.”
The Oracle nods, looking to myself and the Guardians. “The matter at hand is the danger the Infinite Dimensions face. While the cause is still unknown, something has caused the Guardians to become distant from their Aurameres. And, with their connection weakened, they cannot draw on their Aurameres’ power, meaning the Guardians cannot defend the realms, as is their duty.”
“Wait. Are you firing us?” Taranee asks.
The Oracle shakes his head. “No, Fire Guardian. There is no reason for you to have to step down as of yet. Besides, even if we did choose a new generation of Guardians, it would do no good. The problem is not with yourselves, but the Heart of Kandrakar itself.”
We all look to the jewel hanging around Will’s neck.
“Something has weakened it’s connection to the Aurameres,” Nubah says, her face grim. “Never in history had this ever happened. Even if new Guardians are chosen now, it would do no good. The weakened connection to the Heart would not be fixed and the Guardians would not be able to do their duty or be Guardians.”
“But, we are still Guardians,” Irma indicates to her body. “We still transformed. How is our connection to our Aurameres still weakened?”
“Because a new connection was formed to replace it,” Nubah points to me.
I blink, glancing around as everyone’s eyes turn to me and I point to myself. “Me? Um, how exactly does that work?”
Yan Lin smiles at me. “You acquired a Heart and it connected to my granddaughter and her friends when they put their trust in you during your fight with your evil counterpart. You are now what powers their transformations and power.”
“Yeah, I’m still a little confused on the how of that,” Taranee remarks. “How did Miranda gain a Heart? Shouldn’t it be given back to wherever it came from?”
The Oracle shakes his head. “It would do no good. The world Miranda’s Heart came from is a dead world.”
Everyone gasps, while my eyes widen as something clicks I’d never even considered.
But… there’s no way. It couldn’t have been… could it?
The Oracle looks to Starlight, Twilight and Spike. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, Spike the Dragon, Starlight Glimmer. Do you three remember when you travelled to alternate timelines?”
All three of their eyes widen in recognition, as do mine.
“Wait, so, you’re telling me that timeline where Equestria was a wasteland…?” Starlight asks.
The Oracle nods. “You arrived in that timeline after its Heart was no longer there. Miranda, on the other hand,” he looks to me, “unknowingly Folded to it at a time where that world was still struggling to stay alive against the evil that had taken root there.”
“No, it can’t be,” I shake my head, my voice trembling in fear. “I… I can’t have taken Equestria’s Heart, not even from a doomed timeline. I never would’ve done that! I don’t want it!”
The Oracle shakes his head. “That was not up to you, Miranda. Nor did you take it. It was given to you, by that world’s Tree of Harmony itself.”
“Tree of what now?” Irma whispers, only to wince when Hay Lin elbows her in the side.
“That world was already dying, Miranda,” The Oracle looks firmly at me. “When you and that Changeling mother wound up there, that world was already on the brink of dying. The tyrant ruling over it had all but depleted its lifeforce, the world’s magic being all that kept it as close to balance as could be done. But, when that Changeling mother was threatened, despite you both being enemies at the time, you were fully willing to fight a being you stood no chance of defeating in order to keep her safe.”
“This was an act of purity that world’s Heart recognized and it chose you to bear it,” Yubah says, nodding. “This meant the world soon finally fell, but its Heart lives on, inside you.”
Celestia looks to me with a smile. “I told you that you had more power deep within you.”
“But, wait, if Miranda is our connection to our powers now, what does that mean?” Cornelia asks, holding her sister a little closer.
Yubah sighs, giving me a pitying look that make my blood go cold. “It means, until we can find a way to restore the Heart of Kandrakar’s connection to your Aurameres, Miranda will have to fight by your side. Without her, you cannot transform anymore. However, this means…”
“I can’t stay in Equestria,” I answer, my voice slightly hollow.
Everyone looks to me as I hug myself, bitting my bottom lip, my new fangs pressing into the flesh.
This isn’t fair. It’s bad enough I learned I can never go home and I’m forced to remain in Miranda’s body for the rest of my natural life, but now, after months of building up a life in Equestria, I have to leave my life all behind all over again?
The Oracle nods. “It is hardly fair, but it is what it is. Until the Heart’s connection to the Aurameres is restored, Miranda will need to remain with the Guardians on Earth.”
“Of course it’s hardly fair!” Lilian shouts, pulling away from her sister, glaring at The Oracle and Yubah. “Miranda shouldn’t have to give up her home in that pony world! That’s not at all fair. She didn’t do anything wrong, so why’s she gotta be punished?!”
“Sweetie, it’s not that simple,” Cornelia takes Lilian by the shoulders and leans down, looking her in the eye. “We know this Miranda did nothing wrong. We don’t want to force her to give up anything, but, if she stays in that world and we go back home, we won’t be able to protect anyone.”
“It’s true,” Will holds the Heart of Kandrakar. “I felt it when we transformed. Miranda is bound to us. If she stays behind in that pony world, we’ll all be cut off from our powers. It’s horrible and completely unfair, but, the Heart chose Miranda for a reason.”
“Because it knows I’ll do what’s right, not just what I want,” I say bitterly, clutching my chest angrily. “It knows I’ll put everyone else’s welfare over my own happiness right now.” I shut my eyes, a single tear falling from my right and sliding down my cheek. “It’s not fair.”
There’s silence for a moment, no one really knowing what to say.
“This being the case,” The Oracle says after some time, “Miranda will need to assume a new identity on Earth while staying there. However, it isn’t as simple as her going there and trying to blend in.”
“The Oracle is right,” Will looks around at everyone. “Maybe in Equestria it was fine, but life on Earth is very different. She’s need a legal identity, not to mention the matter of where she’ll live.”
“Agreed,” Meera nods. “We’re not going to make her just bum at someone’s house until this is settled. She needs a home.”
“Considering the circumstances, I believe Miranda would be best living with Will,” Yubah says, looking to the red haired girl. “As you both are now, by default, the leaders of the Guardians, it would make more sense for you both to remain as close as possible.”
At once, Will has a firm look of worry. “Um, just one problem? Have you met my mother? How exactly do you expect me to explain to her why we’ve got an interdimensional house guest who would be living with us indefinitely? Sure, we’ve got a spare room we could convert into a makeshift bedroom, or she and I could even share my room, but convincing my mom to even consider the idea is the biggest problem there. She isn’t exactly aware of magic, after all.”
The Oracle nods. “We understand the challenge, young Guardian. However, I believe we have a solution that should work.”
“Again, thanks for your cooperation in this matter, Susan,” Officer Lair says as he and Will’s mother stand at the front door to the apartment.
“Of course, Tom,” she says, before correcting herself. “Oh. Sorry, Officer Lair. I mean, I did sign up for the volunteer program. Would be rude of me to just refuse. Besides,” she glances back as Will has a hand on my shoulder, “with what that poor girl’s been through, it’s the least I can do.”
“I’ll… get Melinda sorted while you guys talk it all out,” Will says hurriedly, moving us towards her bedroom.
Once the door is closed we both sigh with relief.
I’m wearing a garishly light-blue dress and black buckle shoes. Will’s wearing the same clothes the episode where Nerissa created Will’s Altermere.
I clench my fist, walking over to the open window and leaning my arms on the edges. “I don’t like how we have to do this. I hate lying like this.”
Will sighs. “Agreed. I especially don’t like us having to use Cassidy and Irma’s powers to make it work.”
ONE WEEK AGO
“I’m sorry, you want to what?!” Will and I shout in unison.
The Oracle looks between the two of us, unfazed by our raised voices.
“In order to make none question Miranda’s presence on Earth, we will need to create a false identity for her by utilizing both the current and past Water Guardians’ abilities.”
“You want me to mind rape Will’s mom and my own dad? Are you freaking serious?” Irma agrees with us, just as furious.
Nuba gives a sideways glance to The Oracle. “I agree, Guardians, it is not a very moral concept, but, while I share your disapproval of the method, it is the best way to avoid suspicion.”
“But… no, that’s just wrong!” I shake my head. “Bad enough you’re suggesting making false files for my identity, but messing with people’s memories? Isn’t that what villains do? Yeah, I’m in the body of a villain, but didn’t we just finish establishing how I’m not that villain?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time Miss Lair has used her powers in such a way,” Nuba gives a glance to Irma, who shrinks slightly. “Besides, it is no more different than the time you all worked together to stop the issues caused by Elyon’s absence from your world, is it not?”
Irma, Will and I open our mouths to argue, but pause, wince, glance at each other and look away.
“The memory implantation to your father would be no more than that, Water Guardian,” The Oracle says calmly. “Implantation, not alteration. Like a subconscious suggestion.”
“And my mother’s?” Will asks incredulously. “We’re not, and never have been, involved in any kind of witness protection program.”
“I don’t want that, in any way!” I thrust my arms outward. “That’s just wrong! There has to be some other way. I… I could be a transfer student? Or… or exchange student?”
“And your identity from the school you’d be transferring from?” Nuba asks, an eyebrow raised.
“I…” I try to come up with something, but my mind goes blank and I shut me mouth, folding my arms and look away.
“It isn’t the most ideal situation,” Yan Lin steps forward, herself giving the Oracle the stink eye, “but, then, none of this is. I agree, I don’t like the idea of implanting false memories or suggestions in anyone’s minds, and know Cassidy will feel the same way.” She sighs. “However, loathed as we are about this, we need to think of the big picture.”
“No one questioned Caleb or Phobos when you brought them to Sheffield Institute because their time there was so brief,” Meera says, her face stern. “This time, we cannot know how long it might be before Miranda does not need to stay in order for your powers to work. A more permanent solution would require her identity to be one no one would question. The students and faculty of the school are one thing, but…”
“But our parents are another,” Will finishes with a slight growl to her voice, which I’m close to doing myself. “Miranda could get away with that to a degree if she were living with Yan Lin, especially since she looks Asian herself, but…”
“But, for the safety of everyone and to ensure as little difficulty keeping close for your powers, she must live with Will,” Halinor nods. “I do not approve of this method either, but, for the safety of the Infinite Dimensions, we have to use the hand we are played.”
I look to Will, who has her eyes shut and a very strained expression.
We wait several minutes, before she heaves a huge sigh and opens her eyes, looking to the Oracle, her voice firm, but tense. “Fine. What do we need to do?”
NOW
I bite my lip as I watch the traffic go by, trying to ignore the hushed voices from outside Will’’s bedroom down the hall.
After it had been decided, the Oracle had Cassidy summoned to Kandrakar, where, after voicing her protests, along with Irma and a little work from the council, my new identity was formed.
Melinda Vandom, a girl whose real name is hidden under police files due to being in the Police Witness Protection Program.
The “official” records state that I was involved in an arson attack in an undisclosed country and I’ve been moved to Heatherfield under the name Melinda Vandom to protect me from the arsonists, who had learned I was still alive and therefore a witness to their attack.
Beyond that, no one in the immediate know, namely Will’s parents, Irma’s dad and several other officials, know that story.
The cover under the program has me publicly known as Melinda Vandom, Will’s cousin from Australia who is transferring to Heatherfield to spend time with family.
The idea of making me officially part of Will’s family was something both Will and I heavily protested against, it feeling wrong to just shove me into her family life, but the Oracle had insisted it would be easier to explain away my reasons for being close to Will than if I were just a random transfer or exchange student.
So, a week later, here we are. I’m now living with Will and her mother under the guise of being Will’s cousin, with her mother under the guise I’m part of some witness protection program she’d volunteered for to keep me safe.
Will’s mother doesn’t even know that Will’s aware of the “cover” I’m under. She thinks, as far as Will’s concerned, I’m just some random cousin she’s never heard of, Will even acting slightly annoyed when we first met, before being kind to me upon seeing me nervous.
“At least the Oracle kept to his word on the minimum amount of memory implantation,” Will moves to her bed and sits down, sighing. “Not that that really makes me feel any better.”
“Doesn’t help we don’t know where Gregor is, either,” I growl.
After we’d all gotten our information straight, when Will heard me mention Gregor as the name of the person who’d made the Miranda Astral Drop and evil Altermere, she’d mentioned something unsettlingly coincidental.
She had encountered a man going by that name several times during the mix up between me and the real Miranda.
However, her memory was strangely foggy and, when the Oracle looked into it, Will’s memories of this Gregor had been erased.
While she could remember his name, that was all. The only clue she had was a name that made my blood go cold upon hearing it, The Flash Stone.
The Oracle had waved it off, but, being someone who had looked into the previous MLP generations, the name Flash Stone rang a bell and Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Twilight’s reactions to the name did not help matters.
Apparently, the Flash Stone was the name of a long lost Equestrian artefact, the uses of which had been lost to time. All that was known was that an ancient sorcerer had used it for evil.
However, with Will’s memories foggy, we had no leads to go on and, as Meera pointed out, if Gregor was aware of me enough that he could figure out how to make an Altemere of me, he’d know I’d know about the Flash Stone and easily put the pieces together and would’ve hightailed it out of there the moment Miranda came back from our battle in defeat, with the knowledge of my new power and the Guardians awareness of him.
I want to go out on find him, to get the Flash Stone away from him before he uses it for whatever evil he must have planned, but… I can’t.
We have no idea where Gregor could’ve gone or where he and Miranda would be hiding out.
Since they have the resources to make an Altermere, they could very well have Folded to another realm, under the idea we’d be only looking on earth, so find nothing and, even upon learning they aren’t here, we’d have no clue where to start looking in the Infinite Dimensions since they’re, well, freaking infinite.
Of course, it be another ruse.
Miranda was always good at twisting the facts, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she and the Gregor she’s working with used the name of some other guy named Gregor who happens to live here in Heatherfield to throw us off their scent.
For all we know, the Gregor Will met could’ve just been some random old guy and, when she least expected it, Miranda hit her with something with effects like the Memory Stone, with the sole purpose of making us go after one guy named Gregor under the assumption Will’s missing memories were of him being the one we’re after, while the real Gregor and Miranda work in the background, with us completely unaware.
It’s unbelievably frustrating.
So, for the time being, until the council can find any other leads for us to work with, the Guardians and I are to remain on Earth and go about our days like nothing’s up… a monumentally more difficult task than the Oracle clearly understands.
“I’m surprised your pony friends came up with these,” Will says, pulling me from my thoughts.
I turn around to see she’s holding up one of the journals in from my bag.
I nod. “Best way to keep in contact.”
Before I left Equestria, Twilight gave me several journals similar to the one Sunset Shimmer has.
Each one is for communication between specific ponies. A purple one for Twilight, a white one for Blueblood, an orange one for Applejack, cyan for Rainbow Dash, pink for Pinkie and a golden one for Celestia.
Since a bunch of journals is far less conspicuous than a magical crystal, it made more sense to keep in contact through journals.
Will and I decide it best to get things set up.
Granted “set up” is just unfurling moving a mattress into the room and setting it down on the far wall, with some sheets and blankets atop it.
As for why exactly we went with me staying in Will’s room, it’s part of my new identity.
Since I’m supposed to be a girl scared for her life after witnessing an arson attack, when her mother first brought up that I’d be living with them under the guise I’m a cousin Will hasn’t met before and would be really scared after moving, Will “accidentally” brought up how, if I was really that anxious, sleeping in a room on my own wouldn’t help.
This made her mother decide we’d sleep in the same room, at least for a while, so Will could act out the role of the older (if only by a month or two) cousin, Will, at first playing up how annoying it is that I’m just getting dumped on her.
It was quite the convincing act.
We wait a few minutes, before heading out to find Will’s mother closing the front door.
“So… how are you looking forward to starting school at Sheffield tomorrow, Melinda?” Mrs Vandom asks as we’re sitting at an outdoor of a pizzeria.
“I… suppose,” I say, holding a slice of meatlovers.
Will is sitting next to me, her mum sitting across from us.
Mrs. Vandom looking concerned for a moment, before giving me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Will will keep close to you so you don’t feel too nervous, won’t she?” she puts a stern tone on the last bit, looking pointedly at her daughter.
Will give an exasperated sigh. “Fine, mom. But, we’re not in all the same classes, so it’s not like I can be with her all the time.”
That’s pretty good acting there, Will.
Will and I barely keep ourselves from reacting to Taranee’s voice and I subtly look for her by making it look like I’m simply checking out the area.
Across the street, I think to Will, who glances that way to see Taranee and the others coming out of an ice cream shop, Taranee happening to spot us and informing the others.
“Will!” Hay Lin calls out, drawing Mrs. Vandom’s attention.
Remembering my role, I quickly hide as best I can behind Will, giving the impression I’m nervous because of new people.
“Hey, who’s your new friend?” Irma asks casually, squinting at me.
Will gives a slightly annoyed sounding sigh, indicating behind her. “Hey, guys. This is my cousin, Melinda. She’s staying with us because she’s transferring to Heatherfield.”
“She’s a bit shy around others, though,” Mrs. Vandom says.
Wow. She really is falling for all our acting way easier than I expected, Irma thinks to us all.
After the Heart inside me connected to the Guardians, it linked me into the psychic connection they all have through Taranee. It has made communication way easier, not to mention makes it easier to set up scenarios where we can make it believable to Will’s mum that I’m able to quickly get to know the girls despite my supposed anxiety around others.
The girls kind of invite themselves to our “family” lunch, Hay Lin chatting with me the most, since her personality is the best to convince Will's mother that I can come out my shell.
Once the pizzas have been finished, Hay Lin suggests the girls give me a small tour of the town.
“Come on, Mrs. V, you know you can trust us with her,” Taranee assures her.
Mrs. Vandom seems to think about it, before sighing and nods. “Alright. But, Will, I want you both back before dinner. Understood?”
Will groans. “Yes, Mom. I know. Come on, Mel,” she adds, grabbing my arm and yanking me up, myself genuinely taken aback by that.
We walk down the street, Will telling the others how “unfair” it is she has to share her room with me until we’re certain we’re out of sight and earshot.
“Phew!” Will says loudly, her hands on her knees. “That was harder than I thought it’d be.”
“Tell me about it,” I rub my neck. “Pretending to be a skittish person is so much harder than I first thought. I had to keep catching myself so your mum didn’t get suspicious.”
“So, is there anything about school that is actually worrying you, Mel?” Irma asks, coming up next to me.
I frown, folding my arms and looking up for a moment. “Considering we’re all in eighth grade, I don’t think any classes really worry me. Plus, I may not remember those years but, back in my old world, I know I graduated high school already, so, eighth grade shouldn’t be too difficult. I think it’s more the other students themselves that will prove the challenge… and keeping up the idea of being nervous for a while.”
“Great,” Irma says in a joking tone, “another Taranee.”
She gets a playful shove from the back for her jab, the girls all laughing, myself snickering.
We spend the day with the girls giving me the tour of the town, helping me familiarize myself with the area.
It’s harder than it should be, since I have to be wary of those around us so I know when to go back to pretending to being anxious and when I can just be myself.
It’s actually so energy consuming that, by the time Will and I had back to the apartment, after dinner and a shower, I head straight for bed, falling asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.
“Now, Will will be in most of your classes, so, if you’re having any problems you can speak to her or Dea— Professor Colins,” Mrs. Vandom says, looking at me through the rear-view mirror as she drives us towards Sheffield Institute. She then looks to her side. “Right, Will?”
Will gives a half fake exasperated sigh. “Yes, Mom. Okay? I get it.”
I just give a meek nod, it being fair harder to keep my act up than Will is.
Her mum hasn’t stopped reinforcing this since we got up this morning… not helped by the fact that Harley, Will’s alarm clock, decided to wake us up two hours earlier than the alarm was set to make sure we weren’t late for my first day.
Yeah, like the other Guardians, now that I’m linked with them, I can hear and interact with any device with an electric current too and it got old REALLY fast.
Will is wearing jeans, a long-sleeve pink shirt under a purple tank top shirt with a collar, like what she wore in episode three of season two, C is for Changes.
I’m, annoyingly, wearing an identical set of clothes, Will’s mother saying it will help everyone know who I am and who to contact if they see anything going wrong.
Will and I share the sentiment that it just makes it look like she’s making me a Mini Will so people just associate me with her, which will make it harder to stand out as my own person.
“Oh, and, if you need to contact me, this is for you,” Mrs Vandom reaching into her purse, then into the back, passing me a black phone. It reminds me of the old Nokia 100 phones I used to use shortly after leaving high school in the real world.
I can tell this is a really cheap model though, even for the time period of this Earth, but say nothing.
“Don’t use me too often. Especially not during class,” the phone says, her voice sounding like Daring Do, of all voices. The heck?
I simply give a small nod, put the frog designed bag Will was told to lend me over my shoulder and step out of the car, Will following suite.
We walk through the gates into the school, myself glancing over my shoulder and watching as Mrs. Vandom’s car drives off, myself doing my best to keep my pace that of someone unsure of where they’re going… though that isn’t half lying.
In all honesty, I am nervous about starting school here. Not because of the normal reasons, of course, like being in a new school, worrying about bullies or whether I’ll be able to do well.
I’ll be in either grade. Sure, eighth grade sucked for me before, but that was because of the shitty Home Room teacher I’d had that year, who was also my science teacher, maths teacher and Society and Environment teacher and I’d have him for doubles of all those lessons once a week each term.
And, whenever I didn’t understand a question or aspect of a lesson and asked him to explain it a different way so I could get a better idea of what he meant, he’d just repeat it the way he did the first time, the way I hadn’t understood, expecting me to somehow magically understand it then.
Plus, the first detention he gave me, my first ever high school detention, had been for reading a freaking school library book IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY!
No way are any of the teachers at Sheffield going to be that bad.
No, my worries are how I’m going to be able to keep up the act of being the nervous cousin of Will’s.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m very straight forward a person. If you say something I don’t agree with, regardless of whether you’re above me in any rank or not, I’ll call you out on it.
It was why my last eighth grade teacher and I were always butting heads. He’d always acted like I’d just fall in line, taking his shit without question, only for me to turn around and call him out every. Single. God damn time.
And that hasn’t changed. I’m going to have to keep myself in check or else risk blowing my cover.
Will and the girls assured me they’d help, Matt too, but I just know I’m going to slip up somewhere and everyone will suddenly see Will’s “timid and scared cousin” cussing like a sailor and beating on anyone who messes with her.
Not exactly a great way to keep my head down when I need to more than ever.
“Will, Mel!” we smile as the girls come over, myself frowning slightly in confusion as I glance from Will to them.
They’re all wearing the clothes from C is for Changes. Cornelia, a pink jumper and pants with a yellow belt. Irma, a green long-sleeve shirt and white pants under a blue skirt. Taranee, a pink short-sleeve long T-shirt and orange pants. And, Hay Lin, a blue hoodie with a purple collar and purple pants that stop just under her knees.
Weird coincidence.
“So, how’s our newest member settling in?” Cornelia asks as we start heading inside.
“Fine,” I say, glancing away. “Though, Will’s mum, I mean, Aunt Susan, is being very protective of me.”
“Considering the cover story we had to go with to explain your existence in this world with no proper records, is it really that surprising?” Irma asks bluntly.
We all murmur to ourselves at that.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’m in the wrong backpack back here,” a voice suddenly speaks up.
At once, I freeze, before looking around frantically.
The heck? What’s here doing here? This isn’t a DC universe, let alone the Young Justice one.
“Mir-Mel, what’s wrong?” Taranee asks as Will seems to be reaching for my backpack for some reason.
I don’t answer, still wondering what the heck the Chaos Lord Klarion is doing in the W.I.T.C.H. universe.
“Sammy, don’t startle her like that,” I look to Will to see her holding a calculator and, after a pause, feel my body sagging with relief.
Sheesh, that was more nerve-wracking than I’d like to admit. Last thing I need to be worrying about is a loose cannon like Klarion here while I’m dealing with everything else.
Guess the same person who voices Klarion also voiced Sammy in this world’s show. Talk about your odd coincidences. That’s too odd coincidences in one day.
Though, this is a coincidence I could’ve done without.
“Who’s this jitterbug?”
I immediately deadpan at the voice, but take a deep breath and put on a nervous face, turning around, while moving closer to Will.
Walking towards us down the hallway is Uriah, the school bully, and his two all muscle, no brain lackeys.
These three are definitely going to provide a challenge for me. Not because I couldn’t handle them. Even before I obtained the Heart inside me, I could’ve handle these three with ease. Bullies like them were never an issue for me.
No, the challenge will be keeping my cool around them long enough that I don’t blow my cover.
“She’s my cousin, Uriah,” Will says, giving him a firm look. “If you mess with her, I promise, I’ll make you regret it.”
Uriah makes a mocking worried face. “Ooh. I’m so scared.”
He and his cronies laugh.
He points, leering. “What’re ya gonna do, Wil-ma?”
A clearing of a throat makes the three look behind them to see Matt standing there.
“Is there a problem with my girlfriend’s cousin, boys?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
The three grumble, before slinking off, Uriah making sure she shove me with his shoulder as he passes.
I’m the one who has to make sure I let him pass me by. My strength may have lessened since the power of my Heart spread out among the Guardians, but I’m still more than strong enough to resist a shove from someone like Uriah.
If I just took his shove, he’d have fallen back from the resistance, without me even needing to try.
“So, how’re things holding up… here?” Matt says, only now seeming to notice Will and I are dressed exactly the same. “Um, why…?”
“Mom,” Will says flatly.
The bell rings for class, so we all head off, myself going with Will and Cornelia for history class.
Now, history wasn’t my best subject, but, I do pretty well. This Earth’s history isn’t all that different from my Earth.
It is odd, the weird memory blank Miranda’s actions left me with.
I can’t remember it… but I can. It’s hard to explain.
It’s like, when it comes to my personal memories, I’m always drawing a blank. Anything else though, is clear as day. It’s very weird.
Like, I remember that horrible teacher from my last time in eighth grade and the reasons why he was horrible, but I don’t remember him specifically, or the school I was going to where he taught.
It’s a very bizarre mismatch of memories.
In fact, the class itself wasn’t the hard part. It was being introduced as Will’s cousin to the whole class that was the hard part.
If not for the psychic link we all have, I don’t know if I’d have been able to keep up the act for long while standing in front of the class.
Will isn’t in my next class, but Alchemy, Elyon’s best friend is and she’s sitting right next to me in the computer lab.
As we do, she gives me an odd look.
Remembering my character, I pretend to be nervous, glancing at her several times, before shrinking down and asking in a shaky tone, “Y-yes? D-do you want something?”
Though, I am actually a little weirded out by Alchemy. She’s wearing the exact same green sweatshirt and marron pants as the episode everyone’s wearing today. This is seriously throwing me off.
It’s not just her and the Guardians, though. It’s as if everyone, even the faculty staff, chose to be wearing the exact same clothes today as from that episode.
Is this just a massive coincidence or is the universe trying to send me some kind of message here?
Alchemy seems to realize she was staring and starts, waving a hand. “Oh, n-no. Sorry. You just remind me of someone a friend of mine mentioned from while she was on vacation.”
I blink. Huh. So, without mentioning the part about her being a monster, Elyon had talked about Miranda to Alchemy at some point. I’ll have to remember that.
“Who… who was your friend?” I ask, before remembering I’m supposed to be Will’s cousin from Australia. Didn’t one of the girls mention Australia as one of the places Elyon and her family were “vacationing” in?
Wait, that happened in C is for Changes too. What the heck is going on here?
Still, at least I might be able to work with that, depending on Alchemy’s next sentence.
Alchemy gets a sad look in her eyes as she smiles. “Elyon Brown. She and her family had to move away a couple months ago. Before that, they went missing, only for us to learn they’d been on vacation. A really long vacation,” she finishes that with a small laugh.
I try to hide the smirk that wants to form on my face. Yes, I can work with that.
“Ely-on?” I say, making an effort to look like I’m trying to remember something. “I… think I’ve heard that name. Did she go, um, to Australia? During that vacation, I mean?”
At once, her eyes light with recognition. “Yeah, she did. Did you meet her while she was there?”
Thinking fast, I shake my head. “I… I was in town and I heard someone call out the name. I… was grocery shopping my mum at the time, so I didn’t pay much attention. But, I recognize the name.”
Alchemy’s eyes light up. “Whoa. You’re from Australia?”
I nod. So far so good.
She smiles at me. “I’m Alchemy. What’s your name?”
I look down at my desk, fiddling with my hands underneath it. “M-Melinda. I’m… I’m Will’s cousin… from Australia.”
The last part is redundant, but I’m playing up the nervous act.
It works, as Alchemy gives a light giggle. “I kinda figured that’s where you came from.”
She keeps giggling and I join in slightly.
Man, it’d be a lot easier just to outright laugh along with her instead of having to pretend to be so nervous.
“Well, well. Nice to see your getting along with our newest student, Miss Alchemy.”
The sudden voice behind us genuinely makes me jump, the room suddenly going dark for a moment, as if the light turned off and I quickly look behind me as the light returns to see a man with short blonde hair, a stubbly beard and wearing circular glasses over blue eyes… causing my eyes to widen in recognition.
Holy shit. It’s that guy from the season two finale. What was his name? Sil… something?
“Oh. Of course, Professor Sylla,” Alchemy smiles, blushing, completely oblivious to the stunned expression I’m wearing. “I’d be rude not to be nice to Will’s cousin.”
“Yes, Miss Will Vandom’s cousin from Australia,” he turns to me, giving me a smile that’s too friendly for my liking. I’m not acting anymore. I’m genuinely nervous. He gives me a look up and down. “How odd, isn’t it? I remember hearing something about a girl named Melinda and Miss Will and her friends before and she looked just like you. And you were in the vicinity of Miss Elyon Brown while she and her family were on that extended vacation? Odd, isn’t it?”
“Y-y-yeah,” I say, immediately shrinking as much as I can into my seat, trying to look anywhere but at him. How’d he hear that? Alchemy and I weren’t talking that loud. Was he eavesdropping on us? “V-very odd.”
Fuck. I’d always suspected there was something up with this guy when I saw him in the finale. I even remember he was in the last scene of the show and suspected he’d have played a role in the next season had the show not been cancelled... and now I’m involved in whatever it was he was going to be a part of.
Not only that, but he mentioned a girl named Melinda, who was just Miranda at the time trying to frame the Guardians for a crime they not only didn’t commit, but never happened.
Will! Will! I scream over the link, hoping it’s still up.
Bad news! Really bad news! I think to her. Online the others, ASAP!
I pretend to just start doing the day’s lesson plan, acting like nothing’s wrong, though I see Alchemy glancing at me out of the corner of my eye.
With any luck, she’ll just assume having Mr. Sylla suddenly behind me like that spooked me too much and I’m simply trying to distract myself to calm down.
Something’s up with this Professor Sylla, I say, typing some random question about Pitbull dogs into the search engine. He knows who I am!
WHAT?! the others all scream at once.
I mean, he doesn’t know who I am specifically, but he knows who I was, I correct myself. He knows Melinda and how she framed you all. He knows I have the same name and look exactly like she would’ve been described. And the Australia connection doesn’t help, since that’s one of the places you girls said Elyon and her family were.
Wait. You mean… Oh my God, he knows about Miranda when she was… okay, I’m gonna have to ask the Oracle why he chose that name for your cover, Will says, going from shocked to very annoyed.
Okay, Mel. Keep calm, Cornelia says soothingly. He doesn’t know you’re actually her… well, physically, anyway. Just keep playing naïve about it and things should be fine.
Cornelia’s right, Will affirms. Since he’s on the staff, he could’ve been informed about you and merely noticed a similarity. He could easily have stumbled upon the report about that time somewhere in the school’s files when he first arrived. As long as you stick to your cover, he should lose interest. We’ll meet up at lunch and talk this out.
I inwardly sigh, but nearly jump out of my seat when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
Turning, I see Alchemy is looking at my computer in confusion.
Moving me own gaze to it, I realize I’ve somehow, while distracted with chatting to the girls, ended up on a website for adopting stray dogs and had almost filled out an adoption.
Balking, I quickly exit the whole page, grinning sheepishly.
“Wait. You all think there’s something up with that Professor Sylla too? And have since before I even got here?” I ask in surprise as we all sit at a table in the cafeteria.
They all nod.
“He’s been our computer instructor for a few months now,” Cornelia starts as I take a bit of my orange chicken.
“I’m glad we aren’t the only ones who’ve noticed,” Irma shrugs.
“I know,” Hay Lin says, looking concerned. “All the girls in school have crushes on him.”
“And the boys just think he’s a super cool dude,” Matt says, arms folded on the table. “It’s like nobody else gets any weird feelings from him.”
“I think Alchemy might’ve caught on,” I say, lifting my head. “When he genuinely startled me and I clammed up, not able to think of anything, she seemed to notice how he didn’t seem to notice how uncomfortable I was.”
“Alchemy was always a kind girl,” Cornelia says, her eyes slightly distant. “If she thought you were uncomfortable, it makes sense she’s come to your aid.”
I sigh. “I just hope I’m wrong about this Sylla guy and it’s just my nerves getting the better of me.”
I don’t know if I’m in denial or just wishing for things to be less complicated.
“Hey, now! Turn that frown upside-down!”
The high-pitch, chipper voice makes my blood run cold even before I feel the hands on my shoulders, the feeling of which only slightly lowers my worries.
Whirling around, I stare in horror at the pink girl with puffy pink hair.
Before I know what’s going on, the room’s gone pitch black.
All the students start screaming, the sound of clanging metal from falling food trays echoing loudly as people start falling over each other in the sudden darkness.
“Pinkie Pie!” I hear a voice hiss, before I feel something wrap around me and yank me in the direction I think the doors were, cries from the girls and Matt telling me it’s not just me.
Suddenly, the darkness seems to part, as if moving off of me like water, revealing the hallway, where I see two humans I had not expected to see in this school as a purple glow vanishes from one of their hands and we land on our feet.
Sunset glares at Will, pointing with her thumb down the hall. “Outside. Now.”
We don’t argue, hurrying out, myself noticing the darkness in the cafeteria suddenly vanish as we do.
We follow Sunset, Sci-Twi and Pinkie down the hall and out of the school, going around the back of the gym, where we find the rest of the Humane 7 standing there.
They look our way as we get near, showing signs of both genuine relief and annoyance at the sight of Pinkie.
“Okay. Mind telling us why you just left us in the dark like that?” Sunset asks as we all group up.
The girls, Matt and I glance at each other.
“That… darkness wasn’t any of you?” Irma asks, pointing.
Sunset blinks in confusion, before shaking her head. “I’m not talking about that unexplained literal darkness in there,” she points at the school, “I’m talking about what happened in Equestria!”
I blink, before cocking an eyebrow, turning to Will. She and the others had mentioned they’d first gone to the EQG world and met Sunset and the others there before Folding to Equestria. I’d thought they’d already spoken with Sunset though.
Wait. Now I think about it, it was odd they weren’t at the meeting in Kandrakar. Did the council think it wasn’t something they needed to know about?
“I’d also like to know how Miranda’s good as well as evil,” Sunset indicates to me with a wave of her hand. “Your memories weren’t exactly clear on that detail.”
Again, I’m confused, before remembering Will mentioning Sunset had touched her arm and gotten all Will’s memories pertaining to the immediate situation at the time.
So, we have to spend the next couple minutes explaining the last couple of weeks… myself wondering the whole time why Sunset didn’t just speak with Twilight about this in Equestria or come while I’d still been there the week we were preparing for my move here.
By the time we’re done, Sunset and Sci-Twi look like they fully understand, while the others look like they mostly get it.
“But, how did get to our world?” Cornelia asks, confused. “Wouldn’t you have needed to Fold here. Melinda told us both your world and Equestria haven’t done Folding in centuries. Even that Princess Twilight is struggling to figure it out.”
Sunset merely holds up her hand and nods her head to the side, indicating to Will.
My mouth opens in a big O. Sunset got all Will’s memories at the time, including Folding and how to do it.
Makes sense as she’s…
My eyes widen and I round of Will. “Will, you found out Sunset was their world’s Heart and didn’t bother to tell her what’s been going on? Even after a week? With that Gregor and Miranda Folding to who knows where?”
Will blinks, before blushing heavily, giving a drawn out, embarrassed, “Oh.”
Sunset nods, still looking none too happy. “I didn’t even know I was the Heart of our world til you told me. And, with your memories, I put a lot of the pieces together.”
“Wow. That could’ve gone really badly,” Irma says, causing me to facepalm.
Yeah! What if Miranda and Gregor had Folded to Sunset’s world to hideout? They could’ve gone after her Heart with her having no clue that’s what was going to happen and we could’ve ended up with another Elyon in the Heart of Meridian like situation again.
“Look, I’m sorry we didn’t go back and explain things sooner,” Will says earnestly. “So much happened, so fast, I guess something was bound to be forgotten.”
“I know,” Sunset says flatly. “Twilight told me everything. And, if you’d waited for me to explain instead of just Folding straight to Equestria, I’d have explained the whole Miranda situation to you and you could’ve figured out it was all a trap and not lost your powers.”
I cock an eyebrow. Now I’m curious.
Sunset gives an exasperated sigh and Sci-Twi takes over. “When my princess counterpart replied to Sunset, she explained how… are you going by Melinda now or do you prefer Miranda?” she asks, looking to me.
“Melinda or Mel will do,” I nod, wanting to get this done.
She nods and continues. “She explained how Melinda here wasn’t the same as the Miranda you were all looking for. And, after speaking with her more recently, I think we’ve figured out why your powers stopped working when you went to Equestria until you all bonded to Melinda’s Heart.”
“Well, go on,” Corneila says, a little coldly, but also with interest.
“Will,” Sci-Twi looks to her redhead, “you mentioned something called the Flash Stone was among your fragmented memories of this Gregor fellow, correct?”
Will nods.
Sci-Twi looks to Sunset, who continues for her. “Well, we believe you somehow came into contact with the Flash Stone and that’s what caused your powers to stop working.”
“Huh?” we all say.
“But, our powers come from our Aurameres,” Hay Lin points out. “How could this Flash Stone have enough power to cut off our connection to them?”
“I don’t think it did. Not exactly,” Sci-Twi shakes her head, folding her arms. “I think there was more at play here than we’re aware of. I think coming into contact with the Flash Stone, plus some other factors we’re still unaware of yet, could’ve put some kind of restriction upon you. Like a promise or something.”
“The Flash Stone, being an Equestrian artefact, acted like a contract so, when it sensed you enter Equestria, it was as if you’d broken that contract, so it was able to block your powers,” Sunset says, frowning. “Had you simply never entered Equestria, your powers would’ve never been taken from you. Though, how the Heart of Shadow returned your powers, I still don’t understand.”
There’s a long pause, before Sunset notices we’re all looking at her in confusion.
“Um, what Heart of Shadow?” Irma asks sceptically. “We’re getting our power from the Heart inside Mel now, not shadows.”
Sci-Twi nods. “Yes, but Mel explained to the council about where her Heart came from, didn’t she? A world being ruled by…?”
“Shadow,” I put a hand to my mouth. “A being called The Pony of Shadows had taken over that world and it was in a strange form of darkness. I could still see… though, maybe that’s because of Miranda’s species?” I look to Will, who shrugs, looking uncertain.
“And, if’n what we saw through the cafeteria window is anythin’ t’ go by, that’s yer power, Miss Mel,” Applejack chimes in.
I blink, before my eyes widen again. “Wait. I did that thing with the darkness in there?” Wait. Is that what happened in computer class? Did I cause the room to go dark there too?
Sunset nods, folding her arms, pointing to Hay Lin. “We Folded here and spoke with your grandmother, the one at your family’s restaurant.”
Meera’s the one cooking for the school, so she must mean Yan Lin.
“She told us everything and Sunset tele-transported us here, Darling,” Rarity says, flicking her hair back, before frowning at Will and myself. “Why are you both wearing the same attire?”
Will and I speak at the same time, both flatly.
“Her mum.”
“My Mom.”
“That’s not exactly what matters here, Rare,” Rainbow Dash says, stepping forward, hands on her hips as she looks at me. “We’re talking about the Heart of Shadow?”
“But, if Melinda’s Heart is the Heart of Shadow… isn’t that a bad thing?” Hay Lin asks nervously, before she gasps. “Does that means we’ve all become Shadow Guardians?!”
I facepalm. Hay Lin, don’t give the negative side of the universe ideas. We’ve enough problems right now as it is.
Sunset shakes her head. “No, you don’t understand. Melinda’s is the Heart of Shadow, not the Heart of Evil. There’s a huge difference.”
“Shadow can’t exist without light and vice versa,” Sci-Twi states matter-of-factly. “Like how harmony can’t exist without chaos. They’re two sides of the same coin.”
“Which would also explain why Melinda and Will have become co leaders,” Sunset looks between the two of us. “At least for now. One is Shadow, the other Life.”
“Yin,” I look to Will.
“And Yang,” Will follows.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Sci-Twi grins a little sheepishly, pulling our attention to her, “would you mind all transforming? I kinda wanna compare.”
Cornelia raises an eyebrow. “Compare?”
The seven girls smile at each other, before putting a hand to their respective geode. They all glow their respective colours, taking on their Ponied Up forms from Forgotten Friendship and onwards.
The others all stare, slack-jawed.
I roll my eyes. “What? You know you’re not the only ones who can transform.”
Sunset smiles at Will and myself. “Now, how about you?”
I look to Will and we nod, her lifting the Heart of Kandrakar up. “Seems fair, if only for a bit. Guardians, unite!”
Nothing happens.
My gut drops. What? No! What happened?
“Maybe you need to say it together?” Pinkie says, pointing between Will and myself.
I cock my eyebrow, while a hum from Matt makes us look to him.
“Sunset and the Oracle did say you’re both coleaders now,” Matt points between us. “Maybe you both need to be saying it together.”
“That’s what I said!” Pinkie pouts, fists at her sides.
I look to Will and she me. “Well…”
“It’s worth a try, at least,” Will shrugs with an uncertain smile.
She holds up the Heart and we both called out, “Guardians, unite!”
At once, a light glows from within the Heart, spreading out into six spheres, blue, red, green, light-blue, white and black, each sphere going to Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Will and myself respectively.
As each of us take on our Guardian forms, we say our Element, almost like a prompting from the Heart.
“Water,” Irma says, a wave forming behind her.
“Fire,” flames hover around Taranee’s hands.
“Earth,” Cornelia says, flower petals billowing around her.
“Air,” Hay Lin cheers, her hair moving in the breeze created by her powers.
“Quintessence,” Will says firmly, electricity sparking around her.
I stand there, shadows billowing around me like water and sneer, “Shadow.”
Once the transformation is completely, I’m wearing a very embarrassed and nervous expression. “Do we always have to say the name of our power when we transform? I literally scared myself with how I said Shadow!”
Will shakes her head. “Not always. I think the Heart was just making a point for Miss Sunset.”
“Just Sunset will do, Will,” Sunset remarks, while Sci-Twi moves closer, examining me.
“Strange,” she says, circling me, lifting one of my arms. “The rest of you look older when you transform, but Melinda stays exactly the same age. And her clothing looks like Will’s only with darker colours. Not mention these fangs and her eyes.”
“So, now that we’re all caught up, shouldn’t you lot be heading home?” Matt asks, pointing.
We all look to him.
He shrugs. “We have to get back before lunch end and, while I’m not one to talk, they kinda stick out. Not many people in our world have bright orange or lavender skin.”
There’s a long pause, before Sunset and Sci-Twi facepalm.
“Right,” Sunset turns, waving a hand in a fluid motion, a Fold opening before her.
“Whoa!” the girls cry out.
“How’d you do that so easily?” Hay Lin asks.
“Yeah, took Will months to get it right,” Irma adds, causing Will to glare.
Sunset nods to Will, then her own hand. “I got her memories, remember?”
With that, the seven walked through the Fold, Pinkie actually needing to be dragged by Applejack as she waves frantically at us, a huge grin on her face.
When the Fold closes, we all heave a huge sigh.
I groan, rubbing my head. “Can we just get this school day over with so I can go to bed. I feel like I need to sleep for a week.”
“Sorry, Mel. No can do.”
I give Matt an annoyed sideways glance. “Why?”
“My sister wants to speak with you,” Cornelia says, sounding just as tired as I feel.
“And, since she now knows she’s Earth future Queen…” Matt says.
“Refusing her outright without a good reason wouldn’t be the best idea,” I grumble, running a hand over my face. Great.
I’ve nothing against Lilian, but after the info dump we all just got, this really isn’t the best of timing.
We all flinch as we enter the hall, only to find Principal Knickerbocher standing there, arms folded, tapping her foot, a very unpleasant look on her face.
The others glance at each other, before I get an idea and hide behind Will.
Thankfully, it seems the others catch on, because Hay Lin quickly comes over, putting her hands on my shoulder in a comforting manner.
“Sorry, Principal Knickerbocher,” Will says when said woman gives a confused raised eyebrow. “My mom told you about how anxious my cousin can be? Well, when the cafeteria went dark like that, she ran out. How she didn’t run into the wall and went right out the door is a mystery, honestly.”
Knickerbocher’s expression softens slightly, turning into understanding as she watches Hay Lin comforting me as I wipe away a few tears (provided by Irma quickly moistening the area around my eyes).
“We went out to look for her, to make sure nothing happened,” Taranee adds, pulls attention towards herself, Will now “comforting” me too, myself clinging to her. “I know we should’ve told someone, but, it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. We didn’t have time to really think it through.”
Knickerbocher heaves a sigh, folding her arms, a slightly annoyed but understanding look on her face. “Well, I suppose I can understand that. It was strange, whatever happened in the cafeteria. Still, Miss Vandom, please be sure to keep a closer eye on your cousin.”
“Of course,” Will nods, rubbing my back.
Knickerbocher walks off and we wait until she’s a long way down the hall and around the corner, but we all relax, sighing with relief.
Will shakes her head. “Okay. After school, we’ll quickly see what Lilian wants to talk with Mel about, then we need to do some W.I.T.C.H. training.”
“Aren’t we already good enough with our powers?” Cornelia asks, cocking an eyebrow.
Will puts a hand on my shoulder. “Yes, but Mel isn’t experienced with her Shadow power. She’s already unintentionally lost control of it twice today now. She needs to learn how to keep her powers from slipping out whenever she gets startled.”
I nod, my expression firm.
You’d think I’d be offended by how Will worded that, but, I completely agree with her.
In the week leading up to my moving to earth indefinitely, I didn’t have anything startling me or putting me under the kind of stresses that would accidentally release my powers.
In fact, I didn’t even realize my powers could do that, so it took me completely off guard when Sunset made me realize my power was Shadow.
We split off for our next classes, myself, Will and Cornelia heading for science class.
I end up being sat next to Alchemy, who looks at me with worry as I settle into my seat, taking out my books.
“Are you okay?” she asks as I put my bag under the desk.
I glance at her, slightly confused. “Huh?”
“What happened in the cafeteria,” she says, glancing around. “I noticed you, Will and her group were gone when it stopped being dark.”
At once, I blush, realizing how much I’m going o have to make myself look pathetic to keep up my cover.
“I… I got startled,” I say, doing my best to sound anxious and embarrassed without the frustration I’m feeling from the lie. “I… I was still anxious after what happened in computer studies and, well, I wasn’t exactly expecting it to go pitch-black in the middle of the day like that.” Granted, I’m the cause of it going pitch-black, but I hadn’t known that at the time.
Alchemy frowns, turning to look at the desk. “Yeah. That was really weird. Principal Knickerbocher said it was something to do with a power surge, but that doesn’t explain why no sunlight was coming through the windows.”
“I hear it was a ghost,” Uriah’s voice says from behind us, him saying the last word in that stereotypical spooky way.
I can actually feel Will and Cornelia’s worry about whether I’ll keep my cover or not as I’m inwardly snarling at the fact I realize I’m going to have to act all scared at the idea of ghosts, especially when I know it wasn’t a ghost because it was my own damn powers and seeing me scared is just going to make Uriah try harder.
However, I didn’t get away with breaking a few rules every now and then back in my old schools without being a good actor.
So, sucking up my pride (and inwardly promising I’ll make Uriah pay personally once I can build up my cover to the point no one would question my standing up for myself), a pretend to squeak in fear and hunch over, acting scared.
“Uriah, leave Melinda alone!” Alchemy says, far louder than I’d actually expected.
Timing’s a funny thing sometimes and karma must’ve decided my humiliating myself deserved a reward, as, the moment Alchemy spoke up, the teacher came in, hearing her loud and clear.
“Seriously?” Will asks angrily, stepping up, glaring at the boy. “Wasn’t it bad enough that you made her uncomfortable before school even started? Just leave my cousin alone already, Uriah!”
How W.I.T.C.H. and I are so good at following each other’s lead without needing to say anything is really surprising to me, though I can tell Will’s anger is only half an act. She’s probably really annoyed how many times we’ve had to really push the “Will scared cousin” act so much when it’s literally just the first day.
I share her sentiment.
“Uriah, that’s enough,” the teacher says, leaving the bully floundering to come up with a good excuse… something he clearly is not smart enough to come up with on the fly. “If I find out one more time that you’re making things harder for Miss Vandom, you’ll be spending the next day in detention.”
Uriah clams up, but, as the teacher moves towards the front of the classroom, I see him shoot me a dirty look that I almost give back.
Instead, I just turn to face the front and hunch down a little.
This results in Alchemy putting an arm around my shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine.”
“You did pretty well for your first day,” Irma compliments as we walk down the street towards Cornelia’s apartment complex. “You made everyone think you’re a crybaby, without crying.”
“I’ve never felt more insulted by an earnest compliment,” I deadpan.
“I know it’s not easy,” Hay Lin turns around, walking backwards as she looks at me. “But, it shouldn’t have to be too long. A couple of weeks, a month maybe, then you can be yourself.”
“And, it’s not like you’re a bad student,” Taranee remarks, smiling. “You did really well, from what I heard.”
“Except algebra,” I grumble, putting a hand to my forehead. “God, seriously, I never understood that garble before and now it somehow makes even less sense.”
“At least you made a friend outside our group,” Matt points out.
“Don’t know if Elyon’s gonna be too pleased when she finds out about it, though,” Irma jokes.
We reach the Hale apartment a couple minutes later. As we walk in, we’re all met with a surprise. Irma’s mother and her brother are there, looking like they’re about to leave.
“Mom?!” Irma asks, sounding as shocked as we all feel. “What’re you doing here?”
“I agreed to watch over Lilian today and decided she and your brother could have a playdate,” her mother replies, her tone chipper.
“Glad I don’t have to play with her anymore today,” Chris says, sounding very annoyed, pointing to Irma. “You can handle Miss Earth’s Queen now.”
At once, a feeling of dread passing through us all, our eyes meeting. WHAT?!
Irma’s mum just laughs, leading her son out the door.
As she does, something causes me to pause, sniffing the air and glancing over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“Mel?” Will’s voice pulls me back to the present and I shake my head, then nod, following them all inside.
“Miranda!” a voice happily calls out as Lilian runs out of her room, wearing a princess costume and hugs me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I glance to the others, a little confused, before looking down at the little girl with an uncertain smile. “Of course, I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She unaware of the name change or just not care? I think to Cornelia.
Pretty sure she was unaware, since she didn’t really listen when I tried to explain it days ago, Cornelia shrugs.
Lilian pulls away, smiling up at me. “So, when are you moving in?”
…
Huh?
I glance down at the eager child, very confused by her last statement.
“I’ve… already moved in, with Will and her mother,” I say, not hiding my confusion from my face.
Lilian gets a confused frown. “Well, that doesn’t make sense. How’re you supposed to protect me if you’re living in a totally different house?”
I glance to Napoleon, the black cat sitting on the couch, watching the exchange, giving him a look that asks him to explain.
He sighs, hopping down and walking over. “Mistress, we already explained this to you. Melinda isn’t here to protect you. She’s here to work alongside the Guardians.”
“Yeah, I know, I heard The Oracle back in that floating castle,” Lilian nods, pointing around from Napoleon, Mr. Huggles and Matt. “And you’re my guardians. She came to Earth to protect me.”
There’s a pause, before it clicks.
“Oh, okay. I see the misunderstanding here,” Cornelia does a light facepalm, before leaning down to her sister’s level. “Sweetie, when Melinda said she came to Earth to protect you, she didn’t mean she’d been given the task of doing so, like your Regents. She came to protect you because she knew someone was after you at the time.”
“And, while, yes, Matt, Mr. Huggles and Napoleon are your guardians, The Oracle didn’t mean Mel was coming to Earth to be your guardian specifically,” Will adds, leaning down a little, hands on her knees. “She a member of the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions, not just Earth.”
“And that’s another thing!” Lilian look stomps her foot, annoyed. “Why do you all keep calling her Melinda or Mel? Her name’s Miranda! Bad enough she had to give up her home in that pony world, you have to take her name away too?!”
I sigh, deciding it’s time I speak up. “Lilian, it’s not like that. Miranda isn’t actually my name. It was simply the only name I could go by at the time because that’s whose body I ended up in and I can’t remember my original name.”
“But, now that she’s going to be living here on Earth for a while and another Miranda is skulking around, she has to use a different name,” Hay Lin adds, before smiling. “Besides, I like the name Mel far better than Miranda.”
“Yeah,” Irma smirks. “Plus, what could we call her for short if she kept that name? Mir? Miran?”
We all have a light chuckle, which Lilian tries to ignore, pouting, before she eventually gives in, joining the giggles.
After Matt says he’ll watch Lilian for a while, and after we remind Lilian why she can’t just go telling anyone, even close friends, that she’s Earth’s future queen yet, the girls and I head out down to where they usually train, outside the city, by the cave Frost trapped them in back at the beginning of season two.
“Guardians,” Will and I say together as she holds out the Heart, “unite!’
We all transform, myself glancing back at my wings, honestly wondering why they’re designed the way they are.
“Alright,” Will says, folding her arms as the five stand before me. “First, let’s test those shadow powers of yours.”
I nod, a little hesitantly, and hold my hands out, facing the cave, focusing.
I try picturing shadows around my hands, before I feel like the temperature around my hands suddenly dropped a little.
Glancing down, I see that, they are indeed surrounded by shadow-like energy.
“Good,” Will says from behind me. “Now, focus on releasing that energy outward, towards the wall.”
I try exactly that, but apparently forgot about how the concept of force works.
Firing any form of energy is like a gun. There’s going to be a recoil. If you’re not prepared for it, you’ll be knocked back by it… which is exactly what happens.
The recoil from firing my shadow energy sends me flying backward, slamming into Taranee, taking her completely by surprise and I cry out as I feel something hot near my wings.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Taranee cries as she scrambling from under me.
“Hold on!” Irma yells and I hear water moving.
I’m still trying to right myself when I’m hit with a wave of water and tumble backward, hitting someone else and hear what I know is when Will fires a lightning blast, followed by a small exploding sound.
I suddenly feel the legs where my spider-web wings were stretch out and I quickly try getting up, finding my feet suddenly no longer on the ground.
Rubbing my eyes, my vision clears and I see… my wings are now like spider legs?
The others are righting themselves and recovering from our little tumble and all staring at me in shock.
“You can do that with those?” Irma asks, pointing to the legs holding me above the ground.
“I… I guess so?” I shrug. I kinda look like Peter Parker does in the MCU with that nano-tech suit, how it has extendable arms.
“Well, can you come down now?” Will asks, cocking her head, arms folded.
I frown, glancing at the limbs and focus, them reacting instantly… so instantly it’s honestly creepy. They feel as natural moving at my command as if they were my arms.
“Well, this is certainly unexpected,” Cornelia points out as I move the legs around in the air, getting a feel for the oddness of it all. “So, how did those legs work as wings before?”
Almost as if in answer to her question, webbing shoots from the edges of the legs, connecting them so the two legs on either side now look like wings again.
“Well, that’s just weird,” Irma remarks.
“Looks like training’s gonna be about more than just you getting used to your shadow powers, Mel,” Will sighs, shaking her head, hands on her hips.
“I think that’s enough for one day,” Will said, changing everyone back to normal. “Mel and I had better get home soon or Mom’ll worry.”
The girls all agreed, heading off.
From within the cave, a figure watched them.
They’d watched the girls training for the last hour. It had taken their arachnid like member time to figure out her new limbs, but, after a quarter of an hour, she seemed to have grasped it enough.
She used them to move around on the ground when not flying to help her friends with target practice, her proving way faster on her four spider limbs than her two human legs, even climbing along the walls at times.
It had been fascinating when she fired webs from the tips of the legs, catching herself and her friends off guard, pinning two of them to a nearby wall outside the cave with the sticky mass.
Now, as they left, they could not help but smile.
“Well, I’ll be. She really was telling the truth,” they spoke with the voice of a young man. “She really is another me and I really ended up Miranda. Boy is she going to be in for a surprise once she figures it out.”
Chuckling, he turned, opening a Fold and walked through, glancing back over his shoulder at the girl chatting happily with the Guardians.
“Good like and I hope you’re ready for this, Mel. If my world is any indicator, you’re in for quite the ride and you’re gonna need it.”
With that, he passed through, the Fold closing behind him, the six girls none the wiser that they’d been observed.
I’m stirred from sleep, slowly opening my eyes, blinking blearily.
At first, I don’t understand what could’ve woke me, before there’s a bright flash of light, illuminating the room, followed by a loud bang.
I sit up quickly, before turning to the window as the sound of rain hitting glasses reaches my eyes and I calm down.
“Just rain. Nothing to freak out about.”
Glancing around the room, I spot Harley displaying that it’s only 6:42am.
I deadpan. Great, I’m awake early. Well, at least it’s only a little more than fifteen minutes before we’d need to get up for school anyway.
Not sure what else to do, I decide to see how things are going in Equestria since I’ve been gone.
Getting up quietly so as not to wake Will, I reach into the draw I keep all my magical journals in, pulling out the white one.
Taking a pencil from the writing desk, I move back to my bed, opening the journal’s pages as I sit down and start writing.
Hey, Bluey. You up? I dunno how the time differences work between Earth and Equestria yet.
I wait a few moments, genuinely not expecting a reply, when words magically start appearing beneath my own.
Good morning, Mir I mean Melinda. I’m glad to hear from you, though I wasn’t expecting contact at this time of day.
How are things in that other world? Are they treating you well?
I write my reply.
Sorry about the timing. Did I wake you?
His reply comes quickly.
No, no, it’s quite fine. Our early morning jogs have somewhat hardwired me for early wake ups. You actually just caught me as I was returning.
I shake my head.
I’m doing fine here. Well, as fine as one can be having to live a lie in order to help preserve the safety of the multiverse, anyway.
His next reply takes a while to finish.
Hmm. That sounds good, I guess.
I do hope those Guardians are treating you as one of their own. After all, without you, they would be powerless right now. If they didn’t treat you as one of their own, I would think new Guardians would be needed.
I chuckle quietly at that. Yeah, it’d be nice if we didn’t have a repeat of the falling out the last Guardians had.
So, how was your first day of school? I imagine human school is rather interesting.
I frown, tapping the pencil against my chin as I think how to word my reply.
It was certainly an interesting first day, I’ll definitely say that. You know how I told you about that other world, the one where it’s like the human world, but every human is a human version of ponies and other creatures from Equestria?
He takes a moment to reply.
Hmm. I do remember you telling me about that, yes, he replies.
I write on.
Well, during lunch we got a surprise visit from Sunset Shimmer and her friends. Apparently they wanted to vent their frustrations at Will and the other Guardians for not explaining everything when they were looking for me, thinking I was Miranda. That and they were curious about how different my Guardian form is to the others.
Another quickly reply.
Hmm. Should I let Auntie know about that?
I shake my head despite knowing he won’t see it.
No. I don’t think it’s that important. Besides, if Celestia really wants to get in contact with Sunset, she can either borrow Twilight’s journal or go through the portal. Or, heck, Sunset can just Fold into Equestria… though, she’d probably rather use portal as well, since she won’t return to being a pony if she Folds into Equestria.
For some reason, Blueblood draws a nodding head, as if he thinks I need to know he was nodding in agreement.
So, aside from Sunset Shimmer’s surprise visit, did anything else interesting happen? What of Earth’s Queen? Is she doing well?
I think back to my last encounter with Lilian.
Lilian’s doing fine. Though, she was under the wrong assumption why I am staying on Earth.
Bluey simply replies with a question mark.
She’d misunderstood and thought I was coming to Earth to guard her. She didn’t realize I was coming to join the Guardians.
As for anything else… Well, there is one thing.
Another question mark.
Well, it’s one of the teachers, the computer instructor, Raphael Sylla. I dunno why, but I get this really weird feeling from him.
Not bad, but… well, I guess not good, either. Weirdest thing is, aside from the Guardians, Earth’s Regents and myself, no one else at the school seems to notice the odd vibes from him.
Blueblood takes his time before answering.
Well, and I promise I’m not trying to be rude, didn’t you tell me most humans are pretty clueless at times? Perhaps the fact you and those you mentioned aren’t normal humans helps you sense something off? Could he be magical?
I ponder that idea for a moment, before shaking my head.
Well, you might be right about why we’re able to tell something’s about him and others can’t, but I don’t think he’s magical. Not everything weird is caused by magic, after all, even in the human world.
We chat for a couple more minutes, catching each other up on current events.
The School of Friendship’s construction’s going along well and Twilight’s even considering requesting I be a part time teacher there, to give the students a broader perspective.
I am annoyed I’m hearing about the latter part second hand, but, then again, Twilight’s probably trying to figure out how best to ask me.
After all, if I go to Equestria, the other Guardians would need to come too. if I went on my own and was away from Earth when they needed to transform to fight Miranda or any other bad guy that shows up, it wouldn’t be ideal, so Twilight would have to figure out a schedule that would work for not only the students, but the six of us as well.
By the time Bluey and I are done chatting, it’s just before 7am, so I choose to get up and have breakfast.
Nothing fancy, a bowl of cereal and some apple juice.
Will comes out while I’m eating.
“You’re up early,” she remarks, getting a bowl and pouring some cereal for herself.
I shrug. “The rain woke me and I didn’t think it worth trying to get back to sleep.”
Will nods as a boom of thunder rings out. She deadpans. “So not looking forward to going to school in that.”
“Isn’t your mum… I mean, Aunt Susan, gonna drop us off?” I ask as Will adds milk and starts eating.
Will nods. “Yeah, but it’s afterwards that worries me.”
I shrug. “Hey. Maybe the rain will have stopped by then.”
“You girls are up earlier than I expected,” Mrs Vandom says as she walks out and sees us.
Will shrugs. “Blame the rain.”
We finish and head back to get dressed, where Will has a surprise for me.
A black sleeveless, similar to what she wore in the episode H is for Hunted, but, obviously, black with a white collar instead of pink.
“I talked with Cornilia and we did a little shopping when you went to bed early,” she smiles, handing it to me. “Had a feeling you would like your own style instead of just being dressed like we’re twins.”
I nod, thanking her.
When we leave, I’m now wearing the black sleeveless, jeans and sneakers.
When we get out of the car outside Sheffield, we share an umbrella and head inside.
Thankfully, the day goes by a lot better than yesterday.
I use several lessons where I don’t have to pay as much attention, having already gone through school in my old world, to practice my shadow powers.
Mostly small stuff; moving shadows around, using them to lift and move other objects, stuff like that.
During science class, I even use my shadow powers to make Uriah faceplant into the clay we’re supposed to use as part on an experiment after he insults both Alchemy and myself.
“I like you’re new clothes,” Alchemy says after class as we leave for our next.
I nod, a genuine smile on my face. “Thanks. Will thought I’d be happier if everyone didn’t keep comparing us.”
“It’s a good look for you,” she smiles.
The rest of the day is pretty uneventful after that, aside from Uriah being a jerk, though, with Alchemy’s help, I’m able to ignore him.
When school ends, Alchemy asks if I’d like to hang out.
I do worry how Will and the others might feel, not knowing if Will wanted us to do some more W.I.T.C.H. training after school, but she tells me it’s fine, though makes to Alchemy understands when Aunt Susan wants me back.
So, Alchemy and I split from the group.
We just walk down the street, heading for the park and sit down on a bench and we just listen to the sounds of the early evening.
“I know I said it looks good on you, but, aren’t you cold?” Alchemy asks suddenly.
Sitting up a little straighter, I look up, frowning in confusion. “Not… really, no.”
I hadn’t really thought about it before, but we are still in the colder months. Shouldn’t I feel a bit more of a chill? Are Miranda’s species more adaptable to the cold or could it be something to do with the Heart inside me.
“Well, well, isn’t this a nice surprise?”
Alchemy’s eyes widen, as do mine.
That was my voice, but she was looking right at me so knows it wasn’t me.
We both look up to see Miranda standing in the branches of the trees above, leering down at us.
“Mel, you never mentioned you have a twin sister,” Alchemy says in surprise.
“I don’t!” I yell, throwing myself at her, sending the two of us tumbling to the ground as Miranda jumps down, landing firmly on the bench.
I whirl around, glaring at her.
“Oh, now that’s not very nice, Mel,” she sneers. “And we used to be so close.”
“Too close for my liking,” I growl, standing up and between her and Alchemy.
I should tell her to run, but I don’t know if she’d be able to get away before Miranda gets to her. She could even be waiting for her to run.
Miranda leers. “Oh, I don’t think we’ve been close enough. But don’t worry. I can think of a way we can stay together forever!”
With that she transforms, causing Alchemy to scream in terror.
“Sorry,” I say, whirling around and thumping Alchemy on the head in a spot I know will knock her out.
I grab her in my arms as she passes out and jump out of the way as Miranda lunges.
“You know you can’t defeat me alone,” Miranda taunts, walking slowly towards me.
I smirk. “Oh, really? That’s not how I remember our last fight.”
She snarls, lunging forward.
I dive, keeping a firm hold on Alchemy.
Could really use a Fold right now… wait.
Reaching into my pocket with one hand, I pull out the Mage’s Ring. I’d held onto it in case I ever needed a quick Fold getaway.
Now was as good a time as any.
I try to focus on Equestria and aim the ring.
A beam of light shoots from the gemstone on it and opens a Fold.
I dive through, the Fold closing behind me.
I slump to the ground, gently lowering Alchemy and take several deep breathes.
Okay, that was too close for comfort.
After what Sunset said, I’d thought Miranda might’ve left Earth, but it seems not.
“What was that?” a familiar voice calls out.
I glance around, realizing we’re surrounded by tones of apple trees.
I guess I Folded right into Sweet Apple Acres?
Leaning down, I lift Alchemy over my shoulder and start moving to what I now recognize as the CMC’s voices.
I’m about to call out to them to let them know it’s just me, when I spot them from around a tree and dive back, my mind confused by what I saw.
It is the CMC… but not as I bloody know them. These aren’t the CMC I came to know. For one, these ones are anthro, with patches cut out of their clothes around their hips, showing their Cutie Marks. They look about our age.
What the heck? That doesn’t make sense. Did I Fold to a completely different Equestria by accident? How’d that happen?
…
Then again, you’ve never Folded before. Better get Will to teach you when you get back.
Not wanting to alert the strange anthro CMC that I’m here, I move several feet away, before trying to use the ring to Fold again, this time, focusing on Will, keeping her firmly in my mind.
When I exit the Fold, it’s to find myself literally in the living room.
Will, who was sitting on the couch reading a book, leaps up in shock and then panics.
“Mel, this is our house! What if mom sees the Fold and…? Wait. Since when can you open Folds? And why’s Alchemy over your shoulders?!”
I breathe a sigh of relief, lowering the girl onto the couch as Will closes the Fold. “That’s a long story Will. But, first, I think we should get Alchemy back home.”
“So, let me get this straight. You took Alchemy through a Fold into another version of Equestria, but where all those ponies were anthro?” Irma asks incredulously. “I dunno what I’m more shocked by, the anthro part or that you took Alchemy with you!”
“It’s not like I had much of a choice, Irma,” I shoot back. “Miranda had us cornered and I couldn’t exactly fight her and keep Alchemy safe at the same time. And how was I supposed to know the Fold would lead to a different Equestria than the one you all found me in?”
It’s lunchtime at school and we’re all huddled around a table, myself having explained everything that happened after Alchemy and I left the group yesterday.
After I’d explained things to Will last night, she’d teletransported Alchemy to her room at her house.
We’d been worried what she might ask regarding Miranda and I looking exactly alike and the whole Miranda turning into a monster right in front of her thing… but she hadn’t.
Alchemy hadn’t even brought up what happened after she and I went to the park.
Best any of us can guess, she thinks she dreamed it all and hasn’t said anything because she sees no reason to tell us about a dream.
Though, that would beg the question what she thinks of herself, believing that she dreamed of the two of us going to the park, encountering a double of myself and that double turning into a monster.
Either way, I think we very narrowly dodged a bullet there.
“And you didn’t try to transform once Alchemy was out cold because…?” Irma asks.
I frown at her. “Well, maybe because I don’t know if I could on my own? Irma, Will is still the bearer of the Heart of Kandrakar, not me. And, if the both of us need to be making the transformation happen, I don’t think I could’ve on my own.”
“And how is there another version of Equestria, especially one where all those ponies are anthro?” Irma asks.
“Infinite Dimension, Irma,” I shoot back, now getting a little annoyed. “There are multiple versions of Earth, which we know because I’m from one of them, so why not the same for other worlds? I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another version of Meridian out there where Phobos was actually a good brother to Elyon instead of the evil dickhead he is in the one we know!”
“Give her a break, Irma,” Cornelia defends me. “Mel had to think on the fly. Honestly, I’m more concerned whether Miranda’s still here on Earth, or is she Folded to somewhere else once Mel gave her the slip.”
“What if she tried to follow Mel to that other Equestria?!” Hay Lin gasps. “They don’t have Guardians. They won’t be ready for her!”
Guardians. Report to Kandrakar, immediately.
I jump, while the others get slightly annoyed looks.
That was The Oracle’s voice.
“Oracle call?” Matt asks and Will nods. Matt points to himself. “I’ll hold the fort. You all see what’s so important he’d call you during school.”
The others nod and we sneak out, myself asking over the mind link why the girls aren’t freaked by the idea of The Oracle’s voice just going off in our heads.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time. He’s only done it a few times, mostly before he and the council were trapped in the magic bubble by Nerissa when she attacked Kandrakar, but, after The Veil had been dropped, he would call them whenever he’d sensed Nerissa early into her time with The Knights of Vengeance, even though hadn’t figured out it was her at the time.
So, once we’ve gotten outside and are certain no one will see us, Will opens a Fold to Kandrakar and we head through.
“So, why didn’t you just beat the snot out of Miranda like you did when we’d lost our powers?” Irma whispers to me as we head into the halls.
I glare at her. “Because, back then, while I didn’t know it, my strength was being magnified by the unfocused energy from my heart and, now, I’ve only a sixth of that power, the remaining five sixths going to keep all your connections to your Aurameres active. In this form, I’d be no better against Miranda than a normal human.”
I don’t like admitting that. It’s something I’ve honestly tried to not to think about, but, when Miranda had me cornered with Alchemy like that, it was brought forefront in my mind.
The girls have all their power, while I’ve only a sixth of what I used to have and, until we find a way to cut of the magical binding The Flash Stone has on the girls, it’s going to stay that way.
To put it bluntly, when it comes to pure power scales, I’m the weakest of the six of us right now. Shadow can clearly be an incredibly immense source of power, but, as long as I’m the link keeping the girls connected to their powers, its potency is heavily diluted.
We walk through the halls until we meet The Oracle.
“What’s up?” Will asks him, clearly wanting to get straight to the point.
The Oracle frowns. “Recently, I have been made aware of some troubling developments in the Infinite Realms.”
He indicates for us to follow and we do, him leading us into the main chamber.
With a wave of his hand, six holes appear in the air, each showing what are clearly other worlds… though five of them make my eyes widen.
They look like… like…
“Are those other Equestrias?!” Taranee cries.
The Oracle gives her an odd look. “You’re… aware there is more than the one Equestria where Melinda was hiding out?”
“Uh, yeah,” Cornelia says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Just yesterday, Mel accidentally Folded to one when she was trying to escape Miranda.”
The Oracle frowns in confusion, glancing to the five windows showing what are clearly different versions of Equestria. “But, nothing has changed in any these worlds yet. How can she have been to any of them already?”
And now we’re confused, especially me.
I do recognize those Equestrias, but only because I’ve seen the season five finale. They look like each of the alternate timelines Starlight’s meddling in the past to stop the Rainboom had created, though they seem like their frozen on a frame from shortly after Twilight and Spike left to go back to the past to stop Starlight. Though I notice the Discord one is mysteriously absent.
“In the Equestria you all know, something happened where a being went to that world’s past and tried, several times, to alter it,” The Oracle says, conveniently, I notice, leaving out the part where it was Starlight herself that was trying to alter the past. “Each time, the changes to the past resulted in new worlds, these alternate timelines, where Equestria’s fate turned out quite different from the one you all know. There was one more, however, it was dealt with by a strange being, so it is no longer in danger. The chaos of that world was sorted already.”
Huh. Sounds like he’s talking about the Discord timeline. Someone already solved its problems? Who and how?
“So, what’s with the freeze-frame?” Irma asks, pulling my thoughts back to the present. Out of the six windows, the five Equestria ones are the only ones not moving.
The one not showing Equestria is in colour and we can see movement in the distance. The Equestrian ones, however, are black and white and frozen on a single moment… or, at least, I think they’re all frozen.
The one clearly looking into the Sombra timeline is just showing the empty field where The Map appeared when Twilight and Spike arrived there.
In order, the next one shows Chrysalis pinning down Zecora in what is clearly the battle Twilight was told by the zebra to escape to return to the past and stop Starlight.
The Nightmare Moon one has Nightmare and her guards in the position they were when they tried to stop Twilight and Spike going back to the past.
The Flim Flam Brothers are in the middle of yanking a tree out of the ground, its roots still barely clinging to the soil.
The Tirek one is just the big red bully as he was blasting the Everfree.
“Far as I’ve been able to tell, something happened when Princess Twilgiht Sparkle used the Time Travel Spell to leave these worlds and return to her past,” The Oracle says, waving a hand to each Equestria. “The spell somehow caused time to stop in these worlds, keeping them from procressing.”
“So, where do we come in?” Taranee reasonably asks.
The Oracle looks to me. “Since her Heart came from another version of Equestria, I believe, if Melinda were to Fold into these worlds, their time would resume.”
“Wait. You want us to make the time in those worlds resume?” Hay Lin asks, looking to each window. “But, wouldn’t that just mean everyone in those worlds will suffer?”
The Oracle shakes his head. “You will all be going into those world to save them, us you have several others.”
Will sighs, folding her arms. “I guess that makes sense. So, which alternate Equestria do you want us to go to first?”
He frowns. “That’s where I am now confused. If Melinda’s already been to one of them, why are they all still frozen in time?”
“Because I didn’t go to any of them,” I state. “I went to a totally different one, where everypony is anthro.”
The Oracle blinks, before turning and focusing. The five altered Equestia windows close, a new one opening to reveal a Ponyville with tons of anthro ponies walking around.
“Whoa!” the others gasp as they look at the new world.
“Before anything else, shouldn’t we go there?” I ask, looking to The Oracle as I point to the window. “If Miranda followed me there, they could be in for some serious trouble.”
The Oracle shakes his head. “There is no immediate need. That world is of no interest to Miranda. She doesn’t even know of it, as she did not follow you.”
“Then where is Miranda?” Cornelia demands, pulling her attention away from the window.
The Oracle just shakes his head. “I do not know. However, I can confirm she is not in Meridian, the world in which Sunset Shimmer resides, the Equestia you all have known of for some time now or Earth. Where she is, I cannot say.”
“Well, at least we know where she isn’t,” Irma says in a snarky tone.
“Either way, this Equestria and the others can wait,” The Oracle waves his hand and window closes, now the other window he’d originally opened being the only one left. “Something strange is occurring in the world of Arkanta.”
I cock my head. That name definitely doesn’t ring a bell, so I don’t think the Guardians ever went there during season two.
“What’s wrong with it?” Will asks as the window is opened further, revealing a large castle on top of a massive cliff.
The Oracle explains to us that Arkanta is ruled by its lord, a man named Ari, who somehow has a massive well of magic at his disposal despite not having the Heart of Arkanta.
In fact, ordering to The Oracle, the Heart of Arkanta has yet to show itself. It has no physical form nor does it seem to have chosen a vessel.
Which begs the question… where is Lord Ari getting all his power from, especially since it seems he’s not draining the life-force of the world like Phobos did while ruling Meridian?
He can’t give us more information than that, however, us his ability to see into Arkanta is actively being mostly blocked by whatever power it is Ari has access to.
“Wait. Actively?” I look to Will and nod. “But, doesn’t that implying this Ari is specifically targeting your abilities? Why would he do that? What’s he got against you? How does he even know about you?”
It’s here where The Oracle drops a bomb on us we never could’ve seen coming.
Years ago, Ari was just a simple farmer, whose wife died during childbirth, his son, Maqi, being born distant and mute.
Ari had spent ages, scouring the lands of his world for a doctor or shaman who could help his son, but none could do anything for the boy, by medical or magical means.
Thinking wealth would help his son, Ari somehow found a way to make a vast fortune for himself, thinking material possessions would make him happy, but, as the saying goes, money can’t buy you happiness.
He can’t tell us much else about it though, as this had been around the time Nerissa had started to show her true colours, so his attention had been drawn away from Arkanta and, by the time Nerissa was dealt with, the Guardians were in not position to intervene with Arkanta, what with Cassidy being dead and Nerissa’s being locked away reducing them to three instead of five.
Plus, travel was already complicated due to The Veil, so, until Phobos could be defeated, The Oracle had put Arkanta and its problems aside, since Phobos was a danger to all of the Infinite Dimensions, while Ari’s actions were only effecting his own world.
However, that’s not to say it was the last time before W.I.T.C.H. became The Guardians that The Oracle would be involved with Arkanta.
Somehow, Ari had not only learned of The Oracle, but found a way to contact him and asked him to fix his son and, when The Oracle said he couldn’t, Ari had flown into a fury, accusing The Oracle of being a heartless being, as if he could just snap his fingers and all the problems with Maqi would just poof out of existence, even though that is not The Oracle’s power at all, since he is merely an observer and not meant to involve himself so heavily in any world’s fate... which sounds a bit contradictive if you think about it too hard, but I do get what he means for the most part.
Eleanor, who’d recently joined the council at the time, had sent Ari back to Arkanta and, it clear Ari blames The Oracle for not curing his son despite that not even being in The Oracle’s power, he’s been using whatever strange power he’s acquired to keep The Oracle from seeing what’s going on in Arkanta.
With The Veil now gone and Nerissa no longer an issue, The Oracle had called two members of the council to be ambassadors to Arkanta to find out what Ari was doing and negotiate that he stop keeping all that power for himself and reason why The Oracle couldn’t just cure Maqi.
However, the emissaries had returned as if brainwashed and tried to kill The Oracle.
If not for Eleanor using her water powers at the detriment of her own life-force, they might’ve ended The Oracle’s life and it took a considerable amount of time to break the brainwashing, but the emissaries couldn’t explain why they’d come back in such a state as they couldn’t remember anything after they left Kandrakar for Arkanta.
“So, now, it falls to you, Guardians,” The Oracle says, looking firmly at us. “You must go to Arkanta and learn what you can. While he was no threat before, it would seem Ari is now out for blood and could very well bring the rest of the Infinite Dimensions into his rage. Once preparations have been made, you will need to go to Arkanta.”
So, over the next couple days, we make plans for how we’ll be able to excuse our absence from school without arousing suspicion, since it could take a few days to weeks for us to get the right amount of information and, Folding to and from Earth constantly could make things all the more complicated.
Hay Lin suggests we use Astral Drops and… there are, understandably, mixed opinions on the idea.
Astral Drops are not going to be able to think on their feet and, unless we give them exact instructions, things could go very badly.
Thankfully, The Oracle and Eleanor, with Cassidy lending some guidance, help us to figure out how best to explain to our Astral Drops what they’ll need to do and how, Matt even offering to keep an eye on them as much as possible.
My Astral Drop is the most interesting, since she is going to be acting the way I’m supposed to, all shy and anxious around others, so, this might help me personally in the long run more so than the others.
It takes a little over a week, but we have everything finalized as best we can.
We’ll try to spend us much time within reason in Arkanta while still making it back to Earth. As long as we don’t spend more than half a day in Arkanta, we should be able to keep anyone from getting suspicious of our Astral Drops and not alert Lord Ari of our presence in his realm.
If he hates The Oracle that much, I’m pretty sure he’ll hate us just as much.
After creating our Astral Drops on the way to school and give them all the instructions, each of us crossing our fingers and hoping this works, we transform and Will opens a Fold to Kandrakar, where The Oracle opens one to Arkanta.
Time to get to work and see what’s truly going on in Arkanta.
“So… what kind of festival would this be?” Irma asked as she, Will, Taranee and Cornilia moved several barrels out of the store room into a large olden town looking kitchen.
The four were wearing blue robes, hiding their Guardian forms.
“Oh, right. You’re new around here,” Alma, the elderly inn keeper said, smiling. She wore her long white hair and a pair of buns and small braids near her ears and was wearing a white robe, as were most patrons of the inn.
When the Guardians had arrived in Arkanta, Mel had gotten a headache, as if something was wrong that only she had been able to sense.
Worried, and not wanting to draw attention to themselves, the girls had put on the blue robes provided by Hay Lin’s grandmothers to hide their transformed states and wandered around aimlessly in the forest they’d found themselves in, Will supporting Mel on her shoulder the whole time as the younger girl recovered from the strange headache.
Mel, along with the robe provided to hide her own transformed state, also had a glamor spell on her face, provided by The Oracle.
Until they changed back to their regular forms, to everyone aside from the Guardians, Mel’s face would look as it did whenever she wasn’t transformed, as hiding fangs and red eyes was a lot harder to do than hiding wings under a robe.
After an hour, they’d stumbled upon the village they’d seen through the magical window The Oracle had shown them, not that it was hard to tell that with the large citadel not too far off from the village.
It loomed over the village in an imposing manner that seemed to not be noticed by the villagers, it being surrounded by massive walls of rock, with several spires of red rising into the sky.
It wasn’t evil looking like Phobos had made his castle, back when he was ruling over Meridian, but it was still imposing to the girls, them knowing Ari and whatever power he held was up there.
Hungry after wandering around for so long, the girls had found a small inn and, after informing that they had no money, they were offered a few nights at the inn in exchange for some work, which they happily accepted.
Mel, still recovering from whatever caused her headache, had sat at a table while the girls did some chores around the inn or helped customers, all the while, asking questions to get what information they could about the goings on in Arkanta and Ari himself.
By chance, they’d arrived on the night of a festival the village held every year in his honour.
When the girls had a chance to relax a little, Mel informed them of what she’d also learned while sitting, nursing her headache and listening in to the conversations going on around her.
She was using the fact she looked so much younger than the others to her advantage. No one was suspicious about why a girl her age would be asking questions about Ari or why she was just sitting around not seeming to be doing anything far more than the other girls, so she’d been able to ask more questions without drawing curious eyes.
Granted, Will wasn’t exactly thrilled when she heard the cover story Mel had made up on the fly when someone had asked her where she and the others were from, Mel having been so caught off guard, she’d blurted the first thing that came to her mind.
A group of massive bears had attacked their village and the six of them had to flee, Mel getting injured and thus needing recovery time as they’d wandered aimlessly, trying to find somewhere to go, the bears having destroyed their village.
It was by sheer dumb luck this hadn’t severely backfired as it would’ve had she said something so ridiculous on Earth as, in Arkanta, most animals were similar to those on Earth, but bears were a wholly different story.
They were huge, as big as most skyscrapers back on Earth, so the idea that of group of them could’ve destroyed a small village wasn’t too out of the realm of possibility.
Will did have grievance with Mel implying the two were sisters, hence why Will had been so protective of her when they first arrived in the village.
It made sense, yes, as it was more believable in the context of the false backstory she’d given, but Will didn’t like lying about their familial connections. Mel could easily have gone with the story they already were using on Earth, them being distant cousins.
Of course, Will was able to overlook it, since Mel was in a completely different world and her headache probably wasn’t helping her think as clearly as usual and this was her first real mission as a Guardian.
The information she’d gathered, however, was very helpful.
According to the villagers she’d spoken to, combine with what small tidbits the girls had gotten, they were able to learn Ari was using the power of a Banshee, which, in the world of Arkanta, worked like genies in story books: if you get one, they’ll grant you three wishes.
Though the villagers were unclear how, Ari had apparently found a way to convince the Banshee, Yua, to give him infinite wishes or something akin to it, as he was using her power to protect the land and allow his people to flourish and that’s how the kingdom had been doing so well all these years.
However, something felt wrong and all six of them could feel it.
Ari having a Banshee’s power and it giving him akin to infinite wishes did explain how The Oracle hadn’t been able to see into the world for decades, but not why those members of the council had attacked The Oracle.
After much discussion, it was decided that Mel and Hay Lin would go to The Scarlet Citadel, as the villagers told them Ari’s castle was called, sneak in and try to find what information they could.
Will wasn’t too sure she liked it though.
She hadn’t said anything, but Will could tell something about learning Ari was using a Banshee’s power was worrying her.
She only hoped, whatever Mel and Hay Lin found at the castle, things wouldn’t go badly.
I pear out from the shadows I’m currently concealed in, watching and listening as the guards stand outside the gates into the castle proper.
When Hay Lin and I split off from the rest of the group, we learned there was like a second village within the Scarlet Citadel itself, though this was clearly for those higher up in social class or working in the castle itself.
Thanks to The Oracle’s help, while I’m still getting used to my new Shadow power, I have been able to figure out how to do something rather interesting.
Like how the girls have sub-powers linked to their own in certain ways, Hay Lin being able to turn invisible, Cornelia having essentially telekinesis and so on, my power over Shadow isn’t strictly limited to firing Shadow energy blasts from my hands.
I can actually melt into shadows and hide among them as well as move through them, really fast too.
Granted, I can only do it for short periods, fifteen minutes at most, before needing to take a break, but, for the short time I’d had to learn it, The Oracle says I’ve done pretty well.
This is the only reason Will agreed to let me go with Hay Lin, since her invisibility and my Shadow Walking, as I’ve taken to calling it, make us best at sneaking into the castle.
“Mel?” Hay Lin’s voice pulls me from my thoughts and I look to where I can sense she’s standing, even though I can’t actually see her.
“What’s up?” I ask, turning my eyes back to the guards.
We’re waiting for the next shift change. After observing for a few hours, we picked up that the guards at the gate change every hour, making the shift change the perfect time for us to sneak in through the front doors.
It does mean we’ll likely miss out on the festival, but, we didn’t come here for fun. We came here to fix Arkanta’s problems.
“Why are you so worried?”
I’m taken aback, losing my hold and melting out of the shadows briefly, before returning to them just before a guard lazily glances in our direction.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, trying to think of a way to make this conversation end before it can start.
I can somehow feel Hay Lin frowning disapprovingly at me. “Mel, you’ve been on edge ever since Will brought up how that it makes sense infinite power would allow Ari to do practically anything. While that is worrying, it seems like something about it specifically is bothering you. Now, what is it?”
I try not answering, hoping she’ll drop it, but, after several minutes of feeling those invisible eyes on me, I sigh, giving in.
“Fine. I’m worried because of time.”
I can practically see the confusion on her invisible face without actually seeing it. “Time? What do you mean? We sorted all that out already, didn’t we? Our Astral Drops are taking our places and, when we Fold back tonight, we’ll disperse them and then start again in the morning.”
Despite her not being able to see it, I shake my head. “No, I mean Arkanta’s time.”
To the confused pause, I continue.
“Think about it, Hay Lin. The Oracle noticed problems starting in Arkanta back when Nerissa was still leader of The Guardians back in C.H.Y.K.N.’s day. It’s been decades since then on Earth, but, from what information we’ve gathered and what we’ve seen, barely two years seems to have passed here in Arkanta since The Oracle was attacked and The Veil cut off Folding travel.”
There’s a long pause, before Hay Lin gives a sharp gasp, which causes the guards to look in our direction, but, after a few moments, return to their posts.
“You mean, Ari found a way to slow down time here in Arkanta?” Hay Lin asks shakily.
“Possibly,” I say, watching closely as the hour nears its end, knowing we’ll have to be fast. “That or The Oracle somehow sent us back in time, but I’m doubtful of the latter.”
Hay Lin says nothing as the doors open and a pair of guards step out to give the ones already there leave.
Quickly as possible, Hay Lin flies after the guards heading inside, myself rushing into one of their shadows.
Soon as the doors close, I slip out of the guard’s shadow and into one being cast by a pillar.
“Hay Lin?” I whisper, glancing around.
“Here,” her voice whispers from my right.
I move out of the shadow, returning to my physical form, Hay Lin becoming visible again.
“Okay, we need to split off and see what we can learn,” I say, pointing down one corridor. “You take that way and I’ll go this way,” I point to a corridor behind me. “Meet back here in two hours.”
Hay Lin nods, going invisible again and I hear the faint sound of her wings getting further and further away.
On my own, I melt back into the shadows and use them to move down the corridor, occasionally having to leave the shadows while still in shadow form.
To an outside observer, they’d have seen a shadow being cast by no one moving quickly along the floors and walls.
After an hour and a half, I start wondering if Ari is aware we’re here and just really good at hiding stuff, because most rooms have looked pretty normal to me, reminding me of a fancy hotel and nothing else.
I’m just deciding to give up on this area of the castle and head back to try another corridor, when I pass by a pair of guards taking their posts by a seemingly ordinary looking door.
I would’ve just passed right by them, thinking nothing of it, had one of them not spoken.
“You think the Time Sphere’s alright?” the guard on the right asks.
“Oh, for the love of the realm, Malecite, you’ve haven’t been listening to those dumb rumours, have you?” his fellow guard asks.
I pause, quickly moving to a shadow being cast by a vase and listen. Time Sphere? That sounds like it could be worth listening in on.
The guard named Malecite looks hurt, before glancing to the door behind them. “No, Roman, I’m serious. I think there’s something wrong with the Time Sphere.”
Roman just scoffs, looking away. “Lord Ari explained it perfectly two years ago. The Time Sphere keeps our world’s time slowed down so the other worlds can’t hurt us. Keeping our time slow means they’re worlds are all going to reach their ends long before ours, keeping our people safe.”
I frown. That explains it. Ari must’ve used the Banshee’s power to make this Time Sphere in order to make sure The Oracle couldn’t do anything to counter him due to the bad timing of it being not long before The Veil would need to be raised in order to isolate Meridian, thus drawing The Oracle’s attention away from Arkanta, giving Ari time to figure out how best to go after The Oracle next.
He probably guessed The Oracle might survive and, if not, knew the Council of Kandrakar would have serious problems with him offing The Oracle.
Either way, he knew keeping Kandrakar from immediately acting was a good plan, he just hadn’t realized his prefect timing, what with Nerissa stepping out of line and the Veil coming not too long after.
“But, I’m telling you, there’s something wrong with the sphere,” Malecite says, glancing at the door again. “When it was first made, it shone with a golden light.”
Roman snorts. “It still does.”
“I… I don’t think so,” Malecite says, sounding very uncertain. “I think what some of the guards are saying is true. It looks like it could be seen as still golden under the right light, but it’s more a simple yellowish colour now.”
Roman looks like he’s really not happy this conversation is still going and turns to glare at Malecite. “Shut. Up! Nothing is wrong with the Time Sphere! Lord Ari is not one to make such a foolish mistake! Just stand there, keep quiet and do your job! If it’s that concerning to you, I’ll speak with the captain and he can reassign you!”
Malecite looks to the ground miserably and silence falls.
Deciding now’s as good a time as any, I head, back to where Hay Lin and I are supposed to meet.
I’m waiting half an hour before she comes back, saying she found nothing.
“No problem,” I reassure her. “I found out something juicy. We need to report back to the others before—”
Suddenly, what sounds like an explosion rings through the air, making us jump.
“What in the world was that?!” Hay Lin cries… which proves to be a bad choice.
The explosion sound clearly drew the attention of several guards, as the corridors suddenly are full of them… while we’re still in full view.
“Shit!” I whisper as dozens of spears are pointed at us. “Sorry ’bout this, Hay Lin.”
“Sorry about wha—AHHH!” she ends up screaming as I grab her in my shadows and lunge us through a stained glass window, the glass shattering.
We fall for a bit, before our wings catch us and we rise into the air, only for our eyes to widen in horror.
There’s a tornado raging through the skies and it looks like it’s hitting the village the rest of the girls are in.
HALF AN HOUR AGO
Will and Irma walked through the village back towards the inn.
They’d been asked to get some Kolu Root from a small shop run by a friend of Alma, who’d agreed to stay open during the festival so she could get the root for a dish she was preparing to serve during the evening.
“How to you think Hay Lin and Mel are doing?” Irma asked as they weaved their way through the growing crowd.
“Hay Lin will do fine and I trust Mel. She’s smart enough to know when to back off if she thinks a situation is too risky,” Will replied.
“True. As long as they don’t get spotted, thing’s should be just— look out!” Irma started, then yelled, shoving will aside as a tower of barrels fell, smashing to the ground, the red contends within spilling out.
On instinct, Irma stopped the red liquid in midair, before seeming to catch her and dove away, allowing what was clearly drink to slosh onto the ground where the two fo them had been.
“My deepest apologies!” a woman’s voice called and they turned to see a woman with brown hair walking towards them, holding the reins of a cow. “Belinda got a little out spooked by a mosue and knocked those barrels over. Are you two alright?”
“We’re… we’re okay,” Will said, pushing herself out of the mud caused by all the drink soaking into the dirt, the edges of her robe’s sleeves and lower area now stained.
“Yeah. It was just drink. Nothing major,” Irma shrugged it off.
They reassured the woman they were fine, though she insisted on helping them gather the now scattered Kolu Roots, before saying their goodbyes and heading off, the woman chastising Belinda for what she did.
As the trio parted ways, a man in a cloak was watching from the shadows, his eyes wide with fear and fury.
He’d only come down in disguise to see how his people were enjoying the festive day… and he found them.
“Guardians!” he hissed.
Turning, he walked out of the village, before standing still, closing his eyes.
“Yua,” he called out softly, his eyes glowing. “Yua, respond.”
I hear you, my master, a woman’s voice replied.
“Send a tornado to the village just beyond my postion,” he snarled. “The Guardians are here.”
As you wish, my master.
NOW
Hay Lin and I shoot through the sky faster than bullets, our eyes narrowed as we near the village.
We can see Will and the others here and there, trying their best to get people to safety as the tornado rampages through the streets without mercy, Cornella and Will doing what they can to destroy or divert any debris that could cause anyone serious harm.
Will, we’re back! I yell over the physic link.
Will turns, a mixture of relief and worry etch on her face. Good, now, can you two help us? We need to stop this tornado!
We’ve tried several times, but we just can’t stop it! Irma yells over the link. This is Yua’s doing. I’ll bet my wings on it!
“Right!” Hay Lin flexes her hands. “Let’s see what the power of air can do!”
She flies in front of the tornado and creates vortexes that spiral from each of her hands, aiming them at the tornado.
It halts for a few moments, before it starts pushing back against her, causing Hay Lin to wince as she tries putting more power into her attack, but it does nothing.
It’s as I feared, this tornado is being powered by the Banshee’s magic, meaning Hay Lin can’t do this on her own.
We need to lend Hay Lin our power! I look to Will. Maybe, if we all combine our power, we can stop it, just like you all have in the past.
Will nods, as do the others and we all fly over to Hay Lin, joining hands until we’re in a circle and concentrate on pooling our powers together.
A purple vortex forms within our circle, expanding wider and wider, until it has passed over us and moves towards the tornado.
The two clash for a moment, before ours pushes into the other, it exploding outwards several moments later, the air going still.
We all descend to the ground, falling to our knees.
After I’ve recovered my breath, I look up… only for my heart to sink.
The village is almost completely destroyed. At least half the buildings are now rubble, with maybe half of the remaining ones still being badly damaged, with walls missing, large holes in the walls and roofs.
“Why… how did this happen?” I look around and see Alma walking out from a place she and several others had been put to hide for safety.
Will walks over and says something to her and I can’t hear, though I have a feeling she said Ari caused this, because Alma cries out, “How could you say something like that?”
Will than show her something in her hand I can’t see as I turn to help a little girl who sprained her arm, using my webbing to make a makeshift sling and telling her father he’ll need to get it splinted in order for it to heal properly.
We spend the next hour of so trying to help the villagers round up their belongings and find places to live for the time being.
“I can’t believe Ari could be so cruel,” Hay Lin murmurs as we watch a family leaving the area, their five year old girls waving to us and calling out thanks. “Does he really hate The Oracle and us that much that he’d risk his own people’s lives to get us?”
“Goes without saying,” Taranee looks around at all the devastation.
“So, what now?” Irma looks to Will, who in turn looks to myself and Hay Lin.
I frown. “I’m not really sure what we can do to stop Ari right now,” I say, glancing to Hay Lin and sharing a nod. “But, there is something we need to do before we leave back for Earth.”
“What?” Corenila asks, looking both confused and annoyed. “Mel, it’s getting late. We need to return home and relieve our Astral Drops before bed so no one gets suspicious.”
“I… I don’t think we can,” I say, gritting my teeth, before explaining what I overheard about the Time Sphere.
When I’m done, Will frowns, before snapping her fingers. “Let me test something.”
Without any further explanation, she opens and Fold to Earth and goes through.
We wait for an hour, wondering what in the world is taking her so long, and are just about to go through ourselves, before she rushes back, her eyes wide.
“Times is moving faster here than on Earth!” is all she says as she closes the Fold.
“Um, come again?” Irma asks.
“Didn’t Mel just say that Time Sphere thing is made to made time here move slower than on Earth, not the other way around?” Cornelia asks.
Will nods. “I know, I know. But, when I arrived, I went to the school and saw our Drops are still in class. Barely an hour’s past since we arrived here.”
“But… we’ve been here almost a whole day,” Taranee points out.
“Then… what that guard said is right,” my eyes widen. “That Time Sphere might’ve started off slowing down this world’s time, but, something’s gone wrong and now it’s doing the opposite. We could spend a year here and probably return to earth only a day or week later.”
“Then we need to move, now,” Will says firmly. “We need to destroy this Time Sphere before this world ages to death.”
We all nod.
This is no longer a reconnaissance mission. It’s a rescue.
Once night falls completely, we sneak into the castle. It isn’t easy, but I manage to pull everyone in my shadows, though it’s incredibly draining.
We have to be careful as we sneak through the castle, with the girls taking it in turns to help me along.
It takes half an hour, but we find the room where I heard Roman and Malecite talking about the Time Sphere, but we eventually do.
Irma uses her mind powers to make the two guards standing there decide to fall asleep right there, slumping to the ground and snoring away.
We move up to them and find the key to the door, opening it.
On the other side is a room barely big enough for the six of us to fit in at once.
In the centre is a glowing yellow orb with intricate patterns that remind me of the symbols from Starlight’s version of Star Swirl’s Time Travel spell.
“It feels… broken,” Hay Lin says as she looks at it. “I can’t explain it but it just feels… wrong.”
“Right,” Will nods, directing us into a circle around the orb. “Since this was made with Yua’s power, we’ll likely need to combine all ours in order to destroy this thing.”
“Uh, Will?” Taranee indicates to me.
Will gives me a concerned look. “Mell, do you think you’ve recovered enough to do this?”
I take a few deep breaths. “Even if I wasn’t, we don’t really have a choice, do we? Ari knows we’re here and, while we could wait without worrying about time on Earth moving too far into the day, the longer we’re here, the more likely Ari could find us.”
“And that’ll just make it worse,” Irma agrees. “We need to get out of this world as soon as possible.”
Will gives me another worried look, before sighing and nods, her expression firming as she holds out her hands. “Alright, Guardians. Let’s do this.”
We all join hands and, like with the tornado, focus all our power together, only this time I can feel a strong resistance, one I’m sure the others do as well.
It takes, at my best guess, over an hour, before I feel the Time Sphere’s resistance wain and suddenly, our power overwhelms it, causing it to shatter, a wave of energy passing over us all and spreading outward.
We all fall to our knees, gasping as if we’d just run three marathons back to back.
“That… was… crazy…” Irma manages through her gasping breaths.
“Okay,” Will says once she’s gathered enough strength. “We need to leave. We’ll get out of the castle, then Fold back to Earth. Hay Lin, can you scout ahead to make sure the coast is clear?”
Hay Lin gives a tired thumps up. “Can do.”
She turns invisible and opens the door, returning a minute late to let us know we’re good.
We sneak through the corridors, retracing our steps until we find one of the corridors being blocked by a contingent of guards, forcing us to back up and go another route.
By this time, I’ve gathered enough strength to be able to Shadow Walk again, so Hay Lin and I take turns scouting ahead, sometimes both at once to check two pathways at the same time.
It’s one time we’re both coming back, that I notice a sound I hadn’t been expecting, the sound of crayons on paper.
Hay Lin seems to notice my pause and comes over to see what caught my attention.
It’s a little boy. He’s lying on his stomach in a room that, judging by the toys scatter all over, is his playroom.
“Is that Maqi?” Hay Lin asks, leaning a little closer to the door, before sighing. “Poor thing.”
She clearly spoke too loudly, as the little boy’s head shoot up suddenly and he looks around, his eyes stopping dead on Hay Lin.
At first, I fear he sees her, before remembering she’s invisible, so he couldn’t see her… or, that’s what I am thinking until he suddenly bolts up and runs right past us, his eyes wide with fear.
“Can… can he see me?” Hay Lin gasps.
“I… maybe?” I say uncertainly, before my eyes widen. “We gotta stop him!”
If the guards see Maqi running around with such of look of terror, they’ll definitely know we’re here in the castle, if the magical wave caused by the Time Sphere’s destruction didn’t already alert them.
We hurry after Maqi, who is coincidentally heading towards the others.
Guys, Maqi can see Hay Lin when she’s invisible! I shout over the link. He got scared and is heading your way. We need to get him and calm him down before he unintentionally alerts the guards that we’re here!
By the time we catch up, the girls are chasing after Maqi down a corridor I hadn’t seen before.
I don’t think even he knows where he’s going, because we seem to be going further and further down.
Maqi reaches a door at the far end of the corridor and pushes it open, running inside.
We manage to get in, finding the room looking like some kind of weird water dungeon with a moving path of water running from the ceiling into a pool in the centre of the room and filtering through three small ducts that must lead somewhere outside.
And, in the centre of that pool, strange glowing pink, cloth binding around her wrists is a woman with gorgeous blonde hair, wearing some kind of yellow clothing similar to swimwear, but of a different fabric… and with a cruel glint in her eyes as she holds Maqi up in front of her.
“Look at you,” she says, looking right into Maqi’s eyes. “You’re so sweet I could gobble you up.”
My eyes widen as it clicks.
She’s the banshee. We need to get Maqi away from her, now!
Irma rushes forward as the banshee drops into the water.
We all watch for several minutes, worried, before Irma bursts to the surface, Maqi in her arms, the latter coughing and spitting out water.
We quickly move away from the pool to the farthest part of the room, the girls leaving Maqi to Hay Lin and myself.
“Wait,” I frown as the boy’s eyes don’t open as Hay Lin leans him against a rock, but his breathing is steady. “If Maqi could see you while you were invisible, do you think he could see through my glamour?” I point to my face, specifically my fangs and red eyes.
Hay Lin looks at me for a moment, before laughing sheepishly. “Yeah. It’s quite possible and, if I saw a person with fangs and red eyes at his age without context…”
“Now we know why he so quickly ran away from us,” I murmur, putting a finger to one of my fingers. “I must’ve been quite the scary sight for him, not helped by my spider themed form.” I glance back at my wings/spider legs.
Yep. That would definitely be scary.
Everything somehow only gets worse though, as a loud banging sound makes us all glance up at the door to see a man with short blue hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing green cloth clothing and the fur of some kind of animal around his neck.
It’s Ari.
“Yua, my son’s not in his room and… and…”
He looks around the room, at Will Irma, Taranee and Cornelia facing off against Yua… and myself and Hay Lin standing by an unconscious Maqi.
Crap.
His face fills with unbridled fury, his gaze specifically on Hay Lin and myself. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON? I SWEAR YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS!”!
“Hey, we just saved your son from drowning, pal!” Irma says, making me inwardly facepalm. “What’s your problem?!”
“My problem?” he glowers, thrusting an arm out. “My problem is The Oracle sending his minions to do his dirty work!”
“What dirty work?” I find myself snapping despite my better judgement, standing up and glaring at him. “We saved that village after you sent that tornado to get rid of us. How is that The Oracle’s dirty work? Do you realize how many of your own people are now homeless because of your actions, just because you hate us for being the emissaries of The Oracle? It’s a bloody miracle no one was killed because of what you did!”
He just glares at me with distain. “The Oracle is isn’t worthy to sit on the highest throne of Kandrakar, which is why I will drag him through the dust! I have the power to do it… and you can rest assured that I will!”
Highest throne? Does this guy think The Oracle is like a king or something? Talk about getting your facts deluded.
Ari looks at Yua and I worry he’s about to give her orders, before he takes a deep breath and looks to Will, pointing at her, his expression cold.
“Now, leave this place…” his expression darkens, “and consider yourselves lucky that you can do so walking.”
While none of us trust him, we move to leave, Hay Lin handing him the unconscious Maqi and we walk through the castle, escorted by guards until we’re outside, where we fly off until we feel we’re far enough away to open and Fold and go back through to Earth.
The moment we do, we change back and collapse onto the ground, as the adrenaline rush cuts off, leaving us all mentally and physically exhausted.
That was beyond insane.
“Do we… report to The Oracle about this now?” Irma asks, sounding like she’s close to passing out.
“I think… he’ll understand if we wait til morning,” Will glancing around, myself taking notice that it seems around the same time in the evening now as it was on Arkanta, meaning our destroying the Time Sphere worked.
Time synced up at some point so, the last couple hours in Arkanta were the same time here on Earth.
“Let’s just get everyone home, poof our Astral Drops and get some much needed rest,” Will stays, forcing herself to stand up.
Agreed. Though, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I sleep or a whole week after this.
We were only in Arkanta for a single day and yet it feels like we’ve been there for months.
Some sleep and maybe a few days of normalcy wouldn’t be too much to ask for after all that, right?
I have to keep myself from grumbling as Aunt Susan takes the thermometer out of my mouth, examining it with annoyed confusion.
Will is in her bed across the room, a thermometer in her mouth to, it lazing to the side due to her annoyed expression.
Aunt Susan goes over to Will, taking hers out of her mouth and I don’t need to see her face to know it’s the same she had when looking at mine.
“You’re both fine,” she says, sounding very frustrated.
“Like we told you, Mom, nothing’s wrong with us,” Will says, rolling her eyes. “We’re perfectly healthy.”
“And that is why something has to be wrong here!” Aunt Susan says firmly. “You were both definitely getting a cold of some kind towards the end of the night. You shouldn’t be so healthy after a simple night’s sleep.”
For context, after we got back from Arkanta last night and all went home, poofing our Astral Drops by saying the words, we had gone to bed, not actually knowing what had transpired during our unexpected single day of absence.
Matt hadn’t been able to contact Will, since it was so late, but, if he had, we might’ve been more prepared.
I’d honestly expected nothing much, aside from maybe learning my Drop had leaned a little too heavily into the shy and scared act.
Granted, she had gone a tiny bit overboard, but not by much.
However, her tiny bit overboard had been enough to give Uriah to try pushing things too far.
While we weren’t able to get too much out of Aunt Susan without letting it slip we had no clue what supposedly happened to us at school, we found out it had ended with Uriah soaking all six of us, plus Matt and even Alchemy, in water, leaving us (or rather, our Astral Drops) completely soaked and, with it being so close to the end of the day, there hadn’t been enough time before school ended for the staff to get everyone dried off or temporary dry clothes and Uriah now had five weeks’ worth of afterschool detention.
While we’re still unsure what happened to the others’ Drops, Matt and Alchemy, after our Drops had come home, still acting as they’d been instructed, it only made Aunt Susan more worried and angry what Uriah had done, especially to my Drop as she was giving a near Oscar performance of a shy and scared girl, Matt, I guess, having told her to double down on it once they got home, because of what had happened.
Throughout dinner, our Drops had stayed pretty silent, Will’s Drop acting out the part of annoyed, though she’d apparently redirected the annoyance toward Uriah, which, given how hard it is for Drops to think, makes sense.
She’d assumed, from how everyone had reacted at school, the annoyance she was supposed to pretend to have for my Drop should be directed at him instead.
Our Drops had also shown signs of getting colds, so Aunt Susan had sent them to bed early, which was why they’d been asleep in our beds when we arrived… and why we’re playing catch up now.
I can only imagine how it’s going for the other girls.
“I don’t care what these clearly faulty thermometers say,” Aunt Susan says firmly, walking towards the door and looking back at us. “You two art staying in bed today. No exceptions. I’ll be calling the school to let them know.”
“But, Mom—” Will starts, only to be cut off when the door closes.
I sigh, resting my head on my knees. “Well, this doesn’t complicate matters.”
Both mine and Will’s phones go off.
We quickly answer them, Will choosing to speak first. “Let me guess, your parents told you you should be in bed because you seemed like you were getting a cold yesterday and, even though you’re perfectly fine, they’re still making you stay in bed today.”
“How’d you know?” Hay Lin says… and I can’t tell if she’s joking or being serious.
“Lucky guess,” I monotone.
“So, what’re we supposed to do now?” Cornelia asks. “We can’t leave for school and head back to Kandrakar if we’re stuck in bed all day.”
“At least we can play all day!” Lilian’s voice interrupts from Cornelia’s end.
“Not if I’m supposed to be sick!” Cornelia loudly says.
“Actually… this could work to our advantage,” Will says, thinking.
“And how do you figure that?” Irma asks in a snarky tone. “we can’t just walk out of our rooms, go to your house, get new Drops and have them go back.”
Will meets my eyes and I nod, seeing what she’s saying. “No, but this’ll actually be a lot easier.”
“How exactly do you figure that?” Irma asks.
“Oh, I see what you’re both saying,” Taranee says, sounding shocked.
“It’s simple,” I say, “we make new Drops, tell them they just need to stay in bed and sleep through the day and that’s all.”
“We won’t have to worry about too many directions or anything like that,” Will says, before chuckling. “I mean, how hard is it to sleep all day?”
We chat for a few more moments, before we’re all in agreement.
Will and I get out of bed and create our Drops, giving them the instruction to go to sleep in our beds and only interact a little with Aunt Susan if she comes in, like to give them something to eat, etc.
With that sorted and our Drops getting into bed and going to sleep, we transform and teletransport to the others’ homes, doing the same for them.
“Yes, this is indeed quite disturbing news,” The Oracle says as we all stand in the main chamber, finishing our tales of what has been happening and what happened to us specifically in Arkanta. “I knew of his foul opinion of me, but to create a Time Sphere, knowing the risks should it start to fail, as it was when you arrived… this is quite disturbing indeed.”
“So, are we going back there already?” Irma asks, before slumping her poster. “Because I don’t think I can take another day there so soon.”
“Irma speaks for all of us,” Will says firmly. “We’d hoped for a break at least, but while our Drops making us seem sick did gave us a good chance to come to you sooner, I don’t think we could handle going back there so soon.”
To my surprise, The Oracle nods. “You are correct. Considering he now knows of you, Guardians and is aware his Time Sphere was destroyed, going back to Arkanta now we more likely prove detrimental instead of useful.”
“So, what, we all go home and sleep to get over the colds we don’t have?” Irma asks.
The Oracle shakes his head. “As you will not be returning to Arkanta any time soon and have an unexpected way to avoid being missed today, I recommend going to one of the altered Equestria timelines.”
He waves a hand and the windows for each one opens up.
We all look at each one, before the girls all turn to me.
I blink. “What?”
“You know more about Equestria’s history than any of us, Mel,” Taranee says, nodding to the windows. “It would probably be best you told us which timeline you think we should handle first.”
The girls all look at me and I blanch.
Oh, great. I’m just choosing which of the disastrous altered timelines in which the villains one to choose from. No pressure or anything.
I stand with my arms folded and eyes closed, frowning for a while, thinking it over, before nodding and look to them.
“Okay. I’ve decided,” I hold up a finger, “but, first, I think we should go over these timelines, so we’re all up to speed and I don’t have to retrace my steps here.”
They all nod.
I look from one window to the other, choosing my words carefully. I can’t let them know I know exactly what happened, since I wasn’t actually there.
“Twilight, Starlight and Spike told me about their travels into the past and these altered futures,” I indicate to each one.
“Oh, yeah,” Hay Lin gasps. “The Oracle did mention they’d gone time traveling back during that meeting after we met Mell.”
I nod, looking back at the windows. “In each of these timelines, one of Equestria’s villains somehow gained the upper hand because of the changes made to the past.”
I walk to Tirek’s window.
“In this timeline, I don’t know all the details, as they didn’t stay long enough to learn any themselves, but Tirek, a centaur who attacked Equestria in the past, clearly found a way to drain all the Princess’s of their Alicorn Magic.”
I stand in front of Nightmare Moon’s window.
“In this timeline, since Twilight and the others never made their connection, no one was able to purify Princess Luna when she returned from the thousand year banishment on the moon, so Nightmare Moon took over, leaving Equestria in eternal night and, likely, misused Luna’s dream walking abilities to turn the populace against Celestia and turn herself.”
It’s the only reason I can guess Rainbow Dash, supposed to be Element of Loyalty, wasn’t loyal to her original princess and worked for Nightmare.
“And this one?” Irma asks sarcastically, pointing a thumb at the Flim Flam Brothers’ window.
I frown, scratching my chin. “That one’s… more tricky to guess. The Flim Flam brothers are con artists, not real villains. Best I can guess is, somehow, things turned out fine for the most part, aside from them cheating the Apple Family out of their home illegally.”
To the confused looks, I tell them the events from Super Cider Squeezy 6000 and how, despite the rules of the contest being only the rights to sell cider in Ponvyille, but how the Flim Flam brothers had outright kicked the Apples off the farm altogether, with only the fact everypony realized the brothers’ cider was terrible being the only reason nopony called the brothers out for illegally kicking the Apples of the farm when it hadn’t been part of the deal.
“Wow,” Hay Lin looks to the window. “What a butch of jerks.”
Girl, you have no idea.
“And… this window?” Cornelia stands in front of the Chryalsis window.
I sigh, folding my arms. “That’s the one I think we should tackle first. In that timeline, Twilight wasn’t able to warn everyone at Princess Cadance and Twilight’s brother, Shining Armour’s wedding about the Changeling Queen pretending to be Cadance. Thus, the Changelings’ invasion of Canterlot succeeded and now, the only known survivors or at least those in the Resistance, are living deep in the Everfree Forest.”
“Well, looks like they weren’t hidden well enough, judging by this view,” Corenlia points.
I nod. “By sheer chance, when Twilight and Spike arrived in that time, it was shortly before the Changelings would go to the village, intend, I’m sure, on finishing the job.”
“Well, it’s decided then,” Will nods to The Oracle. “Our first stop, the Changeling timeline.”
The Changeling Queen leered down at the pinned zebra beneath her.
It had been fun, in a way, having to track down this little resistance. She was sure, fun as her rule had been since the Canterlot wedding, it would be slightly duller now, with the Resistance gone.
She was almost sad to end it. Almost.
Looking menacingly into the zebra’s eyes, she charged her horn, prepared to deliver a final blow.
“Guardians, attack!”
The unfamiliar voice gave her pause, followed by a scream as she was thrown off of Zecora, a blast of what felt like lightning striking her and sending her toppling back.
Getting up, she whirled around, snarling, ready to murder whichever of those retched ponies had dared attack her— only for her eyes to widen.
No! The stories Mother told me… they’re true. It’s them! The Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions.
She frowned.
Wait. Who was the sixth one? Her mother had only ever told her of there being five guardians. Who was the younger, more spider-like sixth one? And why did that one have her eyes on her specifically?
I did remind the girls before we passed through the Fold that we shouldn’t be lethal with the drones. Chrysalis might be evil, but her drones are just following orders.
There’s a change they can be redeemed, just like in our Equestria.
The ponies are clearly very confused by our arrival and the fact we’re aiding them.
As their queen gets up and meets me eye to eye, however, I notice Zecora is looking at us, well, the others anyway, in awe.
I get the feeling the legend of the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions is a ltitle more known in this version of timeline.
“Give it up, Changeling,” I yell, flying towards the queen, shadow energy surrounding my hands. “You won’t win.”
She flies up, clearly aiming to avoid me, but I just change my course and then fire a mass of black webbing from my hands.
It slams into her, sending her flying and pinning her to a tree.
She snarls, seeming to disappear, then reappearing just outside the webbing.
Either she teleported, or quickly changed to a smaller form, then back again.
She looks like she’s about to pop a blood vessel, before glancing around and snarls, pointing a hoof at me.
“You and the Guardains may have won this round, whatever you are, but this battle is far from over.” She whirls head back. “Retreat, now!”
Any Changeling not unconscious, frozen or trapped in vines lift into the sky and the swam, maybe a third as smaller than when it had arrived, fly off.
The ponies all cheer, while the others join me by Zecroa, who’s studying me closely.
“I am thankful for all you Guardians have done,” she says, eyeing me, “but I know of only five Guardians. Who is this younger one?”
“That’s a bit of a long story, Miss Zecora,” Will says, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “For now, though, shouldn’t we get ready for the Changelings’ return? They know where your camp is now.”
Zecora just smiles coyly. “Rather presumptuous of you, to assume we only have one, and more than two.”
We don’t get to talk or learn much, as the camp is quickly packed up, with everypony moving further into the forest, the six of us following, myself and Hay Lin using our powers to our advantage to keep scout of the area.
After half a day of travel due to also bringing the Changeling prisoners, we arrive at another campsite. It doesn’t look like it’s been used in a long time and there’s not a lot of open space to see the sky. Much better for avoiding being able to be abused by an aerial assault.
Only once everything is set up, defences and scouts assigned and everypony settled in, does Zecora agree to speak with us properly in her personal hut.
Oddly, Pinkie Pie joins us.
Seeing her so seriously is kind of unnerving.
Not Cupcakes Pinkie unnerving, but still. Plus, I can’t help getting a weird feeling from her, something I can’t place.
Will and the others explain what they can to Zecora and herself them.
It turns out, while it is true that the wedding was a disaster, it wasn’t as bad as I’d personally feared.
Twilight and Cadance did make it out in the end, but, like most ponies, they had to go into hiding.
Last Zecora heard from them, they were traveling north in hopes of finding allies outside of Equestria.
Hearing that does make me worry if we’ll have to deal with Sombra too, but we’ll have to wait to cross that bridge when we come to it. Not to mention it makes me want to know what happened regarding Nightmare Moon, but can tell it’s better to wait a bit before asking about what are likely very touché subjects.
First and foremost, we have to stop the Changelings.
“I suspect you won’t always be here. It would ruin your own lives to stay too long, I fear,” Zecora says, before sighing. “I had hoped things would be better when Princess Twilight returned to the past while we held of the attack, she could put the world back on track.”
Will shakes her head. “I’m afraid not. While it’s true, she was able to return to her own time, it didn’t fix this one. Your world is now separate from hers. Messing with time won’t fix it.”
I’m only half paying attention though.
Throughout the talk, that feeling about Pinkie has only been getting stronger.
It’s not danger, that much I can tell, but… it’s familiar, in way.
I blink, thinking I saw something for second. I frown, concentrating harder.
This seems to get the pink mare’s attention and a slight sliver of worry enters her eyes as she calls out, “Wh-what? What’re you staring at me for?”
Whether she’d meant it to or not, now everyone’s attention is on the both of us.
“Mel?” Hay Lin asks, looking between me and the party pony. “What’s wrong?”
I glance at Will, indicating for her to come over.
She does, though doesn’t look any less confused.
“Hold the Heart of Kandrakar towards her,” I point at Pinkie, who seems confused now, as well as worried.
The look Will gives me says she gets where I’m going and does so.
The moment she holds the Heart towards Pinkie, two things happen simultaneously.
A light shines in Pinkie’s chest at the same time as her Cutie Marks glow and a pair of wings and a horn appear on her.
The others all gasp.
Zecora nods, causing the now fearful pink pony to relax, then looks at me. “You sensed her Heart, right from the start.”
I nod, frowning in thought. “Yeah. Having a Heart myself, I guess I’m just attuned to it. But… Twilight is supposed to be Equestria’s Heart, not Pinkie.”
You would think the thought of an Alicorn Pinkie Pie in control of Equestria’s heart would have me pissing my pants in terror, but I think I’m staying calm because it’s this Equestria’s Pinkie, who is clearly different from the main one I know and the EQG ones.
Those ones, I’d be terrified if they got the power of a heart. Here? It doesn’t feel like a bad thing.
“In the original timeline,” Taranee points out. “In this world, Twilight never gained the connection she needed. So, logically, the Heart went to the next pony likely to stand a chance at helping Equestria.”
Zecora nods. “While it did not happen during our time of disaster, our Pinkie Pie still gained her Heart after finding her laughter.”
“I hide the fact I’m a princess because we can’t let the Changelings know,” Pinkie says, frowning in thought. “More so than we even thought. We had no idea I actually had Equestria’s Heart inside me.”
I had always wondered why there was that animation error in the finale where this timeline’s Pinkie Pie became an Alicorn for a second after they brought Twilight and Spike to the original camp.
Pinkie is this Equestria’s Heart. Plain and simple.
“This does complicate matters, though,” Will rubs her chin in thought. “We had hoped the Heart hadn’t chosen a vessel yet, that Twilight not getting her connection that would lead her to becoming a princess would mean the Heart simply remained in this world’s aether, yet to choose it’s host or vessel.”
“But that plan’s gone right out the window,” Irma shrugs. “So much for that idea.”
“But, if she has her world’s heart, can’t Pinkie Pie fight those Changelings back on her own?” Hay Lin asks.
Zecora shakes her head. “In order to keep ourselves hidden away, Pinkie has not been able to practice with her power, I am sad to say.”
I fold my arms, trying to think. “What if we got The Oracle to help train her, like he did Elyon?”
“This world could probably last a while if Pinkie was only going to Kandrakar for a part of each day and then coming back,” Will reasons, looking to Zecora. “Queen Elyon of Meridian was able to go between Earth and her world every day for a while, since she originally grew up on Earth. I’m sure we can do something similar with Pinkie’s training with The Oracle.”
Zecora frowns, deep in thought, before looking to the pink Alicorn. “What do you say, Pinkie Pie? Are you willing to give training with this Oracle a try?”
Pinkie thinks for a moment, before nodding, her expression firm. “I want to help everypony. I want them all to be able to smile again. If I need to train with this Oracle in order to help ponies smile again, I’ll do it.”
Will nods, looking to Zecroa. “Okay, then. We’ll return to Kandrakar and speak with The Oracle about it. I doubt he’ll refuse.”
“And we’ll come by as often as we can to help you win against the Changelings,” Cornelia nods, holding up a fist.
With that, Will opens a Fold back to Kandrakar.
We need to fill The Oracle in and then all get back home and poof our Drops before anyone gets wise.
“Blast it all to Tartarus!” Chrysalis screamed, magically throwing a chair against the wall, causing it to shatter.
Former Princess Luna’s personal chamber had been converted a long time ago to suite it’s new occupant.
The walls were covered in glowing green moss, black stalagmites and stalactites here and there, with the sheets of the bed being a dark silk.
The room was designed to intimidate any who dared come in.
The Changeling Queen glared down at the splintered pieces of the chair now scattered by the wall.
“Why now?” she snarled. “Why have the Guardians chosen now, of all times, to come to this world?! They haven’t been seen in a thousand years! What are the odds they would return now, when I finally was so close to removing the last of the ponies’ blasted resistance?!”
“It is rather frustrating, isn’t it?”
The voice caused Chrysalis to whirl around, blasting the wall.
The figure who’d been by the window a second ago leapt up, seeming to vanish from sight as it touched the ceiling, before a tap on her shoulder made the Changeling Queen whirl around in shock.
It was one of the Guardians. Or, at least, looked like one of them.
She looked like the youngest one, the one who’d seemed to fixate on Chrysalis… but something was different.
Her form was similar, but the spider-like look was gone and her eyes and teeth were different too.
“I understand my sister caused you quite the annoyance,” the figure said calmly.
Chrysalis was about to attack, but hesitated. She sensed no ill will from this creature. Her appearance and voice were similar, but her aura seemed vastly different from the being who’d attacked her at the Resistance’s camp.
“Your… sister?” she asked cautiously.
The figure nodded, putting an arm over her chest and giving a polite bow. “Call me Miranda. As for dealing with my sister and the Guardians, I believe I have some insider knowledge that could prove useful to you.”
Chrysalis could tell from the way this Miranda carried herself, she clearly had an ulterior motive, but that, in a sense, she was being sincere.
The Changeling Queen gave a predatory grin. “Very well, Miranda. I’m listening.”
“Gooood morning, Sheffield! After a day being gone thanks to a certain someone, Lair is back on the air,” Irma’s voice says over the school speakers.
I glance behind me as I close my locker, Will nodding to me.
Thankfully, this morning, Aunt Sue agreed that, since we weren’t showing any signs of sickness, we could go back to school, as did the rest of the girls.
And, yes, I call Will’s mother Aunt Sue now.
Kinda don’t have a choice as my Drop accidently forgot to say the rest of the name “Susan” during the brief encounter they’d shared when she came to give our Drops lunch, so, to avoid any suspicion, I have to do the same now.
I stay close to Will as we make our way down the hall towards our class.
It may have been several weeks since I started coming to Sheffield, but, I still feel like being myself isn’t going to go over too well, so I’m sticking with the “nervous cousin” act, only a little less intensely.
I’ve obviously started becoming friends with Alchemy, so I can be a little more myself around her and, the longer I’m friends with Alchemy, the more I can be myself until people won’t question why I don’t act anxious anymore.
Unfortunately, today is not going to be such a day.
While the girls and I didn’t get sick because it was our Drops who’d been soaked by Uriah, Alchemy and Matt were actually there, so they’re both off sick, since they got colds.
This being the case, I can’t rely on being around Alchemy to excuse my acting less, thus being myself and everyone just seeing it as Alchemy helping Will’s cousin come out of her shell.
Unfortunately, my next class it one Will isn’t in, so I’ll have to double down on the acting anxious, since I’ll be alone in there, as without Alchemy at school and Cornelia not being in that class with me, I’m on my own.
Due to using Astral Drops a little, I haven’t had to worry so much about that Sylla guy.
However, thanks to Alchemy being what from the outside looks like the rock helping me not get nervous due to the first encounter I had with Sylla, in which I’d genuinely become anxious due to the odd vibes I was getting from him, I had been subtly observing him, which, in turn made me realize, he was observing me.
At first I had chalk this simply to the fact I look like Miranda when she’d been pretending to be a girl named Melinda and I was going by the same name… but it can’t just be that anymore.
He’s been (I’m sure he thinks) observing me unnoticed since that day whenever I was in his class, but I have been well aware of it.
The fact he seems so fixated on me whenever I have a class with him creeps me out.
Of course, thanks to coming from a world where this world is fictional, even if I don’t remember it, I’m aware these are some serious red flags.
However, whenever the girls and I discussed it, we agreed something felt of from what this could normally suggest.
Do I think the guy’s a pedo and I’m his type that he wants?
No. I watched enough news reports about those kinds of people back in my old life to tell this was something else.
He doesn’t give me those kind of looks when he didn’t know I could tell he was watching me.
If anything, it’s more like he’s trying to figure me out, as if he can tell there’s something not right about my identity as Will’s nervous cousin and is trying to figure it out through observation alone.
As I enter his class, I can tell Sylla’s eyes are on me specifically, so I just follow my usual act and just try to do the assigned task.
“So, Mel, can I ask you something?”
I almost jump.
I’d been so focused on keeping to the task, I hadn’t realized Sylla had come right up behind me and was now leaning towards me on my right.
“S-s-s-sure,” I stutter, not acting there as I am actually having to quickly calm myself to keep up the act.
“You said you used to live in Australia before moving in with your aunt and cousin,” Sylla says casually. “I was wondering, where exactly did you live in Australia?”
“Qu-Qu-Queensland,” I say, quickly running over the cover story Witness Protection has me going by. “I-I lived in Queensland.”
“No kidding?” Sylla says in a way that’s clearly supposed to suggest recognition, but I lied a lot in high school, enough to see clear through this one. “I’ve a brother who lives up there. Maybe your family know him? James Jones?”
I shake my head meekly. “S-sorry. Don’t think so. Th-the name doesn’t sound familiar.”
More than likely because there is no James Jones. If not for the vibes I’d gotten from him before, and the fact I’d known something was up with Sylla since the end of season two, I bet I might have actually fallen into that obvious trap and lied, saying that I thought my fictional parents in Queensland did know someone by that name.
Then I’d have had to stumble through more lies that would very quickly backfire, since there is no James Jones.
It’s brief, barely a flicker, but I notice a look of annoyance pace over his face, before he shrugs, saying “Oh, well,” and moves on.
Taranee? I call out mentally. Taranee, you there?
Hmm? Yeah, Mel? Taranee replies, sounding a little distracted.
Sorry, I say. Bad time?
No, Taranee says and I get the feeling she shook her head. Just a bit of a headache. What’s up?
Warn the others that Sylla’s back at it, I warn. I think he knows something about me. He just asked me where in Australia I lived before moving in with Will and Aunt Sue. With Alchemy not in class, I think he was hoping my defences would be too low and he could get something out of me he could use.
How do you figure that? Taranee replies, sounding confused.
Not to brag, and I’m not saying I’m proud of it, but, I was very good at lying in high school back in my old life on my world, I say. And, when you get that good, you can tell when others are lying badly, thinking they’re hiding it. It was brief, but he got a really annoyed look when I didn’t say I knew some guy in Queensland whose name he’d clearly just made up, hoping I’d fall into his trap and he could use that later.
Noted. I warn the others to be more wary than usual, she replies and we end it there, myself going back to working on the task for class.
At lunch, we meet up to discuss what happened, though that’s not all.
Taranee informs us she’s signing up for some kind of joint venture program going on between Sheffield and another school called Redstone.
To my surprise, it’s based in Australia, which immediately makes us all stop.
Perhaps that was why Sylla had tried to get some info out of me. Not just because I was alone in class today, but because my identity of being Will’s Australian cousin was brought further to his mind because of this.
“You know, if we all went to this Redstone place, we could probably avoid Sylla’s all-seeing gaze for a while,” Irma says, opening her eyes wide and making an image of a third one on her forehead with her hands.
We have a bit of a laugh, before we all talk more seriously about it.
The program requires students to take a test and, if they pass, would go spend just over a month in Redstone, like as exchange students.
In truth, Will and Irma make it clear they’re not interested and I admit that I’m not either.
I’m still technically getting used to Heatherfield, so, while going somewhere in Australia in this world would be interesting and even feel more like at home, I’d still rather not.
Sure, being in Southwestern Connecticut is certainly different, but going from one different to another doesn’t help anybody.
The rest of the school day goes by uneventfully, aside from the fact Taranee’s headache isn’t going away, even though she went to the nurse and got some aspirin.
Soon as school’s out, we Fold to the alternate Equestria.
We had agreed to start helping by seeing if we could find any loose wandering ponies or other creatures to take back to the Resistance’s camp.
Will and I are one team, Taranee and Hay Lin another, with Irma and Cornelia staying at the camp, Cornelia planning on using the Green Speaking technique Kadma had taught her to see what she could find out.
“Mel, you mentioned something about the Elements of Harmony and a Tree of Harmony a while back,” Will says suddenly as we’re staying in some trees, trying to see if the cost is clear before moving on.
I glance at her. “Yeah? What about them?”
Will frowns in thought. “Well, shouldn’t we put the Elements from this world back in the tree? I mean, the forest is pretty overgrown. Wouldn’t the Elements being back in the tree fix that?”
“Yeah, but, things are different here,” I say as we fly up and through the trees. “This Equestria needs the Everfree to be overgrown right now. It’s the only way the ponies are able to stay safe from the Changelings.”
Will! Mel! Heads up! Corenlia’s voice shouts loudly, causing us to halt in place. There’s a pair of Changelings near you and… I think that’s a yak?
We glance at each other, before moving forward more carefully.
A few moments later, we indeed find a pair of Changelings and a yak… though, while it’s hard to tell who the Changelings might be, I recognize the yak immediately.
She’s a little younger than the version I know, but no fan of the show can forget Best Yak.
However, an gut instinct to protect Yona that might have flared up due to the this being the Changeling timeline is halted when the younger Changeling, whom I now realize it around the same age as Yona, speaks… in a very familiar voice.
“Thorax, I’m scared,” she says as she glances around. “I don’t know what’ll happen if the Queen learns about Yona.”
“It’s oaky, Ocellus,” the other Changeling says, his voice confirming it’s Thorax. “If we can just find the ponies’ new camp, we might be able to get some help.”
Judging by your facial expressions, you know both those Changelings and that yak from your Equestria? Will asks.
I nod. Thorax was one of the first to abandon the hive and Ocellus is going to be a student at Twilight’s School of Friendship. And that yak is going to be another of the students.
Will nods. Okay. Then let’s approach them. From the sound of it, Thorax and Ocellus of this world feel similarly.
“Don’t move,” Will words make the three halt in place, their eyes wide with fear.
We step out of the brush, myself bending down to Ocellus and Yona’s level. “Don’t worry. We’re the Guardians. We’re here to help.”
Thorax’s eyes widen and he points at us. “You’re the Guardians, the one’s our Queen’s furious about?”
Will nods, folding her arms a little smugly. “Yep. We came to put an end to her rein. Surprised to see you all out here, though. Wasn’t aware she was making her subjects as unhappy as the ponies whose land she’s been invading.”
Ocellus clings closer to Thorax. “She… my parents, she…”
Tears well in her eyes.
Immediately my gut drops.
Her parents? I can vaguely remember something about them, but not much. Worse, I remember they had two babies.
“What happened?” Will’s expression firms and she kneels down.
Thorax cringes. “We don’t know how, but Queen Chrysalis found out about a place called the Peaks of Peril, where she found something called the Stream of Silence.”
Did I say my guts dropped before? Now they’ve plummeted.
“What did she do?!” I ask urgently.
Any number of things could be bad about this.
After all, the Kirin went into the Stream of Silence Celestia knows how long ago, so, in this world, aside from maybe Autumn Blaze, none of them were yet cured, so wouldn’t have been able to turn into Nirik to defend themselves if what I think happened happened.
Thorax sighs, looking down dejectedly. “Chrysalis easily overpowered the Kirin there and had her drones take several wagon’s worth of water from the stream back to the hive and, when Ocellus’s parents protested something she suggested… she had them dunked.”
I can tell Will’s looking at me as I just stare in horror at Thorax as what he said really processes through my brain.
Suddenly, a thought occurs to me and I grab Thorax by the shoulders. “Was there a Kirin named Autumn Blaze among the Kirin after Chrysalis overpowered them?!”
Thorax looks scared for a moment, before his expression softens and he thinks for a minute, before shaking his head, cringing a little. “It took a while to get any names out of the Kirin, since none of them talked, but, no. I don’t recognise that name.”
I rub my chin in thought for a moment, before turning to Will. “Okay. You take these three back to the camp. I’m heading for the Peaks of Peril.”
“What? Why?” Will asks, confused.
“There’s a Kirin there who can still be saved,” I say, before looking to Thorax. “Are any Kirin still at the Peaks of Peril?”
He shakes his head. “All prisoners were taken to Canterlot. And, aside from a few Changelings to watch over the stream, the village is pretty much deserted.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
With that, I take flight, heading as far over the trees as I can, trying to keep in mind what I can remember from that episode.
“Autumn Blaze, welcome to the Resistance,” I say as we enter the camp.
The Kirin’s head darts back and forth, her eyes wide with joy, no doubt glad to finally have others to talk to again.
Before we go further, Will comes over, Pinkie Pie and Zecora following.
Will holds up the Heart of Kandrakar and nothing happens, confirming I’m me and Autumn isn’t a Changeling in disguise.
I explain how, when I arrived, the Kirin village was indeed nearly completely deserted, save for a few Changelings wandering around.
Getting Autumn out had been pretty easy, though the trip back had not been. We had to hide from several patrols and I even had to fight off a Manticore that had come after us, which had ended up with me having to web it to the ground and fly us away.
“Mel, the girls, Zecora, Pinkie and I have been getting what information we can from Thorax and Ocellus,” Will says as we move further into the camp, towards where the Changeling prisoners are being kept.
I nod. “I know. You’ve come to a disturbing realization.”
I had been thinking about it too. it was as Autumn and I had been making our way here and I pointed out it was weird the Changelings knew about not only the Peaks of Peril, but the Stream of Silence too, when it had dawned on me.
At first, when she revealed she had some of my fragmented memories, I’d known Miranda knew what I knew about Lilian being Earth’s Heart.
However, it hadn’t occurred to me til that moment that my memories of W.I.T.C.H. aren’t all she has now. She has my knowledge about MLP too, which means any knowledge from the main timeline can be apliied in this one too… and that can lead down some incredibly dark roads if we’re not careful.
“Don’t you dare talk to me, traitor!” a surprisingly familiar voice interrupts. “How could you just abandon the hive?!”
“I didn’t abandon the hive!” Thorax’s voice says. “I was trying to save it’s future.”
“That grub?! Are you actually being serious?!”
We round the corner to find the Changeling’s prision.
It doesn’t seem like much at first. Cages made of wood, held together by vines.
It’s the markings around it, however, that are the real key to it all.
Zecora made the markings herself, saying their magic from her homeland, written in a variation of the sav she uses to identify if someone’s a Changeling or not.
The sav has a secondary factor I hadn’t been aware of the last time I was here. It can also stop a Changeling from transforming, thus the prisoners can’t escape by changing into something huge to break open the cage and the markings prevent them from using their magic.
Thorax is standing by one of the cages, talking to another Changeling with a familiar colour scheme.
“Pharynx, please, you have to understand,” Thorax is saying as we approach. “Chrysalis doesn’t care about the hive. She only cares about power. If she isn’t stopped, thing’s only get worse. That’s why I left the hive! If we don’t put the pony princesses back in charge of the sun and moon, our race will die out, along with everything else.”
I blink, before my eyes widen as it clicks and I look to Will, who nods.
“That’s what Ocellus’s parents protested. Since none of the Changelings have the gifts for raising the sun and moon like Celestia and Luna, it’s extremely taxing on their magic.”
“Lies!” Pharynx yells, glaring at Will and then me. “The love we gathered and have continued to gather since taking over Equestria gives our kind more than enough power to do what those ponies did.”
“But not without cost, Pharynx!” Thorax says, sounding desperate. “Yes, our kind can do that now, but it takes at least ten of us each day and, once the day is over, their magic is completely spent and they lose the ability to use magic at all.”
Pharynx just scoffs. “Yeah, right. If that were true, they’d die because they wouldn’t be able to feed on love without their magic. The queen would never let that happen.”
I look away, not wanting to see the look in Thorax eyes.
I strain as I move a shadow tendril to my right, the swarm of Changelings dodging it with ease.
Girls, hurry! I yell over the link. I can’t hold these Changelings back much longer on my own!
Whimpers from behind make me glance back to the nymph and the white young hippogriff behind me.
It’s been two weeks since we first started venturing into this alternate Equestria where the Changelings succeeded with the Canterlot Invasion.
Over that time, it’s been made abundantly clear saving this world is not going to be easy, Irma at one point half joking it’s harder than when they were trying to defeat Phobos the first time. Half joking.
During those weeks, we’ve been doing our best, myself adding to the aid by getting ideas from communicating with my Equestria.
Thanks to advice from Twilight, Blue Blood, Celestia and Luna, we’ve probably been doing better off than without their help.
With the knowledge that Miranda is using my fragmented memories of what happened in the main Equestria timeline to manipulate situations here in this one, any help was welcome, since they were able to fill in any gaps in my memory.
We managed to foil several plans by the Changelings that they clearly got the information for from Miranda, including getting the Alicorn Amulet and the book Spike gave Rarity in Inspiration Manifestation, the latter being much easier than the former.
Since the pony who’d sold Trixie the amulet had been captured by the Changelings two years ago and his shop raided by scavengers, it hadn’t been easy to track the amulet down, but, thankfully, it turned out a dragon had stumbled upon a group in possession of the amulet at the time, though they hadn’t known its true worth and, it being a gem, had taken it for his hoard.
Of course, even dragons aren’t immune to attacks from Changelings and we’d found his corpse after the Heart of Kandrakar had finally tracked down the amulet’s unique magical signature.
He hadn’t gone down without a fight, though, taking a lot of Changelings with him, judging by the imprints all over the cave walls and ceiling.
The Inspiration Manifestation book had been much easier as, either Miranda had yet to give that bit of intel to Queen Cheese Legs, of Cheese Legs, in her usual arrogance, had deemed it unimportant information and not bothered to look into the matter.
A good thing too. Sure, Rarity had only used the book’s magic to make everything in Ponyville her vision of fashion, but the fact that book still has a spell that can manifest your desires into physical from with but a thought is still pretty dangerous shit to just leave lying around, just waiting for some power-mad idiot to find.
Interestingly, we made an ally you’d never have expected, Tirek.
Taranee and Irma had found him being hunted by a swarm of Changelings, his size giving away that he hadn’t yet managed to start absorbing magic, so he’d been pretty helpless.
At first, obviously, he’d tried to trick them, playing up the frail old centaur act in hopes of finding a way to backstab us later, but, we’d discussed enough about Equestria’s past for them to see right through it.
However, after a while of being a prisoner, Tirek had been given a chance by Zecora herself, his ability to absorb magic being utilized against a very murderous swarm that had managed by sheer dumb luck to find the new camp.
Tirek had been released from the small prison we’d made for him so he could be evacuated with the rest of the camp, but he’d unintentionally saved a filly when he tripped, his fall getting in the way of a Changeling.
The two had tumbled and, without realizing Tirek was there, Will only seeing a Changeling having tackled someone, she’d fired a blast of energy in their direction.
The Changeling was hit, but, we found out it had been about to feed on Tirek’s emotions and, by opening itself up to absorb those emotions, when the bolt of energy hit it, it caused the opposite effect, sending its own energy, plus the energy coursing through it from Will’s attack, into Tirek.
Granted, it wasn’t a huge boost to his power, it was barely more than what he had after absorbing the magic of two ponies in the main timeline, but it had been enough for him to overpower the Changeling and allow him to start absorbing magic again... but with a catch.
Will’s Quintessence energy merging with the Changeling’s had somehow formed a pact between her and Tirek, so he needs her permission to absorb magic at all.
Will hadn’t known this, of course, when she yelled at Tirek that, if he can do anything to help, he should and, not actually caring about what she’d meant, Tirek had started absorbing the magic of the attacking Changelings, it quickly boosting him to at least the level his was shortly before joining forces with Discord, him draining them dry.
It had only been when he tried to absorb the magic of other ponies that we learned he was bound in magical oath to Will.
Reluctantly, he’d agreed to fight with the resistance, Will giving him permission to absorb magic only from Changelings and only those we were fighting us and only if they have murderous or truly malicious intent, thus keeping him from feasting on the prisoners and those who had become our allies, few as they were.
Sadly, the Changelings we’d captured that Tirek drained ended up dead, because they refused to stop trying to kill those in the camp, so Zecora had taken them away and we she returned, she was alone.
I’d stumbled upon what were clearly their remains, it looking like an Everfee monster had gotten to them, a few days later.
However, it was during a mission with Tirek that it really hit me how weak I am compared to the rest of the Guardians.
Granted, I knew I was the weakest, but it hadn’t hit home just how much weaker I am until after a particularly tricky mission, where Tirek, myself, Taranee and several ponies were trying to get some yaks and griffons to safety.
Griffonstone had fallen a long time ago, but several griffons had been in hiding around its borders, several yaks having found their way there too, the groups agreeing to band together for safety in numbers.
After we found the griffons and yaks, we’d been escorting them back towards the camp when a trio of what we’d thought were Ursa Majors had attacked us.
My Shadow powers hadn’t been very effective, myself barely holding them back my turning the shadows of nearby trees into bindings, only for them to simply rip the trees out from their roots and throwing them at me, knocking me near unconscious.
Tirek had saved me, grumbling about the other Guardians are much more adept than I am.
It had stung, especially since it was freaking Tirek saying it, but I’d put it aside for the mission. After all, I know full well I am the weakest of us and have to use my wits an ingenuity with my webbing and Shadow powers in order to keep up.
As for now, we’d been on scouting missions, myself, Irma and Taranee meant to be observing the area to make sure no Changelings were near.
I’d been on my own when I stumbled upon the hippogriff now behind me, carrying the small nymph.
He’d told me his name was Terramar and he’d ventured out from Seaquestria, secretly sneaking into Queen Novo’s throne room and using the pearl to change back to a hippogriff to explore Mt. Aris to see whether it might be safe and he’d found the nymph, lost and confused.
It’s unclear why the nymph was there, she couldn’t talk, so it’s not like she ever explained it to him and, since this swarm had found us not long after I found the two, we haven’t exactly had a chance to discuss.
A Changeling charges at me and I break the webs on my wings, lashing out with the legs on my back.
The Changeling barely dodges, but it gives me a chance to use the shadow of the leg as it misses to turn it into a tentacles and grab him around the waist, then tossing him back into his swarm.
I’m panting heavily, but doing my best to hide just how heavily.
We’ve been at this for over half an hour now and I’d been pretty tired by the time I’d found Terramar and the nymph.
After all, I had been scouting around for quite a long while and it’s already late afternoon.
But… something feels off about this. I know I’m giving it my all, but, I’m so tired. With their numbers, this swarm should easily have overpowered me by now.
It’s almost like they’re just messing with me. Are they waiting til I’m completely wiped before getting serious?
If so, big mistake.
I glare at them, cupping my hands and charging up a shadow blast, ready to knock them out so I can get these two little ones away… when something odd happens.
One of the Changelings looks up, as if seeing something behind me, then motions to the others and they back away, before settling down and just standing there.
What the…? Why are they…?
“Well, well, well. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Mel?”
My eyes widen, my energy sphere poofing away and I whirl around, glaring up into the trees.
Miranda is standing on a large branch, sneering down at me.
She’s wearing her usual clothes, though there seems to be something around her neck, but I can’t tell what, since it’s a thread and, whatever’s at the end of it, is underneath her shirt.
“What a shame,” she says in mocking sadness. “The holder of the Heart of Shadow, unable to even fight back a small group of Changelings.” She sneers menacingly. “How the mighty have fallen.”
She leaps down, shapeshifting into her monster form.
I use my back legs to launch myself backward, but, to my shock, she’s faster than I expected and is suddenly in my face, back in her human form.
She punches me in the face, sending me tumbling back.
I get up, only for her to suddenly be right back in my face and punches me again, sending me flying, my back slamming into a nearby rock jutting out of the ground.
Before I can do more than mentally process the fact I got winded, she’s in front of me again, punching me over and over again, in the face, stomach, chest, everywhere, all the while, wearing a manic grin.
What the hell’s going on? When she did she get this strong and fast? I know I’m tired from a long day of scouting, but this is insane. I shouldn’t be losing this badly, not even at just a sixth of my strength.
“I really should thank you,” Miranda says after what feels like hours of her pummeling me, leaning down so our faces are inches from each other. “It repulses me that you have my real body, but, then again, if not for you, I wouldn’t be as powerful as I am now… or how much stronger I’m about to be.”
I struggle to breath, it hurting just to do that as I glare at her with my right eye, my left one shut from the pain. “What… are you…?”
“Talking about?” she asks, leaning back, a mockingly sweet smile on her face. “Why, Mel, dear, I thought it was obvious. I’m taking the Shadow Heart from you.”
I blink at her with one eye, confusion fighting through the pain. “What… are you… talking about? I have… the Heart… of Shadow. You’d need… my permission… to take it.”
She chuckles. “Yes, Permission Magic. Quite the annoyance, that. However, I’m fully aware Phobos was able to take Elyon’s power from Nerissa, since he’s Elyon’s blood.”
“Your… point?” I try to move, only to grit my teeth in pain. Shit, did she break my ribs, too? “We’re not blood. You’re an Altermere, not my family.”
She snickers. “Doesn’t matter, does it? Sisters, clones, family, who cares? Physically, we’re the same being. Therefore, whatever is yours, is mine. I don’t need permission to take what you have, because it’s mine by default.”
She slams her hand against my chest and I scream as, not only did that hurt my already existing injuries further, but I feel like she’s ripping something right out of my soul.
“Yes!” she yells, pulling back, her body glowing. “The power of the Heart of Shadow is now mine!” she sneers at me. “And, unlike you, I don’t feel like sharing it with the Guardians.”
She holds her hand up into the air, her manic grin wide… before it falters and she glances up in confused annoyance.
There’s silence for a moment.
“Lady Miranda?” a Changeling from the swam calls out. “What is wrong?”
Miranda lowers her hand, staring at it in confused annoyance for a moment, before she looks towards me as I laugh.
It hurts to laugh and sounds like I’ve water in my throat and I start coughing.
“What?” Miranda glares at me. “What’s so funny?!”
I give her a smug look, or as smug a look one can give with one eye closed in pain and blood trailing down your chin from your bottom lip. “It’s like I said before, you let your ego make you stupid, just like that idiot, Phobos.”
She blinks at me, still angry, but mixed with confused worry. “What?”
I snicker. “Did you forget what happened when Phobos tried to steal Elyon’s power the first time? It didn’t work. He only took a fraction of her power and it was only temporary.”
Miranda blinks, then snarls, grabbing me by the shirt and holding me up so we’re face to face. “But, he kept her power! After he stole it from Nerissa he was able to keep it til my Cedric tricked him!”
I chuckle. “Yeah, that’s true. But, don’t you see the difference? When he tried to take it from Elyon, it didn’t work. He could only syphon part of it. When he took it from Nerissa after she got it from Elyon, he kept it. Understand?”
Too prove my point, I focus and all the energy she took me from comes right back.
She screams in shock, dropping me and stepping back quickly.
I don’t get up after falling back onto the rock, though. I got the power she took back, but that doesn’t fix all the injuries she’s already inflicted.
Miranda just stares in shock, before she scowls darkly. “How?! You’re me! That’s my body! I should be able to take the Heart of Shadow without resistance!”
“But… we’re not.”
Her eyes narrow. “What?”
I cough, blood spurting from my mouth, but I keep grinning, despite inwardly panicking at how helpless I am right now. “You don’t get it, do you, Miranda?”
She clenches her fists. “Get what?!”
“You mean my Guardian Form didn’t tip you off ages ago?” I ask in a cocky tone. “When the Heart of Shadow chose me as its vessel, I stopped being able to transform into your monster form… because it had changed me.”
Her eyes widen in fury, her voice full of venom. “What?!”
I blink, since I can’t move my neck to nod. “I’m not the same species you used to be. You’re an Altermere created from me before I got the Heart of Shadow, so you can still use that form. Me? The Heart of Shadow changed what I am physically, so much so, we’re not actually the same being in any sense now. You trying to steal the Heart of Shadow from me is like when Kadma and Caleb tried to take the Heart of Meridian from Nerissa. Without permission, I can easily take it back without any resistance.”
Miranda’s right eye twitches and she screams with pure rage, shifting into her monster form and charges, only for a Changeling to fly in front of her.
“Lady Miranda, the Guardians are coming, with Tirek in tow!”
She pauses, looking at me with pure hatred, before glancing behind her and scoffing, shifting back to her human form and glaring at the Changeling. “Fine. Tell your queen this plan failed.”
The Changeling nods and flies back to his swarm, them all flying off further into the woods.
Miranda glares at me, before my eye widens as she somehow opens a Fold.
She points. “This isn’t over. I swear I’ll make you pay for this.”
She passing through, the Fold closing behind her.
Soon as it does, the world starts going black and I’m faintly aware of a frightened young voice crying my name in fear.
Will and the girls weaved through the trees, Tirek thundering behind them.
“Mel, please be alright,” Will murmured. “We’re almost there.”
“Miss Melinda?” a young voice Will didn’t recognize called out from ahead. “Miss Melinda!”
Will bolted forward faster than before, breaching through the trees to a small clearing… only for her heart to leap into her chest.
A young white hippogriff and small Changeling nymph were huddled over a prone form… a form with blood pooling around it.
“MEL!”
She shoved the other two aside and stared down in horror at the prone form before her.
Mel’s body was a wreck. Just by looking at her you could tell where her bones were broken. Blood was slowly seeping from an open wound on her right side and her chin was drench it the red liquid, bruising around her right eye making it clear she’d been unable to see with that eye for a while.
Gasps from behind her indicated the others had arrived. Even Tirek was shocked by what he saw.
“Such injuries… what kind of barbarian attacked her? Even Changelings don’t go this far.”
“I don’t care!” Will cried, reaching for Mel and stopping over and over. “I… we need to get her help, but… but…”
“How in the world do we move her without making it worse?” Irma asked.
“The state she’s in, moving could even kill her!” Taranee gasped, before holding her head, saying through gritted teeth. “Now is really not a good time, stupid headache.”
“Call The Oracle,” Cornelia said, putting a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Maybe he can do something.”
Will hesitated, before nodding and held up the heart. “Oracle? Oracle, we need help, now!”
Yes, Will? The Oracle’s voice asked in their minds.
“Mel’s badly injured! I don’t know if we can move her without her getting worse. What do we do?!” Will asked quickly, her voice rising as her panic seeped in.
Calm yourself, Will, The Oracle replied. Let me think for a moment.
He was silent for a moment, leaving the girls on edge, Will watching Mel, her heart racing faster with each passing second.
Change back, then transform again, The Oracle said after what felt like an eternity.
“Huh?” the girls all cried.
“Why? What good will changing back to normal do?” Cornelia asked skeptically.
“Yeah, won’t that make things even worse?” Hay Lin asked. “As a normal girl, won’t Mel’s injuries be even worse.”
I had hoped to tell you all another way at a better time, The Oracle said, sounding uncertain, but, every time you transform, you are healed from any ailments your bodies possess.
“Uh, say what, now?” Irma asked, confused.
I will explain in better detail later, The Oracle says firmly. For now, you must save young Mel. I don’t think it will be a perfect healing from one transformation, but it should be enough to let you get her to safety.
“Uh, slight problem?” Irma holds up a finger. “Don’t Will and Mel need to be changing us together for us to Guardian Up. How can we change into Guardians to heal Mel, however that works, if Mel’s unconscious and can’t say it?”
Water Guardian, you will use your powers to force Mel to speak. Even unconscious, it will still work.
The girls all shared a look, before Irma glanced to her right as she felt a clawed hand take hers.
Looking down, she saw the young hippogriff, looking up at her with pleading eyes, as was the nyphm held in her other arm.
“Miss, please try?” he begged. “Miss Melinda protected us. It’s because she was trying to keep us safe she got hurt. Please, please do whatever you can.”
Irma stared back at him for several moments, before sighing and nodded to Will.
Will activated the Heart, changing them all back.
At once, though clearly still unconscious, Mel screamed in agony.
“Now!” Will yelled.
Scream “Guardians, unite!” Scream “Guardians, unite”! Irma thought to Mel with everything she had.
“Guardians, unite!” Mel screamed at the same time Will yelled it, though the scream was full of pain.
The transformation went through like normal.
Mel did look better. Her arm and leg, while the former was still clearly broken, weren’t looking as bad, the latter looking like it was maybe just severely sprained now and while blood was still staining her chin, the swelling around her eye was less and the wound in her side had at least stopped bleeding.
Mel’s eyes opened wide and she gave a shuddering gasp, before collapsing unconscious again.
“We’re heading back to Earth, now!” Will yelled, opening a Fold and looking firmly to Tirek. “Get those two back to camp safely. Corenlia, Hay Lin, you stay with him to make everything works out. We’ll be back as soon as we can!”
The two nodded, Tirek folding his arms and snorting.
Will carefully put Mel over her shoulder, making sure to not injury her already broken arm worse and the three rushed through the Fold, finding themselves outside Will’s home.
“Shit!” Irma looked around frantically. “Will, change us back now, before anyone sees.”
Will used her free arm to hold up the Heart and they all changed back, Will buckling a little at the shift in weight on her shoulders.
“Let’s get Mel to a hospital, quickly,” Taranee said. “We’d better hurry before—”
“Will? Hey, is Mel home yet? We were going to go over some homework and— Oh, my God! Mel?!”
They looked to the right to see Alchemy had rounded the corner. She had waved, a warm smile on her face, but that had morphed to horror at the sight of Mel draped over Will’s shoulder.
Will mentally cursed. That was right. Mel had said she had invited Alchemy over because the two of them were doing some homework together.
Alchemy ran over, looking at Mel’s unconscious form in terror. “Wh-what happened to her?!”
“Some Chan— chumps,” Will said, catching herself before saying Changelings.
“We were all hanging out in the park and Mel went to get some drinks from one of the machines,” Irma chimed in, clearly thinking fast. “After a while, we wondered why she was taking so long.”
“A-and when we went to look, we saw a bunch of guys running off and Mel was lying on the ground like this,” Taranee continued, indicating to Mel’s prone form.
“Why didn’t you call the cops or an ambulance?” Alchemy cried, pulling her phone out and dialing.
“Left ours at home today by accident,” Irma said. “Plus, Hay Lin and Cornelia had already left, so we couldn’t use theirs.”
“Yes, Emergency Services?” Alchemy said frantically. “There’s been an attack. We need an ambulance and police over right away.”
The girls all looked to each other as she gave the address of Will’s apartment complex.
Will, Irma, Taranee and Alchemy sat in the waiting room outside the operating theatre.
The Ambulance had arrived quickly, Irma’s father and one of his colleague not long after.
He took each of the girls’ statements, the three Guardians keeping to the story that they’d not gotten a good enough look at Mel’s attackers, arriving only as they were running off.
Will had gone with Mel in the ambulance, while Irma and Taranee had stayed behind to answer more questions.
It was here where, Irma’s father had decided to tell the three girls the, from his perspective, real reason Mel had moved to Heatherfield and how they needed to be sure they’d told him everything, on the offhand chance her attackers could’ve been the arsonists.
Even though they knew there were no real arsonists after Mel, they acted the part of being shocked and horrified as much as Alchemy truly had been.
Of course, Will didn’t know this, so, when the three had arrived at the hospital shortly after Mel was taken in for surgery, she’d been floored when Alchemy asked if Will had known Mel wasn’t her real cousin.
Of course, Will was fully aware of it, but the shock of Alchemy outright asking it when she’d never expected it to be brought up again had genuinely shocked her, giving Alchemy the wrong impression, but a good one for the Mel’s cover story.
“It’s taking forever,” Taranee murmured, genuinely worried as she paced back and forth, before putting a hand to her head. “And this damn headache isn’t making it any better.”
Will had said nothing for a while, just sitting with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them.
To Alchemy, it probably looked like Will was trying to come to grips with the idea the girl she’d thought was her cousin wasn’t even related to her, when, in reality, Will was going over how best to handle the situation, getting input from Irma and Taranee whenever she could.
“Will!”
The girls all turned as Mrs. Vandom came running down the hall, her expression strained, her appearance frazzled.
She reached the girls, then grabbed Will by the shoulders as the girl had gotten up. “I was in a meeting when Irma’s father came and told me! Is she alright? How bad is it? Why didn’t you keep a closer eye on Mel? She’s your cousin and you know how scary moving has been for her! Why weren’t you more careful—”
“Oh, you mean my cousin who isn’t actually my family at all?!” Will shot back, glaring harshly at her mother.
The woman took a step back, confused. “Wait, what do you—?”
“They told me, Mom!” Will pointed to the girls. “They told me how Irma’s dad told them Mel’s not really my cousin at all! That she’s in Witness Protection and being my cousin from Australia is just her cover! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Mrs. Vandom seemed stunned for a moment, before taking a firm tone. “She was in Witness Protection, Will. I couldn’t tell. No one’s supposed to know, for her own safety.”
“And look where that got her!” Will yelled, pointing at the door to the operating room. “Irma’s dad says he thinks the people after Mel could’ve been the ones who attacked her!”
Mrs. Vandom’s eyes widened, but Will didn’t give her a chance to speak.
“You’re blaming me for not keeping a closer eye on her because of something I didn’t even know?! I thought she was my cousin! If you’d at least told me she was living with us because bad people were after her, I could’ve done something! I would’ve been more careful! How was I supposed to know to keep her safe from something I didn’t know she was in danger of to begin with?!”
The shouting was starting to draw the attention of others, but Will ignored it.
True, she was technically acting, playing along with the story, but, as she spoke, she was genuinely starting to get angry.
She was angry that her mother hadn’t actually confided in her what was officially the reason Mel was living with them.
She was angry at that bastard Gregor for blocking their powers, thus making Mel have to split her power between the six of them just so they could use theirs, but leaving her with only a sixth of her power.
She was angry at Miranda for hurting Mel so badly.
She was angry she hadn’t been able to get to Mel in time.
And she was angry she couldn’t do anything to help Mel now.
So many emotions were whirling around inside her and Will wasn’t really sure what she was feeling anymore.
All she knew, was she wasn’t going to feel better until she was told Mel was going to be alright.
They were all silent for a long time, Will and her mother just standing there, the former glaring into the latter’s eyes.
The silence for broken by a beeping sound and they all turned to see the operating room doors opening.
“Mel!” Will, Irma, Taranee and Alchemy yelled, hurrying over as a bed was wheeled out.
Mel was laying in the bed, unconscious.
Her left arm was in a cast and sling, while her right leg was heavily bandaged. There were also bandages around her forehead, a patch just above her right eye and there were even bandages around her neck.
“She’s in stable condition,” a doctor said, the girls all looking to him, while he turned to Will’s mother. “Mrs. Vandom, she’s going to need to stay in hospital for quite a while. While not quite life threatening, several of her injuries were very severe. Had we not operated on her sooner, I’m honestly not sure what would’ve happened.”
Will’s mother nodded, while Will took Mel’s hand.
“We’ll take her to her room and the girls can stay with her while we talk,” he said, Will’s mother nodding.
The four girls followed as a nurse pushed Mel’s bed into a room, closing the door behind her as she left.
“Mel,” Will said, taking the unconscious girl’s hand. “Please, please be okay.”
“Ya know, for someone you just found out isn’t your cousin, you sure act like she’s still family, Will,” Irma half joked and half-heartedly, at that.
Will paused, genuinely taken aback by that, before shaking her head and looking down at the girl in the bed. “Family’s don’t have to be blood related to be family. Even though we’re not related, I do see Mel as family.”
It was the honest truth.
She and Mel had been getting along well since the girl had had to give up her new life in Equestria to help the Guardians.
While her being her cousin had been a fake story to cover another fake story, Will genuinely thought of Mel like family, almost like her real cousin.
The girls sat in silence for a while, before Will’s mother finally came by and told the girls they needed to go home.
When Will asked about herself, since she was sure her mother wouldn’t have her go home alone, she informed her she’d called Will’s dad and she was going to stay with him tonight.
Will didn’t’ actually want to leave, wanting to stay close to Mel, but understood she wasn’t going to convince her mother and left with the others, parting as she went to where she was supposed to meet her dad and quickly opening a Fold to get Hay Lin and Cornelia back and inform them of what had happened.
As they’d returned, Will returning them to their regular forms, her dad had arrived and they quickly had to make up a story about Irma calling them from the hospital to let them know about Mel.
As she sat in the car as her dad drove off, something Cornelia and Hay Lin had said rolled around in her head.
When they’d taken Mel through the Fold to Earth, after getting the hippogriff, whose name was Terramar and the Changeling nymph to the camp, they’d told Cornelia and Hay Lin about the attack and how a being who’d looked a lot like Mel, likely Miranda, had been the one to hurt Mel.
This… was worrying.
How could Miranda have gained so much strength, so fast?
Was it something from Equestria that she’d found in that timeline thanks to Mel’s memories of Equestria? Had she found some kind or artefact that had increased her strength?
I smile at Mother as we walk through the field of cherry blossom trees.
I always love when they’re in bloom.
I glance back and wave to Father as he stand at the doorway to our home.
He nods, before his eyes widen in shock.
Confused, I turn around and see what looks like a large tear in the air, as if someone just ripped the air apart like a piece of paper.
Curious, I start moving towards it, reaching out a hand.
“Miranda, īe!” Mother yells.
I glance back as my hand touches the tear, only for a strong wind to suddenly start pulling.
Mother grabs my other hand and starts to pull, but I feel myself being yanked back, the last thing is see being Father’s horrified expression as he screams.
I’m faintly aware of a gasp, followed by someone saying, “Mel!” a little louder than I’m really comfortable with.
I slowly open my eyes, trying to blink away my blearily vision and foggy thoughts.
When my vision clears a little, I can see Will’s face staring back at me, tears in her eyes and a relieved smile on her face.
Wait. Why is Will standing over me as I sleep…?
I find it hard to move my body, it being too tired, so use my eyes to look around as best I can.
I seem to be in what looks like a hospital room. My memories of my original life may be foggy, but I do know I was in hospital several times in my childhood, so am very familiar with the look of a hospital room by now.
I laying in a bed, my left arm in a, held in a sling and my right leg feels like it’s wrapped in bandages. It doesn’t feel broken, per say, but I can tell something’s wrong with it.
I can feel some kind of plaster above my right eye and I think there’s bandages around my neck too.
I’m hook up to several machines, including an IV drip that’s attached to my good arm, beeping sounds indicating my heart rate going off every second or so.
What in the world happened?
“Mel,” Will says in a half sob as the door opens and the rest of the girls pile in quickly. “I’ve been… We’ve all been so worried.”
I try to talk, but find my throat feels to dry. I can’t make my lips form the words. Plus, there seem to be a mask over my mouth. Had I been having trouble breathing or something?
Taranee stares at me for a moment and nods, putting a finger to her head. Try this way. It’ll probably be quicker for all of us anyway.
I nod… or would, if I could move my head. Man, I’m so phsycially tired.
What…? What in the world happened?
Will gives me a worried look. “You… you don’t remember?”
There’s a pause, before I remember I can’t move my head and just mentally say, No.
The girls all look to each other with worry, before Cornelia answers. “We were in Equestria. You’d been on a scouting mission, when you stumbled upon a younger hippogriff and a Changeling nymph. You found a bunch of Changelings to keep them safe, when Miranda blindsided you.”
My eyes widen.
Irma nods. “You were so tired, both from how long you’d been scouting and how long you then had to keep the Changelings away from the other two, she quickly over powered you… and then pretty much tried to kill you, I guess.”
I blink, confused, before it suddenly comes back to me. Terrimar and that young nymph!
“Don’t worry, they’re both safe,” Hay Lin says quickly. “By the time we got there, Miranda had gone and you were in really bad condition.”
“Hay Lin and I stayed behind, taking those two back to camp with Tirek,” Cornelia continues, “while Will, Irma and Taranee brought you back here to Earth… and had to make up a story fast.”
“Mom thinks you were attacked by a bunch of street thugs,” Will answers to my raised eyebrow.
“It’s been all over the news the last four days,” Hay Lin interjects. “Irma’s dad was worried it might have been the arsonists,” she does air quotations, “so spilled the beans to Irma, Taranee and Alchemy.”
My eyes widen.
What?! Alchemy?! What’s she have to do with this? And now she knows the false Witness Protection story? And four days?! I was out that long?!
“We… didn’t exactly have a lot of time to figure things out,” Taranee admits sheepishly. “We kinda had to go with the flow and work as best we could with what that gave us.”
“But that’s as far as she knows,” Will ushers me. “She’s just as oblivious to magic as the rest of the world.”
I frown, thinking, Okay. That works out, I guess.
I better be able to move my head again soon. Not even being able to nod or slightly shake my head to nonverbally answer at all is getting really old, really fast.
“Anyway,” Irma says, waving a hand in the air, “while you’ve been out of commission, we ended up taking that test.”
I cock an eyebrow. Test?
Hay Lin nods. “For the trip to Redstone, remember?”
I blink, the sigh. Huh. Guess I forgot about that. Guess I’m not going, since I couldn’t take it. So, how’d you all do?
Hay Lin squeals, pulling Taranee and Cornelia to either side of her in a one arm hug. “The three of us got in!”
I glance to Will and Irma.
“I flunked,” Irma shrugs. “Not like academics has ever been my strong suit.”
I glance at Will.
She sighs. “I was so worried about you, I could focus, so I flunked too.”
I look at her sadly.
Will immediately waves a hand. “No-no, Mel. This isn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself, okay?”
She stares intently at me for a moment, before I relent.
I frown. Wait. How well is that going to work for W.I.T.C.H.? I mean, three of you are going to be in completely different timezones.
Cornelia shakes her head. “It’s okay, Mel. We’ll work it out. For now, we’re just concerned for your recovery.”
I blink, something only just occurring to me. Wait, that reminds me. If I was in such a bad state after Miranda jumped me… how were you able to get me back to Earth alive… let alone convince everyone I was just beaten up by a bunch of thugs? No one would believe that much damaged could’ve been done by a bunch of thugs.
Taranee oddly gets a slightly annoyed look, before shaking her head. “Believe it or not, we got you at least healed enough simply by getting you to transform from human to your Guardian form again.”
I deadpan. Taranee, I not a child. I’m not going to believe I could be magically healed by something that doesn’t heal.
There’s a very long, very uncomfortable pause as the girls all look around.
My deadpan stays. You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?
Taranee sighs. “Well, no, we’re not.”
I look between her and Will. Explain. Now.
Will glances at the others and sighs. “It happened the day after we found out about the result for Redstone.”
THE DAY AFTER REDSTONE’S RESULTS
The girls we all gathered in Cornelia’s bedroom… which looked like a clothing bomb had gone off.
“Cornelia, you know clothes are meant to go in the suitcase not on the floor, right?” Irma teased as Hay Lin picked up a pink jacket.
Cornelia gave a sarcastic laugh as she took the item of clothing. “Ha, ha. Very funny.”
“Man, I wish I was going to Redstone,” Irma sighed, jumping onto Cornelia’s bed and rolling onto her back. “Even with Will and Mel staying, it’s just not going to be the same without you guys too.”
“How is Mel doing, by the way?” Taranee asked, giving Will a concerned look.
Will sighed, looking away dejectedly. “She still hasn’t woken up yet. The doctors say it’ll honestly be a miracle if she ever does.”
No one knew how to respond. The mood had definitely gotten gloomier.
“Well, once we get back from the month trip, I’m sure she’ll be away before then and we can tell her everything about Redstone,” Hay Lin tried to brighten the mood.
Taranee put a hand on Will’s shoulder, wincing and took of her glasses, putting them down on a nearby pile of books and rubbed her eyes, before glancing around and frowning. “Cornelia, you still have that issue of Fashion Flops from last month?”
The girls all looked to her in confusion.
Taranee pointed to a bookshelf above Cornelia’s desk. “That one, see? It says “Worst Fashion Flops of the Year”, right there in the bottom right corner?”
The girls all stared at her, causing Taranee to feel worried and confused.
“Taranee…” Will asked tentatively, “you can… read that? From all the way over here… without your glasses?”
Taranee blinked, before her eyes widened and she looked around as if only just seeing the room for the very first time.
“I… I don’t understand. I can see clearly, without them? How? That doesn’t even begin to make sense!”
“Wait a minute,” Hay Lin frowned, rubbing her chin. “Remember what The Oracle said, back when we were trying to figure out how to save Mel? He said transforming into Guardian form would help heal her.”
“Do you think, maybe…?” Irma looked to Taranee.
“That somehow it healed my eyesight too?” Taranee shook her head. “How? We were trying to heal Mel, not make my eyesight better.”
“Then I think we need to speak with The Oracle,” Will said, holding out the Heart of Kandrakar, “and find out what he meant back then and how it connects to this.”
She opened a Fold to Kandrakar and they all went through, it closing behind them.
The girls walked briskly through the halls of Kandrakar until they entered the Court of the Council, much to the Council’s surprise.
“Guardians?” Halinor gasped. “This is a surprise. What brings you here?”
“Taranee’s newly found eyesight,” Will said flatly, indicating to her. “Mind explaining how she went from nearsighted to being able to see perfectly just randomly?”
“And how it’s connected to how we somehow healed Mel just by transforming into our Guardian forms?” Irma added.
The Oracle smiled. “Don’t worried, it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“Nothing to be concerned about?” Taranee asked sceptically. “All of a sudden I’ve got 20/20 vision when my eyesight’s been bad since I was little. Am I supposed to just consider this normal?”
The Oracle blinked, before looking genuinely surprised. “Wait a moment. Do none of you actually know? I thought maybe you had simply forgotten, but… are you all actually unaware of the Gift of Xin Jing?”
“Wait. Xin Jing left a gift along with the Heart when she turned into a dragon?” Hay Lin asked, confused.
The Orcale looked very surprised, before frowning in thought. “I guess, with how quickly you all first encountered Cedric and you all had to prepare for facing Phobos, it must have slipped Yan Lin’s mind.”
“Hang on. What would Hay Lin know about this Gift of Xin Jing?” Will asked, very confused.
The Oracle took a deep breath. “The Gift of Xin Jing is a special power that has always flowed into the Guardians. Every time you transform, your bodies and powers become stronger, any flaws in your bodies being healed and disappearing in time.”
“Whoa! Hold on now,” Taranee’s eyes widened and she pointed to them. “Do you mean the reason I’ve been getting all these headaches is because us transforming has healed my eyes, so my glasses are actually bad for them now?”
“You couldn’t have warned us about this happened sooner, like, when we all first met the day you dropped the Vail?” Irma asked accusingly.
The Oracle shook his head. “I truly thought you were all already aware of the Xin Jing’s Gift. I suppose it was one of the details I should have checked in on when I first noticed young Taranee still wearing her glasses the day you all first came here.” He bowed. “I do apologize for not informing you all sooner.”
Taranee scowled. “With all due respect, sir, my life isn’t all about Kandrakar.” She turned to the others. “Aren’t you guys going to say anything? All of this is okay with you?”
“Well…” Will paused, looking to The Oracle. “Wait. So, Xin Jing’s Gift is what healed Mel?”
Taranee frustration faded and they all looked to The Oracle, who nodded.
“While not technically are Guardian in the same aspects as yourselves, Mel’s Heart of Shadow is currently linked to the Heart of Kandrakar, so the healing properties of Xin Jing’s Gift apply to her as well, though in a slightly smaller capacity than the others.”
“Huh? Why?” Irma scowled. “Mel’s the only reason we can still transform. Why does she get jipped on Xin Jing’s Gift?”
The Oracle closed his eyes. “Because Xin Jing Gift is split between her and Will.”
Their eyes widened.
“You have to remember, girls,” Halinor said calmly, “something like this has never happened in the history of Kandrakar. Never has another Heart been needed to maintain the link between the Heart of Kandrakar and the Aurameres. This is new territory for all of us, not just the Guardians.”
The girls all looked to each other, before Taranee let out a heavy sigh, frowning. “Well… I guess you have a point. Without this gift from Xin Jing, Mel wouldn’t have recovered enough for medical science to help her.”
NOW
I look from one girl to the other, before my eyes remain on Taranee.
So… if you don’t need glasses anymore, then how come…?
Taranee reaches up and takes off her glasses, holding them out a little closer to me. “They’re fake. I used my fire to turn them into just normal glass. Gives the illusion I still need them, without letting anyone know I suddenly have perfect eyesight.”
I glance to Will and she takes my hand. I get the feeling we’re not just going to keep transforming over and over with the sole purpose of healing me, are we?
Will gives a sad smile, shaking her head. “We will be transforming to heal you, but only in small amounts. We can’t have people questioning you having a miraculous recovery, now, can we?”
I sigh, mentally agreeing, before frowning and looking away. Also guessing I’ll be off of missions for a while, huh?
Will nods apologetically. “We’ll need you for the transformation, but then we’ll have to Fold out of here while you stay behind.”
I scowl, but sigh in agreement. Then I frown. Wait. Wouldn’t the security camera see all that? My eyes widen. Wouldn’t they have heard all of this?!
Will chuckles, shaking her head. “Doris was kind enough to play a recording on loop as soon as you woke up.” She turns to look at the small camera facing my bed. “Thanks again, Doris.”
“No problem, honey,” the camera says in a New York accent. “Private chats should always be private, ya know what I’m sayin’?”
“She’ll also make sure no one sees us transform or Fold out,” Irma gives a thumbs up. “Far as anyone else will know, they system just jumps a bit right as we left.”
I smile, though inside… I don’t feel happy.
Until I heal completely, I can’t help. I’m the reason they’re going to Equestria at all. I should be helping them.
I sigh. I guess I’m just going to have to be patient and hope I heal quickly enough to be of real use again.
“No, Mr. Brooke. I don’t want to disappoint you,” Sylla said into his cell phone. “I’m trying my best…”
“I wouldn’t call it that,” a gruff man’s voice said on the other line. “You haven’t made any progress yet! We need to know what those girls know and why that Vandom girl matches her description!”
“It’s been harder than I thought, sir,” Sylla said uncertainly. “Young Melinda’s shyness makes it much harder to get her to open up, despite my trying to act like the kind teacher. Plus, with some of them now traveling to Redstone, those girls will be separated, meaning things have become much more complicated. I can’t keep watch on them in two places at once.”
“Oh, come on!” the man on the other end shouted, causing Sylla to quickly move the phone away from his ear. “Besides, I’ve found a solution to that problem. You’ll simply travel to Redstone with them. We want information, evidence, something that can explain it all! Am I making myself clear?”
“I wish you could’ve been here to see us off in person, Mel,” Hay Lin says, her face turning to look at me from the screen.
It’s been two weeks since I woke up in the hospital after taking a massive beating from Miranda in the alternate Equestria.
Thanks to the Gif of Xin Jing, my recovery has gone better than the doctors have expected, though we’ve had to limit the aid we can send to the alternate Equestria because of it.
While before, we’d been going whenever we could, trips there are now only when needed, if we get a call for help.
I’d lent my purple journal to Zecora so she can contact my timeline’s Twilight to then contact us through another of my journals (usually Blue Blood’s) to let us know when the Guardians were most needed.
This has meant my recovery has been better than anyone outside the know on magic could’ve reasonably expected in the realms of scientific medicine, but not so fast that people get suspicious.
My arm is no longer broken, but still not healed either. My eyesight in my right eye is back, but not completely. I can walk on my right leg again, but only with the aid of a crutch.
I’m being discharged tomorrow, but, since the girls are leaving for Redstone today, I can’t go with them.
I smile at the screen and shake my head. “I know, Hay Lin, but, doctor’s orders.”
“I’d be there too, otherwise,” Alchemy says from my right.
Aunt Sue had managed to arrange for me to borrow one of the hospital’s laptops and Taranee had set up a temporary live feed from a camera Will’s holding.
Alchemy chose to stay with me so I wouldn’t feel so alone while the others get to see the girls off.
Apparently there was a slight debacle with Uriah and his group stealing the girls’ tickets, since the three of them flunked the test for obvious reasons, but, with a little subtle use of their powers, Will and the girls had sorted it out, even clearing up Will’s name after the school’s janitor had mistook part of a conversation she’d been having to mean she’d stolen the tickets... which made no sense, if you stop and think about it, but, whatever. Adults are idiots sometimes.
“I’m here!”Corenlia calls, approaching the girls from behind Hay Lin and Taranee, Will turning the camera in time for me to see. “I had to explain to the plane staff why four suitcases is not too much.”
I roll my eyes along with the others.
“Be careful,” Irma says, looking to the girls. “Don’t get getting into trouble.”
“How can we?” Cornelia asks. “You’re staying home.”
We all have a good laugh.
“Flight 295, for Redstone, is now boarding from gate five,” a PA system in the airport calls out. “Repeat: Flight 295, for Redstone, is now boarding from gate five.”
Irma sighs, before winking to the girls. “Good luck.”
“Hey, no sad faces,” Taranee puts a hand on her back. “It’s only for a few weeks. We’ll all be back together in no time.”
The girls all move into a group hug and I can’t help looking away, or the sad feelings inside.
I’m caught off guard when I’m pulled into a hug, before closing my eyes and leaning into it.
We watch as the girls board the plane, then as it moves to the runway and flies off.
After the plane is a good distance, I lean over with my good arm and turn off the computer.
“Tell the hospital staff thanks?” I ask Alchemy, closing the laptop and passing it over to her and trying to smile.
She nods, though I can tell from her eyes she knows I’m not as happy as I’m letting on.
As she leaves the room to find someone to give the laptop to and lean back in bed, looking up at the ceiling.
A squeak from my side makes me glance down as Mr. Huggles scurries up to my waist and nuzzles me.
Lilian had insisted he guard me while I’m in the hospital, in case Miranda tried anything while I’m still recovering.
You’d think it would’ve been more difficult to convince the hospital staff but, thanks to her powers, Irma was able to convince them that keeping Huggles in my room was fine.
I scratch the little door mouse behind the ear, before returning my gaze to the ceiling.
I’m likely not going to be fully recovered until after the girls get back from Redstone, even with occasional transformations to have Xin Jin’s Gift heal me better.
I walk alongside Will and Irma as we make our way into school, myself slower due to needing the crutch to walk.
“What’s with the stick? You getting old already?”
I cry out in alarm as I suddenly feel the crutch yanked out of my grip and fall forward, hissing in pain as I land on my bad arm and the sudden extra pressure put on my leg.
“Uriah, what the hell is wrong with you!”
I’m helped up by Irma in time to see Will almost slug Uriah in the face, only being stopped by Matt rushing in and grabbing her wrist.
Uriah, for his part, is looking both annoyed, confused and shocked. Was he expecting a different reaction from someone seeing another close to them being injured because an idiot took their leg support away?
Once Matt’s calmed Will down, he yanks my crutch out of Uriah’s hands, giving it to Will, who hurries over and she and Irma help me stand properly, while Matt glares at the school bully.
“Are you out of your mind?! Mel’s still recovering from the attack on her and you think it’s funny to make her fall on her still healing injures? Are you trying to make things worse or what?!”
He continues to lay into the idiot and he pals, so much so Principal Knickerbocker comes out to understand what’s going on.
Understandably, once Matt, Will, Irma and several bystanders explain, Uriah and his group are given four days afterschool detention.
Aside from adapting to my new means of getting around, things aren’t too different in school.
Granted, kids do keep talking about me from time to time, but, considering the news said I was attacked, I can’t say I’m all that surprised.
Learning from the news that a student in your school was randomly attacked to the point they had to go to hospital isn’t exactly something you just ignore and act like never happened.
Will, Irma, Matt and Alchemy do their best to keep my spirits up, though only three of them know the real reason my mood is so low.
After school, those of us with powers meet up and have a video chat with the girls in Redstone.
They’re enjoying it, for the most part.
Cornelia lost her luggage in transit, so she’s been wearing stuff from Irma and Hay Lin.
The amounts of sports they have to do also has been a bit of an adjustment, though they’re doing their best.
They’re up a bit early to talk to us, since the time zones are different and the girls have to head off for classes soon, so we don’t talk for too long.
However, just as Irma is about to leave, we hear a buzzing sound from mine and Will’s room.
It’s Blue Blood’s journal.
Apparently there’s a Changeling attack happening and Zecora’s calling the Guardians for help.
Will and Irma use the Heart of Kandrakar to teleport to Redstone to get the girls, coming back a bit later than I expected, them explaining Will and Irma accidently appeared in Knickerbocker’s bedroom, nearly waking her.
Will nods to me and we say, “Guardians, unite!”
We all transform, myself feeling a little better, before Will changes me back.
She opens a Fold and the five of them leave through it, myself making up a story with Aunt Sue about Will going to study and Irma’s place and planning to spend the night there, keeping my fingers crossed she doesn’t call Irma’s dad to ask about it before the group get back and Irma can cover my lie.
“What is the point of all this?!” the yellow Earth Pony mare begged as a pair of Changelings dumped her on the ground in front of the open cavern.
Queen Chrysalis just glared down at the pony. “Because I want that shovel and, for whatever reason, only you worthless ponies seem able to retrieve it!”
The mare looked at the Changeling Queen in fear, before slowly getting up and going inside, her wishing she could call the stallion depicted on the wall for help and silently apologizing for taking his shovel as she wrapped her mouth around the handle and took the shovel out, a Changeling snatching it from her.
“I don’t know why our ally has lost interest so suddenly in these after seeming so eager to take them before,” Chrysalis looked over the worth shovel. “But, if the ponies see them as important enough to hide them from all but other ponies, the magic they must hold must be quite powerful.”
She gave a cruel laugh.
“Once I have all the artefacts on her list, I shall figure out how to unlock the magic within them. Who knows? The power they give me may be enough for me to defeat the Guardians myself.”
She cackled maniacally as the pony was dragged off by her Changelings, pleading to be let go.
“I still don’t understand why the Changelings are acting the way they are. Their movements aren’t making any sense anymore,” Will says.
I lift my head slight and glance towards her, before looking dejectedly at the wall in front of me.
It’s been three weeks since I got out of the hospital. In that time, things have been… weird.
For reasons that none of us understand, shortly after I got out of the hospital, the movements of the Changelings in the alternate Equestria had dramatically changed.
At first, it went unnoticed. Zecora would contact Twilight through the journal, who would then contact me, we’d Guardian Up and I’d stay behind due to my still recovering injuries while the rest went into Equestria to fight off the latest attack.
However, after the fourth time, the girls had noticed something off.
The Changelings fought back, yes… but it was almost like they weren’t actually trying to fight back most of the time.
It instantly reminded me of how Miranda had those Changelings hold me up just so she could get to me when I was weak enough… but this feels different.
It’s similar, but… not.
They drag on the battle, but never seem to actually be trying to win.
In fact, one time they almost did due to Cornelia getting distracted an accidentally trapping the others in extremely thick mud.
But, instead of pressing the advantage it gave them and attack, the Changelings had waited for the Guardians to free themselves before resuming the fight.
The only times they genuinely seemed to try and beat the girls happened twice, once in Somnambula and the other time in an Asian like area of Equestria.
Literally every other time they fought as if they were merely trying to keep the Guardians fighting.
Only those two times did they seem like they actually wanted to win.
We’re currently sitting in Irma’s bedroom, going over it with the girls via video call.
Of course, confused as I am about it, I also feel horrible. The girls are trying their hardest and here I am, staying in Heatherfield all the time, my only contribution helping Will transform everyone.
Aside from that, I’m just deadweight.
If I were able to go with them, maybe I could be of some use and we could figure out the odd plan Queen Cheese Legs is using, but, since I’m not getting firsthand experience, I have no idea what’s going on.
Grabbing my crutch, I get up and head for the door.
“Mel?” Will asks and I look back at them.
“Not like I’m going to be any help, right? Unless you get called back, I’m practically useless—”
My backpack, which was left on Irma’s bed, starts vibrating.
“That would be a call for help, I’d assume,” Will’s phone says, before his tone becomes firm. “But be back soon, Will. If your mother calls because you’re late getting home, I’m not covering for you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it, Ed,” Will groans, before looking to the screen. “Get ready, girls.”
She teletransports away, before returning with the others.
We transform and then I do back, the girls heading through a fold, leaving me alone in the room.
I pick up Ed and call Aunt Sue.
“Will?” she asks on the other end.
“No, Aunt Sue,” I say, trying to keep my tone positive. “Will’s studying at Irma’s tonight again.”
“I’m glad those two are both taking their studies more seriously after failing the test for Redstone and I know it’s a Friday,” she says as I make my way down the hall and the stairs of Irma’s house. “But, this is the fifth time she’s done so without warning.”
“What can I say?” I reply. “Redstone brought a lot of changes.”
I hang up, Ed chastising me for using him to lie, but I ignore him, putting him in my pocket as I say goodbye to Irma’s parents on the way out, saying the girls are studying in Irma’s room and that they asked not to be disturbed.
I make my way down the street, my mind on the alternate Equestria, the Guardians, the Heart of Shadow… and how useless I truly am.
“Mel!” I glance up to see Alchemy coming towards me, a bag over her back.
I give the best smile I can manage.
“Mind if I come over to your place and study for a bit?” she asks, putting her hands together in a pleading manner. “This history assignment is killing me and you’re so good at history.”
I nod, my smile becoming a little more genuine. “Sure.”
Having Earth’s history from my past life certainly does make it easier for me here, since this world is almost identical to my old one.
We get home and we spend two hours in mine and Will’s room, myself helping Alchemy whenever she’s faltering.
“I’m glad you’re smiling again, Mel,” she says suddenly after we’ve gone over how messed up Emperor Caligula was, even having someone dig up Alexander the Great’s grave just so he could wear his Armor.
The change in subject is so abrupt, I’m taken aback completely.
“I… um… what?” is all I’m feebly able to get out.
Alchemy gives me a concerned look. “Well, ever since you got out of the hospital you’ve been, well, distant, I guess. You still act like you, but… I can tell you’re hurting. I… I can’t pretend I know exactly what it is, but, something’s been on your mind ever since and it’s making you unhappy.”
Now, I could point about an obvious thing to her.
Since the cover story for my injuries to everyone in our inner circle in the fictional arsonists came after me, I could say it simply reminded me of the bad things in my life… but I know Alchemy.
She’s fully aware of the cover story, so wouldn’t say that without keeping that in mind, so… she’s seeing something else.
“I just… feel useless, Alchemy,” I find myself saying without thinking.
Her eyes widen. “What?”
I shift from out positions cross-legged on the bed so my legs are hanging over it.
“I’m no good to anyone. I can’t find out answers, I can’t give help when others need it. I’m just a stand in for a prop to keep others up, nothing else.” I give a cold laugh. “I’m not even supposed to be here. I’m not even Will’s real family. I’m just a worthless leech, syphoning from her family and friends and giving noting in return.”
“Mel,” Alchemy moves to sit next to me, a hand on my shoulder. “That’s not true at all. You may not be Will’s cousin by blood, or really her cousin, but I’ve seen the two of you together. You care about each other as if you are family. You worry about her when something goes wrong and her you.”
“Alchemy,” Aunt Sue calls from the kitchen. “You’re mother just called. She wants you to go home and help with dinner.”
Alchemy looks shocked, then torn. “I… I did promise mom I’d help cook dinner tonight, but…”
I shake my head, looking away. “It’s fine, Alchemy. You can go. I don’t want your mum angry at your for being late.”
“Mel…” Alchemy bites her lips, before sighing and gets up, packs up her stuff, hugs me goodbye and leaves.
“Speaking of dinner,” Aunt Sue calls, “what do you feel like, Mel?”
I get my crutch and move to the door. “Not hungry, Aunt Sue. I’m going to bed.”
“Oh, um… okay,” she calls back, sounding a bit worried. “Um, goodnight, Mel.”
I close the door, glad she can’t see the tears moving down my cheeks.
Grunting, I thrust my hand with the Mage’s Ring forward, opening a fold to Equestria and stumble through.
I need to get away from all this.
What point is there for me if this is all I’m good for?
As I pass through the plains of reality into Equestria… I’m met with a sight that does not make sense to me at all.
I’d meant to find Twilight… but I’m standing in a forested area, the dark sky suggesting it’s night in Equestria too... though something about that isn’t right in my head.
Twilight and the others, including Starlight and Sunburst, are standing by something in front of me that kinda resembles Stone Hedge and is ringing a bell in my head.
But they’re not alone.
Six other ponies are with them… three of whom I recognize immediately, but, in doing so, my brain threatens to shutdown in protest to the severe disregard to reality what I’m seeing would imply.
One of them is a tall, buff Earth Pony stallion, dressed like a Viking.
The second is an orange Pegasus mare dressed like an Egyptian.
The third one is really doing my head in, though.
He’s a grey stallion with a long beard, wearing a blue cloak with stars emblazoned on them and a hat with bells on them.
How in the flying fuck are Somnambula, Rockhoof and freaking Starswirl the Bearded standing right in front of me?! Shouldn’t they have died, like, over a thousand years ago?
However, that’s as far as I’m able to process before, lightning strikes flash across the sky, dark clouds forming as a smoky essence begins swirling around the centre of the Equestria Stonehenge, expanding and shifting, taking on the form of a large black Alicorn, one I recognize immediately and me blood goes cold. The Pony of Shadows.
How? He is here? Did he find a way to fold from the dead Equestria into ours?
Fuck, did I lead him here somehow?
Just another reason I’m so useless.
The Pony of Shadow fully forms, laughing evilly.
I can see Twilight’s face fall. “Oh, no!”
The Pony of Shadows laughs, looking down in amusement at the gathered ponies and dragon. “Your pitiful attempt to imprison me has failed, Star Swirl!”
Star Swirl tries to cast a spell, but his magic fizzles out. He looks to Twilight. “You must return us to limbo. It’s the only way to stop him.”
Wait, limbo. What did I miss?
Twilight shakes her head, her expression frantic. “I only figured out how to bring you back.”
Wait, again, what? Bring them back? Twilight somehow figured out Starswirl, and it seems Rockhoof, Somnamubla and the other three ponies, were in limbo and she figured out how to get them out of there too?
“Working on it!” Sunburst calls, his expression mirroring that of the purple Alicorn as his magic frantically flicks through the pages of a book with Star Swirl’s Cutie Mark on it. “No table of contents!”
“Allow me to assist,” the Pony of Shadows jeers, tendrils lashing out from him, piercing through the book and the stones of the Equestria Stonehenge.
Lifting them up, he thrust them all down, smashing the rocks to pieces.
“There!” he yells in triumph. “Without the power of Ponhenge, your banishing spell is useless!”
Despite everything, I deadpan.
Ponhedge? Seriously?
Star Swirl turns, looking at Twilight with narrowed eyes… nopony apparently having notice me yet. “You have studied my writings. Surely you have some other plan.”
Twilight shakes her head. “No. I just wanted to save you. I didn’t think—”
“Don’t fret,” the Pony of Shadows interrupts her. “When I extinguish the light and hope of this miserable world, you won’t remember any of this.”
His black horn glows and a beam of pure dark energy burst forth, surging towards the crowd.
“No!” Twilight cries, jumping in front of the stallion and firing a blast of magic herself, it pushing back against the The Pony of Shadow’s, making him growl.
“This one is almost as” The Pony of Shadows winces, “strong as you, Starswirl. But,” his horn glows with a powerful spell, “even in my weakened state, she cannot stop the… might of… Shadows?”
He trails off, seeming confused, before my eyes widen as he turns towards me and I realize, in my confusion, my senses were being thrown off.
Now… oh, crap.
The others follow his gaze, Twilight’s eyes widening upon seeing me.
“Fascinating,” The Pony of Shadows says, staring intently at me. “I know not what creature you are… but I sense the power within you.” He licks his lips. “You have the Heart of a world inside you.”
The others quickly gather around Twilight and he glances at them, blinking in surprise, before sneering. “Two Hearts? This is quite the intriguing circumstance now, isn’t it?”
Starswirl looks to Twilight, both shocked and frustrated. “You’re the bearer of our world’s Heart?”
“This changes many things, it would seem,” The Pony of Shadows chuckled. “Taking the Heart of Equestria would certainly make my task easier… though taking her Heart now could prove troublesome, at least in my weakened state. Yours, on the otherhoof…”
Before I can open a fold to try and get away, The Pony of Shadows turns into a wall of shadow and lunges at me, my vision going black.
The ponies and dragon cried out in alarm as The Pony of Shadows turned into a wall of shadow and lunged towards Mel, who couldn’t move quickly enough to get out of the way and was engulfed in the mass of shadow.
As she was, however, a cry came from where The Pony of Shadows had been standing, in the centre of Ponhendge.
To the shock of Twilight and her friends, as the shadow consumed Mel, a pony was seemingly released from within it, collapsing to the ground.
It was an Earth Pony.
However, that was all they took notice of as a scream from Mel drew their attention back to her.
The mass of shadow was whirling and writhing where she had been, it laughing coldly.
A Heart ofShadow? The Pony of Shadows cheered. Oh, this was meant to be. Once I have control of your form, creature, this Heart will grant me the power of… of… Wait. What’s going on?
His tone had suddenly changed.
Whereas a moment ago it was mocking and cruel… now it had hints of confusion and worry.
No. No, this can’t be possible! The Pony of Shadows cried, the mass of shadow moving away, seeming to try escape Mel?
The girl, for her part, was standing, her fists clenched, her expression firm.
“Bit off more than you could chew there, huh, The Pony of Shadows?” she growled, raising an open hand and grunting.
Now, they all could see what was happening.
Whereas the shadows had at first lunged and Mel and tried to consume her, now they were trying to pull away, it evident they were being sucked towards her.
“Shadow isn’t all evil, The Pony of Shadows,” she growled as The Pony of Shadows tried desperately to pull away as more of his form was sucked towards the intimidating humanoid. “My Shadow is balance and now, I’m going to bring balance.”
NOOOOoooo! The Pony of Shadows screamed as he was sucked towards the girls’ hands, slipping away like water down a sink.
There was a flash of white light and Mel slump to the ground, wincing and dropping to one side instead of just onto her knees.
“Mel!” the ponies and dragon cried, rushing towards her, leaving Starswirl and the other five with him to look on in confusion.
“Were those her injuries she talked about in the journals?”
“Sugarcube, are you okay?”
I open my eyes to see nine pairs of eyes in a circle around me, all worried.
Applejack helps me right myself in my sitting position.
“What… What just happened?” I look around at them. “I remember The Pony of Shadows lunging at me, but… it’s kinda hazy after that.”
“You somehow absorbed that demon into yourself without it taking over,” the voice of… Detective Yagami from Death Note says?
The girls part a bit to reveal Starswirl walking towards us, the other five moving towards the remains of Ponhendge… to tend to another pony? Where’d he come from?
My attention is drawn back to Starswirl as he eyes me over.
“Strange,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “You possess a Heart… that is similar to the one in this Alicorn. Where did you get it?”
“First… can somepony tell me what just happened?” I ask, looking around, before glancing down at my leg and arm. “And, is it just me, or do my arm and leg feel a little better?”
“I’m only guessing at this point,” Sunburst says slowly, “but, I think, because your Heart is the Heart of Shadow, Mel, it overpowered the Shadow magic of The Pony of Shadow and purified it.”
Starswirl’s eyes narrow, his horn alighting. “The Heart of Shadow?”
“Mel’s good!” Spike says hurriedly, standing in front of me. “She got her heart from a dying Equestria that was already being ruled by The Pony of Shadows. That world gave her its heart because of how good a being she is.”
“A… dying Equestria?” Starswirl looks confused for a moment, before his eyes widen. “Are you from another world?”
“The humanoid form wasn’t the first giveaway?” Starlight deadpans.
“I… I still don’t understand what just happened… or why The Pony of Shadows was here,” I say, looking around at everyone.
“I do,” an additional, unknown, yet familiar voice says suddenly and I feel myself being yanked backwards, the screams of the others fading away as I realize I’m being pulled through a fold.
Before I really know what’s going on, I stumble backwards, my vision of behind me upside-down… and completely breaking my brain in the process.
The Pony of Shadows is fighting around the remains of Ponhendge… but, his not fighting ponies... nor is he a pony.
My brain struggles to understand what I’m seeing at all.
Best I can figure out, as I can’t get quite a good look with how much they keep moving around, there’s an anthro version of Twilight, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, Somnambula and a human girl fighting it, the for mentioned ponies flying around, Twilight and Starlight blasting The Pony of Shadows with magic lasers, Dash and Somnambula distracting him and the human girl swinging around on ropes and aiming kick and punching whenever she can land a hit, it seeming to either slightly hurt The Pony of Shadows or simply annoy him.
The Pony of Shadows is anthro too, towering over the land like a freaking giant.
However, looking at the girl makes my brain go on strike more than the confusion of The Pony of Shadows, Twilight and the others being anthro now.
I recognize that girl. I’ve only seen her in one thing, but I’d recognize her instantly.
She has black hair and is wearing some kind of school uniform that consists of a white shirt under a black top with no shoulders, a black skirt, black socks and black buckle shoes.
“I’m… Peni Parker?!” I cry out, my eyes wide. “The fuck?!”
Peni seems distracted by my voice, glancing around, getting knocked aside by a surprise shadow tendril.
“That’s your cue,” the voice I heard earlier says cheerily and, without warning, I feel something long and scaly wrap around my waist, before I’m hurled towards The Pony of Shadows.
He turns his head towards me right before I find myself slamming into and through him, halting inside the shadowy mass.
“What in the world?” his voice cries out from all around me, before I hear him screaming.
At the same time, I feel a rush of energy flowing into me.
It takes a second for me to realize what’s going on. I’m absorbing The Pony of Shadows again.
But… how? What’s going on?
I feel myself getting stronger as The Pony of Shadows’ screams become more and more frantic.
Before I know it, I’m falling through the air, my body tingling even more than a few minutes ago when I first absorbed The Pony of Shadows.
“And that should do it,” the voice says again and I my eyes move down in time to see a Fold in front of me and fall through, slamming face first into hard concrete.
“What… the actual… fuck?” I grunt, pushing myself up with my good arm and looking around in confusion.
I’m… in Sheffield Park.
What the hell is going on around here?
“Two Ponies of Shadows purified and you weren’t even trying,” the voice from before says behind me. “Nice job. I’ll call when we need you to take care of ours, Melinda.”
I whirl around in my sitting positon as best I can in time to catch the silhouette of someone walking through a fold, waving.
“Say hi to Will and the girls for me when you next see them?” they call out as the fold closes, not giving me time to see their face.
I just sit there, staring at where the fold had closed.
Shadow Guardian, The Oracle’s voice would make me jump if I wasn’t flat on my ass. Meridian is in danger and the other Guardians cannot get there in time. Fold there yourself at once.
I just stare ahead, my brain not quite processing what I just heard.
Shadow Guardian? The Oracle’s voice asks.
I blink, shaking my head, before frowning up at the sky. “Um, could you repeat that? I clearly must’ve misheard you, Oracle.”
No, you heard correct, he replies casually. Meridian needs help and you must go in your fellow Guardians’ stead.
I just stare, open mouth.
“Um, what?” I cock my head. “Unless it escaped your notice, Oracle, not only am I the weakest of The Guardians, but I’m still recovering from my injuries? What aid could I, in my state, possibly give to Meridian? Plus, I highly doubt Elyon needs my help.”
Instead of an answer, a fold opens up right in front of me and Halinor steps through it.
She blinks in surprise at my being sprawled out on the ground, before sighing and offer me a hand.
I take it with my good hand and she helps me pick up my crutch.
Sure, my leg has been feeling far better than it did before I encountered The Pony of Shadows twice, but I’m not taking chances of messing my leg up more.
Halinor helps me through the fold and into the chamber of Kandrakar, where the Council is waiting.
“Mind explaining why you’re so insistent I help out when I’m clearly no help to anyone right now?” I ask The Oracle once I’ve got my footing after Halinor lets me go.
“Things are happening quickly, so it must be fast,” The Oracle opens an energy window. “A threat has come to Meridian from Equestria. One the Guardians are not able to deal with now, but you seem able.”
Before I can actually ask what he even means by that, the window reveals Meridian… and my jaw drops.
It’s like I’m watching the scene from J is for Jewel, only at night and with Sandpit, Gargoyle and Rathor fighting alongside Caleb and the castle guards… only what they’re facing is not Phobos and his monsters.
It’s… it’s The Pony of Shadows!
What? But, how? I beat him by absorbing him, didn’t I? Sure, it happened twice, but…
“The Guardians had come across the queen of Changelings,” The Oracle says quickly. “It would seem the strange tactics she was using was to distract The Guardians from noticing her acquiring items from throughout the land.”
“When she brought them to a location of power, a group of ponies were freed from limbo,” Halinor says… making my gut drop.
“That location wouldn’t happen to have been called Ponhendge, by chance, would it?” I ask, knowing hoping I’m wrong is pointless, but hoping none the less.
The Oracle nods. “And, along with them, a being called The Pony of Shadows was also released. However, as soon as he was, Miranda appeared and opened a Fold, The Pony of Shadows disappearing through it…”
“And appearing in Meridian,” I groan.
Great. Just great. I deal with The Pony of Shadows twice and now one from a completely different Equestria is now running loose on Meridian?
I blink.
Wait a minute. From another Equestria?
That might explain the second The Pony of Shadows. I was so confused why the ponies had become anthro and how The Pony of Shadows had come back so quickly after I’d somehow absorb him.
So, whoever that was that I saw passing into that Fold on Earth had sent me to another version of Equestria (one apparently not created by Starlight’s meddling with time travel), before bringing me back to Earth?
Why?
Wait. No. time to worry about that later.
“But… that still begs the question how I’m supposed to get to Meridian to stop this version of The Pony of Shadows?” I point out, looking around at the council. “I still need this crutch just to get around right now and, with one arm out too, I’m not exactly able to fight. My beating those other two Ponies of Shadows was just dumb luck.”
The Oracle nods, glancing around at the council, who nod back and gather around me in a circle.
“Um…?” I feel very confused.
“We will all grant you a fraction of our life energy,” The Oracle says as they each start glowing. “It will not be much, but it should allow to you fight for at least half an hour without damaging your injuries further.”
I can’t help cocking an eyebrow. “You’re not just outright healing me?”
Halinor answers. “We do not have that kind of power. All we can do is provide you a temporary reprieve from normal physical limits.”
“Not that it’s much of one,” I point out. “Half an hour? You honestly expect me to be able to beat The Pony of Shadows, untransformed and without the other Guardians, in just half an hour?”
“I’m afraid it is the best we can manage at this current time,” The Oracle shakes his head. “And, once you’re done in Meridian, you must get back to Equestria. Your fellow Guardians are in need of your help as well.”
Wait, what?
Suddenly, any other thought is wiped from my mind as my body feels like I’m being charged by a billion bug zappers.
Once it stops, I blink as I realize my arm and leg are feeling perfectly fine. In fact, I actually feel better than I have since the Heart of Shadow linked with the Heart of Kandrakar.
“No time to delay,” The Oracle says, sounding slightly winded, pointing to the window of Meridian.
I frown, but nod, running forward as The Oracle opens a Fold over the window.
The moment I pass through, I have to drop to the ground as a castle knight almost collides with me.
Pressing myself back up, I realize The Pony of Shadows seems bigger than he was in the other two Equestrias.
The night must be giving him more power.
I blink as I notice a flash of light slam into his head, causing him to twitch, before yellow in rage, shadow energy firing from his horn and colliding with something with a light shield.
Whatever he’s hitting with his magic soaring in my direction, landing a few feet away.
I hurry over and realize it’s Elyon. She’s covered in scuff marks, meaning, while not injured, she’s clearly taken a few hits.
Upon seeing me, she snarls. “I won’t let you get away with this, Miranda!”
I pause. Huh?
She quickly pushes herself up, her hands glowing with light.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I say frantically. “Mel! Mel! I’m Mel!”
Either she doesn’t hear me or believe me, because she fires, the magical blast hitting me before I can react and I’m sent soaring backwards, colliding with a number of guards who were clearly regrouping to return to the attack.
I struggle out of the tangle of guards, only to feel my gut drop as Elyon hovers in the air over me, her face promising pain.
Before she can, however, a web latches onto her shoulder and she barely has time to go “Huh?” before she’s yanked to the right and slammed to the ground.
Looking around quickly, I see Miranda in her monster form walking towards Elyon, now covered in several globs of web.
Glancing up at the sky, I bite my lip. If only the moon was out, there’d be more light to cast more shadows.
“Miranda!” I yell as I haphazardly make my way down from the pile of guards and rush towards her.
She pauses, turning around, a look a genuine shock and confusion on her four eyed face. “What? How’re you —?”
I don’t let her finish that as I leap into the air and kick her in the face, the impact having more power in it than even I was expecting, as she slightly stumbles, grunting in pain.
I thankfully have enough mind to use the force of the pushback from her reaction to push myself off, landing a little away from her.
Miranda cringes, before snarling. “How are you here? You shouldn’t even be able to move! I destroyed your body beyond mortal recovery! You should be a cripple!”
I blink, before inwardly smirking. She doesn’t know? Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.
“The Guardians have a few tricks your master was obviously too stupid to know,” I sneer. “And, as a temporary Guardian myself, I get to use those tricks as well.”
I need to buy time. I don’t have long, so I need to make every second count.
Miranda snarls. “Fine! I’ll just beat you to an inch of death this time, then! Even whatever Guardians tricks you have won’t save you from—RAH!”
Her monologue is cut off by her scream of pain as she’d blasted by a ray of light.
Elyon was able to free herself while I kept Miranda talking.
The Meridian Queen looks to me and nods, curtly. “Thank you.”
I nod back. “We’re not done yet.”
A hissing makes us turn our attention to Miranda, who’s looking between the two of us, her eyes wide with rage.
“Damnit! This wasn’t part of the plan!” She shifts back to human form, putting a hand on her chest and I notice a flicker of light under her shirt. “Seems this plan was a flop Still, at least The Pony of Shadows will finally end your kingdom, Queen Elyon.”
My eyes widen as she thrusts a hand in front of her, opening a Fold.
“No!” Eylon and I both yell, rushing forward, but she goes through the Fold, it closing before we can get to her.
“Damnit!” I snarls, before turning my attention to The Pony of Shadows.
All the while Elyon and I were dealing with Miranda, he’s had no resistance aside from the guards, Rathor, Sandpit and Gargoyle and, clearly, they’re no match for him.
“How are we supposed to beat this shadow creature?” Elyon bites her bottom lip. “My power seems to only harm him a little. How do we beat him?”
I blink, remembering what The Oracle said and look down at my hands, before looking to Elyon. “Get me close to him.”
She glances at me, eyeing me suspiciously. “Listen… Melinda. I… I know you’re not Miranda and I shouldn’t hold you being identical to her against you, but…”
I nod. “I get it. It’s hard not to look at me and see her.” I put a hand to my chest. “But, I promise you, Queen Elyon, by the power of Kandrakar, I only want to help.”
Elyon looks away, unsure.
“Please, Elyon,” I beg, firming my tone, “I only have about twenty-five minutes before the boost of energy the council gave me wears off. Once it does, I’ll be no help at all. You need to trust me.”
She looks from me to The Pony of Shadows as he laughs, tossing around those fighting against him as he hovers of the castle.
After a moment, she says, before nodding. “Okay. What do we do?”
I smiel, before turning to glare at The Pony of Shadows. “Since Will’s not here, I can’t transform. So, I need you to levitate me up there. I’m not sure how it’ll work, but, I should be able to absorb The Pony of Shadows’ power, freeing the host and stopping this.”
Elyon’s eyes widen in horror. “Host? You mean, there’s someone inside that… thing?”
I nod, my expression becoming grim. “I dealt with a version of him from another Equestria. Soon as The Pony of Shadows was beaten, a pony was revealed, unconscious. I’m sure it’s no different here.”
Eylon looks like she wants to question part of what I said, but nods and holds an open hand towards me.
At once, my body tingles as a white aura glows around me.
I look to Elyon and we both nod, before we levitate into air and rush towards The Pony of Shadows.
As we near him, the shadowy head turns in our direction, sneering. “Coming back for another round, little light? And…” he frowns as he sees me, before smiling. “Oh. You must be the double of that lovely girl who led me to this world.”
I glare. “Elyon, throw me, now!”
My body is thrust forward and I’m moving like a girl-sized bullet towards the shadow being.
He blinks, before his eyes widen in alarm and—
I’m barely able to react in time to maneuverer myself so my feet land on the large chunk of a castle tower The Pony of Shadows grabbed and threw at me.
I quickly crawl along it as best I can, leaping up as the tower starts feeling the effects of gravity again.
“Elyon, now!” I yell.
At once, the night is lit by a powerful light.
The Pony of Shadows growls, clearly taken aback.
I pay it no mind though.
Focusing hard, I feel out the shadows around me and, reaching out to them, use the shadows of another tower to stretch out and grab the falling one, swinging it around and tossing it back towards me.
I land as it passes by horizontally, riding it like a surfboard.
As Elyon’s light fades, my tower slams into The Pony of Shadows, making him growl in pain and I fall down, latching onto him.
“What?” he yells, glaring down at me.
I blink, my face blanching.
Crap. I don’t actually know how I absorbed the other two Ponies of Shadows.
I was so focused on getting to him before my time limit ran out, I completely forgot I need to know how to absorb his power in order to do that.
“Get off me!” The Pony of Shadows yells… with fear.
Suddenly, I feel like I’m in a rodeo as The Pony of Shadows starts jumps around, tossing this way and that, trying to dislodge me from his chest.
After what feels like at least three minutes of the bucking around, The Pony of Shadows stops, crying out in frustration.
Glancing around, I see Elyon is in the air again, firing a beam of light at The Pony of Shadows.
Said being snarls, firing a blast of shadow magic towards the girl.
She moves out of the way and fires another beam at him, causing him to stumble.
I use his being distracted by Elyon and focus, thinking about absorbing his shadows, trying to remember that feeling I had the other two times… but, I hadn’t really been paying attention back then, so I can’t really remember.
The first time, The Pony of Shadows had tried to possess my body. The second time… I somehow ended up inside of The Pony of Shadows.
So how did I…?
I glance over my shoulder as Elyon avoids another blast of shadow magic… and my eyes widen.
Okay. This is just a gamble right now, but we don’t really have many options here, do we?
I glance down and see Sandpit reforming near The Pony of Shadows’ hooves.
“Sandpit!” I yell, jumping down, the living sand being glancing up and seeming confused for a moment.
I land in front of him and point at Elyon.
“Soon as The Pony of Shadows is about to fire another blast of magic, I need you to get me in its path. I think I know how to end this.”
Sandpit clearly seems skeptical, but nods and forms a disc underneath me and quickly rushes up.
Focusing, I aim my hands down and, just as Sandpit tosses me into the air, I fire a shadow blast from both hands, propelling me that extra bit forward.
As the shadow blast from The Pony of Shadows soars towards Elyon, I reach her, shoving her aside.
I’ve just enough time to see the look of shock and horror pass over The Pony of Shadows’ face as it dawns on him what is about to happen.
The blast makes contact with me, but, instead of feeling pain or being thrown back, at once the energy starting seeping into me and I feel like I’m drinking in the shadows like a smoothie, only through my chest instead of my mouth.
“No!” he yells, his voice carrying out across the night. “No, you can’t! You can’t!”
“Oh, yes, I can!” I grin, thinking of drinking more.
It seems to work.
Not only is The Pony of Shadows’ magic moving faster into me, his form is starting to warp, reminding me of the scene from Jumanji as Alan Parish was starting to get sucked into the game.
“No! I’ve come so far! I’ve found a world where no being could stop me!” he cries as he’s pulled further and further into me. “NOOOOoooo!”
The last fragment of shadow is sucked into my body and I feel a huge rush of power coursing through my me.
Opening my eyes, I glance down to see Elyon rushing towards the ground.
It takes a moment for my brain to catch up, before I realize what she’s heading towards.
…
It’s also at this moment I realize I’m currently in the air… with no support to keep me up.
I don’t panic as gravity reasserts its dominance over me, though, as I hold a hand out to a nearby wall and a shadow-like web flies from my hand, latching onto the edge of a branch near the wall.
I swing towards it, using the momentum to move my body into a position so my feet hit the wall and I press off, Sandpit catching me and pulling me up to the castle wall, where Elyon is land, a unicorn held in my arms.
I nod thanks to Sandpit and hurry over, looking over the unconscious unicorn.
“Is he…?” Elyon asks as I kneel down.
I shake my head. “No, just unconscious. Being the vessel for The Pony of Shadows so long clearly was draining. This version seemed even stronger than the other ones.”
“Something about Meridian must’ve increased his power,” Elyon remarks, before looking to me. “Thank you, Melinda. For trusting I’d be able to trust you, I mean.”
I nod. “No problem, Queen Elyon. It’s like I said, understand.”
She blinks, before giving a small smile and shaking her head. “Just Elyon, Melinda.”
I smirk. “Fine. But, you call me Mel from now on, got it?”
She nods and we both have a small laugh.
“I hate to interrupt this moment,” we both glance behind me as Caleb comes towards us, rubbing his shoulder, “but, is there a reason you came alone, Mel, instead of with the other Guardians?”
I blink, before my eyes widen and I jolt up.
“Shit! That’s right. The Oracle told me, soon as I finished here, I need to head for the Changeling Equestria right away!”
“Huh? How come?” Elyon asks, concerned.
I shake my head, using the Mage’s Ring to open a Fold. “Don’t know. He didn’t have time to explain. He simply said The Guardians need my help.”
“I’ll go too!” Eylon says firmly, standing up.
“Forgive me, Your Highness,” Rathor says, walking up from behind her, Sandpit being behind him explaining how he got up here. “But, after this attack, I don’t think it would be wise to leave. Miranda was the one who brought that creature here. It could very well be part of her plan for you to leave with her double and relaunch a different attack in your absence.”
“Rathor’s right,” I say, quickly, but gently, picking up the unicorn and handing him to Caleb. “It’s best you stay here. Caleb can come, though. He might be enough of a distraction to throw off Cheese Legs.”
“Cheese Legs?” the three of them say in confusion.
I sigh. “I’ll explain later. For now, come on, Caleb. We need to hurry.”
Looking annoyed at taking orders from me, but seeming to understand now isn’t the time for talk, Caleb nods and we both run towards the Fold, passing through.
Will glanced back at Mel as they passed through the Fold.
She couldn’t help feeling bad as the girl limped away, holding Ed, likely telling her mother a lie to get Will off the hook for not coming home.
She’d notice Mel becoming more and more unhappy as the weeks worn on.
Her physical wounds were healing, especially thanks to Mel’s half of the Gift of Xin Jing, but her emotional wounds were clearly still raw.
She’d asked Mel a few times if she wanted to talk, the two were pretty close nowadays, but Mel would always dodge the topic, saying it wasn’t important.
After this mission was over, she was determined to have Mel sit down and have a heart to heart.
Returning her attention to the task at hand, Will passed through the Fold, the camp settlement of the Equestrians of the alternate timeline Equestria coming into focus.
The Guardians walked into the camp, ponies and other creatures, the Changeling deserters included, greeting them.
“About time you all showed up,” a firm voice said as they neared Zecora’s hut.
“Nice to see you, too, Tirek,” Irma snarked back at the large red centaur, his arms folded.
“So, where’s Zecora?” Will asked, pointing to the dwelling. “Inside?”
Tirek shook his head. “Zecora had to go on ahead. It was actually Twilight Sparkle who wrote the message to you.”
The Twilight Sparkle of this world had been found being forced to try decipher some kind of spell ruins in a book the Changelings had apparently found in The Castle of the Two Sisters, that being the location she’d had been forced to stay in to complete the translation.
In truth, it had only been a few pages copied from the book in question. The Changeling Queen had apparently been very reluctant to give the original, so Twilight had been forced to copy the spell onto separate pages before being allowed to actually study the spell itself, under heavy guard to be sure she didn’t try anything.
Her pregnant former foalsitter and sister in law had also been in the castle, being used as leverage to force Twilight not to step out of line.
“Then where is the purple pony?” Irma asked, arms folded.
“Guardians! Guardians!”
The five turned as the unicorn in question came running over to them.
“So, where’s Zecora gone and what’re the Changelings up to this time?” Cornelia asked. “It’s not another wild goose chase, is it? I’m sick of fighting battles where the enemy doesn’t actually try to win.”
Twilight shook her head furiously. “No, this is real. Our scouts notice a large number of Changelings massing near Coltshire, in the Ponygland.”
The unicorn’s expression became puzzled by the groans from several of the girls.
Will had to admit, some of the pony puns on places in their world could be really bad at times.
“Either way, it looks like Coltshire’s our destination,” the red head said, looking around at her fellow Guardians, before returning her gaze to the unicorn. “Where exactly are they in Coltshire, Twilight?”
Twilight’s face paled. “That’s just it. The Changelings have found the long lost ruins of Ponhendge.”
Another groans reverberated from the group.
Will frowned. “Unfortunately, while it’s probably in a similar location compared to our world’s version, I don’t think we can teletransport there, as I don’t know the area myself.”
Twilight nodded. “That’s why Tirek and I are to take you there as quickly as possible.”
“Considering the two of us are unable to fly, it should take a few hours,” Tirek nodded. “Be ready, Guardians. I feel, whatever the Changeling Queen has planned, this is her end game.”
Several hours later, the girls, Twilight and Tirek arrived to find a battle taking place.
Ponies, griffins, hippogriffs, Kirin in Nirik form and Changelings they knew were on their side were fighting off hordes of Changelings, the latter of whom were trying to keep them from a circle of six varying sized stones surrounding a stone circle.
Strangely, there were several random objects placed upon each the alter of each of the stones, a yellow mask, a shovel, a flower, a blindfold, a shield of some kind and a blue, ragged-looking book.
“We’ll help Zecora and the others,” Tirek punched a fist into his other hand. “You five stopped whatever that crazed queen has planned!”
The five nodded and started flying towards the circle of stones.
Just as they were close, however, Hay Lin cried in alarm as she was yanked back and, before the girls could understand what alarmed her, they found themselves trapped in a large web they hadn’t seen surrounding the stones.
The Changelings Queen, standing within the circle of stones, looked up at them and laughed.
“Foolish, Guardians. Did you really think I would so easily let you foil the plans I’ve worked all these weeks to achieve my final victory?” She glanced behind her. “Though, I must ask, why you interest has returned, my dear?”
“Oh, I have my own reasons,” a familiar voice said and Miranda stepped out of the shadows in her human form. “And, as long as my reasons allow you to win, is that not all that matters, my queen.”
Chrysalis smiled smugly. “Indeed. Now, slave,” she turned to her side and trhust a pink unicorn forward, “finish the spell, or your beloved’s head will role.”
The Guardian’s eyes widened as they recognized the unicorn. It was Starlight Glimmer… and she looked awful. Her mane was limp and her eyes bloodshot.
It looked like she hadn’t gotten any sleep in a very long time. And, around her neck, was a black collar of some kind, with a red jewel in it.
“You... you don’t understand what you’re asking of me,” Starlight managed, her voice hoarse. “She lied to you. This won’t win anything, for anyone!”
“Silence!” Chryalis hissed, her horn glowing.
The gem around Starlight’s neck glowed and she fell over, crying out in pain.
“You will do as ordered! Now, cast the spell that will end this pathetic resist, once and for all!”
Starlight looked up to the Guardians and they struggled to break free of the surprisingly strong webs Miranda had trapped them in. even Taranee’s fire couldn’t burn it.
“I’m sorry,” the unicorn whimpered, lighting her horn, a beam of magic soaring into the blue book.
She kept it up for several moments, before collapsing to the ground, completely exhausted.
The book glowed with a white light, one that spread to the other items, forming a hexagon.
The girl’s shuddered as they felt the immense magically energy forming.
Whatever was about to happen, calling it big would’ve been a huge understatement.
The items ross into the air, not breaking their formation, before the hexagon began spinning in a circle, then moving towards each other, in the centre of the stones.
Suddenly, Will had an idea. Girls, we need to teletransport out of the webbing.
Wait, we can do that? Irma asked.
Of course! Hay Lin cheered. Grandma said it’s basically just a normal teleport within a world. We don’t even need to leave this one to do it.
Then, let’s do it girls! Will said firmly.
The five focused their energies, teletransporting out of the webbing, reappearing a split-second later within the circle, just as a blinding white flash illuminated the area.
When it faded, the girls had to react quickly, as six ponies had suddenly appeared in the air and fell, large rocks above them coming down at the same time.
Cornelia stopped the rocks that were about to hit an elderly looking unicorn mare and a Pegasus who looked like she was wearing some kind of Egyptian attire, Taranee grabbed a blue Earth Pony, Irma helped a Pegasus in gladiator-like armour, Hay Lin used her wind powers to stop a massive Earth Pony from falling and Will grabbed and saved the last of them, a grey unicorn wearing blue clothes… with bells?
“What…? What has happened?” the stallion asked, his eyes half open, before they widened upon seeing the jewel around Will’s neck. “A… a Guardian of the Infinite Dimensions?”
“Sorry, Mr. Unicorn,” Will said hurriedly. “I’d love to just sit down and explain, but, we’ve a bit of a situation here and—”
“What is the meaning of this, Miranda?!”
All turned to look at the Changeling Queen, who was snarling at Miranda, the latter wearing a satisfied smirk. Even the fighting among the Changelings and the Resistance had stopped.
Miranda just kept smirking. “Exactly as I told you. That spell has opened the door to victory.”
“How does bringing six ponies from ancients times back to the realm of the living bring me victory?!” Chrysalis snarled.
“What? No, no-no, no!” the grey unicorn said, sounding frantic.
“Huh? What’s wrong?” Will asked, looking to him.
“They cannot bring us back!” he said, glancing around as if scared of something. “They must undo what they’ve done!”
“Why, pony?!” the Changeling Queen snarled, turning around to face them.
His faced showed terror and grief. “You cannot bring only the Pillars back!”
At his words, lightning flashed and a circle of darkness formed as the dark clouds filled the skies.
Miranda just chuckled. “Whoever said it would bring you victory?”
A darkness formed within the centre of the stone circle, expanding, stretching out into the form of a large Alicorn, seeming made of nothing but darkness, laughing maniacally.
Suddenly, without warning, the girl’s changed back normal, Hay Lin and Irma, who’d been hovering at the time, falling, being caught by the two new pegasi.
“What the—?” Taranee looked down at her hands, before looking to Will with horror. “Will, what happened? Why’d we suddenly change back?”
“Well, I wasn’t totally lying,” Miranda cackled, leaping towards the pony made of shadows and opening a Fold right in front of him, causing him to unintentionally step through it. “The Guardians are no longer a threat to you. Farwell, my queen.”
“No!” the girls cried out as the Fold closed, Miranda and the pony made of shadows on wherever the other side was.
Chrysalis screamed with rage, blasting the stones to pieces with magical blasts.
She then turned her attention to the Guardians and six new ponies.
She blinked, then a cruel sneer formed. “Well, at least it seems, whatever Miranda’s spell did, it left you all weak and helpless.” She licked her lips. “Ripe for the picking.”
“Stand behind us!” the grey unicorn shouted, lighting his horn, before it fizzled out. “My magic is too drained from the spell that sent us and The Pony of Shadows to Limbo. I don’t have enough to erect a shield.”
Will thought for a moment, before looking to the stallion. “Borrow some of my life energy.”
He looked at her, his eyes wide. “What, Guardian?”
“Our powers have shorted out for some reason,” Will shook her head firmly. “If you’re our best shot to regroup until we know why and fix it, you need more power!”
“I— But— Oh, very well, then,” the stallion said begrudgingly, leaning his horn to Will’s forehead as she kneeled.
His horn started to glow as a light moved from Will into him.
Will gasped for breath as the stallion pulled away, a barrier of white magic form around the twelve of them.
Chrysalis just laughed. “Really, Starswirl. A mere barrier? Is this all the fabled Starswirl the Bearded has been reduced to?”
“It may not be much, but it should hold you back for a time, foul creature!” the stallion named Starswirl said firmly.
She just laughed again. “Oh, this is just perfect. Miranda, though somewhat a backstabbing traitor, did seem to bring me victory with that spell after all.”
She circled around the barrier, leering at them all.
“The Guardians weak and powerless and the ancient Pillars of Light, helpless to fight back? Oh, this is a joyous day, indeed. On top of that,” Will cried out in alarm as she was suddenly dragged underground, “I have other agendas to complete.”
Will was tossed out from the ground just outside the barrier and Chrysalis fired a glob of mucus from her mouth, pinning the girl’s arms to her side, then held her in her magic.
“Good work,” Chrysalis looked down at the hole Will had been flung out from and a large mole-like creature emerged from it, before it flashed with light, turning into a Changeling, who bowed to her.
“Now, it’s time we make a deal,” Chrysalis cackled, tightening her magical hold on Will. “I know, while currently depowered, you Guardians gained you power from the Heart of Kandrakar. Give it to me or,” Will cried out as the magic holding her tightened even more, “this one dies.”
“You can’t have the Heart!” Irma said firmly. “It can only be given willingly. If you take it, it’ll just come right back.”
“Oh, I’m very aware,” Chrysalis sneered, glancing to Will. “So, you’ll willingly hand it over, or your dear fellow Guardian here dies. So, whomever of you has it, hand it over, now.”
“Don’t!” Starswirl yelled, looking towards the remaining four. “You are the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions. You must not give this wretched creature the source of your power!”
“Well, we can’t anyway,” Hay Lin shrugged. “Will’s our leader. She has the Heart—oops!” she quickly covered her mouth.
“Hay Lin!” the others yelled.
“Oh, really?” Chrysalis quickly spat another glob of mucus, this time over Will’s mouth. “I wasn’t being cautious enough then. Very well, Will. I’ll give you one chance. Either give me the Heart of Kandrakar or…”
The lack of sounds of battle made them all glance around to see all the resistance being restrained in the same way Will was. Now, all the Changeling army were surrounding the bubble Starswirl had created.
Chrysalis sneered. “… your fellow Guardians will meet a very painful end.”
“Will, don’t do it!” Taranee yelled as the Changelings started slamming themselves against the barrier.
“Don’t give her the Heart, no matter what happens!” Irma yelled.
“Well?” Chrysalis leered as cracks started to form in the barrier. “What will the answer be, Will? Simply nod your head to say “yes” and this will all be over.”
Will looked to her friends and the ponies, her eyes wide with fear.
What could she do? She couldn’t give the Heart to the Changeling Queen. Equestria and every other world would fall to her reign.
But… she couldn’t let her friends die, either. She had to save them.
But, how? They were trapped and so was she. They couldn’t even use their powers, even if whatever changed them back was fixed now.
If only… If only…
Just as the barrier was about to break and Will was seconds from nodding in agreement, a Fold suddenly opened right next to her and the queen.
“What?” Chrysalis cried as Mel ran out of the Fold, Caleb right behind her, carrying something in his arms.
The two stopped, whirling around, seeing everything that was happening.
Will’s eyes were wide with confused shocked. How was Mel standing on both her legs? How was she able to run?
Mel met Will’s eyes and Will saw something like recognition in Mel’s.
The dark-haired girl smirked. “Well, this is going to be interesting. Always wanted to say this.” She pumped her fist into the air. “Guardians, unit!”
I cheer as the transformation ends and I fly up, grinning as Will breaks free from the hold Cheese Legs had her in.
Said bug pony is staring in bewilderment and rage.
“What?! How?! Miranda said the Shadow Guardian would never walk again, let alone transform!”
“We Guardians are just full of surprises, Cheese Legs,” I jeer, before closing my eyes and focus, thrusting my hands out as I snarl.
Shadows all around the fallen resistance rise up, lashing at and breaking the bindings holding them all.
“Mel?” Irma looks to me in shock. “How…?”
“Let’s just say, I got an upgrade,” I wink, before looking down at the Changeling Queen. “Now, every creature, let’s end this, once and for all!”
Roars ring out as the Resistance, joined now by the Pillars, charge at the Changelings, myself shooting towards the queen.
“How?!” she snarls, firing several blasts at me and lunging with her horn, myself dodging it. “You were beaten and broken, on the very edge of death! How are you even still alive?!”
“You can thank Xin Jing for that,” I leap over her head and, using her own shadow, tire her up. “Oh, and about three different Ponies of Shadow.”
“What are you babbling—?” she’s knocked out by a giant shadow fist and her head slumps to the floor, her tongue lolling out her mouth.
Within an hour, the Changeling Army is defeated.
As Zecora and her group our rounding up the last of them, the girls all gather around me, talking a mile a minute, wanting to know how I healed so fast, how I got to Equestria, how I knew to come, why Caleb was with me, who the pony he’d been carrying was.
“Guys, guys, please,” I laugh, holding up my hands. “I’ll explain everything I can. But, first,” I walk over the grey unicorn with bells and lightly bow, “Starswirl the Bearded?”
He nods, looking me over with confusion. “I was not aware there were six Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions.”
“Aye,” Rockhoof says, resting his shovel on his shoulder. “I thought there were only ever five of ye.”
I laugh. “A lot changes in a thousand year. After we’ve sorted out the rest of your world’s problems, I believe a visit to Kandrakar might clear things up for you.”
I turn to speak to Zecora, when a Fold opens right in front of me and I wobble like a loony for several moments on one foot to stop myself from falling through.
I’m pulled back by Will and Hay Lin and we all turn to the Fold as Halinor steps out.
She looks to the Pillars and nods. “It has been quite a time, Star Swirl.”
He blinks for a moment, before said grey stallion speaks in awe. “Lady Halinor? You are still alive? I… I don’t understand. Surely you would have to be over a thousand years old by now… unless, that isn’t how long we’ve been gone?” He looks towards us, questioningly.
She shakes her head. “It has indeed been over a thousand years in your world, Star Swirl. For me? Merely several decades. The how of the matter can be discussed later. For the moment,” she looks towards us, “the Guardians must return to Kandrakar at once. Much has been unveiled that is of great importance to them.”
“But, we literally only just defeated Queen Chrysalis,” Taranee exclaims. “Shouldn’t we stay to help this world get back on its feet, at least a little?”
“Not to mention, the Changeling Queen isn’t the only problem likely going on in this world,” Will nods, glancing to me and I return the gesture. “Mel’s told us about the struggles her Equestria faced. Some of them are likely still an issue in this one.”
“Wait. Her Equestria?” Meadowbrook asks, looking confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My theory on multiversal existences is correct?” Star Swirl gets a smile on his face very much akin to a certain purple princess. “I knew the Guardians came from another dimension and their powers from the realm of Kandrakar, but there are really other versions of our world out there.”
Halinor nods. “Indeed. In fact, once things are finished here, the Guardians must go aid another.”
“Speaking of whom,” Flash Magnus points a hoof towards me. “How come there’s six of them now? All legends of The Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions, vague as they are, always stated five members. And how come their sixth member looks so vastly different from the others?”
Halinor sighs. “Questions for another time, I’m afraid. Much needs to be discussed with The Guardians. They shall inform you as much as they wish upon their return.”
We all glance at each other, feeling we’re not going to be getting the choice in this and all head through the Fold.
Halinor leads us into the council chamber, where The Oracle steps forward, looking at each of us Guardians in turn.
“Well done, Guardians. The Changeling Queen’s defeat is a good thing.” His expression goes slightly grim. “Had she been left alone, after Miranda’s betrayal, I fear she’d have tried to find a way out of her world to get revenge on Miranda and, should she have succeeded, turned her attention to the other dimensions. By stopping her, you have prevented the need for the Veil’s return.”
“Um, about that,” Irma looks towards me, then back. “How come Mel’s back to normal, if not slightly stronger? And how come our powers bugged out again while we were fighting Queen Bug Pony? I thought Mel’s Heart of Shadow fixed that for now?”
The Oracle frowns in thought. “While we are not completely sure as to how Mel’s power has grown exactly, we can answer about your powers.”
Nuba steps forward. “Though you all tried your best to keep her spirits up, Mel has being feeling empty since her battle with Miranda that left her hospital bound.”
The others all look to me and I can’t meet their eyes, rubbing my right arm.
“Though she tried to fight it, her feeling of hopelessness grew stronger and stronger with each passing day,” The Oracle says. “Then, tonight, she felt totally useless. Despite speaking with her friend Alchemy, it became too much.”
I can feel the others still looking at me and nod. “I just… all I was for you is a way to use your powers and get info you needed. I couldn’t do anything else.”
“Mel, we never thought that way about you,” Cornelia says, a hand on her chest.
“It’s how I felt, though!” I look to them, trying to ignore the tears that had started to try forming. “I’d gone from simply being the weakest of us to nothing but a battery and living library. I knew none of you felt that way, saw me that way, but I couldn’t see myself as anything else.”
“And, in the moment of utter hopelessness, her connection to your all became blocked,” Nuba says firmly.
“Then… how come our powers came back?” Irma asks, before pointing at me. “And how come we were able to transform with only Mel declaring us to unite? Isn’t that something she and Will have to do together now or have I missed something?”
The Oracle lightly laughs. “Somewhat the latter, actually. When young Mel went back to her Equestria, she found herself at the location of Ponhendge just as that Equestria’s Pony of Shadows was being unleashed.”
“Seriously?” Hay Lin asks in disbelief. “Two different world’s Ponies of Shadows were freed on the same day?”
I blink, before my eyes widen. “No! There were three!”
The others look to me, confused and worried.
The Oracle nods. “And, like the other two, Mel took care of the matter.”
“Um, exactly how?” Irma asks incredulously. “Mel couldn’t transform on her own, so how in the world was she able to fight three versions of the same bad guy and win?”
“And with enough time to get to us and save us from the Changeling Queen?” Taranee adds.
The Oracle smiles at me. “It is because of her power over Shadow. Mel absorbed The Pony of Shadows’ power into herself, purifying it and freeing the host within.”
“Wait. Host?!” the girls’ eyes widen in horror.
“That thing was possessing another creature’s body?!” Cornelia looks a mix between disgusted and utterly horrified.
The Oracle nods. “Due to her Shadow power coming not from darkness, but balance and in harmony with the Heart of Kandrakar, Mel was able to pull in the power from each Pony of Shadows and purify it within herself, adding their power to her own in the process.”
“Wait, wait, wait! That reminds me,” I wave my hands, everyone looking to me. “Who was the one who threw me through a Fold into the world with that second Pony of Shadows? His voice was familiar, but I can’t place it. And, the world his Fold sent me to, everypony was Anthro and Peni Parker was there for some reason!”
The others are now looking very confused.
“Penny… Parker?” Irma asks sceptically. “What kind of name for a pony is that?”
“And, if you know her by name, why would seeing that version of Equestria’s version of her be so odd?” Taranee adds.
I shake my head. “No! Peni isn’t a pony! She’s a… wait. Do you guys not have Marvel Comics on your Earth?”
“Well, of course we do,” Irma folds her arms. “What’s that got to do with it?”
I blink. “Oh, right. Spiderverse only came out recently and your Earth is still in the early 2000s era.”
“Huh?” they all ask.
Whoops. Didn’t mean to say that out loud.
I clear my throat, before continuing. “Well, in the world I originally came from before Miranda got me stuck in her body, a movie came out regarding the black Spiderman and… what’s with those looks?”
The confusion only seems to have increased.
“Do… you mean the Venom suit?” Irma asks, cocking her head to the side.
I shake my head. “No, I mean the… wait. Have you guys not even gotten the Miles Morales Spiderman comics yet?”
Shaking head are the only answer.
I scratch my head. “Wow. I mean, I don’t know when they came out exactly myself, but, if you guys don’t have them in your world yet, that must mean they don’t come out til after 2006.”
The Oracle clears his throat and we all blush, realizing how far off topic we’d veered.
Laughing nervously, I clear my own throat and go on.
“Well, in my world, a movie based on that version of Spiderman has several other spider characters enter his world due to a villain’s scheme going wrong.”
“And… I’m guessing this Penny Parker is one of them?” Irma asks, to which I nod. “What, did she get bitten in her universe instead of Peter Parker.”
I scratch my neck a little nervously. “Actually, she’s Peter Parker’s half Japanese daughter from the year 3145 and shares a psychic link with a spider in a robot Peter made for her.”
Blank stares are the only reply.
“Well, anyway,” I look to The Oracle, frowning. “Why was Peni Parker in that other Equestria I was thrown through that Fold into?”
The Oracle closes his eyes, before frowning. “You needn’t worry about that for now. Your focus should be on the other Equestrias you know. If this Peni Parker is a hero from a comic book, like you’ve suggested, I don’t see her being a threat. I doubt she’s even aware of the Infinite Dimensions.”
“Uh, so, we’re just told a fictional character from a comic book somehow is real in a different version of Equestria and you’re telling us we should just ignore it?” Irma asks incredulously.
I feel a slight nudge in my side and turn to my right to see a small ghost version of Discord floating next to me, giving me a cheeking smile and a “Get it? Get it?” expression, before winking and disappearing.
I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see that. Trying to figure out why Discord does what he does is almost as pointless are trying to understand the impossibility that is Pinkie Pie.
The Oracle sighs. “For now, your duties as Guardians comes first. And, getting back to the matter of Mel’s powers, by absorbing The Pony of Shadows’ power, her own somewhat replenished. This, plus a little added amount of our own life energy, is why she was able to regain her strength and now can transform you of her own choice, just like Will.”
I blink, before my eyes widen, Hay Lin speaking before I can open my mouth.
She gasps. “Does that mean Will can’t transform us now? Has Mel somehow been made our leader instead?”
“Because, if that is the case, I won’t have it!” I follow, pointing at The Oracle. “You can choose who’s leader, so return leadership to Will right now!”
The Oracle holds up a hand, his expression calm. “There is no cause for alarm, Guardians. Will Vandom is still your leader. However, as is the case with recent maters, a new, unexpected development has happened.”
“With her power restored slightly by absorbing three Ponies of Shadows and the slight boost we gave her so she could defeat the third one in particular, something we were unaware of has been revealed regarding Mel and Will’s shared leadership.”
“With more power, it seems Mel is also able to transform you now, without herself and Will needing to both do it at the same time,” Nuba chimes in.
“Okay,” Will frowns, before glancing at me. “Let’s test that.”
She depowers us, then activates our powers again, herself being the only one to speak.
To our surprise, it works.
“So, either Mel or Will can change us now?” Hay Lin gasps, her eyes lighting up.
The Oracle nods. “We merely did not know this til recent events due to so much of her Shadow Heart’s power being diverted to open the links to your Aurameres.”
“That is so. COOL!” Irma cheers, the five of them gathering around me, herself hugging me around the neck from behind.
Taranee suddenly pulls away, frowning. “Wait. If there was a Pony of Shadows in both Mel’s Equestria, the one she was sent to and the Changeling one, doesn’t that mean the others would have one too?”
There’s a long pause, before we all look to The Oracle, who nods.
“You are correct, Fire Guardian. There are likely other Ponies of Shadows in the other Equestrias you will be visiting.”
“And other Pillars, too!” I gasp, it clicking, before frowning. “Wait. Will we have to find all the artefacts in their worlds to do that too? Because how in the world are we supposed to find Star Swirl’s book in all of them? We don’t even know where Cheese Legs found that world’s version.”
The Oracle thinks for a moment. “I suppose, if you used the ones from either the world now liberated from the Changelings or the one you call yours, Shadow Guardian, it should work. Though, if it does not…”
We all sigh.
Yeah. No need to explain, there.
The Oracle shakes his head, before his expression firms. “Regardless, once you have settled all the issues in the Equestria you just freed, you shall need to head for the next one.”
“And now we’ll need to be ready for more than just whatever’s wrong with each world,” Irma sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. “A Guardian’s work is never done, is it?”
“For now,” Halinor says, holding up a hand, three Folds opening, “I think it best you all return to Earth and rest.”
“Oh, Will, Irma, Aunt Sue and your parents think you’re having another study sleepover. Will, you’ll have to spend the night at Irma’s place.”
Will nods, sighing. “Figured as much.”
I blink, before smacking my forehead and running my hand down my face. “And, despite feeling fully healed, I’ll have to keep using that crutch for a while.”
Taranee, Hay Lin and Corenlia groan loudly.
“What?” Caleb asks, confused.
“We’ve still got classes in a few hours,” Hay Lin whines. “And we’re so tired!”
Will, Irma and I chuckle nervously.
The Oracle thinks for a moments, before indicating us all to come together.
At once, I feel extremely exhausted and, judging by the looks or Will and Irma, so do they.
“Now, those who have the day ahead of them will have the energy to move on,” he nods, looking to the three of us. “And, those heading for bed, now have a reason too.”
If that’s meant to be a joke, if I weren’t suddenly so tired, I’d so deck him one.
Too tired to argue, though, we all say our goodbyes and I walk through my Fold.
I barely have the energy to change into my pajamas and, while I don’t like going to bed without bathing, fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.
