It was an innocent invention. I wanted to show everypony what it was about magic and science that I loved so much. So I created a device, based off of the portal to the human realm as well as Starlight Glimmer's alteration to Starswirl the Bearded's time-travel spell. It was designed to seek different realms like the human one, each with alternate versions of everypony at alternate times. I'd even had the foresight to create a D.N.A Filter. One strand of fur, and the device would lock onto the alternate lives of that particular individual.
I was so excited. Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and everypony came to see it in action. Rainbow Dash was the first to go. The device worked perfectly. It opened a rift that showed the town of Ponyville, an alternate Rainbow Dash. A pale blue cat with a rainbow collar. She was playing with a feline Fluttershy. Obviously the two were very young, but the device worked nonetheless.
Many ponies had a turn. And the device picked random alternate realities every time. Pinkie Pie as a Squirrel, Rarity the Swan Armorsmith, Bunny Fluttershy fighting a snake, Dragon Applejack for President.
Then Celestia proposed an idea, combining two different furs as a filter for the device. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. Combining Celestia's with my own, the device did nothing for a long moment. Then, it opened up to something that made everypony freeze with disbelief. What we saw put all villains, past and future to shame.
Nopony will forget the horrors that my invention showed.
Song: Kara Remembers - Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack
Book 1 of the Distorted Series
Note: Story will depict similarities to the Star Wars Universe, but this is NOT a crossover.