[AiE] Disharmony - Part 3

>Time of Day: Looks like some time in the evening... 5-ish?
>What did Anon say that broken thing on his wrist that told the time was called? A watch?
>Right now you could really use one, because in the half-hour you've been here, the sky has remained the same shade of orange.
>"So... we ARE still in Ponyville, right?"
>Rarity is looking nervously around what appears to be a deserted town.
>Not a single pony outside.
>"Gee, when was the last time something cheery happened here?"
>Pinkie almost looks disgusted by the sight.
>"Nop0ny outside, all the stores are closed early, there's wagons and shops just left around and broken… The atmosphere in the town just seems... off."
>This is true; something is definitely wrong.
>Even if it were the end of the day, the town shouldn't be THIS deserted.
>"Oh well! I've heard worse reasons to throw a party!"
>Of course.
>Not missing a beat, she whips her party cannon out of nowhere and fires. Confetti is scattered everywhere, accompanied by party decorations and a table to boot.
>There’s even a cake.
>Only through Pinkie's hooves is such magic possible.
>You are Twilight Sparkle.
>And you can't even make a guess as to what happened.


>You're still listening to your friends in the background as they try to figure out where you are, but you're also examining your Element of Harmony.
>The Elements do not have power without yours, so the problem must have originated from the Element of Magic.
>Rainbow Dash has gone for a quick flight around town; the others are standing around you.
>Applejack moves up next to you, eyes on the sky.
>"Is it just me, or is it not getting any darker or lighter?"
>You noticed, but didn't think that much about it. You scan the sky once more to confirm her observation.
>She's right. The sun doesn't seem to have moved at all from its position just over the hills.
>What does that mean? Was Princess Celestia even aware of it?
>Better question: why wouldn't she be aware of it? Is she even around?
>Of course she would be. She's the Princess, your mentor, and the most powerful pony in Equestria.
>Stop panicking, Twilight, she's perfectly fine.
>So why is the evening still here?
>Could... could the Elements have paused time?
>You've never heard they were capable of altering time itself...
>This is EXACTLY why you wanted to study their magic in greater detail!
>Maybe it'd be best to gather them for now and examine them later before using them again.
>You see a bag left on the ground near an abandoned cart.
>Hopefully it is abandoned and you're not taking somep0ny's property.
"Alright. Until we figure this out, I'm going to keep the Elements of Harmony with me. I don't want us trying anything with them until I'm sure they weren't the reason for this."
>Everyp0ny nods and you collect their Elements with your magic, placing them in the bag and slinging it over your back.
>"Twilight!"
>There's Rainbow Dash, coming in for a landing.
"What's wrong?"
>"I have no idea."
>"None of us do, Rainbow! Spill it, what did you see?"
>Applejack is looking a little distressed.
"Yes, please. Did you see anything at all?"
>Rainbow Dash rubs the back of her head and goes over her patrol, while you take the Element from around her neck.
>"Well, not really. The “deserted” town isn't exactly deserted because I saw some ponies peek out the windows through their curtains, but they closed them as soon as they saw me."
>Okay, this is somewhat of a relief. At least you haven't stopped time.
>"I also flew by the Library and... you're not going to like it."
"What happened?"
>"Well... the door looks broken, the windows are cracked and the tree is sort of... dead."
"What?!"
>Pinkie suddenly springs up next to Rainbow, grabbing her head.
>"Who?! Who did that to Twilight's home?! Who would do such a thing?! WHY?!"
"Pinkie, calm down! Let her finish!"
>The pink pony restrains herself and sits down, listening intently. Rainbow continues.
>"I don't know. I looked in through the window and it was a mess. It looked like nop0ny had been in there for months."
>Oh, no... You didn’t stop time, but perhaps you sent yourselves to the future.
>That's much worse.
>If you vanished mysteriously that day, with the Elements, then Equestria was vulnerable.
>Anything could have attacked and overthrown the Princesses.
>That explains why the town is a mess and the ponies are hiding inside.
>Some kind of disaster happened and you weren't around to prevent it!
>"Considering we were just there, that simply couldn't be the case. Look at this."
>Panic is replaced by curiosity as you turn to the source of the voice.
>Rarity is walking over with a newspaper she'd found. She displays it in front of everyone with her own magic.
>"The date is the same as the day we were in the library."
>Huh? That’s certainly odd.
>You look the paper over and sigh in slight relief as Rarity’s claim is confirmed.
>Nothing attacked and you aren't the reason for it, but that still doesn't explain why the town is like this.
>Fluttershy moves up to examine the paper as well.
>"Umm... maybe it's just an old paper?"
>Rarity shakes her head.
>"If it is, then the stand I got it from is really behind the times because there is a pile of them just sitting there. It even has the same front page article of Hoity Toity's fashion show in Manehatten."
"Okay, so we didn't stop time, we didn't travel into the future... We're still in Ponyville, and yet..."
>Applejack spins around to take a quick look at the deserted surroundings.
>"It looks like everyp0ny just up an' left in a hurry."
>Pinkie starts hopping in place.
>"Oh! Oh! What if we're all dreaming! Like the Elements just took our brains and mixed them into the same vision while we're all just sleeping on the floor in the library? *GASP* ThatmeansIcouldgoeatallthecakesatthebakeryandnotgetyelledatforitagain!!!"
>Rainbow Dash stomps on Pinkie's tail before she can zip off to test the theory.
>"Perhaps it's more of an “altered” Equestria. Possibly a different dimension... certainly a far less fabulous one, anyway."
>Rarity just noticed that the town is a little dirtier than usual as well.
>Nop0ny seems to have swept the path in some time.
"It could be either. It's possible that we could have changed our own timeline as well and we're in an altered present."
>Rainbow releases Pinkie and starts hovering in the air.
>"What, like we were just yanked out of time and thrown back in exactly where we were?"
"Possibly… It would explain the current state of Ponyville, or why there doesn't seem to be a proper transition from day to night. It'd be as if we never existed and evil forces like Nightmare Moon or King Sombra ruled unopposed."
>"King Sombra? Could he have done this from the Crystal Empire?"
"That's just it, I don't know. In fact, the Crystal Empire might not even exist, or it's hidden from the world again. But it doesn't look as if the world is being ruled by a dark force… it just seems like it's at a standstill."
>Applejack looks to the sky again.
>"Guess we can at least be sure it ain't Nightmare Moon then, otherwise it'd be dark. Darker than this, anyhow."
>Fluttershy is looking off in the distance.
>"Umm... Twilight?"
"True, and the world doesn't look chaotic enough to be the work of Discord."
>Pinkie gasps at a sudden realization.
>"What about Nonny and Spike! They were with us when the Elements went crazy!"
>"T-Twilight... there's uhhh..."
>Fluttershy’s voice continues to go unheard.
>"Oh dear! Spikey-Wikey might be alone and scared in the library! We simply must go save him!"
>Rarity displays genuine concern for Spike as she turns and starts to move in the direction of the Library.
>Applejack begins to follow.
>"We could prob'ly find out what happened to tha' town as well. If it's an altered doo-hickey like you said, maybe the history books will tell us what we need to know."
>"Twilight, look over th-"
>"And maybe we can find clues to help us solve the case of who broke the library!"
>Pinkie cheerfully bounces in the same direction, seemingly unfazed by the current situation.
>They all raise good points. The library seems as good a place as any to start.
"Alright, let’s go then."
>"Twilight!"
>Fluttershy loudly whispers at you.
"What is it?"
>She gestures towards the sky at a few white and gold figures heading toward you.
>Ponies? Pegasus ponies?
>Pulling a golden carriage.
>As they get closer, you realize they're Royal Guards.
>Thank goodness, the Princess sent for you.
>She must be alright and can tell you what happened to the world.
"Girls, look! Royal Guards incoming!"
>The others turn and gain relieved expressions.
>The guards come closer to the point where they're flying overhead, in a circle as they start landing…
>...it’s almost like they're surrounding you.
>They come to a full landing and a Unicorn guard in the carriage jumps off.
>He levitates a scroll beside him as he starts to speak.
>"Twilight Sparkle… finally caught out in the open."
>…wait, what?
>"You're under arrest."


"What do you mean?! Why am I under arrest?!"
>The guard pony opens the scroll in front of himself and looks it over.
>"By order of the Captain of the Royal Guard, we are to search for your location, wherever it may be in Equestria, and place you under arrest."
>Captain of the Royal Guard? Shining Armour?
>Your brother wants you arrested?
>Rainbow Dash flies up in the Unicorn guard’s face.
>"On what grounds?! What did she do?!"
>Her sudden movement causes two of the Pegasus guards closest to the Unicorn to step forward and prepare to take action.
>The lead guard glares at her.
>"She knows exactly why. It's why she's been hiding all this time. In fact, you all do. My orders were primarily to find and arrest Twilight Sparkle, but I'm also ordered to bring in the remaining Elements of Harmony if they could be found."
>The Pegasi surrounding all of you begin to close in.
>"Hey! We have rights! You can't arrest us without us knowing them!"
>Pinkie starts nervously shouting at the guards.
>Rarity is backing up towards the center of the group.
>"That's right! You've only told us you have orders to arrest us, we've been told no reason for it, we've seen no warrants!"
>The guards are still moving in.
>Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie prepare to defend themselves while Fluttershy tries hiding behind Rainbow.
>You’re still in a state of shock at this turn of events. Eventually you manage to put the question tugging at your mind to words.
"Why would my brother order you to arrest me?! We've broken no laws!"
>The lead guard turns to you.
>"Why do you think? You're the only one left that can fix all of this..."
>He gestures all around him at the decrepit remains of the town.
>"...and yet you've chosen to run and hide like a coward. You're marked for treason, and for that, you're under arrest. You can either come with us quietly, or we'll take you back by force."
>Treason? Against who?
>You've been loyal to the Princess for years, and have never even considered going against her.
>What of your friends as well? They are no less loyal to Celestia than you.
>What in Equestria’s name did that experiment do?!
"...Fine. We'll go with you, but I want to see my brother."
>The others look at you, surprised by your decision, but they also nod and stand down.
>The Unicorn guard shakes his head and speaks.
>"No, no. My orders are from Captain Shining Armour, but you're not going to him. You're going straight to the one in charge."
>The one in charge? If that's not Shining Armour, then it must be the Princess directly.
>That’s even better; you can get an explanation from her.
>You start moving towards the carriage when you notice something rolling in front of you.
>It looks like some sort of round sack.
>A few more roll in. They're in a wide separation, completely surrounding you and the guards.
>One suddenly pops and releases a cloud of smoke, the others pop shortly after.
>The smoke is thick and covers the whole area.
>"What is this?!"
>The lead guard shouts as he looks around trying to find the source of the smoke.
>You start coughing from it, and so do the guards and the others.
>You can hardly see two hooves in front of you, but you manage to spot shadow moving swiftly through the smoke.
>Stumbling around blindly while coughing, you try to find one of your friends.
>You hear the sound of a spell that sounds like someone just teleported and see a pinkish-purple flash in one direction.
>Moving towards it, you only find a guard coughing and trying to wave the smoke away from his face.
>The flash and sound happen four more times and you still can't find a single one of your friends.
>A coughing guard stumbles next to you and knocks you over.
>From the ground you see hooves moving around with no sense of direction.
>All the guards are blind and have no idea what they're doing.
>Coughing a few more times, you're about to teleport to escape the smoke, but the pinkish-purple flash appears right in front of you.
>You get a glimpse of the hooves of a pony wearing a brown cloak covering their body and notice that the bottoms of their hooves are purple.
>With another flash of light, you're suddenly in a small clearing, surrounded by dead trees and bushes.
>You quickly glance around and you see your friends around you, looking just as confused as you feel.
>Applejack picks herself up and dusts off her hat.
>"What in the hay just happened?"
>Rarity starts muttering complaints about being suddenly dropped in the dirt.
>Rainbow Dash is rubbing her head.
>Pinkie is hopping in place like nothing happened.
>Fluttershy is trembling in fear.
>At least they're alright.
>Whoever did this is nowhere to be seen.
>Rainbow hovers above you to take a quick look at the surroundings.
>"Where are we now?"
>Looking around, you notice you're in a small clearing just off the road outside of the town.
"We're outside Ponyville."
>Applejack moves closer.
>"Great. Let's go find help then before them guards come after us."
>Fluttershy stops shaking to ask the question that’s on everyp0ny’s mind.
>"Why were they trying to arrest us? What did they want with you, Twilight?"
>You don't know, and your chance to find out was interrupted.
"I'm not sure. He said I'm wanted because I'm the only one left to fix all 'this' and I apparently hid. I don't even know what that means."
>If only Spike were here, you could at least get a letter to the Princess.
>…
>Oh! Spike and Anon! You don't even know what happened to them!
"We still need to get to the Library! We need to find Anon and Spike and see if they know what's going on."
>Rainbow Dash looks back at you.
>"I told you, the library looked abandoned. Nop0ny looked like they were in there at all."
>Argh! Well, if they're not there, where would they have gone?
>Pinkie starts waving her hoof in the air.
>"Ooh! Ooh! Maybe they're living with someone we know! Like the Cakes! Or Applejack’s family!"
>"*GASP*! Sweetie Belle!"
>Rarity comes to a sudden realization that her sister is now probably back home, alone.
>"We must go to my Boutique to make sure she's alright!"
>Applejack jumps in.
>"We can't! Tha' town is probably covered with them guards by now, and they'll be lookin' for us! Ah'm worried ‘bout my sister too, Rarity, but we gotta have faith that they're alright. They're probably together with Scootaloo in that club house of theirs, or maybe they're havin' a sleep over at tha' farm. Granny an' Big Mac'll be lookin' out for them."
>Rarity looks down, looking more worried by the second.
"Rarity's right."
>Everyp0ny looks toward you.
"The town is likely flooded with guards looking for us, but we don't have any choice. We need to find out what's happened, and our best bet is the library."
>Everyp0ny looks at you confused for a few seconds before nodding. They realize it, too.
>You don't know the specifics on why, but you're wanted by the guards.
>Finding a friendly face is less of an option, because they either live in Ponyville, or Sweet Apple Acres, which is over on the opposite side of Ponyville.
>No matter what you choose, you need to pass through the town.
"Then it's agreed. We'll have to be extra alert in order to sneak past the guards and get to the library. We can't even rely on the cover of night for us, so be very careful and quiet."
>You start to move out before a familiar voice hits your ears.
>"I wouldn't recommend that. Even if you reached the library, it'd be on lockdown now that they know you're nearby. You'd be caught before you even got close."
>Everyone turns to face the source of that voice.
>There stands the cloaked purple pony that you saw in the smoke.
>The hood of their cloak over their head.
>"I didn't get you away from the guards just to watch you get captured again, so if you'll please come with me, I'll take you to... uhh... well, 'your' friends and families and bring you up to date with everything."
>Okay, that voice is really bugging you now.
>It almost sounds like...
"Who are you?"
>The pony chuckles.
>"Really, Twilight? I know things have played out differently between us, but I'd have thought I'd be more recognizable to you."
"Wait... No way..."
>"Yep."
>She pulls her hood back and your worries are confirmed.
>The others say the same thing in unison.
>"Twilight?!"