[AiE] Disharmony - Part 6

>You are Twilight Sparkle, agitated beyond belief.
>You finally got the explanation you wanted about this world and everything in it.
>You’re really wishing you could give it back.
>The explanation was... well, you don't want it anymore.
>Too late for that, though - you agreed to help.
>Why, Twilight, why?
>Why did you agree to help in a matter that belonged to a world that wasn't your own?
>You shouldn't even be here; this world already has a Twilight.
>...
>And she needs your help.
>How could you possibly say no, especially after everything she's gone through with the state of her world, and more besides, just to bring you and your friends here?
>You couldn't.
>You can't even begin to imagine how you'd feel if Princess Celestia and Luna were gone and the world was at a standstill because of someone you called a friend.
>At least you have what Alter-Twilight was hoping for: The Elements of Harmony, both the Elements themselves and the ponies representing them, in full working order.
>If it really is their only hope, then you have to have faith that they'll work.
>Your group left Alter-Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack to plan on what they're going to do.
>Everyp0ny went with Alter-Pinkie and Rarity to get something to eat and get a sense of how they're living.
>...
>It's so hard to believe...
>Anonymous of all po-... people?... person...
>Anonymous of all beings in Equestria...
>He's a kind human.
>He quickly became one of your best friends…
>…even if he continuously gets under your skin for his simplistic and... just plain wrong explanations of everything, and refusing to learn about them.
>It's a minor annoyance; you just have to avoid trying to teach him things.
>Plus, flipping the situation around, the stories he tells about his own world and the things you learn from him are far too fascinating to stay annoyed.
>But in this world, he sounds completely different.
>How could he be so different from your Anonymous when everyp0ny else you’ve met seems to more or less be the same?
>The duplicates of you and your friends seem to be the most different, but this situation has weighed heavily upon them so it's understandable.
>But that just makes you wonder why this situation happened at all, considering this world seems to be an almost exact copy of yours.
>"What's on your mind, Twilight?"
>Pinkie, Alter-Pinkie and Fluttershy gather and sit around the table you're at.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing much. I’m just trying to process how this world came to be like this and ours didn't."
>"Oh, I know what you mean! I wanna throw a party just to make it feel like home, but Pinkie #2 here won’t let me! She says it's just not the time for that and I should settle down. Pffft."
>Alter-Pinkie sitting by your Pinkie looks annoyed by what Pinkie said.
>"What is there to celebrate now? There's nothing! We're all miserable and living in a cave!"
>"Well, maybe a party would help everyp0ny stop being so miserable, silly!”
>"We don't need a party! We need the night sky or a sunny day! A party won’t help anyp0ny!"
>It is really strange seeing two Pinkies argue like this.
>Exact opposites of each other...
"Soooo... where are the others?"
>Both Pinkies stop arguing with each other and yours turns to address you.
>"Rarity is off chatting with Rarity #2, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are helping some of the other ponies with anything they need while Twilight #2, Applejack #2 and Rainbow Dash #2 are sitting back in that part of the cave… and Fluttershy is right there."
>Fluttershy still looks a little pale from hearing about the fate of her duplicate.
"Speaking of... How are you doing, Fluttershy?"
>"Umm, okay, I-I guess... how am I supposed to be feeling?"
>"Safe!"
>You all turn to Alter-Pinkie, who just snapped to attention.
>"As long as you're in my world, I won't let that big evil meanie Anonymous do anything to you! Not again!"
>That's... odd.
>Fluttershy seems surprised by her new attitude.
>"Umm, but it never happened to me before. My Anon never hurt me in any way... he's a sweetheart."
>Alter-Pinkie’s face flashes with anger.
>"No! Don't trust him! When you get back home, stay away from him so he can never hurt you!"
"But it's true, though. Our Anonymous isn't anything like what yours sounds like."
>"Then you should get the jump on him before he can do anything! Lock him away!"
>She seems to really hate this world’s Anonymous...
>Getting on Pinkie's bad side is never a good idea, so after what he's done, she must be absolutely livid.
>Your Pinkie Pie starts trying to calm her duplicate down.
>"Come on, Pinkie #2. Our world isn't like this. Nonny is one of our best friends; we party with him all the time! He's lots of fun! He even helps at the bakery sometimes!"
"Yes. He's a kind-hearted individual. He likes to help everyp0ny when he can. Even the Princesses like and respect him."
>Alter-Pinkie's expression doesn't change.
>"That's what our Anonymous was like as well. Someone we considered a friend for the short time he was here until he came back from his journey. Then he just spent all his time learning magic with Twilight and then THAT happened... Trust me. Cut him loose while you can."
>"YOU'RE WRONG!"
>Fluttershy's outburst caught you all off-guard.
>"Anon is a sweetie! He's one of the best things to ever happen to our world! Just because yours did something wrong, doesn't make him a bad person! Your Twilight said he was sad when he accidentally did what he did! Ours was sad and vulnerable at that time as well! He's lost his home, family and friends! He just needs someone to love him and show him kindness! That he has a place here, even if he doesn't feel like he does!"
>The intensity at which Fluttershy yelled all that is making you uneasy...
>She finally sits back down, calmly.
>"Umm... s-sorry... I didn't mean to get angry..."
"It's... fine, Fluttershy. I agree. Our Anonymous is different from the Anonymous here. I just wonder what made him so different, though... Pinkie, you said he changed after he came back from his journey, right?"
>"I didn't say that."
>Your Pinkie is looking at you in confusion.
"No, not... I mean Pinkie #2."
>"Ohhh, right."
>Pinkie grins before turning attention to her duplicate, whose own attention is focused on you.
>"Yeah, he was sort of like what you said before he left. Then he came back a couple weeks later with that crystal and started learning magic."
"That's what's weird: our Anonymous was out on that journey for 3 months, and he didn't have any crystal with him. He came back much more fulfilled than when he'd left, like he'd finally made peace with himself. He certainly didn't try learning any magic... Why did yours have a crystal...?"
>Could it be like the Rarity situation?
>This world’s Rarity prefers her mane and tail short, while yours doesn't.
>Perhaps there are minor differences between worlds, and one of them caused something to happen to him while he was out in the world.
>"Well, it doesn't matter. This Anonymous is a terrible person. Our Fluttershy died trying to show him love, so yours could as well!"
>Fluttershy starts turning pale again as she tries to lower herself down and hide behind her mane.
"Okay, moving on. If there are some differences in this world that caused your Anonymous to be like this, then maybe ours won't be like him if he hasn't seen them. Don't let the Anonymous you've seen automatically rule out the thought that a good Anon still exists somewhere."
>Alter-Pinkie rolls her eyes.
>"Fine. If you say your Anonymous is like that, then I can't convince you otherwise. Just, PLEASE watch him closely… maybe search his stuff to make sure he doesn't have that crystal, because baaaaaad things will happen if he does."
>Maybe questioning him on the crystal wouldn't be such a bad idea when you get back home.
>You doubt that he has it, but he might at least know something about it.
>He might have seen it when he was on his journey.
>Alter-Twilight did say that he said he found it in some old ruins, and your Anon mentioned exploring some ruins and temples while he was out there...
>"Twilight."
>Turning to the voice behind you, you see your duplicate calling you over.
>"I'd like to talk to you about our plan, if you don't mind coming with me."
>Well, the sooner this is over with, the sooner this world can return to the harmony that it once knew.
>Getting up and following her, you still can't get Anonymous out of your head.
>Why was this world Anonymous like this... and why isn't yours?
>Come to think of it, what's yours doing right now?
>He and Spike would have to be pretty worried since you all just vanished.


-Back in Equestria Prime…-
>You are Anonymous...Prime... from Equestria #1... and/or Earth #1.
>Celestia is studying the book she picked off the shelf, while you're pacing around doing nothing productive.
>Spike was sent on a task so he could calm down and take his mind off the situation.
>He was told to tell Sweetie Belle that Rarity may not be home tonight and to go stay with Apple Bloom and her family, who also needed to be told that Applejack may not be home, and even to invite Scootaloo for a sleepover.
>Granny Smith is going to kick someone's arse.
>On the bright side, he at least agreed to return with doughnuts at your request.
>It was also nice of him to make you and Celestia some tea before he left.
>You stop your pacing and finally break the silence.
"So... you think that they may have somehow been taken to an alternate universe?"
>Celestia keeps her eyes on the book while answering you.
>"I don't know what to think at the moment, I'm just thinking it could be a possibility. Your description matches no magic I'm familiar with, and it came from Twilight Sparkle… but not the Twilight you and I know.”
"Granted, that sounds like a... well, not a 'reasonable' explanation, but it IS an explanation. A weird one, at least. But let’s say it is a possibility - how would an alternate universe Twilight even know how to do that?"
>She flips a few pages back.
>"I'm not sure, exactly, but assuming any of these theories are true, there is the possibility of a universe existing where Twilight could be even more powerful than myself. Or perhaps there's even a universe where that sort of magic is common and she felt like playing with it.”
>She holds the book up to the page she landed on for you.
>"Or perhaps, a certain event enabled her to learn highly dangerous and powerful magic capable of such a feat."
>The page she landed on is a quote from the pony that created the theories.
>'I can say without a doubt that there are an infinite number of universes. Some are just like our own... but for one or two significant events, exactly the same.'
>Huh... why does that sound familiar?
>Sounds like something a villain for a Marvel Super Hero would say.
"I don't get why these theories were ridiculed anyway. I mean, this world has all kinds of magic, most of which I obviously still have no understanding of, but you can do seemingly-impossible things with it. Twilight once told me about when she was in the Crystal Empire; she found a hidden stairwell in the floor of the throne room."
>"Yes, but that's magic used to hide secrets. I have plenty of them all over Canterlot Castle."
"Okay, but she said she went straight down hundreds of stairs before going through a door that led to more stairs going straight up to the top of the tower. Now, HOW can you hide an entire friggin' stairwell around a pillar THROUGH the whole goddamn castle? It's not physically possible without ruining the layout."
>She shakes her head, smiling.
>"Powerful Unicorns, and Alicorns like myself, can create pocket dimensions. It's like a teleportation effect that remains hidden from view until opened, but you physically move through it rather than warping to different locations. We use such things to keep treasures and important relics and artifacts safe within the castle to ward off thieves thinking of stealing them. King Sombra clearly had such an effect set up to hide the Crystal Heart, which Twilight obtained successfully."
>GOOD GOD, that hurts your head.
"How the hell can you even wrap your head around all that?! How do you even learn to do it?"
>She laughs.
>"I noticed the book on the floor containing the basics of magic. Perhaps you should consider reading it for a better understanding."
"For crying out loud, I am not reading a children's book!"
>Chuckling again, she returns to the page she was on.
"Okay, fine, that stuff happens. That still doesn't answer my question: how does the Multiverse Theory get ridiculed so easily?"
>"We didn't just choose to ridicule it when it was brought up. The public form their own opinions when they hear about this sort of magic, and apparently they thought it was absurd."
>She sighs, looking like she remembered something and regretting it.
>Lifting her cup, she takes a sip of her tea before looking towards you.
>"You sound as if you have an understanding of the theory. Strange, considering you apparently don't even know how magic works."
"Ha ha. Like I told Twilight previously, magic in my world was just a fictional concept, and was its own category. Whatever Twilight tried telling me this morning about it made no sense to me, but I can easily chalk all the unexplainable things in this world up to 'magic'."
>She rolls her eyes and sips her tea some more.
"But yes, the multiverse was also a concept. Some people actually believed it to be a real thing... for some stupid reason. I think those people were just giddy over the possibility of an Earth made out of money and wanted to fund the non-existent technology of traveling to the multiverse to find that 'money-verse', so they could return infinitely richer."
>Celestia looks at you, very surprised and confused.
"Yeah, I know, greed was a big thing in my world... a big and very annoying thing."
>Thinking back to what the creators of your favorite children’s show did to it...
>You can't even think of Power Rangers without shedding a tear at the butt-rape that happened to it... for 20 years.
"Anyway, the concept was mostly used in fiction as well. It made for some interesting stories for movies, books and TV shows."
>Turning a page, she looks intrigued by what you’re saying, despite her eyes remaining focused on the book.
>"Such as?"
"Well... there was a Super Hero character called Superman. The dude was OP as hell; he only had one weakness and it happened to be a certain mineral that was stupidly rare, yet everyone seemed to have it. Despite that, he was practically invulnerable; he had laser eyes, frost breath, he could fly, he was strong as hell… the list goes on. All his villains were crap; barely any of them stood a chance against him, but they made it look like they did to add drama."
>She's looking at you in confusion.
"…It occurred to me as I was saying that that I describe things terribly and you have no idea what I'm talking about."
>Fuck, you're a dork.
"The point is, the 'alternate universe' concept was brought in frequently because it makes the fans love a character more when they have a villain they want to see them succeed against. So, alternate dimensions happen where evil duplicates of Superman exist just so he has someone to fight who's actually on his level."
>"That sounds very complex, but I think I see what you mean."
>She finishes her tea and turns back to the book.
>"In any case, we didn't just dismiss this theory because it sounded ridiculous. I admit... I thought it was absurd, but my initial opinions of it don't just automatically rule it out as a valid theory."
"Okay, so what did?"
>"The risks that such a theory presented. He mentioned plenty of the 'good' universal possibilities such as a world with no dark magic, or a world made of chocolate cake. But think about it logically. If there are infinite possibilities of good universes, then there are infinite possibilities of bad ones. Could you imagine an entire universe run by Discord?"
>Wow... that sounds kind of awesome in some ways.
>You see her point, though.
>"He didn't exactly come up with any ideas on how to see the universes ahead of time either… just means of either traveling to them, or bringing things back from them. Neither possibility is worth the risk. There are too many unknown factors that could endanger our own world."
"Well, that makes sense, I guess. Come to think of it, the majority of the multiversal concepts for the stories I know made these other universes out to be some kind of ‘evil’ version."
>You get up and take her cup out to the kitchen to get her a refill.
"I'm guessing the guy that came up with those theories didn't take the legitimate reasoning for denying them too well?"
>She talks loudly from the other room.
>"He was bothered by the refusal to study it, but he understood. The public opinion is what got under his skin. He reached a point where he was threatening to convert fruit into weapons to incinerate them in some way."
>Huh. Why does THAT sound familiar?
"So let’s say you do find evidence that they went to an alternate Equestria... what then? Do you even have the magic to send others there to retrieve them?"
>"Actually, I was thinking more of some way to pull them here. There’s no sense in risking other ponies’ lives by sending them to an unknown world."
>Somehow you think the logic of your friends being in danger in that 'unknown world' went over her head if she doesn't think the Elements of Harmony are worth sending ponies to retrieve.
"So what, retrieving Equestria's best defense from a possible threat isn't an important enough reason for a few other ponies to take a risk for their world?"
>Word it better, idiot! That’s the friggin Princess!
>"I'm not simple-minded, Anonymous; I know how that sounds. We have no way of seeing ahead of time which universe they went to… We don't even have some other way of teleporting others there just yet. The safety of our friends is the priority, but we have to take it slow. Otherwise, we risk the possibility of more harm to them, or unnecessary harm to others, or worse.
>Fair point… no wonder she's in charge.
"Okay... still the same problem, though. Do you have the power to bring them back here if and when you find them?"
>"I'm sending Luna a message to inform her of the situation and that I'll need her assistance tomorrow, if the Elements don't find their way back home. She knows a variety of magics I don't that might also be best suited for the situation."
>Dream magic is linked to dimensional travel now?
>…Hell, why not? Luna gave some bullshit possibility of you ending up in Equestria through unconscious astral projection or something.
"Why tomorrow?"
>You walk back into the room, tea refreshed, putting it on the table by her and sitting back down.
>"She's currently away on royal business."
>The door suddenly opens and Spike walks in carrying a few boxes of doughnuts.
>He puts them on the table in front of you.
>"Here. Did you find them yet?"
>Celestia shakes her head.
>"Sorry, Spike, not yet."
>He sighs and heads upstairs.
"Poor kid. It’s gotta be hard for him, watching his caregiver and best friend vanish right in front of him along with his other closest friends."
>Celestia nods in agreement.
>"Yes. He'll be alright, though. He's strong for his age."
>Opening one of the boxes, you grab a nice, glazed doughnut, offering to Celestia who takes some as well.
"So why aren't you away on 'royal business’?"
>She closes the book and pushes it aside, having finished gleaning any information she could from it.
>"Luna wanted to take a few more duties and responsibilities that I generally handled for Equestria, myself. I'm not sure why I didn't think of doing that earlier - she's more than capable of leading again, and it gives me a little more time to myself. It just means some meetings and appearances have to be rescheduled to take place at night when she's in charge."
"So all this time she's been back, she's just been sitting around and watching people dream?"
>"Basically, yes. I feel terrible for not giving her responsibilities that she wanted."
"But it's daytime; shouldn't you be running things right now?"
>"Some of the rescheduled royal business was at the last minute and couldn't be done, so she's awake and taking charge now. She told me to take the day to enjoy myself.
>Oh god, you called her in on her day off.
>Nice going, Twilight; couldn't get lost in the multiverse on any other day.
"So you're spending your day off... here?"
>"Indeed. And don't think like that - the safety of Equestria comes first, and we need to ensure our friends are safe."
>Aww. How nice of her.
>"Besides, even if we can't do anything here without Luna's assistance, I'd feel terrible leaving now.”
"Yeah, I don't really feel comfortable going home until I know they're safe."
>"The day hasn't been all bad, though. While I've been trying to look for a solution, I've enjoyed your company. We haven't had many opportunities to talk."
>…huh. She's right.
>Despite how much effort she put into finding you a way home, you've never held a conversation with each other.
>"It's quite refreshing, actually - you don't speak to me the way most others, including Twilight, do. They can't get past being in the presence of royalty. You, however, seem to speak casually as you would with anyone else... I don't mind that nickname you said out loud earlier as much as you'd think."
>And suddenly you feel fear again.
>Why did she bring it up?
"Believe me, while I speak like this to everybody, my balls jump into my chest when I swear or say something terrible when you're close by. And don't even get me started on how terrified I was after calling you Sunbutt."
>She laughs at the name again.
>Maybe a casual conversation with her would be nice.
>"Even so, let's get to know each other a little better. Tell me about this 'Superman' you mentioned earlier. You seemed to have an interest in it."
"Screw that; I'll tell you about Batman. He's far better."


-Back with Twilight in the other world…-
>You are Twilight again.
>Following your duplicate back into the section of the cave you were all gathered in earlier, you remember something about what she said when bringing you here.
"Hey, uhhh... back when we first met, you said you turned to a source that you never imagined you'd turn to in order to bring us here. What was that?"
>Alter-Twilight sighs as she moves around the center table and levitates a blue book from under it over to you.
>"Does this look familiar to you?"
>A hard cover with a scratched up silver text title.
>You can still make out the words.
>'The Multiverse Theorem.'
>Oh, no way.
>This absurd book is what she turned to?
"Seriously?"
>"Yeah. I don't even know what to think since I can't really call it nonsense anymore."
"It was just so..."
>"Bizarre?"
"Insane."
>"That too. Yes, I agree. Despite having proven it valid, I refuse to take it any further than necessary. I brought you here to help and I will send you home when it's finished, then I'll destroy that work and find a way to remove that knowledge from my brain."
"That seems a little excessive."
>"If somep0ny like your Pinkie knew that there was a possibility of a universe made of chocolate cake, and that I had the means of searching for it and sending others there, what do you think would happen?"
"... Okay, fair enough. I wasn't disagreeing with you, anyway."
>Flipping through some of the pages quickly, you stumble upon the quote from the creator of these theories early on in the book.
>'Some are just like our own... but for one or two significant events, exactly the same.'
>Hmm.
>Assuming that most of this book’s ideas could be considered valid now, then that would explain the slight differences between your world and this world.
>Small differences could have a small impact... or a large one.
>You guess that this world’s Anon took his journey a little further than yours... and this is the result of that.
>Removing the book, you see Alter-Applejack and Rainbow Dash come back in.
"So what do you have planned?"
>The four of you gather around the table.
>Alter-Rainbow slams a hoof on the table.
>"We're gonna kick his butt for everything he's done! You're gonna blast him with the Elements and then we're gonna free the Princesses!"
>Simplistic.
>Reminds you of Anon.
>"We ain't just gonna charge in like that, Rainbow. It's too risky for her group. Just 'cause they agreed ta' help, doesn't mean we should put them in harm’s way like that."
"Well, what other choice is there? We'll be in harm’s way no matter what, right?"
>"Not exactly."
>All eyes on Alter-Twilight.
>"Your 'Group A' will be hidden. My 'Group B' will be causing distractions, messes, anything to get the attention of Anonymous. We'll probably attract the attention of the guards as well, but we'll just have to split up to separate them as much as possible."
"If we're hidden that whole time, how are we supposed to be in position for Anon?"
>"If he learns that I'm there, he'll likely come after me himself. He's desperate to get me at this point, so I'll draw him out near your group’s position. Then you can hit him with the Elements of Harmony."
>Sounds very dangerous, but... that could work.
>Alter-Applejack and Rainbow nod in approval.
"You know that's a pretty big risk, putting yourself out there like that, right?"
>"Of course. But this has gone on long enough. I've risked a lot already just putting this plan together... a little more couldn't hurt, right?"
>Untested spells to bring duplicates of herself and her friends to this world…
>Can't disagree with her there; that's the biggest risk anyp0ny could ever make.
>"Twilight."
>Everyp0ny turns around to see Alter-Spike standing at the entrance.
>"Yes?"
>"One of the changelings is back and says she has urgent news."
"Changelings?!"
>Alter-Twilight nods at you before turning back to Spike.
>"Send her in. We should probably hear what she has to say before we go through with this."
>Alter-Spike heads off.
>"And yes… changelings. I mentioned one of the things we tried was empowering a few changelings to see if they could do any damage to Anonymous. You may recall how Queen Chrysalis was able to overpower Celestia at our brother's wedding."
>No way you could forget that…
>That was one of the most shocking moments you'd ever experienced.
>"Well, we tried to use the same logic. Three changelings were among us when we left Ponyville, though we only found out after watching them trying to feed from some ponies here. Apparently they'd just been feeding a little bit here and there around town, without anyp0ny noticing. They were blending in perfectly."
>That's a little disturbing to think about.
>Maybe you should inform your Princess Celestia about the possibility of that when you get back home.
>"They're not exactly bad. They were removed from their hives for reasons they won't tell us, but after we caught them, they volunteered to help us if we didn't harm them. That's when I remembered what Chrysalis did.
"So you just willingly fed them love?!"
>"Yes. They became so powerful that I couldn't have held them captive even if I wanted to. However, they honoured their agreement and went after Anonymous. Unfortunately, it didn't work."
>Just how powerful is this crystal?
>A powered-up changeling can't defeat it, the Alicorn Amulet apparently couldn't, Princess Celestia and Luna both failed...
>What exactly is this world’s Anonymous wielding?
>"After they failed, we kept them around as spies. Feeding them power like that, as you could guess, isn't the best idea, but we had no choice. It turned into an addiction, so when they periodically return, we feed them certain amounts to let them have power, but lessen it over time to get them back to the small amounts they had while blending in town."
"I still can't believe you're just letting them walk freely among you."
>Alter-Rainbow looks over at you. Her next line drips with a condescending tone.
>"Yeah, well, we can say the same thing about you and your Anonymous. Things are different here; get over it."
>"Rainbow!"
>Alter-Applejack glares at her from across the table.
>"Things are diff'rent in their world, too. Don't be rude to her just 'cause she ain't used ta' changelings just walkin' around with us."
>"She's been told that the human she's buddies with back in her world is an evil jerk here and has enough power to do whatever he wants. How’s it so hard to believe and accept that we befriended a few changelings?"
>She's right.
>You shouldn't just rule off a few changelings as the same creatures that attacked Canterlot.
>In fact, they were just following a queen.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line. I'd never considered what a changeling could be like when they aren't following a power-hungry queen."
>Alter-Rainbow shrugs it off.
>"*ahem*"
>You all turn around to see a crimson pony with a red mane and tail that has dark green and whitish highlights through them.
>Her cutie mark seems to be some sort of flower of the same colours.
>"Apologies for interrupting, Twilight, but I bring news from your brother."
>Alter-Twilight beams upon hearing this.
>The pony is also looking back and forth from you and your duplicate with a concerned look on her face.
>"It's alright, Waratah. You don't need to be disguised."
>She nods, sighs, and a green flash goes up her body, revealing her true changeling form.
>Despite what you've been told, it's still a little unsettling to see a changeling right in front of you.
>She's cautiously making her way towards the table, seeming just as unsettled as you are.
>She keeps staring at you.
>Alter-Rainbow moves to her side.
>"Don't worry, we told her about you. She's just not used to seeing somep0ny like you hanging with us."
>The changeling relaxes a little, but still seems a little concerned by your presence.
"Yes, I'm sorry... I'm from a different Equestria. I don't mean to upset or offend you in any way; it's just not common to see somep0ny such as yourself..."
>Oh, this is so awkward...
>"I, umm... I could come back later if you'd like?"
>Alter-Twilight raises a hoof to stop her.
>"No, no. Don't mind her."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm still just getting used to how different this Equestria is compared to mine... Granted, it's mostly due to the situation concerning your Anonymous, because mine isn't like what's been described to me and... Wow, this isn't really getting better..."
>Well done, Twilight.
>Somehow you're making it more awkward.
>"I... I could change back into a pony if you'd feel more comfortable?"
"No, no, I'm just nervous. I've just never actually spoken to a changeling before. It's just, uhh..."
>"...awkward?"
"Extremely."
>How are you making this worse?!
>Just ask her about herself.
"Sooo... Waratah, was it? That's an interesting name. Sounds familiar…"
>Alter-Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack start snickering among themselves.
>If this were so urgent, why aren't they stopping this situation so you don't embarrass yourself further?
>"It's... a name that Anonymous gave me, actually."
"Oh?"
>He's naming ponies now?
>"Yes. When we were removed from our hives, any names or titles we had were abandoned as well. The pony form I use in the palace to spy on Anonymous has a flower cutie mark that he noticed. He said it reminded him of a flower from back in his world. I even have the same colours as it..."
"Oh, now I remember. Yes, I asked my Anonymous about flora and other things from his home world. 'Waratah' sounded exotic; it’s some kind of flower native to a country 'down under'... whatever that means."
>"Yes. That's almost exactly what he said."
>She seems to have lightened up a little.
>"He asked if he could call me that, and I agreed because I didn't have any other name to go by. Not that he knew that. I admit, being named after a flower makes me feel... nice. So I stuck with it."
"Well, it's a very lovely name. It sounds quite fitting for somep0ny such as yourself."
>Alter-Twilight clears her throat loudly.
>"I'm glad you're both comfortable with each other now, but maybe we should get on with it. Waratah, you said you had news from my brother?"
>Oh, right. Shining Armour.
>...
>Wait...
"Wait a minute! News FROM Shining Armour? I thought he was searching for you?"
>Alter-Twilight sighs, turning to you again.
>"Sorry, I forgot to mention that he's aware of our changeling spies, but nop0ny else is, so he's using them as a means of communication between us. He still believes we're the only hope for putting a stop to this, so he's helping in his own secretive way… but if he gets a lead on where we are, he will send the guards to come after us."
>So he's helping by not interrogating others to ascertain our location?
"That's... odd."
>"I know. It's weird to me as well, but he's just thinking of Cadance. If he doesn't do his job, Anonymous will likely hurt her, but he doesn't want to capture us if he can help it."
>Oh.
>Your brother... or her brother at least, is stuck in a position that impacts badly for him no matter what.
>"What does he say, Waratah?"
>She clears her throat as she starts her explanation, everyp0ny present listening intently.
>"Anonymous knows of the 'duplicates' and has increased the number of patrols around Equestria to look for you."
>Alter-Rainbow butts in.
>"Pffft, like that'll help. We've been hidden here for months. What good would a few extra guards do in finding us?"
>"That's not what's important."
>Alter-Twilight raises an eyebrow at that statement, as do you.
>"Shining Armour figures that whatever you're doing with the duplicates would involve the Elements of Harmony somehow, now that a Fluttershy has been spotted. He wants me to tell you that he's taking this chance to abandon Anonymous and the Royal Guards looking for you to help you put a stop to him."
>You smile at hearing this.
>Alter-Twilight, however, does not.
>"That's too risky. If he abandons his search, Anonymous will find him or Cadance... and who knows what he'll do..."
>"That's the other thing. He doesn't want to leave Cadance in the castle. If he leaves, Anonymous WILL hurt her to punish him. He wants your help to rescue her."
>Rescue her?
"How badly is she hurt, exactly?"
>"Apparently, Anonymous has used the same magic he did on Celestia and Luna to turn one of her legs, her wings and her horn to stone. She can't leave her room in the castle… not by herself, at least."
>That doesn't sound good.
>She wouldn't be able to fly, teleport or move fast to get away.
>Anonymous was very thorough with this.
>No wonder Shining was helping him... Cadance was in danger of having the same thing done to her that was done to Princess Celestia and Luna.
"Well, we can't just say ‘no’ to this. Cadance needs our help, and Shining Armour can't do anything to protect her."
>Everyp0ny turns to Alter-Twilight.
>"Is that all, Waratah?"
>"Yes, Twilight."
>"Alright. Thank you. Head back to Canterlot, and inform Shining that we'll be making our move within the next few hours."
>The changeling salutes and heads out.