Twisted Desires: Part 10 Finale (Anon x Queen Umbra Story)

>Heading up stairs, you walk past a few room before finding a ladder at the end of the hall
>Floating up to the top, you find what looks like an attic
>In the center of the room is a large couch looking out at a large window
>Outside the window, you can see and hear the snowstorm raging outside
>The room is only lit up by a small lamp that doesn't provide much light, it might as well not even be on
"Anonymous?"
>Walking around the couch, you spot Anonymous laying down with both hands behind his head
>He opens his eyes and looks up at you
>"What are you doing up here, Celly?" He asks
>He sounds distant
"I came up here looking for you." You tell him "When you didn't comeback after getting cleaned up I started to worry."
>"Oh. Sorry." Anonymous says before looking back to the window "I just needed some alone time."

"Can I sit down next to you?"
>Anonymous sits up and moves his legs over to an ottoman
>Sitting down next to him, you watch the storm raging outside
>Even if it is violent out there, it does feel relaxing to look at
>Glancing over at Anonymous, you watch as he twirls his sword into the floor
>All the while he just stares into the storm
>It's times like this where you wish you could read minds
>Something's obviously troubling him
>Occasionally he looks at his ring before letting out a sigh
>The storm outside only seems to keep getting worse and worse
"Are you alright, Anonymous?" You ask him "You're usually more chattier than this."
>He nods his head
>"Yeah, I'm just doing a little bit of thinking is all." He tells you "We're gonna arrive at the empire tomorrow. I'm just preparing myself for what'll happen at then end of all this."
>You look over to him
>Now you know what's bothering him
>You're not stupid
"What will happen?" You ask him "I want to know what you expect is going to happen tomorrow."

>Anonymous stops twirling his blade
>"We're going to stop Anonymous and save Umbra." He tells you as he looks back to the storm "What else is there?"
"Why did you look away?"
>Anonymous doesn't answer you at first
"Anonymous, I was once your special somepony." You tell him "I know when you're hiding things from me."
>He finally looks back at you
>"Why couldn't you just stay downstairs?" Anonymous tell you in a quiet voice "Why couldn't you just leave me to my thought?"
"Because I care about you too much to leave you to these terrible thoughts!" You tell him "I know you want to stop Anonymous, but sacrificing yourself is not the way to do it."
>Anonymous shakes his head and looks out to the storm raging outside
"I thought we were done with this subject." You tell him "You promised me that you wouldn't think like that anymore."

>You closes look down to the floor in silence
>If only Umbra was here
>With the both of you coming down on him, he'd listen
>"I'm sorry." He tells you "I know I promised you that I wouldn't do anything rash, but Celestia did you even see that village and Alternate Ariadne? Tomorrow isn't going to be an easy day."
>You look up at him
"Of course I did, we also saw that state that Canterlot was in." You tell him "I saw that we need to free this world from Anonymous's tyranny and that's something that can be done without you throwing your life away!"
>Anonymous flinches when you say that before he starts walking towards you
"You are not expendable, none of us are." You tell him "We all are going to stop them and we're going make it back home and-"
>Anonymous silences you with a boop to your nose
>He looks into your eyes and smiles
>"Listen." He says "I don't want to argue anymore. You're right, but if it comes down to me or Umbra or even both worlds, I'm going to do what's right."

>You stare into his eyes
>He always boops you when he tries to get his way
>And it worked every time
>He's not going to change his mind
>The best you can do now is get Umbra to help
"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" You say with a smile
>"Because I have to be." He tells you "So much is riding on our victory tomorrow."
"This doesn't mean you won." You tell him "I'm not going to let you throw your life away."
>"Like I told you last time, I won't do it if I don't have to." He says "Maybe we will just bring him down easily."
>Gods you hope so
"Well now that that's over with, will you come to bed?" You asks "I-It's really cold and I could use some extra h-heat."
>Get a hold of yourself Celestia!
>You've been intimate with him multiple times!
>"In a minute." Anonymous says "I just want to look out this window some more."
"Very well." You tell him "Don't be too late."
>As you head back downstairs, you find somepony waiting for you
"Sombra."

"Dammit Celly." You tell yourself as you look out the window
>You are Anon
>Why'd she have to come up here?
>Every time she grills you about this you always feel terrible about what you plan on doing
>Especially when you have to lie to her
>"Anonymous." You hear Sombra call out as he jumps up the ladder
"Sombra?" You ask "What are you doing up here."
>"I heard you arguing with Celestia." He says as he walks around the couch "I was going to come up here earlier, but it seems to have ended."
>He looks back down
>"Celestia wants me to talk to you." He says "She told me everything."
"God dammit..."
>"So you plan to sacrifice yourself for us all?" Sombra asks "Why?"
"Sombra." You tell him "Don't you remember when we went to go see your parents? After Umbra was taken?"

The day of departure...
>Looking back at the portal, you wonder what the first thing you should do is
>Obviously you should go to the hospital with Celestia and Sombra
>But...
>There's something more important that you have to do
>The cold wind blows past you as the snow begins to pick
>You clench your fist
>As the gate closes, you look at Sombra
"Hey Sombra."
>He looks over to you as does Celestia and Arthas
"Can we go see them?" You tell him "I... I have to tell them what happened to Umbra."
>Sombra stops and looks unsure about what you're asking
>"Anonymous, are you sure?" He asks
>No... God no
>But you have to
>You're shaking already and you're not even there yet
"They deserve to know what happened to their daughter."
>Celestia and Arthas finally get what you're talking about and look away
>"Very well." Sombra says "If you want to tell them, then I won't stop you. Let's go."
"Wait for us at the hospital." You tell Celestia "We'll be there in a bit."
>Celestia nods her head as you and Sombra head down the cold streets to The Icy Gem Cavern

>Walking into the bar, you quickly walk over to the Gates of Tartarus
>The pony at the front desk doesn't try to stop you
>They know what you've lost
>Coming up to the bar, you see Rodin smoking a cigar
>"I was wondering when you two were going to show." Rodin says
>"Then you know why we're here." Sombra says
>Rodin simply nods his head before pointing to the back
>Heading behind the counter, Rodin stops you
>"She's strong, Anon. She's beat me before." He tells you "She'll be fine for now, but you better hurry and save her."
>You nod your head before continuing to follow Sombra down the stairs
>Once you reach the basement, you stare at the portal that's already open
>"Are you sure about this?" Sombra asks
"Yeah." You tell him "They need to know."
>Sombra nods his head in agreement as you both step through the portal
>Coming out the other side, you find yourself in a chillier environment
>"Of course the weather is like this." Sombra says as you both start walking up the hill to your in laws house
>As you get closer and closer, your fear is starting to override your other feelings
>How are you supposed to tell them that you lost their daughter?
>Coming up to the door, Sombra looks back at you
>"Last chance." He says
>Shaking your head, he knocks on the door
>A moment later the door opens and there stands Mama Umbra
>"Anon, Sombra! What brings-" She says before she stops "What happened to you two?! Why do you look so beat up? Why do you also look depressed?"
>"Mother, Anonymous and I are here because there's something we need to tell you and father." Sombra says
>She continues to look at your beat up faces and bodies before looking around
>"W-Where's your sister?" She asks

>You feel a tightness on your heart
>"Mother..." Sombra says while looking towards the floor "C-Can we come inside?"
>Even Sombra's starting to get nervous
>Mama Umbra lets you both in as she runs off to the kitchen
>"M-My love!" You hear her call out "Sombra and Anonymous are here! And something's wrong with Umbra!"
>"WHAT?!" You hear Papa Umbra shout
>His voice booms through the house
>"Go to the living room you two." She says "I'll get you both something warm to drink."
>As she enters the kitchen, Sombra looks over to you
>"Come." He says "And steel yourself for what might happen."
>Taking a seat in the living room, you can't stop shaking in fear
>You heard the tone in your father in laws voice
>It was that of a worried father
>Sombra continues keeping his eyes closed
>Mama Umbra comes back after a short while with two hot cups of coco
>And behind her, you can hear the loud hoofsteps behind her
>Looking behind her, you see Papa Umbra come stomping through the entry way
>"What happened to my princess?!"

>You and Sombra finally muster up enough courage to look him in the eyes
>All you see is worry
>"What happened to you two?!" He asks "And where is my daughter!?"
>You and Sombra can't say anything
>The words are trapped in your throat, but you just can't get them out
>"Boys!" Papa Umbra says "What happened to Umbra!?"
>"F-Father..." Sombra says "We-!"
"She was taken!"
>Both your in laws turn to look at you
>"She was taken?" Mama Umbra asks "B-By who?!"
"By an alternate version of myself." You tell him "He's using her to get me to come to his world."
>In that moment Umbra's father grabs the small table in front of you before throwing it to the wall
>"HOW COULD YOU BOTH LET THIS HAPPEN!?" He shouts before looking at you "SHE'S CARRYING YOUR CHILD AND YOU STILL LET HER GET TAKEN!"

>You feel your heart just drop
>He's right
>How could you just let her get taken like that?!
>"Beloved! Calm down!" Umbra's mother says standing in front of him "Shouting and throwing things like a child isn't going to bring our daughter back!"
>"How can you be so calm!?" He yells "They-"
>"Your sons tried their best to save her!" She says, cutting him off "Look at your Sombra's body and the both of their faces!"
>She's referring to the bandages on you both
>Umbra's father looks at you both before sitting down
>Umbra's mother sits right next to him
>"What happened, you two!?" He says "Tell us now!"
>Sombra opens his mouth, but you stop him
>You're the one that failed to save her
"Like I said, an alternate evil version of myself came and attacked us at my birthday party yesterday." You tell them "We were caught off guard and weren't prepared for a fight."
>You look at them
"He wants me to come to his world so that he could kill me and merge our worlds." You tell them "That's why he took Umbra."
>"We tried to save her. All of us." Sombra says "But he was too powerful and as Anonymous said, we were unprepared."
>"What is all this talk about merging worlds?" Mama Umbra says "And why does he want to kill you?"
>"Where did he even come from?" Papa Umbra says in a less angry tone
"It's a long story."

>You had time so you ended up telling them everything
>Celestia and Alternate Sombra
>The worlds
>The mirror
"And that's everything."
>"Oh sweetie..." Mama Umbra says "I'm so sorry all that happened to you."
>"A wounded heart is a very difficult thing to heal." Papa Umbra says
"Don't feel too bad about it." You tell them "If not for that than I wouldn't have met Umbra."
>"We are preparing right now to leave." Sombra says "Anonymous just wanted to see you two to let you know of the situation."
>"I'm sorry I yelled at you both." Papa Umbra says "I just can't stand the thought of losing my baby girl."
>"So you two are going alone?" Mama Umbra asks
"No we have my friends, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, a spirit of chaos, and my wolf." You tell them "We have to keep from tipping the scales of balance too hard."
>You look over at Papa Umbra
"I-I'm sorry I let you down sir."

>Papa Umbra looks over at you before closing his eyes
>"You did let me down." He says "I entrusted my daughter to you and you let her get taken."
>You look down at your cup of coco
>"But..." He says "I know you will be the one to correct that mistake."
>You look up at him and smile
"Yeah. I will correct that mistake." You tell him "I'm going to bring her home."
>Both your in laws smile
>"We know you can do it, sweetie!" Mama Umbra says "Just like our daughter believes in you, so will we."
>Tears begin to form as you hand Sombra your cup
>You stand up
"I promise you, no matter what happens to me. I'm going to see that she's safe and sound." You tell them "And I swear to you both that I'm going to make that bastard pay for laying a hand on her!"
>Papa Umbra stands up
>"Do what you need to, son." He says "Rip that hand off if you can."
>"You better return too." Mama Umbra says "Umbra won't be the same without you there."
>Nodding your head, you look back to Sombra
"Let's get going."

>Back in the present
"I made a promise to your folks." You tell Sombra "We were going to bring Umbra back no matter the cost."
>"But you hear my mother as well." Sombra says "She told you that you had to come back too. For Umbra's sake."
>Placing your hand on the window, you look out at the storm
"She's strong." You tell him "She-"
>"If you say she'll move on from your idiotic choice then you obviously don't know my sister." Sombra says
>You turn back
>"She would be heartbroken without you." Sombra tells you "So much so that it might affect the little one growing inside her."
>Those words feel like a punch to the gut
>"You need to listen to me." Sombra says as he stands up "I understand how you feel about Anonymous, but throwing your life away would only cause more harm than good."
>Sombra begins to head towards the stairs
>"You are just as much of an important part of Equestria, just as Umbra, myself, the princesses, and the Mane 6 are." Sombra says "Not to mention that you are family to us all."
>He looks back at you
>"Try not to stay up too late now." He says "Tomorrow we take back our queen and put an end to this madness."
>You watch him hop down the stairs before looking back outside
>More harm than good...
>The storm outside seems to settle down a little
>Closing your eyes, you nod your head before heading back to your room

>As the sun rolls around, you wake up to the sound of the wind raging outside
>The storms still going
>Of course it is
>Draped on top of you is Celestia's wing
>Shifting onto your right side, you see that's she's already awake
>"Good morning." She says in a quiet tone "How are you feeling?"
>You think about
>You're still a bit lost after last night
"I'm as good as I'm going to be." You tell her "What about you?"
>"I'm actually anxious." She says "More so for you."
"Don't be." You tell her as you sit up "Sombra and I talked last night like you wanted."
>"And what did he tell you?" Celestia asks
"He told me what I needed to hear."
>Getting out of bed, you and Celestia begin to get dressed

>When you reach the downstairs area, you find everyone all dressed and ready to go
>They're all just eating breakfast in silence
>Except for Arthas and Sombra who are both getting Ammy's armor on
>"So you are finally awake." Sombra says "Sleep well?"
"Well enough." You tell him as you go to sit down with Biggs, Lance, and Wedge "What about all of you?"
>Wedge passes a plate with eggs on it to you
>There's also some toast for you
>"It's was actually a little difficult." Wedge says "I mean, today's the day."
>"We either save the world or we fail it." Biggs says "That's a lot of weight on our backs."
>"Not to mention the lives of everypony we love and know depend on this fight." Lance says "It's a little nerve racking."
>They're not wrong
>This is why you're having such a hard time deciding what you're going to do
>"This is what you four have always wanted." Arthas says "A chance to save the world."
>Lance cracks a small smile
>"Ever since our training days..." Lance says "I guess we finally get our chance huh guys?"
>You all smile
"I guess we do." You tell him "Let's try not to mess it up for once."

>Looking around at everyone, you see that look of nervousness on everyone's faces
>Standing up, you stand over in a spot so that you're in the center
"Like my friends said, this is it." You tell them "We put it all on the line today to stop a catastrophe."
>You clench your fist
"It seems like we're going into a death trap, but we have no choice." You tell them "We either stop Anonymous or we lose everything we love."
>You glance over at Celestia
>She has her eyes close, but you can still see the worry behind them
"But I have hope." You tell them "We've been through so much in this one year alone and each of us have become stronger because of it."
>You think to Umbra
"I don't care how many guards they have waiting for us. I don't care how many crystal armors I have to cleave through!" You say "We're going to save Umbra, Ariadne, and Cynthia! And once they're safe we are going to bring this madman's scheme to an end!"
>"Yeah!" Biggs says
"Anonymous picked the wrong world to fight with." You tell everyone "We are going to bring him and his empire down and free these ponies. No matter what."
>You raise your fist up
"It ends today."

>Everyone around you takes on a look of determination
"I know we can win this." You tell them "We're actually ready for them this time!"
>"You still need work with your speeches, Anonymous." Arthas says "But the message is clear."
>Giving them a smile, you sit back down and get back down to your breakfast
>"No matter what happens we are stronger." Sombra says "As our king said, Let us bring an end to this madness!"
>Everyone cheers while you continue to eat
>This is gonna be one hell of a ride
>Finishing up your food, you look over at Celestia and Sombra
"I'm going to go grab Rebellion real quick." You tell him "Make sure everyone's ready to go."
>They nod their heads as you head off

>You are Celestia
>As Anonymous heads back upstairs, Sombra turns to face everyone
>"All right. Now we get down to something just as serious." Sombra quietly says "Anonymous's safety."
>The room goes silent
>"As Celestia told us earlier, Anon might try and pull some idiotic heroic sacrifice to stop Anonymous. We need to prevent that from happening."
>"Why does he even want to do that?" Lance asks
"He believes that the madness won't stop even after we stop Anonymous." You say "That's why he believe's he has to be the one that puts him down."
>"But then what?" Biggs says "We have to keep balance, right? How is he-"
>The boys notice the looks on your faces
>"He will have to end his own life too..." Wedge says
"I-I don't know why he's thinking like this." You tell them "Anonymous has always looked for that ray of hope no matter how bleak the situation is. He won't even tell me why he thinks Alternate Anonymous won't stop after his defeat."
>"We need to prevent that from happening." Sombra says "So not only do we have to look out for Umbra, Ariadne, Cynthia, and our safety, but now we have to look after Anonymous's as well."

>You are Anon
>Grabbing your sword, you head to the bathroom real quick before heading back downstairs
>Once you reach the stairs, you hear Sombra from below
>"Anonymous's as well..." He says
>What were they talking about?
"What about me?" You say as you come off the last step
>Everyone looks towards you
>"We were talking about our wills." Sombra says immediately "And how your's is most likely the strongest because of Umbra."
>You notice Lance look away from you along with Wedge
"Definitely." You tell him without taking your eyes off them "I have to save Umbra no matter what."
>You look around at everybody
"Are we all ready for this?" You tell them "It's now or never."
>"We're ready when you are." Sombra says "I think it's about time we fulfill that promise to my parents."
>With a smile you make sure Rebellion is snug on your back
"All right!" You say "Time to save Umbra and the girls!"

>You are Umbra
>As you cuddle with the girls under the sheets, you look over to the window
>The rain is even worse today
>It seems only right
>You just hope your beloved and the others can brave the storm outside
>Ariadne begins to stir in front of you
>"Lady Umbra, are you awake?" She asks
"I am." You tell her with a smile
>"A-Are we finally going home today?" She asks
>Yes.
>This madness is going to come to an end today
>You'll make sure of that!
>Before you can even open your mouth to tell her, a purple barrier surrounds you putting you into a ball
>"Lady Umbra!" Ariadne says as you are moved away from the girls
>The portal at the end of the room opens up and in comes Alternate Umbra, Alternate Lance, and Alternate Ariadne

"What's going on?!"
>"What do you think?" Alternate Umbra responds "Today is the big day. The day my beloved's dream comes true!"
>"We're just here to make a little pick up." Alternate Lance says as he makes his way over to Cynthia
>Ariadne move Cynthia behind her as panic begins to fill your mind
>It's even more amped up when Alternate Ariadne grabs Ariadne by her mane
>"Ariadne!" Cynthia cries out as Alternate Lance holds her "Lady Umbra!"
"LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
"Lady Umbra!" Ariadne says as she struggles to get loose
>"You didn't really think we would keep you three together now, did you?" Alternate Umbra says "It would be too simple for your clown of a king to rescue you all."
>You try to kick out of the ball, but you hardly have any room to move
>"Take them to your spots and wait." Alternate Umbra says "When they get here, you both know what to do."
>"It will be done, mother." Alternate Ariadne says
>"We'll put him down, Lady Umbra." Alternate Lance says before looking at Alternate Ariadne "Be careful out there, beautiful."
>Alternate Ariadne doesn't answer him back at first
>"You as well." She simply says as she pushes Ariadne into the portal
>All you can do is watch helplessly as Cynthia looks back at you with the most terrified look on her face
>As the exit the room, your other self comes over
>"As for you, I have such grand plans for you." She says as she puts her face right up to the ball "Are you a fan of tragedies?"
>Behind her you hear the portal opening up
>But behind her, you don't see Anonymous
>But something worse
"It can't be..."

>Stepping outside into the cold, you pull the hood of your armor up
>"This storm is extremely violent." Sombra says as he stands beside you "More violent than anything I have ever seen."
"They're expecting us." You tell him "The element of surprise isn't going to be there when we arrive."
>"A fight from start to finish." Sombra says
"We'll just have to tear through whatever gets in our way." You tell him before looking back "Eris."
>You look down and see a ring form around your waist
>"All set!" Eris says "No one's getting lost so long as you don't take the ring off."
>Looking down at your hand that holds your wedding ring, you ball it up into a fist
"Let's go." You say "I know it's hard to see out here, but make sure we don't get ambushed by anything out here."
>"There are guard posts out here." Arthas says "But if what Anonymous says is true, then they will not interfere with us."
"Our only enemy out here is this storm." You tell them "Let's get moving before we freeze out here."
>"Yeah! I don't want to take anymore breaks since we're so close." Lance says "Cynthia and Ariadne are so close."
"So is Umbra."
>I'm coming Umbra, just hold on a little bit longer...

>Step after step through the snow, you start to question how much progress you've made through the wastes
>You know it shouldn't be much farther now
>But this wind is relentless
>It's even come to the point where Biggs, Sombra, and yourself have made a shield of magic just to keep forging on
>Coming up to the base of a hill you look up
>Not that you can really see much ahead of you
>But you can feel that you're close!
"Come on!" You say over the storm "Up this hill!"
>Making your way to the top of the hill, you feel the storm around you start to weaken around you
>"Finally." Sombra says as he shakes some snow out of his mane "I never thought it would end."
>The wind is still has a little force behind it, but at least you can see in front of you
>Snow still falls from the gray sky, but at least you aren't being blinded by it
>And that's a good thing to
>Because looking from the hill, you can see it in front of you
>The Crystal Empire

>There it is
>It looks much larger than your empire from out here
>Clouds and snow obscure your vision still so it's difficult to see deep into the empire
>Thunder crackles throughout the air
>"Thunder?" Wedge says "But it's snowing."
>"Out here it is." Arthas says as he looks through some binoculars "Inside the empire it's raining just as it has since we arrived."
>"Rain out here?" Celestia says "It must be freezing in there!"
>"Their Umbra and Anonymous must be using it as a means to control their subjects." Luna says
>Arthas hands you the binoculars
>"Anonymous look over there." Sombra says as he points to the west of the empire
>Looking over to where he's pointing, you see a large force of ponies gathered out there in the snow
"It's an invasion force."
>And leading them is Alternate Cadance

>"The Cadance of this world." Celestia says "This is my first time seeing her."
"Really?"
>Celestia nods her head
>"We may have never met, but I know enough of her from Sombra." Celestia says "She just as sadistic as this world's Celestia and Luna were."
>She looks like she going through that phase in her life where everything has to be dark and depressing
>Her cutie mark is a broken heart instead of being a full one
>Behind her, you see a depressed looking Shining Armor behind her
>More and more troops gather behind the two as they look ahead
>They're waiting for something by the look of it
>"So we were right." Arthas says "While we're here they're going to send a large invasion force to attack our world."
"With Cadance and the girls there, I'm not too worried." You tell him "They can hold them back."
>You just hope they've evacuated the empire...
"Let's hurry towards the gate." You tell everyone "I don't want to make Cadance and the girls fight for more than they have to."

>Moving carefully through the snow, you find yourself getting closer and closer to the gates
>You have no idea what's going to happen
>Are you going to have to fight your way in?
>Maybe you should find a way to sneak in?
>Scaling the wall looks like it would be difficult for those of you that can't fly
>You shake away those worrying thoughts
>It's now or never
>"Are you guys really just going to walk up to the front door?" You hear a voice call out in the snow
>Drawing your sword, you turn around and ready yourself for a fight
>"Whoa easy there!" The same voice says "We're here to help."
>Wait a second
>Coming up to your group in a scarf and goggles is a mare
>When she removes them both, you smile
"Marie."

>"What are you doing here, Marie?" Arthas asks "Weren't you evacuating your ponies?"
> Alternate Marie nods her head before looking up at the wall
>"Come with me." She says "I know another more discreet way into the empire."
>Doing as she says, you and your group tag along
>"We got most of use that can't fight to safety." Alternate Marie says "But there were some of us that didn't like the burden you were all putting upon yourselves."
>Coming up to another hill, you see a large rock sticking out of the snow
>"Myself included." Alternate Marie says "So some of us packed up and rushed over here as fast as we could. We came through the eastern side of the barrier."
>She walks over to the rock and pushes it to reveal a hatch
>"Come on, in here." Alternate Marie says "This leads into the empire, we'll be right near the gates."
>Looking back at your friends, you shrug your shoulders before hopping into the hole

>Landing on your feet, you look around at the tunnel before you
>Wall scones light the path ahead of you
>The cave looks like it's made of rock until the very end where crystal seems to take over
>Moving out of the way, your friends jump down into the tunnel
>"A secret entrance into the empire?" Sombra says "I wonder if this tunnel exists in our world."
>"If it does then we need to barricade it when we return home." Arthas says
>"I'll give you a map of the entrances before you leave." Alternate Marie
>Heading down the tunnel, Alt Marie looks over at you
>"So you worked on you plan right?" She asks "You're not going in with a rough plan?"
"It's a lot better than it was before." You tell her "So how many ponies did you bring?"
>"About twenty." Alt Marie says
"About twenty?" You say "I'll let you all know what the plan is when we meet up with them."

>Coming to the end of the tunnel, you come to a dead end
>"Where do we go from here?" Wedge asks
>Alt Marie steps forward and begins to push onto the crystal
>What's she-?
>You watch as it pops out of place
>"There we go." Alt Marie says as she rolls it over to the side
>Stepping out of the tunnel, you find yourself in a basement of some kind
>Inside are the ponies Alt Marie was talking about
>"They're here." Alt Marie says as you all step down from the stairs
>"Where are we?" Arthas asks
>"I don't know about your world, but here it's an abandoned flower shop." Alt Marie says "This is the place where I made my escape from the empire."
>Alt Marie grabs her sword before putting it on her belt
>"So what the plan?" She asks
>You look at the group of ponies before you
"We need to throw this empire into chaos." You tell her "And the best way to do that is to start a prison riot."

>"So an attack on the prison..." Alt Marie says
"We need all the help we can get." You tell her "Another Celestia and Luna would be a great asset along with Duchess Chrysalis and this world's Discord."
>"That's a lot of fire power." Alt Marie says "Ponies from the resistance are also locked away in there. You get them out and you have enough ponies to keep the guards busy."
>"That means we can get to Anonymous without any trouble." Wedge says
"There's going to be trouble regardless." You tell him "I'm walking straight down that main road to the castle."
>"So much for sneaking in." Sombra says
"Nothing stopping me, Sombra." You tell him "I want him to know that I'm coming to save Umbra and to stop him."
>"Marie, you should send your comrades here to assist the Princess and Eris." Arthas says "You and I can stay with the main group and stay behind to fight if we need to."
>Alt Marie nods her head before looking around
>"Well I guess since we're heading down the main road, you and my ponies here can head around the side streets to the dungeon." Alt Marie says "Just let them know that we're here and what's going on. They'll do the rest."
>Luna nods her head as the boom of thunder erupts over your heads
"This is it." You say "Everyone. Let's end this."

>Heading up the stairs, you and everyone with you glance outside the window
>The rain is going strong out there as guards walk past your building
>"With your king here walking down the main road most of the guards will come for us." Marie says "That includes the captains."
>"Then you and I will deal with them." Arthas says "Anon must not waste his time or energy dealing with the small fry when he needs to get to Anonymous."
>"Are you sure about that, Cap?" Lance says
>"I am." Arthas says "It'll take a lot more than normal guards to bring me down."
>"And I'll be there to watch his back." Alt Marie says "We can handle this and create a distraction for the Princess and Eris to get to the prison."
>"Luna." Celestia says as she walks up and hugs her sister "Please be careful."
>"You as well, sister." Luna says before looking towards Sombra "My love..."
>Sombra gives her a small smile
>"Don't worry, I will return to you." He says "Just do the same for me."
>Luna nods her head
>Walking up to the door you grab the handle
"Wait till you see some guards run past and then go." You tell Luna and Eris "Stay safe out there."
>"Same for you, Anon." Eris says "We won't let you down."
>Opening the door, you, Sombra, Celestia, Arthas, your friends, Ammy, and Alt Marie head for the main road

>Walking down the road, you look down towards the main street
>There doesn't seem to be anybody there
>Not that that matters anyway
>Stopping at the end, you see Sombra step beside you
>"Having second thoughts?" He asks with a smile "We can still-"
>You cut him off by walking onto the main street
>Taking a few steps out, you look around at the empire before you
>The homes all look dark and depressing
>Poster are place all around that say that "The queen has eyes EVERYWHERE!" and "Defying the king results in a fate worse than death."
>"There's posters like this everywhere." Wedge says
>"It's always been like this." Alt Marie says "They're just to keep ponies from having any hope."
>Looking down the road you spot the castle standing tall over the empire
>"Umbra's has to be in there." Sombra says "But it's so large."
"That's why we brought Ammy." You tell him "She'll be able to find Umbra."
>Staring up at the castle, you can feel his gaze already on you
>He's waiting for you up there at the top
"I better not keep you waiting then..." You say as you start walking towards the castle "I'm coming for you, Anonymous!"

>Ponies on the streets finally notice you and your party as there faces take on a look of shock
>"T-The False King!" One says "He's finally arrived."
"The False King?" You say as you "No doubt they've been calling Umbra The False Queen."
>"Then this is the end!" Another yells hysterically
>"Captain Marie?" A surprised one says "What are you doing here?"
>"We're here to end this rule or die trying." Marie says "If you're able to fight then prepare yourself."
>Continuing down the road, you start to hear hoofsteps rushing towards you
>"Here they come." Arthas says as he starts to draw his sword
>Drawing Rebellion you watch as alarms blare throughout the air
>Guard ponies begin to come out of different streets as they start to surround you
"Alright Luna and Eris, now's your chance." You say "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
>Lifting Rebellion up, you charge right into the guards in front of you

>You are Luna
>As alarms blare through the air, you hide behind the window and watch as guard ponies rush towards the main road
>"I think that's our cue, Princess." Eris says
>"Princess Luna." One of Marie's ponies says "We should split up and meet back up at the dungeons."
"We agree." You tell him "Eris and myself will draw more attention. At least you all can conceal yourselves with the crowd."
>"Well all we need to do is hide ourselves." Eris says as she snaps her fingers
>A dark cloak appears from thin air
>"I'll shrink down and hide in that little neck piece of yours." Eris says "Just try not to attract any attention to us till we get to the dungeons."
"Aren't you for the chaos?" You ask as you put it on
>"Of course, but we have a job to do first." Eris says as she shrinks down "Once that's done, I'm going all out!"
>Pulling the hood over your head, you look back at Alternate Marie's ponies before nodding your head
>Heading out onto the street, you look both ways before heading the opposite way that Anonymous went

"I hope they're okay over there."
>Looking at the portal, you continue to feel your worry rise
>You are Cadance
>"I think they're fine." Twilight Sparkle says to you "Our suns and moons haven't collided yet."
>You glance back at the portal
"I'm worried more about Anon and Umbra." You tell her "Those two... Their love for one another is so pure, it's unlike anything I've ever seen."
>"Is it really that strong?" Rarity asks
>You nod your head
"They need each other, if one goes so does the other." You tell them "If Anon loses Umbra, then he'll turn into that monster Auntie Celestia told us about."
>"And if Queen Umbra loses Anon?" Fluttershy asks
>You hesitate to answer
>"Then I fear Umbra won't be strong enough to go on without him."

>"Do you mean...?" Twilight says
>You slowly nod your head
"I don't think she would be strong enough to even go through child birth." You tell her "That Anon, he's such an important person in her life."
>"He just has a way of drawing you towards him ." Twilight says "Ever since the first day arrived in Equestria, we knew he'd fit in just fine here."
>"I hope he doesn't do anything too rash." Rarity says "We all need him in some way or another."
>You hope so too
>But hearing his speech before leaving leaves you a bit concerned
>You don't want to even think of that heartbreak if it happens
>"Princess!" You hear a voice call out
>Looking over at your right, you see the mare called Jaina coming up to you

"Jaina, so you did decided to stay."
>"I may be a teacher of magic, but that doesn't mean I can't fight." Jaina says "There's a reason I'm the only one that can get through Arthas's icy exterior."
>You smile before looking back at the empire
"Does this mean that everypony has evacuated?"
>"Everyone except for two." Jaina says "Credo, the castle blacksmith and a stallion named Rodin. He runs a bar in the empire."
>"Why did they stay?" Twilight asks
>"The two of them have seen enough to know how to defend themselves." Jaina says "I'm more worried about the seven mares that were unaccounted for."
"Seven?!"
>Jaina nods her head
>"The strange thing is that they were seen one moment and then they mysteriously vanished." Jaina says
"Then we have to find them!"

>"But the thing is that we've searched the empire already for just them." Jaina says "It's as if they just vanished."
>You curse yourself inside your head
>Anon trusted you to keep his home safe
>The same could be said for Umbra
>"Cadance, maybe they just got lost with the others citizens?" Twilight says "There were a lot when we were evacuating."
"Even then, I don't want anypony to be in danger."
"We could try searching for them real quick." Twilight says "It wouldn't take that long if we all split up."
>Upon hearing a crackling nose, you all look towards the portal
>"Uh oh." Rainbow Dash says "That can't be good."
>Lightning begins to spit out of the portal
>Looks like it's time
"Something's coming."

>The portal begins to swirl more intensely
"Guard! Get ready!" You yell out to the guard ponies of your and Umbra's empire "Shining, make sure you surround the portal."
>"Got it!" Shining says as he puts his helmet on "Alright everypony, I want a perimeter around that portal! Don't get too close!"
"Girls, get ready."
>Twilight and her friends nod their heads as you all head down there with Shining
>Moving through the ponies, you part ways with Jaina as you reach the front
>Shining Armor and you stare into the center of the portal
>"What are the chances that Anon and the other come back?" Shining asks
"Slim." You tell him "But Celestia I want them to come through that."
>This is the first time Auntie Celestia and Luna have left Equestria in your's and Twilight's hooves
>No matter what comes through there, you just need to protect your world
>That was the promise you made to them
>You take a deep breath as the portal finally begins to pour something out
>Hooves step out of the portal and onto the snow
>Just as you feared
>It isn't Anon or the others coming through
>It's your alternate version that steps onto your world

>As Alternate Cadance steps through the portal, her eyes immediately find yours
>She the complete opposite from you appearance wise
>Her mane seems more dull in color compared to her
>And the armor she's wearing is silver instead of the gold you wear
>A small lock on a necklace hangs around her neck
>But the biggest difference is her cutie mark
>It's a broken heart
>If anything she's a princess of hate or misery
>"So this is their world." She says as looks around before her eyes look around before returning to yours "Hello, inferior me!"
>She looks behind her
>"Stop dragging behind and keep up!" She shouts behind her
>From the portal comes another pony
>Shining Armor's alternate self

>You look over at your husband
>He seems to be having a hard time looking at his alternate self
>Looking back at him, you can see why
>He looks so timid compared to your Shining Armor
>"Gods you are so pathetic." Alternate Cadance says "I envy Lady Umbra for having such a strong stallion by her side."
>"I-I'm sorry, Cadance." Alternate Shining weakly says
>She's the reason he's so timid
>"Honestly what did I ever see in you." She says rolling her eyes before looking at you
>You and Shining stand in front of the guard
>"I knew you would look sickening, but this is almost to much." Alternate Cadance says before turning her attention to Shining "At least your husband doesn't look like a pathetic cretin."
>She's just so nonchalant about putting him down
"You are trespassing on our Equestria." You tell her "Head back where you came from or we will be forced to make you go back."

>Alternate Cadance snickers
>"You really think you can force me to go back?" She asks "Well Anonymous did say you were all naive."
>"Why are you even here?" Shining Armor asks "Shouldn't you be helping your Anonymous deal with ours?"
>She chuckles
>"Anonymous and Lady Umbra can handle that clown." She says "No, instead they asked me to come and secure this world for them,"
>She laughs once more
>"It's only a matter of time until Anonymous runs him through with that sword of his." She says with a sick smile "I just wish I could be there to see it."
"Anon won't lose again." You tell her "Especially when so much is on the line!"
>Your alternate self smile fades
>"Do you know what I hate, me?" She asks "I hate when ponies have hope. It makes me sick when they worms beneath us actually think they have a chance at a normal life."
>You grit your teeth
"It's time for you to go back to your world." You tell her "I will not let Anon or Umbra down! We will protect Equestria from your darkness!"
>"Guards!" Shining Armor says as they begin to march towards her
>"Well then I supposed the time for talk is over then." Cadance says as she walks back to the portal "Obliterate them."
>With that she extends her wings as a horde of ponies come storming through the portal

>Bringing your sword down over your head with great force, you send some of the empire's guards reeling back
"They just keep coming!"
>You are Anon
>As soon as those alarms went off, you've been fighting the guards of this empire off
>While they aren't stopping you or your group, it's pissing you off that they're still trying to get in your way
>Taking glances at the castle, you just know he's watching you
>"Keep moving!" Arthas shouts "We can't afford to be slowed down by them!"
>Kicking another stallion in the head, you turn around to find three familiar looking stallions
>Cyprus, Jin, and Stormhoof
>"Well, well, well." Alternate Cyprus says "Looks like the traitor decided to finally come home."
>The guard ponies finally back off as they try to surround you again
>"Of course I'd come back." Alternate Marie says "I have a score to settle with Anonymous and Umbra."
>"You think you'll actually live long enough to see them?" Jin asks "You must have really lost your mind out there."
>Marie chuckles
>"No. I finally knew what I wanted to do while I was out there with the refugees." She says "And that's to free this empire from this horrible life."
>You point your sword at them
"So you can either move out of our way or get your ass kicked like the rest of these ponies." You tell them "It's your call."
>"Actually Anon, I think this is the part where Arthas and I stay behind." Marie says

>You and your friends turn around
"What?"
>She's right." Arthas says "We'll stay behind and hold them off. The rest of you need to make it to the castle."
>"No way!" Wedge says "We're not leaving you two-"
>"Wedge!" Arthas says "We already talked about this. There no need for you all to waste your time here."
>Wedge looks up at you
>Looking over at Arthas, he nods his head
>"You know what you must do." He says "Save Queen Umbra, save your wife and stop this madness."
>You ball up your fist
"We will." You tell him "We'll leave it to you then."
>Arthas surprisingly smiles
>"Remember what I taught you all." He says "There's nothing you four can't do when you work together."
>"You better come out of this alive!" Lance says
>"We won't let you down, Captain." Biggs says
>"I know you won't. Be safe you four." He tells you "Now go!"
>"As if we-!"
>Cutting off Cyprus, you swing your sword at him sending a wave of magical energy
>He dodges it as it explodes, creating the perfect opening
"Go! To the castle!"
>Leading the way, you push through the guards and continue on your path to the castle

>You are Arthas
>As you watch the boys head off towards the castle, you feel as if you should have went with them
>No...
>Maybe if they were still the weak kids that you decided to take on
>But they've grown since those days
>Not just physically, but mentally
>They know what needs to be done
>Especially Anonymous
>You just pray that he doesn't do anything selfish
>The boys should be able to stop him if it comes to that
>"What's the matter, Arthas?" Marie asks "You're looking a little sad there."
"It's nothing."
>Looking at your boys running off, you smile
"Be safe my sons..." You say quietly as Alternate Cyprus and the others get up "Our worlds are counting on you."

>"Dammit!" Cyprus says as he looks to see the group getting away
>"Do not let it bother you." Stormhoof says "We were under specific orders to separate them."
>"Queen Umbra told us that she wants just the false king to make it to King Anonymous." Jin says "Our mission is to keep them from interfering."
"So that was your plan." You say as you and Marie continue to stay on guard "Does your king really think that is going to be possible?"
>"You would be surprised at how cunning our king can be." Jin says "Do you think that we were supposed to separate ALL of you?"
>You look over at him
"Where is the little filly?!" You shout "Is she with our Ariadne?!"
>Cyprus smiles
>"What's more important? A friend or family?" He says "That is how they will split up that group further."
>Their not with Queen Umbra!
>And knowing Lance, his little sister means more to him than anything
>She's all he has
>"Where is he?" Marie asks
>"He's been here all along." Jin says
>Upon hearing the sound of heavy armor, you turn around
>Standing upon a building overlooking you all, is somepony you've been waiting to see
>Yourself

>"So you've finally come." Your alternate self says as he leaps off the building
>As he lands onto the crystal, you take a good look at him
>His armor is much different than yours
>Purple energy flows through the slits of his armor
>His cape also shares as that energy
>But his blade
>Even from here you can feel the magical energy radiating off of it
>Again the purple energy travels up and and down the blade and along the jagged teeth
>"I was wondering where you were." Marie says "It's not like you to go for the sneak attack."
>"Silence traitor!" He says in a commanding voice "You are lucky Queen Umbra wants you taken in alive otherwise I would have taken your head clean off your neck."
>He looks at you
>"You on the other hoof don't need to be kept alive." He says "You have sealed your fate by stepping foot into our empire."

>Your alternate self stares right at you before looking over your armor
>He's trying to gauge just how much of a threat you are
>Once he's done, his eyes meet yours
>"So you're supposed to be my other half." He says "You don't look like that much of a threat."
"How can you be so sure?" You tell him "You can not judge somepony strength from appearance alone."
>Alternate Arthas looks behind you at Marie
>"Jin, Cyprus, Stormhoof, you and these other guard ponies are to take Marie into custody." He tells them
>"And what about you?" Cyprus asks
>Your alternate self moves his cape
>"I will be battling my other self." He says "Nopony is to interfere!"
>As he bites down on the handle to his sword, Marie turns around
>"Well Arthas, looks like we're gonna have to split this fight up." Marie says to you "I'll try and give you room."
>Moving your cape, you close your eyes
"Hopefully you are my greatest foe." You says as you bite down and draw your sword

>As your hooves stop through the puddles of water, you see more and more guard ponies rushing to the sound of the alarms
>"Looks like Anon and the other are really tearing it up." Eris says to you
>You are Luna
>Making sure there are no other guards around, you look down at the tiny Eris
"They are going to be overrun at this rate." You tell her "We need to even the odds and let those rebels out."
>"Then what are we waiting for?!" Eris says "We're really close! I'm sure of it!"
>You look around at the buildings
"This empire is much different then the one in our world." You say "Which is strange because we are supposed to be mirrored images."
>Pushing the thought aside, you and Eris continue on to the prison
>You need to stop wasting time wondering how this empire works
>All that matters is helping Anon reclaim his beloved Umbra

>Coming around more street corners, you find that you are getting closer to the wall
>If memory serves you right, then the prison would be to the west of here
>It would be so much simpler if you could just fly
>But flying with this cloak on would be too suspicious
>And it's not like you can just remove it
>Continuing down the road, you see that you've come to an open field
>To the north are the farms
>Then that means...
>Looking directly ahead of you is this world versions of the prison

>"There it is!" Eris says "Although this place looks way more fortified then the prison back home."
>Spotlights and barbed wire adorn the top of the walls of the dungeon
>Alarms ring from within the structure
>There are many of the guard looking towards the castle
"It's so fortified." You say "It looks as if we will have to fight our way in."
>"That's fine." Eris says "Anon sent us here because he knew we could do it."
>"Princess Luna." You hear a pony whisper
>Turning around, you find Marie's ponies emerging from the shadows
>"We are ready to assault the prison." One says "We await your command."
>You look towards the gate
>"Hey Luna, you've been in fights before right?" Eris asks
"Of course!" You tell her "We have been through many battles over our lifetime!"
>Eris grows to her original size
>"Good!" Eris says as she cracks her knuckles "Then let's go pick a fight!"

>Running up to the front gate, you figure stealth is not an option
>Especially with Eris in the lead
"Listen to us!" You tell Marie's ponies "You are to free your comrades from their imprisonment while we battle our way to The Wolves Cell!"
>"Once you all are free, you need to help keep all those annoying guards off Anon!" Eris says "He'll deal with your ass of a king!"
>"Understood!" They say as you look back
>Looking towards the gate, you see a group of guards rush out to greet you
>"That is not the queen's Eris!" One says "Ready the defense! Go into lock down!"
>"OUTTA OUR WAY!" Eris says as she claps her hands
>As boom of magic explodes from her sending the guards in front of you flying through the gate
>Honestly what did they expect to do to her?
>You turn and look back towards the castle
"We need to hurry." You say to yourself "They won't just let us free everypony here. They'll send someone of power to equal ours."

>Running up with your group, you see a large amount of ponies explode outside from within the prison
>You quickly fly over Eris and fire a beam of magic at the, knocking them out of the way
>There can't be any blockades now
>Running into the prison, you look around
>The room you're currently in looks nothing like a prison
>In fact it looks almost like a office lobby
>At the very end of the room is a very secure looking elevator
>"We need to get to the basement." One of Marie's ponies says "This is where most of the prison guards rest. The real prison lies below us."
>Before you can say anything, you are greeted by another horde of guards
"Very well, we will fight our way to that elevator!" You say "Eris!"
>"Already ahead of you!" Eris says as she turns around and slams her tail on the ground
>The floor below you starts to crack as pillars of stone come out to block your attackers from getting to you
"To the elevator now!"
>With your attackers cut off, you and the others quickly enter the elevator as one of Marie's ponies hit the down arrow
>The elevator begins to buzz with life before you feel it head down below

>With the elevator continuing to head down the shaft, you notice that some of Marie's ponies look uncomfortable
"Have some of you been imprisoned here before?"
>One of them looks up at you before nodding their head
>"It's horrible." She says "You aren't just supposed to live the rest of your life here, but the warden and Umbra expected you to work yourself into an early grave."
>"That doesn't sound good at all." Eris says "What exactly are we stepping into?"
>"A mine." The pony says "One where the prisoners are forced to mine the crystal here for the guards weapons and armors."
>Slave labor
>"That's so strange." Eris says "Our Umbra doesn't have anything like that back home. It's just a simple dungeon with cell blocks."
>"I bet she doesn't force these prisoners to do any work too." Another pony asks
>Eris shakes her head
>"She already sounds so kind compared to our Umbra." The mare says
"She really is..." You tell them "No matter what you do she will still find a way to forgive you. That's why we have to save her."
>As the gears of the elevator begin to stop, you feel yourself slowing down before coming to a stop
>Opening the door, you and the other step out to find yourself in the real dungeons

>Stepping out of the elevator, you see all the prison cells lining the walls of the cave
>Walking up to a railing you look down into the pit
>What you see below horrifies you
>Like the mare said, there are many others working down in this pit chipping away at the white crystals that protrude from the ground and walls
>Others are working on lifts and transporting large crates of crystals on their backs
>Chains dangle from the collars attached to their necks
>Guard ponies push some ponies on to keep them working to the point where some even fall down
>All of them look dirty and ragged
>Not to mention cold
>Looking up, you see snow falling into the cave through a medium size hole in the ceiling
>At the far end of the pit is a strange door frame that leads nowhere
>"That looks like the same thing Umbra uses to travel to The Wolves Cells." Eris says "But we're gonna need a key."

"A key?" You ask "Who has them?"
>"Umbra, Arthas, and the warden here." Eris says "We need two, but I can handle the second key if we get the first from the warden."
>"There they are!" You hear a booming voice shout "Shut down the power to the elevator!"
>You hear sounds of the elevator powering down behind you as a door opens on the side of the cave
>Out steps a green Minotaur adorn in armor and large hammer
"Is that?"
>"Yup that's the warden." Eris says "He looks a little bigger than I remember."
>"So The False Princess of The Moon and The False Queen's Pet have stumbled into my dungeon of punishment!" He says as more guards begin to surround you from both sides "You don't belong here! Shouldn't you be out there ready to watch your king get cut down?!"
"You are a fool to think that Anon would fall so easily." You tell him "And we have come to put an end to this madness!"
>"And it all starts with bustin' these ponies out of here!" Eris shouts
>The ponies that are in chains and in their cells look up at you and the others
>"Brothers and sisters!" The mare says "We're going to free you from this life and take down Anonymous and Umbra!"
>The Minotaur laughs
>"You really think it'll be that easy?" He says as he draws his hammer "I can't wait to smash your skulls in."
"What can you do to us?" You ask him "An Alicorn and A Spirit of Chaos!"
>He smirks
>"I wasn't talking about you two." He says "No we have someone else you can play with."
>A portal opens up right next to him and what comes through it complicates things
>Alternate Eris

"Damn!" You say to yourself "I was hoping we would have more time before she showed up."
>"What took you so long?!" The Minotaur asks in an irritated tone
>"Queen Umbra had need of me." Alternate Eris says before looking towards you "Her and King Anonymous knew they would send somepony here."
>You look over at your Eris
"Are you prepared for this?" You ask "This isn't going to be easy."
>Eris nods her head and gets ready for a fight
>"I'm all set to take her down." Eris says "Luna, I need you to get that key for The Wolves Cell. Let Marie's ponies get their friends out."
"Understood." You tell her "Are you sure you'll be able to make another key while dealing with your alternate self?"
>Eris smiles
>"I just need one second and I'll get you that other key!" Eris says "Just leave her to me."
>Nodding your head, you watch as both Eris's drop down into the pit below

>Eris stands up and stares at her alternate self
>"Surrender." Alternate Eris says "You and your friends have no hope of winning this battle."
>Eris only continues to stare
>"What did she do to you?" Eris asks "Why do you follow orders like some kind of dog? Aren't you a Spirit of Chaos too?"
>"Aren't you doing the same thing?" She asks "Following orders from your king?"
>"I'm doing it for a good cause!" Eris says "I'm doing it because I know of the fun that will come from it!"
>Eris looks down at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her alternate self
>"Where is your brother?" Eris asks
>For some reason Alternate Eris finally hesitates
>"I imprisoned him." Alternate Eris says "He refused to follow my queen therefore he was dealt with."
>"You're just a lap dog..." Eris says "Fine, once I kick your ass I'm freeing your brother so that he can help us!"
>"You will do no such thing!" Alternate Eris says as she rushes Eris
>"Luna now!" Eris says as she grapples with her alternate self
"Go!" You tell the other ponies "Leave the warden to me!"

>Marie's ponies jump to battle and begin fighting off the guards on your side
>Looking over across the pit, you see the warden beginning to flee
>You can't afford to let him escape!
>Running towards the edge, you unfurl your wings and leap up into the sky
>As you dive in to attack, you see a large fist appear from under you
>Alternate Eris is trying to catch you as if you were some kind of fly!
>"No you don't!" Eris says as she wraps her tail around her alternate self before slamming her into the wall "You're fighting me!"
>Eris holds out her hands as she unleashes a torrent of magic onto her alternate self
>Good job Eris!
>Diving in, you catch the Minotaur by tackling him from behind
>As you both tumble across the floor he kicks you off him, before swinging at you with his hammer
>"You want to fight me, Princess?!" He asks "Then come and get crushed under my hooves!"

>Readying yourself for a battle, the Minotaur charges at you horns primed to run you through
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkjuz6ecB9I [Embed]
>But with you being more skilled than this brute, you easily avoid his attack before firing down onto him with your magic
>To your surprise he actually deflects your magic with his horns
>You watch as the rest of your beam just fades away, leaving the Minotaur unharmed
>"OH YEAH!" He says as he begins to shake "THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF!"
>You notice now that his horn are shimmering with the same color as you magic
"What are your horns made of?"
>"Wouldn't you like to know!" He says in a gloating tone "Let's just say Queen Umbra thought of everything."
>A spell that absorbs magic?
>That could be problematic
>The veins in his arms and legs are pulsating with your magic
>Before you can know it, the Minotaur leaps into the air with his hammer raised over his head

>His speed has increased?!
>Dodging out of his way, he brings his hammer down on the stone
>A shockwave of magic explodes from the point of impact
>You feel yourself momentarily lose your footing, so you take to the skies
>Looking around, it seems everyone besides the Eris's felt that
>The two of them are still turning into different creatures to battle one another
>As the smoke clears, you see the Minotaur pull his hammer from the ground
>He lets out a deep breath as steam comes out from his nostrils
>"Where you going, Princess?" He says "Not winning as easily as you thought?!"
>You need to think this through
>Magic is out of the questions so long as he can absorb it and use it against you
>Offense won't work
>But maybe defense will
>All you need to do is get close to him
>That's easier said than done
>Looking down at the ground, you come down

>Landing down on the ground, you look at the Minotaur
>A cocky smile forms on his face as he slaps his abdomen
>"Come on, Princess!" He says "I can do this all day!"
>Readying yourself, you charge towards him
>"Ah the direct approach?" He says as he takes a defensive stance "I can respect that, princess!"
>As you come close to striking him, he moves to your side and readies his hammer to swing at you
>Perfect
>As he swings at your head, you block it with a shield made of magic
"You need to stop being so thick headed." You tell him "Our battle is over."
>Tackling him, you begin to fly towards the roof of the cave with the Minotaur in your grasp

>"Let go of me!" The minotaur says as he starts to attack your head
>Shielding your face, you continue to soar higher and higher
>You feel your tiara get knocked off your head
>But that is of little concern
>All that matters is bringing this brute down!
>Once you see that you've reached the top, you look back up
"Our battle is over."
>Turning over in the air, you dive straight towards the pit
>The ponies watching on in their cells follow you all the way
>"WAIT!" The Minotaur screams "I'LL GIVE YOU THE KEY JUST-!"
"ERIS MOVE!"
>Both Eris's look up, but before the Alternate one can move your Eris delivers a punch that throws her off
>There's your chance!
>Bracing yourself for impact, you use the Minotaur to your advantage and dive right onto their Eris
>As you touchdown with a loud impact, the walls of the cave begin to shake violently

>As the smoke around the pit clears, you lift your head up
>Shaking away the dizziness, you look down
>It seems your plan worked as the Minotaur and Alternate Eris are incapacitated
>"Holy crap, Luna!" Eris says as she comes up to you "Are you alright?"
>Nodding your head, you stand back up just as Marie's ponies finally defeat the last of the guard ponies
"We are alright, Eris." You say as you levitate your tiara towards you "We are just a little disoriented."
>Eris looks at her alternate self
>"She won't stay knocked out for long." Eris says to you as she reaches for the key ring on the Minotaur "We should be quick and get in there."
"We agree." You tell her "But first we need to free these ponies from their cells. Can you do something to speed that up?"
>Eris smirks as she holds up the key ring
>Each of the keys except for one all begin to glow with Eris's magic

>"I think it's time we get Anon that backup he needs." Eris says as she clenches her fist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOXTADrIjw [Embed]
>The keys shoot off of the ring as they all insert themselves into the many cells around you
>Taking to the sky again, you watch as all the keys turn and release the lock on the cells
>Almost immediately the cells are flung open as ponies of different shapes and sizes emerge
>The pegasi that you brought with you assist in getting ponies in the more higher cells down
>Looking around, you see some of them are already arming themselves with weapons and armor from the armory
>"This is you rescuers speaking here..." Eris says as she speaks through a microphone connected to some speakers she just made "Right now our Anon and some very special ponies out there trying to fight their way to the castle to save our Umbra."
>She creates a little platform so that everypony can see her as they gather around
>"He needs all the help he can get." Eris says as you land beside her "They can't get in that castle and stop the bastard that put you in here with the entire guard on top of them."
>More and more ponies look up to you both
>"You all need to get out there and help him by causing as much chaos and destruction as you possibly can!" Eris says "I promise you that our Anon can stop Anonymous, but he just need to get to him!"
>You take the microphone from Eris
"This is what you all have fought for isn't it? To be free!?" You tell them "If we fail today then there will be no coming back!"
>Everypony listens on with a look of determination
"Fight until you fall! Until your spirits are entirely broken! Until you draw your final breath!" You shout "For today the king and queen of this twisted world fall!"
>The cave erupts with cheers as ponies hold up their weapons
"IT'S TIME TO RISE UP AND STOP THIS MADNESS!" You shout one more time as Eris opens a large portal behind the group of ponies in front of you "TOGETHER WE WILL TAKE BACK THE FUTURE!"

>The cave erupts in cheers
>"For freedom!" A stallion says as they start to run towards the portal
>"That portal will lead you to, Anon!" Eris says "Make sure you all keep the small fry off him!"
>As ponies flood through the portal, Eris looks at you
>"Thanks for the help there." She says "I'm not that great when it comes to speeches."
"Do not worry about it." You tell her "They need to be at their best as well if we want to succeed."
>You look towards the stone doorway
"We suppose it's time we get in there." You tell Eris "About the other key."
>"Already one step ahead of you." Eris says as she clones the key into two "Now we can get in there."
>Hopping off of the platform, you and Eris begin to walk towards the frame
>Once you get close, both you and Eris insert your keys into it
>As you do, a swirling vortex appears before you both
>"Just like back home." Eris says "Ready, Luna?"
>You nod your head
"We hope we're not too late." You say as you and Eris step into the portal

>"What now!?" Biggs asks "We're surrounded again!"
>You are Anon
>Again you and your group have had to stop your approach to the castle as more of the guard has come out to block you
"Dammit we're so close too!" You say looking down towards the end of the street "I just need to get to him."
>"Then we have no choice, but to deal with these grunts." Sombra says "So much for conserving our energy!"
>Just as your about to give the order to go all out, you stop when you hear something opening behind you
>Looking back, you see a purple portal open up
>"Great!" Lance says "What now?"
>You keep your guard up, but as you lift your sword you see a stallion come through the portal and attack the first two guards he sees
>The stallion looks like he's seen better days, but he looks determined none the less
>"King Anon." He says before looking at you "Please do everything you can to stop Anonymous, we are counting on you."
"We?"
>The stallion smiles as more and more ponies flood out of the portal
>They all look just like him
>"Hold them back!" The stallion says "Just like their Eris said, we need to make sure King Anon gets to the castle!"
>"Luna and Eris did it!" Celestia says
>Nice going girls!
>"You leave these guys to us." The stallion says "There's a mad king you need to stop."
"Thank you." You tell them as a path is now cleared for you "Down the road is our Arthas, he might need help too."
>"We're on it!" A mare says as she and a large group of ponies head down the street
>Looking back at the castle, you tilt your head towards it and head off

>Running down the street, you look around to see that the city has turned into a warzone
>Ponies from the dungeon are causing so much damage out here that the guard ponies can't even catch up with you
>"Good thinking using the prisoners as a wall for us." Sombra says "Hopefully that will be the last time we get stopped."
"I hope so." You tell him "We're getting so close now."
>As your group gets closer to the castle, you see that it's much taller up close
>Looks like you'll have to do some climbing here
>Almost there Umbra
>"Well, well, well!" A voice says "I didn't expect you guys to break the prisoners out of their cells."
>"Wait, that voice!" Lance says as he looks up to the sky
>You all stop and do the same
>Coming down from the sky is one of the ponies you'd have to deal with
>Alt Lance

>You and your group stop as he land on the ground
>"There's going to be so much work to do after you all are dead." Alt Lance says
>Lance immediately draws his weapon
>"Where is Ariadne!?" He says, venom accompanying each word "Where's Cynthia!?"
>Alt Lance snickers
>"Not in the castle, I can tell you that much." He says "Nooooo, they're somewhere else in this huge empire of ours."
>Lance steps forward
>"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Lance shouts
>"You'll just have to find that out yourself." Alt Lance says "I was actually going back to check up on your sister right now. You can follow me if you like, but you'll be wasting precious time."
>He's trying to separate you all
"You know we could just beat the answer out of you." You tell him "Now where are they?"
>"You'd have to catch me first." He says "And I know none of you can match my speed."
>Before you can retort, Lance bolts straight at his alternate self

"Lance!"
>Lance doesn't listen to you at all as he keeps trying to attack his alternate self
>"Look at you all riled up!" Alt Lance says as he keeps avoiding his attacks "Where was this when I took Cynthia and Ariadne?!"
>"SHUT UP!" Lance says as he loses more and more control
>"Enough!" Sombra says as him and Celestia fire two beams of magic at the two
>You see their magic looks more like hands trying to grab them
>Both Lances dodge the beams before Alt Lance takes on an annoyed look
>"There's too many of you to deal with." He says before looking at your Lance "You want them? Then come get them!"
>With that Alt Lance takes off to the west
>You see Lance look over to you
>"Anon..." He says with a conflicted face "I have to save them."
>With that he follows right behind his alternate self
>"LANCE!" Biggs says as Lance flies off "Dammit! That idiot!"
>"He's going to get himself killed if he's flying into a trap." Wedge says "We have to go after him!"

>Biggs looks back and forth between you and the direction Lance ran off
>You look down towards where Lance went
"Go after him..."
>Both Wedge and Biggs look up at you
>"Are you sure?" Biggs asks
"If Lance gets himself killed then all this will be for nothing." You tell them "You guys need to get him some back up."
>You point back at Sombra, Celestia, and Ammy
"Besides I still have them." You tell them "I'll be fine, so go save our idiot friend before he gets himself killed."
>You can tell they're both hesitant to leave you alone
>Seems like everyone's acting like that
>"Alright." Biggs says "We'll go after him, but you better not start the fight with Anonymous without us!"
>"We have to defeat him together." Wedge says
"I'll try, but if he has Umbra then I'm going in." You tell them "Try to hurry up once you guys save Ariadne and Cynthia."
>They both nod their heads before turning around to run after Lance

>"Are you sure about this, Anonymous?" Sombra asks
>Watching Biggs and Wedge take off after Lance, you slowly nod your head
"Y-Yeah." You tell them "Come on, let get to the castle."
>Celestia glances over to Sombra as you walk past them
>You've noticed that each time someone has split off from the group she seems to get more anxious
>She must still be worried about you going too far
>Looking up towards the top of the castle, you feel conflicted
>You have to stop him
>No matter what it cost
>You just hope it won't have to come to that
>Clenching your fist, you look back at what left of your group before heading off

>"LANCE!" Biggs shouts as you two continue down the street after your friend
>Looking ahead, you can see him still chasing after his other self
"Damn them!" You tell Biggs "They did this on purpose!"
>"All this to get us away from Anon." Biggs says "We need to save Lance and the girls quick before Anon does that dumb shit Princess Celestia told us about!"
>He plans to give his life if he has too...
>You think back to the first day you met Anon
>After everything you all have gone through...
>You can't let it end like that!
"We need to hurry!" You tell Biggs "I'm not about to lose a brother today."
>"Same." Biggs says "I'll be damned if I have to lose of my brothers today!"
>You both nod your heads in agreement before picking up the pace

>You are Luna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDq6TstdEi8 [Embed]
>Stepping through the portal, you find yourself in a cold hallway
>Along the right are cells that lead all the way down to a single cell
>And to your left are windows that show the outside world
>Outside you can hear the elements roar outside as the rain continues to pour
>It accompanied by the roaring thunder and lighting that flashes occasionally
>"Whoa it's so similar here minus the rain." Eris says "It's just like back home."
"So these are the fabled Wolves Cell." You say to yourself "This is where Umbra keeps her worst kinds of criminals."
>That means you should find your other self and your sister's alternate self
>Along with any other ponies that exude strength that would maybe challenge this world's Umbra
>Walking along the cells, you see that surprisingly some of them are empty
>It isn't until you reach the third cell down that you find your first prisoner
>Alternate Chrysalis

>"Hey it's one of those bug ponies." Eris says "Umbra told me about this time when they tried to overtake her empire."
"This is their queen." You tell her "She's a vile pony back in our world."
>But here she looks so different
>She looks... Kind
>"She looks messed up." Eris says "What happened to her?"
>Her mane is a mess as is her tail. It looks as if she hasn't seen a bath in a long time
>Along her body are cuts, bruises, and welts
>Even parts of her horn are chipped
>All this points to signs of torture
"They've beat her in here." You say "For what we do not know."
>You look up at Eris
"Do you still have the keys?"
>Eris nods her head and pulls out the key ring
>Of the remaining few, she tries one after another before the door opens
>Allowing you both to head inside

>Stepping into the cell, you approach the mare
>Now that you're a little bit closer, you see that she has a chain around her neck
>The Chrysalis of this world remains still
>"Is she okay?" Eris asks
>Slowly walking up to her, you pray that she's just sleeping
"We think she's okay." You tell Eris "Well, as okay as she could be in this state. She is in bad shape."
>"Do you have any moon magic you can do to make her feel better?" Eris asks
>You look over to her with a annoyed look
"Moon magic?"
>Eris shrugs
>"It seems like something you can do." Eris says "I mean your sister can turning into a fire mare."
>Shaking your head, you look over at some water pooling itself in a small puddle
>Using your magic, you take some water before splashing it on Alternate Chrysalis

>As soon as the water makes contact with Alternate Chrysalis, you see her react to it
>She shakes her head
>You think back to her name
"Duchess Chrysalis?"
>Her eyes begin to open slowly before she looks at you
>"N-NO!" She says as she tries to scramble back "No more please!"
>Both you and Eris take a step back and look at one another
>Eris seems lost, so she steps back and lets you handle it
>Looking back at her, you see her huddled in a corner
"Chrysalis?" You tell her as you slowly take a few steps towards her "It's okay, we are not here to hurt you."
>She still shakes in her corner, refusing to look at you
>Coming closer, you stop just a few feet from her
"We are here to save you and this world."

>Alternate Chrysalis opens her eyes
>"You're not here to give me n-nightmares?" She asks
>What?
"Why would we do that?" You ask "No we have come to save you from this."
>Alternate Chrysalis looks over you
>"You two really are from the other Equestria..." She says "They're actually doing it..."
>You assume she's referring to the Anonymous and Umbra of this world
>She looks up at you
>"You have to stop them!" She says "If they succeed then many lives will be lost!"
"We know." You tell her "Right now our Anonymous and a group consisting of our sister, Sombra, and his friends are heading to the castle to stop them."
>She tries to stand, but winces in pain
>"Wait, you are hurt." You tell her "Allow us mend your wounds. We would hope that you join us in this battle along with the rest of the dungeon."
>"I knew you had some moon magic!" You hear Eris shout out as your horn begins to glow
>"I will." Alternate Chrysalis says as you begin to use your magic to heal her "That means you brought your Lance with you, doesn't it?"

>You look up at her
"Yes."
>Alternate Chrysalis looks down at her leg
>"His alternate self is responsible for all my wounds..." She says "He comes here time to time to beat me. As if he was releasing his frustrations."
>You look back up to her before continuing to heal her
"We do no know much of your history with the pegasi." You tell her "We only know that you were responsible for a traumatic event in his life."
>"I'm responsible for the death of his parents." She tells you "That's why he comes and beats me to near death."
>She looks up to you
>"I must talk to your Lance once this is all over." She says "That is if we win this."

>"What even happened to you?" Eris asks "How'd did you get taken prisoner?"
>Alternate Chrysalis sighs
>"We fought in a battle we should have started." She says "I assume you and your sister went to war with Umbra too?"
>Although you hate remembering that time, you nod your head
"Jealousy drove us to attack Umbra and her empire." You tell her "All because we wanted Anonymous to come home."
>"Our motives we're different." Alternate Chrysalis tells you "We went to war to prevent all this."
>She shakes her head
>"After King Sombra vanished we were without a leader for sometime until Celestia and Luna stepped up to atone for their actions." She says "The only problem was that Celestia still loved Anonymous."
>Just like yours
>"We tried to convince her that there was no reforming that madman. He was pure evil." She tells you "She didn't listen at all. She was convinced that she could change him."

>"That lead us down a path to total war." Alternate Chrysalis says "Celestia wanted to save Anonymous, but we just wanted to stop him before him and Umbra became too powerful."
>She closes her eyes
>"We didn't expect them to ally with Princess Cadance." She tells you "She's kept to herself even when Celestia and Luna were evil."
>She sighs
>"We battled it out." Alternate Chrysalis tells you "I remember when your Celestia visited she told us about the battle my counterpart had with her. It seems history repeated itself."
"You lost."
>"Horribly." She tells you "I was berated in front of my own children as Princess Cadance tortured me."

>As you finally finish up healing the changeling queen, you step back and allow her to stand
>She takes her time, as Eris breaks the chain around her neck
>"Thank you." Alternate Chrysalis says as she stands up "I need to assist with the battle out there."
"Are there anymore prisoners here?"
>She shrugs
>"I know Discord and I were captured, but Trixe, and the Flim Flam brothers were able to escape before Anonymous caught them." She says "Celestia and Luna should still be here."
"Then that who we will free next." You tell her "Along with Eris's brother."
>Heading back towards the cell door, you look back at her
"Don't get yourself killed." You tell her "We all need to make it out of this alive."

>Exiting the cell, Chrysalis comes out with you
>"Was Cadance here?" She asks
"She and a large force and they are going to invade our world." You tell her "Our Cadance and Princess Twilight are over there defending the portal."
>Chrysalis doesn't say much else and nods her head
>"Good luck you two." She says "I hope you can be that light that our world needs."
>With that she steps through the portal back to the dungeons
>"Nice girl." Eris says
"We only wish ours was that kind." You tell Eris "But that will never change."
>"Maybe if Umbra gets her hooves on her." Eris says before shaking her head "Forget I said that, she'd probably bash her skull in. Umbra really hates that mare."
>Walking past more cells, you don't spot anypony in them
>Meaning that the last one...
>Must hold your alternate self
>Coming up to the door, you peer through the bars and spot her
>Alternate Luna

"Luna!" You say as you insert the key into the lock
>Opening the door, you rush into the room with Eris behind you
>Upon coming up to your alternate self, you are stopped in your tracks when you see her up close
"What have they done to you?"
>Her horn looks like it's one the verge of breaking
>She herself looks like she's taken more abuse than Alternate Chrysalis
>And even as she lays on the thin pile of hay asleep, she looks so incredibly tired
>Cuts and bruises appear all over her body
>"Now she really looks like Tartarus." Eris says "What do you think happened to her?"
>You look over her
"This had to have been done by Umbra and Anonymous." You tell her "We need to get her to wake up."

>Taking one step forward, you stop and look up
>Here you are
>The castle
>This building looks like it could reach all the way into the heavens that's how tall it is
>You are Anon
>"Umbra must be in there." Sombra says "There has to be a welcoming party for us in there."
>"I'm not so sure." Celestia says "After splitting away from that last group of guards, we've been able to reach the castle without anymore interruptions."
"It might just be Anonymous and Umbra in there." You tell them "After all they went to all that effort splitting us apart."
>"Just so they can get you alone." Celestia says "We can't let that happen."
>You don't say anything
>This is where it ends
>All of this
>Pulling Rebellion off your back, you place you hand on the door
"Lets do this."

>Opening the door, you and the others rush inside ready for another fight
>Only to find that no one is waiting for you
>Just like Celestia said
>Looking around the interior of the castle, everything looks the same as back home
>Except instead of dark crystal and red rugs, it's a lighter blue crystal and purple rugs
>To your left are the stairs
>Looking up, you see they lead all the way up
>Towards the center of the main hall, you notice that there's a stairway that you've never seen
>This one goes down
>"It seems we are alone here." Celestia says before looking at the new staircase "Where does that lead?"
>"I do not know." Sombra says "Umbra never had that built while I stayed with her."
"And she's never shown me this." You tell them "Maybe it's where this world's Umbra kept Eris while she slept?"
>"Then why is it open?" Sombra asks
>Upon hearing some hoofsteps you ready yourself for a fight
>But it's only a maid coming out from the shadows
>"It's where the Princess of the Sun is located." She says "The False Queen is at the of the castle."
>You all look at each other
"Why are you telling us this?" You ask, pointing Rebellion at her
>"It was my queen's and king's orders." She says before walking back to the shadows "You must choose who to save, neither mare has much time..."

>You grip the handle of your sword harder
>They had everything planned for this
>All to get you alone
>"This is a trap." Sombra says "They're just trying to get us away from you! Why would they hold Celestia somewhere different from Luna?"
"You think they would really keep two superpowered sisters together?" You tell him "Either way you heard that mare, we need to split up so that we can save both."
>You can see that they both don't want this
"You two head down there and find Alt Celestia. I'm heading up there to face Anonymous and save Umbra." You tell them "Once you save her get to me as fast as you can. Umbra's pregnant, I want her as far away from that fight as possible."
>"I'm coming with you." Sombra says
>You shake your head
"We don't know what's down there and I want you backing up Celestia." You tell him "Up there we know it's just Anonymous. That makes this a one on one."
>Sombra looks back at Celestia
>She herself won't stop staring at you with worry in her eyes
>"Anon-"
"I know." You say cutting her off "I promise I won't do anything besides beating him down until he surrenders."
>The two of them stare at you before Sombra turns around
>"You better." He says before looking at Celestia "Come on, Celestia. Let's hurry and save her."
>Celestia nods her head
>"Please be safe, Anonymous." She says "Umbra's not the only one that can't lose you."
>You give her a thumbs up and a smile as she and Sombra descend the staircase
>Looking up at the top, you place your sword on your back
"Almost there, Umbra." You say before taking off up the stairs

>You are Sombra
>Stepping down the stairs, you look over to Celestia
"Gods I hope he doesn't do anything stupid." You tell her "So much relies on that human staying calm."
>Celestia nods her head
>"I know what you mean." She says "Which is why it's so important that we find Celestia and get up to Anonymous as soon as possible."
"Agreed."
>After a few more minutes of silence, you and Celestia finally reach the bottom
>Before you is a large stone door with crystals decorating the face of it
>Anonymous may have been correct about that Eris theory
>Walking up to the doors, you both begin to push on it
>With the loud sound of stone sliding across the floor, you both finally manage to open up the door and step into the next area

>You are Wedge
>As you take down another suit of crystal armor, you turn and look at look at Biggs
>He hits another guard in the head and knocks them down
>"Damn it!" Biggs says "They're trying to really keep us away from Lance."
>Sheathing your sword, you and Biggs continue down the street
"Just where are they taking him?" You ask as you both keep going down
>"It has to be somewhere important to Lance." Biggs says
>Looking back down from the sky, you hold out your hoof and stop Biggs
>Biggs comes screeching to a halt
>"What?!" He says before looking foward
>Standing there, leaning against a building is Alternate Wedge

>"Shit..." Biggs says
>"I was wondering what took you two so long." Your alternate self says "Keep being that slow and Cynthia will have to watch her big brother die."
>Biggs draws him weapon, ready to lunge
>But you stop him
"Wait Biggs!" You tell him "He's just trying to get us to waste our time."
>"Then let's just beat him down and keep moving." Biggs says
>"It wouldn't be that easy." Alternate Wedge says "I'll keep you two here just long enough to stop you from getting to Lance."
>You shake your head
"Biggs, keep going on without me." You tell him
>"What?" Biggs says
"Go!" You tell him "We're going to lose Lance if we sit here and argue."
>Biggs looks over at Alternate Wedge before turning to you
>"Hurry up and catch up." Biggs says "I know you'll get the answer out of him."
>Nodding your head, Biggs takes off as Alternate Wedge lets him go

>As Biggs runs down the street and out of view, you look to your Alternate self
"I assume the other Biggs is waiting down the street?"
>Alternate Wedge looks back at you and nods his head
>"He will fall to Biggs just as you will fall here." He says
>You notice that the street is completely clear now
"So the plan was just to separate us all?"
>"Divide and conquer." He says "Anonymous may be beyond your strength, but he can hold all of you off at once."
"Where are you taking Lance?"
>"You should know that by now." He says "Somewhere very important to him."
>Looks like you were right
"That only leaves two places, his home." You say "Or where his parents are resting."

>"Correct you are." Your alternate self says "But who is where?"
>So they have Ariadne and Cynthia at those places
>"But enough about Lance, he'll meet his end soon enough." Alternate Wedge says "As for us..."
>He takes a few steps towards you
>"It's time I see if you can be the one to challenge me." He says "Maybe you can make me feel something during this battle. Unlike all those that came before you."
>The whole air around you changes
>Everything feels so much colder now
>And the aura around him has completely shifted
>He feels just like death
>You reach for your sword
"Let's get this over with." You tell him "I can't afford to lose to you."
>"The fate of your world depends on it." Alternate Wedge says
>As he quickly goes for his sword you do as well
>You both draw your swords and get ready to fight
"Guys..." You say to yourself "I'll be there soon."
>"Okay." Your alternate self says "Let's dance!"

"Hurry and catch up." You tell Wedge "I know you'll get the answer out of him."
>You are Biggs
>Turning around, you take off down the street
>It looks like Alt Wedge is letting you go too
>That means your fight is coming up ahead
>Continue on down the street, you feel like you already know where they're taking Lance
>The two of you have been best friend ever since you were little colts
>To see him run off like that
>If something happens to him
>You could never live with yourself
>As you come to the end of the street, you stop yourself
"So there you are."
>Your Alternate self smiles
>"What took you so long?"

>Your alternate self...
>He feels so much more different than you while still looking the same
>His armor just screams evil
>His mane isn't as well kept as yours
>In fact, he looks like he enjoys causing others pain
>On his back is a large intimidating looking battle axe
>"What are you staring at?" He asks with that same ugly smile he had when they invaded "Am I not what you expected, pretty boy?"
>You draw your hammer
"No, you're just what I expected." You tell him "A sick twisted version of myself."
>He laughs
>"Aw well aren't you so kind?" He says as he pull his axe off his back "How do you like this spot? We can go all out without anypony interrupting us!"
"Where is your Lance taking mine?!"
>"It doesn't matter if I tell you, you'll be too late! By the time you get there he'll already be dead!" He says "And killing you is going to take some time: Slow and painful..."
>Alt Biggs begins to surround himself in shields
>"You know Biggs, kids are cruel." He says "And I'm very in touch with my inner child."
>As he lets out another laugh, you watch as he brings up a muzzle guard
"Just hold on, Lance. I'll be there soon."
>Readying yourself for a fight, you charge right in

>As the rain pours more and more heavily, you find it harder and harder to keep track of your alternate self
>But it seems it doesn't matter now as he begins to land
>You are Lance
>Landing down onto the street, you come to a stop as you look around to see where you are
>This looks like your house
>Looking around, you can see the park from here
>There's no doubt about it
>This is your place
>It looks almost the same as back home
>Here it just looks a little bit more sinister
>You take a look around while drawing your spear
>There isn't a single pony in sight
>And all you can hear around you is the sound of rain pouring down on the crystal
>"So what do you think?" You hear a voice say "It's filled with some bad memories, but it's home."
>Coming down from the top of the house is Alt Lance

>Landing on the ground, he turns his head to look at you
"Where's my sister?"
>"Straight to the point." Alt Lance says "She's not here."
>Your blood begins to boil once more as your tired of playing game
"Tell me where she is or I'll rip those wings right off of your body!"
>Alt Lance smiles before looking towards the house
>I thought about bringing her here today." He tells you "But I decided at the very last second to change my mind."
>He looks back at you
>"I'm sure Wedge knows where I put her, but Biggs doesn't." He says "Not like it matters, you'll die alone."
>He looks over at the castle
>"I'll tell you one thing though." He says "Ariadne is at the castle still."

>You look over at the castle
"What?!" You tell him "She's still there?!"
>"Just for now." Alt Lance says "Although my Ariadne really hates her."
>He shrugs
>"Something about her being reminded about how weak she was." Alt Lance says "If you don't hurry up and save your sister then-"
>You cut him off by charging in and swinging your glaive at him
>Alt Lance narrowly avoids it by flying back
"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"
>Not giving him anytime to recover, you keep on the attack
>As you bring your weapon down, Alt Lance draws his halberd and blocks you
>"Now look at you!" He says as he holds you back "Are you afraid you'll fail to protect the only things that give your life meaning?!"
>Alt Lance smiles before kicking you back
>"Come on then!" He says "We aren't too far now!"
>Alt Lance takes off with new found speed, leaving you to chase after him

>Taking flight again, you chase after Alt Lance
>This time it seems he's trying to get straight to where he needs to go
>Looking over to the castle, you see what looks like a platform high up on the building
>A landing pad?
>Whatever it is, it's your way in
>And while you hate to even think about it, you have to leave Ariadne until you save Cynthia
>You just can't lose her!
>You can't break that promise you made to your mom and dad!
>Pushing your wings as far as they go, you try to catch up to your alternate self
>You see him look back and smile before throwing his weapon right at you
>Evading it at the last second, you see it disappear
"What?"
>Looking back towards your alt self, you see that it's back on him
>Watching from above, you see Alt Lance run into a large building
>Landing on the ground, it finally hits you
>This is where he brought Cynthia
>The Gateway to Eternal Rest

>Walking up to the building, you don't wait around and kick down the door
>Nopony is inside
>All there is, is the portal leading to the other side
>This is it...
>Looking back, you hope that you can get back here once you save Cynthia
>Jumping through the portal, you land on the stone tiles that surround the portal
>You take a look around
>Everything seems the same, just mirrored
>That means the to your left leads to your parents...
>Well this world's version of them
>Walking along the path, you keep your ears open for any sound
>"Jeez you really are a crybaby aren't you?" You hear what sounds like your sister say
"Cynthia?!"
>Taking off down the path, you come around a corner and spot her
>Cynthia
>And to her sides are Alt Lance and Alt Cynthia

"Cynthia!"
>They have her tied up to the tree right above the graves of your parents
>Cynthia looks up with her tear filled eyes
>"Lance! You came!" She cries out "Save me! I-I want to go home!"
>You keep yourself from showing tears
"I know, baby sister..." You tell her as you wipe them away "I'll get you out of this nightmare, I promise!"
>Cynthia begins to cry some more with a small smile on her face
>"Aww isn't that sweet?" Alt Lance says "It almost makes me want to let you two go!"
>"Eww really?" Alt Cynthia says
>Looking at the alternate version of your sister, you can see that Alt Lance doesn't try to raise her right
>Why would he? He's evil. If anything he taught her how to be just like him
>She has this nasty attitude about her and she just looks like a brat
>"No stupid, I came this far." Alt Lance says "He's not leaving here alive."
>"Good!" Alt Cynthia says "Or else Anonymous is going to be angry with you!"
>Rain falls from an opening in the cave
>He also brought you to this large area made of stone
>This is perfect
>At least you won't be disturbing the dead too much
>"Go." He says "I don't need you getting in the way."
>"Aw but I want to watch you kill him from here!" She says before turning to you "Well have fun dying other Lance!"
>With that she flies off across the river behind the tree
>"Well then now that we're here. We can finally get started." Alt Lance says as he draws his weapon "I'll make sure you die full of regrets."
>You draw your weapon
"We'll see how much you have to say when I kick your face into the stone." You tell him "I'm saving my sister! I'm saving Ariadne! And I'm going to be there when we kick your Anon's ass!"

"Luna!" You yell "Luna wake up!"
>Eris hands you a bucket of water which allows you to splash some onto your counterpart's face
>You are Luna
>Try as you may, but to no avail you can't wake up Alternate Luna
>She's in worse shape than Alternate Chrysalis was
>"Luna I don't think she'll be ready for a fight." Eris says "We'd have to stay down here for hours to nurse her back to health."
"We can't just leave here down here!" You tell her "We need her help just as much as she needs ours."
>It's at that moment that you can feel her moving around in your hooves
>"L-Luna?" You hear her say
>Looking down you see her finally slightly open one eye
"Luna!" You say with relief "It's us, we come to save your world."
>She closes her eye again
>"What took you so long?" She weakly says

"We're so sorry it took us this long to rescue you."
>She opens both her eyes slightly
>"No, we should be the ones apologizing." She says "If you're here then that means Umbra and Anonymous have launched their grand scheme into action."
>She looks up at you
>"It's not too late is it?" She asks, her voice filled with worry
>You shake your head
"No, of course not." You tell her "It has only just begun. Right now our Anonymous and the others are racing towards the castle to stop the mad king and his queen."
>"We just came here to bust you all out of here!" Eris says "We figured we'd heal you up with moon magic and then you could help us take back this world."
>Alternate Luna weakly smiles again as you begin to channel your magic
"Now hold still." You tell her "You've been through a lot."
>As your magical aura begins to cover her, she looks towards the door
>"Have you saved Duchess Chrysalis yet?" She asks
"Yes. We think she is going to assist our Cadance in her battle back on our world."
>Luna slightly nods her head before sitting up
>"Our sister!" She says "Did you find her?!"
>You and Eris look at each other
"No, we did not see her."
>"We need to find her!" Alternate Luna says "We don't know what's happened to her!"
>You motion her to stay put
"What do you mean you don't know what's happened to her?"
>"We haven't seen her in months." She tells you "Not since Anonymous and Umbra took her out of here!"
>Months?!
"Where could they have taken her?"
>Alternate Luna looks up at you
>"The castle."

>"Oh snap." Eris says "If that's true then Anon and the others will save her."
"You have not tried to contact her?"
>"We've tried." Alternate Luna says "But Umbra placed this spell that causes us immense pain anytime we try to use our magic."
>You look at her horn to see burn marks around the base
"Let us break that spell."
>"We have tried though, no matter how great the pain was." She tells you "But it's almost as if she doesn't sleep, and if she does, she does not dream."
"Making it impossible to find her."
>"Exactly." Your alternate self says "It's like she is in a deep fog and I can not find her."
"Well once we get you healed up, we will go find her." You tell her "This we swear to you."
>"Yeah just leave it to us." Eris says "We got this under control!"
>Looking back you notice that a circle of purple energy has started to form behind Eris
"Eris, behind you!"
>Eris looks back just in time as Alternate Eris burst out from the floor
>Shielding Alternate Luna, you watch as Alternate Eris pushes Eris against the wall
>"Lady Umbra's instructions were to take care of you." She says in that cold lifeless tone "You are coming with me."
>As you go to help Eris she stops you
>"I got this!" She says as she tries to push back "You get Luna out of here and get to Anon! I'll be there in no-"
>She doesn't get to finish her sentence as both Eris's are teleported away to who knows where
"Curses!" You yell as you turn back to Luna "We need to get you back to fighting condition."
>"Luna, there's something we have to tell you." Your Alternate self says "Something important!"
"What?"
>As Luna tells you what you need to know, you feel your heart just sink
"We need to get to our sister fast!"

>You are Celestia
>As you and Sombra continue down the hallway, you notice that this is looking more like a tomb than just a chamber
>Did Alternate Umbra really keep her Eris down here?
>Passing more wall sconces, you look over at Sombra
>His face has not changed from that determined look since you two split up from Anonymous and Ammy
>Anonymous...
>That smile and the thumbs up he gave you
>He always does that when he want's you not to worry about him
>But this time...
>You just can't!
>Gods you just want him to stay safe!
>Losing him is something that neither you or Umbra could bear
>"I worry about him too, Celestia." Sombra says
>Looking over at him, you both stop for a moment
>In front of you is a set of large crystal doors decorated like the first floor of the castle
>"I never thought I would meet someone that would make that much of an impact on my life." He says "And while he does annoy, irritate, and embarrass me, he is still my brother in law and someone I refuse to lose."
>You stare at Sombra
>"I know you care for him. Just as much as my sister does." Sombra says "Losing him is not an option for you, but I need you to stop worrying about him right now."
>"He's come so far since he came to this empire and with the power he posses now, he can almost rival us ponies at the top." Sombra says "He can hold his own, we just have to believe in him just as he believe's in us to save this world's Celestia."

>You look down
"You're right." You tell him "It's just that I can't lose him. Not after the impression he left on my life."
>Sombra places a hoof on your shoulder
>"That's what I mean by annoying." Sombra says "He seems to be able to do that with everypony he meets. That's why we were all so reluctant to part ways."
>You let out a quiet chuckle
"He does have a way with drawing ponies in." You tell Sombra "I think that's part of the reason I fell in love with him."
>Taking a deep breath, you look up at Sombra
"And it's because of that love that we need to hurry and save my alternate self." You tell him "So that we can stand by his side and help him finish this fight."
>"Exactly." Sombra says with a smile "We all know that Anon is trusting each of us to do our part. So long as we do it and get back to him, we won't need to worry about him making that horrible choice to stop Anonymous."
"Right!" You say as you both look at the door "Speaking of which, I think this is it."
>Sombra walks up to the doors
>"I'm feeling a lot of power behind these doors." Sombra says "It has to be her."
"No doubt that something also has to waiting for us on the other side."
>"Then let's not keep them waiting!" Sombra says as he pushes the doors open
>As you both walk in ready to battle, what you see on the opposite side of the room throws you both off
>For on the other side of the room are both Umbras

>"Umbra!" Sombra shouts
>Alternate Umbra stands right next to a ball that contains a knocked out Umbra inside
>Looking around, you see that this room is very much a bed chamber
>The floors are blue while the wall are made of purple crystal
>You see two staircase on both sides of Umbra leading up to a balcony
>And on that balcony there seems to be a door up there
>"Bravo..." Alternate Umbra says as he claps her hooves "I was wondering how long it would take for you both to get here."
>She looks towards Sombra
>"Ugh just as repulsive looking as your sister." She says "Red is such a hideous color."
>"Damn it, what have you done to my sister!?" Sombra says as he takes a step forward "Answer me!"
>She smiles before looking to the orb next to her
>"Her?" She asks "She's just sleeping. After all we were trying to get her all gussied up for when she sees her beloved human again."
"Then where is Celestia?!" You ask "Did you just lie to lure us down here?!"
>Alternate Umbra looks around
>"She was here last time I checked." She says with sinister smile "I wonder where I put her..."
>"Celestia, look out!" Sombra says as he looks up
>Doing the same, you dodge to your right as a hooded pony dives out from the balcony onto you and Sombra

>As she lands, you try and get a good look at her face
>But all you see is a bird mask
>One thing is clear though
>She's a unicorn
>The masked pony doesn't let you stare for long as she begins to attack you
>She reaches and wraps a hoof around your neck before striking you with her other hoof
>Reeling back, you try to bring your hoofs up to defend yourself
>Sombra rushes up behind her, but is met with a swift kick to the chest
>While he staggers back, the mare turns her attention back to you
>Pushing back she brings her back leg back and kicks at your left side
>The way she fights!
>It's almost reminiscent of Umbra's fighting style!
>Firing a beam of magic at the ground, she jumps back
>"Got you!" Sombra says as he fires one at her head
>The mysterious mare looks just in time to have her mask shot off
>Joining Sombra, you both continue to fire magical beams at her
>But she manages to avoid each of them by jumping backwards
>Once she's back by Alternate Umbra's side, you both step forward
"Enough games, Umbra!" You yell "We're ending this here and now!"
>Alternate Umbra laughs again
>"Oh you..." She says "You wish it were that simple..."
>She looks up towards the stairs as you begin to hear hoofsteps
>"It really is you." You hear a voice call out "My sweet, dear Celestia."
>That voice!
>N-No it can't be!
>Looking up towards the top of the stairs, your entire world just shatters
"Sombra..."

>You are Sombra
>So this is your Alternate Self...
>You knew it
>He looks just like his sister
>Ice blue horn
>Purple cape
>Blue crystal armor
>And his mane has that same blue streak running through it
>"N-No..." Celestia says still shocked to see him "What are you doing here!?"
>He chuckles
>"Why my dear Celestia, I'm here to assist my sister." He says
>"What took you so long?" Alternate Umbra asks "Were you feeling a little stage fright?"
>He looks over at her and smiles
"Celestia, you and I both knew that this may have been a possibility." You tell her "Don't let this affect you! Now we know what we're exactly dealing with!"
>Celestia shuts her eyes and looks towards the ground
>"So you've turned to evil." Celestia says before looking back up with tears in her eyes "Just like that?! After everything you fought for?!"
>You can hear the anger rising in Celestia's voice
>"What happened to love, compassion, and kindness!?" She asks
>"I cast those foolish ideals aside when my sister opened my eyes." He says "After I lost everything, she welcomed me home and taught me that only one's power can achieve their goals."
>"And if you think I'm mind controlling him, then I'm afraid to burst that bubble and tell you that isn't the case." Alternate Umbra says "All of this is because of you."

>"Because of me?" Celestia asks
>Alternate Umbra takes on a more serious look
>"I know all about your past relationship with my dear brother." She says "I know how you stumbled into his life and how you two cared for one another."
>You can actually see the hatred in Alternate Umbra's eyes
>"I know how you led him on! How you fell in love with the Anon of your world!" She says "You're nothing but a who-!"
>"You don't know anything!" Celestia shouts "Sombra and I both knew that our relationship could not last without our worlds merging together! Anon had nothing to do with it!"
"Celestia!" You say before she goes off "Stop getting riled up!"
>Celestia looks over at you and settles down a little
>"Sister, enough." Alternate Sombra says "I don't need Anonymous screaming at me because you got too agitated."
>You see your alternate self look at you
>"I see you've taken a fancy to another Sombra." He says "Do you prefer him now that the evil resides in me?"
"It isn't like that." You tell him "Although you already know that."
>"Princess Luna is your special somepony." He tells you "I wonder how she will react when I end your pathetic existence."
>You take on a more defensive stance
>"And Celestia." He says "Anon is the reason I lost everything and I will have my revenge."

>"How can you blame him for everything?" Celestia says "He was just another victim of my deceit."
>"It's because of him that I lost you, my kingdom, and my life!" Alternate Sombra "If he had never appeared then I would still have you!"
"Obviously not." You tell him "Celestia even said herself that your relationship could not last."
>"We could have found a way, we could have-"
>"There was nothing we could have done!" Celestia says "Our worlds would have merged!"
>Alternate Sombra smiles
>"And that's the beauty of it my love!" He says "With Anonymous's plan we can finally be together."
"At the cost of innocent lives."
>He looks over at you
>"That does not matter to me." He says "Not anymore."
>Celestia shakes her head
>"You're too far gone, Sombra." Celestia says "I could never love somepony like you."
>She looks up at him
>"How did you end up on this path, Sombra?" Celestia asks "I need to know."

>Sombra looks over at his sister
>"After I had absorbed the evil magic from Celestia and Luna, I escaped from the scene as to not hurt anypony." Sombra says "And landed somewhere deep into the woods."
>He looks as if he's trying to remember it all
>"There deep in the woods I struggled to keep myself from being consumed by the evil I had just taken in." He tells you "It was a never ending battle from within."
>"Tried as I may, I couldn't fight it." He says "And as I began to succumb to my fate, that's when it happened."
>"What?" Celestia asks
>He looks at her
>"You and the other were expelled from my world." He says "I could hear it all happening like I was there. I went to the statue that you would come out when you would visit."
>"That is where I truly gave up." Alternate Sombra says "I just lost the only mare I loved and I was alone."
>He looks at you
>"That's when his evil magic left him and entered my body." He says "Pushing me over the edge completely."

>And in turn you felt that evil finally leave you
>"As soon as I gained that added evil magic, I let it take over." Alternate Sombra tells you "Granting me unbelievable power."
>He looks to Celestia
>"That's when I decided. I would end the human that caused me so much pain." He says "But I knew I could not do it alone."
>"I traveled to Ponyville, knowing full well that Celestia and Luna were going to try to reform Anonymous." He says "I knew they would fail."
>"Approaching the back part of the castle, I waited for my moment to move." He says "While I waited, I got to see in visions what my alternate self had been capable of."
>He looks over at you and smirks
>"I've seen the things you've done." He tells you "No matter how righteous you try to act, there is no redemption for you."
>You look away for a split second
"I have a lot to answer for." You tell him "And I don't care how long it takes, I will redeem myself."

>Alternate Sombra chuckles
>"Once you have died, not even Tartarus will want your soul." He says before looking back at Celestia "Now where we're we."
>"You were about to tell them how you met up with my beloved." Alternate Umbra says
>"Ah yes." He says "It seems the sisters were unsuccessful in changing Anonymous. I watched as the windows shattered and he leapt out into the woods."
>"From there I followed him quietly as he outran the Ponyville guards." He says "Once he collapsed from exhaustion, I made my move."
>Looking over at Celestia, you can see that this is hard for her to listen to
>"I approached him and after getting past his rudeness I offered him something we both wanted." Alternate Sombra says "Power and revenge."
>He shakes his head
>"He was skeptical at first. I mean after all we were enemies just that morning." He says "But with no other options, he had to trust me or be locked away."
>Alternate Umbra smiles
>"I rescued him." Alternate Sombra says "From there we traveled back to Canterlot, it was time to get my map back home."

>Celestia looks completely sadden to hear of all this
>You don't blame her
>To see somepony that you loved just change his motivations and morals
>It would be tough
>The only thing is...
>Celestia doesn't know that isn't this Sombra's first time being a heartless stallion
>You were once a good hearted stallion before falling into that pit of envy for your sister
>Meaning that he was once just like his sister before having a change of heart
"We found that chest in your bed chambers, we thought Anonymous was the one that caused the damage to that room and your throne room." You say "But it was really you, wasn't it?"
>"My look at that! You might just have some intelligence after all!" Your alternate self says to you "Yes. I had some pent up anger for Anon that I chose to release at that point."
>His hatred for Anon
>It's so much
>"Once we had the map, I abandoned my kingdom. I had no reason to stay and no reason to care about the ponies that lived there." He says "Anonymous and I made a few stops to camp. Tell me you two, do you know why Anonymous is vastly superior to Anon?"
>Both you and Celestia remain silent
>Your alternate self let's out an annoyed sigh
>"The least you two could do is humor me." He says "Anonymous is so much stronger because he's had his magic for much longer. In fact I bestowed my once kind hearted magic into him."

>All of this is no surprise to you
>You can tell that Anonymous was already on a higher stage of magic than Anon
>"He did rather well of accepting and molding my old magic to suit him." Alternate Sombra says "In fact I enjoy watching what that human mind of his can come up with."
>"So there's nothing left of the stallion I once cared about..." Celestia says "I'm sorry."
>Alternate Sombra raises an eyebrow
>"For what, my love? I've been reborn thanks to you." He says "You and my sister."
>The alternate version of your sister smiles before pulling out a watch
>"We're going to be late." She says "We should wrap this up."
>"I suppose so." Alternate Sombra says "To sum up the rest of the story, I watched over and tutored Anonymous until we arrived at the empire. From there he began to shine."
>"And as he grew so did our enemies." Alternate Umbra says "Like the sisters. They never approved of our love."
>Celestia looks over to Alternate Umbra
>"Where is Celestia!?" She asks "Is she up there with Anonymous?!"
>Alternate Umbra laughs
>"Gods you are so slow to catch on." She says as she walks up beside the hooded pony "You know I thought about keeping her locked up in the dungeons with her sister, but with me carrying Anonymous's child and him and Ariadne sometimes being too busy to look after me, Sombra suggested that we get some extra help..."
"Extra help?" Celestia says "Stop playing games with us!"
>"Where is Celestia you ask?" Alternate Umbra says as her horn glows "Why she's been here this whole time!"
>You both watch as she pulls back the hood
>Revealing to your both this worlds Celestia

>The mare in front of you is in fact Celestia
>That cloak must have had some magic properties for it to be able to hide this Celestia's horn
>Looking back to the alternate sun princess, you take note of her appearance
>Just like everypony else she's a perfect match to Celestia
>The only difference between them is that this Celestia has her mane in a ponytail
>"Celestia..." Your Celestia says "But how?"
"Didn't you say all the evil was taken from her?" You ask "Why is she helping them?!"
>"I don't know!" Celestia says "Celestia, what are you doing?! You're supposed to be like me now!"
>Alternate Umbra laughs
>"Celestia just needed a little motivation." She says "It's amazing how much a pony will do when you threaten a sibling."
>You glance over at Alternate Celestia
>Her expression has not changed
>Nor has she said a word
>There's something more to this

>You also notice that she fights almost like your sister
>Although she is not as fluid as Umbra is in combat
>"You know it took a little conditioning to make her the fighter she is today." Alternate Umbra says "I almost feel bad making Ariadne fight against her. She hates the weak."
>"Sister." Alternate Sombra says "I believe it's time to see what she can do against ponies of this caliber."
>You and Celestia immediately raise your guard
>"But two seems hardly unfair for one mare." Alternate Umbra says
>He looks over and nods his head
>"Very well, sister." He says "I will stay and entertain our guest. Try not to kill Anon until I get there."
>"If my beloved wishes not to wait, then I won't stop him." She says as she turns and walks towards the stairs with your sister in tow
"WAIT!" You yell as you try to chase after her
>As soon as you move, Alternate Celestia removes the cloak completely and fires a magical beam of magic at you
>Jumping back, you look up to see the Alternate Umbra take your sister into the door
"Dammit!"
>"You won't be going anywhere." Alternate Sombra says "Now then let's finish this once and for all."
>He looks over at Celestia
>"I think the odds are fair, two on two." He says before looking to his left "Right, Celestia?"

>Step after step, you and Ammy continue to ascended the castle
>You are Anon
"Just how tall is this place?" You ask as you and Ammy come up to the third floor landing
>Looking behind you, you see the hallway that would lead to your room
>And while snooping around in there would be interesting, you need to stop wasting time
>Ammy barks
>You look down and pat her head
>"We still got quite the way to go, girl." You say looking down at the hole Celestia and Sombra went down "I hope they're okay."
>You gotta have faith in them
>They'll get the job done
>You take a look up from the balcony
"Looks like we've just started."
>Looking up the stairs, you and your faithful companion continue your way up this castle

>As you continue you climb of the castle, you've notice that this place is completely deserted
>There hasn't been a single pony trying to get into your way
>Good
>That leaves you with more energy to deal with Anonymous
>Now there just comes the issue on how to get Umbra out of there
>Maybe if Lance, Celestia, Luna, or Eris show up, you can have them get her away
>You just can't have her there if you start getting the upper hand on Anonymous
>He might go for her
>His Umbra gotta be up there too
>Damn it, this is not going to be easy
>Continuing up the stairs to the next landing, you begin to wonder how everyone is doing out there

>Around the time Anon and company ran into Alternate Lance...
>As you swords clash once more, you both jump back from each other
>"Why will you not commit to an attack?" Your alternate self says "Are you afraid?!"
>You are Arthas
>From the small tests of strength you've been initiating, you've been able to gauge that the you both share the same strength
>But you have noticed that the magic flowing through his blade has been growing brighter each time you clash
>Dragging this out might not be in your best interests
>You glance behind you
>Especially with Marie having to hold off the other three captains by herself
>Time...
>Time is of the essence!
>"Truly I did not expect my alternate self to be such a coward!" Alternate Arthas says "At this rate I starting to think your family line was full of cowards!"
>...
>"If so then we have nothing to-!?" He says before you cut him off with another clash of swords

>This time you keep the pressure on him
"NEVER disrespect my family!"
>His sword feels as if you're pushing against the earth itself
>"There we go!" He says "Are we done testing each others strength!?"
>Your alternate self pushes you off of him and retaliates with an overhead slash
>Pressing your hoof against the flat side of your sword, you block the heavy blade from taking your head clean off
>With one of your free legs you kick your alternate self away to make some space
>It's just as you thought
>When you spar against the boys they usually always have a weakness in the way they fight
>But with your alternate self?
>You don't see an opening at all
>"I grow tired of your games!" He says "If this is the only fight you will put up then I suppose there's no use dragging this out!"
>He holds his sword before him
>What is he doing?!
>Staying on guard, you watch as the veins going through the sword begin to glow brighter
>It continues to glow and glow until blue flames begin to erupt from the blade
>So that's why it glows
>"Now then, I hope you are ready. For the pain you are about to feel from my blade will be unlike anything you have ever felt." He says
>You chuckle
"You sure boast a lot." You tell him "But can you back that up? Let's find out.."

>Your alternate self doesn't wait for you this time
>He charges in dragging his sword along the ground, blue flames trail behind him
>"Don't let that hit you!" Marie says as she kicks Alternate Cyprus away
>Bringing your sword down, Alternate Arthas raises his sword up and blocks your strike
>But something different happens
>Instead of having your blade press against his sword, it bounce off and back to you
"What?!"
>All you can see from behind the sword is a smirk
>Your alternate self does a rising slash that grazes the bottom of your armor
>Sending you into the air
>Your alternate self continues off of that by biting down on your cape and throwing you into the window of a shop
>Cashing against some of the display stands, you let out a groan of pain
>Looking down, you see that he was able to cut through your armor and singe some of your fur on your chest
>This armor is made from some of the strongest crystal known to the empire
>Just what is that sword?
>Upon hearing a strange noise coming from outside, you look up to see your alternate self holding his hoof back
>It looks like he conjuring some sort of spell!
>"DIE!" He shouts before firing a ball of magic right into the shop

>Scrambling to your hooves, you quickly jump out onto the street
>Just as the ball of magic flies by you
>As soon as you get out, you jump to the side as the inside of the store erupts and explodes into a blue fire
>Crashing down, you pat the flames burning the end of your cape
>Picking up your sword, you look over at the shop
>Even with the rain pouring over the store, the flames continue to rage on
>You need to play this smart
>That means getting that sword away from him
>"Do you envy me?" Alternate Arthas says "This is the power Queen Umbra bestowed upon me! The power to destroy anyone that would try to get in her way!"
>Magical weapons
>And magical armor
>This is going to be more of a challenge than you thought
>A small smile forms on your face
>Just the way you like it

>Looking down at your cape, you feel a bit troubled
>Only because you're going to have to ask Jaina to stitch together a new one
>Readying yourself for battle again, you know what you must do
>Rushing into towards your alternate self, he smile back
>"Looks like you've accepted your fate!" He says "Come then, face your doom!"
>As you get closer to the stallion, you watch as he begins to lift his sword up
>There is one thing you notice while fighting him
>While his sword may be larger and holds some fascinating power in it
>He slowly raises it up
>It's still a giant hunk of crystal and stone!
>Dashing to the side, you swing your sword right at his open side
>"Do you really think I haven't thought of that?" He asks before his body fades into nothingness
>As your sword goes through him, you stumble forward
"What?!"
>You watch as some flames left behind move behind you
>Turning around you see your alternate self materialize again
>A teleportation spell?!
>"Face it." He says "Against me, you have no chance!"
>Holding your blade up just in time, you block another monster sized blow that sends you flying across the street

>Rolling along the street, you let out another groan
>Dammit what else can he do?!
>Getting back up, you see more pieces of your armor fall
>If the boys saw you in this condition...
>You look up at your alternate self who has begin to walk towards you
>So that's how he covers the opening in his defense
>This is honestly getting annoying
>Think Arthas, think!
>Maybe you can predict his moves
>But what if he just teleports again?
>Is there a limit to that?
>You just have to find out
>Without getting hit again
>Otherwise you won't have any armor to defend you from another attack like that

>Holding up your sword once more, your alternate self channels the magic through his sword again
>Alright time to test your theory
>Readying yourself again, your alternate self looks annoyed
>"It would save us both a lot of time if you would just lay down and die." He says "That way I could go and assist my king and queen."
>You move your head around and crack your neck
"I will not." You tell him "I made a promise and I intend to keep it."
>"A promise? To who, your ragtag group of failures?" He says "If those four fight as well as you do then your world is doomed."
>He laughs
>Taking a deep breath, you focus only on him
>"So fighting to the end it is." He says before waving his sword
>Again you charge in and clash blades with him

>"Didn't you learn from last time!?" He asks as his swords burst into flames again
>Pulling away slightly, you roll to the side as he tries to swing upwards at you again
>Going for a horizontal slash, you ready yourself for him to teleport again
>"It seems not!" He says as his body begins to fade away again
>But now that you know it's coming you won't make the same mistake and stagger again
>The small flame again goes behind you
>Spinning around, you block his little attack
"The same tricks won't work on me a second time!"
>Your alternate self takes on a more furious expression as he pulls back to swing
>This time you're not jumping back or out of the way
>You decide to see just how much he can swing that heavy chunk of crystal in rapid succession
>As your swords bounce off each other you count
>One
>Two
>Three
>And finally on the fourth you see his stance falter
>Now!
>With this new opening, you rush right up to him and slash diagonally at him

>Your sword finally grazes his armor
>Cutting along his chest plate, you push forward and push him back with your shoulder
>As your alternate self staggers, you keep on the pressure by swing your sword towards the weaker looking parts of his armor
>He isn't one to let you do as you please so he retaliates back by swinging horizontally at you
>Sliding under his sword, you turn around and kick him square in the face
>He reels back and shakes his head
>"How dare you!" He says as you notice blood coming from the bottom "No one makes me spill my own blo-!"
>You cut him off by grabbing his cape and throwing him into another building

>You can't let up!
>Any moment could be an opening for him
>Rushing towards the shop, you wonder what his next move will-!?
>A fire ball comes barreling out of the shop, which you dodge at the last second
>But while you were so busy with dodging that attack, you see the small flame zoom right behind you
>Shit!
>Turning around, you see your alternate self reappear
>You barely have enough time to raise your guard, but unfortunately it seems it was just a ruse as he again goes behind you
>But this time, he has his hoof cocked back again
>"BEGONE!" He shouts as he fires a ball of magic right at your chest
>The blast sends you flying back into a light post, causing you to break it
>Rolling over, you thought he'd would keep on the offensive
>But as you look up at him you notice something curious
>He looks extremely exhausted
>Perhaps its the side effect of using so much magic
>After all, he isn't a unicorn
>As you try and stand, some of your leg armor cracks and falls off your body
>This can't go on for any longer
>You need to end this now

>Getting back up, you pick up your sword with your mouth
>You can die here
>Not when so much is on the line
>"That's it!" Your alternate self says "I'm done playing these games with you!"
>His armor begins to glow even brighter as his sword burst into magical flames again
>This is it...
>You can tell that he fights his battle quickly to avoid this situation
>His exhaustion is about to over take him
>Those magical abilities of his will be his undoing
>"Once I kill you, I'm going for each of your disciples!" He says
>You begin to charge at him
>"I'll kill each and everyone of th-!"
>Clashing your blade against his flaming blade, you push with all you might
"I won't let you hurt my family!"

>Pushing as hard as you can, your sword begins to be overtaken by his flames
"I won't let you harm them!" You tell him "So long as I still breathe!"
>Pushing his sword up towards the sky, you slash him across his armor
>Blood trails your blade and colors the crystal street
>You alternate self doesn't falter as he retaliates with his own series of strikes
>Blocking each one, your thankful that your alternate self has such a heavy blade
>Ducking underneath one of his slashes, you take his legs out from under him
>As he falls to the ground, you climb on top of him

>Climbing on top, you begin to stomp and punch your counterpart
>Every time he tries to retaliate, you snuff it out immediately
>You can't let him get back up
>It has to end now!
>Ripping off his helmet, you keep on beating him down
>As more rain falls, the street below you continues to turn red with blood
>Your alternate self tries to block one of your attacks, but it's futile as you just move his hoof and use your other hoof
>When the pain in your hoof becomes too great, you deliver one last blow that shakes your alternate self to his core
>Thunder booms through the sky as everything goes silent
>Falling back onto the floor, you try and regain your breath
>Blood trickles down the side of your head
>Noticing that you can only hear the sound of rain, you look up to see that everypony has stopped fighting
>The guard of this empire
>And Marie's ponies
>They all just stare at you both

>The silence hangs over the area for an uncomfortably long time until Alternate Marie kicks Alternate Cyprus away
>Sounds of fighting once again erupt as you attempt to stand up
>"Captain!" You hear a voice behind you call out
>Turning around, you see one of the guard ponies rushing at you with sword drawn
>But before you can reach for your sword, another one of Maire's ponies takes him down to the ground
>"You alright there, pops?" You hear Marie say
>Turning around, you see here standing over you with a smile on her face
>When you glance over behind her, you can see her ponies distracting the other captains
>You try to stand up
>And after almost falling back down, you stand back up thanks to Marie's help
>Walking over to your alternate self, you pick up your sword
>But while you're doing that, you see that your alternate self is still conscious

>"Tough bastard isn't he?" Marie says "Still, I'm surprised you actually won without help."
>Standing over your alternate self
"You let all that power go to your head." You tell him "You thought of yourself as some untouchable knight thanks to that magic and even though it was powerful, you should have know that an earth pony would have to work harder to use it."
>He spits a bit a blood at you that lands on your chest plate
>"Do not lecture me." He says "You may have stopped me for now, but I will end your pathetic life!"
>"Shut it, Arthas. You lost." Marie says "And with you out of the way, the moral of these guards should falter."
"Not as long as Anonymous still stands." You tell her "So long as their 'all powerful' king still stands, they will keep fighting."
>Marie looks up towards the castle
>"So what are you going to do?" Marie asks "We can get you somewhere safe to relax if want."
>You shake your head before looking towards the castle
>"I still have a duty to fulfill." You tell her before looking back "My queen and king still need me."
>Marie nods her head
>"Alright, I'll hold down the fort out here then." She says "We won't let them get to the castle."
"Do not let him out of your sight and keep him locked down."
>"You got it, captain." She says with a smirk "Good luck."
>You nod your head before taking off towards the castle

>Crashing down onto the hard rocks, you take a moment to regain your senses
>Looking around, you think you know where this is...
>This is Chaosville
>You are Eris
>All you remember before coming here is that you and Luna freed Alt Luna before the other you popped up out of nowhere and grabbed you
>So this is where she brought you
>Standing up, you brush yourself off before putting your hands on your hips
"This place looks a lot more bland than our Chaosville." You say "Really those two must be horrible at decorating."
>"That's because I have no need to for useless decorations." You hear your alternate self say
>Turning around, you see Alt Eris coming down from the sky

"I can tell." You say before looking around "This place looks so boring, I wouldn't even want to bring Wedge here."
>As she lands on the ground, you put on your serious face
"So this was really your goal." You tell her "To get me away from the empire."
>"You are too much of a threat to my queen." Alt you says "She tasked me with defeating you and keeping you here as a prisoner."
"Why are you calling her 'my queen'?" You ask "Why don't you just call her Umbra? Or Queenie? Or some other pet name?"
>She looks away into the void for a small moment
>"Because I do not lack respect." She says "She is Queen Umbra to me."
>You roll your eyes
"Sounds like she's got you whipped..." You say under your breath "All right well before we get to the butt kicking, how about you tell me where your brother is? We could always use a helping hand out there."
>Alt you doesn't say anything
>Instead she just points into the sky behind you
>Looking back, what you see shocks you
>On a small rock out in the void, you see a statue of Discord sitting on top of it

"What?" You say as you step closer to the edge
>There's no mistaking it
>That's Discord...
>"After I defeated him, Queen Umbra ordered me to imprison him in stone." Alt you tells you "There I was told to keep him here and never let him out."
>You spin around
"You did this to him?!" You ask her "Why!? He's your brother!"
>"He was a fool." She tells you "He tried to challenge Queen Umbra and King Anonymous and lost."
>She looks over at him
>"He even tried to turn me against them." She says "By appealing to the fact that we were siblings."
"So you just turn around and stab him in the back." You tell her "As if I needed more of a reason to kick your ass."
>You turn around and take an aggressive stance
"Let's cut the chit chat and get down to business." You tell her "I need to get back and help my Anon and Umbra win this fight!"
>Alt Eris takes the same stance before you both charge at each other

>As you crash into the snow, you hear hoofsteps approaching running up to your side
>"Cadance!" Twilight's voice calls out "Are you okay?"
>You are Cadance
>Raising your head from the snow, you shake the snow off of you
>Looking around, the sounds of war roar throughout the wastes
>Swords are clashing
>And spells are being casted
"Yeah I'm okay, Twi." You tell her "I just didn't expect my mirror self to be so strong."
>Looking up towards the portal, you see her hovering above with a smirk on her face
"How's Shining doing?" You say as you start to get up
>"He's trying to get to your mirror self, but those crystal suits of armor won't stay down." Twilight says "Not that their troops are just sitting around too."
>Shaking off some more snow, you look at Twilight
"We need to get her alone." You tell her "Anytime I try to engage her in battle the crystal knights jump in and interfere."

>"That's going to be tough." Twilight says "The only way we've found to get rid of the crystal armors is to just blast them with magic until they turn to dust."
>You look to the other side of the field
>Mirror Cadance just sits there on a crystal throne
>She looks so smug up there watching all the chaos unfold
>And Mirror Shining just hides behind the throne
"Maybe we don't need to get her troops away from her." You say "Maybe we need to her away from her troops."
>"But how are we going to do that?" Twilight asks "We still need to get past the guards to get to her."
>You search the battlefield until you find your husband
>He and the rest of Twilight's friends are trying to carve a path to your mirror self
"We go with them." You tell Twilight "Once we're close I'll deal with my other self."
>"Let's do it!" Twilight says as you both fly over to the others

>Touching down in the center of the girls, you rush up to Shining
>"How's it going, handsome?" You tell him as you blast an armor away
>He smiles
>"We pushing from all sides." He tells you "But it feels like every one that we take down two more take their place!"
>He swings his sword and destroys another armor
>"This won't stop until we stop their Cadence!" Shining says
"I just need to get her alone!" You tell him "I'm sure I can beat her as long as nopony interferes!"
>"We have to!" Twilight says "Queen Umbra, Anon, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna are counting on us!"
>"And there is no way we're going to let them down!" Rainbow Dash says
>"Anon..." Shining says as he looks to the portal "I hope he's alright over there."
>You look over to the swirling portal as well
>It doesn't feel like anything bad has happened yet
>You just hope it stays like that
>Blasting a few more armors away, you look back over to Shining
"We need to keep pushing." You tell him "It's what Anon and Umbra would do."
>Shining nods his head, as you two begin to tear through the guards blocking your path

>Guard after guard, you continue to push through the wall of fodder that mirror Cadence has put in front of you
>It just feels like your exhausting your stamina trying to push through
>And if you go flying into the air, these suits are just going to tackle you out of the sky again
>Firing off another blast of magic, you turn around when you hear Shining yell out in pain
>A stallion has slashed at his leg, leaving a nasty looking wound
"Shining!"
>Twilight blasts the stallion away, leaving you to tend to your husband
>She even puts a bubble around you all giving you a moment to breath
>"There's so many of them..." Twilight says as she tries to recover her breath
>"I can only imagine what Anon is going through." Rarity says
>"It's only them over there." Rainbow Dash says "Against an entire world filled with these things."
>Some of the armors have began throwing themselves at the barrier
>When you look over at Twilight, you see her struggling to keep them back
"Girls, you need to take Shining back to safety."

>"No way!" Shining says "I'm not going to head back now! We need to face her together!"
>"And if we just leave you here, you'll get swarmed!" Twilight says "No we can't!"
"You have to!" You tell her "There's no other choice. None of us are allowed to fall here."
>Otherwise the balance between your worlds will be tipped
>That's something you can't let happen
"We have to keep balance and that means getting Shining to safety." You tell them "I can get to their Cadence from here."
>"Princess, even if we wanted to go, there's no way I reckon we can get Shining Armor to safety." Applejack says "These knights are just waiting for Twilight to lower her shield."
>Looking around, you see that she's right
>The moment that barrier comes down, they're going to swarm you all like a pack of hungry wolves
>Think Cadence think!
>How can you get them out of here safely?!
>"PRINCESS!" You hear a voice shout out "Fortify that barrier!"
>Looking over, you see Jaina standing on top of a hill channeling her magic
>Doing as she says, you add a extra layer to Twilight's barrier

>"What's she doing?" Rarity asks as she also helps fortify the barrier
>Watching on, you watch as Jaina begins to charge up some sort of spell
>Magical missiles rain down from above the hill onto the battlefield around you
>The blasts bombard your barrier too, but you and the girls are able to hold it up
>Anything that was around you trying to get in is getting blown away by the blasts that land all around the area
>You can even see that your and Umbra's guard are even retreating to escape the chaos
>The snow around you is knocked up, obscuring your view
>"She's really going all out..." Shining says
>But as each one lands and explodes, you can feel just how powerful this mare is
>After what feels like a eternity of explosions the shockwaves stop as the snow falls
>Umbra has citizens like this living within her walls?
>Lowering your barrier, you look around at the aftermath of her attack
>The area around you has been cleared of crystal armors and the mirror guards
>Mirror you looks just as surprised as she's gotten up from her seat
>Now she knows that there's nothing stopping you from getting to her

"Twilight, tend to Shining."
>"You're not going up there alone!" Shining says
>You turn back around and smile
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." You tell him "Come up and join me when you're all healed up."
>Turning around, you charge through the field of broken armors
>Mirror Cadence finally notices you and smirks
>Her Shining Armor cowers behind her small throne
>"You sure took your sweet time getting here, Princess." She says "What's the matter? Did our troops give you THAT much of a problem?"
"You being more of a coward was actually the issue." You tell her "Do you always hide behind a horde of guards?"
>"Only when dealing with trash." She tells you "As Princess of The Crystal Empire, I see no reason to dirty my hooves dealing with leaser ponies."
>To hear her talk like this
>Like she's above everypony else
>It's a little difficult to deal with
>Especially because she's you
>"It looks like that mare is one trick pony." She says "Seems I don't need to worry about another barrage like that."
>Looking back, you see Jaina collapse

>That spell of her's must have really taken a lot out of her
"That's fine." You tell her "She's done enough already."
>You take a deep breath and stand ready to fight
>Your mirror self raises an eyebrow
>"So you really want to fight don't you?" She says "Alright, I'm game. After all that's why I'm here."
>Her horn lights up
>"Cadence!" You hear Twilight yell out
>Glancing back, you see her and the others coming towards you
>"Well that doesn't seem too fair." Mirror Cadance says "I should even the odd!"
>With a clap of her hooves, a group of guard ponies and crystal armors come rushing to block Twilight
>Only Shining is able to jump past them and over a barrier that mirror you brings up to surround them
"Girls!"
>"Don't you worry, they'll be okay in there." Mirror you says "They can't leave that barrier but our troops will make sure they aren't lonely in there."
>"Dammit." Shining says "This would be over quick if they weren't trapped in there."
"That's why she did it." You tell him "That just means we'll have to stop her ourselves!"

>You stare down your mirror self
"Why are you doing this?"
>"Doing what? Taking over your world? Why it's what Queen Umbra wants!" She tells you "And trust me when she wants something she's going to get it."
>"Not this time." Shining says "We're going to stop you here. Just like Anon's going to stop your Anon over in your world!"
>Mirror Cadance looks at Shining with a annoyed expression on her face
>"Why haven't you put him in his place?" She asks you
"Why would I?" You tell her "He's my husband, not my servant."
>She chuckles
>"He's just a simple unicorn." She says "You are an all powerful Alicorn, surely we deserve better than what our Celestia's set up for us."
>You look over at her Shining who again just hangs his head low
"We might look the same, but our personalities are completely different." You tell her "I'm not going to lose to somepony as vile as you."
>She laughs
>"You won't have a choice." She says "Once I'm done draining the life out of you, I'll put your precious husband where he belongs, six feet under the ground."

>Before Anon, Sombra, Celestia, and Ammy reached the castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzmZOU5hVr8 [Embed]
>You are Wedge
>As you stare down you alternate self, you both begin to walk around in a circle
>While you stay on high alert, Alt Wedge just casually walks around
>Dammit
>You're usually the one that waits for your opponents first mo-
>The moment the lighting flashes above your heads, Alt Wedge charges at you
>And when you say charge, you mean he's in your face in an instant!
>Pulling up your sword just in time, you block his combination attack
>Each time your blades collide, you have to put everything behind yourself to hold him back from breaking your guard
>Slash after slash, it almost feels like his sword is wind itself
>And he keeps on sheathing his sword at the end of the combination before starting the chain all over again
>You got to stop him from swinging so much!
>As he brings his sword across for another attack, you meet his blade and parry him
>Instead of seeing a look of surprise, you just see a more determined look
>Not letting it faze you, you swing at him now that you have an opening
>"Hmph! Amateur!" He says as he swiftly hops to your left
>When you try and follow him, you're met with a kick to the side of your head

>The kick sends you flying back a bit
>But you are able to recover and land on your hooves
>Looking back up at him, you see him slowly walking towards you
>Lifting your hoof up, you wipe some blood off the corner of your mouth
"Damn that kick hurt..." You say before glancing back up "I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but still..."
>His sword style is so much different than yours
>The sword he's using is like one of those from the land of Hapone
>Long and slender, with enough force it could cut through anything
>Almost like his Anon's sword
>Standing up straight, you notice he's smirking
>"At least show me something worthwhile before I end you!" He says
>Picking up your sword, you rush him this time around
>Closing the distance, you jump into the air and come down ready to cut him down
>But just like last time he hops to the left
"That won't work again!"
>Swinging to your left, you see him hop again
>This time to your right
>Turning in his direction, he goes behind you now
>And then back to your left
>Now your right!
>When you swing this time he hops one more time behind you
>Spinning around, you watch as he stabs the crystal road with his sword before dashing up to you
>You can't avoid it time!
>You try to block, but it's too late as he brings his sword out of the ground and slashes upwards

>Flying back, you land against the side of a building
>Your back feels like somepony stopped all four of their hooves into it
>Looking down at your chest plate, all you see is a clean cut through it
>Some blood trickles out of your wound and down your blue fur
>You're not given enough time to thoroughly check your wound as Alt Wedge jumps up into the air
>He does a front flip and brings his sword down
>Rolling out of the way, you watch as his sword goes right through the crystal wall like a hot knife through butter
>Standing back up, you have to put off taking care of yourself until after this fight
>What you need to do is get that sword away from him
>But that's easier said than done
>As Alt Wedge stands back up, you try to come up with something in the little time you have
>Come on, Wedge, think!
>As he pulls his sword out of the wall, it hits you
>You need him to try and hit you with another attack
>Alt Wedge stands up and smiles as he charges you once more
>Perfect!
>Raising your sword up, you quickly bash your sword against his
>Parrying his attack, you don't waste anytime and kick his sword out of his grip
>His blade lands into the crystal street behind him
>Again you expect some sort of panic, but he just calmly turns around
>"Interesting strategy." He says "Let's see how it pays off!"

>What's his deal?
>You've disarmed him, but he doesn't even look like he cares!
"I don't know what your deal is, but honestly I don't even care." You tell him "I need to defeat you and meet up with my friends."
>Charging in, you attempt to slash at your alternate self, but he keeps on moving around you
>The thing is that he's isn't hopping back to his sword
>He's actually hopping away from it
>Alt Wedge goes for another kick, but this time you block that attack
>The armor on his legs protects him from cutting himself though
>And it helps him on the offense too because that kick still made you buckle slightly
>Running up, you feint your swing to get him to hop again
>You follow his hop and meet him where he's going to land
>Again another small smirk flashes across his face
>Not taking any chances, you swing upwards
>To your surprise it actually hits and sends him back

>Not letting the opportunity slip by, you chase after him
>When he lands back on the ground, you come it with a side slash
>But your alternate self maneuvers out of the way at the last second
>He grabs onto you as you go past him and uses your momentum to flip you onto your back
>Getting up, you quickly spin around and charge again
>Bringing your sword over your head, you bring it down
>Your mirror self doesn't move and instead stops your blade with his hooves
>Putting all your strength behind your strike, you both struggle to against one another
>With one last burst, you slice down across his armor
>Blood seeps out from a fresh wound on his chest
>He glances down and gets some on his hoof
"Yeah! I can cut through you just as well as you can to me."
>He smiles
>"Now it's getting interesting." He tells you as he walks back to his sword "It's been a while since somepony actually cut me."
>He looks back at his sword before walking over to it
>You could stop him, but you feel like you can do this now
>Pulling his sword out of the ground he stands ready
"Come on."

>You're alternate self takes a deep breath
>As the rain pours on top of you both, you wait for him to move
>This fight...
>You know now that to win this, you going to have to get as aggressive as him
>That means clashing sword as many times as you need to
>You've noticed that each time he goes an a huge barrage, there's a moment when he need to recover
>That's when you have to strike
>The moment that lighting flashes is when you two charge at each other
>Meeting in the middle of the street, you and Alt Wedge let loose and go wild
>The only thing you can hear is your sword clashing against his
>You both keep each others on your toes as you attack and move
>From his face, you can see that he's not playing around anymore
>When he goes for a slash that would take your head off, you duck under it causing him to miss
>Using your back legs, you kick him right on the chin and send him flying back
>He lands and sheaths his sword
>"I feel so alive!" He shouts before charging at you again
>Bringing your sword up to block, he sprints and unsheathes his blade
>He dash right behind you as your swords connect
>Turning around, you see him repeat the same motions as before

>Shit!
>Alt Wedge comes right back with another swing of his sword
>He's almost as fast as Lance when he does this move!
>Blocking that attack, he again goes once more behind you
>"This ends here!" He shouts before charging at you
>The first two attacks were just to weaken you and break your guard
>That means that this one is going to be his strongest swing yet
>You place your hooves firmly on the ground
>You can end this right here
>As he charges in you hold your ground and push when his blade connects with yours
>Sparks fly as you both struggle against each other to end this
>Alt Wedge begins to get the upper hand as you start losing this test of strength
>Come on, Wedge!
>Everyone's waiting for you!
>You think back to Lance, Biggs, and Anon
>"Just give it up!" Alt Wedge says "You're doomed to fail like your friends!"
>You open your eyes
"AS IF WE'D LOSE TO YOU BASTARDS!" You shout as you throw your swords up
>Slashing at his sword, you cause him to lose his balance
>Giving you the perfect opening to drive your sword right into his shoulder

>Alt Wedge screams out in pain as you dig your blade into his leg
>Kicking him onto the ground, you take the sword out
>"You bastard!" Alt Wedge shouts at you as you kick his sword away
"I had to stop you from moving around so much." You tell him "With you leg out of commission, you won't be moving around at all for now."
>He continues to grip his leg in pain as you clean and sheath your sword
>"Heh." He says "It doesn't matter. You may have stopped me here, but you're already too late. You've already lost."
>He continues to chuckle
>"Ah..." He says "You aren't allowed to kill us, but we just have free reign to kill you guys and trust me, we're going to take that opportunity."
"Well you failed already." You tell him "Me standing tall is proof of that."
>That sinister smirk doesn't leave his face
>"You were never the target." He says "You'd be too much of a pain to kill."
>He lays down on the ground, and looks up at the sky
>"You better hurry." He tells you "What am I saying, it's too late already. That poor little filly is going to watch her brother die today."
>Kicking him in the face, you knock him out and look down the street
"I'm coming, Lance." You say "Just don't do anything stupid till we get there!"
>Taking off down the street, you try and get to Biggs

>Upon hearing raindrops landing on something above your head, you begin to open your eyes
>"Look who's finally awake!" Alternate Umbra says "You've missed quite a lot while you were asleep."
>You are Umbra
>Looking around at your surroundings, you find yourself on top of the castle
>Above you is an umbrella made of magic
>To your right is your alternate self
>And in front of you is Anonymous
>He is looking out to the city
"WHERE ARE THEY!" You ask "WHERE DID YOU TAKE ARIADNE AND CYNTHIA!"
>"Oh! Somepony's feisty!" Alternate Umbra says "I thought you'd be happy to know that your dear husband and brother have arrived in the empire."

>You stop and finally calm down
"Anonymous and Sombra are finally here in the empire?"
>Your alternate self nods her head
>"Your idiot husband is already causing me some problems." She says "Him and his group of idiots have seem to let my prisoners out of their cells. They're now out there fighting in the streets."
>With an annoyed look, she looks out onto the empire
>"We're going to have to round them all up once this is over." She says "It shouldn't be too hard with their spirits broken. After all this is their last chance for freedom."
>You smile
>Anonymous and Sombra know what they're doing
>By letting out those prisoners, they've gained a small army
>"You hideous brother and your Celestia actually showed up to rescue my Celestia down in the basement." She says "You were asleep at the time, but you should have seen the look on your brother's face. He was so worried about you! Raising his voice in an feeble attempt to intimidate me."
>She comes right up to the barrier holding you captive
>"He's going to die down there." She says with in a quiet voice "My brother will make sure of that."
>Your smile turns into a scowl as you look at Alternate Umbra
"You are going to regret ever picking this fight with our world!" You tell her as you also come up to the barrier "Just wait until I'm free from this cage."

>She rolls her eyes
>"Again with the empty threats." Your counterpart says "Your husband is in the castle now."
>She looks back to you
>"Why don't you spend this time thinking about what your final words will be to him." She tells you
>The thunder cracks through the sky
>"Umbra." Anonymous says "Are you cold? We are all the way at the top."
>She looks back at her Anonymous
>"Of course not, beloved." She says "But it's sweet of you to worry about me."
>He nods his head
>"If that changes let me know." He says "You can use my coat."
>Your counterpart smiles before walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek
>All the while she continues to have the umbrella over her head
>"I'll let you focus now." She says "I know how much you like to do that before a fight."
>She trots back over at you and sits on a small throne before closing her eyes
>"Your husband is still climbing the steps." She says "He'll be here soon."
>Sitting down, your mind goes to Anonymous

>It's only a matter of time before he reaches the top
>Once he's up here, he's going to have to face Anonymous and Umbra
>You look around the bubble
>There has to be a way out of here!
>Sitting here and watching those two gang on Anonymous is something you can't allow to happen!
>But how can you get out of here without them noticing?
>Maybe...
>Maybe you can drill a crack behind you with your magic
>Then when the time comes, you can just break out by kicking that crack with all you have
>But you need to make sure they don't notice
>Maybe you can use your cape to hide it
>"You know, I'm curious to see what your husband will do once he finds the landing pad." Alternate Umbra says
"What?"
>"Oh that's right, I never told you." She says "Cynthia is where her parents were put to rest, but Ariadne is oh so close to us."
>She looks over the edge
>"Ariadne is right below us." Alternate Umbra says "My Ariadne is watching over her."

"She is?!"
>Your alternate self nods her head
>"Yes, she's down there on the landing pad." She says "As I said though, my Ariadne is watching over her."
>She looks over to you
>"Your husband will see her on the way up here." Alternate Umbra tells you "The thing is, will he try and help her and potentially take a beating from my Ariadne or will he abandon her to conserve his strength to save you."
"You evil bi-!"
>"Language!" She says "Watch your tone or you won't even be awake to say goodbye to your Anonymous!"
>Damn her!
>At this point you don't even want to wait till your beloved shows up!
>You can not believe an alternate version of yourself could be so damn infuriating!
>She just needs a good kicks to her face to set her straight
>Biting your tongue, you look over at Anonymous
>He remains stoic, looking out to the empire with his eyes shut
>"So tell me." Alternate Umbra asks "What will be the first thing you tell your husband?"

"Why do you care?"
>"Come now, don't be like that!" Alternate Umbra says "You know that we're both very curious mares. It's because of that curiosity that we have our empires."
>Shaking your head, you think
>Maybe if you humor her, she'll leave you alone so you can work on cracking this barrier
"I don't know really." You tell her "There's so much to tell him, but what will I say first?"
>Again you find yourself thinking about Anonymous
"I guess it really all depends on what he says first." You say "But I'm sure I'll tell him that I missed him."
>She looks over and doesn't seem to be fazed
>"You two will be reunited soon enough." She says
>Looking over she looks back to her Anonymous
>Alright Umbra, time to set up your escape

>As Anon, Celestia, Sombra, and Ammy were nearing the castle...
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pJJPO_RlqI
>You are Biggs
>Alt Biggs wastes no time and charges you like a blood hungry bison
>You expect him swing at you with that battleaxe
>But instead he brings up a barrier around his front and crashes right into you
>Planting your hooves down, you hold your ground
>But with the rain beginning to come down harder than before, you find yourself sliding along the crystal street
>Once you finally stop, you get a good look at the twisted expression on your counterparts face
>You can't see it behind that mouth guard, but you know he's smiling
>"Something wrong?!" He says "COME ON!"
>Taking your hammer, you smash it into the barrier, causing a large enough crack
>Using your magic, you fire a blast into the cracks opening a hole into the shield of his
>With the hole being big enough, you shove your hooves in there and begin to pull open the shield

>Pulling as hard as you possibly can, the cracks travel up and down his shield
>With one more push, you tear the barrier in half
>Your alternate self swings his axe at you
>But before it can connect, you use your hammer to deflect it
>Alt Biggs is stunned momentarily
>Lifting your hammer over your head, you bring it down in an attempt to end this quick
>Too bad it's never that easy
>Alt Biggs dodges back as your hammer comes crashing down onto the crystal floor
>"You almost took my damn head off!" Alt Biggs says with some joy in his voice "And here I was afraid that you were going to be too much of a pansy to take us out."
>You put so much force in that swing that the crystal cracks under your hammer
>But just like back home, the crystal remains unbroken

>Your alternate self sees that you're recovering from strike and acts
>Looking up, you see him rush you
>He pushes you down onto your back and brings his axe over his head
>Shit!
>Quickly using your magic, you grab your hammer and use the head to block his strike
>Using one of your back legs, you plant a hoof right into his stomach
>As he backs off you, you get up just in time to avoid his two swings at you
>But again at the second strike, you parry that shit
>And this time you are able to land some hits in on his head
>As you go for another attack, Alt Biggs catches your hammer in his magic
>"I hope the others are having as much fun as I am!" He says before kicking you in the chest

>Being pushed back, you quickly go on guard
>"You know how hard it is...?" He says as he charges you
>Alt Biggs swings his axe at you
>Again you go for the parry, but this time he counters it and deflects your hammer
>"To find someone that doesn't just die in the first few minutes!" He says as he swings "It make this whole thing more fun!
>Ducking his swing, you go under and throw him with your magic
>But even with his size, he lands on his hooves
"This isn't a game!"
>Rushing up to him, you grip your hammer as hard as you can and swing
>Your alternate self tries to avoid it, but fails and you catch him on the side of his head
>He spins around and checks his jaw
>Upon hearing him growl, he turn and throws his axe at you
>You smack it out of the way and see it slide across the floor
>But while your distracted with that, Alt Biggs charges into you and carries you into a shop

>It doesn't stop there
>He continues to charge from the front of the shop through the back
>All the while still using you as a battering ram to go through the walls
>When you come out of the shop, Alt Biggs stops and holds you over his head
>"You are NOTHING!" He yells at the top of his lungs as he throws you down onto the crystal ground
>A pained cry escapes you as you bounce off the ground
>As you both recover, you try and get back up
>Damn that hurt!
>Alt Biggs stands a ways from you trying to recover his breath
>"I'm tired of letting you get these free shots." He says as his horn begins to glow
>Through the holes of the building, his axes finds his way to him
>"I'm going to split you into two!" He says

>Your alternate self doesn't want to give you anymore time to recover as he runs up to you with newfound speed
>Pushing yourself off the floor, you roll out of the way as his axe comes down onto the crystal
>Unlike your hammer, you see it actually cut into the street
>That thing is sharp!
>Your armor might be able to withstand an attack like that
>But that's something you don't want to test
>"Fine craftsmanship from Credo." He says "Refined crystals make up this blade."
>He jumps over to you
>"Allowing me!" He says as he raise it over his head
>Sidestepping out of the way, he comes crashing down
>"To cut through anything!" He says as he swings horizontally
>You try to duck it, but as you head down your alternate self stops and spins around before kicking you in the face
>Stunned you stumble back as Alt Biggs comes close
>You try to move away, but it's no use as he slashes at your front legs
>His blade goes right through your crystal armor and cuts right into your legs
>You shout out in pain as you fall back into a puddle of rainwater

>Falling back into the water, you try and get up as Alt Biggs laughs
>Any pressure you put on your legs immediately cause you great pain
>Glancing down, you notice the the pool your in is starting to turn red
>He really cut in deep if this much blood is coming out the bottom of your leg armor
>At least he didn't take them clean off like he was planning to
>"Finally!" He says as he approaches you "No more running!"
>You try and get up. but he just kicks you back down on the floor
>Dropping his axe he climbs over you and again, you can't see it, but he's smiling under there
>"Remember I told ya! Killing you was going to take some time!" He says "Slow and painful..."
>You try and cover your face, but with your legs damaged it prove pointless as Alt Biggs punches you in the face
>He doesn't even pause as the next blow follows after
>And the next.
>And the next..
>And the next...
>With another blow, your vision begins to go all blurry
>Instead of another blow to the face, Alt Biggs goes for one of your legs
>You yell out again in pain, before another blow to the face silences you
>"Oh man this is fun!" Alt Biggs says as he tries to recover his breath "It's not everyday that I get to beat the life out of somepony."
>He lets you go and head falls back into the puddle
>"You look like you have nothing left to give." He says as he walks over to his axe "I guess I'll just chop you up now and pay a visit to your Lance."
>Your heart begins to race
>"I love torturing ponies. It always give me this funny feeling inside when I see their spirits completely break." He says as he picks it up "That's why I want to torture your Lance. Seeing the look on his little sister's face as we kill her brother would be the highlight of my day. Besides killing you."
>As he comes back over to you, he stands over you with axe raised above his head
>"Any last words?!" He asks
>You hold your hoof up
"L-Lance..."
>Your alternate self laughs as he brings his axe down and everything goes white

>"Okay kids!" Ms. Jaina says with a clap of her hooves "Recess time!"
>Everyone in the class including you cheer as fillies and colts get out of their desks to head outside
>Climbing out of your seat, you grab your lunchbox that your mom packed you and trot over to the door
>"Good work today, Biggs!" Ms. Jaina says with a warm smile as you pass her "Have fun out there!"
"I will!" You tell her as you step outside
>Walking out into the playground, you see that it's snowing a little bit today
>Looks like all the earth ponies and pegasi got out of their special class at the same time
>To your right, you see the other kids already picking teams for the snowball fight
>And to your left are the kids that are eating their lunch
>Even though it's snowing, it doesn't really bother anypony until it starts ACTUALLY snowing
>Heading over to an empty table, you take a seat and open your lunch box
>Pulling out the apple, sandwich, and brownie, a familiar filly sits next to you
>"Hi Biggs!" Eliza says as she puts her lunch box on the table
"Hi Eliza." You tell her as you slide the brownie over to her "What did your parents pack you today?"
>She opens her lunchbox and pulls out a slice of carrot cake
>"Carrot cake today." She says as she slides it over to you "How come you almost never eat these brownies?"
"My mom always gets them from the stores." You tell her "They kinda get old after you've had them everyday for two weeks straight."
>You can tell Eliza thinks your crazy as she starts to munch on the brownie
>That is until something catches her attention
>"Look it's Queen Umbra!" She says as she gets up from her seat
>Looking over, you see a bunch of the kids rush over to the fence
>Because coming down the street is Queen Umbra herself

>Beside her is the semi new captain of the guard
>You think mom told you his name was Arthas?
>"Hello little ones!" Queen Umbra says as she comes up to the fence "Are you all enjoying yourselves today?"
>"Yes Queen Umbra!" The group of kids says
>Queen Umbra...
>You hope you can be strong like her one day
>Ms. Jaina comes out and walks over to the fence
>"Queen Umbra, how are you?" She asks before looking to the stallion next to her "Hi Arthas."
>"Jaina." He says with a nod
>Oh right
>Ms. Jaina did say she was seeing Captain Arthas
>And that he might be her special somepony
>Gross
>You don't think your ever going to find a special somepony
>Looking to your right, you notice some colts pushing a pegasi behind the side of the building
"What are they doing?"
>Getting up, you walk past the group over to where those kids were

>Coming over to the snowball field, you walk past some of the little snow mounds
>"Who said you could take me out, twerp!?" You hear somepony say from the small alley
>This doesn't sound good
>Quietly, you walk up to the edge of the wall
>"I thought that was the game!" A white pegasi with a red mane says "You were wide open. It's not my fault you don't know how to dodge!"
>Should you get Ms. Jaina?
>"Nobody hits me with a snowball, do you hear me?! I'm the king of the playground." He says as he pushes him down onto the ground "Especially somepony without his cutie mark like you!"
"Hey leave him alone!"
>Everypony turns around and looks at you
>"What do you want, blank flank?" The colt's friend says
"Why are you picking on him? It's not his fault you're bad at the game."
>The colt in charge laughs
>"What is this?" He says with a smirk "Are you like his bodyguard?"
"No, but I will be if you don't leave him alone." You tell him "I'm not just going to stand there and let you bully him."
>The colt nods his head before tackling you to the ground
>His friend tries to also jump you, but the pegasi gets up and takes him down
>You don't even know what's going on at all
>All you do know is that you're throwing punches and kicks at this colt
>Rolling out back into the main playground, you get the upper hand on the colt and push him into a mound of snow
>"Jaina, those four little ones!" You hear Queen Umbra say "They're fighting!"
>Ms. Jaina and your other classmates spin around
>Before the fight can escalate any more, Ms. Jaina grabs you four with her magic
>"You four are going to my office now!" She says as she carries you all inside
>All this over a snowball
>Great...

>After being brought inside, Ms. Jaina took you all to her office
>She sat you and the pegasi down together before taking the other two colts in
>You can't hear what they're saying, but you can tell their being emotinal in there
>That can only mean one thing
"Our parents are being lettered."
>You sigh, as you know that you're most likely going to be grounded for this
>"H-Hey." The pegasi beside you says
>Looking over at him, you can see that he got banged up in that fight
>So did you actually
>"Um thanks." He says "For helping me back there."
>Huh...
>You didn't think he'd thank you
"No problem." You say with a smile "I couldn't just stand there and let them bully you like that."
>He smiles back
>"My names Lance." He says
"I'm Biggs." You tell him "Nice to meet you."
>"You too." He says before looking at the door
>After the two colts parents came to get them, it was time for you and Lance to talk to Ms. Jaina
>Apparently the two colts said that you two started the fight
>You and Lance quickly explained that they were lying and that they started it
>It helped that Lance explained why you were even back there
>After telling her about how it all started Ms. Jaina took a long sigh before finally saying she believed you two

>"Those two are so much like their parents." Ms. Jaina says "Just because you have a few bits doesn't mean you get to push other ponies around."
>Both you and Lance let out a small sighs of relief
>"Still though, you two know that you're not supposed to be fighting with the other kids." Ms. Jaina says "I'm letting you two off with a warning because I know you're both good colts."
"Ms. Jaina, did you letter our parents?"
>She nods her head
>"I had to, Biggs." She says "They should be here any minute to pick you boys up."
>Upon hearing a knock at the door, you and Lance both look back as Ms. Jaina uses her magic to open the door
>And right then and there your heart plummets to your stomach as your mom rushes in
>"Biggs!" She says as she comes over to you "What are you doing picking fights with other students!? Boy have you lost your mind cause I'll help you find it!"
"Mom you don't get it! They were picking on this kid and I stepped in and helped!"
>"It's true!" Lance says
>Hearing another set of hooves running down the hall, you all look back to see another mare come into the room
>This one has on a set of black crystal armor
>That armor looks like the ones that the guards wear during day court
>"I'm sorry I'm late." The mare says as she removes her helmet "I had to ask Lady Umbra if I could leave to come here."
>When she gets her helmet off, you see her long red mane spill out
>She must be Lance's mom
>"Lance, what did I tell you about picking fights?!" She says
>"They started it, mom!" Lance says "Me and my new friend just were defending ourselves."
>"They are telling the truth." Your teacher says "Please have a seat."

>After Ms. Jaina got done telling both your moms the story of what happened, they both seemed to loosen up
>"Well I suppose that it's a good thing that your son stepped in." Lance's mom says "Thank you, Biggs."
>You smile as your mom gets up
>"You always do love helping ponies." Your mom says "Sorry I yelled at you."
"It's alright, Mom."
>As the four of you head outside, you stop at the front gate
>"Hey Mom, would it be okay if Biggs comes over to hang out sometime?" Lance asks
>"Only if it's okay with his mom." She says with a small smile
>"It's more than okay." Your mom says "I think our sons are going to get along just fine."
>"That makes me happy." Lance's mom says "My son has always had a hard time making friends."
>"Awesome!" Lance says as him and his mom head the opposite direction "See ya, Biggs!"
>Waving goodbye, you and your mom head home
>A smile forms on your face as you feel like you and Lance are going to be best friends

>...
>It's always been like that...
>After that day, you two were always watching each others backs
>All the way from elementary to high school
>It didn't matter what happened, you two were like brothers
>You even got your cutie marks a day apart from each other
>The countless sleepovers you two had
>The times were you were invited to eat with his family and vice versa
>You even remember when Cynthia was born and you both promised to be the best big brothers to her
>Two years later, you both met Wedge
>And soon after that... Lance's parents died protecting Queen Umbra
>...
>Sirens and alarms blare throughout the air as ponies are rushing through the streets to get home
>"What's going on?!" Wedge says as you both try to stick to the sides of the street
"Something big." You tell him "Are we being invaded?!"
>You notice that some of the guards are stopping ponies to scan them with magic of a unicorn guard pony
>"You two! Get off the streets!" A guard pony shouts at you and Wedge "The empire's on full lockdown! Everypony is to report home and remain there until the lock down is lifted!"
>"What's even going on, sir?" Wedge asks "Are we being attacked?"
>The unicorn guard comes up to you both before casting that spell on you
>You're not sure what it does, but it makes your body feel all tingly
>"We're not sure yet." The guard pony says "Some strange looking bug ponies disguised as regular ponies tried to attack Queen Umbra during day court today..."
"Is Queen Umbra okay?!"
>You notice that he looks sadden
>"They tried to get her while her back was turned." He tells you "From what I heard, her two elite guards stopped the attack, but..."
>Lance's parents were on duty today!
"But what?!"
>He shakes his head
>"It's not my place to say." He says "You two need to get home no-!?"
>Pushing the guard aside, you take off towards Lance's house

>You hear Wedge apologize to the guard before catching up to you
>The snow storm outside the barrier is starting to pick up as well
>"Biggs, you don't think..." Wedge says
>You don't say anything
>As you come around the corner, you and Wedge head up the stairs to Lance's home
>Knocking on the door, you quickly open it to find it's unlocked
>Stepping inside, you see a heart shattering image
>Lance is sitting on the floor, staring at the ground
>His small cries echo though the halls of his home
>In front of him stands Queen Umbra and Captain Arthas
>Oh no...
>Not them
>Anyone but them!
>Looking at Queen Umbra, she looks like she just got done fighting something
>Her mane has bits of green goo in it and her armor and cape are also stained with it
>Whatever picked a fight with her isn't apart of this world anymore that's for sure
>And when you look at her eyes it looks like she's been crying too
>Queen Umbra and Arthas look up at you two standing in the doorway
>"What are you two doing here!?" Captain Arthas asks "The empire's on lock-"
>"Arthas!" Queen Umbra cuts him off
>Captain Arthas sighs, before Queen Umbra walks up to you
>"Please watch over him, you two." She says to you and Wedge "I will return once we know the empire is safe."
>You and Wedge nod your heads
>As the both of them leave, you and Wedge walk over to Lance's side
>You can do nothing, but put your hoof on his back as he breaks down in tears

>Things changed after that
>It was time to grow up
>Your best friend just lost his parents and needed help
>You all had to pull your weight for Cynthia too
>After Lance's parents had been buried, you had tried to get your mom to adopt Lance and Cynthia for the time being, but Lance refused
>He knew your mom didn't have enough room for them both
>Queen Umbra had also given him the house and promised to provided for him and Cynthia whenever they needed it
>After graduation it was time to figure out what to do with your lives
>You decided long ago that you were going to enlist in the guard
>Ever since you helped Lance, you knew that protecting ponies is what you loved doing
>And Lance decided to follow in his parents hoofsteps by doing the same thing
>Wedge also came along to make sure you two didn't hurt yourselves, much to his parents protests
>And just like that, you three were sticking together for life
>And just a few years later, Anon showed up
>Making you four the perfect team and the best of bros
>...
>The white begins to fade and rain clouds fill your vision
>And the axe that's about to end your life
>As the axe comes closer and closer, you start to snap out of it
>What are you doing?!
>If you let this bastard win, he's going to go after the ponies you care about
>Your queen!
>Your teacher!
>Your friends!
>Your brothers!
>Using your magic, you catch his axe mid swing before it connects with your chest
>"What?!" Alternate Biggs says
>You start rising back up onto your hooves, pushing his weapon away too
>Even though the pain in your legs is so intense
>You bite down and grit through the pain
>"How in the hell are you even standing?!" Alt Biggs says
"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU HURT THEM!" You shout as you headbutt your alternate self

>Alt Biggs stumbles back as blood runs down his nose
>You need to put him down fast
>This adrenaline rush isn't going to last long!
>Rushing your Alternate self, he recovers just in time to swing at you
>In your current condition there's no way to dodge it!
>Instead you use the magic you've used to defend your friends and other ponies to block his attack
>"What?!" He says as you bash his face with the shield
>His axe falls to the ground and you keep up you assault by trying to take him to the ground
>But unlike you, he isn't hurt enough and he punches you back
>The punch is hard enough to spin you around and send you to the ground
>Alt Biggs quickly uses his magic to grab his axe before holding up
>"No more games!" He says "Time to die!"
>You smile as you look back at him
"Duck."
>Using your magic from before, your hammer comes through the window of a store
>Alt Biggs turns and does exactly as you asked
>"Nice try!" Your alternate self says as the hammer goes right over his head
>Your smirk disappears
>With him in the prime position, you grab your hammer and with all your might and a bit of magic you spin your weapon around and plant Alt Biggs right in the face with your hammer
>Letting out the loudest roar of your life, you send him blasting through the building into the street on the other side

>The blast echos throughout the sky as the rain starts to come down harder
>Alt Biggs goes crashing through the front and back walls of the building before coming out and crashing into a light post
>His big frame dents the post, but stops him from going any farther
>He bounces off of it and lands in a puddle of rain
>You don't see any movement coming from him at all
>Exhausted, you feel your legs give out and you fall onto your ass
"It's over..." You say through breaths "He done."
>"Holy shit!" You hear a voice say
>Looking up, you're worried it's reinforcements
>But from the other side of the building, you see Wedge, your Wedge poke his head out
>A smile forms on your face as you give him a thumbs up with magic before falling back against the street
>"Biggs!" Wedge says as you hear his hooves running through the shop
>"Biggs are you all right?!" Wedge says as he bites down on your armor
>He pulls you over to a spot where the rain can't get you before digging into his bag
>Blood loss sucks ass
"You won?" You ask, looking over at your friend
>Wedge smiles when he sees that your awake and nods his head
>"Yeah, but it wasn't easy." He says before pulling out some of those bandages "Although I'd say I had it easier than you."
>You chuckle as he wraps the wounds around your legs
>"There. That should stop the bleeding." He says "We should wait here for a minute until you can walk right."

>Wedge takes a look around
>"You two really went to town on each other." He says "I wouldn't be surprised if Anon and the others heard that."
>The bandages are quick to get working as you feel the blood stop
"I think I saw my life flash before my eyes there." You tell him "I started thinking back to when I first met Lance."
>"Really?" Wedge asks
"I don't know..." You tell him "Maybe it's because he talked about how he wanted to torture Lance in front of Cynthia."
>"It sounds like that's what pushed you to keep fighting." Wedge says "Those two are like family to you."
"You all are, Wedge." You tell him "You, Anon, Queen Umbra, Arthas, everypony. I just had to stop him before he'd hurt them."
>Wedge smiles before looking towards the castle
>"I hope Anon's alright" Wedge says
>You look over there as well
"Me too." You tell him "We should hurry and get to Lance. Once we get Cynthia and Ariadne we can head to the castle."
>Wedge nods his head
>"Well we know where they are." Wedge says "So when do you want to go?"
>Standing up, you wince at the slight pain in your legs
>"Whoa already?" Wedge asks as he tries to help
>You nod your head
"I'll be fine." You tell him "This bandages are a miracle. I should be back to running in no time."
>Picking up your hammer, you put it on your back before heading over to the building you sent Alt Biggs through
>But as you come through the other side, your heart drops
"Where did he go?!"

>You both look around at the surrounding areas
"There's no way he could have got up from that!" You say as panic begins to spread through your body
>Looking down at where you last saw him, you see small drops of blood on the crystal street
>They look like they're leading off into the park and to the castle
>"I'm more worried about how fast he got away." Wedge says "But it looks like he's heading towards the castle. I wish we could follow the trail, but Lance comes first."
"Agreed." You say "But something still doesn't feel right."
>"I know." Wedge says "But if he goes to the castle in his state, Anon and the others will have no problem taking him down. Same goes with Arthas."
>As much as you don't like the idea of him getting away, you have to drop it for now
>Tapping the ground with your hooves, you find it a bit easier to move
"Let's move, Wedge."
>He nods his head as you both head towards Lance's home in this empire

>Stopping near another landing, you and Ammy take a second to recover your breaths
>Looking up you see that it's still a ways to go
"Just a little bit more, girl." You tell your wolf as she sits down
>You are Anon
"Just how far have we climbed?" You ask as you look off the small balcony
>Below you is winding spiral of stairs leading to the main hall
>At the very bottom, you see the staircase that Celestia and Sombra went down
>They still haven't emerged from it...
"I hope they're doing fine down there." You say to yourself "Here's hoping this worlds Celestia is okay down there, but seeing how this world is doing you can't help but worry."
>Seeing as how Anonymous and her used to be lovers, you would think he wouldn't hurt her or let this worlds Umbra do too much
>Looking out a window, you see the portal outside the walls

>All those armors out there
>When a group of them heads into the portal, there's already another set waiting to go
>They're just trying to win this war through attrition
>You clench your fist
>Dammit!
>Cadance and the girls are all fighting to keep your home safe
>And you're still climbing this damn castle
>Your friends are all scattered throughout this empire and here you are "taking a break"
>You hear Ammy bark at you
>Looking back, you see her standing and all ready to go
"You're right, girl." You tell her "We can't waste too much time here. We need to save mom and end this fight!"
>She barks again
>Looking up once more, you nod your head
"Not much longer, Umbra." You say as you and Ammy head towards the stairs "We're almost there."

>As you continue drilling through the barrier, you have to keep watching your alternate half
>If she turns and sees what you're up to it'll be all over
>You are Umbra
>And so far you've made some progress cracking this ball
>When your beloved shows up, you should be able to kick out of this cell
>But it would take a few kicks
>You're trying to reduce it to just one kick
>"Wow your beloved is a rather slow one isn't he?" Alternate Umbra asks which causes you to stop "If I had been kidnapped, my beloved would have saved me ages ago!"
>You grit your teeth
>"How can you put up with such a slow human?" She says
"What do you expect when you have him fighting his way here!"
>She looks back at you with a smile
>"Do you always get like this when someone insults your Anonymous?" She asks before laughing "You must be angry all the time!"
>Gods you want to call her out, but you can't have her seeing the crack
>"Hurry up, my love!" You shout in your head "I need to kick this mare's face in!"

>Crashing into the snow, you mirror self flies above you
>"FALL!" She screams as she fires a blast of pink and black magic
>But before it can connect, Shining comes in and shields you from the attack
>You are Cadance
>"Celestia you are an annoyance!" Mirror Cadance says "How I wish my husband wasn't so useless. Maybe then you could have someone to play with!"
>Shining Armor stands his ground as you stand back up
"Thank you." You tell him "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be."
>"It looks like it's going to be a lot more crazier." Shining says "Look at the portal."
>Looking over, you see another set of armors come through
>But these ones are different
>They carry a sword and shield and they are made of a golden looking crystal
"Looks like they're throwing the higher ranked armors at us." You tell him "We need to do something about that portal or at least stop the armors on the other side!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6kn9_U8qk
>The rainstorm above rages over your heads
>Trough the holes in the cave ceiling
>You are Lance
>Drawing your spear, you ready yourself for battle
>This is different...
>Normally you're fighting with Anon, Biggs, and Wedge
>But here you are
>Alone for the first time in a long time...
>But seeing what this Lance did, you're sure the others got split up with their counterparts too
>Glancing over to Cynthia, she sees the worry that you currently have
>Come on Lance
>You need to be strong for her!
>Shaking your head, you look over at her and smile
>Giving her a wink, you let her know that it's going to be alright
>You're going to save her
>No matter the cost.

>Running up to the castle, you look around
"It's too quiet here."
>You can hear the sound of the rebels fighting around the empire
>But the front of the castle is surprisingly empty
>You look up at the castle
"I hope you boys are together."
>You are Arthas
>After getting done with your alternate self, you left the others to Marie to meet back up with Anonymous
>But it seems you took longer than you thought
>Entering the castle, you draw your sword and keep your guard up
>Only to find the castle empty
>All except for a single maid
>Pointing your sword at her, all she does is bow
>"The False King has already begun ascending the castle." She says "He will be met with death soon."
>The maid turns around and walks into the shadow
>Looking up the center of the main hall, all you can see is a spiral of never ending steps
>Putting your sword away, you head over to the stairs
"I'm right behind you." You say "Just don't do anything rash."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_W_BAjUTYA
>You look back at your alternate self
>He doesn't care what happens to you or your sister
>All he wants is to kill you
>And honestly
>You feel the same way
>Him and his Anonymous have already put Cynthia and Ariadne through so much
>You know you can't though
>So instead it's time to get some payback from one of them!
>Unfurling your wings, Alt Lance does the same
>"Let's get started then!" He says
>Rushing towards him, he meets you halfway as you both clash weapons

>Pressing the staff part of your spear against his, you and him lock eyes momentarily before he kicks you back
>With a smile, he digs into his a pouch into his side
>"Tell me, do you fear the unseen?!" Alt Lance shouts as he throws out several small vials
>You can't tell what those are!
>Taking to the skies, you watch as the vials break and release a giant cloud of smoke
>The cloud quickly envelops the area and clouds your vision
>You hear hoofsteps in the smoke momentarily until they go quiet
>"Lance!" You hear Cynthia yell
"Cynthia?!"
>"How about you focus on our fight!" Your alternate self calls out from behind you
>Behind!?
>Turning around, all you can see is his hoof as he kicks you back down to the ground
>Crashing back into the stone floor, you quickly shake off the damage and stand back up
>Grabbing your spear, you take a defensive stance

>Where is he?!
>Closing your eyes you try and listen in on his wings
>But with the rainstorm going on, it's making hard to pinpoint where he is
>He using the rain to mask his movements
>But if he wants to really hurt you...
>You hear his wings behind you
>You spin around
>He's going to have to put some speed behind his attacks!
>But to your surprise all that comes through the smoke is his spear
>Using your spear, you deflect his weapon and watch as it strikes into the stone floor
>You quickly realize it was just a distraction as your turn and are met with a hoof to the face
>Your weapon falls to the floor as Alt Lance smiles
>Before you can reach for it, your alternate self tackles you into the sky
>Heading up to the roof of the cave, you both exchange blows mid air
>Going for another swing, Alt Lance maneuvers his way behind you and holds your head
>"Face it!" He says "You'll never beat me in speed!"
>Looking up, you see that he's trying to impale you on a hanging stalagmite
>Throwing your head back, you bash his nose in
>With his grip loosen, you break free from him as he takes off down towards the stream

>Giving chase, you follow right behind him
>Come on, Lance!
>You got to go faster!
>Pushing your wings to their limit, you come up to your alternate self side
>"Well, well, well!" He says as you swing at him
>Alt Lance dodges and flies above you and to your right
>"Maybe you can keep up with me!" He says as he kicks you in the ribs
>You fall behind thanks to his attack, but you quickly recover
>He laughs that stupid arrogant laugh again before flying towards the small mausoleum
"Dammit!" You shout as you chase after
>Flying right behind him, you can tell that he's trying to get you to lose sight of him
>With each sharp corner he takes, his speed seems to pick up a bit more and more
>If he keeps on going then-?!
>"CATCH!" He says as he turns to through something back
>Unfurling your wings, you try and swat it away
>Only for you to realize that it's another one of those smoke bombs he had.

>The vial falls to the stone floor before shattering
>Smoke bursts from it and clouds your vision all around you
"Shit!" You say as you try to get out
>As you try and take to the air, you feel yourself only get about ten feet off the ground before a hoof knocks you back down
>Crashing into one of the mausoleum, you bounce off one of the roofs
>Along with the crash, you feel one of the decorations on the roof cut into your flesh
>Rolling off and landing on the ground, you look at your right foreleg
>A medium size gash on your leg is letting some blood out onto your fur
>"Do you really think you can win this?" Alt Lance says through the smoke
"Shut up!"
>His laughs echo all around you
>"You're really trying to look cool in front of your little sister aren't you?" He says "Or maybe you're just trying to fool her into thinking you actually have a chance?"

>Standing back up, you try and put your back against a wall
>"She's going to be so disappointed when she sees your broken body in front of her." He says
"Jeez do I really talk this much?" You say as you try to make your way out of the fog "Now I know how Anon and the guys feel."
>"Funny." He says "I hope you know that's the last joke you'll ever make."
"Not if you keep playing around." You tell him "I know I can beat you. You're running out of tricks."
>Silence is your only response
"Nothing to say for once?" You call out "Getting serious out there?"
>Again silence
>That can't be good
>Readying yourself, you try and find something to use as a weapon
>But as you reach for something in the smoke, it begins to clear up enough for you to see a silhouette
>Standing right in front of you is Alt Lance

>Oh shit!
>Before you can even react, your alternate self jumps up and delivers a round house kick to your face
>Falling to the ground, you feel a bit of blood trickle down the top of your head
>"So you want me to get serious, huh?!" Alt Lance shouts as he charges at you
>You try to stand back up, but Alt Lance is quick on his follow up
>He plants another hoof into your face before picking you up
>"Then let's get serious." He says as he throws you against a wall of one of the small buildings
>Bouncing off of it, you're immediately met with two hooves to the chest
>His hooves hit you so hard that you both go through the walls of the small building before coming out the other side
>Landing on your back, you try and get up as Alt Lance flies towards you at high speeds again
>As he goes for another attack, you narrowly dodge him and deliver your own kick to him
>But your alternate self is one step ahead as he grabs your leg
>With a shout he spin you around and bashes you against a tree
>Colliding with the tree, you feel a large amount of pain in your head as Alt Lance spins you around and throws you through a gate
>Rolling along the stone floor, you hear a voice call out
>"LANCE!" You hear Cynthia say in your confused state
>Looking over, you see your sister still tied to the tree
>Oh gods
>You're back here!
>Looking back Alt Lance delivers another to your head before reaching for his spear
>"Look out!" Cynthia yells
>You try and move, but Alt Lance is too quick as he leaps into the air and drives his spear right through your back right leg

>You let out a gut wrenching scream as you shut your eyes
>"LANCE!" Cynthia shouts
>You try and fight through the pain as you open your eyes
>As you try and open them, you look over and see Cynthia
>Her eyes are filled with tears
>She struggles against the ropes that have her tied to the trees
"C-Cynthia..." You say as you hold your hoof out
>Looking down at your leg, you see blood spill from your wound
>The pain is so intense that it feels like you're about to go into shock
>You have to stop the bleeding
>Before you can even do anything Alt Lance punches your back down onto the ground again
>Your head collides again with the stone floor as you look to your little sister
>"L-LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She cries out "P-Please...!
>You feel Alt Lance let go of his spear as he enters from the right side of your blurred vision

>"What the matter, runt?" He says as he slowly approaches the tree "Is it too much to see your pathetic brother getting beat and humiliated by somepony better than him!?"
"D-Don't listen to him, Cynthia!"
>"You're just a bully!" She says "Somepony like you could never be better than my brother!"
>You go wide eye for a moment
>"No matter what he's still going to get up and kick your b-butt!" Cynthia shouts "Because he won't let somepony like you win!"
>Looking down at your leg, you try and reach for the spear
>"You're such a naive brat." Alt Lance says "Still believing that the good guys always win."
>You have to pull it out!
>As you wrap your hoof around the shaft, you wince in pain as you feel it move around in your leg
>But will you be able to stop him before you pass out from the blood loss?
>Dammit there's no time to think about that!
>You have to save Cynthia
>You have to be the hero she thinks you are...
>Biting down, you start to try and pull the spear out of your leg

>Almost instantly, you body screams out in pain as you try and remove his weapon from your leg
>"This isn't some fairy tale story your mommy and daddy told you about!" Alt Lance says to Cynthia
>Cynthia whimpers before him
>Gods you want to scream out as the blade slowly and agonizingly works it way out of leg
>But you can't
>Not while Cynthia has him distracted
>Closing your eyes, you try and use your other hoof to pull the spear out
>"This is the reality!" Alt Lance says "Where the weak lose and die to the strong!"
>Cynthia glances over to you for a moment before returning her gaze to Alt Lance
>As the spear begins to leave your leg, more blood spurts out from the wound
>Shit, you're going to have to end this quick
>"Are you scared of what'll happen to you once I kill your big brother?" Alt Lance asks "Don't be, we have plans for you."
>Your vision begins to shake, blur, and turn red as you feel the last bit of the spear travel out your leg
>"Lance!" Cynthia yells "Look out!"
>Turning your head, your met with a hoof to the face

>You seem to really like that colt!" Your mom says as you both walk down the street to your house
"Yeah! He really saved my skin back there with those bullies." You tell her
>You are Kid Lance
>Your mom gives you that warm smile you love seeing so much
>"Well so long as you have a friend maybe you can stop picking fights with the rich kids." Your mom says "Too many times do they try and barge into day court to yell at your father and I."
"How was day court, mom?"
>Your mom sighs as you both arrive at your home
>"A bit tiring today." Your mom says "Sweetie, you know how the festival is coming up?"
>You nod your head as she opens the door
>"Well it's that time of year again where the party planners try to find Lady Umbra a date to the party that she has." Your mom says "So that means a lot of stallions tried to see her today."
"We're they being pushy?"
>Your mom chuckles before ruffling your mane
>"You have no idea." She tells you "Your father and I almost had to shove them out because they were taking no for answer."
>Hearing the door unlock, it opens up revealing your dad on the other side

"Dad!" You say as you get up and fly over to him
>"There's my scrapper!" Your dad says as he also ruffles your mane "So your mom told me you got into a fight, tell me, did you win?"
>"Honey!" Your mom says playfully "He'll never learn to stop picking fights if you keep encouraging him."
>"Come on, Hun!" Your dad says "Dads love hearing about this stuff!"
"No dad, there was no winner." You tell him "Ms. Jaina pulled us away from each other before we could win."
>"We?" Your dad asks
>"Get this, a unicorn colt actually came to help Lance." Your mom says "The two of them fought together."
"And now he's my friend!"
>"Well hey that great news." Dad says "Looks like you got somepony watching your back now."
>Your dad lets out a long yawn
>"How was it after I left." Mom asks
>"Like Tartarus." Your dad says "These guys just can't take a hint that Queen Umbra doesn't like them."
>"Did that really nasty stallion come back?" Your mom asks
>"The young stallion called Alastrum or whatever his name was?" Your dad asks "Yeah, I had to stop him from getting close. He called me a peasant."
>Your mom sits down on the couch
>"These guys don't stand a chance with Lady Umbra." Your mom says "Noponies like them really do."

>"I don't think she's ever going to find the right stallion here." Your dad says "Most stallions just want the throne or they only care about 'taming' the queen."
>You dad rolls his eyes
>"I hate it too!" Your mom says as you begin to snack on the leftovers from your lunch "Lady Umbra deserves better than that! She's too kind to be stuck with somepony like that."
>Your dad takes a seat next to your mom
>"I wonder who will finally be able to win her heart." He says "If that person even exist in Equestria."
>"I don't think they do..." Mom says "Still it will be amazing to see her find her special somepony someday."
>Your mom stands up
>"Well enough about work." She says "I'm sure you two are hungry so I'll get started on dinner then."

>After dinner, you sat down in the living room and played while your parents talked
>"So the festival is next week." Your dad says "That means another week of fighting off creeps."
>"That's fine with me." Your mom says "Lady Umbra is like family to us, I'm sure she feels the same. I will be dammed if I let one of them actually get near her."
>Your dad sighs
>"You think the party planning committee takes bribes from them?" Dad asks "They looked pretty nervous once Lady Umbra told them to frick off."
>"If so then we should let Lady Umbra know." Mom says
>You watch as your dad puts his hoof around your mom
>"So did you ask Lady Umbra about the festival night?" Your dad asks "Captain Arthas and Stormhoof said that she need to approve our night off."
>Your mom's ears fall flat
>"I haven't yet..." She says in a sad tone "I told you, we don't even have a babysitter for Lance."

>You look over at them
>"But what about-?!" Your dad says before your mom shushes him with her hoof
>What was he about to say
>"I know, honey, but with the festival coming up and everything being as hectic as it usually is there's been no time." Your mom says "And I think all our usual sitters are busy that night."
>Your dad lets out a whine
>Almost like how you do it when they won't let you stay up
>"There's gotta be something we can do..." Your dad says looking at you
"What are you and mom even going to do, dad?"
>Your dad takes on a embarrassed look as he turns to mom
>"We're just going to go on a date, Lance." Your dad says "The festival's a night of celebration so your mom and I want to head out and enjoy the night."
>Hmm
>They didn't act like this last year
>"Wait." Dad says "Lance, what about your new friend Biggs?"

>"What about him?" Mom asks
>Your dad gives off one of his signature smiles
>A big toothy grin with his eyes closed
>"What if Lance can spend the night with him?" He tells her "They could have a sleepover!"
>Your ears rise up
>"Hon, they just met today." Your mom says "And besides what if Biggs's parents want to go out?"
>Your dad quickly sinks back into the couch
>"We'll we still have a week don't we?" Dad says "Why don't you ask, Lance. See if your friend would be up to it."
"You got it dad!"
>He ruffles your mane and looks back at mom
>"Didn't you say you met his mom when you went to get hooves of fury over here?" Dad says "It wouldn't hurt to ask if she goes to pick up Biggs when you go get Lance."

>Your mom thinks about it
>"I suppose it wouldn't really hurt." Your mom says "But don't be disappointed if she's also going out."
>Your dad smiles before tapping his hooves
"Hey dad?"
>"What's up, champ?" Your dad asks
"How come you really want me to stay with my friend?" You ask "Also how come I can't come with you to the parties?"
>Your dad looks to your mom as she chuckles and gets up
>As she goes to the kitchen to wash dishes, your dad looks at her the entire time
>"W-Well Lance, it's because you're still too young to do that grown up stuff." Your dad says "Besides you would be bored doing the stuff we do. At least this way you can have fun with your new friend!"
>Sounds good to you!
>Nodding your head, your dad lets out a yawn before heading towards the stairs
>"I'm gonna hit the hay, hun." He says coming up to your mom "I'll keep your side warm."
>Your mom chuckles before giving him a kiss
>"I'll be up there soon, just let me finish this and I'll tuck Lance into bed." She says
>Your dad nods his head before heading upstairs
>"I'll take you to school tomorrow, Lance." He says "See you then!"
"Night dad!"

>After your dad headed off and your mom kept washing the dishes, you couldn't help but doze off
>But as you slept, you felt something pick you up
>Opening your eyes, you see your mom
"M-Mom?"
>"Shhh." She whispers to you as she flies up the stairs with you in tow
>Entering your room, your mom gently puts you down on your bed
>She moves the blanket around before covering you up
>"You've had a busy day today haven't you, sweetie?" Your mom says "Try not to fight tomorrow too okay?"
>You nod your head before yawning
>Your mom giggles before kissing you on the head
>"Goodnight, Lance." Mom says "See you tomorrow."
>"Night Mom..." You try to say as sleep overtakes you

>When the next morning rolled around, you remember your dad taking you to school while your mom ran off to the castle...
>As you arrive at the school gates, your dad ruffles your mane again
>"Alright kiddo, try not to pick anymore fights." He tells you "I don't mind if you show these kids you're not to be messed with, but your mom worries about you."
"I know dad." You tell him as you look over your book bag
>"You got your lunch?" He asks
>Nodding your head, you show him the lunchbox your mom packed for you
>"Alright good, even if you forgot it I would have just zoomed home and got it." He tells you
>Turning around, you see your unicorn friend from yesterday
"Look dad, that's Biggs."
>Your dad looks over at the red unicorn colt
>"Damn I'd love to meet him and what looks like his mom." He says "But I got to get going, I don't like leaving your mom alone for too long."
>As your dad unfurls his wings, he looks back at you
>"Behave, Lance!" He tells you before flying off
>As you wave goodbye, Biggs comes up to you

>"Is that your dad?" Biggs asks "He's fast!"
"Yeah he is!" You tell your friend "I hope I can beat him in a race someday when I'm older."
>As your dad disappears into the snowy fog, you turn around
>"Alright Biggs, I'm heading to work." His mom says "Try to behave, you too Lance."
>"We will!" You and Biggs say to her
>As his mom gives him a kiss on the head, Biggs tries to pull away
>"Mom!" He whines
>She only chuckles before waving goodbye to you two
>As you head to the school ground, you chuckle
"You don't like when your mom kisses you?"
>"Not when it's in front of my friend and the school." Biggs says "Everypony gonna call me a mamma's boy."
>You laugh
"Hey do you know what your mom's going to do for the festival?"

>School that day went much better than it did the day before
>Biggs introduced you to his friend Eliza and you learned that her parents worked at your dad's favorite sweets shop
>She offered to bring you something from the shop the next day if you would like
>She's nice!
>When you asked Biggs about the festival, he said that his mom was planning anything as far as you know
>You asked about what his dad had planned
>But that's when you learned that Biggs doesn't have a dad
>Or at least doesn't know what happened to him
>Not being rude, you left it at that and asked if his mom would be okay with a sleepover
>He said that he didn't know and that you would have to ask her
>Well that isn't a no
>After a long day at school, the final bell rings meaning you all could go home
>Saying goodbye to Ms, Jaina, you and Biggs headed outside to see your moms already talking

>"Hey mom!" Biggs says as you both walk up to them
>Flying over to your mom, you give her a small hug
>"How was school, Lance?" She asks
"It was fine, Biggs and I didn't get into any trouble today."
>"Ms. Jaina had us separated from the colts we fought yesterday." Biggs says before looking at his mom "Hey mom, Lance wants to know if he can spend the night."
>His mom chuckles
>"You know Lance's mother was just asking me about this." She says "Why don't we head home and talk about it? It's getting chilly out here."
>Biggs nods his head as your mom turns to you
>"Come on, Lance. We're going with them." She says
"What about dad?"
>"Oh he'll be fine." Your mom says "Knowing him, he's fighting off some ponies from getting to Lady Umbra."
>Well if Mom said it's alright...
>Landing back down on the ground, you and your mom follow Biggs and his mom to their home

>When you arrive at Biggs's home, you find it to be just a tiny bit smaller from the outside
>Biggs's Mom opens the door and allows you both to walk into their home
>"Biggs, can you get the cups for coffee?" His mom asks "Afterwards you can take Lance upstairs to see and play with your toys."
>"You got it, mom." Biggs says as he puts his backpack on the floor
>Following behind, you see him pull down two cups out of the cupboard
>He also pulls out two brownie cakes
>"Here you go, Lance." He says as he tosses you one
>Catching it with your wing, Biggs heads back to his mom
>"Alright mom, the cups are out." Biggs says "Can we head upstairs?"
>His mom nods his head
>"Go have fun, Lance." Your mom says "We're going to talk down here."
>Nodding your head, you follow Biggs up the stairs

>So after playing with Biggs for a while, you both heard your moms laughing downstairs
>Looking at the time, you notice that it was about to be time for your dad to head home
"Hold on, Biggs. I need to see if my mom wants to leave soon."
>"Here I'll come with." He says "I was going to ask mom what's for dinner anyways."
>Exiting the room, you head down the hall to the stairs
>"Well don't you worry about it." You hear Biggs's Mom say "He can spend the night over here so you and your husband can enjoy your night off."
>"Thank you so much!" You hear your mom say "You have no idea how much you've helped us."
>Both your moms laugh
>"Now I can tell my husband that we can try for number two." You hear your mom say
>Looking at Biggs, he looks just as lost as you
>"Number two?" He asks
>"Are you two eavesdropping?!" His mom says causing you two to jump
>"No, Mom!" Biggs says "I just wanted to see if Lance and his mom are staying for dinner."
>"How sweet." Mom says "Unfortunately we can't, Lance's dad is about to leave work soon and we should really meet him at home. Next time for sure."
>She looks to you
>"Ready to go, Lance?" She asks
>Nodding your head, you say goodbye to Biggs and his mom and head on home
>On the way you decide to ask your mom
"Mom, what did you mean by number two?"
>Your mom only giggles
>"You'll find out soon enough, Lance." She says "I think you'll love it too."

>You remember after that day, you were always curious about what your mom talked about
>Thankfully you never figured it out until it was time
>"Are you sure you don't need us tonight?" Your dad asks
>Queen Umbra sits on her throne with her head resting against her hoof
>"I would ask if you two would join me tonight, but I know you have plans." Queen Umbra says before groaning "I really don't want to put up with the stallions tonight."
>Your mom giggles
>"Lady Umbra, do you think there's even a stallion worthy of your attention?" Your mom asks
>Queen Umbra shrugs
"Not in this empire." She says "All they want is to be king and all I want is somepony that'll just smother me with love."
>Your mom sighs
>"I'm sure you'll find somepony that'll get right into your heart." She says "Somepony that sees you as just as Umbra."
>Queen Umbra smiles before getting up
>"I hope that day is soon." She says walking up to your mom "I know I miss my brother, but he would be nagging me to find a suitor."
>Queen Umbra looks a bit sadder before shaking her head
>"Well I hope you and your husband enjoy yourselves." Queen Umbra says "Go on, I'll be fine."
>Your mom and Queen Umbra exchange a hug before you say goodbye
>Leaving the castle, you and your mom head over to Biggs's house

>After that night it wasn't long till your mom and dad hit you with the news
>Your mom was pregnant again
>And a few months later, you learned that you would have a sister
>You were going to be a big brother
>Biggs congratulated you
>Your family was also getting closer with Biggs's family all the while
>So one night after having dinner at their place, you and Biggs got up to tell your mom something
>You told her that no matter what happens, you'll be the best big brother the world has ever seen
>And Biggs promised to help keep you on that path
>Your mom laugh and said she had nothing to worry about with you two on the job
>Months passed and soon one day, your mom called for your dad
>Your sister was coming
>You and Dad grabbed mom and hurried to the hospital

>Once your mom was settled in and the doctors were doing their things, your dad thought it would be best for you to spend the night at Biggs
>You protested and your dad knew you wanted to be here for your mom, but there was just one problem
>He didn't want you falling asleep in the hospital
>And he had to be in there with mom, so he couldn't watch over you
>You remember being so disappointed, but your dad promised he would come get you in the morning
>He quickly flew you over to Biggs's house and explained the situation to his mom
>She fully understood and said it was fine
>"Don't worry about mom, Lance." Your dad says ruffling your mane "She'll be fine."
>With that he flew off
>That morning your dad kept his promise and was back in the morning
>The only thing is that he looked way more tired
>With a smile, he thanked Biggs's mom before you two were off
>Once you got to the hospital, your dad took you to your mom's room
>When you both entered, you saw your mom trying to stay awake
>And in her hooves was a baby girl

>Your mom turns to you and smiles
>She looks so exhausted too
>Your dad pushes you along
>"Go on." He says "Meet your little sister."
>Coming up to the bed, you float on up
>"Lance, meet your new sister." Your mom says as she shows you "Her name is Cynthia."
>Cynthia...
>Ever since that day
>You felt the instant connection
>Here you had a little filly that needed to be taken care of
>Sure your mom and dad would be here too, but you felt like it was just what you had to do
>As her big brother
"I'll be the best big brother you'll ever have..." You say "I promise."

>The years went on and you and your sister kept growing
>Eventually you enrolled in the Crystal Empire Academy with Biggs
>That's when you two met Wedge
>You didn't really expect to hit it off so well since he was a smart guy in those AP classes
>But he liked that you two stood up for some of the other ponies that were getting picked on
>He even went so far as to say he respected it
>That's when you asked if he wanted to hang out
>And from there, you had made your third best friend
>Life was going great
>You had it all
>You remember one night in particular
>It was a night you'll never forget

>"You have the list right?" Your mom asks
>Holding it up, you smile
"Don't worry, Mom. We won't forget the ice cream." You tell her as your dad walks over to her
>"We'll be back." He says giving her a kiss on the cheek
>She smile as sits back down with Cynthia as you and your dad head out
>Stepping out into the cold empire night, you shiver a bit as some wind brushes right past you
>"Ooh it is chilly out here." Your dad says "Well Lady Umbra did say there was a storm approaching."
>Looking at the list, you look at all the groceries that your mom needs
"So we head to the farms first and work our way back?" You ask him "At least then we'll be closer when we have everything."
>Your dad nods his head and smiles
>"See? You can be smart." He tells you "Now if only you could use those smarts in your classes."
"Hey I'm proud of my C's and B's!" You tell him as you start flying off laughing

>After grabbing the groceries and other stuff your mom needed, you and your dad started to fly on home
>"It'll be nice to get out of this cold." Your dad tells you as he looks around "But you know what?"
>You tilt your head
"What?"
>"Let's get something to keep us warm for a bit." Your dad says as he starts to fly down "Come on, Lance!"
>Following your dad, you both land on the crystal street
>Looking up you notice you're in front of that one bar slash restaurant
>The Stray Mare
"What are we getting, Dad?"
>You dad smiles and just motions you to follow him inside

>Stepping into the building with your dad, you see that the place is kinda empty
>There's only a few ponies in here eating dinner
>And some are sitting at the bar having a drink
>"Your mom and I come here for lunch a lot." Your dad says "We kinda have to be quick to get back to Lady Umbra."
>Walking up to the bar with your dad, a stallion wearing a white tux turns around
>He's got some very large shades on
>"Well hello there." The stallion politely says "You're a little late to lunch."
>Your dad chuckles
>"Sorry about dropping in so close to closing, Boss." Dad says "My son and I were just heading home and I was wondering if you could get us something to keep us warm for the trip home."
>Boss looks at you
>"But what would the missus say?" The stallion says "He looks a little too young to be drinking."
>"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Your dad says "Come on, Boss. I'm trying to have a moment here with my son."

>Wait what?
>"Coming right up, sir." Boss says before turning around
>"I guess I shouldn't tell you not to tell your mom." Your dad says with a smile
"You're actually going to get me a drink?"
>Your dad nods his head
>"Sure, you're old enough to share a drink with your old man." Dad says "I was the same age when grandpa let me have my first drink."
>Wow
>You're actually about to have your first drink!
>Oh man you can't wait to gloat about this to the guys!
>As Boss comes back and hand your dad two bottles, he tucks them away into the bags before placing some bits on the table
>"Thanks Boss." Your dad says as you and him begin to leave
>"It was my pleasure." Boss says as you two leave and head on home

>As you approach your home, your dad motions you to follow him up to the roof
>Flying up to the top, he takes a seat on the roof and you follow right behind him
>Sitting down next to your old man, he reaches into the bags and pulls out your drinks
>"You have no idea how much this means to me, Lance." Dad says as he pulls the top off of your bottle before handing it to you "I think this is something all dads look forward to."
>Taking the bottle, you take a whiff of your drink
>The strong smells attacks your nose causing it to scrunch up
"Cider?"
>"The strong type of cider." Your dad says "The stuff you usually drink is non alcoholic."
>As your dad pops the top off of his bottle, he holds his out
>"Cheers." He says
>With a smile, you tap his bottle with yours as you both take a swig of your first alcoholic beverage

>As your dad drinks, you lift the bottle up to your mouth and take a drink yourself
>It's only as soon the liquid touches your tongue that you immediately spit it out
>You dad laughs at your reaction to the drink as you start coughing the rest out
"This is what real cider tastes like?!" You ask as you look to the bottle "Is this normal? Do you and mom actually enjoy this stuff?"
>"Ah I remember my first time." He says "Take it slow, Lance. Try not to take big gulps. Trust me, you get used to the taste."
>Doing as your father says, you opt for smaller swigs
>It still taste a bit bitter, but at least your aren't spitting it out
>"There you go." Your dad says as he holds his bottle "This is a nice feeling. Sharing this drink with you. I can see why so many dads can't wait for it."
>He looks over at you
>"What makes it even better is that I'm sharing it with a son like you." Your dad says

>As your dad drinks, you lift the bottle up to your mouth and take a drink yourself
>It's only as soon the liquid touches your tongue that you immediately spit it out
>You dad laughs at your reaction to the drink as you start coughing the rest out
"This is what real cider tastes like?!" You ask as you look to the bottle "Is this normal? Do you and mom actually enjoy this stuff?"
>"Ah I remember my first time." He says "Take it slow, Lance. Try not to take big gulps. Trust me, you get used to the taste."
>Doing as your father says, you opt for smaller swigs
>It still taste a bit bitter, but at least your aren't spitting it out
>"There you go." Your dad says as he holds his bottle "This is a nice feeling. Sharing this drink with you. I can see why so many dads can't wait for it."
>He looks over at you
>"What makes it even better is that I'm sharing it with a son like you." Your dad says

>You smile
"Thanks dad."
>"Don't mention it, Lance." Your dad says "You know, your mom and I don't say this much, but we are so glad we ended up with a son like you."
>You look up at him as he chuckles
>"Raising you has been one of our greatest accomplishments." He tells you "We're hoping lighting can strike twice and we do a good job with your sister as well."
>"But sometimes I worry." Your dad says "What would happen if something happened to me or your mother. What if we weren't around to raise you two."
>You playfully jab him in the side
"Come on, Dad. Don't say that type of stuff." You say "You and mom aren't going anywhere."
>Your dad smiles as he wraps a wing around you
>"You're right, Queen Umbra has this empire pretty secured." He tells you "But it's nice to know that you'll be there if something were to happen."
>As you both sit on the roof and talk, you find yourselves finishing your drinks
>"Well I guess we should head back inside." Your dad says "Your mom is probably wondering what's taking us so long."
"Don't worry, dad." You tell her "We'll just tell here we really had to look for the best fruits they had."
>Your dad smiles and ruffles your mane
>"That's my boy." He says "I love you, Lance. Don't ever forget it."
>You smile
"I love you too, Dad."

>That night...
>That was the last good memory that you had with your dad
>Because a short two weeks later
>Is when life spat in your face...
>...
>Packing your stuff for school, you curse you alarm clock for not waking you up on time
>Looking over at the clock, you pick up the pace as you mom calls for you
>"Lance? Biggs and Wedge are here!" She yells
>Dammit!
>Not being neat about it, you just shove the rest of your stuff in your backpack before bolting out your room and down the stairs
>Coming down the steps you see your friends waiting for you as your mom packs your sister's lunch
>"There he is!" Biggs says sounding a little irritated "What are you doing sleeping so late? Come on!"
>"Eh we should still have time till class starts." Wedge says "Even if we wait here for a few minutes we'll make it."
>"Yeah, but this weather sucks!" Biggs says "It looks like there's a huge storm approaching."

>Looking outside the window, you can see the snow really coming down
>Why do you feel a little uneasy?
>Must just be nerves
>"Think they'll send us home early?" Biggs asks
>"There would have to be a lot of snow for them to do that." Wedge says "And I don't think the empire has ever had that type of emergency."
>"That it has not." Mom says as she puts on her helmet "The closest it's been to that was when there wasn't a barrier over the empire."
>Damn
>You really didn't study for that math test today
>"Lance?" Your mom says
"Yeah, mom?"
>"Here's your lunch." She says as walks up to you handing you a brown bag "You think they're going to cancel the race today?"
"I don't know, mom. I hope not." You tell her "I really want you to see me win another medal."
>Your mom gives you that warm smile
>"Always so confident, just like your dad." She says as she plants a kiss on your forehead "Do your best, Lance. I love you."
"I will, mom. I love you too." You tell her as you start to head out the door
>Biggs and Wedge poke fun at you for getting a kiss from your mom as you step down the stairs to your place
>As your hooves touch the crystal road, you feel a slight chill pass through you
>Looking back at your home, you can't shake this feeling of unease as you and your friends head to the school

>As you and your friends head towards the school, you stop by your usual stop to pick up a friend
>Eliza's family doughnut shop
>Out comes Eliza holding three bags and three cups of coffee
>"Hey guys!" She says as she hands you all your breakfast
>Biggs of course has to hold Wedge's stuff since he's an Earth Pony
>Taking out your jelly filled breakfast, you start to munch on it
>So delicious!
>Looking ahead, you're happy that you could meet Eliza through Biggs
>If not for her you wouldn't be getting these goodies for free
>Turning your attention to your breakfast, you wonder if Biggs is ever going to ask her out
>Continuing on down the street, you're pulled away from the bliss when something catches your attention
>"Watch where you're going!" You hear a stallion say
>Looking up, you see that Wedge has bumped into a pony

>"Watch where you're going!" A black stallion says to Wedge
>"Sorry sir, but with all do respect you bumped into me." Wedge says
>The stallion doesn't look to pleased
>"Screw that, Wedge. Don't apologize!" Biggs says "You clearly weren't paying attention to where you were going! You can't get mad at him for your mistake!"
>He turns to yell at Biggs, who is more than ready to stand up for Wedge
>But before he can a hoof stops the stallion
>"Enough." A yellow stallion says "You're wasting our time."
>The stallion looks at his companion before scoffing
>But his expression turns to something more ominous
>"You brats are lucky we're busy." He says as they start to leave
>As they both turn to leave, you see the black stallion form a small grin on his face as they walk towards the castle

>Watching the two walk off, you feel that something's off about-
>"What's up, Lance?" Biggs says
>Looking back, you shake your head
"It's nothing." You tell him "Those two just seem way too angry this early on in the day."
>"Forget about them, they're just being asses." Biggs says "You shouldn't really be screaming at high school students like that."
>"Eh, let's just look past it." Wedge says "Come on we're going to be late if we waste anymore time."
>Nodding your head, you follow your friends
>Eventually you all finish your food and discard it as you approach the gates to the Crystal Academy

>Entering the school gates, you hear the bells start to chime
>"Looks like we made it just in time." Wedge says
>As the bells continue to chime, the weather continues to worsen
>So much so that students are actually running indoors
>"Wow it's really bad now." Biggs says as he forms a dome over your heads with his magic "I've never really seen a storm like this before."
>You look up at the barrier
"I wonder if the barrier needs a new battery." You say "Mom said that Queen Umbra stick a crystal on top of the castle with a ton of magic flowing through it."
>Without warning the wind rushes through the area, causing you all to actually shake in the cold
>"Alright screw this, I'm going to class." Biggs says as you all head towards the doors "See you guys for lunch."
>"Bye guys!" Eliza says as she follows Biggs to his class
>Saying goodbye to Wedge, you both split up and head towards your respected homerooms

>The first part of class went as slow as it usually does
>Really you had nothing better to do today as today was a slow day
>Well except for that math test
>But that was after lunch
>The morning just consisted of study halls and lessons for your specific race
>It was more just learning about weather control and how clouds were made
>Funny seeing how the weather is outside
>It wasn't anything like Biggs and Eliza's classes
>They got to play around with magic
>While passing through your morning classes, you overheard talks about the race today
>It sounds like if the snow keeps up they might actually cancel it!
>Walking into your class, you take your seat by the window and look out to the castle

>You sit there and listen to the lecture today
>Today really isn't that eventful
>You suppose everypony is just more interested in knowing if the race is off
>So are you
>Sure they can reschedule it, but you'll have to get back into that mindset
>Also dealing with this nervousness again?
>You rather not
>"Lance?" You hear your teacher say "Are you paying attention?"
>Snapping yourself from your thoughts, you nod your head
"Y-Yeah of course I am," You answer back
>Your teacher smiles
>"Okay, Lance." She says "What was I just talking about?"
>Damn!
>As your about to answer a sound cuts you off
>A sound that you've never heard
>Sirens

>"What the?" Your teacher says as he rushes up to the windows
>The rest of your class does as well just in time to see a purple lighting bolt strike the castle
>"What's going on over there?!" You hear a female student say from behind
>"Was that from the storm?" Another says
>That feeling in your gut
>Why is it coming back in full force!?
>Something just doesn't feel right
>You try to get to breathing room, but nopony is giving you any room!
>"Hey look! The guards are going door to door." Another mare says
>Looking down, you see the guard actually kicking in doors
>Suddenly the the PA system comes to life
>"Teachers this is your principal speaking." The speaker says "I have been informed that the empire has entered a state of emergency."

>"This is not a drill." The speaker says "Instruct your students to go into lockdown."
>"Oh gods." Your teacher says "All right everypony, you know the drill."
>As everyone shuffles into the corner, you continue to stare out towards the castle
>"Lance?" Your teacher says
"My parents are at the castle..."
>"Your parents are Queen Umbra's personal guards. How could I forget." She says "I know you must be worried about them, but I am sure they are fine. They're with Queen Umbra after all."
>"A captain from the guard has arrived and will inform you all of the current situation and what is about to happen." The speaker says as the voice of your principle disappears
>"Alright everypony this is Captain Marie speaking." The speaker blares again "An incident has happened at the castle that has required us to go on high alert."

>At the castle!?
>"Queen Umbra was attacked." Captain Marie says "By ponies that can disguise themselves as normal ponies."
>You look back at the castle
>"Queen Umbra was attacked?!" A fellow student says
>"This attack has incited Queen Umbra's fury." She says "She has tasked the guard with tracking down these bug like ponies so that they can feel her wrath. She is primarily looking for their leader."
>Queen Umbra's fury?
>In all the years that you've know her, you know that it takes something big to set her off
>"Members of my guard will start going from class to class to do a quick scan of you all." Captain Marie says "Queen Umbra has told us how to detect if these bug ponies are hiding among your fellow students."

>Your class begins to chatter as the speaker goes on
>"The detection spell will not hurt, it will tingle, but it will not hurt." Captain Marie says "Once you are scanned and done you are to head straight home where you will remain until the lockdown has ended."
>As you hear doors open from outside the class room, your teacher leaves your side
>"Alright everypony, you heard the captain." She says "After this you all better head straight home. This is not a game, you all need to get home as soon as possible."
>The door to your class opens and in steps in two guards
>Captain Marie and another unicorn stallion
>"Hey kids, my name is Cyprus." He says "We're just going to make sure none of you are these strange intruders, but if you are..."
>He begins to look over your class before stopping at you
>"Wait a minute, you're-" He says before Captain Marie stops him
>"You're Lance, aren't you?" Captain Marie says "Queen Umbra has sent me to find you."

>You take a step back
"W-Why?"
>Captain Marie steps forward
>"Queen Umbra has instructed us to tell you that you are to get your sister and head home." Marie says "She also said that she'll be there shortly."
>You look back at the castle
"What happened?" You ask her "What happened at the castle!?"
>Captain Marie tries to answer you, but she hesitates
"Something happened to them didn't it!?" You yell "What happened to my parents."
>Both Captain Marie and Cyprus look at each other as they try to find the words
>Looking towards the window, you run up and swing it open
>"Lance, wait!" The captain yells as you jump out
>Braving the storm, you fly directly towards the castle

>Flying through the storm, you brace yourself when the harsh winds try and blow you back
>Below you the empire is in chaos
>Ponies are running scared from the sirens going off
>The guards are trying to keep order, but they're also trying to do their jobs of scanning for these bug ponies
>Looking back up, you worry about what Captain Marie and Cyprus refused to tell you
>Your parents have to be alright!
>They just have to!
>Diving down, you fly by some guards that yell for you to stop
>You can't
>Not until you know what's going on!
>Coming up the the castle, you see two guards stationed outside the front door
>They won't let you in
>That just means you'll have to fly past them!
>Tucking your head in, you fly right on past them and bash right into the doors

>Crashing onto the floor of the main hall, you quickly try and to stand
>"Hey what are you doing?!" One of the guards asks as they enter the castle behind you "The castle is off limits!"
>Standing back up, you look behind you as you start to scramble back
>When they get closer and finally see who you are, one of them stops
>"Wait, you're their son..." They say coming to a halt "What are you doing here?!"
>You take a look back to the throne room doors
>"My parents! Where are they?!" You ask them "Are they with Queen Umbra?!"
>"Kid, listen to me. You need to go home now!" One says "This isn't the time for you to be-"
>He's cut off by a screech unlike anything you've ever heard
>Along with it comes another crash of thunder
>It came from the throne room...
>Looking back at the guards, you see that while they're distracted you can go!
>Unfurling your wings, you fly right up the stairs to the throne room doors
>"No Lance, wait!" You hear one of the guards say as you begin to push the doors open

>As the heavy doors open up, you're welcomed by a horrific scene
>A green liquid stains all of the throne room
>Around the floors and walls lies what look like legs with holes cut into them
>And around those there looks like there's dismembered bodies lying around
>Then that means that all this is blood?!
>In the middle of the throne room, you see Queen Umbra sitting on the ground
>You can hear it even from here
>She's crying
>To the side of the room you spot the head captain, Arthas, standing there
>Taking a step back, he turns his head towards you
>"What the?!" He says "What are you doing here!? Don't you know the empire is on lockdown!?"
"I-I just wanted to know if my parents were okay!" You tell him as Queen Umbra's head lifts slightly "Queen Umbra, why did you send that captain for me?! What happened to Mom and Dad?!"
>You try to step back, but those guards from downstairs grab you
>"Take him home." Captain Arthas says "This is not a place for him to be around."
>"Wait." Queen Umbra's voice calls out
>You all look towards the center of the room, you see Queen Umbra turn her head to look back at you

>Queen Umbra slowly looks over her shoulder at you
>You can tell just from seeing her one eye that those wails of pain were coming from her
>As she turns around, you see that she's also covered with that green goo that covers the room
>"Release him." She quietly says "Then return to your posts."
>The two guards let you go and bow to Queen Umbra before leaving the room
>As the doors shut behind them, Queen Umbra glances down at the ground
>"Why did you disobey Captain Marie?" She says "You were to go pick up your sister and return home."
>This doesn't feel like the Queen Umbra you've seen before
>The air around her just screams anger and hatred
>But also sadness
>You swallow the lump in your throat
"I need to know what happened to my parents." You tell her "No one will tell me anything and I... I just need to know if they're okay. I know they're supposed to be here, they're your personal guards!"
>Queen Umbra closes her eyes as tears start to fall from her cheeks
"Queen Umbra?" You ask "W-What happened? Are they okay?!"
>She begins to weep as Captain Arthas shuts his eyes and grits his teeth
>"Lance..." She says as she steps to the side "I-I'm so sorry..."
>Looking behind her, you worst fear lies before you
>Both your parents lying motionless on the floor

>No...
>No.
>NO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08wg9S_elHY [Embed]
>Running up to your parents bodies, you try and shake them awake
>You notice that both your parents have multiple stab wounds going through their armor
>And from their wounds, there's a strange green slime dripping from their wounds mixed with their blood
>Their blood pools and runs through the crystal floor below you
"Get up mom!" You yell "Mom please! Wake up!"
>Your mom remains still and lifeless
>Switching to your dad, you desperately try and get him to wake up
>This is just a sick joke! It has to be!
"This isn't funny! Come on!" You tell him as you slip
>Crashing down next to your dad, you slowly put your hooves on his chest
>As the realization hits you, your eyes start to tear up
>They can't be gone
"You told me..." You say as you start to cry for your parents "You told me that you two would never leave us!"
>Laying your head down, you realize that this isn't a nightmare
>There's no waking up from this
>Your parents are actually dead...

>As you lay there and cry your eyes out, you just feel like there's nothing now
>Nothing to keep you going
>Nothing to live for
>In just a blink of an eye, you're alone now
>"Lance..." Queen Umbra says
>You don't turn around
"How did this happen?" You ask her "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?"
>You see the Captain start to move, but Queen Umbra stops him
>"It is my fault." She says "I grew complacent with the security we had here in the empire. I started to believe nothing would ever befall my empire."
>She looks down at your parents
>"I failed them..." She says "They threw themselves in the way to protect me from that group of those damn intruders!"
>"They wounded your parents with blades that were coated in a very potent poison." Captain Arthas says "It spread too fast before we could get them help."
>You feel the anger rising within you
>"That poison was meant for me." Queen Umbra says "Their coward queen knew she could not beat me in combat."

"Where is she?"
>Queen Umbra sighs
>"I don't know." She says "We're trying to track her down as we speak."
>"That's why we wanted you to return home." Captain Arthas says "Once Queen Umbra was done we were going to join the hunt."
>Sitting up, you look down at your parents
"What am I going to do?" You tell her "I have nothing now."
>"You seem to forget that you have a little sister." Queen Umbra says "You know that you aren't alone."
>Wiping your eyes, you look up at her
>"Your parents told me that they put so much faith in you to take care of your sister if something were to happen to them." Queen Umbra says "You have to stay strong for her!"
>Looking back down at your parents, you close your eyes
"I don't think I can do this." You tell her "I'm still in the academy!"
>"Lance, I promise that I will be there to help support you and your sister." Queen Umbra says "Whatever you need I will supply it."

>You look up at her and slightly nod your head
>"Listen to me, Lance." Captain Arthas says "I promise you that we will honor you parents."
>As the doors open, Captain Stormhoof storms into the room
>"Queen Umbra! We've captured three of those bug ponies trying to go through over the wall." He says "They're being held in The Wolves Cells."
>You feel the air around your queen seems to have flipped like a light switch
>"Excellent work, Captain." Queen Umbra says "Any word on their queen?"
>Captain Stormhoof shakes his head
>"It matters not, they'll talk one way or another." She tells them "Smart move putting them in The Wolves Cells. I don't want anypony else to hear their screaming."
>She looks down at you
>"It's time for us to take you home, Lance." Queen Umbra says "Once this is over, we'll start preparing the funeral."
>Nodding your head, you kiss your mom on the head and give your dad one more hug
"I'll take care of Cynthia..." You whisper to them "I promise."
>"Arthas." Queen Umbra calls out "We're going. Stormhoof round up more of those bugs."
>Captain Arthas comes over and stands next to you two while Captain Stormhoof takes his leave
"Queen Umbra?"
>As her horn starts to glow, she turns her head
"Promise me you'll kill the queen that did this to my parents."
>Queen Umbra nods her head
>"I'll do you one better." She says "I promise to bring you her head."
>With that Queen Umbra cast a spell that teleports you all out of there

>After that, Queen Umbra teleported you home
>She told you that the house was already owned by your parents
>But with them being gone, the house now belonged to you
>You always wanted to have your own place, but not like this
>Soon after Biggs and Wedge showed up and Queen Umbra left you in their hooves for now
>From there you told them what happened
>It hit Biggs hard to hear that your parents had died in the line of duty
>And even though Wedge knew them for a shorter time than Biggs, it also crushed him
>Both of them tried to comfort you to the best of their abilities
>But this pain wasn't going anywhere
>Not for a long time
>You remember picking Cynthia up that day
>About two hours later then when you were supposed to
>She was scared, because she didn't know the empire well and she thought nobody was coming to get her
>You knew that this wasn't going to be easy
>Even if your friends were going to be there for help
>When you got home she knew instantly something was up
>She could probably guess that from your mood
>Telling your friends to wait outside, you took Cynthia to her room
>That's when you told her what happened

>She took just about as well as you did
>The reality of mommy and daddy not coming home anymore because they were gone rocked her
>You didn't even get a real chance to comfort her before she just took off to her room
>That night was really rough
>Probably the worst night of your young life
>Sleep didn't easy that night
>Fuck if anything it didn't come at all
>You and Cynthia didn't go to school at all that next week
>It was just too much to get out of bed and walk by your parents room
>To see that it was empty and that was never going to change
>Eventually it came time to the funeral

>It was rough siting there and watching the other members of the guard carry the coffins of your parents up the stone walkway leading to their resting place
>It's a beautiful spot
>A large tree with crystal leaves overlooking the river that runs through the cave
>The leaves glowed bright just like the crystals above
>It's supposed to be a very prestigious spot
>The four captains carried your mother since she was their top pick in choosing Queen Umbra's personal guard
>And their four picked candidates for the fifth captain spot which included Cyprus carried your father since he was the second choice
>Queen Umbra walked between them
>A lot of ponies turned up too
>Looks like your parents were loved and respected by a lot of ponies
>The funeral went on as well as it could have for two kids that lost their folks
>Even with your friends and close family friends there this wasn't easy
>Queen Umbra gave a speech about your parents
>Telling everyone about their bravery
>How kind they were to all
>What great friends and family they were
>Their dedication to her, the empire, all the ponies in it
>It hurt to hear each of the things she listed off
>Just because the empire wasn't going to have that anymore

>When Queen Umbra was done, she turned to you and sister and told you both that she was so sorry
>You could tell that this killed Queen Umbra inside as much as it killed you
>Especially when she called this her greatest failure
>Once the funeral was finished, you had to stay as everyone came over to express their condolences
>When everyone was gone, it was just you, Cynthia, and Queen Umbra
>Biggs and Wedge waited out the grotto
>Looking down into the graves, you and your sister stand there
>"So what are we going to do now, Lance?" Cynthia asks as she wipes her eyes
>You look down at her
>Those scared eyes of her looking up at you
>Alright time to man up
"We're going to get through this, little sis." You tell her with a reassuring smile "It's what mom and dad would want."
>You sit down
"Listen to me, I promise you that I'm going to take care of you." You tell her "Were going to be the best tag team the empire has seen."
>Your sister finally cracks a small smile
>"You two, I will provide you two with whatever you need." Queen Umbra says "It'll be my way of atoning until I track the bug that hurt you both down."
"Thank you, Queen Umbra."
>She nods her head
>"Shall I?" She says looking down into the grave
"Not yet, Queen Umbra." You tell her "I just want to say a few more things to them."

>Queen Umbra nods her head
"Well mom and dad, I guess this is goodbye." You say "I didn't think I'd be saying that this early, but..."
>As tears start to form again, you wipe your eyes
"But I guess life just loves throwing curve balls huh?" You say "I made you both a promise a long time ago, that I was going to be the best big brother ever. I intend to keep that promise."
>Closing your eyes, you shake your head
"I... I'm going to miss you both." You say "I know someday we'll see each other on the other side again, but I really wish you both didn't have to leave."
>You look over to your mom's grave
"Don't worry, mom. I know it's time to step up." You tell her "I'm going to miss the small things you would do for us. Things just won't be the same."
>You look over to your dad's grave
"And dad." You say "Don't worry about Cynthia and I. I'll make you proud of us."
>You look at Cynthia
"Wanna say anything?"
>"Bye mommy. Bye daddy." Cynthia says "I'm going to miss you both so much. We'll always come to visit, I promise!"
>Looking over at Queen Umbra, you nod your head
>Queen Umbra comes over
>"Goodbye, my friends. I promise to avenge your deaths." She says before chuckling "And I promise I'll settle down someday. I just wish you could be there for that day."
>Queen Umbra taps the ground with her hoof as crystals emerge from the sides of the grave to encase the coffins
>It isn't long until the crystal rises up to be level with the ground
>Along with it sprout two tombstones
>"True heroes." They say "May their sacrifice never be forgotten."
>With a small smile, you turn to Cynthia
"Let's head home, sis." You tell her "We'll stop by and get something yummy to eat on the way."
>Cynthia wipes her eyes before smiling
>From then on, it was time for you to take responsibility and care for this little sister of yours

>That promise...
>To keep Cynthia safe
>"Lance!" You hear your little sister call out
>To be the best big brother you can be
>"LANCE!" You hear her again "Get up!"
>You have to keep it!
>No matter what!
>"Wake up!" Two voice call from the darkness
>Your eyes snap right open to see your alternate self standing above you
>"Time to die!" Alt Lance says as he trusts his spear
>Rolling out of the way, his spear crashes into the floor beside you
>Kicking him away with your good leg, you take his spear and chuck it right at him
>Alt Lance has little time to react as his spear cuts right into his right wing
>He lets out a cry of pain as he falls onto the ground
>That won't stop him from flying, but it did limit his mobility
>You watch as he rolls around and looks up at you
>Glancing over to Cynthia, you smile and give her a thumbs up with your wing
>She smiles back as you take on a more serious look for your alternate self
>Hate fills his eyes as he looks deep into yours
"Round two, asshole..."

>Where are they?!
>You are Wedge
>Coming up on Lance's home, you thought you'd see Lance
>But he's nowhere to be found!
>There's not even signs of battle
>Alt Wedge told you that one of them would be here
>Unless...
"Shit!"
>Biggs turns around
"They were never here!" You tell him "He just told me here so that we'd waste time coming here!"
>"Why would they-?!" Biggs says before stopping himself to look at you "We need to get to where his parents are buried! Now!"
>Seeing the panic in Biggs's eyes, you nod your head as you both beeline it for the cemetery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3fCDIQNWKE
>You are Lance
>"Oh I'm going to enjoy killing you now." Alt Lance says as he looks over to his wing "I'm going to tear those wings off of you!"
>He pulls his injured wing in before reaching down to grab his weapon with his uninjured wing
>Perfect
>This'll stop him from flying
>Reaching down, you pick yours up with your wing
>Reading yourself, you toss your weapon up in the air and catch it with your forelegs as you start to hover above the ground
>Sure, you got a bad leg
>But that doesn't mean your wings are fucked
>Alright
>Time to kick some ass!
>Not giving him the first move, you dash right at him

>Closing the gap, your weapons collide
>Alt Lance struggles to hold you back with this one wing as you keep the pressure on
>Flying back, you dive to his weak side with the damaged wing and strike
>He's able to barely stop your attack, but not effectively as you cause him to stagger
>Smirking, you spin around and deliver a hoof to his temple
>The strike is enough to send him crashing to the ground a few feet from you
"Come on, get up!" You tell him "It doesn't feel so good to be on the receiving end of an ass kicking does it?!"
>Alt Lance groans as he starts to rise back up
>"Shut up!" He yells as he stands back up
>He turns to you and you can just see the rage in his eyes
>Losing must be a new thing for him
>"You think you're so much better than me now don't you!?" He says "Just because of a lucky hit!?"
"I'd say so." You tell him "It's your fault you got hurt."
>"Alright..." He says with a chuckle "Let's see that if you still think that after you lose her!"
>Alt Lance quickly turns and throws his spear right at Cynthia who's still tied to that tree
"No!"
>Flying right at her, you throw your spear too
>Cynthia shuts her eyes just as your spear collides with his, knocking it away from her

>As the spears fall off of the hill, you come up to Cynthia
"Are you alright?!"
>Cynthia nods her head as her eyes look behind you
>"Behind you!" She says as you feel Alt Lance grab your from behind
>Not this again!
>"I'm tired of this!" He says "I'm going to kill you here and now!"
>As he tightens his grip, you try to find someway out of this
>Looking up, you realize he can't break away or change his direction in mid air
"Like tartarus you are!"
>Unfurling your wings, you blast off towards the ceiling
>"WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He says as he tries to let go
>But you hold his foreleg so he can't let go
"ENDING THIS!" You shout as you crash into a crystal above
>The crystal cracks against your blow
>Or maybe that was Alt Lance, you don't really care
>Letting go of him, you grab him by his tail and spin around before sending him back down to the ground below
>The stone floor below explodes and bits of stone go flying everywhere
>Following right behind him, you ready your good leg for one last strike!
>You have to make sure he stays down!
"Hey jackass!"
>Alt Lance looks up at you as he tries to get up
"Good night." You simply say as you bring your hoof right down on the top of his head

>The force of your hoof coming down was so strong, you're actually a little worried that you killed your alternate self
>"D-Damn you..." Alt Lance says as he collapses to the floor
>Landing on the ground beside him, you turn him over so that he's laying on his back
>His chest rising up and down shows you that you didn't kill him thankfully
"Finally..." You say while taking a deep breath "I need to do something about my leg here."
>But first things first
>Turning around, you give your sister a big smile
"I told you I'd save you."
>Cynthia smiles back as she begins to cry
"Give me a second, I'll cut you off that tree."
>Flying over to where your spears fell, you pick up both yours and Alt Lance's
>Flying back over to the tree, Cynthia tires to squirm
>"Can't you cut me down now?" Cynthia says "I want off this tree."
>Taking your spear, you cut it down the side of the tree
>As your sister falls from the tree, she catches herself as you take a seat in front of her
>All you do is sit there as she looks up at you with those teary eyes
>Well that is until she torpedoes herself into your chest

>You croak as you hold Cynthia close to you
>Jeez she almost went right through
>"L-Lance!" You sister whimpers
"I know, Cynthia." You softly tell her as you wrap your wings around her "I know..."
>"I was so scared! They hurt Ariadne and they were going to hurt Queen Umbra!" She says "It's my fault they hurt Ariadne!"
>Damn them
"It isn't your fault little sis." You tell her "Don't blame yourself."
>You pull her back
"Do you know where they were taking Ariadne?"
>Cynthia shakes her head
>"N-No. All I know is that the other Ariadne took her." Cynthia says "I'm sorry, Lance."
>You softly shush her
"It's alright..." You tell her "We're going pay these bastards back for everything they put you three through! I promise you."
>Damn Alt Ariadne took her?!
>She was almost impossible to beat with the four of you
>Cynthia looks up at you
>"I missed you, big brother." She says as she hugs you tighter "I knew you'd come and save me."

>You chuckle
>You did it!
>Now all you have to do is get her to safety
"I missed you too." You tell her as you ruffle her mane "Come on, we need to get you somewhere safe. We should probably look for-"
>"LANCE!" Cynthia yells out
>Turning around, something insanely heavy hits you
>It sends you flying into the tree
>Bouncing off of it, you feel your armor crack from behind
>Landing on the ground, struggle to get back up
>Looking back up, you see what hit you
>A battle axe?
>Looking further up, you see somepony coming out of the shadows
"Oh gods!" You say as you quickly try to stand "Cynthia get behind me now!"
>Cynthia quickly flies behind you and hides behind your leg
>"Well, well, well you actually lost to this weakling, Lance?" The stallion says as his battle axe comes back to him "Well I guess I'll just have to clean up your mess again."
>As the stallion walks into the light, you take a defensive stance
>"I sure hope you still have some fight left in you, Lance." He says as he strikes the ground "It be a shame if you just died after a few minutes of fun."
>Alt Biggs

>Alt Biggs picks Alt Lance up before throwing him over to the side
>"Don't want to accidentally kill him now." He says with a smirk
>Looking over him, you notice that most of his armor has shattered
>The top of his head is bleeding
"What happened to Biggs?" You ask even though your afraid of what he'll say
>He smirks
>"Well wouldn't you like to know?" He says "Maybe before you die, I'll tell you how I killed him."
>Panic begins to fill your bod
"That's a lie!" You shout "Biggs would never lose to you!"
>"Aw come on now! I'm stronger than I look!" He says before laughing "You know what's funny is that he was calling your name 'Lance! Lance! I'm sorry!"
>Anger rages within you as he laughs and laughs
>"Ah who cares about that weakling." He says "You'll be joining him soon enough."

>Damn it!
>Biggs looks behind you
>"Well hey there runt!" He says "Once I'm done with your brother, I'll deal with you afterwards!"
"Shut up!" You shout "She has nothing to do with this! Leave her out of this!"
>"Lance, w-what are we going to do?" Cynthia asks
"Cynthia, listen to me." You tell her "No matter what happens, you stay away from us and when I buy you an opening, you get out of here and find Biggs and Wedge!"
>There's no way Biggs is dead
>You refuse to believe that!
>"B-But Lance!" Cynthia says
"No! You need to get out of here!" You tell her turning around "He's going to try and hurt you and I can't let that happen!"
>Cynthia eyes tell you everything
>You just reunited and now here you are splitting up again
>"You're hurt..." Cynthia says
>You put on your best smile
"So is he." You tell her "Don't worry, we're going to get through this."
>Upon hearing a whooshing sound, you grab Cynthia and dodge out of the way of Alt Biggs's strike
>"Enough talking!" Alt Biggs says "Let's get to fighting, Lance!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpjZmuJ-Thk
>As Alt Biggs's war axe starts to glow, you look to your sister
>"Hide!" You tell her "And when it's clear, run!"
>Running towards Alt Lance spear, you pick it up and chuck it right at Alt Biggs
>Alt Biggs grabs a loose piece of stone with his magic and deflects it with his magic
>With him being preoccupied with that, you fly up into the air and dive right at him ready to strike!
>"Now you're getting into it!" He says as his horn glows "Dodge this flyboy!"
>Looking down you see his war axe flying right towards your head
>Arching your back and throwing your head back, you're able to just dodge the axe as it brushes past your chin fur
>Fuck that was close!
>"Got you." Alt Biggs says
"What?! You missed-" You say before you feel something surround your body
>Looking down, you see his magic around your midsection
>"You pegasi are so predictable." Alt Biggs says with that wicked smile
>Before you can even react, Alt Biggs pushes you against the tree that held your sister again
>Letting out a scream of pain as your armor starts to break off, Alt Biggs doesn't hesitate as he swings you across the cave at full speed into the cave wall face first
>Your vision starts to blur again as you feel blood trickle down the top of your head
>You try and move your hoof, but it's useless as Alt Biggs swings you around before slamming you into the ground in front of him

>Your spear slides away from you, landing a few feet away
>The smoke begins to clear while Alt Biggs's walks over to you
>Just those throws alone were able to stop you dead in your tracks
>You try and muster up the strength to get up
>But you just lie there, unable to control your body
>N-Not yet
>You can't be out of gas yet!
>Alt Biggs hooves come into your shell shocked vision
>"What's the matter, Lance?" Alt Biggs says, moving his head down "Never fought somepony this strong?"
>Mustering up what you can, you pathetically strike at his hoof
>He just lets out that damn laugh of his
>"Do you need help standing up, Lance?" Alt Biggs says as his horn starts to glow "Here, let me help you!"
>You feel his magic pick you up before chucking you into a stone wall
>Before you can even collapse from that, Alt Biggs use his big frame to shoulder charge into the wall
>This power!
>You're outmatched in your current state!
>Feeling the magic grab at your neck again, Alt Biggs slams you into an adjacent wall before throwing you back into the courtyard

>Crashing onto the ground, you roll across the stone floor
>While your body continues to bounce and roll, you feel some your upper armor crumble and break apart
>At this rate, you'll have nothing protecting you up there
>When you finally come to a stop, you find yourself flat down on your stomach
"D-Damn..." You say as you try and move "I'm outta my league here."
>You chuckle as you feebly fall again
>Whistling can be heard from the distance as can heavy hoofsteps
>Alt Biggs is coming this way
>This isn't good
"One more beat down like that and I'm a goner..."
>Come on, Lance
>You gotta move!
>Dying here right now would be the worst thing ever
>Mustering up what strength you have left, you start to rise as Alt Biggs get's closer

>"Look at that!" Alt Biggs says as he comes closer "Taking it like a champ!"
>Gods your body hurts all over!
>You never thought something as simple as standing up would be this hard!
>Putting on a brave face, you try and take a defensive stance
"I can do this all day." You tell him "I won't let you win."
>Alt Biggs chuckles before headbutting you
>Staggering back, you hold on and stand your ground
>He's just toying with you
>It doesn't matter so long as Cynthia gets out
>Looking towards the exit, you see Cynthia gliding from one small roof to another
>She's almost there!
>Just a little more
>"What are you looking at?" Alt Biggs says as he turns his head
>NO!
>Jumping onto his, you tackle him to the ground

>As you both come down to the floor, you start swinging at Alt Biggs with your hooves
>You can't let him see Cynthia!
>Using your new found energy, you start unloading hoof after hoof and Alt Biggs to keep him down
>Where did this burst of energy come from?
>Whatever, you need to use this second wind to keep him busy
>Looking up you see Cynthia standing at the exit to the graveyard
>The look on her face tells you that she doesn't want to leave you alone with him
>Dammit if she stays here she's going to put herself in more danger
>And in your state, you don't know if you can save her again!
>Pointing your hoof towards her you shout
"GO!"
>That small distraction would cost you your advantage as Alt Biggs punches you back square in the face
>You feel his magical grip on your neck before he picks you up and slams you down on the ground next to him

>Fall back onto the hard stone floor again, you scream out in pain
>"Where did that come from?!" Alt Biggs says as he wipes his mouth of blood
>He spits out a little bit more blood, before looking over at the Cynthia
>"Ah! That's what it was!" Alt Biggs says "Little sister!"
"C-Cynthia!" You try and get out "Run!"
>Cynthia hesitates before turning towards the exit
>"Wait a damn second!" Alt Biggs shouts "Leave and I'll just kill your precious big brother here and now!"
>Just like that Cynthia stops again and turns around
"NO! Just go!" You shout "I'll be-!"
>You're silenced by a hoof to the face as Alt Biggs stands above you
>"You don't think I'm serious do you?!" Alt Biggs says "Well then, let me prove my point!"
>Feeling something tug on your armor, Alt Biggs rips the already busted chest pieces off your back
>From there he grabs your wings with his magic

>Alt Biggs doesn't waste anymore time and starts to pull back
>First pained groans are all you can get out
>"If you don't come back here, I'll rip your brother's wings off!" Alt Biggs says "Trust me little girl, he won't survive for long after they're on the floor and he's bleeding like a pig!"
>You try your hardest to fight through the pain
"C-Cynthia!" You say looking up "Just go!"
>Alt Biggs plants a hoof of your head
>"Shut your mouth!" He says "You'll sing when I want you too!"
>You feel the tug on your wings again as he starts to pull more aggressively
>This time it's full on screams that come out of you
>With each pull it feels like your wings are ripping apart
>"You're choice, Cynthia!" Alt Biggs says "These wings won't last much longer
>Another jerk incites another scream out of you
>Cynthia takes a step forward towards you two
"NO!" You tell her "JUST GO!"
>Cynthia shuts her eyes and shakes her head frantically
>"STOP IT!" Cynthia says "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

>Alt Biggs laughs before letting go of your wings
>You fall to the ground with a low thud
>This pain in your wings!
>You can't even move them slightly with out them feeling like they're about to explode!
>Looking back, you can tell that your wings are in the same state of disrepair as the rest of your body
>"That's a good girl." Alt Biggs says "Now stay there because Ariadne going to want to see you!"
>What?!
>You try to rise, but the pain!
>Everything hurts so much!
>"She had a feeling Lance would drop the ball here. She told me that when that happens I was to send you to her." Alt Biggs says "Honestly I can't believe she wears the pants in their relationship."
>You can't let him take her!
>Not after what you've gone through!
>Alt Biggs continues to walk closer and closer to Cynthia
>All the while Cynthia has backed into the wall
>Come on body! Just a little bit longer!
>"So come on, runt!" He says "Time for you to take a trip to the castle!"
>DAMMIT MOVE, LANCE!
>Finally feeling your body respond, you launch yourself forwards with your injured wings
"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
>Alt Biggs turns around to eat a back hoof to the face before you send him blasting off into a stone building

>The building coming down on Alt Biggs echos throughout the cave
>That should by you some time
>Landing on the ground in front of your sister, you almost collapse in front of her
>"Lance!" Cynthia says as she rushes up to you
"What are you doing?!" You tell her, stopping her dead in her tracks "Do you want him to hurt you!?"
>You hate yelling at her
>Just because she isn't used to hearing it from you so it scares her
>But she needs to get out of here!
>"L-Lance..." She says "I just don't want to leave you alone with him! What if he takes you away like mommy and daddy!? I'll be all alone!"
>Tears begin to form in your eyes
>Dammit don't you dare, Lance!
"Listen to me." You tell her as you sit down in front of her "You need to run away from here, I came all this way to save you. If he gets his hooves on you then I'll lose you again. That's not something I can handle."
>Cynthia rushes up to you and plants her face in your chest fluff
>"Let's run together!" She says as tears flow down her face "T-That way we-!"
"Cynthia." You say "You know that's not possible, I can barely move in this state. I would just be dead weight."
>Cynthia looks up and shakes her head desperately trying to get you to come with her
>"N-No! Come on, Lance!" She says, her voice extremely shaky "We can run and-"
>She cut off as you hear stone moving
>Looking over to where you sent Alt Biggs, you can see the rubble moving around
"It's time..." You say before looking down at your sister "You need to go, Cynthia. It's not safe."
>She looks over and then back to you
>"I can't, Lance!" She says "I don't want you to go and fight that monster! He'll-!"
>You quiet your sister down with what could possibly be the most painful hug in Equestrian history
>Wrapping your injured wings around her, you nuzzle the top of her head
"I love you, Cynthia." You tell her "No matter what happens here, you'll never be alone again."
>You can hear her quiet sobs as you pull away and give her a kiss on the forehead

>Pulling away, you wipe the tears from her eyes with your feathers
"Don't cry." You tell her "Be strong. For me."
>Cynthia sniffles before nodding her head
>With a smile, you stand up and turn around towards the rubble
>Guess it's time
>Alt Biggs begins to emerge from it with a smile on his face
>Walking forwards, you crack your neck
>"You know, you're something else!" Alt Biggs says "Any other pegasi would of just drop dead by now, but look at you!"
>Looking to your left, you pick up Alt Lance's weapon
>You can't seem to find your anywhere around you
>It must have landed somewhere when he was throwing you around
>"And look at that! You're ready to keep fighting." Alt Biggs says as he wipes blood from his mouth "Let's just hope that last hit wasn't just some dying breath!"
>Taking a deep breath, you try and take on a defensive stance that would work in your condition
>"Tell me, what's pushing you?" Alt Biggs asks as he grabs his war axe "That runt back there can't be the only thing pushing you to kill yourself."
>You glance back at Cynthia before you think back to everyone that's come with you to save her and Ariadne
"You don't get it." You tell him "I'll never let you hurt my family again."

>"Your family, huh?" Alt Biggs says "What a pathetic reason to fight."
>That's the difference between your Biggs and this Biggs
>You know that Biggs is still alive out there
>There's no way he'd lose to this
>"Once I'm done with you, I'm moving onto the rest of your 'family'." He says before chuckling "Well if you can even call that a family."
>You chuckle
"You know for somepony that never shuts up about how strong he is, you haven't even backed up all that talk." You tell him "I mean a weak pegasi like me is still standing. What does that say about you?"
>The smile on Alt Biggs immediately leaves his face
>You just grin right at him
"What's the matter?" You ask "Did I strike a nerve?"
>Alt Biggs throws his axe on the floor
>"I was going to give you a quick death there." He says "But that mouth of yours just earned you a long painful death as I beat the life out of you!"
>Without warning the stallion charges right in

>Taking a quick glance back, you see Cynthia is still standing there
>She just won't go, will she?!
>You don't have time to scold her!
>All you need to do is hold him back, so that she gets away
"Sorry Cynthia." You say to yourself "I just hope you'll be good to Biggs and his mom."
>Holding up your spear, you await Alt Biggs to collide into you
>"YOU THINK YOU CAN HOLD ME!?" Alt Biggs says as he summons a barrier in front of him "I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!"
"COME ON!"
>When his barrier collides with your weapon, you position your back legs to hold yourself in place
>The ground beneath you crumbles and breaks as neither of you want to give an inch
>Your injure back leg screams in agony as you desperately try not to collapse from the pain
>But your already nearing your limit as you start to get pushed back
>"What's the matter!?" Alt Biggs says "WHO'S ALL TALK NOW?!"
>Starting to lose footing, you push back
"CYNTHIA!" You shout out, looking back
>You see it now
>Pure fear in her eyes
"I will NOT let him past me! This is your chance to get away, so run!" You tell her "RUN CYNTHIA!"
>Looks like shouting and the situation at hand finally got through to her because Cynthia takes a step back before nodding her head and running

>Turning back to face your opponent, you put all your strength into holding back this bastard
>Cynthia's gone! She'll find the guys and they'll keep her safe!
>But you're job isn't done yet
>You just have to hold him back for a little longer!
>B-But it's starting to be too much!
>His overwhelming strength is starting to win out over your weakened body!
>Your legs feel like they're about to blow
>And your back can only arch so much!
>"COME ON, LANCE!" Alt Biggs yells "I CAN FEEL YOU SLIPPING!"
>You want to tell him to shut up, but it's taking all your focus here not to fall
>But focusing can't help you when the floor beneath you breaks again only this time it throws you off balance
>Allowing Alt Biggs to knock you onto your back
>Crashing down, he doesn't even pause for a moment
>Using your alt self's spear and your wings, you try and hold back Alt Biggs
>"I'm going to finish the job this time!" He says "And when your dead, I'm going after your sister, Wedge, and screw what my Anonymous says, I'm going to kill your Anon too!"
>As the staff of the spear gets closer to your neck, you start to accept it
>This is it...
>"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry..." You say to yourself as the tears roll "Anon and Queen Umbra, I failed you too..."
>As the last bit of strength leaves you, everything starts to go black

>"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" You hear a voice yell
>C-Cynthia!?
>The next thing you hear is the sound of flesh being stabbed along with the pained screams of Alt Biggs
>"You bitch!" He shouts as he gets off of you "Get off me!"
>Watching with half opened eyes, you see Cynthia hanging onto your spear that's been slightly impaled into Alt Biggs back
>Right behind his right shoulder to be exact
>She looks down at you before smiling before taking off towards the exit
>"Get back here!" Alt Biggs shout as he spins around
>Only to be met with a familiar looking hammer to the stomach that sends him flying out of site
>Upon hearing the sound of hoofsteps rushing up, you're met with a sight for sore eyes
>"Are you alright, Lance?" Wedge asks
>To your right you see Biggs slowly walking past
>Cynthia joins you and Wedge coming up to your side
>"What's up? If you wanted to keep fighting, I would have been happy to kick your ass a second time!" Biggs says "This time you aren't going to get up to fight again."
>You look back to Wedge and give him a weak smile
"What took you guys so long?"

>Wedge smiles back before pulling some bandages out
"I'm going to need a lot of those." You tell him "I kinda got my ass kicked again."
>"I can tell. You got it the worst of us so far" Wedge says "Just relax, Biggs will handle his other self."
"What about Anon and the others?"
>Wedge glance over at you before shaking his head
>"After we're done with Alt Biggs I'll fill you in." Wedge says
>Looking at your sister, you shake your head
"While I'm happy you helped me out there, why did you come back?" You ask "And where'd you get my spear from?!"
>"A thank you would be nice!" She says before giving you a hug "When I was about to run, I saw Biggs and Wedge rushing down the hall towards us. So I went back to where I was sneaking through to grab your weapon. When you were fighting the other Biggs it went flying into the air and landed on the grass in front of me."
>A chuckle escapes you
>So that's where it went
>Some luck that is
>"So then I thought if I could hurt him just a little bit, it would help." Cynthia says "I'm sorry, I know you don't like when I'm near weapons..."
"Don't be." You tell her as you slowly ruffle her mane "You saved me, little sis. Thank you."
>Glancing up, you see Biggs standing in front of you all
>He looks back at you and smiles
>You smile back
>Looking across from him, you see that Alt Biggs can't seem to get up
>Looks like your spear got pushed in further when Biggs sent him crashing against a wall
>Biggs walks over and stands above him
>Unceremoniously he rips your spear out of his shoulder which cause another scream to come out
>"I'll kill you all! Alt Biggs says "I'll-!"
>Alt Biggs is silenced finally by Biggs who uses the staff like part of your weapon as a bat to knock out the unicorn

>Alt Biggs's head falls onto the floor with a thud
>"That's enough out of you." Biggs says before turning around "You alright there, Lance?"
>You chuckle
"I'll manage." You tell him as Wedge keeps tending to your wounds "How you'd let that guy slip away in the first place."
>"I thought I did enough to keep that bastard down." Biggs says "It wasn't until after Wedge patched me up that we found out he ran off."
>You nod your head
>"You did well in holding him off till we got here." Wedge says "We were actually terrified the worst was going to happen."
"You think I'd die to these clowns? No way!" You tell him "I wasn't even worried!"
>They both can see through your lie
>With a smile, you look at the defeated Alt Lance and Biggs
"So what do we do with them?" You ask "We gotta make sure they don't interfere when we go after Anonymous."
>Biggs and Wedge look back at them
>"You know how easy it would be to just end them?" Biggs says "We already know they're horrible, vile, stallions."
>"Killing them would just cause more problems." Wedge says "We have to keep that balance. If they die, we have to die with them. Otherwise our worlds will slam together."
>That is what Princess Celestia said...
>You mind thinks back to what Princess Celestia told you about Anon
"You guys think Anon's serious about that?" You ask "Do you think he'll really throw it all away just to stop Anonymous?"

>Both Wedge and Biggs look just a troubled as you do
>"Gods I hope not." Wedge says "But that night, the look in his eyes, He's thinking really hard about it."
>Biggs shakes his head
>"I understand why he thinks he has to do it." Biggs says "Just look at this world and all we've been through. It because of Anonymous that this Equestria and the ponies that inhabit it suffer. Anon believes that he has to be the one that stops him once and for all."
"Yeah, but that can be done without killing himself."
>"Anon's going to kill himself!?" Cynthia says
>You all look at your sister, who is clearly lost and worried
>That's right, this is her first time hearing about this
"Cynthia, don't worry about Anon." You tell her "We're going to make sure that doesn't happen, even if we have to kick his ass ourselves."
>"And if not us, Queen Umbra will stop him." Biggs says "She's the biggest weapon we have to stop him from being an idiot."

"Speaking of which, have we found her yet? What about Ariadne?"
>Wedge shakes his head as he finishes up with bandaging your body
>"Their both at the castle, but we had to chase after you." Wedge says "That means Anon, Lord Sombra, and Princess Celestia are the only ones at the castle right now. That we know of."
>You wonder if Captain Arthas, Eris, and Princess Luna have made it there
"Well let's get going then!" You say as you try and stand
>Only for your body to throw that idea out the window
>"Whoa! You need to rest and let those bandages heal you up as much as they can." Wedge says "You won't be at a hundred percent, but at least you'll be able to stand up to fight Anonymous with us."
>Sitting down on the ground, you see Biggs head back over to the bodies of Alt Biggs and Lance
>"Come on, Wedge." He says "We need to make sure these two stay put here."
>"Got it." Wedge says as he gets up "Cynthia watch over your brother for us make sure he stays put."
>"Will do!" She says with a salute
>Chuckling, you pull her in close with your wing
>"Mom and Dad would be so proud of you." You tell her "Just like I am."
>Cynthia smiles as you both wait for your body to heal

>Reaching the top of the stairs, you fall to your knees as does your faithful wolf
"You alright there girl?"
>Ammy lets out a happy bark
>You are Anon
>Getting back to a sitting position, you look down the stairs
>"How the hell do they even get up here?" You say to yourself "They have to have an elevator around here somewhere."
>Looking around, you see a corridor that leads to a large doorway
>Getting up, you give Ammy a quick pat on the head
"Come on, girl." You tell her "We're almost there."
>Standing up fully, you shake your legs a bit and head down the corridor
>Candle scones line the corridor in front of you
>They're protected by little glass domes from the wind that sweeps through the corridor
>You can also hear the sound of rain coming from the end
>Is this it?
>Could Umbra be out there?
>Creeping up to the exit, you peek around the corner and look out
>What you find is that this is a landing pad of sorts
>And Umbra isn't on it unfortunately
>But something just as concerning is
>Waiting out there, is Alt Ariadne who has her back to you
>And sitting besides her in a magic cell is your Ariadne...

>Shit...
>Looking at her makeshift cell, you see that it's made of pure magic
>The top of Alt Ariadne spear is also emitting some of the same magic
>This isn't good
>Alt Ariadne gave you a hard time back at the village
>And that was with the guys!
>You can't just leave her here, but if you try and save her you definitely won't be at one hundred percent for Anonymous
>God dammit!
>You can't just leave her there
>There has to be something you can do...
>Think Anon think
>Looking around the landing pad, you don't see anything that can help
>Ariadne looks so cold out there
>She shivering in that cage
>That is until she finally looks up and sees you

>Your eyes meet and Ariadne immediately realize that you are just some vision
>She opens her mouth
>Quickly crossing your arms, you try and get her to stay quiet
>She immediately gets the message and shuts herself up before she says a word
>Letting out a sigh of relief, you look back at her and mouth the words
"I'm going to save you." You say "Just give me a second."
>Ariadne shakes her head like crazy which throws you off
>That is until she points up above you
>She must be talking about another floor above you
>"Save Lady Umbra!" She mouths back
>She's actually telling you to go?
"Are you sure?" You mouth back
>She nods her head before looking back at her alternate self
>You really don't like the idea of leaving her out there by herself
>But even she knows that you need to be at your best to stop Anonymous
"I'll come back for you." You tell her "I promise."
>Ariadne nods her head as you motion Ammy to follow behind you
>Stepping out into the rain, you look to your left and see a staircase leading around and up the castle
>Sneaking over, you take one look back at Ariadne who smiles at you
>Giving her a thumbs up, you proceed up these last bit of stairs

>As you continue up these stairs, you wonder if you'll catch up to Anon at this rate
>He sure does love taking breaks
>But with Queen Umbra, you doubt that's the case
>You are Arthas
>It's been sometime since you started climbing these stairs
>Almost makes you think they're endless
>But with each landing you reach, you can see the top approaching
>You must not stop now
>Anon will need all the help he can get with Anonymous
>Continuing your ascent, you glance out the windows that line that wall
>The portal outside the wall still remains open
>And you're not sure how long your world can keep it's defenses up
>Even with Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight
>The endless husks of armor don't seem to be slowing down
>You must make haste
>Looking up, you make sure your sword is fasten to your hip as you sprint up the stairs

>Stepping out onto the cold stones of the dungeon, you close the portal behind you
"Come now, Luna." You tell your alternate self "We must get to the castle."
>You are Luna
>Your alternate self stumble slightly
>"My sister, we fear she may be in more danger now that you are all here." Alt Luna says as you fly out of the pit
>Looking behind you, you see that the warden is still unconscious
>Good
>Walking forward with you alternate self in tow, you begin to think that now is the best time to ask
"Luna, what happened to the Sombra of this world?"
>Alternate Luna lets out a sigh
>"We failed him." She tells you "The evil that he absorbed from us was too much, even for him."
>Stepping into the elevator, you hit the button that brings the lift to life
>"He wanted revenge against your Anonymous. For ruining his life." Luna tells you "It was his idea to find Anonymous and leave to find Umbra's empire."
>Sitting her down, you sit in front of her
>"We tried to stop him, tried to get him to see reason, but he wouldn't listen." She says "Once your Sombra's evil came over, we knew that Sombra was lost to us."

>"We thought he could still be saved." Luna says "But those hopes were dashed away when we learned that he had transferred his once pure magic to Anonymous."
>Just as your Sombra transferred his violent magic into Anonymous
>"And like that, Anonymous corrupted that magic and turned it into his own." She says "We assume the same happened to your Anonymous?"
>You nod your head
"Sombra did the exact same to our Anonymous." You tell her "And just like you Anonymous, ours shaped that once vile magic into his own and he now uses that magic to protect those he loves."
>As the lift comes to a noisy stop, you help Luna back up
>"He may be the only one that can stop Anonymous." Your counterpart says "Anonymous fights in such a strange way compared to us ponies. We don't understand how, but with a quick motion he can cut through space from a distance."
>Cut through space?
>You and the others didn't see much when he attacked Umbra's castle
>Could his fighting style be like Anonymous?
>The only thing that you did see was that he conjured up those crystal swords
>Walking towards the doors, you push them open
>Chaos runs wild throughout the empire
>From where you stand, you can see plumes of smoke accompanied by the sounds of fighting
"It seems the plan is going well." You tell you alternate self "Come, let us get to the castle and find your Celestia."

>Dodging another blast from your alternate self, you land next to Twilight
>"She's a lot tougher than I thought she'd be." You sister in law says
"She really is."
>You are Cadance
>And this battle doesn't even feel like it's close to stopping anytime soon
>Shining and Twilight's friends battle the hordes of crystal armors coming through the portal
>All the while your forces and Umbra's forces are trying to hold back their ponies from getting past
>At this rate, you don't know if you'll be able to keep up
>"What's the matter girls?" Alt Cadance says "You look tired. Maybe you should just lay down and die!"
>She fires another beam of magic at you which you are able to dodge
>"Cadance, we need a plan." Twilight says "At this rate, we'll be overrun with those crystal armors!"
"I know that!" You tell her as you try to think of something, anything that can turn the tables
>"It only a matter of time!" Alt Cadance says "Once I stop you two the rest will fall! And after that we wait for Anonymous to ki-!?"
>Alt Cadance sentence is cut short as she's hit with a blast of green magic
>Looking over, you see a mare you never though would be helping you
>Although you're sure she's not the same mare
>"No Cadance! I will not let you win!" The mare says "No matter how many tires it takes! I will stop you at every turn!"
"Chrysalis?"

>"What's going on!?" Twilight says with the most shocked look on her face
>Looking closer at this Chrysalis, clearly you can tell it's her and Alt Cadance belong to the same world
>"What the?!" Alt Cadance says as she gets back up from the snow "What are you doing here?!"
>"Things as smoothly as Anonymous predicted!" Alt Chrysalis says "The Luna and Eris of this world have released all the prisoners in the dungeons. As we speak the empire is in a state of chaos."
>"WHAT?!" Alt Cadance says
>They're making progress over there?!
>Gods did you need to hear that
>Looking back at Shining you shout out that Anon and the other are making progress
>Shining passes it along to the other soldiers
>This is a much needed pick me up
>"I asked Princess Luna where you were and she told me I'd find you over here." Alt Chrysalis says "It's time to put a stop to your madness as well Cadance! You will answer for your crimes."
>Alt Chrysalis looks over at you
>"Princess Cadance." She says "I never thought I would say this to you, but allow me to assist you in this battle."
>You smile
>Another hoof couldn't hurt, right?

>Crashing down against the ground, you quickly get up and move before Alt Eris strikes the ground
>You are Eris
>Standing back up, you can admire all the damage you two have done in this enclosed space
>It's a good thing you're in this plain of reality
>Otherwise you would two would have destroyed half the empire
>Or at least turned into some fever dream to these ponies
>Looking back at your alt self, she stands back up and looks over to you
>Behind her on that island is the stone statue alt version of your brother
>You need to get to him somehow
"Why would you do that to him?" You ask her "He's your brother!"
>"I told you..." She says "I was following orders, just as you are."

>Just as you are...
>Is she trying to tell you you're just some lapdog?
>"We are nothing but tools for our Umbra's and Anonymous's to use." She says "You were tasked with stopping me as I am to stop you."
>You cross your arms
"Maybe you think that your a tool, but I know that Queenie and Anon treat me as a friend and ally to the empire." You tell her "Sorry sister, but our similarities end at our looks!"
>Obviously you're more attractive
>"You are a fool." She says as she readies herself
"And you're kind of a buzzkill." You tell her "I'm gonna have to pay Anon back for saddling me with you."
>But first thing's first
"I gotta kick you ass and save your brother!"
>And then from there you can help out the ponies back home
>A little chaos on this side should even the odds for them back home
>Then you'll catch up with Wedge and the others
>Getting ready, you get on all fours
"Come on, poser!" You tell Alt Eris "Lets get this over with!"

>As Anon finally reached the top...
"Oh sweet Umbra everything hurts still!" You say as you look to Wedge "You sure these things work?"
>You are Lance
>"Of course they do." Wedge says
>"You just got your ass kicked pretty hard." Biggs says "Just give em some time."
>Walking outside the building that has the portal that leads to the cemetery, the rain starts to really get heavy
>Biggs covers you all with a magical umbrella
"You think Anon's up there yet?"
>"Maybe." Wedge says "But depending on what was waiting for him at the castle, he might still be climbing."
>"We shouldn't waste any more time then." Biggs says before looking at you "You sure bringing Cynthia along is the right call?"
"It either that or take her through that portal into the warzone on the other side."
>"I promise I'll hide if you guys get into any fights!" Cynthia says
"See? Trust me I don't like it, but this is the only option I have."
>Biggs sighs and look over at Cynthia who's sitting on his back
>"Alright, Cynthia just listen to what we say when we get to the castle."
>Cynthia nods her head as you all head towards the castle

>Glancing over at Celestia, you see the look of resolve on her face
>She looks to you and nods her head before turning her attention to her alternate self
>You do the same as you look across to Alternate Sombra
>You are Sombra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NElw71ABjSQ
>As your alternate self cracks his neck, Alternate Celestia springs into action on his command
>"Seven minutes." Alternate Sombra says "Seven minutes is all I can spare to play with you."
>To play with us?!
>Besides where does he need to be?!
>"Sombra, you stop him!" Celestia says as she takes to the air "I'll deal with her!"
"Right!" You tell her as you charge at Alternate Sombra
>As you close the distance between you two, you notice that Alternate Sombra isn't even moving
>"Don't underestimate me!" You shout as you try and deliver a kick to your alternate self
>But as you begin the motion, in an almost blur like motion your alternate self dodges your attack
>Ending up on your side, there's no time to react as he drives a hoof into your rib cage
>The force of his attack sends you flying into the crystal wall on the right side of the room

>Crashing down against the floor, you groan in pain as you stand back up
>It feels as if he just cracked a rib
>All that with just one punch?!
>He's stronger than you, that's for sure
>"You have no idea just what horrible fate you've brought upon yourself." Alt Sombra says as he dashes right at you
>This time, you roll out of the way as he kicks a hole through the wall
>"Not only do I posses the evil magic you once harbored within yourself, but the evil power of this worlds Celestia and Luna." He says as he pulls his hoof out of the wall "If you have even the slightest issue defeating me, then I'm afraid my sister and Anonymous are beyond you."
>Upon hear a scream, you see Celestia plummet to the ground
"Celestia!"
>Before you can even move, Alternate Sombra has dashes up to your front
>"Your fight is with me!" He says "And I must say, your future hinges upon this fight!"
>Again with that speed of his he dashes up before kicking you through a steel door

>Landing on your back, you hear Celestia get back up to fight
>You have to do the same!
>Looking to your side, you see a set of stairs going up
>This room does have a second floor
>"My sweet Celestia, how I wish I didn't have to do this to you." Alternate Sombra says as he looks up "But in your current state of mind you will not see the big picture. Once I kill that human and our worlds merge, I will help you see that we are meant to be together."
>He's deranged!
>Getting up, you quickly take to the stairs
>"Running will do you no good, Sombra." Alternate Sombra says "There's only one way out of this room and I'm the only one that can open it."
>Sprinting up the stairs and around the landing, you reach the second floor
>You can see slits in the wall that show you what's going on back in the main hall
>Celestia seems to be struggling to hold her alternate self back who is currently trying to kick the Princess's head off
>What did they do to her?
>Upon hearing hoofsteps slowly walking up the stairs, you continue on
>Sprinting down the small hallway, you come to a room filled with antiques and trinkets
>"There's no point in hiding..." Alternate Sombra says

>Hiding?
>Wait a second
>That might actually work!
>It's obvious that you can't win a head on encounter with him
>Not with the speed and power he possess
>But if you were to catch him off guard...
>As the hoofsteps get louder and closer, you quickly move behind a very large display case
>Alternate Sombra soon steps into the same room as you as he starts to look around
>"You're merely postponing the inevitable." He says as he looks in your direction
>Using your magic, you cause a trinket behind him to fall off of its self
>Alternate Sombra quickly spins around to see if it's you
>With your alternate self distracted, you leap over the display case and tackle Alternate Sombra into a wall
>You quickly get in what hits you can as you deliver rights and lefts to Alternate Sombra
>Face shots, body shots, it doesn't matter!
>With one more blow to the stomach, Alternate Sombra grunts out in pain as he starts to collapse to the floor
>Picking him up, you use your magic and throw him into the display case
>The glass shatters as trinkets fly everywhere

>Upon hearing the glass shatter, you look up at the balcony
>What's going on up there!?"
>Whatever is happening, you hope your Sombra is winning
>As a hoof comes flying at your head, you bring up a small shield to protect yourself
>Alternate Celestia's kick is deflected back, reminding you that you can't worry about Sombra right now
>You are Celestia
>And while the Sombra's have been battling it out on the second floor of this room, you and Alternate Celestia have taken up using this main atrium as your battleground
>Alternate Celestia again doesn't give you any time to breath as she goes right back on the attack
"Celestia listen to me!" You tell her as you try and avoid her strikes "There shouldn't be any evil in you! Why are you doing this!?"
>She doesn't respond still
>The only real response you get is her trying to kick you back to the ground accompanied by almost feral like growls
>Why did she have to learn to fight like Umbra?!
>She was and still is your greatest rival when it comes to combat
>Upon hearing an explosion from the second floor, you hear Alternate Sombra yell
>"Sombra! Come out and face me coward!" He says "The same tricks won't work on me twice!"

>Whatever Sombra is doing in there is working
>Alternate Celestia looks back as her wings begin to move as if she's about to leave
>She's going to help her Sombra!
>Before she can turn, you charge into her and take her to the ground
>Crashing onto the crystal floor, you try again to reason with your alternate self
>But a hoof meets your stomach before you can say anything
>Backing off of your counterpart, you land on the ground away from her
"What happened to you!?" You shout at her "Why are you fighting us?! We're your allies now!"
>Your alternate self screams as her horn begins to glow a bright orange
>Unfurling your wings, you quickly take to the skies as Alternate Celestia fires a heavy beam of magic at you
>Taking to the air she follows your path, burning a line through the crystal
>Swooping around her beam, you dive down and kick her right in the face
>Your attack is enough to stop her from cutting a line through the room and through you
>Hearing the sound of more glass breaking above, you hope that Sombra is doing okay up there

>Crashing against the wall, you dodge another kick from your alternate self
>But instead of letting him recover, you go right on the attack and deliver another series of blows
>You are Sombra
>As you go for one more kick, Alternate Sombra catches you with his magic
>Pulling up a small barrier, you are sent flying back through a doorway into the next room over
>Springing back up, you dodge another strike from your alternate self
>You've notice that throughout this encounter whenever he does once of those charged up kicks or punches he can only go in one direction
>Guess even doesn't even have full control of his powered up blows
>Alternate Sombra stands up straight before smiling
>"So you think you figured it out?" He says as his horn starts to glow
>Hearing rattling behind you, you turn to see some weapons on a rack shake and thrash about
>That doesn't last long as they come flying off the rack at you
>Dodging what you can, you're able to avoid them as they fly past you
>Unfortunately you've dodge right into your counter part's reach as he grabs you and delivers a blow to your ribs again
>You stagger in pain as Alternate Sombra vanishes just to reappear in front of you
>He grips your neck with his magic as he lifts you high into the air before slamming you down on a table
>Not finished with that, he runs along the table dragging you along before chucking you out another doorway that leads to the atrium
>Going over to the balcony, you brace yourself to hit the ground
>Except all you feel is a pair of hooves grab you
>Opening your eyes, you see Celestia has caught you
>Landing on the ground, she lets go of you
"Thank you, Celestia."
>"It's nothing, Sombra." She says before looking up at the balcony "It's been seven minutes."

>Hearing footsteps above, you see Alternate Sombra come into view
>He just stares at you both before closing his eyes and shaking his head
>"I expect more of a challenge from my alternate self." Alternate Sombra says "How disappointing. I now know how Anonymous feels"
"You say that, but you seem to already forget that I was beating you there."
>"With underhoof tactics." Alternate Sombra says as his horn begins to glow "And how useful were those tactics after that one lucky moment?"
>Before you can retort, you see a cool blue apparition of Alternate Umbra appear from thin air
>"Sombra, what is taking you so long?" She says to him "We need you to grab the item and meet us at the top. Her Anonymous will be here soon."
>"Anon's about to reach the top?" Celestia says
>"I'm on my way now, sister." Alternate Sombra says "I'll grab our present for Anon and be there soon."
>"What about their Celestia and Sombra?" She asks "Are they taken care of?"
>Sombra looks down at you both and only smiles
>As Sombra turns away, you look over at Celestia
"We can't let him leave." You tell her "Come on!"

>Rushing up the stair, you and Celestia quickly reach the top to see Alternate Sombra standing by the exit that his sister took
>"Sombra! Stop!" Celestia says as she stands in front of you
>Your alternate self smiles at you both as his eyes are drawn to something behind you
>Spinning around, you're met with a hoof to the face as Alternate Celestia swoops in
>You try and retaliate, but are too slow as she bucks you to the wall behind you
>She got you in the right spot too seeing as your ribs are crying out in pain
>Crashing back and hitting the ground, you look up to see her continue her attack with your Celestia
>Alternate Celestia delivers some kicks to the solar princess, before taking her down by taking one of her legs out
>She doesn't stop there as she plants herself down on Celestia's back before putting her in a choke hold
>"Come on, Celestia!" Celestia says as she struggles against herself
>"I'm sorry, my dear sweet Celestia." Alternate Sombra says "But I can not stay here and entertain you two any longer, but do not worry as I will leave this Celestia here so you two can catch up."

>Alternate Celestia, pull back on Celestia's neck
>"Don't worry, she won't kill you." Alternate Sombra says "Even she knows better than that. She'll just make sure you won't get in the way of my plans."
>He looks to you with the most sinister look on his face
>"You on the other hand won't be so lucky." He says as he turns around to leave
>"CELESTIA!" Celestia yells as she tries to struggle "Snap out of it already!"
>You both know that this Celestia is supposed to be free of the evil that once controlled her
>And it seems that Celestia knows she's not in the right state of mind
"There's obviously something wrong with you!" You shout out "What ever it is, fight it!"
>Alternate Celestia looks back at you before looking down at Celestia
>"C-C-Celestia?" She says as she let's go of her neck and gets off her
>"That's right, Celestia!" Celestia says "Fight it!"
>You actually got through!
>"Remarkable! Still resisting after all this time." Alternate Sombra says as his horn begins to glow "Commendable, yet futile."
>Alternate Celestia instantly takes on an expression of pure agony as she backs away from Celestia while struggling to stand
>You notice that underneath the blue crystal armor around her neck a blue glow shines it
>What ever is causing her pain must be under that armor!
>"No more time for games, my dear sweet Celestia. I've got work to do." Alternate Sombra says as he begins walking through the door "Have fun watching Celestia suffer."
>"Wait!" Celestia says as she gets up "What did you do to her?!"
>She's too late as the crystal doors shut behind him
>Both of your attentions are quickly drawn to the screaming sun princess as she screams out once more
>Blue lightning crackles from under her neck armor as she looks up at you both with a look of hatred in her eyes
"What ever is wrong with her, it has to do with whatever is under that piece of armor."
>"We need to get it off her then." Celestia says as you both ready yourselves for another fight

>"We did not think We'd ever see the empire like this." Alternate Luna says as you two approach the castle
"In chaos? Fighting back?" You ask "Anything can happen when Anon is involved."
>You are Luna
>After sneaking past groups of guards and fighting, you and a now healed up Luna have finally reached the castle
>"Our sisters are in here." Alternate Luna says "We can feel it."
"As can we." You tell her "We hope that they have already freed her and are just waiting for her to recover."
>Entering the castle, you and Luna look around
"Where are all the guards?" You ask as you look up at the spiral of stairs
>"Anonymous must want to fight your Anon at full condition." Alternate Luna says "Even if he is lost, he still holds some strange sense of honor."
>Honor?
>Kidnapping and putting your hands on a pregnant mare doesn't seem honorable at
>Looking down at the ground, you see a staircase that isn't present at your Umbra's castle
"We sense they're down there." You tell her "If we hurry, we might be able to catch up to Anon and assist him in his battle with your Anonymous."
>"Agreed!" Alternate Luna says "Come Luna!"
>She quickly rushes past you and down the hole
>Looking up, you worry for your Anonymous before heading down the stairs
>At this rate, he's going to start without you all

>Dodging another blast from the solar princess, you and Celestia land on opposite sides of her
>You are Sombra
>Dammit it feels like she's gone completely feral
>Celestia's words aren't getting through to her and she shows no signs of snapping out of this crazed fury of her's!
>You still don't even know what's under that chest piece either
>Taking a step forward, Alternate Celestia spins around ready to attack
"Celestia!"
>Jumping to the side, Celestia tackles her alternate self from behind
>Celestia doesn't hold back as she crashes into a pillar before spinning around with her now holding her alternate self with a choke hold with her magic
>"Sombra! Get it off her!" Celestia shouts as you are already running up to the two
>Coming up to the two solar princesses, you try and rip the neck armor off her
>But it almost feels like it's a part of her neck!
>"Sombra, hurry!" Celestia says "I can't hold her for much longer!"
"To Tartarus with this!" You shout as your horn begins to glow "There's only one way to get this armor off!"
>Aiming for the chest piece, you blow it completely off of Alternate Celestia as she screams out
>Celestia's grip loosens for just a moment, allowing the mare to escape her grasp
>"Did you really have to shoot it off?" Celestia asks
"We have to figure out what's causing her to act like an feral animal." You tell her "And it's obvious I wasn't going to get that armor off by prying at it."
>Looking over at Alternate Celestia, you watch as the hunched over pony slowly turns around
>And what was behind that piece of armor doesn't surprise you
>For embedded in her coat is a ice blue crystal

>"What is that?" Celestia asks
"The source of her madness." You tell Celestia "It's obviously what's controlling her actions."
>"But look at it..." Celestia says "It digging into her flesh."
"That's why this going to be much harder than we thought." You tell her "The best thing we can do is incapacitate her and pry it off of her."
>"That's easier said than done." Celestia tells you "In her current state she just won't stay down!"
"Do you have a better suggestion?"
>Celestia shakes her head as she readies herself
>"No." She says as she flies towards Alternate Celestia "So we'll do it your way!"
>As the Celestia's engage in combat once more, you are about to join in when you feel something familiar approaching
>Stopping in your tracks, you look over to the heavy crystal door that you two came through
"Luna?"
>Looking over at Celestia who is locking horns with her alternate self, you rush over to the door
"Celestia, keep her busy!" You shout "Reinforcements are here!"
>"What?!" Celestia says as you come up to the door
"Just hold her back!" You shout as you use your magic to reach under the heavy crystal

>Using your magic, you start to lift this heavy crystal blockade in front of you
>Gods!
>This might be too much even for you
>It's as if you're trying to lift the wall that surrounds the empire
>Lifting the door one inch off the ground, you just feel like screaming!
>Upon hearing hoofsteps on the other side, you shut your eyes
>You can feel the veins popping out of your neck
>"Sombra?" Luna calls out "Is that you beloved?"
"L-Luna!" You struggle to say "NO TIME! LIFT!"
>Feeling the door get a little lighter, you push with all your might to lift the door up as high as you can
>Opening your eyes, you see you beloved princess on the other side
>And along side her is her alternate self
>Using all the strength you have at your disposal, you lift the door above your head
"IN! NOW!"
>Both princesses, let go of the door and rush in as you finally let it go
>The door crashes to the ground and soon after you do the same
>Collapsing to the ground, Luna runs over to you
>"Sombra!" Luna says
"h-help Celestia." You tell her as you lay your head back "I just need a minute..."

>What's going on back there?!
>You are Celestia
>Turning back probably wasn't your best idea as you quickly have to turn back and block a blast from your alternate self
>Landing on the ground across from her, you look over at your sister
"Luna!" You say as you give her a hug "Thank goodness you're okay."
>"We've completed our objective." Luna says as she looks over to her alternate self "We brought this Luna to assist us."
>You look over at her
>"We're sorry, Celestia." She says to you "We couldn't protect Sombra and look what has happened..."
>You walk over to her
"It's okay." You tell her with a warm smile "What matters is that you are here now to help us save this world."
>Luna gives you a small smile before looking over at her sister
>"Sister..." She says
"Did you know?"
>She shakes her head
>"I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to believe them." She tells you "This is actually my first time seeing my Celestia in months."
>Gods
>Looking over at Sombra, you tilt your head
"Sleeping already, Sombra?"
>"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Sombra grunts as he gets back up "Let's get that crystal off this Celestia."
>Smiling, you look to your sister and her alternate self
"We need to hold her down." You tell them "Sombra will get the crystal off her."

>Rushing down your alternate self, you and your Luna go to the sides of her
>She looks at you both before turning to you
>"Sister!" Alternate Luna calls out "Snap out of it!"
>Celestia ends up facing her Luna that flies in front of her
>"You are stronger than this, sister." Alternate Luna says "Don't let them win! Please!"
>Suddenly something happens with Alternate Celestia as the crystal starts to pulsate
>She screams out in pain as she puts a hoof to the crystal
>Seems her sister's voice can still reach the Celestia inside
"Now, Luna!"
>She nods her head and you both charge at her and take her down to Sombra's level
>Using your magic, you hold down the right side of her body while Luna holds the left
>Alternate Luna comes around and holds her head back
>"This will be all over soon, sister." She tells her "Just let us help."
>"Alright I've had enough of this." Sombra says as he comes up "The screaming and the kicks. It's like I'm being reminded of my sister when she gets upset!"
>Sombra stands over Alternate Celestia
>"This isn't going to feel pleasant." Sombra says as he grips the crystal with him magic "But the faster I do it, the less pain she'll feel."
"Just do it!" You shout as you struggle to hold Celestia down
>Sombra grits his teeth as he tugs and then pulls
>With one swift motion he pulls the crystal out from Celestia's chest, inciting one last scream before the solar princess quiets down

>Sombra stumbles back as Alternate Celestia finally looks at peace
>"Gods what is this thing!?" Sombra says
>Looking over you see him holding the crystal a bit away from him
>Along the base that was pressed against Alternate Celestia, you see small crystal tendrils writhing about
"No wonder it wouldn't come off easily." You say as the tendrils soon stop moving before going limp "Destroy it, Sombra."
>"With pleasure." Sombra says as he crushes the crystal into dust
>The dust blows away as you turn your attention to your counterpart
>"Sister, look at her neck." Your Luna says
>The area around her neck where the crystal was is all damaged
>Her coat isn't there so you can see the small holes around the bare patch where the tendrils burrowed into her flesh
>Luna begins to get to work healing this Celestia as you sit down to recover some strength
"I can't believe they would do this to her." You say "This is too cruel. Using that crystal to control her like some sort of attack dog."
>"It was Sombra who did this to her." Alternate Luna says as she holds her sister "I remember he was the one that suggested they take her away from me. He's the real monster!"
>Sombra looks down at the princess before sighing
>Seeing all this must remind him of his time as a tyrant
>He also controlled his subjects with magic and fear
>"I'm sorry we couldn't stop him, Princess." Sombra says to Alternate Luna "I promise you I will make him answer for all this."
>"My beloved is right." Luna says "We will bring him to justice and he will answer for his crimes."

>Alternate Luna turns around
>"I am sorry, Sombra." She says "I know you seek to stop him, I know you will too."
Sombra nods his head
>"It's still odd to see that my alternate self is calling you beloved." She adds "I absolutely despise my Sombra."
"With good reason." You tell her "Luna, I'm sure you told my Luna what happened, but can you tell Sombra and I what happened for things to get this out of hand?"
>Luna nods her head as she begins to let you know of what happened since the last time you saw her
>You didn't realize just how fast everything went wrong here
>Since Anonymous didn't wander around Equestria for a month like Anon did, he was able to find Umbra's Empire immediately with Sombra's help
>And since they found it early and Anonymous acquired his magic at the start he was able to use his magic more proficiently
"Luna, when we arrived we saw that the garden was burnt to the ground..." You tell her "W-Who was responsible for that?"
>Alternate Luna hesitates
"Luna?"
>Just as she's about to answer, you hear a groan
>Looking down, you see Celestia start to awaken
>"S-Sister?" She says weakly

>"Celestia!" Alternate Luna says "You're awake!"
>"Where... Where am I?" She asks as she looks around "This is the Eris's cell."
>She looks over to you
>"Thank you for saving me." She says weakly "Both of you."
"It's alright, Celestia." You tell her "We couldn't just leave you like that."
>She looks down at Sombra
>"It was not a problem, Princess." Sombra says
>"Please don't move." Luna says "You'll feel better in no time."
>Your alternate self smiles before turning to her sister
>"I've missed you, Luna..." She says as tears form at her eyes "It's been so long since I've seen your face."
>"I feel the same, sister." Alternate Luna says as she begins to cry "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you!"
>"It's alright, Luna." She says "You're here now. That all that matters."
>Luna leans down and gives her sister a hug
>"Celestia?" Your alternate self says
"Yes, Celestia?"
>"I heard you ask Luna what happened to the garden." She says
>Your heart starts to feel heavy as she looks you in the eyes
>"It was Sombra who burned it all to the ground." She says "Anonymous and Umbra were there, but they did not commit the act."

"W-What?" You ask her as your fears are confirmed "No he wouldn't! That place meant so much to him."
>Celestia closes her eyes as lays her head down
>"I was there, Celestia." She tells you "I saw him do it with his own magic."
>...
>"What are you all doing here?!" You shout as you and Luna land on the grass
>You are Alternate Celestia
>After hearing reports of your beloved walking around towards the Wishing Gardens, you and you sister quickly flew over to see if the reports were true
>It's only now that you see that they were right
>And that he brought HER!
>"Oh hello, Celestia!" Umbra says in a cheery tone "A little bird told me about this place and I just had to see it!"
>She takes a few steps forward while looking all around
"How could you bring her here, my sunshine?"
>"Ah! Celestia we talked about this." Umbra says as she walks in front of Anonymous, her tail wrapping around his waist "His name is Anonymous and he is my beloved. You two have been done for quite some time. He's mine now."
>She stands up and plants her lips on his
>You look away so you don't give her any satisfaction
>"Well now, that was aggressive." Anonymous says "A shame Celestia didn't see it."
>"It must still be hard for her to accept that you've chosen a queen over a princess." Umbra says "Maybe after we're done here we can just prove just how much love we can show each other? That kiss got me somewhat excited."
>"I'd love that." Anonymous says "And Celestia, I didn't tell her about this place. He did."
>Looking over at Anonymous, you see him pointing to something off to the right
>Turning your head, you see Sombra standing at the tree in the center

"Sombra..."
>His horn has been changed
>Now it glows that same cool blue that his sister's does
>You see him open his cape before pulling out a small piece of yellow paper
>One that looks like the many that hang from these trees
>"I wish for you to forever be mine..." Sombra says "Always."
>Umbra immediately bursts into laughter
>All the while Sombra continues to look at the paper tag
>"Oh dear brother, you're such a fool." Umbra says "Wishing does nothing, you need to take what you want by force. Still though, I wonder just how many of these have come true."
>In the blink of an eye, both her and Anonymous teleport up to the tree that Sombra is standing under
>"Now let's see here." Umbra says as she digs into the box that holds the tags "Ah here's one! Do you want one beloved?"
>Anonymous chuckles
>"Why not I'll humor you." He says as she hands him one "I mean wishing doesn't get you anything. Just look at Sombra! He wished for Celestia's love and now she's over there loving my alternate self!"
>"SILENCE!" Sombra says as he glares at Anonymous
>Anonymous only chuckles before looking at his tag
>"Sister, what do we do?!" Luna says "This could be our chance to take Umbra and Anonymous down."
>Looking down at his waist, you see him holding the sheath that contains his sword
"It's going to be difficult." You tell her "But we need to get that sword away from Anonymous."
>"Now what to wish for..." Umbra says as she begins to think "I already have everything I want. An empire, a soon to be husband and king, and my idiotic brother. What more does a mare want?"

>"Ah!" Umbra says as she begins to scribble something down
>"What'd you come up with?" Anonymous asks
>"It's a secret! At least I want it to be to the sisters." She says "I'll show you once we get home."
>"You're not going to hang it up here?" Anonymous asks
>"Of course not." She says looking over to her brother "It would be foolish to leave it here. Especially with what's going to happen..."
>Sombra continues to clutch his tag before looking up at the tree
>"I know how it feels, Sombra." Umbra says "To have the one thing you wanted ripped away from you by fate."
>She snickers
>"Actually I don't." She says "I told you to stop believing in fairy tales before you left the empire. They would only bring disappointment."
>"What what a big disappointment it was." Anonymous says "Imagine falling in love with a mare like that just to have her fall for someone way out of her league."
>They're goading him!
>Sombra looks over at them
>"Do it, brother." Umbra says "Let it all out."
>"You said it yourself." Anonymous says "Why should your wish be taken away from you while all these still stand?"
>Sombra shuts his eyes before shaking his head
>"That's right! Why should I be the only one!" Sombra yells "If my wish wouldn't be granted why should anyponies!"
>In what feels like the blink of an eye he channels his magic and ignites the tree in a blue flame

"What are you doing?!"
>"Something that should have been done long ago!" Sombra says as he continues to fire blasts at the surrounding trees
>As more trees ignite into a blue flame, you hear Umbra laugh
>"Good luck trying to put those flames out." Umbra says as she covers her and Anonymous in a blue dome "I really wouldn't want to inhale all that."
>"Agreed." Anonymous says "We should go. No doubt this smoke will draw a crowd."
>Smoke quickly engulfs the area as everything starts to burn around you
>The tags on the trees only serve as fuel for this fire
>Covering your noses, Luna looks to you
>"Sister what are we going to do?!" She says "If we do not act quickly then the wishing garden will be lost!"
>This heat!
>It's making it impossible to think
>Sombra stops his frenzied assault and you watch as he turns back to his sister
>"All done?" She says "Do you feel better now?"
>You can barely make them out though all the smoke, but you can see Sombra nod
>"For the time being, yes." He says "But I will not find peace until I end that human's life and take back my dear sweet Celestia!"
"Anon's life is mine." Anonymous says "My revenge is greater than yours!"
>"Boys can we not do this now?" Umbra says "We really must be going now."
"Wait!" You say as the smoke quickly attacks your senses
>Coughing up the smoke that fills your lungs, your sister rushes to your side
>"Sister!" Luna says as she takes you "We must leave right now or the trees will come down on us! We can find a way to extinguish this flame from the outside!"
>Luna takes to the skies as you watch Umbra open a portal up
>"Bye Celestia!" Umbra says as she waves to you "I'll be sure to keep taking good care of Anonymous!"
>As they walk through the portal, you can only say one thing
"Damn you, Umbra..."

>"We tried to save as much as we could." Alternate Celestia says "But the fire spread far and fast."
>You are Celestia
>As your alternate self tells you of the destruction of the wishing garden, you sit down in disbelief
>"Seems we need to get to Anon as soon as possible." Sombra says "They both want his life."
"I can't believe he hates Anon this much." You say "When none of this was his fault."
>"You have no idea much he hates him." Celestia says as she sits up "Even though I was being controlled, I could still hear and see his plans."
>"So you know everything then." Sombra says
>"That's not all." Celestia says as she sits up "Listen to me, you all have to leave me here and get to your Anon."
"What?" You tell her "There's no way we can leave you here!"
>"That's right!" Luna says "We need to help you!"
>"You have too!" She says "If you don't then you'll lose your Umbra along with Anon!"
>"What do you mean?!" Sombra says "What do they have planned?"
>She sighs
>"Sister?" Alternate Luna says "What is it?"
>"Do you remember when Sombra said he would grab Anon's present?" Celestia says "The present is a crystal. Like the one that was attached to me."
>Oh gods
>"It's meant for your Umbra." Celestia says "They're going to use her to kill Anon."
>Without a word Sombra rushes over to the door

>Planting all your magic under the door, you start to lift
"Hurry up then!" You shout "If she says she'll join us then we can leave!"
>As you start to lift the door, you shout out
"OPEN YOU ACCURSED DOOR!"
>You are Sombra
>After hearing what those two cowards have in store for your sister and brother in law, your body immediately filled with rage
>"Beloved, wait!" Luna calls out
>Spinning around you shake your head as you drop the door
"NO!" You tell her "The time for waiting is over! I am not going to lose my family to these cowards!"
>All of the Alicorns turn to look at you
>"Your eyes have changed." Celestia says as she stands up "I haven't seen that look in a long time."
>Looking towards a crystal mirror, you see that your power has seem to unleashes itself without you knowing
"When Umbra and I get serious, our eyes change and the purple haze begins to flow out."
>"I know." Celestia says as she walks over to the door "Anon's eyes did the same thing after I had Discord take him from Umbra."
>She looks to Luna
>"Let's go, Luna." She says "Umbra and Anon need us more than ever."
>"But what about this Celestia?" Luna says as she stands
>"We'll take it from here." Alternate Luna says "We'll heal our sister and join you all when we can."
>"Go and save them." Alternate Celestia says "You're all our only hope to end this."
>Luna nods her head before joining Celestia
"Anon does not know how to control it yet." You tell Celestia as you walk back over to the door "When he loses himself to his rage his body drains itself almost instantly."

>"Anon always seems to have a problem adapting to our magic." Celestia says "But he's always been able to turn around into his on breed of magic."
"Yes, but that usually takes time." You tell her "We've been trying for so long to harness that power and while we have made some progress, it still drains him too fast."
>"But what about when Umbra was taken?" Celestia asks "You said that Anonymous has fully mastered it."
>You think back to when your sister was taken
"No I said he had full access to the reservoir of magic within him." You tell her "But he doesn't know how to manage it without burning himself out."
>"And with us traveling, there's no way to train him in this short time." Luna says
"That's right." You tell them "I'm afraid that if Anon goes all out then his battle with Anonymous will end before any of us can get to him."
>"Then we better hurry!" Celestia says as she starts to lift
>You and Luna join her as you combine your magic to lift the door high enough
>The sisters make their way across and then hold the door up for you
>As you duck under, you look back at the other two princesses
>The both nod their heads at you as you exit the room
>Dropping the door, you look at your Luna and Celestia
"Come on! We need to get to the top of the castle as soon as possible!"

>Crashing back first in a mound of snow, you shake your head as Twilight soon joins you
>Getting back up, you see Alternate Cadance and Alternate Chrysalis lock horns
>"This is going to end the same way as last time!" Alternate Cadance yells "Only this time I won't let Lady Umbra take you! I'm ending your pathetic excuse for a life here!"
>You are Cadance
>"Just how strong is she?!" Twilight asks as she shakes the snow off her head
"Very." You tell her "Maybe I shouldn't have slacked off on my training."
>Even with their Chrysalis's help you three are still struggling to take her down
>But you can tell that you're making progress
>Looking back, you see everyone still fighting as valiantly as they can
>Even if some are out of action
>You look over to Shining Armor, who's armor has started to break apart
>Glancing over to the portal, you huff
"Come on, Anon." You say "We know you can win this so hurry and do it!"
>You can't be frustrated with them as you can only imagine what they're going through
>"Cadance is it me, or is the sky getting darker?" Twilight asks
>Looking up, you can see what she means
>The sky is getting darker
>"The last time that happened is when our worlds were getting too close to each other." Twilight says "I hope they're alright over there..."

>You sneeze
>Letting wiping your nose, you look up at your Alternate self
>She's glaring at you without turning her head
"I'm s-sorry." You tell her as the cold wind brushes past you again
>You are Ariadne
>After Anon headed up past you, you've been waiting to hear fighting coming from the top of the castle
>But you haven't heard anything yet
>You hope he's still not planning on saving you
>You're more than happy to wait while he saves Lady Umbra
>Hopefully she's okay
>You've been worried sick since they took you away from her in the morning
>She shouldn't be out her in this rain
>Especially with her being pregnant
>"Why are you so weak?" Alternate Ariadne says

>She looks down at you
>"Everypony gets to do battle with their alternate self." She says "And yet her I am sitting her babysitting you."
>She turns to face you
>"Why didn't Mother train you?" She asks "To be her weapon in the shadows."
>You shake your head
>"I-I don't know." You tell her "She never wanted me to fight."
>You see her take on a look of anger
>"Why are you the only one!?" She says causing you to flinch "Why do you deny me the challenge I seek!?"
>You shut your eyes as she raises her spear, before you both hear the sound of heavy steel coming from the hallway inside
>"The False King." Alternate Ariadne says as she readies her weapon "Finally you have arrived!"
>You already know Anon passed by
>So then who...
>"I am sorry to disappoint you." You hear a gruff voice say "But a king is not what comes to you."
>Coming out of the hallway, you see a stallion you're actually happy to see

"Captain Arthas!"
>He looks over at you
>"So this is where you've been, Lady Ariadne." Captain Arthas says "I hope Lance and the other know this too."
>"You are not The False King." Your alternate self says "How did you-?!"
>She stops and looks up
>"Did he already pass by?!" She says before looking down at you
>You quickly looks away
>Best not to let her know you saw him run up there
>"It seems I misjudged you capabilities." Captain Arthas says "Anon is the worst when it comes to being stealthy. He tends to just rush into his problems head on."
>Captain Arthas looks to the stairs on his left
>"So that means he's almost at the top." He says "Very well..."
>You watch him move his cape to the side, revealing the handle of his sword
>"Do not worry, Lady Ariadne." He says "I will have you out of that cage soon."

>You are Arthas
>"You are not worth my time." She says "The Arthas of my world can't even keep up with me, what make you believe you can?!"
>Drawing your blade, you look up at her
"I don't know." You tell her "But I'm not one to pass up a challenge!"
>Holding your blade up to her, you watch as she slowly pulls her spear off her back
"It seems you understand now." You tell her "You can not allow me to go on and help my king."
>You hope Anon never finds out you actually called him your king
"And I can not allow you to help yours." You tell her "Either way, one of us is not making it up there."
>"Very well." Alternate Ariadne says "If you wish to end your life her and now then allow me to be the one to send you to Tartarus."
>She stands and lowers the visor on her mask
>This is it
>You've been waiting to face her ever since you saw her hold her own against the boys
>This may be more than you can handle
>But as you said before
>You're up for the challenge
>"Come then!" She says "My blade will end your existence here and now!"
>You smirk as you and Alternate Ariadne ready yourselves for battle

>As the raindrops bounce off the crystal landing pad, you and Alternate Ariadne continue to stare each other down
>You know what she's capable of from what you saw during her encounter with the boys at the checkpoint
>So long as she-
>You're quickly cut off as she hurls her spear at you
>Reacting right before it strikes you, you dodge to the right
>Getting back up, you see she's disappeared into thin air
"Where did she-?!"
>"Behind you!" Ariadne screams
>Turning around, you hold you sword up just in time to stop a strike that would have pierced right through you
"So that spear does hold magical powers in it."
>Alternate Ariadne doesn't say anything
>Instead she just goes for your legs
>Jumping over the attempted sweep, you ready your sword to bring it down on her
>Only to be met with a hoof to your exposed abdomen
>Landing on your back, you quickly hold your sword up again to block her next attack
>"You fight just like my Arthas does." She says as she puts the pressure on "This is pointless."

>Dammit she's reading you like a book!
"That's funny." You tell her "Last time I checked I didn't have magical armor to fire bolts of fire!"
>Using one of your back legs, you try and kick her like she did to you
>And just as you expected, she dodges and tries to drive her spear into your leg
>Rolling to the right onto your stomach, you buck and drive your hooves right into her face
>The force of your hooves send her stumbling back
>Spinning around, you slash horizontally at her
>She does her best in her stunned state to block your attacks as you keep forcing her back on the main part of the landing pad
>Alternate Ariadne quickly throws her spear straight up into the air
>She vanishes and appears right next to her spear
>You quickly deflect her sneak attack and she lands behind you

>Looking back, this is starting to question your choice bringing her over here
>If only you were born a pegasi
>Turning back, you see that your kick broke apart the face guard of her mask
"If I'm so readable then why did I strike you?" You tell her "I thought you were untouchable!"
>You're trying too rile her up
>Every pony has a limit to how much of a cool head they can keep
>"Silence!" She shouts as she charges at you
>It's just a matter of time before they crack
>Alternate Ariadne goes in more aggressively than before
>Each strike comes faster and more precise than the last!
>Deflecting another attack, you turn the tables and get her back to the edge
>She stands there as the tip of her spear begins to glow blue
>That can't be a good sign
>All Lady Ariadne can do is watch helplessly as you both ready yourselves for your next attack
>Rushing in, you spin before bringing your blade up for a diagonal slash
>Unfortunately Alternate Ariadne sees right though you and uses her spear to launch herself up
>Missing wildly and ending up under her, you watch as she aims the crystal tip at you
>And when it's lined up, she fires a blue bolt of magic right at you
>You try and deflect it, but it was a charged bolt so it blows right past your defense and sends you flying
>Flying towards the edge of the platform

>Landing on the wet floor, you find yourself still sliding towards the edge
>Dammit!
>You're going towards the edge!
>And at this rate you're going over!
>Using your sword, you attempt to stab into the floor
>But with your position and the floor being made of crystal, you can't get it to stab into the ground
"Captain Arthas!" Ariadne says as you go over
>Reaching up, you're able to grab the ledge just before you fall
>You quickly reach up with your other hoof
>You look down
>Why would you do that?!
>You spent so long climbing this damned castle!
>Falling to your death would be a horrible way to go
>Using all your strength, you pull yourself up
>Only to be met with a hoof to the face
>Reeling back, you struggle to keep hold of the platform
>Looking up, Alternate Ariadne steps into view
>"It seems I overestimated you, old wolf." She says "Now you will fall from here and hopefully land on the spiked fence below."
>She holds her spear so that it's pointed at you again
>Upon hear a large boom, you both look up at the top
>They already started?!
>Just how long ago was it?!
>And just how hard are they fighting up there!?
>"It seems you have robbed me of my chance to end The False King." She says as she spear glows brighter "It only seems right that I rob you of your life!"
>Looking around, you see that there's no way of getting out of this situation
>Turning your attention towards her, you stare defiantly at her
>"This is the end." She says as she gets ready to fire
>Jaina
>I'm sorry
>"STOP!" Lady Ariadne cries out

>You both look over to her
>Even in the rain, you can clearly see the tears in her eyes
>"WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN WEAK!? YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Alternate Ariadne shouts exploding in rage "If you could fight then I wouldn't have to waste my time with Arthas's mirror self!"
>She turns her attention to her and takes a step forward
>"You should be blaming yourself for all this!" She says "If you could fight then you and I would have battled to the death!"
>Dammit Arthas move!
>Struggling, you try and pull yourself back up onto the platform
>Now's your only chance
>"But no, you had to stay a weakling." She says as she undoes the cage around Lady Ariadne
>Lady Ariadne starts to scoot away as her alternate self continues to walk forward
>That is until she reaches the edge of the platform
>You're almost up, when you hear her scream out in pain
>Looking over you see that her alternate self has aggressively grabbed a hooffull of her mane
>"In our world. Only one fate awaits the weak..." She says in an almost sinister voice
"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" You shout as your almost back up "Let her go!"
>Alternate Ariadne turns back and looks back at you
>"As you wish." She says as she lets go of her mane before kicking Lady Ariadne right off the platform
>Soon the air is filled with her screams as she falls past you
"LADY ARIADNE!" You shout as you watch her plummet to the ground

>Reaching a set of doors, you look back
"I'm sorry, Ariadne." You say "I promise I'll save you after I save Umbra."
>You are Anon
>After leaving your favorite maid mare, you and Ammy continued climbing the steps along the side of the castle
>Why they even had this large walkway wrapping around the outside of the castle is beyond you
>After walking for some time, you came across this giant door
>Most likely a design choice of Anonymous
>You know exactly what this reminds you of
>Opening the doors, you and Ammy walk through
The heavy doors shut behind you as a blue glow begins to cover them
>Yup
>This is so nopony without wings can get to you
>Glancing out at the empire, you see smoke and magical explosions going off down there
>Everyone's fighting so hard down there while you've been climbing this damn castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6kn9_U8qk
>As the rain and wind begins to pick up, you look forward and then up
>There's the top
>You're coming to the end of this climb

>Walking along the path up, you try and ready yourself
>This is it
>You're going to see Umbra again
>That's what really makes you happy
>It feels like it's been an eternity since you've seen her
>As you walk along the stairs, the arches overhead give you temporary shelter from the rain
>Anonymous and his Umbra will be up there too
>Anonymous...
>You've thought of nothing else but this rematch
>He awoke something inside you when he backhanded Umbra back home
>And you're going to pay him back for that, he can count on that
>You know that he has access to this same power, but this time is going to be different
>Stopping at another arch, you look out at the empire while Ammy shakes the rain off
"It's because of him this world is like this." You say "Are we really that bad for Equestria?"
>You think back to Celestia, Sombra, and the others
>They know what your planning on doing here
>And you know they want to stop you
>But Anonymous needs to be stopped
>No matter what it takes
>Looking at Ammy you tilt your head to right and keep going

>Continue your climb, you see the top approaching faster and faster
"We're close, girl." You tell Ammy "You ready for this?"
>Ammy lets out an affirmative bark
>Smiling, you continue on
>What is even going to be the plan?
>Fight Anonymous and his Umbra off till help can come and get Umbra out of there?
>You shake your head
>What are you saying?
>You know that Anonymous is going to tell his Umbra to stay out of this
>This is between you two
>And if he's anything like you, he'll also be worried about his Umbra getting hurt
>After all
>She gotta be just as pregnant as your Umbra
>Reaching the top of the ramp, you look to your left to find a small set of stairs leading the the very top
>Taking a deep breath, you clear your mind
"Let's kick his ass."
>With that, you ascend the small stairs

>Walking up the small set of steps, you finally after all this time find yourself at the top of the castle
>Coming to the last step, you look across the way and stare for a moment before climbing that last step
>Standing far across from you is Anonymous
>He's staring off into the distance
>From where he's standing he could see you coming down that main road all this time
>Looking over to your right, you see her
>Umbra
>She's currently sitting in a blue ball while next to her, her alternate self is sitting on a chair reading a book
>The both of them are under some kind of makeshift umbrella made of crystal
>Alt Umbra must have made that so that she wouldn't get rained on
>Umbra has her back to you so she hasn't seen you yet
>Taking a few more steps forward, you stop as Anonymous starts to move
>"You showed up." Anonymous says as he looks over his shoulder back at you
>Both Umbras turn to face you
>"Anonymous..." Umbra says as a small smile forms on her face

>You look over and smile at her
>It's really her
>You've only been separated for a few days, but it feels so amazing to see her again
>Judging by her face, you can tell she feels the same way
>As lame as it sounds, you're doing your damn hardest to hold back some tears
"Umbra." You say "I'm sorry I'm late."
>Umbra who is also trying to hold back tears smiles
>"It's alright, beloved." She says "You're here now. I've missed you so much, my love."
"I know how you feel." You tell her "These past few day have been hell without you."
>Ammy lets out a bark as her tail begins to wag back and forth
>"I missed you too, my little fur baby." Umbra says
"Just wait a little more." You tell her "I'm going to get you out of there and save you."
>Upon hearing clapping you and Umbra both look to see Alt Umbra smiling in her chair
>Umbra especially goes from looking happy to see you to a face you hope to god you're never on the receiving end of
>Looks like Umbra's just as fond of her mirror self as you are about Anonymous
>If looks could kill...
>"Aww isn't that touching..." She says with a smirk on her face "It's just a shame that everything you say isn't going to happen."

>You look at your wife's mirror self
>Man it's almost creepy how much they look alike
>She wears blue crystal armor with a purple cape covering her back
>Her horn glows a cool blue, unlike the red hot Umbra's and Sombra's do
>"It seems the both of us are amazed to see that our beloved looks so similar." Alt Umbra says "Almost every single thing about you resembles my Anonymous."
>Her eyes look at your body
>"Your posture screams brute. You can't compare to how refined Anonymous is." She says "And I see your fashion sense is as ugly as your Umbra. Red is such a hideous color."
>You roll your eyes
"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't come here for you." You tell her "Quite frankly I can't stand your constant nagging. So shut your mouth and sit back down."
>Alt Umbra actually reels for a moment and your Umbra looks just as surprised
>As Alt Umbra opens her mouth, Anonymous holds his hand out
>"I'll handle it." He says "No one disrespects you like that in front of me."
>She looks at him before nodding her head and smirking
>"Beloved, free me from this ball!" Umbra says "I know how you feel, but I know you would never hurt me. That goes for other versions of myself. Let me out of here and we'll stop them!"
>"Quiet down!" Alt Umbra says "My husband is about to teach your's how to respect a queen."
>"Just you wait!" Umbra says "Once I get out of here, I'm going to pay you back for everything you've said and done to me and the girls!"
>You look over at Anonymous, who is still just watching you

(The story is still going on. Life just happened.)