[AiE] Disharmony - Part 5

>You are Twilight Sparkle... in shock.
>Your group has begun moving again, back to the camp that this world’s Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are staying at.
>It appears to be situated somewhere in the Everfree Forest.
>Makes sense considering how dark it is at all times.
>The plant life here is still somewhat alive. The trees overhead don't let much light through to the ground, yet there's still grass, bushes, flowers… all sorts of plants.
>Anyp0ny could hide here if they could cope with the dangers.
>The walk has been silent, except for Applejack and Rainbow Dash occasionally asking their duplicates a few things about themselves.
>Everyp0ny else is just shocked by the revelation.
>Your duplicate has claimed that Anonymous has done this to the world.
>He used a crystal to incapacitate the Princesses...
>And the Elements of Harmony are apparently damaged...
>There's so many questions running around in your mind right now, but there's a big one that really sticks out.
>How?
>Anonymous is... for the lack of a better term, an idiot when it comes to magic.
>He's intelligent in his own way; he shows an understanding of pretty much everything he's informed about.
>Everything except magic.
>He chalks everything up to it despite being told continuously about how it works, yet he insists it's just simply 'magic'.
>Sometimes it's frustrating just trying to talk to him about it because you feel your own intelligence slipping out with so much incorrect simplification.
>You love him as much as you love your other friends, but that's something on par with Rainbow Dash's ego.
>It's what makes him who he is, though, so you live with it.
>Regardless, this isn't your world and this isn't your Anonymous they're talking about.
>Considering the state of this world, if what Alter-Twilight says is true, then this Anonymous could be very different.
>You're feeling very desperate to ask for details, but she insisted they move back to camp before anything more was answered, so they could show you some of what they're referring to.
>Apparently they have a piece of the crystal, so you'll want to take a look at that.
>You look over to see your Rainbow Dash hovering above her duplicate.
>It's strange to see her wearing a body suit like that.
>Obviously it's to blend in with the darkness for sneaking around, but the thing that catches your eye is the fact that her wings aren't outside the suit.
>Strange given how much your Rainbow Dash loves to fly...
>She doesn't seem quite as... ‘proud’ as your Rainbow.
>Given what she's gone through with everyp0ny else, that shouldn't be a surprise, but Applejack's double seems to be like her.
>In fact, they were having a laugh about what their brothers had done recently.
>You're glad they're enjoying themselves, but you wish they'd talk a little louder instead of whispering among themselves.
>The silence of this walk is uncomfortable.
>"Applejack, dear..."
>Of course, right on cue, as soon as you think such a thing, someone breaks it.
>Rarity moves closer to the double Applejacks, who both turn to her.
>In unison, they both reply.
>"Yeah?"
>"Yes?"
>Rarity looks at both of them in confusion before realising what she did.
>"Sorry, I mean this world's Applejack, not you, darling."
>Your Applejack giggles a little bit.
>"I was just wondering, considering you two are getting along like old friends, can I expect the same of your Rarity?"
>"What d’ya mean?"
>"I mean, is she as fabulous as myself and will we get along just as well as you are with our Applejack? It would be lovely to chat with someone that shares the same opinions of fashion as my own."
>"Ohhhh. Well, you are remindin' me a lot of her, so yeah, ah'd say so."
>Rarity giggles with excitement at that.
>"Though she may give ya some lip about your mane and tail. They look pretty different compared to hers."
>She gasps in shock at that comment.
>"What?! How could that be?! This style is absolutely beautiful and perfect for a pony of my caliber! How could your Rarity even consider looking any different?!”
>Your Applejack starts laughing as quietly as she can while her duplicate turns to her.
>"Yep, definitely the same pony."
>Your Applejack shakes her head in amused disbelief.
>"Can't believe there'll be two a’ them together."
>Alter-Applejack turns back to Rarity.
>"Our Rarity has a shorter styled mane and tail. She's had it since she helped a Sea Serpent grow his mustache back when we were first going after tha' Elements of Harmony."
>Your Applejack chimes in.
>"Oh yeah, ah remember that. That's when she first showed that she was tha' perfect Element of Generosity. That big guy was havin' such a fit over his missing lip hair."
>The moment that showed you all just how great a pony that Rarity is.
>"Well, of course I remember that. His mustache was far too prodigious just to leave it the way it was. Who could possibly be okay with only having half of their facial hair? It's both unpleasant for the owner and for others that have to see it, so I fixed the issue with my own tail."
>She looks back to her tail.
>"But it grew back when we took hold of the Elements... Did it not do that for your Rarity? Why would she keep it short?"
>"When she cut it off, she said that they were 'in' this season. Then she started gettin' ideas on how she could do short styles and how her mane could match it. Got so excited that she seemed real disappointed when tha' Elements grew it back, so she cut it again when we got back home."
>Rarity has a look of shock on her face.
>"But... it... how... Well, no doubt she'd pull it off; she is me, after all. But how could she have been so excited to have it short? I couldn't bear the thought."
>"I dunno. I don't know what goes on in her head sometimes. Still, you seem like tha' same old Rarity though, so don't you worry nothin'.
>Pinkie starts bouncing up to her side.
>"What about meeeee? Is Pinkie #2 a fun party animal as well?"
>Alter-Applejack looks at her in confusion.
>"Pinkie... #2?"
>"Yeah! I'm Pinkie #1, that's Applejack #1, you're Applejack #2, flying over there is Rainbow Dash #1, walking under her is Rainbow Dash #2, up front is Twilight #2, over there is Twili-
>"Ah' get it Pinkie, we're Universe #2 so yer' puttin' ‘#2’ at tha' end of our names."
>Hmm... it would actually be easier addressing them like that to avoid confusion.
>"And... sorry, Pinkie Pie. Ours has been a little... down since this whole ordeal started. Doesn't do much of anything anymore."
>Pinkie suddenly stops bouncing and gains a look of worry.
>"Wha... why? In times like these, ponies could use a party every day!"
>"Ah know, but events have just been hard… 'specially on her."
>That's understandable, but why does this Applejack look and act the same as yours?
>Swap the cloak for the hat and we couldn't tell them apart.
>"Well then, I'll just have to remind her how to smile!"
>Gaining a look of determination and purpose, Pinkie proudly walks back into the middle of the group.
>Come to think of it, Alter-Rainbow Dash seems different from yours.
>You sort of expect her and your Rainbow to be racing, or complimenting each other on how 'awesome' they both look.
>’What's the harm in asking about it’, you reason. The small, simple chatter among the pair of Applejacks isn't enough.
"So, Rainbow Dash... uhhh, #2."
>She looks over to you, as does your Rainbow Dash, hovering just above her.
"I notice you're not quite as... ‘active’ as ours. Has this situation been as hard on you as Applejack #2 says it has for Pinkie #2?"
>This number system sounds insensitive and somehow complex.
>She snorts a little bit.
>"You could say that. It's been hard on everyp0ny, but some have it worse than others."
"I'm sorry to hear that. It's just that, I sort of expected you and our Rainbow Dash to act like best friends within seconds or something."
>Rainbow Dash suddenly notices.
>"Hey, yeah, you're not even flying. Since when do I prefer walking to get around?"
>Alter-Rainbow looks up at her duplicate, clearly not amused.
>"I just like walking. Our universes are different - you like flying, I like walking. Get over it."
>Well, that's... oddly aggressive.
>"What? What kind of duplicate ‘me’ are you? We're the fastest flyer in Equestria! You don't get like that by walking everywhere!"
>"Well, maybe I don't want to be the fastest flyer. Maybe I want to hang on the ground with my friends."
>That's sweet in a way, but it doesn't quite sound like Rainbow Dash.
>Loyalty is one thing, but even being on the ground with us wouldn't stop her from flying, she hovers, just like your Rainbow is doing.
>Something about this Rainbow Dash is off.
>Your Rainbow is still pressing her.
>"I'm not buying it. I hang with my friends while still flying everywhere; I couldn't picture my life without them. What's your excuse for not flying?"
>Rainbow #2 lets out an irritated sigh.
>Look, I just don't want to fly, okay?!"
>"No, it's not okay. How can I consider you my double if you're not being awesome in the air?"
"Rainbow, please stop. If she prefers to be on the ground, that's fine. Fluttershy likes being on the ground as well."
>This conversation has attracted the attention of everyp0ny else.
>"But we're not Fluttershy. No offense to her, but a Rainbow Dash prefers to feel the freedom of soaring through the air at ludicrous speeds! It's just not right to see me moping on the ground."
>Moping?
>…wait, Alter-Rainbow is doing more than moping.
>She's got tears in her eyes.
"Rainbow, be quiet, you're upsetting her."
>"What? I'm just trying to understand. What's wrong with a little motivation?"
>"SHUT UP!!!"
>Alter-Rainbow's outburst took everyp0ny by surprise.
>Tears now streaming down her face.
>"Of course I want to fly! It's the greatest feeling in the world! Everyp0ny knows how much I want to join the Wonderbolts! I just... I can't!"
>Alter-Twilight rushes over to her friend to comfort her.
>"It's okay, Rainbow, we understand and we know how hard it is to cope with."
>"But THEY don't; they just got here. They can't even begin to understand how hard we have it..."
>You're starting to think this situation is somehow worse than you thought... which says a lot.
>Alter-Rainbow starts wiping the tears from her face before looking up at your Rainbow.
>"I said some ponies have it harder than others..."
>She starts to pull off the bodysuit she was wearing.
>As it comes off she stretches out her wing.
>"...I'm one of them."
>Rainbow Dash looks at her in shock, and falls back to the ground.
>Looking her over, she looks relatively the same, except...
>...oh. Oh no.
>This Rainbow Dash only has one wing, while the other appears to have been removed.
>"You remember when we broke our wing and sat in the hospital for a few days, bored out of our mind?"
>Your Rainbow nods as the situation is still being processed through her head.
>"It's like that, except... infinitely worse."
>Rainbow looks back to her duplicate’s eyes, tears starting to form in her own.
>"I'm... I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't know..."
>Alter-Rainbow looks down in sadness.
>"We've lost a lot. But this... it's not something I can recover from. My hopes, my dreams, even my hobby... they're all shattered."
>The gravity of the situation hits Rainbow hard.
>She starts crying for her new friend.
>"I can't even think about how hard that must be for you..."
>She wraps her duplicate in a hug, which Alter-Rainbow returns.
>This is a side of Rainbow Dash you've never really seen, yet it’s somehow appropriate that it would take another Rainbow Dash to make her feel this way.
"If you don't mind me asking... how?"
>Alter-Rainbow looks over to you, breaking the hug.
>She wipes the tears from her face as the group starts moving again, but everyone is listening intently as she tells the story.
>"It was just after Anon froze the Princesses. We knew what was happening so we had to get that crystal from him. Twilight’s magic wasn't working so we had to come up with another plan."
>Alter-Twilight at the front of the pack chimes in.
>"He figured out how to make shields and barriers with that magic. My own was useless against it, as was Princess Celestia's and Luna's. I don't know what it is, but it was powerful... and looked somewhat dark..."
>Alter-Rainbow picks up again.
>"So we came up with a plan. We needed to get more personal. The Elements were useless, so I decided that if everyp0ny else could distract him, I'd swoop in from behind and grab it."
>Alter-Applejack speaks up.
>"Not tha' best idea, considerin' that we don't know anythin' about it. He just sorta flicked his wrist and we flew backwards."
>"It was still the only distraction I had, so I swooped down and flew right into him. I was hoping it'd knock the crystal out of his hands, but he held on to it. I kept flying circles around him, trying to knock him down, or get him dizzy, anything! At a certain point, he just had enough and..."
>Alter-Rainbow wiggles the nub on her back where her right wing should be.
>Fluttershy speaks up.
>"That's horrible..."
>"Yeah. Twilight saw what happened and zapped us away immediately."
>With her saddening story over, Alter-Rainbow Dash begins to put the bodysuit back on.
>"I just wear this to hide it. I don't want to look back and constantly be reminded of what I lost. I'm just trying to adapt... be more like an Earth pony with a single wing."
>Everyp0ny walks in silence.
>The gravity of the situation seems to be hitting your group now.
>Rainbow Dash, feeling sorry for her duplicate, lands beside her and walks the rest of the way.
>Another 15 minutes pass before Alter-Twilight speaks up.
>"We're here."


>A ridge overlooking a lower portion of the forest has a cave under it.
>It goes surprisingly far in.
>You pass a few familiar ponies on the way through, giving you the thought that this is a small settlement.
>Apparently plenty of Ponyville inhabitants didn't want to remain in town.
>You'd guess being constantly questioned by the guards would do that.
"How long have you been here? Why did all these ponies come as well?"
>While still moving, the doubles of Applejack and Rainbow speak for Twilight.
>"We were gettin' harassed all over Ponyville. They even came to Sweet Apple Acres lookin' for Twilight. Anon seemed pretty convinced somep0ny was hidin' her and told them guards to look everywhere."
>"He even had the guards go question Zecora, so I'm still thinking hiding in the forest isn't the best idea."
>Even Zecora?
>There's hardly anywhere else safe beyond Ponyville.
>"'Cause a’ this, few ponies came with us when we asked for help. Tha' town lead tha' guards somewhere else to keep 'em off tha' trail. Some came with us, like my family. Not much to do with a dead orchard."
>"And the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders besides Apple Bloom were with them. A few Earth ponies came to help, seeing if they could do something about food while we're stuck out here. A few Unicorns and Pegasi joined as well for magic and scouting purposes. We’ve got Nurse Redheart in case we get hurt... Even Cheerilee wants to help for some reason."
>Alter-Rainbow lists off a few more specific ponies from town.
"That's amazing... The town's really sticking together through this."
>"Well, if they came here, yeah, but that's only a few. If the rest aren't here, they're somewhere else or getting questioned every day back in town."
>Rarity chimes in.
>"Why would he have them question Zecora? The poor dear surely wouldn't have known what was happening in town."
>Alter-Twilight speaks up.
>"Unfortunately, Zecora was one of the first few that I turned to. I mean, it's strange magic we don't know about that we’re dealing with here, so I thought she might. She didn't, but she did give me the Alicorn Amulet to amplify my magic to use against Anonymous."
>The... Alicorn Amulet?
>Zecora actually kept it?
"Wow, you used it? And it still didn't work?"
>"Well... no, I didn't use it, exactly."
>She enters a large section of the cave.
>Judging by the layout, this would be where they hold their meetings to make their plans and preparations.
>There's a large table in the middle with scrolls and other papers across it.
>The walls have maps and diagrams hanging from them.
>In the corner, there's a case on a small pedestal.
>Over to the side, you see a small purple dragon on a box.
>Spike!
>At least this world's Spike is still being kept safe.
>Next to him, sitting on a chair, is another Rarity.
>Alter-Spike is holding a few bottles of what look to be some form of mane care, while Rarity has her hooves occupied with the mane of...
"Trixie?!"
>Alter-Rarity, Spike and Trixie stop their chatting to look over to you.
>"What is it, Sparkle? Can't you see that Trixie is having her mane styled?"
>She looks beside you to see Alter-Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow walking to the table in the center, then looks back to see the rest of the group behind you. Her face registers shock.
>"Wait, what is this?! Why are there two Twilight Sparkles in Trixie's presence?!"
>Alter-Rarity rushes to the table to join her friends, no less surprised.
>"Twilight, what did you do?! Who are they?!"
>Alter-Spike joins shortly after.
>"Why is there another you?!"
>Alter-Rainbow jumps in.
>"Settle down guys, they're us. They’re just from another world."
>“‘Settle down’? ‘Another world’? Rainbow, dear, how can you be so calm about such a thing?"
>While she's panicking, your Rarity moves over to her.
>Alter-Spike is already thrilled by the two Raritys in front of him.
>"I must say, darling, I didn't quite believe when your Applejack mentioned that you had styled your mane and tail to be short, but it seems she was telling the truth."
>Rarity is circling her double, looking her over, while her double is doing the same.
>"And I must say, while I personally don't care for the shorter styles, you pull it off magnificently."
>Alter-Rarity's mane and tail are styled relatively similar to your Rarity's, but significantly shorter.
>The mane only starts to reach her neck, but still has the curls and twists through it like your Rarity has, only shorter, and a few extra.
>Her tail is short and has a single twist through it.
>The look would be questionable for some p0nies, but of course Rarity manages to pull it off.
>"... and you certainly look fabulous with your luxurious mane and tail, even if they're at such length. I had them that long once, myself… and I'm getting such a nostalgic feeling looking you over, dear."
>Rainbow Dash leans over to you.
>"This could go on forever; let’s just go talk to Twilight #2."
"Agreed."
>Moving over to join the other three duplicates at the table, Alter-Trixie is still questioning Alter-Twilight.
>"What exactly did you do? One of you is bad enough, but now Trixie has to put up with another Twilight Sparkle? Trixie thought you were past trying to be better than me, Sparkle!"
>"It's not like that, Trixie… Please calm down and go help someone else."
>"Hmph… Fine. Trixie will be with the farm ponies to get something to eat. Dragon, come!"
>Alter-Spike sighs as he begrudgingly follows Trixie out.
>Alter-Twilight watches as her assistant leaves, annoyed by the blue unicorn.
>"Spike, you don't have to do as she says you know."
>"I know, but you look like you need privacy with your... company, so I should probably leave you to it."
>"Thank you, Spike."
>Both he and Trixie leave, but not without looking you over once or twice.
"I take it she's the one that used the Alicorn Amulet again?"
>"Yes, I asked her to come and help us since she was already experienced with it. I don't really trust myself with it... not that it matters because it proved to be ineffective."
>Even the Alicorn Amulet was a failure? Unbelievable...
>Both Raritys have stopped admiring each other long enough for Alter-Rarity to move back into the group.
>"So, will SOMEP0NY please explain to me just what is going on? Not that I'm really complaining because another pony as fabulous as myself being here is splendid, but it's a little concerning when it's ME."
>"Yes, Rarity, everything will be explained in a minute. I'm just waiting for Pinkie to return as well."
>Your Pinkie grows a smile and starts excitedly hopping slightly, trying to restrain herself from bursting out in happiness.
>Alter-Twilight turns to you.
>"Are those the Elements of Harmony in your bag, Twilight?"
>…oh right, you almost forgot you had those.
>All this information has taken your mind off of so much.
"Yes. I thought they were the reason for bringing us here because we were in the middle of an experiment. I put them in this bag while I figured out what was happening."
>"Hmm. Well, that worked out better than I thought it would. Originally I was hoping ours would work for you, but if yours are with you then that eases my mind."
>Rainbow Dash speaks up.
>"So... you brought us here with an untested spell so we could use your Elements of Harmony despite not knowing if we even could, AND despite how you said they were damaged?"
>She raises a good point.
"That's true, you said that your Elements were 'damaged'. Even if they did accept us, how could we have used them?"
>Alter-Twilight rubs the back of her head.
>"You misunderstand. I didn't mean that our Elements of Harmony were damaged, I meant th- Oh! Pinkie!"
>You turn around and see the Alter-Pinkie Pie has walked in.
>She's wearing a black body suit like Alter-Rainbow Dash, and her mane and tail are straight and droopy... and she's not as happy-looking as your Pinkie.
>In fact, you could completely mistake this Pinkie for somep0ny else. It's like an exact opposite of yours.
>Alter-Pinkie looks over in your direction, and while quickly scanning the group, something about what she sees makes her eyes widen.
>"FLUTTERSHY!"
*POMF*
>Her mane and tail explode to the curly, bouncy look they naturally should be to match your Pinkie, and a grin stretches across her face.
>She immediately charges over to Fluttershy and tackles her to the ground, wrapping her in a hug.
>Fluttershy is squeaking with slight fear, but acknowledges her to the best of her ability.
>"Uh... Um, y-yes... H-hello, Pinkie. I'm happy to see you, too..."
>Alter-Pinkie is enjoying the embrace she's got around your friend before her eyes shoot open and she looks at your group again.
>She eyes each of you over before looking over to her friends again, then back down at Fluttershy.
>Like a deflating balloon, her mane and tail straighten out again and drop back down while the smile disappears from her face.
>"Oh... you... you're not..."
>Alter-Applejack moves over to help up her friend.
>"Sorry, sugarcube. Not quite."
>Alter-Applejack shares her sadness, while your Pinkie and Rainbow Dash move over to help Fluttershy up.
>Fluttershy begins to question what just happened.
>"Wh-what do you mean 'I'm not'... I-I'm not what?"
>Alter-Pinkie and Applejack look back to Fluttershy, then over to Alter-Twilight, who addresses everyp0ny.
>"Sorry, Fluttershy. If you'll all gather around the table, I'll explain everything I haven't already, now that our Pinkie and Rarity are with us as well."
>…wait, this gathering doesn't seem right.
>Looking around the table, you count 11 ponies, including yourself.
>Fluttershy also notices and speaks up.
>"Umm... shouldn't we wait for your Fluttershy to show up?"
>All five duplicates look at Fluttershy, then each other, before lowering their heads.
>"That's... that's one of the things I need to explain first..."
>That doesn't sound good.
>Alter-Twilight’s tone sounds a lot sadder all of a sudden. She sighs heavily before continuing.
>"When I mentioned that our Elements were damaged... I didn't mean the actual Elements of Harmony."
>Oh, you don't like where this is going.
>"As you've seen... our Fluttershy isn't here... and... she won't be..."
>Oh no...
>The duplicates are all sadly lowering their heads, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash on the verge of tears.
>Your group are looking at each other, afraid of what that means.
>"What do you mean, 'won't be'?"
>Rainbow Dash asks with a slightly desperate tone.
>"It means she's dead!"
>Alter-Pinkie yells what you all feared, and aggressively slams her hooves on the table before turning her head away.
>This world’s Fluttershy... dead?
>How could that be…?
>Anonymous sounds dangerous, but it's difficult to believe he'd go that far...
>Fluttershy gains a look of fear, starting to tear up as well.



>"This whole thing... Anonymous in power, Celestia frozen, us going into hiding... it all began with Fluttershy going to see Anonymous. He kept telling us that she was annoying him all the time, getting up early in the morning just to torture him by trying to guess his fetish... We never believed him."
>Your Anonymous did the same thing.
>Trying to convince you that Fluttershy is a stalker.
>Eventually he seemed to have stopped caring.
>"Apparently it was true. He took a journey a few years ago to explore the world, take his mind off his problems. He came back two weeks later, showing me the crystal he'd found in some old ruins he stumbled upon. I thought he'd be gone for much longer; he said he'd stay out there for a few months."
"Well, that's odd... ours actually did stay out there for 3 months, but he didn't come back with any crystal, as far as I know."
>"Hmm. He said that it was a magic crystal, and he could actually feel the power it was radiating. I examined it, and it took a while, but I felt SOME form of magic within the crystal… but it felt so minor that I couldn't tap into any of it. It just seemed like an ordinary crystal. Despite that, he kept saying he was feeling great just from touching it. Eventually he started radiating with power from the crystal and he was even able to perform magic with it. It was... unsettling. The magic looked so... dark, yet light at the same time. His magical aura was black and white."
>A dark crystal that responds to him, but not you?
>That doesn't sound good.
"Did you inform Princess Celestia about that? Anything with dark magic shouldn't be tampered with... especially somep0- someone who doesn't understand magic.
>"Of course, that was the first thing I did. She said that she trusted Anonymous and myself enough to let us experiment, but the very second anything bad happened, we were to destroy it immediately."
"But if it was radiating dark magic, why didn't you do that to begin with?"
>"I didn't know if it truly was dark magic. Like I said, it looks dark, but also light at the same time. It was a whole new form of magic, and... I was incredibly curious."
>That certainly sounds like something you'd do.
>Even if her curiosity got the better of her, the crystal responding to Anonymous is strange.
>Your Anonymous can't even grasp how your horn works, yet apparently this one can cast spells...
>"We experimented a little bit. I helped him with some spells, taught him how to feel the magic and use it. He started casting beams and shields from his hands. He even managed to learn to cast spells from his feet, letting him float around. Nothing at great speed, but he could levitate himself to the tops of buildings and such."
>Rainbow Dash hears this and raises a point that you were just thinking.
>"Our Anon is afraid of heights! Why and how would yours be doing stuff like that?"
>"Ours was also afraid, but I guess he used that spell to face his fears. He was excited to be floating around in the air.
>Now you're just feeling like your Anonymous is completely different.
>When you offer to cast spells like that for him so he can face his fears, he refuses.
>"Anyway, months went by, a year even, and we kept experimenting. He could eventually cast a series of spells. His complexion changed slightly, like he'd been awake for days, continuously. He started refusing to let me look at the crystal some more, always keeping it on him at all times for some reason. Eventually, Fluttershy came around to see him one morning..."
"The infamous fetish-guessing?"
>Fluttershy hides behind her mane, looking embarrassed.
>Wow... it’s actually true.
>"I was awake at the time, so I actually saw it. We knew she had feelings for Anon, but he'd always push her away. She was trying to cuddle up to him, hug him, show him affection... everything normal. He was just getting annoyed by it. Eventually, Fluttershy got a little more aggressive, telling him to sit down and pay attention to her. She'd been fluttering and crawling all over him, telling him to put the crystal down. She took his hand with her hooves and made him throw it to the ground, where the bottom part of it broke off."
>Fluttershy does THAT to him?
>Everybody looks over to Fluttershy, still hiding behind her mane, blushing.
>"That... set him off. He panicked when he saw the broken crystal, throwing Fluttershy out of the way. He picked it back up again and just... snapped. It was still giving him power, and he just went over to Fluttershy, picking her up by the neck and yelling at her, holding her to the wall. I tried to calm him down, telling him it was an accident, but he wouldn't listen. Fluttershy looked terrified of him at that point."
>Fluttershy is getting a little more fearful as the story goes on.
>"Then... he just said that he'd had enough... He tossed me aside and the look in his eyes that I saw that day... it was far worse than anything I'd seen in him before. It looked pure evil... the worst I'd ever seen from anything... Fluttershy was still crying and apologising desperately, but he didn't care. He put his hand on her head and... did something. Her eyes, her mouth... it looked like black and white fire was coming out of them. She didn't make any sound as that dark magic was flowing out of her, and she just dropped lifelessly to the ground when he let her go..."
>...
>That's...
>No way.
>Everyp0ny is speechless.
>Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, even yourself, are just standing there, eyes and mouth open in pure shock.
>Fluttershy looks frozen in fear, with the colour drained from her face.
>Pinkie is the first to break the silence.
>"No way. There's just no way Nonny could do that. He's a nice guy and likes Fluttershy..."
>Alter-Pinkie snaps back at her.
>"He's a big, evil meanie! Fluttershy didn't deserve that! That monster just did that without giving her a chance!"
>Alter-Applejack moves over to pull Pinkie into a hug and pat her on the back.
>"There, there, Pinkie. They don't know him; he's prob’ly different in their world."
>"He is! He really is! Nonny isn't anything like you're saying! He's our best friend! Even Fluttershy's best friend!"
>It's true.
>It's really hard to believe he could... kill Fluttershy.
>He still says she's annoying at times, sure, but he then says that he's at least happy she's a good friend."
>Alter-Twilight continues speaking.
>"As you can tell, we were all devastated. It was just... none of us expected anything like that to ever happen."
>Rarity, looking concerned for Fluttershy’s sake, speaks up.
>"So... What happened after, umm... that moment?"
>"He took a few seconds to realise what he just did and started panicking. Like, he'd only just realised what he'd done. He looked back over where he threw me and started shouting that he didn't mean to do it. He just kept holding his head in his hands while he was having that panic attack, and just ran away."
>If he didn't mean to do it, why did it happen...?
>"I called everyp0ny else to try and help Fluttershy, and immediately informed the Princess. She arrived to discover what we already knew... there was nothing she could do."
>Alter-Rainbow Dash and Rarity have tears streaming down their faces... as does your Pinkie while hearing this.
>Alter-Applejack looks like she's nearing that as well, but appears to be trying to hold it back while holding Alter-Pinkie close.
>Alter-Twilight is starting to choke up a bit while trying to continue the story.
>"Princess Celestia took all of us to confront Anonymous. She wanted answers, and justice for taking the life of an Element... We found him on the outskirts of town, under a tree, shaking while still clutching his head with his hands, and he'd looked as if he'd been crying. Celestia went up to confront him, and he was apologising like his life was on the line. He started asking desperately to send him back home..."
"Back... to 'Earth'?"
>"Yes. The Princess had been searching for knowledge on the magic that brought him to our world, but she couldn't find anything. She couldn't send him back home, regardless of how much he wanted her to. Not that she would have at this point even if she could; he had to answer for his crime. When she was about to take him away, he was worried he'd be banished somewhere, or thrown in Tartarus or somewhere just as bad, and started panicking again. Just as she was about to restrain him with magic, he pulled the crystal out again and made a barrier that she couldn't break. Despite the Princess’s best efforts, her magic wasn't working."
>That's still unbelievable...
>The most powerful being in the world, rendered helpless against a crystal...
>"She was completely taken back by his magic, and he just... he retaliated in defense by firing a beam that completely engulfed the Princess and... she was turned to stone."
>That was Alter-Twilight’s breaking point. Tears were beginning to stream down her face.
>Not just hers, though.
>This situation is something you can hardly even imagine.
>The very thought of an Equestria without Princess Celestia because she’s been overpowered...
>That's enough for your mind.
>Whether it's from sympathy, or fear, you're also becoming upset over the situation.
>Alter-Twilight sniffs loudly in an attempt to compose herself before continuing.
>"Shortly after, Princess Luna had heard of what happened and demanded justice. She set out to hunt him down in revenge. When she finally found him, he was still apologising and pleading desperately to go home, but it wasn't happening. Luna was somewhat prepared for the situation, but still met the same fate as Celestia, unfortunately..."
>It's suddenly making sense as to why she wouldn't tell you all this back out in the forest.
>This whole story is far too much for all of you, including your duplicates, to take in.
>"Afterwards... Anonymous ran. The Royal Guards were after him, but even those that found him were no match for him. Everyp0ny he hurt, he just kept telling them to stop. He wasn't killing anyp0ny, thank Celestia, but he was hurting them all badly, in some form or another..."
>Alter-Rainbow Dash squeezes her eyes shut and looks away from the group.
>"He kept promising to release the Princesses if we'd find a way to send him home. The guards were still hunting for him, though, so he went directly to my brother, Shining Armour, to speak to him personally. Apparently he told him the same thing: call off the guards, send him home and the Princesses would be released."
"Shining Armour wouldn't know how to do that, though..."
>"That's right. He was actually asking Princess Cadance to send him home, since she's an Alicorn. He, for some reason, thought she knew how to do that and was powerful enough to do it. He started getting frustrated and hurt her in the process, claiming that it was an accident afterwards."
"Hurt her?! How?!"
>"I'm not sure; I think she was just hit with a normal beam of magic out of frustration. Even so, Shining Armour was powerless to do anything to him, as was Cadance, so he had no choice but to do what he said. He called off the guards and granted Anonymous free access to the Canterlot Library, and ordered the most skilled Unicorns to assist him."
>You can't believe it.
>Your brother is helping Anonymous with this insane task...
>Not even Celestia was able to find a way to send him home.
>Rainbow Dash slams her hooves on the table angrily.
>"Some 'Captain of the Guard'! Why did he just give in? He's supposed to put his life on the line if needed!"
>"You can't blame my brother, Rainbow. Everyp0ny has their limits, and when he saw a seemingly-unstoppable force hurting the one he loves, he had to make it stop. I'm not saying I agree with what he did, but I understand why he did it!"
>Rainbow sits back down, frustrated after hearing that.
>"The last time I saw Shining Armour was shortly after he agreed to help him. He told me that Anonymous has the guards looking for me. Being the Element of Magic, and an Alicorn, he's putting his hopes on me being the only one left that could send him home... Shining warned me and let me go because he's putting his faith in us finding a way to stop him."
>Rarity speaks up.
>"Well, after so many months, it seems you haven't had much success."
>Alter-Twilight now looks at all six of you directly.
>"That's why I need you. Why I made the plan to bring you here."
>Everyp0ny surrounding you is focused on Alter-Twilight, listening intently.
>"We've tried everything. Magic, physical attacks, sneak attacks, tricks, natural remedies to alter the earth around him, Trixie with the Alicorn Amulet... we even negotiated with some Changelings to be empowered with love and try to take him down, but nothing has worked. The only thing we haven't tried is what we're unable to use."
>You glance at the bag over your back.
>"The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful force in this world. With our Elements... damaged... we need you. Your Elements. It wasn't a simple matter of only bringing over Fluttershy, either. Our Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity still exhibit their Loyalty, Honesty and Generosity, but with Fluttershy gone, Pinkie hasn't had much enthusiasm to represent her Element anymore, and I've been using so much of my magic on Anonymous and these experimental spells that brought you here that I feel practically drained. I can do a simple spell still, but otherwise I think I'd only have enough magic left to send you back to your world. So I'm putting everything on this, because if it fails... I don't want you stranded here with us."
>And there's the explanation you'd all been waiting for.
>Your Elements of Harmony are the only hope left for this world.
"...And you're not even sure whether or not the Elements will work?"
>Alter-Twilight shakes her head.
>"It's the only option we have, though."
>Everyp0ny is looking skeptically at each other.
>It's a gamble... but it's one you simply cannot turn down.
>This world has suffered long enough.
"We'll do it."