Pandora's Box

"I will be alright until we get to Ponyville." Violet assured Matt. "I'm simply unused to only having two legs. How do you stay balanced being so top heavy?"
Violet walked using her lance as a crutch. It was a nuisance, truly, to have to rest so much of one's weight on a crutch. Walking as a human with a third leg was one of the most awkward things Violet had done so far in her life. Sentencing traitors and deserters to death, especially ones that had been decorated as heroes, was a close second. This only took the cake because of the immediate physical impact that it had.
"I feel myself growing more and more accustomed as I walk, but I'm still unsure of myself. I may topple over at any second without assistance." She said remorsefully, patting her lance with one hand.

"The Everfree Forest has pretty much always been this way. No pony normally came inside its borders without good reason. However there was a zebra that used to live here." Noire said. Her mood had somewhat improved upon entering the cool shade of the forest. The sound of wind rustling branches and bushes, the creaking of wood, the sound of creatures stalking them, it was soothing. She had stopped hovering and walked calmly beside Anthony. The two of them hung back a bit from where Violet struggled to keep pace with Matt.
"Years ago, Equestria was like you probably expected. Everypony tried their best to be friends, to work together harmoniously. However two of the Element Bearers, Honesty and Loyalty, had a tragic disagreement about new regulations set down by the Princesses. The two were best friends, at times some thought they were more than that, but their disagreement was too toxic for their relationship to survive. Loyalty sided with the Princesses and their decision. Honesty couldn't stand what was being done, even if it was for the good of all Equestria. The revolution began in secret at first, but then the calm protests and actions developed into a full blown Civil War. Mercenaries from neighboring kingdoms were recruited. Griffons, dragons, yaks, zebras... it was a mosh posh army that rose up around the Apple Family. The Element of Loyalty, being a Pegasus, stood with the militarized Wonder Bolts and the Royal and Lunar guards. The war wasn't long, but it was bloody. In the end, Bearer of Honesty, Applejack was dead. Rainbow Dash killed her. The Element of Harmony was returned to the Princesses. It was a sad day."

Noire spoke without much feeling. This was all simply recitation of history to her. It had been a common topic of debate in the state academies, which side each pony thought was right. Fights broke out constantly among foals in the year that they were asked to debate a side. What was reinforced, was that a united Equestria was the only viable Equestria. It was a harsh propaganda tactic. The result was a fierce revulsion towards the Anarchists.

"Things seemed to settle down a little after that. But borders had been drawn. The new kingdom, calling itself Appelia after the Apple Family, took up it's position in the south and southwest areas of Equestria, using the Everfree Forest as a physical border. This forest became a No Pony's land. Plenty of refugees from both sides died here, killed by many different things. At one point, they tried to make a Remuneration city called Forgiveness in the castle ruins we were just at. In the first joint operation since the war, Both Equestria and Appelia razed the town, but left as much of the castle ruins standing as possible. With that done, and both Equestrian nations entrenched in their dogma, life went on. Then came the kicker."
Noire cast a glance at Violet, as though trying to make sure the pony-turned-human wasn't close enough to overhear, then continued a bit quieter.
"Violet's Grandfather, a stallion named Shining Armor, had an unfortunate accident. This caused him to stare death in the mouth. Having your life so suddenly cut short, he took to the libraries in the Crystal Kingdom. Despite Princess Mi'Amore Cadenza's worries that her husband was going crazy, she stuck it out. Kept their children away from their father and tried to be both a mother and a ruler at once. Being an Alicorn gave her an extended life, they live for thousands of years. Shining Armor and Cadence both knew she'd outlive him and any of their children. But beign faced with such an early death terrified him. He eventually found a forbidden book filled with dark magic. By using a spell, he resurrected the tyrannical former ruler of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra. The two of them made a pact, in return for living forever alongside his wife Shining Armor was to be the symbiotic host for King Sombra. The two combined and became one, calling itself Somber Shield. At first his wife was terrified of him, but eventually she, and the rest of the Crystal Empire, accepted the new King. Under their leadership the Umbrum army beneath the Crystal Empire was awakened, leading to strained tensions with Celestia and Luna. Twilight Sparkle kept the two Kingdoms on friendly terms, being Shining Armor's younger sister.

"Next came the destruction of Yakyakistan. It was a kingdom of yaks... obviously. It was flat out genocide orchestrated by King Somber. Twilight Sparkle was devastated. She led the remaining elements of harmony to dethrone Queen Cadence and King Somber Shield. The armies clashed and fought. After months of war, both sides agreed to a truce and the repatriation of the Crystal Empire. Yakyakistan, having all of its original inhabitants either dead or fled, remained as a trophy for Equestria. The ice fields there held good resources for technological advancement.
As years went on, Harmony was somewhat reestablished. Until the Changeling War. Queen Chrysalis had been defeated years ago, and a new queen, Queen Ontogeny was now in command. After the war, it was discovered that the Changelings had completely taken over Saddle Arabia. In the beginning of the war Appelia was hit the hardest. Appleloosa was all but wiped out, and the most southern of their territory was overrun. At first Appelia was on its own, but attacks against Equestria brought both equine nations together. Unity was achieved in the face of a larger enemy.
The war went on. In the end we won, forcing the Changelings back into the Badlands for the most part. Appleloosa and most of the southern lands were left poisoned and inhospitable by the retreating Changeling Army and the effects of our MegaDet spells. To the South of the Everfree Forest is a decaying wasteland. There are some ponies, burnt out by the Changeling occupation and the effects of the arcane energy, that are basically dead, but still moving. A quarantine was issued and guards garrisoned permanently. We've taken to calling it Hollow Hoof Wasteland. On account of the ponies there being brain dead. Kind of a dumb name, but it stuck so...
Anyway, the restoration process was going well. The resources from Yakyakistan helped speed up the rebuilding. Some ponies, too terrified or broken up by the Changeling War went and lived up there in the cold north. Life was getting back to normal as ponies tried to forget the recent disturbances under the guidance of Twilight Sparkle and the surviving members of the Element Bearers. A clever guise by the Princess was to begin looking for new ponies to wear the Elements that had lost their owners. She thought up a test and issued it to every pony that had recently graduated from school. The Element Evaluation test was big news and distracted most ponies by giving them hope for a future. Of course there were a few who disagreed that there needed to be more Harmony Bearers, after they had caused the beginning of the cycle of war and all. Dusky Doom is a member of this group.
then everything went to hell after Rainbow Dash was assassinated. The investigation found no conclusive evidence as to the assassin. What it did do was bring up ancient tensions between the different kinds of ponies. The real question is how the hate against the Pegasi came into existence. The fallout couldn't be controlled and it eventually resulted in the Pegasus Riots. Cloudsdale and the agitators were banished from Equestria. They went to the Griffon Kingdom and have since done their weather tending over there. Weather here has more or less gone into disarray without the Pegasi controlling it.
They still send raiding parties against our outlying villages. Groups of Pegasi and Griffons dive down out of the clouds, loot and pillage towns then retreat back into the sky. Defense is basically impossible."

Noire paused her history lesson and took note of their scenery. "Oh, we've made it to Ponyville."

 

Anthony listened to the story in complete silence, his expression showing a mix of confusion, sorrow and utter disbelief all at the same time. When they stopped and Noire finished her history lesson, he took a moment to collect his thoughts and finally managed to form a somewhat coherent sentence.
"So, uh...we're still talking about ponies, right?"
He scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound as rude as it came out, it's just...I didn't expect that kind of history from a place that has talking ponies. I mean, seriously, all that political intrigue and stuff sounds more like something out of Game of Thrones than a place called Equestria. Wow. I guess it's true what they say."
He gave a quick nod.
"War. War never changes."

After that, he walked along in silence for a while trying to answer all of the questions going through his mind. Do political assassinations happen very often in a...pony kingdom? How could a pony even hold a weapon to kill other ponies with? How much does it cost to hire dragon mercenaries? How did anyone take a rebellion by the "Apple family" seriously? Apple family...is that some kind of mafia thing in Equestria? Does King Somber always look somber or is that just a name? What's a MegaDet spell? It kinda sounds like Megadeth, so does it kill people-- or ponies in this case-- with the power of metal? How DO you end up with a name like Dusky Doom? As much as he wanted to ask these questions and even more, he decided against it. He figured that his new pony friends might think the questions were a little...insensitive.

"Really, though...it's a shame that all those terrible things had to happen. It makes me think that if only we'd gotten our powers sooner, maybe we could have stopped all of it from happening. We could have taken Equestria under the protection of the Dae'Uhl and..."
In mid-sentence he trailed off, realizing that he didn't even understand the words that were coming out of his mouth.
"What...was I saying just now...?"
All of a sudden, a wave of dizziness came over him and he stumbled and fell to his knees, his eyes looking blank and empty. He heard a voice calling out to him but it sounded so far away, as if he was only hearing a faint echo.
"Are they...calling for help? No. It sounds more like...a warning..."
Then, just as suddenly as it came, the voice disappeared and he was back to his normal self. The only sign that it even happened was a faint trail of blood leaking out of his nose. He quickly wiped it away and looked at the others with an awkward smirk.
"Well, that happened. Maybe I pushed myself a little too hard fighting that giant dragon robot."
It was a weak excuse that even he didn't believe, but they had more important things to take care of so he wanted to drop it and move on.

 

Matthew looked very flatly at Anthony.
"Ok, making a note of that word."
He swore to everything sacred that the way this day was going, someone was going to get very satisfactorily punched.
"I'm hungry." He wasn't really, but he said it because eating something would be a good stress release.
"Where does your aunt live?"

 

"Everything looks like a kid's show from far away. Once you start to dig into it, you uncover bucket loads of things roiling just below the shiny surface. You couldn't have helped us, we've only just figured out this interdimensional..." Noire paused as interference of some kind splashed around her. A red flag popped up in her mind and she turned the instance over for several cycles before leaving it for analyses later.
Dae'Uhl...?

Violet had cast a glance at Noire when Anthony stopped talking, there was the faintest hint of oddness around him. Noire met her gaze but betrayed nothing on her mind. Giving Violet a feeling of regret at their strained relationship. It was true that she beat herself up for not waiting the few seconds required to pull them both out of the hive, but the festering anger at their only valid plan for survival was ridiculous. Violet had no way of knowing for sure, but wouldn't be surprised if Noire originally came from Appelia or sided with the Element of honesty.
"Do you see that giant tree looking building made out of crystal?" Violet said to Matt. "That's where we're going. I'm sure Aunt Twilight will have something ready to go for us to eat."
With that said, Violet set off at an eager pace for the castle.

-------------------
Gaelix sighed as he wandered through the crumbling old ruin. He picked up a chunk of masonry and inspected it before tossing it aside. "Just like the real thing." He said idly. He went down into the basement looking for the right room. It took him a little while but he eventually found the decaying Organ to the Outside.
It had been an odd enjoyment of his, playing this instrument despite having no pony around for its intended function. He enjoyed the sound the music made, even if it was over a thousand years out of tune.
"Noire?" He called out calmly. The light grey pegasus appeared standing off to the side of the keys, standing about half a foot in height.
"What do you need?" She asked numbly.
"How are you doing?"
"Is that all you summoned me for?" Noire asked giving him an annoyed look.
"I know how all of this makes you feel."
"Yeah well, it's kind of hard to argue when this is all the life you have left." Noire retorted.
"I left the back door open, a vessel is waiting." He said hiding his emotions.
"What kind of life is that?"
"The kind that you control, Poet." He turned and looked into those tiny orange eyes. The last notes from the organ echoed away into nothingness as the silence returned. Noire regarded him with an odd look before vanishing. Gaelix sighed again and resumed playing. It was a terrible plight that the Pegasus was in.
"I have too much of my mother in me, I wonder."
The only answer was the out of tune organ and the far off sound of stone rubbing against stone.

---------------------------
"Aunt Twilight? It's Violet Sky." Violet called down the dark corridors. There was no response.
"She go to Canterlot? Maybe she's visiting Cadence and Somber?" Noire suggested.
"Even if she isn't here, there should still be food. We can also rest here tonight if we so wish." At her words, the crystal walls seemed to light up brightening the entire castle.
"Hello?" Came a slightly nasally male voice. A purple dragon with a green mo-hawk of ridges on its head trundled into view. It stood taller than Noire and was thin with long limbs. Two small wings stood out from its back.
"Hello, Spike." Violet said warmly. "Where's Aunt Twilight?"
"Violet? Why are you a human?" The dragon asked curiously.
"I got transformed by someone in another world." She explained brusquely. "I was hoping my Aunt could change me back."
"Oh. Well Twilight isn't here right now. Princess Celestia sent her off on a mission with the Element Bearers. But there could be a spell book in the library. I'll go check. Make yourselves at home." He said, vanishing down the corridor he appeared from.
"Little guy seems high strung." Noire observed.
"He's always been that way."
"Yep, that's how I remember him."
"Anyway, let's go to the kitchen and eat. I hope you don't mind vegetarian." Violet apologized to Matt and Anthony.

 

"Nah, that's fine by me."
Actually, he really preferred meat but he didn't want to be rude. Besides, he was happy just to be getting food.
"So, that Spike guy, is that what dragons look like around here?"
He didn't let it show, but he was sort of hoping for something a little...different. Something more like Smaug, Alduin, Charizard, Dheginsea...instead, what he saw was Spike.
"I don't know why I was expecting anything else from pony world. Oh well..."
Keeping these thoughts to himself, he let out a small sigh before looking back up at Violet.
"So, what are these "Element Bearers" you mentioned--"

"OOOOOOHHHHH YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Anthony turned his head towards a nearby window.
"...Did anyone else hear that just now?"
"I'M YOUR FRIEND!"
"Seriously, what is that?!"

A few moments later, a voice came from behind the front door. It was a very deep, gravelly voice that belonged to a pegasus with a bright orange coat and a light purple mane. He wore brightly-colored sunglasses and a dark purple hat which somehow helped make him look like the most fabulous AND the manliest pony you've ever seen. He raised a hoof and knocked on the door a few times, his voice echoing through the halls of the castle.
"Pardon the interruption but I'm lookin' to talk to the Princess. Real important, got a lot to talk about, yeah. Don't go freakin' out 'cause I'm one of the pegasi 'cause lemme tell ya; this stallion ain't out lookin' for a fight, dig it!"

OOT: Ladies and gentlemen...I give you, Macho Stallion Randy Saddle.

 

OOT: My body.
It wasn't.
It just wasn't ready.

Matthew's anger was actually dispelled by the sight of the incredibly stupendous pegasus that grinned at them.
"No," he said deadpan. "I don't mind vegetarian."
He inclined his head politely. "With all due respect, we are also on our way to see the princess, and would you be so kind as to let us have a slight meal first? We have travelled far, and are hungry."

 

OOT: It's okay. There's no way it could have been.

When Randy saw that there were a group of humans in the palace, he gave a slight "Hmm..." and adjusted his sunglasses.
"Humans in Equestria, comin' from some land way far away or maybe the other side of the planet or maybe even...another world. Strange bedfellows, yeah, but not even a problem! The Macho Stallion don't discriminate by color, race, creed or even species, don'tcha know."
With an exaggerated gesture, he pointed to himself and suddenly started speaking loudly.
"AND DON'T MIND ME if you need to take a break and get somethin' to eat, yeah. You gotta do what you gotta do to keep yourself strong; after a long day of work comes a long night of rest, you know? Not even a problem at all if you're doing what you gotta to so you can get back to doing what needs to be done, dig it!"

He then sat down right where he was, waiting patiently for someone to open the door.
"Patience is a virtue and I'm one of the most virtuous pegasi I know, and I've known quite a few pegasi who don't even know the meaning of the word, oh yeah. The Macho Stallion's right here whenever you're ready."

Anthony stared awestruck at the Macho Stallion, completely overwhelmed by just how majestic this creature was.
"You've gotta be...the most amazing pony I've ever met!"
He was so overcome with joy, he could almost cry.
"I just...I didn't even know. I had no idea that something so...beautiful lived here in Equestria."

"MACHO MADNESS, YEAH!!"

 

Noire and Violet both stared at the pegasus. Violet was just flabbergasted. Noire suspicious. Was he the interference?
"It's nice to meet you, though I may nto look like it right now, I am Commander Violet Sky. I lead the combined forces of the Unicorn and Earth ponies of Equestria. My Aunt, Princess Twilight Sparkle is away, but I'm sure I could be a temporary stand in. Is that acceptable?"

During this time, Noire had circled this new pegasus. It acted somewhat like Anthony... but way more exaggerated. A quick command search brought up no Reference ID on him, so he wasn't part of the code she spawned. So how in Celestia did he get in? A thought came... If this was because of Gaelix's backdoor, she'd fry the draconequus's brain. If that could even faze a being of pure chaos.
"Who are you?" Noire asked him, dropping the words directly into the pegasus's mind. She was prepared to firewall the aberration entirely. Once it was contained she could study it in detail. If it was Gaelix he'd probably punish her again.

 

"Commander of the Sky, yeah, pleasure to make your acquaintance! If I didn't know who I was lookin' for, I might say that you could be the pony I originally meant to find, know what I'm sayin'?"

Anthony shrugged, a large smile plastered on his face.
"I don't know what he's saying and I don't even care. I'm just loving this right now."

Trying to ignore the other pony circling him, Randy continued.
"So I was lookin' for a chance to join up in your stable, dig it. I think you'll find that I can be a valuable asset to have around, yeah, 'cause I am the cream of the crop-- Macho Stallion rules the skies and don't you ever doubt it, YEAH!"
Just then, he heard a voice in his mind. He whipped his head around a few, trying to find the source. When he couldn't find it, he lowered his gaze and pulled down his sunglasses slightly.
"Happened so fast, I can't even talk about it, yeah. Strange things happening in Equestria lately, don't ya know; seems like someone's trying to get into communication with the Macho Stallion if you get what I'm sayin'. Don't know why, been havin' strange dreams too, yeah. Even thought I saw a dragon-looking thing one time, don't know what that was about-- but mark my words...strange things are goin' down."

"Wait...so I'm not the only one hearing things?"
He immediately regretted how he phrased that sentence.
"I mean...not in a weird way, like a crazy "I'm hearing voices" way, more like--you know what, forget it."

 

"I... see." Violet said, slightly confused by the answer. She sort of fidgeted for a few moments, unsure what to say now. "Well... I guess I'll go get our food together. Matt, I don't really know what humans like. Maybe you could help me?"

Noire stopped moving and stood next to Anthony. Her side lightly touched his leg. A feeling of slight discomfort came to her at the realization of her slight attachment. It was a betrayal of herself, but it was oddly comforting. Plus being faced by this anomaly made it... more comforting. What's happening to me? This human pets me and I'm going to start fawning over him like a clingy cat? Get it together Grim.
"Why did you come to see Princess Twilight?" Noire asked him, suspicion in her voice. Maybe he was an agent of the Princesses, like she was. Though having a Pegasus as an Agent was odd. She thought she knew all of them. Maybe she was missing a file...
Let's try this again.
"Hey. You, over here. Fellow Pegasus, Agent Noire. Did the Princesses send you?" Noire once again sent the message directly into Randy's mind. He'd better respond this time...

 

Randy was starting to piece together how this new form of communication works and tried took a shot at responding.
"SOME KINDA TELEPATHY! Okay, yeah, I've got how this is goin' now."
He then spoke up out loud so as not to leave the conversation hanging.
"Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and the fiction that you thought was the truth...was actually just a figment of your imagination all along, don'tcha know? I'm here to do the things I said I was gonna do 'cause I always do what I say even though I don't always say what I do-- but the Macho Stallion don't ever go back on his word, dig it!"
He then went back to telepathic communication with Noire.
"Agent Noire, yeah, here's the deal. You're talkin' to Randy Saddle from Recon Squadron Cerberus; that's all you're gonna get for now 'cause this stallion's mission is under a Class 7 Seal, dig it. Top of the line secrecy! Now, let's get back to actin' normal 'cause we don't wanna cause a scene and start throwing things outta whack, you get what I'm saying?"
He purposely avoided her question about the Princesses, wondering if she asked that because she is working with them herself or she might be looking for ponies who are.


"Hmm..."
Anthony furrowed his brow as he watched Noire closely, wondering if he should say anything.
"Ah, what the heck. Well...she might kick me in the groin or something, but whatever."
He knelt down in front of Noire so they were at eye level and tilted his head slightly, a look of genuine concern on his face.
"Something on your mind, Noire? Maybe it's just me but I'm feeling the rage a little more than usual right now."

 

Matthew nodded, casting a glance at the two ponies looking at each other.
Suddenly he became aware, as he had done in the past, that something wasn't being said. He was unusual like that - he could miss the least subtle undercurrents in conversation after a thousand dropped hints, but when someone was trying to keep something as secret and casual as possible, he could practically sense the change in the air.
"Well, if you liked grass I'm afraid humans can't stomach that." He got to his feet, helping Violet up as well.
"It's alright though, we can handle most substances. Show me what there is."

 

Violet led Matt through an exquisite dining room where a large root system adorned with shining crystals was hung. The kitchen had a coldness to it, as if it was rarely used. Despite this, everything was well maintained. Violet made her way to a large sliding door and tugged it open. Behind it was a room full of barrels and sacks filled with grains, hay and flowers sat in small bundles, apples and carrots among other vegetables satin a corner.
"So this is what we have." She said to Matt. "What do we do?"

"It's. Fine." Noire said trying not to growl. This Seal 7 was going to be an issue. She knew that there were agents against the final answer, but none of them had been able to breach the defenses to the interface before. So this set a precedent. But paradoxes? Surely they had something more severe planned. This was likely a ruse...
"Hopping universes is draining. I need rest." Was her curt, this-should-be-obvious, explanation.

Suddenly what felt like claws shredding into her mind assaulted her. The edges of Her Equestria began trying to come apart into individual packets of code. The attack made her swoon, but she caught herself. Solidifying her cipher and changing her algorithms based on an inverse probability equation. The random change should buy a large amount of time. Unless they were also using inverse probability... which meant an entire realignment of her matrices. But doing that could cause some serious kickbacks. But if the ties were severed, what would happen? Her data so far didn't have an answer.

"Things are sometimes no more complex, despite how closely you gaze or observe." Noire stated cryptically, gazing into Randy's eyes.

Beneath the Crystal Castle, there was a room cooled by liquid nitrogen and arctic air. The humming of computers was mind numbing in its intensity. Each bank routed power to a cylinder full of an opaque fluid. Within floated a female pegasus. Her green mane floated out from her head and flank like tentacles. Her eyes were closed and her wings extended in a relaxed position. Noire floated in the oblivion of Her Equestria, a tool of the Princesses.

 

Reacting on reflex, Anthony was moving to catch Noire as she looked like she was about to keel over, but he saw that she was regaining her balance and backed off. He had a concerned look on his face as he spoke up.
"Yeah, I'd say you definitely need some rest."
With a wry smile, he gave her another quick pat on the head even though he knew she might react with a little...hostility. He made it a point to take a few steps back when he was done.

Randy spoke up, sounding just as intense and hot-blooded as always.
"Hoppin' universes, you say? Ooh yeah, that could definitely take a toll on you and you don't wanna go overpayin' the toll at the gate, dont'cha know. If you push yourself too hard then you're writing checks your body can't cash! Then you might end up at a completely different gate in a completely different universe, a gate...to the afterlife. I'm talkin' about being careless and I'm talkin' about throwin' your life away for no good reason-- don't wanna do that, oh no."

Anthony, who somehow understood all of that perfectly, gave a firm nod.
"It's just like he said, oooh yeah--AHEM!"
He stopped and cleared his throat when he realized he was starting to sound exactly like Randy, gravelly voice and all. He tried again in his normal voice.
"...Like Randy was saying, you don't wanna push yourself too hard. Try to let some of that stress go and relax for a while, okay?"

"YEAH! Just take it easy, everything's gonna be alright."
Randy lowered his head slightly so Noire could see his eyes looking directly into hers.
"You start takin' things too far, asking too many questions and tryin' to work out complicated things that you should be leavin' alone and it just causes nothin' but trouble. So just try an' take it easy for a while."

Anthony raised an eyebrow and gave Randy a curious look.
"Okay...now this is just sounding oddly cryptic, but I think we get the gist of it. Come on, let's poke around a little and see if we can find a bed."
With that, he started to lead Randy and Noire into the other rooms.

 

"Well, the grains, hay and flowers are no-goes, I'm afraid. Everything else should be ok."
Matthew picked up a carrot and bit off the end, spitting it out and starting to eat the rest. "Do you think you'll have any issues returning to your old body?" he asked once he'd swallowed - he was far too polite to talk with his mouth full.

 

Noire felt her mouth screaming. It was an incredibly odd sensation. She walked quietly behind Anthony and Randy, but she was screaming. What the hell was happening at the interface? Whatever it was her connection was being siphoned off. Was it...
She couldn't really think straight right now. So she just followed the others for... whatever it was they were looking for.

In the chamber beneath the Crystal Castle, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight sparkle stared at the young pony in suspended animation.
"Is this truly necessary?" Twilight asked the others.
"I'm afraid it is." Celestia replied. "We've all read the Draconequus's report."
"There comes a time one must take uncomfortable measures." Luna said placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Loyalty has its place, but Duty takes precedence."
Cadence remained silent during the meeting.


Violet thought about it for a while. "It depends on what kind of spell Spike can find. He's been my Aunt's assistant since he hatched the day she got her cutie mark. So he's a very index oriented dragon. At least now that he's finally settled into puberty."
Violet let out a sigh and picked up an apple. She inspected it for a few moments before taking a bite.

Spike came walking in, he held a leather bound tomb under his arm. "Equus Formus" He said raising a glowing claw. Violet's body seemed to melt as it reformed into it's true shape.
"There!" He said smugly as Violet looked over her Unicorn-ness.
"Thank you, Spike."

 

"Alright, maybe it's in this room...or maybe not...I can't tell at this point."
For all of his newfound power, Anthony still had a bad habit of getting lost.
"Man, why can't this castle have some kind of map? Like one of those big things that has the little "you are here" arrow on it."
He then realized how strange that probably sounded."
"Right. You guys might not have that here. Never mind, forget I said anything."
He let out a small sigh and continued on.

Eventually, they made their way to...the kitchen, of all places.
"Yep. I definitely got us lost."

"Not even close to where we wanted to go, but it might just be close to the place where we were meant to be in the first place, yeah."
Randy chimed in, trying to give a few words of wisdom as he motioned to Violet and Matt.

Anthony has a slight smile on his face when they found the others.
"Well, how about that. I guess we're pretty much un-lost now--"
He stopped suddenly when he realized something was different. Actually someone was different. Very different. He had a slight look of disappointment on his face.
"Wow. You really couldn't wait to change back to your pony form, huh? Though I guess I can't blame you, I'd probably try the same thing if I was turned into an entirely different species. Hey, more importantly, can you point us to the nearest bed? Noire's feeling pretty woozy from all the dimension hopping and she could use a place to rest up."

 

Matthew took the appearance of a dragon in stride, as he was starting to understand that generally speaking nothing made sense any more.
"I think we could all do with a rest, to be honest."
He placed some apples in his pockets, snacks for later.
"Lovely to meet you, Spike. I hope we can become better acquainted at some point. As for right now, I'm actually quite tired. So Violet, if you could direct us towards somewhere we could sleep? I would appreciate it," he said as politely as only a British man can.

 

"A place to rest?" Violet asked, glancing at Noire in way that could appear hostile. The pegasus balked at the stare. Then Matt spoke up. "I see, well it would do us no good to exhaust ourselves prematurely."
That being said, if Noire was acting out of sorts then something may be wrong. And if something was wrong then serious problems would occur.

Violet led them to the sleeping quarters and gave them each a bedroom. Once all of the doors had closed she took Noire into her own room.
"Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Don't play around. Tell me whats happening outside. I can feel some kind of disturbance. Microtremors."
"It's nothing, Commander."
"Do we have to do this, Noire?"
"Dusky, it hurts." Noire said suddenly.
"I know you don't like this. But we have no other choice."
"They're hurting me."
"Who is?"
"Dusky..." Noire whimpered as she slowly sank to the floor. Small bursts of static erupted across her body, showing the true pony beneath the avatar. The way the young filly said the words tore through Violet, even after these hard years she still remembered when her friend had staggered into the throne room half dead.
"IT BURNS!" Noire shouted. "IT BURNS DUSKY! HELP ME!"
Violet took the pegasus into her lap. Noire buried her muzzle into the warm fur of her chest.

Violet opened her eyes and looked around the sterile room. Using her magic she unplugged herself from the variety of cords and machines that enwrapped her. If it wasn't for the flimsiness of her outfit, it could be mistaken as a futuristic body armor with an advanced helmet covering her head. Violet got up off the bed with some minor difficulty. The atrophy of her muscles after so much time spent in a dive was slowly taking its ultimate toll on her. Moving out into the hall she passed the rooms that held Matt and Anthony within the virtual world.
The main chamber was her goal. She stepped through as the twin doors opened with the hiss of seal and watched as her friend's body writhed in its chamber. The fluid that sustained her was bubbling, making it hard to tell the boiling liquid from the air bubbles emitted from around Noire's mask as she screamed soundlessly in agony.
Celestia's horn glowed with a faint orange light. A blind rage filled Violet's mind and a dark shroud descended onto her vision. When it was lifted, she stood with one hoof digging into the princess's throat, slowly choking the air from the alicorn. Blood ran from a deep gash on Celestia's head and there was a wound in her side that flowed blood. Violet felt a cool fluid run down her cheek. Celestia looked up in shocked rage before Violet was sent flying across the room.
Luna approached the unicorn, horn aglow, hatred and rage burning in her eyes as she prepared for murder. Violet had little chance in a fight against the centuries old alicorn, but there would be wounds to show from it. That she promised herself as she regained her footing and drew the twin blades from the gear rack that she'd been thrown into.
"Enough!" Celestia boomed as the two ponies were about to clash. Luna paused, her attention diverting to her sister. Violet moved on her opportunity, twin blades aiming to decapitate the princess with a scissoring motion. The weapons went flying away from her as Twilight stepped between the two.
"Leave us." She said quietly. "Now!"

"Sister, come." Celestia said. "Allow Twilight the chance to clean her own house."
The two sisters left and Cadence followed behind after a moment of hesitation. Twilight rounded on her niece.
"How dare you atta-" Twilight began in a scream that was quickly cut off as the blades, once again held by Violet's magic, came to a rest on both sides of her throat. Blood welled up along both razor sharp edges.
"You do not hurt my friend. I don't care if it is Celestia doing it. I will kill her next time."
"Would you kill me next time too?" Twilight asked her.
"Yes." Violet whispered. The blades dropped to the floor and the unicorn stepped past her aunt to the vat that contained her friend. She gazed through the murky liquid as Noire stopped writhing.
"The contaminant is growing inside of her. We can't keep her safe for long. If she is lost to it then all of our efforts are in vain. You know that."
"She'll be better!"
"I happen to have a oslution to your little problem." Gaelix said civilly as he appeared out of nowhere. "However our young friend deigns to keep rejecting it."
"Tell me!" Violet said, her body falling into an attack that she diddn't mean. The Draconequus simply dodged it.
"It's her choice." He said, fading away.

Twilight and the other princesses had gone. Violet would need to watch her back around Luna from now on. But Celestia was the real worry. That pony didn't seem to have a soul. The stories of ponies that simply disappeared had been circulating since she was a foal. But once she'd been givne command and the full extent of the dungeosn beneath Canterlot were made privy to her, Violet knew that Celestia was no benevolent ruler.
Gingerly she broke the seal and lifted Noire out of the vat. The young pegasus took shallow breaths, most of her body was covered with burns that Violet began to treat. The insect wing on her right side seemed warped slightly, but it could just be the liquid coating the glassy material. Noire had been corrupted by the Changeling science. Roughly 40% of her DNA was now there's, and it was growing more and more as time wore on. Violet noted that the black splotches on her friend's beige coat had deepened in color and grew in size.
"It's okay, NoNo." Violet whispered kindly into her friend's ear. "I'm taking care of you."

Back in the virtual world, Violet lifted Noire onto the bed and gently tucked the pony in.
"Sleep well NoNo." Violet said.
"Dusty..." Noire mumbled in her sleep. Violet smiled.
"My offer still stands." The Shadow Lord says from behind her. Violet turns to see the young human with the writhing blackness surrounding him.
"Gaelix, tell me what this offer is all about." The Human Draconequus smirked. "I'm ordering you, Saboteur."

 

Matthew's mind was tired. His soul was tired.
He thanked Violet kindly, bade everyone a good rest, and was asleep the microsecond his head hit the pillow.

The lights from the bar gleamed brightly, refracted a thousand ways off his glass. He turned his attention from that to the beautiful woman lying next to him. She smiled gently, and stroked his cheek as they watched the women slide up and down the poles, turning and flourishing their natural gifts. Only now a few of them appeared to be ponies.
"Your tastes are changing," she teased as she flicked him playfully. "I knew you were difficult to satisfy but come on, now you've got your sights set on quadrapeds? Spicy."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's been a while since we've talked, you and I. And every time we do talk, there's never a good ending."
She smiled sincerely, leaned in to kiss him, and he blocked her lips with a finger. "How many times do I have to tell you no?" he said softly, sounding almost pained. She sighed. "You really are determined to play boy scout. You want to enjoy yourself so much..." Her bodice glowed in the dim murky lights, and she lifted her leg up on him as she pressed their bodies together. "Is it really so bad? Surrendering? Giving in..." Her eyes flickered up to meet his. "...to what you really want...?" Her lips moved to his and they brushed, just so briefly, and then Matthew was holding her by her shoulders, his eyes iron.
"I. Said. No."
She chuckled, not in the least bit hurt by the latest refusal of thousands, and rested her head on his shoulders, all attempts at seduction forgotten. "You never change. That's why I love you."
He held her softly in his arms, cradling her gently as the music pulsed. "Stop talking. Just rest with me. Just... sleep."
"I can't. Not while you're in danger," she whispered, and he looked down at her. "What do you mean?"
She looked up at him disbelievingly, gesturing around. "There are ponies in your subconscious. That's not a good thing. They're in your mind. They've already taken your mind. Don't let them get me too."
The ponies were dismounting the poles, and were now stalking towards them, their horns starting to glow. Their eyes were blank.
Matthew got to his feet, fists clenched. "Get behind me."
She made no move, only tugging on his shirt to make sure he looked at her. "This isn't real, Matthew. None of this is real. None of what you saw out there is real. You've been lied to. You know it's true, but you're so scared of your instincts you can't let yourself feel your way to the truth. You can see the truth here, with me. I can SHOW you the truth. Let me out and I can set you free. Please, LET ME PROTECT YOU!"
Her voice rose to a scream, as the ponies lunged -

Matthew sat bolt upright in bed. Or tried to.
His body was different. He could sense that instantly. He felt... shorter.
He looked down at himself.

The resultant yell shook the castle to its foundations.