Starlight Glimmer was working hard in Twilight's library that sunny morning. But it was not for a sunny reason. Everything that had been happening lately had her on edge. First the monsters, then came Gaster, then Chara, then the Anomaly, and that is nothing compared to ERROR_SANS and Sombra making an appearance. Things were getting out of hand and she needed to help find answers any way she could.

Fortunetly, she had help.

"Chara, find anything?" She asked of the boy. As she looked in the section on alternate realities, Chara was checking into dimensional rifts and the mysterious power of Fanfics.

"Not much yet. Did find some intresting stuff here though. Apparently there are a few alternate realities that this dimension has catalouged, all related to Equestria."

Starlight blinked. "Really? Like what?"

Chara came over with a book. "Take a look. The more common ones include one where Equestria became a ruined wasteland, and survivors of a fallout struggled to survive. In another that is very similar Ponyville has an added pony, a really pink fluffy one who has eternal love for Chrysalis and tacos. And in another it seems we never existed, but instead the dimension was visited by an immortal human with wings."

Starlight hmmed. "This could confirm something that Sombra said, how every possible choice has some alternate reality tied to it. I have seen the wasted land one myself, thanks to my encounter with Sans and Twilight. The others.... Well We know they exist as well thanks to Molestia." She looked up. "How is she by the way?"

Chara chuckled. "Alright. She moved out to Las Pegasus last I heard. Runs a companion service, which means according to her not solely sex, but also just talk or even just someone to comfort you if your down. She is doing quite well too. As for her zombie ponies... well Twilight has them helping out around here."

Elsewhere in Ponyville, Derpy smiled as Festershy delivered her fresh made batch of muffins, accidentially losing an ear as she handed the basket to her. Derpy smiled all the same, which made the zombie give back a kind, almost tearful, smile in reply.

The thought of it made Starlight giggle. "Well, good thing we still have hope then. Seems every challenge we face gets a second chance... even you and me."

Chara smiled. He loved Starlight more than any other pony because they were so similar in many ways. They shared a bond of being bad guys turned good, the pony instrumental in getting Chara a second chance. While it had resulted in a loss of some memories, most were coming back, and the bad ones he had a lot of help dealing with. The two were together often at the former villian meetings, and had become good friends as a result.

But now was not the time to reflect. "We need to focus for now. We have to find something to stop Error and Sombra. I doubt either of them will repent their ways."

Chara nodded. "Yeah, plus I do not think the Anomaly is gone. Even though it took the six souls, I doubt it would be so easy to defeat. It would take dozens more I thought to completely erase such evil."

Starlight nodded, the two looking through books once more as Frisk entered alongside Spike. With them was some hayburgers for Starlight and some fresh baked apple pie for Chara. The two former villains smiled at their friends as they all gathered around the table.

"Thanks Frisk." Chara said. "Wish I had better news, we haven't found too much to contain the two."

frisk nodded. "I understand. Maybe we can help?" Spike nearby nodded.

"Thanks guys, we could use all the help we can get. But aren't you both busy with chores?"

Spike shrugged. "Twilight is in Canterlot for the day to discuss with the princesses about recent events, and Toriel and Asgore went with her, so we can focus our efforts away from chores for now."

Frisk smiled. "And before you ask Chara, Asriel is already coming. He just had to help out Muffet with her baking again."

Everyone giggled at that. "I can imagine how he is... HELPING... with that!" Chara said.

Spike hmmed as he saw the books the two had found so far. "Looks like your focusing on alternate realities. Think it will help?"

Starlight nodded. "We think so. As far as Chara and I know, this dimension has been influenced in some part by the authors NGrey and Misterebony. We know little about them, except they have influenced dimensions of Equestria before in alternate realities. However, ours is the first case of them working together."

Frisk blinked. "What other realities do you mean?"

Chara shrugged. "we are not sure yet. Dimensional research was sketchy at best based on the books and we have limited resources, but apparently starting a few years ago Equrestria has crossed over with many dimensions, including ones with living animatronics, humans clothed in space armor, and even ones where ponies were giants out to destroy the universe. We cannot be sure how much of i is true or not, but one common theory is that each dimension was influenced, at one point or another, by something called Fanfics."

Spike nodded. "I remember you mentioning that guys. But I thought they were just stories based on different favorite characters."

Frisk sighed. "In some ways yes. But some dimensions have true power in fanfiction. In a sense they explore those 'other decisions' that Sans mentioned. Fanfiction is therefore actually very powerful. It is possible, however unlikely, that they hold the key to the Completionist Anomaly's power. After all, the first question a fiction writer asks is 'What if?', isn't it?"

Everyone was silent at the implication. Did it mean that the authors had more sway than they thought, or were they all still capable of free will? Starlight finally smiled.

"Fanfiction only explores one path though, and an author still doesn't know the end until it's written. So our actions may still hold sway in this world. And sooner or later the authors will depart when their part of the story ends. Maybe they are just preparing us for that end to come."

Spike sighed. "Or preparing the bad guys."

Again there was silence.

*******************

Starlight continued to read the books, still unsure of the implications that had been said. She looked up as the door opened, Asriel walking in, covered in dough and groaning. Starlight was about to speak but Asriel just held up one of his chaos sabers.

"Dont. Ask." He said, fuming. "I thought this was done when I was no longer a flower, but noooooooooo, now I got MUFFET to worry about instead of ponies!"

Starlight laughed. "Oh no, you poor thing. But then you can always say you got really into her baking!"

Asriel glared. "You need to stay away from sans, lest you become another.. .BONE head."

Starlight lost it at that point. it was the laugh she needed given the serious talk. Chara peeked around at the sound.

"I thought that sound meant you were here goatbro." Chara said, hugging the flour coated goat monster. "Glad your here too. We need to go speak to the authors."

Asriel nodded. "I can try. Thing is lately the one has been harder to get in touch with, and the other... well it seems he is getting into a game of some kind. Both are going to be hard to reach right now."

Starlight hmmed. "A game huh? Maybe I can help. I know about a lot of games, and maybe I can reach him through them."

The others gathered about and pondered. "Worth a shot. But we will need some extra help. Too bad we cannot just call on Gaster." Frisk said. "I have a hunch he might help us."

Chara pondered. "Well, I think so, I mean he is helping me, I am sure of it. I think Gaster just cannot interact as himself. He needs a vessel to interact with."

Starlight nodded. "Well, we can make him a temporary one... maybe one of us?"

Spike raised a claw. "I'll do it. Besides, it might be nice to help out in some waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Suddenly Spike's color began to dim, a scar appearing on his one eye, the other becoming empty. Grey Spike looked about, crossing his arms. "You know, it is rude to talk about someone when they are listening."

Frisk smiled. "Sorry Dr. G, but we kinda need your help with the fourth wall. Asriel and you have both broken it, and Chara did some. We think with that much power we might be able to reach the Authors and get some help."

Gaster/Greyspike nodded. "It is plausible child. But be warned. Doing this may very well speed the danger that is to come. Knowledge of the creators can be a dangerous thing."

Starlight nodded. "That may be, but you got a different idea? Twilight and Toriel and Asgore are working with the princesses on the direct route.. .so we think we can try something.. indirect."

Spike/Gaster nodded. "Alright. We will try." He looked through the fourth wall, watching the author Misterebony appear. NGrey was away at work it seemed, his area empty. "Alright.... it's open. You realize this interaction will cause his typing to glitch some right?"

Starligth nodded. "If we canget help it is worth it. Besides.. it may prove that they can interact with us.. .and maybe not just them."

Gaster/Greyspike nodded. "Alright. I'll relay a message to NGrey on his messenger service, you try to connect with Misterebony." he turned to Asriel and Chara. "I'll need your help keeping it open. If it gets unstable, Starlight will be trapped outside the dimension... and she cannot exist outside it."

Asriel nodded but Chara went wide eyed. "Wait... so she could...."

"Cease to exist, yes. But we have to try." He turned to Starlight, who made ready.

This would be intresting.

****************

Edward smiled as he looked at his newly downloaded game. He loved Yu-Gi-Oh almost as much as My Little Pony and Undertale. Heck he LOVED games period, and being able to play one he hadn't for some time was pretty awesome. He smiled as he started the app, smiling as  he began to build his deck.

But as he looked through the cards, he paused. There was one that seemed out of place. It showed the title Fourth Wall... and had a picture of a certain pony.

"Starlight?!" He asked.

32rhfwefw

e

we

42t

wre

 

fqw3e132e12r432t4323

tg

3g

qweg32t2yt432y43yt432

After some glitching on the tablet all of a sudden, Starlight turned her head to the author, speaking through the speaker. "Oh good, it worked! Now look, start as game quickly and ask for me as an opponent, we need to talk, and that act will stabilize us for a time."

Edward blinked in shock, but considering since starting Undertales of Friendship with Ngrey the two had been directly effected by Gaster, Molestia, the Anomaly, and now Starlight, nothing shocked him anymore. He just wondered how many of these instances Nick was having, and yet not speaking of yet.  Saying nothing he started a game, choosing Starlight as an opponent.

"There we go. Now then, I need to talk to you about Error."

Edward looked at his starting hand. then spoke. "Well, why ask me? Nick was the one who brought him and Sombra into the story, not to mention Molestia." He played a familiar card. "And since we have to play, I guess I start by summoning my Red Gadget."

Starlight smiled. "Nice play, you now get a yellow Gadget right?"

Edward blinked. "How did you....?"

"You forget our dimension has crossed many others. As a result when I broke the fourth wall I got knowledge on how to play this game easily."

Edward sighed, deciding that this was beyond logic and ended his turn. "So... what do you need to know?"

Starlight drew a card, and played out a Lightsworn Paladin. Oddly, it resembled a pony version of it. "Well, we need help defeating ERROR_SANS and Sombra. We know they are not beaten yet." She hmmed. "I'll have my paladin attack."

Edward watched as his gadget was destroyed, losing life. "Indeed. Simply defeating foes like that one way isn't enough." Edward drew. "They always rise up." He summoned out Yellow Gadget, getting a green gadget, then played double summon.

Starlight blinked as Yellow gadget was tributed to summon a Gadjiltron Chimera. "And sometimes.... stronger than before."

Edward nodded. "Right. See... this is something Nick and I both know. Evil doesn't like to play fair. Gadjiltron attacks your paladin, and after destroying it will deal an extra 700 damage!"

Starlight winced in pain. Edward blinked. Of course she would. For her this game was actually real, considering she was IN the game! "Sorry, you alright?!"

Starlight winced. "Yeah... I've faced Sans remember? That was nothing." She reared up. "Ok... so now you have a big foe... just like we do. How... how can we beat it?"

Edward pondered. "The key is finding out where you are weak and where you are strong."

Starlight blinked. What did Edward mean? Why couldn't he just tell herrrrrrrrr..... ohg no... she was glitching... she had to hurry.

She drew and laid a face down and a spell. But Edward sighed.

"A good try but not enough." He drew and played Space Typhoon, destroying the facedown, then playing Smashing ground to destroy the face down Lightsworn Hunter. Starlight was defenseless.

"Listen to me." Edward said. Relying solely on what you always do will not work in some cases. See Gajiltron as your enemy. Then look at your hand."

Starlight looked and saw the truth. In her hand was a way to discard cards... enough to summon a powerful beast that could have won her the game. She looked as Edward spoke.

"Sombra and Error are the toughest things that Equestria has seen but more is coming. I cannot tell you much, but when the time comes you had better remember what the heart is."

Starlight blinked. "The heart? why?!"

Edward was about to answer as she felt a pulling. She knew her time was up. Even as strong as three wall breakers were she could not come through for long. The Anomaly was able to do so since he had power in this world, but not Starlight... there was no Starlight in Edward's realm...except on TV.

Starlight left with a lot to think about as she saw the duel lost. She began to worry as she saw it. Something bad was about to happen, and when it did simply fighting it would not be enough.

There had to be another way to stop the two and whatever else was coming.

*****************

As his tablet reset, Edward sighed and decided to email NGrey, asking about work and story progress. For some reason he could not say what he wanted to, something was holding him back from telling Starlight the way to beat what was coming. Why? He and Nick both knew it.... so... what was stopping them?

He decided not to find out just yet, but returned to the writing. He figured the group had enough to worry about when the time came, and began to write something silly to lift their spirits. He just hoped it would do so.

He chuckled. wondering why he cared so much this time. He'd have to ask Nick later.

THE END