“What?!” Twilight exclaims upon hearing Raindrop’s claim.

“It’s true,” Raindrop replies, “I heard the entire thing go down,” But before she can explain what happened to Twilight, the alarm bell rings as hundreds of mares run by the open door to the main room. Twilight lifts the No-Pony onto her back as the two join the motley flood. Upon reaching the lobby, the large group joins an even larger crowd, with everypony now listening to General Apple’s announcement,

“Attention everypony of the RAEM, I’m afraid I have disastrous new for y’all. Empress Midnight has apparently snuck into our base and stolen the Alicorn Amulet from our security.” Everypony gasps in fear as screams and yelling begin to echo from every corner of the large room. “GET A HOLD OF YOURSELVES EVERYPONY! We have nothing to fear.”

“Nothing to fear?!” Major Jack screams from behind Twilight and Raindrop, “Do you not flipping get it? We’re dead! Game over mare, game over!” Uproar follows as the masses begin to question Apple’s leadership that has seemed to lead them to this dark turn.

“Calm down, I know what you’re all thinking. Yes, I was the one who held responsibility for this night and I didn’t check security of the amulet before heading to bed.”

“You should be!” The marshal yells as she pushes past the crowd into the small clearing surrounding the alarm bell pedestal the general’s at. “When I said that Midnight would probably be gone for the night, that doesn’t mean ditch everything! I couldn’t believe what I saw shortly after Midnight fled the scene.”

“Rarity, I’m sorry,”

“It’s Marshal Rarity to you, Private Apple!”

“Are you seriously demoting me?”

“Obviously,”

“You’re part of it!” Raindrop screams from deep in the crowd. Silence soon washes over as everypony turns to look at her and Twilight. Twilight covers her eyes with a front leg from embarrassment.

“Little pony, what makes you say such a ridiculous thing?”

“I was there, I heard you softly weeping so I decided to stick around inside the vault to make sure you’re alright. Then Midnight entered and you both talking to each other before she took off with the Alicorn Amulet.”

“What a silly claim, you have no proof. Who would even believe you, a blind pony without her cutie mark snooping around in a world that she barely understands?”

“Twilight does, right?” An awkward moment of silence sets over as no response can be heard. “Twilight?”

“You are obviously not well. Medic Fluttershy, take her away as I resume my position of power.”

“What about that necklace she gave you?”

“…”

“Yeah,” A skeptical Aaron adds as he walks towards Marshal Rarity and examines her chest with the pendant still attached to her. “I did wonder where she got that…”

“Does it matter to you where I get my jewelry from?”

“Also,” Daniel replies, “I saw you chatting with the ponies that were supposed to keep the shield active, a couple of hours before it was stolen.”

“Well I-”

“And no pony just slips out of Midnight’s grip.” Major Borris adds, “It all seems too suspicious from what I’ve experienced…”

“What is this, a Filly Noir? This is not a mystery game. Applejack has clearly neglected the responsibilities of being a leader, causing the eventual doom of everypony here.”

“Marshal Rarity,” Private Apple asks, “Are you lying to us?”

“…”

“Are you working with Midnight?” Small chatter starts to scatter around as they all see their leader biting her lip and sweat pouring down her face.

“… So what if I am?! You are all a bunch a liars!” Angry screams and shouts burst throughout the army coupled with the stomping of thousands of hooves against the floor.

“Us?! You’re betraying us for the biggest liar of Equestria.”

“Oh really? What if I were to tell you that Captain Dash is dead?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, she’s right next to Major Borris.”

“Look again you senile mare, no bruises, fur more tame than usual, her actions, it’s completely obviously true.” Rainbow looks to her left to see Borris’ pupils shrunk and his body kneeling on the floor. The private makes her way through the crowd to get a closer look at Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow, are you, who we believe you are?”

“No,” the blue pegasus sadly answers, “it was just-”

“It’s my fault,” Borris interrupts, “I lead you all to believe that she was Captain Dash.”

“You lied to us?” The general asks with a shocked face printed on her head.

“Yes, but I did it with the best of intent. I know I couldn’t let you, the marshal, or anypony else know our captain died in the clutches of Midnight. I gave a small lie to keep you all happy, then rather giving you a painful truth that would distract you of your duties.” A small stream of tears begin to pour down Apple’s face as sobbing and loud cries can be heard all over the room.

“…”

“Miss, I’m sorry,”

“I understand what you tried to do, just leave now, you’re excused from this meeting.”

“But-”

“Just go, now!” Overcome by embarrassment and fear, Borris quickly shoves his way out the back of the crowd and runs away into the corridors, shortly followed by Rainbow Dash.

“Midnight was right,” Marshal Rarity replies, “friendship is weakness.”

“Get out. If you think being with a cold-blooded murderer, a backstabber, a liar, a villain is what you want, fine.”

“You and these ponies surrounding merely fear how powerful I’ve become. The same was with Midnight before we betrayed her.”

“We did the right thing, and we shall continue to do so, and I will not accept having a traitor among us. Now get out of here, now!” The marshal gives a loud snort and slowly walks towards the stairs to the surface, with ponies backing to the sides, creating a wide clear path for her. As she reaches the foot of the stairs, she looks back and they all see her eyes slowly beginning to water before she turns back around and goes up to the upper world. Applejack approaches her counterpart and asks,

“So, what do we do now?”

“I don’t know, my head isn’t feeling well.”

“Mind if I help sort out this chaos for ya?”

“You can become the marshal for all I care.” The demoted general then walks away from the gathering and towards the chamber where the Alicorn Amulet was once held.

“You heard what she said,” Applejack climbs on top of the small pedestal in the main room before continuing, “I may not be a successful commander on my own, but if we all work together, we might be able to still hold a chance.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Gruncle Boris argues, “She has two Alicorn Amulets, she’s now a hundred times stronger than ever before. And she stole three of my books while I was using the bathroom!”

“Now hold on, that may be a problem, we can still be victorious if we play our cards.”

“In your dreams,” Jack yells, “you barely even know about the RAEM. If anypony wants to join me, I’ll be hiding in my room with the door barricaded.” Soon, a two thirds of the entire group start to slowly head back to their rooms to wait for their final minutes being free.

“Wait!” Pinkie exclaims, “You all can’t leave now! What about all those sad ponies that need your help out there?”

“Think of all the Morks,” the lieutenant adds, “if you quit now, what will happen to your friends and family?”

“They’ll forever be Midnight’s minions, and nothing we can do will change that.” Aaron replies while levitating several of his books and research journals from the lab to him.

“Where are you going?” Daniel asks his brother.

“I’m going to the mountains north of the Crystal Empire. I heard word that there are several ice caverns hidden in the faces of the mountain range.”

“Then why didn’t you tell us about this location before? We could set up another base and continue safely.”

“I was planning to go without telling anypony, so to have better chances of sneaking past the Mork-infested Crystal Empire.”

“You were at least going to bring me right?”

“…”

“Right?”

“…”

“But, I’m your brother; we’re supposed to look out for each other.”

“Whatever Mom or Dad told us when we were young no longer matters, the world is going to Tartarus, and I want to live every second I can without you or anypony else dragging me down.”

”But we made the Anti-Mork Spray,”

“Do you honestly think that garbage would work? Face it, anything that had you involved in the creation of it ended up as a flop.”

“Aaron, please, you seriously aren’t doing this to me. I’ve known you for all of my life, and you would never leave a friend behind.”

“Times have changed for the worst. Goodbye.” Aaron then walks up the stairs, carrying his pile of books behind him and leaving Dan a couple of hooves away from the stairs. Daniel Grump then turns around and heads back to the lab, shortly followed by half of the remaining third.

“Rarity?” Applejack asks upon looking to her side to see Rarity with a shocked look on her face.

“I don’t believe it…” She quietly mumbles, “How could I do such an evil thing to my friends?”

“Don’t beat yourself up over another pony’s actions,” Applejack tries to approach her friend to comfort her, only for Rarity to back into a corner and bark,

“Don’t come any closer to me! I don’t want to hurt you,”

“Please, you don’t have anything to worry as long as I’m by your side.”

“You saw what happened, that could be me. In fact, it IS me, and I’m scared for your sake. For you, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow, everypony,”

“I know you, and that Rarity is not MY Rarity, and if you accept that you can become what you fear, you will become it. You will never become a traitor Rarity.”

“I’m still unsure of myself.”

“Don’t worry, maybe the medic can help you out. Right, Medic Fluttershy?”

“I can try,” the yellow pegasus sniffles, “I-I-I’ve done physiological recovery before.”

“I’m really sorry about what you must be experiencing right now, even I’m shocked at what just unfolded.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s her fault. She, Midnight, has guided my friend in betrayal like how she betrayed us, has killed my oldest friend, and has destroyed the homes of both my animal and pony friends. She’s the fault of everything.”

“Cool down, let’s just recover for now.”

“You’re right, come help me Flutter, Creampie is about to come to her senses anytime now.”

“Coming,” Fluttershy replies as the two and Rarity exit the lobby, leaving only Twilight, Raindrop, Applejack, Boris, Spike, Daniel, the two Pinkie Pies, and a hoofful of other ponies in the large room.

“Hey Pinkie Pies,” the yellow stallion asks, “want to try to make these last moments count by cheering up the foals?”

“Okay.” The two pink Earth Ponies reply and they soon exit, followed by Boris announcing,

“I’m going to go try to calm down Major Borris.”

“I’m coming with you Boris,” Spike replies as he follows the black unicorn out of the lobby.

“I might as well check on the other me then,” Applejack adds before leaving as well, bringing the rest of the ponies behind her except for Twilight and Raindrop.

“Twilight,” Raindrop asks, “why didn’t you support me during the meeting?”

“Well I…” Twilight nervously replies, “You had to admit, it was a bit far-fetched upon first hearing you claim that the other Rarity was a traitor.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t trust me?”

“I didn’t say that, I was just a bit skeptical, but now we can confirm you were right and we can move on.”

“Why wouldn’t you believe me? Have I ever lied to you before?”

“No, it’s just, considering your… condition… You could have just had a bad dream or mistaken something you heard.”

“So you’re saying that being blind makes you less credible than a normal pony?”

“No, no, no, it’s complicated,”

“I may have spent my life secluded from the outside world, but I’m not as naïve or stupid as you make me out to be.”

“Well you certainly not stupid, that’s for sure.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should’ve known better than to step on your hooves that have never actually touched the floor since they’re always crammed in your golden slippers.”

“Why are you giving me so much lip recently, what have I ever done to you? I’m getting pretty tired of you belittling me like that.”

“That! This whole Little Miss Perfect routine you’ve been doing ever since we left the castle. All you’ve been doing is showing of your smarts and trying to involve yourself in something you can’t even see!”

“So it is because I’m blind!”

“Not only that, it’s also because you’re overconfident, a show-off, spoiled, and quite frankly, a pest.”

“You’re a pest!”

“Oh, real original, I wonder how you came up with that one…”

“Just because you can see, does not make you better than me, you’re just jealous of me.”

“At least I have a cutie mark, a calling in life. You and your kind on the other hoof? You don’t, all your ponies do is cower and speak cavepony,”

“I hate you!”

“You know what Raindrop?” Before Twilight completes her angry statement, she rips of the jeweled saddle and throws it onto the floor, flinging the book inside it several meters away. “I don’t have to take this garbage from you, you can go die for all I care! No pony needs you and everypony sees you as a nuisance!”

“Celestia cares about me, Midnight!” Raindrop then slams herself against a wall and slides along it before finding the hallway, running from Twilight in a crying fit.

Did she just call me Midnight? Is that how she sees me as? But I’m nothing like her, am I? Twilight then looks over to the saddle she tossed and sees that the book that was on her was the pink one that Borris and Boris found in the library. She levitates it to her face to get a closer look at the worn cover and comes to a disturbing realization. It’s my friendship book! But why is it like this? Why was it in Gruncle Boris’ room? What happened to the me from this world? I guess there’s only one way to get some answers. Twilight then rushes into her room with the other two books she picked up and reads Boris’ next diary entry while finding her generation in the family almanac;

Dear Boris,

I may have just found the solution to my dilemma! A day after finding an ice cavern to keep Isabelle safe, I’ve come across a unique group of ponies that live in the ice caverns. At first, they seem like normal Earth Ponies wearing dark robes, but then I saw that they had no cutie marks despite them all being adults. They were also extremely technologically advanced, even without magic; they have come up with inventions that the smartest unicorns predicted wouldn’t be invented for a hundred years. They also appear to be very knowledgeable of our speech despite them not being able to speak it. I told them of my problem with the Sparkle Blood Diamond and after speaking what sounded like mumbling gibberish for a minute, they presented me with a black hoof-crafted necklace from what I assume is made of a mix of Dragon Scale Wolfram and Buffalo Tear Obsidian. It had an indent in the center that was the perfect size for the un-charged diamond I had on me. They gave me the amulet in return for me giving them chunks of Chaos Ice that broke off of Isabelle’s prison for them to study. If my calculations are correct, this amulet might be able to not only withstand the power of the amulet, but also amplify the already powerful magic through the unicorn’s body depending on its level of ethereal magic power. Finally, this is my time!

Redemption here I come,

Boris G. Sparkle.

Twilight comes across the page where she, her brother, and her parents are shown and examines it meticulously, checking for any signs of Isabelle’s existence. After what seems like hours of tireless looking, Twilight rubs her eyes out of sleepiness and decides to get some sleep before continuing. Upon her closing the book however, she notices that the page she’s been looking at is a bit thicker than the others. She opens it back up and rubs her hoof along the page, searching for a reason why it’s thicker. To her suspicions, she feels what seems like a slab of paper nearly glued onto the page covering a hidden image. Twilight tries to peel the slit of paper off of the page with her magic, only to discover that it’s firmly locked onto the page, unable to be isolated with magic, and the only pony she knows that can do a binding trick like this is her great uncle, Boris Sparkle.