Author's Notes:

I apologize about repeating information that I just covered last chapter but I had forgotten to have Draigo inform Twilight and the rest about Displaced.

This chapter is the longest one I've written/co-written as of yet. There's a lot of exposition, but that's mainly due to it being the first encounter between the characters and it being an intro to the 'War of Shadows. This is a crossover with Bronyparasite's "You are Inferior" and it was great working with Parasite and I look forward to doing so again in the future.

Let me know if you see any errors, there's bound to be some. I'm going to start working on the next actual chapter soon, hopefully. I've gotten into a bit of a writer's block, thus hopefully.

Draigo had just returned from being summoned by Jhurdan and was settling down for a nice nap. He'd chosen a nice cliff that offered a wonderful view of Canterlot. It had been a very nice experience with Jhurdan and he’d like to go to other worlds and meet more people. There was the added bonus of being able to test out whether or not his reserves got drained while in other worlds as well as this one when he used his powers. Hopefully, he could figure this out before he couldn’t use his powers anymore.

There were, of course, dangers in every world that he could visit. There was even the possibility of him not being able to return on his own due to some magic or other shenanigans. That’s why he had given Celestia the original token he’d created. Now he could be summoned by anyone and not worry about whether he was needed in this world. As he was thinking of his token a rift opened up and deposited something right in front of him.

The object looked like a white spider with two red blades crossing over it. Hmm, don’t remember seeing this symbol before. Draigo reached out with a claw and lifted it from the ground. Once he had touched it a message was heard coming from it.

“Greetings, Displaced. If you are holding this token, then you are eligible to enter a… Competition. More information shall be given if you choose to summon one or more of my assistants. They are all Displaced such as yourself. Time Spinner,” It said.

Draigo was curious about what kind of ‘competition’ this was going to be and decided to summon this ‘Time Spinner’.

“Time Spinner, come and explain more about this competition. If you should pique my interest I will be more than happy to join in,” Draigo said while holding the token in his claw.

As soon as he said that, a red, orange and yellow vortex appeared. It held a demonic aura to it, and Draigo heard three feminine screams as the same number of ponies ran out, with one covered in some kind of white substance.

“Are you three alright?” Draigo asked as he examined the three mares that looked similar to Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. He noticed that ‘Twilight’ had wings and a different cutie mark, Rainbow’s colors were off and she had horns instead of ears, and ‘Fluttershy’ had a red and white top hat on with a red mane and white tail instead of pink. The differences were noticeable enough that he knew they weren’t the ponies he knew down in Ponyville.

‘Fluttershy’ noticed him first, and cowered away. “U-um… Girls...?” She had a strange voice that was sort of annoying to Draigo.

‘Rainbow’ turned to ‘Fluttershy’ and asked, “What is it Shout? Did she get ya?” Dash’s voice sounded metallic, almost like a robot. “If she did, I swear I’ll kill her!”

‘Twilight’ noticed Draigo next, her eyes widened a bit, “Well, crap… Rainbine, look.” Her voice was demonic and had a bit of an echo to it.

Rainbine turned to Draigo and groaned, “Not this again…” Followed by a growl from the Twilight, and a weak attempt to seem strong by Shout.

“Well, I was expecting only one being from that and I got three. Are any of you ‘Time Spinner’?” Draigo said as he encircled them with his tail and neck in case they tried something.

“At least he didn’t threaten us like the last two…” Shout said quietly.

Rainbine came up to Draigo’s face and pronounced, “Nope! Could we go to Sugarcube Corner? I heard from Brutal’s girlfriend that they have the best milkshakes!”

‘Twilight’ ignored her and stepped forward. “Hello, I’m Brutalight Sparcake. This is Rainbine Dash, and the shy one is Fluttershout.”

“No, none of us are Time Spinner. He’s our Displacer, and the token should have said that one or more of his assistants would come and offer information.” Rainbine said.

Fluttershout flicked the white goo that was on her away. “I need a bath…”

“Ah, it did say that. I had assumed the token was set to summon him, though. Oh well, either way I get more information. Before that, Miss Shout. Would you like hot or cold water?” Draigo asked as he prepared to use some of his power.

“Uh, hot…” She replied.

Summoning some water, Draigo formed it around the mare and began to heat it up slowly.

“Just tell me when to stop heating the water.”

After a little bit, Fluttershout nodded, indicating it was good.

Draigo stopped heating the water and held its temperature steady so she could enjoy her bath.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any shampoo, soap or anything else, but a good hot bath is something I’m glad to provide,” he said as he watched her begin to scrub off the white substance.

“Okay, on to business-” Brutalight started before getting cut off by Rainbine.

“Hey! Celestia isn’t evil here, right?”

“No, she isn’t. She’s a very benevolent ruler that I’ve known since before she became a princess,” Draigo answered the robotic sounding mare.

“Finally! Ya hear that Brute? A nice Princess. So I win the bet!” Rainbine announced with pride.

Brutalight glared at Rainbine, “I get it. They’re not all alike, now shut up.”

Rainbine started dancing on air, singing “I got one hundred bits!” Over and over.

“Now, I do have to tell you that she will fight for her kingdom and those dear to her. So, stay on her good side. Have you run into a lot of ‘evil’ Celestia’s?” Draigo asked curiously.

Brutalight shuddered. “Just to name a few, there was the one that killed a Displaced’s friend for no reason, the one that’s been trying to kill a heroic Displaced and his Twilight, and ours… The molester… Ugh…”

“Yeah, we were just runnin' from her! She freaks us out…” Rainbine said, “She’s mostly evil, and insane…”

“Well, I’m glad you got away. I’m sorry to hear that there’s bad Celestias but not surprised since there’s too many universes for there not to be some. We’ve gotten off topic, though. What can you tell me of this competition and the current participants?” Draigo asked to hopefully bring them back to the reason they were summoned.

“Oh, yeah… Apologies.” Brutalight began, “About a few days ago, two Displaced’s, Lee Connors and Darth Folteren engaged in a battle. There were several harsh things both sides did and said, and now the two are murderous to each other. Lee chopped Folteren’ daughter’s wing off, and Folteren cut Twilight’s horn off while also doing severe damage to her by electrically shocking her. Now there’s a war between Displaced… Mostly harmless, though.” She waited for Draigo’s reaction.

“Who started all of this and why?”

“Time Spinner was trying to exterminate a little douche named Killjoy through the two Displaced. They seemed to be friendly towards each other until Killjoy tricked Lee into injuring Scootaloo, Folteren’s daughter. Lee made a rude comment about Folteren not being a good father, and Folteren blew it. Even after everything was fixed, Folteren tried to attack Lee and Time decided that a brutal free for all wasn’t worth the damage they could do in Lee’s world, so he made the War of Shadows, where Displaced can join Lee’s Alliance of Heroes or Folteren’s Empire of Nightmares.” Brutalight elaborated as she scrubbed Fluttershout’s back.

“It’s all so pointless.” Shout mumbled.

“While I agree that most wars are pointless, Miss Shout. The one’s who started the fighting never see it that way, at least in the beginning. Now, did Lee ever apologize or try to make things right?”

“He did, but Folteren cut his crush’s horn off. And in this war, no Displaced will get hurt. If you die, you’ll just be sent back home for a bit.” Brutalight added.

“Hmm, interesting. That precaution is mainly for those that don’t have some form of immortality, I’d assume. Is there anything at stake here or is it all to try to assuage hurt feelings? Also, are both sides fairly even for power or is one side far outshining the other?” Draigo asked, he figured he knew the answer to the first question already but wanted to confirm his thoughts.

“Well, the winner get’s to injure the loser and cripple their adventure. So if Lee wins, Folteren loses his empire he built up and gains an injury. If Folteren win’s, Lee loses some of his powers along with Celestia knowing who he’s with, which is Twilight Sparkle. As for the power levels of both sides-” Brutalight was once again cut off by Rainbine.

“It’s mostly fifty-fifty, even if you count that Lee’s got TWO mutherfudging dragons and Folteren… I’m not sure he has any… But Folty’s got Sylar! A guy who’s power is as strong as EVERY SINGLE BEING IN A UNIVERSE!!! Guy could take on just about anyone… But that might be stretching it…” Rainbine slowed, “I think Lee’s got Metroplex, the Autobot Transformer base, but Spinner has a solution to that.”

“Oh? There’s other dragons in this war? Well, that is interesting. The others are interesting, but I haven’t heard of them before,” Draigo said sounding more interested than before.

Rainbine giggled, “I wonder why. Metroplex is a city, and Sylar is from a TV show called Heroes. He’s a villain that kills super humans and learns what makes them tick. Usually by cutting your head open. Him and Jubilee joined each side, Jubilee joining Lee’s and you know Sylar. They will do anything you say, so be careful what you do.”

“I’ll remember that for when I encounter them, thank you. Are you girls participating as well or are you just doing things like this?”

“We’re not sure which side to join. Most likely Shout is going neutral, and Rainbine is thinking of joining Lee while I’m thinking of joining Folteren.” Brutalight exclaimed, “As for our friends, Rarifruit is going with Lee, Pinkis is a Folteren fan, and Apple Pills isn’t even going to come.”

“Hmm, I see. Well, there’s a few more questions I’d like to ask but I think I’ll be joining Folteren’s side. Lee’s got the other dragons so I’d like a chance to test my mettle against them. Do participants get anything?”

Brutalight looked more eager to help, “If you join Folteren, you get an Insanity Shard. It amplifies all of your abilities, but causes you to go berserk. You’ll gain Folteren’s friendship, and he’s a good ally to have. He’s a father of three fillies, he’s a ruler of his Equestria, he has an army of Battle Droids, and he’s a Sith Lord.”

“You can also ask for stuff from the dark lord himself, so there’s a possibility of more.” Rainbine added, “Look’s like Flutter’s done.”

Draigo pulled the water away from Fluttershout and flung it over the cliffside. “Feel better, Miss Shout?”

She nodded, “Yes, thank you.”

“What is your name anyway?” Asked Rainbine, tilting her head.

“Ah, forgive me. My name is Draigo and I’m a Primordial Dragon,” he said as he stood up and stretched out all of his limbs. “I’ve got one last question then we can head over to Sugarcube Corner for those milkshakes.”

As Rainbine shouted in victory, Brutalight asked, “Yes? And what would that be Draigo?”

“Since this is a war, I’m assuming that we are meeting somewhere and having a massive fight. Would I be correct in assuming so?”

“No, it’s more… Okay, so Folteren and his generals Chaos Jenny and Cole MacGrath will give you missions. You can, if you want, have a one on one battle, two on two, or three on three if you want, and points will be given to your side should you win. It’s like Super Smash Brothers, or even Pokemon’s wireless link ups. But for the main fights, you must defeat special foes like Shining Armor, or a Displaced that’s been set up at a base. Take over a base, or obtain info. Depending on what the Empire wants to give you as a mission. Obviously with your size, you’ll be destroying bases along with beating enemies.” Brutalight said with happiness that seemed like Twilight when she’d be teaching someone.

“Yeah, yeah, he gets it. Can we go now?” Rainbine asked impatiently.

“I’m not always this big. I live with Celestia and Luna in their castle. To fit I shrink down to their size, but that hardly matters right now. Let’s get those shakes. Now, Fluttershout and Rainbine can fly but can you get to Ponyville from here, Brutalight?” Draigo asked forgetting she has wings.

“I’m an Alicorn, I can handle it.” She fluttered her wings a bit. She took to the air confidently and followed the others.

“You sure Brute? I saw you faceplant into Canterlot yesterday…” Fluttershout said teasingly.

Brutalight was silent for a moment, “... I hit a bird…”

“You hit a bird and it knocked you out of the sky?” Draigo asked disbelievingly.

“Oh! I think Derpigun said Brute had Ornithophobia, the fear of birds!” Rainbine said, causing Fluttershout to cackle with laughter.

“I’m confused how a being who has what amounts to bird wings is afraid of birds, but everyone has something that makes them unique. Now, are you sure you can keep up, you three?” Draigo asked as he took to the skies and waited for them. Rainbine quickly followed with the same speed as Dash, followed by Brutalight who had average speed and then Fluttershout, who had less than average. They seemed to keep up pretty well though.

“Alright, let’s go get us some milkshakes. Last one there, beside Flutter, has to try one of Pinkie’s experimental cupcakes!” Draigo shouted as he sped toward Ponyville.

Rainbine sped ahead while Brutalight desperately tried to out fly them… She was going to lose so bad.

As they sped toward their ultimate goal of Sugarcube Corner. A certain cyan pegasus was out for her ten seconds of clearing the skies. As she finished up she looked in the direction of Canterlot and noticed Draigo was coming at a speed she hadn’t known he could pull off. As she continued to observe him she noticed a pegasus out in front of him with another behind him. She decided to meet them halfway and say ‘hi’.

“Oh, I should warn you. My Twilight isn’t an Alicorn. Be ready for a freak out should we meet her, or any of the others really,” Draigo yelled so they could hear him over the wind rushing past their ears.

Not long after he warned them Draigo noticed Rainbow coming towards them. He braced himself mentally for the coming tide and hoped for the best. It wasn’t long til Rainbine and Rainbow saw each other and stopped to hover just feet away from each other. Strangest thing was, Draigo thought he saw Rainbine blush.

As Draigo approached them he didn’t hear anything besides their wing beats. “Hey, Rainbow. What brings you out here?”

“Well, I just finished clearing the skies over Ponyville in ten seconds flat when I saw you flyin’ with two pegasi towards Ponyville. Who are your new friends anyway?” Rainbow asked with a curious expression on her face.

It was about the time Rainbow finished her question that Brutalight flew up from behind Draigo.

“Oh, crap! This is a long… way to Ponyville…” She said in between pants while Rainbine tried shying away from Dash.

“Wait, that pegasus has a horn and looks like Twilight. What the hay is going on, Draigo!” Rainbow yelled at Draigo.

“I’ll explain more once we’re on the ground, Dash. For now, let’s just say they are visitors. They heard of the milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner and wanted to try some before they left,” Draigo explained as he looked behind him to check on Fluttershout. She’d arrived a second later, looking less fatigued than Brutalight. More content than anything.

“Brutalight, can you make it the rest of the way or would you like to rest for a bit? We should go a little slower so we can arrive as a group. I think it’ll be better should the other girls see you three. Though by now everyone in town has noticed me due to my sheer size.”

“Then why don’t you shrink?” Asked Fluttershout.

“Well, I do need to shrink to fit into the buildings and it will cut down on the amount of ponies that notice us. Thanks, Shout,” Draigo said as he shrunk down to a little taller than Celestia. “Now let’s continue before Brutalight collapses from exhaustion.”

“Or a bird…” Muttered Rainbine before getting slapped by the Alicorn.

Their journey to Sugarcube Corner continued on in awkward silence. They soon found themselves outside of Sugarcube Corner. There were only a few ponies inside of the bakery and Pinkie was manning the cash register when they entered. The pink pony let out a gasp and rushed over as soon as she saw Draigo and the three new arrivals.

“You must be new in town. I should know since I know everpony in Ponyville. I’m going to throw you three of the best ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ parties ever!” Pinkie said excitedly as she bounced up and down in front of the trio.

“Um, thanks. You must be Miss Pie that Draigo told us about. I’m Sparcake, this is Bine, and that’s Shout.” Brutalight said, making sure to avoid telling Pinkie the truth until everypony else was there.

“Pinkie, could you get us four milkshakes and gather the rest of the girls?” Draigo asked hoping to keep the hyperactive party pony from annoying his guests too much.

“I’d like chocolate.” Said Fluttershout.

“Gimme a raspberry, please,” Rainbine asked.

“I would like a vanilla…” Brutalight looked tempted to say something else, but held back. “I’ll get our seats.”

“I’ll take a gem shake if you’ve got it Pinkie. If not, give me a chocolate. Oh, do you have any cupcake recipes that you’ve been experimenting with?” Draigo asked as he followed her toward the counter.

“Oooh, I just got done baking some Cherry Blueberry truffle cupcakes. Would you like to try one?” Pinkie said as she rung up the milkshakes.

“Yes, please. Thank you, Pinkie. How much do I owe you?”

“That’ll be six bits, please. I’ll get the rest of the girls once those shakes are done,” she said as Draigo pulled out six bits from between his scales.

“Thanks, how long do you think that’ll take?” Draigo asked as Pinkie began making their shakes.

“Oh, fifteen to twenty minutes.” she responded as she finished off the first shake.

“Okay, we’ll be here,” Draigo said as he walked over to the table Brutalight had grabbed for them.

“Well, it’s going to be about twenty minutes before everyone is gathered. Until then, let’s enjoy our shakes,” he said as he took his seat.

Brutalight started muttering lyrics to a song. “So what if I’m crazier than crazy, so what if I’m sicker than sick… Desperate… Desperate… So what…”

Rainbine started sipping her drink while humming a tune that matched Brutalight’s lyrics. Fluttershout shoved the two, stopping them from continuing.

“Sorry, they’re impatient ones.” Fluttershout apologized.

“It’s fine. Be warned, though, the residents here have been known to jump into random musical numbers when they hear someone singing. It’s fairly amusing to watch from afar though,” Draigo said with a chuckle.

“I once saw a guy use that to escape…” Brutalight said. “He ended up in the Everfree Forest, though… Meh, he’s fine, though.”

“Huh, good tactics. Bad choice of destination, though,” Draigo said as Pinkie showed up with the rest of their shakes and then left in a pink blur of motion. “I think Pinkie underestimated how fast she is. At that rate, she’ll have the rest of the girls here in no time.”

“Meh. She’s like my friend Cupcake… The psycho’s got fast legs, but she’s oblivious to it…” Fluttershout said.

“Well, is there anything you'd like to talk about while we wait?” Draigo asked as he drank his shake.

“Maybe… About you. Who were you before getting Displaced?” Fluttershout asked.

“Me? Well, I was working a decent job and had just completed my armor for a renaissance fair. My name is still the same. It got me made fun of a bit since it’s a fairly uncommon name, but I learned to like it. Other than that my life was fairly ordinary,” Draigo said as he sipped at his drink.

“I don’t think it’s funny,” Said Fluttershout, “I know some people who got teased for their name. Right, Brutalight?”

Brutalight nodded, “And if you didn’t realize, I was who she was talking about.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. To some people, it’s just easier to make fun of people to gain a little happiness than to try to be happy for real. They take the easy road where as true happiness takes more work than that. Is there anything else you’d like to know? I think we have enough time for one more question before everyone is here.” Draigo said as he tried to change the subject.

“Yeah?” They asked in unison.

“Yeah, so ask away if there is any that is.”

“Why’s everypo-” Brutalight was interrupted again by Rainbine.

“Do you have any crushes?” Two loud slaps echoed throughout the bakery. Fluttershout and Brutalight had both slapped Rainbine.

“Hahaha, I think your friends disagree with your choice of question. I do have two mares that I like more than the others,” Draigo said as he used his straw to stir his shake.

Rainbine reached over the table and lightly hit his shoulder, “Atta boy! See? That wasn’t as bad as last time!”

“Last time Folteren nearly cut you in half.” Brutalight scolded. “But, this makes me curious. Who?”

“Celestia and Luna. They are immortal like myself and treat me like a friend instead of a ‘god’ or something to be feared. They were the first to do so. I’m unsure if they like me the same way, though,” Draigo said as he gazed out the window.

“Oh, friend zoned, huh? And two sisters? Well, s’not too bad I guess. If they do, though, then you may have to pick one. I’m hoping for the best, dude,” Rainbine said.

“Yes, you’re right. I’ve been meaning to choose between the two, but I’ve been putting it off. Now that I’m living with them, though….It just means I have to choose quicker.”

“Don’t choose until you’re one hundred percent sure they do feel the same. I’d hate for you to choose and find out that one doesn’t love you that way.” Rainbine sighed, “Are they here yet?”

“Who’s here, silly filly?” Pinkie said as she popped out of nowhere. Rainbine yelped, jumping into the air.

“The Elements of Shmarmorny.” Brutalight said plainly.

“Oh, they’re right outside. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow were busy, though. They'll meet up with us later,” Pinkie said as the rest walked through the doors of the bakery.

Brutalight cleared her throat in an attempt at gaining their attention.

"Ah, they're over there girls," Twilight said as she began to walk over.

They all froze mid step once they saw Brutalight sitting at the table with Draigo. "Why don't you take a seat, girls? You'll probably need it," Draigo said to break the silence and was punctuated by Fluttershout sipping on her shake.

"Everyone this is Brute, Shout, and Bine."

“You can say our real names,” Brutalight said, standing up. “I am Brutalight Sparcake, Princess of Insanity… These are my friends, Fluttershout, and Rainbine Dash.” Brutalight pointed to the others, who waved back in confusion and shyness. “Back home, we are the Elements of Insanity along with our friends, Rarifruit, Apple Pills, and Pinkis Cupcake.”

"I summoned them here do they could provide me with some information about an event that's going to be happening soon. I haven't told you this yet, but they and I are alike. None of us were originally like how we are now. We're known as Displaced and there's many more of us." Draigo explained to them.

"Well, we knew you weren't normal Draigo, but now there's others like you. Are there going to be more 'Displaced' showing up from now on? Do the princesses know about this? Is there anything else we need to know about?" Twilight said as she began to panic a bit.

“First of all, we aren’t exactly like him. We’re more like a darker you. And for your questions, yes, maybe, probably.” Brutalight began, “I’m confused that you aren’t surprised I look like you… Or that Fluttershout and Rainbine are exactly like Shy and Dash.”

"Well, I was surprised and still am. Enough so that I decided to see how things played out before throwing questions at you one after another. I mean after Princess Celestia sent us to 'move a dragon'. We've all learned to slow down, listen and figure things out before we decide on the action needed. It didn't help that the dragon we had to 'move' ended up being Draigo." Twilight explained, "If I had listened to what he said instead of jumping to conclusions we could've solved the problem with having to fight him."

“Okay, enough on the recap… Wait,” Rainbine paused before she burst out laughing, “She’s- She’s more level headed than you! Ha!”

“Shut up, wingboner!” Brutalight snapped.

Rainbine slowed down, “Hey, it was one time. One time!”

“Can we get back on topic featherbrains?” Fluttershout said. The other two glared at her, silencing her.

"Well, you three seem like really close friends. It only takes one time, Rainbine. Then you never hear the end of it," Draigo quipped.

Rainbine crossed her hooves in a pout, blushing furiously. “Don’t make fun of it…”

“Anyway, Shout has a point. We got off topic… What was the topic anyway?” Brutalight asked.

"That's a good question, Brute. I think it was...Why you three look like Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rainbow. I'm not sure, though," Draigo said.

Brutal took a deep breath. “Me, Rainbine, who at the time was named Tim Stones, Fluttershout whose name was Riley, four of our friends, Rainbine’s sister, Apple Pill’s sister, and Rarifruit’s sister went to Brony-con, a place where fans of Equestria- in our world, there are stories of your adventures -gathered and enjoyed each others company… sort of… I was forced to go in a costume of a fan made character called Brutalight Sparcake. We all dressed as Elements of Insanity, and we bought some stuff that sent us to a messed up version of Equestria where Celestia was crazy, and you girls were oblivious. There’s our story of how we were Displaced. Rainbine still has her sister, and so do the others.”

"Our adventures are stories in your world? Celestia is crazy and our counterparts were oblivious? Does that mean that we aren't the elements of harmony over there?" Twilight asked.

“No, it’s just that Celestia used your counterparts to protect herself. It’s a version of Equestria that Celestia never forgave Luna and sent her back to the moon after her defeat. We were able to show you the error of her ways pretty quickly though at the loss of a friend… We’re still trying to beat her.” Brutalight responded.

“It’s just so awful!” Cried Fluttershout, “I don’t even know what she covered me in!”

Rainbine groaned in embarrassment, “It’s not that bad…”

"Oh, you poor thing!" Fluttershy said as she walked over and hugged Fluttershout.

"I'm afraid of the answer, but which friend did our counterparts lose?" Twilight asked with a bit of dread on her face.

“It was, um… Th-the… Um… Pink one…” Brutalight said a quietly.

"I died!? Oh, that's so sad. I'm right here though. So, enjoy this cupcake. It's on the house," Pinkie said as she slid a chocolate cupcake onto the table.

Brutalight took it in her magic, cut it up into three slices, and shared it with the two other Displaced ponies. “It wasn’t quick either…” She mumbled shakily as she took a bite.

"Pinkie has a point. She's right here and doing fine. It's obvious that it's a horrid memory. I can't imagine seeing that. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Twilight said as she put her hoof to Brutalight's shoulder.

“I’ve been through a lot… So many deaths in such a little time. The mourning, the loss of laughter was just the start. But, I’ve grown used to it…”

“She has!” Rainbine added before ducking an energy bolt. “Sorry…”

“I just didn’t want Pinkie hearing about her own death.” Brutalight finished. Shaking her head, she returned to the table and started drinking her milkshake.

“She’s… Um… She’s a bit stressed. I’m, um… I don’t know what to say. Don’t feel bad for us, there have been some ups and downs, but that’s life.” Fluttershout said. Rainbine grumbled.

“I’m bored… I’ll see if the rocks here are tougher than back home.” Rainbine said as she started flying towards the door.

“Be back in less than an hour,” Brutalight ordered, to which Rainbine just waved her off.

"Well, should you ever need help call me," Draigo said as he handed a copy of his token to Brutalight. "I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you."

“You too,” Brutalight said, taking the token in her magic. “And if you ever need me, here is my token.” She handed Draigo a silver cross with a circle, matching her cutie mark. “I’ll send Rainbine if you fail in your quest of love. She’s gone through rejection.”

"Thanks, hopefully I won't need her services," he responded as he took her token and placed it between his scales.

“Are we going? I was just starting to like it here…” Fluttershout sighed.

Brutalight looked to Draigo, “So… Is that it? Are we to go now?”

"You may stay as long as you'd like," Draigo offered.

“We’ll stay a bit longer. I’m sure Twilight has questions I can answer about where we come from, who we are, a bit more about Displaced or the events in our world. Fluttershout might want to hang out with the rest of the Elements, and I bet Rainbine would love to shoot things or see Rainbow Dash a couple times.” Brutal said as her magic encompassed the milkshake, and all of the contents disappeared. She burped loudly, “And that’s the sign that the tank is full…”

“Hey! I was still drinking that!” Fluttershout whined.

“Well, I can get the other girls together here at Sugarcube Corner for Fluttershout. Twilight can host you at Golden Oaks and then I can go entertain Rainbine. How does that sound?” Draigo suggested.

“Sounds good to me!” Said Fluttershout happily, “I haven’t really met the girls on good terms! It’s always been fighting with or against…” Fluttershout squeaked excitedly.

“If you remember from my story, we’re all fans of you girls, each having a favorite pony and that pony is who we dressed up as. She’s mostly a Fluttershy fan, yet she likes all of you… I guess she’s the biggest fan, but nowhere near Dash’s obsession with the Wonderbolts or Dar… Sorry, that could have ruined it.” Brutalight explained so Shout’s squeal wasn’t taken the wrong way.

“Ah, of course. How about this, we gather Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack and then gather together at the Golden Oaks Library,” Draigo suggested.

“Um, sure. I’ll meet you there, Sparkle,” Brute trotted out the door and flew off.

“She’s… Usually in a worse mood…” Shout muttered.

“Hmm, I’m going to follow her. Twilight, could you take Fluttershout, Fluttershy, and Pinkie to get the rest of the girls? I’ll make sure to get Rainbine with Brutalight.” Draigo said as he started to follow Brutalight while giving her some privacy.

“Of course, come on everypony let’s go get the rest of the girls together for a little party,” Twilight said as she walked out the door with the others in tow.

Draigo did his best to discreetly follow Brutalight, but he was never very good at stealth. He was sure that she knew from the very get go that he was following her.

She landed in front of the Library and turned around, “I’ll tell Folteren that you shouldn’t go on any stealth missions. What do you want?”

“Figured you’d know I was following you. Dragon wings aren’t meant for stealth so I’ve never put much effort into it. Anyway, are you okay? I know that your experiences have left you mentally scarred and stressed, but if there’s anything that you couldn’t tell the others please tell me. I’m concerned for the ‘leader’ of the resistance in your world.” Draigo said with concern heavily tinging his voice.

Brutalight groaned, “Ugh, what… Do you want me to tell you that in the past half month I’ve been through that I’m just mentally scarred? I’m terrified, I’m genderbent, my girlfriend was killed and brought back to life, I’m supposed to help my Twilight take down a sun controlling psycho, I need to fight three insane Displaced that are more powerful than me, I’ve killed, seen cannibalism from my friend, my other friend is a useless druggie, I’ve pretty much ruined my friendships with every one of my friends, I’ve nearly been raped by a thousand-year-old horse, I am a horse, I can eat nukes, and I’m a demon… There, happy?”

“No, I’m not. I’m pissed. I’m pissed that those ‘displacers’ are thinking it’s alright to send people to places without their consent. I’m pissed that anything and everything can happen to any one of us Displaced. I’m pissed that there’s so little I can do to stop it even though I now have immense power. What I can do is come to your world and help. There’s no longer any if’s or maybe’s. I’m coming to your world and helping you. I will not stand by while others are suffering. If you say no, I’ll just follow you using your token. This ‘war’ that Time Spinner started is nothing compared to this.” Draigo ranted as fire and lightning danced across his entire body. The electricity was intense enough that it was creating its own ozone layer around his body and the fire was turning black with his rage. “I'm sorry, ever since I became a dragon when my temper flares it really flares. It's also gotten easier for things to make me angry. Now, let’s go unwind a bit we could both use it.”

Brutalight nodded, “Uh, thanks. My world right now is in a no summoning zone. I’ve been traveling through time with the rest. Right about now is when I got Displaced.” She used her magic to pass through the door, “Wanna read a book?”

“Sure, reading is quite calming. Two things occurred to me just now, though. One, does both sides have an equal amount of ‘generals’? If not, are you considering recruiting to even it out? Two, are we allowed to bring an army of our own or is that just for Folteren and Lee?” Draigo asked as he entered the library.

Brutalight chuckled, “Well, no. Lee has three generals, and Folteren has two. But, the way they use those generals makes it even. Lee uses one as a host since he doesn’t want his normal host to fight. So it is pretty much equal. And no other high-ranking generals can join, but you can become a minor like Lance, Sylar, and Jubilee if you’re close to the leader or Time Spinner. As for bringing an army, let’s just say yes, and that you can fight with Zerg, Battle Droids, and even Pinkie Pie clones…” She shivered, “Those things scare me…”

“There can be more than one Pinkie? That doesn’t sound like a good idea. Anyway, I can either bring all the dragons from this world with me, use any dragons that happen to be there as my army, or create it on the spot. Being a primordial dragon has its perks.” Draigo said as he searched for a good book to read.

“Um… That might not be such a good idea… Alduin is one of Lee’s minor generals, and he’s dead set on killing Folteren. He can control dragons, as well as use Symbiotes to enhance his power. He’s not allowed to control other Displaced dragons, but if you two try and control dragons, it’ll get confusing. I’ll see if Time Spinner can fix that. Oh, and the other dragon you’ll be facing is Deathwing.” Brutalight explained.

“Huh, well there goes the idea of trying to control them. Oh well, I was kinda expecting that. Anyway, anything specific you’d like to read? They seem to have a fairly broad selection here.”

“I’ll just browse and see what I’m intrigued by.”

“Okay. I’m actually surprised Spike hasn’t come down after hearing us. He might be out helping one of the others now that I think about it. Oh well, we’ll probably see him once everyone is gathered.” Draigo explained as he picked up one of the Daring Do novels. “I’ve yet to read this series, but I’ve heard a few good things about it.”

Draigo settled in front of the empty fireplace to await the arrival of the rest of their group. He hoped that things would go smoothly but figured something or another would go wrong. Opening his book to the first page Draigo began to read but kept his senses open so he’d know when the others were close by. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take too long for them to arrive.

A few minutes later Draigo heard hoofsteps approaching the library. He set his book down and turned his head toward the front door.

“Welcome to Golden Oaks public library everypony,” Twilight said as she opened the door to let everyone in.

“I see you made good time gathering everyone, Twilight,” Draigo said from his spot by the fireplace. As he said this, all of the elements of harmony walked through the door and looked between Twilight and Brutalight. They looked a bit confused, but it seemed Twilight had explained enough that they wouldn’t freak out.

“Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow. This is Brutalight Sparcake. You’ve already met Fluttershout, I presume. Twilight, did you happen to see Rainbine anywhere?” Draigo said as the group dispersed to their preferred seat.

“No, we didn’t see her anywhere. We were hoping Brutalight would know a likely location she could be found at.” Twilight answered as she sat down in a beanbag chair.

“She’ll be here in a few seconds,” Brutalight said, “I summoned her here.”

“Brute!” Rainbine’s voice interrupted, “Apple Pills said Pinkis ate Berry Punch! Again!”

Rainbine flew in through a window and landed with a ‘thump’.

“She’ll be fine, it’s the seventh time she’s eaten that drunk.” Brutalight grumbled, “Rarifruit has it covered. Only AssSpike and Magic Mare would scare me.”

“I’m guessing that’s a fairly normal occurrence? Well, if you’re not worried about then we’ll just roll with it. Rainbine, meet Rarity and Applejack. You’ve already met Rainbow, earlier today.” Draigo said introducing the last of the visiting Displaced to everyone who’d yet to meet her.

Rainbine did a mock salute, “Rainbine Dash at your service!”

“Now, I’m sure there are questions that everyone has. How would you like to handle this Brute? Everyone raises their hoof, take turns, or just have everyone blurt them out?” Draigo asked.

“I say we have a line!” Rainbine suggested. “Anything personal or simple can be taken by me and Shout-Mouth, but anything more sciency is Brutal’s territory. Things like what we are yadda, yadda…”

“I could have said that better,” Brutalight said with a bit of amusement, “But she does have a point. Okay, questions that are a bit more complicated go to me, and personal will go to the others. I’ll still do some personal, though.”

“What is the fashion like in your world?” Rarity asked before anypony else could think of their first question.

“A complicated one to start off with? Okay,” Brutalight thought a moment. “It’s quite like this world’s, but the fashion business has dried up a bit. Only our Rarity and Rarifruit make dresses, and even then it’s only a few occasions that anypony even feels like wearing anything.”

“Thank god… I hate those frilly dresses Fruit keeps giving me… Oh, the girliness…” Rainbine groans before getting a light smack from Fluttershout.

“I’m with ya on that one. Rarity keeps trying to make me really girly dresses instead of awesome ones,” Rainbow said while she hovered in the air.

“It never hurt anypony to look their best, darling,” Rarity responded.

The three pony Displaced suddenly cringed, “Though, if you take Rare and Fruit’s dresses out, the fashions a bit more… dirty…” Brutalight shifted uncomfortably.

“I hate pole dancing…” Fluttershout mumbled.

“Ah, so it’s that kind of fashion. Rarity, you don’t need to know about ‘that’ fashion.” Draigo chimed in.

“Next question! This is getting awkward!” Rainbine growled.

“Okay, you three obviously aren’t ‘normal’ ponies. So, what exactly are you?” Twilight asked as she summoned a notepad and quill.

“Another one… Oh we-” Brutalight was cut off by Rainbine.

“I’m a cyborg, a pegasus with replaced limbs that act like weapons!” To punctuate this, Bine’s right foreleg turned into a long laser blaster twice her size, “I’m also fused with a monster.”

“I’m fused with a monster as well, but I can give ponies a heart attack if I scream loud enough. I’m not sure exactly what I am, though.” Fluttershout said.

“And I’m a demon, fused with two monsters to give me twice the power.” Brutalight finished.

As Twilight was writing this all down, Draigo decided to ask a question. “You asked me this earlier. Do you three have anyone special in your lives or have a crush on someone?”

Rainbine grimaced. Brutalight took a step forward, “I have a marefriend back in our universe. Her name is Derpigun, a cyborg like Rainbine.”

“Nope, I don’t have any special somepony or crushes.” Fluttershout said.

“I- Uh, had a crush once, but they rejected me.” Rainbine summed up.

“So, even somepony that looks as awesome as you has mushy feelings?” Rainbow asked.

Rainbine growled, “They weren’t mushy! I had a momentary lapse, but that’s over now. Lost a friendship because I was stupid. I guess the loyalty I thought they had was false…”

“Touchy subject…” Fluttershout added.

“Well, what do y’all do fer fun?” Applejack asked to hopefully bring the mood in the room up a bit.

“Oh! I take care of animals from time to time!” Fluttershout said happily.

“And I hurt animals…” Rainbine said darkly, which received a smack from Fluttershout again.

“I knew you were the one who did it!”

“I knew I didn’t care!” Rainbine shot back mockingly.

“And I,” Brutalight started as she sent a wave of magic towards the arguing ponies, who fell on the ground moaning in pain, “Don’t have much fun since everypony’s an idiot.”

“I practice flying…” Moaned Rainbine as she stood up.

“And I help Rarifruit with her problems.” Fluttershout chimed.

“Next question?” Brutalight asked.

“What’s your favorite food?” Pinkie asked as she bounced around the room.

“I think anything in mass quantities is good.” Brutalight said dreamily.

“Pasta stuff,” Rainbine answered.

“I like carrots and raspberries.” Fluttershout added.

“Um, do any of you have a pet or favorite animal? If you don’t mind answering that is.” Fluttershy whispered as she partially hid behind her mane.

“Well, Shout has a bunny named Devil, she’s a sweet little thing, though. I have a Raven, meaning I don’t have a fear of birds, and Bine has a slug named Bomber.” Brutalight said proudly.

“I didn’t choose it, Shout thought it’d be funny giving me a slow pet like Dash.” Said Rainbine.

“Back home, Pinkis has Chewwy, one of Gummy’s babies, Rarifruit has Blaze, a german shepherd, Apple Pills has Slowbro, a sloth, and Derpigun has a wasp named Waspinator.” Shout listed.

“Oh, those sound like wonderful pets,” Fluttershy commented with a smile.

“Hey, everypony. What’s going on?” Spike said as he entered the library.

“Oh, just a little Q&A with our new friends, Spike. Where have you been?” Twilight asked as she turned to address the young dragon.

“I was helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders with one of their ideas. Nothing was damaged and nopony was hurt, though,” Spike answered while walking to the kitchen for something to eat.

“Well, that’s good to hear. Did any of them get their cutie mark?”

“Nope, they are still blank flanks. They’re not that discouraged, though.”

“... Next question.” Brutal pushed.

“You said that our adventures were stories in your world. Care to elaborate?” Twilight said finally asking her biggest question.

“Simple,” Brutalight started, “In our world, there are… Books, that detail your adventures from the Nightmare Moon incident to… Future evils you face. It shows the lessons you learn, and the chapters end with the letter to Princess Celestia. When we were sent to our Equestria, there’d been four books, you’re still around the first, though.” Brutalight said.

“And like Brute said before, we dressed as a fan version of you girls, choosing our favorite characters that also happened to match our personalities. Like Brute here! She’s a stressed out nerdy leader type who loved Twilight’s character.” Rainbine stated.

“So, then your favorite character was Rainbow and Fluttershout’s was Fluttershy. Correct?” Twilight asked as she jotted down all of this new information.

“Yep! I always enjoyed Dash’s character because I found her struggles in the books awesome!” Rainbine stated.

“Of course you liked me the best. I’m just that awesome!” Rainbow piped in as she rubbed her hoof on her chest.

“I found Fluttershy more relatable to me.” Shout mumbled.

“And Twilight was enjoyable to read about.” Brute added, “I guess we just enjoyed the ponies that seemed like us… Well, in the beginning at least…”

“Are the dragons where you’re from any different than ours?” Spike asked from the kitchen.

“Yeah! They’re wimps or jerks!” Rainbine stated.

“They’re mostly the same, but there are some that rival Twilight in intellect. Either that or they are brutes.” Brutalight explained, “But I’m not sure how different they actually are from here.”

“Well, that sounds about the same. Though the dragons I created here all have magic beyond their fire breath. Mainly elemental magic; water, earth, air, and the like.” Draigo chimed in.

“Well, we have Blood Dragons. They aren’t common, but the thing is they can turn into literal blood. I’m trying to meet one myself, but it hasn’t bared any fruit.” Brutalight tried to offer.

“Next question, dragons bore me…” Rainbine exclaimed.

“Of course they do,” Draigo mumbled. “What’s been your fondest memory since being Displaced?”

They thought about it for a moment, then Brutalight started, “Mine was when I learned how to use my magic properly. That, or when I took Derpigun to our first date in Equestria.”

Fluttershout was next, “Mine was when our Fluttershy gave me Devil.”

“Meeting our Rainbow was cool, but being her friend was even better. Although, doing the Sonic Rainboom topped it all!” Rainbine said.

“You can do the Sonic Rainboom? We’ll have to have a race sometime, if you’re up for it.” Rainbow quipped at the cyborg-pegasus.

“Please, I’m one hundred and twenty percent better than you,” Rainbine said rudely.

“Rainbine!” Fluttershout glared, “How could you say that? She didn’t do anything to you here!”

“Wait, I did something to you in your world? What the hay?” Rainbow asked in confusion.

“You broke your loyalty…” Rainbine whispered darkly as she sat down.

Fluttershout stepped closer to Dash, “You and her kinda lost your friendship after the other you rejected her. After that, the other you didn’t want to see Rainbine again and cut all communications with the Elements of Insanity.” She whispered.

“Look, I’m not your Rainbow. I get that she hurt you and I’m sorry about that. I don’t know why she rejected somepony as awesome looking as you, but it seems to me that it’s her loss. Now, do you want to race or are you going to give me another excuse to chicken out of it?” Rainbow challenged.

Rainbine glared at Rainbow, “You’re on.” And the cyborg pegasus was outside in a matter of seconds.

“Next question?” Fluttershout asked.

“How long are you going to be staying here?” asked Spike as he took a seat next to Twilight.

“Just for today. I’m having too much fun answering questions.” Brutalight answered.

“And that’s a reason to leave?”

“No, it’s a reason to stay. I need to go back because Molestia’s still on the attack. But I can stay a day for relaxation.” Brutalight replied. “Now I have a question to ask all of you. How does it feel, knowing others have your body and are vastly different. I’m kinda underwhelmed at your reaction and lack of interest in your doubles.”

“Well, to tell the truth. I’ve been trying really hard not to go over to you and examine every aspect of your body. I know about personal space and am trying to not invade it. There’s got to be all kinds of information that can be gleaned just from examining your coat, let alone all the other samples I’d be taking.” Twilight rambled.

“Um, it’s a little creepy looking at myself without a mirror. It feels so different. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those mean things.” Fluttershy whispered as she cowered behind Draigo and her mane.

“And we can kinda guess Rainbow’s reaction since she’s now racing her double,” Applejack added.

“And the rest of you? In our place, we have doubles of each of you, and the CMC.” Brutalight said as images of alternate versions of the Mane Six appeared. Applejack with a black mane, Rarity with a pink mane, Pinkie with a red coat and straight mane. “Apple Pills, Rarifruit, and Pinkis Cupcake are like us, but with unique twists.”

“Black hair, huh. Well, just from physical looks mine’s not too different. I’m not quite sure how to feel about it, though. I mean, it’s kinda weird knowin’ there’s more of me and tha’ at least one of em looks like that. How is she different from me, though?” Applejack responded.

“Apple Pills is a southern farm girl, but she had a lot of illnesses, so she took medications. When we were Displaced, she grew an obsession over pills.” Brutalight started.

“And now, anytime she sees a bottle, she literally goes flying like a rocket after them screaming ‘pills’ at the top of her lungs.” Fluttershout finished.

“That’s both disturbing and sad to find out. It must o’ really messed up the farm work. Can she at least buck apples?” Applejack asked as she cringed at the information she was told.

“She could at first…” Brutalight started again.

“But then some idiot made it so that pills randomly materialize during the worst moments. You have no idea how many conversations have been interrupted, and how many times we had to fish her out of a well or Pinkis’ stomach.” Fluttershout finished again.

“She dove into somepony’s stomach? Okay, that mare really needs to get some professional help. It’s for the best.” Applejack said as she put her stetson to her chest.

“We all need that, but Apple Pills and Pinkis can’t get any because Pills bit the doctors ear off - they sewed it back on - but her fixation on pills is so strong, just the mention of it causes her to go bonkers. It’s part of the fusion I told you about with the monster. We inherit the monster’s powers and some of their personality.” Brutalight explained.

“And there’s no way of undoing the fusion or seeking help from other sources?” Twilight asked.

“Haven’t found any, and if we ‘unfuse’ as you say, we turn into you. That top hat, Bine’s cybernetic limbs, and my wings would vanish. But, as I’ve learned, take that away, and you lose anything they gave you. So Shout would lose her right eye, Bine would lose her life support, etc. We’d most likely die.” Brutalight answered.

“Ah, it’s a catch 22. You don’t want the quirks that the fusion gave you, but without the fusion you wouldn’t be alive. That just makes me want to get my claws on those displacers and teach them a lesson. That’s easier said than done, though,” Draigo growled.

“What is my double like, darling? Surely she’s not as bad as the others. I mean sure her mane would look better in a different color, but she is still a fashionista like myself.” Rarity nervously asked.

“Actually, you’re right. She’s the least messed up out of the ten of us. She’s still a fashion lover and designer in training, but her only quirk is that she’s a coward, and she’s often not helpful. As well as a bit deceitful. But, she has better magic than a normal unicorn and can even teleport and change species.” Brutalight explained.

“She’s also a bit whiny,” Fluttershout added.

“Are you sure she’s whining and not complaining? There is a difference you know,” Rarity said trying to put a positive spin on things.

“Oh, she’s whining.” Both said.

“She isn’t annoying, though. We don’t hate her, it’s one of the forced quirks. She used to be a confident mare before the fusion.” Shout comforted.

“Oh, well. I’m glad to hear that she was better before that dreadful fusion happened. It is saddening to hear that a once proud mare has been so degraded by something that was so needed. I do think that if I were to change up her ensemble that she’d be a bit better, though.” Rarity said the last part with confidence.

“Well, I used to be a normal bookworm who loved literature, now I’m bitter, and I like to cut things with daggers.” Brutalight responded, “And Shout’s a bit of a jerk, but she’s good at holding it in.” To that, Fluttershout shrugged.

“Well, there should be a silver lining to everything. We just need to find it. Now, let’s see. Brute, you now at least can cut up ingredients for meals without cutting yourself with the knife, like I do. Shout, now you can be assertive even if it’s in a rude way. If you hadn’t fused with those monsters you’d have all the setbacks that we are working to overcome ourselves. Did you ever try to think of it that way?” Twilight asked hoping that she could brighten their outlooks.

“Are you joking? Cutting food? Really? I’m an Alicorn with magic, I don’t have a fear of cutting myself, and neither am I good.” Brutalight shot back.

“I hold it in because I’ve hurt ponies feelings.” Fluttershout said, “Assertive is one thing, bullying is another. But thank you for trying.”

“Well, it was worth a shot. I thought for sure it’d work, though,” Twilight replied.

“It was a good try Twilight, but we have to remember that their world is nowhere near what ours is and has thus changed them to better fit it,” Draigo said in an attempt to have everyone rethink their natural response of ‘try to put a positive spin on everything no matter how small’.

“I think the only good thing in our universe is Rainbine, Apple Pills and Rarifruit’s little sisters the Cutie Mark Creeps,” Fluttershout added in an attempt to help their consciousness.

“Oh? How so? Over here, the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing their crusading usually means some sort of damage is about to happen.” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well, it’s the same back home with the girls, but they do more damage and help our sanity. Especially for their sisters. Though I’m still a little scared of Karateloo’s random power after seeing her ride a barn through the sky…” Fluttershout explained.

“It’s worse than Pinkie’s random powers. Most of the time her face goes every which way!” Brutalight groaned, “Sweet kid, crazier than anyone...”

“Creepy Bell and Francie Bloom aren’t as nuts. Creepy has messed up ideas and Bloom’s just along for the ride,” Shout said.

“It’s good to hear that even in another world those three can bring entertainment to ponies. Though, I don’t think I have that random of powers. It’s just a Pinkie Sense after all, you silly filly.” Pinkie chimed in cheerfully.

“You say that, but you pop out of nowhere, can keep up with Rainbow without even trying, found a book Twilight needed in under a second after hearing the name, I’ve seen you stretch like taffy, you make a cute little bounce noise when you hop, you can remember the birthdays of everypony in Ponyville, can eat large quantities in a single bite and I’ve seen your future… It gets crazier.” Brutalight lists off.

“Of course I remember everypony’s birthday, I throw them a party each time after all. The book stuck out like a sore hoof in the ‘E’ section…"

“Finefinefinefinefine! I get it, you’re not random. Wanna hear about Pinkis or what?” Brutalight said in slight annoyance.

“Of course! She kinda reminds me of my family. I’m the only mare in my family without a straight mane. So, what’s she like?”

“She used to be a party animal like you, but when the fusion happened, she went…” Brutalight struggled for words.

Fluttershout provided, “Batshit crazy.”

“Yeah, that. She started off fine, but then she started having… cravings. We had to start feeding her meat, and she ate more than the Elements of Insanity combined. She became mean, spiteful, depressed, and homicidal after our Pinkie was killed. She’s quizzical, skeptical, and even easily annoyed. She’s the worst of us. She used to be so happy and cheerful…” Brutalight sighed, “She, like Rainbine and Rarifruit who lost loyalty and generosity, lost her laughter.”

“Well, all she needs is some laughter then. I guess that’s easier said than done, though. Maybe if she came here I could get her laughing again. Of course, I don’t want to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do, that’s never fun.” Pinkie replied keeping her cheerfulness.

“Maybe. I’ll try to fix things, and if that doesn’t work, I can always send her to a universe full of Pinkies.” Brutalight said playfully, “But, onto the next question-”

“I would have won if I didn’t bump into that raincloud!” Rainbine’s voice sounded like a playful angry as her and Rainbow flew in.

“Sure you would. Just admit it, you got distracted by how awesome I am.” Rainbow replied playfully.

Rainbine shrugged, “Maybe I felt a bit sad at how much cooler I am.” She playfully nudged Rainbow.

“Welcome back Rainbows, care to join?” Brutalight asked rolling her eyes.

“Join? Join what? You guys are in the exact same spots we left you in. That means you’ve just been talking this entire time. It wasn’t a long time admittedly but still.” Rainbow said as she hovered next to Rainbine.

“You’re not the least bit curious about your double there, Rainbow?” Draigo asked.

“She’s cool looking, fast, and can kick flank. What else is there that I need to know?” Rainbow responded as quirked an eyebrow at Draigo.

“Well, how about everything else? She fused with a monster and gained some kind of quirk that most likely changed her in a bad way.” Draigo shot back.

“As far as I’m concerned she’s a great mare. Sure, she’s been a bit rude but that was because of the things that the other Rainbow did to her. It’s fairly natural to not be nice to somepony who’s hurt you.” Rainbow answered with a good bit of logic for the athlete.

“Rainbine’s bad quirks are hotheadedness, trigger happy-”

“Hey, I’m actually proud of that!” Rainbine interrupted.

“-Her emotions are all over the place, she sometimes tunes everything out, and she’s shot more friends than foes.” Brute listed off.

“Pinkis isn’t much better in that regard, and I’ve shot plenty of baddies!” Rainbine defended.

“You’re the one who shot Brutalight’s wing nearly clean off, you hurt our Fluttershy’s animals, you shot Apple Pills, you even nearly killed our Rainbow, and you’ve been hacked before.” Fluttershout listed off.

“I- I didn’t mean those things!” Rainbine glared. “You guys are just hatin on me!”

“Those sound like legitimate concerns to me Rainbine,” Draigo pointed out.

Rainbine shot him a double take, “Not you too! Did Brutalight mention when she killed Trixie? Or when Fluttershout injured our Fluttershy by screaming!?” Rainbine was shaking.

“No, they didn’t. All of you have very concerning faults and mistakes. I’m not trying to hate on anyone and I apologize if it seemed like I was,” Draigo said as he watched Rainbine shake. “Not every one of the quirks you gained are ones you can be proud of. The fact that you are proud of any of them shows that you are either a tad bit more resilient to the changes or the changes didn’t actually change you all that much. I’m unsure which is the case. Either way, as long as you keep being this close with your friends you’ll never truly be alone.”

Rainbine sighed, “Yeah, whatever…”

Brutalight looked at her wrist as a watch appeared. It seemed to vibrate, and after a few seconds a voice was heard.

“Brutalight! Pinkis is starting ta really freak us out here!” It sounded like Fluttershout, but with a more southern accent.

“I’m hungary! Feed me your intestines!” Another, higher pitched voice shouted out.

The communication was cut off and Brutalight groaned, “Pinkis is trying to eat everypony again…”

“Dang it! What’s wrong this time? Are the Changelings not her thing!?” Rainbine asked with a disgusted look on her face, “I get sick everytime I’m around her…”

Fluttershout looked queasy, “Me too…”

“It sounds as if you might be needed sooner rather than later. I wish I could come and help, but I remember what you told me, Brute. I’ll wait until that no summon zone is lifted. Just remember to call me and I’ll be there in a flash.” Draigo said as he got stood up.

Brutalight nodded. “We’d really appreciate that…”

“Yeah, and maybe you could bring the girls. I bet Pinkis could use that cheer up and Rarifruit could take some fashion tips from Rare.” Rainbine suggested.

“Of course, I’ll definitely bring them along when I come.”

“Maybe then we can have a rematch, Rainbine. I don’t have many rivals over here since the only ponies fast enough would be the Wonderbolts and they don’t have time for a casual race,” Rainbow chimed in.

“Sure thing!” Rainbine leaned closer to Brutalight and whispered, “Can I get those upgrades we talked about? I think I’m starting to lose my touch.”

Brutalight giggled demonically, “Sure thing. Well, see you at the war!”

“I’ll kick your tail in between your legs!” Rainbine said before vanishing with a wink.

“Maybe next time I can show you Devil.” Fluttershout faded into red.

“Anything you guys wanna say before I go?” Brutalight asked.

“You guys are welcome here anytime. I hope things smooth out for you and keep your chin up. This ‘war’ will be a great way for you to relieve some stress. May my Celestia’s sun and my Luna’s moon protect you in your time of need.”

“Thank you…” A sad smile crossed Brutal’s face as she disappeared, leaving a bottle of DNA samples from each pony in separate jars.

“Well, Twilight. Looks like you got those DNA samples you wanted.” Draigo said as he levitated them over to her.

“They may have been screwed up, but they weren’t actually ‘bad’ ponies after all,” Twilight said as she looked fondly at each of the jars now in her magical aura.

“With that I must go and inform Celestia and Luna of the new developments. I’ll talk to you later girls.” Draigo said as he left the library and flew off toward Canterlot.

Now, what’s the best way to tell them without them ripping my head off?