The Dying World

Twilight and Pinkie Pie raced up the pathway leading into Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity and Applejack kept vigil upon the fields as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy circled above the grounds. Rainbow's keen eyes quickly noticed the two mares as they ran up the dusty path.

"Twilight's back!" Rainbow shouted as she sped towards the two ponies. "And she has Pinkie with her!"

Rarity and Applejack cheered as they ran down the road to meet up with the others. Rainbow dropped in front of Twilight and Pinkie with a resounding thud, followed by the gentle landing of Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy," said Twilight. "Gummy needs your help."

Fluttershy looked towards the deflated Pinkie as she turned slightly to reveal the unconscious alligator lying upon her back.

"Oh no," she gasped. Quickly running to Pinkie's side, her eyes wide with concern as she looked over the small reptile. Rarity and Applejack  stood with Twilight and Rainbow as they watched the yellow mare. Fluttershy gently picked up the unconscious alligator, relieved to see he was still breathing. She listened closely to the strained breaths as she cautiously felt for any abnormalities upon his tiny frame.

Letting out a sigh of relief she smiled, gently setting the beloved pet back upon Pinkie's back. "He'll be okay," she said softly. "A little bruised and a minor burn, he just had a little too much smoke is all. He was very lucky."

Pinkie's eyes lit up. "Oh thank you Fluttershy!" cried Pinkie as she embraced the pegasus. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Don't you worry now," Fluttershy reassured. "All he needs is some time. With some rest and fresh air he'll be felling better in no time. But in the meantime do be gentle with him, okay?"

"I will!" Pinkie nodded as her mane puffed up slightly. Everyone cheered happily knowing the little alligator was going to be all right.

"Gummy will be safe in the barn with Winona," said Applejack. "We cleaned it up an' she's keeping watch."

"Okey...Dokey Lokey!" chirped Pinkie with a renewed zeal as she gave the farm pony a hug. Her mane puffing up more so as she quickly trotted off towards the barn.

Twilight opened the chest containing the last element, her own; the Element of Magic. Holding it aloft with a spell she placed the tiara upon her head as Pinkie returned. Smiling as she looked at the combined incarnations of the Elements of Harmony.

"This is it," said Twilight. "Is everypony ready?"

"Let's do it!" they cheered in unison.

Twilight lead the others into the Everfree Forest, once again following the beaten makeshift path through the dense brush towards the clearing she and Fluttershy had been the day prior.

"Are you sure that Shadow is responsible?" said Twilight, turning to Applejack.

Applejack nodded. "He confessed that everythin' was his fault just shortly after you left."

Twilight looked down for a moment. "If  he is connected to all of this, and to those ruins, I'm sure he didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Applejack huffed. "Then why build the thing in the first place? I swear Twi. There's somethin' wrong about that pony."

Twilight frowned as she looked down, weighing the entirety of the situation in her mind.

"Hey Twilight," called Rainbow Dash from up ahead. "Is this it?" The pegasus held aside a bush, revealing a recently traversed path leading into the open clearing. Twilight could see the structure billowing the smoke of emotion.

Twilight nodded. "This is it alright." She looked towards the ruin as she lead the others into the clearing. The smoke seemed to hang in heavy snaking patches throughout the air about the clearing.

"Try not to get too close to the smoke," said Twilight. "It nearly overwhelmed me last time." The recollection of the incident was still fresh in her mind. She never wanted to feel the pain of those emotions again.

As they reached the structure the others stared in awe at the worn stones. Twilight was relieved to find she did not feel the same unnerving fear as before. The combined strength of the elements seemed to protect them as the amulets gently glowed, repelling the negative emotions.

"Alright," said Twilight as she put a hoof forward. "Ready Girls?"

The others smiled and nodded back, standing at Twilight's side. Closing their eyes as they focused on the strengths of their elements, the amulets began to glow brightly. Twilight smiled as she turned towards the ruins closing her eyes, tapping into the element of magic. The knowledge of her friends standing at her side caused a shock within her as the embodiments of the elements began to rise into the air. A surge of magic swelled within her as she opened her eyes which had become vessels of white light. The colored energies of the elements twisted together, forming a rainbow of magical energy. The ground began to quake as the rainbow of friendship began to swirl around the ruins, gaining speed as the combined energies intensified. In a brilliant flash the rainbow vanished as the six mares gently touched upon the ground.

Opening their eyes they stared at the weathered stones of the ruin, the smoke was gone. "Twilight? Are you quite sure it worked?" asked Rarity with an air of reluctance.

Twilight stared at stone dais, her eyes following the pillars upwards to the broken arch. "I...I think so," she said. The six stood staring at the circular monument for what felt like an hour. A cool breeze rose up as their hearts sank, a small wisp of black smoke began to plume along the side of the circular slab.

"No..." said a familiar voice behind them. They turned to see Shadow Bolt step out of the shade, a look of shock and fear upon his face. He walked forward, stopping in front of the mares as he gazed upon the pallid rock. He began to tremble, collapsing to the ground trying to bury his face under his hooves. "No no no no no no no!" he cried.

Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other before glaring back at the stallion. "Alright!" yelled the farm pony. Pointing towards the ruins she barked at the dark stallion. "Answers now! What is that thing an' why did you build it?"

Shadow slowly stood up, his eyes closed as he began walking towards the stones; his   his feet trembling with every step. The ponies watched him as he stopped in front of the square cut slot in the circular dais. Opening his eyes he looked up at the vacant center of the unconnected arch.

"Do you want to know-" he said with a slight quiver in his voice. His expression becoming rigid with a sudden strength. "Who I really am?"

"Yes!" Applejack shouted.

Shadow sighed. "Very well. Miriniv!" The clout of the foreign word sent a shiver through the unicorns as a blazing red symbol materialized in the air. Slowly, it lowered into the empty square slot and clicked into place. The symbols began to glow one after another until they all shone a dull red hue. The symbols began to glow brighter as beams of energy swirled along the twin spires, convening within the gap of the arch. A sudden flash of crimson light blinded them as they tried to shield their eyes. When the light faded they all looked back towards the stones, they were at a loss for words. A doorway of light stood within the once empty archway which was now whole, held together by a beam of magical energy.

They watched as Shadow stood in front of the passage. "Follow Me," he said stepping into the aura of light, vanishing before them. Twilight nervously stepped up onto the stone dais, looking into the brilliant light.

"Twilight!" said Applejack as she grabbed the purple mare. "What the hay, have you lost your mind?"

"I...I don't think he wants to hurt us," said Twilight staring into the door of light. Still shaken and amazed from the powerful display.

Applejack frowned. "How do ya figure that? He practically admitted he's responsible for this thing being here!"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think he meant for this to happen." Pulling away from the farm pony she stepped towards the light.

"Wait!" said Applejack. "You think you're going in there without us do you?"

"Yeah! We stick together!" cheered Pinkie.

The others nodded in agreement and looked at Twilight as she smiled at them. No words needed to be spoken as they

all stood together. After a moments pause to collect their thoughts they closed their eyes and stepped into the doorway of light.

A sudden calm came over them, feeling as if they were asleep; dreaming peacefully. Slowly opening their eyes they found themselves within a large metal room with no windows. All around them were machines the likes of which they've never seen. In the center of the room stood a large, majestic apple tree. Applejack looked at the enormous tree, it was larger than any she had seen before.

Shadow stood nearby as he smiled at the bewildered mares. Looking up at the tree he gently placed a hoof upon it's trunk. Taking in a breath he looked towards the others. "I had hoped that I would never have to tell you all this," he sighed. "There is so much, I hardly know how to begin."

"I suppose I should start by telling you, my name is not Shadow Bolt. My name is Ethan. Ethan Bridger."

The mares listened intently to the dark stallion. His golden eyes looking into their own as he stood before them. "I'm...not even equine. I'm not anything from your reality let alone your world."

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "So what exactly are you?"

"It would be best to show you. Vervendini!" Rarity and Twilight shuddered as he bellowed the foreign incantation.

Ethan's cutie mark began to glow as it lifted from his flank, fading as it fell to the metallic floor; vanishing from sight. His horn glowed as it detached from his forehead. Levitating in front of him, spinning slowly to reveal a crystal hidden under it's base. The horn began to unravel into a chain holding the crystal as it wrapped around his neck.

His fur began to pull and twist, revealing the blush hide as it swam about his shaking body, weaving itself together into what looked to be a fabric. His muzzle retracted into his face, leaving behind a small hump. His ears moved down the poll, shrinking as they shifted to the sides of his head. The long ebony and blue strands of his mane began to fall from it's crest and vanish from sight as it shifted upon his crown. His forearms began to lurch as the pastern and knee joints shrunk and bent to produce long appendages, his hooves vanishing, the stumps became crowned by a series of digits. He stood upon his hind legs as they followed in succession. The swirling black fabric molded together in a garment which settled upon bare flesh. His eyes opened to reveal a dark brown, gone were the golden shades. Standing before them was not the stallion that they had met before, but something of another world.

The mares looked upon this creature in stunned silence, their eyes wide.

"My world used to be a lot like yours," he said. "But not nearly as accepting to one another. Our economy was failing, but we managed to get by. One day the scientists of my world created a machine, a machine so small that you could not see it. This machine would live inside our bodies, staving off disease, age and trauma. There were celebrations. People danced in the streets. We all accepted this 'ultimate cure'."

Ethan turned away, looking down as he closed his eyes. "How naive we were..."

Rarity frowned, shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, what's wrong with any of that?"

"Over population," said Twilight as it dawned upon her. "If the system of life was altered in such a way there is no way the world could support it."

"It's like when there's too many apples on one tree," said Applejack. "The weight of it all starts to hurt it."

Ethan nodded. "Death, while tragic, is a necessary part of life. Over the next fifty years the population grew from seven billion to twelve. An entire new layer was built over the surface our planet to support the ever growing population. The price of food skyrocketed and the destitute resorted to violence. Several attempts were made to remove the 'cure'. All of which failed."

Twilight looked at Ethan, the gravity of his story was overwhelming. "So you came to our world as an escape..."

Ethan nodded. "I built the gateway. But I had miscalculated one thing. The emotions produced by those who died with hatred. When they were brought back to life by the machines they retained an echo of their last thought. They became empty vessels, blank slates cursed with the memory of their fate. After living with it for nearly 200 years, I had gotten to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore."

Twilight looked back at the gate. "So the negative emotions felt by those who had died and were brought back to life, that's what is penetrating our world?"

Ethan nodded. "Escaping through the cracks I created between our realities. Cracks that I am going to seal permanently."

Twilight looked to Ethan confused. "But how are you going to do that? Not even the Elements of Harmony could-"

"There is a system I put in place where I can force the gate to remove itself from your world," said Ethan quickly. "Our worlds will then separate from each other, forcing the energy that escaped back into this one. And your world will return back to its normal state."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "That sounds great and all. I mean, everypony wins. But why didn't you just use that before?"

Ethan sighed. "...Anything that exists is made of energy. If I was in your world I would be ripped out and squeezed through a tiny hole."

"So...You have to stay?" said Pinkie sadly.

Ethan stood silently, looking at the mares he had come to call friends. "When you leave here...you'll need to get as far away from the gate as you can. Go back to Ponyville. Don't stop for any reason."

"But there has to be something we can do. Nopony deserves to be trapped here." cried Fluttershy.

"And let your world rot away as mine has while we figure it out?" Ethan said angrily causing Fluttershy to sulk back. "I'm sorry...I failed to protect my world from this happening, I could have done more. I wont let my desires destroy your world.

The nervous pegasus looked down sadly as tear fell down her face.

"You're sure this is the only way?" asked Twilight.

Ethan nodded. "I've had 150 years to plan this. I've thought of everything."

"...I'm so sorry Shadow,"  she sighed.

Ethan smiled softly. "Don't be.  It is the greatest happiness of the greater number that is the measure of right and wrong. The last few days, meeting all of you...was the best thing that ever happened in my life. I want to thank you, all of you, for extending your friendship to an outcast like me."

They all looked at him with mixed emotions, the silence spoke louder than any words they could muster. Ethan smiled as he knelt down at height with the ponies. "...Goodbye my friends. I must destroy this gate before things get worse than they already are."

Twilight nodded as tears began to swell in her eyes, rushing forward hugging him tightly. "Thank you Sha- I mean Ethan...We will never forget you."

Ethan smiled as a tear fell from his cheek. Standing up he motioned towards the doorway of light. "Go. Get as far away from the gate as you can."

The mares turned and took one last look at Ethan as one by one they stepped into the aura.

Twilight struggled to keep up with the others as they fled from the gate. Trailing slightly behind Pinkie she turned to look at the gate as a ball of light erupted from the center of the stone ruin. Time, gravity, reality all seemed to stop in that moment. The mares could see nothing but white light, it felt as if they were levitating. Seconds felt like minutes within this limbo, when suddenly they were flung upon the grass of the field. The volatile winds inhaled around the sphere of light pulling the mares towards it's edge. They hung onto the trees, ground, and rocks for dear life, as the world around them seemed to cry in agony. Then all was silent.

Sitting up they all looked to each other then towards the ruins. The surrounding land was ripped asunder and trees were near split apart, a small depression was all that remained of the gateway. They all stood upon the edge of where the circular stone dais once lay, reflecting upon the events they had witnessed.

"Come on ya'll," said Applejack breaking the silence. "Let's go home."

After walking for what seemed like ages, the six reached the outskirts of their devastated hometown. Everywhere they looked bespoke the madness of another world that left it's impression upon their own. But there was one thing which wore on their hearts more than anything. Broken friendships. Ponies flinched as they walked near each other for fear of retaliation. It would take a long while for the wounds to heal, far longer than it will take to rebuild. But they each knew deep down that one day, all would be forgiven; for this is the land that was built upon harmony.

This is Equestria.