Sparks was pissed. Sunset was confused. I was with Sunset on this one.

I kept a very close eye on Dupli!Twilight as I checked on Amber, having pulled a bookshelf off her.

Her chitin seemed mostly okay, it was cracked on one rear leg, but she was alive if completely out of it.

Holding her close by my wing to let her draw on my energy, I explained to Sparks and Sunset what happened with Discord.

Fucking Discord.

Sparks looked between me and Dupli!Twilight, “And you thought it was a good idea to wreck my library!?”

“She attacked Amber!” I protested, “It’s weird mirror dimension Twilight!”

Lack of beard or not!

“I saw a changeling!” Dupli!Twilight protested, “They’re evil!”

“They are not evil!” I protested, “She was protecting me! From you!”

Sparks shook her head, “Okay everypony, calm down,” she said and spread her wings with a sigh before turning to Dupli!Twilight, “Why are you here?”

Dupli!Twilight picked a hiding Dupli!Spike up and put him on her back, “I’m… well, he, whomever he is, isn’t wrong. I’m from another dimension, well, timeline really. I’m trying to stop a mare called Starlight Glimmer from ending the world. She’s trying to stop me from meeting my friends, the other bearers of the elements of harmony. Then she sends me into those worlds and I have to return to stop her.”

“Elements of harmony,” I said and held Amber tighter as I felt her stir slightly, “Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle.”

Dupli!Twilight blinked at me in surprise, “Yes! I met them here!?”

Twilight nodded, “I did, they are my best friends.”

Dupli!Twilight looked confused, “But… then what…”

“Discord,” I said, “You weren’t mean to end up in this timeline. He accused me of being a source of chaos ponies liked and that I changed things. He said he was going to show me. I think he redirected you here from where you were really going.”

Dupli!Twilight nodded, “That makes sense. I mean, in any other world I gone to, things had been…”

“Bad?” Sparks asked her.

Dupli!Twilight nodded, “Bad. Nightmare Moon ruling Equestria, Equestria at war against King Sombra…” she said before glancing at Amber, “Changelings overrunning the land, feeding on ponies.”

“They are not like that,” I said and shook my head, “not anymore.”

“It’s true,” Sparks confirmed, “The changelings are our allies. At least the hive of Queen Chrysalis and Princess Skitter are.”

Dupli!Twilight looked a bit confused, “Who’s Princes…” she said before she shook her head, “Never mind, I need to get back and stop Starlight Glimmer.”

Sparks frowned, “…Did you say Starlight Glimmer?”

“Why?”

“Because here, she is my student.”

Dupli!Twilight looked surprised, “…Did she take over a village and steal their cutiemarks?”

“Yes, but she was misguided, not evil,” Sparks protested, “I mean, she’s trying to do better, and I don’t see her doing something like this!”

I did. But I had also seen her dreams. Even now, Starlight Glimmer was trouble and without help, I could easily have seen her snap after losing if we didn’t manage to catch her.

Dupli!Twilight frowned and then shook her head, “Maybe. But I must stop her,” she said and moved around the table, “I need to find the scroll to… oh no.”

Sunset looked at her, “What?”

Dupli!Twilight lifted up burned and tattered fragments of what looked like paper from the ground. There wasn’t a lot there.

Sparks quickly moved up to her, “What was it?”

Dupli!Twilight sat down, staring at it, “It… it was the scroll. The scroll containing the spell, the key to the entire matrix. Without the scroll…” she said and glanced back at the Dupli!Spike on her back as he stared back at her before he spoke up,

“…We’re stuck...” he said, sinking down to lay on her back, “…We’re not getting home.”

Dupli!Twilight swallowed, “We’ll find a way.”

Sparks nodded and put her hoof on her shoulder, “We will. I haven’t found a spell yet I can’t figure out with time.”

“And now there are two of you,” Sunset said with a smile, “We’ll fix it.”

Dupli!Twilight managed a small smile, “Thanks, I…” she started before she frowned at Sunny, “…you’re Sunset Shimmer. What are you doing in Equestria, aren’t you supposed to be in the human world?”

Sunset blinked at her, “I am?”

Dupli!Twilight then turned to look at me, “…And I still have no idea who you are. A male alicorn… I didn’t even think that was possible!”

“King Sombra, nice to meet you,” I told her with a smile.

Dupli!Twilight took a quick step back.

Sunset sighed and facehooved, “Page, so not the time or place. The pony who think he is funny is Blank Page.”

Amber groaned a bit and started to slowly blink awake.

“If you excuse me, can we perhaps focus on the injured ‘ling?” I then asked, shooting a look at Sunset, “Help me move her to the couch?”

Next Chapter: Chapter 40 Estimated time remaining: 29 Minutes