//------------------------------// // Chapter Blue(1): Layla // Story: Gathering The Names Across The Multiverse // by DATONETWIxDASHFAN //------------------------------// In the multiverse, not every universe is like the prime universe; some are dark and twisted, like Aaira universe. Right Aaira? "Why are you putting a mic in my face, you cra-" See? She agrees. Now what was I talking about? Oh yes, how some universes are darker than the rainbow and sunshine, that is other universes and the prime universe. In this anthro universe, there's a sickness called Chaos disease, where a parasites infects the host, giving them extra animal parts of their own species or another and also giving them different weird magic, like chaos magic or very rare rune magic. But the catch is that they go mad and slowly die, turning into stone and becoming spores after death, spreading the eggs stacks of new parasites to nearby hosts. The sickness came with no warning, and most of the world is infected, while those who aren't infected are on moving city bases. Those that are sick, or known as simply the "infected,", as they're outcasts, seen as nothing but monsters, and treated as such; some are experimented on. Some infected, rose up, and created their own army, fighting for their people, and the one leading them is this universe. Ember, known as Nova, she is their leader and fights for them, as she's looking for her people's dawn, a better tomorrow. But Nova isn't alone in looking for that dawn. There's another one, her childhood friend, this universe Twilight, known as Layla, an infected with rune magic and black crystal wings, that leads the Canterlot Island. Pharmaceuticals Inc they treats infected people who caught the chaos disease. Unlike Nova, who fights for her people through terrorism, Layla fights by working with non-infected people and bridging the gap between them and the infected, believing the dawn will come when both sides work together rather than fighting each other over their hate and fear for each other. But that doesn't mean the girls aren't at each others throats. Nova will go to any lengths to end the suffering of her people, including hurting or killing anyone that stand in her way, no matter the cost. While Layla believes that the infected and non infected will see a day without hate, will find peace and live as one as a cure will be found, ending the meaningless fighting, without the need to kill each other, as both are fighting for a better tomorrow, a dawn to find, just in different ways. ...which both girls paths lead them to fight each other in their final showdown, but Layla was teleported away to save the multiverse, while Twilight and Twilah, who fused as one, faced a crazed Nova, who is slowly falling to the madness. When Twilight leapt out of this universe, Layla returned and continued her final battle with her dear friend and the outco-UGH!? Discord could feel a hand around his throat and being tossed out of the phonebooth, as Midnight dust her hands and walked of the booth, annoyed "Stop wasting time talking to yourself. We'll be in there all day if you kept chatting." she turned around and saw everyone spill out of the booth. She looked around and could see they were in a park like area. The park itself is sealed in a steel doom. "This isn't Ponyville," said Berry, looking around. "You think?" replied Midnight, making Berry whimper and hide behind Grape, who glared at her counterpart. Discord stood up and dusted himself off. "Of course not; there's no 'Ponyville' or anything like that here. We're on Canterlot Island, or CI for short, a mobile airship. It looks like we're in their park area for their residents." "We're on a floating ship!?" gasped Berry and Grape, floating above the trees and looking around. That's when the lights went out, and the red warning lights and alarm started going off. "What's happening?!" shouted AJ, readying her pulse rifle. "WARNING! WARNING! THE CHAOS INFECTED HAS BREACHED SECURITY LOCKDOWN AND ARE OUT OF CONTAINMENT. ALL CANTERLOT ISLAND MEMBERS, REPORT TO YOUR DUTY STATIONS. AREA IS UNSAFE! ALL COMADING LEADERS, REPORT TO THE DUTY STATIONS! LOCKDOWN IS UNDERWAY!" said the computer. "Great, that's just great," groaned Discord, looking up at the ceiling and seeing the hologram warning signs. "This was meant to be a quick pick-and-go. Welp....good luck." Discord gave a peace sign and faded away, causing Amazement to swear at him in anger. "Where the fuck is he going with that useless snake bastard?!" "He left us, didn't he?" said Enmity, sadly. "It looks like it, kid," said AJ, trying to cheer the little girl up but turning to the others. "So what now? Do we go help, or will they mistake us for enemies?" Before anyone could answer, Plum hop off the phonebooth and flew pass, saying she wanted to see these kaiju, drooling a ton and disappearing into a nearby hallway. "PLUM!? Why is she here?" shouted Grape as she flew after her, with Berry close behind. "GIRLS! WAIT!" shouted Heat, flying after them. Bolt shook her head and told everyone to follow them, as they were already gone and she knew this was going to lead them into a worse situation. Everyone took off, running towards the hallway, but Amazement felt her collar being pulled and tossed backwards, and looming over her was Midnight. "What are you doing?" asked Amazement, but she froze as Midnight classic cold stared at her. "They can handle this, we're going continuing your training right now." she put her arms behind her back "Stand up and draw your sword. Face your fear." Amazement looked at her, seeing no room to argue, stood up and touch her sword hilt and started to shake and sweat. She couldn't draw it like before. Midnight closed her eyes. "We have time. Take your time," she said. Amazement was shaking but took deep breath and tried to reach for her sword again and she felt it. The fear creeping up on her, like a monster from a horror story. She wanted to stop and turn around but she kept reaching for her sword and slowly pull out her sword but stoping, as she saw her, the one who killed her love. She let her sword drop back into its scabbard and fell on her knees and started crying, knowing that Midnight wasn't going to give up. "I can't... I just can't..." she cried, putting her hands on her face, feeling her tears going down her cheeks "I can't draw my sword against her...not her...anyone else, fine. But her? I just can't..." she sniff and looked at Midnight with her wet eyes "You wouldn't understand..." "You're right, I don't." Midnight opened her eyes and turned around, narrowing her eyes at someone, who was walking towards them "I do, however, know that someone is here." Amazement's eyes widen, and she quickly wipes away her tears. She stands up and turns and sees a shadow monster with dark green eyes, filling the park with pure darkness, like the night sky. Amazement cast a light spell as she and Midnight were surrounded by pure darkness, with only two glowing green eyes looking at them. "...this magic!? It's almost like dark magic, but it's very different. Midnight, do you know what's going on?!" asked Amazement. "No." Midnight answered, her horn glowing. The monster's eyes glowed a bright green and let out a roar, sending a shockwave, which sent Amazement back, while Midnight wasn't phased by it and flew forward and fired a beam of magic at the monster, which hit and did no damage, surprising Midnight. "How can something like this exist, and why do I feel familiar with its magic?" thought Midnight as she stared down at the creature. Suddenly, both could hear clapping coming all around them. "I'm amazed that someone can almost hurt Crescent while in our realm," said a cold female voice. Amazement tried to create a more powerful light spell, but no matter how hard she tried, the darkness wouldn't go away. "What the heck is this darkness?! Why can't I get rid of it?! Whoever you are, come out and face us!" shouted Amazement, drawing her sword, the monster roaring at her, getting closer to her. Finally revealing itself, a shadow Alicorn, as it was about to bite down on her, but Midnight got in front of her and took the bite on her arm, blood pouring out of her arm as her body was pushed back into Amazement, making the girl scream. "MIDNIGHT!?" shouted Amazement, holding onto her, seeing her blood on her clothes, Midnight's expression unchanged and still looking at the shadow Alicorn. "Foolish, taking the attack for her? What good did it do you? You're hurt because of her own stupidity. Going by your outfit, you're a  fighter. Well, good luck punching with your arm bleeding." said the voice as the shadow Alicorn licked the blood off its mouth. "Midnight, we have to retreat." said Amazement, trying to drag her back but Midnight didn't move and instead glared at the monster. "Foolish? You shouldn't be talking. You gave your location with that attack." Midnight grabbed the shadow creature and pulled it, making the voice grunt. Midnight stared down in front of her and dashed forward. "Summoner, you are a fool, a very big fool." The shadow Alicorn tried to slash at Midnight but missed as it tried to protect its master. The unicorn tackled the creature master, pushing her out of the darkness and into a tree. The shadow Alicorn screamed in pain, the darkness disappearing. "You are limited in your range, I could hear your foot steps as your monster charged towards us. You may have power but you lack experience in hiding your presence." said Midnight, letting her go and swinging her bleeding arm, tossing the blood near the dark blue unicorn face, wearing a doctor uniform. "Thanks for the feedback; I'll take it into consideration." said the blue unicorn, cleaning her face with her sleeve and smiling. "Now you got me; who are you and why are you here?" Midnight spit the ground as she realized who this universe counterpart is. "...you look like my free loader mom." "What?" asked this universe Luna. "My name is Nanna, who are you and why do you look like Layla? Wait." Nanna scan Midnight up and down "No, you aren't the one that appeared a month ago. Another version of Layla..." Amazement walked over and asked how she knew Layla, as they were here to get her. "She's my daughter, and let me guess, another crisis?" Before they could answer, the warning returned, making Nanna sigh. "She's out again...that girl, I swear." she turned and headed to the exit and called out to them "Follow me. Layla will be with her." They followed her but Amazement could see the shadow creature appearing behind Nanna back and glared at the two, even though its master didn't seem to notice it. Amazement was about to tell Midnight but she could see Midnight already knew and the same with Nanna shadow. "If it makes a move, it's gone." The creature narrowed its eyes and faded away, knowing it would lose a fight against her. Nanna led the two mares to an unknown place. Meanwhile, the gang reached the others and found themselves in a burned, melting and ice covered hallway. "It looks like a sun blow up, but there's ice everywhere." Bolt said, looking at the melting but yet frozen walls. "What happened here?" asked AJ. Grape and Berry could sense it, even Flash. "It was magic. Very weird magic. Like two different magics are one in the same," said Grape, touching the walls. Berry looked down and could see some blood. "And blood. This is bad." Flash could feel a lot of magic and the energy ahead of them. "Whatever it is, its ahead of us." Everyone nodded, and the team headed forward, passing more melted and frozen walls but getting worse than the last. "Hey, is anyone else wondering why we haven't seen anyone else so far?" asked Aaira, running in the back of the group, "Or any bodies? This hallway is clearly a sign of someone powerful heading somewhere but there are no signs of anyone here to stop them." Everyone couldn't agree more. There should be some bodies, and yet there's nothing. "Hey, Heat," said Bolt, looking at her. "When we face whoever is causing this weird fire or whatever, you might have to deal with them. Like the old saying goes, fight fire with fire." Heat rolled her eyes but nodded as she went into her burning form and blasted forward but stopped as she entered what seemed to be a mess hall for the residents. The gang reached her and was wondering why she looked confused. They looked inside and joined in the confusion. "I JUST WANTED TACOS AND CHILLI PIE! I WAS HUNGRY!" shouted this universe Ember, known as Nova, as she's on the floor and acting as a child and releasing weird aura that felt blazing hot but also dead cold. She was in the line and the lunch staff sighed as it seems this was a common thing and kept their distance from her. "Stop acting like a child, Nova! You're an adult. Act like it," said this universe Twilight, Layla, pushing an empty wheel chair. "Also, stop running off like that; you set off the warning alarms again, and mom's going to be mad." Layla was going to help her up, but something flew into her face. It was Plum. "OMG! YOU LOOK LIKE GRAPE AND THE OTHERS!" Plum started to drool and hug Layla's nose but quickly saw Nova, who was standing up weakly. "HOLY COW! A DRAGON KAIJU! OMGOMGOMG!" She flew and smacked into Nova's face, but quickly let go as Nova's aura burned and chilled her. "HOT, but also so COLD!" Plum flew away into another hallway. "Was that...Nanna? But small?" asked Nova, sitting in the wheel chair, but she noticed Layla's shock reaction. "You okay?" Layla said that outfit looks like Berry and turned to the hallway where she entered from, just for her to see friends and a new group of people she had never seen before and started to cry. "Girls?" Bolt waved at her. "Long time, no see, Layla. How have you been?" "Bolt! Girls!" shouted Layla, letting go of the wheel chair and running towards her friends, who stepped forward and hugged them. "It's good to see you all! Why are you girls here!?" Before they answered her, Nova rolled her way over to them, but everyone but Heat stepped back as the mix of cold and heat was too much. "Hiya. Name's Nova. You guys must be her friends who saved the multiverse, right?" She smiled and said, "I'm her childhood friend." She then turned to Heat, smiling at her. "You must be Heat, right? I can't believe someone other than Layla and Nanna could withstand my chaos magic. It's an honor to meet you." Heat nodded and said the same, and Layla quickly wiped her tears and introduced her friends to Nova, but she noticed how Aaira and Flash looked much older and saw the others behind them, not seeing them before. Heat turned to Layla with a serous look on her face. "Layla, we need you. It's the twins. They're in danger." Layla's eyes widen. "Blitz and Breaker? What's wrong!? Tell me!" "They're in danger, along with the multiverse," answered Nanna as she entered with Midnight and Amazement. She is also holding Plum by her tail. "PUT ME DOWN!" shouted Plum, flaring her arms and legs. "Shut it," said Nanna and Midnight with their cold stares, making Plum whimper and stop. "Mom? and another version of me and a human, What do you mean also the multiverse?" Layla turned to her friends and asked, "What's happening!?" After being explained what's happening, Layla stood up from the table as Heat explained everything, while the others were far away as Nova was sitting with the girls. She has a serious look. "We'll save them and the multiverse. I'm not letting some crazed human take away those two better tomorrow. Not after we fought for it for them and they earned it—to live rather than die as a monster! No, not on my watch!" she said. "So are we going to sit here and chat, or are we going to do something about this crazy lady!?" shouted Nova, slamming the table, damaging it and making the lunch staff shout at her. "Nova?" said Layla. Nova coughed some blood but smiled, "What? Let's go kick some butt together! I'm not letting you go off alone! I'm co-" She started to cough, with blood hitting the table. "NOVA! You need to go back to the medbay. You-" Layla tried to touch her, but she was pushed away. "I'm not staying; while you are risking your life again, I'm going. I'll just rest up on the way, okay? Plus, the more chaos magic users, the better." she smiled. Layla looked down and thought for a moment as she saw the wrist guard on Nova, then looked at her own. She shook her head. "No, the harmony guard is keeping you alive, but if you use your magic, you'll be burning away what little time you have left, and you know that." "I've been dying for years. I'm not giving up." "Dying?" asked Amazement, who stopped eating her taco with the others. "Yeah, she was infected like me, but her madness almost took over and she almost died as she went into a meltdown state." She sat down and touched Nova's arm. "I saved her by giving her my harmony guard when I returned home, but it's just slowing down the disease before sh-." Layla couldn't finish her sentence and touched her head. "I can't do it anymore. I can't see my childhood friend dying," she cried. Nova patted her head. "Hey, it's okay. Look at me. You did all you could; let the time I have left be worth something. Now, stop crying and wipe your tears." She smiled and turned to the group. "So, I guess I'm joining the group, right? If it's okay with the oth-" suddenly, she started having a coughing fit, a very bad one as more blood came out. "NOVA!" shouted Layla. Nova held her chest and said it hurt and she was having trouble breathing. "You should be in the medical bay. You can't-" Nova glared at her, cutting her off. "AND WASTE AWAY IN THAT BED!? NO!" She calmed down, still feeling the pain in her chest, and started to breathe again. "I'm not going back. If I'm going to die, then I'm going to write my own damn ending, and there's no way in hell going to be in that damn bed. Now, can I join your group? Or not? If not, I'm coming anyway." Everyone looked at each other, and they all said no. "What!? Why!?" AJ, step forward. "Well, for one, you'll be dead weight in battle if you can't even handle talking. And two, it's your safety, and I think Layla doesn't want you to die on her, not on the battlefield." "But I'll be-" Flash, step forward. "You are strong, I can tell, but you aren't in any condition to fight. So, you are staying here. End of story. We have to leave now." She turned and left with the group. "What a jerk," said Nova. Heat and Layla were the last ones, and Heat turned to Nova. "Helping friends is important, but it's more important that you live. Live and fight another day. That's what Layla wants for you—to see a better tomorrow and a new dawn. Right Layla? Right?" Layla couldn't talk and looked down, and Heat patted her shoulder and left, leaving Nova and Layla. "So, you'll be leaving me here then?" Nova said, not looking at Layla, her eyes dark and angry. "I'm sorry..." was all Layla could say. "I guess the girl who saved the multiverse is too good for some random dying dragon. Well, whatever, go and have fun with your new friends." "Nova..." "Get out." "What?" "I SAID GET OUT!" she shouted, her voice echoing the mess hall. The staff were cleaning up and were telling them to leave, not wanting trouble in the hall. Layla wanted to say something, but Nova was clearly mad at her. She had no choice but to leave. She didn't see the staff members giving her a sad look. "That wasn't nice, young miss," said one as they stood far from Nova and cleaned the tables. "It's the second time since that month that you got out of the room, and here you are, yelling at her," said another. "Oh, shut it," said Nova, her tone still harsh. "We don't know what is going on between you two, but it's not right to yell at her. She's trying to help you." said the second staff member. Nova dripped into her wheel chair, the staff members shaking their heads. "Tsk tsk tsk, friends shouldn't fight." Nova looked up and pushed her wheel chair away as she saw the worst infected ever. Having tons of animal parts on him. Nova tried to summon her flame swords but started to cough, and it was just as bad. "Not now! Damn it!" She coughed and coughed, falling out of her wheel chair and crawling away from him. "My, my, my, you poor child, why don't I help you?" said Discord, snapping his fingers and placing Nova on a table in mid-air, and she could see a blanket over her body and weird cut-out shapes. Discord appeared, wearing a doctor's uniform and a pair of glasses. "Now, you are suffering from an incurable disease, but don't worry, Dr. Discord is here to make it all better." Nova's eyes widen and she starts to struggle but can't move; something is holding her down. She looked down and screamed at the staff for help, and they were cleaning still, not noticing what was going on, like some kind of magic was making them not notice. "NO! Let go of me! HELP! HELP! PLEASE! HE'S TRYING TO TURN ME INTO HIM!" They didn't listen; they were just doing their work, cleaning and talking, not even noticing the weird floating table. "What did you do!? What did you do to them?" shouted Nova, trying to break free but couldn't, feeling weak and dizzy. Discord smiled "Oh, nothing; they are fine and well. Now let's see, where are you?" said Discord to himself as he held out an oversize tweezer and put it through the holes in the blanket. Nova could feel it digging into her body, but the odd thing was... "Why isn't this hurting?" "OH, HOW ABOUT THIS! OR HERE!" shouted Discord, digging the tweezers in many spots of her body, until he touched a corner of the hole and Nova Dragon's nose lit up red and a buzzing sound could be heard somewhere. "Darn, touch a corner. This Nova edition of Operation is much harder!" he laughed as he held out the Operation board game box, having Nova on it. "HELP ME!" "I'm trying to, but you keep moving and making noise." He then put his hands on the blanket, looking down on her, his glasses reflecting light, making his smile creepier. "You want to know something? Where did the chaos disease come from?" "You..." "Oh, no. No, no, no. It's not from me, no. The one who gave it to you is, hmm, not sure who gave it to you. But the source is..." Discord shoved the tweezers into her chest and pulled out the small brown slime-looking parasite, almost looking like... "This universe version of me and the chaos slime! See, a long time ago, something bad happened in your universe, the draconequus kingdom, and the slime race. Instead of controlling them, like in my universe, the slime became parasites and killed the kingdom. Your version of Discord must have found the last remaining slime, become infected, and became this. Spreading all over the world. Sad, really; he was a great Discord. So, the chaos magic is what's killing you; you're all infected, and if you get it, you'll become just like him, having different or extra body parts, and your mind will become full of chaos, so..." Nova's eyes widen, not believing what she is hearing. "So, I removed it." "...I'm cured?" Nova felt better, and her aura was gone too. She shouted with joy, "YOU CAN SAVE MY PEOPLE!? SAVE LAYLA!?" Discord shook his head and placed the parasite in a small glass tube. "I can, but I won't." Nova eyes went blazing blue flames. "WHY!?" Discord shook the tube and looked at her. "Because this isn't how your story is meant to go. It's not my place to write your story." He pointed at her and said, "It's yours and yours alone. If I change it, the story might not go as it should. Heading down that one path that 'she' is trying to stop." Nova was getting annoyed at him. "WHO THE HELL IS SHE!? AND WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Discord snapped his fingers, and Nova found herself on a blue road in blackness. She could hear Discord talking as his voiced echo within the blackness. "Your universe houses your stories. You are your own writer, and you can write however you want. There's no set path where your story goes. You are free, like I said," said Discord, showing the blue road branching out to different paths. "Different timelines are made for it, known as the time verse. But if I write how your story goes, " soon all blue roads became one and started to head down one path, which joined other color roads and became a spider web, a rainbow spider web, and in the middle is a growing black dead tree as it spread out slowly. "You won't be free and walk down a sad ending, where all your stories are being written by 'her'. A doomed fate, a sad ending, you could call it." Nova looked at the web, seeing that her universe is connected to a lot of universes, and few of them are going down the same path. Except for hers, it's still free. "It's why 'she' is fighting against 'her'. Fight against fate because she believes everyone in both the multiverse and time verse should have a choice." "What does this have to do with me? I'm dying." Discord smiled, appearing behind her. "True, but you have a ton of choices, but if I cure you here and now..." "The path won't be mine anymore, right? And 'that'!" she pointed to the growing blackness in the web. "It will take it. I don't want that." Discord nodded "That's what 'she' is fighting for. That's what the group is doing, but they don't know it yet. They're needed to not only fight Rainbow Sun Dawn but also..." Nova and Discord could see a bright rainbow spark in front of them. Nova couldn't make it out, but she could see the figure wearing a puffy rainbow jacket. "Save her. One more time." Snap Nova was back in the mess hall, and Discord was sitting across from her, eating a taco. "You are needed for this battle, but when it's over, you'll return, sick and dying, and not remember what happened here. But I won't force you to come; it's your choice. Write where your story takes you." Nova clutches her hands hard. "I'll be damned if I'll let 'that' take me and write my fate! I'll come, and I won't regret it. If I'm dying, I'll be happy knowing my choice is my own. My life is my damn story, not theirs!" "Good, very good. Now, we can't waste time." Discord took out a needle, stabbed the parasite, and pulled the plunger, and the clear tube turned blue. "What are yo-" but before Nova could say anymore, Discord stabbed her in the chest, and she could feel chaos magic returning, but it wasn't like before. She didn't feel sick or anything. She summoned her blazing fire and cold swords. "You returned the magic, but without the whole dying and going crazy part?" Discord nodded "Like I said, you'll be needed in this battle, and we can't have you being useless, now can we?" He then snapped his fingers, and Nova wasn't wearing her medbay outfit and was wearing her military-like uniform dress. "Let's go. They're waiting." Discord disappeared, leaving Nova alone. "Right!" She summoned away her swords and stared at her hands. "He's right. He's not the one who will cure the  infected." She hurried out of the mess hall and headed where the group walked off too, and the lockdown was lifted and the shutters of the windows were opening. The morning sunlight hit the floor, and Nova stopped running and touched the window. She smiled and said, "It's Layla, isn't it? She'll find that dawn—the dawn that will bring a better tomorrow. It's not me. It's never been me or anyone else. It has always been her. She's the one who'll bring that dawn. That's her story, not anyone else's." She took a breath and ran again. "And I won't let anything stop or take her story away from her! Not even some crazy girl who wants to restart the multiverse!" She ran down the hall, passing steel doors as they're opening up, showing all the CI operators walking out with weapons and seeing Nova running. A rainbow-haired dragon in swat uniform and holding a red sword, along with a yellow pegasus knight with dark orange hair, took notice. "I thought Nova went back to her room!? Why is the lockdown lifted then!?" shouts the dragon girl, who's this universe Rainbow Dash but known as Light Rainbow, a well known police officer and leader of the SWAT team before joining CI. She turned to the others and ordered them to stay back and reissue the lockdown as she gave chase. "Everyone! Stay back! We'll check what's going on!" shouted the knight, as she's this universe Spitfire, called Spitflame, a great swordwomen and once a great knight of the Pegasi kingdom before being tossed out as she became infected. She flew off, behind Light. Before all this happened, Layla and the others entered the park but couldn't leave, as Discord wasn't anywhere to be found. So, this gave Midnight more time to train Amazement. Everyone did their own thing as they waited, but Layla and her mother watched the training. "Draw that sword. Face your fears." "I'm not afraid," said Amazement, not taking out the sword. "Then draw it." Amazement looked away, not wanting to, and Midnight sighed. Amazement just couldn't let go of her fears after seeing Wonder get killed by Rainbow Dawn. She could hold on to the hilt but nothing more. Midnight knew that fear and tried to get rid of it by training her, but it wasn't working. "Foolish in training someone who can't overcome their own fears," whispered Nanna, just looking and having the same cold stare as Midnight. Layla turned to her mother and said, "But didn't you once tell me that you were once a foolish person who was very scared, too?" Nanna looked at her daughter and gave a small smile. "I was, but unlike her, I got over my fear by facing my past. Seeing it, overcoming it, and..." she patted Layla's head, "accepting it. The same goes with her. She's not facing her past." Amazement kept looking away, her hand on the sword hilt, but she couldn't draw it. She saw the death of her love again and again. Never disappearing from her eyes. "If she won't face her fears, how can she save anyone?" Nanna felt her hand being grabbed by her daughter, making her turn back to her and look into her warm eyes. "Make your own dawn, make a new light, and create a new hope. Make a better future, a new tomorrow. even if it's not perfect or isn't the best. It's yours, and all those you want to share it with—that's the kind of story I want for everyone. I was called foolish for being a dreamer and thinking I could bring hope and peace between the infected and non-infected just by believing in myself and my friends. And I'm still a fool, even now." She turned and faced Amazement, still trying to face her fear. "But a fool who isn't giving up. She's the same. I can tell. I just wish I could help her." Nanna smiled at her daughter, seeing how much she had grown and changed since coming into her life as a small child. "You will, and it's not by using brute strength or beating her fear out of her. No, you'll show her. Show her and let her see your story and the hope you bring. Maybe then..." She saw her daughter walking towards Amazement and placing her hands over Amazement's hand, which was on the sword hilt. "What?" whimper Amazement, seeing Layla next to her and holding her sword hand. "What are you doing? Let go." Layla gave a warm smile. "I want to show you something that helped me get over my fears and nightmares." "I don't have nightmares, okay?" She yelled at her, but Layla didn't move or look away; she just gave her a warm smile. Amazement saw this and started to cry. "Sorry..." Layla raised her hand over Amazement eyes, shutting them, and said, "Picture them. Picture the ones you love so dearly within your fears and nightmares. Picture them within the darkness." Amazement did as she said and saw her friends, the ones she grew up with. All the kids and lives she protected over the years as a super hero, all her friends she made while in the Revengers, all those she wanted to save but failed, and then seeing Wonder... "Now, make the sun rise for them, and they will make the sun rise for you. They will shine in your heart, showing the world that you are the light. You're the light of your world, and it's yours and yours alone. Now, draw the sword and fight. Fight for them. Bring a new dawn, ending the night." Amazement did as she heard; she could picture Wonder and everyone being a bright dawn, and in return, she pulled out her sword, just as bright as a morning dawn. She was wiping away her fears and the image of Rainbow Dawn from her eyes. She opened them and started to cry. "Well done," said Midnight with a happy tone. "You did it," smiled Layla, letting go of her hand. She couldn't believe it. Her sword is out and pointing at Midnight. Her sword blade slowly became a night sky and was filled with the star constellation of the great bear, Ursa Major. She turned to Layla. "Thank you, Layla. Thank you so much." She dropped to her knees and let the sword fall to the ground. She put her hands on her face and cried more. Nanna could only smile as she watched this, but stopped as she heard her own voice next to her; it was Lunar. "You taught your daughter well. She's filled with so much hope, like a morning dawn. The only way for that to happen is if someone teaches her that, as they also suffer through the same pain and sadness and never gave up." Nanna turned to her counterpart and said, "You know what her name means, you freeloader?" "No? Beats me," said Lunar, taking her sunglasses off. "Free loader?" "It comes from the holy book of Skyros, the holy land of the Alicorns ; Layla means angel of night. An angel of the night that helps brings the dawn to the world, a bearer of the night and dawn. I named her after that; even at a young age, she was always like this but had such little faith in herself. Until she met her friends and those who were infected—those who saw her as an enemy. She saw their stories and vowed to raise their dawn for them, and in turn, the dawn was raised for her. That's how I knew my daughter would be the one to save the infected." "And your husband?" asked Lunar, looking at her counterpart and seeing her expression change to sadness. "As you said, someone had to teach her who had gone through pain and sadness but didn't have a chance to raise their dawn in turn. He was my dawn; I raised my dawn for him." Lunar got spook as a shadow creature, Crescent, appeared behind Nanna and snuggled around its master, sensing the sadness. "It's why I gave her his last name. Layla Dawn. My little dawn. I wish he could have seen his dawn." Lunar put her sunglasses back on and looked at Layla, seeing how her mother was smiling and proud. She waved at Nanna. Lunar turned to her own daughter, Midnight. Who just stared at her and looked away. She turned to Nanna. "No matter where they are now, they're watching over our daughters and proud of them." "Of course, free loader." Both watched for a bit, but Lunar asked what she meant by that, soon learning that Midnight revealed her free-loading lifestyle to her counterpart. "SWEETIE!" cried Lunar as she ran towards her, getting kicked away and past Nanna, who hated how there was a version of her like this in the multiverse. "LAYLA!" shouted Nova, running into the park and out of breath as she stood in front of her childhood friend. "Nova!? Why are you here? I thought-" Nova interrupted her by raising her hand. "Discord, he..." Nova wanted to explain the whole thing, but she couldn't. This might change Layla's story in discovering the true reason for the parasites and their origin. "Nevermind. He removed the sickness for a while. I'm coming! He wants me to come, so you can't say no!" "What? What's going on?" asked Spitflame, flying in with Light and seeing the weird group of people. Light realized what was happening as she saw different versions of herself and Layla and remembered Twilight. "Shit! Again!? We're coming this time!" She prepared her sword on her shoulder. Spitflame looked confused at Light but soon learned what she meant and placed her sword in the ground and kneeled down. "Yes, let me be your sword! Let me fight along with you in this out-of-universe battle." Before Layla could say anything, Discord appeared between them. "Sorry, but the only person she needs is Nova and-" they all watched as Discord stretched his arm and dug into a bush, pulling out a red-coat grey wolf girl, holding a scrapbook and a camera. She's this universe Maudileena, aka Maud Pie, but known as Matilda, aka Project Red, a member of SWEEP. "Oh, hello," said Matilde in the most monotonous and dry tone ever. "Red!? You need that tail-loving wolf girl," asked Light, pointing her sword at Matilda, who's staring at them with an emotionless look. "OVER US!?" Matilda just stared at her, not responding. She looked away and taking a picture of Midnight Tail as everyone walked over. "Why is she even here? I thought she went to the stations like the others." asked Spitflame, confused. A SWEEP member that didn't listen to the alarm when Nova forced Layla to take her out of her room and became very dangerous because of her aura. "I just got lost again," simply replied Matilda, snapping a picture of Bolt Tail, who held it as she was kind of creep out. "Then they appeared, and I sent word to Nanna, and she came here as fast as she could." She snapped a picture of Plum Tail, who in turn took out a camera and snapped a picture of Matilda, who did the same. Nova, Layla, and the others were all confused and turned to Discord, who only shrugged his shoulders. "This is beyond me. 'She' said, We need her." He opened the phone booth and crammed everyone inside, but it was getting super packed now as he pushed himself in and shut the door. "Okay, next stop! Rainbow Element Emblem Universe!" Layal, who was pressing up against Nova, both blushing, heard him and smiled, "Eirika and Aero universe, right!?" Discord nodded, making her scream with joy. The phone booth started to fade away. "Screw that! I'm coming!" shouted Light as she hopped on to the phonebooth door. Soon, Spitflame joined her. "Same. We're not leaving you, Layla!" Layla smiled, but her smile became bigger as she saw 'her' jumping on as well, holding on to the two. "MOTHER!" Nanna could only smile as they all faded away. Heading off to the next universe. End of Chapter Blue(1)