THROUGH THE GATE

APPLE BLOOM HAD BEEN WHINING FOR THE LAST FIFTEEN MINUTES, EVER since Applejack had told her about what she was going to be doing. Applejack supposed she couldn't blame her little sister; after all, she'd been on these types of adventures with Applejack before, but after what happened when they visited the Autobots, Applejack was apprehensive.

I mean, Apple Bloom almost DIED that time!

"I really, really, REALLY want to go with you, sis!" the little filly whined.

Applejack pulled the straps of her saddlebag shut before slinging the saddlebag onto her back. "Nothing doing, little sis. I ain't takin' the risk of something terrible happenin' to you again."

"That was one time," Apple Bloom protested.

"One time, yeah, but how many times did you wake up screamin' in the middle of the night?" Apple Bloom lowered her head. She knew her big sister was right; when they visited the Autobots - they had hoped to cure Rarity of her nightmares, which started after their first encounter with the Transformers - they found that the Autobots and Decepticons were still fighting, and not only had Apple Bloom almost been eaten by a zombie Decepticon, she also got poisoned to the point that she had actually flatlined for a short moment.

Applejack put a hoof on her sister's chin and tilted her head up to look her in the eye. "I don't want to lose you, Bloom."

"I know," Apple Bloom said as she hugged her big sister. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Applejack."

"Always, li'l sis," Applejack replied. She ruffled Apple Bloom's mane with a hoof before making her way down the stairs and out the door.

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"Let me see if I've got this right," Sweetie Belle said as Rarity ran a brush through her royal purple hair for the fifth time. "Kronos wants you, and Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle, and Starlight Glimmer, to go to another world just to make sure something bad isn't happening over there?"

"I would not be surprised if there was much more to it than that," Rarity answred as she finally put the brush down, her magical hold over the object fading away. "But who are we to say no to a god?"

Sweetie Belle tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. "Well, I guess you've got a point. I mean, you told me last time that he gave you guys one heck of a beating."

"I COULDN'T LIE DOWN ON MY BACK FOR A WEEK!" Rarity suddenly bellowed. She cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Oh dear. Don't know where that came from."

I can think of a few places, Sweetie Belle thought, though she would never say it outright. Sure, she and her friends had helped Rarity finally overcome her nightmares brought on by her torture at Megatron's hands, but it was still a touchy subject and Sweetie Belle once saw Rarity violently attack a visiting griffon for mentioning it. Granted, that was before Rarity had gotten over her fears, but still...

"Are you sure you've got enough makeup and sketch books?" Sweeite Belle asked, looking at the contents of Rarity's saddlebags.

"One can never have enough accessories, my darling little sister," Rarity answered. "And as for the sketch books - I may be struck with the spark of inspiration while on this little adventure. Why, you saw how well Super Hero Soiree worked, right?"

How could Sweetie Belle forget? She was one of the first ponies Rarity had had model her foal line of outfits for the theme. She didn't mind helping her big sister out like that, but while most ponies were complimenting the outfit, others were telling Sweetie Belle just how adorable she was.

It was bad enough that Sweetie Belle had a slight case of stage fright, but to have ponies say things like that? It was embarrassing. But she had pressed on, and was so happy to hear that Super Hero Soiree had become a big hit in both Canterlot and Manehattan.

Rarity used her magic to seal the saddlebags shut and levitate them onto her back. "I really must be going, Sweetie Belle. I've left a list of chores to do while I'm away, and please, don't burn the place down when you cook breakfast."

"That was one time, and I didn't even burn the building down!" Sweetie Belle protested, her voice cracking in that oh so cute way it always did.

Rarity smiled. "I know, Sweetie." She kissed her little sister on the forehead. "I shall return soon."

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Hairy the Bear let out a growl. Fluttershy could tell he was worried about her - he had helped her heal after their last encounter with Kronos left her with a sore muzzle and two broken ribs.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me this time, Hairy," Fluttershy said, putting a gentle hoof on the burly bear's foreleg. "All we'll be doing is making sure everything is okay. That's what Kronos said." He growled again. "I know you're worried about me, and I appreciate that, but you really don't have to." She turned to the hawk, Tobias, who had grasped her saddlebags in his talons. "Thank you, Toby." The hawk gently set the saddlebags down onto Fluttershy's back. "I've got to go now, but I'll be back soon. Don't worry." She smiled sweetly as she walked out the door.

It was so hard to believe how their simple lives had gotten so...weird. Even before their first encounter with other-worlders, Fluttershy knew that there were alternate timelines for this world - Twilight herself had come close to creating one - but after Cloud and his friends arrived, they learned that there was an entire multiverse out there that they were not aware of. And after talking with Kronos following their first encounter with him, they learned that every univere out there was blissfully aware of each other.

But Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder - had every universe been aware of each other a long time ago? Or had it always been like this, each universe separate from each other?

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"You need this? How about one of these things?"

Scootaloo had been helping Rainbow Dash pack her bags since she had gotten home; Scootaloo didn't live with Rainbow Dash - she lived in a small cottage on the outside of town; nopony knew where her parents were, but the little filly seemed to get along just fine with only Rainbow Dash as a parental figure - and she visited her idol every chance she got.

"Thanks, Scoots, but I really don't need any of my trophies," Rainbow Dash said as she used her wings to secure her saddlebags onto her back. "I mean, it'd be cool to show them off, but I don't think anyone there would understand, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Scootaloo said. She put Rainbow Dash's Fastest Flyer trophy back on the shelf. "But what I want to know is why I'm not coming along."

Rainbow Dash tightened the straps of her saddlebags. "Look, half-pint, Kronos just asked us to go look into something while he goes to deal with something in another universe. That's all. Shouldn't take too long. Besides, while we're gone, that'll give you and the other Crusaders a chance to help out that colt who's been looking for his cutie mark, right?"

Ever since they had earned their cutie marks a few months ago, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had made it their mission to help other ponies figure out their true callings in life, starting with a shy young colt named Tender Taps. Since then, they've helped other colts and fillies earn their cutie marks, and even some ponies who already had their cutie marks understand what they meant.

"Well, I guess you're right. Slingshot's having a lot of trouble trying to get off the ground, and his wings are more developed than mine." She fluttered her tiny wings - compared to most pegasus foals her age, her wings were still underdeveloped, meaning the most she could manage was a brief hover - just to prove her point.

Rainbow Dash flapped her own wings, preparing to take flight. "Well, gotta fly. Catch you when I get back, Scoots!" She zoomed out the door and flew in the direction of Twilight's palace, no more than a rainbow-colored blur.

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"Party Cannon, check. Confetti, check. Streamers, check. I think I'm good, Gummy."

Gummy just watched Pinkie Pie, unblinking, his crossed eyes watching her fill her saddlebags. The little alligator paid his owner no mind outside of that, preferring to chew on his ball of yarn with his gums - every so often Mr. Cake had to numb him to pull out the teeth that would start to grow.

Pinkie Pie threw her saddlebags onto her back and bounded down the stairs. "Hi Mr. Cake, hi Mrs. Cake. Bye Mr. Cake, bye Mrs. Cake."

"Pinkie Pie, where are you going?" Mrs. Cake asked as she stirred a bowl of batter. "You just ran through the door and said you had to get ready."

"Oh, Kronos asked us to look into something for him," Pinkie Pie replied.

"Kronos? He's the god you met, isn't he?" Mr. Cake asked.

"Yuppers. Well, gotta go!" She opened the door and skipped down the street, heading for Twilight's palace. "I wonder if everyone else is there already?"

She got her answer as she bounced through the door, everypony standing around the map table with Kronos.

"Took you long enough," Rainbow Dash said; she was hovering in the air, her front legs crossed in front of her.

"You know Gummy," Pinkie Pie chuckled. "He just had to play with his yarn ball."

"Instead of playing with your reptile, you should have been coming over here," Rainbow Dash retorted.

Kronos cleared his throat. "I would like to get started before anyone starts an argument," he said.

"Right. Sorry," Rainbow Dash said as she slowly landed on the ground.

Kronos turned to address them all at once. "I know I asked you to simply perform some reconnaisance for me, but understand that even that might be dangerous. This world you're going to - don't forget that it's being threatened by someone who claims to be the master of shadows. I have no doubt that he will try to sway you all down a dark path. If he does, you must resist that temptation. Are you ready?" He was answered by seven pony heads all nodding. "Very well then." He tapped his finger on the table. The top of the table changed, going from a marble surface to something resembling a small section of the night sky, filled with stars and nebulae. "I will come to get you once your quest has been completed. Good luck, my little ponies."

The seven of them stared at the table, apprehension now filling the room. All but Starlight had gone through gates like this before - one was artificial, one was through magic, and one was a creation of Kronos himself when he merged Equestria with another world - but there was always that sense of nervousness they felt when crossing dimensions.

"Last one through gets to clean my horseshoes!" Rainbow Dash cried as she flew through the portal.

"That sure as surgar cane ain't gonna be me," Applejack hollered as she followed her Pegasus friend.

Pinkie Pie bounced once, twice, then jumped. "Whee!"

Fluttershy stared at the portal. "I don't know," she squeaked.

"Come on, darling," Rarity said, putting a supportive hoof around her friend. "This is nothing new. Come now, we'll go together."

"Well, okay." The two of them jumped together, falling into the portal.

Twilight turned to Starlight. The light pink unicorn had a look on her face, a look of pure nervousness. Twilight could see her student's body shaking, her legs wobbling like trees in a hurricane, her breathing shaky.

"Nervous, aren't you?" Twilight asked.

"I - Yeah, I am," Starlight answered. "I've been to other timelines before, but not other worlds entirely."

"We were all nervous when we first crossed dimensions," Twilight said as she put a supportive wing around Starlight's shoulders. "Don't worry. Your friends are here for you. Are you ready?"

"I think so."

"Then let's go."

Teacher and student leaped through the portal.