"No…no no no! Not here! Not now! Damn it!" I slammed the book down angrily, causing the pain in my shoulder to flare up again. "Ow!"

Twilight and Zecora were immediately by my side. Using her magic, Twilight removed my jacket and shirt, then slowly removed the bandages before continuing to use her magic to start the healing spell. Zecora rummaged through her own bag, finding a small towel and a jar of something which she used to dab at the scabs that had formed underneath the bandages. "Just stay calm, Jethro," Twilight said reassuringly.

"How can I stay calm? The greatest threat to this world is on the loose, and I don't have the foresight to predict her moves! She's not like Discord!"

"Who the hell is this Eris person anyway?" Dash asked as the five new Ponies got used to their bodies. To my surprise, it wasn't taking them too long to figure out how to use their new bodies, just as it had taken Twilight only a few minutes to get used to walking on two feet.

"She's a Draconequus," I explained through clenched teeth as Twilight's magic continued the healing process. "She's a being of immense magical power and extremely dangerous. She's responsible for the corruption of an entire race which led to their eventual destruction. She has reality warping capabilities."

"Oh…my…" Shye said, looking extremely nervous now.

"You five don't have to be here, you know," I said. I pointed to the still open portal. "I appreciate you coming through to give me the message, but you'll only be in danger here."

"Are ya callin' us a liability?" Jackie asked, stomping up to me angrily. Unsurprisingly, she was the first new Pony to figure out how to walk on all four hooves. She lifted one of those front hooves now and poked me in the chest rather hard.

Another burst of anger came from deep within me, and this time it was harder to suppress it. "Frankly, yes. You're all damn Ponies, for Christ's sake! And even if Twilight cast the Anthro spell on you, you'd still be only partially humanoid in appearance. And it's not like we have clothes that'll fit you except back at my house. And if Eris is indeed gone, she'll have done something to Ponyville!"

"Then we stay Ponies!" Jackie shouted back. "Ah know ah've only known ya for a few days, but ah can tell yer a good person! Dash knows it too and that's why she ran through! She's loyal to a fault! We want to help!"

"Shut up, Jackie!" Dash shouted.

"You don't know just how dangerous Eris is!" I replied. "If she's anything like the Discord from the show, she can get into your head and corrupt you! She's the embodiment of chaos! And far more malicious than Discord ever was!"

"Jethro…?" Twilight sounded concerned now, but I ignored her.

"Listen here!" Dash said, stomping up to me angrily. "I'm a rash person! I know that! I make decisions based on my gut feeling! And my gut feeling tells me you need help!"

"Guys…?" Spike, who was now in his Dragon form again, tried to step in, but I ignored him too.

"And what if you die here?! Huh?!" I'd never felt such rage at anyone in my life, and something in the back of my mind was shouting at me to shut up, but I couldn't. "How the hell do I explain to your families back on Earth how you died in some distant Pony world trying to help a guy you barely know!?"

"STAY THY TONGUES!" a very familiar voice shouted from what remained of the busted open doors. All of us were thrown back by the use of the Royal Canterlot Voice. I turned and saw a very disheveled Luna standing at the entrance. She was wearing Pony styled armor, which included some kind of blades attached to her wings. "Jethro? You have returned?"

"When your sister told us about Eris' escape, I had to come back," I said. "That, and Sunset Shimmer came through as well."

"My sister and I both were there when she escaped from the mirror room," Luna said. "She was not herself, at least that's what Celestia told me."

"What did happen?" Twilight asked.

"'Tis not an easy story to remember," Luna said sadly. "She came through, blasting the guards in the room aside as if they were no more than foal's toys. I shall never forget the look in her eyes: pure rage, those yellow eyes glowing with pure malice. My sister tried to calm her down, but her behavior was erratic. She teleported away, and our best tracking spells had a hard time finding her. And that was when the explosion took place."

"What explosion…?" I asked, a chill running down my spine.

"It came from where we placed Eris' statue," Luna said. "When we got there, Sunset was unconscious and bleeding badly. She's in our infirmary right now. Celestia has hardly left her side. The doctors have told us that there's a chance she'll never wake up."

"GODDAMN IT!" I punched the floor hard enough to break skin.

Luna finally noticed my wounds and her eyes widened. "Jethro, what has happened to you?" She rushed over and began casting the same spell on the other injury. Her eyes were full of fear and worry.

I picked up the gun I brought with me and held up the deadly weapon. "Sunset somehow managed to get a hold of this. She used it on me."

Luna's eyes flashed with barely restrained anger. "She shall pay for this aggression! To cause harm to another living creature was once punishable by public humiliation in the stockades, then time in the dungeons!"

"No, dear sister, she won't," a tired but also familiar voice said from behind her. Celestia stood in the doorway, her horn glowing its signature color. She looked over at the five humans-turned-Ponies. "What…how are you five here? You were-"

"These aren't the Bearers of Harmony," I said, standing quickly and facing her. "Let me introduce you." I pointed to Jackie first. "This is Jacqueline, but she goes by Jackie." I continued going down the line of Ponies. "This is Dashelle, but she goes by Dash. This is Shye, then Trisha, then Diane. They're the human counterparts of the Elements. Ladies, these two are the diarchs of Equestria. This is Princess Celestia, and this is Princess Luna."

Jackie put one front hoof and one back hoof in front of the other after removing her Stetson. "Yer highnesses," she said.

Trisha bowed low in as elegant a pose as she could, but seeing as she had little experience with her new form, it was a bit harder for her. "It is indeed a pleasure."

"Hi Princesses!" Diane exclaimed, waving her hoof ecstatically. Human or Pony, Pinkie or Diane, she was one of a kind.

"Ah, well, nice to meet you, your highnesses," Dash said, scratching the back of her head with her new hoof.

"Um…hello…" Shye said nervously, her wings hanging low instead of by their side like most Pegasi kept them.

Celestia spread her wings, walking forward. Her smile was tender and kind. "Hello, my dear humans. I am pleased to see that even in another world, Jethro and Twilight found new friends in the counterparts of the Bearers of Harmony." Turning to me, she looked at the wounds on my arm, then at the gun still in my hand. Her expression hardened. "Is that the weapon that Sunset used to harm you?"

"Yes, and I am going to be keeping it with me," I added quickly in anticipation of her taking it from me.

"It was my fault," Spike said with a bitter tone. "I got him shot, not Sunset."

"Twilight told me what happened, my young Dragon," Celestia said, walking over to him, then enveloping him in her wings. "It was not your fault." She turned to Luna. "Sister, could you take Spike here to one of the guest rooms and keep him from having nightmares? Twilight told me he's had bad dreams."

I looked at Spike in shock. Now that I got a better look at him, he did look extremely exhausted. Luna walked over, lowered her horn, and it glowed as it touched Spike's forehead. The young Drake slumped forward and was instantly asleep. Luna placed him on her back. "He is dreaming peacefully right now. Sister, once I take him to a bedchamber I must return to my duties."

"Of course," Celestia said.

As Luna took the exhausted Dragon out of the room, I turned to face Celestia. "What's been going on? Your message was pretty short."

"What message?" Celestia asked.

My heart froze. "The one you sent about Eris being gone?"

"I sent no message, Jethro," she replied. "I have been too busy helping to keep the shield up around Canterlot."

"Shield?" Twilight asked, sounding confused now. "Is there an attack going on?"

Celestia sighed. "Sort of. It's a long story. Please come with me." She turned and headed out of the room.

As I followed, I heard Dash behind me shouting, "Oh, fuck me! I'm naked!"

About thirty or so minutes later, a large conference room was full of Ponies and myself. The other Mane Six expressed extreme relief to seeing me and concern upon hearing about my injuries. First meetings between the Mane Six and the Humane Five was a very interesting sight. Applejack and Jackie were immediately talking to each other, presumably about farming. Dash and Rainbow circled each other, giving each other looks of what could only be challenge, Pinkie Pie was teaching Diane how to bound around like her hooves were made of springs, Rarity and Trisha were both comparing notes on fashion, and Fluttershy and Shye were both talking animatedly about animals. Twilight looked like she was feeling left out, whereas Zecora and Scarlet were both by my side, flanking me protectively. Celestia sat at the front of the room, her horn no longer glowing, but her eyes showed how tired she really was despite the amused smile on her face.

A smile which slowly began to vanish as she used her magic to close and lock the conference door. This caused the Ponies in the room to all face her. "As entertaining as this is, I would like to ask you all to please be seated. We have much to discuss."

"Forgive me for being blunt, but shouldn't we be out there doing something instead of being locked up in committee?" I asked in frustration, pointing towards the door. The healing spell Twilight had used as well as the salve that Zecora had used on me had caused the pain in my shoulder and arm to only become slightly dull. The wound was still there and fresh bandages had been applied by a nurse, so I was ready to head out.

"Jethro, we must compare notes, as you humans would say," Celestia said with a patient tone. "So far, the shield around the city has not been breached."

"Eris can snap her fingers and turn the shield into a soap bubble!" I shouted.

Celestia's cool expression became one of concern. "Jethro? Are you alright?"

"No I'm not alright!" I seethed. "I'm so Goddamned angry right now and I don't know why!"

Celestia was instantly by my side, her horn glowing and facing me. I nearly stumbled back in surprise at her sudden presence as I felt the warm tingle of magic surrounding my entire body. After a while, the tingling became pinpricks of invisible needles. And just like that, the majority of the anger within me seemed to seep out. Above me, a dark red cloud began to form, one that eerily reminded me of the one that formed over Starlight Glimmer's head in the episode where she bottled up her anger. But as I watched, I saw wisps of green mist permeating the red cloud. I frowned at it. "What…what was that?" I asked, feeling a bit clearer headed than I had been in what felt like years.

"You were being affected by some sort of spell," Celestia said as she moved the cloud away. A bolt of lightning erupted from her horn, and the sound of something shattering could be heard all across the room as the cloud and mist vanished in a ball of light. "Did you encounter anyone else over there? Anyone who could have been from Equestria? You did mention that a group of three Sirens were banished to that world."

"I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary," I said with a sigh, rubbing my forehead as Zecora rubbed my back affectionately. "But like I said, that world wasn't like the one I knew from Equestria Girls." I turned to Zecora. "Babe, where's the bag with the laptop in it?"

"Right here, love," she said, grabbing a bag with her teeth and holding it up to me.

"Thank you." Taking it, I opened the out-of-date piece of tech, turned it on, then tried to see if I could connect to the staticnet. To my relief, I was able to do so, and I opened the browser. "Look, as a lot of you have seen," I said after Googling the aforementioned movie special, "this is how the world was meant to look." I pulled up an image of the Humane Five alongside Sunset Shimmer and the human Twilight Sparkle. "This is what I was expecting. But this is what I got." I took out my phone and showed them a few pictures of Pendragon along with absolutely normal humans. "I wouldn't have been able to identify the Dazzlings even if I knew what they might look like without their signature colors. Did anything else come through the gate?"

"Once Sunset came through, there has been nearly round the clock guards around it," Celestia said. "It was just unfortunate that you arrived during a changing of the guard. Aside from Sunset and you all, nothing else has shown up."

"I see," I said. "Well, I suppose that's a relief. We'd be screwed six ways from Sunday if three deadly Sirens came through."

"That would be easier to deal with than what's been going on here," Celestia sighed.

"What's going on?" I asked with increasing trepidation.

Celestia took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Ever since Sunset came through the mirror and released Eris, it's as if the citizens of Canterlot and Ponyville are under some sort of spell. Mistrust has begun to brew slowly among friends, arguments spill out onto the streets, and there have even been a few serious injuries. Reports from Ponyville by Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadance indicate the same. Mobs of Ponies have even stormed businesses and trashed them. And I cannot see any discernable pattern among them." She clenched her teeth in rage. "This reeks of Eris."

"If she's anything like Discord, that would make sense," I said. "Just make a subtle change, and friendships fall apart, riots are started, shit like that."

Celestia slammed her fist into the table, causing every Pony to jump. "Fuck!" she shouted in anger and frustration. "This is complete bullshit!"

"Believe me, I know," I said. "All we can try and do now is use the Elements on her. In the show, Discord stole them from the hiding place you put them in and hid them in the Elements of Harmony reference guide back at Golden Oaks, but that's just speculation at this point."

"The Elements are gone from where I placed them," Celestia said. "But from what you've told me about the Discord from the show, he sounds less malicious and more like some kind of force of chaos. Eris is not like Discord."

"Do you think she's keeping the Elements closer to her?" Twilight asked, still a bit shaken by hearing her mentor swearing and seeing the ancient Alicorn so stressed.

"It's possible," she said. "What better place to keep the weapons that can defeat you than nearest you so you can keep an eye on them."

"Back the truck up," Jackie asked, "What are the Elements of Harmony?"

"They're ancient magical relics that we've used in the past," Twilight explained, slipping into her somewhat professorial tone. "There are six elements: Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity and Magic. My friends and I are the Bearers of Harmony. Together using the magic of friendship, they can be used to defeat dangerous enemies."

"Girly show shit," Dash groaned.

"Hey! It worked on Nightmare Moon!" Rainbow Dash shouted back. "And we aren't a girly show!"

"My Little Pony was always a girly show!" Dash shouted back. "Trisha's little sister and Diane are fans!"

"Ladies, stop!" I shouted. "We don't need an argument here, too! Sounds like that's just what Eris wants!"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Celestia said. A member of the Royal Guard opened the door and stepped in. "Commander Dark Gust, what is it?"

Saluting with his wing, Dark Gust said, "Pardon the interruption, your Highness, but we've just received reports from our Wonderbolt scouts. It would appear that Manehatten has begun to experience similar changes in behavior among the population. There are small riots now, but a few buildings have caught fire and serious injuries have been reported, and it's possible that a couple of Ponies have died. And not just there. Your Highness…Appleloosa is burning."

The mood in the room darkened considerably. The Humane Five, despite not being members of the Pony race, all looked shocked and horrified, as did the Mane Six. Applejack especially looked petrified. "Not Appleloosa…" she whispered.

"Yah alright there, sugarcube?" Jackie asked, looking at her Equestrian counterpart.

Applejack turned to Jackie. "Ah've got a cousin in Appleloosa, Braeburn…ah just saw him, too." Her fear turned to unadulterated rage. She began to tremble, and through clenched teeth she snarled, "That slimy little-"

"Calm down, darling," Rarity interrupted, rubbing Applejack's back gently, "We'll think of something."

"Commander, do we know anything about other countries?" I asked.

He looked my way and shook his head. "My scouts are fast, but not that fast. Hopefully we'll get more news by the end of the day."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but don't you Ponies have phone lines?" I asked, turning back to Celestia.

"We do, but they're down," Celestia replied. Turning back to the commander, she continued, "Anything else to report?"

"My forces are scattered too thinly, your Highness. We need more Ponies."

"What about that secret organization that Sweetie Drops was a part of?" I asked Celestia in Farasi.

Celestia's eyes widened. "You…know about that too? No, forget I asked, of course you do." She turned back to the guard. "Commander, I will provide you with a list of Ponies in Camelot and Ponyville that can be considered recalled to active duty as soon as I'm finished here. For now, pull as many who aren't on duty currently."

"I already did that, your Highness, on Captain Armor's orders," Dark Gust said.

Celestia nodded in approval. "Thank you, Commander. Return to your station."

"Your Highness." He saluted again before leaving.

"My God…what did we stumble into…?" Shye asked in fear. "It's like you're at war."

Fluttershy went over to her counterpart, putting her wings over Shye's back. "I'm sorry," she said in as reassuring a voice as she could muster.

"It's not just like it, Miss Shye," Celestia said, standing. "We are in a state of war." She faced the Humane Five. "I cannot ask the five of you to help fight in a war that might very well lead to the end of peace and harmony in our world. The portal to your world remains open, and will continue to remain open for a few more days."

"And what if your Harmony Element people are killed?" Dash asked, standing and pointing at the Mane Six. "Look, I'm not that smart, I know that. I'm only in college because of a sports scholarship. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we can even the odds with more people, or Ponies, I guess."

"You can barely fly!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "And the rest of you don't know how to be Ponies!"

"Then use that spell that Jethro told us about!" Dash replied, pointing at me. "He's a new friend, and I don't just leave my friends hanging, damn it! Not…not again…" Dash's expression became one of someone haunted by a past memory.

Rainbow Dash's anger dissolved at that, and a look of horror passed over her face. "No…you too…?" When Dash nodded, Rainbow sunk back in her chair. "Celestia's flowing mane…"

Celestia cleared her throat, causing everyone in the room to face her once more. "I appreciate your offer to help, but I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to stay here. You have lives back on your world, families who would miss you dearly. I'm sorry, but the five of you must go back."

Dash was about to say something, when I stood and walked over to the Humane Five. "Please listen to her. This isn't your fight. You've done so much for me already." I turned to Jackie, who had a stubborn look on her face. "You opened your home to me as a place of refuge in my hour of need. For that, you have my undying friendship." I reached out and took her hoof in my hand, shaking it.

Her expression softened, and she finally nodded in understanding. "Ah understand, sugarcube. Ah don't like it, but ah trust that mah counterpart can help keep ya safe."

"Ah certainly will," Applejack said resolutely.

Nodding, I then turned to Trisha. "You generously donated your own blood to me so that my life would continue. For that, you have my undying friendship." I reached out, took her hoof in my hand, and kissed it reverently, before putting my other hand over the hoof.

Rarity's eyes widened at this revelation. "You did?" she asked Trisha. Trisha nodded, a blush forming on her face. Rarity's eyes sparkled with pride. "I can only hope I'll be able to do the same…"

I smiled, then turned to Dash. "Without hesitation, you showed that the loyalty in your heart rivals your own Pony counterpart. For that, you have my undying friendship." I took her hoof and shook it gently.

"I can only hope that I'm at least twenty percent as cool as your friend Rainbow Dash," Dash said as she looked at the stunned Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. "You are…you're very cool."

Turning to Shye next, I said, "You bravely rushed into danger despite what must have been a crippling fear in your heart. For that, you have my undying friendship."

As I reached for her hoof, Shye shook her head and instead wrapped me up in a hug. I was a bit stunned, but returned the hug. "Please stay safe," she whispered in my ear gently before she released me

Lastly, I turned to Diane. "Your overwhelming desire to make people smile is a bright beacon in a world full of sadness. You made me smile despite everything I've gone through on Earth, and that's a hard thing to do. For that, you have my undying friendship."

Diane rushed over and threw her hooves around me tightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pinkie Pie nodding her head in approval. "You'd better come back," she said, tears in her eyes. "I'm throwing you a massive party, and I don't want it to be a wake."

I smiled. "I will." Letting her go, I turned back to Celestia. "Celestia, permission to escort them back to the gate room?" I asked.

Celestia nodded. "Granted."

I grabbed the journal out of my bag, and headed to the door. "Ladies, let's go."

The walk down the halls back to the Throne Room was a silent one. The mood was somber, and Diane's new pink mane was even deflated despite earlier being curly and in a ponytail. I walked over to the broken stone doors and entered the room. As the Ponies behind me gathered, I turned to face them. I held up the journal and lowered it towards Jackie with magic. "This journal is the only way we can keep in contact with each other. Right now the other journal is with Princess Celestia. When this is all over, it will be instrumental in opening up a permanent connection between our worlds. Keep it secret. Keep it safe."

Dash couldn't help herself. She snorted. "Fantasy nerd."

"That's me," I said with a small smirk. As Jackie took the book in her mouth, I stood aside. "I'll see you all soon, I hope."

Jackie nodded, then turned towards the gate. She walked up towards it slowly. Before she could put her hoof through, however, the torches in the room went out, and then the gems on the gate went dead. The light from beyond the mirror slowly began to die as well. From all around us, I heard a slow feminine laugh. "Ah ah ah, we can't have that, now can we?" From above the now darkened gate, a face appeared, hovering like some giant hologram.

Now that she wasn't encased in stone, I could see she had light purplish skin, a yellow beak, bright and deadly glowing yellow eyes, white horns, and flowing yellow, purple, pink and blue hair that flew in the wind similar to how Celestia's and Luna's did. The all-too familiar female face looked down at me with a devious and triumphant smirk. "So, you're the new human in town."

I felt my fists clench. "Eris…"

Her grin showed a row of sharpened teeth. "Hello, Jethro Bethridge of Earth. Good to see you got my message to return. Now then, shall we begin?"