Chapter 75 Meeting the Radical Left
The place where Dante was teleported had similarity to a fusion between a palace and a modern city from his era, but the entire place was unmistakably characterized by an extreme peculiarity: The design of all the house structures was dyed with this bizarre love theme that seemed to permeate every inch of this place. Ranging from the luxurious quaint houses adorned with heart-shaped ornaments to the elegantly set tables, each element in this world was made for pairs; even the animals that roamed the streets moved in synchronized pairs, adding to the eerie atmosphere that hung in the air like a thick fog.
But even if everything tried to scream with its soul "warmth" and "passion," there was a nagging sensation that told him everything was:
Forced...
Fake...
Artificial...
Dante, with an intense odor of plastic penetrating his nose, turned around to meet the melodic voice from earlier; the enchanting voice spoke again, "Hello, My Name is-" She gave a small chuckle, with amusement coloring her words; she continued, "You should know it you read the ticket! a ticket to meet an alternative! it probably carried pastel colors, didn't it?"
Dante turned his gaze toward the alternative version of himself, expecting perhaps a slight variation, but he wasn't prepared for the sight that was mere inches away from him; his mouth fell open in disbelief as he mumbled in perplexion, "You gotta be fucking kidding me."
Dante's eyes froze as he looked at his alternative. Instead of being a humanoid creature, this version remained a pony, but not your average pony, if not rather a majestic alicorn.
Dante's mind raced as he processed the implications of such a transformation. From what he knows, alicorns are late-game transformations and extremely costly, soaring up to millions, and that is just the base form; because they are mages, you gotta spend even more in abilities; the transformation of Rainbow Dash was just pure brawn, and punching hard, the most complex abilities he could buy were adaptations offered by the system, compared that to buying spells, it was the difference between day and night.
But right now, that wasn't the only eye-catching thing flawlessly wrapped around her; an extravagant masterpiece of craftsmanship adorned her body with intricate designs, showing a stunning parade of pink hues that shimmered in the light. Every piece, seemingly tailored to perfection, accentuated her form with an air of elegance and sophistication. But it was the crown adorned with love-themed motifs that truly stole the show, a symbol of her power and royalty. Perched atop her horn, it radiated a soft, ethereal glow, creating an ambiance that spoke of love and devotion.
The more Dante looked, the more he began to focus on the small features, and something became evident with each second and that was her charisma! Even if she was an Alicorn, this version was extremely beautiful and unsettling. It seemed that the stat charisma exceeded all bounds by a large margin because the very own air around her sparkled and crackled to accentuate her glamorous exterior. Yet, despite her undeniable allure, there was a sense of humility, hinting to you that her charm was like an accident rather than deliberately placing points into the stat to look significantly prettier.
Confusedly tilting her head, the alicorn addressed Dante with a melodic and measured voice, her confusion palpable in each word, "Is everything okay?"
Dante, Trembling beneath his shadow with incredulity, stood in front of her, with total control over his body thanks to the rationality he had saved for days; he stammered, "A-Are you actually me?"
Keeping her royalty aura and courtesy, she addressed him with a hint of playful familiarity to this scene, "But of course," the alternative drank a cup of her tea, continuing, "Well... Technically speaking..." She quickly realized something and stopped, "Forget I said that! It's a really long story I would had to explain to you my whole life and that will take too long."
Despite her serene behavior, deep inside, Dante didn't know why, but he didn't like this version of himself; there was something about this version of himself that set his instincts on edge, and a sharp sensation assaulted his mind to warn him that this person was up to no good, deep down her smile and royalty facade a creepy truth lied beneath her stunning exterior... something was wrong, and he needed to know what
As the pink alicorn regarded him with an unsettling smile, she voiced the questions that nagged his mind, reading him like an open book. "Is there a problem?" with her voice carrying a hint of amusement, she resumed, "Well, there should be, because most of you tend to see me as quite, Eh...? 'Radical?'" She gave another small chuckle, "But fear not my dear counterpart, just ask your questions, and I will do my best to provide you with an answer."
Dante didn't want to lie after all; he was talking to himself. Both of them would probably know if anyone was lying; how? he didn't know, but probably it had to do with the abilities of Pinkie Pie. He still hasn't explored everything because he hasn't been in actual control in the last few days; Dante asked, "Why does this place feel so unsettling with this lover's aura?"
The pink alicorn's response was laced with a hint of delight, her laughter tinkling like wind chimes on a breezy day. "Because it is, I mean, what else could it mean?" With a graceful, swift motion of her telekinesis, she brought a table for two and sat down in the chair, awaiting Dante's response.
As Dante observed her, a sense of unease crept over him; the air began to fill every second with an unnatural tension that seemed to hang between them. "Still, I don't like this weird aura... it feels artificial... Fake," he muttered, voicing his discomfort. "It's like watching a poorly made movie... Why does this place feel unnatural?"
The alternative explained while drinking a pink tea, "Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?" She pondered for a second, then chose the most probable option, "Maybe because of what I did but he isn't coperating too so it leaved me no option... and Also I am near the end, the amount of love potions I have to drink had increased drastically" The alternative explained with such nonchalance; it as if it was something so common that happens every day.
Meeting the alicorn's gaze head-on, Dante struggled to maintain his composure, "He?" he questioned, his confusion mounting with each passing moment. Something about this encounter felt deeply wrong, like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together.
With a chilling smile, the alicorn responded, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling light. "Of course, my dear counterpart," she replied, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Who else would we be referring to but my lovely, unwitting living battery?"
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"What is the point of sanity without power?"
"What is the point of power without sanity?"
"What is even the point?"
...
(Chapter tomorrow, so don't worry. Also, yes, meeting these 3 versions is necessary for the plot.)