//------------------------------// // Ponies III // Story: Integration // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Hey, Twilight. How are things? A lot of princess business. I can’t wait until the weekend. I’m still looking forward to our dinner then. I’ll be waiting. Are Spike and Starlight coming? They are. Are you sure that your parents are okay with two extra mouths to feed? Are you kidding? My mom’s happy you come with grandkids built in. She’s ecstatic. They’re not my children. That’s not what the girls say. Let’s talk about something else. How’s school going? Two months to graduation. I’m starting to bear down on finals. It’s hard to believe I’m going to finish high school. After all this time. Are you applying to college? That was my original plan. Then our relationship actually started. What do you mean? Well. Okay, let’s quit dancing around this issue. If this is ever going to work out, one of us is going to need to move to the other’s world, and since I’m not royalty, it will probably be me. I doubt a human college can teach me anything for living there. Flash, I don’t want you to sacrifice something this early. We’ve just started dating for real. There’s nothing stopping me from going back to college if this doesn’t work out. My grades are solid, and it’s not like the requirements for becoming a police officer change too much. Well, if you’re not going to college, then what? I was going to wait until dinner to bring this up, but... I want to come to Equestria this summer and see how I fit in. You said the other me is a pegasus? I should probably learn to fly, for starters. You capitalize pony races, just so you know. And what else? I’m not just going to lounge off my rich girlfriend. I think I’ll try signing up for the Royal Guard. You said your brother was captain, and he’s married to a princess. Flash, signing up for the guard is a four-year commitment, and I can get you out, but it’s going to look bad if I grant personal favors. Letting you in under the guise of improving relationships between the two worlds will be stretching it. Are you sure you want that? Yes. Even if it doesn’t work out between us, I want to be a part of this. I want to help with this whole ‘first contact’ thing. And if it does work out, then it’s a dream job. I wanted to be a police officer, and you said only big cities have police. I want a job that’s going to keep me near you. Flash. I don’t want you making this choice right away. Spend the summer in Equestria, and if you still want to go ahead, I’ll authorize your entry. So, you want me to spend my summer in a castle with a pretty girl? I think I can live with that. I hope you don’t make those comments in front of others. I don’t know. You’re pretty cute when you blush. The next time I see you, I’m hitting you. Twilight was grateful now that her friends were getting to sit in on an actual political discussion. She wasn’t, however, happy that they honestly seemed bored with everything. “Seriously? I thought talking about creatures from another world would be interesting.” “Rainbow Dash, could you try to have some tact?” Rarity said. “But seriously, Darling, do you really need us here?” “The five of you are going to be very important in the coming months,” Celestia said. “After all, the humans who are gaining magic first are your counterparts. They’re going to be at the forefront, and that means you will too.” “Why are we meetin’ these other us’s?” Applejack asked. “We’ve never even seen th’ human world.” “It’s called Terra, and they’ll all be coming here this summer,” Twilight said. “Visiting Terra is out of the question at the moment. The last thing we want to do is have to explain why there are suddenly two sets of everyone before we’re ready for first contact.” “Which is what we should be discussing,” Luna said. “Though shouldn’t we have done this with Sunset was still here?” “We were... accomplishing very important things,” Celestia said. Sunset squealed as Celestia blew a raspberry on her underside. “N-no! Please! A-ha-ha!” “What’s that? ‘Grandma’ here is hard of hearing. It sounded like you wanted more raspberries. Well, if you insist.” Celestia blew on her stomach again, causing a loud squeal. “No! Twilight, help!” In a flash the purple Alicorn barreled into Celestia’s side and began digging her hooves into her ribs. Celestia laughed, louder when Sunset joined in. “The two of you... I don’t care how old you are, y-you’re grounded! Ha! Ha! Ha!” It lasted until Sunset tried tickling Twilight. Then all bets were off as the three rolled around in a playful melee. “Very important,” Celestia said. Luna shout her a doubtful glance, but went on. “Now then, are we sure that the magic in that world is growing slowly enough? We’re taking a lot of risk on the other Twilight’s projections.” “Both Sunset and I have reviewed her work. It’s solid,” Twilight assured. “Adding to that the fact that no other known Unicorn counterpart is showing signs of magic, and none of the others have shown Pegasus or Earth magic either, I think it will be some time before this gets out.” “And I believe it’s imperative that we make first contact before that happens,” Celesta said. “There are too many variables with the rising powers. If we’re there to help them through it, it will hopefully ease the transition. Now then, Twilight, has your research into Starswirl’s records found any indication that he banished any other creature there?” “None I could find,” she answered. “Ah, ya wanna get anythin’ else takin’ care of first? Make sure nothin’ hurts the humans?” Celestia nodded at Applejack’s question. “And it’s not just that. They will certainly not be happy at discovering we sent three potentially dangerous creatures to their world. Can you imagine the backlash if there were any more?” “Oh dear,” Fluttershy said. “Um, what about Sunset? Will anypony... um, anyone there know what she did? I think I remember Twilight saying there were... um, videos, I think they were called?” “Yes, on the Internet... which is one of the first things I want to talk the humans into sharing. Right now, the humans not in the know think it’s all fake...” “What? How can you fake that?” Rainbow Dash said. “Their entertainment technology is amazing. I asked Sunset to bring some, you’ll love them. But the point is, right now everyone thinks they’re fake, but once we come forward, people might make the connection.” “Can’t we just get the videos taken down?” Cadance asked. “Sunset says that every student at Canterlot High already has, but the thing about anything online is that it’s hard to really get rid of. Others can copy and share them. There’s bound to be another one somewhere.” “And when they find out Sunset’s real, and we made her a princess...” Rarity said, not having to finish the thought. “But Harmony ascended her!” Rainbow Dash said. “If It decided Sunset was worthy...” “Humans know nothing of It,” Celestia said, “at least not consciously. They have many of the same ideals, but are ignorant of Its true power. Harmony's endorsement won’t save her, at least not at first. But I intend to go forward with our plans. If we show the level of trust we have for her, it might ease things.” “So, we’ll announce Sunset’s coronation this weekend, and have her crowned when she comes here for summer?” Cadance asked. “That’s the plan,” Celestia said. “Which is one of the reasons I’ll be taking a leave of absence and letting Luna rule alone for a few months. Preparing Sunset for her role, training the human Twilight, these are too important to leave with anypony but a princess.” Cadance gave a knowing smile that Celestia didn’t miss. The Sun Princess decided to change the subject. “By the way, Twilight, I’ve found some records related to Sunburst’s entry into the School for Gifted Unicorns.” Twilight’s ears perked up. “Anything interesting?” “Yes. I think you’ll see.” She floated a stack of papers over to Twilight, who caught them. At the very top was a message, written in crude hornwriting. Dear Starlight, I’m really, really sorry. I got so caught up in everything and forgot all about you. I was just so excited! I’m in Canterlot! Learning from the best! But... I miss you. I really do! The ponies giving you this letter are procters from the school. They want to give you an evaluation! I know you can do it! “What? This doesn’t make sense! The adult Starlight said she never saw him again!” Celestia motioned. “Look at the papers underneath.” Twilight saw. The next paper was an incident report... one labeled as a fatality. Fear growing in her, she looked it over the report. “There was a large explosion in the exhibition hall,” Celestia said, summarizing it for everypony who wasn’t reading. “It was thanks to some of the students ignoring the school safety rules. There were several injuries... and only one fatality.” Applejack spoke the name they were all expecting. “Sunburst.” There was silence. “So... why did nopony come looking fer Starlight? Sunburst said he had recommended her?” “Not officially,” Celestia said. “Sunburst recommended her, and they promised he could make the formal recommendation the next day. Sunburst was so excited he wrote the letter early. The next day he died before giving any real information.” “So... now what?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Are you going to tell Starlight what happened? It might help her feel better about knowing her friend never left her.” “Or it could make her feel worse knowing that getting a cutie mark led to his death,” Rarity said in a flat tone. She was rubbing a hoof along Fluttershy’s back. A child dying was just too sad. “And what happens when Starlight asks Twilight to go back in time and fix everything?” Luna asked. “Ooh! Why not?” Pinkie said. “We can go back and snatch Sunburst up, and he and Starlight can be friends again! Then Twilight will have three foals and and I’ll be an auntie three times over!” “I’m no mother...” Everyone stopped and looked at Twilight, who was still looking at the paper blankly. “Twilight?” Applejack asked slowly. “I can’t risk the timestream to save Sunburst. Too many small changes can cause unexpected consequences. Every time Starlight ruined the timestream, it was in a different way, and it resulted in something new.” Rainbow Dash looked confused. “But... bringing Starlight back didn’t cause any big changes!” “How do I know?” she asked. “I can’t compare the two Starlights’ lives. How do I know Starlight didn’t save lives or help ponies in some way during the first timeline? I might have killed more than one pony and not even realized it.” “Oh my... do you really think so?” Fluttershy said. “And what do you mean ‘more than one’?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I killed the first Starlight, didn’t I? I wiped her out of existence, and I risked the timestream to do so.” Cadance draped a wing over her sister-in-law. “Don’t think of it that way. You gave her a second chance at life.” “And you did what you did out of desperation,” Celestia said, in a tone she had once used to assure Twilight when an exam came back poorly. “I know you would have taken any other option that you thought was plausible.” “Wow, you really trust Twilight!” Pinkie said. “After the Changeling Invasion and Tirek, I know better than to doubt her. I trust that she did what she had to.” “Uh... Yer Highness, no offense, but ‘I did what I had to’ sounds a bit... extreme.” “And it’s good that it does to you,” Luna said. “As members of Twilight’s Friendship Council, you’re all counted on to lead as much as she is.” “What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Pinkie and you led Gilda to help change Griffonstone. Applejack and Rarity led Manehatten into coming together. Twilight and Fluttershy led the Hooffields and McColts into stopping their feud. While not Princesses, you are counted on to lead, and this is a lesson you’ll all have to face sooner or later. Being a leader means making hard decisions. And sometimes, it will mean doing things you find a bit dirty.” “But... that’s sounds horrible!” Fluttershy said. “I don’t want to do that!” “And that’s good. As long as you hate the responsibility, you’ll carry it better than most. When you actually start feeling like you’re justified, that what you’ve done isn’t horrible, that would be the time to step down.” The five members of the Friendship Council looked ill. Cadance looked away, feeling uncomfortable, having never had to make that decision yet. Twilight just looked somber. Celestia took a deep breath. “It is indeed a hard burden, and it is possible to become a monster. Starlight herself used the excuse to justify her equalization campaign, and she’s not the only one. Too often, it’s used as an excuse to justify one’s own failings. Sombra used that excuse, citing that the Crystal Empire forced him to. Chrysalis used that excuse, claiming she needed to feed her subjects. N...” Celestia trailed off. Luna nodded. “You can say it. NightMare Moon used it. I said I had to do it because nopony gave me the respect I deserved. The Nightmare might have controlled me, but I let it in my heart in the first place.” Celestia gave Luna a look that showed both worry and pride. “The reason is used more as an excuse than an explanation. Even under the best conditions, it can have unintended side effects. Star Swirl ‘did what he had to’ when he banished the Sirens, and we’re just now getting consequences for it. That’s why you make those decisions as an absolute last resort. Twilight tried reaching out to Starlight and was rejected, and from there it was a situation with very few outs. Don’t assume you have to do anything of the sort before you’ve exhausted all the better options. And even under those conditions, it’s possible to go too far. “That’s why you’ll need each other. I rule alongside my sister, my niece, and my children so they may watch me for signs that I am slipping. As long as you have your friendships, I promise you can make Equestria a better place. Also, I am pleased to tell you that I have had to make those kinds of decisions less often as time went on. Even with everything you’ve faced, Equestria’s as peaceful as it has ever been, and as long as there are ponies who work toward it, a time will come when such choices will not be made necessary.” That brightened the mood, but only a bit. “I’m sorry this had to be brought up now,” Celestia said. “I wouldn’t worry about it in this case. Reactions among those at Canterlot High has been positive, so I’m hoping the rest of Terra will be receptive to us. Twilight was telling me...” Twilight, Spike, and Starlight tumbled out of the portal, landing on the map. They looked around, two of the three feeling relieved. The castle was back. “Wow... is this really where you live?” Starlight asked. Twilight smiled, draping a wing over her. “It’s where you live now, Starlight.” “Cool!” She scampered over to a window, peering out at the small town. “Wow... this seems like a strange place to build a castle.” “Well... it’s a long story.” “And you’re really a princess? There’s more than just Celestia and Cadance?” “There are four now, Starlight. The two new ones are Luna, the Princess of the Moon, and myself, the Princess of Friendship.” “Cool!” She looked around, then her smile faltered. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” “Why’d you come back through time to get me? You're a princess, why did you have an interest in me?” Twilight froze. What to say? She started forming a cover story in her mind. Honesty is one of the Elements... She took a deep breath. She couldn’t lie, but telling her the truth now might destroy her. “I don’t think you’re quite ready to know that yet,” Twilight said. “But I promise I’ll tell you one day.” Starlight tilted her head as she looked at her new teacher. “Am I special somehow?” Twilight smiled, touching Starlight’s nose with a playful boop. “Everypony is special... or at least, they have the potential to be.” The door opened. “Twilight? Are you in...” Twilight turned just as Rarity’s words died. Her five friends had arrived, and they were all staring at the new filly. Feeling self conscious, Starlight hid behind her mentor. In a flash Fluttershy was near them, trying to get a good look at the newcomer. “Oh, look at you! You are so cute!” “Um... hi.” Twilight chuckled. “Everypony, this is Starlight Glimmer, my new student. Starlight, these are my friends. The one saying you're cute is Fluttershy.” Starlight poked her head out from behind Twilight. “Hi.” “Twi... where on Gaia did you get yerself a student?” Applejack asked. “It’s a long story. Spike, will you take Starlight on a tour of the castle? I need to have a meeting with...” “Twilight?” Twilight was awoken from her thoughts. She realized she had drifted out of the meeting. “S-sorry,” she said. “I’m just... lost on what to do.” “So you’re not going to tell her about Sunburst?” Rainbow Dash asked. “She’d ask why I couldn’t travel back in time to stop it, and that would involve telling her the truth. I’m not sure she’s ready...” She sighed. “I’m not sure I shouldn’t have just told her the whole thing right then and there.” Applejack spoke first. “Twi... don’t be like that. Yer doin’ a great job with her...” Twilight looked away. “If you aren’t sure, then keep it secret for now,” Celestia said. “You can always change your mind on that later. The opposite isn’t true.” “I guess,” Twilight said. “I propose a recess,” Luna said. “Let’s take fifteen minutes, then reconvene to discuss matters further.” Everypony understood it was to allow Twilight to collect herself. They all agreed. Twilight hugged her brother, then her sister-in-law. “It’s good to see you too, Twiley. Now, come on, where is she?” Twilight blinked. “Who?” “My niece,” Cadance grinned. “You said you took in a filly.” Twilight blushed. “It’s not like that.” “Sure it’s not.” Twilight turned to her big brother. “Shiny...” “Sorry, Twiley, I want to be an uncle.” “Now where is she... ah, there she is!” Twilight turned and realized that Starlight had entered the room. The young filly hadn’t noticed the newcomers until she was too far into the room to hide. Cadance came over to her slowly enough that Starlight didn’t run away. “Hello there. You must be Starlight.” “Um, yes. Are you really Princess Cadance?” “To most ponies, yes. To you, I’m Aunt Cadance.” “R-really?” “You better believe it. Now give me a hug.” Starlight obeyed, letting the pink Alicorn wrap her in a hug. Shining Armor was right behind his wife. “And I’m your Uncle Shiny. How about a hug for me?” Cadance and Starlight shifted, letting the stallion join in a three-way hug. The Princess of Love nuzzled her a bit before feeling something wet on her muzzle. “Sweetie... are you crying?” “Princess Twilight said everypony here was so nice. She was right. Nopony was this nice to me back home.” “Well then, you hit the jackpot, haven’t you?” Cadance said. “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of love here to go around.” Starlight latched onto the princess, letting her tears fall. Shining Armor broke away and turned to his sister. “You’ve done something good for her.” Twilight looked away. Shining Armor placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I know you might feel bad about it, but this filly needs love now. She’s going to need a mother. That’s going to be you.” “Shiny, I killed the original Starlight,” she whispered harshly. “And I can’t tell this one the truth. I shouldn’t be her mother.” “Twilight... you never give yourself enough credit. You’ve been a mother for years, even if you won’t admit it. Now you’re giving Spike a little sister.” “If I promise to think about it, will you drop this for now?” Twilight said. “There’s too much work to be done. I still remember a lot of the information I gathered on Starlight in the first timeline. I need to look up the residents of her town, lookup Sunburst’s records, everything to see if I altered the timeline in any negative way.” Shiny smiled. “Whatever you say. I think it’s only a matter of time now.” Twilight sighed as she sat at her desk, looking over the reports. Everypony wanted her to be a mother to Starlight. The filly that she killed. The filly she took in strictly out of pragmatism, not altruism or mercy. And now.. Well, this was a delightful little corner she had painted herself into, wasn’t it? Either she could let her keep thinking Sunburst had abandoned her, giving her equalist thoughts merit, or tell her what had happened, causing the whole truth to spill out. Sighing, she opened her safe and placed the pages inside. Celestia was right about one thing: she could always take back the decision of not telling her... Starlight caught the rubber ball in her magic, then tossed it back to Sunburst, who caught it in his own. There was still thirty minutes left of playtime, and they wanted to make the most of it. “Sunburst?” “Yeah?” “Why was those older ponies talking to you?” “It was a family that wanted to adopt me.” “What?” Starlight cried, missing the ball as it flew past. “But...” “Don’t worry,” he said quickly. “I told them they had to take you or it was no deal. I’m not leaving you.” Starlight smiled. Sunburst came over and hugged her. “We’re a family, Starlight. I won’t go anywhere without you. Besides, it won’t matter. In another six months we’ll be able to take the entrance exams for Princess Celestia’s school! We’re going to be great sorcerers!” “I can’t wait!” Starlight said. “I’ll bet the Princess will even take us as personal students!” “Trust me. You and me, we’re going to change Equestria. That’s a promise.” Starlight pulled herself out of her memories and tried to study. It turned out to be a lie, of course. Sunburst got his cutie mark a month later, and the heads of the orphanage, hoping to get their location some press, sent him away without a chance to say goodbye. He never wrote. Not even once. And it was all because of that stupid cutie mark. All because he succeeded and I didn’t. But Princess Twilight said that it wasn’t true. Differences made ponies stronger, that’s what she said. But I remember what Princess Cadance said. She thought back. ”Aunt Cadance?” Cadance turned her head, looking at the filly on her back. “Yes, Starlight?” “If you’re my aunt, does that make Princess Twilight my momma?” Cadance smiled. “She is, even if she doesn’t know it yet.” “What do you mean?” The pink Alicorn ruffled her mane. “Princess Twilight is indeed a wise ruler, and she knows Friendship, but she’s young compared to even me. She doesn’t know her full self yet. She doesn’t think she’s good enough to be a mother, even though she’s already been a great mom to Spike.” “So... what should I do?” “You just wait. I guarantee you that before too long, she’ll be signing your adoption papers.” A month ago, and still nothing. She wanted Aunt Cadance’s promise to come true so bad. Princess Twilight had given her so much. Everypony in Ponyville liked her. She had hope, and education. But not a mom. Princess Cadance said Princess Twilight didn’t know everything. Maybe she’s wrong. Maybe everypony can be equal. She shook her head. The Princess said answers would come in study. So that’s what she would do.