• Published 6th Apr 2012
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Journey to My Imagination - DeiStar



In a strange event, Lauren Faust is teleported to Equestria.

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Hello, Goodbye

Chapter 19: Hello, Goodbye
*****

Silence shrouded the entire library as everypony did nothing but stare at each other. Twilight hadn’t said a word as they shared a tacit agreement to wait for Princess Luna to open her eyes. Pinkie didn’t seem to be willing to hold her silence any longer. She had no interest in challenging the uncontested world champion of the Quiet Game to an impromptu tournament.

“C’mon, everypony! Why so quiet?” Pinkie danced around the room. “So we’re Lauren’s creation. Why the long faces, then? This is fun!”

“Uh, Pinkie, I actually think it’s rather weird,” Rainbow said. “I mean. We’re characters from a story Lauren created. I don’t even know what to think about this.” Even though she believed in Twilight, the sudden revelation was quite a shocker for her. “I mean… is she really the creator of Equestria and all?”

“Seems like it,” Twilight responded. She was still resting on her bed. She wanted to get up and join her friends, but the burning pain in her chest prevented her from doing so. “It’s very confusing for me as well.”

“Wait. So she made us who we are? Am I who I am only because Lauren wanted it that way? What if I decide to let go of my stranglehold on the fashion industry and become a farmpony like Applejack?” Rarity looked at Applejack, who shrugged without an answer.

“Put it this way... Have you ever heard of the so-called omniscient narrator? It’s the one in a books who knows everything about everyone” Twilight said. Raised eyebrows of confusion raised as nopony had the slightest clue of what Twilight was babbling about. “It’s the one who says and describes the characters’ actions. Spike, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about the literature lessons?” Twilight glanced at a caught off guard Spike. If he really was her number one assistant, he obviously had to know something as basic as that.

“I, er…” Spike dragged a claw to his chin, looking up and trying to recall his boring and long literature lessons he had back in Canterlot. He actually knew what Twilight was talking about. He had it at the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, the imaginary bulb in his head lit. “Oh, now I remember! The omniscient narrator is the one who tells everything, right? It’s the only one who knows the entire story from the beginning to end!”

“Exactly, and if what Lauren said it’s true, she’s the omniscient narrator of this ‘story’ of us.” Twilight was glad Spike remembered his lessons. She would have rewarded him with a snack, but it was not the time.

“Hold on a second,” Rarity interrupted. “But didn’t you just say Lauren is the creator of the story? Is she the creator or the narrator? I am deeply confused.”

“The creators are also omniscient narrators, Rarity.” Twilight looked at one of her bookshelves and enveloped a book with her magic. Swiftly she levitated it across the room and opened it before her. “The narrator creates the characters and gives them a personality and a background. They don’t usually start from the beginning of their lives until their death.” Twilight closed the book and looked at her friends. “In this case, Lauren created us and gave us a background. She made me a unicorn born and raised in Canterlot.”

“So you’re tryin’ to tell me that she made me an earth pony born and raised right here in Ponyville?” Applejack was slowly trying to fit the pieces together. Sure, she could be slow sometimes, but she was not an uneducated mare. “And she made me who I am?”

“That’s right, Applejack. However, she didn’t really create everypony to be like they are.” Twilight dragged another book from the same bookshelf, opening it and going through the pages to find whatever she was looking for. “The only characters influenced by the narrator are only the ones the narrator creates and develops. In other words, if the creator hasn’t mentioned anything about X character, that character has its own personality.”

Everypony stared at each other once again. It sort of started to make a little bit of sense now. Sort of.

“For example, let’s say that Lauren never created Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.

“Hey! Why me?” Rainbow complained.

“It’s just an example, Rainbow. Please, just play along, okay?” Twilight wasn’t exactly in the mood for a long argument with the hot-headed pegasus. “So, if Lauren never created Rainbow Dash, she would still exist. However, since the narrator never interacted with her, she wouldn’t be under the narrator’s influence. In other words, she would have her own personality, and not the one the narrator assigned to her.”

“I get it. So if Lauren never touched my Sweetie Belle, for example, she would still be around, but she wouldn’t be who she is, right?” Rarity asked.

“Correct, Rarity. But she would really be somepony really different from who she is. Her name wouldn’t be Sweetie Belle or she wouldn’t even be your sister. In short terms, if the character never has an interaction with the narrator, they get their own personality.” Twilight closed the book, placing it back on its bookshelf.

“But Equestria has existed for thousands of years! Is Lauren really that old?” Spike questioned. He could hardly imagine somepony older than Princess Luna or Princess Celestia. If Lauren was really that old, she was definitely good looking for her age.

“Wrong, Spike. Lauren can create anything she wants, regardless of her age. She created our world, but that doesn’t mean she has known it since its beginning. Her influence with the ‘story’ is only related to the current story she is telling,” Twilight explained. “For example, say the narrator tells us about a statue that has been standing for a thousand years, but then, it crumbles. Only because the statue has been standing that long, doesn’t mean the narrator has been telling its story during those thousand years.”

“Um, but… then what’s her influence in this story?” Fluttershy asked. She finally talked after listening to the whole conversation. Nopony even noticed she was there.

“If I remember correctly, her influence with our ‘story’ began when Princess Luna transformed into …Nightmare Moon.” Twilight looked at Luna, who still didn’t show any signs of consciousness. She looked back at her friends, clearing her throat to continue. “From that point, it leaped until her return at the Summer Sun Celebration, meaning that Lauren didn’t have any influence during that thousand-year gap. Her influence reactivated when she told the story of how we defeated Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony.”

“So everything we did was at Lauren's behest?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, it seems so. As I said, we became who we are because of Lauren. Anything Lauren says goes. If she says that rain falls up to the sky, then it does. She is the creator, and she can do whatever she pleases. She could make me into a pegasus, or an earth pony for that matter. For example, I never had a brother, but if Lauren created a brother for me, my life and memories would change, as if I had a brother my whole life.” Twilight received more puzzled looks. She wasn’t surprised, really… very few ponies usually understood her lectures. “In other words, her decisions can be retroactive.”

Before Twilight could continue her detailed explanation, a familiar voice stopped her.

“Do you truly think that I still harbor a smidgen of trust for you, alter ego or no? Unlike you, I accept responsibility for my actions and my creations! I am prepared to give my life to save Equestria from a monster such as you!”

Everypony in the room clearly heard those words. It was Lauren once again. Her voice echoed inside their heads with that strong exclamation. They tried to talk, to respond to that voice but nopony found the words to do so. Just a few seconds after that evidently worldwide message, another one was heard within seconds.

“For your heinous crimes against Equestria’s royalty, my daughters and myself, I bring your well-deserved penance to you!”

“This again? What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack looked around the room. However, the source of the voice was very far away from her.

“Wh-what!? Lauren!?” Much like Applejack, Twilight moved around her head looking in all directions to find the alicorn in question. But the library was free from any alicorns save from Princess Luna lying on the bed. “I heard her voice, but she’s not here!”

“W-we heard her voice a while ago, when we arrived at the library!” Rainbow said. “Are we hearing this because she’s that omnisitive narrator Twilight talked about?”

“It’s omniscient, not omnisitive, Rainbow, but never mind that.” Twilight knew it was not the time for a spelling lesson. “What did she say? Heinous crimes against Equestria? Is she referring to the chaos Faust caused?” Suddenly, she understood the meaning behind the first message. “Wait, give her life!?”

“I reckon she said she was ready to give her life to save Equestria,” Applejack commented. “I don’t understand, is she still fightin’ that demon clone of hers?”

“It… it seems that way…” a weak voice said from the other side of the room. Everypony spun their heads towards the origin of the voice. It was Princess Luna, who had a half opened eye.

“Princess Luna!” Everypony turns towards the Princess. Fluttershy gasps as she notices Luna’s sickly state.

“You… you have to believe Twilight Sparkle. She is right… oof!” Luna shivered. The impact she received a while ago was still engraved on her chest.

“We believe in Twilight. Are you okay, Princess?” Rainbow asked.

“I am fine, Rainbow Dash. Thanks for your concern.” Luna wiggled under the bed sheet and tried to get a more comfortable position. She noticed Twilight on the other bed. “Twilight Sparkle, are you okay?”

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’m okay. I’m a strong unicorn!” Twilight smiled. Her pain seemed to be slowly fading away, but it would take its time to fully disappear from her body. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Ah! That’s right! C-Celestia, where is my sister? Why are we in the library?” Luna almost imitated Twilight’s initial reaction when she woke up. The confused alicorn didn’t know what to do. The last thing she remembered was talking to Lauren. “I have to go back! Celestia is in trouble, I have to—”

“There is no need for that, my dear sister,” a very familiar voice said. This time, it was not Lauren. The melodic and soothing voice could only belong to one pony, and that was none other than the one and only Princess Celestia.

Everypony stared down at the room foyer from where the voice seemed to come. Twilight and Luna wanted to jump out of bed to go and check, but again, her bodies refused to cooperate with their minds. In a matter of seconds, an orb of light appeared in the middle of the room, two large figures appearing from it. One of them was standing, and the other one seemed to be lying on the floor. The orb faded away, leaving the two alicorns there on the room.

“Princess Celestia!” Everypony in the room exclaimed in unison.

*****

Where, where am I? Hello? Is anyone there? Wait, am I even talking out loud?

My body… I can’t move it. It doesn’t respond…

What happened? Oh, right… I stabbed Faust, and then… uh…

I think I fell asleep on one of the room couches…

Uh, what is this warm sensation I’m feeling? It feels like… a hug?

I hear a voice… ‘Rest, my little pony’? Wait, that voice… it’s Celestia!

Huh, she is still talking? What is she saying? She sounds… sad…

“Mother. Thank you so much for what have you done. You don’t know how happy I am to finally meet you. The real you.”

Celestia… is thanking me?

“Thanks to you, our world has been freed from the menace which has been threatening it since the beginning of time. And now… it is time for you to return home.”

Huh, leave? Where? She wouldn’t mean...

“I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I needed you. I wanted to snuggle under your wing on those cold winter nights. I may not have really met you in my life, but you know what, mother? I am glad that I have met you now, even if it was only for a short time.”

It… it must be hard for Celestia to say this. She really never had a mother up until now… I didn’t know she was only craving for some motherly love.

“It’s time for us to go now. Thank you again, mommy. I love you, forever and ever. You will be always in my heart.”

Celestia… I…

Whoa, what is this? I feel chills running through my body…

Urk… feel tired… can’t hold on… any… more…

*****

“P-Princess! You’re all right!” Twilight noticed the big sized version of Lauren. “W-wait, why is Faust lying on the floor next to you!?” The first thought that came to her mind was that she was defeated, but she had to hear the explanation directly from her mentor’s mouth. Nopony else said a word. They stared at the alicorn in question. She looked like Lauren, but she was larger than they remembered her.

“Sister!” Luna called from her bed. A chest pain was not going to stop her from embracing her sister! Luna struggled with the bed sheet and jumped off the bed, running to greet her sister. Rainbow and Applejack tried to stop her, but Luna was too fast for them. She threw herself at Celestia, wrapping her front legs in a hug. “Aaargh!”

“Luna, please don’t strain yourself.” Celestia pulled Luna away from her. “I’m happy to see you are safe, my dear sister.” She offered one of her trademark smiles.

Luna ignored the pain for a second to return a smile. Her stare was fixed at the unconscious alicorn next to them. “T-this is…”

“Fear not, Luna. This right here is not the evil being we’ve known as Faust,” Celestia assured.

“What!?” Twilight said from her bed. She wasn’t planning to be on it anymore, though. Carefully, she extricated herself from her bedsheets to greet her mentor. She didn’t seem to have any problem with her legs or the affected area. “Then who is it?”

“This right here is none other than our friend Lauren.” Celestia pointed her hoof, listening to the gasps of surprise coming from everypony in the room. “And yes. I am glad to inform you that Faust has been defeated for good.”

Twilight’s heart pounded. Did she hear correctly? Was Faust finally defeated? She hoped so. It had been a very long battle, and she was glad to hear it was all over now. However, there were still some questions to answer, for example, what was Lauren doing in Faust’s body? Was she all right? She also had to ask her about her role as the omniscient narrator of the story. “She was defeated?”

“Indeed. There is no need to be afraid anymore.” Celestia cringed, her body leaning to one side as she frowned. Everypony were going to react and help the Princess, but she raised her head with a smile and looked at them. “Don’t worry, I’m all right. Just a little exhausted since my magic ran out.”

“I am just glad you’re safe, Celestia.” Luna looked down at Lauren. “And I am also glad that this nightmare is over. But is Lauren safe?”

“Rest assured she is safe. There is nothing to be concerned about,” Celestia said, her horn illuminating. “It is time for her to wake up.”

Twilight walked towards her mentor, but stopped as soon as her horn glowed. Lauren’s own horn irradiated with Celestia’s golden aura. Everypony took a step back, as the intensity of the shining increased. Suddenly, the magic around Celestia’s horn faded away, and so did Lauren’s.

“Uh…” Lauren gently opened an eye, closing it right afterwards.

“Lauren!” Twilight called, but she got no answer. All she received was a groan and a slight movement from Lauren’s wings. Twilight stepped closer. “Lauren!”

“Uh, what?” Lauren’s eyes went wide open. She stared at nothing in particular. Her mind started to work again. Where was she? It was such a familiar place, and she also heard a familiar voice. She thought about the last thing she remembered. A sort of ‘conversation’ she had with Celestia. She wondered where she had gone to.

“Lauren, are you all right?” Twilight said. The lack of answers was starting to make her nervous.

“T-Twilight!” Lauren raised her head and looked at the concerned unicorn in front of her. Her gaze soon switched to the other ponies and dragon in the room. “And… everyone else?” She saw the faces of Twilight’s friends. They were looking at her with some sort of wonder, like if she had something stuck on her face. She didn’t seem to be exhausted or have injuries of any sort. Her body felt light and invigorated, like if she had woken up after a good night sleep.

“Oh, thank Celestia you’re safe, literally. For a second I thought you were Faust and…” Twilight bowed her head. She couldn’t express how relieved she was that everypony was safe.

“I’m glad to see you’re safe too, Twilight.” Lauren got back on her hooves rather quickly, noticing a strange sensation in the process. She felt taller, yet lighter at the same time. Did Faust’s attacks alter my body somehow? “Wait...” She bowed her head and looked at her brand new body. “What happened!?”

“Don’t be alarmed,” Celestia said. “After defeating your evil alter ego, the two unequal halves of your power merged again, reinstating your rightful stature in the process.”

“So that’s why I’m in Faust’s body now? Well, I did know something felt off when I woke up.” Lauren raised her head and noticed the Elements of Harmony, still holding their dumbfounded faces. “And you’re all here.”

“Well, Ms. Lauren. Twilight told us somethin’ very interestin’ about you,” Applejack said. ”I reckon you’re our creator or somethin’.”

Lauren’s mouth went agape, and her eyes wide open. Her stare immediately faced Twilight. “What? You told them? Why!?” Her face looked as the one someone would have if anyone deleted a very precious file from a videogame.

Twilight took a step back, taken by surprise by Lauren’s sudden outburst. She had forgotten that Lauren was very delicate about revealing who she really was. But there was nothing Twilight could do about it now. They all knew the truth. “I-I had no choice, I mean, they’re my friends and—”

“Please relax, everypony,” Celestia interrupted. “Let us gather around and I will gladly explain everything that has happened so far.” Her eyes met Lauren’s. “Please, mother.”

“Eh… all right.” It was not like Lauren had a choice. Perhaps Celestia could explain better what had happened so far and she could possibly ask her one or two questions about what was she supposed to do now. “There’s no point in hiding it anymore if you all know.”

Following Celestia’s instructions, everypony stepped closer in a circle around the middle of the room.

“Listen carefully, my little ponies…”

*****

Stares of shock, confusion and astonishment were pasted on the faces of the ponies in the room. Some weird looks at Lauren and Twilight as well. Celestia was done speaking for a while now, and now it was time for the ponies to ask away to their hearts content, but no one found the words to do so. The one who stepped ahead was Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have a very good question in her mind already.

“So Lauren defeated her evil clone by stabbing her in the chest with her horn, huh? That’s pretty awesome!” Rainbow pictured the scene in her mind, although awkward, she didn’t have trouble to picture a unicorn thrusting her sharp horn into another’s body.

“So, Princess,” Applejack interrupted. Rainbow’s question wasn’t relevant to the topic, and now it was her turn to ask. “About that thing you told me when I grabbed the letter…”

“Sorry for the headache, my dear Applejack, but it was necessary. That letter was the only object I could use to keep Luna and Twilight safe,” Celestia said.

“So, your highness, you cast a teleportation spell that activated with a single letter? I must say that is simply outstanding,” Rarity commented. She was not really interested in complicated magic spells like Twilight, but that trick sure caught her eye.

“Thanks for your help, everypony. I am forever in your debt for what you did.” Celestia smiled, causing the ponies in question to blush in embarrassment.

“Aw, shucks. It was nothin’, Princess.” Applejack smiled back. “You also said what Twilight told us a while ago about Lauren bein’ our creator and the omniscient narrator.”

“Ooh! And I bet Lauren would say the same thing, wouldn’t you? I know you would because that would only make sense, I mean, Twilight and Princess Celestia already told us the truth, and so you don’t have to hide it anymore from us.” Pinkie bounced on her hooves, looking at Lauren with an enormous grin. “Hee hee, oh and maybe you can give us some gifts, like a pair of wings for everypony and a horn for—” Her voice was stopped by the hoof of Rainbow in her mouth.

“You’re talking too fast, Pinkie! Slow down!” Rainbow removed her now covered in drool hoof from Pinkie’s mouth. Pinkie didn’t seem to be willing to talk anymore, anyway.

“Yes. It’s true. I am the creator of Equestria. As Twilight said, I am what literature defines as an omniscient narrator. It means that I know everything about everything in the story,” Lauren claimed. “What a great story this is, am I right? Hee hee.”

“Lauren is indeed this world’s creator, and my mother... She could make us all earth ponies, pegasi or even kelpies, for that matter. However, her ideas are expressed through quill and parchment, not wing, horn and hoof.” Celestia commented, nodding to Lauren’s cutie mark.” Although, the avatar of a world’s creator in the world itself evidently has quite a few special properties. Take the messages you’ve received from her as an example.”

Twilight tilted her head, unsure of what the Princess meant. Suddenly, she realized. “Right! The messages we heard from her! What was that all about?”

“Huh, messages? What are you all talking about?” Lauren asked.

“It happened during the battle with Faust, Lauren,” Celestia replied. “You exclaimed three sentences that could be heard by not only the Elements of Harmony, but everyone across Equestria.”

“W-what!? Do you mean that EVERYPONY heard that?” Spike said. “Even though I’m not a pony…”

“Thanks to her special relationship with this world and it’s inhabitants, thanks to her love for her creations, ponies or otherwise, we all heard her words of determination and courage.” Celestia looked at Lauren and smiled.

“It felt weird,” Lauren said. “When I was about to thrust Faust with my horn, I wasn’t trying to speak in Elizabethan English, but the words came out that way, somehow… What was that all about? I suspect that it’s got something to do with dramatic tension, given that this is a cartoon, after all.”

“You’re almost right… do you remember when Twilight tried to explain Pinkie’s close-afield precognition, and somehow managed to set her mane and tail on fire?” As Celestia continued her explanation, Twilight blushed profusely.

“For alicorns, shouting in the so-called ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’, or in your case just an outburst of words is usually part of what happens when we experience strong emotions.” Luna added.

“Oh, I see. And I’m guessing this wouldn’t happen back in my world, right? Come to think of it… when I go home, would I still be a pony? I’d prefer my… previous body back, given that I’d look quite strange strolling through my hometown as I am now, however enjoyable it may be to watch the other citizens’ reactions.” Lauren chuckled, covering her mouth with a hoof to hide her silly smile. Everypony joined pleasantly as they all shared a good laugh together.

“Exactly,” Celestia said. “Which is why you’re going back home, right now.”

The laughs cut off immediately right after Celestia’s last sentence. All eyes met the white alicorn, who kept her trademark smile on her face. Twilight was rather astonished and sort of worked out more than anypony else. Her heart raced fast, as if she had received a bad grade. “L-leave?” she muttered, slowly turning her head to look at Lauren, her mouth twitching.

“Y-you mean that Lauren will finally go back home?” Spike said. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of sadness over the news. It was true that Lauren had to go back, but it was too soon. He didn’t even have time to ask her if she could make Rarity to agree to go on a date with him.

“What? No thanks-for-saving-the-world party? You can’t leave without a party! It would be too boring! I don’t know how long will it be until we see you again! Just give me a second and I’ll bring my party ca—” Pinkie’s mouth was shut, this time by Applejack’s hoof.

“Home?” Lauren felt chills running down her spine. Was she finally able to get back to her home world, and most importantly, Craig? Would she feel the dexterity of her fingers once again? Lie down on her own soft bed and be able to stretch out properly? “Am I finally going to be able to get back home?” Her face beamed.

“L-leave already,? But...” Luna couldn’t believe she had met with her real mother for the first time, and it was the time to say goodbye already.

“N-no,” Twilight whimpered. “No… after all we’ve been through together, thick and thin… you have to go?” She shook her head. “No! Please… I don't want you to go!” she sniffled.