Ponies I
Dear Sunset,
This could not have come at a worse possible time. I am currently up in the Crystal Empire for a diplomatic gathering, and I can’t return until tomorrow. Until then, keep an eye on my other self. If she’s anything like I was when I first got my magic, there will be surges.
Don’t assume this change is limited to you. This might be a side effect of magic seeping into your world, and not of Ponying Up. I want you to begin checking others who alternates are Unicorns. Start with Sweetie Belle, Vinyl, and Shining Armor. Also, get a complete list of everypony everyone in the school: students, faculty, everyone. I’ll take it and compare it against Equestrian census to see who is what, in case this truly does spread.
I’ll write Flash and ask him to help you (don’t tell the others about the journals yet... I don’t think Rarity would let me hear the end of it). Keep calm, I’ll be there soon.
“Do I have to?”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile at Starlight’s question, even if it was a tone that came just short of whining. After all, she had never cared much for the upper class events when she had been Celestia’s student, so she couldn’t fault her own for feeling the same.
“I’m afraid so, sweetie. This is a big event, and everypony wants to meet my personal student.” She was running a brush through her student’s mane, grateful that she was being cooperative.
“But it’s so boring! I could be learning more magic!”
“There’s more to life than studying,” she said, pulling the mane back into a ponytail. “I was hoping you’d play with Apple Bloom and her friends back in Ponyville, but you don’t seem to have taken to them.”
“Well... they all have their cutie marks already!”
“They do. They don’t think any less of you for not having one yet. Well... Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon used to, but they’re better ponies now. They’re friends with Pip, and Button, and...”
Starlight lifted off the chair, her fancy dress ruffling. “Yeah, but... Sunburst...”
Twilight met her student at eye level. “I understand. You’re scared after you got hurt. I’ve been scared like that too. Ponies used to pretend to be my friend to get closer to Princess Celestia or for help on their homework. When I found out the truth, it hurt badly. But if I had let it get to me, I’d never have met Miss Applejack, or Miss Rarity, or any of the others. And that means I would never have become the Princess of Friendship. And that means...”
“You never could have gotten me out of that orphanage,” Starlight finished.
“Believe me, I know having friends can be painful, and sometimes it ends in heartbreak, but the rewards far outweigh that. Please remember that.”
“I will, Princess.” She hugged her mentor around the neck, who returned the gesture.
“Good. Now go find Spike and see if he’s ready.”
Starlight nodded before cantering off. Cadance, who had watched the scene from the side, just smiled.
“Well, I’m officially jealous,” the Princess of Love said.
Twilight looked startled. “Jealous?”
Cadance smiled. “You got to have a foal without going through... this,” she sat and rubbed a hoof over her stomach, which was just starting to show a slight bulge.
“It’s not like that,” Twilight said.
Cadance smirked. “Uh-huh. Just like it’s ‘not like that’ with Spike? Seriously, a foal before I even got married. Still, I’m not completely bitter. You didn’t get to do the fun part.”
Twilight blushed. “Since my brother is the one you’re doing that with, I really don’t want to hear it.”
“Oh it’s nothing much. Believe it or not, he can’t keep it up for long.”
Now Twilight was a beet-red. “Cadance!”
“I mean, we’re barely at it three hours before he starts going, ‘Come on, Cady, I’m not a machine!’ I swear…”
Now Twilight had gone from embarrassed to dumbstruck, gaping at her former foalsitter. She searched for any sign she was joking.
“But enough about my marital problems. Has Starlight... showed any signs?”
That managed to snap Twilight out of her daze. “Well, she’s doubting friendship. No surprise after what she went through. Still, she seems to like me enough to at least try what I have to say.”
“So, no repeat of her old self?”
“It doesn’t look like it. It seems things are going to be fine with her, if my lesson plan works.”
Cadance smiled. “Good, I’d hate anything happening to my niece. Now come on, let’s get out there.”
“Okay, let’s make sure nothing happens to the Princess at this event,” Captain Flash ordered, lining up his soldiers.
“I think you’re trying to protect a pony that doesn’t need protecting to satisfy your own machismo,” Sugarcoat said.
Flash glared at the Earth Pony, but didn’t feed her message.
“Remember, eyes everywhere. Representatives from several countries are here, there’s no telling what might happen.”
The five ponies saluted. Indigo Zap and Sour Sweet flying into the air for higher look, Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest walking in different directions, and Sunny Flare accompanying her captain to the Princess and her charges.
Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Starlight were already walking through the crowd, much to Flash’s annoyance. Twilight was shaking hooves with several dignitaries, and some of the unrestrained ones were doting on the children, with coos of how cute they were.
At seeing Sunny, Starlight fled to her side, finding safety in her assigned bodyguard. It worked for all of three seconds, as the Unicorn was unwilling to stop them on such trivial matters.
Twilight, on the other hoof, took everything with dignity. In half an hour she shook hooves with the dignitaries of Saddle Arabia, who were polite despite muttering that the other Princesses had made it clear Twilight was to be involved in all talks with them from now on, Chief Thunderhooves, who looked quite uncomfortable in such lavish surroundings but bore it, and a rather cranky Griffon.
At last, however, a face Twilight was pleased to see came forward.
“Princess Twilight,” Fancypants said, giving a bow. Next to him, his wife Fleur Dis Lee, bowed as well.
“I’m glad to see you too,” Twilight smiled as the pair rose. “Actually, I’ve been hoping to have word with the two of you?”
Fancypants adjusted his monocle in surprise. “With us, Your Highness?”
Twilight nodded. “Can you come see me in private after the gathering is over? I need to ask you questions on a certain topic.” The Alicorn glanced around, then muttered, “Tell anypony it’s simply a chat, okay?”
The pair looked a bit confused, but nodded. Any further discussion was interrupted by a Minotaur coming to question the Princess on another matter.
”Why are you a Princess, Twilight?”
Twilight smiled at her charge’s innocent question. “I studied Friendship for years, and Harmony decided I was worthy to ascend.”
“So, it decided you were better than everypony?”
“Not quite, simply that I was qualified to teach a subject. Being better than somepony is relative. I’m not as strong as Applejack, or as fast as Rainbow Dash. I can’t handle animals or deal with ponies like Fluttershy, or have the precision of Rarity. And Pinkie... well, nopony can do the things she does. The Elements of Harmony are strong because we unite our unique skills together. None of our strengths are better than any others, simply more practical in a certain situation.”
“Then why did Sunburst leave me when he got better? That cutie mark destroyed our friendship!”
Twilight pulled her student in for a hug. “I know that was hard, and it was a very painful experience. But if Sunburst really left you so easily, then he wasn’t a true friend.”
“But we did everything together! We promised to be family! I...” She was crying now. “Friendship isn’t supposed to hurt.”
Twilight held her close for a moment. “Starlight... I’m afraid that’s not entirely true.”
The Unicorn looked up at her teacher with confusion. “Huh?”
“Part of being a friend is knowing that your friends are going to hurt you, and that you’re going to hurt them. Ponies aren’t perfect, and they can mess up. But if you’re truly friends, you’ll forgive them, and they’ll forgive you.”
“But... if it hurts so much, why even try?”
“Because it’s so wonderful, it’s worth the pain. My friendships with my friends have made me strong, and it’s given me so much, including you. It’s a little hard to explain, the best way is to just go out there and make friends.”
“But... I’m scared.”
“I know it can be scary. It was scary to me when I was sent to Ponyville. And... I think I should arrange a meeting between you and a friend of mine in Canterlot. I think she could help you. But making friends was part of my teachings, and it needs to be part of yours too. Do you understand?”
“...Yes,” Starlight said at last.
Twilight wilted a bit at the flat statement, but recovered. “Good. Now then, why don’t we get on with today’s lesson? We’re going to practice levitating several objects...”
Starlight muttered as she trotted down an elaborately decorated hallway, muttering to herself. This party was stupid. It was a bunch of snobs acting like they were better than anypony else. Why did the Princess have to come to these things? It wasn’t fair!
“Starlight?”
The small Unicorn winced. She turned to see Sunny Flare coming up to her. The guard gave a look of disapproval.
“You know better than to go off alone when there are guests present.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Flare,” she muttered, not really sorry at all. “I just wanted to get away from everypony telling me how cute I was,” she actually stuck her tongue out in disgust.
“I know it’s hard, but being at the Princess’s side is a great honor.”
Starlight was silent a moment. “What did I do to deserve it? I don’t even have my cutie mark yet.”
“You got it because Princess Twilight saw something special in you. And she was chosen by Harmony to ascend.”
“Why?”
If Sunny was annoyed by the questions, she didn’t show it. In fact, she smiled. “Harmony decided she was a worthy candidate to teach Friendship, just like It decided Princess Cadance was worthy to teach Love, and that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were worthy to govern the celestial bodies.”
“How does that work?”
“I’m not sure. That’s a question better asked of the Princesses. Right now, we need to get back to the gathering. There are a lot of important people that want to meet you.”
Starlight mumbled as she followed her bodyguard out into the main room.
All of those creatures, sitting on high. Who gave them the right?
Fancypants and Fleur were a little nervous when Twilight made them sign a magically binding contract that said they wouldn’t discuss anything they were to talk about with anypony.
Then, they were flabbergasted at the Princess’s tale of another world, with strange creatures and advanced technology. They were even more surprised at the revelation that there was apparently a counterpoint to every being in Equestria.
“Well, that all sounds... fascinating,” Fancypants said. “But what does this have to do with us?”
“I’ve been researching the connection between the two worlds, and the connection between counterparts. I’ve found some fascinating answers. For example, there’s a filly in my area, Scootaloo. The counterparts of her parents died before they could have her, so she was born to the same parents as another member of my council, Rainbow Dash.”
“I see,” Fancypants said, “then I suppose you’ve seen our counterparts?”
“Not exactly. But my counterpart has had a few run-ins with yours,” Twilight said, pointing at Fleur. “And since I’m studying the correlation between the two worlds, I was hoping you would answer a few questions about yourself for me. All in the strictest confidentiality, I assure you. If any of these questions make you uncomfortable, you may refuse to answer.”
Fleur nodded. “I will answer them the best I can.”
Twilight readied a parchment and quill. “The first question, can you name your parents?”
“I cannot name my father, my mother has always refused to. But my mother’s name was Abacus Cinch.”
Twilight stopped dead, looking up and staring at the Unicorn with wide eyes. “Tell me about her, please!”
Fleur looked startled at Twilight’s insistence, but went on. “She was... she was cruel. She was a duchess in the outer borders, and was obsessed with her reputation. I was taught all the rules of eloquence at a young age, and I’d be berated for getting things wrong.”
Twilight nodded, continuing her notes. “Go on, is there anything else you can tell me? Where is she now?”
Fleur looked down. “She died in an assassination. Nopony knew who. She was so disliked nopony cared.”
That got the Princess to look incredulous. “I’ve been searching for records of her ever since my last trip to the Human World. Why haven’t I heard of this?”
“My mother was obsessed with her legacy, so her assassins made sure she had none. They worked to remove all records of her. I allowed it, because association with her was suicide.”
“..This might explain some things. I’m sorry for bringing up painful memories...”
“Don’t be,” Fleur said with renewed strength. “If what you said is true, good relations with the other side are important. Please, tell me, why are you so interested in my mother? Does she have a counterpart over there?”
After a deep breath, Twilight relayed what Principal Cinch had done to her counterpart. After listening, Fleur nodded.
“That sounds like my mother,” Fleur admitted. “And myself?”
“Well, the other me said the other you always bullied her. Do you... have a history of that?”
The Unicorn mare looked away ashamed. “I did... I used to take my frustrations out on everypony. It wasn’t until my mother died that I calmed down somewhat.”
Fancypants looked shocked. This was news to him. Still, he put a comforting hoof on his wife’s shoulder.
Twilight considered pressing, but decided against it. “I still haven’t met the other you, and unlike here there’s no authority in the Human World to make her talk, so there’s no need for more data at this time.”
Fleur nodded. “I’ll answer any further questions you have. And...” she trailed off.
“Yes?”
“...If you ever get the chance, may I meet this other me?”
That surprised both Twilight and Fancypants, who stared at her.
“Dearest... whatever for?” the stallion asked.
“I remember being in that kind of mindset. Maybe... I could talk to her. Get her to understand she doesn’t have to be that way...”
Twilight smiled, looking pleased. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything. I’m actually planning a trip there immediately after this gathering is over. I’ll see if they can talk their Fleur into it.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Fleur said with a bow.
“Please, just Twilight in private,” the Alicorn said.
Fancypants spoke up. “If I may say, ...Twilight, why are these relations so important now?”
“Because magic in that world is growing to the same level as here. But I don’t think we have anything to worry about. With the friends I’ve made in that world, things are looking bright.”
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Twilight you should be spending more time with your student fast. Yes I understand that you have pressing concerns about magic in the human world but your student is jumping to some dangerous conclusions. I hope she can become better then her alternate future self.
Hmm...Starlight seems to be slipping back into the "no one should be better than others" mindset...but her focus doesn't seem to be about Cutie Marks. Instead, it seems to be about caste, leading to an obsession with eliminating the noble caste.
...is it wrong I'm in no rush to see that ambition crushed or redirected?
Hello there. Great job on getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Excellent job once again on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. However, Twilight is wrong about the "no one can do what Pinkie can" part (she's obviously forgotten about Discord and Cheese Sandwich). But that's just a VERY minor detail. Anyway, I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
This is going well. The talk with Fleur certainly revealed a thing or two, and her visiting the human world would be interesting. I'm worried for Starlight, she seems like she is starting down a dark path again. I hope Twilight can give her the help she needs. I hope we see more of the pony Shadowbolts, the idea of them being Twilight's guards is great!
Also, don't worry about over-complicating your stories too much, I still find them fun and entertaining regardless.
My personal opinion of why Pinkie never ascended is that Yggdrasil simply cannot take the strain of dealing with an Alicorn Pinkie Pie.
...that... can't be good...
So either she will relapse, or it's perhaps foreshadowing regarding her human counterpart?
Nice chapter, good work.
Yay! More please!
The Shadowbolts being Twilight's guard honestly feels a tiny bit contrived, but it works.
No idea where things may go with Starlight. I would think Twilight would have had some idea on how to nullify her resentment, but either she needs more time to work or she's just redirecting it.
And this mysterious backstory with Pony!Cinch (and possibly Human!Fleur's parentage) adds a new wrinkle. Or maybe it's just coloring and it won't go anywhere at all.
*hissssss!* you're canonize get the hideous game typo. Fleur Dis Lee doesn't MEAN anything! Kill it with fire!
And here's something I just thought of: Maybe One of the later chapters can have Twilight introducing Starlight to Moon Dancer, who has experience with reacting badly to a friend leaving, with Twilight even adding this admission:
"Yes, I will admit I was a pretty lousy friend before I moved to Ponyville. I admitted earlier that I was badly hurt when I found out most ponies who pretended to be my friend were just using me to get to Celestia or for help on their homework, but that's still no excuse. There were actually five fillies (now grown mares) who were trying to befriend me for the RIGHT reasons even before I became Celestia's personal student, but I barely paid ANY attention to them at the time. I'm not going to blame paranoia because, as I said before, they were trying to befriend me before I became Celestia's personal student. Rather, it points out that, by my own admission, I'm just as flawed as the next pony. Subconsciously, I think that the reason I might have paid them so little attention is because I didn't consider myself worthy of calling myself their friend."
And Twilight might have missed a few on her note to Sunset about first check-ups: namely Lyra, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna (since Celestia and Luna are alicorns in Equestria, it means they have the best abilities of ALL THREE tribes [meaning they shouldn't be ruled out as "first checks"])
Still, this is just a minor point out. As usual, looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
So, instead of going on an anti-Cutie Mark crusade, Starlight may now be heading towards an anti-Princess crusade? I suspect that the key moment will be the degree to which Twilight is able to bond with her. It is hard to work to overthrow someone you love and trust as much as if she were your own mother. That said, you deserve congratulations for her not being all healed and better all at once. It is obvious what happened with Sunburst was a tremendous and destructive experience for her emotional health and it will be a long time before she's entirely able to trust again.
The comparison of Fleur is interesting too. I'm not sure if she can help her human counterpart because there are significant enough differences in their stories and (I suspect) their backgrounds that young Fleur is a much more twisted personality than her pony counterpart ever was.
#1
Oh boy. Things are about to get dicey.
#2
Damn it Darth, you just couldn't go with the adoption route, could you? You just had to blow our minds with this.
#3
I have to ask: in your Nuptialverse, you've indicated that Celestia and Luna are the only immortal alicorns thanks to Discord's curse. How do things work here?
#4
Pony Cinch was assassinated? Well, I'm not going to shed any tears for her, but I hope things don't end so grimely for the human versions of her and her daughter.
#5
Call me petty, but I kinda wish you hadn't given Twilight's guards' three peagasus ponies; it feels unbalanced. I would have prefered it if it had been two from each of the three tribes, like the mane six were at the beginning.
The idea of the Shadowbolts being Twilight's personal bodyguards being contrived... Maybe not.
Consider that after hearing from the others of what happened, Twilight would know that this group of girls who nominally form their own little group of friends in a school which encourages everyone to go it solo at all costs, after only a couple days at Canterlot were willing to leap to their opponents' aid during a crisis, and stood against their own principal to defend Twilight. That shows a strength of character you're not going to find just anywhere. Hearing that, it makes perfect sense Twilight would have gone deliberately looking for these girls, with the intent of giving them the opportunity to shine.
Also, I really like the idea floated around in various other stories on this site of the Shadowbolt girls developing more in their own right. I heard somewhere that the original ending for the Friendship Games movie was supposed to be that Twilight goes back to Crystal Prep, and the other group becomes another group of close friends similar to the Mane Six, but it was changed to "keep the band together." Since they're apparently making a fourth movie, I hope they don't just drop the entire Crystal Prep group by the wayside and vanish them. I would really like to see them as another group of friends with Twilight.
6870079
Every Alicorn is immortal here. Once Harmony decides they're worthy to represent something important (Sun, Moon, Love, Friendship...), they ascend.
I made every Shadowbolt what their Wondercolt counterpart was (Sugarcoat = Applejack, thus Earth Pony). Maybe I'll get another Unicorn in there somewhere.
6879812
I'm sorry to hear that, because I've strongly opposed the idea that Twilight (and Cadance) became immortal upon becoming alicorns ever since Mysterius magical Cure. I don't even believe that Celestia or Luna are immortal; just incrediably long-lived due to rather ambiguous lifespans (for example, aging to a certain point, and then "stopping", or whatever you prefer; they can still die, it's just incrediably hard to kill them). I can't control your headcannon, nor do I particularly want to, but I very much prefer your original idea; giving Twilight immortality doesn't add anything to the story, and it overcomplicates her relationship with Flash.
That works too.
I'm...somewhat worried Starlight's starting to relapse...
I wonder who assassinated Abacus?
6879859
Honestly, I think that whole alicorn immortal thing is a choice. I mean, I don't think Twilight would want to be immortal even with all of her magic and power, because she'd outlive all of her friends and family. I don't think Candene would choose living forever because then she'd outlive Shining Armor and her future baby.
I don't know if Celestia and Luna are immortal or chose a long lifespan, but makes you wonder why they are in the first place. I hope season 6 answers questions about that, because the show's been holding it back for too long now.
6882231 Funny, I've read a story some time ago where Celestia explained to Twilight that immortality was a choice for alicorns; if my memory serves me right, they can allow themselves to age and die like everyone else, or simply "freeze" their aging process. I don't remember the title or the author, but the idea that Twilight would get a choice in the matter makes me more accepting of her being immortal.
By the way, I loved your fic Holiday Outrage.
6882308
Thanks, glad you did.
6879859
Unless Twilight gets good at age spells...
What is gonna happen to Cinch
6888098
Is that really what you're planning on doing (I doubt it, but I'm going to ask anyways)? Because if it was me (and I'm not trying to sell you ideas or anything, I'm just sharing), I'd find a way to make both Flash and all of her friends immortal as well, in a way that doesn't involve them becoming alicorns, because quite frankly, that's an even bigger turn-off for me than Twilight becoming immortal. The latter I can handle if I want to, but making the rest of the Mane Six alicorn princesses, immmortal or not, cheapens the whole thing worse than Cadance's and Shining Armor's baby. I'm sorry to people who actually likes it, but Alicorn Six stories are basically the plague for me....unless of course they are written in a parodic and humorous fashion, like this one.
If I ever do decide to go the immortality route, it will probably work something like how it does here.
6892237
I thought the Trollestia face was indication I wasn't. I have my plans, just wait and see...
6902241 Looking forward to them. Me, I have my own plans. Prepare to be amazed.
6953756 Solid analysis. Timetravel stories invariably have plot holes, and the finale is no exception. I've got no issues with a story that decides to take the path of working on Starlight as a filly, but it's too huge to be relegated to a B plot.
Hail! The truth of all Royal Guards. There mostly decoration, and there to get ponies out of the way so the Princesses can do their thing without much collateral damage. I mean come on. They can be slammed through mountains, move the cosmos (which is estimated at 3e-28 kg/m^3 (3e-31 times the mass density of water). (or 3 Untrigintillion times the mass density of water), and can fly at speeds that place them far faster than a Pegi.
So yeah ... other than the Mary Sue Starlight Glimmer (pre-timewarp adoption), any mortal is nothing to them in terms of power, and Guards are only useful for peace keeping, and interacting with the civilians to keep them out from under hoof.
_________________________
A much better answer than what the show gave (than constantly contradicted at every instance). Although I wonder why they chose SciTwi and Sunset Shimmer.
Also ... who in the hay is Sunny Flare?
__________________
6953756
What message? That you can destroy Equestria? Steal the most sacred part of a pony? Do numerous illegal deeds? Then at the end of the day are instantly forgiven by everyone you wronged?
Never mind the fact that Trixie (who had a pay by donation show) had a Stage Persona that got her heckled by the Mane 6, her home vandalized by Rarity, and parental negligence (and Twilight and Ponyville put 100% of the blame on her). Ended up ruining her life to the point the Alicorn Amulet was a good idea. And in No Second Prances the pony who "forgave her" treated her like dirt? With noone actually forgiving her, or making her their friend, or taking time to care about her?
Or what about Sunset? Took her to the end of the second movie to get close to earning redemption.
Yet Starlight did far worse than any of them, and not only is made instantly a friend by all those she wronged (far more than the above two), forgiven by everyone (not a single dirty look anywhere), but is now a student of a princess (with all the perks that come with that)? That message?
Yeah ... it doesn't sit 100% well with me either that the solution was basically the same. But in the end, she was actually less of an endangerment. Since Starlight never discovered Cutie Mark Manipulation Magic (which never ascended her, even though it was new magic, that could even defeat an Alicorn in a single shot), never brainwashed and soul raped an entire populace, and never made the spell that would destroy all of Equestria.
So it's a so-so thing really. Equestria is safe (and rulers need to make hard choices sometimes), an entire world is safe at the moment, and as long as Twilight doesn't screw this up. Could turn out better. That and at least there's the fact that Starlight has to work for redemption. Rather than that cheep skate ending where she gets shown friendship (nevermind she was befriended before with the original inhabitants of her town before she messed them up), and is suddenly out ahead of all the others who got screwed over when they made mistakes?
6865582
So she is switching from Cutie Mark Communism to just straight up Communism. Not that far of a stretch.
Magic spreading in another world? The scientist side of my Bionicle OC would be interested and would offer his aid whenever possible.
This is gearing up to be a better trained version of communist pony, which while concerning to the extreme, is laudable, since it’s very realistic. You’re definitely putting more pressure on yourself so that it makes sense, and it’s enjoyable to read.
Also wow, that flag in the end is waving pretty hard.
6953756
If she did actually move filly Starlight to the future then that indeed probably wasn't good for the time stream.
Of course this begs the question of whether damage is predicted on importance. From what we have seen it seems Glim Glam isn't overwhelmingly important in the grand scheme of things.
Still the whole thing is somewhat messed up, although maybe preferable to chucking her in a hole, or petrifying her out right.