Not Alone
Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
-Napoleon Hill
Twilight felt as if she had been swept overboard and was now floundering in a raging sea, trying to grab onto anything to keep her afloat. The waves of life were pitching and swaying, leaving her dizzy and confused, not knowing what was up and what was down.
She’d escaped Sugarcube Corner, blasting a hole through the wall and rushing out of Ponyville as fast as she could. She’d finally come to a small pond and, checking to make sure no one was around, encased herself in a dome of magic so she could focus on the water and try and right herself.
Things had been so easy just a few days ago. She’d had wonderful friends, a great job, a mentor she could trust and admire and a family to fall back on. She had understood her place in the world and had managed to carve out a nice little slice of happiness to call her own.
Then it had all been flipped upside-down. Her friends had betrayed her for her old foalsitter who had turned out to be a cruel witch who abused everypony she could see with snarls and insults. Her mentor had thought her stupid and hinted that their time together was coming to an end. Her family had either cast her aside or done nothing to help mend her broken heart.
Then Doubt had begun to whisper in her ear.
‘No… he just whispered louder,’ she amended. Doubt had always been with her, she realized that now. She just hadn’t been paying attention during those dark times but he had been standing beside her, lending her strength.
‘Nightmare Moon is wrong, Twilight… you didn’t fail the Princess and you didn’t fail Equestria. She is no match for your strength!’
‘Don’t listen to him, Twilight! Discord wants you to doubt your friends but you should really be doubting him! He is a fool and a liar and you are going to end him once and for all!’
Every time she had been told she couldn’t do something Doubt had told her not to listen, to disregard the negative and prove them wrong. Not just against the likes of Nightmare Moon and Discord, but in smaller things like the Running of the Leaves or when she had stopped the ursa minor. He had been there through the good and the bad, never wavering and never giving in. And when she had needed him again just two night ago he had been there, telling her to ignore everyone else, that she was stronger than what everypony said.
A new reality had formed for her. She was Twilight Sparkle, the bane of changelings, the dark alicorn. She had two true friends, Doubt and Spike, who were better than any family she had. She no longer needed Celestia because she had found her true power: dark magic long buried deep, now hers to control.
It had been glorious. She felt powerful… unstoppable. She had become the sky and the stars, covering all and seeing all, free from all burdens and troubles. She could do anything, be anything, and nothing else mattered. Let her traitorous friends hate her… let them belittle her and call for her to give up her new powers. She didn’t care; she was free.
But life had tilted again and things had changed. She now saw that maybe, just maybe… her friends weren’t as bad as she thought. The dark glass that had covered her eyes and tinted every interaction with the girls had been pulled away and she now realized that not everything was horrible… there had been good.
But she hadn’t gone back to her old self. That was impossible… a small touch of her innocence had been burned away and Twilight would never get that back. She could never be the goofy librarian that cared so much about making her friends happy that she suffered panic attacks. She didn’t feel the need to fret about her actions… a new confidence had grown and Twilight was never going to let it go.
And yet… she cried. She wanted to be close to the girls, for things to go back to the way they were…
No she didn’t.
Yes she did.
No.
Yes.
Twilight screwed her eyes shut, trying to will away the pain. Why couldn’t it be simple? Why couldn’t she just have the bliss of ignorance or the joy of rage? Why was she so confused?
“Twilight?”
The dark alicorn let out a yelp, her shield disintegrating as she whipped around to confront a startled Rarity. The white unicorn, to her credit, didn’t cower, though it was clear from the trembling of her knees that she was scared.
“What… what do you want?” Twilight asked, forcing herself to appear calm. It would do no good for the new image she was trying to craft if she looked like the panicky mare she had once been. “Here to apologize? The other girls already did their part… Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hit themselves.”
“I… I am not here to do that,” Rarity said. “There is no apology that I could ever utter that would make up for my dreadful actions.” Her horn glowed and a thick ream of paper floated over to Twilight, settling down on the grass. “Instead, I am going to focus my energies on correcting my mistake and winning back your trust and friendship.”
“And you’re doing that how? By giving me paper?”
Rarity managed a smile, though it wasn’t as dignified as her normal ones. “No, my dear. I want to show you something, something I thing you forgot.”
“And what is that?”
Rarity tapped the stack of paper. “That Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and I are not your only friends.”
Twilight glanced down at the first page.
‘Twilight, you are always nice to me, even when I make mistakes. I have said thank you many times but I want you to know how much it means to me that you always overlook my errors. –Derpy’
‘Rainbow Dash might be the coolest pony in Equestria but you are definitely the second best! If I were a unicorn I’d want to be just like you! –Scootaloo’
“What… what is this?” Twilight whispered.
Rarity smiled, bowing her head. “I went to every pony in Ponyville and told them how upset you were. I explained how I had hurt you and how you felt alone. Each and every one of them asked how they could help and I asked them to write you a note… to remind you that you are never alone.”
The dark alicorn looked down at the papers, her breath coming out in short gasps as she took in each note of thanks and love and support.
‘I hope you aren’t sad, Miss Twilight! You are always so happy and I don’t want you not to be happy! –Pip’
‘Chin up, my dear Twilight Sparkle. Life is full of good and bad but trust me when I say it will all work out quite well. You have a long life ahead of you and…well…spoilers. –The Doctor’
‘Twilight, I know my sister can act stupid some times, not thinking about other ponies’ feelings. She screws up but she always works hard to try and fix it. She cried since she got home and I think she will continue to do so. I have never seen her as happy as she is when she is with you or the other girls… please don’t let her stupid, stupid, STUPID mistake make you sad… she is sad enough for both of you. –Sweetie Belle’
Twilight flipped to the next page… then the next. Some of the notes were written in clear, solid print. Others were in the scratchy style favored by ponies who hold the pencil in their mouth. A couple were even written in crayon, including a crude drawing of herself which, from the postscript, has been drawn by Pumpkin Cake while Pound Cake supervised.
There were short messages asking her not to give up and long, heartfelt stories about times she had helped a neighbor or acquaintance out of a jam. The messages brought smiles and tears and laughter as Twilight continued to read each and every one of them. There were messages from ponies she saw every day, including all of the girls, and those from ponies that she had hardly ever talked to who still thought of her and wished her well.
Mayor Mare thanked her for getting the library back in shape. Miss Cheerilee promised to visit her on the weekend. Lotus and Aloe thanked her for not just her business but the respect she gave them. The Cakes stated they were going to give Pinkie a piece of their mind about how the lavender mare had been treated. Snips and Snails wrote that Twilight was ‘The Greatest and Most Powerful’.
And at the very end was one final, simple note:
‘I will make this up to you. Even if it takes forever. We all will. –Rarity’
Twilight sniffed, tears in her eyes, a smile upon her lips, and for the first time in nearly 48 hours something other than hate in her heart. She looked up and realized that night had fallen; she’d been sitting there for hours, reading every note, the paper stacked nearly beside Rarity, who was struggling to stay away.
The fashionista had not moved an inch since Twilight had begun reading.
“I… I know things will be different,” Rarity said softly, her voice hoarse from tears. “It would be foolish to believe differently. But I don’t care how different things are… I want to still be your friend, in whatever role you will allow me to play.”
Twilight took a shuddering breath. “I’ll need time.”
Rarity nodded. “Take all the time you need. Even after the deadline comes and goes and if you decide to leave with Doubt I will wait and when you come back-“
“Wait… what do you mean ‘leave with Doubt’? I’m not going anywhere.”
The unicorn stared at the dark alicorn in shock. “Darling, I thought you knew… Doubt has given us all two days to make amends and then he plans to take you away… something about going to a far away place, with other-“
Twilight’s horn flashed and Rarity realized that they were now standing in the library. Twilight focused and with several pops Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, and Cadence all appeared beside her. Many of them were startled to find that they were no longer in their beds but the moment they noticed Twilight they turned towards her, fearing that she had already come to a decision.
“What is this about Doubt wanting to take me away?” Twilight asked them, clearly annoyed.
Applejack shuffled nervously. “Uh… after he knocked you out he said we had 2 days to prove we were sorry or he was going to take you out of Equestria or somethin’ like that.”
“And I suppose I don’t get a say in the matter?” Twilight said, annoyed that her ‘guardian’ had made such a choice without her consent. “Why would he do that?”
Cadence took a step forward. “Twilight… Luna talked with Doubt this afternoon… he told her-“
“He’s going to kill himself.”
All of them turned, staring at Shining Armor, who entered the room with a stack of books floating around him like bees buzzing about a honeycomb. Twilight glared at her former BBBFF but Shining did not even react; mainly because his nose was buried in a book.
“What are you doing here, Shining Armor?” Twilight asked.
Not Shiny. Not ‘big brother’. Shining Armor. Formal. Cold.
He knew he deserved that.
“Doubt plans on killing himself and making you his heir,” Shining said simply.
“And you are planning on preventing him from giving me power?” Twilight asked, her jaw locking up.
“No.”
That caused Twilight to come to a full stop. “What?”
“No, Twiley, I’m not. I have bigger concerns.”
The alicorn frowned. “And those are?”
“Saving Doubt’s life, for one.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” Twilight demanded.
Shining floated a reference book over to her. Twilight stared at the cover of the old tome: ‘Ancient History of Equestria’.
“I am going to find his real name and restore his memories,” Shining said simply, taking a brief moment to look at his little sister.
“And why would you do that? Why do you care?” Twilight asked, trying to find what ploy Shining Armor was trying to pull.
“Because you care about him Twilight… isn’t that reason enough?” Refusing to say another word, Shining went back to his research.
He hid his smile when Twilight joined him a moment later, settling next to him to pour over her book while the girls grabbed a tome of their own and Spike hurried to make some coffee.
It was going to be a long night.
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Not much to say about this chapter. We are nearing the final stretch. All of Twilight's friends have made their bid to apologize in some way and now Twilight has a task to complete, an alicorn to save, and a decision looming over her head. How she responds will change the fates of many.
Well now Twilight has opened a bigger question: Just where does the voice of Doubt end and her own internal 'doubt' begin?
Does the Alegorical Alicorn get credit for every thing she has ever questioned? He could be the source of only the big ticket items and still be getting a lot of credit (no, I'm not saying he's claiming any such thing, but if it's what Twilight believes then it will color her thoughts.)
...'spoilers'...
Very good.
That's... thank you, I don't think most fans give Rarity enough credit.
Another good chapter, as if there was ever any doubt.
> Not alone
I'll be there
Tell me when you wanna go
Intriguing chapter.
Doubt is in fact perhaps the only "good" Alicorn. Luna and Celestia are the controllers of celestial bodies and as such, are neutral. They strive to maintain harmony...or balance.
But Doubt...it makes us question, makes us ask why. It is the cause of all invention and thought.
Without Doubt, Equestria would not...could not exist.
Cheers
GM
Me:
narwhaler.com/img/56/4/what-the-i-see-what-you-did-there-spiderman-comic-564ifZ.jpg
That`s REALLY GOOD Story!!!! I like it)))
Can`t wait for another chapter)))
how about twi talking to her parents and having them explained they were worried when they saw her at the wedding thinking she was going crazy and that there plans for after the wedding were to ignore the reception aprty and check to see if she was okay since they thought she was sick
If I wasn't nocturnal I'd be losing sleep over this update, but I am, so I'm not.
Something just occurred to me. Every time Doubt's told Twi' to question something, he's old told her to faith in something else.
so everything will work out for the better, that's good to knowdl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
i wonder how celestia is gonna say sorry, actually show real emotions instead of that "mask". i wonder if luna is gonna say sorry, she blames herself for sure, but has she really done anything really wrong?
this is so quickly turning into one of my absolute favorites
looking forward to the next chapter!
She has most likely forgiven five. Now it is merely Celestia remaining. That will be painful...
Awaiting further releases.
I was looking forward to seeing Celestia apologize, and be humble for once.
Good chapter, but I am kind of sad to see this so near its end.
THIS IS A STORY ALL ABOUT HOW
TWILIGHT'S LIFE GOT FLIPPED-TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
NOW SIT RIGHT THERE AND DON'T GO OUT
LET ME TELL YOU THE TALE OF FAITH AND DOUBT
1473614 Luna has only ever done one thing wrong, and that is abuse Doubt's power. She wasn't at the wedding, so Twilight should have no beef against her.
1473568 Let's hope he includes that at some point.
1473643 That is if she can.
1473703 In the town of Canterlot born and raised
In the library was where Twilgiht spent most of her days
Ohhh man, I just had a sudden clarity Clarence about where I think this story is heading. Of course it may not be the actual ending, but in my eyes who is to say there couldn't be an Alicorn of...faith left at the end of this
i'm probably wrong, but....
I was wondering how Rarity would try and make things right. I hope they'll be in time though. Doubt is one of the more likable Alicorn oc's I've seen so far.
1473540 YAY FOR LOGICAL THINKING. LOLWUT.
1473643 Celestia is mostlikely the sun per.sonified. hotheaded, quick to act, bold, and last but not least! important but arrogant about it.
I love cellybashing.
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m94yjzQHGA1r1gkido1_500.png
Celestia b lookin down on u. LUNA R BEST PRINCESS.
1473769
Who's to say Twily isn't the alicorn of faith?
But still nice idea chap.
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbpiszWWHw1r05905o1_400.jpg
Wilson Mizner once observed: "I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education."
I heard this quote many years ago -- Mizner died in 1933, and no, I wasn't around to hear it -- but I think this is the first time I've truly understood it.
1473713
that's what i mean, she hasn't done anything to twilight, but back when someone commented on that in the story; she said she was to blame as well.
Doubt doubted Twilight's doubt and had faith in Twilight's abilities.
hopfully
Twilight will have faith in Doubt and save Doubt from Doubt's own doubts.
What will happen to Doubt if Twilight's faith in Doubt returns Doubt's faith in himself?
Only the Author knows .. (and the Doctor but he aint telllin
)
I would have liked to have seen the letters from the Ponyville Dam workers and the road construction crews, for their gratitude. Remember that Twilight orchestrated emergency repairs all over town.
0.0 thatis all
I'd prefer more Shiny bashing, but this will do.
(Nah, I'm kidding. This chapter is fantastic!)
When I read this title and remember what this fic did so far... reminds me of this
I must know, will Luna's vision come true?
If he represents doubt, why not make her faith? All this skull duggery is starting to make my head hurt
Another lovely chapter. I can't wait for more.
"Spoilers"
"There was this unicorn, who had lots of friends, but then she hated her friends and became an ALICORN! But then the alicorn who made her an alicorn made himself a body out mirrors and told her not-friends that they had two days to apologize or they were going to go far away and live happily ever after- wait, that's not the kind of spoilers you meant? Oh. Well. CHANGE?! Got any change? Come on! Help a guy out!"
1474237
Agreed... Shining deserves atleast 1-2 chapters of bashing and him crying his lungs out on being such a shitty brother
1474422
Listened to the song that you posted in your comment. And I must say, IT'S AWESOME!
I must get this song now. Thanks for posting it!
Dawwwwwww....Rarity's way of apology was very nice. However, I don't think Rarity should have told Twilight about Doubt whisking himself and Twi away to a far off place.
I like how Shinning is trying to do something useful now, instead of feeling sorry for himself as well. But other than Celestia, if it's one pony that I think doesn't deserve Twilight's forgiveness right away, it's him. What jerk cuts out their own sibling from their life?! That's just wrong. If I was there, I would say something along the lines of this to Shinning:
"You'll get no sympathy from me." - Ike, Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Great chapter, as always. Can't wait for the next one too.
- Super-Brony12
1475399
if I was Twilight, I'd ask him what he was thinking when he treated her like crap and hear his excuse I'd be like "There's the door, do me a favor... fuck off on out of here"
1475431
Yeah, that works too. LOL
seems obvious, 'faith'
1474237
Storyline or no, none of them like got up one day and decided to go Twilight bashing. I don't think Shining Armor has a ton of reasons to be going and beating himself up. He lied once or twice, and thought Twilight was going crazy. Really their only big crime was doubting Twilight instead of taking her seriously -- at least as far as I can tell.
I see the action has speed up the moment Rarity mentioned that Doubt wanted to take her away from Ponyvile, not to mention that now Shinning armor mentioned that DOubt want to kill himself and make Twilight his succesor.
I m suprcied by Rarity action, from all mane 5 I though she had least chances, but it seems that even if she may often act out of place, when she decide to take action, she take action ( her idea was great ).
As for Shinning Armor, I wonder do he realy care about Doubt and fell sorry for him, and want to help him because he protect Twilight ( good reaction ), or he want to help him because he fell that it is only way to save Twilight from becoming Doubt ( neutral reaction ), or he just act that he care about Doubt only to get on Twilight good side, hoping that she will forget or forgive him his share of mistakes ( evil reaction ), anyway Twilight now can see pass any mask so if Shinning Armor act, she will notice it.
Also I hope that Twilight parrents, Celestia and Luna will have they turn as well, Twilight parrents are not in much dissadvantage, the only think that can make tham fail is fear of new Twilight or hate for her new friend, if they will accept Twilight and not blame Doubt, they should do fine.
Luna have not done anythink to Twilight during the wedding, but she tryed to lie and blame Doubt for her transformation, telling everyone that he only lie, when later it went out that lying is again his nature, she totaly need to appologive for that, especialy that Luna wanted Doubt to be dead, even if she was the one who betrayed him.
As for Celestia she is in worst position, not only she made bad decysions after the wedding events, but she still can not accept reality, I quess for someone who no one told that she made mistake for over 1000 years, admiting mistakes and accepting the facts may be extremaly hard, so unless Celestia change, she is screwed ( Twilight now can easy see behind other pony mask, so Celestia is in heavy dissadvantage since she got used to wear one all the time ).
1475996
I have no complaints about any turn this story took, and am satisfied with how each character has dealt with their demons.
Considering I just took my first look of and watched all of Doctor Who series 5 to where it is now... "Spoilers."
That one feeling when get a reference you never noticed before.
Also, the book of notes that Rarity collected. Our fifth grade did something similar in concept for one of our teachers. All of us fifth graders knew her- she was a nice and participating teacher- and we were told that if we had something good to say about/to her, to write it down on a small sheet of paper. They were all put into a punch bowl, full to the brim when we presented it to her before she left to work at another school.
So Doubt was expecting Twilight just to go along with the "go very far away and form Island of Misfit Ponies" without telling her about it beforehand.
Jeez, he must really want to die.
1477365
Ah, but remember what he said "What I want and what I will do if forced are two different things". You all assumed what he wanted was to take Twilight... but what if it were the other way around? He wants Twilight to reconnect with her friends... but he will take her away if they hurt her.
This chapter was so sweet. I was choking up at Rarity's apology. And now it's time for Twilight to take action. Go get em! also can't wait to see what the royal sisters have to say to Twilight. So exciting
I spent the entire night trying to read all of this because I missed out on the MASSIVE amount of updates.
You are truly a FANTASTIC writer, and I marvel at how you come up with this goodness.
Can't wait for the next update!
1473830
'Twas my point
heh, changed or not, Twilight still has her bad habit of not going direct to the source, and asking Doubt what the deal was. she's only getting pieces of information from the others and they only form an incomplete picture...
also, i feel Shining got off easy so far...
1478703
Who said Shining was forgiven? There is a difference between working next to someone and forgiving them.
1479113
maybe so, but i was expecting him to get a lot more snarks from Twilight, rather than her, seemingly, begrudgingly accepting his reason to help...
awaiting your next chapter...